markavfc40

Team: Guzan, Beye, Davies, Cuellar, Shorey, Milner, Gardner, Sidwell, Reo-Coker ©, Young, Heskey. Subs: Friedel, Agbonlahor, Albrighton, Delfouneso, Delph, Petrov, Lowry.

Carew is out of tonight's game with a virus.

General,

After trawling through various threads during this transfer window there appears to be an underlying conflict with many posters.

Some believe Mon has been given the substantial funds required to bring in the calibre of players that we all agree are needed to cement our place in the top 6 and challenge for top 4 but the manager is having great difficulty in attracting these players thus the reason for us not having brought in players of the same quality and experience to replace Barry and Laursen and only having two senior centre backs at the club.

On the other hand some believe that the club is not in a position financially to allow Mon to go out and buy the calibre of players that we so obviously need, whether this be in terms of transfer fees or the wages required to attract the level of player needed.

If the latter is true then I think it would be better if the club came out and stated this as then we as fans would know where the club stood financially but more importantly if the latter is true then as a board I think you are placing undue pressure on the manager as many will believe, if the required players continue not to be signed but the belief is funds are in place, then it is all down to the managers incompetence.

Obviously if come the end of the transfer window players have been signed of the quality we so badly need then this question becomes irrelevant but as things stand today I feel its one that needs answering.

Kind Regards

Mark

General, can you explain why it appears our Europa League game against Rapid Vienna on Thursday is not to be shown live on TV in the UK?

Good to see the vast majority of supporters want the manager to stay despite the timing of this thread which would inevitably lead to a few knee jerk reactions.

I have always been behind the manager, but I am started to wonder whether Big Sam, Alan Curbishley or even the dreaded DOL would have done any worse than 6th and a dreadful cup record if they were allowed to spend the amount of money MON has?

Thankfully, as long as Randy Lerner owns the club, we will never have to find out.

Stay 100%

Lots of managers might have bought in better defenders than we have got, more players or more glamourours signings. Would they have bought in Ashley Young, Carew, Petrov and Milner though, given Agbonlahor a chance, got the best out of Bouma, seen us take 4 points off Arsenal etc? Different managers get different things right and different things wrong. Overall i think very few managers could have done better on the pitch than we have done - the best season since 1995/96 for points last season in a year when we had 55 games. Last season was good, it had a pathetic run in that can't be forgotten about but the good parts and overall 6th place can't be dismissed. I'm sure a new manager will do it a new way, different players, more cover etc, i'm not sure they will see us getting more points or finishing higher in the league though.

In O'Neills first season with us we had a terrible run- i think it was 2 wins in 20 games, he showed he could learn from that and we turned it around. No reason at all he can't do it again, especially given that for 2/3rds of last season we were on course for our best season since we came 2nd. To dismiss all of that one game into a season as we lost and had a bad run in seems ridculous to me.

On another note half of the annoyance i think is the fact most people have realised we have decent owners who have put some money in but aren't the richest. Sadly that isn't enough in football now, we will finish above most clubs with less resources than us and below those who have more. Thats almost a given and its getting ever less likely any club or manager can break the cycle unless they get a mega rich owner. O Neill as manager will take the brunt of the annoyance over this and its why i hope we take the cups as seriously as we possibly can this year

One of the most rational, level headed, posts I've read on here the last couple of days.

Absolutely spot on.

Still over 2/3 in favour of keeping Mon. Had we have won yesterday that majority would have been even more emphatic which in itself makes this poll an absolute farce.

and so the witch hunt begins. IMO this is an opportunity a few fans have been waiting a while to jump on,. Oh well another three year cycle begins it seems , and they told me the days of Ellis had gone

I think your almost spot on. The three year cycles under Ellis at times started off very brightly - Atkinson finishing 2nd then Leagues cup success, Little, 4th in the league, League Cup win, Gregory 7th then 6th place finishes, O'Leary 6th place finish. We then had slumps, massive in some cases.

Mon though has improved season on season, something we have not seen since the days of Saunders. Whether that continues to be the same this season it is far too early to say. What I do know is though is that by getting rid of the manager now will not lead to any sustained success.

Arguably the worst 60 mins of football I've seen under O'Neill ( from 15mins in to around 75 mins ).

Totally inept, couldn't retain possession and looked like a bag of nerves at the back.

Shorey is simply not good enough and for me Cuellar and Davies will never make a Premiership defensive pairing as neither of them are commanding enough and can't organise those around them.

