The press headlines tell it all, don’t they?
“The only signing Villa have made this month is a new chairman”;
“Are the lights still on at Villa Park? If so, could they please illuminate us.”
Indeed, the last quoted headline reminds me of the vainglorious installation of the illuminated Aston Villa Football Club name at the rear of the North Stand, not long after the owner took over. It – like his “Bright Future” slogan – look woeful in retrospect as potentially new players barely gave Villa Park a glance in January as they sped north or south on their way to new clubs. It’s almost as though they could see the weeds growing at the old ground more than we.
Gone are the days when Eric Houghton could nip across to Cardiff and buy a Gerry Hitchens, or Ron Saunders could quietly steal an Andy Gray from Dundee. Both those great players jumped at the chance of joining Villa, even when the club were not going great guns at the time. But the difference then was that the Aston Villa name still meant something – and player power was certainly not as it is now.
So, Remi Garde may have to rely on the club’s carpenter, plumber and electrician to provide backup to the needs of his team. Even some of the stewards might get a game. And the tea lady?
But – hang on – would Newcastle’s panic approach (e.g. the Β£21m rejected offer for the misfit Berehino) have been the better ploy? I can imagine such expenditures making the Geordie fans jump for joy, but does such an approach work? Well, if we go back exactly five years to 2011 it did work for Villa. In came Darren Bent at a club record fee of Β£18m plus, and his goals made the difference for Villa. He did, however, have the benefit of a couple of wingers already in place who could deliver his type of ball. So, if the squad is essentially of the right mix, and if the signing is well-targeted, the big money ploy can work.
In Villa’s case today we sadly have a rather average ability to create goals, and so I doubt that bringing in a new striker would have had much effect. Unless, that is, such a player had the ability create his own goals, but such a player may well have cost a fortune. And was there one available?
The other areas of the team that Villa were looking to strengthen were the goalie and defence. Well, I’ve been reasonably happy with the defence in the last few league games. The last Cup game – including Guzan – was virtually the reserve defence, so I don’t count that match.
Summing up, therefore, unless any new signing had the ability to win matches virtually by himself via either scoring a few or keeping more goals out, I’m not that certain there would have been much advantage in new signings. Especially when you consider that new players sometimes take time to ‘bed in’.
The current squad simply have to ‘man up’, believe in themselves, and put in the effort. If Villa can hammer the Hammers today then there will still be cause for optimism.
The Author
John Lerwill
I'm a Villan of more than 60 years standing and an occasional writer on Villa history. For me there is only one football club worth supporting, but I am now wondering whether I will again see anything like the pageant that was paraded under Ron Saunders or even that by Big Ron and Brian Little. My glass, however, is always half-full! Click here for my Villa website.Comments 231
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Well that’s one way to get 3 games off and sink us even further at the same time…. Hahahahaha
Jordan Ayew take a bow you brainless idiot
John I agree to the point about new signings but a sensible Club would have took a punt on Jordan Rhodes, given him half a season to fire up to safety and if not we have a great player for the championship.
We should have used that carrot for a few of the better Championship players and got a head start next year…
But we aren’t a sensible club… We a club run by idiots and morons
Steamer watch the sending off. And watch cresswell .you see Ayew shirt go up on the righthand side as cresswell squeezes ayews kneck . now how many times did you do that. I did it in penalty areas. You always get a reaction. Oldest trick in the book .obviously ayew still learning about paybacks though. Oh hum .
John,
All i can say is your leader reminded me how the game has deteriorated, its dying a painful death.
S75,
Just another one of those things going against us like this Jon Moss, two obvious pens in the CF and the one against Spurs, he should be reported although this club lets everybody walk over them. Shame because most o the other results are going for us.
That subs a joke remi we are behind and you put on one of worst ever player in Richardson,
Recent games have shown that if our gutless committee had made funds available for Remi we would have had a decent chance, however the spineless shower have decided they want relegation whatever. Hope the history books show this scum in their true light.
Steamer
Noble has had two awful tackles one booking
Collins flattened okore off the ball after been booked
Pleat just after saying on commentary villas midfield too stupid to draw fouls from west ham
Dear oh dear, there’s fat and there’s fat and Flabby is definitely obese, not good for a so-called professional athlete.
In a league of pathetic refs John Moss is the worst, him and Fat Phil.
What with the lying gutless committee, cheating officials and stupid players letting the club down i think Remi will be gone tomorrow, i don’t think he’ll wait till the end of the season and i think morale will collapse and we’ll take some heavy beatings.
Hahahahaha
Worst. Team. Ever!!
So glad I stopped going years ago and giving money to this bunch of idiots
Steamer,
No, I don’t think he’ll walk. He strikes me as being an honourable feller and will just keep trying until the end – whatever that may be.
Whether he’ll stay after this season is a moot point.
That elbow wouldn’t have knocked over a five year old.
How many goals do we concede from our own corners ?
Reaching my limit now.
Like garde but what the fuck do they do on training ground corner kick 2 matches running we concede ,can nobody hit a deadballs bacuna vertout Westwood all fucking useless, plus what was he putting on Richardson for ,Clark or two young lads be better bet
James,
C’mon … until Ayew went doo-lally we were outplaying the Hammers and I was just waiting for us to score.
We held ’em well till h-t and then they got themselves sorted out.
I like Bunn.
JL,
I agree about the mans integrity totally but i think he’s aged, he’s set up for life with a no pressure job waiting back home and doesn’t need to be around con artists and liars, no matter how much you love the game and how much determination to succeed in it you have you can be worn down.
I wouldn’t wish this job on anyone, to have to work with these peasants must be soul destroying for anyone with standards, just how did so many lowlifes actually get together ?
What a shame – took control of the game and should have been one nil up with the penalty that wasn’t given ……. which means that Ayew wouldn’t have got sent off. The ref was a twat (1) ….. Ayew was a twat (2). Just sums things up at the moment ……….. but good to see at least the start of the fans demonstrating against the Board and Lerner …….
Does Remi normally shake hands with all the players when they come off the pitch? And did you notice Lescott didn’t even acknowledge him at the end of the game …….
Can’t really disagree with those last comments, Steamer, but I think he’s loyal to himself and that’s why he’ll stay.
JL,
As someone who suffers with stress what James is saying relates to that problem, tension forces irrational decisions, i’ve never said Remi was the perfect boss but i think he’s made, like most managers, a few errors of judgement which in normal circumstances he may have got away with, unfortunately these are not normal circumstances, not even a normal club.
Oh well, hopefully the crowd will give Fox and Hollis an uncomfortable afternoon on Saturday.
John l
How many shots in first 17 mins,we have no players that can get goals,Gabby none in 19, ayew4 great strikes but still only 5 in over 20 matches ,vertout none full stop ,bacuna last season,gana 1 v Wycombe in cup ,no others,gil 2 all season,defence 4 between them,12 goals in almost 30 matches we wouldn’t score if we were only team playing we are garbage and garde is getting off playing side because of the board,putting Richardson on ahead of anyone is a disgrace
OldVilla,
Have you ever seen a Villa team, no matter how bad, devoid of anyone to look up to, a leader or hero, no, we have a team with a certain amount of talent but not leadership or guts, faceless losers.
Steamer
Maybe garde was playing games starting Gabby putting on Richardson telling the board we have no one else,maybe zog get run out Saturday
But if I was Clark I would tell remi do one that’s unforgivable to put them two on first
Thats just made me realise how bad we are, Gabby, Richardson and Zog, nnoooooooooooo.
JamesG
Thats just made me realise how bad we are, Gabby, Richardson and Zog, nnoooooooooooo.
You’re right Steamer – all through the last 50 years there has always been someone who will act as a leader on the pitch and lead by example or be a hero and change the game …………. but the last few years there has been no-one taking that responsibility and when things get tough, shake the team up ………
Mate, I feel depressed :o(
Bad times. I could cry.
Whilst expecting relegation i thought naievly we would buy well to come back up and remi to lead us. But in reality learners going to squeeze every penny out of us and see us rot than spend more money.
And the other reality is remi allthough a nice man who has acted with dignity aint the man to get us out the championship. We need someone with a bit more steel, balls and personality imo. No hiding behind the board im afraid with 1 win in 13.
Whatever though, until randy effs off we are doomed
Thanks for the article John. I’d say that even if we were buying with the championship in mind , a few loans , would at least show some sort of attempt to improve and freshen up the squad . I know it’s ifs and buts , but I don’t think we are that far off the other relegation strugglers . As Ferdinsnd said tonight , the message to the players and manager is we don’t believe in you . There are press reports of dressing room splits , Micah has alluded to the fans “you don’t know what’s going on behind scenes ” and I wonder if a few new faces might not ease the atmosphere round the place .
Old Villa – I noticed that and I also thought how little respect they showed him. Lescott blatantly ignored his handshake which was highly embarrassing for Guarde , I really felt for him as he looked pained by all of it .
