markavfc40

Mark were you not one of MON's avid supporters regardless of what he did saying lets see what happens and trusted him no end etc etc? Now i think Houllier is meh and Thompson is a blumin plonker. But surely there is no point kicking off until we are bottom half of the table come May? Jez I'm actually not disappointed we have got Houllier. The appointment doesn't excite me but I'm OK with it. As for Thomson I can't stand him and the fact he has on a number of occasions belittled the club I love. Having said that as long as he throws himself into the job and shows half the passion for us as he as for Liverpool and his nose doesn't block my view of the pitch then I'll accept him. I hope we do well under Houllier push on from where the previous manager left us and make that last step into the top four and actually win something. I do however fear that the new manager will be shown little grace and if things don't start well or we hit a sticky patch early in his tenure things could get very uncomfortable and turn ugly very quickly. A good start is vital for Houllier in my opinion and who knows where this season can go if we can gain a bit of positive momentum.

If the poll on another Villa Forum is anything to go by Houllier could start off with a supporter approval rating of less than 50%. A bad start and this could turn ugly very quickly. There will be no honeymoon period. Heres hoping we get off to a flyer or his reign will be very short lived.

I don't want Phil Thomson anywhere near Aston Villa Football Club. He as on numerous occasions shown contempt for Aston Villa during his media work. Only a couple of weeks ago when discussing Aston Villa on Soccer Saturday he said in a very condescending tone something a long the lines of " this is Aston Villa we are talking about they over achieved under Martin O'Neill and they need to remember that ". Continually emphasising this is Aston Villa we are talking about like a little club like Villa should be grateful to finish in the top 6. As for him quitting Sky will show he'll be committed to us how the **** does that work? Thomson would be lucky if he is on anymore than a few hundred pound a week for the little work he does for Sky. The primary reason for him coming to Villa will be money. I don't have a problem with that but lets not make out the prick is doing us a favour.

Yes was just watching that Ian. Even for this Government so stands out as being out of her depth and an embarrassment.

Its probably more to the abuse and general ungratefulness people have expressed to him. He has always been for discussing the pros and cons and never shied away imo apart from when it comes to abuse that some fans have thrown at Randy for god knows what reason. Abuse. Come of it Jez he is a man not a **** mouse. Sure the board have come in for a bit of stick, some justified some not, but nothing that he shouldn't be able to handle. In all fairness he as given as good as he has got also. Facts are we have not had a manager for four weeks, sold our best player, made one signing during the transfer window and in the opinion of many gone into the new season weaker than we finished the last one and added to that those around us have strengthened. Gone out of Europe at the first hurdle and been humiliated by a piss poor newly promoted side. People are understandably a little pissed and the club shouldn't pass the buck for all that happening on the ex manager leaving. They have to take a fair share of the responsibility something for me the General has been somewhat unwilling to do.

He has decided not to post for a while. Posted this about 30 mins ago: Whilst I think that is the right decision I have to ask does that just apply to this site or all Villa sites? All Villa sites. I'm just hoping that it isn't because he knows that an appointment is still a way off or that one is around the corner that isn't going to go down too well.

He has decided not to post for a while. Posted this about 30 mins ago:

Probably for the best General that you bow out for a while. If rumours that Phil Thomson is to get a coaching role at Aston Villa, a man who in the last couple of weeks said a club like Aston Villa was over achieving finishing 6th and as over the years been very condescending towards us, you could have expected a fair bit of abuse to be posted on this thread. Heres hoping when you return we will have a manager/coaching staff in place who have the ability to take us forward, who believe that Aston Villa are worthy of being among the elite in this country and see it as an honour to be involved with such a great club.

An outstanding coach says who? that outstanding a coach he hasn't coached in 6 years.

How can a manager not have man management skills?

What kind of things did he say about him?

Either that or the couple of mill a year pay packet might be the motivation. In Pinochios case he won't be earning a lot for talking bollocks on sky sports so I'm sure he'll be more than happy to come to Villa and pick up a few thousand a week.

That's just rumours atm, but that will not stop people slating him and it hasn't. Phil Thomson as on numerous occasions shown contempt for Aston Villa during his media work. Last time being only a couple of weeks ago when discussing Aston Villa on Soccer Saturday when he said in a very condescending tone something a long the lines of " this is Aston Villa we are talking about they over achieved under Martin O'Neill and they need to remember that " If people are happy to have a prick like Thomson at our football club then god help us.

