Rod Liddle in The Times

[Villa'Zawg]

Just remember: when they are critical of the Villa it is "lazy, incompetent journalism written by an alcoholic twat who has supported variously ManYoo, the dippers, The Arse or those blue c***s in Lahndan". if they praise the Villa it is a "great article, that".

Maybe so, but is Rod Littlecock correct in saying that MON had 'scant resources' ?

No

Compared to the rest of the top 6? Yes.

Say it often enough and you might start to believe it yourself.

It helps that it's also true.

[Matt C]

'Scant resources' aaaaaaaaggggggghhhhh.

[dave.woodhall]

It helps that it's also true.

I'm sure you'll be able to consult your vast array of spreadsheets to provide the evidence.

[PaulWinch again]

In the time O'Neill was at the club, we spent more than the majority of the clubs in the league. He did not suffer from 'scant resources'.

[ozzjim]

In his 3 summers and Jan windows of spending he had more than Liverpool, Arsenal and I would wager Spurs in net spend. United - close too, and Everton (top 6 with us 3 of those years) significantly more than. Leaving erm... Man City. The others remember made a lot more than us from sales, and you can't count Milner in terms of the money coming back as it was after he left.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

It helps that it's also true.

I'm sure you'll be able to consult your vast array of spreadsheets to provide the evidence.

Please God, no.

[PeterWithe]

Please dont mention Spurs net spend, I dont think I can take it.

[TheSandman]

Just remember: when they are critical of the Villa it is "lazy, incompetent journalism written by an alcoholic twat who has supported variously ManYoo, the dippers, The Arse or those blue c***s in Lahndan". if they praise the Villa it is a "great article, that".

Maybe so, but is Rod Littlecock correct in saying that MON had 'scant resources' ?

No

Compared to the rest of the top 6? Yes.

Maybe. Compared to the rest of the premier league he was rolling in it. Compared to teams in seventh, eighth etc...

Between charging for the website and some of the ill-informed bullshit that passes for journalism in it (and I'm not on about this kind of thing as it's an opinion piece) I've stopped taking the Times.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Surely if our wage bill was stretched to 85% of turnover, that shows that he never had 'scant' resources.

I'm sure Habib Beye would agree with me as he wipes his arse on £50 notes.

[TimTheVillain]

I think he's talking players at his disposal.

In this area, MON did do well with 'scant resources'.

That said, it was MON himself who ensured that the resources were scant.

[olaftab]

It helps that it's also true.

I don't believe you?

[Mister E]

[quote author=CorkVilla link=topic=41788.msg1670601#msg1670601 date=1294592071
Truth be told, Gabriel Aghbonlahor and Ashley Young are not quite possessed of the quixotic brilliance O'Neill forever insisted they had at their disposal; they are okay, nothing much more. Villa, for the past few years, have been a case of mind over matter.'
He then goes on further about the 'sense of entitlement' and 'human right to be challenging for Europe' that afflicts Premier League clubs.
[/quote]

Rod Liddle generally writes in a seemingly-uninformed manner about many things; apparently the right of those who write in the press. However, his opinons expressed in the quotes above are not far off the mark (although harsh re Gabby; but remember that he saw him on loan at Millwall, when he was described as having the "touch of a rapist") and particularly regarding the impression that many Preeeemiership clubs somehow have God-given rights.
I don't like Liddle or his sneering journalistic style ... doesn't mean he's always wrong.

[Concrete John]

Villa prospered under O'Neill because they ground out results against the bottom 14 teams with great consistancy, despite not - to my mind - having very much in the way of flair to distinguish themselves from the also-rans.

I seem to remember Villa taking 4pts off Manyoo last season, 3pts off Chelsea and Liverpool, and a couple off Spurz.

This guy isn't very knowledgeable about Villa, is he?

Also, it was home results against those bottom 4 teams that cost us 4th place.

You can forgive not being knowledgeable about every team, but at least do some basic research.

[Villa'Zawg]

"When he bought the club, you knew you were going to have to pay the price to buy it and then spend on players initially over a number of years.

"We've spent £140m on players and - net - it's still nearly £100m. 22/12/10 Paul Faulkner

Even if you allow him to stretch the boundaries of acceptable use of the word "nearly" in that way, our entire squad was built on that amount plus Agbonlahor.

 I'd be delighted to hear an objective and sensible argument for how one of the other top 6 squads having been built on less resources but I don't think there is one.

[olaftab]

Spurs if you include the wage bill as well.