Was the General right to comment on O'Neill

[Rudy Can't Fail]

C*nt.

[usav]

Ban him!

[Percy McCarthy]

You think the players consider all that when they are getting booed?[/]quote]

Well Percy, I'd guess at least some of the players realise they are in the entertainement and winning business, and that the paying customers are likely to get a little disgruntled if they are "earning" their multi million pound salaries by serving up a shower of shite.  Or that maybe some of the disaffection is aimed at the manager rather than them.  I'd be surprised if they are thinking, "oh the fans appear to be withholding their vocal support today, perhaps I won;t try quite as hard as my efforts won't be appreicated".  I'd be more surprised if they are thinking "man these Villa fans really hate their club."

Is it that complicated though? To me, if the crowd can influence the mood of the players at all, it is just through either good vibes or bad vibes.

[Percy McCarthy]

I don't have a problem with The General's intervention, he had to unfuck a clusterfuck, and he did it well.

I do not however, subscribe to the simplistic view that the wages issue is only a problem because MoN bought players which he did not then play. I agree with Villadawg that there was a policy change between statements covering three months that is yet to be fully explained.  You did not need to be Nostradamus to predict that it would be difficult to ship players out in the current transfer market.

I wonder if there was a policy change though? Or if O'Neill was told all along he could have x amount for transfers as long as he kept the wages within , say, 65% or 70% of turnover.  That would make business sense. It would have been an odd financial strategy from a successful businessman not to have some kind of limit on spending, so I somehow doubt the policy in the first 4 years was spend spend spend and fuck the wage bill.  If Martin had backed himself into a corner by overpaying his signings, passing the wages/turnover limit, and suddenly finding he couldnt shift the players he wasnt using in order to buy new ones, that's his fault. 

But agreed, perhaps it is something the club ought to clarify.

Personally, I don't think there was a policy change, at least not over the summer. There was that interview towards the end of the season in which MON spoke about different ways of competing, bringing through the youth, maybe selling a 'big' player etc. This suggests that the wages issue had been discussed and MON had accepted it, so maybe it was him who had a change of heart.

[dave.woodhall]

Maybe Martin had forced the board to change their minds before (maybe by threatening to resign), thought he could do it again, wasn't able to and backed himself into a corner.

[Steve67]

Maybe Martin had forced the board to change their minds before (maybe by threatening to resign), thought he could do it again, wasn't able to and backed himself into a corner.

If that's the case Dave, MON clearly thought he was bigger than the club and deserved to go.

[adrenachrome]

Maybe Martin had forced the board to change their minds before (maybe by threatening to resign), thought he could do it again, wasn't able to and backed himself into a corner.

That is a quite plausible hypothesis,  all right.

I am still of the opinion that something changed; probably to do with the state of football finance in general.

[Steve67]

I think Randy had lost faith in MON in any case and didn't trust him with any more money. MON hung around just long enough to make sure Mark Hughes was employed so Villa didn't have a ready made replacement.

[Percy McCarthy]

I think Randy had lost faith in MON in any case and didn't trust him with any more money. MON hung around just long enough to make sure Mark Hughes was employed so Villa didn't have a ready made replacement.

I heard that Saturday from somebody who said Luke Young told them.

[Sister of Top Cat]

I think Randy had lost faith in MON in any case and didn't trust him with any more money. MON hung around just long enough to make sure Mark Hughes was employed so Villa didn't have a ready made replacement.

So at least we have something to thank him for!

[Gregorys Boy]

What a load of crap that throy is

No the general was completly wrong, because it was just a uneccssery cheap shot which did no one any favours.

There is a difference between getting the clubs side of the story over, and slating a man who did so much for us.  It was cyical and it was nasty.  Yes I too was let down by how Martin left us in it, but nothing should change the fantastic job he did at the club.

Also the fact remains that MON has said nothing bad about the club in his absence, so maybe they should take note of that.

[Percy McCarthy]

What a load of crap that throy is

Well, when you couple it with the rumours of Lerner talking to Hughes' agent months ago...

[Steve67]

Perhaps he enjoys playing the martyr Gregory's Boy?

What's a throy? 

[Lizz]

Perhaps he enjoys playing the martyr Gregory's Boy?

What's a throy? 

A typing error.

[dave.woodhall]

Also the fact remains that MON has said nothing bad about the club in his absence, so maybe they should take note of that.

He hasn't needed to when he has so many media friends. And several managers have done a fantastic job at Villa but he isn't one of them.