Ginko

Or maybe some of us who voted yes are actually Villa fans, but aren't still crying over last night because we have better things to do with our time? It's nothing to do with who is a proper fan, it's to do with circumstances and also the fact that some people believe a manager should atleast have a transfer window to work with before they get the boot. I'm not happy with the way things are being done at the moment, no-one is, but that doesn't mean getting rid of our manager with no-one to replace him (anyone who is a realistic option anyways) is the answer, it's more a kneejerk reaction and an automatic response that makes all of us fans look like morons.

Yeah, his wife wanted to live in Birmingham to be closer to the Bull Ring. Don't be ridiculous. Assuming you read the same article I did, Houllier says he was against the idea for a number of family and health related reasons. The bit about his wife is in reference to her knowing full well he wanted to get back into management and he wouldn't be happy otherwise. I think she said something like, "in your mind, you are already in Birmingham", so she knew what he wanted and gave him her blessing.

I voted yes. I haven't been happy with the performances or results of course, what sane villa fan would be? But realistically, who would people get as a replacement? And like POB said earlier, at this stage of the season, whoever did come in would be in the same situation concerning injuries and all the other problems, and add to that more time for the manager to settle, and for the players to get their head around their 4th manager in less than 6 months! Anyone have any realistic replacements in mind? I'm not counting Martin Jol because frankly the timing of him quitting Ajax is just too coincidental with Newcastle's sacking of Hughton, although I have always been a big admirer of Jol and I wouldn't be completely unhappy if he did come to us, but that's not going to happen.

He doesn't come across as gay in the slightest, wishful thinking on your part perhaps? Bannan picked up a knock against Blues, a mild groin injury I think I read somewhere. Albrighton's back though!

anywhere from 8th-12th I reckon, not having a go since we are suffering with a lot of injuries and it's a transitional season. I guess it could depend on who we get in Jan but it's not the best time to buy players so I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't buy anyone and waited until the summer. I don't think we'll get a Europa spot this year unless we get it through one of the cups.

Well, it's all up in the air I suppose. So far GH has mentioned how January isn't his favourite time to buy, but I think he might have to in order to a) satisfy the supporters and give then an inkling into which direction he wants to take the club and purely because of our injury list (hopefully nothing to do with the new fitness training otherwise we could be seeing more injuries) If he buys Carrick though, he would be going against a point he made about how the buy british policy is on its way out. Buying Carrick in his first transfer window would be a bit hypocritical but I guess it wouldn't be the be all and end all. I personally don't rate him however, I'd rather see Delph get in there and grow into the role but having some cover wouldn't go amiss, just please not Carrick.

Hm, I guess he could have taken Ash off, maybe to give him a bit of a breather before Man Utd, and gone with Delfouneso and Gabby up front, but I'm not complaining either way, at least we won... barely.

funny how its not the same for born again Nigel Thats hardly a good comparison! NRC has been with this group of players for years now. Exactly what I was about to say. Dumb comparison really since NRC has been here for years and Ireland has made a life-changing move, it's not just about how gifted a player you are, all sorts of factors come in to play. I really hope he comes good for us, just at the moment he doesn't seem like a good fit, and he was subbed again tonight. Makes me concerned that Houllier isn't very fond of him. Too early to tell though.

I just don't think the situation has called for him in the last couple of games, both Wolves and Blackburn are very physical teams and Ireland isn't what we needed in those games unfortunately, well, not with the formation that Houllier decided to play. He will get his chance and I'm sure he will come good.

Those look so good! I'd buy them both, much better than this season's kits. I'd like an away shirt like that one but with some thin claret or blue pin stripes, like the away shirt we had when we were sponsored by 32Red, but yeah they look really good dude!

The main thing you notice how the lion actually stands out on the retro kits. So is that TWO votes for me as the next kit designer then? :winkold: Ha, sorry mate, I knew you posted on here I just couldn't remember your username! Yeah they're great kits, much better than our current home and away.

