Do we give youth a fair chance at Aston Villa?

I think you only have to look at the likes of Chelsea and Utd, who make several big signings every year. They have effectively ruined football.....we are now expecting signings each year. It's like Championship Manager!

Really we should be looking at improving the players we have and bringing on the youth. If we made 6th last year, improve the team bring in youth then surely we should expect to build on 6th place this year.

I thought Delfouneso would get his chance last year and I was disappointed he didn't.

With no right-back I thought a youngster would be better than Reo-Joker or Gardner. Or are some of our youngster really that poor in comparison?

andy, only cahill and davis should of been kept. agbonlahor should be sold as he is bloody useless. he couldn't lose the defenders against odense so what chance he got against top defenders. danny simpson gone 2 blackburn. nice 1 MON

if the players don't cut it they will be sold simple gardner has had plenty of opportunities but in my opinion doesn't cut it. We should only keep the youngers if they are gonna make the step up some do some don't by no means should we play a weaker team for their experience we need to be going toward winning things unfortunately players like ridgewell cahill Moore and in my opinion Gardner belong with lower clubs

i am as frustrated as the rest of the faithful, i just want us to start to win things! it does not matter if the players come from erdington or egypt!
I cant wait to see delfouneso this season he looks like he has good feet and good finishing, there maybe a young hope!

Youth players are important definitely, but only if (like any other player) they are played to their strengths! I don't like to admit it but I really think Gardner (who I am a big fan of) will be following all the others out the door pretty soon. And I think it's an absolute disgrace that his only real chances last season were at right back when you look how poor Petrov was at times.

This kid is a brummy through and through, I think he's looked sharp when he's been played and deserves a real chance in the team, he always gives 100% and in my view [u][b]is[/b][/u] good enough to play in the premier league.

MON lets his management skills down by constantly picking his favorites, and dont get me started on his transfer policies - utter shit. It really is still to be seen if MON can attract any decent players. Look at his transfers:

Carew - Came as a swap, was offered on a plate.
Young - Was playing in the championship, easy pickings.
Davies - Same as above. Again easy.
Petrov - One of MONs old bum boy celtic regects.
Maloney - Another of MONs bum boy celtic regects.
Sutton - Another of MONs bum boy celtic regects.
Agathe - Another of MONs bum boy celtic regects.
Carson - Loan - wasn't even getting on Liverpools bench!
Salifou - WHAT?
Harewood - Average player - easy to attract - late deal due to lack of activity by MON.
Knight - Again, WHAT? Would rather have Gary Cahill 7 days a week.
Routledge - Wasn't getting onto one of our closet rivals bench. Got "potential" I suppose.
Reo-coker - Yet to see what the fuss is about, average, easy to attract as West Ham fans hated him. Doesn't score, doesn't get assists, tackles though when he can catch people.
Brad Freidel - Old, not really a long term signing, probably thought it was xmas when MON came calling, and before anyone says "look at David James" okay I will, drops clangers and been known as calamity james all his career. Not knocking Brad, just suprised we wanted him that bad.
Sidwell - Couldn't cut it at Chelski, hopefully will be good for us, took ages to sign like NRC last year, were they waiting for other offers - me thinks so!
Brad Guzan - Not got a clue about him, If I did I'm sure it wouldn't be too good!


Is that everyone???

If anyone can really say to me they are more than happy with more than 50% of MONs signings then you are having a laugh. He has no idea when it comes to transfers, absolutely none!

This summer we've gone from saying were gonna get top drawer players and plenty of them right down to give the youth a chance. Aston Villa FC is skint and Ellis is laughing at us, cos he sold to someone who'd spend less. The squad has got smaller every year and now is so small I'm expecting Championship next year. Even the premiership new boys have signed plenty of good proven players. Now I hear were in spain, so defo no new signings then(MO'N you need to go).

i work with a bolton fan and he says gary cahill was one of the reasons they stayed up. hes much better than knight,and i can see him playing for england mon boobed with this one

Look the only players of the last few year worth keeping were Cahill and Davies - Cahill really was a good prospect - I hope Villa had a buy back clause !!! The others were ok players nothing more. Moore had a chip and came across as lazy ...
Whose this idiot saying get rid of Gabby? He's got the potential to be very good, he's got double figures last two years I think.

