Written by Damian Wednesday, 03 March 2010 10:40
We are going to take a look at Reading on Sunday a little later but as I was saying to someone last night - we can not lose. I don't expect we will, but I also didn't expect the performance we got on Sunday, but Reading are a Championship side and our work rate and quality of player will be too much for them.
But more on Reading later, today, there is very little going on, so I am scraping the barrel. Now I know what it feels like to support Birmingham City.
First up is Vidic
Nemanja Vidic from manutd.com
We had a bad start – me more than most – but in the end we deserved the win because we created more chances. For their goal it was a lapse in concentration and bad positioning on my part. After that, though, I was focused more and felt I did well.
Villa had players with pace up front and they’re a physical team. But if you take away the early penalty I don’t think they created much. They looked dangerous once or twice when they got crosses in or from set pieces but overall we felt comfortable.
Vidic isn't wrong. Sure we put them under a little bit of pressure early on but nothing happened and while they were kind enough to wait for it, when it didn't come, they took control and always had another gear or two it they wanted it.
Club say thanks
The club website said thanks to all the supporters the other day, which was nice, but a little unnecessary. Maybe they would like to apologise for the performance and result? Yes, I am in a very strange mood today, but there is no need to say thanks, we don't go into this wanting thanks. Like I said, nice for those that will take it that way. I don't.
Krulak talks
There was speculation recently suggesting Martin O'Neill had to sell before he could buy and that there would be limited funds available in the summer. The man that told us of the five year plan (later rubbished) and the £30mn player (that never happened) and all round club PR kingpin is speaking on the subject.
Charles Krulak from skysports.com
The second I read the article, I asked Randy about it - his answer was 'rubbish'. Both Randy and Martin are on the same sheet of music and both know where the club needs to go.
No real surprises in what Krulak has said but we must thank him for confirming that both the owner and manager 'know where the club needs to go' - that has reassured me. I mean, had they not known that, we would surely have been in trouble.
Really, what do you expect any PR man at the club to say? To coin a phrase used so often by him though; actions speak louder than words. We will see in the summer what the net spend is and rest assured, Martin O'Neill will spend all that is made available to him, because he has told us so.
All I will say is it needs to be more than the net spend of the last few seasons or all we are going to see is what we have seen for the last few seasons and this one - there you go, me predicting the future again. Sorry.
I'm off to drink coffee and eat toast.
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cess
said:
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... I have said before on this forum how can you expect to win trophies and challenge for honours without a recognised striker. My first villa game was as a boy in 1958 and I would suggest that the last out-and-out striker was Dean Saunders (mid 1990's). Every transfer window I think this is the one and we will actually splash out on a guy that will score us 20 goals a season. We could have won on Sunday. The best striker (centre forward) I have ever seen for Villa was Gerry Hitchens (1958-1961). Cess |
Andi
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... It says rubbished reports of a rift, I never seen of these reports. Even if MON had to sell before he buys is that a bad thing? not really we have loads of dead wood sitting around collecting fat pay packets, is it any wonder we cant offer big wages when we have lots of nearly men sitting around the club. Time to start shipping out the players that cant cut it me thinks and taking advantage of things Cuellar -- love the guy however Madrid we paid 8 got to be worth 15+ Carew -- love the guy however turns up when he wants coming to end of contract MULE -- do i need to explain 5 Invisidwell -- as above 5 Salifou -- as above 1 Shorey -- as above 3 Marewood -- as above 2 Hokey Cokey -- everyone loves a tryer but we need better. 5 by my reckoning 35 million enough for to quality additions to the team me thinks, i really dont see the fuss. Wage bill gets trimmed dead wood out the door we get quality in. SIMPLES (my valuations may be wrong but you get my point) |
Andi
said:
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... Bloody hell forgot Young - never pays got to be something wrong 5 mil ? Beye - if young goes - Sunderland wanted him 5 mil ? so there is another 5 mil to the 35mil put 40 mil what is the panic ? perhaps with a slimmer wage bill we might be able to pay big as well and the top players who knows but i for one would wnat the dead wood shipped out |
michael060670
said:
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... i hope that the rumours are not true about milner going to utd and young may leave also. how can we build a successful side if players are already lookin elsewhere. martin o'neill needs to spend at least 40mil in the summer on 2 top strikers and a midfielder who can see a pass and make it. we seriously lacked a playmaker on sunday and against a team like utd we were going to suffer eventually. we've been lucky against them this yr in the 2 lge games. please Randy, give o'neill the money to spend in the summer. one more thing, i read some comments about gabby on a site the other day, from villa fans who were slating him. i am sick of it, he's not an out and out goalscorer. carew and heskey are not good enough if we expect to win trophys or make the champs lge........  thankyou |
peter haworth
said:
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... I hope that actions speak louder than words and that Randy gets out his cheque book this summer,because if we are to get to the next level he must spend big time to get a world class striker and a quality midfielder which we are lacking. It is obvious to most fans now that Heskey and Carew are not good enough for our ambitions,they kack the pace,skill and commitment and most importantly the ability to score goals. In fact I would like to see Gabby up front on his own and bring in Delph to a 5 man attacking midfield which would provide more goals than Heskey is giving. Also, PLEASE |
peter haworth
said:
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... Also,please,please,MON play Luke Young at RB.I love Carlos as a CB he is strong in the air,decisive in the tackle but very poor in possession and he cannot cross a simple ball and is a poor passer,never, never a RB.Luke young is one of the best RB"s in the country and would be in the England squad if he had not decided to retire fron international duty. |
Rattus NorVillicus
said:
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...Maybe they would like to apologise for the performance and result? Damian: What a sad thing to write. As if an apology was remotely necessary. You should be proud of the team and how they played. At this rate I do not believe your aspirations will ever be satisfied while you support Aston Villa |
Ian Fitz
said:
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... Totally agree with us needing a striker...but we have all known that for a while to be honest. Gabby - His Ego is bigger than his game at the minute and need knocking down the pecking order to regain form. He knows he's first choice and I think its affecting his game big time. He never been a clean striker of the ball, but his ability to hit a ball 'true' is dire. Carew - Please... dear god get some fight back in your game. More clinical than Gabby but will not run for love nor MONEY. Heskey - I feel sorry for Heskey....coz bless his cotton socks he runs like a man possessed...but to no avail. Delfoneso - He is how Gabby used to be...fighting to impress...very lightweight though, but still has drive and good clean strike. Need a striker....dont care if he costs a £1 >>>>> £20MILL+ as long as he can hit the back of the chuffin net. |
Damian
said:
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... Pancho Villan did you read the post? did you read the sentence before and after I wrote what you have quoted? proud of how they played; why exactly? |
Jon Law
said:
