villanesque

Very true. It also sounds like some one not already employeed as a club manager, imo. If a person is already employeed as a manager their sole focus is their own team. Thinking about how to plan for another team seems out of range for someone already doing that planning for their own side. Take Hughes for instances, can he really discuss Villa personnel and the future of Villa when he's in a learning curve regarding his own personnel at Fulham? Frankly, The club statement has left me with more questions rather than offering any type of answer. Good news is, seems that it will all be decided in a week or two. Well at least for this season. it sounds like you are trying to work out who the mystery man is that the club have chosen - whereas in actual fact the club dont have anyone concrete in mind yet and are just reassuring the fans that they are looking for someone and not sat on their @rses doing nothing. No. I don't presume the board has any one person in mind. And no, I don't presume that the board has been sitting on their butts navel gazing. They put out a statement. I assume they were careful in the language and wording they used in the statement and I am reacting to the language and wording of their statement.

Very true. It also sounds like some one not already employeed as a club manager, imo. If a person is already employeed as a manager their sole focus is their own team. Thinking about how to plan for another team seems out of range for someone already doing that planning for their own side. Take Hughes for instances, can he really discuss Villa personnel and the future of Villa when he's in a learning curve regarding his own personnel at Fulham? Frankly, The club statement has left me with more questions rather than offering any type of answer. Good news is, seems that it will all be decided in a week or two. Well at least for this season.

I'm sure the club aren't incapable of holding a video conferencing call on tinternet! Ha! I know that much, JulieB, I engage in video conferences all of the time! It's a necessary part of my work! No, my point was interviewing some one for a job means that the person has submitted an application to be considered. We all know the fight Ajax put up regarding Jol's potential exit to Fulham so how Jol actually "interviews" for the Villa job would seem to be something done rather clandenstine rather than overt. It could make for a very negative experience for Jol and Ajax especially given that the season is now underway. Here in the States a club would have to ask permission from the other club to interview some one under contract by that club for a job at a different club. Does it not work that way in European football?

Went to bed last night feeling so hopeful it was Klinsmann. Wanting what I think would be breath of fresh air at the helm. Woke up and watched a hell of a committed effort from Villa today with my heart swelling with pride at how hard they fought and how deep they dug for that win. Now reading the narrow criteria of who'll be considered for the job has me concrned again. Jol would be fantastic but Villa sound as if they are "interviewing" the next manager. I can't see how Jol will be interviewed. I can see him straight out being offered the appointment but interviewed when he's in the mist of his season under contract with a team in the CL? Can't picture how that works.

Not being funny, and i respect your opinion.....but why? The only club job he had at Bayern, was a complete disaster. And as for Germany, its commonly accepted that it was Lowe whom brought those players through. Sorry, but i think Barry Fry has more credentails, but ive had a bad fcuking night, and im not thinking straight :winkold: No offense taken! I look at Villa right now and all I know is we need a manager. Badly. I think he would be given immediate respect by the players. The Bayern Munich stint was disatrous but in some ways it was destined to be because Klinsmann wanted to play a different way then what Bayern had been used to playing and winning under the previous regime. He was taking over for a legend and every change was viewed under a microscope with a comparison to Hitzfeld. Change of style at a place like that would ruffle feathers and I think it did get a whole lot of fans and management underpants in a twist! But his Bayern side was not at the bottom of the heap they were still challenging at the top of the table, weren't they? I like him because he marches to his own drummer, he has an ego yes but he has a vision of how he wants his teams to play. He wants to attack, attack attack. Joachim Low gives Klinsmann massive credit for Germany's success. Klinsmann name would be a plus for transfers, imo. And he's hyper competitive, not afraid to change, not afraid to make mistakes and bows to no one.

Please lord let it be Klinsmann. Please. I'd prefer him as US national coach because the US really needs to overhaul our youth programs to grow better players and I think he's the right person for that but I'll take him at Villa any day of the week. He's a striker that knew how to strike! Hell if all else fails he can throw the Villa jersey on and score for Villa himself.

Pele The truth will be known very soon. Even Kev Mac on the OS gave the next week or so as the window.

