brummie

Statistical analysis of our game against you - the one where your fans were screaming "hoof" in an attempt to make Wenger like them - showed that that is precisely what you did. Which is why i said "we don't hit it long often". Don't really think the fans did that for Wengers sake tbh. Think it had more to do with the 1st game at yours where you camped inside your half for near enough 65 minutes of the game defending. Probably why MON plays Cueller at rb and why Fulham and Birmingham are the only teams in the top half of the table that have scored less goals then you. But you do play the long ball often - that's the point. As I said, that's fine, but it is a bit rich to hear Spurs fans trawling the internet for praise for the way they play when they resort to such iffy tactics themselves. As for that match you mention, we were camped in our own half defending a constant bombardment of long balls from you. And he probably did right to play Cuellar at RB in that match, given the aerial bombardment you put us under.

Statistical analysis of our game against you - the one where your fans were screaming "hoof" in an attempt to make Wenger like them - showed that that is precisely what you did. EDIT I should also add that we're just as bad, with the difference that we rely too much on crosses whipped into the box, but then again we're not the ones lecturing others on how they should play, or telling people what great football we play. Or fishing for compliments on here *wink*

Your problem is - as we've agreed here - you don't do it against the better (ie top four) teams. That is why you won't finish in the top four.

That's precisely, precisely the issue. Talk to any Villa fan and they'll tell you that. They'll also say that they know, prior to a match, which team we'll start with (ignoring injuries, which we seem to be largely immune from). Our plan A when it works is very watchable, and I'd be a hypocrite if i said i didn't like watching it. Our plan B, on the other hand, doesn't actually exist. Out of the 4 champions league challengers which team do you think plays the better brand of football (ie more pleasing to the eye for a neutral)? Man City at their best are the better. You lot hit it long to Crouch far, far too often. You're also about as clinical as Birmingham City.

That's precisely, precisely the issue. Talk to any Villa fan and they'll tell you that. They'll also say that they know, prior to a match, which team we'll start with (ignoring injuries, which we seem to be largely immune from). Our plan A when it works is very watchable, and I'd be a hypocrite if i said i didn't like watching it. Our plan B, on the other hand, doesn't actually exist.

I really like Paul Robinson. We (well, the Holte End) always give him stick when we play them at our place, and he engages in "banter" (apologies for that vile Soccer AM style word) in return, always really good natured. He strikes me as a top bloke. David Seaman was always the same with us, too, incidentally.

That's a bit harsh, certainly the Allardyce bit, but there's a lot of truth there. This is the issue. When teams have a go at us, we love it, it gives us time and space to do that counter attacking thing. Which is fine, because we're really very, very good at it. When teams defend - and a lot of them do just defend when they play us at Villa Park - we struggle, like today, to unlock them, and we just concentrate on getting it out to the wingers (which in itself isn't bad, I love watching teams with wingers). The issue there is that if that doesn't work, we genuinely don't know what to do. Given that most teams do defend against us when we're at home, that has produced a marked difference in attitude between the home support and those who follow us away. Away from home, we get the chance to play to our strengths. At home, we don't get that chance, and we often struggle, hence the lack of empathy between manager and fans.

brummie, do you think O'Neill is capable of getting you to the next level, ie the top 4. Just seems he'll never have a better chance than this year. No. He's too limited tactically, and his transfer market approach is weird beyond belief. He can keep us top 6 or 7 with his eyes closed, not even trying, but he won't take us any further than that. He's an infuriating man. See today, the crowd see Delfouneso and Luke Young warming up, looking like they're coming on, start cheering ironically (Cuellar at RB and Heskey anywhere are subjects of some discussion), so he changed his mind and puts Albrighton on instead, just to remind us who is boss. He's infuriating at times, like I said. No chance of him leaving, though? No. Not until he decides he's had enough. To be honest, though, he's always had an uneasy relationship with sections of the support, which would surprise most neutral observers.

brummie, do you think O'Neill is capable of getting you to the next level, ie the top 4. Just seems he'll never have a better chance than this year. No. He's too limited tactically, and his transfer market approach is weird beyond belief. He can keep us top 6 or 7 with his eyes closed, not even trying, but he won't take us any further than that. He's an infuriating man. See today, the crowd see Delfouneso and Luke Young warming up, looking like they're coming on, start cheering ironically (Cuellar at RB and Heskey anywhere are subjects of some discussion), so he changed his mind and puts Albrighton on instead, just to remind us who is boss. He's infuriating at times, like I said.

We were shite today. We've fucked it up big, big time.

No sweat, Heskey is such a presence up front, any player will flourish alongside him. *wink*

Not really relevant to a game today, but Defoe has torn his hamstring, I see. I don't like to see players injured, but that's not good news for Spurs (and you can interpret the way ours, Man City's and Liverpool's fans will see it).

