Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: AsTallAsLions on June 03, 2011, 10:37:40 AM
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Houllier gone. Reo-Coker and Carew gone. Friedel gone. Young and Downing fairly likely to go, the former being almost certain. Bent being potentially restless (already) as a result.
Some might argue that those already departed are of no great importance to the club's future, and that the others are simply speculation for the moment.
But really, given that appointing a manager is likely to take another couple of weeks - and the fact that even if all our players had decided to stay, we'd still be needing to add fresh faces after a poor season - how likely is it that we'll be ready for next season?
It's going to be an interesting one, and a massive massive challenge for the incoming manager, IMO. It's by no means guaranteed that we'll have a better year than this one has been.
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If you're that depressed two weeks after the end of the season I'd end it all now mate.
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big changes ahead...
depending on who comes in as manager, it could be a very exciting summer...
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Last season ended less than a fortnight ago. There's plenty of time to get a new manager in, do some transfer business and have a good pre-season with the new look squad.
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Most players are on holiday as well, Not a lot is going to happen transfer wise for now but I think change is good
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This is one of the biggest disappointments about Houllier leaving. I think he had all his ducks pretty much lined up with who'd be going, who'd be staying, and who he wanted to bring in, and we'd have seen a pretty much reformed squad ready for a full pre-season together. Whoever comes in it's fairly nailed on that some of those identified by Houllier to stay/go will change, and a new manager will need time to assess where the gaps in the squad are, very much defined by the style he wants to play. Another period of transition until at least January I fear, and probably until next summer.
Edit: Unless of course GMac is to be manager
*screams*
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Last season ended less than a fortnight ago. There's plenty of time to get a new manager in, do some transfer business and have a good pre-season with the new look squad.
Sure, maybe. But if in two weeks' time there's been no manager announced, and Young is off to United, and Downing is starting negotiations with other clubs, this place will be chaos.
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I think the club is showing any potential new manager that they will HAVE to spend a load of money of the summer and that will be very tempting for many. Houllier inherited a bit of a mess from MON that needed cleaning up this time last year so the exit of players is well overdue. We still have a core of very good players and a decent manager will easily identify what we will need and where. Rather than looking at the shedding of players in a negative way, think of this as an opportunity for the club to completely refresh things with better players and almost certainly a better style of football. These will be exciting times.
Just imagine how the Knuckledraggers are feeling at the moment - they've lost their top players but stand no chance of replacing them with ones as good and seem doomed to mid table mediocrity in the Championship. If they spend in total what we will spend on one player over the summer then I would be amazed!
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Shouldn't this be in the 'Fans worried about Villa future' thread? An opportunity missed.
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Some people see problems, others see opportunities.
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There is going to be some changes at Villa but hopefully it will be of benefit to us in the long run I think this time next year we will be saying what where we worried about.
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I wouldn't get the razor blades out just yet. We all know Young will go,for that reason I think Downing won't be sold. Friedel should be replaced,we may get someone better than NRC,the rest won't be missed.
Whoever the new boss is,he'll have some money to spend so I don't think its time to piss our pants just yet.
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Sure, maybe. But if in two weeks' time there's been no manager announced, and Young is off to United, and Downing is starting negotiations with other clubs, this place will be chaos.
It's a bit extreme to start worrying - based on those quotes last week - that Downing is going to start negotiations with other clubs.
I agree that there is an awful lot of work to do, but they've at least started quickly
Eight or nine days after the end of the season, we binned Houllier. That's pretty fucking fast movement.
Not only did we bin him, we binned - at considerable expense to ourselves - a manager who was backed handsomely in the January transfer window, and who had a clean bill of health and wanted to stay.
That to me suggests...
1. They've decided what they want to do.
2. They're going to do it very quickly and without worrying too much about expense.
Give them a chance to do it.
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I wouldn't get the razor blades out just yet. We all know Young will go,for that reason I think Downing won't be sold. Friedel should be replaced,we may get someone better than NRC,the rest won't be missed.
Whoever the new boss is,he'll have some money to spend so I don't think its time to piss our pants just yet.
Right, there are ways to say that without being so arrogantly dismissive.