But if we're not going to invest in players which it looks like then we've got no choice - I have so much respect for what the two have done at youth level - I wish sometimes Sid would come and play again!

Just see Simpson has gone to Blackburn for a year - Another person who maybe we were looking at !!! I give up

I don't think younger players have much of a chance these days of breaking into the first team of many clubs (unless they are really exceptional) due to this buy success mentality which has now taken over. I feel it arrived not long after the advent of the sky sponsored "premiership" where the richest clubs keep getting richer and keep winning everything. So much so now it's getting really tiresome. If a club produces an outstanding youngster how long is it before one of the so called top 4 step in and buy him up? I'm afraid to say now that money dictates where the trophies go and to me it's not a level playing field anymore.

the youth need time to adapt to the premiership its a big step up and much more physical, they need to be injected in to the team slowly. mon has to buy players! simple as!

I've always gotten the impression that MON has meant to use youth, and allow players the time to settle and find their games. Last year's successful campaign may have created a sense of urgency that actually works against the approach MON is looking at.

I don't think MON is keen on the merry-go-round, like with Spurs, always bringing players in and then losing them. MON is also not keen on dropping players, preferring instead to give them his confidence, and the time to learn and play through inevitable rough patches, most definitely the case with Petrov and Gabby. It might make us crazy, but this is a key reason why MON is a good man manager.

I imagine that he does see a role for some of these young players.

I need to moan, please accept my apologies.
I've never been Martin O'Neill's biggest fan. His achievement's aren't all that great. He played woeful football as Leicester boss and they were only ever mid-table mediocrity, and I know people will say 'he won the league cup', but Millwall made the FA cup final a couple of years back and nobody raves about their boss!
And as for Celtic, well, my grandmother would finish in the top 2 in that league. And the UEFA cup is a sh*te tournament that even Middlesbrough made the final of- and don't say McClaren knows what he's doing!
Anyway, back to the point- WHERE ARE OUR SUMMER SIGNINGS!!!!!!!!
This oaf has p*ssed around for 2 seasons now signing his old chums.
Either, Lerner is full of sh*t and there are no funds.
Or,
O'Neill is, without doubt, the most inept manager in the transfer market on the face of the Earth.
I know what he'll do, he sign 1 or 2 rejects on loan on the 31st of August and then PROMISE us a load of cash splashing in January... which we all know will be a load of boll*cks.
I don't like being negative about the club, but I'm at my wits end now. No right back, no left back, no quality right winger, Petrov playing, Zat Knight in the squad and Gabby leading the line- i don't think i can face the new season!!!!!! (The 2 new Brad's might come in useful as we face a siege in our penalty area every week!)
PLEASE CHEER ME UP MR O'NEILL- Quit or sign some players:)

We can't rely on the youth team simply because there are so few premier standard English players about that logically it's unlikely we will produce many at the Villa. We have to buy but of course won't because O Neill thinks he's going to be proved cleverer than Fergie, Benitez, Wenger and Scolari and that he can compete with shit players and a masterplan. I wonder who will be proved right?

Heh all you MON bashers. Two years ago we were dead and nearly buried. Dreadful football, a team no one would buy and a manager who criticised everyone but himself, as we fell towards the championship.
MON inherited nowt and has had 2 seasons and 3 transfer windows to get us moving. I reckon he's doing ok, sure I'd like more but we are moving up and whats more we are fun and exciting to watch. Better still we have got other teams worried particularly the fat waiters which is why he wants to unhinge us by taking the captain. I bet MON was gutted and let down by every day of the last few months and we know he's not got an easy ride making us great again. But heh this guy is sticking with us and taking on the fight and I for one am in there with him. He deserves all the backing we can give him.

