John

Those were in the heady days before we realised that our bright future had been replaced by a prudent one and that managers like those would not work for us under those constraints Mantis. :cry:

Or between Steve McClaren and Big Eck jacketspuds? I wonder which of them would we have gone for had we known it was going to end up as a straight choice between those two?

My only slight concern would be if QPR beat Stoke (which I think will happen) and Newcastle beat or draw at home with Manchester City (which could happen) and Manchester United beat Swansea at home (which will happen) then Manchester City may be so deflated if Manchester United are winning on the last day at Sunderland that they would roll over and allow a still motivated QPR to get a draw or win which if we got no more points (which may well happen) and Bolton get 4 points from their last 3 games (which could well happen) would see us lose our relegation battle on the last day against all odds as Small Heath did last season.

The men in suits strike again. It reminds me of when everyone wanted Brian Clough and got Ron Greenwood. They go for the man who will make things comfortable for them rather than the one that will shake things (including them) up and be best for England. The fans wishes then and now are ignored. Oh and of course he is the cheap option...

When we next have a new manager to appoint it will be a tough ask for anyone unless money is to be made available (which I doubt will happen - as most of us felt that there would be money available last summer given the sales we made and particularly when we then appointed Big Eck but it did not happen). So without money our choice will be more limited than it was last time as we would be seen as relegation candidates next season if we do stay up this time. With money the situation would change as it would take very little for a manager to improve on this season's performances and league place so prospective managers would be more tempted to take us on. As things stand now we have little chance of getting Martinez, Lambert, Adkins or Rodgers as they may not see us as a much better prospect than where they already are without the pressures that our job would give them. The same would apply but much more so to the likes of Bilic, Villas-Boas or Rafa. So I guess we would be left with managers who are out of a job or whose stock has fallen this season or who are outside the PL such as Bruce, Poyet, Holloway, Sven, Coyle and di Matteo for example. Poyet would be my choice of those as he seems like Lambert an up and coming manager but he is one who has yet to get to the PL with the club he is at and so may be more up for it should an offer be made.

Graham Taylor from The Times today: "I think there are foreign owners who still haven't grasped what English football's about. I'm surrounded by Villa fans where I live and because of the secrecy that seems to surround the club these days, they don't know what's happening partly because Randy, like a lot of overseas owners, doesn't do interviews. Before Gerard Houllier was appointed, I was asked by Paul Faulkner to meet with him and Randy Learner after the Everton game. I went, was quite happy to offer any advice that was required, but then Randy was engaged with other guests sent his apologies and I spoke with Paul instead. I wasn't asked about the managerial situation but I did say I thought if Villa were going to push on from the Martin O'Neill era, they were going to have to cover the foreign (transfer) market better. I was put out, having gone to meet the chairman and chief executive, to hear the owner was unable to see me. I'm not so certain where the football knowledge is on the Villa board. Steve Stride was a great football secretary in my day and I do believe you need a football man on the inside. Don't worry, I'm not offering my services, but football knowledge is essential to a board". Shocking that others were considered so vital to meet that Randy would stand up a former Engalnd manager. :shock: I would guess the football knowledge on our board is limited to American Football and given what Graham has said he may sadly not be invited to provide this which for me is a pity. Of the managerial situation he adds: "Here are people, who have said nothing, now saying this week he's got our full support - for 3 games. I bet that pleases Alex. Who's responsible for this appointment process? My view is, no manager can do anything inside one year. Any manager needs 3 years to say he's had a chance to impose his own style. Dismissing anyone within one year, that's not fair. The club was in turmoil when they appointed Alex and he knew there was no money as the club looked to curtail the wage bill". But he added, "If they do get relegated - as Birmingham City are getting promoted in the play offs on the other side of the city - then that has to be enough for any manager to be sacked. Villa supporters would not be able to see straight but its the people making the appointments who need to share responsibility". Any sharing of responsibility was not what was being considered when they made the appointment I would suggest.

