UpTheVilla26

I'm actually looking forward to this appointment now. I think Randy has done well, at a time when there is not much out there, to have approached an intelligent, experienced manager with excellent contacts in the game that can only be to Villa's benefit. I've got a really positive feeling about the rest of the season and believe we could see some excellent Football being played at Villa. Would it be premature to even think about a bit of Silverware arriving in 2011? It is time we all got behind the team as a group of fans. We didn't rush into a knee-jerk appointment, we haven't 'tapped' up another club's manager or had to fork out a huge release fee to get our man. The board have done this with the up-most respect and had dignity throughout the search. I say well done Randy, you've proved to put the wellfare of this great club before your own personal glory and have made a very good decision. He stood up to a manager that saw him as a cash-cow and was, IMO, willing to see us plummet into debt to achieve a dream he harboured. As a club, we must operate within our means. I for one would rather see us finish 10th every season than do a Leeds chasing the impossible dream. Up The Villa!

But O'Neill didn't harp on about it the way Thompson does. Granted he is given a platform by Sky Sports to have his Liverpool love-up on where as O'Neill was busy hassling Randy for a few more pence. I am at the point with all this where I don't care who does the job as long as... A. A team is picked on merit and players who are playing shit - Downing springs to mind - don't get picked all the time. B. We win games. I don't care if we win 1-0 and defend for 90 minutes or win 5-4. 3 points is 3 points. C. They realise that there are players to be had by looking beyond this country. I don't want a team of 2nd rate foreignors, I'm actually quite proud Villa have so many English players, but a bit of flair from abroad wouldn't go a miss. 2 of our best ever Defenders came out the European market.

Aye, that will be me. Stood next to my missus in the white. First time she's donned a Villa top - though she has managed to put up with 5 years of my Villa-related mood swings.

I'd rather have Curbishley than either of them to be fair

Phil Thompson Why not just pop out to Qatar and see if O'Leary fancies another shot at getting us relegated. Houllier is just about acceptable but I couldn't watch that other idiot in our Dugout. This is the same guy who basically cries on Soccer Saturday if Liverpool concede a goal. Why would we want a bloke like that in our setup? The way it's going, not only do I see us having to find a new manager NEXT Summer but also a new owner. I'm prepared to eat my words if it turns out a success but I can't see it.

That's my Granddad!! Haha He had a great day. I think that made his day doing the photo. I never realised he had so many shirts!!

It was my Dad's 50th Birthday get together yesterday. He and myself are Villa fans and go to plenty of games. He jokingly said about doing a photo with us all wearing a Villa shirt. His girlfriend went off upstairs and came back with a varied selection of Villa shirts for everyone to wear. Unfortunately we didn't quite have enough for everyone to wear one but I think we did well.

I'd get shot of him. Keep Sidwell though, can never have enough gingers in the squad. We lack height in Midfield. The amount of balls lost in the air is pathetic. We've always had a player in the middle like a Taylor or a Boateng who can get up and win challenges. Half the time Reo-Coker don't even jump.

Clearing in the woods? Haha I never put that.

brrrrring brrrrrring Brrrrring brrrrrring Recep: hello, Aston Villa recruitment office Impressionist: hi, it’s David here, any progress on my terms and conditions? Recep: ah yes, all done and in the post, Randy agreed to allowing your next to be conceived here and named Holte. Impressionist: ok, not sure what that last bit was about but I think I got everything I was hoping for from this conversation. Recep: no problem, we’ll see you Monday then Mr Beckham, hope your voice is better by then Or it will be 'Where are you, you ginger clearing in the woods, get down here fast, we got some greying, old drunk down here claiming he used to play for us and has Premiership experience'

How about someone rings Villa posing as Moyes. Then we'd know what the crack is. Been done before.

Why are Everton doing a photoshoot for?

Do you know this for sure? Are you ITK? No, I am not ITK. We would have heard more to this if he was intending on actually going - some story other than he "cancelled" a photo shoot. To be fair though, we've not heard an awful lot from Villa. Not a lot on why O'Neill jacked and not even confirmation of this '5 man' shortlist. Everything is very hush hush which could point to a compensation agreement having to be reached.

How can you be so certain? Nothing is certain in Football and now days loyalty counts for nothing. If a manager or player see's a achnce to better themselves then there is not much you can do to stop that. Contracts count for shit these days. Dangle a few mill in front of Everton and what they going to do if he wants to leave?

Not heard that, but I seriously think he'll come. I listened to Stanley Victor on Talksport the other night and he was quite convinced Moyes was going to be the one. I'd love Moyes to come. I don't think he can do much else at Everton. Looking at the 2 clubs, we are the one's in a position, IMO, to make that step up and challenge which he would relish. Then in January he can pop back to Everton and sign Cahill

I quite like the sound of Donadoni. Well, more than I do of **** Curbishley. However, looking at the Italian managers plying their trade in England (or were) I'm not convinced. Capello can't do anything right, Mancini can't even assemble a team with £300 mill and Zola, well he was just crap. I can't see Donadoni wanting a DOF above him either. As I've said since day 1, give it to Sven. Contract until the Summer, see what he can do. We won't get relegated - there is a lot of shit in the Prem these days - so what's the worst he could do? If we finish mid-table we can all blame MON, if we finish 7th,6th or 5th then we are bubbling along nicely but if somehow he got us into top 4, happy days all round! His record at club level is very good and he's the best of the bunch. If we appoint Curbishley, it will be the biggest mistake since re-appointing Graham Taylor. Everyone harps on in the Media about 'ex-Villa star Curbishley' yet he only played 36 times for us, yet he 'knows' the club. Bollocks to that. Sven, Moyes, Donadoni or DOF & MacDonald. In that order.

Given time, I think he'll be an excellent signing. Just need a decent striker now for him to supply.

The more I actually think of Sven joining, the more optimistic I become about the new season. I think he'd do a good job and would possibly attract a couple of 'big' names to Villa Park. Did he also manage City when Ireland was their player of the season? Or was that Hughes?

Why is everyone so upset with the possibility of Sven coming? He actually did well at City (until he knew he was off and they got dicked at Middlesbrough) and his club record ain't half bad. He made the fatal mistake of becoming England manager (England fans & media will never be happy until we win the World Cup - problem is, our players are shit) and since then nobody has given him a fair chance. I'd get him in on a one year deal. If he does a good job, then offer him a 3 year contract. He'd have more clout in the Transfer Market than any of the names we are being linked with.