Over the past few weeks in the run up to Christmas little boys and girls all over the world will have sent their letters and wish lists off to the master of make believe Santa Claus. And so I thought what the heck I’ll try my luck too. But rather than penning some cock and bull fantasy about being a good boy this year I have chosen to go down the path of facing up to those that have a profound impact on my reality. The one thing that I love above anything or anyone.
Dear Randy Lerner, Rémi Garde and playing staff of AVFC,
Randy, I write this open letter to you today in order to make it abundantly clear as to just how loathed you are by the supporters of this great football club.
When you came to Birmingham in the summer of 2006 us Villans were led to believe that you were the man to catapult our club to the next level and perhaps with a little bit of good fortune return the glory days. Although his enthusiasm for the club never once wavered it’s fair to say that things had become a little tepid under the tenure of an ageing Doug Ellis. That notion of revitalisation firmly set as hands were shaken.
The early years of our relationship are fondly remembered. Your spending power enabled Villa to mix it with the big guns once again, the spine of our squad was English and three successive sixth place finishes from 2007/08 through to 2009/10 was nothing to be sniffed at. The Villa Park crowd thoroughly enjoying the free-flowing attacking football on offer. On European nights “John Carew, Carew, he’s bigger than me or you…” echoed around this packed historic football arena. It was spine-tingling stuff.
A first domestic cup final appearance in a decade was yet another highlight and your ongoing commitment to Acorn Children’s Hospice is to this day duly noted.
We were on the up.
But then suddenly you go and pull the plug.
Unless you’re Sheikh Mansour I’m pragmatic enough to understand that no single money pot is endless. But I am also sagacious enough to know that in the cut-throat world of top flight football that by turning your back on everything, a project that you had built and heavily invested, selling our best players and opting for self-sufficiency and wish such an intensity then there was only one way this club was going to go – and that’s downhill at a rapid rate of knots.
Your circus styled appointment of Alex McLeish from our hated neighbours in blue back in the summer of 2011 was probably the most bizarre decision in the club’s history. Four-and-a-half years later and I’m still none the wiser; was this a feeble attempt to shift fan disgruntlement away from your doorstep and onto the Lord of laborious direct tripe? One thing that I do know for sure is that similar to his successor Paul Lambert is that they were both merely brought in as ‘yes men’ who were left with no option but to share your methodology. Although McLeish needed no help in doing so, both of them, along with Sherwood went ahead and drowned. Mere puppets to your stringent regime.
By surrounding yourself with people who you may consider financially astute and heading down the route of austerity since 2010 one can only assume that you actually believed that you were clever enough to pull this off. Clever enough to create a competitive self-standing Premier League football club. Instead your attempt to be shrewd looks like costing Villa a fortune when the new record £5.1 billion TV deal starts afresh from next season. Whilst other clubs feed off of this illustrious pot of gold we could potentially languish outside of the top division for many, many years to come. Each and every year that goes by will make a return more difficult as clubs dropping out of the top division will have that additional clout which should, theoretically, soften the blow of relegation and allow them to operate at a higher level than those that have been slumbering in among The Championship for a considerable time.
You’d have been better off towing a similar line to that of Bill Kenwright of Everton or Peter Coates of Stoke City if your intention was never to follow-through with your not so masterful system of handing over buckets of cash year on year. Steadily building a stronger foundation and piecing together a plan of action (with self-sufficiency at the forefront of the thought-process) long before going in for the kill and launching an assault on the top four.
In life you’ve been fortunate enough to be in a position where you have been able to purchase the one thing that I’ve lived and breathed for the large part of my 28 years on this planet. The one single thing that will stay with me until the day I die. And with that you’re overseeing what will be the most excruciating time for any fan of my age and younger. Congratulations, Sir. I will never forgive you if/when we get relegated come May (or much sooner at this rate).
As for Rémi, I can only take my hat off to anyone that would wish to come in and try and help save this shambles of a football club.
Having seen Villa win just 20 league games at home in the last four-and-a-half years from a total of 84 matches (before West Ham on Boxing Day) supporters are numb to what we’ve become. As tough as it has been to face up to it – we’ve already prepared ourselves for the worst. My only hope is that you stay manager of our club for a considerable amount of time because regardless of results swapping and changing managers will not give us the consolidation that we crave. You do seem to talk a lot of sense which also helps your cause.
If opportunity ever did arise there are still a few things that are playing on my mind and that I’d like to ask you about when it comes to team selection and the precarious position that we find ourselves.
Adama Traore is a hot topic. Many of us still can’t quite fathom why he isn’t getting much game time. Having read articles that supposedly quote you in which you say in a roundabout way that he isn’t the finished article yet and that he has a lot to learn in terms of passing and linking the play in general. I wholeheartedly agree that the Barca prodigy shows a lot of naivety and is most certainly greedy but from what I’ve seen he is one of the best we’ve got. Have you ever considered playing this guy through the middle? His explosiveness would cause centre-halves problems no end and should he start putting the ball in the back of the net there’d be so complaints about his selfishness.
Speaking of goals, what’s the deal with Libor Kozák being nowhere near the match day squad all season long? He notched a few in pre-season and has looked sharp for the Under-21’s but can’t even get a sniff. Us fans just don’t get it.
And then there was your recent press conference in which you say that we need to find another 10 wins from somewhere and, obviously, we must get one or two on the board quickly, if we’re to have any chance of staying up. Contradicting the approach last time out at St. James’ Park where we’re into the second of three minutes added on and we’re playing for the corner. Here’s me screaming to get it into the box. In your pre West Ham press conference you yourself acknowledged that we need to play without fear and as if we have nothing to lose and so let’s start doing just that.
And that brings me nicely onto the players. Despite what’s going on off the pitch, a change of manager and a whole heap of newbies coming in over the summer, you lot are living the dream. My dream for definite. You’re all paid an awful lot of money to kick a bag of air around a 105 x 68 metre bit of greenery in the same shirt that I’d happily give up my day job and play in for free.
Please – for the love of God – can you start playing like you actually give a toss? There’s only so much that Rémi, K-Mac and the rest of the management team can do before you cross that white line on a Saturday afternoon. The destiny of this huge football club then lay firmly at your feet.
Continue with what you’re doing and you’ll go down in history as the first group of players to relegate the Villa from the Premier League. Do you want that?
Joleon Lescott you’re meant to be one of us who has claret and blue blood coursing through your veins and yet your displays since arriving back in June have been wayward to say the very least. Go ahead and dispel the notion that you are over the hill. Show us all that you’ve still got it.
Despite struggling to find form earlier in the season Jordan Ayew is coming good and you can tell how much this means to him. You can see it in his eyes. He’s up for it, he wants it and that’s why he’s very quickly becoming a firm favourite with the fans. If each and every one of you had the same drive as he then we’d climb that league table in no time.
This must start on Boxing Day and through into the New Year and beyond.
Do the impossible.
Best wishes this Christmas and a Happy New Year to all you Villans out there!
Up the Villa!
The Author
Ryan Pitcher
Windsor based, Lincoln born Holte End STH. Occasional writer when finding time away from the office. Eat, sleep and drink football. @RyanPitcher on Twitter.Comments 228
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Jl ( from earlier post )
the person who started the Balloon thing at the villa was a Steamer called Big Pete Goulder , he had been to a party the night before a game and still had some bags of them left in his jacket pocket and passed them around to us , and so it started , one of the best sights at an away game was at Derby County (they started to copy us at later games , l think they still do it there ) as it seems everyone got in on it , did get aound 10 us in trouble at Stoke as we went on their End and blew them up , thats when the commotion kicked off , but the police let us stay where we was much to the annoyance of the stoke fans , Happy days ,
Thanks ryan pretty much how we all feel
JL will put me right but didnt gregory achieve 9 wins out of 11 when he took over from Little? Different circumstances but shows whats possible.
Remi is playing the PR game with lerner, he has to if he is to achieve what he’s set out to do. Lerner has said he will back him and can inly go on the conversations he has with him. If lerner withdraws that support then without legit reasons garde will go I’m sure. Garde is a pragmatist and will see lerners situation without emotional attachment Imo.
On traore watch him for the u21’s unless you work to feed him constantly your down to 10 men. I also feel as remi is building a team ethic traore could piss a few off being what most would call greedy and to most ridiculous degree I have ever seen. Gatde is right he is half a player no matter how exciting he can be. Iron out the frailties and maybe worth a run
Great write up Ryan
Happy Christmas to all villa fans especially on this blog ,now all I want for Xmas is Santa to take guzan Hutton Richardson Baker Clark lescott Westwood zogbia Gabby and not leave Lerner fox out as far from villa park as possible never to darken our life again
Happy Xmas again
Steamers75 – Derby away was a great day, we were all on the halfway line in memory serves me and the balloons blew straight out and covered the pitch. Stoke away – was that the time when Hickey was arrested twice on the same day? How is he now by the way?
As you say, great days …….
In Switzerland at the moment for Christmas so will tune in to the game on Boxing Day ….. hopefully to hear a win that will be start of better things for us all.
Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and better 2016 to all ……
Brilliant write up Ryan, spot on.
It says everything about Lerner that when he occasionally visits the UK he makes a point of avoiding VP on a match day, he knows how the fans feel about him. Afraid Remi can shove “he loves the club” up his jeer, everyone knows what a load of crepe that is. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ is the name o this game.
I think that every businessman in the USA knows that when Rabid is involved in anything it turns to shite and that is one of the reasons we’ve not been sold. Unfortunately Lerner doesn’t know that other countries have wealthy people who run businesses just like Americans do, he’s either totally dumb or totally ignorant either way this club is knackered.
Dropping in to join with others in wishing that everyone here has a fine Christmas, and every best wish for the New Year while I’m thinking about it! 🙂
And, yes, Mark … you’re right about that Gregory stat of 9 wins out of 11 to finish the season 1997-98. The two *not* won were bizarre home defeats against Barnsley and Bolton, though!
Ryan
You could have cut your article to just three words and it would have been enough for me:
“Do the impossible”
Yes of course it’s impossible, but . . . . can you just imagine?
This squad would go down, not just in Villa history but in all of football history.
Go on Villa “do the impossible”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlBiLNN1NhQ
Merry Christmas to all you Lifers and Villans far and wide! Can’t imagine a better bunch of fans, and I truly enjoy spending the time I can in your company.
Here’s hoping for a Boxing Day miracle to buoy our spirits and start Villa’s great escape!
