MON's gone.

[anelka]

Sum1 said Villa's wage bill is higher than Spurs?? Cnt be true can it??

[Flojo]

why are all these excuses for bad transfers only applicable to MON?

[TF S4DK]

They ain't.

But you wanna talk about Rafa i assume, which is totally a different story IMO.

[MEIRELES.]

LOL

/

I am PISSED.

Villa were one of the only teams out of the top 4 capable of taking points off every other top team consistently except us

IF Ashley leaves Agbonglahor will follow.

[HangTheDJ]

He wanted the players, whether he sat there and discussed their wages is another story...

Like I said he signed some sh*t players, you'd be a fool to argue otherwise and you'd be justified to not want to keep throwing him money, however I think this has more to do with sales than signings.

Like one of the finance people was saying there is no money in the market, clubs dont want to sell their players unless they geting great deals as the majority of the time the banks calling in that money & it wont be allowed to go back out, so you'd rather keep the players you got.

It sounded from you and from O'Neill, he knew he had no money & was prepared to let one of the players he signed go out to better the team, the Milner money was gonna bring in three players be it Keane, ireland & McGeady or whoever. Obviously somewhere along the line something has happened that he really didnt like the sound of.

Yep, until this Summer MON did the deals. Had the final say over wages etc.

Randy took some of the power away this Summer to avoid more of the same. I think he should have had another season, the timing is atrocious and MON owed us better.

[HangTheDJ]

Sum1 said Villa's wage bill is higher than Spurs?? Cnt be true can it??

The latest reports show our wages as bigger. But apparently it's not conclusive as to who pay more to the playing staff for varying reasons (I don't understand them myself).

TBH we should be nowhere near Spurs in terms of wages, they've a bigger squad and pay London wages.

[TF S4DK]

If true, smh at any club allowing the managers still to have sayso.

Yeah but he's always been a guy that you got the feeling didnt need to be in management so if things wasn't to his liking he'd walk.

[Flojo]

They ain't.

But you wanna talk about Rafa i assume, which is totally a different story IMO.

I aren't gonna speak about Benitez because I knew ages ago it's a different story with him compared to everyone else, but MON made some mistakes that would have been highly criticised were other managers in his shoes.

[TF S4DK]

Yes but he also made some good signings, plus the trnsfer record of the Liverpool FC manager whoever it is is going to be scrutinised far more than the record of the Aston Villa managers.

[Flojo]

He made good signings as did Benitez, I mean the difference between Reo Coker and Alonso was 2 million but that didn't stop him from getting crucified.

MON had a chairman that almost every manager in the league was envious of and on top of that he was a media darling who no matter what happened was exempt from serious criticism.

If I remember rightly didn't he also waste a good chance Villa had of winning their first trophy in a while by fielding the reserves/youth team?

[TF S4DK]

MARTIN O'NEILL quit Aston Villa last night, after Brad Friedel became the latest big name to head for the exit door.

Croatian boss Slaven Bilic is the top tip to replace him, along with USA World Cup chief Bob Bradley.

O'Neill was already frustrated by the imminent sale of James Milner to Manchester City.

He was willing to accept that only if he could spend the fee on new quality players.

But cash-strapped owner Randy Lerner insisted it must help balance the books.

Fearing Ashley Young would be sold too, O'Neill was close to calling it quits.

He finally snapped yesterday, though, when keeper Friedel announced he wanted to join Fulham.

An insider said: "That was the final straw for Martin.

"He'd worked so hard to get a top-six place and reach Wembley.

"Now his side was being allowed to disintegrate before his eyes.

"He was left with no alternative but to call it a day after four successful years in charge."

Relations between 58-year-old Irishman O'Neill and American Lerner were amicable until last January. Then they fell out over the club's transfer kitty.

They were talking again this summer but things blew up yesterday, after a meeting with Lerner's right-hand man Paul Faulkner.

O'Neill was told he would not have as much to spend as he wanted, even after the Milner sale to City later this week which could see Stephen Ireland join Villa plus a cash adjustment of up to £18m.

He was also ordered to raise money by selling Steve Sidwell, Luke Young, Curtis Davies, Habib Beye, Nicky Shorey and Nigel Reo-Coker.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3088539/Why-Martin-ONeill-quit-Aston-Villa.html#ixzz0wA4tHs00

[TF S4DK]

IN the end it came down to money, power and control - and Martin O'Neill lost his grip on all of them.

The keys to the Aston Villa kingdom are firmly in the grasp of owner Randy Lerner.

And in a turbulent showdown stretching back eight months, the American multi-millionaire was not about to let them go.

What started out as a perfect marriage between the articulate and studious Irishman and the intensely private financier from America ended in acrimony yesterday.

When he bought Villa for £62million four years ago, Lerner inherited O'Neill, who had already been installed by previous owner Doug Ellis.

The two men hit it off immediately, sharing a love of music, politics and American football. Lerner, also owner of the Cleveland Browns, and his manager spent hours discussing the NFL.

Lerner was happy to hand the running of the club - the buying and selling of players and discussions and renewal of contracts - almost entirely to O'Neill.

The manager loved that. He was brought up under the dictatorial style of Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest and saw himself in the same mould.

Lerner was generous with his cash allowing O'Neill, 58, to bring in new signings pretty much as he wished.

The return, after a first season of consolidation, was three successive sixth-place finishes and Euro qualification.

But it began to turn sour last season - ironically after O'Neill had steered the team towards the Carling Cup final and embarked on an FA Cup run to the semi-finals.

