brummie

To be fair, you're making a valid point here, and one that a lot of Villa fans have made. The accepted truth is that in the summer, Lerner made a very large amount of money available (this leaked to one of our boards by the son of a member of the club board), but MON didn't want to spend it, saying that he's not going to spend irresponsibly - he's always had a hang up about big spending. His mantra is that he's building something through youth bolstered by decent spending that'll last for the long term. City's approach is a little different in that, whilst they've got promising young players too, they're spending huge amounts now. Will it work in the short term? Probably. Will it work long term? Possibly not. I'm still jealous, mind

They're having the last laugh now, mind Derby week is horrible, isn't it? Don't you wish you could wake up and find it was next Monday and you had a point? I know I do. We've got board room level squabbles resurrected between us and our neighbours at the moment. Krulak comparing David Gold to "a pig", even in a very loose sense, whilst being accurate, isn't really sensible at this point in time. I really do think there'll be large scale violence at this match (again). Not nice. PS: re the bridge, ill informed outsider I may be, but why the fuck is red and white going anywhere near a bridge in Newcastle?

People going down to get food and drink 10 mins before half time does my fucking nut in. Can't they last 90 minutes without consuming? These are the people who really need to give themselves a good talking to, more so than those who leave early when their side is 3 goals down.

That's very unfair. He's had one season in the job, a season in which he was saddled with someone else's squad, and no chance to spend in the summer window due to the takeover not going through until September. This is the crux of the problem on this subject (SA) - people judge too early. It is pointless judging managers after a year or so, especially not when they take over fucked up clubs. You've got to give them time. How much you give SA is debatable, but I'd have thought two years is a decent time frame for a manager to start to show some real, sustainable progress. This is fair comment. In fact, thinking back to it brings me out in hives. But he's got January to sort the weaknesses. We've had a decent-ish start to the season after a pretty difficult opening set of fixtures (we've played all the top four bar Arsenal who we play in two weeks). If he can see to the deficiencies in the January window, then that's fine. Again, coming back to the premature judging - 11 games in is way, way too early to judge a season. Incidentally: These days half of Britain doesn't give a flying fuck about anyone who isn't in the "big four", they're not really arsed about who they see as bigger out of Newcastle and Spurs.

This isn't just Newcastle supporters these days, though, it is pretty much everyone. When we got tonked 4-1 at home to Man United, I left almost 20 minutes early, and I wasn't even going to watch the rugby - that was more about traffic around Villa Park than anything else. 10 mins to go and I reckon there were 10,000 Villa fans left in the ground. I think part of the problem is that, at some point in the 1990s, when football clubs became plcs and stopped treating us like supporters, all of a sudden we were "customers" because that suited their "mission statements" and business plans. We're now seeing people treat matches like a trip to the cinema or theatre - don't like what you see? Then walk out when you've seen enough. The traditional bond between club and supporter is getting more and more eroded. When you're charging people 30 or 40 quid to watch a game, they're going to feel like they've bought the right to do WTF they want. I'm not saying any of the above is right or justified or making any judgment on it, but the fact is that if things are fucked up now, they (the clubs) started it, not us.

Whether you agree with him or not, and I'll keep my opinions to myself on that one, it is hardly a controversial suggestion is it? Patrick Barclay is a twat, though

City have started well, but it is a long, long season. Let's see how much the likes of Elano fancy a shitting cold winter night at Middlesbrough. (obviously, I'm fucking jealous, but hey-ho)

I support a club which is known for having a good academy and has several local lads playing in the first team at the moment. It is incredibly rewarding seeing them come through and makes me feel good that we're doing things the right way, probably building a long term platform which will consist of pricey bought-in players and quality home growns. However, would I be happy as a pig in shit if we bought the title next year? Too fucking right I would.

I think they are piss poor. Never hear a peep out of them until the are winning. Maybe they're just extra excited when they play at our place, given the nailed-on three points they get

re Sunderland, I was in their end at the 1990 play off final against Swindon Town. That must be one of the most depressing matches ever for mackems.

1986 League Cup semi final away leg at Oxford United. 2000 FA Cup final Not a match I was at, but listening to the radio in 1993 as Man United got a fucking incredible *7 minutes* added time against Sheffield Wednesday and Steve Bruce (of all fucking people) scored twice, and realising that we weren't going to win the league. It still makes me sick thinking about it now.

Loathe Man United though I do - and I really do - I have to say their away support is the best in the country imho. They also have a far wider range of songs than anyone else. And it genuinely makes the pit of my stomach turn to pay those wankers any compliment.

Sod the Blaydon Races, I bring you very, very disturbing news of Newcastle song theft at Villa Park on Saturday. I was quite shocked to hear the Upper Holte briefly singing "Shoes off if you love Villa". A small part of me died. The rest burned with embarassment.

I think he'll change his style to suit his environment, it'll just take him a while to get it right. He's got to realise Newcastle is a totally different proposition to Bolton, and he'll have to do things a different way. We had the same thing under Sir Graham Taylor. Long ball manager at Watford, totally different with us, and one of our most successful managers as a result. More recently, MON has been labelled a long ball merchant in his time, too, but we don't play too much of that these days.

