jackbauer24

On the 1st of August I leave Britain for a 23 day trip around Europe in my car. I'll be travelling through Belgium, Holland, Germany, Czech Rep, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, France and Luxembourg. Approximately 2500mile round journey. Camp sites (and about 6 hotels) all booked/ reserved. Car stuff sorted and route planned (Sat Nav with print out route for backup). Any advice on driving/ keeping safe/ being aware of... in Europe and particularly the more Eastern countries? Reading up on the internet, I'm getting a little concerned I'm going to be pick-pocketed, overcharged, robbed, car-jacked, targeted for being foreign and treated badly by the authorities! And that doesn't include me breaking a million different road rules in each country. Any reassuring words?!

Obviously this will need a poll adding to it by mods or whomever. I think it's a reasonable thread to suggest, just looking at the General thread seems to point to very mixed views at best. I'm not making a positive or negative stand point in this thread it just seems there is now the same need for this as there is for the Manager rating thread. Is the General's thread the tip of the iceberg or the vocal minority? It's not a IN or OUT thread it's approval only.

Whilst I have been a big critic of the club on numerous occasions within the last few months, in this instance I feel you have little blame. Downing is a disgrace for leaving a club the second he can, when we bought him it was a considerable risk and whilst I'm not stupid enough to think loyalty exists anymore - human decency would should have dictated at least another year from him. £20m(ish) in the bank for a player who handed his notice in - fair enough; that's life and no real blame can be contributed to the board. However, as a number of papers have already highlighted, this deal puts Villa in a terrible light and means we must now move incredibly quickly to convince fans, pundits and most importantly future and current players that ambition still exists at our club. Do you really think that we look like a club with ambition now? Whether you say we are or not, surely you can admit that we at least LOOK weak at the moment and on a downward slide. We are not a company you would put money on at the moment. I feel the players must know we have accepted survival (financially) is the main target in the short term and wish the Board could be a little bit more honest with us. Even massive clubs admit times when they have to scale back investment.

Whilst I may get vilified for this, I actually don't see a purpose on you being on these boards in such a 'public' way through questions and answers. You may well be a nice enough man, you may have the best intentions but the current method of communication just leads to ridiculous expectations and predictable responses. Whether through wish or requirement you can never give us answers to questions we really want to know from the Board. Transfers - no go. Business dealings - no go. Managers - no go. Team spirit - no go. Club merchandise - yes... or just phone the shop. And frankly, Nicky Keys would be of better use on here for these kinds of things. You can only give, whether intended or not, very PR responses. You can tell us nothing that we couldn't find from other sources inside the club. You can never come on here and admit that (for example) that Downing is likely to leave or that we have to scale back investment - it's impossible to be so honest as the public face of Aston Villa. So yes, I think it is a waste of our, and your, time being on here. The plummeting trust in the board is not what inspires this post but just a pragmatic response to the realism of posting on a public forum and has been my view for a while. Use this board for announcements by all means but Questions and Answers simply is not viable.

General, It's hard to put exact figures on today's protest attendance but it must be around 500 at a guess. That is with about 24hrs notice. Do you know how hard it is to get 500 people anywhere with such short notice? I'm very impressed with that turnout considering the timeline involved. Can you really imagine the amount of people who will be protesting against YOU AND THE BOARD in a month or so time when it's more organised and on a match day. I sincerely hope you've got sponsorship sorted as no company is going to want to be associated with the amount of negative press you are all going to get until McLeish is fired and probably you lot have followed him out the door. You've shown in one stroke you have no respect for the fans and don't understand the game at all. I eagerly await your pointless rhetoric response which further shows you have lost all touch with 99% of the supporters. At least be honest and admit you've given up and it's all about the money. If this goes through you will be the least popular Board in the clubs history. What do you expect? Keep selling the best players, mess up all sponsorship and shirt deals and then hire a manager who is not only useless (TWO relegations) but from our arch rivals and then you respond to criticism with effectively "we don't care as you're not important as we are".

DOUG ELLIS brought us the League Cup in 94 and 96. RANDY LERNER has brought us nothing but 'nearly' and now McLeish. How have you managed to become less popular than Ellis, despite all his faults, in such a short time? This isn't going to go away, however much time you give it. MISTAKES ARE ONE THING. CONTEMPT IS SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY.

