From now to next May your expectations

[sfx412]

So, we're now on a par with Blackburn. And as for your second point, 3 weeks. 3 bloody weeks. they wanted Kev Mac to get the job so why not allow him to look for players at that stage? He had his hands tien and once they realsied he couldn't do the job they then stumbled over themselves to get others to apply for the job.

Not really what you expect from a well run business is it?

 I hadn't realised they'd wanted KM as the manager, I'd assumed as they advertised the post, took on a head hunting company and started interviewing they wanted to assess the potential field. To, as General K said, spend money then on players was silly. Convenient to the bank balance perhaps, but apart from giving fans plenty of licence to criticise RL for buying players it served no purpose. I can't see either that allowing KM to choose players to buy offered any answer, he was after all just the youth and reserve team coach, until his temporary, much appreciated step up.
When Mon joined many argued in his favour for not buying players in the weeks he had before the window closed, yet now its a crime ?
Seems to me when Mon quit, RL ran the Villa too much like a properly run business, rather than the usual managerial circus, and 3 weeks isn't that long a time in those circumstances. It may not be Ellis like but I suppose if that's your pref, who am I to argue further.

[peter w]

So, we're now on a par with Blackburn. And as for your second point, 3 weeks. 3 bloody weeks. they wanted Kev Mac to get the job so why not allow him to look for players at that stage? He had his hands tien and once they realsied he couldn't do the job they then stumbled over themselves to get others to apply for the job.

Not really what you expect from a well run business is it?

 I hadn't realised they'd wanted KM as the manager, I'd assumed as they advertised the post, took on a head hunting company and started interviewing they wanted to assess the potential field. To, as General K said, spend money then on players was silly. Convenient to the bank balance perhaps, but apart from giving fans plenty of licence to criticise RL for buying players it served no purpose. I can't see either that allowing KM to choose players to buy offered any answer, he was after all just the youth and reserve team coach, until his temporary, much appreciated step up.
When Mon joined many argued in his favour for not buying players in the weeks he had before the window closed, yet now its a crime ?
Seems to me when Mon quit, RL ran the Villa too much like a properly run business, rather than the usual managerial circus, and 3 weeks isn't that long a time in those circumstances. It may not be Ellis like but I suppose if that's your pref, who am I to argue further.

Yeah, that's bang on. Ellis would have sorted this mess out. You loon.

[sfx412]

I think events support my thoughts. I think O'Neill accepted this in May but then when in August they's still not managed to shift any he wanted to push on with signings anyway and hope that they'd be able to sell later but was told no. That's what caused things to come to a head.

I disagree. I think events and more importantly General K suggests that the will to sell on players was not there with Mon, and when reminded of the agreed plan he threw his hissy fit and ran off.
He obviously thought he knew best, he was bigger than RL and Villa and when advised that was not the case he quit.

[pauliewalnuts]

Which is the lowest placed team in the football league, other than us, that haven't bought a single player?

Blackburn.

Yet we have "bought" a player - we took Ireland as part of the Milner deal, rather than the extra money. How many other teams lost their manager three weeks before the end of the transfer window?

So, we're now on a par with Blackburn. And as for your second point, 3 weeks. 3 bloody weeks. they wanted Kev Mac to get the job so why not allow him to look for players at that stage? He had his hands tien and once they realsied he couldn't do the job they then stumbled over themselves to get others to apply for the job.

Not really what you expect from a well run business is it?

You asked the question, I answered it. Although Blackburn didn't lose their manager just before the start of the season, so we've at least got a contributing cause.

The rest of your post is just conjecture. How do you know they didn't start looking until KM said no? The fact is, you don't.

There are lots of things we all don't know on this subject, what it comes down to is whether you think they've earned the benefit of the doubt. For some people it'll come down to MON vs the board, and they'll make their decisions accordingly.

Personally, I don't see any reason for the board to lie to us. I've not spent the last four years kissing their arses, but by the same stretch, I'm not about to pretend they've - all of a sudden - started channelling the spirit of Doug, because they haven't.

[peter w]

So you say that the rest of my post is conjecture and then go on to give us your personal opinion, and conjecture. Its what this is all about isn't it? Of course I don't know. Its my opinion.

[Concrete John]

I didn't see it as "do one, THEN do the other", i saw it as "done one, but ALSO do the other".

So you think Martin was allowed to sign new players before the unused ones were shipped out?  I think the opposite and that's were the frustration that ultimately lead to his resignation set in.

I think the General intimated, even said such.
If you believe the General tells the truth why suggest otherwise, apart from making Mon's exit nearly excusable

The General said we could buy players BEFORE we shedding some of the wagebill first?  I'd love to see that post if you'd like to dig it out? 

[pauliewalnuts]

So you say that the rest of my post is conjecture and then go on to give us your personal opinion, and conjecture. Its what this is all about isn't it? Of course I don't know. Its my opinion.

And then, if you'd carried on reading, you'd see the bit where I said it comes down to how much we're prepared to trust the board.

[The Situation]

we're due a derby defeat or two and that rankles.

We never lose to small heath, wolves or the baggies anymore.

[TheSandman]

A key point here: We are limited by a factor. The former manager's departure came at a bad time which hamstrung us in the transfer market and indeed the new manager market. If we had been looking in to a new appointment at the start of the close season we could have a more alluring shortlist. This means we can not expect far too much from the season or in my opinion move forward from last season.

That said. Houllier strikes me as a decent manager; O'Neill has left behind a decent enough squad and for me beyond the usual suspects of Liverpool and Everton there is little from the teams who were below us to fear. So I expect 6th-8th place probably 8th, and a decent run in the FA Cup as with last season. I also expect us to dip our toes in the market in January to strengthen a spot.

In all honesty there has been little change in my expectations from under O'Neill... Maybe a place or two lower due to the timing of the managerial  change and our inability to strengthen but overall little change. I will however, enjoy the ride a bit more as it will be less predictable.