There is as good a chance that we'll come out of this situation worse off (i.e. if somebody like McClaren takes over as manager - or last season's second choice, Curbishley) than we were before. The usual unflinching optimism is doing the rounds here, as happens every time there's change, but it's never been rewarded on the pitch, not even under MON who couldn't bring any honours to the club. I'm just tempering that enthusiasm because it usually leads to, as you say, the 'razor blades' coming out. I don't think that's happening just yet. I'm suggesting that - shock horror - perhaps all will not be well. Which, given past experience, is probably a pretty bloody good bet.
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The usual unflinching optimism is doing the rounds here, as happens every time there's change, but it's never been rewarded on the pitch,
I must have dreamt it then.
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Sure, maybe. But if in two weeks' time there's been no manager announced, and Young is off to United, and Downing is starting negotiations with other clubs, this place will be chaos.
Well let's wait and see what happens in the next two weeks. All the noises from Villa Park are that the board are looking to appoint someone very quickly. Everything else will flow from that.
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I don't understand this obsession with Curbishley beingg o nthe "list" - he hasn't worked in footie management for bleedin' years! No chairman with any ambition for their club at all is going to hire him...
... now, is that the kiss of death, or what?!
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I don't understand this obsession with Curbishley beingg o nthe "list" - he hasn't worked in footie management for bleedin' years! No chairman with any ambition for their club at all is going to hire him...
... now, is that the kiss of death, or what?!
No and I'd give you 1000-1 on us appointing him.
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Some people see problems, others see opportunities.
SWAT
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If you're this depressed now, what were you like when we lost at home to Wolves???
Will be a bit down if we sell Downing as well as Young, but I'm sure we'd bring replacements in.
Not many clubs can say they have as good an owner as us in the World either.
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I don't understand this obsession with Curbishley beingg o nthe "list"
Some things are just always possible. Aston Villa are always about to sign Robbie Keane and Alan Curbishley is always one of the names mentioned when the manager's position becomes vacant. It's in the rules.
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I don't understand this obsession with Curbishley beingg o nthe "list"
Some things are just always possible. Aston Villa are always about to sign Robbie Keane and Alan Curbishley is always one of the names mentioned when the manager's position becomes vacant. It's in the rules.
Yep, Keane and Curbishley are just about to drop out of the cache with Jermaine Defoe and Jurgen Klnsmann not far behind
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Houllier gone. Reo-Coker and Carew gone. Friedel gone. Young and Downing fairly likely to go, the former being almost certain. Bent being potentially restless (already) as a result.
Some might argue that those already departed are of no great importance to the club's future, and that the others are simply speculation for the moment.
But really, given that appointing a manager is likely to take another couple of weeks - and the fact that even if all our players had decided to stay, we'd still be needing to add fresh faces after a poor season - how likely is it that we'll be ready for next season?
It's going to be an interesting one, and a massive massive challenge for the incoming manager, IMO. It's by no means guaranteed that we'll have a better year than this one has been.
I truth I do think next season is going to 'transitional'. Last season wasn't - it was a write off/one to learn from, but 2011/2012 will have a new manager and a host of new players and both will need time to bed in. As long as they are of sufficient quality I'm prepared for it.
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If you're this depressed now, what were you like when we lost at home to Wolves???
I was as disappointed as everybody. Depressed? Not over soccer. More important things in the world.
I still think H&V will being crying into its collective cereal as usual at the end of the season.
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ATAL - are you not being a little premature with this? If there was one thing to learn from the MON era, you have to wait until 1st September to be worrying.
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I can honestly say I'm excited at this stage. There is always a possibilty that things can go tits up but I have complete faith in the owner and that he has the best interests of the club at heart and the capabilty to restore us to somewhere near the top.
He'll know how important this appointment will be and he'll back this next manager.
I'm past caring who will and won't be still here. Aston Villa will be still here and players are simpy transtitional assets, a means to an end with their own agendas. Some more noble than others, true. That doesnt mean I dont want to keep our better players but you have to trust Randy to make the right choice and that choice to make the right choices. I see no reason why we cant have a decisive and exciting summer and hit the new season with momentum.
