The dire position that Aston Villa finds itself in calls for heroes. Individuals that can rise above and beyond the call of duty to produce the type of display that transcends expectation and belief. So far in this miserable campaign we have seen evidence of this being possible from only one player, Micah Richards.

If we are to complete the gargantuan task of survival who else is there that can step up to the plate and produce the type of performance to lift the lid off Villa Park?

Here are my three suggestions:

    Jack Grealish

Having returned to training with the first team this week, an hopefully rejuvenated Jack Grealish could feature against Champions League last 16 contenders Arsenal this Sunday.

Critics of the wayward midfielder’s contribution and ability ought to remember an outstanding Wembley debut that brought him to national prominence as one of the Premier League’s brightest young talents. How he comes back from an imposed exile will be the measure of the man. He will clearly have something to prove and will hopefully be keenly motivated to restore his reputation as a talent worthy of the international stage. He needs to pull his socks up.

    Joleon Lescott

The warm applause offered to Joleon Lescott recently by visiting Manchester City supporters was testimony to the big defenders contribution to their club, his ability and standing in the game.

Yet his contribution so far to our cause has been slow to pick up. Some observers have cruelly suggested that his best playing days are behind him and that Albion’s Head Coach, Tony Pulis, saw us coming when sealing a £2m transfer. Although Lescott’s performance at Southampton at the weekend wasn’t without its flaws, he readily seized the Captain’s armband and scored a goal. This could be the catalyst for turning his season around.

If he adopts a no nonsense approach and uses his vast experience to organise others, he could yet be the key leader this Villa team needs.

    Jordan Veretout

France Under 21 international midfielder Jordan Veretout is gradually building his top flight experience. Having made a winning debut at Bournemouth, Veretout was largely ignored by former Manager, Tim Sherwood. The former Nantes playmaker has found a way through into Remi Garde’s starting eleven, taking on the role of delivering set pieces and claiming two assists.

If his Nantes goal scoring ratio is to follow him to Birmingham he is due a strike at any time. Like error prone Carlos Sanchez he has his admirers amongst the Villa faithful and we could yet see his measured contributions turn into explosive action.

Comments 265

  1. If thats 3 to save us then god help us!

    Like Vertout alot though to be fair, could be very good for us as long as he stays when we go down?

    Lescott could do a good job in the championship for us.
    Grealish has not got the intelligence, fight or mentality to save us.

    Arsenal game could be a cricket score, im going to do my christmas shopping sunday.

    Seeing as it’s christmas and the season of good will i will try and regain some hope. Going through the fixtures after the arsenal game and seeing as fixtures come thick and fast this time of year then if there is a time to get out of this its in the next month.

    I will reserve judgment until end of jan. If we are still bottom 3 then we are goners

  2. Matt
    The cupboard is definitely bare in the heroes dept, as fans we haven’t really had much to shout about since the MoN days, which now seem an eternity away, having gone from top6 finishes to scraping along the bottom. As discussed on here many times, the lack of real investment over the last 5 years or so coupled with any talent being sold off for profit.
    I’m not sure we have the individuals to pull us out of the mire, this is going to take a Herculean team effort, and it’s still not in our own hands, we are reliant on 3 teams capitulating above us.
    We have no leadership and very little quality or fight on the pitch. Now is the time for players to step up, and if they carry on like they have been the inevitable will become the reality. The nation see us as a joke and like to see bigger clubs go down, locally the Vermin are loving it, especially as the deluded wankers actually think they will go up in the play offs, some I know have actually taken great delight in predicting this won’t be the end of our demise and there will be a complete power shift in the city, as we continue to implode. The Albion are just inbred and tend to just wanna copy the blues in their obsession and hatred of us.
    I’m not sure the likes of Lescott, Grealish , Richards despite being local lads with an alleged love for our club assisted by the French lads will be enough this season. It’s certainly going to be an interesting summer, either we will be attempting to rebuild for a promotional push or another long drag of avoiding the drop, but hopefully having learned the lessons of this and other seasons.

  3. Just seen on SSN Garde talking about JG, this saga has rumbled on and detracted from the bigger picture and handled wrongly. Let’s hope we can turn a corner soon

  4. It won’t be any individual player that saves us. We don’t have a Benteke anymore

    It will be simply down to tactics and working as 11 players on the pitch.

    Atletico Madrid- Good individual players, nothing special, but as a team they are probably the best in the world. The managers tactics and style suits them down to the ground.

    Going by what I have seen of Garde’s tactics so far, we don’t stand a chance of staying up. There’s no belief from the players that we are playing a way that will keep us up. 451 is horrible but it doesn’t look like changing. A narrow 442 is the way to go

  5. Jesus, Monk got the sack for being in a rut the last 10/11 games while having played and captained them up to the premier league and off the back of previous managers got them to an 8th place finish and some of you above are saying Garde is useless after a handful of games, having lost a first choice fullback and inherited a squad of potential but of little prem experience bar a handful of players.

    If you want a manager to perform miracles, then Jesus is your man if you believe his media consultants (apostles), give the lad a chance, back him or back off. Seriously, I know we are in the shit but come on, we got a point against City/Saints that weren’t expected and he’s had to build relationships with the players, assess who is good at what and determine a system that will be effective given the squad he has.

    We may not have the time to build and it may well be too late in some people’s eyes but worse teams then us have escaped relegation and we’ve a window that hopefully Lerner will take advantage of.

  6. Hi Matt and all

    i agree that if all 3 mentioned players step up it would make a difference to the team
    I would add Kosak to that list if he gets his chance and actually takes it
    I do think we are too short of quality to get out of it without a few very good additions thou
    still liking Garde’s work thou and can’t see how he can be blamed for what we have become

  7. Hi, Matt.

    Would love to see Grealish contribute. It really is up to him, though. Jack needs the desire to run himself into the ground and do anything and everything he can to contribute wherever it’s needed. Prove to his team and the supporters that he’s leading and wants to be indispensible. No more hiding. Lose the ball, go get it back, for starters.

    The trio to save us may be what we’re reading in the papers. Have no idea whether it’s nonsense, but Loic Remy on loan, for example…We could use a striker like that.

  8. Well said Darren..!!!!

    Excellent article Matt, and I agree that Veretout had been missed, and cannot understand TS not playing him at the time.

    There is a whole squad of players that can make a difference, and I still have the memory of the effort and difference in the squad in the Watford game, until Hutton put through his own goal, and you could sense the change that they probably felt that luck was going to against them again.

    It now really is time for us to give our full support to the team and help them to achieve the impossible and beat Arsenal on Sunday!!!!

  9. Agree PP, we all know that we’re crepe but we’re also unlucky, if we had half the luck of recent seasons we’d be a good few points better off and with the points that Sherwood and Guzan gave away early doors we’d be half way.

  10. Thanks matt,

    Vertout is becoming my favourite player, he can become gil’s replacement too if Gil doesn’t step up whilst also having grit and stamina. I can easily see him at the tip of a 442 diamond midfield giving defensive cover as well, 7 goals last season from midfield boy do we need that.

    I’m intrigued to see how Garde reacts to Lescotts showing as captain? could it be Richards, while passionate and committed isn’t the man to lead the defence and organise? I saw it with Vlaar who lead by example that the likes of Clark switched off and left him to it when he’s in charge, yet with Senderos barking out the orders him and Vlaar looked solid. likewise Okore and Clarke looked a solid pairing with Clark stepping up his game when out from under a seniors shadow.

    I’m afraid Grealish one of my favourite players just doesn’t fit Garde’s work ethic and maybe never will. I watched him on Monday with the U21’s and he just looks bereft of energy and his sprinting style is terrible like Bambi on ice. I think he could do with a course of lesson’s with Linford christie seriously. unless we are solid behind him and without Amavi we can’t afford him in the position we are in, unless Garde can work some magic.

    Adama could prove lethal but like Grealish he has half a game plan in him, Kosak on the other hand suffers from looking awkward but put him in front of goal and he puts it away, if Gestede is worth a punt so is Kosak.

    On survival, win a couple this month and Sunderland on the 2nd and we just might have the platform. Newcastle have all the top teams next and us and WBA, I don’t think they will repeat the win against a leggy looking liverpool. Then lets see what Jan brings, we have Leicester then, who’s next six games are all the top sides and us 😉

  11. Hi Folks,

    Agree with you about Naismith, Steamer, and his work rate and effort, but don’t see him leaving Everton anytime soon, unless we really up our game in the next few games, which we need to do.

    Agree with you Mark, that JG really needs to get some grit into his game and show the opposition he means business, and not a kid who is too easily knocked off the ball, as the same time, as being really determined to win it.

  12. Still can”t get my nut around Kojak, why is he never given a chance something just does not add up, is he due a £1m bonus the next game he plays a bit like Traores pay rise, the guy can score goals and Gabby is considered to be ahead of him, are we all missing something?

    GSAVFC

  13. Been told that there are two Chinese consortiums in England this week both looking to buy premier clubs, lets be honest whats the worst that could happen can they be as bad as Lerner and his mob of clueless henchmen.

    GSAVFC

  14. Unless the Chinese are looking to buy a Championship Club, Villla will not be on their list at the moment…!!!
    It would be great, if we were, as a Chinese cash injection could make a huge difference, and Birmingham now has a large Chinese Quarter. We also have a number of Chinese owned businesses too.

    I do not understand about Kozack either, as he always scores goals, which is what we need.

  15. I don’t rate Grealish besides which, a luxury player that doesn’t really create, have any pace or score goals is not the answer. He reminds me of Lee Hendrie but without the work ethic.

    I like Garde’s tactics so far but at some point we are going to have to stop gifting goals. We are more than good enough to stay up but the goals we concede are dreadful.

    The next few games will determine whether we are relegation certainties or whether we can stand a chance of getting out of our dire situation.

  16. With the Man City deal it would seem that the Chinese are willing to invest again, i’d suggest that after HRH’s visit earlier this year that the Chinese would look seriously at AVFC and, in fact, that may be the motivating fact that forced Rabid to boot TS and release funds or January. I’d take the Chinese over this knob anyday, a big defeat on Sunday and a bad result at Newcastle will see gates drop substantially with relegation certain. The longer Lerner and Fox stay the more unlikely we’ll turn the corner, fact.
    Hope they don’t go in for Olbyon.

  17. If you look at Chinese investment to date in football, it’s been at the lower levels until Man City’s owners sold a share. We were also courted last season by a Chinese consortium, the central government is looking to build China as a football powerhouse and the only way is to expose their youth to competitive leagues and reap the benefit and have coaches trained in those leagues.

    There certainly are a number of investors in the market and with traditional investments like commodities dropping, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel, unfortunately we’re probably back to the same scenario of survive and we’ll buy, get relegated and they buy the baggies.

    We missed out on Sheik money, let’s hope Lerner doesn’t do a Doug, if a big money source comes through even if they don’t want to pay Lerner’s asking price.

    Football wise, equally confused as everyone on Kozak not even being given a first time chance by several managers so rules out personal differences. Every player that can make a contribution to Villa’s survival and we need goals should be afforded an opportunity and at least us as fans get a first hand look.

    UTV

    UTV

  18. DOR-

    Agree that when a player gets passed over by more than one manager, there’s something deeper. My guess with Kozak is that it’s something like overall contribution. You figure Ayew has at least an equal amount of skill, but will cover more ground and do more defensively. Probably also because Garde, in this case, isn’t really wanting to play with a more static big-man set-up. Question is really whether he’s an option off the bench. But integrating someone new at this point, after all the chopping and changing, is probably something Garde is looking to avoid as well.

  19. Morning all . It’s not Saturday without a game is it .

    Good leader Matt and some very interesting points .
    I’m afraid I don’t think any of your chosen three are going to be our saviours or be the sort of player we want to see pull on a villa shirt .
    Common to all of them is they don’t have the fitness or energy levels and only one of them , Lescott seems to have the determination and passion to fight for a win.
    Grealish and Veretout too light weight and tire after 70 mins . Grealish , inflated ego , not a team player and typical product of the baby Bentley academy syndrome. The Lee Hendrie similarities are difficult to ignore . Get some mans shin pads , pull your bloody socks up and stop behaving like a wannabe champagne Charlie footballer Jack as you’ve not done anything yet to even be on the B list celebrity guest list .

    No , our saviours will be in the January window – and we need some mean , tough , experienced players – not cheap players “with potential” like we’ve got now .

