Doubting Randy?

[TelfordVilla]

Can people stop talking about relegation now (unless talking about the blouse going down) and talk about reclaiming our 6th place this season. Only 12 points behind with a game in hand against wigan, I make that 9 points behind 6th place with almost half a season to catch up.....bring it on.

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

Think already the general feeling has changed the whole mentality of fans and media pundits ........

[not3bad]

Can people stop talking about relegation now (unless talking about the blouse going down) and talk about reclaiming our 6th place this season. Only 12 points behind with a game in hand against wigan, I make that 9 points behind 6th place with almost half a season to catch up.....bring it on.

Put in a good enough performance on Saturday and that's what the talk will be about.

[jonzy85]

I dint think there is any point going into the ins and outs of MON's transfers for the umpteenth time.

My head is still spinning at Randy's seemingly sudden deicision to give Houllier this warchest! Maybe it was planned all along. But I still cant help wondering why it wasnt available to MON in the summer. If he didnt have faith in his ability to deal in the transfer market, then why the hell not just get rid of him?

MON leaving when he did, the long time to appoint a replacement and Houllier's, eh, slow start means that it is very unlikely we can salvage much from this season (maybe FA Cup?).

I will admit I did doubt Randy in so far as I thought he had decided to scale back on the money he was putting in and in fairness the indicators were there. At the same time, most of the Bent deal will be covered by the Milner money and it will be interesting to see what money is available in the summer without having to sell the likes of Young.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Just thinking, Salifou will be here till June, that means we will have paid him over £2m in wages during the near 4 years he will have been here.
Shocking.

[pauliewalnuts]

I dint think there is any point going into the ins and outs of MON's transfers for the umpteenth time.

My head is still spinning at Randy's seemingly sudden deicision to give Houllier this warchest! Maybe it was planned all along. But I still cant help wondering why it wasnt available to MON in the summer. If he didnt have faith in his ability to deal in the transfer market, then why the hell not just get rid of him?

MON leaving when he did, the long time to appoint a replacement and Houllier's, eh, slow start means that it is very unlikely we can salvage much from this season (maybe FA Cup?).

I will admit I did doubt Randy in so far as I thought he had decided to scale back on the money he was putting in and in fairness the indicators were there. At the same time, most of the Bent deal will be covered by the Milner money and it will be interesting to see what money is available in the summer without having to sell the likes of Young.

You can't ignore MON's signings, because we've been told ever since he left, and it was mentioned in the Bent press conference even, that we have to do something about our wage bill, and the wage bill - rightly or wrongly - is a result of those signings.

Also, the Bent deal being covered by the Milner money doesn't make it any less 18-24 million pounds. If he was all about clawing back his money as many thought - and still seem to in the media - then he'd have kept hold of that cash.

[Concrete John]

I can't believe some people on here.

Randy has never moved the goalpost's.

He realised Martin was no good for Villa.
Martin paid 12 million for Downing on about 50k a week, when we had Albrighton ready.

Martin was no good for Villa long term, he never gave young lads a chance just wanted to buy old players on high wages to sit on the bench.

Houllier will use the squad and help bring on Academy players, whereas Martin would have driven them all away ie, Gary Cahill!

I used the goalposts phrase as he wanted players wages shed before spending in the summer, but now seems happy to spend on the understanding they go soon/later.  No a criticism, just an observation.

If he was no good for Villa and Randy knew this, why didn't he sack him?

And would that be the same Downing that's out top scorer this season? 

My point is Randy should have sacked him.

I think we all agree we didnt need a crocked Downing, Albrighton was ready, we should have bought Bent then.

If he had lost faith in him as you think then yes, and ultimately that was Randy's fault for not acting.

About Albrigthon, and I'm probably in the monority here, but what I saw of him last season is a lot different to now.  Yes, that was a limited amount of game time and yes, it doesn't mean MON would have played him now, but I don't exactly reacall multiple threads on here saying he should play or the Holte chanting his name to come on a la Carew.

[not3bad]

About Albrigthon, and I'm probably in the monority here, but what I saw of him last season is a lot different to now.  Yes, that was a limited amount of game time and yes, it doesn't mean MON would have played him now, but I don't exactly reacall multiple threads on here saying he should play or the Holte chanting his name to come on a la Carew.

I think what might have brought Albrighton's game on from last season was a happy accident in that Kevin Mcdonald was in charge at the beginning of this season.  Mcdonald knew Albrighton and had confidence in him and I think this reflected in his performance against West Ham and beyond.

[dcdavecollett]

Would this Martin O'Neill whose selection policy meant that his players were all 'knackered' by March be any relation of the bloke whose 'knackered' team won him the Manager of the Month Award for April 2010?

[pauliewalnuts]

Would this Martin O'Neill whose selection policy meant that his players were all 'knackered' by March be any relation of the bloke whose 'knackered' team won him the Manager of the Month Award for April 2010?

That's him. We beat Hull, Blues, Portsmouth, and Bolton that month, whilst drawing against Everton and losing to Chelsea.

What about the other three years?

[Chris Smith]

Would this Martin O'Neill whose selection policy meant that his players were all 'knackered' by March be any relation of the bloke whose 'knackered' team won him the Manager of the Month Award for April 2010?

That's him. We beat Hull, Blues, Portsmouth, and Bolton that month, whilst drawing against Everton and losing to Chelsea.

What about the other three years?

So one less win in April 2010 than in all of this season so far.

[pauliewalnuts]

Would this Martin O'Neill whose selection policy meant that his players were all 'knackered' by March be any relation of the bloke whose 'knackered' team won him the Manager of the Month Award for April 2010?

That's him. We beat Hull, Blues, Portsmouth, and Bolton that month, whilst drawing against Everton and losing to Chelsea.

What about the other three years?

So one less win in April 2010 than in all of this season so far.

Indeed.

But the relevance of that to the fact that MON's teams were usually knackered by March is?

[Concrete John]

That Marchis before April?

[pauliewalnuts]

That Marchis before April?

Didn't spot the word "usually", John?

[Chris Smith]

That Marchis before April?

Didn't spot the word "usually", John?

We had a better team than we'd had in previous years hence they were able to sustain their form.