Would you have MON back!!

[pauliewalnuts]

If Curtis Davies is judged as indifferent I'd hate to see a really bad signing

[holtepaul]

Not particularly - I didn't particularly want him at the villa when he was there.

But I have said for 10 days now - stranger things have happened so I am not going to rule it out.

He would be no where near the top of my list - but I'd want him over some of the dross we've been linked with - McLaren, Martinez etc.

Personally, if we are going that style - we might as well go for Hughes, who will probably guarentee the same results, and may get better.

So a long shot - but it could happen

[Gaztonniller]

I agree they were good signings Holtenderinthesky, but my point is that GV claimed MoN should be considered as manager again partly because of his signings. Milner was an obvious one we would all have made after his loan spell. So that really leaves only AY as talent spotted and it was obvious he had something at Watford, fair play it was us who stumped up the cash.

But the amount we spunked on fees and wages under MoN far outweighs the profit we will make on those 2, or even 3 if we sell Downing.

(Milner was an obvious one we would all have made after his loan spell. So that really leaves only AY as talent spotted and it was obvious he had something at Watford, fair play it was us who stumped up the cash.)

It was so abvious that other scouts/pundits who may have been watching at the time didnt stick their neck out to sign him. Again the facts are that MON also saw the potential (as with AY) and signed him up before any other club manager.   And in the case of AY, remember when the 9 mill transfer fee was mention some on here (inc myself) questioned RL/MON paying such a high fee at the time. Guess who have now been proven to be right?

[Pete3206]

I certainly wish he hadn't left, given the unholy mess we now find ourselves in. That's the legacy of Martin O'Neill.

The man is a complete ******.

[luke25]

Absolutely not! His football bored me to the brink of tears towards the end.

Yep, and the last quarter of last season were really exciting having to struggle for prem survival.
Dont know about you. But i think RL/fans would prefer to be bored with top half of table finish.

We finished top half last season.

[Gaztonniller]

The way he left and his legacy ruin it. 

Would you say the same about Ron Saunders?

To answer the OP's question, no. Like that ex that you had great times with the manner of his departure probably means it's not a good idea to go back. I've witnessed a good 8-9 years of people sniping here at our 2 Irish ex-managers and it gets tiresome. It would be nice if we could just get behind our manager without certain people trying to outdo their mates in how outrageous they can be in their abuse. Yawn!!!

MON's legacy is that I posted 8-9 months before his appointment that he'd come to Villa and people said no way could we get him. That's how low we felt. Now we expect the likes of Ancelotti and Van Gaal to turn up at VP. He along with Randy's excellent stewardship lifted us out of the doldrums and made us feel we were going places again. I don't recall anyone complaining when he repeatedly referenced our European Cup win and I certianly don't remember Houllier mentioning it. Under SGT 2 and DOL we were relieved to avoid relegation, under MON we were disappointed not to be in the Champs League.

 

GREAT post with great points made there BV

[JUAN PABLO]

Id prefer to eat and shit a couple of razor blades...

[cdbearsfan]

The way he left and his legacy ruin it. 

Would you say the same about Ron Saunders?

To answer the OP's question, no. Like that ex that you had great times with the manner of his departure probably means it's not a good idea to go back. I've witnessed a good 8-9 years of people sniping here at our 2 Irish ex-managers and it gets tiresome. It would be nice if we could just get behind our manager without certain people trying to outdo their mates in how outrageous they can be in their abuse. Yawn!!!

MON's legacy is that I posted 8-9 months before his appointment that he'd come to Villa and people said no way could we get him. That's how low we felt. Now we expect the likes of Ancelotti and Van Gaal to turn up at VP. He along with Randy's excellent stewardship lifted us out of the doldrums and made us feel we were going places again. I don't recall anyone complaining when he repeatedly referenced our European Cup win and I certianly don't remember Houllier mentioning it. Under SGT 2 and DOL we were relieved to avoid relegation, under MON we were disappointed not to be in the Champs League.

 

GREAT post with great points made there BV

8-9 months before we couldn't have got him. Because we didn't have a billionaire chairman. As a chequebook manager, he wouldn't have taken the job.

[cheltenhamlion]

Have MON back? Have you been drinking bleach?

[jimmeh1987]

YES!

[Ger Regan]

We did and it was great.  But this is why I think we go over the top in our dislike of MON.

Saunders has a spat with the Chairman and walked out on us a week or two before the Quarter Final of the European Cup and pitched up the following week over at Small Heath.

MON had a spat with the Chairman and walked out on us 5 days before the start of a season.

I often think that Saunders reputation at the Villa stands the test of time because his spell at Blose was a failure - had he been a real sucess we'd be hating him more than anyone.  So the actions of both men were highly questionable against our Club - you'd never know that though.

Sorry, but that's rubbish imo. Saunders' reputation at Villa stands the test of time because he gained us promotion, won the league cup twice, won the league and left us with a squad that won the european cup. That's why he's still held in high regard, 30 years after he left in difficult circumstances (but from what I can gather as that was before my time, Saunders had more of a valid reason for leaving than MON did? Would that be a fair assessment?). There isn't a chance in hell of MON's tenure being thought of with the same fondness 30 years from now, even ignoring the way he left. That's why any comparisons between the two are pointless.

[TopDeck113]

Saunders' reputation survives what is still the ultimate betrayal because of the trophies he won prior to his departure, that his team went on and lifted the European Cup and the fact that in the following years both Blues and later Albion failed to usurp Villa as top dogs (although if you consider the state of all three clubs by 85/86/87, that is hardly anything for us to boast about).

If we hadn't won the European Cup or if Blues had gone on and achieved things - which for a short period in in late 82/83/84  they looked capable of - I don't think Saunders would be remembered with anything like the same degree of fondness.

[dave.woodhall]

The way he left and his legacy ruin it. 

Would you say the same about Ron Saunders?

To answer the OP's question, no. Like that ex that you had great times with the manner of his departure probably means it's not a good idea to go back. I've witnessed a good 8-9 years of people sniping here at our 2 Irish ex-managers and it gets tiresome. It would be nice if we could just get behind our manager without certain people trying to outdo their mates in how outrageous they can be in their abuse. Yawn!!!

MON's legacy is that I posted 8-9 months before his appointment that he'd come to Villa and people said no way could we get him. That's how low we felt. Now we expect the likes of Ancelotti and Van Gaal to turn up at VP. He along with Randy's excellent stewardship lifted us out of the doldrums and made us feel we were going places again. I don't recall anyone complaining when he repeatedly referenced our European Cup win and I certianly don't remember Houllier mentioning it. Under SGT 2 and DOL we were relieved to avoid relegation, under MON we were disappointed not to be in the Champs League.

 

GREAT post with great points made there BV

Try again. The comparisons were pointless - Saunders left us with justification and with a team capable of greater glories. O' Neill arrived because of Randy. The references to his and O'Leary's nationality are a shabby way of insulting his critics. His legacy was less money for his successors , a massive wage bill and a departure that is still causing problems now.

[OzVilla]

30 years later and with the benefit of hindsight (his leading Blose and Olbyun to relegation) Saunders tenure was our golden age.  Now, he is my favourite all time Villa Manager.

However, between 1982-1985 he really was our Judus.  His betrayal was actually far worse than MON's - not just because he walked out but beacuse of where he ended up and when.

Imagaine if H&V had a website in February 1982 - a 300 pager if ever there was one.

[john2710]

As soon as the club questioned MON's transfer dealings & restrict his influence over everything regarding the playing side of the club (except tactics - as he had no control over this) he walked out. It will NEVER happen.