PS Mr Lerner

[AVMonty]

Excellent comment and one I totally agree with. Unfortunately for me (and this is purely self pity!), I live and work in Manchester, and here I am today, sat in my office, looking at Manures theatre of doom out of the window, having to listen to Citeh and Manure fans who don't go to games slating our effort last night (or lack of).. I just want to cry!

Leaving the self pity bit, Can someone tell me what GH or any other so called footballing expert for that matter, saw in Bradley?

Headless chicken springs to mind! 

[cdbearsfan]

We had more chance of winning the Cup, had we put out a decent team, than we had of being relegated.

[jonzy85]

Ok...........it is very unlikely we will get relegated. Just like it is very unlikely we will get a European spot.

6 points behind Liverpool and 5 ahead of West Ham.

Wait....maybe Houllier rested the players for our push for Europe???

I actually did think that at one point last night as I'm totally convinced GH knows we won't get relegated. Does he have belief in finishing 6th?

We've as good a chance as any of the other clubs. None of the teams up to 6th are any better than us really.

I thought it was on but that the 2 draws against Fulham and Blackpool knocked us back. But if we win on Saturday and Utd beat Liverpool that is just 3 points between us.

The thing is that, even if Houllier pulled it off, I think he would have reached the extent of his own ambition for Villa. That is the big problem I have had with him from day one.

[jonzy85]

Excellent comment and one I totally agree with. Unfortunately for me (and this is purely self pity!), I live and work in Manchester, and here I am today, sat in my office, looking at Manures theatre of doom out of the window, having to listen to Citeh and Manure fans who don't go to games slating our effort last night (or lack of).. I just want to cry!

Leaving the self pity bit, Can someone tell me what GH or any other so called footballing expert for that matter, saw in Bradley?

Headless chicken springs to mind! 

Disappointed with Bradley myself....hopefully it's just a case of him needing that half a season in the PL to adjust. Players with bigger reputations and price tags have needed it.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Excellent comment and one I totally agree with. Unfortunately for me (and this is purely self pity!), I live and work in Manchester, and here I am today, sat in my office, looking at Manures theatre of doom out of the window, having to listen to Citeh and Manure fans who don't go to games slating our effort last night (or lack of).. I just want to cry!

Leaving the self pity bit, Can someone tell me what GH or any other so called footballing expert for that matter, saw in Bradley?

Headless chicken springs to mind! 

Disappointed with Bradley myself....hopefully it's just a case of him needing that half a season in the PL to adjust. Players with bigger reputations and price tags have needed it.

Bradley was dreadful.
I can understand him being off the pace, but he couldn't pass wind.
I counted at least 5 times where he passed the ball directly to a Man City player who was about 10 yards from him.

You have to ask why it didn't work out at Borussia, a team who are hardly top class.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

The title of this thread sounds like the title of a wartime music hall song.

I can't get the Fast Show's Arthur Atkinson out of my head now.

[not3bad]

It just occurred to me that if Villa made this amount of changes in a league match they'd be in trouble wouldn't they?  Like Blackpool were?

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

It just occurred to me that if Villa made this amount of changes in a league match they'd be in trouble wouldn't they?  Like Blackpool were?

Yes. We should be heavily fined and the game played again.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

We had more chance of winning the Cup, had we put out a decent team, than we had of being relegated.

More chance of winning the cup? Chances are in the cup we'd have to play Man Utd or Arsenal (OK, Blues beat Arsenal, but 99 times out of 100 they would have lost) to win it and have beaten Man City, who we may well have lost to even if we'd played a proper team.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

The title of this thread sounds like the title of a wartime music hall song.

I can't get the Fast Show's Arthur Atkinson out of my head now.

Well Houlliers management is more Arthur Atkinson than Ron Atkinson.

[pauliewalnuts]

We had more chance of winning the Cup, had we put out a decent team, than we had of being relegated.

More chance of winning the cup? Chances are in the cup we'd have to play Man Utd or Arsenal (OK, Blues beat Arsenal, but 99 times out of 100 they would have lost) to win it and have beaten Man City, who we may well have lost to even if we'd played a proper team.

If you take that approach, there's no point trying to win the Cup, as you'd always have to play a decent side.

it's hard to see how, had we overcome City last night (and let's not forget - no Dzeko, no Johnson, no Milner, no Kompany themselves), we'd be in this position:

Birmingham v Bolton
Man Utd v Arsenal
Stoke v West Ham
Villa v Reading

Had we won last night, we'd be creaming our pants at that line up, but we gave up before we kicked a ball, so it's obviously time to downplay it.

Incidentally. Four days after Blues win a trophy against a better side than Man City, and look at them in the QF draw against fucking Bolton at home.

[not3bad]

It might even be another Blues V Arsenal final. 

[cdbearsfan]

Weren't we about 12th in the league in March, 29 years ago?

I'm glad Tony Barton didn't choose to rest players in the European Cup game against Dinamo Kiev to concentrate on finishing midtable.

[Oscar Arce]

Well said VCM, I agree with every single word, Houllier has shown so much contempt for us with his team selection and our only chance for a glimmer of self-respect this season. I for one, will not be renewing my season ticket next season if Houllier is in charge.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

We had more chance of winning the Cup, had we put out a decent team, than we had of being relegated.

More chance of winning the cup? Chances are in the cup we'd have to play Man Utd or Arsenal (OK, Blues beat Arsenal, but 99 times out of 100 they would have lost) to win it and have beaten Man City, who we may well have lost to even if we'd played a proper team.

If you take that approach, there's no point trying to win the Cup, as you'd always have to play a decent side.

it's hard to see how, had we overcome City last night (and let's not forget - no Dzeko, no Johnson, no Milner, no Kompany themselves), we'd be in this position:

Birmingham v Bolton
Man Utd v Arsenal
Stoke v West Ham
Villa v Reading

Had we won last night, we'd be creaming our pants at that line up, but we gave up before we kicked a ball, so it's obviously time to downplay it.

Incidentally. Four days after Blues win a trophy against a better side than Man City, and look at them in the QF draw against fucking Bolton at home.

You missed my point. I think it's equally probable that we can qualify for Europe through the league as we could've won the cup. Call me an optimist, but that's what I think. Obviously you will eventually play a decent team (as we did last night, which people seem to forget) and you should always play your best team to try and beat them. I just think we've got as good a chance of finishing 6th. Last season we played one decent team in the FA Cup and lost, we also played one decent team in the Carling Cup, and lost. We qualified for Europe in the league. It's easier for us to qualify for Europe than win a cup.