Every single one of the people above and below this post will support Villa until their dying day. However, I think you will quickly get the impression that the Board have lost 60% of fans just for interviewing 'him' and will lose the next 30% when you inevitably appoint him (we know you plan to based on your defence the other night) 10% may just get on with things and put on a brave face despite not being happy. You are part of the board and WILL be held responsible for this decision so if you appoint him PLEASE leave these boards and all other boards you are signed up to. We don't want to listen to someone who clearly doesn't give a cr*p about us. For the first time you are up there with the Glazers and Gillets in showing you have no understanding of the British game and British fans. This is a proper sport that has been going for over a hundred years and fifty years and not some sport that was made for TV like the Americans. We don't have franchises, we don't move (see Milton Keynes Dons) and we understand real passion, emotion and rivalries. You will be revealed for being nothing more than a PR outlet for the club. YOU ARE NOT A REAL FAN - UNLESS YOU'RE SUGGESTING YOU'RE IN THE 1% WHO ARE PUTTING ON A BRAVE FACE (AND EVEN THEN DON'T REALLY LIKE THIS SITUATION) We are collectively disgusted at this turn of events, from seasoned supporters to new additions. This is WORSE than anything Doug Ellis ever did. I can guarantee the Board will be hounded out if this goes further than an interview - it's going to take some repairs as it is. With the WORST manager you could choose as far as the fans are concerned, no sponsors, no players and no shirt you must be considered the WORST board in the country at the current time. It can only be described as inept. Calls to sell up will come thick and fast unless you're willing to spend £500m this year AND McLeish reveals a Aston Villa tattoo in the midst of a 20 game unbeaten run. You say you asked for experts opinions, best fits etc etc but, whilst we understand you can't choose based on fan favourites, to say you basically don't care if we don't like him is the biggest slap in the face many fans will ever have experienced. There is a case for disregarding some fan displeasure (we can be over sensitive or protective or even deluded occasionally) but the fans DO know more than any 'experts' you have at the club when they, in a collective voice, say NO! OR by you're saying you understand but he's best available (with two relegations) just shows how low we have sunk and is ultimately your responsibility too. I DIDN'T THINK YOU/ THE BOARD WE'RE THIS STUPID. Desperation is no excuse.

You ask for 'patience' as if we're being unreasonable? It doesn't help when coupled with waiting for new sponsors (still no word), waiting for new shirt (still no word and past history) and having to wait two months even when Houllier took over. We do a lot of waiting General and I don't appreciate the suggestion we're being impatient. How many teams in the Premiership are without sponsors? How many teams in the Premiership are without a manager? How many teams in the Premiership are without a bloomin shirt? If you want us to give the board time then give us something else to focus on. New shirt, sponsors etc - show us SOMETHING is happening at our club. It is more than reasonable to accuse the club of dithering when we've known we wouldn't have sponsors for FOUR months, a manager for at least TWO months and waited for last seasons shirt for about SIX months. Show me one other team ALL this happens to and then perhaps you can infer that we're being 'impatient' rather than displaying an overall ineptness over the last 12 months.

Despite the hysteria over this, that and the other (And I'm just as equally guilty as anyone else I admit!) one poster on another thread (I forget which) did raise a sensible query: Do you think Mr. Lerner can afford to suitably support both Aston Villa and the Cleveland Browns? Probably not worded the best as you're hardly going to say 'no'! But it's more an issue of, despite all the good Randy has done for both clubs, would he not be better serving one club and giving them all his time (and investment) rather than trying to split resources between the two? Is it better to have one world beater than two mediocre teams? I must admit I'm not overly aware of American Football and it's requirement but I think it's a legitimate question to ask. Most people would prefer one good car rather than two bangers! I imagine it's a question that's almost impossible to answer (especially on an open forum) but it must be a question that has to be asked in a time when, especially in British football, it's the pound (dollar?!) that does the talking unfortunately.

