Hi everyone,
I recorded a new podcast with Dan Bardell (Birmingham Mail, AVillaFan.com) talking about some key talking points from the use of Kozak ahead of Gestede, to the appointment of Steve Hollis as the new chairman.
The podcast will be available via iTunes from episode 2 onward but until then, please have a listen directly on the website and let me know what you think!
Download via the link below:
http://www.astonvillalife.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AVL_Podcast-Episode_001.mp3
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
The Author
Matt Turvey
Matt is the owner of, and chief writer for, Aston Villa Life. He is also a columnist for the Wolverhampton Express & Star, appearing in the Kick Off pullout on Saturdays and the Final Whistle pullout the Monday after Aston Villa play, as well as every Thursday as a blogger on their website. He has previously been featured as a writer on Football365 and Life's A Pitch, and was a regular pundit for Sports Tonight TV on Sky.Comments 19
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Hi Matt,
An excellent podcast to start, and very impressed. I am sure everyone will enjoy it.
I am going to reprint Steve Hollis’s letter, so that anyone can read it, that may have missed it:
Dear Paul,
It is a privilege for me to take the Chair of Aston Villa albeit we are witnessing one of the most difficult periods in the Club’s history. It is perhaps this challenge to help turnaround our Club’s fortunes that persuaded me that I could, as Chairman, make a contribution that will help lead the Club to better times.
My background is working in and leading large complex people businesses. I started my career in Birmingham over 30 years ago and then worked in London and extensively overseas. My job has been to drive change and bring out the best in talented individuals.
So when Randy first approached me to see if I would be interested in Chairing the Club my initial reaction was that whilst this is very flattering to be considered for this role I am not a football man and I must politely decline. However, Randy was very clear the Club does not need a football man as its Chairman, it needs someone who is proven at driving change in large complex organisations. The rest is history.
I do not underestimate the scale of the challenge that lies ahead and I am also clear that the problems we face now have been in the making for the past five years. I am also clear that the long term solution to the Club’s future rests in building a stable high quality team on and off the field and I look forward to working with Tom Fox and Remi Garde to deliver this.
The Premier League business model has and is changing. The skills gap in the 20 clubs first team squads is narrowing every year. Well run so called small Clubs have no fear from so called big Clubs. This trend will continue and the Clubs that will prosper will be those that have hard work and great attitude at the core of their values. A proud heritage has no respect in a very competitive market ¬ whatever the business. Money no longer buys success, our future lies in a passion for excellence and standards that will not accept anything but the best. A winning culture is addictive and this is one habit I want to see back in this great Club.
For this culture change to be successful you have a key role to play. Frankly given the Club’s performance in recent years and months the frustration and emotional outpouring seen over the last few weeks is understandable. You want to see improvement. More than this you rightly demand to see improvement.
As the new Chairman I ask you to please keep supporting the team. You are the 12th man and when confidence is low do not underestimate the critical role you will play. Together we can drive the change we all want to see in our Club’s fortunes. Whatever happens to the Club this season our job is to build a culture that we can all be very proud of and a culture that will deliver sustainable outperformance. I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the forthcoming games.
Steve Hollis
Chairman
I feel that Lerner at last, has made a sensible appointment, as all businesses need a Steve Hollis type to be successful financially. The biggest failure of new business, is not having a financial background to develop it.
The appointment of Brian Little as the football man, will be also a step in the right direction, the attraction of Mervyn King, will also be, the other people that can be attracted to new energetic Villa board.
Give ourselves a chance to see what develops now over the coming weeks.
Good listen. Agree with everything really.
A huge game today. If we win and results go our way today, we are right back In it. If we slip back to anything more than we are now, we won’t survive. Get the win again
I do worry about our lack of pace and width though. Our left side of sissy and Westy lacks so much quality
But, let’s see. Bunn better start again, and Libor
Hiya Frem hope you had a good xmas mate . See you soon in new year .
excellent Matt interesting listen
Feeling good today would love a Villa win!
Newcastle signing Shelby makes it even tougher to stay up then again it’s up to us to keep winning!
Utv
Afobe for the cherries. Yikes gotta hope Norwich and Swansea are weak.
Utv
Bunn is doing very well. Great piece of skill by Vardy. Where is Grealish? Come on lads rescue a point!
Kozak and Gestede with no Gil hmmmm… r u sure Monsieur Martin?
No luck when you’re at the bottom, definite PK for Kozak.
