What was MON's biggest mistake?

[Risso]

Other then Moscow, which I thought was a disgraceful decision, I'd say my biggest gripe with O'Neill was our style of football. I didn't think it was good enough given the money he'd spent, but thankfully, the purchase of Downing, and the shifting of Milner to the centre has worked wonders on that.

[Folski]

Spurs had just splashed out heavily on Bentley and Modric, Ramos wasn't a fan of AL and was available at 6mil! I'm putting them in the same sentence because for 4mil more you could have got a hell of a lot more! I'm not saying that merely he was available at a knock down price and fit the bill of young, british, potential, needed a bit of work. Imagine him and Ashley on the wings? Link If you can spend 8.5 on NRC you can surely spend 6 on Aaron Lennon!

[FunkyMonkey]

Only £4 million more eh?

Did you watch Lennon play under Ramos? He was AWFUL!!!

[billy_loes]

Folski - The point I'm making is that in my humble opinion Gary Cahill isnt as good as Dunne, Collins, Cueller, Davies and more importantly Clark.

Lennon is still suspect to me even now, although he's having a better season. Other than speed he offers little else and his final ball still seems to go awol for large periods.

Its pointless laying the blame at O'Neil's door for any unsigned player as the possibility would always remain that the player in question just didnt want to come here.

[Folski]

Folski - The point I'm making is that in my humble opinion Gary Cahill isnt as good as Dunne, Collins, Cueller, Davies and more importantly Clark.

Lennon is still suspect to me even now, although he's having a better season. Other than speed he offers little else and his final ball still seems to go awol for large periods.

Its pointless laying the blame at O'Neil's door for any unsigned player as the possibility would always remain that the player in question just didnt want to come here.

I do honestly agree with you for the most part and I'm trying not to be a word removed honestly! These things that I have pointed out represent simply missed opportunities, and small ones at that, in my opinion. For me the fact he played Ash and Carew up top for about 3 months was much bigger, as anyone could see Gabby couldn't cross and well it was Ashley's best attribute, but that argument is for another day.

With regards Cahill, I would rate Dunne ahead of him! YES! I see him as a similar standard as Collin and Cuellar (however he is a bit behind both) and Davies. To compare him with Clark is simply ludicrous! One is on the fringes of the England squad while the other is what reseve captain for us?

With regard Lennon all I'm saying was it was a missed opportunity! The biggest mistake by o'Neill (Which I have stated) is in 3 and a half years and something like 36 signings he has yet to sign and out and out goal scorer! The fact its been 10 years and we still havent replaced Dwight Yorke is crazy! Putting a weakened team out against Moscow in the last 32 I can get over when your sitting what 3rd at the time in the premier league! Getting 11 points from 13 games after that game I can get over because the lads would never have the legs and simply burned themselves out! But we have lost to wigan, west ham, blackburn this year and beaten Chelsea, Liverpool and United! Now anyone should be able to see theres something wrong there!

[billy_loes]

Folski - The reason why I mentioned Clark is that, and I'm guessing, O'Neill must have weighed up both of their prospects and decided which card to play. I think O'Neill got this spot on. Central defenders get better with age and Cahill could easily become the good player he's threatened to be.

The striker thing I agree with but again first choice targets may have turned us down. Probably lots of times. I hope this will change with our emerging profile.

Good strikers (20 a season) dont come cheap and I'm sure O'Neill has had to work under some or a set of constraints.

[peterms]

Oh annd sorrry foor douuble-tappping a keey, itt wonn't happpen agggain siiiiirrrr....

I was actually referring to the incorrect usage of the word, but crack on.

You have intrigued me, I thought I had used it correctly?

He just means "privy to" means to be included in knowledge. You can be privy to information, not to spending time somewhere. So spending time in the dressing room could make you privy to information. As could hiding in the dressing room toilets and eavesdropping. In other words, spending time in the privy could make you privy to information.

But I don't think Risso is claiming to have hidden in that particular khasi, so the point you were making is probably undisputed.

[Folski]

Folski - The reason why I mentioned Clark is that, and I'm guessing, O'Neill must have weighed up both of their prospects and decided which card to play. I think O'Neill got this spot on. Central defenders get better with age and Cahill could easily become the good player he's threatened to be.

The striker thing I agree with but again first choice targets may have turned us down. Probably lots of times. I hope this will change with our emerging profile.

Good strikers (20 a season) dont come cheap and I'm sure O'Neill has had to work under some or a set of constraints.

I agree, I think when Ancellotti was talking us up the last it seemed like he had no idea we were in the top 4 for so long and I believe we need to promote ourselves further on the continent! Great debating with you billy

[norton65ca]

I'd say his biggest mistake was agreeing to manage a club who's fans question what his biggest mistake was at a time when the club is riding high and are in the semi-finals of a cup.....that for me would be his biggest mistake.