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I can honestly say I'm excited at this stage. There is always a possibilty that things can go tits up but I have complete faith in the owner and that he has the best interests of the club at heart and the capabilty to restore us to somewhere near the top.
He'll know how important this appointment will be and he'll back this next manager.
I'm past caring who will and won't be still here. Aston Villa will be still here and players are simpy transtitional assets, a means to an end with their own agendas. Some more noble than others, true. That doesnt mean I dont want to keep our better players but you have to trust Randy to make the right choice and that choice to make the right choices. I see no reason why we cant have a decisive and exciting summer and hit the new season with momentum.
Most sensible reply yet. Fair enough.
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Is 3rd of June a new record for writing off the season?
I'm quite excited by the thought of a new manager with money to spend.
I'll take untempered optimism over baseless negativity disguised as "reality" any day of the week.
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ATAL, I haven't been this excited in a couple of years. The final years of MON's reign was marked by the dark clouds gathering on the horizon and ended with us needing a manager days before the season started. This is different. We have had a dreadful season (yet finished ninth) and have a whole summer of change to look forward to.
I'm looking forward to the new look villa that will emerge in the coming months. Embrace change, don't fear it!
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Is 3rd of June a new record for writing off the season?
I'm quite excited by the thought of a new manager with money to spend.
I'll take untempered optimism over baseless negativity disguised as "reality" any day of the week.
You're still here?
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Actually, at this point in time I'm very excited about Villa's future.
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I'm quite excited by the thought of a new manager with money to spend.
With or without money, you do love your managers. (winky)
Agree with you though, this really could be a very special Villa summer. Bring it on!
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Is 3rd of June a new record for writing off the season?
I'm quite excited by the thought of a new manager with money to spend.
I'll take untempered optimism over baseless negativity disguised as "reality" any day of the week.
You're still here?
You don't miss a trick do you.
Do you still think we forced Reo Coker out?
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Is 3rd of June a new record for writing off the season?
I'm quite excited by the thought of a new manager with money to spend.
I'll take untempered optimism over baseless negativity disguised as "reality" any day of the week.
You're still here?
You don't miss a trick do you.
Do you still think we forced Reo Coker out?
Never said we forced him out. I don't think we offered him an adequate deal.
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Things fall apart the centre cannot hold.
Rough beasts slouching towards Bethlehem?
The Second Coming?
This can only mean the return of John Gregory.
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As Mazrim says it may all go tits up. But that is no different to every season. But is not the anticipation of what might be exciting. Can see no reason to be depressed. Presently looking forward to next season more than any since MONs first season. Only really tempered by the departure of GH. I really thought there was a good chance he would do well with a good pre-season behind him.
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Houllier gone. Reo-Coker and Carew gone. Friedel gone. Young and Downing f
Houllier, would have liked to see a full season, but not going to happen because of circumstances.
NRC, Carew and Friedel - no issues with any of them going. 2 past their best and far too expensive, and one that although had a decent season, is not as good as some, including himself think that he is.
Young and Downing. Neither have actually gone yet. It's possible, but so are a lot of things. The time to worry, is when we are in a mess at the wrong end of the Summer.
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Definitely exciting. New manager, new players. Should be an amazing and event (pre season and) season ahead.
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Is 3rd of June a new record for writing off the season?
I'm quite excited by the thought of a new manager with money to spend.
I'll take untempered optimism over baseless negativity disguised as "reality" any day of the week.
You're still here?
You don't miss a trick do you.
Do you still think we forced Reo Coker out?
Never said we forced him out. I don't think we offered him an adequate deal.
Adequate is a very subjective term, but asking for his salary to be doubled is beyond adequate in any sane meaning of the word.
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As Mazrim says it may all go tits up. But that is no different to every season. But is not the anticipation of what might be exciting. Can see no reason to be depressed. Presently looking forward to next season more than any since MONs first season. Only really tempered by the departure of GH. I really thought there was a good chance he would do well with a good pre-season behind him.
I think there's a sense od excitement as we literally have no idea what the new season might bring. That uncertainty creates an anticipation and eagernes to see what develops.
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Is 3rd of June a new record for writing off the season?
I'm quite excited by the thought of a new manager with money to spend.