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... As far as the final went, we played pretty well and on another day could've sneaked, as we did at OT earlier in the season. That aside, we will get cash to spend in the summer, and will ship some fringe players out. The list above is way over the top, thats 6 or so important squad players there, including at least two regular starters. Getting rid of that lot will be a mistake, and MON will not make that mistake. We have a great defence with brilliant back up, we do NOT need this compromised. The midfield could be improved, granted and this is an area MON should strengthen with incoming and outgoing players. Attack needs improving, no doubt. Possibly moving on both Heskey and Carew and bringing in upgraded replacements. Alternatively, an attitude upgrade for Carew might help. I'd like to see sidwell and hokey upgraded, Carew retained, Heskey replaced and possibly Owen brought in. He'd help in the development of Gabby and Fonz while chipping in with the odd goal. Sailfou and the like can go, replacements from the nippers will do me. Thats four in and 6 out or something, certainly achievable. A little more squad rotation would be helpful, but only relative to the baby steps presently used. It would be nice to be able to rest the midfield occasionally. |
peter haworth
said:
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... As a boy Gerry Hitchens was my idol.He was IMO one of the greatest strikers ever before he left to join Inter Milan he scored over twenty goals each season and scored 42 goals in the 60/61 season.Another idol of mine was Tony Hately who joined soon after Gerry left and was a prolific goal scorer and in the 64 season scored 34 goals and another 28 goals the following season. Happy days and happy memories will I ever see the like again ? I HOPE SO> UP THE VILLA |
Cian Donaghy
said:
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... im sure you are probably expecting me to use that as an indirect proof of what i was saying yesterday damian, but in all honesty i dont hold much regard for anything krulak says, its all pointless pr and he knows nothing i also heard vidic say that he didnt think it was a red card because he didnt tackle him form behind, and i tend to agree, gabby stopped and cut back in and was fouled. i would have booked him but red would have been wrong i feel. although he was pulling his jersey, the foul was the tackle, and red would harsh i feel gabby ego is bigger than his game. would you f**k off he comes across very humble and that is completely unfair, a ridiculous thing to say. i would blame gabby for having no time for fans after he was treated last year. he may not be a gifted striker but he works very hard |
Car Frost
said:
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...i would have booked him but red would have been wrong i feel. although he was pulling his jersey, the foul was the tackle, and red would harsh i feel I'm off back to bed.. it's gonna be one of those days |
Chris Harper
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... seriously Damian... CHEER UP!! You bring other people down. I really can't see how you can be so down about our club??! Ive supported Villa for only 16 years, but this is the happiest I've been with the club. Whats wrong with you? |
paul mclafferty
said:
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... oh great days!!! back to the doom and gloom are we? if we beat reading then is the semi finals being played at wembeley? damian... its a nice touch when the club thanks you for the support you give them, why not? chiefy... i think your being a bit too keen on your valuations of half the players you stated as half of them will be out of contract or entering their last year in the summer, but i do agree with the list though.. |
Andi
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...chiefy... yeah i went a bit nuts with the values but you get what i mean though. to many players sitting around not earning their keep so F$""$k them off give MON some more money to play with and more room on the wage bill for quality |
Jvilla
said:
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... Im sorry Damian but I am in agreement with Pancho Villa here. It is comments like that which are likely to drive the likes of Milner and MON away from the club. For most of those lads it was their first ever big final, and they were playing against a team who have all been to about a hundred finals and are, with Rooney, one of the best teams in Europe. We didn't disgrace ourselves, and although we werent at our best by any means, I thought we more or less matched them until Rooney came on. So my view would be that if you are going to publish articles on the internet, beware of the fact that many people are easily influenced by media comments - we want people who continue to back our club until they are successful, not get on their backs because they have fallen at the first hurdle. We will be back for more and bigger finals, just as long as we all stick with them! |
Ian Fitz
said:
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... "gabby ego is bigger than his game. would you f**k off he comes across very humble and that is completely unfair, a ridiculous thing to say. i would blame gabby for having no time for fans after he was treated last year. he may not be a gifted striker but he works very hard" 1. His personal appearance is not is question as Im sure he is a wonderful guy. 2."he may not be a gifted striker" - ERRR whats his job again !?!? |
Damian
said:
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... Villa_Chris it is about expectations. i for one can tell you i was happier in 94 when we beat manchester united in the league cup final. 2 years later i was even happier when we beat leeds. i was also happier the first season we played premier league football when we came 2nd and i was happier in 1996 when we came 4th and happier still in 1997 when we finished 5th. in 1998 i wasn't that happy as we finished 7th but a year later and the year after that, when we finished 6th, i was as happy as i am today again in 2001 and 2002 my happiness sunk a little because in those 2 seasons we finished 8th and it was hard to take and the season after that was horrible as we finished 16th but the following year we got back up to 6th - to my happiness level of today you are at your happiest point in 16 years. i am basically at the same point with the odd up and odd down feeling for the past 16 years - but i really dont see finishing 6th in the league as a reason to be happy or to claim that it is the happiest i have experienced supporting aston villa like i said yesterday - lets see where we finish the season and lets see what money is really made available to spend on players and lets see if the football gets better after that money is spent |
Damian
said:
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... Jvilla well then, i can only assume you didn't read the post either. but, for that, i really must thank you |
Andi
said:
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...and lets see if the football gets better over and over again i understand the link between better football and winning but in all honesty who really cares ?????? I dont care how we play as long as we win as long as we get where we want to be how pretty the football is has no relevance at all as long as we get to where we want. If we would have won on Sunday but played awful would you have moaned ?? NO |
Chris Harper
said:
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...like i said yesterday - lets see where we finish the season and lets see what money is really made available to spend on players and lets see if the football gets better after that money is spent Exactly, lets see. No point in beeing so negetive every day leading up to the conclusions at the end of the season, it just creates a sour mood. I do however, think we are in a better position in terms of our squad than in the recent years. We have a young squad with a lot of potential. This is worth looking forward to is it not? The likes of Delph, Delfouneso, Albrighton will come on leaps and bounds next season or the season after. Then we have the likes of A.Young, Milner, Downing and Gabby that will all get better over time. The future is bright Damian. As you say, lets wait and see what happens, but in the mean time, lets support the club hey? |
Damian
said:
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... Chiefy over and over again i understand the link between better football and winning but in all honesty who really cares ?????? I dont care how we play as long as we win as long as we get where we want to be how pretty the football is has no relevance at all as long as we get to where we want.for the life of me, after reading this, i don't know how to reply. you understand the link between better football and winning but you don't care? i will also say that i would happily take 1-0 wins every game and defend like arsenal used to defend or keep the ball how liverpool used to keep the ball - but neither team still odes that - shock/horror - maybe there is a coincidence - but we don't even do that i dont think any aston villa would be disappointed if we played awful and won on sunday but we didn't play great and we lost |
paul mclafferty
said:
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... damian.... from all those years you just stated, how many times did we beat the then top teams? because this and last season i think we are beating the top teams on a more regular basis, which just going by memory hasnt happened for a long time. we ARE in the quarter final of the f.a cup and battking it out for 4th spot which is a lot lot harder than finishing 4th in 1996. so please damian.. TURN YOUR FROWN UPSIDE DOWN.. because of how well we are doing i think you have raised your expectations too high too soon... but it will come. |
