0% Villa - 'King Kenny'; £100m and barely better than Hodgson

[VillaAlways]

I've got a £10 bet that they won't get top 4.Don't let me down KK

[JUAN PABLO]

if they finish 6th , I wouldnt thing the board would be that happy with the money he has spunked ..

[Percy McCarthy]

For the third year in a row, the idiot gloryhunting wannabe scousers at work have offered me free money by betting on then finishing top four again. Is it really only two years since I was arguing for days on end on here against people predicting that they would finish top 4 forever more?

[Pete3206]

There seems to be a lot of people writing off Liverpool's top 4 chances, based on the fact they can't stand Liverpool.

Yes, they are average and yes they have spent a lot of money on middling players. But, they do have Gerrard and Suarez, which gives them a distinctive advantage over a lot of teams around them. For me, only Spurs look better equipped at the moment.

[pauliewalnuts]

For the third year in a row, the idiot gloryhunting wannabe scousers at work have offered me free money by betting on then finishing top four again. Is it really only two years since I was arguing for days on end on here against people predicting that they would finish top 4 forever more?

The only thing I remember you arguing more was that they'd go into financial meltdown

*wink*

[Risso]

For the third year in a row, the idiot gloryhunting wannabe scousers at work have offered me free money by betting on then finishing top four again. Is it really only two years since I was arguing for days on end on here against people predicting that they would finish top 4 forever more?

The only thing I remember you arguing more was that they'd go into financial meltdown

*wink*

More than the "proper right back" argument?!  I think not.

[Matt C]

We can kid ourselves all we like about their iffy start but they'll finish a lot higher in the league than we will.

[richard moore]

In a depressing league that's possibly the most depressing thought of all. Actually scratch that I've just had a mental image of Rio singing "champione"

I can think of very little that isn't depressing this season, but the possibility of Liverpool fucking up is a little ray of gladness.

I am already resigned to finding almost all of my rays of gladness in other teams misfortunes this season - seeing Chelsea relegated to also rans in the top 4 and Liverpool not make it at all into the CL spots would be notable highlights for me...

[DrGonzo]

There seems to be a lot of people writing off Liverpool's top 4 chances, based on the fact they can't stand Liverpool.

 For me, only Spurs look better equipped at the moment.

And City, United, Chelsea.  I also think that if Newcastle get their strikers fit could finish above them, Stoke look a more complete side than Liverpool. 

[olaftab]

It depends on how you spend the 100 mill really. Bearing in mind that he didn't exactly start from scratch, he's hardly done much to inspire.

I'm just glad to see some other club spunking money left right and centre on players are most unlikely to provide a commensurate return.

O'Neill must be crying his eyes out.

Yes it does depend on how you spend it. If you spend £120M on two sets of back 4 all equally useless and some dross midfielders  as was the case with MON than it  will not get you a CL place.

[pauliewalnuts]

There seems to be a lot of people writing off Liverpool's top 4 chances, based on the fact they can't stand Liverpool.

 For me, only Spurs look better equipped at the moment.

And City, United, Chelsea.  I also think that if Newcastle get their strikers fit could finish above them, Stoke look a more complete side than Liverpool. 

Which strikers are Newcastle waiting to get fit?

They must have the least inspiring selection up front the PL has every seen. Lovenkrands, Best or Shola Ameobi.

[Vanilla]

Thing is, they have still spent a vast amount of money just to try and get them in the top six by the look of it. They will spend more money next season to push on again I assume.

That's been Villa's problem, as Graham Taylor pointed out about Doug. You have to spend a lot of money to become good. You then have to spend a lot more to become excellent.   

[Percy McCarthy]

For the third year in a row, the idiot gloryhunting wannabe scousers at work have offered me free money by betting on then finishing top four again. Is it really only two years since I was arguing for days on end on here against people predicting that they would finish top 4 forever more?

The only thing I remember you arguing more was that they'd go into financial meltdown

*wink*

No I didn't. I thought that they couldn't afford to keep spending enough money to maintain the differential between them and other similar sized clubs, and that sooner or later, something would have to give, meaning either their finances or their top-four status.

[LeeB]

For the third year in a row, the idiot gloryhunting wannabe scousers at work have offered me free money by betting on then finishing top four again. Is it really only two years since I was arguing for days on end on here against people predicting that they would finish top 4 forever more?

The only thing I remember you arguing more was that they'd go into financial meltdown

*wink*

No I didn't. I thought that they couldn't afford to keep spending enough money to maintain the differential between them and other similar sized clubs, and that sooner or later, something would have to give, meaning either their finances or their top-four status.

I still think it stands up mate.
Let's face it, their current owners are no petro-billionaires, I think they've taken a chance that they can revive this 'super-brand' by throwing cash at it short term, but if it goes tits up they're not going to throw good money after bad, and it will be time to tighten belts.

[Monty]

I find it astonishing the way that John Henry, a man who was heavily implicated in the brilliant implementation of the 'moneyball' policy at the Red Sox, who saw the success of marrying smart investment with myth-busting statistics, could be so suckered into making every single one of the classic transfer market errors in football.