St 75 I also thought there’d been goings on with cresswell off the ball – it wasn’t unprovoked as savage said but Ayew fell for it and was naiive . Stupid , as Ayew has been one of the players who have shown fight and passion but the red mist took away his sense for that moment – he’d been needled.
We were the better team first 17 and we didn’t do too badly holding out with 10 men until they scored . Remi has got them better organised but we still don’t look like scoring with zero people in the box .
To sum it up BMH must be a negative and depressing place . Bickering and rude players , a board that misleads , the only attractive thing for that lot is the exit door. Remi has been let down by everyone apart from the fans.
When asked whether he was going to leave in the summer he said “this isn’t the place to talk about that “. So he didn’t deny it did he .
Got to say Micah had a good game tonight. He does seem to genuinely care .
Hope remi doesn’t watch mofd wizzi looked class act
Andrew, you say that Remi Garde isn’t right for the Championship and that we need someone with more steel but I’m not convinced you’re right (I know you’re not the only one saying it)
I look at the teams that came up last year and they don’t look like ‘old Stoke’ type ‘bruiser’ teams to me. They play proper football and ‘that’s’ what’s seen them get out of the Championship.
I personally think that he is exactly the right man for the club. What a tragedy that the Board having actually got something right don’t have the nous to recognise it and back him.
Why the heck wouldn’t Lescott shake Remi’s hand? Weird one that, for me.
Jenny … we simply are stuck with what we have and I thought that the back end of the Albion game fed straight into the West Ham match last night, with Villa controlling play … pity we haven’t translated that control into goals. And there lies the problem.
Ayew for me has not been doing well of late (despite his energetic play) – partly because defenders have got wise to him. That’s what led to the incident last night i.m.o. – though there’s no excuse for that wallop.
Any strikers available for Saturday’s game?
Ayew probably fed up with the same shit we have to put up with,this not what he signed up,and he probably our best player that’s saying something,partnered with sumo wrestler Gabby fuck this I am not doing his running
There is no chance Remi Garde will be here next season, no whilst he has conducted himself with dignity and seems a nice guy, his record of 1 win is dire in the extreme. I understand his hands are tied as these aren’t his players ( but I don’t believe they were Sherwoods either ), but even so I would have expected more fight and points than what he has achieved, without Hennessey throwing the ball in the net we would still be searching for our first win under him, he still hasn’t managed one away from VP. I know these players are not up to much, despite many creaming themselves at our revamped squad from the continent rather than buying british/home grown/prem experience type players.
But some of Gardes team selections/subs and tactics have been bizarre and dare I say it no better than Sherwood. We need a massive clear out this summer, the only pity is it won’t include the owner and his yes men cronies and white collar criminals.
Also the tongue in cheek video of the fans singing a new song at HT on the concourse at Upton park, has hit social media. It’s the usual away fans chucking beer about and having a laugh, only this time the song was ” we’ll be having a party when Randy Lerner dies”
I doubt for 1 minute anyone actually wants to see someone die, however feelings and emotions are running high and this could get a lot uglier, I expect disorder when the Geordies come to town and take the puss out of us, in our last home game as payback for when we did it to them. They are really looking forward to it.
well another game ruined by the ref is my take on it. All over wet spam after the first 5 mins then denied a pen. I really feel the players think the worlds against them as reffing decisions regularly are. That leads to frustration and poor decisions.
As JL wrote above we have nobody creating chances for a forward, whether a player with better movement would provide better options for that I don’t know. I have to say that Ayew did brilliantly then looked up to see nobody in the area, gabby came trailing in 10 mins late. We are afraid to commit, the first thing Tim got us doing last season, overloading the box. We contain well but are still afraid.
garde knows all this and his attempts to bring in a DM, RB, Winger/10, keeper and Striker are well documented.
The Keeper would give the defence more confidence, the DM the midfield chance to push up, the RB some decent crosses, the 10 more creativity and the striker goals and better movement.
Well that dreams gone so what can we do? keeper we have to stick with bunn. DM if sanchez isn’t back soon try Calder,mason or my choice Lyden ( who can also make telling runs into the box and scores goals regularly)
RB we are stuck with Richards although he’s slow to recover mason is an option. No10 grealish or gil ? or my choice would be Vertout.
striker? now if he wasn’t injured I’d try Hepburn- murphy or go with the two big lads and get sellars on the wing with andre green the other side both tricky and score goals. That for me is the choices.
By the way anyone else watch the after match interview with Garde? I thought the Interviewers questions were inappropriate at that time, asking Remi about his future like some red top scum.
This is the order i was talking about to prevent VP being sold by Loser.
http://is.gd/SD_ACVs
Mark
people have stated on here how intelligent Garde is , so if he thinks he’s not going to get asked those questions about leaving /staying after another loss and a January window and no purchases is wishful thinking , look at LVG , even Gary Monk , The premiershit has forced this , you only have to listen to the commentators describing Palace Vs B’mouth , you’de think they were describing ,Barca vs R, madrid !!! and where would your links come from . anyway its only gonna get worse for him as the windows shut and they need a story to run with , why ? you got to ask is SKY not at learners gaff asking him whats going on ? or getting Fox and the stooges to answer questions !!!
I thought they were pathetic asking Remi that too Mark.
That’s jnterstimg Steamer . John may know the answer to this one – when the ground was purchased to put a football ground in it , who was the Seller ? Was it part of the Aston Estate (I presume ). There may be covenants attaching to the land which state it must be used as a football ground – ( definitely will be restrictive covenants saying what it can’t be used for ) and where BMH is concerned there are planning restrictions etc . I really can’t see either being developed .
Jenny
at this time Paper means nothing and you can bet Hollis knows someone who knows someone who can get round the rules/laws xxxx
https://www.instagram.com/myoldmansaid/
The scarves on show last night
As someone on another blog stated “i think the genie has been let out of the bottle.”
If i was Fox i’d start looking over my shoulder.
The usual names have been mentioned as Remi’s replacement, if he goes that is, but i wouldn’t have Moyes at any cost, boring and unsuccessful tripe. Pearson, i don’t think would take it, he thinks he can do better, so do i. That leaves approaching someone currently in a job, Chris Hughton, failed, Neil Lennon, horrible person, Rowett, only managed small clubs with no expectation and we need an experienced winner, this committee wouldn’t recognise someone like that.
Take a few minutes out of your day to read this article, great summation of the Lerner years
http://inbedwithmaradona.com/journal/2016/2/1/doomsday-for-the-derelict
Apologies if it’s a repost
Undone by a ref, Ayew suckered into a red card, silly boy and a step closer to relegation.
Still plenty of time to verbally bash the fuck out of Lerner and his cohorts.
FOLAFAH
VTID
DOR,
Great article, there’s some talented people out there but all you ever read and see are the knobs like Lineker, Savage and Owen, still picking the flesh off the bones.
Jenny – about Villa Park.
No, the old Lower Grounds were sold by the executors of James Watt jnr. way back in 1818 and by the 1890s fell into the hands of the Flowers Brewery concern (of Stratford). The grounds had been used for recreational and amusement purposes since 1818. Villa took a lease on the property in 1897 and then bought the freehold in 1911.
I’m not sure about any restrictive covenants. I did see the deeds while I was at VP but even though I was initially trained as a contracts law clerk, I didn’t go into the details of it very much though I guess there would be something in there but I wouldn’t think very much – as Flowers once owned it I’d guess that they didn’t have very much restriction on what could or couldn’t be done.
DO’R,
Well done – a brilliant article by Chris Nee. Spot on.
Steamer,
Notice on that site that the pig sty is already registered, but Villa Park is not.
AVST needs to register it before any deals are done.
Flowers, I think ended up in the Marston’s group in the end.
Very nice apology by Ayew today, things happen.
Twitter is full of WHU fans saying the Villans were the best/noisiest fans at Upton Park this season and giving comments on how the club is being destroyed.
Has anyone heard from the AVST lately or are they still crawling around ‘Tom.’
Just exactly what do they do ?
Steamer,
AVST? … Too much of a committee for the boys for my liking.
Incidentally, I found a quote from 2006 the other day (on Lerner’s takeover). A spokesman for Villa Fans Combined, which campaigned for Ellis to go, said: “He made a fortune out of the club and now we’re looking forward to seeing Villa run as a modern sports company, not as a kind of family business.”
I asked the “spokesman” would he thought now, in 2016. He said: βohhhhhh buggerβ !
Er: “would he thought now” s/b “what he thought now”
JL,
I think we were all optimistic, wonder what the next mob will be like, i don’t have high hopes.
More About Villa Park (in case anyone is interested)
Firstly, a correction on when Villa took a lease on the grounds. It was not 1897 but 1896.
Before Flowers acquired the Lower Grounds, it was owned by a feller called Henry Quilter, who organised everything that went on there as an entrepreneur. It became quite the ‘theme park’ of the West Midlands in those days until he over-did it. It was he that created the sports ground that now forms the site of the housing properties adjacent to VP, and that sports ground became hugely famous for football, cricket and cycling.
Quilter’s sons played for the Birmingham Football and Cricket Club that was based there but which was eclipsed by the Villa as the leading Birmingham team when their star rose ca. 1878 time.
