The Doc's Diagnosis: Panic, what panic?

Doc

I said what you're saying last summer; maybe not the British part, but everything else and I felt let down.

I then said it all again in January and also felt let down. Even Gareth Barry said it last December and I have a feeling he feels let down.

I know we'll get players but I feel they'll be very much like what we've already got and that will only mean an increase in numbers and will also mean still top six but with more of a fight on our hands with the likes of Spurs and Everton doing well again.

But, I could be wrong .. I hope I am.

I see what you're saying doc but i'm with Damo here i think! We all feel let down i think! When the takeover happened i think we were all hoping at least 1 big name! A dead cert starter! Ok, we splashed 10mill on Ash Young but he's not a big name, just a big price! Yeah he's done fantastic for us but surely you can see root of the frustration! We're all anxious for us to do well, and we can all see the huge light at the end of the tunnel, but it just seems as though we're years away from getting to that light! We all blatently know MON is the right man for the job! I don't know though. . . . . All we can do is wait enit???

I'd put 20 quid on Scannell of CP coming to Villa Park.

Phil, we all woulsd like a top signing that was guaranteed to produce.Frequently they prove to be flops. Ashley was a big sum signing that has transformed into a top signing. I think iwould prefer the Ashly Young way every time if we get the same results.IE an outstanding player and season.

I have to lean towards damian's opinion on this too. Even the most optimistic of villa fans amongst us are finding the way in which MON deals in the transfer market frustrating.

What MON achieved in the league last year was remarkable. I think ashley young was everything and more we hoped he would be. I think Gabby has come along leaps and bounds and i think we've seen more out of Carew than any other of his clubs has seen for some time. I think MON is the tactician and motivator to take us forward.

However, i do think he displays some frailties in the market. Maybe as a leader who plays his cards close to his chest there's method in his madness and there's always more to the story than meets the eye. But i do believe that as well as we did last season, if he'd been more aggressive in the transfer market we'd have had that uefa spot or even possible have pushed for the champion's league spot.

Had we not been promised world class signings last summer and it having been the noises made from the top men at VP, i don't think any of us would have complained. But that was what we were told and the child in all of us guys is wanting just to see 1!!!! signing that will get the blood pumping.

I trust MON to do what needs to be done, but i would like to see more assertion.

What are we feeling let down about? The club is going in the right direction, MON knows what he's doing, you can say about who the Tottenhams, Man City's, and Newcastles are doing, but they've spent a lot more than us last season and we finished ahead of them.
I would strongly reccommend not extecting a transfer into Villa Park until after Euro 2008 is over. Look at Everton. In the next 2 years, we're as good as they are, I'll be happy as that gives the base for the club to build on. Let spurs spend their money, tell me when it finally gets them somewhere.

It does seem extremely difficult to sign high class players. Such players may have four, five, six top clubs after them. They can pick and choose. Everybody wants CL football, or Uefa at the very least. It's not a question of money any more, but also location - Spurs were able to land Modric despite finishing mid-table because they are London based and have a place in Uefa. Villa have little option but to go with youngsters with potential rather than finished world-class players who are, in every sense, out of our league.

Rogale

It's not an easy job I'll give you that, but you've got to ask yourself what differentiates us from those other clubs and then those are the things you're going to sell the player on.

It used to be easier - before money and fame started to play such a big role but when you're selling the concept to a player you've got to have something the others don't have and I'm afraid one of the only things we may be able to offer is more money.

At this stage in our development we've got to sell the big picture, what that player will be part of and them I'm sorry to say it, we've got to pay more than others if we want him - or we do what O'Neill is doing and get the young or just after the stage where they seem to have not kicked on the way they shoudl have, i.e. Reo-Coker.

It is hard .. but not impossible!

Yeah, Spurs are getting some quality signings in. Ditto Man City, but the problem is Spurs seemingly have no direction/plan and Man City are a ticking timebomb(Thaksin will up and leave sooner or later and leave them in financial trouble).
Ashley Young wasn't a huge name before he came to Villa and look at him now! Same with Gareth Barry all those years ago. England's youth is MON's transfer policy and it's one that got us to 6th place last season. As much as his transfer methods are irritating, they ARE effective.

Glad to see some realistic postings here. We will make incremental progress into a v. tough top 4 through MONs transfer policy. Everton are a good benchmark but I think we can go further than them faster because young players with ambition will see what MON has done for Carew, Young, Gabby etc.

MON made a mistake in Jan but will have learned from it and said then he was determined to make several signings. They will come and will of the type described by Doc.

I have to agree with Damien this time, while i do understand your points Doc and I do believe they are valid. The fact is this is exactly what we've been saying every window and we have been let down all the same. Yes, we are in sixth, but this spot is not guaranteed. We got here with a bit of luck (injuries). Yes, all of the players bar Barry we expected to leave all season, but did we not expect to see some quality replacments? I'm sorry, but this "british" policy is only going to take the team so far. Spurs are not going to be where they were last season either and despite what you are saying about Man City they are not that far behind us... for one they so far have kept a hold of their star players have they not? As well as signing more of them... they are already a step ahead of us in the right direction. Lets pray we do not only "buy british" this summer and we see some real quality signings come July.

