Things are looking up at the Villa

[weasel]

There was me thinking Darren Bent might be worth a shout for the first few weeks of FFL (Villa have an easy start to the season) but then they go and appoint Alec Mcboringbastard, then sell their best player to Man United, and look like flogging their second best player to 'Pool.

What next Robbie Savage to be brought out of retirement for one last Hurrah!?

I feel sorry for Villa fans, it really is all going horribly wrong!

 

[Rich.b]

In all fairness I wasn't too bothered about Young being sold to united, I think he wanted to go last summer and just stuck it out for one last season. I am pissed about Downing though, but once they hand in a transfer request what are you supposed to do?
I said it before and I'll say it again, I've been going to Villa Park for 20 odd years now and I honestly can't see myself going next season at all. It was bad enough last year and it don't look like things are improving any this summer.
I wonder how much a season ticket at Walsall is these days....

 

[weasel]

I was talking to a mate last weekend and he said season tickets at Swansea (before the play offs) where two/three (I can't remember which) hundred quid each. Not bad at all.

 

[PGowdy]

Yeah but then you have to go to Swansea.

 

[weasel]

This is true. :lol:

 

[silver grin]

Completely agree with you Rich. Young wanted away from the start of last season when he wouldn't talk about a new contract but Downing is a kick in the teeth - thought he was one of the best players from last season.

I am worried about us this season - just look at who has gone and then look at who has come in.......... that's right, no-one. We had a tiny squad anyway and now we are ****ed if we don't sign anyone! There's talk that he's going to bid for N'Zogbia who I would like but we're going to need at least another three players including a keeper.

I usually go to about 15-20 games a season, home and away but I haven't even looked at the fixture list yet!

 

[weasel]

Aye, a lot of talk about N'somnia coming, I guess now you have money to spend, assuming Randy isn't keeping it all, you will be able to go out and strengthen. You're right though, the squad was weak last year and with two of your better players gone.......

Talk of Shay Given as well, I think he'd be a very solid signing. Great keeper, and with a point to prove.

 

[weasel]

Care of Football365.......

Even before they sold three of their four best players, we reckoned Aston Villa needed a couple of new full-backs, a new centre-half, a creative midfielder and possibly another striker.

However, Eck says there will only be one more in. Observe:

"We're trying to sign another one, and trying to replace the players who have left with players who are at the club.

"For the time being, it will just be one and we'll be doing further assessment of the squad over the next few weeks."

------------------------------------------------------

Villa had a tiny squad last year and with 3 big names out the door..........I fear I hear the Championship calling!

 

[weasel]

My God Villa were pish yesterday! :?

 

[silver grin]

Too true Weaz! So glad I decided not to waste £20 yesterday. I honestly don't know what Lerner was thinking when he appointed MacLeish.... the football he plays is so boring. I'm just so glad that teams like Bolton, Wigan, Blackburn and Wolves are so poor at the minute or else i'd really be worried

 

[weasel]

I watched the game with a United supporting mate of mine and we were both amazed at just how bad Villa were. Ok Bent and I-belong-to-a-whore were missing and any side will struggle without their two best players, but Villa were just so poor! They had no idea WTF to do, the passing was awful, the movement and general standard of play was no better.
As for the bench.........

'Pool don't have the best squad in the league, but Jesus Villa have NOTHING on the bench.

I did like Big Ek saying how conceeding two goals from set pieces was something they needed to work on. Sorry Alec but ehh should you, as manager, not have had them working on that ALL ****ING SEASON!?

Villa will undoubtedly stay up comfortably, but that's more an inditement of the standard of bottom half than anything. A club Villa's size, and with their recent history, should be pushing for Europa League spots and hoping for a sneaky cup final. Not staying up by default.

 

[wozza35]

They will get steadily worse under the current manager and i have a feeling bent will be gone in january .I do feel sorry for the fans when there is an obvious penny pinching exercise going on ,things usually have to get a lot worse before they get better.
But they are not the only team feeling the pinch in the premiership and there are going to be quite a few upset fans this season and next while their team owners try and balance the books .

Makes you sick to look at man city's bench and think you could buy a complete club for what they cost :evil:

 

[Dark Sith Lord]

What do you thinks guys about the Situation at Villa. I have heard that Ole Gunnar Skyolsear (spelling ) is fav to take over?


IMO He deserves at least a chance to Manage in the PL

Sorry havent had chance to commit in the rest of the Footy threads. But reading the debates has been great 8)

 

[PGowdy]

I heard "Skyolsear" ruled himself out today. I'm not sure it matters who manages there right now. Mcleish was just a scape-goat for a club in a complete state from top to bottom.

 

[weasel]

Randy Learner has decided to cut back the spending at Villa park and thus a lot of the money from player sales isn't being reinvested, wage bills are being cut etc. but that's still no excuse for the dross mcleash served up. His track record over the last three or four years shows exactly what kind of dull, defensive, no brained manager he is. We all knew what was coming when he was appointed and hey presto!

I hope whoever appointed him is also sacked.

Survival on a budget is not easy, but it can be done, and done without having to resort to the sort of "football" Villa have been serving up. I mean look at Wigan, Swansea, Norwich, Fulham etc etc. none of those. Clubs have a budget near the size of Villas and all, bar Fulham, would struggle to attract players that Villa could, yet they stayed up and played good footy.

ANYONE will be an improvement!

Not heard Solskjaer rule himself out, but I haven't seen the sports news today.

 

[phantom]

The newspapers here in Norway have been filled with Solskjær stuff all week.. He has told Aston Villa that he dont want to be considered for the position as manager

There was a press conference today and the owners of the club he manages atm have promised him around 1 million GBP for a new striker (alot of money in Norwegian football), and several clauses in his contract that will make it possible for him to leave for a premiership club in the future (alot of clauses related to Manchester United).

His official reason for not taking the job at Villa is that he doesnt want to move atm because of his family.
The whole case has been a mess in the media, and some people believe the extremely rich owners of Molde Football Club persuaded him to stay and will back him in turning Molde into a team that will reach the Champion League Group stage.

 

[weasel]

I heard the "family reasons" story. I'm sure the owners are delighted that he's flirted with Villa so much!

 

[poncho]

i see heskey got released! i wonder where he will go, westham maybe???? talking of ex england forwards i wonder where owen will be at the start of the new season

 

[weasel]

I think Owen will retire. He's said before he won't step down because he still thinks he can do a job/is good enough for a "top" team. Although given his contributions at OT in the last three years, this season I think he managed 17mins of action, I can't see anyone even considering him.

It's a shame as he was a great player, but once his speed/hammies went that was him ****ed. His game was all based around speed and or the ability to react and get into positions quicker than defenders. He was on the downward slope when he signed for Real, after that it accelerated at a rate of knots.
Now he's just a has been who's trying to bleed as much from the game as he can, which is a shame for those of us who remember him from circa 98.

 

[poncho]

ah yes the goal against argentina! up there with platt's volley! gascoigne dental against scotland and barnes dribble against brazil.