avfcmatt123

Where has all this talk of Mark Hughes come from? It would be a better appointment than keeping Houllier, but it really doesnt fill me with much excitement! Would much prefer Moyes/ Ancelloti.

I would hope our board are intelligent enough to figure out that if Houllier not to continue, Ancelotti has publically stated he wants to stay in England and we would be the most attractive club for him. We should be doing all we can to get him here.

General could you please give us fans an update as to when a statement will be made by the club on our managerial situation! We would like to know one way or another whether Houllier will be here next season.

We could do with a point here, it will be a very tough game as Arsenal will want to maintain 3rd.

Correct. Just missed them before they sold out! I realise they've been sold out for weeks.

Hi, If anyone has tickets for tomorrow and can no longer go, please PM me. Couple of us are looking to go but just missed the tickets (are ST holders) Thanks!

Hi General, Don't you think it's fair on the fans for the club to come out with an official statement. It is quite ridiculous for events at the club like this to be happening at the club and nothing but a half-hearted attempt from an unnamed board member saying they are backing Houllier. If you are backing him, tell us. We have to accept that and can then focus on getting behind the team. If you are getting rid of him, the correct decision and nobody connected with villa could disagree do it quickly and get Kevin Mcdonald in to prepare for Everton. This season we knew would be up and down, but our club is now a laughing stock and I am ashamed and hurt badly saying that.

Hi General, Again many posts here may seem like knee-jerk reactions but the reality is there not! they reflect the vast majority of this season and the club cannot continue the way it is going. We are at a huge risk of going down this season. We have absolute quality throughout the squad but still the man in charge fails to motivate them to perform. Regardless of who's team it is there can be no excuses for the league position now, it is nothing short of a disgrace. General, we wouldn't be hurt as much if we saw Houllier on that touchline getting those players fired up and playing their hearts out. Everything he touches seems to be turning into a disaster. I recall you saying Randy was at the game today, I hope he now has the sense to do whats right for the club. I have stuck up for Houllier in the past, on this thread as well but he is not made for Aston Villa. I am very worried as to what will happen next. If we stay with Houllier the fans will stay on the teams back when results aren't going our way. He needs to go and quick. Give it back to Kevin Mcdonald until the end of the season even get Martin Laursen in, anybody that knows the club and get these players playing for their shirt, it's the passion we are missing. Randy spent a lot of money on Bent, getting rid of Houllier NOW would be a snip of that and could well save our season from being a catastrophic disaster. You say all of these posts are passed to the relevant people. Please do us a favour and respectfully pass all of these to Mr Lerner himself. As much as I appreciate all you have done for the club if he can't see what's happening then serious questions need to be asked. If you can afford to be relegated leave Mr.Houllier in charge, bite the bullet before it hits us HARD General. Thanks.

General, You have a difficult decision to make whether it be now or the end of the season. Look at the form, the events that have angered the fans on numerous occassions and rightly so and poor press conferences and weigh that up against playing better football and changing the clubs philosophy. These things take time but we are in a results business. Randy Lerner and the rest of the board need to think long and hard to whether this man is right to take the club forward, I think you have the general consensus of the fans. If we cast our minds back to Sunderland we was giving Houllier a chance because of January being around the corner. There are no more excuses General for this club to continue to underpeform with what we have out our disposal.

And being successful in that. Our previous philosophy was to play teams and go for a win, at least believing we could beat any team. He has certainly changed that Whilst I see your point, the football we play is much more exciting, however we need results with it or there is no point playing that way.

But our form over the last few games has been top 6 form. GH is beginning to turn it around. The form generally is a disgrace - we need to look at the bigger picture here. Either way I think we will struggle this season whether we back him or sack him.

The truth is, if we would have won today which we should have there would not be such a reaction. It would have papered over a lot of cracks. The FA cup team selection was disrespectful to put it lightly, however I will stand by the opinion that todays defeat is not Houlliers fault. What has to be taken into consideration by the board is that the form is a disgrace. Ok we have had injuries, but the squad at his disposal is very much top 6 standard and should be doing better. We are in a terrible position and the players as well as the manager need to make sure they give us something to cheer about in what has been a write off season. A lot of things Houllier has done are wrong, and he will continue to make mistakes, but he is trying to adopt a different philosphy at villa. We have a right to voice our opinions to the board and the manager but I believe Houllier will be here next season unless we are relegated. This post is not to stick up for Houllier, as I have said he has made almost unforgivable mistakes but we need to stay behind him as it only affects the team if we start getting on his back!