No particular reason for this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWubhw8SoBE
Old villa
yes it was the time he got threw out twice ,lol ….. steamer is trying to work out who you are ? … great times though mate .
off to watch star wars , have a great christmas all …
Jenny xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Merry Xmas lifers. All I want for Xmas is 3 points against West Ham.
Great Articke Ryan.
Nice one Ryan – unfortunately it will not make a grain of difference – Lerner has a hat from Kevin Bloody Wilson with DILLIGAF on it.( If you are not a fan it stands for Do I Look Like I Give A F…)
I think Garde has come to take on the challenge and earn his Managerial spurs (small s) that could lead to greater things with a capital S if he is successful.
As to team selection and substitutions we all have ideas but in the end it is the manager who makes those decisions. Having said that we could get a clue about his thoughts once we study his targets and off-loads in January. I for one would be sorry if he unloads Gabby who, although he has his a spell of bad form of late, has been a one-team player and has given his all for Villa; he could be a role model for the new recruits.
I see Benteke is getting regular first team football like he did at Villa Park – what chance he doesn’t get in the Belgium team for Euro 2016?
May I wish all Lifers a Happier New Year and good luck to Trinity making a new start in Kiwiland.
Hope you’re all having a good Christmas and thank you Ryan for an excellent and well thought out leader .
All I want for xmss is a win against WH and I feel in my bones we are going to get it . Hopefully the hammers will have been getting hammered with their Christmas parties meanwhile villa are on a strictly dry Christmas , even showing up for light training yesterday . Quite right too – if it gives us the edge we need. I don’t expect Remi to change too much , second half against the toon was much better . I would like to see Gabby make an appearance – his pace against a hopefully Christmases out WH – with Anew couid give us an early goal which couid set VP alight . This is after all Gabbys last chance if he isn’t going to be off loaded in the January sales.
Also – get well soon to Matt T x
Hope you all had a lovely Xmas
We have to hope for a late Xmas miracle today. Not just a win, but a win and the teams above to all lose
Remi will set us up as normal. Scared, defensive. With no real intent to win the game
Gil, Jack and Adama will be on the bench. Hutton will be our attacking out let ( hahahahaha ) with Westwood in support ( Hahahhahahaha) we will play one up front at home and 5 in midfield. We have two quality CAM on the bench, but Veretout will play there instead. No dribbling ability what ever and rarely passes forwards
I’d like to think Remi will change and play attacking football cus we can’t defend, but he won’t
Anyway, let’s hope we somehow win
Jenny – I sent you a Christmas message to your jtperformance e-mail but I got a Postmaster message. Happy New Year anyway
Didnt know matt T was unwell nothing serious I hope get well soon fella.
Garde will go on the offensive he has to and he did against watford. Hopefully we wont get such terrible luck with bounces and dopey defending.
UTV
From agree 100percent we have to go for it today draws no good anymore we got draw v city lost next 2 draw v soon embarrassed v arsenal so don’t t buy into bullshit about building confidence
My team for today
Bunn sick of watching guzan flapping at everything
Bacuna
Lescott
Okore
Clark
Gana
Vertout
Gil
Traore
Ayew
Rudi we don’t t have any other options
Sub’s
From grealish Sanchez Sinclair some young lads
Tell back 4 only to go forward for set pieces
Morning all, hope everyone had a good Christmas , Mr T get well soon.
Onto today, I can only forsee a draw or West Ham win, both of which are no good. Frem is right, it’s not in our own hands, its just as important those above us start losing regularly, losing points, GD and confidence as with ought that part of the puzzle we are still fucked.
A draw is no good today, we simply have to go for it, as when you do things can happen for you, like Norwich proved at Old Trafford, Bournemouth against Man Utd and Chelsea, Newcastle with back to back wins against Spurs and Liverpool.
We have to go on the sort of run that title chasing/top 4 clubs put together, it’s not going to happen, it’s really not but we have to play for pride winning every game we can one match at a time and pray that others capitulate . At the very least it will build confidence going into a promotional push.
I’ve just had a text off the club, telling me about the seasonal sale, I’ve text back saying we’ve been giving away points and selling players regularly like a charity, nothing seasonal about it.
Another shocking team lineout garde starting to resemble the last 3 stooges
Only ayew has scored in front 6 since September
Reallybfeel sorry for like feel having to put up with this white week in week out
How can garde explain at home to team that haven’t won in 6 and keep Sinclair Gil grealish traore kozak out of team
We just cannot put the ball in the net. Some really positive play in the first half – but we cannot finish.
And we are so poor at the back .
Absolutely gutted we have conceded a goal at the end of the half
Thanks Clive
Exciting second half – playing well .
A great effort today. It’s a shame we wouldn’t score.
We look a much better team with Gil on the pitch.
And Traore deserves more time to show what he can do
Good results bar swansea win the next 2 norwich and sunderland ill take that before the window.
Confidence is growing as is a team spirit. I can understand the critisism but its short sighted. We lack quality in front of goal IMO
mark k
remi shortsighted not playing traore from start we needed 10 wins before newcastle game yet he didnt try to win in second half, today we were playing west ham who are injury hit out of form and he bottled it 3 defensive midfielders starting that have one maybe two goals between them in last 2 years.
a defence that includes hutton lescott guzan who have been at fault for most recent goals conceded, bacuna wrong side
i dont see any hope with garde as manager or a team that includes most of todays squad even gil looking like a average player but thenlambert signed him gave hutton gaby new contracts as well
he played rudi but nobody near him to win knockdowns why
Easy sitting on the settee of course but I’d have preferred to lose 3-1 making an attempt to win than draw 1-1 at this point.
1 means the same as 0 now.
I’d have taken Gestede off and replaced him with Adama at 70 with jack on for Gana.
Not necessarily the right thing to do but what I would’ve done!
UTV
Today was much better, West Ham looked poor and there for the taking, however we didn’t put them away and this is why we won’t be playing them next season . We are getting beat by most sides, however when we have the chance to win or put sides away we aren’t good enough to do the job. A point isn’t good enough in our position We simply don’t have good enough players for this level, Gestede missed 3 gilt edged chances and that is the difference at this level
Happy holidays to all and I hope our beloved leader Matt gets better very quickly!
Haven’t been on here much the last few weeks due to some severe work issues, but like almost all of you I view relegation as almost a certainty. The only reason I keep some sliver of hope alive is Leicester’s amazing survival run from last year; hey, if it can be done once it can be done twice, right?!?!
It’s astonishing to think that if we won our next match — which would only be our second victory of the season — we’d still be a point ahead of where the Foxes were at the same time last year!
Anyway, relegation or no, I love our Villa and always will. It’s been said that no supporter can ever truly love their club until they’ve experienced the agony of a relegation as well as the joy of a promotion. Though I fear the former, I relish sharing the subsequent joy of the latter with all of you!
And here’s to hoping that we finally see the back of ‘Lerner the Losing Lout’ in 2016!
Thank you everton let the fun begin
I really like Garde. We’re playing great football, but need a goal poacher alongside Ayew. Garde is getting rid of the deadwood. Give the guy a break. If we can get a decent striker in Jan we have a chance. BTW, will GG ever be fit? The guy is unbelievable with injuries. Side in Jan
Guzan
Richards
Okore
Clark
Cissoko
Gana
Veretout
New player
Adama or Grealish
Ayew
Hernandez from Bayern Leverkusen
Morning lifers
Yesterday’s game showed us two things. How much we’ve improved under Remi and what we are short of. Improved in passing accuracy, build up , movement and team cohesion and fight . Brilliant . But we have to get proven goal scorer and a nasty defender / wing back who can cross the ball too.
We were the better team yesterday and whilst WHU did look the worse for Christmas wear , it means we are competitive with teams placed 9th. We have oodles of flair and are looking sleek and on that performance , far superior than Sunderland , Norwich and Bournmouth (tho the latter two have had the edge in fight and team spirit ) We had a decent no of attempts on goal but save for Ayew , can’t finish them . (Ayew had 2 out of 3 on target )
In fact , we had WH under the kosh for a lot of the game ( though the kosh turned out to be made of cotton wool in front of goal !)
Things I was surprised at : Rudy starting . Knowing Collins of old , he’s good in the air , that’s how he likes to challenge so he’d have been happy playing Rudi (who still looks a tad static ) I would have thought a faster ball to feet player like Sinclair would have rattled WH more . I’m also surprised Adama didn’t come on earlier – we could have taken advantage of WH tiring and Adama is great at running at the defence – so confident and fast – though I can see why Remi isn’t starting him if he’s not a team player .
These were definitely 2 points lost – a world of difference between our other two scraped draws. There is still hope – I still believe .
Like your team MD Villa – particularly Hernandez – would suit our new Remi style well .
Good to see you back Texas and yes , Leicester give us hope .
MD villa – surprised You’ve left out Gil though .
Talking about unearthing forgotten gems like Hernanez , was shocked to hear that Michu is now playing for an equivalent league two team abroad. Whilst these are maybe too risky and a Sinclair type signing , Hernadez in particular was a fab player and Michu very talented too . there’s a good reason why they’ve dropped now doubt but I cling on to the “if talent and fitness is there , form can be rejindled idea . Remi has already said that he will have problems recruiting because we are 20th – these two will be desperate to get back in the premier league again I’d have thought .
I’m on a roll now 🙂
Also from yesterday You can see their rise in confidence – how many times have we heard Wenger say “we stuck to our style of play – we keep going – we don’t change – we know it will work in the end “. This what was so impressive yesterday , we stuck to pass and move – we didn’t get rattled or lose faith and start launching it long to our strikers – that would have been pointless with WH having players over 6 feet anyway . They stuck to what Remi is getting them to do and fir the first time they looked like they were starting to believe too . Hoofing it long in the closing 15 mins is the auto pilot for teams lacking in confidence – and an easy tactic for the opposition to take advantage of . Whilst playing direct has its place – it shouldn’t be used as a last resort , desperation measure . To me that’s the best 90 mins we have played performance wise as a team. It will be devestating if we can’t build from this in the Premier League. It’s down to how much RL will spend in January . With well over 100 million at stake it isn’t just a gamble it’s a necessity .
And to prove Stan Colkymore wrong – as his “Villa are down ” shouted from the air waves every match day is infuriating the hell out of me .
https://www.facebook.com/100007985626962/videos/1688233461452825/
As my friend who took this said – you don’t get many goals to celebrate at VP so here is Ayews and the crowd reaction is bloody amazing !