    But as for Saturday , we’re due a win – surely we’ve got to win more than one game. I predict a similar strategy to man city – and nick the winning goal in the break. We can’t set up to play like Arsenal – it will be a cricket score if we do .

  20. I have to agree with most of the comments above. I am sure however that the January window, even though it offers less than the season end, will determine how we run out in May.
    Ashley Cole might not be a bad choice because of his experience but he might not want to be in a relegation battle.
    One player I like who provides almost as many assists as he scores goals is Dani Quintana of Qarabag.
    But anyone would be better than some of the players we have now.

    Not sure we will get anything tomorrow but it would be good if we held our heads up and gave the Gunners a battle

    UTV

  21. Garde is building the fight and won’t of missed lescotts organisation. Micah is a huge passionate personality and lead by example bloke not an organiser, garde has avoided the captain issue so far we shall see.
    Micah could be a very good DM for us Im beginning to think.
    On fitness it will take time for the new coach to have an effect, tim tried for 5 months he’s had 5 weeks.
    The better a team we become the less we will gas out. Im sure garde mentioned diet too.
    I really think gabby will start tommoz lets hope garde has worked on his finishing. If he had scored the sitters he’s missed tim would still be here, thats a bonus then

  22. Anyone seen the club vid of Santa Brad and Santa Micah handing out presents ? hilarious, MR is barmy.
    Mark,
    Don’t matter what you do with Aggy he won’t improve and he’s not even quick anymore, you don’t get your pace back once its gone. I’d play an empty shirt before GA, at least the wind might blow it into the box. If Remi mentioned diet to Aggy then KFC’s profits are doomed.

  23. Steamer 🙂

    One thought we had a low net spend others didnt like newcastle. We moaned at that but it should mean we have more leeway than others who will have to gamble on prem survival to buy.

  24. Mark,
    Yes, Mike wotsisname is a tight git too.
    Strange that the club have got Guzan and MC handing out presents, they’ve been doing it all season.

  25. All this chat regarding line ups, tactics and who might come in January, seems to me like re arranging the deckchairs on the deck of the titanic. I can’t see us getting anything from Arsenal tomorrow , they literally destroyed us last season, especially in the cup final, they are on a different footballing planet to us, both on and off the pitch.
    We really need results to go our way, not just our own but those we are trying to chase down.

  26. Steamer strange he didn’t drop one. Micah richards is actually lenny henry.

    B62- what else is left mate we are all waiting for a recovery or confirmation. Personally I think where theres a will theres a way and garde has that grit sulking tim failed to show. Whether the players can match his resolve is another matter as is the boards. Personally I’ll look for any edge we can get, ive excepted we could drop but at same time recognise we might not

  27. I first followed Villa as a young man and watched the FA Cup win in 1957. I saw all the games until I started playing myself for Mid-Cannock Colliery Youth team and represented Staffordshire alongside Malcolm Beard (another local lad). Once injury led to an end to my playing I followed the Villa through the glory years of the 80s.
    Now as I live in Thailand I despair of the club I supported all these years.
    I have just watched Norwich v Everton and that is the epitome of top flight football that is absent from Villa Park. Villa needs to follow the words of Don Hartman and ‘relight my fire’ – it is in danger of going out.
    I’m hoping for a spark tomorrow.
    utv

  28. Tom Fox is set to meet with fans before the match tomorrow, I hope this is more than a PR stunt with some hand picked ‘fans’ who will have less freedom of speech than those living behind the old iron curtain.
    He needs to explain his next move and apologise for royally fucking this football club up, along with his puppet master and cronies.
    We have the club motto PREPARED on our crest ( well this current abortion of a crest designed by Lerner), yet we are anything but. As things stand the club will make record losses as we will be plying our trade in the championship next season, and if we carry on in this insane haphazard way, that won’t be the end of our slide.
    No doubt tomorrow’s meeting will be a false narrative and full of bullshite as our questions aren’t answered and the capitulation continues.

  29. Anyone who thinks Fox is about to ‘come clean’ is very mucho mistaken, its all bs with this clown, yes he’ll admit to mistakes but won’t tell you what they are, because he’s in denial, and then he’ll have to go on some club business. When i look at crappy little clubs like Bournemouth, Swansee and Watford at least pretending to be EPL standard and then look at the state of AVFC i think the worlds gone doolally, you couldn’t make this big a balls up unless you were morons.

  30. We are now 8 points off safety. We are fucked. If we don’t win tomoz, it’s all over

    The shower need to do what they get paid for and win two games in a row

  31. Man utd have half a team out but Bournemouth are finding their feet after suffering the same.

    Anything arranged by our lot will be bullshine but if are to pull out of this we need to support the team not the losers behind it. Garde deserves it if nobody else does

  32. The Cherries have achieved the impossible…….now let Villa do the same……We really need to be 1110% behind the team tomorrow, and get Remi Garde his first premier league win….!!!!

  33. Lerner’s biggest mistake of all, was respecting El Fayed, and not backing Mark Hughes……Where would we be now…..but that us history…..now is the time for Remi to prove his worth….and the team..!!!!

  34. I agree we have to back the players and Remi who is , it seems a decent and honest bloke .
    Bournmouth , incredible result for them but they worked damn hard and believed they couid do it . Take note villa players – no one thought Bmoith had a chance with their injury problem but they are proving that you can win games if you’ve got the spirit .

  35. paul pears
    good shout about sparky top manager
    for tomorrow we have no chance when manager sticks by guzan hutton playing bacuna at left back ,using westwood and gabby as subs, remi garde is like lambert Sherwood fox rielly german man all happy to take lerners money and keep mouth shut
    sick of lambert saying his hands where tied behind his back ,didn t stop signing new contract or signing shite like kea bowery luna helnius cole sendross and Richardson he still managed to spend almost 50m over 3 years on crap bar benteke
    Sherwood wilkins coming out saying only few players he signed well thank god if lescott and rudi are anything to go on spurs rejects are crap too that didn sign
    back to tomorrow watching games during week ,last weekend just watch how there back 4 plus holding midfielders are close together watch villa hutton out of camera sight when defending yet garde plays him 4 games straight, guzan has the jitters when ball played back to him even under no pressure ,goes to punch misses bacuna as left back had not a clue when clearing the ball
    surely there has to be keeper left back in reserves better options,westwood not good enoughfor championship too lightweight,
    lerners not going to spend any major money in jan because our shower of lazy players will not be in double points come jan remi do a runner with his pay off lerner will sit taking loans back until his money all repaid and we will be like leeds sheff wed gone not to come back maybe even like Bolton if chairman doesnot pay wages players go on free think steer bacuna hutton baker clark westwood gabby have all signed 3/4/5 contracts scary

  36. Jen- Exactly what Reme is doing, raising the fighting spirit in the team, Tim ploughed it under with his childish outbursts so it won’t be easy and the French lads are leading the way with Richards. Thought the xmas vid was a crazy idea featuring only the brits and Guzan and giving Gabby a French dictionary, Funny to watch but in times like these??

  37. james I think reme is getting Illori fit and Crespo played in the stiffs today so he options otherwise who can you play? Amavi a huge miss and Kosak played today so not in squad tommoz?

  38. The biggest difference that I noticed with Bournemouth, was the love between Eddie Howe, his coaching staff, and the players…..everyone gave each other hugs, and you got the feeling that they are so together, that they will give everything for each other, which is what we and Villa need right now.

    They do not just play and get paid by their club, which is what you see with some teams, and this is maybe why the small clubs are now more successful….They are not just playing for a name…..Man Utd were a good example of this today.

  39. We are down and have been for a few weeks, we are just waiting for the conformation. We don’t have the players or the manager to overturn a 3 win deficit. we are also heavily reliant on other teams giving up and throwing in the towel, unfortunately the likes of Watford( 7th) Bournemouth( back to back wins over Man Utd and Chelsea) haven’t read the script. Smaller teams on a smaller budget are making a mockery of us. Roll on the end of the season and the end of this torture. I don’t blame Garde, he may even be the right man for AVFC, but I don’t believe he is the right man for this situation. Each passing week we find ourselves further adrift of safety. Tomorrows game has taken an entirely new meaning given that teams around us are picking up points and wins. Another defeat whilst the most likely outcome now has to be avoided at all costs. Hopefully someone will kick the shit out of Fox at the fans meet n greet.
    I agree mass protests need to happen, and worse when we are confirmed to the championship

  40. I am sure that a lot of our British players have not given their all, and that may be down to the poor management they were under, and now they also need to step up to the plate and prove themselves men.

  41. mark k
    young lad Kinsella mason cannot be any worse options,plus give kozak 20mins show us all how bad he supposed to be,
    also agree players letting us down for 4/5 years gabby be main one
    I don t see any fight in players heads are all down after kick off why

  42. The Christmas OS vid is extraordinary . I watched the version out on Twitter by one of the papers highlighting the villa players taking the p out of Grealish by buying him a blow up bed . They did actually seem to genuinely like and get on with each other (good to see) Micah was hilarious and is up for a laugh – the sort you’d want in the dressing room To lift everyone – so it was entertaining as it seemed less rehearsed than the usual ones .
    But then where were the French lads !! . Surely they appear on the official version as the there is no way the club PR who organised this couid have left them out . That’s just unthinkable .
    Looking forward to the game and dreading it in equal measures . But positives are the gunners couid be tired from Olympiakos and there’s key players like Sanchez injured . Yes I am grabbing at every straw in the country I know
    . As I just texted to my friend who is going to VP – if they could just fight like the other teams are – and as Clive said – play for each other as if your life depends on it . As another Clive said , “we had a winning team because if you looked round the dressing room you knew that each and every player would die for the other ” The other Clive was Woodward of course .
    So my heart says a 2-1 – but expect us to set up like we did for man city and try to nick I the break . Playing like the home side would be too ambitious against the gunners , whose tails are up .

  43. Not looking forward to the game. Garde has set us up no differently to Lamberk. I thought we’d see a clever new system, but it’s wank and dire watch

    Sinclair will play not because he’s a good attacker ( he’s not, one bit) but because he will teach back

    451 it will be. Jack Gil and Adama on the bench. Our best players

  44. Lyden gets a few goals too.
    Hope, if we get a tonking that the fans can be bothered to make some sort of protest.
    I’d accept Chinese owners over Americans anyday and especially this plank because at the rate he’s going Villa Park will be a shopping centre or a mosque within 10 years.

  45. The weather is about as appealing as VP today, it’s pissing down in Brum . I’m still going but out of a sense of loyalty and because I’m a ST holder, I get very little enjoyment watching 11 clowns masquerading as footballers disgracing the shirt every single week. Today will be a drubbing in front of a smaller crowd than usual, the weather, results, performances coupled with its live on Sky will mean those of who are going need our heads tested. I expect to lose by 3 goals today, in every dept Arsenal are far superior and play great footballand, they are a superbly run football club which means they are the polar opposite of us both on and off the pitch. We are 3 wins from safety as with the GD we need 9 points, the gap is growing by the week, and if I’m honest I don’t think we can win 3 whilst the teams above lose 3, as poor as some of the teams are around us they are winning games and picking up points more regularly than us. We need a Christmas miracle just to be in touch come January .

  46. B62,
    Fair play to you, crepe weather, potential humiliation, crepe team, a club with no future and not worth watching, the admin taking the piss and can’t even be bothered to watch and sitting with happy clappers incorporated, you must have been a right git in a previous life.
    PS
    I wouldn’t trust the pies either.

  47. Perhaps Thierry Henri has a point, that playing at Villa Park since 1998 has been easier for big players used to the atmosphere, as Villa fans, once the team go a goal down, the vocal backing drops, and the difference at places like Goodison, is the fans back the team until the final whistle, and maybe the fortress that was VP, is no longer, because the fans have become to fickle….We need to support the team no matter what, from start to finish…!!!

  48. We are so incredibly shot of confidence.

    We should look at the way Bournemouth played against Cheslea and Man Utd. They depend on their quick players to attack the opposition.

    We have players with pace at Villa Park but we don’t use them.

    Bring on Grealish – Traore and Gil at half time

  49. shocking again today per usual
    usual culprits hutton my god he has made a living as a professional footballer he should be up for fraud, guzan every time he gets near the ball you shiver another fraud ,bacuna let him away playing totally out of position ,sanchez have realised pleague is too quick for him doesn t have time to play another luxury we can t afford, rudi like peter crouch wrong move wrong time,vertout having shocker, MANAGER another shocking team selection ,too slow with subs ,why no ilor kozak ,and give troare some time

  50. Given up on Villa managers. Gestede playing well so at half time why not replace Sanchez with Westwood, mutton with the kitman or groundskeeper then put on Grealish and traore to attack and supply Gestede!