The only team I know who have them are SHA, so no thank you. I hope this was a joke though

This WHU shirt? http://www.megastore.whufc.com/stores/westham/products/product_maxzoom.aspx?maximage=prd_maxzoom_whfc-75699.jpg&intPID=75699 I felt dirty having to go to that site... shudder If you mean the old Umbro shirts which I assume you do, they don't look much like the design posted above. What team shirts do Le Coq Sportif make currently? That's not a jibe, I'm just not very up to date, I remember them making some nice shirts back in the day.

lmarsha_925 I remember seeing those on a website somewhere and me and my friend agreed the Umbro one was the nicest, but it's not much of a change, I like the collar though. I'd prefer to see an Adidas kit more like this: http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/kits/10275/germanys-new-adidas-world-cup-kit-is-brilliant.html Obviously in our colours :winkold: although we could use a similar design for a white away shirt with claret and blue lines, I would definitly buy that.

I am a traditionalist too, but I always wished that part of our heritage meant that we played in blue shorts at home & not white as I really think this would further enhance our claret & blue colours. Strangely, not sure why, but we always appear to play in blue shorts whenever we play "The Boggies" at the Hawthorns. Any one know why? Never noticed that to be honest. The only time I notice us playing in blue shorts instead of white is when we play our home kit at an away game but the home team wears white shorts so we have to change. I've noticed other games where both teams wear white shorts though so it always puzzled me too, might just be up to the individual referee for each game though I suppose. I prefer the white shorts though, it just looks nicer in my opinion. I'm a fan of the claret body and blue sleeves too but I wouldn't mind a bit of a change here and there, I'm sure someone could design a nice alternative. I just get put off spending 50 quid each season on a home shirt that isn't that different from the season before. I laughed when our home shirt for last season was released because aside from the collar, I couldn't see much difference, therefore I didn't buy it. Perhaps more of a change might benefit shirt sales. Unless I'm the only one who buys shirts based on this thinking I suppose

Um, perhaps because people have different opinions and tastes? Granted, I don't like Liverpool's home kit this season but only because of the patterned look to it, the season before though they had a nice smart shirt. As for Chelsea's, I like their home shirts usually, the only thing I don't like this season is that red collar because it just doesn't look right. I like both team's away shirts this season though, although the orange on Chelsea's is a bit bright. Adidas also make some really nice shirts too though, like as I said before, the German national shirts, Bayern Munich's, AC Milan's, Real Madrid's, all of those kits are really nice IMO, but obviously people will all think differently. I'm not a fan of our last couple of away shirts though, the last one I really loved was the white shirt when we were sponsored by 32 Red, but the sponsor ruined that. I've even read on threads that people liked the Hummel shirts! Anyone know who it is who makes the decision on the kit designs each season?

Adidas all the way, they make some really nice kits. To be honest, I don't want crazy or flashy kits, I prefer quite standard but smart looking kits. I'm not a big fan of the claret and blue checkered pattern on this seasons kits, especially on the away shirt but it's mainly the horrible pinky red of the sponsor that puts me off that. The Nike kits have been our best kits for a long while now, design-wise anyways, but I would love to see an Adidas Villa kit, especially if they were the same sort of designs as the German national kits of the last few seasons, they've all been really smart looking. I always wondered, who is it that actually chooses the final design on the kit? I knew Small Heath put it to the fans last year but I'm not sure I'd like that, everyone likes something different. Besides, you'd probably find a load of SHA fans masquerading online as villa fans and voting for the ugliest one. I really liked those retro designs that appeared online before this season's kit was announced. Not sure how you set up a link but here's the address: http://www.football-shirts.co.uk/fans/new-aston-villa-1011-shirts_7368

