Monday, 23 January 2012 10:15
Alex McLeish demonstrated at the weekend that he has this uncanny ability to get his team up for the important matches. The epic battle that took place on Saturday showed us why he needs time and why, if we put our trust in him, it will come good.
And you could use the argument for Randy Lerner too especially when you look at our net spend on transfer since he took over - we're at over £10mn a season now and that type of investment doesn't come cheap.
Surely, we have to support the owner by filling Villa Park, hoarding club merchandise, in the hope that one day it might be worth something and sing his name from the rafters.
Don't forget what we left behind when we sought a new owner - do you want to go back?
Yes, I'm taking the ...
One result means nothing and this is me poking fun at those that think Alex McLeish is the man, because of it - he isn't. He is actually so far from the man that they're not even communicating in the same language. If anything, the weekend just demonstrated how fortunate our manager is.
When Wolves went down to ten men - you saw the panic on his face. He didn't know what to do. Fortunately, we had Robbie Keane and with his four shots, he scored twice. That is what Robbie Keane does and take Robbie Keane out of that match and we don't have anyone that can do that, that the manager is willing to play in the right way.
No, the title of my post was just to wind a few up - but if you want, I can write something that makes you think I've gone mad, but I give you more credit than that and you don't have time for it either. But Randy - he is a different story, almost.
Here for the cash
Pretty much since day one, I've question Lerner and his cronies. We had General PR spinning and spinning on the forums and I questioned that while many fell at his feet and took what he said as gospel. Credit where credit is due - others saw it as PR - I wasn't alone, but so many didn't.
But I was alone suggesting Lerner was only here for the cash and it is starting to look like that a bit now. Net spend on transfers since he took over in 2006 is just over £10mn a season, the club is in more debt, to Randy, than it ever has been in its history and all things point to Doug Ellis.
When I say Doug Ellis, what I mean is, all things point to this is exactly how Doug operated the club, but without the debt and didn't people march on that basis - hell, if Doug had created that amount of debt too - some would have camped out at Villa Park and lit candles.
but we wanted it and we got it and actually, I think we should embrace Lerner.
I honestly do think we should embrace him at the exact same time as understand he is here for what he can get out of us. You see, financial success of a football club can be directly linked to success on the pitch. For him to make more money we have to be more successful and you know what - he is either going to sell up or start investing again ... one day. It is the Doug Ellis way.
And you know what, at least he isn't a chicken farmer and for that, we should be grateful. Embrace Lerner, because we don't know what else we will get, if we piss him off or he loses interest completely.
Back to football
I have to leave you soon, but I just wanted to remind you of the three points at the weekend and didn't it feel good. So good in fact that McLeish has spoken about his desire to sign Robbie Keane. Fool.
It is all about the three points these days. We have nothing else to play for. Little hope as a football club with this manager, so when we get lucky, which we did with Keane in the side, we should, much like Randy Lerner, embrace it for as long as we can, because it might not happen again for a while.
I'm going to have a great week off the back of it and I suggest you do too.
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HashtagAVFC
said:
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... Does the manager not deserve some credit for signing Keane & playing Keane rather than just calling it luck? |
darrenvilla26
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... Negative dross...YAWN...try and be positive for once, noone wants this manager or this owner any more, but atleast celebrate the victory. I'm disappointed in this blog Damian, i've been a reader for years, but recently i cant help but feel all of your posts are a form of trolling. |
Villapete
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... Personally I think the really critcal period now is the close seasen and who comes and goes and what takes shape then.... I think Am deserves some credit for some things....Keane, Given, Gabby, Ireland etc have all been positves.... Didnt really get the comment yesterday that he cant attract a player like Makoun...well Makoun was sh*te so I am thankful for that....but attracting Given and Keane then I am happy with that.... For what its worth I think he will do well next season and I actually think he will shut a moaners up....I am a villa fan and I am hoping for the best as always....There have been some dire times this year but I think there have been some excelelnt glimpses too...far more so than under GH.... I hope he improves the defence in the summer and managers to keep Bent and Ireland and maybe adds a striker too...Keane at the end of the day is too old for the longer term...would be great if Weimman started coming on and Gardner got more time on the pitch too...who knows nzog may settle and then we can push on a bit... |
Damian
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... darrenvilla26 i'm going to have a great week off the result as i've written, but the post was a bit of fun - dont take it too seriously HashtagAVFC sure - give him credit for signing a loan player for 7 weeks by all means |
Rugby villain
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... I'm not McLeish's biggest fan, but if you believe that bringing in a player, playing him in his best position and winning because of the goals he scores is lucky, then all of your other arguments are empty. However there is some sense in your Randy comments, at least for the Randy haters. The main problem with that argument is that nobody buys a football club just to make money. Nobody. If you are against spin, then better to avoid it altogether than engage in negative spin. Sad. |
Luke M
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... @villa pete - Damian stopped publishing the articles I sent to him, so I stopped writing them. He has a very solid vision of what content he wants on the blog and what I was writing must not have fitted into that vision. |
John Goss
said:
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... I'm sure a few Villa fans can understand the frustration of my dog. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5e_sxFVXoc&feature=youtube_gdata |
GabbyisNOTmylovechild
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... VillaPete: Makoun s**te??? You must be confusing the quick first time passing, great vision entertaining player with heskey! Yes he got sent off for his tackling but he never got a chance to get up to speed of the prem. But if you would rather see Lionel or Stan the 60 minute super crab man....... lol! |
The Droyd
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... Any away win is a good win. As fans, if we can't enjoy that then there is something drastically wrong. It was a strange game. I thought McLeish's tactics in the 1st half were incredibly inept. To compensate for Petrov's lack of mobility, pace and stamina, we have been playing with a defensive midfielder in Herd or Clark. He completely did away with that on Saturday just to drop Warnock. A stupid move move which would have seen us 3 or 4 down at half time had Wolves been more clinical. Luckily McLeish saw the error of his ways and the tactical switch to how we are normally set up paid dividends. The balance of the midfield was now correct and we were able to get Keane into the game and he won the game for us. I saw this link this morning. I really, really hope it is true. http://www.footybunker.com/sun...lder/15541 |
The Droyd
said:
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... Makoun is a good player but I'm not sure that he can cope with the pace of The Premiership. He's better off on the continent I would think. (Would still rather have him than Petrov any day though) |
b6villa
said:
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... We all want what's best for our club, but it's out of our hands, all of us have villa in our blood and we can't change that, we are going to support the club no matter what. Randy made the wrong choice by appointing this t**t but there is nothing we can do, we need to bite our tongue and get behind the team, like many have said there is a reason why we play better away it's because we have better support, you don't have to be a mct**t fan to support the team. We are as fans are alot happier when our team is winning and the only way this us going to happen is if we get behind our team, not the t**t the team. Because I don't want be feeling low every weekend after a bad result and alot of us on here feel the same. And I can tell you there is alot of teams in the league that would swap places with us, and if anyone of us could pump millions into the club to compete we would, but that ain't gona happen so we should just get behind the team and support Aston Villa not randy, not that Ginger t**t our team |
true villain
said:
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... hello all villa fans ... just a thought or two yesterdays game showed why we need to be rid of certain players on paper we should have easily beat wolves, keane's brace says it all for me , what a let down some of our players are , im not mentioning names, but im sure you true avfc fans like me feel it too, we need somthing called attacking approach with dynamic play , against man utd we would be 4-0 down at half time, aston villa should be what spurs are at the moment see above. |
The Droyd
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... Apologies, I was wrong to credit McLeish with the tactical change. It was enforced... http://www.birminghammail.net/...-30178635/ |
b6villa
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... From the Birmingham mail, the Ginger t**ts explaination on why gabby didn't come back on, is this why the players are not performing under him ;-) “The doc ruled him out, gave him some pills and he made a miraculous recovery and was good to go. But at half-time he had no energy, couldn’t get it up, :-) :-)so we made the sub.    |