I was a little shocked at seeing the headline, "Spurs go for Arshavin". I thought this hd something to do with Max Mosley! You will agree, however, that it would be wonderful to see, for once, our club mentioned as having an interest in world class players such as him. I mean the Russian, not Max Mosley! For all I know, Max would do a spanking job at right back.
Perhaps we could also get Woman E on loan until Wilf gets better. Then, after home games, they could take our new goalie to the Erdington Derby and Joan Club, and have a whip round to buy a new right winger. UTV ;)

in my opinion, at this current time we are standing stll compared to teams like portsmouth an spurs. ok, we dont know their signings wil work out, but let be honest, forget trak record, if u were a spurs fan, wud u be excited wit the signings of modric, bentley, dos santos, in the mix for arshavin? as it stands they hav improved their squad.

Last season will be historic for MON as his highest finish ever with Villa. We have no chance of top 6 this season.

Oh my god are us villa fans ever happy, since MON came to villa park we have done nothing but improve both off the park as well as most importantly on it and now just because we haven't gone out and spent obscene amounts of money on players then MON is all of a sudden a shit manager??!! Wake up and smell the coffee people, yes i'm disappointed that we haven't made more signings because I know we need to, but the window isn't shut yet, so until it is I think people need to just wait and see what happens.

blaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Given the current size of our squad I'd really wish we'd kept all of them as, if nothing else, they provided a bit of half decent cover however I'm not so naieve to know that it doesn't quite work like that.

Easy answer - no, however with hopefully 4 cup runs this season Martin will give them a look in, and you never know how much good can come from that ;)

woodinho! when u say carew was part of a swap deal! are you forgeting who he was swaped for!milan "hit the deck" baros! that was one of the best deals that this club has done in many years!

Good signings: NRC ,Carew,Sidwell,Maloney,Young, Petrov 80% of the time, Harewood,Davies and Sutton was a good player for villa at a time when we needed him!

Bad Signings :Knight,Carson

Dont get me wrong i am worried about villa's lack of activity and poor performances in pre season but i am 100% behind MON. as should you and every other villa fan!

Mon is no sh*t manager and no one is doubting what he has done for this club but and there always seems to be a but we would have been knocking on liverpools door last season me thinks with a recognized right back . We have the core or at least we did with Barry and if Mon made the ambition and big singings in the few places we needed this bleak optimizum wouldn't be happening .the keepers are good but it seems as if we are the tortoise in the transfer window even thou supposedly big money is backing us .can't help but get the feeling if we acted ambitiously barry would be staying and we would have bought big money right back and striker and a few small change squadies .... Hardwood standard . Hurry up oneil we are being left behind

to av33 fcukoff you twat i dont want your pity who are you to tell me who to say sorry to.were you at reading? no just stay in your arm chair. i just slag people off who slag off the villa.LOYAL fans who go to all the games have the right to.

MON is rock solid. I applaud the guy for rescuing the club I love and sticking with it when the going got tough. Even though he's had enough more than once. Too all those of you with short memories and weak spines I say Portsmouth bankrupting themselves, Tottenhan 100m of dross, Man City,Everton who and Arsenal and the 606 Bleaters your on the way down. Oh and Judas well when he sits on the grubby bench next to the slimeball waiter in one of their last away Champions League games for years someone from his new home town, who couldn't care less about him, will be breaking into his house stealing all his gold and scaring the missus he dragged north for a pocketful of nowt.
MON keep going I love you mate !

Good article Andy. I think that you are right to point out the opportunity we have to showcase the brightest in our youth squad. That being said, getting it players of a proven quality is a must. We will have enough matches this year to see what some of the youth are capable of.. I just hope that MON won't be forced to bring them into the fold by injury or suspension.

I have been getting a bit wound up with the lack of activity, but at this point.. what's the point?? MON knows what has to be done. Either he will or he won't. Nail-biting is pointless.

UTV

MON- "You're an average player, I'll increase your confidence."

Average player- "How?"

MON- "Just hoof it, or if you're feeling on top of your game pass it to Ashley."