Where has that been said ? if this is the case,i dont think GH gave this job enough thought,i mean Thompson now the very man that worked with GH for years.something just doesnt seem right to me. Reading fran_villa's last post and all the fuss over the 7th-12th issue makes me think people are making something over very little. 'Mountains out of mole hills' as I read earlier on the thread. say what you like,but thats how it seems to me..fair enough,if you're happy thats grand by me i just think its turning into a bit of a farce..the company that Randy paid money to bring in GH should have known what lay ahead with this.. You're correct Randy paid the company, Randy is happy for this to happen the way it is or it wouldn't be happening. It's 2 games, it's not life or death. Well, I kind of agree, but then again if we find ourselves in a position at the end of the season where a single point matters, we might all think a bit differently. It is the strangest managerial appointment concerning how lengthy and drawn out the process has been and continues to be, but I guess Randy could have gone for an easier option and appointed someone out of work straight away, but he;s obviously gone for who he thinks is the best man for the job and if that means having to wait for him to tie up loose ends then so be it. It's a decision made with the long term in mind I feel, hopefully the team can get some positive results without him and it will give him an opportunity to more closesly assess the team and hopefully bring in an assistant manager although it seems everyone thinks that position is cursed or something with how many are supposedly turning it down!

So you're optimistic then? I fail to see where this opinion comes from though, why would he ruin the youngsters? It's been said all over the place that he's great with younger players coming through and he overhauled the FFF'S youth academy, so don't know why you're thinking that. I personally am quite excited. I'm not expecting anything from the Stoke game, they always play well against us and now with Gudjohnson and Pennant (not that I rate that whiny bitch much) they could do some damage and are a bit less one dimensional. I'm really interested to see which way he takes the team and what sort of players he brings in. Can't wait to hear his ideas and see his first signing, I just hope he gets some cash in January. It doesn't hurt to get your hopes up, I'd be just as elated if he turns out to be a great appointment, and just as crushed if it doesn't work out either way, so being hopeful whilst staying in touch with reality is no bad thing.

Errr Gerard Houllier 63 Roy Hodgson 64 fabio Capello 64 Alex Fergusun 69 Harry Redknapp 63 Arsene Wenger 60 shall I go on..............................….. Exactly, there are a lot of older managers around and that's no bad thing. They have experience and command respect for being around for so long, players need a manager they can respect. As for the fire in his belly, how do you know? Have you asked him personally or are you just assuming? I hardly think his desire will have gone, I doubt he needs the money and he had a pretty sweet job as Technical Director, infact I'd go as far as to say I think it shows he has the determination moreso because he COULD have stayed with the FFF but he wants another crack at the premier league.

Here here, good post.

I wasn't aware you were a psychic, or perhaps that you know better than someone who has been in the industry for as long as Houllier has? Even if Houllier does make a hash of it, will it really be satisfying to say "I told you so"? Either way, I'm happy by the appointment, he has so much experience and he's a proven winner. I would rather give it to an experienced head than any of the other applicants or an up-and-coming manager who it could turn out may not be able to hack it in the Premier League.

A lot of happy posters posting I think you will find....That is the question afterall. If your not happy, tough...He's our new manager! Agreed. Even if you don't like the appointment (which I personally am excited by) what's the point of still moaning about others being excited by it? The decision has been made now, we might as well be optimistic.

Means papers cover it tomorrow. That way we get two days worth of coerage at least (tomorrow and Sat) probably the Sundays if there's a press conference tomorrow. Ah I suppose that makes sense so that they can put it in the paper first thing in the morning but this hold up is starting to make me worry a little. I hope it's more to do with the FFF and the paperwork etc. rather than there being a player's bust-up :?

He's had to have a meeting in France and then presumably fly to B'ham or whatever. Where's TT? ....What's Randy's jet up to today? Longest... meeting... ever. Don't get me wrong, I know these things take time, but all day? I thought it was just supposed to be an official announcement and that Houllier was staying in France tonight, flying first thing in the morning tomorrow to meet the staff and players and then have a press conference. I wonder what's taking so long and putting them off making an official statement, I thought he signed for 3 years hours ago.