true villain
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... No gabby is just s**t end of.. we all know WE ARE hes boyhood club and how HE LOVES being at villa, Truth is ash young was a much better player havent seen anything from ash in ages now what is going on with him? could he be in for a retun to villa you never know but... id swap him for gabby anyday, come on mcleish offer gabby and 3 or 4 million to get ash back im sure this would interest AF aswell as they dont really have much in the foreward department, gabby out much more branier too is young which will create more scoring opportunity for bent go on alex its a smart move !!!!!! |
Return of Rowley
said:
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...Truth is ash young was a much better player havent seen anything from ash in ages now what is going on with him? He's injured |
Return of Rowley
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...id swap him for gabby anyday, come on mcleish offer gabby and 3 or 4 million to get ash back im sure this would interest AF aswell as they dont really have much in the foreward department Rooney, Hernandez, Berbatov, Owen, Welbeck Are you having a laugh? |
steveAVFC
said:
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... No gabby is just s**t end of.. we all know WE ARE hes boyhood club and how HE LOVES being at villa, Truth is ash young was a much better player havent seen anything from ash in ages now what is going on with him? could he be in for a retun to villa you never know but... id swap him for gabby anyday, come on mcleish offer gabby and 3 or 4 million to get ash back im sure this would interest AF aswell as they dont really have much in the foreward department, gabby out much more branier too is young which will create more |
Nick-AVFC
said:
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... We *should* embrace Lerner - in fact I'd say we should feel lucky to have him. A respectable, charitable man who wants to do things the right way. We could very easily have a Venky's, or a Doug Ellis, or a Peter Ridsdale, or a George Reynolds, or the Glazers... the list goes on. In the football world there are some distasteful characters. In this case I think that the seductive 'grass is always greener' mentality is ill-advised. Nobody is perfect, he has made mistakes. Houllier didn't work out, and McLeish was a huge error. He let O'Neill's spending get out of control, but nobody was complaining at the time, were they? Everyone was saying "back the manager" and "show ambition", and the club speculated on the potential rewards of O'Neill's ambitions. It didn't end as hoped for. Meanwhile, the infrastructure of the club is in a far better state than when it was crumbling and decaying under Ellis. The training ground, continued academy investment, stadium upgrades, and the expanded ability to generate commercial revenue. We will reap the benefit of this in coming years, if we can think beyond the short term for a change. Most of all, I find the selfishness of supporters to be slightly sickening sometimes. Everybody seems to think that they deserve a benefactor who will sacrifice his personal fortune at the whim of a bunch of folk who follow a sports club. They think that if he's not bankrolling everything then he should for some reason have to sell up to someone who supposedly might (someone who, by the way, also will not!). The very idea that someone will want a business to be self-sufficient! Doug did rather well out of the club, didn't he? If you think realistically about where the club is at, about the mess that O'Neill left behind and about financial sustainability going forwards, maybe more of us will appreciate the realities of where we're at, what Lerner is doing now, and how it might leave us in a healthier position afterwards. By all means, the criticisms over the current manager and the football on offer are absolutely fair, and I think Lerner himself would agree that ultimately the responsibility for that appointment comes back to him, but... hopefully the plummeting gate receipts will help him learn a lesson and he'll rectify this mistake at some point after May. In the meantime, personally, I don't buy into any doubts or suspicions over his intentions, nor the knee-jerk reactions of spoiled supporters. |
dazvilla
said:
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... News of the expected departure of schoolboy football's most prolific scorer in schoolboy football over the past two seasons and the leading all-time goal scorer for Rusea's High for Aston Villa will come as a surprise to many who were told at the end of the schoolboy season that Brown would be concentrating on his academics. Brown was said to have turned down opportunities from a number of Red Stripe Premier League clubs, including Montego Bay United. ehhh? |
steveAVFC
said:
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... true villain - have you watched villa this season. Gabby has been our most consistent player under this manager and he has improved his performancies from last seasom under Houllier 100% Ash Young is injured at present but you wishing a swap deal for him to come back to us is a totally s**t and t**ttish comment |
ftkevs
said:
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... Im with you Damian we need to thank RL for getting is AM if we are lucky we may also be able to convert some noses into Villa Fans as well we could do with there great support to spur on the atmosphere at villa park |
true villain
said:
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... GABBY WAS s**t YESTERDAY, OUR MOST CONSITENT IS s**tE KEANE SHOWED GABBY IS s**t FRIMPONG OWNED GABBY END OF , AND WELBECK AND CO ARENT REALLY DOING IT WITHOUT ROO ARE THEY SO GABBY GIVES THJEM A DIFF OPTION PERIOD |
Anthony -Daventry
said:
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... Great post Damian and interesting slant ref Lerner But I was alone suggesting Lerner was only here for the cash and it is starting to look like that a bit now/quote] |
nimrod mcgraw
said:
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... id swap him for keane too . hes just got no football brain or skill he just knocks it and runs like a a maniac on speed.. true villain you are right frimpong did own gabby i think thats why we subbed him ... but mcleish makes up crap about some illness gabby was dire |
Return of Rowley
said:
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... If Agbonlahor is s**t, as you so intelligently put it, then why on Earth would Ferguson want him? If he's not good enough for Villa he's certainly not good enough for Man Utd. Logical? No. |
Return of Rowley
said:
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...WHO THE FOCK IS MICHEAL OWEN Dude has 40 International goals in 89 caps. WELBECK AND CO ARENT REALLY DOING IT WITHOUT ROO ARE THEY Who scored Man U's winner yesterday? |
Return of Rowley
said:
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... Well done julian barry, very good contribution. Pointing out FACTS that Man U are better than us must mean I am a Man U fan. Why would I be on here if I was a Utd fan? Now f**k off and eat your sandwiches before the dinner lady tells you to put your phone away. |
true villain
said:
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... i didnt think ashley young was going to stay anyway , i now sense a big shake up in the utd squad, city will have the upper hand in terms of squad players and utd know it so they are going to need some players from somewhere that seems like logic to me ROWLEY!! anything can happen in the transfer window look at carroll random or what downing SO SAY NO MORE, GABBY OUT. so if a good offer was to come in for gabs we should take it , in a few years he will be past it anyway and will lose value rapidly i have gabs value at around 18 maybe 20 mill mark and that's good for a player of hes ability what we could do with that requires brains and thinking somthing gabs just doesent have id rather have downing in the squad , villa for life !!! |
Dubai_Villain
said:
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... Since 1981 our average league position (first division + prem only) is 9.3.... thats 30 seasons worth!! Can one of the people on here who think we are always and should always be challenging for the top 4 places please explain to me why they think that? Trust me I would love us to be up there challenging for honours but in reality we are a mid table club over the past 30 years and why that should change without significant investment (hundreds of millions)is beyond me. I can understand why people are aginst the manager.. its obvious but who in reality could do a better job?? They would all have the same budget constraints and who would want to even take the role knowing its impossible to please the fans... Also to blame, according to the majority on this site is the chairman, I want to make it clear that not everyone has an endless pot of money to through into a football club so maybe we need to get real... he got his fingers burnt under o'Neill and with the recent downturn in the economy he just doesnt have the cash. Things could be a lot worse, look at Portsmouth recently and what they went through!! Too many people sufferings from delusions of grandure on here!! Villa are my team and I hate it when they lose, I hate it when we go out of the cups and I hate it when we dont challenge in the league. However I am proud when we win, I am proud we have never been relegated from the Premiership(a huge acheivement)... Maybe I am just a realist, or maybe I am totally crazy.. I am honestly not sure anymore... but whatever happens UTV!!! |
julian barry
said:
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... gabby will continue to play the same game as he as little else to offer than a knock run and shot its true people need to stop thinking hes goingt o do somthing messi like .. its just not going to happen young was much better for us and would welcome him back with open arms |
The Droyd
said:
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...FRIMPONG OWNED GABBY END OF Oh, so Frimpong was playing right back was he? Because Gabby was on the left. From what I could see, Frimpong was bossing the middle of the park, not where Gabby was playing. gabby is just s**t end of.. Complete moron. |