Quilter sold out to Flowers and went to South Africa.
steamer
they’re still looking for that light at the end of the tunnel !!!
out of Fox’s arse
Never read that anywhere. I saw a photo of Aston c1850, all open fields.
Dunno who i dislike the most out of whole smarmy bunch, i certainly wouldn’t trust any of them.
Lerner must be paying them a bomb because how can anyone work for a club where 100% of the ‘customers ‘ hate the sight of you. I bet Fox doesn’t use any of the pubs in Wishaw.
Ironic that he’s trying to save money yet allegedly pays Fox 1.5m per annum which must be 4 or 5 times what he took from Arsenal. Remember, this is the clown who said he joined Villa because “I wanted to work for Randy Lerner.” Think we all know why, hows it go ? a ool and his money etc.
whats a ool ? steamer lol
Steamer,
You’re mostly right. It was pretty well all fields in the 1850s. But the Lower Grounds site did have buildings on it at that time which had been the kitchens for Aston Hall, etc. Further, what is now the Holte Pub was in existence well before the 1850s (as the Holte Tavern I think) but was extended a lot in 1897 (under Flowers’ ownership at that time).
Aston Lower Grounds were not opened to the public until 1872. They stretched from Holte Tavern to Witton Cross between Trinity Road and Witton Lane. About Dovehouse Pool there was an ornamental park, the rest of the site being used for exhibitions and fairs. After seven successful years (helped by the banning of Birmingham’s pleasure fair in 1875), Quilter built what would now be called a leisure centre.
Steamer,
The Aston Lower Grounds Company was in existence by 1860. You can see a formal report on their activities – downloadable from Google at https://books.google.co.uk/books/download/Aston_Hall_and_Park_Company_Limited.pdf?id=0xRcAAAAQAAJ&hl=en&capid=AFLRE71AdIo6bEpFdA-ut9SZkH69l87dIgArOpd5VaXrIAb6nWD35MlJItoG3nJ6X1ma9VxYTpI-1zob9Xbd3rUIB-5oA9FLSQ&continue=https://books.google.co.uk/books/download/Aston_Hall_and_Park_Company_Limited.pdf%3Fid%3D0xRcAAAAQAAJ%26output%3Dpdf%26hl%3Den
Something you keep ish in.
JL.
So its never been a drive through KFC then, won’t be long though.
Thanks for the info, i’ll have a squint at some of that.
Steamer,
That 1860 report is actually of the Aston Hall and Park Company it would seem before the Upper Grounds and Lower Grounds became separated it would seem.
Also I got part of my fact wrong earlier. James Watt jnr. never did own the Hall – he rented it for a time until he died in 1848. So the disposition of the estate in 1818 was not to do with him but with the estate of the Holte family itself.
It seems that the keeper passed all criteria, but some member of fa belonging to another relegation threatened club stopped it
I thought their was something funny when Chelsea signed that USA defender with one cap. The FA is truly twisted.
If you haven’t seen this article it’s well worth a read on how Villa were the first club to introduce Liason officers to the EPL and that it led the way for all other clubs to adopt the same approach for successful integration of both foriegn and native born players
http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11662/10150692/did-aston-villa-pave-the-way-sky-sports-speaks-with-the-premier-leagues-first-player-liaison-officer
For me it goes to show even more that as a club we have always been forerunners of the game and what a massive shame it is that, as a club all of this great work, it is now being undermined by an owner who quite blatantly doesn’t give a shit about the history and integrity of Villa. I personally hope he rots in Hell for what he has done to Villa and the fans… The ones both still with us today and the ones who supported for their entire lives and thankfully aren’t around to see what we have become now (RIP Dad)… A joke
Thank you so much for that interesting history lesson John . Even more so because my great great grandfather was born 1880 in Aston and with the exhibitions and amusement parks it sounds like a really lovely place to live . His father is named as black smith journeyman on the birth certificate. I still haven’t visited Aston Hall which I really must do !
Jenny,
Strange how we can go to VP so many times and never visit Aston Hall isn’t it ? Iv’e never been either and i love history.
The next Engurland manager is doing a wonderful job at Valencia isn’t he ? 7-0, but too arrogant to resign.
Jenny/Steamer,
Yes, it’s well worth a visit … I’ve been at least 3 times and last year introduced a Malaysian niece to it. She was enthralled.
I also had the fortune of being involved with an exhibition at Aston Hall when I was at VP.
Such a shame that the old office buildings (which were remnants of the old Lower Grounds) were demolished in 1981. You win the championship and demolish the heritage! Can’t keep everything I suppose.
BTW, do you know that Villa Park was *officially* named the Aston Villa Lower Grounds until the new hierarchy changed it (to VP) in 1969?
Hi Jenny, may Grandfather was born in Aston as well (Barton Rd/St or something I think) and he was a Blacksmith too! Eventually set up his own company in Aston before moving to Boldmere ……
Small’ish world eh?
OldVilla,
Yes, I think a lot of us had forefathers that came from Aston and surrounds. Certainly my grandfather (bn. 1871) lived at Lozells by the 1880s – only about 200 hundred yards from the Aston Villa Methodist Church, and many of his relatives were in Aston itself.
Went to a funeral the other week at the church next to VP, the folk involved had never been in the church despite growing up next to VP, built in 1066, fantastic building. There’s so many superb buildings around VP, the Aston Tavern development is beautiful, one of the nicest pubs iv’e seen both inside and out.
Letter of support and petition. for Remi Guarde
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/en-gb/796/603/432/the-fans-are-behind-you-remi-and-we-want-you-to-stay-and-fight-with-us-please/
Done.
Hi Old Villa , it is a small world isn’t it !
Actually my earliest Aston forefather , having checked my notes I’ve compiled from my own research ( haven’t gone in ancestry yet but will do when I’ve got time to justify spending Β£100!) was born 1858 , lived 11 Court, Hollier Street , Aston. His occupation was white smith fire irons . It’s really strange to think our relatives were walking the same steets and probably knew each other !
Steamer – looks like a summer outing then – Astin Hall followed by the church and Aston Ta Sen with John L as historian guide !
John I didn’t know that .
Steamer – is there a grave yard at the church ? Stupid question I know but think how many of our ancestors are buried there. Mine were very poor so wouldn’t expect them to have a grave stone though but the church records presumably show them ?
Yes, medium sized so there’s a possibility. The vicar was really good so i think he’d put himself out to help.
Morning All,
I’m fed up of writing the same tirade against the owner, board, managers, players fans etc as we disappear down the gurgler. It’s got to a point I am now seriously embarrassed at the club its action and the fact I’m a Villa fan. The way they are conducting themselves, is akin to BCFC and their joke owners who have ensued their longstanding place as a nothing club. Only now we are worse, we have less prospects of a bright future than them, they will be bought first ( as will be cheaper), we no longer hold the golden ticket of the Premier League riches, they may still get promoted.
Today the club started to release/sack and make redundant staff, I’m hoping a lot that are going are casual labour or agency staff. At this rate we will be in administration sooner than later, RL has destroyed the club and is still taking his millions out. I can see us being sold in the summer to another skint price if shit chancer, as soon as RL has sold off any players/buildings/infastructure he can and pocketed the parachute money. We will go for about 50-60 million( if that). All the speculation of being bought by a mega rich billionaire like Kraft/Chinese/Arabs etc seems like a lifetime ago, we are stuck with the prince of darkness, til he either sells or shuffles off this mortal coil, as the new terrace song goes when he does we’ll be having a party.
B62
l think we can forget chinese buying the club , l was listening to the radio last night whilst waiting for my daughter around 8-15pm on 5live and they were on about the chinese billionair’s who are building their own grounds and have started buying players from the European leagues , one team have paid 28mill for one such player , and starting up youth academy’s and have over 500million kids to find players from and are even bidding for a world cup , l bet Blatter is kicking himself getting caught as he and his cronies who have made a fortune giving them that , noses by me loving it , probably be barred from the pubs again this weekend , at this moment l couldnt give a round of fucks about the villa , and until that yank twat has gone l dont think l will , all the best mate , wife cant wait till saturday as a few years ago we sent Norwich down , back to printing 48 mugs for daughters show (((
Jenny xxxxx
I see Hollis was harangued in a restaurant.
As you say, if/when Lerner sells it’ll be to some snake oil company. 10 years of total bs, from day one he’s lied to the customers, i bet the sponsors are livid. probably at the Hawthorns now.
Mervyn King on the board, still don’t expect much difference.
Mervyn King on the board, still don’t expect much difference.
Aston Villa Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Lord King of Lothbury, the former Governor of the Bank of England, to its Board of Directors.
Mervyn is a life-long Villa supporter who has a deep understanding of the Club and the role that it plays in the lives of its many loyal supporters.
He has always taken a close interest in the workings of the Club and adds to the Board a strong, well-informed point of view which will be invaluable as we look to take the Club forward.
Chairman Steve Hollis said: “I was delighted when Mervyn agreed to join the Board. His dedicated support for the Club is well known.