It annoys me when all these people say we need to be patient. "oh, Houllier's only been gone a few days". Now in the case of MON, fair enough, it needed time. But in this case when, at the very least, we've had a good idea that Houllier would be leaving most big companies would have a very good idea of the list of replacements ready should that situation arise. It just makes sense. I'd hate to think Villa didn't even plan for a very likely set of circumstances. So really, most of the research, short-listing and due diligence (for want of a better word) should have been done BEFORE Houllier left. It is perfectly reasonable to do in the circumstances and could easily have been thrown away should Houllier have remained. So considering that now should be done, the actual process of getting the man in should be day to day until we find someone who wants to take this collapsing team on and then a week maybe to dot i and cross t's extra. Under that time scale it should be all done and dusted THIS week. What could possibly take longer than that? Talk of it taking to end of June is ridiculous. We've all had a pretty good idea Houllier was leaving since April - those at the club probably had an even better idea and should at least have planned for a 'worst case scenario'. How can it take a team over 2 months to find a new manager if this speculation of it taking a couple more weeks be true? Time will be a killer on this one and make fans, sponsors, ticket sales and players very nervous about the future.

How can a team that has THREE England internationals, all of whom have scored crucial goals or got Man of the Match awards in recent games and be being chased by Champions League clubs be struggling to hold on to them? Most teams would kill to have one INTERNATIONAL stars in their team, yet we look like a team who are becoming nothing more than a feeder club. Have Villa settled for also rans? A REAL statement of intent would be getting a manager in who excites the fans and keep the three players and supplement them with just ONE good signing in defence and a keeper. Total spend this year needs to be no more than £10/15m really. A statement we want the best does not need to come through buying hundreds of millions pounds worth of players, but also of keeping them when they hit the headlines. Barry gone for Champions League (succeeded) Milner gone for Champions League (succeeded) Young 95% gone for Champions League to United (guaranteed Champions League) Downing 50% gone for Champions League. Bent (already rumours unhappy at prospective moves for pair above) Maybe, just maybe, if we'd spend ONE year keeping players rather than selling them WE'D be Champions League. I think if Villa came out and said they'd 'risk' not getting a fee for Young/ Downing but that'd mean no major signings most fans would be more than happy. We are currently giving the impression we're a small time selling club, actions speak louder than words. I don't expect you to agree we've settled, it's not good business to admit it, but Villa are giving that impression to the world with their actions at the moment. Bent was great, but I wonder if that was more an investment to keeping in the Premiership rather than threatening the top 4. And let's face it, without Bent we would have gone down. Selling Young and Downing this year will be the biggest sign ever that we are really just happy to be in this division and will never push for more.

Genuinely? Well if we're really honest it can be summed up as this: Nothing has happened at Villa. People suggest x and y. Nothing has happened at Villa. People suggest we're doing this and that. Hughes resigns at Fulham. People assume this and that. Nothing happens at Villa. People decide Hughes isn't now coming. Nothing happens at Villa. We all press F5 on the computer 20 times a minute.... nothing happens at Villa!

Ok, so let's pretend that Ancelotti either doesn't want to come, we can't afford him etc and Villa have done all they can to get him but it's simply not going to happen - who do you want then? It's like saying you've won a car: it's either a Ferrari or a Honda Civic Type R.... your mind dreams of the Ferrari for ages but when you get given the Civic, despite the tinge of disappointment you realise you've got a great car. At least we got rid of the Robin Reliant...

That is so clearly fake.... we're not sponsored by FxPro anymore!! Now if it had a biscuit company on it...

I don't think we'll get Ancelotti for a second, even though he'd be met with a larger amount of excitement than when MON joined. However, people go on about the money he may cost - surely we're still in quite a strong position; no new sponsors have been lined up and who the manager is (and the amount of coverage they'll get, and from which countries) surely is part of the negotiation tool. You might be able to squeeze some more cash out of a potential sponsor if they knew their name was going to splashed everywhere for a while. Ancelotti would be amazing. There is no doubting that. I think we're all really expecting it to be Hughes at the end of the day, and that wouldn't be bad.

Whilst I would expect (and hope) that fan input does not dictate managerial appointments, I'd love to know if it is considered at all. Do the board completely ignore fans wish (and nightmare) lists or is some attention paid to them? I'm trying not to name names but I'm going to fail; if you believed McClaren was the best man for the job would you dismiss the 99% of Villa fans who couldn't think of anything worse? Similarly, would you select from say the top three the Villa fans are interested in, or interview someone who the fans had brought to your attentions? I do think some note should be taken on fans wishes when it comes to appointments, the weight of which I'm not sure however. But positivity brings money and surely that has to equal a bit of listening to the fans.