Thompson was on soccer Saturday a couple of weeks ago and alongside the usual suspects on that program they were discovering Aston Villa. One of the things that stood out for me, mainly because he made me **** mad, was that in regard to us attracting a new manager and what fans should expect he said something along the lines of " this is Aston Villa we're talking about ( in a very condescending tone ) they have over achieved under O'Neill and they need to remember that. People who see us like that are not the kind of people we need at this great football club.

**** hell. Pinochio in tow with Houllier. Is there enough room between the dug out and the Witton Lane Stand for his **** snout.

Excellent post once again Pete. The club have certainly done themselves no favours in terms of communicating with the supporters over this issue. No one expected them to name names but more structured information should have been forthcoming, rather than the random ramblings from the General, especially as this issue as dragged on for so long. Lessons will hopefully be learnt from all this. Although given Randys long time association with the Browns I'd have thought the naivety the club have shown should not have happened.

Whoever the next manager is will have to bring some staff in as when Mon left the assistant manager, first team coach, goalkeeping coach and chief scout all left with him.

I really don't get this its the best we could do attitude as the better managers were all employed. Sure it would be tougher to get a manager that is employed by another club but IF the club really wanted a manager employed by another club have they done all they can to get him? have they offered a shit load of compensation? have they made it known to that manager, even by underhand methods if necessary, that they will pay them a kings ransom? made it known that they have high ambitions etc. I hope that the club have done all they can but I sense given some of the Generals comments that they have been wary of upsetting anyone and have played it nicey nice. Ron Saunders was manager of Man City we went for him we got him, Graham Taylor was manager at Watford we went for him we got him ( both Sunders and Taylor stepped down a division to come to Villa ) Ron Atkinson was at Sheff Wednesday we went for him we got him. We've bought some excellent managers from other clubs before and I believe had we have gone all out and used any tactics necessary we could have secured another. So yes other better managers than Houllier were all employed that still shouldn't stop you doing whatever it takes to get them and it seems highly unlikely that we have. Shame that.

Sorry to keep correcting you mate but Holullier is 63 - DOB 3/9/1947.

Total uninspired. Four weeks to wait for this. I wish him luck. I have feeling we are going to need plenty of it.

He's only 2 years older than MON! Martin O'Neill is 58. Gerard Houllier is 63. Thats 5 years.

Friedel and Warnock were both deemed not good enough by Houlier when they were at Liverpool so I doubt he'd be on there Christmas card list. Same goes for Carew when at Lyon when Hollier in his wisdom accepted Baros in a swap deal. As for the rest of the players who knows how they'll feel but I'd guess pretty much uninspired.

I'm still hopeful the fact it has already taken the best part of 4 weeks ( and will more than likely take at least a few days more ) points towards us securing the services of a manager currently in work. I have confidence that the profile of the club with its immense history and the fact we have re-established ourselves as a top 6 club, with three consecutive top 6 finishes, will be enough to turn the heads of either Jol, Hughes, McLeish or even Moyes. These are all managers with a fair but of experience behind them but you sense a strong desire to achieve and are the right age in terms of building something over the medium - long term and who with decent backing could bring success. The club is at the moment crying out for someone who can inspire and bring us all together. I just don't see the likes of MacDonald, Houllier or Curbishley doing that.

I'd of thought if Staunton is coming in as 1st team coach that will be Kev Macs choice as I doubt Randy/Faulkner/The General have identified Staunton as a man to help take us forward.

I think Houllier would be a good appointment - who of those available would you prefer then?? What with this available criterion? If we are limiting ourselves to only targeting managers who are available, basically out of work, then we are giving ourselves very few options. What I want to see is us go all out for a Moyes or a Jol. Aim as high as possible resort to under hand tactics if need be. Only going for someone "available" is taking the easy option and the work of the weak. Lets throw a bit of muscle around and get what we want. Who has said we've only approached managers who are currently out of work? My reply was in response to the line " who of those available would you prefer we go for". I'm not suggesting for one minute the club haven't/aren't approaching managers currently employed. They should be.Give me a Moyes/Jol/Hughes or even a McLeish over an ageing yesterdays man like Houllier or an Alan Curbishley who happen to fall into the available camp.