Houllier confirms Ireland wants to leave!

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Ah yes, a board that thinks it knows better than the manager, I've seen that before. Did any of them have specific examples of players who should have been dropped and how that would have improved results?

Presumably, if we'd had the injuries we had this season and used the wider squad more often they'd have thought he was doing a better job?

Imagine you go with the wife to the supermarket and do a big shop, you pay. You don't mind paying as there's next to nothing at home to eat.
Your wife does the cooking and you don't interfere in the kitchen
Every night for dinner it's beans on toast. It fills you up, serves it's purpose. You are no longer hungry. Job done.
One night after another plate of beans on toast you look in the fridge and there are steaks, fish and vegetables rotting way.
Come Saturday she tells you that you need to go with her again to do another big shop. You're expected to pay.
Now you can't cook to save your life but something tells you something is not quite right in the kitchen.

What do you do?

Last season was arguably our best for 20 years. It was the beans that were being kept in reserve, we were using the steak.

The phrase 'tough as old boots' comes to mind.

[Toronto Villa]

yes, because this board is just like Doug isn't it? Please tell me your not serious VD with that crap throwaway line "..I've seen that before"

I admire your unyielding support for MON, but he crossed the line for me when he quit on us. He wasn't bigger than the club, yet you're seemingly doing your best to convince us all that he was, and couldn't be told - as an employee - what direction the club wanted to go in.

I liked Doug :-)

I wasn't against Doug, but I can't say I was his biggest fan. Though, I certainly didn't see him as the anti-Christ as some. But, Randy's not remotely like Doug in what he has done since he got here, so to even compare him in any way at all is a little insulting in my opinion.

I didn't compare Randy to Doug, I compared Pelty's description of the problem to the type of justification that Doug would have used.

Ah yes, a board that thinks it knows better than the manager, I've seen that before

Are you sure that's not what you implied?

[dave.woodhall]

Last season was arguably our best for 20 years.

Under no criteria was last season the best for twenty years.

[Villa'Zawg]

yes, because this board is just like Doug isn't it? Please tell me your not serious VD with that crap throwaway line "..I've seen that before"

I admire your unyielding support for MON, but he crossed the line for me when he quit on us. He wasn't bigger than the club, yet you're seemingly doing your best to convince us all that he was, and couldn't be told - as an employee - what direction the club wanted to go in.

I liked Doug :-)

I wasn't against Doug, but I can't say I was his biggest fan. Though, I certainly didn't see him as the anti-Christ as some. But, Randy's not remotely like Doug in what he has done since he got here, so to even compare him in any way at all is a little insulting in my opinion.

I didn't compare Randy to Doug, I compared Pelty's description of the problem to the type of justification that Doug would have used.

Ah yes, a board that thinks it knows better than the manager, I've seen that before

Are you sure that's not what you implied?

If I thought that the board was genuinely of the opinion that the manager should pick his players on the basis of their interpretation of "asset utilisation", I'd have a lot more to say about it than a comparison with Doug.

[Villa'Zawg]

Last season was arguably our best for 20 years.

Under no criteria was last season the best for twenty years.

You're right. I should have said one of the best in 20 years.

[pauliewalnuts]

So, "arguably one of our best in 20 years" then?

Theres another of those things Doug might have said. 

Serious question, though, if last season was so good, where was the outpouring of grief on here when the manager walked away?

[Yossarian]

Sad as it is, last season was the best of the last ten years. And it was shit.

[Toronto Villa]

Sad as it is, last season was the best of the last ten years. And it was shit.

last season wasn't shit at all. Did you not enjoy the cup runs and getting to a cup final? Yes, it would have been better had we won one of the cups, but let's not become overly dramatic for effect.

[Toronto Villa]

yes, because this board is just like Doug isn't it? Please tell me your not serious VD with that crap throwaway line "..I've seen that before"

I admire your unyielding support for MON, but he crossed the line for me when he quit on us. He wasn't bigger than the club, yet you're seemingly doing your best to convince us all that he was, and couldn't be told - as an employee - what direction the club wanted to go in.

I liked Doug :-)

I wasn't against Doug, but I can't say I was his biggest fan. Though, I certainly didn't see him as the anti-Christ as some. But, Randy's not remotely like Doug in what he has done since he got here, so to even compare him in any way at all is a little insulting in my opinion.