I haven't read all of this thread, and maybe this post is in the wrong place (although tbh, there are about 10 threads it could go in at the moment), it is just a general comment about some of the talk about SA. Get shot after, what, 11 games? I genuinely mean this is the nicest way, but some of you are absolutely frigging bonkers. 17 points from 11 games is hardly dreadful. At that rate, you'd have 59 at the end of the season. 60 points was enough to get Tottenham 5th last year, so that'd put you between them and Everton, in 6th. Would sixth not be a bad return from his first season? I remember in 1989-90 we played Man United over Christmas and tonked them 3 nil. They were absolutely shit. They'd been shit all season so far. Fergie had bought some shit players, they weren't delivering, and his job was in the balance. That day, the entire Holte End was singing "sacked in the morning" and "Fergie on the dole". The papers the next day were full of stories about how United were going to sack him. They didn't though, and look how that turned out. I know that the fact it worked out there doesn't guarantee the same will happen for you, but the general point is valid. We're (and I'm including many of our lot here, too, we're just as bad) losing our minds if we think there's a quick fix, instant return route to competing for clubs which have been fucked to the core like Newcastle and Villa. You've got the best appointment you've made in years now. He's going to fuck things up from time to time, he's going to baffle you, you're going to get shit results like yesterday and Derby, but he's your best bet to fix things. Give him a chance, FFS. Getting shot now, or soon, would just be repeating the worst mistakes you've made in the past.

It is just one game, one result, and you're still only relatively few games into your season of transition. It wouldn't be nice to lose, but it wouldn't be the end of the world either. Although our derby match is next weekend too and my stomach is churning just thinking about it.

We were shit for long periods again today. Derby are the worst side I've seen in a very, very long time at Villa Park.

On the wider subject of derby matches, we have ours next weekend too. Are you lot shitting bricks already? I know I am. Although I'm now glad I couldn't get a ticket as it would be ten times worse. We're going to go there, sit 11 men behind the ball and try to hit on the counter, invite them on to us, and fucking LOSE.

When he played for us, we bombarded him with high balls. assuming that was the best thing to do with such a tall player. He did ok but not as good as he did at Southampton, where they played it to his feet every now and then. He's a good finisher, Crouch.

Marlon Fucking Harewood.

Owen would flourish playing alongside Carew. Unfortunately, he plays for us. Unfortunately for us, he's always either injured or not fully fit. why would our player who is always either injured or not fully fit flourish alongside your player who is either always injured or not fully fit ? Their combined injury woes would open the door for the worst ever strike partnership. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Shola Ameobi and Marlon Harewood.

Owen would flourish playing alongside Carew. Unfortunately, he plays for us. Unfortunately for us, he's always either injured or not fully fit.

Pray tell us more. We're starting to see the effects of the disastrous summer transfer window. The bizarre allegiance to Knight, the pointless signing of Harewood, the lack of a RB with Mellberg forced to play there, and teams realising that is our weak point and attacking it, like Bolton did today. He's not lost me, but I'd be lying if i said I wasn't a little concerned at some things. you've quietly gone about building up a good squad of young english talent tho, moore, agbonlahor and young are three fine attacking talents that a lot of sides would love to have. and behind them there's some solid players like barry, reo-coker (who is back in form at villa) cahill, gardner, davies, carson. what i can't understand about O'Neill is his weird transfer policy of waiting till the last minute and making panic buys like harewood and knight, or ignoring blatant weaknesses in your side. also, since he reportedly has a vast transfer kitty at his disposal (from that american billionaire), why doesn't he go for better players than nobodies like maloney or petrov? Maloney is a quality player, but he rarely plays him. MON has a big problem with spending money, he always has (other than his first season at Celtic). Rumour has it that Lerner was exasperated with him in the summer window, having made a huge amount of money available when he failed to spend it. You mention Cahill, and you're right, he is a quality player. But we shipped him out to Sheffield United on loan and then spent 4m on Knight to replace him. Baffling. I see Cahill and Davies as our CB pairing for the future. Laursen and Mellberg should be the pairing now. Except we can't, as we need Mellberg at RB as we dont have a single proper RB at the club. We've also got just one LB of any experience. Those are the problems we have. I really do think that one more botched window will do for him.

Pray tell us more. We're starting to see the effects of the disastrous summer transfer window. The bizarre allegiance to Knight, the pointless signing of Harewood, the lack of a RB with Mellberg forced to play there, and teams realising that is our weak point and attacking it, like Bolton did today. He's not lost me, but I'd be lying if i said I wasn't a little concerned at some things. It looks like you're missing Hughes. Do you know what, about ten minutes ago, i said to my Mrs, "I never thought I'd say this, ever, but I wish we'd held on to Aaron Hughes, he'd be better at RB than Mellberg". She looked at me disdainfully, said "stop talking about football, I don't care" and went back to Friday's episode of Ugly Betty. Women. Mental.

Pray tell us more. We're starting to see the effects of the disastrous summer transfer window. The bizarre allegiance to Knight, the pointless signing of Harewood, the lack of a RB with Mellberg forced to play there, and teams realising that is our weak point and attacking it, like Bolton did today. He's not lost me, but I'd be lying if i said I wasn't a little concerned at some things.