I'll take untempered optimism over baseless negativity disguised as "reality" any day of the week.
You're still here?
You don't miss a trick do you.
Do you still think we forced Reo Coker out?
Never said we forced him out. I don't think we offered him an adequate deal.
Adequate is a very subjective term, but asking for his salary to be doubled is beyond adequate in any sane meaning of the word.
And how do you know he asked for his salary to be doubled?
I doubt it somehow, given that he would have been well aware that the alternative was being released.
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Whatever the figures, we clearly offered him a deal (at the very least, it'd guarantee us some kind of fee).
If the deal wasn't enough for him, that's his choice.
The "alternative was being released" thing, fair enough, that's the way it was, but it's not "being released to unemployment", it is being released to a multi million pound pa deal he'll do with another club.
Another club where he'll also get a fat signing on fee, as he'll have no transfer fee.
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Whatever the figures, we clearly offered him a deal (at the very least, it'd guarantee us some kind of fee).
If the deal wasn't enough for him, that's his choice.
The "alternative was being released" thing, fair enough, that's the way it was, but it's not "being released to unemployment", it is being released to a multi million pound pa deal he'll do with another club.
Another club where he'll also get a fat signing on fee, as he'll have no transfer fee.
Unless nobody wants to pay that. We'll see.
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So, nobody wants to pay him a signng on fee?
If nobody is prepared to pay anything for him (what do the buying club care if the cash goes to Villa or NRC), then he's clearly not much of a player, and not worth us cutting ourselves up about in the first place.
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Whatever the figures, we clearly offered him a deal (at the very least, it'd guarantee us some kind of fee).
If the deal wasn't enough for him, that's his choice.
The "alternative was being released" thing, fair enough, that's the way it was, but it's not "being released to unemployment", it is being released to a multi million pound pa deal he'll do with another club.
Another club where he'll also get a fat signing on fee, as he'll have no transfer fee.
Unless nobody wants to pay that. We'll see.
Yeah, he'll be really on his uppers won't he? He'll have to stay at home counting his money until a club want to talk to him, poor lamb.
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Is 3rd of June a new record for writing off the season?
I'm quite excited by the thought of a new manager with money to spend.
I'll take untempered optimism over baseless negativity disguised as "reality" any day of the week.
You're still here?
You don't miss a trick do you.
Do you still think we forced Reo Coker out?
Never said we forced him out. I don't think we offered him an adequate deal.
Adequate is a very subjective term, but asking for his salary to be doubled is beyond adequate in any sane meaning of the word.
Adequate wages would have been right for an adequate player. If we had doubled his wages, then I would have agreed that the Board had lost the plot completely
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The other thing about players being released is that signing them again is almost like signing a new player. In both instances it would mean the new manager coming in and having a player on a long contract he might not fancy. With the issue of controlling wages, might not the new guy want to see the £50k a week spent on someone he DOES want?
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I'll bet you anything you like that by August Reo Coker will been earning more than any of us could ever imagine.
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God you're all so bloody cynical, is this what football does to its supporters? What's the bloody point if you can't admire any of them?
Regardless of what any of you say I think Nigel is a top guy, a good player, and I think over the course of his career at Villa he was shafted one too many times and deserved a new deal. If you disagree, fine, but for the love of God try not to be so witheringly cynical about it.
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'Shafted' is a word I hesitate to use about someone on £50k a week.
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'Shafted' is a word I hesitate to use about someone on £50k a week.
Predictable.
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Most players are on holiday as well, Not a lot is going to happen transfer wise
Most players may very well be on holiday, but I would be suprised if their agents were?
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God you're all so bloody cynical, is this what football does to its supporters? What's the bloody point if you can't admire any of them?
Regardless of what any of you say I think Nigel is a top guy, a good player, and I think over the course of his career at Villa he was shafted one too many times and deserved a new deal. If you disagree, fine, but for the love of God try not to be so witheringly cynical about it.
It's being practical, not cynical. Yes, he deserved a new contract, and was offered one, but his wage demands were excessive so wouldn't sign it.
We move on.
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Aside from letting those players who are out of contract make their arrangements for next season, I hope that if we've learnt anything from the Milner-Ireland PX, it is not to do deals during managerial interregnums.