“Mervyn successfully steered the Bank of England through the most turbulent economic headwinds in living memory and his appointment to the Board is a huge boost as we plan our path back to more successful times.”
Mervyn added: “It is a privilege to be asked to serve as a director of this great Club. I watched my first match at Villa Park more than 55 years ago, and have experienced the highs and the lows since then.
“I shall do my best to help the rebuilding of Aston Villa Football Club as together we return it to its position as one of the top clubs in the world.”
Even by Villa’s standards thats high quality BS.
Unless Meryvn is bringing in new investment, this is a pointless appointment and shows a lack of understanding of the Villa fans.
We’ve called for football men to be appointed to the board, the likes of David Dein spring to mind, not some appeasement to fans, saying ‘you spoke, we listened, look how good we are’.
The solution to the problem is a new owner prepared to invest in the playing staff and has enough knowhow to appoint the right people in the right jobs, would Fox accept a demotion to what he is actually good at i.e. commercial contracts, i doubt it but that’s all he is good for.
King is just another salary for AVFC to pay, a further drain on resources when most likely any cutbacks upon relegation will be felt by the people at the bottom of AVFC.
FOLAFAHAK (it will catch on) π
VTID
DO’R,
Is Mervyn to be a paid director? If he is I can’t imagine it will loads of dough.
Steamer/DO’R,
I’m not inclined to be cynical about this appointment. At least he’s stood on the terraces in the days of Gerry Hitchens and experienced the awful developments of the 60s, so he’s more “one of ours” I’d say. He adds some balance to the pseudo-Villa fans that are already on the board.
Mind you, the appointment of a couple of other true Villa fans representatives wouldn’t go amiss so far as I’m concerned.
Hi JL
Don’t think he’d accept without being paid, he’s not a charity.
The call for Villa fan representative on a board is only at it highest when the board hasn’t a clue, if we were correctly run nobody would be taking any heed and just enjoying the pleasure of good football.
I don’t see the need now for Villa fans to be on the board because we are being run into the ground, we need to replace the board with competency. A Villa fan rep on the board has no sway because they aren’t signing the cheques, it’s a nice to have for connection but serves no real purpose.
Villa signings 0, board signings 2, a familiar result for the fans.
FOLAFAHAK
Will King make any difference?? Prob not but its a step up from General Krulak etc Perhaps with his links to business/money men we may get some much needed investment this summer, but again prob not.
David Dein is a pipe dream, he has only beefed linked because of Aesenal and Fox connection to them. We need our own version , someone with the club at heart and some real business sense, unlike Fox and co.
I think ST75 is right re China, they are pushing their own clubs and league, they offered Β£4.5m for Lavezzi from PSG today who has less than 6 months left in his contract, but would be paying him Β£15m over 3 seasons. They are trying to be the more lucrative option to the MLS.
Meanwhile at VP the ground is starting to look tired, the North stand is terrible an eyesore with facilities that are pretty dire. It needs to go, any rebuild needs to reduce the capacity to 35-40k. I would do it now as no one will be turning up for matches for the run in, then we have all summer and the first half of next season, as again the ground will still be half empty . Not gonna happen though, there simply is nothing to look forward to, no light at the end of the tunnel, no bright future just more despair and misery, we have stopped existing as a football club and are just fulfilling the fixture list, we aren’t competing in the games and will drop with an awful record of 2 wins in an entire season. I’m not signing a petition to keep a gaffer that has only won one game since the end of October/beginning of November, no matter how bad the board are and the lack of investment in the Han window, he has until the end of the season to prove to me he is worthy of overseeing a campaign in the championship . He has impressed me with his statements but not with how he has set the side up and lacking any fight, ambition, change etc
dont be taken in by this smoke and mirrors at its best yet again from fox a pure pr job as he knows there is going to be trouble on sat against Norwich king will have no say at the club whilst poxy is still here if it was headlined he has come in to replace poxy then would be worth it but to ask a man of this stature to work under a fizzy pop salesman and an asset stripper is just a joke
if he was brought in with complete control would be the best thing villa had done in the last 10 years but it is not he is just another publicity stunt from fox he must know that his days along with herr flick and reily are numbered
Hi B62
I only said the likes of David Dein, this is the type of person we need, in case you think i was advocating Dein as our only option.
I’m clearly pro Garde and will sign the petition for the sake of my own belief as opposed to it carrying any real weight. It’s the players that lack the fight and quality, talk is cheap re Richards, the evidence is there we can’t compete with every single team above us or we wouldn’t be 10 points adrift. we need long term stability at this most unstable time and that includes not chopping and changing manager, who has his own ideas and will also want backing in the next transfer window only to find out, he’s a budget of 20p and must get rid of Traore and Gabby as the next high earners
FOLAFAHAK
Nephew knows Merv through Barclays, reckons he’s ok but a buffoon, if he’s a pal of Hollis he’s a knob. The only thing i want King to do is form a consortium and get these reptiles out of VP. By joining the low lifes King has shown which side he’s looking out for.
Some folk on the other blogs are talking about him like he’s gonna play CF on Saturday and score a hat trick, he’s just a puppet, always has been, always will be.
DOR,
Strange that all these big contracts were awarded by the knob Fox, its the cleaners and staff who are paying for them with their jobs.
bang on steamer fox is just the biggest con man in the world does any body know what this knob is paid as he keeps getting layers of covers more and mor in place to procect his arse and it is he giving out the contracts and wasting all the dough needs knocking out
DO’R,
You have every right to be sceptical, but I’m not sure that the owner does intend to run the club into the ground. He might well do that (through incompetence) but I honestly don’t think that’s his intention.
I suspect that they want to accept relegation and use the situation to re-grow the club a la Southampton. But I could be wrong and you’ll probably say that I’m in dreamland!
Not at all, i just don’t have ANY confidence in anyone on our committee to turn it around, on the contrary, every decision Fox has made has been a disaster. All these five year plans and continuity etc are just PR, as the saying goes ‘they don’t know what they’re doing’ and that goes for every one of them. What worries me is that Lerner has, by his cowardice, given them a free hand, i have visions of ground sharing at the skip. IMO, nothing constructive will come out of VP while Lerner and his cohorts remain.
JL- I’m with you, unless I see evidence that its in Lerners interest to destroy the Club or as some suggest in retaliation for the stick he gets (very doubtful never worked with the Browns until the divorce went through) I think they genuinely believe they are going to rebuild the club into this new self sustaining entity much like arsenal, Southampton etc. At least King knows where Villa park is and has a good surname π
Been thinking about the transfer window, when garde was appointed Lerner was chairman said he would be Backed ( I think ). Garde then asked Lerner to speak up and answer the questions he wasn’t qualified to answer. Lerners answer was Hollis who I think quickly changed the Combination on the safe. There must have been some funds as the keeper was a buy and they could see the return on him could be good. The loans? we just couldn’t or wouldn’t pay the wage.
Rumour has it Ayew is on 45k? Has fox given higher than Β£30 k to our new signings and buggered up the wage bill or reached its limit? without lerner stumping up with his own money (FFP ruling) we can only grow it by Β£4m. With all our cling-ons I think we where scuppered. Other clubs were prepared to risk it by paying the extra Via there owners and grabbing it back when the money goes up?
Just Ideas.
If we aren’t going to sign players why do we need Armstedt and Reilly ? i’m sure Remi has plenty of suitable players listed in his notebook.
So thats Fox, Hollis, Reilly, Armstedt, King and Agbonlahor all non playing wage thieves, then there’s Zog, taking his share, makes you proud to be a Villan.
Further more Tims proposed signings would of been of the high wage variety and they would not come anyhow unless worth their while. With the exit of our better players and the Cup final Farce have the committee had to pay over the odds wages to attract even the players we got?
not sure whether non footballing staff (and I include Tims retirement plan in that π ) count with FFP steamer
parasite
Λ
noun
an organism which lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the other’s expense.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/12140240/Liverpool-owners-FSG-brag-about-transforming-fans-into-customers.html
Like all controlling elite they cannot help themselves, They have to advertise they are the controlling elite
we really must introduce the jeerman system where the fans control at least 51% of the shares.
would be good hasn’t hurt their clubs, they have a got a better education system though, we could attend the board meetings by being picked out of a hat and employ a bingo machine to pick the side π
All average players are on 35 thousand we have clowns in charge that think players are going to sign for less,championship sides wagebill are high,
Just look at transfer fees Bournemouth splashing out 10 plus fees on 12 thousand gates,stoke 5 champion league winners playing splashing out18 m on a player don t recall stoke selling many stars for massive money
Sherwood was right in saying we needed full rebuild it was all old players mistakes that have cost us along with that they brought new boys down to their level very quick
Does anyone think our squad won’t struggle in lower level, I don’t know if remi is the answer a lot of his picks look OK,but you could also say the same for Sherwood and even Lambert hopefully big king can push his weight about and first job sack fox and co if we can’t sign anyone we don’t need Reilly and 8 scouts that save few Bob straight away
We need to get back to manager picks his players system
Also, another lie exposed when Fox was saying that the club never looked after the new signings, the club have an excellent woman, Lorna, who speaks several languages and was appointed when Angel had problems. ( actually signed 14 years today ).
