brummie

I agree with this. I'm (or i was) a big fan of O'Neil but some of his decisions this season have been baffling. I still maintain that he's a good manager that did excellent jobs at Leicester and Celtic but his failed terribly when it comes to transfers at Villa imo. Maybe he's the sort of manager that works better on a smaller budget? From the bolded bit .. First bit, I think that's very unfair. Harewood, Sidwell, Shorey, NRC (at a push) - I can't think of any other dodgy transfers. Davies, maybe, but he was actually doing very well for us until he injured his shoulder early this season. On the flip side, Ashley Young and James Milner have been excellent signings. As were Dunne and Collins at 10m the pair. Second bit, I think there's a lot of truth in that. The motivational aspect is a large part of his management.

2nd highest net spend over the time hes been there only man city beats him That's nonsense. That figure is Lerner's investment in the club, it is not "net spend" on transfers by any stretch of the imagination.

And as any Villa fan will tell you, we haven't missed Barry in the slightest this season. And as any Man City fan will tell you, 12m was a decent price.

I can't believe what a non story this is. From our OS this evening. I think the most worrying thing is that this whole story started with some bollocks posted on a Villa blog which hardly anyone ever reads, was picked up by TalkSport and the Mirror and grew from there. What does that say about the state of our media? MON has his faults - quite a few of them - and I'm starting to doubt whether he'll ever take us higher than sixth, but he is absolutely not the sort of person to walk away. He's installed his people all over the club - didn't like two CEOs, got them both replaced. Didn't like the Press Officer, got one of his best mates installed. He runs the club from top to bottom, he's not going to flounce off after one awful result and a bit of the sort of booing that you get everywhere (which, of course, doesn't get picked up on quite so much if it is, say, Arsenal fans booing Eboue, or Spurs fans booing their side).

Every time I hear Villa fans at work talk about him its Del-fou-nes-o It is Delfonso. I've never heard anyone pronounce it any other way. His nickname is Fonz, which suggests the same. I didn't watch MOTD tonight. I spent the time doing something more pleasurable. Fastening my cock to the wall with a nail gun.

Chelsea are going to get 7 or 8 here.

Top diving from Zhirkov, there.

50 goals in 90 starts now from Carew. Not bad. He'd be fucking awesome if he was more consistent.

That's great, so long as you're living your life on the basis of a load of fiction written 2000 years ago. Fortunately, most of us manage not to. I remember the racism you used to get in football in the 1980s and before, and one of the things we should be proudest of in this country is that racism, compared to countries like Spain and Italy, is not an issue in football. We should be really proud of that. Hopefully, homophobia will go the same way. I can only just begin to imagine how knuckle-draggingly dim the people who sing "Upson takes it up the arse" or who thought Graeme Le Saux MUST be gay because he reads newspapers must be. Why anyone would want to associate themselves with that kind of unevolved pond life is beyond me. I agree, one was just joining in with the fun WUMfest that was going on and decided to find some friendly religion-based homophobia on t'internet. Ah, soz. I'm so riled, I fancy going out and BEATING UP SOME (other) STRAIGHTS!

See, your post shows a fundamental misunderstanding. You say "accusing them of being Mexican, Chinese or black" - "accusing" being a word which suggest a branding of something negative - ie being Mexican, Chinese or Black. I'm only half serious, don't get the hump, but you see what I mean.

It isn't about arrogance, it is about the fact that the format of the competition is such that, if you don't have a Champions League strength squad, you can not conduct a decent campaign in that AND in the league. Fulham are a one-off in that respect (if you consider their league campaign respectable). I started watching us last year in the Europa League in July, against Odense, and watched every home match, and it just seemed to go on forever. By the end, I was relieved as much as anything. I thought it would last the rest of my natural life. It is not about arrogance, it is about the fact that the format of the competition is absolutely ridiculous, especially compared to the UEFA Cup.

We've got by far the easiest run-in of the lot but we've left it a bit too late to get fourth. It would take a collapse by more than one side. tbh I wouldn't mind finishing 6th/7th and still missing out on the Europa League because less games would make it easier to have a proper push for 4th next season. Let's be entirely honest, the Europa League is a total waste of time. I shed precisely zero tears when we went out at the first hurdle this year.

