Brian Little interview on TS.

[Matt Collins]

I don't see that BL or BFR could say they were given insufficient time, both were in the bottom 6 when they went.

There are parallels between JG and MON, though I think MON's sides tended to be consistently in the top 6. JG's sides tended to be really mediocre after an outsanding start and then pull together a few victories at the end.

[Risso]

I'd be interested to see the stats Europe wide for the average lifespan of a football managerial appointment.  I bet it's not more than four years anywhere.

[Somniloquism]

I'd be interested to see the stats Europe wide for the average lifespan of a football managerial appointment.  I bet it's not more than four years anywhere.

The English game is actually going to be one of the highest average as it has been artificially inflated by Fergie (23 years) and Wenger (14). If you look that MON was 4th longest before he walked behind the two mentioned and Moyes (8 years) you realise that it isn't an issue exclusive to Villa.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Four years is more than enough to prove yourself in a managerial position, in any walk of life.
The company I worked for gave business directors an average of 1 year.

[barrysleftfoot]

    Define a successful season for AVFC then.Was last year a failure.You could argue we were getting better year on year.If Hou failed to get into the top 4, a final, and a S/F, would that be a failure?

[Rip Van We Go Again]

    Define a successful season for AVFC then.Was last year a failure.You could argue we were getting better year on year.If Hou failed to get into the top 4, a final, and a S/F, would that be a failure?

We were stagnating, in my view, with a Manager who was only too happy to pay out ludicrous salaries to sub-standard players (Beye £40,000pw, Heskey £60,000pw to name but 2).

[Somniloquism]

Four years is more than enough to prove yourself in a managerial position, in any walk of life.
The company I worked for gave business directors an average of 1 year.

Is this the same company that has been losing a lot of money and moved to the Fort from next to the Police station in town? Could a high change over of Directors had something to do with it as none of them could put in efficient long term strategies.

[hilts_coolerking]

Define a successful season for AVFC then.Was last year a failure.You could argue we were getting better year on year.If Hou failed to get into the top 4, a final, and a S/F, would that be a failure?

There's a difference between achieving that in your first season, and achieving that in your fourth season.  Last season wasn't so much a failure as further evidence that, in terms of qualifying for the CL, it wasn't going to get any better under O'Neill.  The cup runs were good but as I said at the time I don't think they were proof that we were moving forward as a club, and neither was eventual League position.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Four years is more than enough to prove yourself in a managerial position, in any walk of life.
The company I worked for gave business directors an average of 1 year.

Is this the same company that has been losing a lot of money and moved to the Fort from next to the Police station in town? Could a high change over of Directors had something to do with it as none of them could put in efficient long term strategies.

Nope.
The company above are victims of seagull management from the very top, endless relaunches to a mainly disinterested public, compare and contrast with the Express and Star which has barely changed in the last 25 years.
Incidentaly, the company at The Fort are now making a small profit.

[barrysleftfoot]

  So what do you expect of Hou then?


  I accept some of the comments about MON stagnating , but i was really looking foward to Keane, Onohua, Flamini, and McGeady coming down VP, because they were players that we needed, and might have been the spark players to get us into the top 4.

  But we will never know.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

  So what do you expect of Hou then?


  I accept some of the comments about MON stagnating , but i was really looking foward to Keane, Onohua, Flamini, and McGeady coming down VP, because they were players that we needed, and might have been the spark players to get us into the top 4.

  But we will never know.

What I do know is that is no evidence that we were after Onohua or Flamini, as for McGready and Keane, you're taking the piss, £18m and a shitload of wages for those 2?
You're delirious.

[peter w]

This really does get to the nub of supporting Villa. How we see ourselves and how the rest of football - our footballing peers - see us. To them we are this 7th-12th team. That's how football perceives us. Maybe out 6th places is all we can do. Maybe that is our real level. Its interesting to mention because not one of us will ever agree with it. However true it may be.

Are we unfair on anyone who manages us, or owns us? Are our expectations far outreaching our size, status, and true level within the game.?Are we just trying to get in the Champions league because we think we want to get into it and play in it, or is it because we really do believe its where we belong?

I'm not saying this because I actually will ever contend that we are anything but striving to get back to where we belong. But its also nice to guage how others view us. Still, its what makes us all Aston Villa fans I suppose. The alternative to ambition, and wanting success, is just down the road.

[KevinGage]

I'm not sure the outside world past Houllier does see us as 7-12th also-rans, perhaps the ones who only follow the progress of Man U and Chelsea maybe. Or foreigners who think 'English football' means Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.

For others not as shallow, or with an ounce of footballing knowledge that doesn't see 1992 as the cut off point I'd say they're plenty aware of our pedigree.

We have no divine right to be in the CL, nobody could say in good conscience it's where we belong. But as one of the biggest clubs in England, in one of England's biggest cities it is at the very least a legitimate target.

[peter w]

That's the thing though KG, of course it should be a target the question is our we realistic in what we want, and we we realistically achieve ? and we're only talking about whether we can qualify or not, not even winning the bleeding thing.

[KevinGage]

I think pretty much where we've been the last few seasons is realistic or 'par' for a club our size, with our resources and our standing in the game.

The hope is that a good manager delivers more than parity, gets us punching above our weight. That's the beauty of sport, finance will get you so far but team chemistry, strong leadership and individual brilliance can make the impossible possible. Or the unlikely a bit more likely.