Poll: O'Neill's Last Transfer Window Chance?

Sack the board, sack the board, sack the board. Sorry, im having flashbacks to 5 years ago

on a more serious note its irrelevant, cos randy aint gonna sack MON for merely not pushing on, we'd have to finish bottom half for him to even consider it

i dont think any villan in there right mind would want MON and while he has made mistakes and is not perfect his record suggests that he one of the best managers in the prem and i would not be at all supprised if we are trying to fight of man u to ratain his services when fergie leaves

You're right lurman. Lerner and O'Neill are bosom buddies, and to be perfectly honest, I can't see Lerner ever sacking O'Neill. It'll be O'Neill who decides when he goes. Of course, if things are bad enough on the pitch for the VP faithful to turn on O'Neill, then he might be persuaded to go. So maybe a future poll question might be, How bad must things get before you turn on O'Neill? a) no prospect of CL football, b) finishing outside the top 6, c) failiure to secure European football, d) bottom half finish and no success in the cups, e) relegation.

sorry would want MON out

Tend to agree and have said so a few times Albarnista. I don't go for this 'Randy and MON are buddies' stuff, they are both realistic and practical, I don't think Randy has got to where he is by not making difficult decisions when needed BUT would think it far more likely, following comments MON made at the first Capital Gold fans forum about not wanting long contracts because if he wasn't do well, he'd be embarrassed to be in the dug out etc... that if a departure was to happen, it would be him leaving.

Really hoping this is all academic, that we get the players we need in and get off to a flyer next season again!

It is perfectly reasonable for supporters to expect the team to 'push on' again this next season. So far, with MON and Randy in charge, the progess has been steady rather than spectacular. However, with two of our key players having departed, if we are going to 'push on' again this year then it is an imperative that, apart from replacing Laursen and Barry, we bring in at least three others to strengthen our already admittedly small squad. That, I assume, is the five additions that MON has talked about. Sadly, with the tremendous imperatives to bring in players to even stand still, the lack of transfer activitiy is underwhelming. Plus, the longer we take to bring in new players the smaller the pool from which to pick, so 'Yes' it can reasonably be argued that this transfer window is MON's last chance. The lack of transfer activity is beginning to defy logic.

For those who would be happy to see the back of MON, me NOT being one of them, who would they want to replace him with? I can think of very few managers that I would think would be good enough.

Leelindsay no i am not a blue nose bute a very big claret n blue one ...i dont know what your actual point is as you havent made one....Obediah good comment and the lack of activity is scary but i just cant believe that we will not have strengthened the squad come end of the window that would defy logic

Mon must stay we need a long term manager, granted he is slow in the transfer market and that is cos he wants to get the right player in, he cant win really cos if he overspends and gets players in quick and they r ***** the fans will still moan, we have to realise that to break into the top 4 we need a middle eastern billionaire, personally i prefer Randy and mon and the way they are doing things.

(Think he confused your one post 'would want MON out' for you saying you want him our rather than you correcting your previous post Runtingz?!)

DoLpHiNaTor my choice would be Barry Fry... I'm up for a giggle....! JOKING... don't panic!

sorry yes i was refering to previous post as my spelling is as good has marlon harwoods ball control :)

This is mental, absolutely mental. Has O'Neill not brought us from 16th to 11th to 6th (two seasons in a row I know but he nearly got us Champions League last season)? I wish people would have a bit of patience. He has been here for 3 seasons. How long did Ferguson, Wenger, Moyes have? Crazy talk.

Astonsteve there is another supporter that looks at things like myself ..i also think our club is owned by the right type of person and run in the correct manner for the long term good...i just think all the clubs throwing billions at it will come a cropper in time to come when there billionaire owners get bored of there new toy

he's said five season so even if we dont make european football next year mon has to have the next season. however the footballing environment has changed since Lerner came in and the money that we have to spend will probably be enough just to maintain year on year. at the time he took over we were happy that we were one of the few with a mega rich chairman and we would really challenge but now were one of the many and are dwarfed in terms of man citys capabilities. We will also suffer as a result of our own success as in reality we cant hold on to our top players long term if were not in the CL which seems to be the be all and end all now.

Of course we all hope that MON brings in some good players, we obviously need at least Barry and Laursen replaced. But the proof of the pudding is in the tasting, and what happens after the TW has finished. If by Christmas we are still in the top 6, no questions will be asked. But if we get knocked out of all three cups early on, and excuses are again made about "prioritising" and "small squad" then I think he will as least loose the patience of the fans, just as DOL did. In the end, its the fans and results that count, excuses and being well in with the chairmen can't carry the can for you forever. But lets just hope that that isn't going to be the case. Maybe in 2 weeks time, we have 2 or 3 more players in and we will have forgotten all about this poll!

Assuming that the bid for Distin was from us and the previous 1 for Delph was from us, it shows that MON is trying and i guess the transfer business is more difficult than we know. Also, i dont know how others feel, but i like the way MON and Randy do business. We are building a squad where as Man City are buying in form players. That may bring them instant success, but they will end up not selling players for much money as they will be past it. Also their youth set up will be crap forcing them to spend.It cant possibly end well for them in the long run! I.e Bankruptcy

keep mon, get a transfer person in? he deal;s with transfer witth mon?