Damian
said:
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... holteend paul individual matches do not matter over the course of a season. it is where you finish at the end that matters and you know this and the thing is, i have no frown. i accepted months ago that the football wont get better under o'neill and i put all my eggs in the league cup basket. i cant get disappointed if we lose to reading or chelsea in the semi final or spurs in the final and i cant get disappointed if we don't finish 5th or higher the onlky thing that can happen to me, if we win the fa cup or finish 5th is absolutel elation - for many, the likely feeling come the end of the season is disappointment - not for me. i can't lose - i can only win |
Chris Harper
said:
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... In other words... you have very low expectations now we have lost the league cup final where strangely, you had all your eggs? |
paul mclafferty
said:
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... damian... in that case if you can only win!!! i imagine you must sit with a note book thinking of the next day blog of how to get the biggest reaction.. if this is the case then why not come out and give us a real positive post,FROM YOU!! as the only real positive ones we get are from other people who send them to you.. |
Andi
said:
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... Its all a MOO point because we are talking about events that are yet to happen and making presumptions based on historic events. Judgement will come end of the season and during the closed season on the build up to next season until then the discussion is a MOO point  |
Damian
said:
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... Villa_Chris come on. now you are making stuff up - i dont have any expectations for the rest of the season in terms of where we will finish in the league or fa cup basically - i cant be disappointed. where i do have expectations is in the football. i'd love to watch the football get better and then at the end of the season, i am going to have expectations that a serious amount of cash getting made available to the manager and the manager spending it on players that really can help the football develop and that it doesn't all happen in auguest - that basically the players get a full pre-season and can hit the ground running. those are my expectations. i have none in terms of where we finish in the league and the fa cup any more but i hope we win both |
paul mclafferty
said:
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... BLOODY HELL...it has just hit me after entering my last post to you damian and now makes more sense than a ikea flat pack manual.. your alter ego is tagler and as he has stopped posting it can only mean one thing!!! he has won the battle of personalities with damian and now damian has become tagler.. EASY, why didnt anyone see this before? |
Steve Badger
said:
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... Didn't take you long to get back to normal did it Damian? Look how many people are saying your post is totally negative, yet you still insist it's not. As for apologising for Sunday, for what? You'd think it was our right to automatically win the cup. The performance, whilst not brilliant, certainly didn't lack effort and many neutrals thought it was a good final. I could also say that in all the years you mention, none of the $ky 4 were as set in stone as they are now. By all means question the General, I am myself. But to just dismiss it as PR instantly is harsh. Me, I'd have mentioned it along with something like "we'll see" and left it at that. But then I suspect it's a bit personal after you had a slight "run-in" on Vital a good while back. Whatever, you have to be doing this to provoke a response, imo. You have to be otherwise I would question your "support" outside of a cup final build up. No doubt you'll tell me I haven't read the post though. I have. |
Damian
said:
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... holteend paul fantastic piece of deduction. i wondered why i woke with a half drunk cup of milk next to my bed when i really only drink coffee as for positive posts. it is just lazy comments like this that make it too hard to even go link to them becasue all i had to do was click one link to see them it is easier for people to remember negative or bad things - this is a proven fact. you don't remember the positive ones, because you don't want too. it isn't about when it was - it could have been yesterday - but for the point of your comment - it is easier not too you have this blind faith that all is going to be good in the future - we did the exact same thing last season and it didn't happen and come the end of this season when we finish 6th again and have no silverware - some will start saying that o'neill has taken us as far as he can as a manager and some will start saying wait to see who he brings in and then basically it will be the season has started and we will have our good runs again and our poor runs and this time next season we will be having the same conversations because some will accept it as okay, others will want more and as chiefy so elegantly put it 'the discussion is a MOO point' it isn't but we will see at the end of the season what we end up with and we will watch the circus in the summer and we will see what happens. some will be happy with 6th or 7th and the odd league cup final every now and then ... maybe lerner is, maybe he isn't - we will find out |
George Hartless
said:
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... Not really sure where this negativity is stemming from... I was at Wembley on Sunday and while the result was obviously disappointing, I thought our performance on the whole was pretty decent. The main thing that stood out for me was the pace of the match. All three of our games against United this season have been unrelenting, played out at a million miles breakneck speed. The workrate of the likes of Park, Milner, Fletcher, Young was just incredible, especially considering the heavy pitch. United are arguably the biggest club in world football, they are certainly the biggest on these shores. We've played them three times and we've competed every time. Twice stopping them from scoring. If that isn't progress then I don't know what is. United are able to call upon a second choice striker that cost £30m. And yet I've read plenty of garbage criticising Villa. It's ludicrous. Rooney and Berbatov between them cost the same amount as our entire starting 11. So I for one enjoyed the occassion. I'm not a huge fan of the new Wembley because I think the atmosphere is shite. But it was great to see Villa back at the national stadium, and I'm heading down to Reading this Sunday to hopefully see us book our next visit. And I'm desperately hoping this time it's against the scum! |
African Lion
said:
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... QASHQAI said As a boy Gerry Hitchens was my idol.He was IMO one of the greatest strikers ever before he left to join Inter Milan he scored over twenty goals each season and scored 42 goals in the 60/61 season.Another idol of mine was Tony Hately who joined soon after Gerry left and was a prolific goal scorer and in the 64 season scored 34 goals and another 28 goals the following season. Happy days and happy memories will I ever see the like again ? I HOPE SO> UP THE VILLA Blimey we do have some codgers today. Yup, also was watching Hitchens. Since then Hately,yes. Dougan, Andy Grey, Deano was a favourite of mine but not a true CF in the traditional mould, but since then - I dunno. Can't include Lochhead can we Course Luc Nilis could have been a legend for us. Have I missed someone? Truth is in our history we won things when we had a great CF/Striker. |
Villa fan in Oz (Matty Kelland)
said:
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... I reckon Martin O'Niel is a great manager and he will guide us the way ti the FA Cup trophy. I live in Austrlia so i stayed up to 12:00 to watch it and i thaught that we need a cheap right back to go on the bench because dont think Cuellar is a RB i think he is a a CB. I watch every match live on tele as every match in the Premiership is on is oz. I think AVFC should come over here where i live at Perth Glory. Villa will easily beat them but i reckon it will be good for there heat practise for when they play in Europe hopefully and team building. Perth Glory played against Wolves and Fullham.We lost to Wolves 1-0 and lossed to Fullham 5-0 but they still enjoyed there trip to oz as they played other teams to. North Queensland Fury that is neer by Brisbane have Robbie Fowler playing for them. So the Hyundai A-League is not bad at all Perth Glory have Jacob Burns (played for Leeds and plays for Australia), Mile Sterjobski (Plays for Australia), Andy Todd (played for Blackburn) and Chris Coyne (played for Australia) so we have good players. IM VILLA WHERE EVER I AM AND 4 MY LIFE |