Sorry link doesn’t work 🙁
Good moaning all,
Assessment of the season from the Guardian –
How many different ways are there to say pathetic? Our fate was sealed in the summer when we failed to replace Benteke and Delph. Signing an unknown, inexperienced and not surprisingly useless foreign legion, and some ageing statues to add to a bunch of perennial underperformers was always an utterly idiotic strategy and we now find ourselves barely among the best 35 teams in England. The blame lies 100% with the owner, who has systematically sapped every ounce of fun, pride and passion out of our wonderful football club (although our away following has remained superb). That the Holte End doesn’t sing constantly for his removal bemuses me weekly. The club cannot move forward while Lerner and his ridiculous cronies stay in situ. 1/10
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Stars and flops Ayew is the only summer signing who will move to a bigger club. Hutton has tried hard. The Grealish media-fest would be embarrassing enough if he was any good, but his lack of pace and end product has been found out within 15 games. He will likely follow the “non-league by 25” road taken by some other recent Villa “wonderkids”.
Happy with the manager? 2/10 It’s hard to get excited about Garde: he seems to be about as dull as the team he inherited. He will inevitably be replaced in the summer by Allardyce/Pulis/Dyche/Hughton. I’m in a minority of one in thinking that we should have stuck with Sherwood until Christmas – nobody could have gelled the squad in the time he was given.
If he was a cartoon character, he’d be … He’s so faceless I could barely pick him out of a police lineup. Mr Benn?
Hi Steamer
There are 2 ways of looking at us and the guardian is ultra negative . (Or biased )
Was that written after yesterday’s game or before ? Yesterday’s game showed we have promise and it is coming together so he’s unfair IMO . We haven’t played that well at home for ages – to play that way in front of a home crowd can’t be underestimated given villas frailty of late .
Tim Sherwood would have been chopping and changing and wouldn’t have built the team effort that Remi has done in his short time .
Sherwood also chose Rudi (live been watching him closely for months he said) Rudi doesn’t fit the progressive style Remi is trying to play – and he’s having to play him because we have no one else. This can change in Jan hopefully .
Maybe this guy is another Sherwood media cronie – because IMO that assessment lacks objectivity .
Also he’s a fool if he thinks Sherwood couid have done better . What club is going to retain a manager who tells the media his own players are s%#t and we are in a hole .? Of course he would have got his “s%#t” team to gel when he couldn’t stop telling everyone he never wanted them in the first place . Been supping too much champagne at Sherwood’s table I think
Steamer
I am in your club Sherwood should have got to Xmas
Can some explain how we are better under garde
All opposition have to do wait to Hutton makes another headless run with no end product lob ball to where he should be bang goal in 6 of remi games he was appointed before spurs game Hutton player has either scored missed sitter or Hutton og ,15 goals have came from Hutton yet no assists
Lerner needed to spend another 50 m last summer on goalkeeper right back centre mid winter and centre forward along with French lads coming in no need for invisible crespo bunn ilor lescott
On big puzzle from Sherwood term he dropped guzan tried to sign begovic then decided to make guzan number 1 again
We have differing opinions but Garde is the polar opposite to tim who Ignored the french players, attempted pulus tactics with poorly equipped players , had a hand in picking the players in the first place. By now villa would be looking at 1 win 1 draw instead of the 4 draws extra garde has brought by playing the best players available to form a core to build on. To think tim would of magically gone all out and got several wins has no basis in reality.
Jenny,
I’ve doubts about Gil. Seems to get knocked off the ball very easily. I see Charlie Austin links again, but seems like he hasn’t played much in the championship
Agree with Jen,
Yesterday was our most confident performance of the season, and the Hote End was really buzzing for the first time. Everyone felt that Villa would really make our day, and then the Sanchez injury affected the team, and it took a while for them to adjust, unfortunately, in that time a breakaway move saw us lose the ball and Hutton and Westwood caught too far out of position, but Guzan could and should have done better.
The most important thing was that the team came out fighting second half and did not give up, and Adrian had an outstanding game and certainly saved at least two certain goals.
Villa had 15 shots with 8 on target, more than we have seen in any match all season. Disappointed with the result, but there is still hope. Win the next two, and we are right back in the mix.
Pp
What about west ham 2 clear pens not given
Guzan goes down in installments
Hutton gave west ham at least 3 goal chances yesterday they scored one
Westwood missed sitter plus should have had pen gave for his hanball
No kozak again when was last goal rudi scored
Traore got 7 mins joke
Why not put Sinclair grealish on even try Clark as centre forward for last few mins
Garde didn’t try to win it again even we draw remaining games no good to us
James
I can only comment on how I see things, that is the point of discussion here.
I agree, as many do that Westwood was lucky to get away with handball, but it is how Dean viewed it.
Hutton I don’t particularly like, but no-one can doubt his effort. I just wish he used his crosses to a better end and made sure they reached the forwards rather than the keeper, but occasionally he supplies a good one.
Rudi is getting better, but should be scoring. Do not understand the Kozack situation, but would have liked to see him at least on the bench, more so than JG, and perhaps Lyden should be getting a call up.
If Remi had started the season with us, I am sure we would be in a better position, but we cannot change the past. We can only build for the future, and confidence building is the most important at the moment, and Lambert is suggesting there were more problems at the club, outside of the manager and players, and maybe this is being righted at last.
All we can do is support the manager and the players if we are to stand a chance of doing the same as Leicester, and certainly the support given yesterday was a step in the right direction.
Afternoon lifers, yes the Guardian article is overly negative, however it’s not that far wrong. Yesterday was our best performance, however we still never put a poor West Ham team away and they should have had two penalties. Every week it seems the same rhetoric “if we win our next two we are right back in it” the problem is we don’t win games and haven’t won since Aug 8th on the opening day!!!! And whose to say the teams around won’t also win( as they have been doing). MOMS website have produced T-Shirts , which are the opposite of the theatre of dreams utd refer OT as, they have couned the phrase “The factory of sadness” when referring to VP. 20 wins from 90 home games is pretty horrific, yet some still believe 10 wins from 20 games is still achievable, the target set by Garde for survival( even then we are short of the magic 40pt Mark).
B62 all makes sense mate but sometimes teams do find themselves and form from nowhere. We really should have put more chances away and sometimes luck and refs begin to go your way its a matter of perspective I suppose.
Gil started iff shakey but was getting stuck in near the end confidence and fight are contiguous
That Guardian quote isn’t actually by a guardian journalist is it. . . . . It’s by some fan ( not even necessarily a Villa fan) called Jonathan. I notice that the other clubs ‘fan comments tend to at least have a website address attached but the Villa one is just by some random unaccredited bloke off the street.
New kit made by under armour. Debuchy on loan for 6 months.
Its pathetic and sad we are goingvto have to rely on loans and rubbish contract agreements to sign players. Hate loans but beats having hutton i guess.
Garde is anice fella in all but no wins at all and not winning our last 2 must win games is making me wonder if he is any good! Not going to get excited about any jan transfers, beginning of nest season will be the reality,god knows what players we will be left with
Great article, Ryan. Cheers.
Thanks for the well wishes, Clive. Hope the Christmas lunch went well.
Hope Matt is feeling better by now.
James-I agree about the confidence building thing. They need that belief in themselves that they can win.
Happy New Year to all Lifers.
Of to Norwich in a min
Biggest game in many a year, but I can’t see us winning with how Remi sets us up
We’ve got the quickest player in the league in the bench,, and we are playing away. I haven’t got my coaching badges but isn’t there something called counter attacking ? Or would we rather play a bull shit pointless diamond formation with 3 centre mids who will do feck all going forwards, plus the full backs, centre back and keeper. So, the diamond leaves 3 players who might win us a game out if 11. That’s why we don’t win games. 442 for the love of God
If you can’t beat 17th placed team, you will go down
We shall see
And I bet Sinclair plays ahead of Gil, Adama and Jack today
From
Agree whole heartly with you but garde is a Humpty say traore doesn’t do it defencely yet one stat Hutton has conceded 15 goals playing right back yes as defender
Our club will drop like a stone through championship we have no fighters bar Hutton and he is no good at that either
On loans think of them under randy ilor invisible man, Dawkins this talent from USA ,Jena’s well he played more than ilor
If remind starts with guzan Hutton Westwood and bacuna in wrong position a draw the best we can hope for you can t keep playing with 8 men
I’ve got say the calls for theses attacking players that cannot or will not defend is just suicidal and would destroy what confidence we had.
Sanchez coming off a gil coming on led to an open space down huttons side a wet spams goal.
Later when vertout came off for adama wet spam again started to threaten. I can understand the frustrations but the answer is put our chances away when they come not undermine the stability of the team. None of the players called for are prolific goal scorers even at u21 level.
greetings all
best wishes for today Frem – i hope our lads finally put a smile on your face
Hi Jen – completely agree with your posts – loving remi’s work and whether he manages to save us or not -we will end up playing the right type of football – which is a welcome change from all the tripe setups we have seen for so many year
vitd
If we’d started the season with Remi Garde in charge and were just 7 games in, we’d be feeling pretty optimistic for the future now. Dominating possession, shots and shots on target you’d know that the results would follow eventually. Trouble is, we’re halfway through the season and it’s hard not to feel that every game is a ‘must win’ game.
The worst we could do though is panic and change what we’re starting to do well.
Garde doesn’t strike me as a panic merchant but if we see Grealish or Traore starting I’ll change my view. . . . and start to seriously worry.
Firstly a happy, healthy and prosperous new year to all my fellow Lifers.
Great article Ryan
I’m firmly of the belief that Sherwood would have continued to ignore the players he didn’t buy and continued to chop and change from a smaller squad because of it in the hope of seeing us through to the January window. As I said it is a belief so not based on any fact but I wouldn’t have expected TS to have gotten much more points than RG at this stage.
But at least we are spared the Redknapp-isms defending himself and blaming everyone around him. Sure RG is not the entertaining, hands waving, expressive manager but our situation doesn’t call for a circus, it I believe (that word again) needs a calmness in approach.
RG is building a consistency so that everyone knows their role and knows what each player’s like (ball to head, ball to feet, ball to space etc) and performance wise we’ve got better, it’s not translated into wins but it’s not defeats either.
We are at the bottom because we are/were shite and getting draws with teams above us are good results. We are very close to getting a win. It may not come quick enough in terms of our relegation battle but we finally have a manager with sense/knowledge and not ego.
My previous wordy comment on a different thread, lays the blame firmly at Lerner’s door for our situation and I even feel ashamed that I probably enjoyed the three 6th places finishes without questioning the policy that achieved them until Milner was sold.
