The end is nigh.

[Risso]

I don't think anyone thinks we couldn't do any better

You have to be joking.

[Concrete John]

I don't think anyone thinks we couldn't do any better

You have to be joking.

Well, each side of any argument will have it's extremes, but I'd like to think that even those most adamant MON supporters see 6th as a midway point between where we were and where we're trying to get to.

The difference comes it terms of whether Martin can get us there or not.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Sorry, I seem to be a bit behind the times.

From the look of it here, MON has already been dismissed and arguments are already breaking out about who we appoint to replace him.

I hope you are going to do a North Korean on MON as well. I suggest he is paraded in front of the Holte End on friday night to be publicly criticised by each member of the first team. Then he can be banished to do hard labour on a building site somewhere.

Played 190  Won 80  Drawn 60  Lost 50.
 What a loser he is !

Not at all. Someone said we wouldn't get a suitable replacemnt when the time comes, and since then we've been discussing what replacements would be available.

Why discuss something that could be years and years away ? I very much doubt its on the agenda at VP with the powers that be.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Why discuss something that could be years and years away ? I very much doubt its on the agenda at VP with the powers that be.

I would hope and expect, like all well run businesses we have a contingency plan in place.

[dave.woodhall]

Why discuss something that could be years and years away ? I very much doubt its on the agenda at VP with the powers that be.

Why not? That's what we're here for.

[Chris Smith]

I don't think anyone thinks we couldn't do any better

You have to be joking.

Well, each side of any argument will have it's extremes, but I'd like to think that even those most adamant MON supporters see 6th as a midway point between where we were and where we're trying to get to.

That's exactly it. It comes down to degrees of patience. Some of us are content that we're moving in the right direction and are happy with incremental improvements, others think the pace of change should be quicker. Randy seems to have come to a similar conclusion to those in the former camp and that is why MON will be our manager this coming season.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Why discuss something that could be years and years away ? I very much doubt its on the agenda at VP with the powers that be.

I would hope and expect, like all well run businesses we have a contingency plan in place.

Football is not like any other business. Any contingency plan relating to the playing and management side of any football club can be made redundant within days/hours by events and results.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Why discuss something that could be years and years away ? I very much doubt its on the agenda at VP with the powers that be.

I would hope and expect, like all well run businesses we have a contingency plan in place.

Football is not like any other business. Any contingency plan relating to the playing and management side of any football club can be made redundant within days/hours by events and results.

Which is why it would have to be updated on a regular basis. It's the most important appointment of the Club/Company so I can't imagine we don't pay somebody to track and monitor potential future managers.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Why discuss something that could be years and years away ? I very much doubt its on the agenda at VP with the powers that be.

Why not? That's what we're here for.

True, I have no wish to stifle free speech.  Anyway by saying why bother discussing it, I am probably being counter productive and perpetuating the debate even more.
Incidentally the reason I am here right now is because work is really really boring and slow today.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Why discuss something that could be years and years away ? I very much doubt its on the agenda at VP with the powers that be.

I would hope and expect, like all well run businesses we have a contingency plan in place.

Football is not like any other business. Any contingency plan relating to the playing and management side of any football club can be made redundant within days/hours by events and results.

Which is why it would have to be updated on a regular basis. It's the most important appointment of the Club/Company so I can't imagine we don't pay somebody to track and monitor potential future managers.

They could pay us then to do it. I bet we would all love to be paid to do a job like that.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Why discuss something that could be years and years away ? I very much doubt its on the agenda at VP with the powers that be.

I would hope and expect, like all well run businesses we have a contingency plan in place.

Football is not like any other business. Any contingency plan relating to the playing and management side of any football club can be made redundant within days/hours by events and results.

Which is why it would have to be updated on a regular basis. It's the most important appointment of the Club/Company so I can't imagine we don't pay somebody to track and monitor potential future managers.

They could pay us then to do it. I bet we would all love to be paid to do a job like that.

As long as they don't give the job to Chris Smith, why not.
Can you imagine..

Paul Faulkner: Morning Chris. Have you got the list of Managers?
Chris: I sure have Paul. I think you're going to like it. His name is Martin O'Neill.
Paul: Chris, yesterday he signed a five year contract at Newcastle.
Chris: He's the best man for the job.
Paul: But he's just left us, we need to replace him.
Chris: We don't need to replace him we just need to bring him back.
Paul: We can't do that, even if he was prepared to come back we'd have to pay Newcastle millions in compensation.
Chris: He's worth it.
Paul: No Chris, we can't do it. Don't you have any other names on your list?
Chris: You asked for the best, I've given you the best.
Paul: What about foriegn managers?
Chris: Oh please! The last thing we want is their fancy-dan football and their ten billion passing game going no where.
Paul: Really?
Chris: Trust me. The Villa fans would hate it.
Paul: So after 10 months, the only name you can come up with is Martin O'Neill? Chris, this is not good enough, I want my money back.
Chris: Well there is this Irish bloke living in Wetherby near Harrogate that could probably do the job. Lovely fella.
Paul: You don't mean..?
Chris: David O'Leary. He's waiting outside.

[Concrete John]

Which is why it would have to be updated on a regular basis. It's the most important appointment of the Club/Company so I can't imagine we don't pay somebody to track and monitor potential future managers.

Seriously, does ANYONE do this?  Liverpool's old boot room policy and the impending SAF retirement aside, did Fulham scout for Roy possibly going during last season?  Have Everton got the new Moyes lined up?  No, I think the very fact that once a manager goes you usually have a coupe of weeks before a replacement comes in suggests that isn't how things work.  The exception being when you're planning to pull the trigger and start thinking about it before you do, which is not a position we are in.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Which is why it would have to be updated on a regular basis. It's the most important appointment of the Club/Company so I can't imagine we don't pay somebody to track and monitor potential future managers.

Seriously, does ANYONE do this?  Liverpool's old boot room policy and the impending SAF retirement aside, did Fulham scout for Roy possibly going during last season?  Have Everton got the new Moyes lined up?  No, I think the very fact that once a manager goes you usually have a coupe of weeks before a replacement comes in suggests that isn't how things work.  The exception being when you're planning to pull the trigger and start thinking about it before you do, which is not a position we are in.

A contingency plan covers more than sacking the current manager. Given the lack of football people inside the boardroom at Villa Park, do you really think they'd leave it to chance?

[ktvillan]

Why discuss something that could be years and years away ? I very much doubt its on the agenda at VP with the powers that be.

I would hope and expect, like all well run businesses we have a contingency plan in place.

Football is not like any other business. Any contingency plan relating to the playing and management side of any football club can be made redundant within days/hours by events and results.

Exactly things change very quickly in football - so why do you think any threat to O'Neill's position could be years and years away?  Who'd have thought Jol would have been out at Spurs a few months after securing his second 5th place with them?  And why is it such a bad idea to have a plan in place, or at least a few ideas of likely successors, just in case results or other factors make his position untenable in the shorter term?

[Concrete John]

A contingency plan covers more than sacking the current manager. Given the lack of football people inside the boardroom at Villa Park, do you really think they'd leave it to chance?

How is it 'leaving it to chance'?  All I'm saying is that most clubs who lose their manager unexpectedly then start the process of finding and recruiting a new manager, not draw a name out of a hat as they're short on time!!