I didn't compare Randy to Doug, I compared Pelty's description of the problem to the type of justification that Doug would have used.

Ah yes, a board that thinks it knows better than the manager, I've seen that before

Are you sure that's not what you implied?

If I thought that the board was genuinely of the opinion that the manager should pick his players on the basis of their interpretation of "asset utilisation", I'd have a lot more to say about it than a comparison with Doug.

Interesting topic. It wasn't just the board that was scatching it's head over "asset utilisation". I think many fans were, and the media had picked up on it before long. Let alone other teams, that figured out by the spring, Villa were exhausted. A pattern had emerged and the board had every right to ask why? Had they allowed it continue we as paying fans would also have had a right to question them. If I was the one shelling out the millions I'd want to know why several of my expensive, highly paid assets never played, and why I should spend more given the same may keep occuring.

[Yossarian]

Sad as it is, last season was the best of the last ten years. And it was shit.

last season wasn't shit at all. Did you not enjoy the cup runs and getting to a cup final? Yes, it would have been better had we won one of the cups, but let's not become overly dramatic for effect.

I enjoyed the Blackburn game- given but my over-riding memory of last season was sheer boredom. No more highlighted than in two tedious Wembley appearances but lets not become overly dramatic for effect.

[Toronto Villa]

Sad as it is, last season was the best of the last ten years. And it was shit.

last season wasn't shit at all. Did you not enjoy the cup runs and getting to a cup final? Yes, it would have been better had we won one of the cups, but let's not become overly dramatic for effect.

I enjoyed the Blackburn game- given but my over-riding memory of last season was sheer boredom. No more highlighted than in two tedious Wembley appearances but lets not become overly dramatic for effect.

There's no more dramatic a statement than the one you made about last season being shit. You didn't point to a specific game, or series of games. You grouped the entire season together in your assessment. While I'll concede that most of our home games were hardly worth the price of admission, we were by contrast amongst the most attractive and successful teams to watch away from Villa Park. But, why consider those stats when making rash generalisations eh?

[The Left Side]

I've just read the thread and i'm not suprised in Ireland's decision, it is just what you have to expect from the modern day footballer. He really could made a name for himself after a bad season last year, but he has some demons that he will never be able to shake off... let's get what we can from him, move him on and learn from this, he is still a little shit though!

[Yossarian]

Sad as it is, last season was the best of the last ten years. And it was shit.

last season wasn't shit at all. Did you not enjoy the cup runs and getting to a cup final? Yes, it would have been better had we won one of the cups, but let's not become overly dramatic for effect.

I enjoyed the Blackburn game- given but my over-riding memory of last season was sheer boredom. No more highlighted than in two tedious Wembley appearances but lets not become overly dramatic for effect.

There's no more dramatic a statement than the one you made about last season being shit. You didn't point to a specific game, or series of games. You grouped the entire season together in your assessment. While I'll concede that most of our home games were hardly worth the price of admission, we were by contrast amongst the most attractive and successful teams to watch away from Villa Park. But, why consider those stats when making rash generalisations eh?

My assessment is based on all the home games and several away and when I think back to last season my over-riding feelings are of boredom and frustration. We won quite a few of those games but even then the feelings were still there. Perhaps those feelings don't carry well over live feeds.

[Bosco81]

Quite liked the beans and steak analogy, although if I had beans on toast every night I'd learn to cook, I wonder if Randy can boil an egg now and how different contract and transfer talks are going to be under Houllier.

[Salsa Party Animal]

I'd love to see a team take the bull by the horns and refuse to pay a player his full wages if he says he wants to play for someone else, thing is they can all afford the most expensive lawyers I suppose.

  Lke Chelsea did to Adrian Mutu. 

I can't understand why players doesn't like it at Aston Villa.

Good Club
Good Manager
Good players (most of them)
Decent people
Good education
Good Coaching
Good Stadium
Good City

We will love players if they give 110% and produce good performance regularly. 

It is no good crying about leaving Man City. What if Manchester City gone bust and the club close down and relegated to non league. Would he rather play for them in 8 division below for 250 pounds a week than play for Aston Villa.