Return of Rowley
said:
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... True Villain You state Agbonlahor is not good enough for Aston Villa. You then say as a solution to rid our club of such a player that Manchester United should take him. Manchester United, the Premier League Champions. Where is the logic in that? A player not good enough, in your opinion, for a mid-table team should be signed by the Champions. Ashley Young has an injury that's why he isn't playing. Wake up dreamer. If you actually watch any Villa games you'd know Agbonlahor has been one of the better players this season. He was ill on Saturday so that might explain why Pingpong 'owned' him. |
Cheer Up Lads
said:
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... Almost no pundit or journalist from a neutral perspective is calling for McLeishs head. Even the Villa journos seem to be fairly supportive. There have been setbacks. There have been terrible performances and some terrible results. But to pretend that any other manager could just walk in and change things round is ridiculous. He is doing a reasonable job in the circumstances and I think will get better and better. Alex knows. |
whynot
said:
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... just read this, wht a load of sh-t :- 23 Jan 2012 12:40:21 Randy Lerner has sanctioned funds to be made available for Big Eck. The sum of money that has been made available is unknown but is reportedly to be significant. Players who are interesting Villa are Scott Dann - Blackburn Tim Cahill - Everton Ravel Morrison - Manchester United Marvin Sordell - Watford Lewis Dunk - Brighton Bojan - Roma Clint Dempsey - Fulham Bobby Zamora - Fulham |
CSM
said:
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...i have gabs value at around 18 maybe 20 mill mark and that's good for a player of hes ability True Villain, 20 Million for Gabby? you are having a laugh!!! You slate him then say he is worth 18 - 20 million. You spout absolute nonsense. He has been one of better players this year and works hard, he played on the left so how Frimpong could have owned him is beyoned me. Yuo make me embarressed to be a Villa fan. Ps. Don't shout you've given me a headache. #whatacompletenumpty |
dazvilla
said:
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... mccliesh said at the end of the game gabby wasnt feeling to well on saturday has a cold. |
Leroy
said:
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... Can people get it through their heads please that mostly all of Villa fans enjoyed the win! We won, but it is not at all convincing. That is the only point people are trying to make here. I have not heard one person EVER say that they would like Alex Mc Leish as manager of AVFC. Some accept this, others dont, thats the only difference. EVERYONE knows he is a crap manager, but as i said, some people cant be bothered continuing the abuse towards him whereas the rest can. Is there really anything more to this? |
Agrotis
said:
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...We *should* embrace Lerner - in fact I'd say we should feel lucky to have him. A respectable, charitable man who wants to do things the right way. When youve finished masturbating at his picture hung over your bed, maybe you can inform as to how you know all this? Do you know him personally? Does he ring you up and tell you all his plans and reasoning? Or do you simply choose to ignore the reality and swoon over his quaint american accent? Only kidding However, the guy is a buisines man out to make a quick buck on his investment. OK, at the moment its failing, but if Reading are worth 80 million, compared to the 67 million Lerner paid for us, then all the investment hes put into the infrastructure, and now keeping costs down, should give you a clue as to where we are... He might well be a very nice gent, but reports from cleveland, and his banking background tell us more. I mean, these people prefer to profiteer over starving Africans and wars over oil rather than the ethics of "whats right". Come on, really. Love the loyalty thing, but when applied to people like Lerner, then it gets a little bit weird  |
mon 4-5-1
said:
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... Advila in your response yesterday - As much I agree with you about supporting our youngsters, playing our kids in the much tougher games and when so out of position is not a good way of building there confidence. Clark played at left back in the first half where he had a bad 45 minutes. Now had the Clown seen last seasons games, he would have figured out well before 22 games that Clark cannot play in that position. I take it he dropped Warnock due to his last poor performance, well that did not last long, all of 45 minutes. Bannan has either played on the left or right wing, but not in his strongest position for the entire match; now you tell me, does Bannan look like a winger? Albrighton had his issue with the Clown earlier on in the season and later on was hung out to dry by him, for publicly criticising him - do we hear such criticism of Dunne or Collins who were again at fault for Wolves first goal. It's all very well for trying to blame to crowd at home games for not playing the younger players, but how about he (the Clown) actually plays the younger players in the strongest position to start off with!! He should also take a leaf out of Wenger's book and come what may if one of our youngsters does make a mistake, back them rather than hang them out to dry. |
mon 4-5-1
said:
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... windofchange - Hopefully he might play tonight, it's live on Sky. Good move, Leicester one of the bigger teams in the division, so should give some opportunties for the Fonz to show his qualities. |
Nick-AVFC
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... Agrotis, it has nothing to do with loyalty. I am merely comparing Lerner to other owners. 'Respectable' because of the way business at Villa has been done. Dave Whelan was quoted as saying how he wished other clubs would behave like Villa. 'Charitable' because of the gestures made. The connection with Acorns being the most obvious, but also the rescuing of pieces of club tradition (the Holte pub, the mosaic, inviting back the '82 side etc), the free coaches to Stamford Bridge and so on. Not all clubs & owners do this sort of thing. Lerner keeps himself to himself, he's not mouthing off or posturing in the press. He draws no negative press on the club. He does not put the stadium naming rights up for sale like some have. As far as I am aware he has represented the club admirably, when there are plenty of owners out there who do not. Would you disagree? You say he's here to make a return on his investment - as if that's a bad thing? Do you think that another prospective owner who'd replace him would be any different? Was Ellis? Who do you want to own your club - Santa Claus? As previously mentioned, to be able to gain a return he would have to build the club up, improve it. That's a positive. If I'm not mistaken, neither does he ring you up and tell you his plans and reasoning. So we can only speculate as to what happens next. All I'm suggesting is that the 'Lerner Out' brigade have short memories and should be careful what they wish for. And well done for the sweeping generalisation about all Americans, I'm sure they're all the same... |
The Droyd
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... mon 4-5-1 - I agree with you about Clark. He is not suited to left back at all. He has done well sitting in front of the back 4 (considering that he is a centre back) but left back - no. I also agree that Bannan is an out and out central midfielder and looks lost on the wings. I'm not convinced that he is good enough anyway and perhaps Gary Gardner has superceded him already. On Albrighton, I don't have any issues. The guy wasn't performing at the start of the season and has had to work hard to get back in. It won't do him any harm and he is playing well again. It's good to see McLeish utilising the youngsters but this has largely been insisted on by the board I think. He has to remove cost (senior players) and develop the youngsters. The removal of these high cost senior players has to be gradual for a number of reasons. I know your point is that the youngsters have to play in their right positions to flourish but the team comes first and sometimes they have to adapt, like with Clark. It won't do him any harm playing in different positions. He is our Phil Jones and I see him taking over from Dunne in the next 18 months. |
sundaynews
said:
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... We should toss Warnock to Wigan in a swap deal for Maynor Figueroa. He's a boss at left back. |
Cheer Up Lads
said:
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... Priceless. So suddenly players like Bojan aren't good enough for Villa? Dempsey who is one of the prems finest midfielders wouldnt get in our team. "Lerner in it to make a quick buck." - Yeah, real quick isn't it. Been in charge now what, like 4-5 years. Really raking it in isn't he. Some of you guys crack me up. It's like talking to a bunch of bluenoses. You guys probably hate Villa even more than them. Perhaps if you are so sick of McLeish and Lerner you should support someone else? Swansea perhaps? |
Agrotis
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...And well done for the sweeping generalisation about all Americans, I'm sure they're all the same... No thy ae not, And neither do they have the advantage and priviledge Randy has, and in fact,the majority of Browns fans feel the same about Lerner, and they are Americans....so generalisation bit at all....well not intended.  |
mon 4-5-1
