jackbauer24

My bad. I did admit I wasn't sure on the regs. I looked under all the forums for site rules but didn't look at the bottom of the page!

Potentially two tickets WITH travel for sale. I bought them but probably need to be saving the cash (reluctantly). However, I will only sell them with the Official Travel tickets as well, otherwise there's not that much point and I might as well just go! So Face Price for the two tickets with Travel will be £90, no offers, no splitting them etc. I'll just go if I can't get my cash back. Bought a new car, have a season ticket, do I really need to go to another game....?! Collection/ Delivery in person would be necessary now probably to ensure you got tickets in time. I've PM'd Avflife as he was first person to search but then I'll offer them in order to anyone who posts below this. If I'm not allowed to post this here please say and delete - I looked for the rules but couldn't find any and a few people had put requests in above.

A midfield trio of Delph, Cole, Richardson and Westwood feels a lot better than last years potential of Delph, Sylla, Eh Ahmadi and Tonev! Add N'Zgobia, a possibly fit Gardner and the young Grealish then it's not an awful looking midfield anymore. Strangely enough, after looking so promising for a while it's now our striking options that look weak. Benteke injured, Kozak injured, Weimann and Gabby lacking form and no more Helenius or Bowery (as bad as they were). Bent's back but not on fire and looks a little like he spent most of the summer in Greggs with Holt so I'm hoping the lack on a no.9 in the squad indicates there will be some movement here.

Completely theoretical and based on no rumours or anything but would you swap Vlaar for the return of Ashley Young? You could look at it as Vlaar leaving anyway or just on the merits of a deal/ overall value. If Vlaar is to leave (and to Utd) I think this may sweeten the deal despite Young's poor few seasons. He likes being a bigger fish in a smaller pond. But if we could convince Vlaar to sign for another few years then I'd prefer that.

Well it went on eBay, sold to an idiot who wanted me to wait til end of month so he could pick it up having not seen car in person. Very limited communication. Dead end. Put it on Gumtree. Limited responses, one guy wants it but possibly a bit of a dreamer. Not heard from since. Put it on Autotrader. Loads of advert views. One guy gets friend to testdrive it, agrees price and just wants to 'check colour' at local dealer (it's black!). Not heard from since. Oh, and Autotrader actually cost nearly £40 for two week advert, not a tenner as I thought. It's cheapest in country including private sales. Has below avg miles. Has nearly a year MOT and tax with brand new tyres and is in very good condition and is a popular make/ model. So why isn't my hand being bitten off for it? Priced around £6k. Do people spend that much privately? Bit stuck what to do. There's always we buy any car but that's such a rip off and not that desperate/ urgent. Any more ideas?

It feels like, understandable, clutching at straws. I don't for one second think that we are secretly sold - it makes no sense. If they were keeping it secret to keep prices down when buying players, the likes of Merson would know jack all. With one massive bid all the clubs would reveal we do have money to the press and furthermore, I'm not sure other teams care if you can't afford things - the price is the price for 90% of the teams, they don't give discounts for poor ones and we're not going to be a £50m a player team regardless. I think, for once, what we know is the truth. We're for sale and we're not sold. Let's be honest, us small fans are the last to know: Chairman/ Board first, Manager then players. Players tell mates across the premiership. Maybe they let slip to one genuine ITK on a board who no-one will believe (for good reason because of the other 99%), press pick it up, write a story we believe or don't depending on journalist/ paper/ player and slant! Finally we get told last. We might hear before it is official but really that's just an ever so slight edit of the grapevine: Chairman Board/ Execs Manager Players Players Mates, Coaches, Other team players, players families, pundits and very occasional ITK slip Rumour Press 'Hardcore' fans on forums etc BBC/ Sky/ Official All the other good fans who enjoy matches but aren't on Villa Talk! I think it gets stuck between the first two for ages but once it gets to players I think the gap between that and official is days not weeks.

Yeah fair point I suppose. Already spent £10 on eBay one. Probably put it on Auto trader in a bit then.

I'm selling my car and it's on eBay and Gumtree. I won't give a link cos I'm not sure that's allowed on these forums! There would be auto trader but that's another £10 or so and wondering if anyone has any advise on other places I could advertise/ sell. We buy any car offered at £4.5k P/X was offered at £5k Privately they go for about £7k but I have 40 watcher and no bids - about week left. Not in a rush at all to sell but can't buy new car til old one sold. If it takes three months it takes three months! What are people's experiences selling privately? Only ever done p/x before.

Ace! That means we'll win EVERY game this season! I am somewhere between "we have to play them all twice" and "horrid run in September" as momentum is important. If that run had been in Feb it might have had less impact but going in to Christmas sitting bottom of the table might not be good for our fragile minded little first team...

