These days, trying to write anything constructive about Aston Villa Football Club is a real struggle.

Even in the last 2 or 3 months of last season, we somehow found a sense of buoyancy and hope that had been generated with the advent of Tiger Tim, and we even got to a cup final. But that final – and the couple of league games preceding it – produced a reversal to numbness amongst us that Villa could have fallen away so badly. Virtually nothing has gone right since.

In fact, however, apart from the thumping at Everton, no team has give us a thrashing this season. Even the 1-3 defeats at Spurs and Sunderland resulted from a goal right at the end of play to make the scoreline look more drastic. So close to a few wins, yet so very, very far.

But all these non-win results have come about from two main factors – lack of defensive quality (and gaffes) and lack of achievement in the penalty area. The hallmarks of a relegation team.

The defensive gaffes speak for themselves, but what about the attack? From time to time, there has been real quality exhibited by the attackers. The following stick in my mind:

1. The Traore run and centre and Gil’s glorious volley as recent as last Saturday.
2. Ayew’s goals – all of them good.
3. Gestede’s determination and skill in scoring his two at Liverpool.

But, sadly, these have been mere isolated lights of joy amidst very average attempts, other than a couple of shots by Veretout of late that probably deserved better.

By the way, it’s interesting that Gil’s two goals this season have both come in the 63rd minute, and *all* the other goals from the attackers (Ayew and Gestede) have come from the 62nd minute onwards. Do they not get a sense of urgency until two-thirds through the match? Or is it that they score when the opposition is beginning to tire?

The fact that there have been so few such lights of joy is to me down to one thing: we build up too slowly. We have a lot of midfield craftsmen, but we mostly see the ball criss-crossing the field with very little end-penetration. And the pace at which we do all that allows the opponents to marshall their defence to counter any threat. In the first hour of the match we need more swiftness.

We have lacked an explosive player to open up the opposition, in my opinion. The goal we scored at Sunderland is a great illustration that when we burst forward at pace then we can get a resulting strike. A glorious goal brought about by bringing on a player who, clearly, can devastate the opposition. We remember he did just that on his first appearance at Crystal Palace.

But it’s not just one player we need to rely on, of course. One of the other weaknesses in the team selection has been the regular omission of Gil from the starting line-up. He doesn’t shoot that often, but all his three goals for Villa have been well struck and beautifully placed. And he has enough midfield artistry to keep him in the team, as well, in my opinion. I feel he needs to be a permanent fixture, at the exclusion of Sinclair.

Ayew’s selection is pretty well without argument now, but the worry, of course, is the central striker position. In view of what Gestede demonstrated at Liverpool, I’m hugely disappointed that he hasn’t gone on from there and made his mark. But, of course, he’s of late been lacking quality service from the wings – hence more the need to use Traore as I see it.

In fact we could do with a couple of Traores. Mark Albrighton would do for me.

Share On:
Facebook
Google +
This entry was published on / John Lerwill. Posted in Aston Villa Blog. Bookmark the permalink.

The Author

Profile Photo
John Lerwill
I'm a Villan of more than 60 years standing and an occasional writer on Villa history. For me there is only one football club worth supporting, but I am now wondering whether I will again see anything like the pageant that was paraded under Ron Saunders or even that by Big Ron and Brian Little. My glass, however, is always half-full! Click here for my Villa website.

Comments 377

  1. RichardS

    You have made some astute observations John.

    Truly inspirational words this morning from General Krulak. We simply need to adopt the marine mentality to avoid relegation.

    The problem is the marines have firepower – we don’t!!

    Good grief. These American goons are beyond belief. Fox – Lerner – Krulak, they are an embarrassment to the hard working Villa Fans in Birmingham. They should think before opening their mouths. The rhetoric coming from Villa Park is patronising to the loyal supporters. The situation is truly unbelievable.

    This is a sad demise of our football club.

    AVFC RIP.