Cant complain though we scored 70 goals.

we should be signing players like swp who has shown he has ability on the european stage. we should of also of bagged crouch who always manages to score important goals. bentley was in the bag if MON wasnt so scared to spend money. Shorey deal should be done. barry deal should be done so we can get on with our lives and hopefully get finnan out of the deal so that the right back vacancy is taken.

up the villa!!!!!!!

ok, i do trust MON, however i must admit i am starting to worry a hell of alot at the moment. we have nofull backs on either side, no right winger and no attacking midfielder, let alone squad players to back them up in case of injury or just in need of a rest. we looked really tired last season and we went out of cups early. what happens if we get good draws in the cup and now are playing in europe. I think this is going to be a long season for us, i do believe that the youth system works at villa and we do produce quailty players, however players that can cut the top 6 is a big ask.

anyway, a bit of news fron the gardian newspaper, we are going after left back like young from middlesboro. I like him, solid player and can hit the ball too. also english and hard worker. the only problem is, 2 weeks til the season starts, will boro sell so close to the start of the season with having no cover???

totally agree with woodinho on all the signings,,,but hey what did you expect with a plank like oneil in charge....
cause here we are a few weeks to go till close of window,and wow what a super summer of wheeling and dealing its been,,come on who wouldnt have taken the 2 brads and sidwell as our only signings by 4th august,if asked at the end of last season,we all hoped for major buys and wow have we got em,its just so strong now our squad,you just cant pick a starting line up.
its just so difficult,,who will play rightback god so much choice,its a good job we didint sign that geezer from manure that we had on loan when we had the chance..and now freds out for 6 months,its gonna be a difficult choice for mon to pick a left back..it must be great for a manager to have so much strength in depth.
lets hope ash,gabby,and carew get injured so one of the new guys who are gonna take us to the top 4 can have a run out,cause surely there not gonna want to warm the bench all season...and hopefully the new classy center half could give martin or curtis a break,cause you cant really expect zat to come in,,unless of course were 5-0 up..
all in all considering we hope to play a lot more games this season, i think martin the magnificent god of all managers,ultimate coach ,turner of crap players into greats,has had by his standards a fantastic summer so far..you can slow down the buying now martin,stop showing off....and well barry,who needs him,with so many other midfielders to choose from..
bye gareth and good luck,and hurry up with ya auto-biography,cant wait to read about villa under martin.

its a shame some stupid european team doesnt come in for MON..can only hope.....is john gregory out of work,be nice to have a decent boss again..
yes i really hope that this is mons last season in charge,and with what we have in the squad now,well he could be gone by xmas..

have most of you gone bloody crazy mon has done brilliant in the couple of years hes been at the club ok we might not be getting the players we hoped he would get but i will tell you this at least he wont be bankrupting the club teams like spurs and pompey have taken a gamble hoping for a great season if either fail could it be possible there will be players leaving and someones head will be for the chop, teams are not built in a season or 2 ok with the barry saga going on this has put a dampner on a lot of things but i,m sure he will get players in they might not cost 15 million but hey who cares as long as he does his job for aston villa fc and improves the team come on you villa fans dont start slagging mon off... if we end up in the bottom 6 nxt season please then have a go hes all yours untill then leave off.

How can yu VILLA FANS sit behind yur computer screens actaully calling for MONs HEAD?? R U IDIOTS SERIOUS??

Ive been a villa fan for three years, not long at all, but i live in australia and im 18! I can say the last 2 years have been bloody awesome! We went, in 2 yrs, from 16th to 6th!! and there are some people who wannr fire MON??

I too, am a lil disappointed in the lack of activity this summer (winter in the land of oz). who wouldnt be?? but yu have to look at things in perspective. All i will say is it is all good and easy to hop on yur ps3 and play some manager mode on fifa 08 and buy kaka, ronaldinho, messi and whoever else yu want and win the league, champions league, League cup and FA Cup year after year for 15yrs! In THE REAL WORLD, it is difficult!! Whilst i am not completely satisified with MONs signings, I am more then happy with the direction Villa are goin!!
for those who want to moan and groan, look at the bigger picture!! if we were still under the old regime, there is a good chance, we wouldnt be talkin about UEFA Cup! wed be talkin bout the league one signings we were about to make in the hope of gettin promotion bak into the premier league!! playres like NRC, Young would have never graced VP in the claret and blue!! players like gabby, laursen and barry (whos off anyway) would have been long gone!! WERE IN EUROPE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!