Hmm. In his 3 and a half years at the club he's yet to achieve anything of note yet. So where the hell do you get the dont deserve him nonsense from?.

If you think he "he hasn't achieved anything" then you and I must have supported two very different clubs over the past few years........

By Jove, I think you've got it!

[norton65ca]

you know, truth be told, many of the so-called mistakes, with the benefit of hindsight, can now be viewed in a very different light. Signings such as Marlon, Routledge and so on may be seen now as "temps", fellows who were brought in to do a job , with a long term view of development ongoing over a period of a few seasons. The thing iss, it would appear that MON had in mind a number of candidates for his planned team for quite some time, in fact it may be that his targets din't change much at all, it was simply a a matter of them becoming available, and the need for filler, decent players that could be counted on until the last pieces of the jigsaw were in place, explains the signings that were less than what most fans thought to be suitable.. Many fans thought at the end of last season that we had missed our best chance ever to move on, and now it would appear that we are in a better position now than we were then, with a more well rounded squad and defence in depth. I think the Barry saga was a dissapointment for MON, but he has proved himself to be resilient and flexible, as well as a brilliant man manager in (esp. in comparison to the man management of one of our nearest rivals currently, the luckless Mr Hughes...

cheers, Gary

[Gingerlad]

Not signing enough Gingers, although he is getting there.

[VillaChris]

Moscow.

Purely just because I'm against giving up on games of football.

And the gamble didn't pay off.

[maqroll]

I'm absolutely flying at the thought of how well Villa are playing and what we might achieve.....

That's why I didn't vote in this poll, and why I'm wondering why this poll is even up!

Who gives a flying **** about percieved mistakes, when right now, none of them matter!

UTV!

[peterms]

Moscow.

Purely just because I'm against giving up on games of football.

And the gamble didn't pay off.

This year, Everton and Fulham have taken the Europa League seriously, and are progressing through the rounds - Fulham are in the last 32 now.

This will take its toll on players, and may start to have an effect on Premiership performances. Perhaps it has already done so - who knows?

Would you rather be in our position or theirs, right now?

Of course being committed to the Europa League doesn't mean you can't do well elsewhere, and as we saw last year, having an early exit doesn't guarantee success in the Prem. It would also be good to do well in a competition, and I suppose if Fulham get through another three rounds of competition, they will be at the same stage in Europa as we are in the League Cup (as I still call it; sorry, sponsors).

But you can't do everything, and every club prioritises.

Personally, I would go for a strategy of having the fewest games to win an achievable trophy, conserving resources for the Prem, and having reserve strength sufficient to make opposition managers comment on the strength of our bench. We didn't manage that last year, but this year, I think it looks very promising in terms of where we are positioned, what is still to come, and what resources we have to drawn on in the second half of the season.

Last year, should he have gambled on putting out a stronger team to win a difficult fixture in unpromising circumstances in order to face several more rounds, or taken a step back to concentrate on the main thing? I'd say the latter, every time. And if we failed in the big aim, does that make the strategy wrong? Absolutely not.

[NabilH]

couldnt give a toss about europa league, top 4 and a good carling cup is fine by me, TOP 4 is priority.

[Overdubber]

Shorey was a mistake, as was salifou, but these things all come with any manager, good or not.

Been great for Villa so far, and I am sure he could easily step into any club right now....

taken some time though, and the final result (title, cup) is still to come. I do not doubt that they will though....

[roscoe]

The signings of the likes of Shorey, Salifou etc have been stepping stones to rebuilding the club to where it is today, and will hopefully be into the future. Yes these are seen as mediocre signings now, but they have all been part of MON's plan in building to the recent signings in August. Hopefully his signings continue to improve, which will take some bettering as Dunne, Collins and Warnock have been absolutely immense for us this year. He couldn't have made such signings without putting in the 'hardyards' so to speak with as I say, what are seen now as rather mediocre signings when he first started with Villa. Steady improvement is what he has always promised, and he continues to achieve this improvement season by season

[Overdubber]

Too true Roscoe, and a win in the LC will epitomise the state of affairs. Step by step.....

[bickster]

How the flying bejezuz was Salifou a mistake? He cost next to nothing, his wages are low and he was brought in to see if he could do a job for us, he can't quite clearly but being as he hardly ever even gets on the bench how is that a mistake exactly. It was as close as you get in top flight football to a no risk gamble. In fact it was only a mistake if you want to find a reason to have a go at the manager from where I'm looking at it from.

[Risso]

Last year, should he have gambled on putting out a stronger team to win a difficult fixture in unpromising circumstances in order to face several more rounds, or taken a step back to concentrate on the main thing? I'd say the latter, every time. And if we failed in the big aim, does that make the strategy wrong? Absolutely not.

Or to put it another way, absolutely yes.