Major action needs taking defensively. I think O'Neill knew that before today and if he didn't he certainly does now.

Going forward Ash is turning into a show pony wanting to beat a man two or three times instead of whipping the ball in early.

Massive two weeks ahead in terms of bringing 2 or 3 experienced heads in, especially a defensive leader.

Steve you remember when me, you and Rob met down Villa Park for what we hoped would be a mass protest against Doug Ellis. We put the wreath on the gates of VP and you took a photo and sent it to the Evening Mail who printed it?

The club was on its knees then. Doug was chairman, O'Leary was about to leave and the squad consisted of piss poor players who had just struggled to finish 16th. The whole club could be summed up by looking at the Holte Pub which was derelict.

That was three short years ago mate. That day when me you and Rob stood on Trinity Road taking the picture of that wreath did you really dream that things three years later could have improved so much?

If you genuinely do feel as pessimistic as you say you are then I'd say don't bother going any more as if during a game things do go wrong on the pitch and the players are struggling then they will need the crowd behind them to lift them but your natural reaction, given how you feel now, will be to do the opposite and that, as you know, is not how a supporter should feel.

General, what kind of attendance are we expecting on Saturday?

General great to see whats been done with the Holte Suite. I have to agree with Rob ( rjw ) though and suggest that the club looks into how much they are charging for pre game and half time refreshments.

On a positive note it is fantastic to once again see the emergence of a number of youngsters and the upcoming season looks as though it could be special if what we've seen pre season is anything to go by.

Observations from today:

Delph shone against strong opposition and will fit into the premieship like a hand in a glove.

Albrighton will get plenty of game time this season and looks the real deal.

Clark is good enough to be our 4th choice centre back.

John Carew will have strong competition for a starting berth if Heskey can continue his pre season form. The guy looks lean and mean.

General can you shed any light as to why Mon as yet to comment on our new signing Fabian Delph?

Anyone know if Gabby, Milner and Gardner have flown out to Spain to join up with the rest of the squad given they have been back in training for a few days now? There fitness level should be good anyway given that they didn't finish with the under 21s until the end of June.

The only thing I know about Atlante is that they beat a decent Malaga 3-1 so based on that I'd say we did pretty well tonight given that we had a number of players missing and ended the game with half the team consisting of youngsters.

Villa: Guzan; Lichaj, Davies, Cuellar, Shorey; Reo-Coker, Sidwell, Petrov, Young; Carew, Heskey

Poor performance, especially second half and going forward. Thought we did ok first half, had plenty of possession but created nothing.

Didn't really expect much to be honest as Carew, Petrov and Young have only just come back into training and we are still missing Gabby, Milner, Luke Young and Gardner.

Given the heat it was a really tough workout for the players so should help with fitness which is what pre season is all about.

General,

The kit is absolutely fantastic. A traditional Aston Villa shirt. Who could ask for more? I'm well pleased that the club have done us proud once again with both the home and away shirts.

I think early July then I expect us to make another 3 or 4 signings in quick succession.

I'm 100% behind England. Although as individuals I don't particularly like some of the players once they put on an England shirt they are collectively representing my country and I will get behind them.

Watching last years Euro Championships without England just wasn't the same.

When we get to next years World Cup I'll do what I always do. Live the dream for a couple of weeks, convince myself we can win it and then reality will bite and we'll get knocked out in the quarters. Its always good while it lasts though and I've had some great days/nights down the boozer watching England in major finals with followers of different clubs all passionately behind England.

Against the best of the best Hattons lifestyle has done him no favours. Blowing up to 14stone in between fights is bound to take its toll in the end.

I was really impressed with Pacquiao and he surprised me with his power. Hatton did himself no favours though and it was as if he'd prepared to fight an orthodox fighter instead of the southpaw Pacquiao.

Hatton should call it a day now. He as been an excellent fighter, had a great career but come up short against two great fighters and there is no disgrace in that.

Hatton 10stone 12lb on the night. Pacquiao 10stone 8lb. Not the anticipated big weight difference.

Hatton/Pacquiao will enter the ring no earlier than 4am.

Even though Hatton was 140lb ( 10 stone ) at the weight in come the fight he will enter the ring at around 11stone 2lb. Pacquiao on the other hand will weigh no more than around 10stone 7lb.

Hatton is naturally by far the bigger and stronger man. This only comes into play though if he can get close enough to Pacquiao to hurt him. He will and take him out in the mid - later rounds.