    Oh dear!
    The next 3 matches are ‘the season’ . If we don’t go for it and play aggressive, attacking football we’re done for!

    UTV

  51. another record belonging to LERNER worst home record in 94YEARS ,not one save for Czech today no shot on target REMI GARDE 5 matches 2 POINTS TWO FLUKES AT THAT WE ARE DOWN

  52. That’s what I am talking about – Traore comes in and runs at Arsenal.

    Garde needs to rethink the style of our play. Having Gestede up front is not working.

    We should go with Traore and Gabby up front – out and out pace

  53. Aw well, glad that’s over. There should be a mass protest a mass walkout on the next televised game these football impostors do not deserve support or backing, if they had any ounce of decency they would donate every penny they are getting to charity until they win a game.

    They are paid to win football matches nothing else , the usual crap will come from them over social media and through Villa’s PR rubbish. The soul and fabric of the club is being irreversibly damaged by these overpaid sacks of rubbish.

    No effort as usual until the game is lost by total incompetence. It’s time them players accepted some flak we all know we are run by a spoilt child who is a complete idiotic coward, but the players are not even trying I doubt half them jerseys need a wash after that farce of a match.

  54. Pardon me Lifers I was born with this burdensome load called incessant Positivity and Optimism!

    I can only conclude that Monsieur Garde wanted to see what he really had on his hands vs top quality opposition to decide if he would play the same old same old against the Big 3 aka the teams we must beat (not just one but all for a full 9 points) if we want to have any chance of staying in the the Prem.

    Hopefully the conclusion is that the likes of Mutton, Sanchez and Sinclair are dire and must be replaced without a shadow of a doubt for the next match(es).

    Mutton must be banished and replaced immediately with Llori/Kinsella/Lyden the Kitman, the Groundskeeper or the Villa Historian for that matter (JL?) or if Richards is healthy he goes there with two other centre halves.

    Sinclair had one good season and lacks the desire… Traore to start.

    We also need Grealish to produce the sort of display that made us a better team from QPR up to the semifinal before it all went wrong for some reason!??!?!

    Other than that Gana hopefully is back and let’s just hope Veretout can replicate the good recent performances rather than today’s dim showing.

    Sanchez must also be exiled and I see no reason why Westwood can’t slot in and give at least a more gritty, tidy and enthusiastic display than the Calamutous Columbian (he just seems like a headless Chicken under the speed and pressure of the Prem).

    We’ve decided to go with Gestede so play to his strengths for fucks sake!

    I think the present shape is good enough to get the 3 points against Newcastle who are also quite poor and prone to getting down on themselves easily (our greatest problem to be fair) if we hack out the 3 pieces of deadwood/driftwood with some fresh new cedar: Adama, Jack and Llori/Lyden/Kinsella (one of the 3 may prove a revelation if tried) or Richards with the pair of Clarke and Okore reunited and playing confidently and with commitment like last season when they did surprisingly well and saved our season in a pinch.

    Richards Clarke Okore Bacuna/Llori

    Westwood (played within his limitations is a decent player imo)

    Jack Gana Veretout Adama

    Gestede (the Big Man… Kozak would be fine too but it seems to be Rudi’s job to lose)

    This would be a much more confident, fun, fresh and attack minded team.
    Let them run at the Magpies weak defence and have some fun.
    We get one up early and you just never know there`s some talent there down the flanks and if Gestede gets his tail up he could thump in 2 or 3 with his head against a fragile Geordie backline!

    COYVB!!!!!!!!!!!!

  55. Another inept farcical display. No passion, no fight and no clue or idea. The football club is in disarray and are embarassing to support. The players are terrible, they make basic schoolboy errors match after match, they show no fight or will to win. Garde just sits there, we look no different than under Lambert only less solid at the back. The club have invested in players who are good enough for this level or have the knowledge of what a relegation fight requires, now they have added a manager into the mix who also lacks knowledge at this level, or indeed English football. If we lose again Saturday VP will be a ghost town for the 2nd half of the season. We are as good as gone, a loss Saturday will confirm it. We look dross in every dept, we are so bad is laughable the club is dead. We will get swallowed up in the championship, lack of investment will mean the decline isn’t over yet. The only way out of this in the long term is for RL, TF and co to fuck off and that doesn’t look like happening any time soon.

  56. Hutton was ten yards inside the Villa half for goal 2, he gave Walcott far too much time and space for number 1, FFS, everyone knows TW is quick.
    Rudi and Sinclair should have scored with easy headers.
    Sinclair is happy just to pick up his wages, talent but no effort.
    Gil did well.
    Sign Crouch and Naismith.

  57. Watching the Geordies , yes they are losing but look better and more organised than our shower of shit. It’s gonna be a big ask to win up there on TV in front of 50k demented Geordies .

  58. Garde is a twat.

    Can’t really be arsed to say what I think right now. He got it wrong again. Didn’t change a thing at half time

    We have to beat Newcastle, but we won’t

  59. That Sissoko is turning into a beast. Who do we have that drives us forward like him with that power. I do like Gana though at least he put in a shift today. Veretout has be good for us to win I feel.
    UTV

  60. Other teams improving but doesn’t really matter.
    What needs to happen is for us to 1/3 of our final matches.
    We do that we stay up.
    Grealish and Traore to change our season as Rudi starts banging in the goals and we zooooom up the table!
    UTV

  61. Wrong Frem…

    The Toons showed grit and determination and deserved another back to back win…the only certainty is Villa will remain in the bottom three…!!!!

    That’s the Cherries and the Toons now getting back to back wins…

  62. Randy Learner has completed the destruction of Aston Villa, about to be joined by Chelsea….

    ….but not the Toons or the Cherries….maybe it will be Norwich….or Swansea????

  63. Can’t even be bothered to get angry. Sod the maths, we’re gone, start paying off the dead wood including the crepe reserves who Fox gave five year deals to. Guzan, Mutton, Bacuna, Westwood, Bennett, Richardson, Clark, Okore, Sinclair can go for nothing.
    Ellis, Lerner and Fox have killed AVFC and made millions doing it.

  64. That’s it we are fucked, how laughable we are now 10 points behind Newcastle and Bournemouth. Villa are a fucking disgrace. Swansea and Norwich are on 14 with a far superior GD, Sunderland on 12 still in touch whilst we are cast adrift on 6 and looking worse by the week. We are chic full of incompetent cunts at every level, owner, CEOs, board, manager and players. RIP AVFC

  65. One day I want to move to another countrie, ASAP. Have to get my engineering qualification first though. I always thought the only thing that would stop me would be Villa, but I’m fast falling out of love with them. The thought of being in another place far far away with out having to worry about football and getting fed up of going is so nice. Not just forgetting about Villa, but all of football. I hate it right now.

  66. Frem
    I don’t blame you mate, get to Oz, NZ or Canada and leave this shower of shit far behind. AVFC are a disgrace to football, we are a joke and soon will be forgotten along with other fallen so called big clubs like Leeds, Sheff weds, Sheff UTD etc

  67. Forest have won the European cup twice, and look at them a shell of their former selves. The championship is a graveyard of clubs like Villa, we will struggle in a physical and demanding division with these players and this manager.

  68. Ffs, you need counselling to read this blog these days, so much negativity and constant changes of opinion. Negativity can be understood as we are right in the messy stuff – but it’s difficult to blame the players or remi as they have been placed in a position which they didn’t expect or ask for. None of them would have fully understood how critical things were at the villa until they actually spent time he after being signed. And most are just kids ….. and foreign kids at that.
    If any of you get the Sunday Telegraph then look at page 7 of the sports pages – the headline is “Has Lerner been naively seduced by CVs boasting Arsenals name?” It goes on to say that Villas future is in the hands of Fox and Almstadt who have precious little background in football between them and not many football boardrooms have less experience than the Villas. With this lack of experience, Fox and Almstadt devised the transfer policy for the Villa …..
    So as some have mentioned earlier in this blog, support the team but not the executive board as that is where the problem lies……
    And please stop criticising every player one by one and look at the bigger picture ……. It seems like one player is hammered on this site and comments like “he should be replaced by xxxxxxxx” …… And then when he is replaced you have a go at the one who you asked to replace him with ……
    Remi has a shit of a job on his hands and he is hardly into his stay here ….. I think he is trying to stabilise an ever changing team and get them to play a certain way …… which you and I may not like but that’s why we aren’t football managers and Remi doesn’t do our job.
    I’m knackered now so off for my medication and a lie down lol ……

  69. B62- don’t know why Oz or NZ don’t appeal to me, Canada does though, Brazil, India, Vietnam. A few more. So many beautiful places out there. Italy, Austria, Switzerland. Ideally i could live in the middle of know where, on a lake in the mountains miles away from anyone. Just me, a few dogs and maybe women 🙂

  70. Italy is beautiful as are the women, food, wine , scooters and they love their football. The Rome and Milan derbies are a real sight as are the games between Juve and AC Milan.

  71. Looks like Villa won’t survive this year. The only hope is there’s still a bit of time to go.
    Matt-outstanding performances from an individual might ignite the team into winning form. We can only hope. That is all we’ve got now.

  72. Oldvilla,
    Did you notice the Jeerman on the bench ? As the Telegraph indicated, unqualified, but it seems these knobheads are taking over the club. Wonder if he’s the new chairman Rabid was talking about ?

  73. You can’t blame Remi, he needs at least three windows to replace the utter shite that he inherited. The dummies who DO need the boot are Fox who makes Chubby look almost intelligent, Almsted ??? but Reilly, i think knows a player but is getting above himself. Unfortunately any changes depend on the sale of the club and i don’t think Rabid has any intention of selling just yet whatever he says.
    We just have to prepare for League 1 in a couple of years unless we do a Bolton.

  74. How bad is Kevin Friend ? everytime iv’e seen him he’s been 1 out of 10. Even by English standards he’s dire.
    Along with Kozak i’d like to know whats going on with Adama, 4 minutes ? Iv’e said previously that i don’t think its about fitness, wonder what Fox has done now ?

  75. Agree with you steamer – I think there’s an awful lot that we don’t know about going on in the background ……. and some very crap decisions been made by people who haven’t a clue what they are talking about. And Randy and a lot of others have been led down the river ….. although randy should know better …….
    The players will be good enough if only we had more time for them to settle in and gel as a TEAM. But of course we don’t have time ……

  76. Oldvilla, i really welcome your post -well said

    for all the negatives i thought Okore showed promise today and sinclair tried to force the issue at times

    tactically i think the team showed a little of what they need to do 2nd half at times and was pleased to see a few cross field balls and balls slid in behind

    of course we need better quality in areas desperately but more importantly right now we need to create chances in games

  77. Frem get your arse over to Canada mate.sorry to say but fans my age saw the best of the villa and it aint coming back for a few lifetimes. Get some advice off Ian . Iv also got a mate in Hamilton just outsude Toronto who would help you . Villa as well . I really wish i’d gone when l had the chance but a poorly mother put the block on it . Iv told my daughter to go . And l will ring you saturday to see where you are . We leaving at 7-30 am . And going mates pub just outside newcastle. I really think its gonna kick off there as it did last year . Today got me with the 4mins Adama got . Astounding doesnt cover it. Mind you big H reckons we could win the johnston paints trophy next year so lm feeling better already

  78. Why aren’t the management trying something different?? Anything?? Garde has his hands tied, but why not try a youngster at LB, why not play Adama for more than a few mins, Gary Gardner, Kozak, Kinsella. Why not attack at Pace, why not switch Richards to RB, Lescott Okores CB and Clark LB( not ideal I know) . We constantly play the same crap players , in the same formation expecting different results, we need width and stability, let’s go 442 and have square pegs in square holes. Let’s get tight and solid. As it stands we have slept walked into relegation, we need to start planning for a promotion push, let’s start playing players who can affect games and get them ready for a hard long season in the championship

  79. It’s hard to see how we can stay up and I’m trying to see the rest of this season as the time when Remi Garde starts to rebuild a team that’s easy to bring us back from the championship.
    Of course if we were to win the next three we’d be right back in the mix but is there anyone on here that believes that will happen.
    There are times in each game when the players seem to gain some belief and then you can feel the crowd starting to believe too. . . . . but they just don’t seem to be able to do it for a whole game

  80. Its hard for Reme when making subs, its like we have 11 little boys with there fingers in the Dyke. The fans want him to say Fuck the Dyke go for it but he is trying to build a platform. Adama looks great in a 4 min spell but for the reserves disappears for large parts. time has come to give him a go though and Lyden that was on the bench has what it takes too. I’m like B62 play a fullback! Kinsella is steady and can cross. Shame garde hasn’t had time to access the players sent out on loan too. If fit Gary Gardner can play DM as could richards if asked.