If we get the appointment right, Downing will stay and, who knows, it might even give Ashley pause for thought before he heads off up the M6.
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'Shafted' is a word I hesitate to use about someone on £50k a week.
Predictable.
I'd use the word 'tedious' myself. Why don't you take up a collection for him if you think he's been that hard done by?
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Leeds went through a phrase of paying players what they wanted and look where it got them. I don't think NRC is going to be moving back in with his mom and dad anytime soon.
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Is 3rd of June a new record for writing off the season?
I'm quite excited by the thought of a new manager with money to spend.
I'll take untempered optimism over baseless negativity disguised as "reality" any day of the week.
You're still here?
You don't miss a trick do you.
Do you still think we forced Reo Coker out?
Never said we forced him out. I don't think we offered him an adequate deal.
Now you're telling fibs.
What you said was "wasn't offered a deal at a club and now has to look elsewhere with no guarantee of employment." Then continued to argue the toss despite people providing evidence to the contrary.
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God you're all so bloody cynical, is this what football does to its supporters? What's the bloody point if you can't admire any of them?
Regardless of what any of you say I think Nigel is a top guy, a good player, and I think over the course of his career at Villa he was shafted one too many times and deserved a new deal. If you disagree, fine, but for the love of God try not to be so witheringly cynical about it.
Fucking he'll, that really takes the biscuit. You start a thread basically saying everything is shit then accuse others of cynicism.
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God you're all so bloody cynical, is this what football does to its supporters? What's the bloody point if you can't admire any of them?
Regardless of what any of you say I think Nigel is a top guy, a good player, and I think over the course of his career at Villa he was shafted one too many times and deserved a new deal. If you disagree, fine, but for the love of God try not to be so witheringly cynical about it.
Nobody has said he's not a nice guy.
You keep making it sound like he wasn't offered a new deal, rather than not liking the terms on offer and rejecting it.
As for "if you disagree, fine", you're clearly not fine with it as you're using rather emotive words like "cynical" and "shafted" and adopting a generally holier than thou stance.
We haven't forced him into penury. He's a footballer, his contract ran down, he's going to go somewhere else and earn large sums of money. Good luck to the guy, but to suggest we're somehow particularly cynical about it all just seems a little over emotional
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I think you're worrying unnecessarilly and way too soon ATAL. GH would have been a gamble due to his health situation, and we'll have a new boss in due course, hopefully a better one. Carew wasn't interested any more and was therefore no use and a drain on the finances. NRC and Friedel are far from irreplaceable, the former is decent but not fantastic and the latter is way past his best. Young was always going to go, so the only real downer is Downng - but since he has two years left we can at least play hardball on that one and keep him if we choose to. Bent can be as unsettled as he wants but he's on a long contract. I can't see the board not offering any new manager some funds to put his own stamp on the squad, they'll have to promise something to get anyone decent in, and they'll be sensible enough to realise that without investment we would again be risking our PL place and the money that entails. So I'd suggest just seeing how it pans out for a few weeks.
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. Houllier inherited a bit of a mess from MON that needed cleaning up
Sorry but what exactly do you mean? I'm tired of hearing that argument. Houllier inherited a top 6 squad that had been to Wembley twice just months earlier. The way some make it out is as if we were bottom of the Championship when GH arrived.
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. Houllier inherited a bit of a mess from MON that needed cleaning up
Sorry but what exactly do you mean? I'm tired of hearing that argument. Houllier inherited a top 6 squad that had been to Wembley twice just months earlier. The way some make it out is as if we were bottom of the Championship when GH arrived.
True but he also inherited a lot of players on big money who had contributed nothing for a long while, and were pretty much entirely alienated from the club.
It's not all MON's fault, but it's also not all GH's fault. He inherited some good things, he inherited some pressing problems which had been "hidden" for a while.
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God you're all so bloody cynical, is this what football does to its supporters? What's the bloody point if you can't admire any of them?
Regardless of what any of you say I think Nigel is a top guy, a good player, and I think over the course of his career at Villa he was shafted one too many times and deserved a new deal. If you disagree, fine, but for the love of God try not to be so witheringly cynical about it.