  2. Mark King

    Morning JL thank you for an insightful article,

    Unfortunately we lack the dynamic speed merchant up top, Gestede just isn’t that and as you have noted we don’t have any wingers. Its no surprise to me that without Amavi’s quality crossing we have almost no options for gestede. Adama is the only option but requires a solid team behind him which we are not, resulting in the opposition hitting us on the break.

    garde is stuck between covering our ineffectual defence and bolstering the attack, maybe kosak and gestede up top and going route one will be the option until we get a Remy type in. We then need to get in and around them from midfield.

    For me I think we will hopefully see richards at FB okore and lescott restored and sissy LB and will require less bolstering.

    I can’t blame Garde for how he has set up its the common sense approach unfortunately we don’t have much sense. Two players that would change our approach for the better would be Amavi and Gabby unfortunately both are Injured/ or a pain in the harris

  3. DarrenO

    Hi JL

    I’m a fan of what you write and your knowledge of Villa can’t be surpassed but the title is entirely misleading by suggesting there are difference makers that would lead to progress only to sign off by saying we need more Traore’s and a player contracted to Leicester.

    I don’t expect you to have the answers, the club is a shambles and the playing staff have proven not up to the job. Particularly disappointing for me is Garde hasn’t been able to instill any confidence in the defence. Clearly natural ability upfront with the likes of Gil, Ayew and Traore doesn’t need to be trained but it’s my one doubt over Garde. It may be a case of the right manager, wrong time.

    There are no difference makers in the team as evidenced by 1 win in 20, there are just merely flashes of brilliance, in the goals you mention. Which probably makes it worse because we can’t expect a few players to carry an entire team.

    I wait with bated breath to see if Garde get’s the players he wants in and the calibre of them, this will be hopefully further proof that we have a manager in control of team matters and building for the future.

    UTV

  4. Trinity

    Hello John.

    Thanks for putting together an article for us. It’s appreciated. Good on Albrighton for doing so well at Leister.
    RichardS
    Did General Krulak really say that? It’s ridiculous. You’re right about Villa’s lack of firepower. The marines also know how to shoot, attack and defend:-)

  5. RichardS

    Trinity – Yes he did. And your are right regarding – shoot, attack and defend. The Marines also know how to ‘adapt and overcome’ – something the Villa team are incapable of doing when going 0-1 down.

    I am also nervous about the reports regarding Grealish. We should not consider selling him. I know he has not been great this season, but he is a talented footballer. He should be nurtured not sold.

  6. John Lerwill


    DO’R

    ‘Fraid to say the title was not mine! 😉

    If I had supplied the title it would have been simply to say “We Need Speed” – er, the foot-propelled kind! 😉

  7. DarrenO

    JL

    It’s just like working for a red top, all the effort going into the article only to be undermined by the editor looking for an attention grabbing headline 🙂

  8. Roderick Seel (Sam)

    Nice piece JL
    i have been reading and not commenting for some time now, for the life of me i don’t know why i choose now to offer an opinion, but hey.

    Not too long ago we were fourth in the league, fighting in europe and in domestic cup competitions, MON was manager and we were winning 1-0 at home i forget who to. The lad sat next to me was moaning that O’Neil was a shit manager and the club will never win the league if he continues like that. WOW, how insightful was that??

    I have read all the blogs and listened to all the diverse opinions, agreed with some and disagreed with many. But the truth is no-one is listening, the clubs hierarchy are not interested in what we think. We choose to vent in places like this because there are like minded people listening and like the club we support we are sleepwalking into oblivion.

    I find it interesting that Krulac uses the marine analogy, the team too has the unnerving ability to shoot itself in the foot! Sometimes when i look at VP and the number of people who are still paying their hard earned cash to watch that drivel. I cant help wonder what would happen if those 30,000 people were to mobilise and make a concerted effort to bring about change. Wars have been won with far fewer!

    isn’t it time that we stopped whispering on street corners or in locals all over brum, isn’t it time that the mighty villas roar was heard again, isnt it time that we took our great club back from the morons who are ruining it?