Next season what I would keep
Bunn as sub
Sissko amavi be gradually brought back into team
Lescott Clark okore think okore owes a year after all his injuries
Gana vertout grealish traore Sanchez
Rudi his level,
Can’t see ayew wanting to stay ship the rest out clean sheet start
Jenny, Don’t know whether this site is any better/cheaper.
http://blogs.ancestry.co.uk/cm/head-of-the-class-do-certain-surnames-indicate-nobility/?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referral&o_xid=65342&o_lid=65342
Steamer,
Nobility? Hah … you’d never have guessed that my family surname was “de Lorriwille” back in the Middle Ages, would you?
Since the Scots killed off one of our main links in 1296 the name got stunted and we’ve been blacksmiths, carpenters, and sacked club historians ever since.
Well, that’s not the entire truth, but you just can’t tell by surnames!
James,
Players of any great ambition will just want to up and go. But I do think Gabby will agree to have his pay chopped and stay. This is – in practical terms – more like the best first team we’re going to have:
Bunn; Hutton, Lescott (unless he goes States-side), Clark, Cissokho (or Baker, Bennett); Bacuna, Gana, Westwood, Gardner (unless Notts F get promoted); Rudi, Gabby.
Can’t see Amavi, Okore and Ayew staying, but could be wrong.
… with backup being supplied through the academy.
on about wages next season the highest paid player at the sty on 6 k and if we are where they are now this time next season will be over the fu ckin moon bottom 6 for our clowns
John l
If that’s our team next season we are finished as a club ,Gabby should be training morning and evening same as zog make the lazy b train ,Gabby is a disgrace coming back after 3 months out that shape,and remi is no better playing him
Think okore should stay less than 50 appearances since signing need give something back
Amavi won’t be back in time so a year gradually playing would be good for him
Amavi won’t be back in time so a year gradually playing would be good for him
If some you named are still here who is going to manage them
James,
Gabby?
Well, do you know I was happy to see him back the other night! π Once he’s got another game or two under his belt he could be the answer for us, i.m.o. … Mind you we have to win against Norwich so he’d better up his game by then!
Okay guys, I hear you laughing!
But in any case, whatever your opinion, you can’t blame Garde for playing him … there was no-one else left of any worth. If we’re fighting to save ourselves from relegation I don’t think it’s the time to try youngsters. If we *know* we’ve lost the fight, then that’s a different ball-game.
John l
Maybe a few years ago Gabby yes not now too much of John Terry about him dressing room rows disharmony follows Gabby like bad smell
Remi would be better using young lads think its really bad example playing overweight flabby Gabby
James,
I don’t deny what you say (dressing room stuff), but when you’re riding stormy seas you have to make sure the leaks are -plugged and he’s a better proposition for that than youngsters i.m.o.
John l
We Γ re walking the seabed ,but anyway a business man told me once take the first loss its better for you Lerner never needed that
As for players any one played for more than 2 managers at one club time to move them on
JL
just had a link about you on Facebook , you been mentioned on a page , called “Villa links & Photos ,
absolute nightmare on the roads around me , took 2 hours to do a twenty min journey and l now got to go to city centre to pick daughter up , steamer if you dont hear from me in the morning , send the search party out , oh hum , better put a piss bottle in the car !
Think Flabby’s on his seventh now, nooooo not kebabs, managers.
S75,
Thanks for the heads-up on that link! I wondered why my site was being hit so much!!!
Steamer,
What?!!!!!!! … Gabby eats managers as well? …. Live?
many years ago scabby flabby played for England he was 11stone 2pounds he is now just under 14 stone these are facts on the wall at the training ground at bodymoor heath so he is now 3 stone overweight as he must have been at his best when 11 to be picked for England garde knows these facts so why if he is the great manager that all you fools on her say is he not sending him to boot camp to lose 3 stone you do not have to be a dietician to work this out just need to see the fat basta rd with your own eyes it is basically as simple as that
Hello Steamer
Thanks for the link – it is a spray to catch a mackerel . I put my details in and it then goes on to Ancestry. My “free” search couldn’t go ahead because it wouldn’t accept my e mail – then you get “free trial 14 days…then Β£14.99 monthly ” or its Β£120 UK and Ireland or Β£170 for worldwide . “. I should have done it when it was Β£100 a couple of years ago ! Never mind – one day !
I think we remember Gabby when he was at his most lethal , well I do . I’m not sure whether he can get back to this quickly but a few flashes of his old days couid score us a few . His preferred position is striker so Saturday is his chance as we have no others fit .
Jenny,
Yep, Gabby is our last line of defence … er, attack … now so there’s no point in vilifying him, is there?
I’m hoping that Kozak will be fit as well – at least to be available as sub.
Hi Jen would love to properly map my family tree, would also like to do the DNA thing as that gives you country of origin as best as nomadic humans can be linked to a country.
My surname looks good but can mean King of the village, may, the battlefield etc. not particularly linked to royalty. But My grans was Neville and is heavily linked to Earl Richard Warwick of the kingmaker fame. My grandad was a whitaker and that means wheat field or white field, so a farmer in saxon times.
This site at least gives you a description of your surname
http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/neville
JL
Kozak won’t be fit anytime soon, he has fractured his ankle, I’d say the chances of him returning to the first team this season are slim, or if. He does it will be after we are officially relegated , which I think will happen by April at the latest.
Without any strikers I expect Norwich to add to our misery on Saturday , I’m working so won’t have to endure it, I can’t even give my ST away, and I’m no longer using leave to watch that shower of shit.
My attentions have turned to who will be dropping with us, if it’s Newcastle( who I expect to survive) we are only aiming for 1 automatic promotion place, as with their squad they are cents to go straight back up, just like they did last time. To a lesser extent if Sunderland drop , they will also be tough to overtake and I fully expect them to bounce straight back, if they both drop they will spur each other on. All this means the chances of Villa bouncing straight back are very slim indeed. We will have turmoil this summer, I believe Garde will depart as will Amavi, Ayew etc I doubt very much we will get the investment required and at best even if we kept this squad together( but ditched the gabbys, Nzogs etc) I would say the play offs at a push is the best we can hope for, realistically I think we will struggle.
The other point of who drops with us, is that we mustn’t forget they are all miles better than us, therefore are starting from a better place.
On gabby, he has weight trained himself and eaten himself to 14st. To give you an idea Kalinic who’s 6’7″ is 13 stone. Gabby has not only put on mucle and flab his bone structure has grown thicker, now he could shift a stone and a half but shrinking a skeleton is nigh on impossible. I’m 14 st and I’ve weight trained all my life since 16, at my lightest while playing I got down to 12 st 8. There are young lads at our gym that look 15 st but are about 13st, they look twice the size of me. weights really do lay down bone. For gabby to get to 11st he would have to get osteoporosis π
One aspect that gabby can teach our team is to draw a foul, he has this down to a fine art. Hepburn-murphy has been training with 1st team but I think he’s injured, This lad is worth a punt, he is mentally strong and has shot up in the last six months. When Tim played him he was 16 and looked a boy he’s now 6 ft looks like a man.
Kosak has an ankle fracture!!! aaaaaaarrrrrgggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!
B62- Sunderland and Newcastle both now have huge wage bills, Sunderland a re particularly in the crap. I can’t imagine the team that drop not getting reduced. I remember Newcastle shitting themselves last season as a lot of their players do not have relegation wage reduction clauses.
http://www.totalsportek.com/money/english-premier-league-wage-bills-club-by-club/
Why is remi still here never mind no signings his 25 man squad is shrinking Cole crespo ilor Gardner gone zog not wanted ,kozak will hardly play again, down to 19 now ayew banned,18 now 3 keepers 15 outfield players now rudi Sanchez Westwood, and Hutton injured FREM get your boots
Funny enough I think Kosak may have the early signs of osteoporosis, he’s made of matchwood.
JG he must think god hates him at the moment, no need to get rid off the chaff they will all be insurance right offs
Jenny
steamer went on that Ancestry site and when he typed his name up it asked
“what planet you from ”
steamer lm stopping at yours tomorrow night if Norwich beat us , (why am saying if ?) ….just make the bed up in the spare room mate . the wife will be unbearable and l got the mother in law coming over …..fucks sake …
B62 . lv been offered 4 tickets for tomorrow even one off an old AVL poster Ged ,
have a good weekend all
jenny xxxxxx
Villa fan just written to the FA complaining about the visa procedure, apparently although Kalinic qualified on all four counts, someone with a affiliation to another struggling club objected. Its also apparent that top clubs seem to be immune to the regulations. And our FA complain about Blatter.
I hope they forwarded to a newspaper, prince William and Cameron. Disgusting that an appeal could be turned down because they met a quota anyhow, this is not a refugee.