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... The Droyd, Maybe the manager did have issue with Albrighton, and maybe Albrighton was not performing, but it's no coincidence that Albrighton's form has gradually improved with the number of games/starts he has had. At the start of the season he had the odd subs appearance, and in some cases was not even on the bench - when the preference was to play Heskey or Hutton on the wings, and we know what happened. What I'm trying to get at is, if playing games for Albrighton has really improved his form and helped his confidence, when there where many on here doubting if he is good enough, how can we say that about Bannan. The same chance should be given to Bannan by starting him in a run of games in his strongest postion - I mean Ireland has been given the same chance when many wanted to see the back of him and now he is flavour of the month - should we not give Bannan the same opportunity? If we really want to see the best of Clark then, lets play him in his strongest position and really find out what a talent we have, though I do agree with your point that sometimes playing a player in a similar type of role - as long as it does not destroy there confidence - can also help there development. I also agree that it has been enforced on the manager to play more of the youth, because his record to date suggests quite the opposite - fingers crossed he continues with this model. We need to believe in our youth players and make them the core of the team because, they are the only players loyal to our club - the rest of what we get are purely in it for themselves, and we as a club should use them as buy to sell and make a profit for the club. |
mon 4-5-1
said:
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... The Droyd, lets also not forget, Jones is now playing in different positions for M.United, but for Blackburn last season he had a proper run of games playing as a Central defender, which is where he made his name and United were willing to part with so much money. |
Henry Cox
said:
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... Damian, You are so very very boring. All you ever do is constantly complain about the owner and the manager. Why don't you pipe down for two seconds and get real. Lerner invested a cool £100m whilst O'Neill was manager, not only on the playing staff but on other things such as the Holte Pub. Sure he did give the green light for the sale of Milner, Young and Downing but he gave us £24m of that money back for the Darren Bent purchase and is holding off investing the rest of that cash until he can firstly reduce the ridiculously high wage bill and secondly prove McLeish can manage a club of Villa's stature. Take an honest look around at the finincial dealings of clubs like Everton and Newcastle (even after the £35m Andy Carroll money) and ask yourself, where is Lerner expected to magic this money from and why should he if ungrateful fans like you are advising other fans to boycott games and purchase mechandice from outside sources. The manager has done a reasonable job with a very small squad void of any confidence whatsoever. He's transformed Stephen Ireland (from what we've seen in the last few weeks) and Gabby is playing better than ever. The side is faring much better this season than they did last season (when they had Young and Downing) and the gaffer deserves a fair crack. Stop being so pathetic about his Birmingham affiliation and back him. How successful would you do your job if there were people complaining about you all day, every day? It's fans like you who are creating a toxic atmosphere at Villa Park and it's no coincidence we've lost 4 from 5 of our last home games but won our last 3 away from home. You're like a broken record mate and it's boring! Get behind the team you 'support' and stop being such a child! |
mon 4-5-1
said:
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... Leroy - You're absolutely right, there's no point in abusing the Clown, because the Clown of a manager has hit the jackpot here by getting this role, and he will not go unless Lerner comes to his senses and gets rid of him. What people are trying to point out is (even though we won which by the way was a nice feeling and that extra bit of enjoyment to my Saturday night), it does not hide the fact footballing wise nothing has changed. If by the Clown's own admission Gabby was not hundred percent fit why the hell did he play him? Is Nzogbia not available to play, surely we have other players in the squad who could have played? If you couple that with our central defensive pairing making the same mistakes time and time again, with Warnock ratio of one good performance in every six games, yet they get selected, what is it that these players need to do to actually get dropped? It's not just about the mistakes, but the direction (plan) the team is supposed to play, because if anyone has worked it out please let me know? The Clown has had an entire pre-season, well past the half way point this season, yet we still look like a team does not have any style of play what so ever. As the days of O'Neil, it's not about being Positive of Negative, anyone who thinks that is a fool, and it is there way of throwing abuse at points that there clearly do not have an answer for, or there lack of understanding of the modern game (still stuck back in the good old days), and will probably never understand, or are plain simple blind brigade set of fans. |
Lew Chatterleys Lover
said:
 |
... The rumour of the Petrov/Gardner swop would be a brilliant piece of business. Gardner scores for fun from central midfield and I think he'll become an England player, lets face it he's also a better right back than Hutton, and has his best 5 to 6 years ahead of him. Stan has been a good servant but I'd have thought this would have been his last year anyway. O'Neill is not averse to giving away quality for next to nowt (as we know) so bring it on. |
Maindog
said:
 |
... Got to say, the quality of this blog has been very poor for most of this season. Its almost as if Randy has a share in it! Damien, none of us want this, so why not try and write some stuff that we may be interested in? What about of youngster playing a massive european quarter final tomorrow? Why not write about how we are one of the only clubs in the Premier League producing young Premier League players? Its so so so predictable on here nowadays and im sure that must be showing on your stats. Try and pick us all up a bit instead of boring us to death. |
mongrel
said:
 |
... Usual negative blah blah blah from so many.....wonder how many of you lot actually get off your arses and go the game eh. You moaners make me sick, why don't you all just stick to recording motd an listening to Tom Ross, w****rs. U T V for ever |
STE JIM
said:
 |
... I dont like AMC. I don't think he's the right man for villa. Everybody knows it including the players but what can we do? nothing. Just have to put up with the s**t until he gets the sack. |
Anthony -Daventry
said:
|
... Nick-AVFC To compare Lerner to potentially worse options / scenarios is a tad naive to say the least - to compare Doug Ellis is Peter Risdale demonstrates that you have a total and undiluted lack of understanding for both the club and football in general. Lerner has demonstrated an alarming lack of intelligence when making funds available for investment within a business model that was unsustainable - to suggest that "nobody was complaining when O'Neill was spending the money" will be perceived by most as patronising to say the least given that had the silent Mr Lerner openly communicated that investment was a 'Risdale style' gamble upon the short term success of the club, the reaction from supporters would have been completely different. Lerner has continued to make fundamental errors with the managers appointed whilst openly distancing himself from supporters with the latest incumbent. As for the crumbling and decay surrounding the clubs infastructure under Ellis - the studium as you see it today including a thriving academy was built by Ellis, the training ground extention and re development was also initiated by Ellis although the re development of the Holte pub wasn't given that it add's no value whatsoever and is inaffect a 'white elephant' that will never return the investment - yet another ridiculous decision by the silent Mr Lerner. As for the premature acorns sponsorship delivering a financial return of £zero (this apparently due to Lerner's dissaproval of the '32RED' business ethic) eventually replacing with 'Genting Casinos' its easy to understand why his personal wealth was inherited. Ellis will always be unpopular but people have short memories, aside from appointing Saunders as manager in 74 thereby building the most successful side in the clubs history and taking the club from division 3 to 1, thereafter Villa were league runners up in 90 and 93 and finished a respectable 4th in 96 when only the top 3 entered the champions league. The apparent shambles handed over by Ellis included players associated to the Lerner era such as Laursen, Gabby, Bouma, Barry, Milner and Mellberg complimented by academy prospects Cahill, Gardner and Davis.. We were all frustrated with Ellis but we also knew that he was with us, watching, supporting and more importantly listening to the supporters - 5 years on and its fu*kin horrible |
paulB
said:
 |
... The most important thing now is to forget everything and to get behind the team and the manager for the rest of the season particularly at Villa Park. We have all seen the likes of Newcastle Stoke Norwich Swansea benefit by having their supporters 100% behind them. The famed 12th man. Lets start intimidating the opposition and making some noise. You never know it might just make watching our beloved team a tadge more enjoyable. Cmon you Lions !!!!!!!! |
windofchange
said:
 |
... HB Ellis previously on the boards at Wolves, Derby and yes The Clowns, he does of course deserve credit for a heck of a lot he did for the club, ironically our proudest moments in our recent history were when we won the league and European cup was when he was not our chairman. He also refused that extra 500K to buy Robbie Keane when he was a youngster. And we won league cups and finished runners up in the first ever premier league season, but would I prefer HBE to RL? You bet your life I would, you knew what you had with Doug, he spoke to the fans not always saying what we wanted to hear, but he kept us informed and he was at every game, home and away. |
true villain
said:
|
... gabby is s**t … we need firepower not gabs he cant even finish keane is better period |
Len
said:
 |