The docs right or we have to do is to wait and to believe.

its not easy watchin other clubs wit the same financial clout making signings an strengthenin their squads while we hav yet to add. put on top of that the fact we finished above spurs an city, an its another slap in the face.
dont get me wrong, im not gonna panic until next month, if we are stil in the same position as now. but its frustratin to wait, esp as the captain cud be leavin.

Spot on with the article! This close season is no different to any other to be honest. We've been linked to dozens of players, and probably about 50 more during the EURO! But, it's the same every summer at Villa, so why should we expect any different this year? It's also funny that some of our biggest deals over the past few years have been done over the New Year period i.e. Angel, Young, Carew, although I do believe it will be different this year because of thin the squad is at the moment.

There is always so much speculation, but over the last god knows how many years, I've almost become resistant to it, just like a lot of other fans. I've adopted the, 'I'll believe it when I see it policy' because that's just the way it is at Villa. O'Neill is in Austria and I'm sure he's got his eye on a few players that he's been watching for a while, but he won't give anything away until a deal is done. I know he loves to buy British and as good as that is, I think we'd all love to see some foreign flair at the Villa. I can't see any deals being done until at least July one the EUROs are over.

Doc's right about the core philosophy MON has...He's looking for speed, youth, size, and overall athleticism. I'm not really sure why he's favoring British players, but it may have to do with settling in, being outside of London. But when I think about it, he's also brought in Carew, Maloney, Petrov, and wants to hang on to Bouma and Laursen, so perhaps the Young, Davies and Knight business have us a bit fooled in this regard.

And I'm just fine about the approach overall. I would, like everyone else, love to see one or two really quality foreign technicians come in, particularly in midfield.

Patience - I totally agree we all need to be patient. MON does things his way and generally 9/10 gets it right; why do we need to be signing big names just because Spurs, ManCity etc are talking about it. We had the best season for years last year and played some of the best football I can remember down VP for over 20 years. I've pointed out before the only one thing I agreed with DO'L over was the "Fickle" comment and I feel the majority are proving that point at the minute. Gareth Barry going all of a sudden people are slating him - 10 years at 1 club is what I would call fantastic - maybe a step up for him would be 1 of the top 3 not the Bin Dippers but that is his choice and good on him and I personally hope it works well for a true "Villa Park legend". Also as soon as MON doesn't buy every name we are linked with in the National press then he doesn't know what he is doing?? This from the same people who raved last season when we were playing outstanding football and getting behind him. I suggest buy your new season ticket be patient and judge when the season starts.

BigAnd

All football fans are fickle - who was it that said you're only as good as your last victory or something ... the muppet saying it was just wrong though - it's a slap in the face to the supporters or to be more spcific the peopel that paid his wages - football fans have alwasy been fickle - but with good reason

last year we were told of 'top class' signings

gareth barry told us players were coming in last january

martin o'neill has told us

we have a former general of the us army telling everyone that it's not randy fault - that he'll back martin o'neill and martin o'neill telling us not to panic

football fans have always been fickle - thats nothing new, it shoudl never have been said

This a question I have been asking myself for sometime.
- The media tell us he is a great manager?
- They tell us he should have had the England job?
- He is portrayed as the thinking mans football manager?
OK, but look at his career to date and I'll explain my concerns. He made his excuses and left Leicester just as they started to tumble into oblivion. He made his excuses and left Celtic (admittedly after some success, not hard for the biggest club in the SPL)just as they started to implode until rescued by Gordon Strachen. We have one of the richest men in the world holding the purse strings who talks of his long term financial committment and loyalty BUT what have we bought.
We have aloud some of our best talent walk away from the club (including Barry)but have a weaker squad (in my oppinion) than when O'Neill arrived at the club. I have a funny feeling that by not pushing the club forward by making a real investments in quality players - I know he maybe getting some decent results now but in 12 months time will there be a sort of stagnation where the lack of growth and development will see the manager bailing out just before the rot is really noticable.
I'm not sure wether he is a serial underspender which in many ways is as bad as overspending (ala Dreary O'Leary).
I hope for the sake of the club that my nagging doubt about the manager is just paranoia and another wild conspiracy theory.
So, is he the real deal or not?

Darryl

He left Leicester for Celtic and after leaving Leicester dropped off. He left Celtic for personal reasons and nobody can question them as we'd all have done the same.

Is he the read deal or not though?

Gordon Strachan has done what O'Neill has done which is a worry because none of us would want Strachan. Okay, he's not got them to the final of the UEFA Cup, but he's still got time.

This season is the test for me and this summer is the test for Randy Lerner. Martin O'Neill did well last season and he has to want to kick on from where we are.

We'll only know for sure at the end of next season - unless come December we're really struggling.