  81. I don’t think anyone can criticise any Villa fan being negative and despondent, what exactly has to happen before it is acceptable ? The club is a complete and utter laughing stock represented by a shower of cretins loading their pockets every week for playing like stagnant traffic cones.

    The players are to blame they are the one’s taking to the pitch , they are the one’s gifting goals and points away. Lerner and Co destroyed the club, the crest will lose generations of fans in the locality and basically vanish into the abyss internationally once they fall out of the SKY league.

    How any professionally run organisation can defend having a “player” like Alan Hutton as a main choice in a starting 11 in the richest league in the world beggars belief.

  82. My big fear is that Garde is not the man to bring us back up, we all know we are down barring a miracle or two, but getting straight back up is extremely difficult. Garde did well at Lyon, he’s not pulling up any trees here, but this isn’t his team, however he is not picking a balanced side, that still lacks organisation, shape, stability and a threat. We offer nothing, now will this change for the remainder of the season?? Prob not, but he is going to have to utilise the majority of these players for a promotion push. RL is a tight shit, he is not investing now, he definitely won’t invest in the championship without the Sky cash. Wolves are up for sale and £35/40m will get them, Villa won’t even be worth the £64m Randy paid for them, he isn’t gonna p,ough more in he will have to cut back even further. So it’s unlikely we will be taking the championship by storm as we will sell anyone that will bring in any sort of £££, the parachute payment will go straight into RL pocket, and he will offload the club saddled with debt to a chancer. I have said year on year relegation these days is a real game changer, it could destroy Villa as a football club, we could even end up like Bolton Wanderers( wasn’t that long ago they were in the PL) who are in administration. The only way things will get better are if RL and his cronies go quickly, so a new owner has a chance to get us back up.

  83. Well that was as expected . I don’t blame Remi or the players , the fact is that someone has assembled a squad of players who collectively aren’t good enough . We looked like the B team playing the A team today .

    Forget Jack, Adama or any other young player saving our season , it isn’t going to happen. Remi is playing the best at his disposal .

    For all Hutton’s defensive mistakes , he was the main attacker – more crosses in than anyone else. Sinclair tried and at least had a go .

    It was Arsenal we were playing though , league leaders so it’s not surprising they won , however depressing that is .

    To add to our woes , next up was Newcastle , showing they do have players of quality and fight . Sissikho , Perez , Armatuvuc – Newcastle will finish mid table because they have the experience and quality .

    Again , Our players looked scared the minute they walked out of the tunnel. This is a problem and as Tim Sherwood said pointedly “they just don’t like playing at villa park for some reason “.

    The penalty was a killer for confidence and such a blow . It was a heart sinking moment .

    Our test will be over the xmas playing our relegation rivals. that is the only hope that we can cling onto . But hope we must .

  84. Agreeing with everything you said there Jenny.
    You can see that Remi was trying to put out our more physical players at the start of the game In the hope of bringing on the more ‘flair’ players when there’s more space later in the game. In fairness it might even have worked. At the start of the season, a confident Gestede would have buried that chance and in the second half we had more possession and far more shots than arsenal.
    Hutton comes in for a lot of stick, some of it justified, but you can’t criticise his effort, week in week out and it was one of his crosses that should have led to our first goal.

  85. I know it’s what many fans want, but I desperately hope that we don’t see Garde playing Adama from the start. That will be a sure sign to me that he’s already giving in to external pressures rather than doing what he knows is right.

  86. Valid points Jenny but effort is severely lacking as is fitness and has been all season. These players are meant to be professionals they are not all kids most are grown men, they are playing like startled earwigs.

    Every club around us is showing some bottle, quality is lacking but I’m afraid them players today and all season have disgraced themselves. They don’t deserve support and they certainly don’t deserve their wages. I rarely if ever agree with Collymore but his rant today was on the money, every week there is an excuse for the playing staff be it playing a superior team, a new manager is bedding in , they are new to the country the list is endless. There is no excuse for not trying and them Villa boys only try when the game is gone from them time & time again.

  87. Hutton, one of the most hard-working players, yes. Makes loads of crosses, yes…… but if only he made one or two telling crosses to an individual, it would be a whole lot different.
    Unfortunately, he pays so high, he leaves gaps, which no-one else fills. This is our biggest problem, and the lack of tracking back by players….the pundits go on about it all the time, and it is the difference between us and the rest of the Premiership, and why we are bottom. There is no real fight back.

    Like several, I am sure there are players in our ranks, who would bust a gut to show what they can do for the cause, and Remi needs to find them, and give them a chance, without constantly chopping and changing.

  88. I don’t think anyone can criticise any Villa fan being negative and despondent, what exactly has to happen before it is acceptable ? The club is a complete and utter laughing stock represented by a shower of cretins loading their pockets every week for playing like stagnant traffic cones

    Liam
    l think the Despondency has already started Mate , 33,000 yesterday against a top team ! but still that isnt a bad crowd considering its on TV shit weather and bottom of the league going nowhere fast , l think next season will be an eye-opener for whoever owns the shambles , lm going Newcastle next week and as l said earlier its gonna kick off next week (it did up there last year) and with us going down l think they call it Karma ,and on our Mini Bus 2 of the youngish fans have said enough is enough , (they go to all the away games ) so lm not going to say anything about them , its a lot of money every week , lm committed to the Norwich game as well so the mates l have who support them are going to have a field day with me , but l look at the young fans who go to the Park and l can see a real struggle next season as they are used to seeing the big boys stroll into town and have been brought up on the Premiership . my nephews mates( 20/25 of them ) have all abandoned villa for nightclubs , girls and they seem to be going to a lot of MMA , boxing events and the horses, they’re not going to come back to watch the likes of barnesley , rotherham ect ect and it will be 2 games a week most weeks and the prices wont come down because of that , and like last time we went down , the teams we played relished playing one of the so-called big boys who fell from grace , l never missed a game that season home and away and saw it , and too be honest we all had a great crack as our lot filled our coach for all the away games and it was like the days of the start of the steamers , cant see it happening next season, l feel for Frem and B62 as well as my brother and all the lads and Gilly who comes from the other side of sussex every week , who go and sit through this whatever the weather so when they moan they have every right too , and l sit in the pub after the games and see the lads coming in , pissed off , l wont put any of my money into the pocket of that yank twat and until he’s gone l wont be in the future , l may even stay in the pub in newc next week , and l dont need no smart arse to point out lm putting money into the opposition pockets , l know that , but lm going for a piss up for my birthday and the norwich one is a xmas piss up . maybe some of you who only live an hour away need to get out the comfort of your armchair and go see the atmosphere at the games and you will see how villa fans are fighting each other at the games , mad l know but some of my mates have been drawn into them . even my brother , well have a nice xmas if you can . lm off to bury my head in the sand

  89. Who was the manager of the club who had a p-poor home record and took the players on a long coach ride before a home game so that they thought they were playing an away game ?

  90. I think we have to accept our fullbacks are limited and find another avenue of attack. sanchez has too much for him to cope with as it is. once we conceded we spent are energy arguing with the ref because lifes unfair instead of carrying out Gardes instructions. Time to look at the youth if only to remind the players they are just players and can soon be yesterdays news.

    As far as being uncomfortable at Villa park its understandable, all you could hear was the Arsenal fans taunting us. the players live in constant fear of being booed and the atmosphere must be oppressive, yes I agree they deserve it but in our position not the wisest tactic from the Villa faithful when it happens. Now more than ever they need support like we have just won the league. Easy to say I know because I’m not there week in and out like Frem and B62 but personally I wouldn’t boo my own team or sit in silence.

  91. Morning : I agree with all that . How can I talk when I was supposed to go yesterday but turned it down as I could t stomach another VP loss , sitting in the cold and wet and gloomy drive home. So respect to those who sit it out at VP like my mate , who yesterday had a group of Arsenal fans sitting in front of him in the Trinity Row stand . They all stood and cheered when Arse got the pen and he had a word with them , the stewards wanted to throw him out not the Arse !! A season ticket holder of 30 years . Fortunately , other villa fans complained and they turfed the gunners out. But it’s not a great start to watching the game is it .

    But Mark is right . Even the pros are going to dread playing at home when they get booed and pulled up for every mistake by the crowd . Hearing the away fans singing “you’re going down with Chelsea” and the home advantage becomes a massive home disadvantage . It’s a catch 22 situation as you can’t blame the fans for being so fed up either but it all adds up to making villa park a great place to play for the opposition . Can’t we turn our attention to booing the away team ? as the old cliche goes “boo your own team and you may as well be wearing an opposition scarf and sitting in the away stands ”

    Half our team haven’t played in the premier league before let alone been in a relegation fight sitting at no 20. The sad fact is that the experienced players are lacking the talent that the inexperienced players have but are overwhelmed by the prem. There’s a total imbalance – down to recruitment . No Delph to Marshall the MF and no Benteke to show his physicality and strength and put in his 1:2 goal to game ratio . Whilst Traore looked like dynamite in his first minute , running through the Arsenal defenders like a train , you can see why Remi has said he doesn’t have the discipline yet to be more involved . He’s definately exciting though and let’s hope he can mature extra fast .

    They probably won’t play against such an accomplished and slick outfit as Arsenal so maybe 0-2 was a relief. The ref didn’t help either – certainly no Friend of ours .

    Next week , Newcastke away so It will be easier for them playing away in one sense though the toon fans are well up for it with their last two results .

  92. Steamers75

    How are you mate ? I think you’re right about the Newcastle kick off they seem to be loving our demise who can blame them we gave them loads when they were falling out of the league haha. I’m with you feeling for Frem & the boys who go every week, I love the club like all of us do but I’ve reached a point now where I cannot stomach the players akin to how I haven’t stomached the Yank since MON.

    No one can convince me they are trying or being professional the amount of ex-footballers who have highlighted and even laughed at our players effort should say it all. Maybe it’s the Irish rebellious streak in me but quality is only part of the required ingredients to win a football match. Look at the boys in green we beat the world champions for crying out loud if it was all about quality we shouldn’t even have bothered turning up but we did and won. (Can’t wait for the Euro’s by the way :))

    Effort , grit , determination, look at Newcastle yesterday bombarded for 50mins hung in there tracked runs put there bodies on the line etc. Spurs run out of gas and bang they hit them with a sucker thump , Villa on the other hand faced a leggy Arsenal team and succumbed & rolled over to them whilst they were in second gear.

    I just cannot accept lack of effort and the Villa lads every single one of them in my opinion are a disgrace to themselves, Guzan & Hutton are just not capable enough but the club is to blame to have two limited players like them on the wage bill.

  93. Hi Liam, watch the xmas video to see where the brit lads are at, a fooking disgrace although GG and Grealish didn’t appear tickled with it as the rest. How can you play when you have the likes of Hutton guarding your back.

  94. Confidence is shot but didn’t need Niall Quinn, the lanky string of piss reminding me all the way through the first half.

    Sinclair tried to drive things forward in the first half although unsuccessful it was good to see the effort, we lacked intelligence upfront in the first half, too many attacks ended up with a slow ball out to Hutton and a lofted cross, too easy for Arsenal to get ready for.

    We started to get going in the second half and make some half-chances and it was a shame Gestede was taken off because we were making things difficult for Arsenal. Gil was decent on the ball but again took too much on on his own.

    When Grealish came on I thought the game bypassed him completely, I know he is young but would love to see him scream for the ball in an effort to do something with it.

    Adama has to be used more, 4 minutes is nothing and still created one attack by himself, so extend that to 45 minutes and that’s potentially 10 attacks.

    Said ages ago, Newcastle had the players to get out but maybe not the manager, Sunderland have the manager but not the players. Swansea are in freefall so it will take time for any new manager to turn them nevermind developing a system or understanding of the players, we’ve a few weeks advantage on them, if we can get some points on the board soon. Norwich/Watford/Bournemouth will struggle.

