brummie

I still think manager's are being told sell before you buy...and even then it could be a case of being told to sell and not having the whole lot to spend. Seems weird Benitez and now Martinez would turn them down. What makes you think that? We spent the best part of 30m in the January transfer window, having been told by the media that we had no money all season up till that point. The simple fact is, we asked for permission to speak to Martinez, Wigan said ok, Martinez had agreed verbally a new contract with them, and stuck to it. Nobody else has turned us down, beyond that nonsense on SSN about Benitez the other day.

It's been eight whole days since Houllier went.

He hasn't "turned us down", we haven't even spoken to him, let alone offered him the job. Read this: http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~2374417,00.html

It won't be Martinez. Lerner's jet is in Madrid today. Martinez is in the UK at the moment.

Nee stink without shite mate. It's been McLaren nailed on, Rafa nailed on, Martinez nailed on today. Tomorrow it'll be three more randomly chosen names.

I find that impossible to believe. It had better be bollocks.

That's somewhat presumptuous. SSN have told us it is definitely McLaren, then Benitez, then definitely not Benitez. In one day.

I fucking loved watching us under BFR, especially in the early days. He bought some really good players and we played with a bit of a swagger. Unfortunately, he then spent the entire 1994 world cup summer commentating, and came back with John Fucking Fashanu.

If McLaren gets the job, I'll eat my hat. Actually, I'll eat my hat, then I'll shoot myself in the face with a fucking big gun. Farewell, cruel world.

If McLaren gets the job, I'll eat my hat.

That's the thing a lot of our fans are talking about. It was bad enough with Houllier when we went up there. My mate went, said it was -10 that night, we were shite, and Houllier spent the night waving at the Kop and walked off without a glance at our lot (after we'd been slaughtered). When I told him the next morning that Houllier had said "if i have to lose, I prefer it to be to Liverpool, as I like Liverpool" and had tapped the This is Anfield sign when going down the tunnel, I had to restrain him from heading to the training ground to lynch him. So, yes, it is something he's going to have to be a bit sensitive about.

Contract expires August 2012, when he'll be two months from his 35th birthday. Another of the "realise you despereately need a player and it's getting late, sign someone uninspiring, decide you don't like him, throw your toys out the pram when the chairman points at him and suggests 2m a year is a bit of a waste of money" brigade. I pray MON gets the Fulham job. Can't wait to see him try that shit with Al Fayed.

That's the kind of deal Martin O'Fucking Neill did for us. Habib Beye, 40k a week till 35, Emile Heskey 60k a week till 35.

Why? He was saying recently he'd consider a Championship post. To be fair, I thought he was joking / being gently patronising with that West Ham comment. I doubt he'd come, but if you don't ask, you don't get. Oddly, part of me thinks that Ancelotti would maybe act like we owed him something for coming (I have no idea what kind of person he is, so that might be unkind) and would be liable to get big job offers elsewhere all the time, whereas Benitez is looking like he has something to prove.

What do you think of this Brummie. Would you be happy with him? I think it'd be a good appointment. If we got the Valencia / early Liverpol Benitez, certainly. If we got the late era Liverpool, quivering wreck Benitez, less so. Theres still speculation (some in the Daily Mail tmrw) about it being Ancelotti, and others are saying Jol, but to be honest, I'm just happy the field of candidates mentioned includes such decent names. Moyes (who won't come, but hey ho), Jol, Benitez, Ancelotti - I'd be more than happy with any of those. How about Avram Grant? Yeah man, he'd be absolutely swooney!!!111!!!

What do you think of this Brummie. Would you be happy with him? I think it'd be a good appointment. If we got the Valencia / early Liverpol Benitez, certainly. If we got the late era Liverpool, quivering wreck Benitez, less so. Theres still speculation (some in the Daily Mail tmrw) about it being Ancelotti, and others are saying Jol, but to be honest, I'm just happy the field of candidates mentioned includes such decent names. Moyes (who won't come, but hey ho), Jol, Benitez, Ancelotti - I'd be more than happy with any of those.

In the last game of the season against us, Joe Cole put in the single most anonymous performance I have ever seen. And Steve Sidwell used to play for us.

Lots of chatter down here (well, up there, as I'm a bit further down south, but I digress) about Benitez

This commentator is absolutely fucking TERRIBLE.

If they're making him first choice, they're utterly fucking bonkers.

Still, Friedel > Gomes, any day,any time. There's not much choice for Spurs to choose. The market for GK is in serious shortage this summer. The transfer of De Gea and Neuer means there'll be a great shuffle, and no keeper will be available at low fees. Gomes is not good enough to be first choice for a club aiming to break the CL. Friedel is not good enough to be first choice for a club aiming to break the CL. Friedel is no better than Cudicini as a number 2. He's going to be 42 come the end of his contract, too.

I can't believe Spurs have given Friedel a two year deal. He's well, well past it, he's been largely terrifying for much of this season. I don't really get this. I watch every single Villa match, half of them live, half of them on the telly / internet, and every single person I engage in that activity with thinks that: 1. We desperately need to replace Friedel 2. Ashley Young hasn't done it consistently for two years Yet to read the media you'd think the above points were blatantly not true.

It is pretty obvious that Mark Hughes is not going to get the job now.

Interesting to hear that Hughes' agent is that lovely chap Joorabchian

As it happens, that sounds like it could be true. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jun/02/mark-hughes-fulham-aston-villa