paul mclafferty
said:
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... damian... if we beat reading and finish 6th again would you see it as another step forward? because i would. the team does not need building anymore, just adding to, which i think mon will do in the summer, no more need for quantity just quality now and mon is only too well aware of this which i am sure of. |
tubbydunne
said:
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... In my opinion how much we have progressed as a club under O'Neill should not be gauged in the type of player we can attract in the summer but in our ability to hold on to the players we have got. Barry left for greener fields, but he had been here eleven years and wasn't an O'Neill signing obviously. This summer though bigger clubs will inevitably come sniffing for Milner, A.Young, Gabby and Ceullar. Three are O'Neill signings and the other is a youth product who blossomed under O'Neill. These players are the backbone of the team, they are relatively young and going forward successful Villa teams could be built around them. If O'Neill can hold on to these players it would be a serious statement of intent. If one or two go to bigger clubs then I'm afraid it would mean that our progress has hit the ceiling and we are just another feeder club for the elite. We need additions to the squad yes. But If we can keep our prize assets, then one or two astute additions(which O'Neill is good at)can make a huge improvement. If you sell a prize asset then you are only buying in an attempt to replace them which results in stagnation. I think come summer we will find out where we stand as a club! |
Villatx
said:
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... Sometimes this blog really depresses me...oh well...not gonna change my feelings towards the clubs...plus people like Damian have a right to their opinions UTV |
DavidC
said:
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... Not sure I agree with Vidic. I think they looked all over the shop for the first 30 mins. We almost looked like (and this is the rub I guess as we didn't) we'd score each time we got in their half. After that, they used their experience, got tighter on Milner and we faded as an attacking force. Tell you what tho, any claims that we are long-ball, cannot pass it, or keep, need to be put to bed now once and forall. We matched Man U in terms of possession (50% v 50%), and you simply cannot do that if you are aimlessly punting the ball forward. In terms of happiness - people are never actually happier than when they're moaning. Brummies more so than anyone. If we won the CL we'd still be moaning that we were happier winning the EC. |
Car Frost
said:
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... On the Vidic thing, can you imagine a professional in another sport cheating within the opening few minutes and then blasting their mouth off after the event about how easy it was? It's like a swimmer dunking their rival after a few strokes, winning the race and saying "well that was easy" What a p***k. |
Tim Hillman
said:
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... I think football is the real winner. The premiership is the most competitive league in football and to finish in the top 6 is an amazing achievement for a club like Villa. Damian: Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, man city, Spurs are all really strong teams and clubs to be named along side these lot is a true test and to compare finishing 2nd in the league in 1992 is ridiculous. If you look at the top 5 that year it was Man Utd, Us, Norwich!!!, Blackburn and QPR. Hardly the toughest league in the world. I loved finishing 2nd and winning the league cups in 94 and 96 but you know what, I think it is a much bigger achievement to consistently finish in the top six over the last 3 years and reaching the cup final and quarters of the FA. This is the best time in Aston Villa's history in the hardest league in the past 20 years without doubt! |
paul mclafferty
said:
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...Damian: Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, man city, Spurs are all really strong teams and clubs to be named along side these lot is a true test and to compare finishing 2nd in the league in 1992 is ridiculous. If you look at the top 5 that year it was Man Utd, Us, Norwich!!!, Blackburn and QPR. Hardly the toughest league in the world. i love it when people talk sense.. |
John Samuels
said:
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... I think people are missing the point with regards who we should get rid of. People want Sidwell and Reo to go, but we have Salifou and Osbourne in the squad. In an injury crisis i'd much rather have to rely on Sidwell and Nigel than Salifou and Osbourne. We have a squad and it's all about strengthening, not weakening. I believe MoN will get 40 odd million to spend, sell Shorey, Salifou, Harewood and Osbourne and bring in a striker and possible two midfielders. A tough tackling, physical, defensive minded midfielder. A striker that can bag 20+ goals and a central midfielder that can thread a through pass. These are the areas we need to strengthen and I don't believe MoN will sell anyone we don't want to. The team spirit at the club is good, we are moving in the right direction and there appears to be a bit of money to spend too. I understand Krulak is there for PR, but I wouldn't be surprised if RL would make money available for a £30m player. The trouble is finding a player worth the money that would actually come play for us. We couldn't attract Schneijder and that guy went for less than £15m. I'm glad the Chairman and Manager are working together and I'm pleased with the progress the club is making. I trust MoN in the transfer market and I believe we will improve the squad in the summer again. If we can just hold on to what we have and keep adding whilst chopping out the dead wood we'll give ourselves a tremendous chance over the next season or so. A better team, bigger ground and hopefully a couple of trophies in the near future will stand us in good stead. |
doubledown9
said:
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... Doom! Fire! End of the World! Rape! Death! Shut up. I wrote yesterday about the state of the club. I can't be bothered to repeat myself. It was generally positive. However, with regard to this football will not get better stuff; do you not think we are expanding in a trackable manner? For what seems like the hundreth time "we are not as rich as other clubs". Year 1) attract what talent we can; a combination of MON old boys and 'eyebrow raising' bids for unproven talent: Climb to 11 from 16th. Year 2) overhaul squad and bring in functional players to fill gaps: rise from 11th to 6 th. Year 3: add more quality, mount ill-fated assault on top 4, but stabilise league position in European places FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A DECADE. Finish 6th Improve brand by being in contention (3-4th) for the best part of the season. Year 4) improve back 4 as we both scored and shipped goals the previous season. Assault top 4, probably still a step too far at this stage, Good runs in domestic cups STABILISE LEAGUE position. Improve brand by being in the mix for both top 4 and honors. Hampered by the loss of Barry, Laursen and the inability of Bouma to recover (would the Warnock & Dunne money have gone on a striker?) how do you guys not see this? We can only attract players who want to come to us. As a club and a city there are stigmas which needed to be overcome. The improvement of the Blues will help this. At this point we are only a few pieces away from the finished article and those pieces are bloody hard to come by. Christ how many players did Fergie go through trying to replace Keane. The squad is there, we all know the kind of players we need, but it is not champ manager, they must want to come to us. Getting to finals and the like improves global awareness and thus when a player is told "Aston Villa want to sign you" their agent does not have to qualify it with "they play in the premier league and scap for pointless mid table places" as the player will have heard of us. And before someone moans about the Europa League, it's too many games we are not there yet and must punch our weight. I sometimes think you guys don't remember how bad it was for years. Or should our owner appologise to us fans for being comparativley poor? FFS. |
doubledown9
said:
|
... CSM, JPA My sentiments exactly. I really shouldn't have bothered tapping out that big post on my iPhone. Bugger. |
paul mclafferty
said:
|
... jpa.... another good post mate, except for the last sentence the ground! we very rarely fill the capacity we have now and only had 31k against crystal palace when the ticket prices were as cheap as a tenner!! and palace packed their end. i know i will have damian ready to blow me down again and others on here telling me im playing the IM A BETTER FAN again but im not, its a recession an it is hitting football hard!!! utter tosh.. have a look at other clubs we are competing against at their stadia capacity and the average attendence of said clubs and you will see villa are way down the line. so to increase the capacity for when the top four come to town and have 20k empty seats for all other games doesnt make sense to me. |