It's being practical, not cynical. Yes, he deserved a new contract, and was offered one, but his wage demands were excessive so wouldn't sign it.
We move on.
This. By the start of the season Nigel will be happily looking forward to a season with Newcastle or Stoke or some other average club. He'll probably get more football and money from them than he would with us so I'm pretty sure he won't be too cut up.
As for the state of the club at present. It's still pretty early to be worried. Yet. If we're well into July without a manager and big name players leaving I'll worry. I reckon we won't be waiting much more than a fortnight.
As for next season: There are no guarantees it will be better (though last season is not the highest baseline) than last season and certainly none that it will be a return to where we are but it could be. I'm going to save my verdict on that until we got a gaffer and some players in.
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Some people see problems, others see opportunities.
I like this, it will look good as my signature you know, if you don't mind?
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Some people see problems, others see opportunities.
I like this, it will look good as my signature you know, if you don't mind?
Don't do it, man.
It is cynical management speak designed to exploit the masses.
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Some people see problems, others see opportunities.
I like this, it will look good as my signature you know, if you don't mind?
Don't do it, man.
It is cynical management speak designed to exploit the masses.
I think it would be improved if you add "... and some see dead people - all the time."
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God you're all so bloody cynical, is this what football does to its supporters? What's the bloody point if you can't admire any of them?
Regardless of what any of you say I think Nigel is a top guy, a good player, and I think over the course of his career at Villa he was shafted one too many times and deserved a new deal. If you disagree, fine, but for the love of God try not to be so witheringly cynical about it.
I reckon the sun's got to you today ATAL, you've started a negative thread about next season before the player's have had chance to finish showering following the Liverpool final whistle, and then got in a lather about everyone else being cynical! My glass is always half empty yet even I feel positive about next season, Houlier's been despatched alongside some other deadwood and we have the chance to employ a quality manager whether that's Ancelloti, Hughes or (hopefully) Moyes. Cool the beans my friend, in the words of Danny Baker " nothing could possibly go wrong now..."
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As Chris Smith said above, some people see problems, others see opportunities.
I for one see opportunities and think it is exciting to see what our squad will look like next season and how it will line up. Personally i also think any potential manager will see opportunities and be very excited by the situation they could inherit at the club.
Presuming we get a manager in quickly and that we have relatively significant funds to spend, we will have a manager that can come in to a club that has already cleared significant dead wood from it's books, that has a very good core of youth and senior players, yet who will still be able to clear a few existing players out of the club and be able to buy players to put their own mark on the club. They will also have a whole pre season to implement their style and tactics on the players.
I also think we have a very good owner and club structure. We are arguably then one of the best clubs in the premiership that a manger could manage and in the current situation the best opportunity outside of Chelsea. Even then the Chelsea job comes with a lot of pressure and uncertainty and many managers might prefer the opportunity to come to a club like Villa where there would be more stability and they would be given time to build something. I think we will have a lot of managers chomping at the bit to come and manage Villa, from both home and abroad.
Lets just hope then that the club gets the right manager in and a manager that will inspire both the players and the fans.
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As Chris Smith said above, some people see problems, others see opportunities.
I for one see opportunities and think it is exciting to see what our squad will look like next season and how it will line up. Personally i also think any potential manager will see opportunities and be very excited by the situation they could inherit at the club.
Presuming we get a manager in quickly and that we have relatively significant funds to spend, we will have a manager that can come in to a club that has already cleared significant dead wood from it's books, that has a very good core of youth and senior players, yet who will still be able to clear a few existing players out of the club and be able to buy players to put their own mark on the club. They will also have a whole pre season to implement their style and tactics on the players.
I also think we have a very good owner and club structure. We are arguably then one of the best clubs in the premiership that a manger could manage and in the current situation the best opportunity outside of Chelsea. Even then the Chelsea job comes with a lot of pressure and uncertainty and many managers might prefer the opportunity to come to a club like Villa where there would be more stability and they would be given time to build something. I think we will have a lot of managers chomping at the bit to come and manage Villa, from both home and abroad.
Lets just hope then that the club gets the right manager in and a manager that will inspire both the players and the fans.
Spot on.