Perhaps Cameron should organise for George Osborne to be appointed to the board, and then he can pull another rabbit out of the hat, announcing that Aston is a special area requiring govt backing, and is exempt from all football regulations, and may sign 6 new players immediately, and the money will be provided from the extra taxes to be recouped from Google, Amazon and a loan from Bill Gates….Villa will then win their last 12 games and get an amazing number of sponsorship deals in readiness for us winning the Premiership next season.
Yes, but why bloomin’ buy foreign all the time?
The UK used to be famous for the quality of its keepers – don’t tell me good British keepers don’t exist, I’m sure someone is available somewhere in the UK.
But I think Bunn looks pretty sound anyway.
Horrors on horrors about Kozak.
Well, then it is time to try out someone from the reserves … ANY one!
Mark, Jenny
I’ve done my own, my wife’s, family trees, and helped work colleagues with theirs. I’ve access to Ancestry, if you ever need help to get started let me know.
Find the investigation side interesting alongside the social history of the time.
D
Mark
the Royal Family l think your probably related to is the one where Jim Rotal is head of the family …
SWW……….see Addams Family
Having seen the wage bill now thanks to MK for the Premiership, it obvious that the failings have been in the income fields to support a Premiership club.
i.e. lack of merchanise sales, lack of decent sponsorship deals, lack of income from ticket sales, etc which must be put directly down to Chubby, who was responsible at the time.
Whether Fox has improved income much, is debatable, but a substantial increase in income would have been generated by having a team fighting for a top 6 position, and our wage bills certainly were in line with Everton and other smaller clubs, but well below Sours and the oither top six clubs.
I guess Lerner feels he wants to generate income first, as with the Swansea’s and Soton’s, but it is a very dicey line and relies on the production of new youth players progressing through the ranks, something we have failed to do.
I can only see struggle for the future, without a serious investment of at least Β£500/600 million to take Aston Villa back to the days of MON.
things get worse talking to the happy clappers is a waste of time they simply do not give a sh ite all they want is a day out on the pi ss some take there kids surley there are far better things to spend Β£100 on now a days they simply do not have a clue and there false loyalty will eventualy take the time back to division 3 yet again as all they are doing is giving there money to fox plain and simple unless we can get the happy clappers to see the truth and actual reality of what they are doing and that it must stop for the long term good of Aston Villa as only an empty ground will trigger lerner back to the reality that fox has done nothing but con him and the club with reily and herr flick they have failed on a grand scale and nothing is being done to correct it .
In fact things are getting worse and worse and i am afraid to say yet again the happy clappers have the future of the club in there hands and do not give a toss all they want is a day out and and could not give a toss what happens on the pitch as there countiued attandence showes blind fools every one of them .
i hate to call fellow villa fans this but they will not see sense untill it it to late we will be below Walsall in n 2 seasons and small heath will be well above us a potless club with the owner in the blue brick will be well anove us down to Fox and the happy clappers i am sick as a pig
All all Family Historians
With apologies Darren, I think it’s actually pretty well recognised now that FMP (Find My Past) is much more suitable, especially for UK researchers.
There’s a lot more to access at FMP and it’s a bit more clear to use as well i.m.o.
PS I’ve been doin’ family research for 40 years and have frequently undertaken assignments, especially for overseas people.
Tomorrow nightmare team
Guzan
Hutton
Richardson
Richards
Lescott
Bacuna
Westwood
Gana
Gil
Gabby
Rudi
Make you shiver
JL- I’m hiding from my family Like ST75 when the last round bell goes π
Thanks for the offer Dor and Jl. Would like to do the DNA test though as would be interesting to know. St75 should do it as he is clearly part Limpet the way he holds onto his money.
PP- these days we are defo running a bigger clubs wage bill in the sense of overall income, With better planning after mon and more aggressive promotion worldwide when he was here we could of been up with spurs at least in terms of income, we have stood still relying on the TV money. To little to late as per with Randy.
Team I’m expecting
……………..Bunn
Richards……..Okore….lescott….Cissoko
…………………Lyden
Gana…………………………………..westwood
……………………vertout
……………………….gil….Gabby…..
I put lyden in because he is a goal threat from that position and Vertout further forward because thats where he plays best. Gil gets a free role, bakuna misses out because there is nobody to cross to. Gabby gets in by default. If hepburn-murphy is fit then he would be on the bench minimum.
JL on Bunn, He’s ok just at 6′ he cannot command his area in the age of 6 foot plus players. The ball put in for wets spams first goal was in the air for an hour and a more competent (taller) keeper comes out and claims it or at least gets a fist to it. Bunns another Given, a good shot stopper but better than Guzan with his feet (not hard)
Whatever team we put out will be terrible because we have so many crepe players, the thought of Wastewood and Flabby in the same team is horrendous. If Naaarwich attack they’ll rip us apart with the two forwards we should and could have signed.
westwood is the worst ever and flabby well its 3 stone overweight flabby how if garde is a manager can these two wan kers ever get near starting this shows what garde knows f all and yet you are all licking his ar se
Jd- His squad is down to 19 players all the other forwards are injured and even hepburn-murphy is out last I looked. What do you expect him to do pull Henry out of his arse?
Nark,
Your assessment of Bunn on his height s/b born out by looking at Bunn’s actual achievement, I think.
In the first leg in the Wycombe tie, Bunn dealt with some wicked corners especially well against big men and *did* command his area. And as far as West Ham’s first goal is concerned, it was just a good goal i.m.o. made easy for them as the l-b had gone a.w.o.l. These days a keeper gets criticised because he concedes a goal, unfairly in that case I think.
Er, sorry Mark, you’re *not* a “Nark”! π
JL- it was Gils man, I think the games I have seen Bunn in so far we have been dominant especially at the back. Against Leicester first he took vardy out when he should of stayed in goal nearly got chipped by vardy leading to the 1st goal. I’m not picking on him but I can see why he hasn’t been 1st choice in his career and his height and stature are part of that IMO.
JD,
I’d definitely give Remi credit for making us fairly hard to beat rather than the pushovers he inherited, don’t forget, apart from crepe players morale had disintigrated and the antics of our ‘leaders’ didn’t help. We now have multiple injuries to contend with, i’m not expecting anything other than the usual defeat tomorrow but i think the team will at least give some effort.
I see the PR has’t been improved, the less they know the better seems to be the byword, mind you it was all lies anyway.
A chap on MOMS mentioned that in conversation with arch buller Fox how our CEO was saying what a good job Lamebert was doing, this was a week before he sacked him, Do we really want vermin like these in the club ? Fox is pure, unadulturated scum, end of argument.
it is just a joke as for flabby why has garde allowed him to get so fat surely we do not have to pay him it must be breaking his contract being a fat bastard as for westwood he is not good enough for a pub team rather play jack any day than a useless sack of sh ite like westwood
Mark,
As I said – we need to look at him (Bunn) for what he actually does … and for me he’s not put a foot wrong so far. That’s the criteria, not the theory of how big a keeper neds to be.
This discussion reminds me of a Villa keeper of the early 60s – Geoff Sidebottom (yes, that was his name!) – who was about 5′ 9″ if I remember right. Now in those days there were many *great* 6′ centre-forwards around (too many to list) and yet Geoff did pretty well against them and even kept Nigel Sims out of the side for awhile.
His lack of size was detrimental was his downfall in the end, but only just. He made many great saves. But then came Colin Withers.
But in Bunn’s case he’s bigger than Geoff was, and so long as he saves collies as he did against Nolen and keeps ’em out in goalmouth entanglements as he did against Wycombe, I’m happy.
As for it being Gil’s ‘take’ for West Ham’s goal. Well, that’s what people say but you know as well as I that Gil is not a defender, and it was the l-b’s job to cover that area. Either that or a covering c-b.
Please read “vollies” for “collies”. I don’t know how dogs came into it!
Ooh ‘eck … for “vollies” please read “volleys”. I’m having a bad time today.
JL- π I was calling for Gil to be subbed as he was losing the battle at that back post, they tried exactly the same ball priop to the goal with Gil not knowing where to go in the area, I feared the worst at that point.
Yes Bunn has done ok but I have seen the odd moment when his size has nearly done for him. I think if you take Leskott and okore out and give him Richards and Clark against a prem side you will see how good he is π At the moment Lescott is dealing very well with the aerial threats.
JL- put it like this, if garde thought he was the answer why the Croatian as his first priority?
Mark,
There’s an old saying … “the proof is in the eating”!
I think it would be good for us to just talk about what we *have got* and not maybes and ifs, if you don’t mind me saying.
Yes, Garde may have been seeking additional insurance, but i.m.o. so long as we have the defence that’s lately been playing then I don’t think that will be so much a problem.
The problem for me (since the start of the season – and it’s got worse!) is the attack!!
We have to win games, and to win you have to score, and so long as you have a reasonable defence the attack is the major concern, nothing else i.m.o.
So … let’s give a mighty push behind Gabby and positive thoughts for him to score a hat-trick tomorrow. Criticising the only player you have left to score any ain’t gonna help!