I understand the clamour for Gil, Traore and to a lesser extent Grealish because the expectation is these players will get us wins or at the very least causes the opposition more difficulty, but I have to go with the manager and believe that the use of those players fit perfectly into a team full of confidence, strong in every position and winning regularly but inappropriate for a team being built to become confident, those players require others to do more defensive work and we don’t have that luxury right now.
UTV
I am looking forward to the game today. The general performance from the Villa team is slowly improving.
Consistency and shape have been the major factor for our improvement.
Player wise – Ayew has been the person leading by example and showing the characteristics required to get us out of this mess.
I do think that we should start with Traore as our centre forward today. Norwich will press and that will leave space for Traore to counter.
Despite all of the negative press surrounding Villa, I actually think we will win today. We simply have to.
Remi is going to have to be bold today. And we need to be clinical with our finishing.
Villa win – the fight back starts today
I take it back remi is worse tan Sherwood a team with guzan Hutton Richardson Clark bacuna Westwood all in it
All champeeionship at best 30 to norwich
Haha just saw the team. Did remi get he memo its a must win!
Guzan, hutton, richardson, clarke in the back 4,equals at least conceding 2 goals. And plenty of gaffs. Just you watch
And westwood and bacuna in midfield, good god.
Why gestede is dropped i dont know, him and ayew getting a understanding. Gestede used to playing 3 games a week too
Hope you are having a good time in Norwich Frem – and that it continues !
Hi Runtingz – thank you – let’s see if you still agree after today’s game:-)
I am going to go against the tide and say I like Remi’s team today – he has replaced Rudy with SInclair – good move IMO Reni is building the team and we are increasing in confidence and belief Throwing in the likes of Adama and Grealish at the start could wipe out that confidence if Norwich quickly exploit their lack of team awareness and defensive reluctance and we go a couple of goals down in the first half.
3 points today and Sinclair to score.
Sorry jenny
Disagree about confidence thing we got real lucky in 4 draws
Man city missed sitters
So ton. Missed sitters
Newcastle missed sitters
West ham should had 2 stonewall pens
We missed few chances gave away stupid goals so I don’t see any hope in remi
Good to see more positive comments again today.
I really hope that Remi and the boys can pull off a win today and give al our great travelling fans something to cheer about, and Frem can come home, a long with my mates from the Somerset Lions feeling on top of the world after such a long trek again.
A great result today would create so much confidence going into Saturday’s game against Sunderland. UTV…..VTID…!!!
WTF is that line up?
One picked from a squad with little quality no DM and gestede with a knock
Can’t understand why no lescott? Clark is poor presuming okore is injured because richards is not much better
Normal scoreline what you expect with giveaway goals in guzan Hutton Clark Richardson starting
And there you go, shambolic defending and we concede. Predictable. And nochance of winning the game. Are we seriously goaing to miss the prem. How can the championship be this bad
Mark i suppose lescott ispretty old. Makes sense to rest him
Honestly think garde a worse appointment than billy McNeil
What other team keeps picking crap week in week out with same results at least Sherwood chopped and changed
If I’m going down its by using jack bloody Grealish a Vila fan and big talent and not an over the hill Kieran Richardson!
UTV
A manager gets judged on results. This will be gardes 8 th game without a win. Its awful. Why play westy, richardson etc. We all know they offer nowt. Its madness. Illori, gill, adama, jack, its not poss to do worse!!
WTF – Clarke makes his usual mistake and they score.
Norwich – 1 shot on goal and they score
Ayew misses from 8 yards out.
We have been the better team – however Garde needs to make changes – no point giving Traore 7 mins. We need to be brave – we need to score
Norwich are shit
Did we really think, fox and randy would get the appointment right…..
Well I wouldnt of changed the defence and we lack a focus without gestede he must be not 100% fit?
With clark and richards the whole team looks shaky . richards is ok just not at cb.
Take off Richardson and Sinclair, on with Adama and Grealish. Might as well win 4-3 as lose 1-0
Dull, uninspiring lacking pace , effort and quality. The line up lacked belief and shows exactly why this is our final season in this league for a very long time. Today was an absolute must win, Norwich in 17th is a game we need to throw everything and the kitchen sink at, but we haven’t turned up. I’m sick to death of these useles lazy slow ponderous good for nothing cunts, rocking up every week and taking the piss out of the fans.
Andrew- they did I dont care who you put in charge we lack quality in depth. If we had the same team that started against wet spam I believe we would of created way more
We simply have to go balls out for the second 45 or we may as well pack it in now and take the premier league flag down at VP.
He picked the wrong team. Half time he has a chance to get it right, he’d better.
Norwich one shot on target and they are winning 1-0 . Meanwhile we start the better side and an error finds us on the back foot . 🙁
Stone wall pen hand on his fucking shoulder when was that allowed???
Yet to figure out what Sinclair offers in a desperate relegation battle with traore sitting on the bench.
We need to take risks because we need players who can generate goals!
UTV
I’ll usually stand up for Remi but that team is crepe.
What Richards was doing for the goal God only knows, at worst dire communication.
It’s shit or bust as they say so put Adama on .
Ronnie not much after 20 mins
Sinclair had good some games and ineffectual ones – seems to be the latter today . But let’s face it – how many goals have the players on the bench scored . Less than Sinclair combined .
But throw caution and get Adama and Grealish on
No changes at H/T!!! FFS Garde you bell end, your basically saying it is ok to be shit. Does he know we need to win football matches!!!! Deluded cunt
I agree steamer trying to rotate at this point same old errors crop up again. Dont think he’ll do it again having seen it, lescot should be captain. Adamas bug day and for once this could be made for him
Adama on – show us what you got kid !
How do we know Lescott is fit though – he played two days ago
How do we know Lescott is fit though – he played two days ago and it’s an awa
We dont jen or okore but he is on the bench
Mark, richardson is playing left wingish…..ahead of gill adama and jack.
Thats horrendus. I cant believe it, speechless
So far adama excactly what I thought teams lost shape and he becomes a passenger
We’ve lost to some pathetic teams this season but Naarwich take the biscuit, terrible, terrible pile of shite.
hi guys.
same old , same old with the ref. norwich been fouling us all match, we should had a pen, loads more free kicks, norwich should hav had more yellows maybe a red,
Now heads are going down now, too much change in the team from the last game, we plyaed good then, he didn’t need to change so much.
adama done nothing , come on jack , bloody do some thing!
god we b crap / or we be cursed
fook ing hell, he’s only going for it , adama & grealish on at the same time
come on do something
West brom one up
a point would be better than now, but its still not a win.
Waste of time putting grealish adama etc on when we can’t get the ball and keep it
right that’s torn it. i’m off to play some games or watch good tv
its not over yet! but at this rate mathematically we will have to suffer until mid feb, when we will run out of games
See my post before game, concede at least 2 and comedy defending.
Seriously though, that side was a disgrace today. Too much wrong to go into. We have not even put in a shivft in the bigfest game of the season, disgrace. Norwich with one clean sheet allseason and we dont look like scoring if we stayed there all night. Its so sad.
That’s put the lid on it. This has been coming for years.
omg! just catching the end of everton stoke and stoke have a pen.
Aston Villa football club relegated from the premier league , first time in their history.
No-one who saw that line up can be surprised, obvious now, we’re gone. Total clear out needed from boardroom right through the players, at least fifteen can go, problem is the contracts that the idiot Fox has given them. Thousands will walk away from Villa after this humiliating season, Lerner has ripped our self respect to shreds.
Remi Garde another useless appointment in a long line of disasters
I am so gutted – what an absolute embarrassment
We finally died today
I’m putting money on this useless shower of shit getting relegated next season from the championship. I hope RL has a heart attack when he sees how much £££££ he has lost. RL, TF and the rest of the theiving scum, please fuck off and die
Sadly that’s us down!
Unless gestede and Lescott were injured they should’ve started. How on God’s green earth does jack not start over Richardson when you’re desperate to win a match? No one remembers how he played at the end of last season to turn out season.
This relegation has been coming for a long time let’s face it. I think garde has played it way too safely through this must win period but the odds were always well against us anyway.
God willing we will bounce right back up and have a new owner and chief executive.
Happy 2016 to all you lifers!
UTV
Just seen the second farce, non lge defending, wtf was Clark doing ? Get shot of the whole defence for starters.
Dear god, some of the stats coming out about my beloved club…..complete shambless.
Vp atmosphere is going to turn nasty. Randy to blame, but remi never play that side again.
Ayew and westy out of sunderland game.
Cant waite for frems post
From the owner through to the management and players, an absolute shower of cunts. I hope the fucking lot of them rot, Ebola is too good for them bunch of bastards.
Well folks now you know why remi has been picking the side he has. No sanchez and change of defence and we crumble. No ayew now against sunderland remi has been limping toward the window so we can get some quality in without getting whalloped in the meanwhile.
That said defo a penalty no diffent to huttons 2 games ago ffing refs
After that defeat it’s going to be hard to recover . The salt in the wound is that Ayew , our best hope goal scorer is out on yellows for that game.
*The Sunderland game
Mark King – WTF are you talking about??? The team Remi picked today was fucking useless
Garde can have til the end of the season to show whether he deserves to carry on next year, it makes no difference now anyway.
Nothing he’s done so far indicates he has any more clue than his predecessors and no amount of Mark’s unpaid PR work will convince anybody otherwise.
It’s all very well saying play Gestede, Jack, Traore, a.n other – but the hard facts are that even with them we are still not competitive in this league . We have seen all of these not make a difference and not contribute to scoring goals . How many ppl have called for Clark to be in and he had a mare today . With that squad even SAF would struggle to get a win. it doesn’t help with so called fans like Stan Colymore relishing every loss because they added his match day editorial . Too many out there want us to lose so they can say “I told you so” . Micah Richards still a favourite of mine . You can tell it meant the world to him.
Axed not added
Ronnie there is no safely for this team its paer thin and JG would make not much difference until we strengthen IMO
REMI GARDE
don t anyone say he manager he is a joke
guzan is a clown look at rudd performances caught everything guzan spilled simple shot
hutton 16 goals now people defend him for effort he is a joke but on us in 2 mins before their 2goal westwood played him in first touch goal kick,then attempted cross which was cleared norwich came down his side no where to be seen as usual then the pass for goal
guzan hutton richardson westwood have to be replaced straight away,bacuna benched rudi put out to grass if kozak not better i ll eat my hat even gabby would be better
garde stands on line motionless and for ayew pen claim what about 2 westham should got
Richards s learn to read i said has been picking
James G -mate there is nobody to put in that would make a difference blame remi all you like will make f all difference.