keith
said:
 |
... jpa with you on this. im going to use berbatov and carrick in this example 2 x 30million players bought by saf, i would liken them to petrov and carew the difference being at man u berbatov and carrick can hide but had they come to villa with those price tags mon would be gone |
tubbydunne
said:
|
... Man U have never dropped lower than the top three since the inception of the Primer League. From season 96/97 on Arsenal have never been out of the top four. From season 02/03 on Chelsea have never been out of the top four. Liverpool have dropped out of the top four five times since the inception of the Premier League and have dropped out of the top six on two occasions. Since the big four established themselves around season 00/01 only three teams have broken the monopoly. Leeds 00/01, Newcastle 01/02,02/03 and Everton 04/05. Aston Villa have finished in the top six 8 times since the inception of the Premier League: 92/93 second, 95/96 fourth, 96/97 fifth, 98/99 sixth, 99/00 sixth, 03/04 sixth, 07/08 sixth and 08/09 sixth Since the big four established themselves around season 00/01 Villa have finished in the top six three times 03/04 sixth and in 07/08 and 08/09 sixth This shows that as the years go by the strong are getting stronger and comparing finishing fifth in 96/97 to finishing sixth in 08/09 for example is very flawed. It also shows two back to back sixth placed finishes in the modern game is a significant achievement. |
Tim Hillman
said:
|
... Having a bigger ground will make us look like a laughing stock, unless we consistently fill the gorund every week including games against teams like Stoke and Wigan then increasing the size of the ground will be pointless. |
John Samuels
said:
|
... keithj, spot on mate. We can't afford to shell out that money on underperforming players. We need to attract the right players whether they are £5m or £50m. My examples of Santa Cruz and Benni McCarthy still stand. If we can find an underperforming bargain that we can turn round then that's a much more shrewd investment financially and on the pitch. We need players with a hunger to perform, not ones looking for a pay day. Holteend paul, I see what you're saying. The truth is if the seats are there then they are there. I don't believe the construction work will cripple the club as it's alterations, not a new ground like the emirates. We have to aim high and aspire to CL football on the pitch to succeed so the same has to be done off the pitch too. Palace at home is a fair example, but it's very likely we may be able to fill those 10/20,000 extra seats with games against Man U and Arsenal etc and the extra revenue, however limited will all go into helping the club coffers grow. We have to think big. |
Andi
said:
|
...so to increase the capacity for when the top four come to town and have 20k empty seats for all other games doesnt make sense to me. this is further evidence that the money will be invested in the team. Lerner is aware of the money that a world cup bid would bring to the club and our ground would have to chosen to represent the Midlands however Lerner and the FA would want the ground bigger for Lerner to make more and the FA for them to make more. Lerner said somewhere he wants us to compete at the very top and to do that we need the team, ground, sponsor all the trimings our sponsor changes this year and i expect a longer term deal and a big name, maybe even MBNA who knows. The team will have the investment to fill the ground and all will fall into place |
Andi
said:
|
... you will also find when we do start winning things and competing every season fans come from far and wide to start supporting again. We will also have our fair share of glory hunters as every club does, seems funny but in a few years we might even be having support your local team song to us !!!! |
dan
said:
 |
... JPA, Chiefy my sentiments exactly, I had written a long post on this, however, I seem to be being ignored by the mods today so I went all out and created an account. Thats how bored I am. |
Andi
said:
|
... On the ground front am i sure Lerner knows it would be suicide to create a "BIG OLE" ground if we couldn't fill it, and i am sure MON knows that Lerner wants a "BIG OLE" ground and that he has to produce to fill it, Lerner will then be aware by default that MON is going to need some money to bring in the final pieces of the jigsaw. Work doesnt start on the ground till 2012 MON will deliver next season and Lerner will deliver the tools to allow MON to do his job |
taglor
said:
 |
... Hey guys. I've left posting as I wanted to see how the season panned out and I have to say I agree with Damian. I really feel like I have saved a lot of time and energy by not bothering as much as usual with the premiership this season, by the end the top 4 will still be similar and well frankly we won't have moved on so it will be yet another season stood still, not terrible, not great, just the same and quite frankly after 20 years of that I am loosing enthusiasm. The difference on Sunday was we have Heskey and they have Rooney, we may not be able to afford someone like that and so I don't blame mon but the premiership for letting clubs like manure be so heavily in debt yet still sign players. Until the foreign players are limited and salaries are capped the monopoly will continue, you may as well pull man u, arsenal, chelsea and lpool out of a hat each year in order as it never really changes much. Glad our players didn't totally bottle it but before the match you just knew we'd lose and then we do, so bloody boring. Anyway this monopoly has actually got people being happy to finish 4th?! why do u accept we can't win and are happy with that? Would you be happy with that in another sport? Winning is the only point to football and sport or is it just the taking part? |
Mike Carter
said:
 |
...No real surprises in what Krulak has said but we must thank him for confirming that both the owner and manager 'know where the club needs to go' - that has reassured me. I mean, had they not known that, we would surely have been in trouble. To be fair Damian, there appear to be plenty of chairmen and managers who don't know where their clubs need to go. Or at least how to get there anyway. |
Andi
said:
|
...I don't blame mon but the premiership for letting clubs like manure be so heavily in debt yet still sign players i agree with that 100%, the FA shouldnt allow clubs to be so much in debt and I believe that clubs who have posted loses will soon not be allowed to be in the chumps league, it was recently in the press i mentioned it on here |
paul mclafferty
said:
|
... OMG... this proves my point taglor = damian please read post 33, sorry for spelling taglor with a E |
Luckynumber7
said:
 |
... afternoon gents have to say that I'm a little surprised by some of what I read on here from Villa fans. Granted, we could have done better on Sunday but we didn't play badly. Yes, we probably should have pressed when we had them sitting deeper, and yes we probably showed them a little too much respect, but... we battled hard and times we matched or bettered them. on a very positive note, we have a chance to get straight back in the saddle. A win this weekend gives us another wembley date. That'll be two in a couple of months... I very well remember sitting at old wembley watching a bore final against Chels... although it was a long long time ago. we're going in the right direction but we simply must keep our best players. |
taglor
said:
|
... Ok the prem stats -08, 09 man u, lpool, chel, arse -07, 08 man u, chel, arse, lpool -06, 07 man u, chel,lpool, arse -05, 06 chel, man u, lpool, arse -04, 05 chel, arse, manu, everton, lpool -03, 04 arse, chel, man u, lpool -02, 03 man u, arse, newc, chelsea, lpool -01, 02 arse, lpool, man u, newc -99, 01 man u, arse, lpool, leeds -98, 99 man u, arse, lpool, leeds, chelsea -97, 98 man u, arse, chel, leeds etc etc, how bloody boring is that?! a decade of monopoly and it just carries on. |
Tim Hillman
said:
|
...Ok the prem stats Ok Taglor imagine this: -09, 10 man U, Chelsea, arsenal, Villa!!! |
Tim Hillman
said:
|
... then.... -10, 11 - Chelsea, Man U, Villa, Man City -11, 12 - ManU, Villa, Man City, Arsenal -12, 13 - Villa, Villa, Villa, Villa!!!!!! |
jerry
said:
 |
...seriously Damian... CHEER UP!! Chris I’ve tried to explain this before. For Damo, the glass is always half empty. It’s his nature, a quirk of his personality. He can no more be constantly upbeat that he can be teetotal. I used to worry that his pessimism would be infectious but if everyone understands that he wants, just as everyone else does, what’s best for the club, then it won’t bring you down. To be honest, I would rather Damian was truthful than try to disguise his feelings with a false optimism. Writers write best when they say what’s in their hearts. An example would be JPA who came alight a few days ago when he got a tad angry. Who’s the guy who was running the betting thread? Is it going to run again? I think many would be interested in that. Damo, can you get him to restart it? |
