Great Expectations

Well said that man, whichever man said it! It shows that MON wants more from the team and that being where we are currently isn't good enough for him. he has bigger things planned. Looking forward to the summer and a whole host of signings coming in. Get them quick i say or performances in the Euros will up prices!

Sorry to be a damp squib. But I remain to be convinced. Being linked to Carr, Carson, Beattie doesn't help. Also getting players in earlier is key, leaving it to the very last minute in previous windows has been a bad strategy (with no plan B). The various excuses about players going on holiday etc does do it for me. other teams manage to do it.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - time for a breakaway. The 16 clubs led by Newcastle and Villa should withdraw from the Premier League and rejoin the Football League. Chelsea, Arsenal Man Utd and Lpool are welcome to join but would need to surrender all their Champions League money and TV money to be shared out equally. It wouldn't change the Big 4 - but it would give others some better chance of joining them and returning football to something a weeny bit more like a sport, although still far from a level playing field. Cloud cuckoo land you may say - but it's cloud cuckoo land to think the Big 4 can be broken into with the current set up - unless Mr Big (Abramovitch Mark 2) of whoever ploughs in his millions - such as Man City may do. Villa are much nearer Middlesbrough in quality than they are to Liverpool. That is not decrying what we have done this season when we are actually only 14 adrift of Lpool (in a good season for us and a bad one for them) and 20 above Middlesbrough. But to get the next level up we are a long way short of the quality required. Young, Laurrson, Curtis Davies (hopefully), and Barry if he stayed are the only players at that level. Bouma could hack it defensively. That in my view is it. Hopefuly we have a couple of gems in the wings and 3 or 4 signings could push us on - but realistically only to being more certain of regularly securing a UEFA cup place and hopefully doing better in the domestic cups too. This is not meant to be critical or pessimistic - just realistic. MON has done brilliantly as has Randy and everyone at Villa Park. I look forward to closing the gap on the Big 4 but the way that success is rewarded at the moment is only to make the currently successful even more successful. Look at all the league tables for the last few years - the gap is widening not narrowing, and it is harder and harder to keep up. Prove me wrong please - but why can't we breakaway - they would miss us too much not to rejoin us and should be brought down from their priveleged and unfair position of advantage. Dreamland - at present - but look at all the scheming in Europe to level things up by rejigging the rules. It happened before.

This big 4 thing is a nonsense. Teams have broken into it before. Newcastle, Blackburn, Everton. It's just a case of someone breaking in and then progressing and if we can keep all our players, with the young squad we have that could quite easily be us.

The big 3 will be broken, not too long ago in football history we were in there. I think Newcastle could break it and Everton, if we buy some players then we're in perfect state to break it ourselves. Money does alot but it doesn't do everything, Wenger hasn't spent anything near what most teams have recently and but for him having a very young squad without enough experienced players that know how to win football matches the ugly way they could be title holders now.

evoflash - Welcome to 'The Fairy Glen' clique. Positive, upbeat, optimistic - just what I, and the Fairy Glen members love.