The manager wanted to push onwards. He asked for money to spend on the team during the January window, arguing it was best from a position of strength. For the first time Lerner said no.

Stories circulated that there was an angry bust-up between the two - all denied - but it was clear to outsiders there were issues that remained unresolved.

There was even an unconfirmed claim manager and owner did not speak for three months.

In response to being told Lerner had said money raised from selling players like James Milner would be used for new buys, O'Neill said: "Did he?"

He then added: "I need to speak to the chairman. For a number of days in this transfer saga with Manchester City, you have known my position in terms of what I have been advocating and thinking about.

"But it really has been the chairman and chief executive (Paul Faulkner) who have been dealing with it."

Towards the end of last season O'Neill gave a confusing Press conference.

He talked about his future and said he would consider it in the summer after he had spoken to Lerner and taken into account his own circumstances.

It was widely perceived as an ultimatum: Back me or I will walk away.

Lerner gave his annual address to the media at the end of the season and it took him less than five minutes to say O'Neill would remain.

But he also went on to insist that any money for new players would have to be generated by selling first. Peace was restored but it was clearly an uneasy truce.

There were hints O'Neill saw his escape from Villa by landing the Liverpool job but that route was closed when Roy Hodgson was appointed.

Suddenly it became evident O'Neill was no longer calling the shots.

When evidence emerged he might not get all of the money from Milner's sale, that proved to be the final straw.

There were also fears the sale of Ashley Young was being forced upon him.

Something was amiss at last Friday's pre-season friendly against Valencia.

Rather than occupy his normal seat in the dugout wearing his tracksuit, O'Neill sat in the stands in his suit alongside his loyal assistant John Robertson.

His final after-match Press conference was a downbeat, almost sullen, affair then over the weekend the gossip-mongers were hinting he might not even be in charge by the start of the season.

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And so it proved to be when he quit yesterday.

Ex-boss Graham Taylor said: "I'm not totally surprised, it's been coming.

"Martin realised he would need more money to take this club further and it would appear it was not forthcoming and that he would have to sell in order to purchase.

"I think Martin has said 'hold on a minute, that's not what we're looking for, that's not why I came to this club' and he decided to walk."

Lerner started to doubt whether O'Neill's signings were proving good value.

As one insider told SunSport: "Randy began to question why Martin had spent so much on players like Steve Sidwell, Luke Young, Nicky Shorey, Habib Beye and Nigel Reo-Coker and never used them.

"He never rotated his team and by March and April they tended to run out of steam with many unused players still sitting on the bench." O'Neill would argue he had delivered value for money. Both Milner and Young had developed into internationals.

In a statement, O'Neill said: "I've enjoyed my time at Villa immensely. It's obviously a wrench to be leaving such a magnificent club.

"I would like to pay tribute to the players, my coaching staff and the supporters for all the encouragement they have given both the club and me personally.

"I wish them all the best. I will be assisting the club in the immediate short term with regard to the hand-over of my duties."

O'Neill walked just as his mentor Clough had done under similar circumstances at Derby.

The battle for control ended with Lerner in charge. It was he who paid the piper and he called the tune.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3088592/Martin-ONeill-and-Randy-Lerner-did-not-speak-for-three-months.html#ixzz0wA6GeXkg

[YFSD]

Why's that a well written, interesting piece from the sun?

[Lenny]

Villa to still win a trophy before Arsenal yeah JJ?

[HangTheDJ]

It'll be one of Jol, Bilic or Klinsmann I reckon.

I want Bilic. Jol is no better than O'Neill. Klinsmann is a poor manager but if we could get him in on a short term deal atleast he'd lift some of the gloom round the place.

I don't like Sven, he's said he wants it, but again on a one year deal wouldn't be the worst bet in the world.

[Mr. Gayle]

MON to become Newcastle boss ?

[HangTheDJ]

Celtic IMO. Either as a consultant or replacement for Lennon if he can't hack it.

[Guest Trollse Hill]

MON to become Newcastle boss ?

Good shout.

Might even have a bet on that mate, cheers !

[Rsonist]

This has most likely f*cked our chances of dumping Keane.

[Captain Planet]

MON was probably encouraged to sell Milner but denied the proceeds of the sale to get the other 3 on the basis of wage structure, cos if man loke heskey is getting 60k a week 3 more players on the wage bill will do more harm than good

[TF S4DK]

JJ whats Curtis Davies beef? Does he have a valid point/argument?

[HangTheDJ]

Basically, back end of 08/09 Davies had a dislocated shoulder. Played through the pain barrier.

Over the Summer he should have had shoulder surgery. Delayed it. He claimed he did it for MON and the club. When we signed Dunne and Collins he lost his place so had the surgery.

When Davies got dropped (rightfully) he was on 58 games. 60 games triggered a clause to put him from tier 3 of earners into tier 2. He argued he should get the rise anyway because he put himself through the pain barrier. MON said he delayed the surgery so he could get the pay rise while he was injured and he has no future here.

We were unable to sell him this Summer. I reckon he'd have been loaned out in the end. He had no future under MON.

[TF S4DK]

Why would you argue to get a rise if your not due it, SMH.

O'Neill was right TBH.

Thank f*ck West Brom tried to see us coming when we was interested in him...

[HangTheDJ]

His argument was he'd put his health on the line for the club. But in reality you're advised against shoulder surgery until it's popped out twice apparently.

I don't like him. Ideas above his station.

[TF S4DK]

Clearly, bait he sent the champagne bottles text out. So has he not played since & still stuck on 58 appearances?