Over recent years we certainly aren't. But the "big club" arguement is old and has no real parameters.

McLeish was shite, don't get me wrong. He nearly took us down due to his inability to set a team up to defend set peices and he has NO interest in us attacking. I remember he'd have us set up to defend 1-0 defeats! One thing in his defense is he didn't get to spend anything.

Lambert has no interest in defending and the problem is we don't score many either, not a good combination. He has a net spend of £20m this year which is hardly a small amount and yet we're sitting where we are.

If this was McLeish people would want him out, yet there are still people defending Lambert. I genuinely mean that I don't care about last nights result. A draw would've kept him in the job and gave us another distraction we didn't need. At least now we can fully focus on the league and there's a board meeting tomorrow morning. Lambert hasn't been in a relegation battle before and he simply doesn't have a clue what he's doing. I think with a good side he could be a very good manager. But tactically he's not responsible enough defensively to win enough games here.

Lambert gets the leeway Eck didn't because Lambert never managed City.

I don't think that's all that fair to say. Villa fans were very opposed to his appointment, but once he got the job he was certainly supported. I went to over 30 games home and away last year and it really wasn't until we lost at home to Bolton in April that the fans really turned. It was a relegation 6-pointer in which we lead, only to concede 2 goals 2 minutes after scoring. It was a shocking way to lose a game. At that point it was clear without Bent he couldn't win games and that we needed a change. I think we won 1 game from Jan 1st-end of the season!

I feel like under McLeish we were poor, but we were never embarassingly so. We didn't get battered all that often, we even pulled shock wins like 3-1 at Chelsea. He wasn't a good manager. Some attacking the chairman is laughable, apparently Lambert hasn't been backed. Fact is a net spend of £20m should be more than enough to stay in this league.

None league Luton just knocked Norwich out in the FA Cup away from home. First time since 1986 a none league side's not out an EPL side.

Can't stand that club, think they have some automatic right not to be in non-league because they are the mighty Luton Town

I feel for the fans a bit. Like the shitty running of the club is the only reason they are none league. It's a bit like Portsmouth, I really feel sorry for their fans that they ended up with a bunch of corrupt tossers in the boardroom and on the touchline.

When it comes down to it though, you are where you deserve to be as a club.

So what about the new broadcast deal for this season or the next? An increase of 70%, is that true?

Don't know the financial side of things but BT Sport are getting a lot of games next year (including first pick on a number), and wanting to charge SkySports type prices for their channel. Not even sure if it will be available on Sky, once again the fan has to cough up or lose out.

The FA only really cares about the £££ though, that's why it won't be too long before we have games played abroad in my opinion, a lot like the American Sports do over here. Can't blame them I guess there seems to be a lot of external interest & investment into our league these days.

FA Cup > everything.

@ Ash

It is certainly a lucrative deal for all PL teams, as this increases their revenue significantly. The downside is that the subscribers would have to pay extra I guess.

My guess is the increase of 70% in the new Broadcasting deal for PL is due to increased demand from overseas. But I don't really know if that holds weight.

Regardless, this will ultimately help PL teams comply with FFP as more income means they can afford big contracts and continue to attract top players.

The domestic rights had a massive increase on the new deal. From £1.75bn to £3bn. I think the domestic rights account for around 60% of the money made for broadcasting as it now stands at £5bn or so. Crazy money really.

The Premier League has nothing to do with the Football League, so the bigger question is why the Football League seemingly make no effort to promote their product.

Think I chose right picking to watch the Coppa over us. 2-0 down at HT at home. Last 3 home games - lost 3-0 against Wigan, 1-0 against Southampton now 2-0 at HT against Newcastle. Any half decent team should be battering these at home and we're getting battered instead.

Villa denied blatent pen and possible red card. Only the 4th game in the last 5 a retarded penalty decision one way or the other has fucked us.

Another defeat.

"Spirited performance from Villa". Get a grip. We won 2-0 down and they defended the whole 2nd half. The only reason we looked competent because they were happy to defend knowing we'd create F all.

December 24th - "QPRs problem is the players wages are too high" --Harry Redknapp.

January 31st - Signs Christopher Samba to a £100k a week deal in a total transfer/contract worth £38m. This after signing Loic Remy to a similar contract, now after Jermain Jenas and David Bentley who reportedly will cost £100k a week betweem them in wages.

It took him all of a month to smash their transfer record, will be hilarious if he managed to spend all of this money and still get relegated.

