In that alternative universe....

[The Man With A Stick]

I think we'd be roughly where Everton are.  The nature of the division wouldn't have changed, a couple of wins and you'd be thinking of balmy August evenings in Vienna, a few defeats and you're at death's door.

He'd probably have walked this summer anyway, but with a bit more notice this time around.

[pauliewalnuts]

Hard to say.  We'd almost certainly be a lot better off than we are now, but if we'd bought McGeadie instead of Bent , I think we'd be around the top 7/8.  It's a shame we didn't buy Darren Bent last January.

When Bent was going to Sunderland for 10 million, Martin was busy spending 25 odd million on defenders, largely to replace the ones he'd spent 20m on the season before.

And we had one of the best defences in the league...not that you'd know it this season with the same players.

Indeed, although Bent at 10m was the equivalent of Curtis Davies plus less than a Nicky Shorey on top.

Makes you wonder.

[JJ-AV]

We'd have Scott Parker, Aiden McGeady and Robbie Keane instead of Bent, Ireland and Makoun.

Albrighton wouldn't have played. We'd be top 7, but again the season we've just had would be coming as it wouldn't be sustainable.

O'Neill just wasn't prepared to have that season with us, he wasn't a Club man and he wouldn't risk his reputation.

[Phil from the upper holte]

In an alternative universe we'd be top

[Legion]

Around about where we are now but with with an extra couple of points making us mathematically safe from relegation. Looking at the current points differential, I'll go for 8th.

[KevinGage]

Hard to say.

I don't think the likes of Keane an McGeady would have improved us dramatically.  Keane was a good player in his day but is no on a downward curve re form and fitness.  Look at the other clubs who were going in for him this winter; B-lose, Wolves and West Ham. Says it all really.

Never been hugely impressed with McGeady. Plenty of step-overs and nice close control, but a far worse end product than any of the wingers currently on our books. I could have seen a repeat of the Shaun Maloney scenario in all honesty.

Any manager would have had the Dunne situation to contend with too. His conditioning for the first part of the campaign was an absolute joke and directly led to a fair few goals against as he was so far off the pace.

Against that,  I'd have backed him to get a far better response from most of the current crop of players -maybe even Stephen Ireland.

I'd say about 7th-8th.

Thing is though, we were quite capable of putting decent runs together without particularly playing well, so in this up and down season you never can tell. 6th -maybe even 5th- could well have been attainable.

[Villa'Zawg]

2007/8 60 pts
2008/9 62 pts
2009/10 64 pts
...2010/11 66 pts

If O'Neill had been given Ireland and the money Gerard spent in January we'd be challenging for top 4.

[cheltenhamlion]

Bollocks. And that's a distortion of the question, Gerry.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Indeed, challenging for top 4 from 8th place.

[pauliewalnuts]

2007/8 60 pts
2008/9 62 pts
2009/10 64 pts
...2010/11 66 pts

If O'Neill had been given Ireland and the money Gerard spent in January we'd be challenging for top 4.

O'Neill wouldn't have spent it on a decent striker for starters. Well, at least not on anyone else's definition of a decent striker, anyway, just his.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

In an alternative universe we'd be top

Even if there's an infinite amount of alternative universes, I still don't think that would happen!

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

We would've beaten Blues in the cup, of that I am sure.

[cdbearsfan]

Ace Rimmer has just scored his sixtieth goal of the season to wrap up the league title for Villa with a month to spare so he can concentrate on developing that cure for cancer and defeating the vicious Hun (Angela Merkel).

President Osama bin Laden has just been elected for four more years.

Villadawg has no interest in statistics.

[hawkeye]

The motivated MON or the bloke that sulked pre season?
He would have got more out of the squad than this regime without doubt,he would not have bought the shame on the Club Anfield and Citeh so top half and comfortable.

[Concrete John]

Ace Rimmer has just scored his sixtieth goal of the season to wrap up the league title for Villa with a month to spare so he can concentrate on developing that cure for cancer and defeating the vicious Hun (Angela Merkel).

What a guy!!