JL Defence- goalie thing can go both ways on the confidence front and a good keepers ok but a great keeper he wins you points. As you say the points moot now. I’m praying Gabby gets 50 this season at this point π
Sir Doug Ellis
β@HD_Ellis
I’ve been on the phone to the bank all morning I want to buy back Aston Villa. Put my son in charge but ill advise on the finance #avfc HDE
Hope this is a wind up, Lerner & Herbert with a back up of Hollis & Fox, it really is the end. Must admit when Merv arrived i thought Ellis may crawl from under his stone. Probably wants to pick the bones.
Evening all, for those of a certain age π …………….. It may be old news but saw this book advertised about Villa in the 70’s – https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/722227070/the-big-aston-villa-book-of-the-seventies?ref=users
JL – are you aware of this or have any comments? Obviously it wouldn’t be a patch on your books!
Steamer….its bull.
Now i want the board out but to be fair the 2positions i wanted us to strengthrn was gk and st. Now we agreed everything for kalinic only for bs to stop the signing. And we offered doumbia a better deal than the toon only for him to reject us. Is that the boards fault? Debuchi to be fair id stop that the deal as waste of money.
Looks like remi is off in the summer. Its going to be carnage during the summer
when is our misery going to end,henrik alstad stopped debauchy transfer because he had nothing to do with it,riley and alstad went to rome after remi had deal done with doublie new newcastle striker,it failed,goalkeeping cock up sorry andrew board must vetoed themselves or paid some one
i feel for remi no man should work in same enviroment as the parasites running our club
plus 2 deals for bordeaux lads sorted. did fox not look at leicster great escape,west brom and sunderlands imagine team for west ham game
kalnic bunn
debauchy richards
sissko sissko
okore okore
kone lescott
wizzi bacuna
gana gana
vertout vertout
gil gil
ayew ayew
doublie flabby
what could have been for just about 20m what should been spent last summer
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/492726/PAUL-MERSON-COLUMN-Villa-are-doomed-Leicester-must-win-the-title-Arsenal-are-in-trouble
Merse sums the situation up.
Someone told me that Almstedt was absolutely loathed by everyone he comes into contact with at Villa, arrogant knob who has no qualifications in football but is well in with Fox who’s profile matches that of Almstedt.
Since iv’e been watching Villa we’ve have several chairmen/owners/custodians all with different methods –
1) Smith/Buckley – Old timers with genuine affection for the club but from a different era and incapable of taking Villa forward, Villa stagnated under these two.
2) Ellis – No affection for Villa, just in it for ego and cash, held Villa back until circumstances forced him to sell and then chose a bigger knob than himself, trash. IMO Ellis prevented Villa from regaining its position at the head of the table and at least half a dozen trophies.
3) Lerner, failed in everything he’s tried, gradually eroding his Daddies wealth, no sense, no balls and not wanted. Can’t speak lowly enough of this gutless peasant.
At the moment i’d take virtually anyone as the new owners except American businessmen, and by that i separate the thousands of loyal Villans we have in the USA.
Villa 0 – Naarwich 2.
Morning all .
First of all thank you Darren for the offer of help with the family tree – I will message you if I get stuck on a name as links to ancestry would be great . John L has helped me in the past too with his vast knowledge of things Bham!! I have a trip on the horizon to Aston Hall and church with the steamers (steamer ask st 75) Hope to find a few rellies there in church records . I’m as interested in where they lived so I can visit as much as who they are .
Mark King of Kings – there’s no way I’d do a DNA test in case it came up with a health problem – I’m an ostrich in that respect !
Having spent four hours in Dudley Road City Hospital with daughter on eye emergency , not getting home til 2 am , seeing the rain outside I’m not sure whether my heart can take a villa defeat today . I honestly can’t see anything better than a bore draw unless we get the luck that we have been deprived of all season. To reverse our incredible bad luck and monstrous ref decisions , let us pray for Norwich to get a red card , a couple of pens and then we may get a win!!
The DE tweet is defo a wind up .
Steamer – the name history site was good – mine is “honest and trustworthy” bit like me π
St75 – it’s going to be war of the roses in your house !! Death by a thousand cuts !
Fed and watered…caught up on the blog…time to hit the road for B6, for may be one more time and give support to Custer’s last stand…
As there can only be one outcome now for this season.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3434140/Aston-Villa-manager-Remi-Garde-reveals-frustrations-club-blocked-1million-loan-bid-Arsenal-defender-Mathieu-Debuchy.html#article-3434140
Sorry if this has been posted before but no blame should go to Remi working with this lot .
Went to Wet Spam on Tuesday night. Utterly awful. Shite stadium, shite game. Not sure how our guys are employed as professional footballers. Ayew- what a selfish wanker. I’ve seen teams still play well and attack with 10 men but we had no intent to. Got know one close to Gabby all night. Dire display even with a man down
Today I hope we ditch the 4312. We can’t have gabby and Sinclair up front. Get a guy from the youth up top and play a narrow 442. Atletico and LCFC do it and they ain’t to bad
I can see us running hard again but we just have no quality unless Gil and Jack play together. Agree with steamer, 2-0 to Norwich.
There’s a lot of Garde love in on twitter all saying he’s lovely and all that and they want him to stay. To be honest, if he walked, I wouldn’t be bothered.
They only way to play is like Atletico Madrid, so let’s do it
I think will go as well at the end of the season, if not sooner. He refused to commit his future.
Pete Colley told him the fans are angry and offended that we didn’t sign anyone. He then asked Remi if it was the peoples incompetence above him as to why we didn’t sign anyone. Let’s just say he didn’t say no
Does it Mata?
Just seen this about Gil:
“A pass success rate of 88.8% is the best of any Villa player, with that figure the second best of all players to feature in attacking positions this season to compatriot Juan Mata (89.1%). ”
Norwich’s recent record (last 8 games or so) has been awful, conceding 3 goals on the road in each of their last 3 apparently. And they have failed to keep a clean sheet away all season.
Villa 3 Norwich 1
Well, if we can’t beat this lot then it definitely is all over.
PS
Though I can understand the negativity especially with so few strikers available, it seems that Norwich are also in a bad position selection-wise.
So a win for Norwich doesn’t seem likely to me. Whether Villa can win, though, is the big question, but I have a hunch…
Jen- I would not worry about DNA and disease its a bit misleading, Epigenetics has a much greater effect. Actual Diseases that are Genetic are really rare and usually show up straight away. Its how your DNA reacts with the environment that matters, Diet , emotions, exercise, pollutants all have huge effects on DNA expression or non-expression. A DNA test can give you information that is very handy to know as in what is ideal for you.
Frem- What makes you Think that Garde is only playing one way because he likes it? it may be its the only way he see’s us getting anything with the players he has. Tim tried all sorts and it made no difference. At least we look solid now, If Remi had his players in you might have seen your Athletico formation. Other wise the only way you’ll see that IMO is to buy all of Athletico’s players.
Steamer – your bit on Villa’s chairmen.
I think it’s just best said that Fred Rinder was the best by a long chalk and that everyone since has been a big disappointment one way or another. Whereas Fred was ‘hands-on’ the chairmen since seem to have acted as though they were mainly conventional business chairmen, and that’s been precisely what the club have not needed in my view.
Mind you Fred became a member way back in 1881 and had 17 years to develop with the club before he became chairman. Maybe the club should have created a policy of building an apprentice-style path to the top job. That way he would truly understand what’s needed – as Fred demonstrated.
JL- 17 goals conceded in 5 games if we can score and keep them bottled up I can see a win but I expect it to be a 1-0. The whole storm around Remi might just work by galvanising the players fingers crossed.
Evening all, for those of a certain age π β¦β¦β¦β¦β¦.. It may be old news but saw this book advertised about Villa in the 70βs β https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/722227070/the-big-aston-villa-book-of-the-seventies?ref=users
JL β are you aware of this or have any comments? Obviously it wouldnβt be a patch on your books!
ξ
Mark,
I fail to see why people should be seeing weakness in Garde.
Poor feller – he’s been given a bad hand and he’s dealing with the matter in the most professional way possible. Maybe he’s not been perfect, but what the heck did we expect in the circumstances?
This season has mostly seen gaffs by individual players that have lost us crucial points – at least Garde has virtually stopped all that. He couldn’t legislate for Ayew’s gaff though.
JL- For a man that is used to professionalism it must be like entering the mad house. He always seems to understand every aspect from every point of view, he must feel like he’s dealing with children at times, and that’s from the board down.
OldVilla,
I see the book is written by Colin Abbott, who has written 2 or 3 books in the past 4 or 5 years. I would suggest that try to find and read one of his previous books might help to make decision as to whether to go for this one.
I know him and he’s enthusiastic, certainly. If it contains all the stuff he states it does then it should be good record about a period that has been the most exciting since before 1936 or even pre-1915 I’d say.
PS
Many thanks for your comment about my books, but I’ve only tried to bring up-to-date a lot that was missing from the Villa bookshelves.
Mark – re: Garde…
Your comment is spot on i.m.o.
Jen,
Give her my best, what a start to the new year.