Not so much a joke as a quick wit so to speak; Was taking the piss out of the gf regarding her height, normal on-going joke as relationships go calling her a short arse basically. She replied "I'm just the small package good things come in..." To which my instant reply was "thanks, nice to know you think I'm a good thing..." One-nil... To be fair even she laughed. Bad form to laugh at your own jokes but even I gave my mind a little high five for being that quick!

Last Fifa I bought was 11. Not much of a gamer anyway but the tiny changes aren't worth £50 a year, especially since they devalue quicker than any other game as regards trade in etc. Not buying another FIFA until Villa Park is included. Ok, we're biased but come on - used in Euros, for finals, for semi-finals, ever present in Prem, considered a great ground by neutrals. Only thing thatll make me 'upgrade'.

It's been known to happen http://www.independent.co.uk/news/parachutist-breaks-legs-in-santa-stunt-1191299.html Too soon?!

Whilst looking for OS news I saw we confirmed that Bowery had left on a permanent move to Rotherham. So losing the quality of Bowery for washed up Cole... Im ok with it

Where are people getting this 'official' info and photos from?! Don't doubt it but just interested - nothing on OS, Newsnow or BBC...

So to sum up; we've been told nothing from the club but... Rumour from ITK - either it's definitely true or it's made up cr*p Rumour from paper (tabloid) - it's positive news and it's possible or it's negative news and they don't know what they're talking about it. Rumour from paper (broadsheet) - it's positive news and it must be true or it's negative and we're doomed (unless they don't know what they're talking about...) Rumour from paper (local) - it's positive and it's carefully released PR from club or it's negative and the reporter is a blues fan. Rumour from website - check blacklisted sites (update list if needed) and then refer to above. Something else happens - it means takeover is definitely happening imminently, it means takeover definitely isn't happening soon or it's unrelated as it doesn't fit a point. Basically all information fits in to one of the above and can be construed absolutely any way you want and the situation is Villa haven't been sold yet and haven't signed anyone yet. Up to date?!

After the last few days I'm, for once, a bit more optimistic about our chances of survival should the status quo remain. I still believe Lambert has a near impossible task but with Okore back that'd improve defence, Bent would be better than Bowery/ Holt, N'Zogbia better than Albrighton. Not a penny spent. Furthermore we have a few more wages off the books and rumours are Lescott would drop his wages to reasonable level and be free. I'd feel quite confident about a defence with Vlaar, Okore and Lescott available with Clark/ Baker/ Lowton as appropriate. Just no Bennett or Hutton please. An available strike force of Gabby, Weimann and Bent whilst waiting on Kozak and Benteke would be ok. Then midfield which is still easily weakest area and is reason defence has so much pressure, just needs maybe one £5/6m pound decent investment on one player and I think Lambert would comfortably get us 10th to 12th with minimal injury disruptions. Forgetting all the takeover speculation, I think we might have enough to survive again after bringing in the Bomb Squad, a few key returns from injury and a very small investment (which is all we're likely to get) from Lerner into a possibly free defender and an experienced midfielder.

Got to love the different way people interpret the same information. Information - info is PR Spin/ info isn't the whole story/ info is 100% accurate. The information doesn't change just the different views on it based on previous speculation. It's interesting reading all the different views and speculation but the only thing I take for a fact is that we are for sale with no timescale on if and when we'll be sold.

Whilst no-one by any stretch of the imagination thinks it has been a successful season, it is interesting to note that with a win against Spurs it is perfectly feasible we could finish the season 12th. Now that actually would be progress. It probably won't happen but I still think the abuse Lambert has been getting is unfair.

Staffing, policing and admin match days probably. Plus loads of kid tickets for £1.

I too can see beyond simple results to say whether Lambert is rubbish or not. NO-ONE here is saying it has been a successful season, no-one is saying Lambert is beyond reproach and no-one is saying he hasn't made mistakes BUT what I think of the more rational people here are saying is that the fault lies far more with others than Lambert. It really comes down to where you sit on the amount of responsibility he holds. There are a number of factors, many discussed and not limited to: The Bomb Squad (could/should have used them? Who knows, maybe he wasn't allowed) The Signings (better ones injured, some mixed bag - is he not fairly similar with most when it comes to successes? And Lowton comments annoy me... fine last season - knee jerk reactions as a poor signing) The Glass Ceiling (where do people think we could have achieved with same investment - me personally, I think no higher than 12th - so at the moment he's four places below that) Tactics (tactics have been good enough to beat big teams and lose to rubbish teams - does this not say more about the quality of the players?) Public Relations (tell the fans what Lerner wants "remit/plan" etc and you're a yes man. Tell fans we need investment and he's not filling current players with confidence) Results (loss to lower league teams, very annoying and I made feelings clear, but not exactly unknown for Villa teams! And then very good results against bigger teams this year) I don't think any fan is saying it hasn't been an atrocious year but I think a few of us can see there are mitigating circumstances and are prepared to give Lambert the benefit of the doubt as regards staying on. I wouldn't say I'm Pro-Lambert, or a a Lambert Lover, but I certainly think it is too short sighted to just say he's failed, next please and not look at the route cause. McLeish just survived and we had the Bomb Squad available. Lambert doesn't seem to have had this and has lost some key players this year. He's not perfect but I think people are getting angry at the wrong person.