Eck quoted in The Daily Mail today: "I looked at every scenario. One thing you certainly cannot do is take this league for granted. You can't come in and say "The Aston Villa badge means we will be in the top 10". I looked closely at the squad when we discussed the financial side of things and thought it was going to be a tough job. Villa were relegation threatened last year with a stronger squad. I know the supporters don't want this. They want Villa to be in the top six or something. That's Villa's history and heritage. At the moment, it's not realistic". Faulkner seemed to think it was realistic when he set that target for us well into this season. So have you told him he was not being realistic as well Big Eck?

I stand corrected beasley 14. I think it was that new Carlos hair trim that led me to the identity malfunction and BOF is 110% right the buck stops with me on this one. :winkold: KjParton - We are very near agreement on the best and worst in the game then. I'm not quite sure we deserve to go down quite yet. We do deserve to be in our present position but the ball is still in our court so a result in our next 3 games could yet save us as could WBA by winning at Bolton for example. So 3 teams below us need to make up the point and goal difference we now hold over them in what remains of this season. If they do and we fail to get enough from our last 3 games to maintain a gap then we will deserve to take the drop as the table will show. But its not over till the fat lady sings although I suspect she is clearing her throat and I think I may be trying to convince us both that there is still hope when I now doubt it myself.

It would be CI but the directors controlled and selected the team up until season 1934-35 when our first manager was appointed (Jimmy McMullan). He left in 1936-37 following our first ever relegation the season before. He is also the first and last Villa manager to have started a season in which we were relegated and the next one in a lower division as our manager.

Would we be getting a replacement though PieFacE? Or would the money just be used to help balance the books again? We are a selling club now and as our prize asset (DB) will not have shown he is fit in time for this year's summer sales. I wonder whether the club is looking around to see which player would bring in some decent money this time around? Gabby would seem to be next in line when it comes to how much we might get for him but with each top player we sell the less other clubs will feel they need to bid to get their man. I think £7 - 8m may tempt the club and the club's scapegoat might be given say £3m to replace him if that...

Brad, Neville, Adams, Paul, Irwin, Becks, Lampard, Gerrard, Giggs, Wright & Shearer for me.

Sad news. I think he had no real chance of winning after his pre-race and I guess he would have been pulled out had it been anything other than the National and it is a pity he was allowed to go on to run.

I didn't see the winner winning it just pipped my one on the line. Such is life! :cry:

Sunnyhillboy for me with a saver on Synchronised.

Some of the things that I miss: Singing “7 times we’ve won it no one else can catch us up” and believing it! Paying 2/- to get in and 6d for a programme. Standing in the lower Trinity and standing in general. Seeing us line up against the likes of George Best, Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore, Gordon Banks, Cruyff and Rossi. Singing “Bertie Mee said to Bill Shankly have you heard of the North Bank Highbury, Shanks said no I don’t think so but I’ve heard of the Villa aggro”. Standing on a not segregated Witton End to watch a Villa vs Small Heath game. Tommy Docherty as our manager in the dark days giving us some hope. Bruce Rioch’s free kicks and cannonball shots. Seeing us come back from a goal behind at home to Bournemouth in front of 48,110 fans and hearing the Trinity joining in with the chant “Villa, Villa” and watching it that night on MOTD. Andy Lochhead and later Andy Gray in the air. Brian Little walking on water. Standing on that muddy bit on the top of the Witton End and watching Pele with floodlights powered by a generator. Being taken to night matches by my father. Being the best team in England and then in Europe. Singing "Champions of Europe". Having Ron Saunders, Big Ron and GT as our managers. Having McGrath at the back and Mortimer shaking hands in the centre circle. Releasing those balloons behind the goal at the Holte End with my mates. Players we have sold. Belief in a bright future. Winning home games.

Anything is better than those bells villa75. What was it by the way? For whom the bells toll by Metallica or Down Down by Status Quo possibly? :winkold:

