I could link back to something said by Martin O'Neill a few months ago. Pick out a gem from Randy Lerner or his PR monkey. I could even link to a video of an Aston Villa goal that was created from open play.
I could do lots of things to try and pass off that there is very little going on and the simple fact of the matter is, we shouldn't be surprised. How about this for a crazy idea; if Liverpool really have offered a way of for Rafa - why don't we approach him and see if he wants the job at Villa?
He is far younger than O'Neill, far more successful than O'Neill - even in this country and will be successful at whatever club he joins next and I just think, if we want to be successful, then we have to be looking at managers like that.
O'Neill certainly wouldn't join Liverpool and I'd actually be extremely surprised if Liverpool wanted him. He wouldn't go there because of the pressure and the need to bring success to the club. Look at Rafa; a 57% win rate, Champions League, second in the league, Champions League runners up, FA Cup winners and then things like Super Cup winners and winning the Charity Shield. Red Rafa joined Liverpool in 2004. Now, it isn't a trophy a season but it is very close but the reason Liverpool want rid of him is because Liverpool put huge demands on their manager and if the manager doesn't deliver they get a new one in and they keep doing that until they find the man that can bring silverware to the club. It also appears that at Liverpool you can bring the biggest trophy in club football to the club and it counts for nothing. Rafa has gone stale at Anfield - that is all. Wherever he goes next he will have success, that is if he does go anywhere. If the money that is getting reported is true, he might very well retire - and actually, if he did, could you blame him? This story has appeared on my email alert again this morning. Apparently he has refused to commit to the club. Well, is this news? No, it is just regurgitated nonsense. Of course he isn't going to commit to the club - not on that back of a pay rise alone. James Milner wants to hear about the plans. He wants somebody to tell him what the owner wants to achieve and how he is going to do that. If that doesn't stack up then he'll do the off. It is clear as day he likes it here but you also don't have to be a genius to figure out that every young player wants to win things and they want to be successful. If Milner leaves; it isn't because of money, it is because he will believe he has a better chance of winning things at his new club. Now - can we please, just until after the World Cup, put a lid on Martin O'Neill; he is going nowhere and doesn't even know the transfer window is open and James Milner; well, it isn't about the money. He wants to win things and maybe O'Neill can convince him. It is very much big picture time for James Milner now. James Milner