Villa Fans Backing For O'Neill

that image does amuse me!

I think people are missing the point, having a go at people on this site just because they've become unhappy with MON, all the people in favour of MON keep talking about this five year plan! which is all well and true, some people who I won't name, are even calling me and others, glory hunters! now tell me if I'm wrong, but being a Villa fan for 40 years most definatley dosn't make me or anyone else for that matter a GLORY HUNTER, it's also been claimed, WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT FOOTBALL! what I do know is this, nearly a dozen games into the second year of the five year plan, we are playing poor football, that's not me being a glory hunter, thats me pointing out the facts, I'm also not impressed with MON's tactics, again, thats nothing to do with not knowing anything about football, its about watching the games and seeing it for myself! and 3rd, MON's purchases in the transfer market with the exception of Ashley young, have been poor, to be honest I don't see any improvment in the football we play now, than when other managers were in charge, this is not about whats going on behind the scenes, this is about whats happening on the pitch! I know you'll say wait for the players to come thru the system, but i can't see that making any difference, if the managers tactics are wrong and outdated it dosn't matter who's in your squad! look at Spurs great team of players, wrong tactics, wrong manager, it didn't work, look at England for god sake, Rooney, Gerrard, Barry, Owen, Terry, wrong manager, wrong tactics and even they play like amatuers, don't let the five year plan mask your judgement.

If not MON then who? Perhaps we could have a poll to see whom the dissenters would pick to replace one of the best managers in the business? The team and the whole of the Villa set up was so far in the doldrums under Herbert that it will years to get it all out of the systems at Villa Park. I think Randy and MON are doing a good job. MON just needs to tighten up his work in the transfer market, that's all. Wait until the New Year and see the difference.

Not really sure what is expected? We are 10 games into the season and are on 15 points compared to 11 points last season from the exact same fixtures. Fans were generally happy with the progress made last season and we have improved significantly points wise since then. Our spend, after in/outs are taken into consideration, is average compared to other clubs. We are the 11th biggest supported club in the country based on Season Ticket sales. We are making progress. Some games have been poor, some may disagee with tactics, we would have liked a right back in place. But we are making progress. Other than Chelski on the back of russian gangster money, no club has made long term progress by constantly changing managers. We have done that over the years and everybody complained. Now we have an opportunity to make progress and people want to do what we have done for years, which is create instability. Let me let you in to a secret .... it doesn't work. We improved last season. We have improved this season. Why would anyone want to change the management of an average club, with average attendances, that is slowly but surely getting its act together? We are doing better than our support or expenditure deserve. It is no good saying we can't wait for a 'five year plan'. Anybody with any sense knows that if you don't plan then you plan to fail. Just making decisions as you go along is what Villa have done for years ..... and look where it got us. We all knew in the first few years of the new regime there would be ups and downs. Accept it. This season we have beaten Chelski, Everton, Fulham at home. All clubs we failed to beat last season. We have picked up points at Newcastle and Spuds where we were beaten last season. These are ups. Losing to Leicester, ManCiteh, Manure and Murderpool were downs. Last season we drew too many games, this season we have won more than we have drawn or lost. Along with every club in the league I wish we played footy like the Arse. But I am a realist. We are moving forwards and I believe any change now will set us back years. If we were struggling in the lower reaches of the league than I would agree that plans would have to be revised. But we are not. So sit back and lets see where M'ON takes us. At the moment it is forwards. At the moment the fortunes of the club mirror the attitude of the fans. Some times we're good, sometimes we are crap. But we are moving forwards. Time to look at things again is when we start moving backwards.

Hear hear VOTH.....good to hear a voice of reason at last. Agree with every word!

The Bolton game was a cock up and MON admitted that afterwards. He basically got it wrong and this is excusable as they had a new manager etc. even though he can't do this every week. He did manage to change it round however and rescued a point which hopefully means that after a year with us he is getting back into the swing of things after a couple of years out of the game. 7-9 points are needed in the next 3 games and all will be back on track.