In Leviticus it also says it is an abomination to eat shellfish, so is everyone who eats a seafood pizza condemned? In John 3:16 it says whosoever believes in God will have life everlasting, making no distinction between sexualities. Note "Whosoever" not whosoever as long as you are straight. 1986 World Cup. Or was it 1994? Yes, actually, it was, wasn't it?

That's great, so long as you're living your life on the basis of a load of fiction written 2000 years ago. Fortunately, most of us manage not to. I remember the racism you used to get in football in the 1980s and before, and one of the things we should be proudest of in this country is that racism, compared to countries like Spain and Italy, is not an issue in football. We should be really proud of that. Hopefully, homophobia will go the same way. I can only just begin to imagine how knuckle-draggingly dim the people who sing "Upson takes it up the arse" or who thought Graeme Le Saux MUST be gay because he reads newspapers must be. Why anyone would want to associate themselves with that kind of unevolved pond life is beyond me.

For some reason this thread reminds me of this interchange. Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri: Hey, Sil. You remember your first blowjob? Silvio Dante: Oh, yeah. Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri: How long did it take for the guy to come?

The ability to distinguish between a centre back and a right back. It's for a "friend".

He always looked a bit out of his depth with us, I was staggered to see how many goals he has scored this season, quite incredible. Happy for him, though, always had a good attitude.

It's interesting you mention about him playing the same side - it's something I've noticed when watching you lot play, it's always, give or take 1 or 2 occasions, the same eleven. I'm pleased that Moyes has changed in that respect - he's much more open to squad rotation (well, sometimes enforced) nowadays. I don't think you'll finish as poorly as last season but I still don't think you'll end the season strongly. Crunch game at yours (any idea when it may be re-arranged for?) It is April 14th, confirmed last week.

These mongs disagree : http://www.readytogo.net/smb/showthread.php?t=483365 They're deluding themselves, then. Cheers when they scored, and a few renditions of "We are Sunderland, we are Sunderland" and that was it. They're usually quite noisey but last night they were terrible.

What an awful night that was. We've got the most stubborn manager I can ever remember us having. Persists in playing Cuellar at RB when the entire world can see it doesn't work. When we're not having things go our way, he can't seem to change things - or more accurately, doesn't want to do so. And for all the "Martin plays his strongest side every time" worship from the press, what that actually means is "Martin plays the same side every time". Petrov, Milner and Dunne look absolutely fucking knackered. Everton now have a decent chance of finishing above us. To make it worse, it pissed down with rain all night long. Sunderland watchers will be interested to know they were the worst fans we've had at our place this season, barely a peep out of them. Sold about 1500 of the 3200 usually available, which in itself isn't too bad given it is a rearranged night game, but those who came were mute. Most unlike them.

I bet they actually come through to a 6 year old PAYG Nokia, too.

You asked the Everton lads a similar thing the other day which was clearly fishing for compliments. Take a look a few posts above for my view on our style of play. Compare that with your preaching about your team's style of play, then tell me I am the brainwashed one. Earth calling Brummie. You don't think it's a little coincidental that i'm asking fans of the teams that are competing for 4th spot? I asked the Everton fans who they prefer to get 4th spot btw (nothing about style of play). How am i supposed to know they'd say us. No i've realised you're not brainwashed now, but neither am I. We play attractive football to the neutral and you play effective football that relies on the use of good defenders and the counter attack....oh and a tall striker. What i like the best is the notion that you have the right to call me on "audacity" were i to dare to suggest we play better football than you. Are you the Judge Dredd of footballing purity or something? Awesome stuff, btw, talking about us having a "tall striker". I take it you don't actually go to your matches very often if you can't see the irony in that. And as for the "we play attractive football for the neutral" thing, what do you want me to say to that? Get on the phone to English Heritage to suggest a blue plaque down WHL? Push for UN world heritage site status for Luka Modric? And you wonder why pretty much every neutral hates Spurs with conceit like that.

Am I insane in actually liking this league programme? I really like its amateurishness, and the fact it seems to go on forever.

You asked the Everton lads a similar thing the other day which was clearly fishing for compliments. Take a look a few posts above for my view on our style of play. Compare that with your preaching about your team's style of play, then tell me I am the brainwashed one.