Jen unfortunatley a lot of people have gone the way of collymore
jenny
didnt see first half but at least clark put in effort if hutton hadnt gave the ball away for second goal as usual our centrehalves would have half chance when hutton bacuna\richardson your centre halfs need to be red adair
westwood played 90mins another without a goal or assist just stupid tackie in injury time
mark k
hutton was left out for 2 years for good reason he crap
guzan was dropped last season for same reason yet sherwood fox didn treplace them
onto team selection
why no answers on ilor crespo or kozak i would start 3 of them lescott wasn t at fault v westham yet dropped why no okre
and results are getting better playing usual crap at least try players that want to pass it ayew was up front we where hitting long to him he needed gil\grealish trying to play him in
traore put in more decent cross es than rest of team while he was on but westwood gana wherent supporting strikers
James,
No-one can convince me that Kojaks omission is football related, the blokes an INTERNATIONAL footballer with a decent national side. Still laughing at the suggestion that Lerner ‘loves’ AVFC.
Westwood is a championship player at best.
Garde seems to be taking the Sherwood route for a pay off, do sod all, get the boot and a couple of mill compo, very disappointed in his attitude towards certain players, especially our few match winners.
JG garde can only work with what he’s got end of. Adama needs constant feeding and we are to weak to do that he put in 5 crosses to nobody.
The winkers at VP ought to invite Frem into the changing room to explain how much it costs in money and emotion to support this shite, the worst in our history yes, but also the most gutless bunch ever seen in Villa shirts.
Steamer- match winners??
No idea why kosak doesnt get a run he has hardly played so cant be number of appearances. Best guess from what I have seen is he loses it big times when tackled
Collymore is raging on TS and rightly so!! From the top to the manager to the players, a complete and utter shambles. An absolute disgrace and I agree with collymore, yes others are to blame none more than Lerner and Fox, but why does a manager that hasn’t won a single game( or looked like winning one) get a free pass???? That side he picked today was a disgrace, Mark you say he can only pick from what he has got, that’s correct, but where is Kozak, Kinsella, why not play our attacking players, what about switching Richards to RB with Lescott/Okores in the centre?? What about trying Bunn( can he really be worse than the yank bellend). Desperate times mean desperate measures not playing shit like Richardson who is a waste of skin!!! We were 4pts from safety when he took over, we are now relegated before the new year, no one expected a dramatic rise up the table, but we aren’t even competitive and along way off 17th. I hate what RL and these wankers have reduced this cub to, this isn’t the Villa I loved and grew up supporting, I hate everything this current incumbent stands for, the crest, the watered down kit colours, the happy clapping shite that see no wrong, the lack of effort in fact the whole club as it currently stands. Locally and nationally we are a complete joke, the only thing that will cheer me up is RL demise
steamer
agree about pay off for garde
mark k
i know not much to pick from but at least change the shite we are watching
Hello Lifers.
I really fear for us next season.In the Championship we will be led by the same incompetent clowns off the pitch.Remi must know he is building,rebuilding of rearranging things for next season,and I believe his Jan targets will have next season in mind.The Champ is relentless,often 2 games a week and is played with intensity by a lot of streetwise sides who know that division inside out.Nothing origional to add I`m afraid,but just a few thoughts on our demise.I really fear for us next season,the teams lying in wait for us will devour us as things stand now.Amidst all this,can I just wish you all good luck in 2016.
mark k
my biggest complaint with garde the players are not putting in any real effort
sherwood 10 games 4points only lost games by one goal
remi 9games 4 points shameful v spurs everton aresnal norwich first half v newcastle he was appointed before spurs match the one gabby made laughing stock of him self
thats why think he not right person big sam got 9 points with sunderland same period think we need pearson or some like to fire them up or out
Can’t see Remi staying for next season.
It’ll be interesting to see who our new chairman is, probably a New York hot dog vendor. I’d have Arthur Daley over any of Lerner’s previous.
I would start Kozak and Gabby vs Mackems.at least they’ve something to prove as they want new clubs.
I forget his name but want the mad lester ex manager. Get him in for the championship.
There is simply no excuse for that side and formation put out today. Disgrace.
Sorry lads we have had 3 managers pass over on gil, grealish has been awful this season bar one match against leicester for one half and ive seen enogh of adama to know hes not the answer. Only garde knows why he changed the defence today. Kosak forgive me but ts didnt fancy him either and he played bacuna at right back.
We have no decent full backs full stop at the mo. Its easy to criticise garde but attempts on goal and on target have gone up in recent matches easy to forget teams were close to zero every game. Garde doesn’t strike me as the type to ignore a better option but not at the expense of the team.
Steamer Garde won’t be here next season, but that’s not a bad thing he hasn’t shown me ANY reason to keep him, we have been utterly embarrassed against Norwich, Everton, Watford, Arsenal scraped very lucky draws against City and Saints and couldn’t put either Newcastle or West Ham away.
the one thing that really hammered home for me today is how shockingly poor our squad is
i knew that already but we really are operating withe the bare bones
feel sorry for Garde walking into this mess — we played the better football today but got smashed by basic attacks and the usual players making mistakes
we don’t have the firepower to stay in this division and for any good football or otherwise the qualit just isnt there
the one thing that really hammered home for me today is how shockingly poor our squad is
i knew that already but we really are operating withe the bare bones
feel sorry for Garde walking into this mess — we played the better football today but got smashed by basic attacks and the usual players making mistakes
we don’t have the firepower to stay in this division and for any good football or otherwise the quality just inst there
Remi has said he’s staying unless he’s not wanted.
No ayew so either gabby plays or sinclair with gestede. More chance of me than kosak im afraid
Open letter to Randy Lerner, take 20ft of hosing, attach one end to the exhaust of your rolls Royce ( tailpipe in American) pass the other end through the drivers side window, then close the window. Now sit in the drivers seat and start the car and leave it running, oh and don’t forget to make sure Tom Fox and the transfer committee join you on this journey to nowhere ! Now you may have some idea of how you have killed a once proud sporting institution.
Open letter to Randy Lerner, take 20ft of hosing, attach one end to the exhaust of your rolls Royce ( tailpipe in American) pass the other end through the drivers side window, then close the window. Now sit in the drivers seat and start the car and leave it running, oh and don’t forget to make sure Tom Fox and the transfer committee join you on this journey to nowhere ! Now you may have some idea of how you have killed a once proud sporting institution. Of course I’m not being serious…… But sell up and fuck off never to return, taking fox and the other pieces of shit with you. Garde can carry your bags
Mark
Remi has to prove he is up to the job, he needs to show he can bring us back up, so far he hasn’t shown he can even win one football match.
Garde will bring in a few in jan that will improve the side that played against WH. A DM fullback or fullbacks and a striker will be a minimum . i think he will use cissoko and get a rb but you never know. The time to judge garde will come but not with this shambles. TS may try and dodge the buying of players but he let plenty go and had a say and had also ignored kinsella etc
B62 id say apart from the win at bournemouth hes been closer than tim. We have not won since first match it was never going to be easy. Teams are not beating us we beat ourselves garde cannot stop player error when he has no replacements.
Everything is wrong at AVFC. How utterly humiliating to be a Villa fan.
We have the wrong owner – he is not interested
We have the wrong Canadiaan CEO – he is a commercial guy – doesn’t have a clue about football –
The wrong director of football – Paddy Reily – he is a stats guy and his player recruitment policy has been a disaster
The wrong set of players – French League 1 and Championship players – we sold all of our best players in the summer
And the wrong manager playing the wrong style of football with the players he has at his disposal
It’s one humiliating disaster – a stupid incompetent board who have absolutely killed the spirt and soul of this football club
I feel sorry for the fans who have endured this slow death
We are a complete fucking joke
RIP AVFC
Mark
Garde=Sherwood with a French accent, he hasn’t come close to winning a game or looking like he will win one.
RichardS
I completely agree with your last post, we have the wrong people in every position including players, Lerner could not have got it more wrong if he had actually tried .
We need mass protest and remove this scum from our club. We are gonna go through the championship like a curry through a puss head with these clowns in charge, unfortunately only to lg1
Hi James G
We looked by far the better team first half before nkrwich scored – against the run of play. We played like the home side and nkrwich nicked it on the counter – a big blow . No points for performance I know and it means zero . As for Clark , was at fault for first goal if not the second too . Like Hutton , he works hard but that means nothing if the split second errors lose us a goal
. As for playing our show ponies / flair players Gil , Grealish and Adama – (none of whom have scored this season ) they are a luxury in our predicament and ineffective (as proved today – we were actually better before the subs) without a solid team behind them that can win back and keep the ball. Sinclair , who I wanted to see for WH was disappointing too .
Adama is an exciting player though – great confidence , fast , and very strong and happy to take players on but doesn’t have the technique yet to make that much of a difference IMO
Remi gave an honest post match interview – no excuses, no blaming refs decisions and pinpointed why we lost . As the sky pundit said – he’s an honourable man who has been handed the impossible test of getting wins from a squad with no balance and questionable ability . The responsibility lies with the scouts and Fox . Sherwood got the players be wanted in Lescott , Micah , Rudy to name three but even he threw in the towel saying they were boring and we were in a hole.
It’s a sad situation but we won’t know if Remi could have made something worth while with his choice of players and being given a whole season rather than coming in when we are in the relegation zone . My concern is that he’s more fit for the Prem than the championship , as are most of our players .
As for lack of fight – what makes you say they didn’t fight today ? There’s a big difference in not being up for it and not being good enough and I think we fall into the latter camp . We were tackling more , chasing more , trying to win back more than previously . We were just not good enough sadly.
Goodnight folks I’ll leave you to wallow sunderland next with maybe a LB in place maybe more
It is amazing after SEVEN managers that Lerner still makes the appointments, just what does it take before he realises that he knows less than bugger all about the game. What compounds the fact is that his number 2 ( apt ) knows even less. 10 years with no football knowledge in the boardroom and they wonder why we’re doomed.
Heard some of the first half commentary on avtv, with Ken Mcnaught getting frustrated with the players not being competitive enough in the final third and the square passing across the box instead of flying in there and making their defence work harder, and also the ball keeps coming back then, putting more pressure on our defence.
I take it the team selection in defence was probably due to injuries, as I cannot see Remi having changed it otherwise.
The result is very bad, and becomes harder to see a way out for Villa, but Remi did do what everyone has been asking for and put Adama on earlier, but it still did not work, or the addition of JG.