... I think we have established that the fans are not really important to the owner and his CEO,indeed as I have blogged before I have written to our CEO,and still await a reply.The club matters to us but we don't matter to the club.This is a mistake that they are making,and when the gates go down even more they will learn,because style of football and results reflect in bums on seats. We have no choice but to get behind this manager,we are not going to get a better manager because nobody else would want the job with no money to spend,if the owner has no ambition with taking the club upwards then we are going to be stuck in mid table or just above the relegation zone,with a manager who is happy with that. I will still go to the odd match next season but I am no longer prepared to make the full financial commitment for a full season,it is hard to find the money,when things improve maybe we will feel like going again. The positives are that Gabby,Ireland and a good selection of the young players have come on,lets hope we can keep them as the basis for the future,but if a club come in with the right money the will sell them,that is the fear and we will never progress. |
mon 4-5-1
said:
|
... julian barry , true villain I've posted on here many times before that Gabby is not an out and out striker - his goal scoring record is proof of that. I'm in agreement with you guys on this, but to completely rubbish the guy as a footballer is a bit silly. He has shown signs that playing as an attacking left sided player he has the ability to cross the ball, and has even developed crossing with his left as well as his right. He still needs to improve his performances, but as a left side player if he can score 10-13 goals in the season then this is a good return. At the worst if you guys believe he is not good enough to be in the first 11, surely Gabby coming on as a sub should be good enough, at the end of the day loyalty must count for something. There are far worse players in the squad that need replacing. More importantly, questionable tactics by the manager, and the mindset he sets within the team prior to starting a game should be of a bigger concern. |
Nike
said:
 |
... The last 7 games worry me With our kind of form aswell its pretty frightning tbh But anyway we know Randy will be happy when we have league 2 style wage bill What worrys me is if he wants this wage super low then surely he is not going to splash out on new quality players that require big money Until Randy is gone we will be a mid table (fighting relegation club) |
mon 4-5-1
said:
|
... Nike - I agree, we need to have a 5-7 point game before we hit those games to be safe in my opinion. |
AussieLion
said:
 |
... Fonz on loan to Leicester. Don't think that's the best option as they have pretty decent forwards for the Champinship, so he'll still be a bench player and not a starter which is what he needs, to see if he is actually good enough. |
mon 4-5-1
said:
|
... AussieLion - I believe there in the semi-finals of he Carling Cup, which must have been one of the main reasons they took Delfouneso on loan. I suspect he may well start, or get more game time in a couple of days time. I'm also sure, that with Delfouneso being on loan for a month, one if the requirements must have been that he gets game time on the pitch - was interesting to see he came on as sub to replace Beckford before Howard came on. |
carlanvilla
said:
 |
... I was at the game Saturday , the wolves fans were behind there team , even when they were one nil down , we have won four out of our last 5 games away , can't you all see that the negativity towards am at home is playing into the0 away teams hands , when we win at arsenal Sunday , what will you say then , we have a strong youth team , if Mon was still manager do you think Gardner would have played this season or bazza! |
blake0121
said:
 |
...I was at the game Saturday , the wolves fans were behind there team , even when they were one nil down , we have won four out of our last 5 games away , can't you all see that the negativity towards am at home is playing into the0 away teams hands , when we win at arsenal Sunday , what will you say then , we have a strong youth team , if Mon was still manager do you think Gardner would have played this season or bazza! I would argue that the parking the bus tatics are more effective away than they are at home, but I see where your going with this. AMC OUT |
Agrotis
said:
|
... I hope we have scouts at the African Nations Cup, because there is a wealth of talent we should be looking at. In fact, i hope we still have communication with Houllier in this regard. |
Nike
said:
|
... Just imagine we go down the wage bill Randy will want then would be semi pro wages Wonder what the Cleveland Browns wage bill is like |
Nike
said:
|
... http://www.waitingfornextyear....rivisonno/ LOVE HOW VILLA FANS INVADED THIS INTERVIEW RANDY GAVE IN AMERICA HAHA |
GabbyisNOTmylovechild
said:
|
... true villain said: ... gabby is s**t … we need firepower not gabs he cant even finish keane is better period Oh dear! The use of the word period is merely an American jingoism placed at the end of a statement because the person making the statement has no cohesive argument to back it up. Very poor indeed! Also TRUE VILLAIN it is spelt VILLAN! There is howevwe an I in Idea as in "True villain has no f**king idea!"  |
CSM
said:
|
...AussieLion - I believe there in the semi-finals of he Carling Cup, which must have been one of the main reasons they took Delfouneso on loan. I suspect he may well start, or get more game time in a couple of days time. Who have leceister replaced in the Carling cup then?? |
taglor
said:
 |
... I can't believe modern football has come to this, the new middle class modern fans actually putting the blame of a terrible home record to paying fans that wish to make their unhappiness heard to an owner 1000's of miles away. Do you not realise our players get more in a week win loss or draw than the average family in a year? If they can't handle some booing then they're not cut out for a professional sport in wait for it ARENAS! What the hell would we do in a world war now with this shower of wimps players and fans alike?! Man the hell up, if people want to criticise after paying hard earned money then let them be, that's why generations have fought for freedom of speech, not to have some futuristic internet nazi thought police like yourselves. Take a look in the mirror and think about what you're doin will ya you utter wimps. |
windofchange
said:
|
... Taglor: these days supporters are known as "customers" to clubs as football is somehow seen as a "product", well that being the case if I bought an item from Curry's that I was faulty I would take it back and complain - my right as a paying customer, so I guess I am totally agreeing with you. |
Cantbebothered
said:
 |
... Gabby is never gonna get 20 plus a season but will give a 100% every single time he puts the shirt on, he is villa fan living his dream. I would rather have 11 Gabby's on the pitch than any mercenary players who don't give a fu.ck and kiss any badge that pays their wages. ie Robbie it has been my dream to play for Liverpool,Celtic,blah blah blah Keane. The Gabby's of this world don't come along every day,fu.king most players at the club cant even move to within a hundred miles of the club that's how dedicated they are to the cause, remember every time Gabby scores which might not be as often as you would like and he runs to the holte end and kisses that badge he actually means it you tw.ts so get off his back. |
taglor
said:
|
... cantbebothered I agree with you mate, Gabby may not be prolific and I was critical of him last season but I can't deny his effort and that to me means a hell of a lot. |
pazzler
said:
 |
... we will rise again. we have good youngsters. its not all doom and gloom. i have enjoyed goin to away matches far more, not of recent form, but that the away support is superb. the way we defended darren bent at the staduim of light wen all mackems could do was sing "there's only one greedy b*****d" and nothing else. at s**te hart lane when we were still singing despite the result and performance. we will come good again. |
Agrotis
said:
|
...I can't believe modern football has come to this, the new middle class modern fans actually putting the blame of a terrible home record to paying fans that wish to make their unhappiness heard to an owner 1000's of miles away. Pass the blame game has always been an art form for them. They hold all the jobs that run the country, yet blame everyone else because its a s**t hole to live in. Maybe they are not as intelligent as they like to tell us they are? As hitler once said abiut them, "rear echelon scum" Now wear did i put me sandles? |
Agrotis
said:
|
...Get behind team. Stop moaning and slagging anything and everything. To be fair, i think most on here do get behind the team. But if supporters can bot voice their concerns on blogs and forums with fellow fans, then where else do they turn? Fcuk me, i remember people moaning in Saunders day, and have even heard a Saunders team booed off lol. Rough with the smooth, and the same with supporters everywhere. |
henrydouble
said:
 |
... I don't agree with the criticism for gabby. He gives 100% every minute and usually has a good impact on the game. Hopefully if we clear the decks we can bring in a good quality midfielder so he doesn't have to do so much creative work and he can concentrate on banging the goals in. I hope he's here for the rest of his career because he's the only player who's shirt number I would spend money on |
taglor
said:
|
... I just heard Paris St Germain couldn't agree terms with Tevez, what's the betting he was being a greedy little s**t yet again. Great footballer but horrible attitude. |
Nike
said:
|
... Well at least its not just us that has lack of transfer activity this window is dead as dead tbf I know most Jan windows are quite but last season £300+ mill was spent this window not even over £100mil yet Avfc Dead Team Walking  |
j doyle
said:
 |
... gabby is playing great this year even though the clown plays him in the wrong position he should be on the last man every time as no matter what you all say he is still in the top 5 in the prem for pace and scares most defenders s**tless . i think the trouble with the home support is that they are not all fools. and are not all half pissed as are the away fans who go for the day out. I know i do it myself a few jars a good sing song and all stick together to show the opposition support ,we are behind the team all the time . at home the fans can all see the complete balls up that the manager makes every single game at home . ie players like gabby played in the wrong place left wingers played on the right right wingers on the left clark played all over the pitch,except the right one , but the worst thing is that the fans all around me is Mutton at right back every fan i have talked to or sits around me have all the same view in that he is the worst player ever to ware the villa shirt in all living memory and the clown still keeps playing him . its things like this, that the villa park crowd will never accept and i think that even the rest of the team themselves even know this fact it is only the clown of a manager who cannot see it . and unless this simple thing is changed the villa park crowd will always be on mccluelesses back simple as that |