I like the man and think he is a good manager. Not many better ones around at the moment and i think you should be glad you have him.

listen, this is the last time, I'm not getting into backwards and forwards arguments over this one, I think we're poor, you don't, thats fine, it's been over 50 games since MON took charge and I can't say with any confidence that i see any improvement on o'leary.if you can, then good for u, let me just say, the team we have right now is going to get us nowhere, and when i ask why, I can only see the managers poor buying is at fault, if he continues to buy like this we''ll need a 30 year plan, so lets agree to disagree, and time will see who's right

When you consider O'Leary took a near relegated side to 6th in his first season with a spend of 4 million, its puts into perspective considering what then happened in years 2 and 3 what O'Neill has supposedly achieved by spending nigh on 50 mil on players he hardly seems able to play. He's done well thanks to some decent players left from his predecessors and the euphoria of his appointment last season plus a good start this. Our last 5 matches don't look as promising especially as a defence that he spent most on in the summer has conceded 9 in the last 4 games and only 1 game Man Utd was against a quality side. On the field he's getting average inconsistent results, but when you look at the transfer table with up to 5 of his players at a cost of 30 million not good enough to play in one of the smallest squads around you see how poor he is. I'd defy any manager with such a spend to be classed as 'good' let alone the 'best' when over 60% of his transfers don't play, what is the point of buying them?

AVFC48 - you make me laugh. Comparing today's prices with DOL's day - hohoho. Different league - different world. Tell me one manager that has transformed a club overnight by throwing cash at it. (Sven!!!???).

great piece VOTH,have to say agree with every word but then again mate we will always have negative people and also doom and gloom merchants who only see the down side of everything regarding villa.it seems they want miracles over night,well lets be realistic here it aint going to happen that quick.patience is the key word here folks,obviously some people just do not have them simple.UTV

I have given up reading and posting on this site as much as I did, as I think it's tough enough supporting the Villa without subjecting myself to the tedious negativity of what seems like the majority of posters. So it is good to see that 71% in this poll think that MON is doing a good or better job. Maybe I'm not the only one to take the decision I have.

I suppose in all honesty and in defence of those posting negative stuff you have to ask has MON done enough so far in one and a third seasons to make anyone beleive he will be taking the club into the top 5? Personally I think its heading in the right direction but not quick enough for some supporters.

gobby gabby and everyone else, its about they way we play, not the points we have or the position we're in, just what happens on the pitch, and I can't see any improvement, none at all, we don't play good football at the moment and thats down to the manager

Sarge, sorry to hear about the shed situation. I am sure you will find more work. Sounds like the owners have hired some Polish guys who have undercut you They wouldn't have been behind schedule and would have worked constantly until it was finished though. Does anyone know if there are any Polish managers out there???????????????? P.S. I also reckon you could have got that shed done on time if only the owners had given you a chance. Keep the faith.

clvilla the sarcasm started way before i wrote that, read everthing or don't read any, what you said WAS EXACTLY WORD FOR WORD WHAT I SAID EARLIER IN THE WEEK, everyone has there own view! and if you took the time to read everthing you would see I haven't once said anything about sacking the guy, all I've said was we don't play good football, the tactics are wrong, he's bought badly, and so on, the 5 year plan is not on track, beating chelsea dosen't mean it is,ITS ABOUT THE FOOTBALL, AND WE ARE POOR, NO QUESTIONS

Yes of course a debate would be good FW ;) only teasing relax, back to the debate, answer to your questions a) I'm not sure who could do better than MON at this moment, but that dosen't mean there's no one out there. B) Not sure again if there was any decent Brits out there, but I would rather see him delve into the foriegn market, than just buy because he thought he had to, some older players may have helped just till we got our foot in, Portsmouth don't seem to be doing badly with tried and tested players, it didn't hinder Bolton either. C) no I don't expect us to play like a top 5 club with the squad we have! but if this five year plan is going to work we have to start playing attractive football soon, the Bolton game just tipped me over the edge, I traveled to Bolton all the way from Weymouth Dorset and back last Sunday, and for what, a ***** poor performance. and D) if we got a new manager I would hope to see some improvement on the pitch after 2 transfer markets and 50 games spent in charge, I don't want miracles but decent football, I read the newspaper on monday after the Bolton game, the telegraph and the mirrior both said we were desperate, and sadly I have to agree, I like the man don't get me wrong but not half as much as the Villa, so for me it has to be about the football, we don't have the team to grind out draws away from home and win at home like Arsenal did, the team isn't old enough for that, I can't remember playing good football since Little was here, and thats not good enough. and why we're on the subject you might want to let george dubaya bush know that someone else's five year plan looks like going tits up has well!

We're on the right track. Things are looking up. We're still not where we need to be, but after sixteen months of the MON era we're moving in the right direction.