John Samuels
said:
|
...To be honest, I would rather Damian was truthful than try to disguise his feelings with a false optimism. Writers write best when they say what’s in their hearts. An example would be JPA who came alight a few days ago when he got a tad angry. To be honest with you churchill I'm getting a bit hacked off with some of the crap coming out now that we're getting towards another transfer window. Unrealistic rubbish imo. I can't wait for the day MoN buggers off and everyone starts whining about how he deserted us and how good he was for our club. Have you seen the pictures of Milner scything down Rooney in training? I've never seen a better example of a story out of sod all. |
Chris Harper
said:
|
... Juan Pablo Angel The old sayin; 'you don't realise what you've got until its gone' comes to mind. Just think what it would be like to support a mid table club, playing week in week out for nothing in particular. Or a bottom half where your ambition is to escape relegation. I know where I would rather be. Life isn't so bad being a Villa fan, i'm sure. |
paul mclafferty
said:
|
...Life isn't so bad being a Villa fan, i'm sure. i think it is for some people on here!!!! |
AvFc Dec
said:
 |
... Damian, you need to get some cheering up mate. In todays football to get to a final, finish top sixth, (i reckon we can push 4th) and an FA Cup quarter final, possibly another final then that is very good. Infact very very very very good . Seriously mate i doubt your support for the team, i think you expect too much. Wake up like i said its hard to do how well we are doing right now. Its all the top 4 and then occasionly a team who finishes fifth or sixth breaks the mould, that teams us. Bit by bit with the resources and new experience and quality weve got we will gradually build. Last season you never stopped moaning wanting this wanting that, cup final you wanted, now youve got, now were doing good, no, doing amazing for a team of our size and wealth and you want more... i just dont get it how you cant be happy for your team. I want to feel sorry for you cuz you sound really depressed but i find it hard when every day you post something deppresive or negative about the team. |
keith
said:
|
... we could have spent like man citeh and not been in the carling cup final, in with no chance of the fa cup final and no better chance than us of finishing 4th. omg does that mean its not down to money but the manager |
frem
said:
 |
... good news about randy and oneill. hopefully we will get 25 mil or more from him plus the sales of players like sid, hare, reo, shorey etc etc. we could get around 40 mil. get two good strikers, karl henry and ireland. |
John Samuels
said:
|
... frem, I believe we need one striker. Karl Henry is a player I don't know much about, but a hard tackling CM who is over six foot, good on the ball and can play at FB too sounds decent to me. Stephen Ireland or Hleb would be good signings for us. I'd prefer Ireland as he is younger and more physicalling able than the slight framed Hleb. Stephen Ireland, Karl Henry and Michael Owen would be decent enough business for us this summer. A higher profile young striker would be nice, but I'll wait and see what MoNis prepared to do. |
tubbydunne
said:
|
... Churchill This is not a writing competition doubledown9 If it was you would be today's winner frem You love the transfer speculation it definitely is your chosen subject. I think you should become an agent. |
Simeon
said:
 |
... Villa are in exactly the same position now as we were after 3 or four seasons of John Gregory, i.e. upper-mid-table mediocrity, and similarly unispired football. The difference is that Gregory 'achieved' what he did with Ellis as chairman, whilst O'Neill has 'achieved' with Lerner as owner. I thought that Gregory was, by some distance, the worst Villa manager in my experience (i.e. '94 onwards), primarily because he squandered a rich inheritance. The team Brian Little built was without question the best Villa of the last 15 years, and had a youthful spine. Bosnich was peerless, Ehiogu and Southgate have only been matched by Mellberg and Laursen since, Draper was the best passer of a ball at Villa Park since Sid, and it's a real shame that his career ended up being blighted by an ankle injury. Milosevic was an excellent partner for Yorke, and a much-underrated player in his own right. Gregory had a real foundation on which to build, but his abysmal man-management and his penchant for wasting money in the transfer market, either on veterans or wasters (though the latter might possibly be due to the alleged bung business) meant that both our short- and medium-term chances of success were utterly scuppered. For this, I will never forgive him. O'Neill, in fairness to him, didn't inherit a great deal of quality (although we were certainly not the basket case some O'Neill fans would have us believe, at least in terms of the players we had. Barry, Mellberg and Laursen were three players who would walk into our current side, and let's not forget the young players already at the club. We had a fair amount of deadwood in the squad, granted, but no more than we have at the moment. Off the field, of course, we were up sh*t creek without the proverbial with Ellis in charge. But let's be straight about this. O'Neill has had a strong tailwind throughout his time at Villa, and has been given every opportunity by Lerner to do a really good job. O'Neill has, undoubtedly, improved the side since he arrived, but when you spend over £100m, that is inevitable. And to improve on O'Leary's efforts is hardly difficult. The squad is also bigger (as tends to happen when you spend vast quantities of money), although we are severely short of quality up front, and play all of our wingers at the same time. We have an abundance of centre-backs, but this owes more to O'Neill's disorganisation than anything else. What, for example, is to come of Curtis Davies? Many think he's a bit of a joke, but the fact is that O'Neill spent £10m on him. Put like that, it's not so funny, is it? Personally, I think he has ability, but has been well and truly shafted by his boss. I'd be surprised if he didn't leave in the summer, and as well as taking a big loss on him, in a season or two we are again regretting the departure of a good young centre-back on O'Neill's watch. Damian is absolutely right. In the past 15 years or so, there have been a handful of seasons when things have been just as good, and sometimes better, than they have been now. And that was with Ellis in charge. Even under Gregory we were top at Christmas one season! It's remarkable to think that a guy as brainless as good ol' JG could, with just a bit of backing from his chairman, have secured Champion's League football. Let's please put our current situation into context. Making a League Cup final, especially these days after the competition has been so devalued, is not something to wet our pants about. And nor is finishing 6th in the Premiership. Some of you don't seem to realise what is possible at a club like Villa, and what can legitimately be expected. For my money, having been given every opportunity to do things his way, and been backed very generously, Martin O'Neill has fallen, and shows every sign of continuing to fall, below reasonable expectations, let alone what is actually possible with just a little bit of nous. |
John Samuels
said:
|
... Doubledown, just read that post of yours earlier. I missed it before. Good stuff, I feel like I could have written it myself!   Keep up the good work. |
Steve Oldaker
said:
 |
... oh my god there are some right miserable gits on here so soon after a cup final a few days before a quarter final and still fighting for champs league birth ! lighten up guys for f##k sake! what did steve bruce say about the villa " the perfect template on how a club should be run" did he not say that ?? super chairman and super manager end of |
Tim Hillman
said:
|
...Let's please put our current situation into context. Making a League Cup final, especially these days after the competition has been so devalued, is not something to wet our pants about. And nor is finishing 6th in the Premiership. Some of you don't seem to realise what is possible at a club like Villa, and what can legitimately be expected. For my money, having been given every opportunity to do things his way, and been backed very generously, Martin O'Neill has fallen, and shows every sign of continuing to fall, below reasonable expectations, let alone what is actually possible with just a little bit of nous. B*ll*cks |
frem
said:
|
... tubbydunne- Thanks. i love the transfer speculation and windows. id love to be oneill right hand man who recommends who to buy. |
GPalmer
said:
 |