I agree we need signings, and need them soon. we may well need to invest in a director of football to assist MON in recruiting talent, But there is still 4 weeks left of the trasnfer window! I too, would prefer to have 12 quality players already signed and MON to have spent £100mill but it hasnt happened!! But things will fall into place!! and if they dont, i am sure MON will take responsibility!! i have been angered by the amount of rumours and lack of signings especially with players like bentley, but we are moving forward and thats wat counts!! if we dont sign a RB, LB, CM, RM and a striker then yrh ill be pissed but i prefer a shoethin team of talent, who qualified for UEFA, then a 40man team who are fighting for survival!!

and before we call for MONS head (i cannot believe i am actually reading VILLA FANS who want MON gone!!) I will give yu some advice! Look at newcastle united! Two years ago, people were talking champions league football! They bought quite a few signings, yet in 2008-09 there is talk of chamoionship football?? and they have gone through the many managers that signing for newcastle is all about the compensation yu get when yur out the door in 6months time!

GET YUR ACT TOGETHER BOYS, MON IS A MIRACLE WORKER!! i dont mind people criticising, everyone is entitled to their opinon, i have done it, and will continue to do it! but take things in perspective! even if we finish 7th or 8th next yr, i think that would be good consolidation of where we are heading. i would love it come this time next yr we were talkin about the champions league but things take time!! let MON build a team!! if he fails, criticise, but honestly, yu want MON fired?? YUR HAVIN A LAUGH MATE

i think ive said enough!

i have just read the birmingham post, general krulak has said that there is loads of money available for players so y the fuck doesnt mon spend it!!!!!!

he said that if mon wanted a 30mill player then lerner would pay it!!!! so y just a 11m offer for bentley?

u twat mon!!!! we want u out now b4 u fuck up or season!!!

does any1 feel the same?

p.s layoff nrc i think he has played well for us since he has been here!!!

The way things are going we'll have to give youth a chance - we have a squad of 16 players and - judging by MON's "activity" on the market - he may as well be in Austria/Switzerland working for the BBC!

oldman villain - DOL did well too for one season. So did Ipswich, and Sunderland, and Reading.

Flukes happen, let's see if all the concern expressed on here is justified or not - time will tell.

26 days to go.

atlas - you type like a teenager with too much hormonal activity going on, take a chill pill.

oh. my. god...i cant quite believe what ive been reading on this comments page...the one that made me laugh was "MON's a plank". Im sorry, have you been watching a different Villa for the last two years?!

Ok, lets look at is signings so far as villa manager;

Carew - an absolute steal to swap him for baros. Scores 4x as many goals, puts in 4x the effort, and can actually keep his balance in a gentle breeze.

Young - in a few years this kd will be one of the most feared wingers in the premiership. He can score wonderous goals, has the guts to run at players, and if he were to be sold now, would probably fetch a good 17-20 mil.

Maloney - OK, this guy I'm not convinced by but hasnt really settled at VP. Has shown he can be useful and scores a few goals though.

Petrov - a good player on his day but too inconsistent in the Premiership.

Davies - someone mentioned him and young were just players who were easy to attract?! SO BLOODY WHAT that they came from the Championship...a good player is a good player no matter where we get im from! Gain some perspective

NRC - understated IMO. Dis an important job of cleaning up the midfield and allowing Barry more freedom last season. Someone with a bit of aggression an bite is what we've been missing recently.

Harewood - has had an impact on the majority of games he has come on in. Scored a few important goals too. Considering i doubt MON bought him to replace gabby or JC, he ha done a good job as backup.

Knight - MON's worst signing. Big, but immobile and lacks positioning against good strikers who dont stand still.

As for his signings this season, well he left Young and JC to the last minute, and Id rather them than some overpriced prima-donna we bought just cause he was available early.

Some of you lot really need to actually gain some context. We now play attractive, entertaining football. We have a manager who can take a team from 1-0 at half time to actually getting us points (i think we were one of the highest points scorers from going behind last season).

