O'Neil Resigns

[Swooperman]

Look on the bright side, its Chelsea next You've been saying they'll click for ages & they havent cos they're nowhere near what they were, tho Lampards return is a big boost. We could be just what they need

[ONEDUNME]

Massive game for Villa and Chelsea . If it was at Villa I'd say you could add to their worries by picking up at least a point but as it's at their place and you're conceding around three goals a game away from home, I wouldn't be surprised to see Chelsea score three or four.

You could be right about being just what they need.

[Swooperman]

We are in trouble, no doubt as theres no spark there. The only plus point is that theres a few shit teams around us

[slick]

There was no cohesion Swoops and Abonglohor playing on his own up front was just a waste of time as he never got a sniff in all match with no support, it just meant the City backs could push forward with ease and totally dominate the match. I thought your best player today was Albrighton as at least he had a go but was subbed as soon as he gave the 2nd pen away, which will have done his confidence the world of good.
If you watch it on MOD tonight check out the two challenges between Richards and Warnock, Warnock made the first one and Richards got him back about 5 mins later, it was like something out of the seventies and neither got booked.

The young lad Oliver was the ref and from a City point of view he had a good game, from a Villa point he denied you what looked like a stonewall pen after Lescott dragged Abonglahor over in the box, I think you were 0-2 down then, that could have made all the difference, Instead City went on to totally dominate the match.

[Colbro]

Albrighton has been Villas' best player all season long. He often gets subbed though as there are doubts about his stamina.
There were certain Villa fans who were glad to see O'neill go and their critisicsm of him was he didn't give the youngsters like Albrighton and Bannan a chance. O'Neill only alienated half the Villa team - Houllier seems to have lost all the senior players and only the youngsters are giving their all.
We are in a dog fight at the moment and there is no fight in our team. Unless Houllier goes I fear we will be relegated

[Swooperman]

I'm slightly more optimistic than that.....slightly.....I still believe theres a lot of shite around us but the point is, like Wolves & Wigan tonight, Blues last night, they are all showing fight. we, on the other hand, are not.

The big point for me is that all I hear about is who's leaving. ie dunne & ireland to Celtic, Young, Gabby, Carew, Heskey, yet I hear fcuk all about who's coming in. I've always been one to give a manager a chance, & still am, but thaeres a lot of neg that Houlliers got to turn the other way already.#

Villa v Blues in january has the makings of a humdinger, & how anyone can still slag what O'Neill did for us, as against when he left us....is retarded IMO

[ONEDUNME]

It has the ring of Charlton and Curbishley about it to me. There were plenty who were glad to see him go as they'd taken them as far as they could. A change was needed to take them to the next level.

That next level was league 1 and now the CurbIshly era is looked upon as happy days.

I've always had a soft spot for Villa (them, Everton and City) as I've always identified them as similar middle of the road clubs with past glories as my own. It would be sad to see them go down but if they carry on with the "hoof it wide- bang it in the box" one dimensional football that I watched recently they will be doomed as thats the approach that evey defence in the league is used to dealing with.

[slick]

I agree Swoops, I actually think Houllier is a decent manager but all the talk is of players either leaving or wanting to leave the club, there's been no mention of who might be arriving and its harsh to judge a man that has yet to put his stamp on the club or brought in any of his own players. It might not happen in January but over the summer I think we'll start to see major changes at Villa.
Hopefully by then you will still be in the Prem, I won't put the mockers on you by saying anything else about that.

You still have some decent players and a few good youngsters coming through too, the problem seems to be the old guard not putting in a shift when at a time like this they should be pulling out more stops than anybody else and leading by example, once these are replaced by reliable experienced players who know Houllier then things will change, I'd expect a mini French Invasion if i were you.

[Colbro]

Ok enough of all this pessimism. C'mon me Claret and Blue Babies - ram me words back down me throat. We still believe

[Swooperman]

Frank Turner ?

C'mon the boys

[Colbro]

Ah well - a point away from home against a team in the top half is a bonus when you are in a relegation dog fight.
Of course the reason we are in a dog fight is because of the way we played in the second half giving away possesion time and time again. And where we the subs? We were clearly tiring in the second half and yet only made one sub.

[ONEDUNME]

Sky Sports are reporting that O'Neil is to take over at West Ham today, regardless of their result against West Ham.