villanesque

Lambert and-and-and-who? Poyet? Klinsmann? Hope it's not Klinsmann. Hate to lose him from the US National team. He's already made a difference. I'm a NO on Martinez now. The thought of listening to Whelan whale is too much to think about.

Not too through and through. When Man U came knocking he answered the door and skipped all the way to OT. When Villa knocked he hopped on a plane. The through and through seems to only be for fans.

http://tinyurl.com/6wwet6v Damn that picture of Røkke makes him look like a hitman. Watch your back Randy!

How can OGS tell the media it's done without sitting down with his current employer and team first? Talk about tacky! You think he'd say "yep I'm off! It's been lovely suckers!" I think the man has class and he and Randy will make a good fit. Having said that if he's not in then Lambert will do for me. Not as exotic but he's proven he can win at this level. Either one (OGS or Lambert) will do. Up the Villa! waaay up

What's the flight time from Norway to Brum? Cant wait to read all of the reports of RL's jet leaving. Interest mounts

I think he meant that the players can now begin focusing on their summer holiday plans with their families. As you know, Europe in the summer is spectacular!

I woke up at 5:25AM to watch. Really wish I had stayed asleep. Wake me up when: A) McLeast is fired Randy opens his wallet (although giving Eck the credit card to go shopping might be an even bigger disaster)

I agree Spurs are a good side that's why they really didn't need McLeish's help tonight. They could have beaten us without the lame ass tactics and negative to the gill player selection that daft clown through out on the pitch. It is soooooo hard to stay positive and to remain in a the glass is half full mindset dealing with this shit head. He called the defensive errors a circus and I say well no wonder because the team has a clown in charge.

I knew I'd be frustarted with a loss but I didn't know I'd be ashamed. That was **** shameful. AM can officially go straight to hell at this point. And he should be in a foot race with Randy to see who'd get there first.

Apparently the board held to their "must have PL experience" as the line in the sand priority. Unfortunately they didn't have the caveat that the experience had to be a good experience. Just experience. If appointed it's very very disappointing. The enthusiam that I felt when thinking of Gerard's transfer targets, the enthusiam I felt for the style of play the players had FINALLY started to get through their thick heads... all gone. Now my feelings have gone from enthusiam to wait and see and pure unadulterated blind hope that it all works out. No confidence that it will but hope can take a person a long way...sigh

I didn't grow up a Villa fan but caught my Villa bug in 1997 when they played in Los Angeles. They became my team and my crazy little obsession when other kids my age here at home laughed at the mere mention of the word "soccer". My father took me to my first Villa game too though he did it to support the Galaxy. I came from the game in love with the claret and blue. I love the club and have for years and nothing that happens regarding the appt will change that. I do feel bad for my brummie brothers and sisters for the hurt feelings and stick you may have to endure but it was Villa fans that taught me that you can change your name, you can change your wife but you can never chnge your club. So up the Villa! Cheers

Pretty sure BBC Mids today said said a statement tomorrow. Thanks for that. Statement doesn't sound as bad as news conference. And Yes I realize that I sound insane holding on to ever possible hope. I actually liked Houllier so that should show I'll support who ever is managing the team but goodness McLeish would really take some winning over. The football was just so unattractive

If true about Sanchez Flores then holy **** shit on a stick why has Randy chosen a divisive risk to merely a managerial risk? All appt are risky but McLeish is risky AND divisive. Can some one help me out? I'm on my iPhone and it's loading slow - is it being reported that Villa are making a statement tomorrow or having a news conference? Thanks in advance

If McLeish has the cajones to walk into Villa Parke as the next Villa manager it would be impossible for me to not respect the guy or respect Randy. Rather not have my theory tested however. Rather AM find another employer mind you

I couldnt possibly lay the blame of this potentially divisive and uninspired choice at the feet of Houllier.

