Everton at Villa Park, Robbie Keane coming, Petrov calls for strengthening and Randy Lerner

In a few hours we welcome Everton to Villa Park and you know what, we need three points today and if we get three points today, hopefully all will be good.

If we don't and you'll get good odds on us not getting three points today - I fear there could be a backlash.

You see, even our club captain has come out and is telling it how it is and while this isn't a direct slap in the face to owner Randy Lerner - who some believe is withholding appointing a manager so the manager doesn't ask for any money - something that wouldn't surprise me, is, even if you don't want to believe it, a sign that things are not all good at the club.

Stiliyan Petrov
It is a reality check. In football today, teams are prepared, teams are ready and if you're not ready, this is what happens. We need to learn that. It's going to be difficult for us to get into the top four. You can see that other teams are getting stronger, everybody is trying to compete. Tottenham, Manchester City and now Everton are the teams that are going to be really challenging us.

We need to strengthen our squad before the transfer window closes. Other teams around us are doing it and we are getting left behind. We have a small squad and the 25-man rule just makes it worse for us. We've conceded nine goals in two matches and it's just not good enough. With all due respect to our opponents we should have not let that happen to us.

Now, you could argue that O'Neill wasted the money and you're on solid ground but at the same time, we have General PR telling us of five year plans and £30mn players, so where have the plans gone and where are the players? You'd have to be naive to think that you'd be able to challenge for anything after a net spend of around £100mn in four seasons.

I hope many now accept that it was bullshit and spin from the General. Nice, that you can ask a club representative about tickets and when the shirt is coming out or to send birthday wishes to the owner, but ironic really that this information should be available to us and also shouldn't be that hard to find out if if it wasn't. PR and spin. Lies and smokescreens. When are we going to get this roots and branch change we were all promised?

New Aston Villa manager

I read a rumour earlier that Jürgen Klinsmann is top of some mythical wish-list. Please, no. Not Klinsmann. Ronald Koeman has a better win rate as manager than Jürgen Klinsmann and Klinsmann is the perfect example of players getting managerial jobs because of what they did in their playing career and why that is a mistake.

Jürgen Klinsmann has no real managerial pedigree. He will ultimately fail and would ultimately be a waste of time. Yes, this is my opinion - but look at the history books. It is what happens.

Sunday Speculation

Another rumour is doing the rounds that we are about to sign Robbie Keane from Spurs. Now, unless we lose one of our players, I can't see this happening and the natural choice would be to see Heskey leave, but we have been told that isn't happening. I could see John Carew leaving, because that is what he does, but I truly do think he is happy here and he is on a fair wedge.

Gabby has committed his future to the club and nobody would be stupid enough to sell The Fonz - so I just can't see any substance in this rumour. Naturally, a player could leave or we could bring someone in, but when we are in this sell to buy policy and we need to cut the wage bill, I can't see us paying someone like Keane. We will find out though - the transfer window shuts in a couple of days.

Everton at Villa Park

We will open up a match post at around 2pm today, but for now, if you are going, sing loud and if you are not, we will have links and things for you when you get back here later and no doubt others will too. We will also be updating Twitter all day and if you have anything, you can Tweet it to us and we might very well re-Tweet today - we are in one of those moods.

Until 4pm - up the Villa and sing loud.