OldVilla,
That looks some book, nearly choked when i saw the old Trinity Road stand that Ellis had knocked down
That team photo had Charlie Young on it, i think he only played three games and made his debut against Liverpool when we stuffed them 5-1, i know he played, just the debut bit. Probably the most amazing game i ever saw.
Mark,
I expect the fans to give Remi a big hand today, both of them, Villans understand what he’s suffering. Hope they give all the gobshites in the directors box some welly, no more than they deserve.
JL,
Marks talking about DNA, if there’s any of Rinders floating about inject Hollis with it, our only hope.
steamer- would be better removing the sheeps DNA
One thing that gives me hope with Remi, He has identified the youth players most likely to be effective in the 1st team. He hasn’t had a pre-season like Tim where he played them and accessed them, he has had to do this while dealing with everything else. The fact Mason and Lyden have made the bench encourage me to think Garde can spot a player, not someone like Grealish who has obvious talent but solid individuals that could form the backbone of a team and allow Grealish to play.
http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2016/02/05/remi-garde-prepared-to-give-more-aston-villa-youngsters-a-first/?
Oh dear leicester 1 up pundits won’t like that π
Steamer – yeah remember Charlie Young, never quite good enough really but that game against Liverpoo …….. we scored 5 by halftime I think, evening game? Back in the Ads after the game was tremendous, absolutely crammed and no-one could quite believe it. I remember that game as well because that was the game that John Robson became accepted by the Villa fans who up until then had given him a hard time. When his name was chanted that night you could almost see him growing in stature and confidence……….
Love the picture in the ad for that book taken from the old Witton End as well …… was up there a few times for various reasons lol …..
Happy days …..
Thanks Steamer
. Got to admire Leicester’s belief and passion – still can’t get over feeling sorry for Albi joining struggling , smaller team in Leicester last season when his contract wasn’t reneeeed – but delighted for the lad . Even in his dreams he couldn’t have imagined playing for a team top of the premier league .
Mahrez – 400k . Loving Leicester and nearly a third goal .
remember the 5-1 game and the stick ATV got for not filming it …the tossers .
Jenny – Re: My “knowledge of things Bham” π
Am expert on Devon too, and pretty clued about Worcestershire, Somerset and London.
Just in case you have a question to throw about such parts…
Man C v Leicester
I see the question thrown up in the match text – “Has a defender ever scored a hattrick?”
Well, yes, and it was a Villa player! Stan Lynn vs. Sunderland, 1958 in a 5-2 win. Two from penalties.
Will bear that in mind John – thank you .
Watching the Leicestrr game on BT – fantastic game and Albrighton is on fire today .
1-3 Oh dear another one for the experts to explain π
i hope the likes of vardy, kane,deli ali all stay fit for the summer England could be a surprise package. would love Albrighton to get a call too
Kienan Davis on the bench scored a couple against Arsenal recently , 17 only came in this year
Lescott, the Old Warrior, Villa supporter, hobbling around on wonky legs fills in as a striker for a minute, leading by example!!!
UTV
1-0 :-). Garde said when defenders play against attackers in training the defenders always win. I think he was hinting that’s where he’s looking for goals. Pullis and big Sam eat your heart out
i am not apologising for this
REMI GARDE is a disgrace any manager playing that useless lump of lard GABBY deserves stick that first half showing is brutal ,no movement effort workrate he chested one down it went 20 yards wrong way ,ran back once gave away freekick
wastewood [thanks steamer] useless again
throw on young lads
Horrific first half. No quality or threat or ideas. Expecting things from. Vertout but nothings happening.
Bacuna and westy should never be starting which worries me about remis judgement.
ronnie biggs
peter withe even retired could make better effort than our centre forward even playing today,throw clark centre forward put himself about
Great to score on 44 mins . Hope to god they don’t revert to type and try defend a 1 goal lead . Need to try and get more not sit back . Keep hoping
Andrew and JG it worries me you two think Garde has any option
And there’s tabbies goal π
Gabby Gabby Gabby Agnonlahor !! Loving this .
I knew when he missed his chance he would score the next, very Gabbylike! Gotta get some NOs before you get to YES, we’re creating chances and we get our Goooooooaaaaaaal just like JG predicted!
COYVB!
Great to hear the holte singing Gabby’s name again .
we beat a team worse form than us 5 straight defeats,17 goals conceded,yet for most of match we were second best best player by a mile gana good performances from okore cissko lescott richards see what i mean
gabby goal means nothing looked like guzan in gooals for norwich
mark k
gabby was crap fluke goal covers nothing ,bacuna gil wastewood vertout are not going to create anything for us to get out of danger
So today was only the second home game i haven’t managed to get to and we win!
What was the other game I missed?
Yes you guessed it.
So I can’t go again this season?
well done to Remi and the players – gave their all today . st 75 doesn’t have to move out of his house either ! The icing on the cake is that Gabby has scored the most important goal of the season / history ?! π
If we pull off the greatest escape since Ronnie Biggs . Hearing the great support today singing hi ho Aston villa π
The Game
Again the complaints materialise about what we didn’t do first-half and all that.
I think we’ve forgotten that VP is almost a no-go arena for their own team, and their nervousness was again in evidence … not wanting to chance anything.
But a win is a win, Gabby’s ratio Is always about 1 goal scored for every 3 good chances he gets, so today he gets 3 chances and buries it. Good on yer, Gabby, at least you filled the role with some pride today.
And by the way, you could tell on his fact that playing 2 games in 5 days is for him a big effort after so much time out.
Next week he’ll have assistance from Rudi.
We had luck today, and, perhaps, that may indicate that the tide has turned.
Apart from which the stats last 5 games are not at all bad. 2 wins, 2 draws (including v. Leicester)and 1 defeat solely because of that stupid red card.
Great to see you enjoyed it today JG
Agreed Jenny, it is good to hear Gabby’s name being sung again. Whatever you may think of him as a player he is Villa through and through and I’m pleased for him.
Happy for the win. I’m always glad for the player who scores. Gabby needed that.
I can’t Believe Kozak’s luck. Has anyone looked into his bone health?
JG mate you could have whole lot of egg to scrape off your face our form is pretty good compared to Norwich and others
http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/matchday/form-guide.html
absolutely made up they worked their nuts off and were out on there feet, great to see some confidence come back and the odd fancy flick attempted. Play like that and we could find ourselves out of the bottom 3 if lady luck shines on us in the next 6 games. there are no easy games for any of the bottom clubs coming up.
good to see you Ian hows things?
remi just after saying we were poor
johnl
if norwich keeper had not done a guzan gabby never would of scored his effort just before pathetic
mark k
wba 3 match in a row without shot on target we should beat them,as for fixtures for teams not bothered we have to win 6/7 draw 3/5 out remaining matches don t see any egg on my face
gil took wrong option every time today,bacuna wasted his chance plus two started to cross the ball into box were non existant gabby was ,when kozak rudi playing never put any crosses in,
think in sherwoods defence if he had okore start season been whole lot better
JG- why don’t you look at the good things that happened as well, like we won? instead of listing where we failed? no team or player is perfect and we are not likely to batter any team but they are showing Heart.
stats
norwich more possesion
norwich more corners 11 till 2
norwich more shots12 to 10
norwich more on target 4 to 3
villas only other effort was gabbys limp effort
only stat to count villa win 2 0
JG- 3 penalties denied in last 3 games could of given us 4 more points, luck happens good and bad
Ian: “Has anyone looked into his bone health?”
Perhaps he’s not been drinking his 3 cups of tea a day? (That’s the latest theory to ward off osteoporosis, I think)
(Howdo Ian!)
JG: “norwich more on target 4 to 3”
yeah, but we converted 2 of our 3!!!!!!!!!!!!
C’mon James, put a smile on yer face! π
yes we won today
bunn kept another clean sheet [hope never to see guzan in goals for villa again]
defence did fairly well okore best defender we have got
gana did very well neat and tidy pity it was all crap around him
gil tires at 70 mins should been replaced misplaced pass after another
wastewood every commentator says needs to do better i say just do something
bacuna what is he doing,can t cross can t tackle cant finish
At least the commentator knew what Remi’s teams normally play like! he said they are normally playing Attractive inventive footy!! just tells nme that Garde is flexible and can adapt to what he has
**** John Clark has put up a post ****
Hey guys!
Everything is good out here in the wilderness. The sun shone this morning so it was an omen for the game.
Things have been so sad lately for Villa I hadalot of trouble reading about them or watching. I do watch every time they are on though.
I find it reprehensible that Lerner is still there. Two finance guys? wTF? Garde has a spot in heaven waiting. So does Sherwood IMO. Being a Premier team can be the only reason managers apply. Same with a lot of the players brought in. All the players looked at and courted last month would be in claret and blue if not for the impossible requirements made by the management. Not to mention money cures all In cases like this.
N’Zogbia should be shown the door. He’s played his cards so get rid of him. Nothing can be done regarding his contract.
Wouldn’t it be nice if 3 cup pas a day could cure this season.