Fans Worried Over Villa Future

[aev]

They were talking on R5L yesterday afternoon about the new season prospects. As usual the top 4 were discussed in great detail , and just before they went to the news the presenter asked Mike Ingham (who I think speaks alot of sense) who else he thought would do well.

Ingham said that he really respected O'Neill and that if he was given time he ould be building something really good (or words to that effect). He also said that Reo-Coker was an excellent signing, and that CM was an area that he thought Spurs had still not sorted out.

[OCD]

CM was an area that he thought Spurs had still not sorted out.

They certainly have sorted out the defence. Their goals conceded record last season was awful.

[Ro-land Browning]

Pete - There's been a mini-series on Sky News this week focussing on the UK Immigration Office in the 'Bad - I saw one particular dumpy character and assumed it be you - is this correct?

No, not me. I wasn't in that office when they were filming. They said if people wanted to be in the shot that we could sit behind the head of the section when they were interviewing her. I passed it up. What was the series like?

Oh, and JD, I'm not worried. Yet.

I caught it whilst having a work out in the gym (new regime, working well aswell), and it was very good. Too short, in fact. They rumbled a chap that claimed to be everything he wasn't. Reassuring, I guess, if you're the sort that's uppity about immigration. Looks a cool job, btw, Pete.

[peter w]

Not cool in the slightest. Still, can't say too much.

I would have thought that all this Harewood talk would have had people streaming to this thread. For what its worth I think we're reading too much into this. Under The Clown and Ellis this would have been the best transfer that they could have mustered. This looks purely like what I suspect it is. A squad filler.

When we signed Sutton there was much consternation. People said 'he's shit', others 'trust MON'. Sutton held the forward line together in the game sthat he played and started to look like a threat.

Also, only once in his career has Emile Heskey looked like a rampaging dangerous threat. That was at Leicester under MON.

There will be games when things are not going well. If we can just stick a battering ram on, who may nick a couple of goals here and there, or create as much trouble as is possible, then why not.

I won't compare players as that is not effective, but systems. MON has his system. It usually depends on one, or two, bullies. Carew is one. MON wants a second. If we started the season with an attacking brigade of Carew - Agbonlahor - Moore - Harewood - Young - Maloney then we have a team that is vibrant. Our problem was in scoring goals, yet towards the end of the season when things seemed to click we scored 6 in 3 away games. Our home form just let us down. With the possibility of Reo -Coker, an attacking wide man, Petrov, Barry, Gardner, pouring forward then we are starting to go places.

I agree it would be nice to get a Defoe, but if he says no he says no. Whose to say that he didn't say 'yes' until the 11th hour? Or even if he's said anything at all?

This feels like a switch in a hurry to make sure we got something rather than nothing and, well, it wasn't long ago before we were on Wigan's level. Now we will take their choices without a second thought.

We will get there. There will be players coming. There may also be a reliance on the players who finished the last season very very strongly.

[Hillbilly]

I'm worried about Peter. Peddling optimism on this thread is a clear sign that he's losing his grip.

Pull yerself together man. You're amongst friends here. No need for this nonsense.

[graham poll]

i'm worried  I  wont have enough eggs for theM.H slaggers before he has pulled a shirt  on .

Shame on you [-X


But maybe you are showing  your football knowledge, and you dont think we  should have a back up to replace Sutton :-

[Bowers]

I was waiting for this thread to rear its ugly head.

[Ro-land Browning]

Not cool in the slightest. Still, can't say too much.

Cooler than Accounts mate. Loose lips sink ships!  :-#

[peter w]

Anythings cooler than accounts you square.

Worried? Of course I'm worried. I'm worried about our future (hence the thread) not about our today though. This is the exciting part of the season just waiting for things to happen.

If this signing tells us one thing it tells us that the press have very little idea about what MON is doing. he is doing his work out of the eyes of the media.

He's obviously working on a few things. He won't get every Plan A, or even Plan B. This show's that if they both fail he is smart enough, and quick enough to use his plan C.

I think that even if you do't applaud the quality of player, you can applaud the savvy of the manager.

[Dave Cooper please]

But maybe you are showing  your football knowledge, and you dont think we  should have a back up to replace Sutton :-

I'm all for having a decent back-up striker, but Marlon 'Fucking' Harewood?

[ROBBO]

Im over Harewood now but am starting to worry about the next big surprise MON has in store for us. James Beattie?

[Mister E]

Im over Harewood now but am starting to worry about the next big surprise MON has in store for us. James Beattie?

Now you're just being silly! or are you a masochist? O:)

The priorities have now to be 2 new fullbacks and another (inside forward sort of ) striker. And if we can get goalkeeper sorted, fine (although this could wait until January at a pinch).

[D.boy]

Worried. who's worried, I'm not worried. I am concerned about the mass panic/slagging off over our recent signing before he has even kicked a ball.

[ROBBO]

Im over Harewood now but am starting to worry about the next big surprise MON has in store for us. James Beattie?

Now you're just being silly! or are you a masochist? O:)

The priorities have now to be 2 new fullbacks and another (inside forward sort of ) striker. And if we can get goalkeeper sorted, fine (although this could wait until January at a pinch).

Call me whatever you like but we are now linked again with Anthony Gardner, and I didn't think we could do worse than Harewood how do you like them apples Eff. I'm worried, think i'll have a lie down.

[peter w]

I honestly see the Harewood signing as MON snapping up his Plan D before he loses all. What's the worse that happens? He doesn't score. With the side they way the ended the season last year they should be full of goals.

Admittedly, a big problem was scoring throughout the season, but who were we going to attract? Bent? No. Defoe? Well he decide that Tottenham are gearing themselves up for a CL spot, and then moving on further. So, he wants to stay and fight. Fair enough. If he chose Portsmouth over us then it would be a worrry.

But to most we are a average team with ambition. But so are Bolton, Newcastle, Blackburn, Man City, Everton, Portsmouth, Tottenham. Players joining any of these teams are going to go for European football first and foremost.

MON's job is to build on last season and drag us into a European spot. This season will be a test on his managerial skills as because of the mess we were left in after The Clown and Ellis, we have no ggodwill to offer. We only have MON. That is great in getting certain players, but not all.

Its not all doom and gloom because players will come in. MON will then have to mould them, and the new team, into a top 6 outfit. To be honest, there wasn't a great deal to do. Significant work yes, but North face of the Eiger scale of work.