Can we have our club back please

[PaulWinch again]

Houllier had to go imo.

But I honestly didn't think Randy would fcuk up a managerial appointment for the second time in less than a year.

I'd think I'd have rather have had Martinez, the football would've been more entertaining, he'd have probably got N'zogbia playing better and we wouldn't have drawn so many games this season.

Without a doubt the football wouldn't be as bad.

[andyh]

Knowing what we know now about finances etc, and that the top men were never really in the running for the job, I wish we had got Mark Hughes.

[NeilH]

As laudable as it is to bemoan the rapid decline of the club since MON and to despair at the growing gulf between us and Spurs (two comparable clubs only 3 years ago); I get the distinct impression that the club is not only not listening, but they knew exactly what they were doing when McLeish was appointed and our best players were sold. I honestly believe that far from being rudderless and clueless the club in fact know precisely what they are doing and precisely what it means. They have factored in the loss of gate receipts, loss of merchandise and balanced it with the savings in salary to determine that our current position is both tenable and the most risk free course of action for the near future.


As we heard so often under Doug, the club is going to cut its cloth accordingly and focus on producing youth talent in the hope that it will bear fruit. Even if it does not, there will always be enough in the bank for an emergency purchase to maintain our Prem status and in addition there will always be  enough fans coming through the gates to ensure we tick over.

Dull as dishwater it may be, devoid of any short term hope it certainly is, but I suspect that its the truth.

[SoccerHQ]

I think we should've moved heaven and earth to get Moyes in, beggars belief apparently we didn't approach him as we didn't want to poach another prem manager and then pay SHA 3m for McLeish.

Hughes would've been a decent 2nd choice, got Warnock and Ireland playing very well previously.

[Phil from the upper holte]

I echo the thoughts of others, last night left me feeling cold towards all of them really, following us is becoming a chore to say the least

[PaulWinch again]

I echo the thoughts of others, last night left me feeling cold towards all of them really, following us is becoming a chore to say the least

A chore is a good way of describing it. I wasn't looking forward to last nights game, although I never anticapted how disasterous it would be. I'm supporting Villa more out of habit of doing so for 20+ years rather than doing it for the enjoyment at the moment.

[SoccerHQ]

I gave up listening to it at half time, didn't expect much of a fightback.

The manner of last night's game hurt but not the result as Spurs are simply much better than us so expected to lose. It's more Sunday and Bolton away coming up where if we lose/concede the obligatory late away goal to draw that will hurt much more to me as that's the games I expect us to get results in/play well in as the level of the opposition is on a par/below us.

[NeilH]

I echo the thoughts of others, last night left me feeling cold towards all of them really, following us is becoming a chore to say the least

A chore is a good way of describing it. I wasn't looking forward to last nights game, although I never anticapted how disasterous it would be. I'm supporting Villa more out of habit of doing so for 20+ years rather than doing it for the enjoyment at the moment.

You are indeed the perfect example to demonstrate precisely why the club can change its policy and still guarantee an income - Its not in any way a criticism merely a demonstration of the fact that there are more than enough people, like you,  who are emotionally invested in the club to allow the board to make such unpopular choices and still not jeopardise the future.

[Rick_avfc]

It hurts me to say this but I wish I had not got a season ticket this year.  Yes, you support your club through the good and bad times but I have no enjoyment going there every home game.  Not to mention the current financial climate we are under.  My money could have been well spent else where.

[SoccerHQ]

I think this is as bad as 2005/06, maybe not in final league position but in terms of enjoying games, unpopular manager etc.

Results wise, this has been similar to MON's first season (06-07) when we drew loads of games but back then with Randy just in you knew things would get back and we would have a go in the league (which we did).

Funnily enough there were simply plenty on here at the time (Coopers injury, remember him?) saying Randy wouldn't spend anything and would be lucky to stay up.

Sadly five years on I can't be as optimistic, we're back to making up the numbers from 8th downards in this league.

[Chinchilla Bathhouse]

...there will always be enough in the bank for an emergency purchase to maintain our Prem status and in addition there will always be  enough fans coming through the gates to ensure we tick over.

Unfortunately the way we're going it'll take a lot more than "an" emergency purchase to maintain our Prem status.  It'll take several, and who would want to join us?  Bent agreed to come because he looked at the supply line and could see a hatful of goals coming his way.  Now that creativity has gone we're lucky to get one shot on target per game, let alone make a string of chances.  Even if we had the money and we were desperate, I really can't see two or three quality midfielders or strikers viewing Villa as a promising option.  The biggest problem we've got at the moment is not simply the dire football, but the general image of the club.  Our decline has been fast and spectacular and everyone can see it.  We've made a bizarre managerial appointment, sold our best players, and now we play arguably the worst and most incompetent football in the league.  If even our own fans are staying away - which they are - how can we convince the rest of the footballing world that we're not on a slippery slope?  I'm not sure there will always be enough fans to keep us ticking over, the way things are going.  Even if there were, sooner or later they'll be 30-odd thousand very depressed fans blinking back the tears at a relegation parade.  Last night was a very poor advert for the club.  We showed the nation what a mess we're in.  We urgently need some leadership and some positive intent from the top, or I can see a slump it could take many years to recover from.     

[Rick_avfc]

I agree but don't panick just yet, remember in the words of the General "Just think what a manager like AM can achieve with Randys backing!"

Not even funny though really is it 

Sounds like panick buying in January to me

[taylorsworkrate]

His perseverance of the new play-maker role for Heskey is the most bizarre thing that I have seen in years. Whilst he was sometimes played for England on the left side of the forward line, it was never as provider, but as an out-ball and to gate-crash the box with late forays.

With a team with a natural goal poacher in, it's criminal that we are not trying to play players with some modicum of passing ability in those forward areas.

Indeed.

It is like our team is a spoof documentary at the moment.

[Rick_avfc]

We need to change the "Proud history, bright future" statement to "proud history, mediocre future" or "proud history, shite future"

[ez]

Tactically he's very limited and when something goes against his plan he tends to freeze like a rabbit in the headlights just not knowing where to turn or what to do.