Who is to blame?

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I love Villa and football but, though they didn't create the situation, City represent one big flaw in the game. I feel proud of what we do at Villa sometimes - the Acorns deal for one - and I like the feeling that my club is on the morally good side. It might not bring trophies and superiority but frankly it makes me just as proud of my club. I don't want Villa to become part of the moral vacuum currently in place at the top of our league.

Very admirable Monty, but kids like to be associated with winners, I wonder how many next generation supporters we can attract with things are the way they are.

[Monty]

I love Villa and football but, though they didn't create the situation, City represent one big flaw in the game. I feel proud of what we do at Villa sometimes - the Acorns deal for one - and I like the feeling that my club is on the morally good side. It might not bring trophies and superiority but frankly it makes me just as proud of my club. I don't want Villa to become part of the moral vacuum currently in place at the top of our league.

Very admirable Monty, but kids like to be associated with winners, I wonder how many next generation supporters we can attract with things are the way they are.

Well that's for the kids to decide. I can only speak for myself, but that's what I'm morally comfortable with.

[Risso]

I love Villa and football but, though they didn't create the situation, City represent one big flaw in the game. I feel proud of what we do at Villa sometimes - the Acorns deal for one - and I like the feeling that my club is on the morally good side. It might not bring trophies and superiority but frankly it makes me just as proud of my club. I don't want Villa to become part of the moral vacuum currently in place at the top of our league.

Very admirable Monty, but kids like to be associated with winners, I wonder how many next generation supporters we can attract with things are the way they are.

Well that's for the kids to decide. I can only speak for myself, but that's what I'm morally comfortable with.

Not sure how morally sound we are if you scratch below the surface.

We're owned by a parent company set up in the tax avoiding state of Delaware, funded by money that's a result of credit card wealth.  We're sponsored by a gambling company with a kit made by Nike.   Our wage bill means we're not self sustaining, so not sure there's an awful lot to be morally that content with to be honest.

[wookster]

What amazes me with the blame game is the blind loyalty to backroom staff.
Apart from Sid and Kevin Mac the rest of the team follow AM around like a bad smell, similar to MONs cronies.  Doesnt Peter Grant have a record worse than his bosses with poor spells at Norwich , WBA and Celtic.
Just wondering if its about time thatmaybe AM took a look at what he has below him and kicked it up the arse for once.

[Monty]

I love Villa and football but, though they didn't create the situation, City represent one big flaw in the game. I feel proud of what we do at Villa sometimes - the Acorns deal for one - and I like the feeling that my club is on the morally good side. It might not bring trophies and superiority but frankly it makes me just as proud of my club. I don't want Villa to become part of the moral vacuum currently in place at the top of our league.

Very admirable Monty, but kids like to be associated with winners, I wonder how many next generation supporters we can attract with things are the way they are.

Well that's for the kids to decide. I can only speak for myself, but that's what I'm morally comfortable with.

Not sure how morally sound we are if you scratch below the surface.

We're owned by a parent company set up in the tax avoiding state of Delaware, funded by money that's a result of credit card wealth.  We're sponsored by a gambling company with a kit made by Nike.   Our wage bill means we're not self sustaining, so not sure there's an awful lot to be morally that content with to be honest.

I said some of the things we do, Riss. Obviously I'd like to see us go further, but I don't want to see us get worse either.

[john e]

What amazes me with the blame game is the blind loyalty to backroom staff.
Apart from Sid and Kevin Mac the rest of the team follow AM around like a bad smell, similar to MONs cronies.  Doesnt Peter Grant have a record worse than his bosses with poor spells at Norwich , WBA and Celtic.
Just wondering if its about time thatmaybe AM took a look at what he has below him and kicked it up the arse for once.

that does get on my nerves as well,
 i think it boils down to security they surround themselves with cronies so they dont feel threatened themselves

[LeeB]

What amazes me with the blame game is the blind loyalty to backroom staff.
Apart from Sid and Kevin Mac the rest of the team follow AM around like a bad smell, similar to MONs cronies.  Doesnt Peter Grant have a record worse than his bosses with poor spells at Norwich , WBA and Celtic.
Just wondering if its about time thatmaybe AM took a look at what he has below him and kicked it up the arse for once.

that does get on my nerves as well,
 i think it boils down to security they surround themselves with cronies so they dont feel threatened themselves

Agreed, and I think it was O'Neill's biggest mistake.

The young lad who manages MK Dons, Carl Robinson, was on Talkshite last week, and they asked him why he chose John Gorman as assistant.

He said it was because he didn't want to appoint someone he knew, he wanted someone who would question him and push him.

I want someone with that mindset in charge.

[wookster]

What amazes me with the blame game is the blind loyalty to backroom staff.
Apart from Sid and Kevin Mac the rest of the team follow AM around like a bad smell, similar to MONs cronies.  Doesnt Peter Grant have a record worse than his bosses with poor spells at Norwich , WBA and Celtic.
Just wondering if its about time thatmaybe AM took a look at what he has below him and kicked it up the arse for once.

that does get on my nerves as well,
 i think it boils down to security they surround themselves with cronies so they dont feel threatened themselves

Agreed, and I think it was O'Neill's biggest mistake.