Will wait to see the match in more detail before commenting further.
I am also sure that Wes Hoolihan had a point to prove today, after he failed to get his move to Villa, and it seems as if he did!
Feel sorry for Frem and all those who made the journey today.
We don’t get miracle as villafans but all I want for 2016 is Lerner fox and cronies blood sucking leeches to have slow painful death similar to what they have put villa through
Back5\6 years ago we went toe toe with Chelsea man u lpool equal to spurs Everton wouldn’t fancy us to go up against most dig one sides now
We had leeches Ireland houillier bent makoun McLeish zog Jena’s given Hutton all Lambert’s signings bar benteke everyone we lost money on Lambert’s buys Lambert himself fox and his gang Faulkner Sherwood Wilkins it will take some spring clean to get rid of all that shite
Steamer – has Remi Guarde appointed a no 2 yet ?! It’s all gone quiet on that front .
And yes – I do feel for the loyal villa fans like Frem who travel to Norwich and have that awful journey back now .
Watford have more prem points than villa in the whole of 2015. Watford have been in the prem since august!
Just have to pray learner leaves and get some sound football men on the board.
Jenny t
Didn’t see first half caught bits of thomo on sky sports never mentioned much villa one chance think and once Norwich got their goal they sat back lobbed ball to where Hutton should be and bang goal our centre halves can t cover Hutton what now 16 goals from him now a joke that he is starting
Second didn’t see any evidence this team playing for garde and from looking round other blogs most feel the same he is another puppet team sheet today and last few matches when we where playing wiñnable matches not real Madrid psg or Barcelona time for garde to get pay off only thing Lerner’s any good at
Just back
6 hours of driving and a lot of money spent for what? A bunch of players who don’t give a feck and a manager who has no clue
A game we had to win, and he starts Richardson and Sinclair on the Wings. This guy isn’t a qualified manager that’s for sure. Not once did we go two up front. It’s scary how clueless Garde is
January – we need 100 million spent, a keeper, Left back, right back, DM and striker
Fucking hours to see that shite. and nearly written off by a bloody badger .Fucked if lm going to sunderland . The clubs dead as far as l and a few others l know can see . and it was hard work in the pub after, the norwich fans loved it but l wasnt going to argue . This villa lot ar’nt worth it .
It’s the first time I’ve drove home and considered giving up. The thought of moving to Canada, in the mountains, by a lake in the middle of knowhere and completely forgetting about football for weeks on end was never more appealing
Then I remembered I’ve got tickets to go Sunderland. I want to be there for when we win
We all know Weatwood and Sanchez are shite, but my word Gana is just as bad
We need two DM with height and who love a battle in the middle
Not sure how much you’re getting paid to be Remi’s PR man Mark but the person on here who makes the most sense for me is Frem.
Don’t care what any of you are saying about throwing on Traore and Grealish when we’re already losing.
We should have STARTED with Traore (instead of the always ineffectual Sinclair) and Gestede up front.
Grealish as creative wide left midfielder instead of the well past his prime Richardson.
Gana and Veretout in the middle and Ayew as an attacking right winger (who has the athleticism and engine to track back as needed).
That team would have converted a chance and our confidence would have come back.
Get behind AGAIN and expect Adama to come on at 60 mins and Grealish at 80 and save the match what a load of bullocks!
Yet the rubbish Richardson and Westwood play the entire match and Gestede doesn’t come on until 70 mins (maybe he was injured, I don’t know)
How anyone on hear thinks playing Sinclair and Richardson as our two wingers in a MUST win match with Traore and Grealish sitting on the bench for most of the match when the two aforementioned players have had zero effect on proceedings time and again makes no sense whatsoever. Better to lose 5-0 and give it a go than lose AGAIN playing Sinclair for 60 and Richardson (are you kidding me) the entire bleeding match.
Garde is a good manager for the most part I feel but he hasn’t done enough to give us a proper chance of winning today.
UTV
The most worrying thing apart from Guzan is the two Centre mids. Gana is wank. So weak. We have no physical presence in centre mid
Frem
If I were you mate, I’d be off to Canada. Get a bit of travel under your belt and enjoy yourself, don’t worry about the Villa they simply aren’t worth it, they really couldn’t give a fuck about us lot handing over our hard earned and whether we get value for money( which we definitely don’t).
That team selection today was criminal and we got what we deserved.
Even motd depresses me, oh how id love a team like stoke 🙁
I want to yo somewhere ASAP mate.
Ayew out fir sat. Surely Adama can play up front
Frem
Apparentlty gestede just shrugged to the villa fans at the end. Did the fans boo or anything? Its a disgrace to lester there name keeps coming up like villa could do it too. This lot aint get an ounce of passion or drive to do what they did. This is the darkest times ever. I just pray in the summer we can have a root and branch clear out and somerhing to cheer about. I dont give a damn what leaguue we are in just want a club to be proud of supporting again
What a great manager thevspurs guy is turning out to be. Switches formations and personnel seemless
ronnie biggs
possibly best post today ,to you mentioned remi garde and good manager in one line sorry he picked team today as west h and news subs to late to help, watch any highlights other wait to hutton gone awol put ball into his space and goal all15/16 of them now at under 10 you couldnt mange like that
why no kozak ilor or crespo try some otheer keeper watch guzan flounder with simple shot then watch norwich keeper win everything
frem
i don t know how you do it week in week out its bad enough watching online live in ireland so havent went since mon walked and haven t spent no money in club shop either not going to cancer of club is dead lerner
Guzan!!! Nevervseen such a bad keeper. Is it me or do shots just go through him……just seen hutton! You get what you deserve in footy. Playing crap like that will get you down.
Whats that quote about madness doing the same thing over…..playing richardson, guzan, clarke, hutton is ans should be a sackable offence,
Tell richards if he dont play rb he can sit on bench cause he aint a cb. Thinks he is david luiz or something wondering around lost
andrew
preaching that for yonks
sherwood said he was going to rid of all losers tried begovic that fell through something changed cause all he wanted then was pay off and as usual lerner fox fucked up waited 10 games were gone then fired him it stinks
about 10 players should been shipped out but fox gave them all 4/5 year contracts
steer bacuna clark baker westwood after shambles last season of hutton and gaby thats 7 players on long contracts all crap along with richardson sendross cole guzan zog
12 players alomg with bunn lescott sanchez and sinclair not good enough
some heap of shite enough to make you cry
Interesting that shearer and co said our downfall was not tracking back – and our bench has even less aptitude for tracking back than those on the pitch .
My friend went to the game and said Traore doesn’t impress . I don’t see that a young kid who Barcekona apparently don’t want back is the answer . A. Guarde and his staff see them five days a week and if we had any players better than those being picked I’m damn sure they’d be on the team sheet .
What happened to the “we need a foreign manager as English managers are crap” . Most ppl on here and other sites were happy to have a different and more progressive manager . But the elephant in the room now is the fact that Tim Sherwood , Kevin Mac , Remi Guarde can’t find a team that can win in that squad of players . Sherwood stopped playing the French , KMac didn’t play any new recruits and Remi has played a mix . Are all three of them wrong ? Don’t they all see ten times as much of these players than we do . The reason we are where we are is that no matter who you select , they’re not good enough . 3 managers – nothing has changed .
One final observation . There hasn’t been the usual “new manager syndrome” with Remi . You usually get a few more points when a new manager comes in with players making more effort to impress , new start for the pit if favour ones , new belief as it’s something different so more hope . This just hasn’t happened . It suggests that the quality just isn t there to perform consistently at this level.
Andrew -agree wholeheartedly “the definition of madness is keep doing the same and expect to get a different result “. But if changing it gets you an even worse result then that is madness too . If the players not selected are even worse than what are then selecting them is not going to be an improvement . Remi Guatde is trying to play a violin with half a string to his bow.
Jenny,I am firmly un the no UK gaffer camp.However I will defend RG to certain extent.He has inherited an awful,gutless squad.What is the answer ?I have no idea.I can only suggest we try to rebuild and try to get promoted 1st time,but I can`t see this Villa team scrapping and battling on a cold night up north at places like Huddersfield and Preston.Is RG the man to get us up?Again,I have no clue.The roots of our problems go back years.Poor signings,money wasted,poor managers and no footy experience at the top.Last summer saw too many signings of dubious quality and they look like they want to move on asap.
Ronnie if garde is paying me how much are grealish traore and gils agents paying you?
Its easy to sit there and say the answer must be the other players. As jen said 3 managers similar results. At least garde got them looking like a team before yesterday. Why things changed I dont know (knocks fatigue?) but how important is Sanchez to this team.
Defo penalty missed by a poor ref too, and before west ham gets mentioned that was another game.
An important thing to note anyone see any norwich players that couldn’t tackle or contribute in defence? No fancy dans on there side was there.
But Randy loves the club.
He does when its going well
Never mind this selecting the best trainers crepe, select players who give 100%, the fans will back them whatever.
No Villan needs telling that Lerner, Fox, Almstedt, the new chairman whoever he is, the new director have to go but Lerner doesn’t want to sell at a realistic price so basically its goodbye Aston Villa.
Don’t forget the part that coniving old bastard Herbert played in our demise.
Have a nasty feeling that ‘the legend’ is about to return.
Brazil – I’m with you there in that no amount of tinkering with formations or selections are going to get a winning team as three managers have tried this all season . At least Remi is playing Vertout and Ayew – unlike Sherwood .
When KMac took over and fielded a team with no new recruits in that was a basically a V sign up to the recruiting staff at villa
.
Given how pleased Remi was and how improved we played against WHU the changes in defence had to be due to fatigue / knocks . I welcomed Sinclair in as out of the other forwards he has scored the most and is a different option to the too static lost looking Rudi.
For the first thirty mins we controlled the game and kept the Norwuch fans quiet . We pressed high up the pitch and looked the most likely to score and every player was doing well incl Sinclair. When Norwich scored you could feel the belief drain away and continued to do so. It also looks like they are so naiive and lacking in footballing nous and can’t do more than one thing at a time .
So for the first 30 mins it was good – attacking and slick play in Norwich’s half but then they didn’t have the foresight to rush back and defend when nkrwich hit on the counter . It was calamatous and avoidable and sickening to see this happen yet again .
Herbert –
“For 35 years I worked my guts out for Aston Villa and suffered for it.
“At the start of last season I thought Villa could finish in the top ten under Paul Lambert and I was very confident at the time.
In many ways, we couldn’t have a better chairman than Randy.
Some great comments-
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/sir-doug-ellis-sad-aston-10649731?
