My wife's brother has a snow scooter and her father has three and driving around on one is actually a lot of fun. They also still own the very first snow scooter they ever purchased. It is called Indy and is heavy and slow, but reliable. The other scooters are all quite fast and the wife's brothers top speed is well over 100mph.
I'll happily drive any of them in a circle or round a field for fun, but if we are going out for the day or a few hours, I want to go on Indy and I don't want a machine that is so powerful it could be dangerous for me or is something I might not be able to control.
I can control Indy, I know exactly what I am doing and I know exactly what the machine is capable of. I also don't need or want to drive very fast and I actually quite enjoy getting from point A to point B at my pace and in my time. I don't really know why I told you that, I guess it is my way of trying to tell you that I'm not like a bull in a china shop and why I'm posting what I am posting today. So, back to Aston Villa.
Martin O'Neill
I had this whole post written about Martin O'Neill last night but after seeing the explosion of stories this morning I've decided that it is probably best we stop with it all and despite my views on him, we just have to let him get on with his job until the end of the season. I think everyone has had a say - we know the views of most, so let's put a lid on it.
A rumour from nothing, on an open forum, happily and willingly picked up by another website and pushed out to the masses has turned into something that isn't pretty and has probably done more harm than good the last few days.
The manager has released a statement and to me anyway, it is clear as crystal. He will be here until the end of the season. After that, he might stay or he might go, he is going to talk to the owner. Read into it what you want, but we have had Martin O'Neill long enough to know what this statement means - there is no need to try and second guess it.
Martin O'Neill
In light of ongoing and perplexing reports - despite my efforts to bring clarity to the situation earlier today - I would like to reiterate one or two points which, to me, are essential. Every summer, since taking this job in August 2006, I have sat down and discussed the season in general with my chairman, Randy Lerner, attempting also to formulate plans for how we hope to keep improving the club year on year. This summer will be no different. I have a yearly rolling contract and I hope to continue to do a job, the challenges of which I enjoy immensely.
So, can we move on please? Football tomorrow and today is Good Friday so I am going to take it easy as this is one of the slowest days on the web and while I'm a sad git and I will be here, I know many won't be and I know that many will be doing something a lot more interesting that this.
However we do have to quickly look at what the manager has said about the John Terry comments after the match last weekend.
Martin O'Neill on John Terry comments
The truth is that it doesn't stand up - it is as simple as that. The previous two games we had played, we were pressing against Sunderland, we were pressing against Wolves - in fact we actually scored in the 83rd minute against Wolves so it doesn't stand up. My own view is that it is a pretty idle comment. It is a comment you could make when you've just won a game pretty convincingly. You would hope that that sort of comment wouldn't come back to haunt him.
I don't accept it and if people are interested in statistics - and you can prove anything you want by them at the end of the day - there is only one major consideration and that is the result. That is what you are judged on. We were beaten so you have to go and take it but if you are looking at stats, I'm afraid it doesn't stack up at all because interestingly we are one of the fittest sides in the Premier League and we've got the stats to prove it.
It isn't just about statistics Mr O'Neill - it is about what people can see. John Terry was spot on - many people have been saying it for many weeks and just because you say something different doesn't mean Terry was wrong.
The players are tired and look jaded and while the football against Sunderland was very end to end for the first twenty minutes, much like Stoke, Wolves and Wigan, it soon evened out.
Sorry Mr O'Neill, but you can dismiss it all you want - people have been saying it for a long time and can you explain these stats?
So, that is it. If you were looking for some real news or some real rumours, there isn't any today and this is your lot. Football and beer tomorrow. Chocolate and sweets today.