This season; can GH turn a slightly parched landscape into a greener haven...

[Chris Smith]

Chris:

re this sell to buy / wages bill thing, we could probably go on and on about our intepretations, so we might as well not bother, as we're not going to agree.

I think what disappointed me so much was that - regardless of which slant on it turns out to be right, yours or mine - at the first real signs of some financial prudence, and slowing things down a bit, so many people decided to turn against the board and take it as some sign of slamming on the anchors full stop.

Surely all clubs have stages where they have to watch their spending? I notice Spurs spent pretty much sod all this summer, at least uintil they'd reached the CL group phases and had some more money guaranteed.

I guess it comes down to whether we're prepared to think that we might be in a phase like that, where we're being a bit more circumspect in terms of the global picture of the club's finances, or if we prefer to think the worst and that Lerner has put his wallet away for good.

I think he'll still support player purchases but that will have to be done within a framework where salaries are linked to revenue and that, in crude terms, when we're at our limit one in will mean one out. I also think that's a sensible way to operate.

[Concrete John]

It's amazing that with the arrival of MON the expectation was so high.  We all pretty much thought that this was the man to launch us into the elite.  All on the basis that he'd succeeded in a two horse race and had relative success at Leicester. 

More than that, I think we all believed in MON, believed that his intelligence and TV personality was all that was needed to break the top 4 monopoly.  We were wrong.

GH has a track record in the Prem that a club such as ours should be chomping at the bit for him to be our manager.  This is based purely on the fact that he has won shit loads with clubs that he has managed in the past.

Rather than being underwhelmed we should be overwhelmed that he is now our manager.  We should be excited that he has secured the services of a coach who was in his team that produced that treble at Liverpool.  We should also be excited that we will be linked with young up and coming hardly known French/European strikers instead of the limit of our expectations being Robbie Keane on a final big pay day.  I am any way.

I think the difference is that expectations are much higher now than in the summer of 2006.  That's as much testiment to the contribution of Martin O'Neill (yes, and Randy's money) as anything I can think of.

[Brend'Watkins]

It's amazing that with the arrival of MON the expectation was so high.  We all pretty much thought that this was the man to launch us into the elite.  All on the basis that he'd succeeded in a two horse race and had relative success at Leicester. 

More than that, I think we all believed in MON, believed that his intelligence and TV personality was all that was needed to break the top 4 monopoly.  We were wrong.

GH has a track record in the Prem that a club such as ours should be chomping at the bit for him to be our manager.  This is based purely on the fact that he has won shit loads with clubs that he has managed in the past.

Rather than being underwhelmed we should be overwhelmed that he is now our manager.  We should be excited that he has secured the services of a coach who was in his team that produced that treble at Liverpool.  We should also be excited that we will be linked with young up and coming hardly known French/European strikers instead of the limit of our expectations being Robbie Keane on a final big pay day.  I am any way.

I think the difference is that expectations are much higher now than in the summer of 2006.  That's as much testiment to the contribution of Martin O'Neill (yes, and Randy's money) as anything I can think of.

I agree John.

I should have added that MON moved us on in his 4 seasons and should be thanked for that.  He deserved another one to allow us to go that step further but probably did us a favour by walking as he couldn't deliver on a very important part of his job. 

Overall, MON didn't meet most of our expectations.  The expectations from GH aren't anywhere nearly as high as when MON came which is odd when you think of what he has achieved in his career. 

[pauliewalnuts]

I should have added that MON moved us on in his 4 seasons and should be thanked for that.  He deserved another one to allow us to go that step further but probably did us a favour by walking as he couldn't deliver on a very important part of his job. 

That's a very interesting point.

If you look beyond the timing, perhaps he did do us a favour in that sense.

[Concrete John]

I should have added that MON moved us on in his 4 seasons and should be thanked for that.  He deserved another one to allow us to go that step further but probably did us a favour by walking as he couldn't deliver on a very important part of his job. 

That's a very interesting point.

If you look beyond the timing, perhaps he did do us a favour in that sense.

It was a favour if we replace him with someone significantly better, which I'm yet to be convinced we have.

[pauliewalnuts]

I should have added that MON moved us on in his 4 seasons and should be thanked for that.  He deserved another one to allow us to go that step further but probably did us a favour by walking as he couldn't deliver on a very important part of his job. 