Hazard suspended for 3 games.

I hate West Brom, but one thing I hate more is Harry Redknapp. Odemwingie said he wanted to go to QPR and Steve Clark said something like "We didn't know QPR were interested, so not sure why he thinks a move to them is possible" - basically calling out Redknapp for tapping up players again. Odemwingie tonight tries to force the move by driving to Loftus Road, only for West Brom to announce they are refusing to allow him to talk to QPR.

I hope West Brom sit him in the reserves for the rest of his contract. Odemwingie is the wrong side of 30 now so by the end of his contract he won't be of much use and will hopefully not get a big deal. Serves the dickhead right.

What intrigues me the most about this is that the word dickhead is not censored!

I imagine the D word is censored, but because it's part of a larger word it isn't. Otherwise there would be a football team called S****horpe!

Hmm...

Villa.

Fortunately I went to see a better team play today... Tamworth in the Conference. They won 2-0 and the scorer of the penalty gave me a high 5.

Nice! What else did he give you?

http://youtu.be/2VLurm6HJq8

Premier League FFP voted in

very pleased to see Villa voted against it though. Not surprised City also voted against it, they don't make enough and this is just an attempt of keeping the money makers at the top - which they are not.

Joe Hart from sensational midweek to shocking today.

I haven't been following the PL... Ryan Giggs is still playing? I mean on the field?

His goal today made it 23 straight seasons with a league goal apparently.

He's still good, but the talent he has around him allows him the ability to keep playing at his age. Put him in our team and he'd retire the next day

He even started today.

RvP had a ridiculous miss when he went past the keeper with a nice fake and then hit the bar with his right foot. Then he faked again for his goal!

Howard fell for it twice though!

Went to Birmingham-Watford in the away end. 4-0 Watford win, not a bad game to watch in a Villaless weekend.

Did you really?

Yep. No Villa this weekend, Milan already played. What's the next best thing? Seeing the scum get battered at home!

The Udinese players on loan at Watford are far too good for the Championship. Vydra, Anya and Abdi were class.

^ I used to post in another forum some time ago, and there was this guy who was a big Birmingham fan. He used to talk crap about Villa in many occasions. With you now it's the complete opposite, and I find it rather funny.

hahaha!! so do you think these guys could play for a PL club?

Surprised at how well Watford are doing.

Does slightly remind me of the Vialli era when he was there though.

I think so. I think Vydra will probably have a future with Udinese, he's not the biggest and destroying defences in a very physical league. Cassetti's 35 now, but you can see the class in his defending, he just stood off his man and they had no idea how to beat him.



They really were brilliant yesterday. I just hope if they do go up Udinese continue to loan them players otherwise they would be in a trouble losing half their first team!

I guess since it's the same owners they will do that but if they do it all at once they could still have a chemistry problem though I guess they will sort it out eventually if the new ones are players of the same quality.

Swansea 1-0 up, good as over. COngrats.

& they win 5-0, turned it off after the penalty.

Fair play to Bradford getting that far but as a spectacle it's by far the worst final I'd ever seen up to that point.

Whoa, I hadn't realized United were 12 points clear off City. Title already secured?

De Guzman is a bit of a prick. Why not let Dyer take the penalty.

Pretty much. They won't choke again like last season.

http://youtu.be/3WWOZ7JGpBw

15 golas in 23 games this season in EPL, 23 goals on all fronts so far.

2nd was great, 1st I felt the keeper should've got to it, it crossed the line near the middle of the goal! Very good season though. LOL @ defenders showing him on to his left foot though, he's one footed, push him wide and to the right now he's playing down the middle and he'll be ineffective.

& yet Michu has been far more effective.

Far more? I don't think so.

Michu is my EPL player of the year personally. After losing their manager and some key players from last season, he's been amazing. Key to how they play and he seems to score in every big game.

Michu is actually playing better in EPL than La liga. They both have been great this season so far. Though, I do not get the irrational Bale hate from some.

He's a cheat. He and Suarez are about the worst divers in the league. Then when asked about it, he has the nerve to say it wasn't a dive, I felt a trip and couldn't stay up. Errr, you realise there's cameras at the games, Gareth? Theres no contact!

I remember the dive vs Villa that was really bad. Don't know if he's Suarez level, but yes, this is a problem he must solve. But as a football player, he has been one of the best players in the league this season and I think he's ready for a bigger team.