To win the FA cup we would of needed Darren Bent - very strange statement. We managed the Carling cup final and semi final of the FA cup last season with arguably a similar squad.

General, You have a tough job reading all of these posts and trying to make a response out of them. Sometimes I am embarrassed to be a villa fan whether that be due to the players, the manager or in fact the fans. All three have made up my embarrassment tonight. Whilst I know you will read this but will be unable to respond directly, which I appreciate, please take on board these comments. I am still confident we can progress with Houllier. We have had a terrible season so far, Houllier was working with a squad he didnt choose. We are adapting to a new style of play which I think will be better for the club in the long run. Houllier has brought in some very good players in January, clearly you back him. The team selection tonight was risky it backfired. If we would have won the fans would have been praising him again, if we lost there is an easy thing to blame, we lost and now Houllier is a terrible manager! - that is a portion of villa fans for you unfortunately. Some of the senior players were a disgrace, Petrov/Heskey/Agbonlahor earning huge amounts of money were poor and uninterested. Houllier needs to show some passion on the sidelines, it's ok being out there when we are winning, he needs to be there when we are losing as well. Watching ITV 1 with the greatest respect he looked like a lost child in a playground. This line echoes the conversation we have had a few weeks ago when the going was tough "we all need to stick together" there is only so much more we will take and it really will be time for a change again.. There can be no more excuses, he has an excellent squad at his disposal job saving next few games General remember the fans stick by Villa through the thick and thin and only want us to be successful it looks bleak whatever positives we try and magic out the hat. Thanks

Really looking forward to the game whatever team he puts out, we have good competition for places now.

Goal- Clarke!

This!

Villa team v Blackburn: Friedel; Walker, Clark, Cuellar, Baker; Reo-Coker, Bannan, Pires, Agbonlahor, Delfouneso, Heskey. Subs: Petrov, Marshall, Delph, Collins, Albrighton, A Young, Downing.

This is a good team, good bench as well with reo-coker, heskey, agbonlahor, cuellar e.t.c.

I think it will be Gabby or Albrighton to make way for Makoun. At least they are both very good options to come off the bench.

Good Article. Dunne should have had an 8 He was brilliant as well as Collins.

I personaly think Houllier(if he stays)will bring Champions League football to Aston Villa..The team looked motivated enough for me yesterday. Bent,Makoun and Walker have been great signings..Releasing Carew,Sidwell and loaning out Davies,Lowry,Weimann and Guzan have been good decisions..The training coach is good,the scouting network is fantastic,the way he is not affraid to blood in youth is also great stuff..Just remember,this is the 1st Premiership season for alot of our players..Plus Houllier's 1st Premiership season in a long time...But make no mistakes,he is still a top 4 manager that challenges for titles.. You gotta be kidding me .....this is a wind up right ? Loaning out Davies Lowry, Weinman, Guzan - were no brainers - there hardly decisions that make or break villa - and with Loans he can't go wrong - that doesn't make him a top 4 manager. He is afraid to blood youth - Barring Clark - whenever the elder statesman have been available he's picked em - He purchased Bent - rather than Blood the youth of Delfonso (Right decision BTW - but don't credit him with bloodin youth' If we ever touch the top 4 with GH - I will be very surprised - let alone finish a season there - his record this season is still worse than manager who have been sacked. Pleased as I with yesterdays win - talk of the champions league is f***n Daft ! Whilst I agree completely that Houllier will not take us to the champions league I think your comment about giving him 20m because he can't motivate players is unfair. We created chances before, with a squad Houllier inherited. We now have got a fantastic striker who can put them away. Personally I would say the judgement starts on Houllier from NOW.

Wigan will be up for this, big time. We need to defend as well as we did against Man City and put the ball into the box for Bent. Heskey/Agbonlahor great options from the bench, assuming Makoun starts.

I had a feeling this was coming ever since the "meltdown" we were to expect. I wont get excited until he signs the dotted line, however, this could be the missing piece. OK, It's expensive and a big risk for Mr.Lerner but his goalscoring record is second to none and we have simply being missing that for ages. Remember, he has been a success for Sunderland so really the fee is about right in today's market. I really would like Adam if Bent came off, picking out some passes to him. It really is such a shame we are in the current position but I hope by 1st Feb, we are all confident we can get out of the mess we are in with the players we sign.

We look dreadful going forward