FWIW, Just to throw more fuel on the fire, here's an old blog on Hitzfeld and Bradley's connection. http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1679/us-national-team/2010/06/17/1981440/canales-corner-ottmar-hitzfeld-could-lead-bob-bradley-abroad Hah! There are reports that Hitzfeld does want to retire in a couple of years and the Swiss Nat team is a job he loves. I think because he hasn't met the Villa faithful yet. He'll fall in love with THE Villa if he takes a chance with the club :winkold: And yes I am excited because I rather be excited by a rumor than **** depressed by the reality.

Amen.

Uber competetive men like challenges. Aston Villa in this current state of being is a big fat ass enourmous challenge. Do it Randy! NOW.

I'm all onboard of the Hitzfeld ship. Let it sail!

It just seems that Kev Mac has been around the game long enough to know if he has ever entertained the thought of being manager. I know he was thrust into a tough position with O'Neill waving good bye but seeing how he's played the game, been in coaching all these years, had he never thought of being a manager before August 9, 2010? As for Bradley, I know as an American he'd be a "first ever" and man that guy would catch holy fooking blazing hell if he were appointed as a manager for any Premier League club and especially this one. I know this without question and he has to know it, too. Yet he's up for the challenge of it. All I can say he he must have some jubalani size balls for wanting to take that abuse on. My hat is off to him for even wanting it.

General, Suggesting that Villa fans expect Messi in the claret and blue while being managed by the best manager in the world all within two weeks time of losing the manager is a bit of an unfair response to the faithfuls' concerns. It's easy to dismiss fan angst as a "sky is falling" over reaction but I hope that is not how the board and Mr. Lerner really feel about the fans' concerns. We have lost our manager under clouded circumstances. We have lost our engine and (not to mention PK taker) in Milner. We have 9 days before the transfer window closes. We are being managed by someone who openly admits to his ambivilence of keeping the job full-time. We are at a goal differential of -3 after only two weeks and this is after scoring 3 goals of our own in our opener. Is it not fair that fans who are aching to know if all of our oars are in the water are not thought insane for wanting reassurances other than "we are not as bad as we showed today?" Can we be told if transfers in are being considered? Can we be told who, if anyone, is evaluating the personnel needs of the team? Can we be told if a list of most wanted managers has been formed? Can we be told if Mr. Lerner has a broad time frame for an appointment? I do accept that this current state of anxiety lies at O'Neill's feet for walking out but even you know that what is past is past and let's move on. But in order to move on we have to have a tangible plan. Good plans have targets and time frames. It seems that is all the fans are truly asking about. I appreciate that you post here because you certainly do not have to as most teams do not offer that type of access to their fans. So as always, thanks for taking the time.

Bob Bradley is a VERY good club team manager and no one can take that away from him. He has a proven track record at the club level. Obviously we all know that this record was not established in the Premiership but suggesting that he won't know how to manage a club team is without any merit, imo. A proper manager is someone that wants the pressure on his shoulders, not one that would shy away from the pressure. My question for the General is this: Knowing the overt concerns of many Villa fans regarding the managerial assignment, what factors are the board or Randy taking into account for a possible appointment? General, you keep stating that the board is looking for the "right" man for the job so the question is what are those factors that account for some one being a possible "right" man? Age? Having played professionally? European experience? Work rate and disposition? What? Good luck in the continued search.

Yes, I think Downing was the one who ran up into the top level of the stands to retreive Carew's PK miss

John Carew Carew he's shittier than me and you he'll always flub one or two John Carew Carew That display by Villa was shameful. Complete capitulation in the second half. Warnock is terrible. Clark is merely young and inexperienced but got a real lesson today. The midfield simply hasn't played together before and that was obvious. Carew needs to find the most comfy seat on the bench and remain there until a transfer can be arranged. Hesky at least works hard. Of course Hesky never has anything to show for his efforts because he sucks but there's never a lack of effort. Ashley complains too much. Downing has never shown real quality, imo. Freidal may want to start thinking about where he wants his retirment luncheon held.