    6 into 3 doesn’t go, so lets hope that Villa survive

    My team, lumping the ball to Gestede is fine if we were playing in the 80s, completely useless in the prem. we have players who can pass the ball so let’s put on our cleverest in Midfield/Upfront and play with pace on the counter.

    Guzan (no option)
    Richards, Lescott, Okore, Clark
    Sanchez (just protect back 4 and simple distribution to Gueye,Veretout)
    Adama, Gueye, Veretout, Gil
    Ayew

    UTV

  95. Liam – I agree that we only look like we are trying when we go one or two down but I think that is down to our fragile mentality . They start off being so afraid to concede because they’re so fearful of losing , then when we do concede its a shift in mentality to well the worst has happened , let’s go for it .
    Steamer – if that’s a true story about taking them on a coach drive to make them think they’re playing away , as funny as it sounds , it does have merit IMO. The rituals attached with playing away can anchor certain feelings , and these can be feelings of relief . In the same way , Clive Woodward made the English players put on a clean rugby shirt at half time . They thought he was mad but later admitted that the clean shirt symbolised starting afresh and had a beneficial trigger .

  96. I don’t think bring kids up is going to solve our problems
    i would love to see more academy lads in the side but the time to introduce them isnt when the club is on its arse and clinging onto prem status by one finger nail

  97. DOR – precisely my reading of the game too . Odd he took Rudi off when he was winning a few headers plus his height would v been useful for the corners we had second half – were any of our players taller than the shortest Arsenal player for those three corners ?
    I have to say that Guzan looked so nervous coming out the tunnel yesterday , if only we had a no 2 to give him a rest .

  98. I think he didn’t want to sacrifice Sinclair for Gil and certainly couldn’t afford to take Veretout, Gueye and Sanchez off so went for pace for gil to exploit down the middle.

    runtingz I agree on the youth players but sometimes it pays off, Jordan Lyden is a tough lad and could be an asset, no worse than Westwood physically and probably better. Scores goals spreads the ball about well and can play DM. Kinsella is a tough nut too at 20 is same age as Amavi, needs must when the devil shits on your doorstep.

  99. Mark : How are you , all set for Christmas ? That video is some laugh they’ll all be lavishing their wags & agents with gifts pondering on what club they’ll leech a living out of next when they relegate us.

    Jenny : Your reading of the mindsets is interesting, the Sky brigade actually made some good points for a change yesterday. When you look through the Villa ranks there ain’t any stand out leaders I just can’t see the fight in them they have accepted their faith.

    I’m here recovering from some surgery back in Ireland off work till mid next month I’m wishing the days away till I can get back on the drink and wash away the Villa lol.

    Thought Veretout without the ball was a liability yesterday was very disappointed as I’m a massive fan. I’m with Mark throw that aussie lad in I can tell you from living among them that the Australian mentality will lead him to not being phased at all.

    Start Adama youth knows no fear, our narrow formation yesterday won’t work against Newcastle they are weak at the back it is vital they are put on the back foot.

  100. I think differently about the vid Mark – I’d rather see them having a laugh than all Poe faced and acting like they didn’t know each other . was Lescott in it ? I know the French players and rudi weren’t in the clip I saw . If it didn’t include them all then what’s happened to inclusive team spirit !! I assume they have edited it to leave them out . No way would they not have been invited to take part .

  101. Nice to see some good comments from people this morning, especially from Jen and DOR.

    I said earlier that Henri had pointed out that the opposition players in the last 5 years or more have loved going to Villa Park because of the great atmosphere there, and how quickly the home fans get dissatisfied with their own players, and do not back them, whereas elsewhere the fans keep behind the team, no matter what. Maybe we have to look at ourselves, and wonder how much we have brought on ourselves, with giving constant stick to certain players, Joe Bennett being a good example. Newcastle fans have been similar at times, which may be why they have struggled.

    We must always be aware of what we wish ourselves, aand perhaps we need to look at the words of an old song…”My word you do look Queer”……and how positivity can change things….

  102. next 6 games will be the confirmation if we are up or down. Need to win 4 out of 6 and buy near enough a new starting 11 in jan.

    Im not sure how lester did it last season but all of a sudden there home ground was a fortress, noisy and packed out with evryone waving those clacky things! Thats what we need, vp is just a souless horrible place at the mo (last 5 years)! I think the pitch is too big.

    new gk
    chambers
    rosicky
    wont get campbell now
    jedinic
    crouch
    naismith
    a cole
    vidic
    austin

    The current crop have clearly got no fight, passion or ability.

    Like mentioned above why are we playing guzan, hutton. Play the kids, how can it be worse??

    Is GG fit? And Adama gabby need to start. Bit of pace to frighten teams. Play Illori next to Okore at cb

  103. Mark – i must admit i don’t know much about Kinsella and the likes ability
    it just worries me the thought of a few decent kids being thrown in to save us when our biggest problem is lack of experience

    point taken on the likes of hutton and richardson thou – they really are a calamity and as senior pro’s at the club ,it kinda shows why we are in this position

  104. Well if people can actually see us getting out of this mess then you must be watching a different team to me, we are going down and that is a fact, my only worry is that we do not break the record set by Derby of only 11 points in the season, and to be fair I cannot see us winning another single game with this useless bunch so we will need to scrape 6 draws to amass the 12 points needed to avoid humiliation.
    I watched the team yesterday and thought to myself I have seen some really bad Villa teams but this one is surely up in the top three in our long and sometimes not so illustrious history, the keeper is awful, the fullbacks probably the worst in the league, only Okore looked anything like a defender, the midfield all should be flogged for their pitiful attempts to get back in position for Arsenals second goal, and our strike force, force did I just type that, Sinclair should stay at home and look after his wife and kid, Gestede is just a lump who at best can head the ball and Ayew is half the player his brother is and he cost Swansea sweet fa.

    We are a mess from top to bottom and Garde must be wondering what the fuck he has got himself into because I tell you one thing if he thinks this league is tough wait till he gets to the championship with this useless shower of shite.

    I have decided to get as far away from Villa and England as physically possible so I am off to Australia for xmas and the new year , a place where they don”t give two shits about English football and prefer to watch a bunch of jessies running around in tank tops kicking an egg shaped ball to each other or through four rugby looking posts, so it seems a safe bet to get away from the woes of Aston Villa.

    I bet the first bar I walk into there will be some twat in green and black stripes with Muller across the front, the law of sod.

    GSAVFC

  105. Hi liam alls good mate are the pens heavier in Oz? you should complain to health and safety 🙂

    I think if we show players disdain we will get it back. Still dont understand the lack of pride though.
    We have afew good wingers in green and sellars in the stiffs plus calder and mason all capable and maybe less manager resistant than the so called brit pro’s.
    Might be too early for that gamble but the day is surely coming. Rushden murphy wadjamcallit would shoot on sight and is hungrier than pot junky

  106. swv

    i agree that it isnt very realistic thinking we can stay up

    we are on our final warning for relegation and nothing less than a minimum of 7 points in the next 3 games will allow any tiny chance of this once great club finally falling by the way side from lack of due care and attention of the owner

  107. To be honest if Garde still believes we have it in us then I think there is still hope. This has been the weirdest prem season yet so its all to play for.
    I’d like the players to get in the oppositions faces as a unit not aimless shuttling between players. When did we last commit a bad foul?? Or at least an intentional one I hope its not a reflection of a too nice manager.

  108. Hello folks,

    Firstly my compliments to all for their well-restrained and thought out comments yesterday and today. It just shows, perhaps, that the reality of the club’s position has now been well and truly accepted.

    These are my comments, fwiw…

    A comment by S75 on the 33,000+ crowd that’s been declared … well, my take is that an awful lot of ST holders (included in the count) didn’t turn up. There were a great deal of empty seats … I’d put the actual attendance at around 27,000, perhaps 28,000.

    Paul’s comment about Henri’s observation that the opposition love going to VP and have been like that for years now … well, that’s all down to the wonderful direction from the chairman and his utter disregard for the values of the club. This state of affairs was inherited by Tim and now Remi and it’s like playing against another opponent. In some ways I don’t blame the Villa fans … paying out so much to watch mostly stagnant play for so many years must be hugely disheartening. It’s not what is needed for the team, but the team firstly has to show more to deserve some backing from the crowd.

    On Adama… At 2-0 down at h-t I would have thought it was just the right time to bring him on to create some panic in the Gunners defence. I see hesitancy from the manager in trying something new like that, but Adama’s first run was really worth watching and had them in a panic. Shame he only saw 4 minutes. Not a player to start the match perhaps, but when the chips are down I’d say he’s the secret weapon to bring on. Far, far more so than Grealish, who didn’t impress me hardly one iota yesterday.

    Well, if we don’t get at least a point at Newcastle, I think we know where we’ll be at the end of the season. I say that only because you have to start winning to gain confidence … and yesterday we clearly did not have that (confidence). Both Gestede and Sinclair should have scored second half, and earlier this season probably would have.

    I still think there’s enough quality in the players … but they’re now exhibiting all the wrong signs of tension and with no-one a born leader (apart from Richards) there seems to be little self-belief to be found.

    Thanks Mr. Lerner and your group of ill-advisors.

  109. Mark,

    To be fair RG is paid good money and will continue to spin the fans that line until it is mathematically impossible to stay up I would never expect anything less, but us supporters are a little closer to reality and if you look at it with complete honesty we are very lucky to have six points.

    I remember watching the film Zulu at the cinema as a very naïve youngster and thinking that this lot will be lucky to get out of this mess alive and thinking that is was even a bigger stroke of luck having a film crew there to witness it.

    GSAVFC

  110. at least gabbys days are numbered by the looks of it. dropped yesterday and out on the lash which wont go down well with remi.

    saw the 2nd goal this morning, the type of goal conceded in the last min chasing the game (or by school boys) not in the 25 min. Beyond pathetic.

    at least gabby and westy are out the starting 11, hutton and guzan to go and i might bother watching us again.

  111. I need to feel the weight of a pint Mark 🙂 hitting scouse land for New Years Eve lol.

    With Hutton the resources wasted on him could have been used to buy a young Sam Byram years ago and develop him but alas Villa Park the retirement home for smack average bums.

    Garde has said he wants players to express themselves and not be afraid to make a mistake so I cannot understand why Adama is not been given a go. Him and Sinclair are the only players willing to take on their man. The rest just pass sideways Ayew shows glimpses but I think he is not capable of playing up top alone. Watford show two top can still produce results.

  112. Always good to hear from you Liam, hope your op wasn’t too painful and doesn’t stop your enjoyment in Liverpool.
    Apparently the meeting was Fox announcing that in January we’ll have a new chairman and also a new director. I think its safe to say they’ll be from the USA and useless as are the majority of Lerners appointments.

  113. Hello Lifers,
    I can`t comment on the team this season as I have only watched about 8 minutes of our play this season.Those 8 minutes are the sum total of any footie I have watched this season as I have no interest in football anymore.The last time I watched a game was the SF with Runtingz and S75.
    however I can comment on the state of the club.You reap what you sow,and the last 6 years have been a catalogue of inept decision making.We have had The Holy Trinity of Kack in charge,McShambles,Lambert(who was kept on a year too long and given a new deal) and Trendy Tim.Tim I hoped would be a great appointment ,but turned out to be all talk,no substance or humility.A mouthy self important,shallow burke,a typical modern gaffer for the selfie generation.All gob no substance,experience and incapable of seeing fault in himself or taking responsibility.Lerner is culpable in that he appointed them all.No experience at the top has come back to bite is big time.
    Anyway I could go on,but won`t.Such a shame to see what has happened,but this didn`t occur since August,this has been coming for a while.Good Luck to you all in 2016.

  114. Well done to Connor McGregor for his UFC title – made a man unbeaten for over 10 years look like a puppy
    ufc have perhaps the best pound for pound fighter in the world – well at least not much between him and bones jones

    awesome win

  115. So Aggy hadn’t been doing enough in training and was omitted and then went on the pee at the Arsenal Crimbo party, real loyalty from Mr Aston Villa, the legend.

  116. Being as its unlikely that we’ll reach ten points this season, we won’t see many Villa goals or entertaining footy, would it not be a good idea for the fans to stay away on match days, a few 10,000 gates would make the football world notice our plight, even Lerner and Fox may realise that they’re no wanted. Nothing to lose is there ?