...My first villa game was as a boy in 1958 and I would suggest that the last out-and-out striker was Dean Saunders Dwight Yorke nabbed over 20 for a year or two, Dion Dublin was a class act until he had the serious neck injury... I remember Deano hitting the post or bar every bloody week - even he couldn't believe his luck. Sometimes I think we're cursed with big signings who suffer really bad luck when they come to us - Luc Nilis & Neil Cooper being the prime examples, and Juan Pablo didn't have the best of times when he first arrived. Maybe Gabby will turn out to be another Yorke. He took a few years to really get motoring as far as goalscoring goes. |
GPalmer
said:
|
...Doom! Fire! End of the World! Rape! Death! Just thought Doubledown deserved being repeated - we're going well and just need a goalscorer to ice the cake. |
colin badger
said:
 |
... hmm damo, and wonder why we are known as fickle fans??? lets put this in to prospective, if at the start of the season we were told at this stage we had been in a cup final and quarters with championship opposition in the next and couple of points off 4th with game in hand, most would be walking round with a big smile!! as for the lerner cash rumour, most likely bored top 4 reporter wanting to write havoc, as they tried during the pre final. yes i agree there is a few players i would sell tomorrow, but dont forget we have a few players from the youth coming though, albrighton, clark, fonz, bannon and just needs one or two signings. martin is shrewd and knows its a big risk bringing in a big name, after all if the signing didnt perform im sure there is a few who would moan for the fun of it. plus a big signing could upset the dressing room and have agents whinging asking for pay rises and new deals. |
tubbydunne
said:
|
... Simeon You say O'Neill has fallen below reasonable expectation. How do you justify this comment. If reasonable expectation is breaking the top four then he has fallen below it. But I don't think that is reasonable expectation at all. The top four are also probably in the top eight in Europe. They have had their top four positions for going on ten years apart from a Liverpool blip now and again. They take the champions League money for granted and invest on the back of it. They attract the top name players and pay the big wages. If a player from outside the big four blossoms during the season one of the four buys him. They have secured their positions over time and make sure that the gap between themselves and the rest keeps widening. O'Neill is here three and a half seasons and he has brought us from a hit and miss outfit to a consistently performing side who are knocking at the door of the big fours castle. The big boys know that if the don't perform consistently that O'Neill's men are ready to move in. This has been done in an era when players prices and wages have exploded firstly because of a sugar daddy coming to Chelsea and throwing silly money around and then an even richer Sheik coming to Manchester City and again inflating the market out of all proportion. You say he has improved the side but that is inevitable because he has spent 100 million. What is a 100 million over three and a half years in today's game, moderate enough spending if you ask me. You say we are in the exact same position now as we were after 3/4 years under Gregory. I have to say that is rubbish. The Squad and the performance has steadily improved under O'Neill and we have established our place in the League. We are a top six team with our eye on the next level which is fourth. Under Gregory we topped the table for periods and we finished in the top six but their never seemed to be solid foundations or purpose or direction. With him we could be challenging for the title or fighting relegation anything was possible and even though it's not that long ago the competition wasn't as intense as it is now as I have explained above. Nobody is wetting their pants as you put over a league cup appearance either. It was nice to go to Wembley and it raised the clubs profile for a weekend and it was a good distraction. But it is just another indication of the clubs steady progression as well as challenging the top four we are competing in two cups to the latter stages. The point is this is not a one off this is steady calculated progression built on good intelligent leadership from the owner and solid work from the manager. Maybe I am wrong, but I have a feeling this Villa project is a work in progress and if the two men I mentioned above are left to get on with it and given time we are going to be very proud of the outcome. Basically Simeon I totally disagree with everything you say. |
paul mclafferty
said:
|
... sick to death of these fans who keep moaning all the time because it is obvious they dont even go down to villa park and watch the team!!!(go on damo,im waiting) fans who pay the money earn the right to have their say, but the fickles who come on here just to have a moan need to give their heads a wobble. speaking for myself, i am enjoying this season as i have already been to wembley we are fighting strongly for fourth and one win away from another day at the twin towers!! for those people who remember the early 80s will also remember after we won the league we finished very poor the next season and only the european cup win disguises the fact. i am 41 so remember all the recent honours and the plain and simple fact is THIS season is, could be, one of the best in living memory. if we fail then at least i will have enjoyed the season after having beaten chelsea, liverpool,utd and putting a good account of ourselfs against our nearest rivals. |
VillaDude
said:
 |
... Baines and Walcott in ahead of Warnock and Milner... Guess a few of our players will stay fresh for the weekend... |
john p
said:
 |
... tubbydunne. reasonable expectation i am guessing is that with all the money o'neill has spent he has done no better than DOL in the league and no better than BL in the league cup and back then it was taken a lot more serious. you can talk about throwing money but that is what it takes. that is why the top4 are carrying this debt and why they are doing so well. it is what the game is about these days |
Rattus NorVillicus
said:
|
...holteend paul said: Echoed What these neggos fail to understand completely is that the top four is an exclusive club that is virtually impossible to break into. They have all the money and all the prestige. Here are two views: Taglor above is complaining we don't have players like Rooney. When I say to Damian 4th is the holy grail, he says 'what's 4th ? 1st is the holy grail' The above two point of view display a complete denial of reality. We make it to a cup final with a young inexperienced side, compete with one of the best sides in the world for 90 minutes, leave having only lost by the odd goal with our heads held high, and Damian says "Maybe they would like to apologise for the performance and result?" It beggers belief, it really does. |
VillaDude
said:
|
... THE FONZZZZ On the field 5 mins and pulls one back for the u21...Pearce should have started with him... |
Eoin Greene
said:
 |
... Simeon - I think you make very valid points. But wisdom from others point out - you are wrong - booooooo, you heathen for uttering negative words. I think there is a huge difference between where people envisage where Aston Villa as a club should be. MoN has 18 months left in his 5 year plan, how far have we come in the last 2 years. I would argue we have at best stood still. Making a cup final shows nothing - especially a League cup. More than anything a good draw got us to the final and Baby Brad saving 50 penalties against Sunderland. Villa are a huge club, we have spent plenty of money since O'Neill took over. We should be in the top 4. The top 4 dont have a divine right to be there. Our football, and performances are going nowhere. We have been a dangerous from set pieces counterattacking team for 3 years now. We are a rich version of Leicester. Less of the mediocrity accepting and Damian is 100% right - we have been in better situations on many occasions over the past 15 years.....we haven't come from the vauxhall conference. |
Martin Clabon
said:
 |
... I didn't quite understand Damian's post, I presume it was negative but it was a little odd so couldn't quite get to grips with it. Still perhaps I shouldn't admit that or even more people will think I am thick, still no harm done as long as I delete and don't press add comment, oh shit..... |
Martin Clabon
said:
|
... Simeon's post was just too long for me to bother with. Could someone tell me if he was talking bollox as usual so I can give him a kicking as I so love to do. Holte End has got me worried now, I think Simeon might by my alter ego. He is quiet for a while but then he is just too strong and takes over and before I know it he/I am spreading despair with eloquent prose - please let it not be so Damo, can you check ip addresses to put my mind at rest? Off for my medication now PS, lovely to have taglor back, he seems almost reasonable, has he mellowed or has reality just contorted to make him nearly in tune with events? |
Rattus NorVillicus
said:
|
...eoin1981 said: This is complete nonsense Ask yourself why it's the same top four year after year after year ? |
Villa since 1958
said:
 |
... Chiefy over and over again i understand the link between better football and winning but in all honesty who really cares ?????? I do. Very much. |