That's a very interesting point.

If you look beyond the timing, perhaps he did do us a favour in that sense.

It was a favour if we replace him with someone significantly better, which I'm yet to be convinced we have.

That's what i mean, though, you'd have to look beyond the fact he did it when he did to be able to see it as a favour - and when he chose to do it had a major impact on who we could possibly get to replace him.

[sfx412]

I think the difference is that expectations are much higher now than in the summer of 2006.  That's as much testiment to the contribution of Martin O'Neill (yes, and Randy's money) as anything I can think of.

Higher than when Mon joined ??

I find that strange, he didn't get the nickname the Messiah without reason.

[pauliewalnuts]

I think the difference is that expectations are much higher now than in the summer of 2006.  That's as much testiment to the contribution of Martin O'Neill (yes, and Randy's money) as anything I can think of.

Higher than when Mon joined ??

I find that strange, he didn't get the nickname the Messiah without reason.

How high were expectations in 2006, though?

We'd just come out of the penniless Doug era, so surely pretty much anything was going to be an improvement to start with.

We might have expected a lot because we had a billionaire benefactor rather than a tight travel agent, but at the same time, I don't think too many people were moaning after MON's first season when we finished 11th.

[Rancid custard]

There are too many questions to fully answer, but under Houllier I'd expect Gabby to be a little more prolific at least, making a comparison to the halcyon days of Owen at Liverpool.

[Michel Sibble]

From the Express and Star comments page:

The thing I hate most about Aston Villa fans is they cant admit that this is going to be the biggest cock up since the David O`Leary days.
I know for a fact this appointment wont work out as Garard Houllier`s style of football is boaring and totally defensive.

Randy Learner would of been better going for Tony Mowbray as his style of play is just what players like A.young, Downing, Sidwell, and Albrighton could thrive on. Mowbray`s attacking football never worked for Albion as we didnt have the quality strikers to finish off the numerous amount of chances we created,

Carew, Agbon, and even Hesky could of scoredthe goals which Albions strikers didnt put away.

[Chris Smith]

I think the difference is that expectations are much higher now than in the summer of 2006.  That's as much testiment to the contribution of Martin O'Neill (yes, and Randy's money) as anything I can think of.

Higher than when Mon joined ??

I find that strange, he didn't get the nickname the Messiah without reason.

It was only wind up merchants who aren't nearly as clever as they think they are who ever called him The Messiah as I recall.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

From the Express and Star comments page:

The thing I hate most about Aston Villa fans is they cant admit that this is going to be the biggest cock up since the David O`Leary days.
I know for a fact this appointment wont work out as Garard Houllier`s style of football is boaring and totally defensive.

Randy Learner would of been better going for Tony Mowbray as his style of play is just what players like A.young, Downing, Sidwell, and Albrighton could thrive on. Mowbray`s attacking football never worked for Albion as we didnt have the quality strikers to finish off the numerous amount of chances we created,

Carew, Agbon, and even Hesky could of scoredthe goals which Albions strikers didnt put away.

That wasn't a Tesco bag-wearing Baggie Twat, that was from Chris Smith. He's always banging on about Mowbray. (winky)

[Chris Smith]

From the Express and Star comments page:

The thing I hate most about Aston Villa fans is they cant admit that this is going to be the biggest cock up since the David O`Leary days.
I know for a fact this appointment wont work out as Garard Houllier`s style of football is boaring and totally defensive.

Randy Learner would of been better going for Tony Mowbray as his style of play is just what players like A.young, Downing, Sidwell, and Albrighton could thrive on. Mowbray`s attacking football never worked for Albion as we didnt have the quality strikers to finish off the numerous amount of chances we created,

Carew, Agbon, and even Hesky could of scoredthe goals which Albions strikers didnt put away.

That wasn't a Tesco bag-wearing Baggie Twat, that was from Chris Smith. He's always banging on about Mowbray. (winky)

You and Tone have never been seen in the same room. I rest my case.

[TheSandman]

He'd have been even worse than Curbs. The last man I'd want.

[dave.woodhall]

I can't see how anyone can say aspirations are higher now than they were four years ago. Back then the sky was the limit and I remember a poll where a fair chunk of us said Thierry Henry wasn't good enough.