sundaynews
said:
|
... Just read that Alex refused personal terms with QPR. I'd say we should go for him but lord know Lerner wouldn't offer whatever he was asking. |
true villain
said:
|
... gabs out im afraid , no skill , no brain, no left foot, gabs should play right back i think or left back in the changing rooms |
JackS
said:
 |
... Of COURSE Randy is only in it for the money - why else would he invest? Do you think any other club owner is not in it for the money? How can you begrudge someone for investing in a business? Lerner has invested over one hundred million in the club, we didn't make top four, realised we were spending ridiculous wages on ridiculous acquisitions by MON (Don't get me wrong, I loved the MON era and would rather have him at the helm than McLeish)but you really can't blame Lerner for acting the way he is now. I don't understand Villa fans who don't understand that you have to stabilise rather than spend ridiculous amounts. I hear people saying they can't remember a worse time at Villa - are you mental? Do you not remember the Oleary days? Or how about the Graham Taylor season? Those we in the 2000's alone! Wake up people! Support your team like a true fan. |
deano_scores_and_wwe_want_one_more
said:
 |
... The VP atmosphere is flat because the performances have been flat - not much to cheer although personally I think cheering the team on is more likely to make them win than booing them. I would favour a massive support for the team during the match then a half time of dissent to encourage the removal of Billy McNeil II I moved to London when I finished school and have only recently moved back so have seen Villa a lot as an away fan - definately a different vibe than home games although obviously VP rocks when it gets going. |
Agrotis
said:
|
...Support your team like a true fan. Like you i suppose? Some people have a different opinion regarding Lerner to yours, so they are not true fans? Tell me when to stop laughing, because im creasing myself here I think people understand that we can not compete with certain clubs financialy, and accept it. The thing that is galling at the moment, is the apparrent loss of interest, and any sort of long term planning. Now it may be that, i am wrong, but on the flip side, unless Randy speaks to you personally, then you may be wrong also. But then again, whats the betting we are both probably wrong |
Damian
said:
|
... Hate to say it but Gabby is no striker Does he work hard, for sure, but he is not a striker play him on the left and he does okay and i'd say, with that pace of his, it is his best position and i'd even go so far to say that i'd have him on the left over ashley young |
Agrotis
said:
|
...Just read that Alex refused personal terms with QPR. In football speak, this means he has had another offer from a club bigger than QPR. And it aint us |
Sasa
said:
 |
...and are not all half pissed as are the away fans who go for the day out Agree with this. The away support is good but it's coming from a different angle. A boisterous weekend with the lads, banter whislt travelling, more hardcore support who have a bit of imagination with chants, pi55 head environment so we all join in with the songs & support. But most importantly, the expectation at PL away games isn't victory, with a loss being a slight dent on a good away day. Home games completely different. Get to your seat at 3pm, first hoof we start moaning. Fans are sober so will show no mercy at a cr@p pass. Chants are dull & boring, people stare at you if you start a chant. If it's a nop top 6 side, you expect a win, or if not, at least a performance. Half the folk f**k off on 38 mins for a pie, nobody can be really ar5ed as the football's 5hite and it's cold. We lose, we go mental on blogs. |
Agrotis
said:
|
...Hate to say it but Gabby is no striker Broke all sorts of scoring records through the youth system, but i guess it depends on what you define as a striker. I think he is better played in a 4-4-2 as the support striker, next to say, Darren Bent. Problem we have at the moment, is that we dont have the personnel to play that formation effectively if at all. I seem to remember that Oneil had him drifting into the channels where we could his pace between the full back at centre back. It was pretty successful, but we did have people like Barry and to supply him, and Carew to hold the ball. For me, Gabby is a little one dimensional as left winger, and is therefore easily nullified when the supply is cut to him. |
TrueVillan
said:
 |
... GabbyisNOTmylovechild Also TRUE VILLAIN it is spelt VILLAN! There is howevwe an I in Idea as in "True villain has no f**king idea!" smilies/smiley.gif Thats because its my user name! hands off |
Fatkv
said:
 |
...Of COURSE Randy is only in it for the money - why else would he invest? Do you think any other club owner is not in it for the money? How can you begrudge someone for investing in a business? The owner has to make money before he takes out otherwise it is just asset stripping RL has made a pigs ear of everything so he deserves nothing yet muppets still stand up for hIm |
Villa since 1958
said:
 |
... true villain said: gabs out im afraid , no skill , no brain, no left foot, gabs should play right back i think or left back in the changing rooms Were you not at the Fulham game where he skinned their right-back and put in a really sweet cross with his left foot? Were you not at Villa Park for the Wigan game where he skinned the rightback and put in a really sweet cross with his left foot for Bent to tap in for the goal? I was sitting yards away from both. I will, however, have to go along with the "no brain" comment, but as there are only about 3 footballers in hstory who had a brain, this is not necessarily so important. |
xandeh
said:
 |
... How can the club ever be successful when we have an owner who's more interested in his other club and the school his son attends, a liar who cares more about the university he works at and a guy who might well be interested (when he's not on honeymoon) but has the same football knowledge as the people serving the burgers. If you support Aston Villa then surely you want the best for them, if you can't provide the best yourself you'd find someone else who could. If Randy Lerner thinks Alex Mcleish is the best thing he could do for Aston Villa then he is nor more a fan than Robbie Savage is. |
r0bb0
said:
 |
... Don't forget Next Gen quarter finals for the u19s against Marseille at Villa Park tomorrow night...tickets just £3. Previous games have been great value entertainment and the youngsters deserve our support. |
pepsihead
said:
 |
... cannot beleive villa accepted 5,200 tickets for the arsenal game,they have sold out already,why not go for the 9,000 we were due as there were hundreds at villa today who could not get any???>  |
Agrotis
said:
|
...Don't forget Next Gen quarter finals for the u19s against Marseille at Villa Park tomorrow night...tickets just £3. Thanks for the reminder, 4 more tickets sold |
true villan
said:
|
... ok so i made a mistake spelling villain , but their is another fan here with the same name... lmao |
true villan
said:
|
... id swap {gabs} for defoe , yakubu, dempsey, any of them three would do better frimpong from wolves who owned {gabs} in the first half on saturday {gabs} tried to turn and cross in but couldnt even manage that how many assists does he get from inside the box? hes a hit and hope player your sunday league player he should have played for the africans |
true villan
said:
|
... and thats no disrespect to them either i remeber when the african teams where in th major tournaments from the past and the teams have great ability and skill i dont think gabs would have even got in their teams. |
Lew Chatterleys Lover
said:
|
... What about a bid for Peter Wittingham ? brilliant for Cardiff tonight, bring him back he's class ! |
John Salter
said:
 |
... I can't believe that some on here are saying 'Gabby out' and that his best position is as a winger. You forget he was doing brilliantly (same form/goals as Rooney had at the same age) until that clown Houllier put him on the wing. Sad especially considering his loyalty towards Villa! |
gmjvilla
said:
 |
... @Lew Zaha would be a decent acquisition too... What's with the Gabby bashing on here today? Are we looking for a new scapegoat after Saturday's heroics |
Shane Villains
said:
 |
... See you getting creative with the post Damian very clever. i do agree with you in regards to McClueless being a fool as you already know. Keane score two goals in one game the clueless manager then wants to sign him permanently you cannot make up these stuff up. ON Robbie McLeish Affair There is a lot more to the premiership than one game and two goals reason why Keane enever made it at Liverpool, Spurs and his loan to Westham. In fact the last time he had done good consistently in a league was when Harry loaned him out to Celtic his boyhood club. Westham were relegated when he went there and Celtic never won the SPL in his spell there now he is here with one of the worst manager in our club history. He actually scored two goals for Westham as well. Relegation Is Still a Real Possibility I predicted threat of relegation under this manager this season or next he is the worst manager in the league due to the fact non of the managers below him have relegated their clubs Martinez, Owen Coyle even Steve Kean non of these managers have relegated their clubs before and both Bolton and Wigan are used to relegation scraps. No club in the bottom half is safe from relegation so the next thing you do logically you look at the managers and who will bet right now if we sucked into the bottom 3 at some point McClueless with his record will keep us up??? Moving on. One of those rare moments i agree with TheDroyd your comment 41 to TrueVillan he really is a moron along with is girl friend JulianBarry. I doubt any of you actually watch any games your comments on Gabby are utter nonsense he has been our best player overall this season period. Any true villa fan who has actually watched our matches so far this season would know that which you two are clearly not. Furthermore its an offense to actual villa fans that you call your self 'TrueVillan' which you are clearly not you seem more a spoilt little brat reason why you always type in caps for attention its pathetic. xandeh Good point there mate i have to admit i doubt anyone whose a fan of any club in the premier league would have hired McClueless as the manager of their club especially after his relegation double last season. But that said judging from his other sports brand Cleveland browns and how it is run with Lerner being so hands off including the fact he was not even in this country for the shortlist its not rocket science to figure out Paul Faulkner was the master mind of the hiring of McClueless. Reason why from my recollection he was the first to come out and lash out at us fans for questioning and not accepting them entertaining the idea of hiring McClueless then. |