Ayew is an exciting talent. Gana`s done well today.
UTV
What remi at gil our best player compared to Westwood vertout,put Richards on up midfield
Rudi rudi rudi finally bit of luck come on
Its high again on kozak ,about 30 games since villa have won a match they were behind in
Needed the win. Lots of fight, though.
Yes another spirited performance against don’t forget the team who are top of the table.
Will Remi start Kozak again. It would appear Rudi has earned the start but alongside Kozak. I personally would like to see Jack back in but many would disagree with me. I thought there were some big performances today especially in defence (minus being caught out once by Vardy’s lightning pace and one bit of magic). Not counting us out just yet but I feel the creativity is still lacking and Jack is the only potential source of that outside of Gil (and Ayew and occasionally Veretout). A real shame that Adama is so injury prone as his pace and trickery could be a source of game winners when we need 3 instead of 1 but that sums up this season but then again it has been a long time coming. Time to rebuild and it looks like we are assembling a good mgmt group and I would definitely give Remi the chance to build us up and bring us back stronger!
UTV
Dear god that was painfull. How are lester top, they are crepe. Vertout was horrendous, ayew and gill missing most of the game.
Im not sure we really showed fight, just lester always happy to concede possession and counter. Miracle we scored. Painfully short of quality through out the pitch. Tis why we are 10 adrift i guess! Debuchy coming on loan for s few months is the most pointless transfer in history. Just put richards rb for f sake and save the money. Put it towards a gk and st.
Austin off for 4mill byrami the leeds rb off for 3 mill
Dear god its frustrating seeing these players out our reach
Completely lost my voice this evening. So good to be enjoying watching villa play again. Real credit to the manager and players who don’t seem to accept at all that the position is hopeless.
If only we’d seen this effort earlier but hey let’s enjoy it now.
Couldn’t understand him bringing on Gestede for Gil, but that’s by he’s manager and I’m not . . . . We looked threatening and it really felt as if we could go on to win it.
Disgusted by the referee and his assistant. . . how can the whole crowd clearly see the penalty and they couldn’t? ( I haven’t seen it played back so I hope I don’t regret saying that!)
Please please keep this spirit going lads!
Normally a point against a team top of the league would be classed as a good result, however in our position only wins will do( although TBF we have been down for a long while now) if any miracle is to happen. We are running out of games and even the most optimistic of fans must surely be resigned to a protracted period in the lower leagues of English football. We are now 9 points off Newcastle 10 in reality because of the GD, they looked a very decent footballing side yesterday and Shelvey is a very good buy at £12m in today’s market , they are also looking at Townsend and are in talks, again at a price we can no longer compete at, and this is the problem. The influx of TV money has pushed the transfer prices higher as it has the wages, we are not competing in this league in either and now are paying the price with certain relegation, thus missing out on the new mega deal. Bournemouth yes bournemouth are light years ahead of us now and have been extremely pro active in the jan window to ensure they aren’t dragged back into a dog fight. Looking around the bottom 6 clubs its obvious why we are going down in comparison to others, we have no striker that scores on a regular basis and we have only won 2 matches, this is appalling as is the dearthof quality in our squad. We don’t actually deserve to be in this league and soon won’t be. Garde has in recent weeks stemmed the tide a touch, but it’s far to little to late, why wevent the likes of Hutton, Guzan, Richardson, Richards etc removed from the fir earlier, why persist with underpinning crap players who are costing matches on a weekly basis, why not change things around he has left it too late, and still no January reinforcements, because we are so far adrift no one wants to come here and I can’t blame them. Unless Norwich /Newcastle massively implode and we go on a run of title winning proportions, we are down.
At least we are showing a bit of fight which could bode well for next season, the problem is anyone that shows any promise will be sold leaving us with utter dogs hit like Hutton, Guzan, Richardson, Westwood etc etc and these clowns aren’t good enough for the championship.
B62
Agree whole heartly on your post
Sunday supplement today again blasting Lerner rein of villa
As for yesterday how did huth get away with elbow smash,red card for that offence 99 times out of 100
What was shelvey at yesterday seen clip more looked like an off ball offence
James, I thought that Huth’s attack on Kozak should have given us a penalty however having listened to the helpful unbiased BBC MOTD experts I now appreciate that the professional wrestling ‘clothesline’ attack is an acceptable and recognised action in your own penalty area. . . . . how silly do I feel for not k owing that!
Excellent listen chaps .