max sarasini
said:
 |
... A thanks from the club wasn't necessary? I find that really petulant and unnecessary damian. These simple and kind words and gestures were so often missing during the Ellis years so i really think it';s perverse logic to see them as a negative. You are also now claiming that our performance was poor Damian but i was actually there and i thought we gave a good account of ourselves and had a go at United when we fell behind. Yes, there were lots of speculative percentage balls played but our players tried and ran their hearts out. We are so close, can you not see that, and i would rather keep the faith and hang in there to see if we can get to wembley again this year and add to our squad next season, rather than losing patience and criticising constantly. |
FatKevs
said:
 |
... 1 thing is certain, you feel the pain of loosing much more being at the game than just watching it on TV I was proud we gave it a go at the weekend but it was not working for carlos he should have swapped with JC or just subbed. downing had no balls again |
Simeon
said:
|
... tubbydunne, you disagree with me, and I disagree with you. I'm ok with that if you are. I would say that virtually all your responses to what I said are the usual defeatist cliches which betray an inferiority complex. This season and last show exactly what fans of a club who have splashed the cash, as we have, can expect. Arsenal were there for the taking last season, and Liverpool are there for the taking this season. And to be perfectly frank, neither Man Utd or Chelsea are anywhere near as good as they were just two years ago. So let's please forget about this myth that the top 4 are untouchable. But back to the Villa. As Eoin1981 says, we are a big club who've spent alot of money. And we should have been in the top four last season. As it is, we are a de-luxe Leicester City (without the league cups of course). And that isn't remotely good enough as far as I'm concerned, especially when we've achieved more in harder times. By the way, delighted to see the Fonz scoring for the England U21's. Wouldn't it be nice to see him getting some proper game time for us? |
Simeon
said:
|
... FatKevs, I'm not sure that Downing lacks balls as such. He simply isnn't particularly good. He's not as bad as Heskey or Sidwell, but surely £12m should get you more than an average wide midfielder... |
paul mclafferty
said:
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... if we win th f.a cup, which we have a very good chance of doing so, can anyone on here tell me if they remember a better season? 1980-81 excluded. i can tell you the answer now.....NO |
freidals slaphead
said:
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... CSM said " this is the best time in aston villa`s history " think he`s been let out for the day.we are getting there but that is utter bollox |
Simeon
said:
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... Big if holteend paul, but yes, if we win the FA Cup, it'll have been a great season. But that won't suddenly mean that O'Neill is doing a good job, and that we're on the right track. Winning the FA Cup is a wonderful thing in and of itself, but it isn't a stepping stone to bigger things. Tragically, finishing in the top four, and accessing CL revenue is the means to 'building the business'. Interesting, by the way, that you don't suggest that if we finish in the top four it will be the best season since 1981-2. But then I guess, like me, you don't expect us to seriously challenge for fourth place. |
dan
said:
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... Villadude: Im in a very funny mood tonight, but... It is because we are Aston Villa. Randomly during a procrastination break at uni I was looking at the PFA, WPA, YPA etc awards and I noticed distinct evidence the media hate us. 3 times a Villa player has won the Player's Player of the Year award, 3 times a Villa player has won the Young Player of the Year award, once a Villa player has won the Bravo Award for the most outstanding U23 player in Europe award, BUT NOT ONCE HAS A VILLA PLAYER WON THE "FOOTBALL WRITERS PLAYER OF THE YEAR" AWARD. Just a thought for all those who dismiss the 'London mafia' concept. |
heskeyshead
said:
 |
... wow so i am back here for the first time since coming back from wembley on sunday. And here i read damian being an absolute pessimist. The club haven't to apologise for anything! the game was brilliant, yes we didn't deserve to win but we gave it a go. The first half was very open and Man Utd showed their quality and experience. why do you even support aston villa? just let this blog die please and moan to your friends in the pub every weekend. Im sick of hearing all this. there is only a few people's opinions i value on here and yours is most certainly not one of them. i hope you never grace villa park with your presence again. |
Greg Hill
said:
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... Why is it that so many of the positive posters are so rude and disdainful of what someone called the ‘neggos’? As if we haven’t all got the best interests of the club at heart. We can all have our views but the abuse only comes from one side. |
martin-nocash
said:
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... there are 3 groups of people on this site 1st you got the positive people that want to believe and believe what positive they read then you got the people that are blind to what is really happening and cant even read anything what they call negative therefore not accepting it as ever written then you got the older and wiser supporter that wants success. this supporter you find is older and not sucked in by premier league and can see all that has changed is team effort and if a manager doesne come in that can push the club on this is best we going to get |
Rattus NorVillicus
said:
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...Greg1981 said: People say this is a massive club Maybe so, but then it is also a massively underachieving club. And why is that ? Well it's probably got something to do with the booing at the first match of the season and supporters shouting abuse from behind the dug-out each week, followed up by endless criticism on message boards about tactics, formations, players, etc, etc, etc, by people who haven't got a clue when compared to the manager, and capped off with statements like 'maybe they should apologise' when the team have got to the first final in ages and competed with one of the best teams in the world for 90 minutes. There is also a wilful denial amongst many supporters regarding the top 4 and how the champion's league has put them on a different planet to everyone else. People say 'Villa should be in the top four' like it's the easiest thing in the world. I mean new teams are getting into the top four every season right ? MON must be a massive failure if he can't get Villa in after a few seasons - absolute bollox, So the reason we are rude and disdainful to the neggos, is that they are the ones responsible for maintaining Villa as a mediocre, mid-table, self fulfilling prophecy. Boo boo boo, crap crap crap, shout the neggos. And sooner or later MON & Lerner will have had enough of moaning Brummies and will leave. And then all the moaning neggos will pat themselves on the back and say, see ! I was right all along. And Villa will go back to being the unambitious, mediocre, mid-table side, that the moaning neggos deserve. |
Damian
said:
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... Pancho Villan thats the thing that some supporters just don't get - we are a massive club. there is no 'maybe' about it and you saying maybe, is just embarrassing because you really don't know your own club also - yes we are underachieving, but it has absolutely nothing to do with booing at one game at the start of the season we have been underachieving for a long time and the point is - o'neill isn't doing any better than many managers before him and lerner isn't spending enough money it is so bloody annoying when people like you read only what you want to read and then make a thing about it. when i said about maybe they should apologise - it was in context of something else, yet you refuse to even acknowledge that - that is just blind and you dont do yourself any favours - because most people do read and do understand context the club, underachieving has nothing to do with booing or fans shouting from the stands or forums or message boards - absolutely nothing and you suggesting it has - just smacks of someone that really shouldn't be throwing stones because if anything you are just showing yourself up as the one person that really doesn't know what is going on |
Tim Hillman
said:
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... Friedels slap head wrote : CSM said " this is the best time in aston villa`s history " think he`s been let out for the day.we are getting there but that is utter bollox Talk about mis quoting. I said the best time in our history in the last 20 years!!! |
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