brummie

Fair point re the statistics but they mask the fact that Souness was also largely responsible for destroying the "boot room" culture at Liverpool, and they have now not won the league in 16 years. Also, Souness achieved what he did in Scotland by having a huge amount of money to spend. MON did not, and he turned around the Rangers dominance. Look at who is the dominant force in Scottish football now, despite having Gordon Strachan as manager.

Very funny quote by the Merse on SSN earlier, talking about Boro and Southgate's failure to motivate the players - "most players who go to Boro go there purely for the money. I know I did".

Since when have you been the team everyone loves to hate? I don't get this at all. True, in the Keegan years, you were entertaining to watch and everyone had a soft spot for you. Now, you've become one of the many "could be, also-rans" which most people are entirely ambivalent about (see also villa, spurs, everton, man city), but to say you're the club everyone loves to hate is ridiculous and a little self pitying imho. The only other emotion i would suggest people have for you is jealousy re some of the players you have had. Moan about trophy signings all you like, but I wish we'd made a few in the Ellis years.

We were very close to signing Beattie when he went to Everton, something happened at the last minute - he probably clocked O'Leary's pug-nosed face on telly talking the club down and realise what a twonk he was - and he opted for Everton. I have to say, I'm glad he did. Their fans seem to think he is shite, by and large, and even before then has never been massively prolific. I think he'd be a bad buy, made only slightly palatable by the fact that there isn't going to be much talent available in January. Oh, and on a wider point of Roeder discussing transfer targets, what is the point in doing this? What possible benefit is there? Surely best to stay shtum, make the deal happening the first people hear about it.

When we played at Everton this year, they were singing "fuck all, you've never won fuck all" at us, which is emblematic of the ignorance of a lot of football fans these days. Some of our lot at Charlton yesterday were every bit as bad. We've got a song about that Tracey Andrews, that blonde, Villa supporting bird who killed her (Birmingham supporting) boyfriend and made it look like he was murdered in a road rage incident. The gist of it is "Tracy Andrews is our friend, she kills (blue)noses, let her out to kill some more" etc etc etc. It makes me fecking cringe every time I hear it, people just don't stop and think about what they're singing.

See also: the away support of practically every other club in the premiership.

Aaron Hughes is one of the worst players I have seen at Villa in 30 years regular attending. Shocking, shocking player. Sorry. I'm a bit tetchy and angry.

Yeah, having left the house at stupid o clock this morning, travelled down to London, shlepped across to the other side of the city, then stood watching the match in the only away end left with a pillar slap bang in the middle of it, i was absolutely overjoyed to see that. Fair play to them, though. They played well today, and I hope they stay up. I hope they sell us Darren Bent more, though.

Jaaskelainen gave one of the best goalkeeping peformances I've seen for a very long time at our place this season. David James has been excellent all season. Ben Foster is, I think, the most promising young keeper around.

What kind of money do you think Villa will spend? It its less than £10m will you be unhappy? We need to spend more than 10m to bolster the areas of the squad that need it, but I think that it will be impossible really to learn much from the January window - as i said, there are going to be precious few transfers made, imho - look at all the people being linked with moves, they're almost all being marked out as "not for sale" by their clubs. I think the summer is where it will all happen, unfortunately. We desperately, desperately need strikers. Rumour is, and it wouldnt surprise me, that we have an agreement to sign Nugent. We ideally need two strikers in January, but I can't see where two decent, available strikers are going to come from.

Upson is a quality player stuck at a shit club. And I find it very hard to praise anyone who plays there. Someone on one of our boards was sat behind MON at St Andrews a few weeks ago and apparently he was scrawling notes on Upson (yes, probably bullshit, but is entirely feasible). There's no way they'd sell him to us, though. On the whole January transfer window thing, I think there are going to be an awful lot of disappointed clubs / fans - don't expect many big deals to be done.

Cassano? You'd be fecking mad. He's a gobby trouble maker with a weight problem, who'd probably struggle to settle over here in any case. I also don't think Crouch is worth anything like 7m, but given the choice of him or Cassano, I'd take Crouch.

i know that, I'm just injecting a little realism into the post from the controversial Spurs chap. What are you talking about "controversial"? you lost the match fair and square, get over it. I KNOW we lost the match fair and square, you numpty, where did I say we didn't? I was describing YOU as controversial (see the phrase "controversial Spurs chap") for the amount of squabbling you seem to get involved in on this site, not the result. Is English your second language? Or is it your third? But why would you bring up the fact that i have had previous arguments now?? its as if your in need of a argument so you pick up on the fact that i called Villa 'a good side' :roll: :roll:. So what if you've got injuries, every teams got them. I very much doubt you've got as much injuries as us anyway. Another sad git thats trying to make a name for himself on this board by being the latest person to argue with the #1 hated figure Chill out, you fule.