I woke up at 5:30 in the morning for this dreck. Carew needs to pull his head out of his ass. Two games in a row where he needs a **** map to find the goal? Maybe he thought he was still trying to kick the ball as high as that sign at Villa Park. Carew always says that he doesn't set goal targets for himself, I didn't realize he literally meant that he doesn't shoot the ball on target at the goal. Goodness gracious. Ashley is working hard but even he gets too caught up in emotions when things don't go his way. COME ON LIONS!!! Salvage at least a point!

Defense is a tad nail-biting scary. Albrighton is aces though. Another away goal you young Lions, please!

If Kev Mac can get the team really consistent and firing then that January transfer window would look good, imo, with the cash we have from the Milner deal. The CL group stages are generally done in December so maybe we can pick up a quality player or two who has been knocked out of the CL in January to help really push us on to 4th or better the second half of the season. I do think that aside from money (and yes it's a big motivator) most highly hyper competetive people such as professional athletes want to win. If Villa can manage the winning part during this first half then better players will give us a sniff even with Kev Mac in charge and maybe because Kev Mac's in charge. When there is contentment at a football club word spreads to other players that there's a good thing going. I'll support who ever Randy and the Board appoints but I'm all for seeing what Kev Mac can do between now and January.

I didn't link to the goal.com article because they didn't link to the Dutch newspaper article. So obviously it can all be BS. I wasn't going to link to Goal and help to give them any additional internet traffic. But if they are direct quoting people then they better be right. That kind of thing can get a website sued. Of course they can always use the old stand bye excuse and claim that they didn't translate the Dutch article correctly.

Goal.com is citing Dutch newspapers with direct quotes from Jol.

Good article, BOF. True that We don't know Martin's side of the story but there are some facts that we do know. And those facts alone make me think very poorly of O'Neill to the point of a true loss of respect. Fact, O'Neill did not say a proper good-bye or address his team at all. They all found out about his quitting on them and the club from the television just like any average Joe on the street. Fact, Lerner left for the US on Saturday night with no clue of O'Neill being so unhappy that he was on the verge of quitting days before the new season was to begin. Was it impulsiveness on O'Neill's part or a plan to really screw over the club? That I don't know but either way, when you are unhappy enough to quit you are responsible for initiating the dialogue. Not talking to the team or at least speaking to the players directly man to man and not broaching the subject of his unhappiness to the point of stepping down less than 48 hours later to the Chairman are two factual reasons why I have lost respect for O'Neill regardless of what his "reasons" actually were. edited to add: What Martin did by giving the club hope and confidence to compete once again at a high level can not be measured. And for that I am very appreciative. I'm sorry that his reputation is now tarnished by a thick cloud of dirty air.

I don't know, Erikkson just seems like a vagabond mercenary. What about the guy who got the boot from Real Madrid to make way for Mourinho? Is he an option? I don't recall that he's taken an new job. Maybe Villa can be his redemption. Getting the ax in such a public way may give him motivation to do more with less. Villa may be it. Maybe?

Yeah, I laughed dudeeee. Yeah, totally for sure dudeee. No way a freaking yank can know enough totally bitchen info about this totally awesome game of football to even be thought of without totally laughing dudeee. Totally, yeah, awesome, cool, whatev. Speaking of ffs, Hate to burst everyone's smug reactions but here's a news flash, football is not rocket science. It's a game that little kids play so it can't be all that tough to comprehend. If you think Bradley falls short of the mark because you have some knowledge of his coaching style and credentials that's one thing but tossing out the childish xenophobic comments are just plain silly. Dudeeee

General, Thanks for trying to keep the lines of communication open between fans and management of the club. It is commendable. I've been a Villa fan long before Mr. Lerner's involvement but must say that I was very pleased that he took reign of the club. My question is does the board feel that a 25 man squad (with no new transfers in) of current players can compete on all four fronts (Europe, FA Cup, League Cup and Premier League)? I realize that Martin didn't play half the squad, and that the young guys have really improved but I think it's a fair question to know if the board feels that those players that didn't contribute last season if given a chance this season is truly enough to reach higher than 6th, longer in Europe, another League Final and another FA semi-final or better? Thanks and obviously all Villa fans wish the best for the club and on a personal note I want so much for Randy to succeed at the club.