  117. that seems to be the problem steamer – so called senior players and so call club legends 🙂 don’t act professionally , what kind of example is that to the younger less experienced players

    doesn’t seem like many of them gives to hoots about what is happening to Aston Villa

    shameful

  118. Cheers Steamer , how are you buddy ? All set for Christmas ?
    I’d love to see a Little or Gregory as the footballing director people with Villa at heart not another Lerner puppet.

    Fox probably gave Gabby a lift down there , we seem to be Arsenal’s wide eyed disciples.

    McGreggor backed up his talk the yanks best allow him to fight in Dublin now Vegas has milked enough money out of us drunken paddys lol.

  119. Apart from being a major cheat, Terry Henry is obviously a twat of the highest calibre, slagging off the Villa fans when despite winning trophies the Arsenal stadium is known as ‘The Library.’ people in glass houses etc.

  120. arsenal fan at work today was expressing amazement at how when we lost the ball for goal no.2 that the player just stood and watched and mentioned that it was the least closing down against them all season

    i don’t think these fans of other clubs can fathom how a club like villa could become so shockingly poor

  121. Yesterday was the latest chapter in our miserable season. I left my seat after the 2nd Arsenal goal. However I didn’t leave the ground until 58 minutes of the game had gone because I had some wine and cheese left and it took me that long to eat it. I could think of no good reason to go and watch the second half.

    The next few games are massive and we can still get out of it, although I would say our chances are slim. The current players have to significantly close the gap before re-enforcements arrive. If a few wins don’t take place quickly then Lerner may as well not spend in January and accept our fate.

    We lack passion, belief, fight, strength and ability. We are utter horse shit in the full back area and Guzan’s indecision and lack of belief continues. Okore and Lescott could form a good partnership and obviously the answer at right back is Micah Richards. We urgently need to sign a left back or recall Cissokho (if possible) in January.

    Veretout and Gana might turn out OK but I think they need a big enforcer alongside them. Sanchez isn’t the answer. He can have some very good games and would be a useful squad player but we need someone with drive and a touch of the mongrel to protect this back 4.

    The same applies to Gestede. He would be a very useful battering ram of a sub but unless we play a very direct game then we may as well not bother playing him. We urgently need an upgrade.

    Or we just accept our fate.

    Ashley Cole would be a good short term solution at left back. I don’t know who is available but someone in the mould of Steven N’Zonzi would strengthen the midfield (of course we won’t be able to get him but someone of his ilk).

    I have no idea who we should go for as a striker, obviously someone to link up with Ayew and Sinclair but I think if Lerner thinks we have a chance of staying up, he will splash the cash. Loic Remy has been touted – yes please! Even if it’s a loan – who cares?

  122. I agree with JL, no way was the crowd anywhere near 33k, none of our lot came out the pub( the cat), the only one who did left at half time, I would have gone too if I didn’t have a lift!!, it’s all ST holders around me and there were empty seats galore, it was poor to see so many Arsenal supporters in the Holte, all young males of North African/African decent with French accents, no colours and no trouble but disappointing all the same. The game itself was a shambles, the atmosphere and fare on show was the poorest I have seen in many years, Arsenal didn’t even have to try and they went 1 up with the first attempt, which effectively meant game was over before completely killing it off with a second. I think we have zero chance of surviving, we don’t have the players or the manager let alone the hierarchy. We simply have to go balls out against Newcastle who have won all 4 games they have played in on TV . We have to start playing the likes of Adama as he gives us a threat, pace and pulls the opposition defence around. I’d also go with Kinsella at LB, Richards RB, Okores and Lescott in the centre back berths. Midfield we need Adama and Gil out wide with Veretout/Gana in the middle and Kozak and Ayew up top.
    On the bench I’d have Sanchez, Westwood, Gabby, Gestede, Bunn/Guzan whoever doesn’t start I’d start Bunn and Grealish , Clark
    We have to stop doing the same shite week in week out, it simply isn’t working and won’t work . Garde needs to step up to the plate and at least look like he trying to salvage some pride out of this disaster of a campaign. His record has been crap as have the performances and team selections since he arrived. Very fortunate to have the 2 points he got against Man City and Saints, we were comprehensively out played in both games, 2 pts from 15 is hardly halting the slide.
    The crowds at VP will plummet in the new year, the official gate won’t reflect bums on seats as I know many ST holders who aren’t going back

  123. Garde has yo make tactical and player changes on Saturday. We have to win. A draw will not be good enough.

    We have pace to burn up front and everyone in the Premier League will tell you that you need pace up front. We have Traore – Gabby – Ayew all extremely quick. Play those three up front.

  124. john l
    some great comments and yes lerner and his cronies are to blame for our demise, bad choices after bad choices manager players
    b62 to brazil
    like your team mines would be something similar

    one more what happened to zog paying him off then back in team now along with kozak ilor on disappeared list what is it about our players

  125. Well how times change . There was I feeling sorry for Marc Albrighton , villa fan , hard working lad treated as persona non gratis and cast aside by AV , sorry that he had to go to a team like Leicester , a shadow of AV . How wrong can you be !! Seeing him start for the number one team in the league , playing in front of a vibrant home crowd and part of a team with fantastic spirit and togetherness and I’m delighted it’s worked out for him . He didn’t want to go either .

  126. Lesters, got a fab ground, noisy fans, jealous!

    Not sure if its because we dont win there anymore but im going off vp. Its too big and vast like hillsborough. Dont like the pitch design and fans seem far away from pitch.

  127. Leicester obviously have some excellent scouts . Mahrez was 500k wasn’t he , Vardy playing in the lower leagues . Then you have a club like Bournmouth assembling a team for 4 million – . Their teams have the right balance . Now we are in the position of having to panic buy in January. it’s clear where the problem lies .

  128. how has fox still got a job as ceo, new contracts for no goal gabby ,own goal hutton, crap manager lambert, new contract video for player also known as the snake, with buyout for current England international less than we pay for 4/5 French imports, great sayings like false narrative.
    then takes mate Sherwood to match sticks knife in lambert ,appoints oreilly almstad
    long contracts for steer baker clark westwood bacuna , changes tact on mate Sherwood doesn’t allow him to sign shite spurs rejects good decision lets Sherwood run too long not playing new players lets McDonald take 2 matches playing old crap instead new players and he only here just over a year and where is RANDY LERNER in all of this hiding spurting out shite like we spent heavy in summer yes if you count 7m heavy on top of 10 last summer on a side just avoided relegation real good business RANDY LERNER your club will be lucky to be worth 50m this time next season in league 1

  129. VP when rocking is far better than the King Power, a couple of years ago they weren’t selling out and making the noise they are now, or when they were on their great fun last season. The prob is I agree VP is too big for us, we don’t match the ambition of a 42k crowd( thank god we didn’t expand to 50k). If the North stand is rebuilt I’d reduce the capacity to 35/40k max, whilst improving the ground and the atmosphere . I agree we are too far away from the pitch , but I’ve been to the KP and it’s not great at that time I thought it was another soulless new modern stadia like the riverside, pride park etc etc. we simply have nothing to cheer about at VP, the atmosphere against blues was electric even though we we were utter shite in the first half. The club has been destroyed, the fans are staying away in their thousands( around 8-10k empty seats is a regular occurance).
    I find it very difficult to find anything positive whatsoever about Villa, we are a beige bland boring club, most of the nation see the Midlands as a backwater where football is concerned, and won’t be sorry to see us go. Even Remy Garde is now grasping the fact we are shite and he will need to build a side for a promotion push as this season is done and dusted. AVST have printed out the gist of the meeting with Fox. Every time that man opens his gob, pure bollox flows out. He has defended the clubs transfer committee and policy , laying the blame at Sherwoods door( he had the final say apparently and could have vetoed the signings) and that he expects Garde to get more from the current crop of players( ie the shite bought this summer and those given long deals) but hasn’t ruled out funds being available in Jan.
    The bloke is an arrogant twat, he has played a major part in the destruction of Aston Villa FC the sooner this scum and the likes of him are removed the better

  130. James

    Its hearbreaking, headscratching, confusing, staggering. This is prem footy awash with millinons of pounds at one of the biggest clubs in the land. And we are being run into the ground by these people who have no idea of how to run a club……see the league table for the result. We are entering into a six game make or breakfix list and i can guarantee you we dont have a cat in helss chance ofbearing the toon. They will out fight us, and win by 2 clear goals, we are too easy to predict. We willbe nervous and sit back and offer nothing.

  131. Good posts on here, very accurate and honest. Tom Fox has done so much damage to Villa in a YEAR, dear oh dear, what state will we be in this time next year ? Lerner has in his own mind abdicated responsibility, no way, he and the verminous toerags that have destroyed the hopes of every Villan should hang their heads in shame if they have any. When the inevitable finally happens we’ll get the weasel words from the dumb duo “we feel so bad that we’re determined to bring the club back at the first attempt etc” Well we don’t want you to stick around to try, just bugger off and destroy another club.

  132. There’s two Chinese mobs over here looking to buy Premier clubs, although we’ll only fit that criteria for another three months lets hope that they take pity on us and remove this idiot and his equally idiotic pals from VP. If the new Chairman is Chinese it may well happen but with Lerner you know failure is always around the corner.

  133. Wow!

    What a difference. Just watche4d the Leicester game …..rough and ruthless, even Jamie Vardy put Hazard out of the game, without any difficulty. Can’t remember the last time I ever saw a Villa team with this much meanness. I am sure Jose will complain tomorrow.

    Albrighton in his element, but he was not good enough for Lamberk, like most of the Villa youth…..He must take more of the blame for destroying more of our potential, than any0ne.

  134. As Paul says , the contrast with Leicester is staggering. They clearly went out to wind up Costa , weren’t going to give Chelsea an inch and it worked . Jose can complain all he likes , because he defends the biggest cheat in the game Costa when it suits him . cheksea were playing for their wages and Leicester were playing for their pride , the fans , and the manager . Their desire won them the game . How much did their team cost compared to Chelsea’s.

  135. Yes Jenny, People seem reluctant to give Pearson any credit but he installed the winning mindset in the club, amazed that he’s out of work still.

  136. Compare the Leicester staff with the cowards and slackers currently residing at VP and robbing the fans of their hard earned. The parasite that goes by the name ‘legend’ obviously thinks he’s entitled to his massive wage for doing as little as possible, wonder if he’s going to ask for a pay increase in May.

  137. The Remy Garde appointment is looking like another big mistake by the Villa Board. It was an appointment made to try and justify the French signings we made in the Summer.

    The signings were made by the board and now Fox is trying to blame Sherwood for acquiring these players. Fox should be fired with immediate effect. He has been a disaster for this club.

    Garde is quiet and cerebral – his methods are not working, in reality, what has changed under Garde.? In fact, the amount of effort by the players has drastically declined since his arrival.

    Leaving players like Gil, Traore – Westwood on the bench against Arsenal was a mistake. Why does he persist with Gestede, he cannot score, why does he keep picking Hutton, Sanchez, Bacuna – they are liabilities.

    We needed a manager like Moyes who understands the league and knows what is required to give us a chance of getting out of this mess.

    The club has become the laughing stock of the Premier League, the board are not fit for purpose and the players don’t give a shit.

  138. Richard S
    I agree on the Garde appointment , we needed someone in to sort this shite out and who had a bit of premiership nouse about him , but this is the villa another big bollox dropped and l dont go along with this French speaking understanding , do you think them Manure players understood fergies voice , l couldnt in the interviews he gave , but its an excuse again ,
    but l suppose when he comes out with “l want you to piss de bawl to Sinclique ” even the French players must think” What the fuck !!” and lm tired of reading about what leicester have done and how we should have done the same , they didnt sell their decent players, they added , we did , both of them ! and they dont have a fucking ejit owner … … Fuck it

  139. I wouldn’t mind a mooch at the contracts of the tragic trio, Dundee United recently booted McNamara when the fans found out that he was entitled to a percentage of all outgoing transfers.

  140. Ambition ambition ambition folks, the players signed in the summer were not signed to improve the immediate footballing ability of the team. They were signed with a view to their potential sell on value.

    Young, unproven, relatively unknown on these shores. I could see the yanks salivating with glee over the Benteke transfer fee, they would have looked at that and thought we only need one of these in-comings to come good and we’ll have another cash windfall on our hands. Couple that with the TV money and we are laughing.