Former Villa player Larry Canning passed away on 4/4/12 at the age of 86 following a long battle with Vascular Dementia. Larry joined us from Paget Rangers and made 41 league and cup appearances for Aston Villa scoring 3 goals. He made his Villa debut in season 1948-49 and left the club for Kettering Town after making 9 league appearances for us in season 1953-54 when he lined up in a Villa team that was managed by Eric Houghton and captained by Danny Blanchflower. Larry scored 3 goals for our club. He scored twice during season 1950-51 with goals in a 1–1 home draw against Arsenal and he then hit our first in a 3-2 home win against Burnley. In his penultimate season with the club he found the net to add our second in a 2-0 home win against Burnley. Larry was a wing half who later following a suggestion from David Coleman to “have a go” became a much respected sports journalist and broadcaster. His widow Margaret told “The Sunday Mercury” that she had been “overwhelmed by the amount of people who have been in touch or sent flowers” and added “I would have thought people had forgotten oldies like us. It is so lovely to know that so many people thought so well of him”. She also revealed that “he was one of the only journalists Brian Clough ever had any time for. Brian would always call him Mr Canning, and I don’t think he ever failed to get an interview with him”. Larry’s funeral will be held on Tuesday 17/4/12 at 12.20 at Wilford Hill Crematorium, Loughborough Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham. My thoughts are with his family. HEITS.

Today’s 158th Boat Race was ruined by what appeared to have been a swimming “protestor” who was spotted bobbing in the river and moving towards the Oxford boat. With the race just past the half way point and with Oxford edging what had been a tight race up until then the boats were halted and the man was later reported to have been smiling when detained. Cambridge went on to claim the race after the re-start when what would have been an 8 minute sprint to the finish became a one horse race when an Oxford oar broke moments after the resumption. The reserve umpire Matthew Pinsent said "It's not ideal but given those circumstances what could we do?" He added it’s a safety issue someone in the water might be a very serious injury if someone was hit by a rowing boat. Fortunately we spotted him and stopped the race. What could we do? We couldn't possibly have carried on”. For me he knew the risk as did the late Emily Wilding Dawson 99 years ago when she was prepared to put her life in jeopardy for the suffragette cause at The Derby when attempting to disrupt that. I wonder how just his “cause” is in comparison to that of the suffragette movement and to what extent he considered it worth ruining a race that both crews have trained hard for and a spectacle that many had turned out to watch on the river? What are your thought on his action? Was there no security on the bank to stop something like this happening? Can anyone think of a suitable punishment for this individual save letting the race carry on to leave him in its wake or do you think he should be treated leniently and so embolden others to feel free to do similar things at subsequent public events?

Well said McGregor1888. I agree 110%. I have felt the bitter taste of relegation three times and there really is no guarantee of coming back quickly or at all (as Wolves, WBA and we have demonstrated in the past and as Leeds, Coventry, Portsmouth, Derby & Nottingham Forest are showing now). 1986/7 was the most recent occasion for us and we can thank Graham Taylor for getting us back first time of asking. There was also 1966/7 when we went down the season after England’s World Cup win and stayed in the old Division 2 until 1969/70 when we were relegated again to the old Division 3. Back then there seemed no quick easy way back and it took 2 seasons in the Third Division and another three in Division 2 until we made it back to the top division. This football club had only twice previously been relegated in 1935/6 when it took us 2 seasons to get back and in 1958/9 when we also got back first time of asking under Joe Mercer. Our 5 relegations were ugly stains on our great football club and the fact that this has only happened to us 5 times is something we can take some pride in. There really is nothing to be gained in going down but there is much to be lost.

It was in 1973 that they won it John and that was 39 years ago. :winkold: I agree that the League Cup is still a possible as our manager showed last season with you know who but the FA Cup is a different matter and it rarely goes to someone outside the usual suspects these days and even when it did with Portsmouth they overspent to do it and are now paying for doing so. Football can be exciting if the games are good to watch. Losing and being near the bottom does not make things exciting it leaves us feeling miserable and living in fear of the drop...

But who told them Trent? :winkold: I had not heard it on SKY by the way.

Thanks for that inside informaton again. But will he still be here for and attend the Stoke game???? Not long ago the answer would have been an almost certain yes now you have to doubt it.

Going back in time: I was less than excited on the manager front when we brought Graham Turner in from Shrewsbury for season 84/5 to manage a team that had started season 82/3 as champions of Europe and who under him with a little help from Billy McNeill were relegated in 86/7. Player wise I would go for Eric Djemba- Djemba.

Great support from Celtic fans at their game on 19 minutes as well. To hear he even considered pulling on a shirt on Saturday says so much about this man who has represented both clubs so well.