It's a bit harsh to beat a manager with the stick of one season which didn't go too well at Blackburn Rovers. Brummie your not your Villa messageboard now sonshine you know how we roll round these parts. Some people still hold a grudge against Nigel Pearson for his time as caretaker & Big Al for his 8 game spell, never mid one season. Oh, you're preaching to the converted there. I'm still holding a f***ing massive grudge against Billy McNeill and Graham Turner. Especially McNeill, the massive, massive c***. Strange you mention them as I did Wiki check on A.Villa managers saw there employment time & was going to post them then thought fuck it man just let it go McNeill got us and Man City relegated in the same season. That was the worst season of football I've ever witnessed. By the end of it, I wouldn't have been that arsed to see my life end, let alone the season.

Wasn't Peter Storrie the highest paid Chief Executive in the PL, earning more than the likes of Gill and Kenyon? Wasn't Peter Storrie the last hurdle of approval in the unsustainable contracts dished out to mediocre players? How noble of him to jack it in now his salary has been slashed.

However, most other clubs have overspent just as much, they've just used better financial management to handle their debts. Wouldn't that suggest that most other clubs haven't overspent? If they've spent within their means to repay their debts then that's not really overspending. What Portsmouth did was spend far beyond their ability to ever repay, even if they'd managed to get into the Champion's League their earnings wouldn't have covered their expenditure. They might point to their plans for a new stadium, but they've not been filling their current one so it's debatable that they'd have been able to meet their best possible income projections. Yeah, fair point. I think there will be other clubs where the debt levels turn out to be unsustainable though, Pompey are just the first and worst example. Spot on. Feel sorry for the fans yes, but I don't think the club itself is hard-done by the punishment, don't think it's unfair either, I think it's definitely fair presuming, if they hadn't spent beyond their means they might be in the championship instead of us. As harsh as what I am is saying, and the Villa fan before commenting that it's glass-housed for a newcastle fan, well if we overspend like them, we'll come under the same punishment, so don't see how Portsmouth are being treated unfairly, and don't see why we need to feel sorry for them. The only people I feel sorry for are the fans, not the club itself. You're entirely missing my point, which was that it is sad for the Portsmouth fans to see their club tottering on the verge of extinction. I have absolutely no synpathy for the likes of Storrie (who, lest we forget, was the one signing the 80k a week contract for the likes of John Utaka and has more blame to shoulder than anyone in this situation).

It's a bit harsh to beat a manager with the stick of one season which didn't go too well at Blackburn Rovers. Brummie your not your Villa messageboard now sonshine you know how we roll round these parts. Some people still hold a grudge against Nigel Pearson for his time as caretaker & Big Al for his 8 game spell, never mid one season. Oh, you're preaching to the converted there. I'm still holding a fucking massive grudge against Billy McNeill and Graham Turner. Especially McNeill, the massive, massive cunt.

Fuck that. How can they call it the "Champions League" when the fourth placed team, or, almost every season dross like Liverpool who haven't troubled the title for 20 years, get to enter? Call it what it is, European League or whatever, but the whole Champions moniker is absolutely absurd. I honestly don't know how people get excited about seeing the same fucking sides playing in the latter stages year after year. I don't know how many more times I can stand watching any two of Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal or Chelsea playing each other in the knockout stages whilst Martin Tyler wanks Andy Gray's cock into his mouth and they both scream as if it's the course of the second world war being decided rather than a massive yawnfest.

It's a bit harsh to beat a manager with the stick of one season which didn't go too well at Blackburn Rovers. Aye, he took them up to a 6th place finish in his first season. Had had some bad injury problems when he got sacked the following December too. He spunked money an absloutes shite ffs Why do his failings at Blackburn negate his consistent success everywhere else?

It's a bit harsh to beat a manager with the stick of one season which didn't go too well at Blackburn Rovers.

The UEFA Cup was ace. The Europa League is rubbish. When we were in it (beyond the first round, which turned out to be a blessing this season) last year, I just remember going to loads of matches nobody cared about and thinking "when the fucking hell is this going to end?" For every Fulham - Juventus knockout tie, there are 100 group games against FC Wheelbarrow from Moldovia.

Would definitely take him, O'Hara and Boateng from Pompey. Would look at Reo Coker as well. Please do take a look at Reo-Coker. I know i want to in the summer, mainly as he's heading either up or down the M6 never to return. Although if you fancy a look at Sidwell, I'll strap the useless ginger cunt to my back and walk up there with him.

He's doing a fantastic job there. I really like Fulham, fantastic little ground with an Archibald Leitch stand, oozing character, superb location, pleasant fans and the best away trip in the top flight by an absolute country mile. I'd be well chuffed if they won the Europa League

Jesus Christ, look at Fulham!

Anyone but Arsenal. I want that particular club to stay as exclusive as possible in this country, and that rules them out.

I think "Dave" would prefer that as "I was on Dave O'Leary's flight to Dublin on Friday" *PUNCHES MASSIVE HOLE IN WALL*