    The club seeking money not glory attracts a certain mold of player and lone behold roll up one Idrissa Gueye whom before even kicking a ball in a Villa shirt said “the most important thing was to come to England to improve and move to a big club later on” lol absolutely staggering.

    http://www.espnfc.co.uk/story/2528701/aston-villa-signing-idrissa-gueye-wants-future-big-club-move

    The Villa cauldron is a mixture of mercenaries & people who could not give a toss about the club or the fans. The people I feel sorry for are the percentage whom still believe Lerner is a good egg lol.

  141. I see Rio Ferdinand believes the problem with United is the fear factor, and perhaps he is right, and is also a problem at Villa Park.

    Players have become so afraid of making mistakes, that they cannot go out and play a natural game. Is this because the game is now played mainly by boys, and not men. In the days when we watched the Villa teams of old they were a balanced team of mature men , sprinkled with exciting young talent. Today teams are about young athletes, who have no real body strength…look at young Hazard last night.

    Liam, I think you have it spot on with the American attitude. We are not playing American football with college boys, who make the grade in a couple of seasons. Soccer is a craft which takes years to build a team with blending the right sort of players to become a solid and amazing unit, which then needs care and attention week in week out to achieve the results that the fans so desire….

  142. Liam – potential sell on value. Here is the rub – what are those players actually worth now?

    I think we paid top dollar for the players with sell -on potential. These players will be devoid of confidence when we get relegated and there will be a fire-sale when we drop.

    How much would you pay for Gestede now – £1m or £2m??

    How much for Ayew – £2M-£4M??

    Gana – £4M???

    Traore – £4M-5M???

    We have lost money on these players.

    The money ball approach was a massive gamble. The idiot board did not have a clue.

  143. spot on about the risk of remi. Its just the brain child of fox trying to prove the foreign signings will work…..but it aint! No blame with remi though he is just going to be the unfortunate man who takes the hit taking us down. No idea if he will be any good though. Certainly not having the immediate impact as hoped for! Could of at least have the usual honeymoon period a new mangager brings!

    Interesting to see lester play the 442 last night….maybe work for villa?

  144. RichardS,
    Possibly it may have worked if the people involved actually knew what they were doing.
    Another case of media bias on Sunday, Huttons penalty gift was ‘obvious’ according to the commentators and various scribes who barely mentioned a similar but more obvious penalty, not given, on Grealish in the CupFinal.
    The talent free zone that is Niall Quinn still making fortunes out of the game.

  145. I said to steamer about Remi , I think he was the wrong manager at the wrong time ..

    steamer will ring you later . and that steak was shite ,l wouldnt even give it Bella . jb rang ,Wear your steel toe tecktors saturday …. take it we aint clubbing it after the game up newcy .

  146. Paul: You are totally correct, the game is unique. The brutal unrelenting premier league requires a playing unit to have leaders & experience within their ranks. The Villa holiday camp has tip toed around players for too long. A harsh boot up the arse needs to be given to every single one of them they are an embarrassment to their profession.

    Randy bought a toy to play with not work with unfortunately as soon as work came into the equation he bolted.

    Richard: I think such is the blinkered view of the Villa hierarchy they probably presumed we’d finish in the top ten and Rudy would be worth 20 million by now. As steamer has highlighted they really have no idea what they are doing, the aims & ethos of the club shift from one direction to another like a drunk with a kebab.

  147. A seasonal analogy, when he bought Villa Lerner was like a kid with a new toy at Christmas, however now the batteries are flat we’re dumped in the cupboard waiting for the tat man to do his deed.

  148. I reckon Fox saw Wenger signing all these foreign players for Arsenal and thought “this is easy, get a few French lads in, win the league and i’ll be a hero.” Just a knob showing his ignorance, as Collymore said, he’s got loads of American rugby shirts hanging in his office, someone tell him we’re ASSOCIATION football.

  149. Don’t think it’s Remi’s fault he’s acquired a team shorn of confidence and depending on if you are a media/football pal of TS determines if the players brought in were even wanted.

    Lerner and only Lerner is the problem, burnt by not having control of MON’s spending mainly because he had no football board member to advise. Then having been burnt, stops the Milner money going on replacements, MON ups and leaves at completely the wrong time because his over 30’s shopping spree is over. Then time to tighten the belt but still no football background board member, manager hiring policy continues to be conducted on the advice of people with no vested interest in the club step forward whiskey nose SAF to help. Faulkner still convincing Lerner he’s doing a top job, the ultimate yes man.

    Change happens but not good change and McLeish arrives to steady the ship and break up the VP fan base by supplying the direst football. More change as if we the fans had some power to wield by shouting for Lamberk when away to Norwich and Lerner in a moment of deadly Dougness decides to give the fans what they want. Krulak goes into hibernation. Faulkner said one too many yes’s and got the chop to be replaced by Arsenal’s advertising manager with no experience of club mgmt, still no football background board member.

    Lamberk contrives to establish himself in the record books for worst of… everything and still gets a new contract. Most of the bomb squad are disposed of or brought back into the first, Villa mgmt flipflopping their way through players.

    The Saviour (TS) arrives complete with halo and telling everyone that would listen how brilliant he is queue the Redknapps and Shearer proclaiming the arrival of the messiah. things change on the pitch because TS got the best out of Adebayor he then manages to get the best out of Benteke and nothing to do with Benteke getting himself in the shop window, we flatter to deceive in the FA Cup (but wasn’t the semi brilliant). TS probably deserved a transfer window having kept us up but in-fighting and egos get in the way of our famous club. Still no football background board member.

    And to present day, we get a decent manager, but still the same arseholes in charge with additional egos of Riley and Almstadt to massage. Still no football background board member

    You all know the above in great detail but look at the shambles of Lerner’s years, he’s destroyed our club from day one due to complete ineptitude, despite his daddy’s money he won’t keep Villa in the prem unless he gives Remi the equivalent of the Benteke/Delph money, you can be guaranteed Garde will do a Wenger and not go mad spending but get the right players in.

    I’m angry at Lerner only, Fox and the rest are puppets, masquerading as being impacted by Villa’s woes but the club has my undying support win lose draw, survive, relegated.

    VTID

  150. good piece DOR. All agree with but just read a bit the durham wrote. (fairly decent)!

    He says remi cant get the players to run for him let alone run through brick walls! would pearson get more effort and passion out of the team? arsenals 2nd goal sanchez and vertout simply stopped running!

    Remi isnt getting a fighting spirit or 100% work out of them

  151. true say DOR

    I for one have been guilty of blaming the managers we have had but as per your post – it would support the notion that it isn’t really the managers fault at all – you can’t polish a turd and even rolling it in glitter won’t make us shine

    big games – big transfer window coming up
    now is the time for learner to dig deep and get proper quality in for the manager to work with
    won’t hold my breath thou

  152. Agree it’s Remi’s issue to sort out the contribution made by players and I expect that is why Gabby is being touted to the second, third divisions as a bad egg in the club but he’s not the cause of the lack of confidence and effort and should be given time to address it.

    It will take time, which we have precious little of but i’m happier we have a football brain as opposed to a football ego in charge.

  153. Excellent comments DOR.

    I am wondering if Remi has decided that the overall problem with the players rests with Gabby, and that he has been the” n***er in the woodpile” all along, both in Lambert and Sherwood’s tenure.

    He seems to have been involved in several of the training ground bust ups…….and perhaps has wanted too much say in what goes on since MON left. Just a thought…

  154. HaHa Runtins , listen Aggy has kept the Handsworth branch of KFC in Profit mate , l hope non of there staff read what you put , ))

    wish l was in Tim Peake’s shoes right now , not a care in the world down here , (( no villa worries and No Steamer knocking on your door early morning ,
    well off to town with wife and daughter shopping , lm going in Mooch bar and not leaving till they finished ,
    D.O’R good write up mate .

  155. I don’t have an issue with Remi Garde and I don’t have an issue with our signings. Good young manager, good young players.

    It’s the timing of this I question. If we’d been meandering around mid-table – fine, supplement that solid base with quality young players from France. But we weren’t. We have been hovering around the relegation zone for years.

    Throw this lot into a relegation dog fight? Errrr, no. There was no base for these young foreigners to build from. They have been thrown in at the deep end and are struggling. I don’t blame them.

    We lost our 4 best players – Vlaar, Benteke, Delph and Cleverley. We finished 17th. To improve after facing these facts was always going to be tough. Having a total muppet like Sherwood didn’t help and Garde finds himself in deep shit. He could have gone and got someone like Allardyce or Pulis but not after the summer recruitment. It wouldn’t have worked.

    It was an ambitious plan from Lerner and Fox but it was a big gamble. We aren’t down just yet but we are approaching last chance saloon.

    Unfortunately the board have to stick with what they have got and supplement it with some short term seasoned Premiership pros in January.

  156. Agree Droyd, i also think that Sherwood , to be polite, gave up and didn’t give a FF because he couldn’t get his own way. I he’d have given it a go he may have been surprised at the talent bought in but no, he sulked in the knowledge that he’d get a good pay-off and his low-life pals in the media would divert ALL the blame on the French lads leaving him whiter than white to get another job.
    I will say this for Rabid, it takes a special talent to make such massive balls ups at TWO sporting clubs, but to reduce AVFC to the level it is in is more than genius. I doubt if anyone really knows what goes on his fantasy world except that he needs medication because sure as hell he’s the owner from hades.

  157. Droyd,

    You may be closer to the truth than you realise.

    I have just had the privilege of reading the minutes of the meeting between Tom Fox and the fans, Supporters Trust, and certain Lion’s Club chairmen, which makes interesting reading, includes information on the poor contracts that had been agreed with players like Delph, before his time, and how it will not be able to happen again, that the management structures at the club were so outdated and not suited to a Premier league club.

    Will copy and paste details as soon as I can, but they are not really meant to be on social media….that was the deal.

  158. The context for the meeting was the increasingly negative press coverage of Villa in recent times. In particular Tom was keen to dispel rumours of a transfer committee and misunderstandings surrounding the role of the Sporting Director. Tom explained in some detail the transfer process, from the manager identifying gaps in the team and proposing players to address them, scouting of these players, identification of alternatives, prioritisation of targets, negotiation of offers through to signing. This process involved a number of staff other than the manager but was largely directed by him. At all times the manager has a veto on transfers. Again, although there are a number of people involved in the transfer process there is no committee as such. Instead, there is as, as we would have hoped, a management structure in place to support the manager and hopefully, achieve the best they can for the club.

    Tom went on to explain the management structure of the football side of the club and in particular how each of the ‘spokes’ (departments) related to the manager. This detail was provided to reject accounts that the Sporting Director controls contracts, influences signings or manages the manager. Tom pointed out (the obvious) that given the competitive nature of the premier league running a club is complex and demands an appropriate structure to support the manager and maximise success. He provided detail on the ‘spokes’ which support the manager such as diet/fitness, scouting and U21s. The Sporting Director’s remit is to make sure that the leaders of each of these spokes is doing their best. I got the impression that there is a heavy emphasis on performance management in this role. Tom indicated that the Sporting Director was ‘…accountable to the manager.’ It was not exactly clear whether this meant that he reported to the manager or that he took his lead from, and had to deliver for, him. In defence of the present Sporting Director’s performance Tom pointed to the percentage of players signed during his tenure that are regular first teamers, in comparison to those signed before he came. I found this a slightly confusing piece of evidence to rely on given his earlier attempts to downplay the Director’s role in transfers.

    An important theme which emerged through Tom’s comments was the challenge he, and others face, in getting Villa set up to compete in the premier league. He admitted that the club was not set up to compete in this league and hadn’t been for some time. He was, he said, facing historic problems that will not be resolved quickly. Tom was very candid in providing examples of mistakes that have been made by the Club that should never have been allowed to happen. Other accounts of the meeting have already revealed that Tom admitted that the Delph contract situation was a mess. He also shared a few off the record comments relating to decisions made by our previous two managers that were the wrong ones. I sensed that Tom was admitting, as has long been thought, that there has been a lack of scrutiny of decisions made by recent managers which has led to significant financial loss and deteriorating performances on the pitch. I also got the impression that the scale of the job facing him at Villa may have surprised him and is certainly a big challenge. He talked a lot about Villa having having suffered from failing to realise our potential over an extended period of time. Given the wider structural problems at the Club he didn’t feel it right to criticise Lambert directly, last season.

