From now to next May your expectations

[TaxDodger]

I expect a decent top eight finish and a good cup run as we lay the ground work for a forward move in the season to follow.

This. And hopefully an exciting new signing or two in January.

[cdward]

Under MON we improved season on season points wise, i would have expected that trend to continue.
However now i expect us to finish with less points than last season, but that will be off set with a nice long cup run, with at least one Wembley appearance.
 

[adrenachrome]

Given the circumstances,  it is correct that expectations should be adjusted. I don't think the top 6 is realistic.

As long as he gets them playing with flexibility and imagination, and we are not subjected to any more humiliating defeats, I will be happy to write off this season as one of consolidation.

I think he'll make a decent fist of it, myself.

[wif]

The Bloke Behind Me for the last three seasons had a catch phrase: "I've got a bad feeling about this..." and he spouted pessimism and negativity for roughly 90 minutes of every game.  Thankfully he's now moved or buggered off, and I can now go to games without wanting to chin the miserable bastard.

I expect to enjoy myself a bit more at Villa Park and I'm enjoying the post-MON era immensely as we've had two exciting home wins, and I haven't been to any of the other games.

7th in the league, quarter finals of the cups, a few new foreign signings, and no return of the flat capped misery guts.

[Reality]

I'd love another top 7 finish. I would be delighted with that. And then we can improve further in the summer.

[Villa'Zawg]

Is it not fair to expect little from the new man, Initially,  partly because of the poor timing of the previous managers exit, his smallish squad.
The huge spend used to achieve it may, it seem, be restricting what further spend is available, certainly while we continue to have large wage earners on board.
If Mon's major achievement as Chris suggests was 6th after such a big spend and 4 seasons on the job, I'd assume with no spend for some time, 6th really would be an achievement and one the Blessed Mon obviously didn't fancy taking on.

It doesn't matter how often you say it, it still won't be true. £60m net spend on the playing squad going into our 5th season under Randy Lerner is not a huge spend, it is a below average spend for a top 8 team. Just as our wage bill is not high for top 8 team, it is below average. The area of finance where we have a serious deficiency compared to the other top 8 teams is in revenue and/or investment.

[Pete3206]

The Bloke Behind Me for the last three seasons had a catch phrase: "I've got a bad feeling about this..." and he spouted pessimism and negativity for roughly 90 minutes of every game.  Thankfully he's now moved or buggered off, and I can now go to games without wanting to chin the miserable bastard.

I expect to enjoy myself a bit more at Villa Park and I'm enjoying the post-MON era immensely as we've had two exciting home wins, and I haven't been to any of the other games.

7th in the league, quarter finals of the cups, a few new foreign signings, and no return of the flat capped misery guts.

Just a thought, why did you put up with it for 3 seasons?

[dave.woodhall]

Is it not fair to expect little from the new man, Initially,  partly because of the poor timing of the previous managers exit, his smallish squad.
The huge spend used to achieve it may, it seem, be restricting what further spend is available, certainly while we continue to have large wage earners on board.
If Mon's major achievement as Chris suggests was 6th after such a big spend and 4 seasons on the job, I'd assume with no spend for some time, 6th really would be an achievement and one the Blessed Mon obviously didn't fancy taking on.

It doesn't matter how often you say it, it still won't be true. £60m net spend on the playing squad going into our 5th season under Randy Lerner is not a huge spend, it is a below average spend for a top 8 team. Just as our wage bill is not high for top 8 team, it is below average. The area of finance where we have a serious deficiency compared to the other top 8 teams is in revenue and/or investment.

We spend less than the rest, we pay less than the rest and our owner invests less than the rest. Keep saying it often enough and you might get someone else to believe it.

[Ads]

Top 6 finish.

[Reality]

The Bloke Behind Me for the last three seasons had a catch phrase: "I've got a bad feeling about this..." and he spouted pessimism and negativity for roughly 90 minutes of every game.  Thankfully he's now moved or buggered off, and I can now go to games without wanting to chin the miserable bastard.

I expect to enjoy myself a bit more at Villa Park and I'm enjoying the post-MON era immensely as we've had two exciting home wins, and I haven't been to any of the other games.

7th in the league, quarter finals of the cups, a few new foreign signings, and no return of the flat capped misery guts.

And I hated your ugly haircut. 

[wif]

The Bloke Behind Me for the last three seasons had a catch phrase: "I've got a bad feeling about this..." and he spouted pessimism and negativity for roughly 90 minutes of every game.  Thankfully he's now moved or buggered off, and I can now go to games without wanting to chin the miserable bastard.

I expect to enjoy myself a bit more at Villa Park and I'm enjoying the post-MON era immensely as we've had two exciting home wins, and I haven't been to any of the other games.

7th in the league, quarter finals of the cups, a few new foreign signings, and no return of the flat capped misery guts.

Just a thought, why did you put up with it for 3 seasons?

I tried to move, but there's 4 of us sit together which makes getting good seats awkward.

I did have a word with him to try and persuade him to go after a particularly bad game when I lost my rag a little... maybe it worked 

[Ads]

An improved home record. Made a winning (if not entirely convincing) start at home without the previous manager around.

Yet that will only benefit us if we can do it AND maintain our away record.  And without the previous manager around we got hammered in an away game we probably wouldn't have lost!

 Yes, the previous manager used to like to save the away day hammerings until March at least.

[luke95]

as we're a top 5 club , id expect nothing other than top 5 .

[Reality]

We have finished 6th three years on the trot..

[luke95]

We have finished 6th three years on the trot..

Which a few considered as failure.