Someone on the Legends instagram –
‘ur an inspiration
Gabby? Iheard steve stride to come on board.
Also we have lost more good people who work behind the scenes apparently. In nov we got rid, but not one of randys people! The whole place stinks to high heaven and will take yonks to sort. Learner out asap is the start.
Jenny agree, we can be frustrated with remi but reality is they are all crepe.
Very interesrted to see how we approach the jan transfer window now. Everyone knows we are down so do we build for the championsip or will they still bother getting loans in short term. Or give relegation clauses.
When I saw the transfer policy in the summer I feared the worst, I said at the time bulk buying from the French league , and adding a couple of freebies and Gestede , would not transform a struggling side having lost Delph, Benteke and Cleverley. Sherwood also wanted a new N01 but ended up with Bunn as the only competition for the useless Guzan. We never recruited properley hand easily overpaid for players that are championship quality, only when we kick off in the championship in August half of them will have fucked off back to France.
This is the problem, RL and TF will still be here next season, with revenue at possibly an all time low( for the modern era) there will be no rebuild, no positive recruitment and it’s not like we can hold onto s decent nucleus of players and gaffer because we don’t have them. Those who believe the championship will provide a better time of it, with Villa winning more games and steamroller ink through the division, think again, the reality will be the polar opposite. We will average under 25k per week meaning almost 20k empty seats unless we are playing blues( unless they go up in the play offs), Wolves, Leeds, Foest or Sheff weds. We may also get bigger gates against Cov/Walsall if they go up, Derby I believe will go up.
Our team will also be packed full of bang average dross without any leadership and an owner only motivated by recouping his losses. I had a ST last time we went down , yes there were good times once everyone got on board a promotion push, but an empty VP playing against crap opposition that brings 400 fans in a cold winters midweek night, is nothing to write home about, I remember us struggling against Plymouth Argyle.
The championship is rammed full of so called big clubs that used to ply there trade in the premier league, it’s a graveyard for the likes of us, only 7 teams in that division HAVENT played in the premier league. I think we will drop straight through the division like Wolves and Leeds did.
Steamer – which “legend” is that
Just read a stat which sums up Villa, Watford have gained more premier league points (29) in the calendar year of 2015 than Aston Villa(25), and Watford never joined until August!!!!!
Quote of the day ” The problem is those who must rebuild the club are the ones who have destroyed it in the first place.”
can some one explain that we don t have a keeper right back in reserves because since remi became manager hutton has become biggest joke in pl history every match he plays clubs target his position when he goesawol lob ball in and their is your goal even city match he gave 3 sitters to city players,guzan flaps fumbles everything norwich 1 shoton target 1 half goal same every gamewe are laughing stock starting them 2
westwood richardson as wingers i ll take what ever garde drinking two more crap players up to 4 now
then bacuna as left back he can do a poor job as right back as collymore said sat after wham match he got forward but couldnt cross with left foot
clark richards are covering non exsitence full backs or wingers will make mistakes but at least norwich players know they where on pitch
ayew sinclair whose clever idea to lump ball forward to 2 small players who want played around corner or into space MESSI couldnt perform under this style
subs
to little to late
troare gives me hope more than rest put together and when put in cross richardson westwood scratching their arse at halfway line plus listened to norwich player this morning asked about houilan he said he does his work last 3 so doesnt have to cover back
rudi i don tknow what kozak has done but rudi is bambi on ice on drugs the man is lost but then when he went on took sinclair put nobody beside for another game to try win knock downs garde is a genius
grealish to late to rate
garde is another crap manager in line of mcleish lambert sherwood in a club run by areholes fox alsmad rielly and LERNER
” a team of bang average dross…….no leadership……..an owner motivated only by recouping his losses..”Oh the joy in being average,moaning about being 11th,those were the days.I long for average,because we are just awful from top to bottom.
Irony,irony,over the last few years we needed a long term plan and seemed to muddle through without one.This season when we needed a short term fix..i.e Pearson,or a Pullis just stay up,Fox talks of a long term vision with Remi.
Collymore makes me smile.He had what we all wanted,a chance to play for the club.He was disinterested and rarely put in a shift,he was a huge disappointment.Now he works in the media he is suddenly this passionate Villa fan who feels for the club..yeah Stan I believe you thousands wouldn`t.BTW Stan when was the last time you bought a ticket to attend Villa park.
Steamer,the way Herbert goes on you would think he did his job at Villa for nothing,no salary,no perks,just pure blood ,sweat and tears.I was born at night Doug,not last night.
B62 what I find funny is apart from gana who’s lost confidence the french are better players than our so called prem experianced players.
We have lyden, mason and kinsella in the stiffs who would be better all round options plus calder out on loan. They would fit better into gardes style at the moment. Jerrell sellars and hepoers too would not look out of place and again aee better all round players than grealish and adama.
Comes down to prem experiance and physicality in the end
Just had a chuckle with a mate who reminded me that the last time we was short of experience we went out and got Grant Holt 🙂 🙂 🙂
well its another fine mess you got us into Randy
the scramble for Neysmith will begin shortly , now that is a real man in a true footballing sense and i know steamer has been banging the drum to get him in
it this type of player that will make a difference — we will know in the next few days if Garde has the draw to get players in that will really have a positive effect on this squad
the crazy thing is imo we are beginning to play good football – we just don’t have many good footballers and no were near enough prem experience
Feeling dejected, I’ve little energy to repeat that RG should not be the focus of blame/comment, I’m also not on the RG PR payroll but Lerner is the reason we are in the shite, we all know it but from the above comments and the facebook warriors the blame is placed on the manager, team selection and tactics. I understand the desperation as these are desperate times but RG isn’t the reason we are shite.
For the life of me, I’ve no idea why there is no protesting but hard to protest against an owner who doesn’t turn up.
No idea why Deadly is speaking up now, as president of the club, where has he been for the last 4/5 years. He can fuck right off, the dirty toerag had a choice, a self made, money making Arab or leech off daddy’s money with no visible income just a pile in a trust fund.
Completely agree we need huge investment in January, I don’t see it happening and depending on whether we get mercenaries to keep us up or journeymen to prepare for relegation, it will be obvious what the thought process is from the mgmt.
Garde is actually trying to keep us up by playing a consistent team and may have had injuries/niggles to deal with which meant a change in the back four but Gil, Grealish and Traore have done nothing for our survival so I don’t see the reason to unbalance the team just because they’re ‘flair’ players. If it’s a case of let’s die trying then you can be sure we may score a goal or two but the disconnect between midfield and defence, the extra defensive duties placed on players most of us don’t trust i.e. Sanchez, Westwood, Gana would mean more opportunities for the opposition to score against us.
We need to play 1-4-4-1 (remember the old sweeper system) or 4-5-1 and counterattack home and away, it won’t be pretty, it will be dull as dishwater but we can’t afford gung-ho.
Just looked at the (groan) Sky Bet Championship or the Second Division as I know it and what a pool of former great teams, prem league flirters and Div 3 chancers it is.
You can be guaranteed some great games but what a tough league and everyone coming to Villa for the big scalp, going to be difficult to get out of that division, hopefully the shock of relegation if it happens won’t send us spiralling out of it.
Villa doesn’t end because of relegation and without mentioning some crap about a chance to rebuild we haven’t made much of a contribution to the prem in recent years so once it becomes mathematically impossible to survive, we should look to relish the opportunity of playing some old foes like Forest, Wolves, Derby. As it becomes another game of 90 minutes against another team that Villa needs our support.
I know it’s difficult to watch MOTD never mind travelling to away games but Villa and especially the hardcore on this site won’t be found wanting when it comes to supporting Villa, probably when they need us most, I know I wont stop going to games when I get the chance.
This post isn’t about the positives of relegation but more about Villa being in our blood and not giving up on it despite Lerner’s attempts to destroy us.
VTID
DOR,I agree with your comments and summary.I also believe RG is not a fool,and in his head and heart he believes we will be relegated.The dilema now is,why recruit Prem players in Jan on Prem £££ when we need players to get us promoted?
I think that this season and seasons before,but especially this one we needed a coupleof Danny Murphy,Darren Fletcher types in MF .Not spectacular players,but competent footballers who knew when and where to pass,and where to cover and why.I have sung the praises of Wes H. on here too.
But this is all tosh now,I am trying to look forward and hope Remi can get us up the first time of asking.Looking at Garde`s interviews,at least he has some honesty and integrity,not that these attributes gain us points though.COYVB
D’OR
We all know the real reason we are in this mess is Lerner and his appointments running the club into the ground. Krulak, Faulkner, Fox,Almstadt, O’reilly etc etc the managers of Houllier, Mcleish, Lambert, Sherwood and now Garde simply aren’t good enough or been the right people for the job, although I will concede the backing they have received is laughable at times. The reason a lot of fans are giving Garde pesters is because he hasn’t changed anything and still plays utter shite players every week some out of position making them even more useless and ineffective. We needed a short sharp shock back into life, the way he is going about things you would think the plan is to actually go down. Watching this team live is a real chore and now we are relegated I can’t see many going and a lot of the players will be onto there agents saying get me a move, because we all know RL will try and cut his losses. I doubt Amavi, Veretout and Ayew will be here next season
B62 i agree with your last post except the Garde aint good enough bit
i am struggling to work out how anyone expects Garde to come in and turn a crap squad into a great team
he is trying to polish a turd and has actually rolled it in glitter – but unfortunately even though we are playing some nice stuff we don’t have the fire-power or overall quality
Mornihno couldn’t make this bunch look good we really need to except that
it is unfare to judge a manager on taking over a bottom club with no fighters – no punch and very little quality
maybe after he brings in a few players more of the villans will start to realise that Garde is doing a decent job with what he has – as he can plug some of many holes in his first 11
Jen,
Agbonglahor, you want to read some of the comments that Villans put on, different planet.
Runtingz,
Correct mate about no fighters, this team would produce in ANY league because the players have no goolies, completely gutless.
Still have not seen much of the match, apart from MOTD, but the pundits did make it clear, as Jen has said, that the biggest problem yesterday was the lack of energy and backtracking by Richards and Richardson, and once again an average fullback on the line could have stopped the goals that Guzan was incapable of dealing with.
Apart from that most of the team were putting in an effort, but unlike teams that actually score goals, are still hoping to get results from square balls, rather than incisive passes into the box.
From the days of MON, the nucleus of the team has been destroyed, instead of being built around. The new teams on the block have not spent huge amounts of money, they have just strengthened a step at a time.