I think we give MON the chance to keep doing what he is doing we are getting better season on season. That is a fact.

"... the longer we take to bring in new players the smaller the pool from which to pick". Why is that, Obediah? It can't be because everyone else is snapping up all of our targets - hardly any of our rivals, apart from the Mancs, have dipped their toes in either.

have to agree BobTheBuilder, been a strange trransfer window, seems most are waiting for others to make a move or for one player to move before the domino effect starts. Funny old game really!

simply put, there aint many better and besides i actually really like the man.

I hope this is not the last transfer window for MON- I have plenty of faith in M'ON and like all fans will question the odd signing, however he has over the 3 years improved us and taken away the doom and gloom we faced for years. Whatever gets said about the signings - they have managed to pull together and achieve two consecutive top 6 finishes (when was the last time that happpened?) No doubt the demands of the PL has increased and and in the words on MON himself "to stand still in this league - we are going to have to improve" he knows the game and he knows what is required to push on from last season - Keep the faith!

I'm pretty certain that most Villa fans will agree that Mon's coaching and management skills are superb (barring a few subs issues). Most of the grumbling about MON has been about his transfer activities... Maybe its worth considering a sporting director or something similar. Somebody who is maybe a little more visible in the transfer market and maybe more aggressive in signing players.

Last chance in the transfer market?Why because he has got us into europe two out of his three seasons?I actually find it extremley wierd that i look at our club on the up and then come on here and see this sort of talk,Its like a parallel universe with a distorted view on reality.The man isn`t perfect but he has done absolutely nothing to warrant this type of talk.

I agree in Learneravfc. O'neill knows his stuff. i dont think talk would be like this if we peaked at the end of the season instead of at the start.

Who would we rather have? I want that one...Iwant that one...Iwant that one as well, twitchy 'Arry or I've got no money but I'll tout your players anyway fat waiter?! MON does his business in a patient way and respecting the wishes of the other club and the player/s involved he doesn't gob off at every opportunity. I know which I would prefer, if by midnight on 1st August we still have only 1 player in I will be the first to complain until then leave him to it.

Stupid poll, do all those with negative comments enjoy your football? Got a rope tied to the rafters in my garage if you want to use it.

The very title of this article shows that maybe DOL was right and many of us are fickle. We really need to look at this properly. Too many say we need to replace O'Neill, Laursen, Barry etc. etc. and need to kick on. Firstly, based on what City have been doing this summer, any advance on the 6th place finish last year would be a sensational job - not consilation, but almost an improvement as it would mean being above at least one of Everton, City or one of the top 4. Laursen out but we did buy Cuellar and make Davies permanent because we knew he was injury-prone. Throw in a return of Bouma (who can play CB) and Knight and WE ARE NOT TOO BAD. Not great but unless we are going to get Hangelaand are we going to improve significantly in that area with the likes of Sol Campbell or Sylvain Distin. Barry left but we thought that would happen last year so we got Sidwell. We now have Sidwell, NRC, Petrov, Gardner and now Milner/Downing (whoever isnt going wide) competing too - WE ARE NOT TOO BAD! Not going to improve signifiantly with Jermaine Jenas or Tom Huddlestone. We have got it good!! Unless someone can suggest a better manager?? Im all ears - every time the O'Neill question is brought up I always ask the same - suggest someone better. I have never had an answer!! We should be proud that he is our manager and like Wenger, Ferguson and probably Moyes he is in a job where he decides when he leaves. The vast majority of clubs in England and Europe would take him in a flash.....Im sure the richest club in the world would rather have him (but keep it down, they may just throw the £££ at him!!)

i agree deano. i think although we have a small squad. we have a lot of unknowns. ie, cuellar, sidwell, reo, gardener, etc all great players but non have had a massive run in the squad in thir correct position. so we dont know much about them, even tho all of them have great promise. I honestly think this season is gonna prove to be much better than people think. Id never wanna get rid of O'neill. he has changed Villa for the better and hasnt reached his peak yet.

Firstly I'd just like to say thanks to most of you for not taking the personal route and having a go at me for suggesting the poll, I myself don't want MON to leave Aston Villa, he is a great manager for us, but I wonder if he has what it takes to make that 'wow' signing purely on his transfers for us and Celtic, it doesn't look like it. I think the last poll agreed with this because 75% of you thought we should make that WOW signing but we won't, so well done JP this poll ties in well.

iomvillla, we finished 6th twice in a row, how is that improvment each seasom? we needed atleast 5 new 8m players in, we are -2, ( taylor, barry, laursen,) with harewood, coker, knight, gardner, all those linked away witch look certain to go, villa are going to be a mid table team again. only chance we have of staying in europe for next season is by winning it, unless mon brings in 5 new players worth 8m+ each.

I agree with deano.And if we are not careful,it wont be just manure coming in for ONeil but also Man City.If they can come in with big money for players they can also come in for managers and if Hughes dont do something with his team this season,im sure he will be gone and they will be looking for a top replacement!!!!

well said deano,