Relegation Watch

[Surrey Villain]

What are the parameters of success for a Villa Manager if they don't include wins at Villa Park?   

They're a lot lower after a year of McLeish, which is what gives me hope.

An ambitious young manager like Lambert will be thinking "I don't have to do much there to be considered a success, given what they've just been through".

Very much like MON will have in 2006.

This is one of the few things that gives me hope.

The way I see it, we're currently going through another O'Leary situation, which means another glorious MON era chasing cups and 4th place is just around the corner.

...right?

Wrong.  Unless we have a new manager under a new buyer with billions to spend.

[curiousorange]

What are the parameters of success for a Villa Manager if they don't include wins at Villa Park?   

They're a lot lower after a year of McLeish, which is what gives me hope.

An ambitious young manager like Lambert will be thinking "I don't have to do much there to be considered a success, given what they've just been through".

Very much like MON will have in 2006.

This is one of the few things that gives me hope.

The way I see it, we're currently going through another O'Leary situation, which means another glorious MON era chasing cups and 4th place is just around the corner.

...right?

Wrong.  Unless we have a new manager under a new buyer with billions to spend.

I think when O'Neill arrived he benefitted from a massive groundswell of optimism that having a new owner gave the fans. But that was also a bit of a millstone - we could have certainly done better with the opportunity, but an immediate gatecrashing of the status quo was in hindsight overstretching ourselves. Any new manager will benefit from a reduced ceiling of expectation.

[Louzie0]

What are the parameters of success for a Villa Manager if they don't include wins at Villa Park?   

They're a lot lower after a year of McLeish, which is what gives me hope.

An ambitious young manager like Lambert will be thinking "I don't have to do much there to be considered a success, given what they've just been through".

Very much like MON will have in 2006.

This is one of the few things that gives me hope.

The way I see it, we're currently going through another O'Leary situation, which means another glorious MON era chasing cups and 4th place is just around the corner.

...right?

Wrong.  Unless we have a new manager under a new buyer with billions to spend.

I think when O'Neill arrived he benefitted from a massive groundswell of optimism that having a new owner gave the fans. But that was also a bit of a millstone - we could have certainly done better with the opportunity, but an immediate gatecrashing of the status quo was in hindsight overstretching ourselves. Any new manager will benefit from a reduced ceiling of expectation.

Well, so could Alex. But anybody, I hope, would have to go through a ceiling of achievement around Xmas. 

[Villafirst]

For it to be GD that keeps us up won't Bolton have to win, us lose and QPR get at least a point at Citeh?

None of those will happen. QPR will get battered 4 or 5-0 at Man City, Stoke will beat Bolton and we'll get beat at Norwich.

[hawkeye]

Lou Z the expectation around Alex is that no one wil care

[Louzie0]

Lou Z the expectation around Alex is that no one wil care

Will come back after Norwich!

Quite possibly no-one will care.  This has been a long hard season... I have no idea what Randy will do. Just speculatin'.  Do you know?

Anything is possible, Hawkeye.  UTV!

[KevinGage]

Rare insight from Savage again:

clicky

"The manager, for me now, is not good enough for the Premier League."

[hawkeye]

Lou Z the expectation around Alex is that no one wil care

Will come back after Norwich!

Quite possibly no-one will care.  This has been a long hard season... I have no idea what Randy will do. Just speculatin'.  Do you know?

Anything is possible, Hawkeye.  UTV!

I wish I knew, I think they will be looking at ST sales really closely now that we are safe, and if there is not a decent upturn then I think they will consider thier options. UTV Lou Z

[ktvillan]

The so-called drama queens were at least right in knowing we were in a relegation scrap long ago, when others were complacently saying we were safe after the Fulham game, there's no way Wigan will win most of their games, there's no way QPR will beat Spurs, there's no way we won't win another game and so on.   For anyone who cared to look at our last 10 or 11 fixtures, and McLeish's record, especially during the appalling run-in for Blues last year, it was always going to be a lot closer than some people thought.  We are probably going to end up with fewer points than Blues got relegated with last season. So hardly an over-reaction to have been concerned, or even to have thought we would go down.

[Louzie0]

Lou Z the expectation around Alex is that no one wil care

Will come back after Norwich!

Quite possibly no-one will care.  This has been a long hard season... I have no idea what Randy will do. Just speculatin'.  Do you know?

Anything is possible, Hawkeye.  UTV!

I wish I knew, I think they will be looking at ST sales really closely now that we are safe, and if there is not a decent upturn then I think they will consider thier options. UTV Lou Z

I was in a really nice seat for Villa/Spurs.  Will consider getting a Season Ticket after Randy has made his Managerial Decision. 
Actually, I don't see that I have to wait for RL's choice any more than he has to wait for me, for those major, season-changing decisions.  I'd like to think we're in tune for the Villa!  X

[Dave Cooper please]

Calm down people, this is just one of those seasons that Villa have every now and again. Remember Allback keeping us up a few years back? It's what we do, flatter to deceive for a season or two then have a relegation battle, get a new manager and do it all over again.

Eighth next season, put yer shirt on it.

[dave.woodhall]

The so-called drama queens were at least right in knowing we were in a relegation scrap long ago, when others were complacently saying we were safe after the Fulham game, there's no way Wigan will win most of their games, there's no way QPR will beat Spurs, there's no way we won't win another game and so on.   For anyone who cared to look at our last 10 or 11 fixtures, and McLeish's record, especially during the appalling run-in for Blues last year, it was always going to be a lot closer than some people thought.  We are probably going to end up with fewer points than Blues got relegated with last season. So hardly an over-reaction to have been concerned, or even to have thought we would go down.

So even though you were wrong, you were right.

[hawkeye]

The so-called drama queens were at least right in knowing we were in a relegation scrap long ago, when others were complacently saying we were safe after the Fulham game, there's no way Wigan will win most of their games, there's no way QPR will beat Spurs, there's no way we won't win another game and so on.   For anyone who cared to look at our last 10 or 11 fixtures, and McLeish's record, especially during the appalling run-in for Blues last year, it was always going to be a lot closer than some people thought.  We are probably going to end up with fewer points than Blues got relegated with last season. So hardly an over-reaction to have been concerned, or even to have thought we would go down.

So even though you were wrong, you were right.

in the words of Paxman, Oh come on

[dave.woodhall]

The so-called drama queens were at least right in knowing we were in a relegation scrap long ago, when others were complacently saying we were safe after the Fulham game, there's no way Wigan will win most of their games, there's no way QPR will beat Spurs, there's no way we won't win another game and so on.   For anyone who cared to look at our last 10 or 11 fixtures, and McLeish's record, especially during the appalling run-in for Blues last year, it was always going to be a lot closer than some people thought.  We are probably going to end up with fewer points than Blues got relegated with last season. So hardly an over-reaction to have been concerned, or even to have thought we would go down.

So even though you were wrong, you were right.

in the words of Paxman, Oh come on

Come on exactly where? We've had weeks of how we're going down,we're definitely going down, we're doomed, bet on us going down, and when we didn't go down it doesn't really count because if God knows how many results had been different then we would have gone down so anybody who said we were going down was right.   

[john e]

Don't forget at times We were 50/50 to go down.

Even though the bookies were quoting 14/1 at the time, bit hey they don't know what they are doing, I think the best odds at any time were no better than 4/1