henrydouble
said:
|
... Have you seen the 1,000 free(ish) tickets the club are giving away every home game?? As much as it's a cover-up for the dreadful attendances, it's good that they're taking the opportunity to brainwash kids into supporting Villa... Although it'd be alot easier to just sack the muppet! |
Nike
said:
|
... Most Brown fans don't like Randy neither do most villa fans Sell both make a lot of money go retire on a nice island somewhere Both teams i think need someone with some passion and vision As for us villa fans i don't think any of us know what our club ideas for the future are which is totally wrong we have the right to know its us who keep it afloat |
dublinvillain
said:
 |
... i cant believe the stick gabby is gettin on here, all i read on this blog is moan moan moan. he works hard for the team he has been the difference in most of the few games we have won and he gets slated?? its always the same crap on here blame the ones that actually put a shift in gabby petrov etc. RIDICULOUS |
dublinvillain
said:
|
... ou are so very very boring. All you ever do is constantly complain about the owner and the manager. Why don't you pipe down for two seconds and get real. Lerner invested a cool £100m whilst O'Neill was manager, not only on the playing staff but on other things such as the Holte Pub. Sure he did give the green light for the sale of Milner, Young and Downing but he gave us £24m of that money back for the Darren Bent purchase and is holding off investing the rest of that cash until he can firstly reduce the ridiculously high wage bill and secondly prove McLeish can manage a club of Villa's stature. Take an honest look around at the finincial dealings of clubs like Everton and Newcastle (even after the £35m Andy Carroll money) and ask yourself, where is Lerner expected to magic this money from and why should he if ungrateful fans like you are advising other fans to boycott games and purchase mechandice from outside sources. The manager has done a reasonable job with a very small squad void of any confidence whatsoever. He's transformed Stephen Ireland (from what we've seen in the last few weeks) and Gabby is playing better than ever. The side is faring much better this season than they did last season (when they had Young and Downing) and the gaffer deserves a fair crack. Stop being so pathetic about his Birmingham affiliation and back him. How successful would you do your job if there were people complaining about you all day, every day? It's fans like you who are creating a toxic atmosphere at Villa Park and it's no coincidence we've lost 4 from 5 of our last home games but won our last 3 away from home. You're like a broken record mate and it's boring! Get behind the team you 'support' and stop being such a child! BRILLIANT COMMENT |
Cantbebothered
said:
|
... True villan or villain do you go by another name like Heskey or Fonz? as the only reason to slate Gabby in the way you have is if you were after his place in the team, or is it just that your d.ckhead? |
true villan
said:
 |
... Mate I know from experience as I know what makes a good footballer. Bent is a finisher gabs isnt, I’d rather have a bent / defoe / dempsey. than a headless chickhen who lacks a brain or quality. A player who plays 90% of the games all season can’t score more than 11 goals. Funny you say about a team because with keane behind bent that is a perfect combination. One drops off picking the ball up deep and comes forward. Keane has a football brain. Gabby can’t lead the line or drop deep and has no skill or left foot. He does an ok job on his own but remember this when he was in a 451 under mon we were getting 1-0 wins mainly from own goals and set pieces. Nothing to do with gabs. gabs will only get worse season by season he puts a lot of effort into opening he's mouth and screaming after scoring though, |
true villan
said:
|
... THUMBS UP IF YA THINK GABS s**t HIMSELF HERE...... http://www.expressandstar.com/...-pull-out/ |
true villan
said:
|
... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/spo...tball.html gabby to nufc theyre dragging him there go on son |
true villan
said:
|
... players and staff agree gabby out this was their reaction to gabby out! please click the link! http://www.guardian.co.uk/foot...ier-league |
Return of Rowley
said:
|
... I think we need to stop biting the bait dangled by a moron (true villan) and his boyfriend. It's only those 2 that continue to needlessly slate one of our better players. They are doing it for effect and what all the link-posting is about I don't know. I blame all the wifi allowed in schools these days |
John R Bates
said:
 |
... Agree with you there Damian Gabby's best position is without doubt left wing using his strength and pace, he has got some great crosses in this year , although Bent'y doesn't seem to be arsed to connect with many. Want away striker i think.  |
true villan
said:
|
... the whole team played better when gabs went off..they play diffrent without him .. |
dazvilla
said:
|
... true bluenose why all the talk on gabby he is a villa player recently signed a new contract he"s going nowhere.you need to go back to your own nose site with the 2 other bloggers...... |
taglor
said:
|
... truevilan, yeah zoggy with his massive tally of 0 goals is obvously more of athreat lmao Steven Gerrard said today how he'd rather win the league cup than finish 4th years in a row, THAT is the kind of winning mentality that those who were wetting themselves when we finished 6th under mon don't understand. |
bobvillian
said:
 |
... I cant understand all this gabby stuff;he has been one of our best players this drab season.Leave the kid alone if you want you pick on someone hutton springs to mind!! |
Agrotis
said:
|
...but hes s**t on the left wing zoggy or gabs on the wing? zoggy for me I would not pick Nslumbia for anything other than a bath towel. How people can prefer that lazy, over hyped, money grabbing tosser above Gabby is beyond me. Gabby has been our best player this term by a country mile, though for me, he is not a winger. I dont blame McClueless playing him there, since hes been forced to sell our better players without being able to afford half decent replacements to fill the holes. We dont have the midfield players to play 4-4-2, and thats the problem. |
GabbyisNOTmylovechild
said:
|
... Thank God for the Gabby support, I thought I was going mental with the negative comments on here! |
Return of Rowley
said:
|
...I dont blame McClueless playing him there, since hes been forced to sell our better players without being able to afford half decent replacements to fill the holes. He had £12m and blew it all on 1 player, who I night add has been crap all season. So you should blame McLeish really. Steven Gerrard said today how he'd rather win the league cup than finish 4th years in a row, THAT is the kind of winning mentality that those who were wetting themselves when we finished 6th under mon don't understand. I don't really understand your point, but if you look at it it's more to do with reality than 'winning mentality'. They have a better chance of winning the cup than finishing 4th so he's obviously going to say that. He's trying to 'big up' the cup. It's not winning mentality, it's trying to justify your teams piss poor league position. |
Agrotis
said:
|
...He had £12m and blew it all on 1 player, who I night add has been crap all season. So you should blame McLeish really. Silly me, forgetting lol |
taglor
said:
|
... Apart from it started a whole debate on talksport with professionals from various clubs saying they would rather win a cup ANY cup than finish 4th or thereabouts in the league. The main point was in years to come you can look back as a player or fan and having won a cup it is there forever, how many will look back in 10-20 years and still be pleased with 6th? I think I'll listen to the professionals. |
Return of Rowley
said:
|
... It's good you're getting professional help. Where did I say Gerrard was wrong? I questioned his rationality and you thinking it means he has a winning mentality. Someone with a winning mentality wouldn't be happy with 7th and a league cup every 5 years. But you're right, O'Neill won zilch. McLeish won the cup last year so he must have a winning mentality too, right? Comical |
In Alex We Trust
said:
|
... Gabby has been superb this season. Frankly anyone that disagreed is just looked for any excuse to hang a noose around the poor lads neck. He has said repeatedly he would stay at Villa for life if the terms were right and he works harder than anyone else at the club. McLeish seems to be getting the best out of him. In Alex We Trust. |
In Alex We Trust
said:
 |
... Enough moaning and complaining...about our win last weekend. Who is going ot the Arsenal game? Obviously we are underdogs, but that suited us last time we went to London :-) Bent and Gabby both love scoring at the Emirates and we have a strong record there since the MON days. |
bobvillian
said:
|
... Got a feeling we are one of the teams after kevin davies;The muppet has always liked him!! |
taglor
said:
|
... Rowley you seem to know too much about wifi in schools. You should stay off school internet forums and keep to adult stuff |
mon 4-5-1
said:
|
...