General, Seeing how Randy knows a lot about the Cleveland area, certainly he understands how a local area and a fan base feels and reacts when feeling the shock of a sports betrayal. It's almost impossible to not take such a betrayal personally as a local fan. When fans invest so much time, energy, money and love into team or a player only to have that player or in this case the Board and the owner seemingly turn their backs on the locals it really stings and not the type of sting one shakes off but the type that stays with you. There must be a reason why managers of local rival teams do not switch teams in the history of English football. Why invite the trouble? Why invite the tension? Why invite the hurt feelings and the doubt and the ridicule? Why invite the loss of revenue? Why invite the bad blood between yourselves and the local fan base? Why invite a manager into that environment? Why purposely put all of your good work and good faith that you have built the for the last 5 years in peril? Why would you do all of these things for a manager that has been at the helm for two relegations, plays a style of football that would undo the work and class that the previous regime worked so hard to instill and would divide your fan base on top of all that? Why invite such a divisive element into the club? Fans are already turning on each other, turning on the club. Why invite the bad blood and feelings? I know that you of all people know that you sometimes have to weigh the risk of casualities to win the war but General the Board was not at war but it seems that it's about to be. You are putting all this on the line for, at least what's on paper, is a mediocre manager. Why?

Randy has just finished a season with an unpopular selection as manager, why would he enter into another season that would hold nothing but an immediate firestorm? Why would McLeish knowingly walked into this hornets nest? For Randy and McLeish the whole thing would be hazardous their mental health! And for Randy risking such a large loss of revenue has to factor into any decision he makes. Obviously the Board and Randy know how the vast majority of Villa faithful feel about the prospect of such an appointment. It will all be alright. (Right, Randy? Right? cross fingers and knock on wood)

Don't worry, Ancelotti will be appointed last friday. Open wound and rub in salt, eh? Ouch. We have gone from the hope of a PL coach who won the double a year ago to a PL coach who won a very differnt double this year - all in a weeks time. Carlo to dildo. Hero to vile villain (not villan) Mazzerati to a moped...sigh

You won't have to log off of VT forever because you won't be able to ever log on again! Non-stop whinging if it happens. Servers imploding, armageddon!

Come on Villa Nation. No way Randy would go from Carlo to a dildo. I'm Keeping the faith!

From the prospect of Ancelotti to the prospect of McLeish in one weeks time is pretty amazing! Gotta love the Villa! Never a dull moment

I love all this scrambling around and the ITK and the twitter-fest and Twitter-gate and media mess and media hate and hair pulling and teeth grinding and Villa bashing and Everton sleepless nights and then tomorrow Villa announce Ancelotti as manager! Now THAT would be drama! On a more practical note, Moyes would be nice:)

and the plot thickens..... Or McLeish to Chelsea once a bluenose always a bluenose Everton or Chelsea Not forgetting that McCleish used to manage Rangers and IIRC there's a tradition pf ties with Everton and Rangers? Oh I can't cope with anymore of this... it's worse than a flipping Miss Marple script Ha! I was thinking more Agatha Christie myself! UTV!

and the plot thickens..... Or McLeish to Chelsea once a bluenose always a bluenose Everton or Chelsea

Thank you for posting the article. It actually makes sense based on what the supposed ITK from the other board had written. He said that it was Ancelotti, then said there was a glitch but one that was thought to be workable, then Ancelotti mentions the leave of abscence in the press. Bet Carlo was receptive, Villa and Carlo lawyers reviewed if they could just pay back the 6 million and buy him out. Sort of like buying out his buy out. Damn. Hate missing that Anceloti boat. Ship will have sailed by next year. This was the year to get that caliber coach coming directly from a PL team that compteted for trophies in the here and now time. Shit. SMH To be fair, it was also reported that he'd not taken the extra money. I don't know what to believe. Regardless, I haven't thought of Ancelotti as much of a possibility since Monday. Still hoping Randy appoints a big name though. Yes, I read there were conflicting accounts as to having the "no coach" clause or not but his actions and time frame of one season away from the game gives me pause to think the buy out with the "cant coach another team" caveat probably was accepted. Oh well water under the bridge now. Whoever is brought in will not only need Randy's financial support but fan support as well. So UTV!!!