How many good players could Villa have bought and strengthened the side with, if they had just stuck to buying just one or two each window, as has been done by many sides above us.
Let us hope and pray that at least we can field a respectable side against Sunderland, or they may just be itching to return the 6-1 drubbing we gave them, the last time we had a mini revival.
PP,
Oddly enough the Slumberland blogs aren’t optimistic at all, in fact they’re virtually as miserable as ours are.
Someone told me when Okore was injured pre season that he was finished, seems to have dodgy knees.
Sinclair would never play for me, absolutely no heart, just happy to pick up his wages.
According to Aggy, he’s going no-where, just happy to sit on his fat, useless arse and pick up the ridiculous contract that Fox gave him, a true Villan.
I don’t care how good a manager is, no-one will stop our slide while Lerner & Fox are here, i honestly think we’ll reach League 2 and then go bump unless the fans demonstrate or stay away, they’re not helping the club, we could have 40,000 yelling and screaming but this shower couldn’t respond positively.
Perhaps Remi would have done better if he wanted to freshen up the team to have paired Sendeross with Clark, who were great together previously, and Okore had a knee injury, let Richards take on Sanchez role, while shoving Gabby and Zoggy up front with Ayew, and telling them it will be the last game you play for villa if we don’t win, instead of plaing Richardson, Gestede and Sinclair…..I am sure the result could not have been worse and may have been better, and I certainly would have had Bunn in goal….
Maybe they would be worth a try against Sunderland…
I am amazed that most of the changes were to freshen up the team…
Pp- senderos is not a squad member.
If we were not so much in the shit lyden would get pitch time knows how make runs from midfield. Reminds me of bryan robson a bit box to box and a terrier in the middle
Whilst I appreciate the scenario in which Garde took over , we haven’t played well once, we haven’t looked like winning a match, concede plenty but have only scored 5 goals. We have no footballing identity or clear way of playing, we aren’t long ball, pass and move, hit on the break or tippy tippy, we aren’t anything. I get that he didn’t purchase these players ( nor did Sherwood) and he can only work with what he has, but fuck me we are further away from safety than ever under him, to the point we are relegated before the new year . Why does he get so little criticism?? Am I being too harsh on him?? If we carry on in this form under him we will end up on around 20pts, with him having been in charge for 3/4 of the season, is this good enough to stay and oversee a promotion push ??? I’m not so sure, I know one thing these players are good enough to get us back up and will struggle , and Lerner and Fox remaining we will soon be playing Halesowen Town or Kidderminste Harriers
B62
Agree with most of your post in fact to me the performances under garde have been shameful and only one to carry the can was Gabby
For a defensive mid player his first set up should have been back 4 and keeper but no change in keeper,Hutton goes awol well every match we concede yet keeps picking him
Set up strong back 4 keep them behind halfway line 2 mids vertout and ayew traore freakish up front keep other team on back foot
And no answer why kozak ilor or crespo not used
B62 I take all your points on-board and i may be wrong regarding Garde – it isn’t easy to tell with what he is working with
but what i personally like about him is i can see from how we are starting to play that he is actually drilling the guys to play in what i believe is the correct way to play football
i actually like how we are playing but as above i realised something from the last game which is it doesn’t matter what tactics anyone uses – who they decided to leave out and which youngsters take there place —-We simply have the least capable squad in the division Barr none
how many points would Wenger have in the same time period ? possibly none or not much more as he is working with quality not sub standard for this level — he lost sanchez and ozil for one game and got battered by a side that were struggling at the time —- just shows how hard it is to win games without the correct tools
this surely can only be really down to Randy and his trusted back-room
To put the TV money into perspective , Leeds have earner £5.5m as one of the top sides shown on Sky this season, compared with the £67m will earn this season , which would have risen to nearer £100m under the new £5.2billion deal that starts next season, it’s a real game changer and Randy has fucked it all up
We can’t underestimate how shocking our recruitment has been
tekkers and delph jump ship – and i don’t blame them one bit
we replace them two with Ayew — fine young player but not ready to do a tekkers and keep us up – yet again
Veritoot — another fine younger player but not seasoned enough to be dominant in this division
so randy and his crew have let young , milner , barry , amongst others go and replaced them with players that mostly failed or will fail to make it at this level
when i look back at all Randy has done – no manager in the world could have progressed under this fella
B62. Less losses more shots more shots on target just off the tpp of my head
How is it we have signed about 50 fifty players in last 5 season and we still have crap squad
Benteke equal or better than any signing in same time that’s it
Vertout amavi ayew traore might be decent that’s 4 out of 50
Lambert signed about30 players yet over two third off them didn’t make 20 starts
Even in summer ilor crespo bunn sarkly keeper havent managed 2 games between them
With that and paying off 5 managers someone must be juggling wage bill if we are 9th highest
Being pragmatic,we will be confirmed as down in 12/14 weeks.Garde will have about 5 months or less to ship people out and build for next season.
I will always love the club but it hurts what Lerner has done and is doing.Apart from that I am accepting our fate without too much anger because this has been on the cards for a few years.
VTID.
Naismith to Norwich £8M.
Micah Richards complaining on Twitter about Ian Wright criticising him, has received a backlash from the fans, saying that Wrighty was spot on, and Richards needs to grow some balls and prove himself on the pitch, and I wholeheartedly agree.
Time for some real men to pull on a Villa shirt, even if they are still young in years, and let us see some real passion while there is still a breath of life in the club.
Watching Leeds v Derby as this the level we will be plying our trade next season, Derby have Bent, Weimann and Warnock starting, they are 1-0 up and going top of the league so we won’t be playing them, but it shows that it’s all about being tight at the back and having someone who can put the ball in the net, it’s a very difficult league to get out of, if we can get a couple of players in who know the division we stand a chance.
B62
You have really given weight to my earlier point about how Villa has been ripped apart as a team, rather than being built on over the past few years.
How would we look these days with Collins, Cahill, Bent, Young, Weimann,Warnock, Albrighton and a few more on the books, in return for the money we have received for them, compared to what we have spent out….
PP
I get finance and the fact we will need to sell players, and our place in footballs pecking order means we are always going to be at liable to the Man Utd’s of this world picking off our talent. But and this is a big but, we never replace talent with talent or try and create something and give them a reason to stay. We are always going for the cheap option as proven yet again this season, and now we are reaping what we have sewn. Whilst RL and TF remain at the club, this will continue , the likes of Amavi , Veretout, Ayew, Gil and Grealish will be sold off as they are possibly the only players someone else may actually pay money for( no matter what we think of them), with the French lads prob returning back to Ligue1
Here is a scenario Mon doesn’t spend millions on dross on high wages and lerner who let him didnt have to spend years fixing the finances
Collymore tweeting a load of drivel on how to save the Villa. from a man that managed to waste £6 million of our hard earned money when he played for us.
The sad thing is that he has 90% agreeing with his drivel.
I am sure that we could all come up with a much more sensible plan for the club, and remove it from Randy Lerner once and for all.
AV Trust AGM on the 21st with special guest our very own ‘Tom’, bet he developes a cold and can’t make it.
Had a vision of Paul Lameberts return to VP with Roovers next season, striding down the touchline to his cage with all the Trinity happy clappers throwing garlands at his feet and proclaiming their adoration for him and the wonderful job he did t VP , mind, Roovers may just have departed by then.
Judging by Twitter and the blogs the fans are actually showing some militancy, Lerner employs people to take his flak but even then he’s too thick to realise how much Villans loathe him. Fox is another matter, he’s probably thinking ‘i’m on a good screw working for this plank, i’m never going to find another mug who’ll pay me 1.5m per year for doing nothing, should i stay or should i go ? If he had an ounce of decency he’d bugger off before the new year.
Taking aside Collymores questionable playing time at Villa, a lot of what he saying at the moment does make sense in regards to the shambles that is AVFC. He is right to question why we have let the likes of Albrighton, and graham walk out the club but have employed crap like Nzogbia on 2 or 3 times the wage, we need accountability for not replacing Milner, Young, Downing, Benteke, Delph etc properly, what has happened to the 5 year plan, North Stand redevelopment,. The old argument of MoN wasting millions doesn’t wash anymore, those were some of the best times we have seen at VP in my lifetime, yes he wasted money on crap, but so has every manager since, but without the success/good times he had.
But since then we have been told the finances are in order( they won’t be with over £100-£125m less coming in per annum), yet the decline has been accelerated to the point of relegation and irreparable damage through Lerner, Faulkner, Fox and co and the stupid choices of manager since O’Neill and the pay offs to get/sack them.. We do need to start planning for the championship and how we are going to get back up. Pressure needs to be put on the scum that have run our club into the ground, this has been coming for the 5/6 years we have been sleep walking into capitulation, my worry is Lerner will hang around and finish the job assisted Fox, where they line there pockets as we sink through the divisions
B62,
I’m afraid that we – the fans – have to take an awful lot of the flak for the current fiasco. There’s not much point in calling him/them names, and that only adds to the fans responsibility as I see it. Name calling has been endemic for too long now – with what benefit?
1. Wind back nearly 10 years – the glee that greeted the replacement of Doug – and he being called all kinds of verbage that I wouldn’t print. Though I know Doug’s faults, I’d still prefer him i.c. – if he were young enough.
2. Being taken in by Lerner’s splash on the club’s infrastructure and his support for Acorns. And the (conniving) drivel put out by Krulak every week, which the fans lapped up.
3. For me the writing was on the wall towards the end of 2009 – and confirmed when I got booted at the beginning of 2010. I warned then of the kind of situation that existed at VP, but everyone took it as sour grapes from me. Understandably. But other people were booted out of VP at the time – not just me – for queer reasons. Good people too, and yet I know certain people who said it was OK.
4. How Houllier was treated by the fans. Yet – compared to the managers and situations since – I’d guess that a lot would have Houllier back. Maybe Garde is a Houllier replica.
Essentially, the fans saw a silver lining in Lerner’s regime that didn’t start to evaporate until 2 or 3 years ago. Yet if you were on the inside the reality was as clear as day, 6 years ago.
And didn’t we get enough warnings from the Cleveland Browns?
Hello John,
Lerner totally lost me when he appointed Ginger, the most bizarre appointment in the history of football.
Regarding Remi, although in my opinion he has blundered a few times since he arrived, i much prefer his thoughtful approach, although i can’t see him lasting long at VP. Possibly this club, and indeed most British clubs, need the clenched fist approach, someone like Pearson who would thump slackers like Zog and Agbonlahor rather than give them numerous undeserved chances.
Anyway, good luck Remi.