The young lad who manages MK Dons, Carl Robinson, was on Talkshite last week, and they asked him why he chose John Gorman as assistant.

He said it was because he didn't want to appoint someone he knew, he wanted someone who would question him and push him.

I want someone with that mindset in charge.

Could you imagine Randy calling AM in and saying "I belive in you but you need a new coach, ditch Grant", although in a way maybe he has done this by insisting Sid and KM are in the setup

[drisaac]

I love Villa and football but, though they didn't create the situation, City represent one big flaw in the game. I feel proud of what we do at Villa sometimes - the Acorns deal for one - and I like the feeling that my club is on the morally good side. It might not bring trophies and superiority but frankly it makes me just as proud of my club. I don't want Villa to become part of the moral vacuum currently in place at the top of our league.

Very admirable Monty, but kids like to be associated with winners, I wonder how many next generation supporters we can attract with things are the way they are.

Well that's for the kids to decide. I can only speak for myself, but that's what I'm morally comfortable with.

Not sure how morally sound we are if you scratch below the surface.

We're owned by a parent company set up in the tax avoiding state of Delaware, funded by money that's a result of credit card wealth.  We're sponsored by a gambling company with a kit made by Nike.   Our wage bill means we're not self sustaining, so not sure there's an awful lot to be morally that content with to be honest.

Yes!  If only we could find a dolphin-friendly non-capitalist multi-billionaire owner from Cuba who would persuade the players to play for minimum wage, then everything would be morally perfect. 

[john e]

What amazes me with the blame game is the blind loyalty to backroom staff.
Apart from Sid and Kevin Mac the rest of the team follow AM around like a bad smell, similar to MONs cronies.  Doesnt Peter Grant have a record worse than his bosses with poor spells at Norwich , WBA and Celtic.
Just wondering if its about time thatmaybe AM took a look at what he has below him and kicked it up the arse for once.

that does get on my nerves as well,
 i think it boils down to security they surround themselves with cronies so they dont feel threatened themselves

Agreed, and I think it was O'Neill's biggest mistake.

The young lad who manages MK Dons, Carl Robinson, was on Talkshite last week, and they asked him why he chose John Gorman as assistant.

He said it was because he didn't want to appoint someone he knew, he wanted someone who would question him and push him.

I want someone with that mindset in charge.

that fella Robinson is doing a great job at MK Dons, i really rate him, i have touted him for the Villa job on here before now,
 i have only heard from people round here in Milton Keynes who go but it sounds to me he has them playing good football to feet and is getting the results. he is also very young and you would hope gets better as he gains experience

i also heard the same interview that you did, the only thing that put me of him was his 'i love Liverpool' stuff, i hate Liverpool, so anyone that bigs them up there stock deminishes rapidly in my eyes very quickly, but this is just a personal thing built up over years of bigoted totaly irrational stupidity on my part

[Merv]

What amazes me with the blame game is the blind loyalty to backroom staff.
Apart from Sid and Kevin Mac the rest of the team follow AM around like a bad smell, similar to MONs cronies.  Doesnt Peter Grant have a record worse than his bosses with poor spells at Norwich , WBA and Celtic.
Just wondering if its about time thatmaybe AM took a look at what he has below him and kicked it up the arse for once.

that does get on my nerves as well,
 i think it boils down to security they surround themselves with cronies so they dont feel threatened themselves

Agreed, and I think it was O'Neill's biggest mistake.

The young lad who manages MK Dons, Carl Robinson, was on Talkshite last week, and they asked him why he chose John Gorman as assistant.

He said it was because he didn't want to appoint someone he knew, he wanted someone who would question him and push him.

I want someone with that mindset in charge.

That's quite rare though. Fair play to Robinson for doing that - a young coach who has brought in one of the most experienced assistant managers in the game and not being intimidated by him. Sounds like he has a lot of confidence in himself - one to watch, perhaps.

Generally, most managers have their trusted coaches and backroom staff that they take with them from job to job... can't really use that as a stick to beat McLeish with. And at least we've made sure Sid and KM are involved.

[Mazrim]

I believe one of the criteria for the job last summer was that they must integrate with our coaching staff.
Some managers were not O.K with that, McLeish was.

[Monty]

I believe one of the criteria for the job last summer was that they must integrate with our coaching staff.
Some managers were not O.K with that, McLeish was.

The more one looks at it, the more it seems that McLeish was hired purely as the most compliant of a field the board had arbitrarily limited themselves to, and that McLeish took the job less out of footballing prestige and philosophy, but more for the financial win-win on offer.

[pauliewalnuts]

I believe one of the criteria for the job last summer was that they must integrate with our coaching staff.
Some managers were not O.K with that, McLeish was.

The more one looks at it, the more it seems that McLeish was hired purely as the most compliant of a field the board had arbitrarily limited themselves to, and that McLeish took the job less out of footballing prestige and philosophy, but more for the financial win-win on offer.

That's also one of the main reasons why he won't be getting sacked any time soon.

[midnite]

Surely the right manager for the job would be one that isn't compliant but one thy looks at Sid and KMac with the youth set up and says "that's what I can work with" instead of a massive upheaval, bringin in his own set of cronies and messing the whole system up.

We should have someone that works to our way. The way that it's been set up from the youth academy. Not the other way around.