In Alex We Trust: Please can you tell me what our current style of play is meant to be? What did we play against Wolves in both Halfs? |
xandeh
said:
|
... Agrotis, yes you can buy tickets tonight, I hope to see a good crowd down there tonight, come on lads lets see you, Id rather go tonight than QPR. |
sundaynews
said:
|
... Great news! http://tribalfootball.com/articles/aston-villa-plan-hand-heskey-free-transfer-2653901 Dead weight is one of our top earners. Good to know. |
Elo
said:
 |
... According to Harry Redknapp's wiki page he was involved in a car crash with aston villa chairman Fred whitehouse in 1990  who the f**k is Fred Whitehouse and wasn't Doug chairman in 1990?? |
HT Sweden
said:
 |
... I dont know how good he is nowadays, but Vagner Love is sold from CSKA to Flamengo for about £8000000. I would love that kind of player at Villa anyhow...Especially with that kind of typical brasilian nick name |
steamers75
said:
 |
... l see in tonights evening mail that one eyed bluenose t**t had a little dig about albrighton rolling around on saturday when karl henry done him and got sent off , he never seems to remember his own teams players , take that dyed blond pikey winding players up and then running to the ref or going down as if he'd been shot by a sniper , the blokes a joke and when he comes out with those s**te words on his show that he loves it when the midland teams win its b****x , lve known tom for donkeys and he hates the villa , his brother john goes down the matches with us and for a pint he will tell you the same , likes all midland teams "my Arse" |
Old Mcparland
said:
 |
... Regarding K Henry and his supposed apology for kicking Albie ,all i want to add is there is a saying *that you can not polish a TURD well it certainly fits henry like a glove*.. |
windofchange
said:
|
... Elo: wasn't it Brian Tiler who was in the car an ex-Villa player who was Bournemouth chairman at the time? |
gmjvilla
said:
|
... Just managed to score myself a ticket for arsenal villa tie... Always helps to have contacts at various clubs in the event we dont secure enough tickets... Only problem is i'll be sitting with the enemy. So will have to contain myself when Bent bags his second of the game |
B62 Villa
said:
 |
... How come our ticket allocation for Arsenal is only 5200 when we are entitled to at 3000 more? I'm going but was hoping we could really take over with the full away allowance!!! |
Fatkv
said:
|
... The club has some liability if they take full allocation as RL cut our tiket allowance a few seasons back |
B62 Villa
said:
|
... We would have sold the lot!! Still here's to a good day out on the lash and a villa win |
Some Random American
said:
 |
... The win - lucky McLeish, but he still has no idea what he's doing. If Randy isn't planning to sack him then Randy needs to be sacked for the 500th time. Also all of you saying Randy can't only be in it for the money, just watch what he does in America. His team is 29th out of 32, yet they charge the most for all the souvenirs and food at the games. He runs everything he owns into the ground. |
gregthevillain
said:
 |
... nice one steveo, i hear villa are thrasing them and doing everything but score but cant find a free link |
Agrotis
said:
|
...How come our ticket allocation for Arsenal is only 5200 when we are entitled to at 3000 more? They cant afford to run that many Coaches |
ftkev
said:
|
...Grossi and his bosses, the reaction seems more than a little harsh. Though the not-intended-for-publication message raises potential questions about Grossi’s objectivity when it comes to Lerner, it’s not as if Lerner is actively involved in the management of the team. In many respects, Lerner is an absentee landlord, with little or no interest in doing the things that so many other NFL owners love to do. See how touchy RL is about his private life A few Songs should help persuade him to sell up it could not be easier |
pazzler
said:
|
... we can do something at the emirates on sun. gabby, bent and keane against mertesacker, djouro? |
In Alex We Trust
said:
 |
... mon 4-5-1, I wasn't in the dressing room so I can't really speculate on what instructions the players were playing. Clearly though we seemed to be playing a 4-4-2. Looked like our standard away set-up where we soak up pressure then try and hit on the counter. blah blah blah all mcleishs fault? |
r0bb0
said:
|
... the lads created soooooo many chances tonight! Sadly, all but one of them went begging. Some really encouraging passages of play, quick attacks, clever footwork, sharp passing. Some of these players will find their way into the senior team in the future....hopefully under a regime that encourages a similar style of play. |
xandeh
said:
|
... Good game tonight despite the result, was very impressed with cameron, carruthers, johnson and williams. Gardner is an absolute diamond, the more first team experience this guy gets the better. He's the future Villa captain mark my words. |
steveAVFC
said:
 |
... in alexwe trust Why is this result AM fault , so f**king negative to these kids that played their hearts out tonight for our club. These bunch of kids are a good crop of players and well done to the academy management |
keithj
said:
 |
... r0bb0 These kids will be good enough but only if the 1st team play this way. NOTE when they had a corner we still had 2 players by the half way line. By the way r0bb0 did you notice cynical the opposition were, taught at an early age abroad. |
mon 4-5-1
said:
|
... In Alex We Trust: I did not ask what you think the manager had instructed the players, I asked for your opinion on the style of football we played on Saturday? in addition to the above, how do you think it has progressed from pre-season until now - 22 games into the season? |
steveAVFC
said:
|
... On another positive note, I feel that we have a great chance of beating the arse this week end With Ireland and gabby back, its a cup game and if anybody needs a good cup run its this villa team. We also have the added bonus of taking a hugh support down there and they will out sing anybody on their day So lets not over analyse everthing and keep all negative thoughts to a minimum before the game. Lets do something we haven't done of this blog for a long time and support Aston Villa Football Club |
Agrotis
said:
|
...On another positive note, I feel that we have a great chance of beating the arse this week end Im quietly confident aswell. Dont know why, just an instinct perhaps. |
Agrotis
said:
|
...Why are we not bidding for Nedum Onuoha? Seriously wHY? Randy is tight Bar Steward? |
Nike
said:
|
... In Alex We Trust I think you should change that name slightly take away the we and add an I because your the only doughnut that is happy with mcclueless But then again your probably just a blue nose on a wind up |
divine_islet1
said:
 |
... I'm not confident that we are going to beat Arsenal away considering how boring our football is.Add to that,the fact that Arsenal got beaten by one of their main rivals in Man utd,so they are going to have to play well to win to appease their supporters.That Chamberlain boy is a gem of a player,we have Gardner who maybe not be as good as him,but has tremendous potential to be a Villa star,if he continues on the path of improvement.We have a chance of winning with the following line-up Bent Keane Gabby Ireland Gardner Albrighton Warnock/Stevens Cuellar Clark Lichaj |
divine_islet1
said:
|
... Our most vulnerable part of the team is the left back position as we have the worst English football left-back there,and coupled with the fact that he's going to have to contend with Chamberlain,i can forsee a lot of problems for us. |
Return of Rowley
said:
|
... Warnock was excellent when he came on Saturday. Maybe being dropped will give him a kick up the ass. He's nowhere near the worst full back in the league, he's just been out of form. I'm more worried about right back than left back! Taglor Stick to the pathetic insults because you consistently get proved wrong on football matters. Idiot. |
VillaNick
said:
 |
... I saw a no so old Question of Sport the other day. "Introducing one of England's brightest footballing talents, Aston Villa star Curtis Davies." How embarrassing! |
chesttommo
said:
 |
... THEISISHVILLAN and AGROTIS - Onuoha wants 60 k and we have hutton, lichaj and herd in that position thats why, why should we waste money when we have good enough cover anyway? We are trying to slash the wage bill!!! Money better spent on buyin Dann + wages for the departing Cuellar and collins. |
In Alex We Trust
said:
|
... mon 4-5-1, well, throughout the season we haven't had a settled first 11. Far various reasons, players have been shuffled in and out, through lack of form, injury or for tactical reasons. having watched the majority of our games this season the biggest criticism I have of the team is the lack of defensive disclipine when it comes to defending set pieces. by giving our opponents these headstarts in games it is a real drain on our points tally. we rely too much on our wingers and unless Petrov or Ireland have an inspired game, then Bent is largely ineffective. as for the game on saturday v Wolves, I thought we started of really well, looked confident and got a goal. After that we seemed to retreat. Clark got torn apart again and again by Kightly and they deservedly got back into the game. We looked in panic and it could have been 3-1 at half-time. After half-time (and a McLeish substitution and team talk) we came out, looked alot more comfortable and generally kept wolves at arms length, but without really penetrating them. Two wonder goals from Keane won it. Fortunate to get all three points, but aside from a diabolical spell we were the stronger team. We seem to have a mental weakness (from the days of MON) were players like Petrov, Dunne, Collins and Warnock revert to a headless chicken response to a sustained period of pressure. I know that doesn't really fit your narrative, but there goes. |
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