    I think that those of us at the meeting were being asked to believe that the structural changes behind the scenes are to prevent similar mistakes being made in the future. It was clear that Tom believed that Remi Garde was a very different manager than our previous two, had sought out the job and buys into it being a long term project. There is to be a genuine shift towards developing, and appropriately managing, playing ‘assets’ rather than the purchase/dispose model. As you would expect Tom seemed sure that Remi Garde was more than capable of doing what a manager should be doing, coaching and developing players, selecting suitable tactics and generally having some notion of strategy in what they were doing.

    I certainly found the rationale for the spoke structure to be convincing, however, the success of any structure depends upon the personnel. Having a group of people to share the workload of the manager and to contribute specific expertise to decision making seems sensible to be. There seems, however, to be an unresolved issue, or risk, in relying on a spoke structure as a means to avoiding the repeat of historic mistakes if you preserve the autonomy of the manager and appoint the wrong candidate. In other words, whether we end up signing poor players and fail to win games or things improve will largely be down to Remi Garde. I’m not saying that the manager shouldn’t have this level of freedom but it does ask questions about the process Villa have used to appoint managers in recent times. Many fans believe that a key problem at Villa for a long time has been the lack of a ‘football man’ on the Board. Tom advised the meeting that a new Chairman will be appointed in the New Year, along with the possibility of another Board member. Before I got the chance to ask him whether either of these would have a football background he extolled the virtues of data analysis skills and the transferability of key management skills across sectors of the economy. It worries me that if you don’t have the ‘right’ people making decisions about any future appointments we may well continue to make the same mistakes.

    A few quick final points. I thanked Tom for the meeting and pushed for a supporters council or some other kind of representative body for supporters to have meaningful dialogue with him as CEO. He seemed up for it and Lee Preece indicated he had been thinking along similar lines so watch this space. A new kit supplier will be announced in the New Year too. Finally, in a discussion about the lack of leaders in the Villa team Tom was very complimentary about the role Ayew and Hutton have been playing in the dressing room. Seemingly they are two loud voices in an otherwise quiet dressing room.
    Happy to take any questions you have

  159. Thanks for that Paul very informative.

    For me from a distance naturally looking in I find the timing of the meeting to be a bit odd i.e. Tom sparring a few minutes before a game. How long did the meeting last may I ask?

    What steps are being taken to find a buyer ? Is the price of the club going to be significantly lowered ?

    Lerner as our “custodian”as he described has a duty to release this sporting institution from his dusty book shelf of failed projects. A new chairman will solve nothing what power will he have?

  160. Evening Folks

    Been mulling over the state of several teams today and why they are doing well or not. The only thing you can say is that lack of confidence or belief in yourself has a huge bearing on how players play or indeed how we all operate.

    Leicester came to the conclusion last season that they had nothing to lose and found they have nothing to fear either. Chelsea on the other hand had complete belief in their selves and their managers superiority until he lost the plot, maybe the respect of the players and now they can’t buy a win. They had the chances to win last night but like our bunch it just doesn’t happen. They have lost their faith in Mourinho and themselves.

    What happens IMO is fear takes over and you consciously try to be good instead of letting all those hours of practice take over. Our team goes out afraid to lose and sure enough they make basic errors an 11 year old would struggle to replicate. It may be instead of not caring they care too much to relax and play their game or even remember Garde’s instructions

    Garde is drilling the basics into the team in an attempt to short-circuit the fear But unless they practice in match conditions and with a crowd it may not work because the fear trigger is missing. Thats why Timbo always said we are great in training and couldn’t work out why we couldn’t replicate it on match day. Gabby was wonderful in training he’d say then he would miss from 2 yards in a match.

    The mind is a powerful thing and if we could just get a win it may change the entire outlook of this team. I can imagine gabby is like a naughty schoolboy in training, probably taking the piss and disrupting the trainers attempt at creating intensity in the session. He has had previous with the fitness coach as did others. Grealish is now a shadow of himself, he can’t even do what he is good at any more either, probably a bit of missing uncle Tim.

    So Garde has a lot on his plate at the moment but I wouldn’t underestimate this bloke, gabby has probably been running rings around the wankers at Villa park for years so If he goes it could set a precedent or start a massive sulk from his mates either way Garde will sort it, whether it will be soon enough we will see but I can’t wait to see who he brings in.

  161. Far too cosy for me ‘Tom’ was mentioned 13 times like an old mate. I don’t believe AVST can make one bit of difference and it wouldn’t surprise me to find that the new director came from this organisation. Didn’t Lee Preece upset someone on MOMS last week.
    If AVST want to make a difference they should organise demonstrations and banners to let the people who are destroying AVFC know how large section of the support are feeling, after six seasons of utter shite with no explanations, apologies or honesty coming from the club not one protest has taken place, blood like gnats pee.

  162. lv just seen Austin has stated he’s staying at QPR and it seems Everton are after Vidic as well . so l think we can say goodbye to him . roll on Jan ..

    mooch bar …load of bollox

    a mate emailed me that statement monday and l cant see much changing . needed real fans to ask real questions ….

    Tom if you read these blogs , sort a Q&A at the Aston Social or Sacred Hearts Club if you got the bollox too

  163. Hey Lifers.Gabby for sale?A bit of good news at last,pound for pound our best ever player,or should I say kilo for kilo.It hasn`t taken RG long to get the measure of him.
    Our dilema as I see it is this.When we go down,is RG the man to get us up again????????????If we don`t go back up in the first season we are destined to hang around the lower divisions for an eternity.
    The Geordies will be full of confidence when they play us,I can`t see any way back.The Holy Trinity of Cack Lambert,McLeish and Sherwood have destroyed us aided and abetted by Lerner.

  164. B6toBrasil

    Just to take issue, debate this with you, you blame the three previous managers for our ails, i’d suggest they did pretty good given the resources they had in keeping us up despite how dire the football was and the unwanted records broken. Blame lies entirely at Lerner’s door for allowing MON to hire such dross on high wages and every manager thereafter given a remit of survive on minimum investment and remove the high earners.

    If i’m picking targets for our problems, I only end up with one name, the one person that hired everyone at Villa. Our owner doesn’t generate new money from businesses he owns but by returns on investment of the trust fund. So even if we said feck off to FFP and had the ability to over-invest. Lerner would be the last owner that I’d go looking to over-invest. Look at Abramovich or the Sheiks, either self made and/or external sources of income that make investing in football immaterial in comparison.

    Doug constrained us by getting a ‘nice guy’ to buy the club without any foresight as to how much money would need to be invested just to even maintain the status quo.

    If you take the argument look at other clubs with less well off owners, then a deeper dive shows they had ‘real’ football men in the background directing how the football money should be spent/invested. We’ve never had that.

    Agree you can blame the managers for tactics and player selection, but if your hands are tied by the quality (lack of) available to them then i’m cutting them a bit of slack.

    UTV

  165. its always the same, the manager is the first to get it in the neck! Id like a dose of ‘sack the board’ and ‘your not fit to wear the shirt’ ring around vp. Lets at least make our voices heard.

    Prob best to be supportive during 90mins tough!!

  166. DOR- makes you wonder WTF is going on at Chelsea then because it isn’t money and mourinho is a good proven manager 🙂
    when you see that Leicesters team was assembled for 30 mil it makes the no money argument less plausible too and more a case of no talent in spotting a player. The austerity did happen but I think what really messed things up was the inability to shift any of our players and recoup funds. This caused resentment and denied the manager funds and room in the wage structure. There seems to have been at the club a case of the chickens ruling the hen house too IMO probably down to no senior football man at the top

  167. Ian Hollaways words about ex villan Jordan Graham.

    “I was impressed with Jordan Graham.

    “For a player of just 20-years-old on just his fourth start for Wolves, to go out and perform like that was frightening. He looks so confident.

    “He wanted the ball all of the time and his end product was excellent. Wolves have a got a real star in the making on their hands.”

    Graham arrived at Wolves this summer after his deal at Aston Villa came to an end. He was in the same group as Jack Grealish and Jordan Lyden that took Villa to NextGen Series supremacy in 2012 but never kicked on into the Villa first-team.

  168. Ian Hollaways words about ex villan Jordan Graham.

    “I was impressed with Jordan Graham.

    “For a player of just 20-years-old on just his fourth start for Wolves, to go out and perform like that was frightening. He looks so confident.

    “He wanted the ball all of the time and his end product was excellent. Wolves have a got a real star in the making on their hands.”

    Graham arrived at Wolves this summer after his deal at Aston Villa came to an end. He was in the same group as Jack Grealish and Jordan Lyden that took Villa to NextGen Series supremacy in 2012 but never kicked on into the Villa first-team.

    Another reason I’m not happy with the managers we have had particularly Lambert, bought a load old crap on the whole bar a couple and ignored the youth

  169. For anyone who thinks the championship maybe a bit of fun and we may win more matches, take a look at the big clubs who have gone down and are floundering and in some cases nearly going bust.
    Leeds, Sheff weds, Forest, Derby, Sheff UTD, Wolves and Burnley have all struggled and nearly gone to the wall without the golden egg that is the PL. Paul McGrath has said he doesn’t think this will be th end of the slide, Shay Given has said lose Saturday to Newcastle and it’s all over he can’t see any way back for us. I have to agree with both, it’s seems everyone is tipping Villa, Sunderland and Norwich for the drop. I think that’s a pretty fair shout, we are easily the poorest side in this league and deserve nothing less, once we go I can’t see us getting back up for a very long time, it’s not like we will be unlucky and could hold together a squad that has real talent for a promotion push, we have none just a few expensive gambles that haven’t paid off, and some has beens /never will be’s.

  170. B-62 truth is we have to start winning or its all over anyhow whether its Newcastle or not. If we get through a game without a serious cock up would be a start but a win just might wake our lot up. you have to think its going to come by a complete fluke as we have managed to have or create no luck whatsoever ( unless you count Bournemouth).

    As for the champs it will depend what financial shape we are in and whether the support stays with the club. different FFP rules apply and we will have the parachute payment but this years books should be back in order. As you say we may get stuck there but we may also do as Newcastle and wet spam did.

  171. Bolton are right in the shit, come 30th Dec their players can give 14 days notice and walk for free, they are bottom of the championship and have massive debts, all stemming from getting relegated and chasing the golden egg of promotion. TBF when newcastlecdropped they had a decent enough side that they kept together, and Andy Carroll scored for fun in that division.

  172. lv spoke with a mate up in geordie land and it seems its not going to be nice saturday and it would seem its the local radio stirring it up with the flak we threw at them when they were going down and the flag we had made at the time “Sob on the Tyne”
    Frem were going to a mates pub just on the outskirts of Newcy if you want to meet up mate , keep safe and try stay in a group as he told me their little shits mob will be going round picking villa fans off ,and it did kick off last season , will ring you on the day mate ,
    if its true ! Remi is going to be given funds in Jan to get players as it seems he had a meeting with the tosser about some players he needs to try to keep us up , but then you read that fox “off record is saying they are preparing for a season in the championship ” what a shit title for a league !!
    B62 have you seen the SPICE jaeggerbombs ?? quite nice mate ,
    went for a day down Worcs yesterday with Steamer and we used his Sat-Nav , coming home l pressed “home” address and it started taking us to Monyhull , where steamer used to live !! then had a nice evening meeting up JL , and got a tenner back off Steamer ))

  173. Wolves were relegated from the Prem with a better team than we have and they went straight through to League 1.
    Its OK Fox admitting to mistakes but he was told a lot of his decisions were going to fail and ignored the warnings, he’s still making mistakes, he’s just an arrogant chancer who doesn’t give a monkeys because he’s taking a massive wage and won’t need to work again if booted. When Paul McGrath makes a statement like that you know you’re in trouble, our leaders will just ignore it and carry on with their destruction.

  174. Not only does the club not care about their fans they actually persecute them, sorry, this scum has got to go and anyone actually watching them is aiding and abetting the suicide of AVFC. I can see gates falling below 25,000 this season and 15,000 next.

  175. Mark wrist strain is improving 🙂 stitches out tomorrow all going well I’m aching for pints & hot whiskeys lol. I’m starting to get arse strain now from doing F all I believe you are an expert in this field 😉

  176. Steamer
    just been over to see JB and it was villa staff xmas do in holte suite o tuesday . jbs mate had a right go at Fox about the shite down there and for 15 mins he just stood there and took it all and then just said “I know ” and walked off , he tried to break off the conversation , jb said he looked like a rabbit in the headlights .

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