Err...that's where I'd have to disagree on pretty much the same basis. I don't believe that every "chef" would've spent his budget on "crap ingredients". Again you are saying that every other manager couldn't have spent £40m any better. Not a belief I share. Ok, I agree with you to an extent with the "glass ceiling" thing but I believe the ceiling under Lerner is that we cannot achieve any higher than mid-table mediocrity. The problem with Lambert is that he has proven he is incapable of even managing that. I don't believe that other half-decent managers would of actually regressed the team in their second season. I don't believe that they would've squandered most of their budget on a bunch of dross who have no right to play at this level. Nor do I believe that their coaching methods would be so poor that the team would still look like a bunch of strangers incapable of stringing a few passes together two years down the line. I think we understand each other then My personal view is the glass ceiling is lower than you think it is and that is where, perhaps, the difference in the expectation of the manager comes from. My view is there has been a fair bit of bad luck this season which has contributed to the stagnation/ regression. Don't get me wrong, I'm a season ticket holder and have seen the crap we serve week on week and don't think Lambert is amazing or anything, I just happen to think very few managers we could attract would do noticeably better. And, for example using Pulis, would you want that manager if fighting for Europe? Accepting a manager who's an expert at relegation fights seems a bit defeatist to me.

That's nearly my view. I did say 'much'. I think with the level of investment, the wage limit and the injuries we've had this year it was always going to be a relegation battle. Another manager might have got us safe a game ago or we could be deeper in relegation trouble like Cardiff. I think the points haul would have been negligible. In fact, I think the only way we would have got more points is if we'd tried to play for more draws. Yes, by "any better" I meant significantly better as you are basically suggesting. To actually believe this means one of two things: 1) You completely underestimate the importance of a manager. By your logic, I could turn around and say that most other managers would also have Atléti where they are right now. As according to you, every manager does pretty much exactly the same job with the same resources. 2) You actually think Lambert is so good that if this is the best he can manage then it is incomprehendable that another manager could significantly out-do him. I don't underestimate the importance of the manager. I just personally believe that there is a ceiling at this club that very few managers could break. I think with the investment that is there, the injuries we've had to key players that very few managers could have got us higher than, say, 15th. And it still wouldn't be acceptable in my eyes but I think the focus is on completely the wrong person. It is impossible to please the fans with the level of investment we currently have. I don't think Lambert is so good. I think he's made some mistakes and he's infuriated me with some of his tactics. But no different that most other managers. I just happen to think starting again with a new manager with the same constraints will make virtually no difference and we'll all be back here in two years saying he was rubbish too.

That's nearly my view. I did say 'much'. I think with the level of investment, the wage limit and the injuries we've had this year it was always going to be a relegation battle. Another manager might have got us safe a game ago or we could be deeper in relegation trouble like Cardiff. I think the points haul would have been negligible. In fact, I think the only way we would have got more points is if we'd tried to play for more draws.

I can see why people have different views, and we all see things in a different way but I'm surprised by the very black and white view a majority of the people on here seem to have. The hatred towards him seems unjust, but I'm no advocate of blind support either. I don't understand how people can't get their heads round the fact that if your resources are continuously stripped then, however good you are at your job, the outcome will be worse every year. If Villa have got worse year on year is that because we keep getting worse managers or keep stripping back the talent. McLeish could call upon more experienced heads on far higher wages, and we just survived. We have stripped even further AND lost players to major injuries. How is this not a valid point? If you think he's not good enough for Villa then fine, that's your right. But to state the reason for this as him buying Bowery instead of Milner or having less points than when we had better players is incredibly short sighted and exactly what Lerner wants. Wrong target. For me, he's made mistakes like every other manager we've ever had. Some signings have been good, others awful but for me, he deserves at least a go with investment. I don't think any manager in the division would have got us much, if any higher, with the same limitations. It's not acceptable but it's too easy to put it on the manager.

With those financial constraints most managers ( the ones that know what they are doing ) would not take the job in the first place. The fact that Lambert took the job with those conditions shows the extent of his knowledge of Football and the Premier League. This comment amuses me if I'm reading it right. Basically you are saying he's an inept manager because he accepted the job knowing that the financial constraints we're nearly impossible? So therefore, whoever gets the job next is useless the second they say "I'll take the job"...