I'm glad to see there are a few posters on here with a brain...the majority of you are idiots though. Long live MON's reign, he's the best manager we've had in YEARS!

woodinho why the hell are u slaggin off all are players they got us 6th in the premiership last season so there not all that bad im sure ashley young wasnt easy 2 get with the like of tottenham chasing him
and yes we do bring the best out of our youngsters and give them all a fair chance delfouneso will become a regular in the next 2 or 3 seasons

No offence to Isiah Osbourne he's just simply not good enough at this level, If MON fails to bring in the quality and quantity of players before the deadline and lets say we are languishing around the bottom half of the table after say 15 games then he should go, no doubt about it. I've never know a manager so indecisive in the transfer market. Quality managers target players put a huge bid in and bang they have them within a week..And another thing, i'm wandering how much the credit crunch as hit Learner, isn't he head of a bank of some sought?? I'm wandering how much money he has lost, his eyes probably not on Villa at the moment thats why were struggling to get these players in.

If the general Krulak report is true then I aim really really angry at MON. I agree with most of the sentiments here about having ago at him IF we drop in to the bottom 6 etc but when we have such a depleted squad like we do and apparently got limitless money to spend why for a start should we even thinking about a failed season a dropping into the bottom 6. MON should be leading the charge of optimism throughout this club. If MON has this money then why is he breeding this negativity by not buying the players we desperately need!

I have always been a massive fan of his but i have to ask myself is his man management skills really that great that he actively breeds this negativity?

Us Villans are feeling pessimistic about the coming season and imagine what the players are feeling going into a new season weighed down with the worries of a threadbare squad and a manager who just wont support his teams efforts by bringing in reinforcements. Is this the actions of a great manager??

Its seems to me MON has contro lto change matter sbut his simply wont. I hope i'm wrong i really do and until the window closes i wont judge him, BUT there shorely cannot be no excuses come 31st August!!

MON prove me wrong!!!

UTV

Villa Villa. MON talked with bentley before upping the offer. bentley sad to the blackburn fans he wanted euro football to keep them sweet. then he showed his and took a step down to spurs for the money and playboy lifestyle. MON heard his crap that he wanted to be in london and said get stuffed then. Bently is a dick, just look a the guy. he is so far up his own!!! i think we all agreed wenger is a top scout and he saw that bently was a disruptive cocky little runt. I for one am glad we didn't get him.

STOP with the MON bashing everyone. Can we all just agree to stop moaning about who we will and won't sign until the end of the month. Lets have a bit of optimism. Some of you guys will have destroyed the players confidence before we have even kicked a ball. If we get relogated perhaps then you whingers will be happy?

I don't mean for this post to sound cussing of the negative posts I just want people to agree to hold off the barracking until MON has had the window. I know some feel let down by previous windows but we did well last season so MON was justified.

MON himself has said we need to bring in players, eufa is an extra selling point etc. Now we are in spain where de la red, miguel etc play. Please just hold fire for now and be positive. Please. There will be new faces very soon i am sure.

On the transfer front... Edu could be coming back to england (to villa)! if you believe the spanish rag and the bad news is man u will definatley move for ash if ronaldo hands in a transfer request.

The suer atlas has been banned from this site. His comments above have been removed.

oh - what a surprise....Woodinho & Somersetvilla agreeing with each other when it comes to being outrageously negative and pessimistic about the Villa (where's Taglor I ask?)....why do you bother 'supporting' - if that's actually what you do? When were you last happy with the events at Villa Park? If not now (Uefa Cup, 6th in the League, 70 goals scored with some truly exciting football, players in the England squad) then when?! And don't come back with '82 or even 92/93 or any monumental league cup triumph in the 90's - football has moved on...

Granted, we have certainly not made the progress that we'd hoped in this window but that certainly doesn't mean that all of a sudden O'Neill is sh!t as you say...look at the trouble Moyes is having? The only thing you can judge him on is results - and right now (in modern day football as I'll call it (pretty much since 2000, when transfer fees hyperinflated and player power took over) - things have never been better for Villa! FACT

(and please drop all this Spurs buy exciting players junk - you lot have bought into this media driven frenzy...just as many people did last year and look what happened to them?! How many of you truly believed in Pavluychenko and Arshavin before the Euro's? Dos Santos will mince around for a yr and then leave and is Ramos truly as good as people say? I know many a Spanish football fan that suggests that Steve Mclown could have succeeded with that Sevilla team!