I'll attempt to! Hughes should be available for free so not effect our budget. He is a winner. Has experience with loads of money at Man City and also a shoestring at Fulham. He could (although it doesn't always work like this) bring Ireland back into the fold and make him great again. He might be able to get Given to join us. He's young and can start a possible legacy. He saw a great manager work and you'd hope some of that rubbed off on him. He's NOT the finished article but he has a lot going for him. 1) We should never base the managers job on penny pinching. 2) I do not want Ireland back in the fold, this is the guy who "gave up" on this club which is a disgrace. 3) Given? After the comment you made about Hughes on a budget, where do we win by giving a massive last pay day to a goalkeeper when we can go get somebody who can stay in goal for 10 years? 4) Roy Keane watched a great man too. I said I'd try, I didn't say they'd be the best reasons!! I think a on-fire Ireland should not be sniffed at however and Given is one of only two or three decent keepers available to replace the outgoing Friedel. But more to the point, I was trying to point out that most managers out there would have 'upsides'. Bar McCLaren....

I'll attempt to! Hughes should be available for free so not effect our budget. He is a winner. Has experience with loads of money at Man City and also a shoestring at Fulham. He could (although it doesn't always work like this) bring Ireland back into the fold and make him great again. He might be able to get Given to join us. He's young and can start a possible legacy. He saw a great manager work and you'd hope some of that rubbed off on him. He's NOT the finished article but he has a lot going for him.

I wouldn't vote for him but I suspect a few people would want Ancellotti on that list. And seeing as McLaren is high in the odds he should be added too. Personally for me, it's Moyes, Hughes or Jol.

Lock this thread and start a new one minus Houllier options and Allardyce. New candidates: Hughes, Moyes, Jol, Benitez, Ancelloti, Lambert, Coyle, McAllister (there is always the risk!) and McLaren.

Now that Houllier is assumed to be departing, could we not lock this thread and start a new one without him and Allardyce (in light of WHU) and add managers such as Ancelloti?

General, I think the thing that worries the fans is not even so much the answers but the time the answers will be given. Instead of having an infinite "we'll tell you soon" answer to all the main issues, fans would be much happier if we came out with a statement saying that "Manager situation will be clarified by x of June" or "New sponsors will be announced by end of June" etc. Not having to read rubbish in the press everyday. This does not give anything sensitive away and settles the fans. Surely deadlines that MUST have been set for Villa to review medical records or conclude prospective sponsor contracts can be shared without damaging anything. However, when it comes to answering every player negotiation/ speculation I can understand a blanket "no comment" - that's football, players are constantly linked here there and everywhere. You'd be forever answering questions on that one! But big issues should be given reasonable deadlines, not open ended "soons". Fans want communication, reasonable and undamaging deadlines will achieve that; although I don't promise we'll all understand the final answers!!

Fans, of all football clubs, are impatient, unrealistic creatures. Most of which can't be helped/ answered by a club official such as yourself. Transfer targets/ purchases/ sales are such an example. However, I imagine all Villa fans want three questions answering. They may not like the answers but just resolve the uncertainty please; 1) Will Villa make an announcement as to who the manager will be for next season and when will this be made? Or will we say nothing and leave the speculation going even if Houllier stays? Seems odd to not release some statement. 2) When will the new sponsors be in place? Days? Weeks? Months? 3) When will the kits be revealed/ released? These three questions (regardless of answer) are the main ones on Villa fan's lips and can be answered without issue surely? Finally (and admittedly in relation to question 1) I think you'll find a large majority of Villa fans would be concerned that a manager that is too ill to even attend today's game can not possibly be fit enough to return to the job in time for Pre-season. We ALL agree an individuals health is more important than a job.

It is a rather damning interview General, for the full piece read: Daily Mail It shows it's not just us fans who think it. On a side note Luke Young must stay - he's exactly what this team needs and we would struggle to replace him. He MUST be given a new contract. Also at the bottom of that article is some more about Heskey - I'm not allowed to leave work half way through the day or I'd be disciplined/ sacked. But then McAllister has said they're good friends so he's fine with it - so fine that he 'heard' he left at halftime - anyone would think he was the one supposed to be in charge.

AGREE AGREE AGREE!! The bells are appalling and sound really defeatist, sombre and depressing!!