I agree, it is no shame to lose at Bolton these days. They're niggly feckers I'd rather see lose, but you can't argue with their league position. I wouldn't expect much out of Man United on NY day, though. They were utterly f***ing awesome against us on saturday, Ronaldo's performance was the best I've seen at our place for a few years, and he scored twice again today, despite starting on the bench. Ronaldo is one of the best players I have ever seen play. No shame in conceeding a couple from him. I loathe him. but he is absolute quality. I loathe United full stop, but in the second half, they played that fast counter attack game that is absolutely impossible to defend against. Compare and contrast with Chelsea's style of play, and you've got to be impressed.

I agree, it is no shame to lose at Bolton these days. They're niggly feckers I'd rather see lose, but you can't argue with their league position. I wouldn't expect much out of Man United on NY day, though. They were utterly fucking awesome against us on saturday, Ronaldo's performance was the best I've seen at our place for a few years, and he scored twice again today, despite starting on the bench.

i know that, I'm just injecting a little realism into the post from the controversial Spurs chap. What are you talking about "controversial"? you lost the match fair and square, get over it. I KNOW we lost the match fair and square, you numpty, where did I say we didn't? I was describing YOU as controversial (see the phrase "controversial Spurs chap") for the amount of squabbling you seem to get involved in on this site, not the result. Is English your second language? Or is it your third?

i know that, I'm just injecting a little realism into the post from the controversial Spurs chap.

Good Villa side? Injury crippled side desperately coasting towards the transfer window, you mean. Such is the extent of our injury crisis we've had to resort to borrowing goalkeepers from Crystal Palace.

Would give my right arm for him in the team tbh! Exactly, what a f***ing fantastic player he is. I hate it when that happens, players you hate turning out to be brilliant. I watched Ronaldo take us apart yesterday in the second half. Hate the gobby c*** myself, but he was absolutely from a different planet yesterday. Drogba's like that, too.

Krulak is on the board, was Lerner's right hand man at MBNA Europe and is playing a very hands-on role at the club at the moment, so he is not an informal mouthpiece for Lerner, he is a formal mouthpiece. The fact is that since they took over, they have listened more in a few months than previous boards did for decades. They know they've got to deliver, or all this dialogue won't matter, but so far they have been phenomenal.

Agreed. Got absolutely nothing against the guy, like having him around as I do all fans of other clubs (as long as they don't act the T*** as some have/do). Disagree with him on his views on Emre but it's just healthy discussion at the end of the day. I actually dont hold Emre in particularly high regard, but i'll defend him against an outsider mind! bluebiggrin.gif Ha ha. And to be honest, that Ridgewell really is a carthorse :-)

Agreed. Got absolutely nothing against the guy, like having him around as I do all fans of other clubs (as long as they don't act the T*** as some have/do). Disagree with him on his views on Emre but it's just healthy discussion at the end of the day. :thup: Amen to that. I'm off to booze now. Good luck at the weekend, though you won't need it as much as we will against a pissed off Ferguson on the rebound from last week.

Cheers, mate. We're all partisan at the end of the day, innit.

In fairness, you'll find that on all club boards. To be honest, I didn't actually slag him off, I didn't say he was shit, I suggested he wasn't *that* good.

You speak for everyone outside the N-E then do you? I know plenty of people who rate them. And I'm neither from the N-E nor have I ever lived there. Yes, of course I meant it absolutely literally, all, what, 53 million of them. Where did I say you did? I don't get what you meant. Who are these people who don't rate them? Errm, the bit where you suggested that I speak for everyone outside the NE, maybe? The point i was making was that in my experience, Emre and Parker are not seen as particularly special players. Turks rated Emre "their greatest ever player" when we signed him, that accolade has perhaps now been passed on to Tuncay but still you get my point, actually judging by some of yours posts you probably don't, ney mind eh. What has that got to do with my point that he's not actually that highly rated outside Toon fans? Turkey's greatest ever player? On the evidence of what he has been like in the premiership, he's not looked that good to me. Well the Turkish fans rate him, in fact a whole Country does, so your dumb point means fuk all, quite literally fuk all Mr Carrot. Mr Carrot? I do apologise, Mr errrrm, Nail. Sorry, i mistook you for a comedian with some of this shit you've posted up in this thread, i couldn't help read it in a comical Brummie voice. Slip of the mind, wont happen again sire. You also made the tragic error of mistaking Jasper Carrott for a comedian, which throws into question your judgement on the whole. We should carry this debate on for a few months or so. We could be the new NE5 and Mick ;-)