@ summersetvilla: I'm laughing my claret and blue socks off!!!!!! you've hit the nail on the head!

@ walshyfish, bristolvillain & 03rodgersm: I know I really banged on and let some frustration out about MONs inept (new word for the day!) carryings on in the transfer market, and although I sound like a MON basher I wouldn't want anyone else in charge and I am 100% behind him for the new season. BUT, I just don't think he has a clue about buying players, and think he needs someone to help in that department.

Yeah, yeah, yeah Baros was a waste of space who didnt deserve to wear the shirt, but c'mon, do you really think we'd have got Big John if Lyon didnt want Baros... not a chance! Yeah great bit of business but for gods sake they offered him to us not vice versa so all we had to do was say "yes please, we'll take Carew", boy, that must have been hard for MON. This is only my opinion but I really disagree with what you are saying about his signings, I was only illustrating the fact MON hardly goes out on a limb to get players in, it always seems to be easy options or lower league... lets have a bit of PROVEN quality, not players who COULD be good. Yes we finished 6th, I'm really impressed that that squad got there and credit where it's due it was a magnificent feat, but we are not building on it, I cant get excited for the new season, maybe Its just me but I cant and it's disappointing coz I normally (even under DOL) cant wait for it to start, now I just think we are going to be poor mid-table team! And until I see the quality signings this club deserves I wont be able to get excited for a longer than normal campaign with a smaller than acceptable squad! But thats just me!

Sorry to go on but to respond to [b]03rodgersm[/b] you've got totally the wrong end of the stick.

I'm not slagging the players, it's our whole transfer policy I'm slagging.
OK, I had a little pop at NRC and his lack of pace and assists - but thats not what I was intending it just came out due to this pent up frustration at out transfer policy -or lack of!

ads get a grip! it's not about who agrees with who! who gives a sh!t?

Shall I bring it down to your level as you obviously cant read between the lines!

Here you go, this is how a Sun or Mirror reader needs it putting:

[b]MON is SHIT at buying players[/b]

[u][b]HOWEVER...[/b][/u]

[b]is a fantastic manager who did wonder last season with a thread bare squad![/b]

[b]HE NEEDS SOME FUCKING HELP GETTING THE PLAYERS IN IS WHAT I'M GETTING AT![/b]

Woodinho - perhaps it is you who is the closet Sun reader, if your writing ability is anything to go by, because you sure as hell are pretty poor at getting your point across.....

It's taken you four posts to respond to people who reacted badly to your original post......a little advice for next time -ENGAGE BRAIN PRIOR TO WRITING....

Here we go again, getting personal because I have work to do in between posting on here!

This is why I stopped posting, because people like you don't have a decent argument, or cant back up their side of what they say so they get personal. Its pretty sad really!

I don't care what peoples arguments are with what I say, IT'S GOOD THAT WE HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS- I just wish that people would "engage brains" as you so eloquently put it and try to understand before they knock what I've said. You could even try asking if you don't understand, wow, wouldn't that be an idea???

Anyway, I can only assume that you are of the "MON is God - squad" and think everything he does is fantastic, well he is a great manager i agree but he [u]is[/u] inept when it comes to the transfer market, like I said in my original post if you are happy with over 50% of his buys you are having a laugh! Which has been my point all along! I am replying to different people hence the 3 posts, dear me, as if you are that bothered, better get a posse together and do some lynching.

Is it a director of football that takes over the negotiations of transfers? Because we need one!

The problem is having such a small squad these players are frusted into the team and expected to make an impact .if we had a bigger squad we could carefully choose which games we could help them develop at a more steadier pace

bring back atlas he was right on the money about av33.are we in ehgland or iraq, this is the land of free speech damien you hypocrit

The user power has now been banned. Same IP as the user atlas and for the same reason.

I agree with the article to some extent. However, as far as Gardner and Osborne having a make or break season; I beg to differ. Especially in Osbornes case, he is so young. I think Craig still has 2-3 more seasons to try and establish himself before he begins to look elsewhere himself.