"Over the next couple of seasons the aim is to get Villa back into the top six where it belongs."
"There is a genuine bunch of fans and then there is a arbitrary, capricious, changeable, cheating, coquettish, double-crossing, faithless, fitful, flighty, frivolous, inconstant, irresolute, lubricious, mercurial, mutable, quicksilver, sneaking, temperamental, ticklish, two-timing, unfaithful, unpredictable mob who get on your back."
Mid-way through last season about playing at Villa Park: "I think there is an element at Villa Park, the players seem to be saying, that jump on their backs very quickly and they get a bit nervous,"
Last season about expectations: "I get a lot of people quoting 'we've got a fine stadium and we won the European Cup' but I really don't know what that has got to do with 2006.''
"With some, because they are so biased in terms of saying what Aston Villa are and what Aston Villa should be doing, it's pointless writing back.
More on supporter letters: "I got letters saying 'congratulations on getting the job, we are Aston Villa, we expect to be in the top four by the end of the season'. I got loads of letters when we finished sixth - and I thought I did a great job - saying 'we've missed out on the Champions League'.
Doug Ellis on the 3-0 defeat at Doncaster, Villa's darkest day November 2005: "I felt humiliated, disgusted and embarrassed by our inept performance."
On the Sunday national newspaper stitch-up of Sven-Goran Eriksson in the Fake Sheikh saga: "It is not acceptable that the national coach speaks publicly about replacing another manager whilst he is in the post. I will co-operate with Sven as I always have, but I want recorded my dissatisfaction and my disappointment."
"Someone has to try and put Aston Villa back where they should belong and I'm up for the challenge."
Towards the end of his first season in charge: "There is going to have to be a big rebuilding job for the club," he said.