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What is all this about we will be crying into our cereal again at the end of the season?
The season just gone ended in two of the most memorable Villa games I have ever attended. The Arsenal experience was magical and the Liverpool game atmosphere was electric.
When being a Villa fan can lift you as high as we were lifted at those two games I do not give a monkey's if Young and Downing go or if we get Kevin Keegan as our new manager.
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I'm firmly in the pretty worried camp. Need to recruit:
- new management team
- one or two fullbacks
- 2 keepers
- ideally centre back
- defensive mid
- replace young
Not going to be easy at all
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It's an opportunity for us to really move forward, if we make the right appointment. But it's also an opportunity for the board to make the wrong appointment and condemn us to several years as also-rans.
I'm sure the board are aware of this and are looking pull off a great coup by signing someone top drawer.
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Some people see problems, others see opportunities.
Indeedy. The old 'glass half empty/glass half full' scenario.
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It's an opportunity for us to really move forward, if we make the right appointment. But it's also an opportunity for the board to make the wrong appointment and condemn us to several years as also-rans.
I'm sure the board are aware of this and are looking pull off a great coup by signing someone top drawer.
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I hope you are right.
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I hope you are right.
I'm always right, as Percy will attest.
(just kidding Perce)
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I am in the looking forward to a new manager, new players and a new attitude. If RL gets this summer right we could be looking at having a great season. My enthusiasm might be dented if we appoint the wrong manager though.
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. Houllier inherited a bit of a mess from MON that needed cleaning up
Sorry but what exactly do you mean? I'm tired of hearing that argument. Houllier inherited a top 6 squad that had been to Wembley twice just months earlier. The way some make it out is as if we were bottom of the Championship when GH arrived.
MON left a squad that was capable of a top 4 finish but finished 6th. Much of this was due to his single dimension style and lack of tactics - I recall the last half of the season with MON and the shocking home performances which dropped a lot of points against some mediocre teams. At the end of season we needed a clear out of some of the deadwood but all that happened was that we sold our best player and failed to sign anybody new at all. Things had gone very stale under MON and I'm sure that the players would have felt that too.
So, with our player of the season gone, more deadwood that was healthy and a stale atmosphere, I would call that a bit of a mess but compound that with the management team walking out with less than a week to go before the start of the season, I would call that a real mess.
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What is all this about we will be crying into our cereal again at the end of the season?
The season just gone ended in two of the most memorable Villa games I have ever attended. The Arsenal experience was magical and the Liverpool game atmosphere was electric.
When being a Villa fan can lift you as high as we were lifted at those two games I do not give a monkey's if Young and Downing go or if we get Kevin Keegan as our new manager.
That is righteous, Brian.
And if the centre cannot hold, we can surely still fiddle with our middle or arrange to have our slenders tenderly cupped.
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Some people see problems, others see opportunities.
Indeedy. The old 'glass half empty/glass half full' scenario.
I would appear ATAL doesn't even have a glass !
Lets trust the board, I think Houllier was a bit left field when appointed but things were looking better. The fact that some of the players didn't like having to train a bit harder and couldn't cope with being asked to pass to people in the same shirt rather than just lump the ball anywhere says more about them than the manager.
The board will get it right, there will be money to spend as they proved in January. The reason they wouldn't give it to MON was because he wanted to spend it on players like Robbie Keane.
None of the players who have left will be missed. Friedel was past his best, NRC wanted more money than he is worth.
Young will go, which will be no great loss - he has never been the same player since MON said he was on a par with Messi after that Everton game (we should have spotted then that MON was losing it !).
If we appoint Curbishley and sign players like Curtis Davis, Wayne Routledge, Shaun Maloney and Marlon Harewood then I will get worried !!!
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Biggest summer we've had for a very, very long time. Hopefully we'll get it right.
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Everybody still more excited than ever? Hang on to your hats.
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Well I'm cautiously optimistic, yes. But don't let that stop you being smug about apparently predicting the club's demise.
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We have lost a manger through ill health. We are taking sufficient time to identify and engage a suitable manager. We are about to cash in on Ashley Young who has suddenly become the flavour of the month. That justifies a claim that the club is in a state of collapse? Not in my book.