    By doing nothing we are as guilty of this demise as they are? you decide.

    VTID

  9. steamer

    Hello John,
    Although i agree with DOR when he says that Remi is the right manager at the wrong time it doesn’t mean i think he hasn’t any weaknesses in his game plan. Gestede isn’t the most mobile and is unsuited to the one up front role, but when he was removed on Saturday, Remi continued the same system albeit with Kozak. We obviously need wins and i find Remi a little too negative, even if Traore only went on those mazy runs three times in game the opposition would have to double up, on Saturday it was three markers and he still put in a cross for Gils goal.

  10. John Lerwill

    Rod (Same):

    Bloomin’ good comment, that! 🙂

    You know, it’s been said that just a 5% swing in opinion can bring about change (in anything), so maybe the time has come.

    However (1) … and this is the downside … this is not 1968 and up against a few near-amateurs on the board. This time we’re up against the United States, including back up from their Marines! The fact that the owner spends his time away from VP doesn’t help at all.

    However (2) … I’ve read somewhere that Lerner will be here next week to unveil the new chairman. That sounds to me like the time to strike if ever there was a time.

    Mind you, if we beat Wycombe 8-3 (or some equally impressive score) I expect all the fans will go back to sleep again!

  12. John Lerwill


    RichardS:

    I shouldn’t worry about the Derby interest.

    1. It’s the most unlikeliest of moves for him. Why would he want to move to a team below?
    2. The media report anything that’s going. We need to be more selective in what we taken on board.

  14. steamer

    JL,
    Only ever took two and missed both.
    Brilliant comments from Rod.
    Look well if our new Chairman was Krulak ! Absolutely imperative that no more Americans come to VP, every piece of evidence proves that they have no expertise of English football.

  15. Paul Pears

    Hi John,

    Another well thought out piece from you.

    I put an extract from Vila’s past history referring to the last time we were relegated, which , to me backs up, sticking to a regular team and getting them to gel, which some of us on here have been backing Remi to do, rather than the wholesale slaughter of the team yet again

    “While some are trashing our existing squad, reflection on our last time of relegation may want to reflect on the following extract from then”- My comment last night.

    ” Many of the team who had played in the relegation season helped to restore Villa to the top flight, including Spink, Keown, Evans, Daley, Birch, and the fine partnership of Aspinall and Thompson. These players, along with the likes of Bernhard Gallacher, David Platt, Kevin Gage and Alan McInally, put smiles back on the faces of Villa supporters. The 1987-88 season would definitely prove to be the sunshine after the rain.”

    Graham Taylor managed to turn round a failed and inexperienced squad

  16. Mark King

    I Like Adama’s directness but his crossing is so hit and miss. First cross went front post where nobody had gambled, watching his video when we first signed him this is where 80% of his crosses go. Second I think went to gil in space, Now that was a flat cross whipped in about 9 yards from the byline after running half the pitch, now if he could maintain that standard (which I assumed was really meant for gestede) brilliant. Unfortunately the next 3 went out of the back of the box. He is so quick and bulky I think the lad will struggle to make those type of runs consistently without gassing out. Even though he doesn’t try to hard on the defensive side maybe it just as much down to the effort expended in going on a run.

    Our biggest problem at Villa since Lambert arrived has been fullbacks and the reliance on them for service to a big man up top IMO. Until Amavi I don’t think we have had one anywhere near the quality required. Given that it was Lamberts and Tims main source of crosses isn’t it a joke it has taken up until now to get Amavi? and sods law he got injured. Having no natural wingers I am not surprised Garde has persisted with hutton down one side and also sods law Adama plays on the right. No surprise that he is looking at Debuchy on loan though.

    If we got a Remy type up top (someone with a bit of everything) instead of gestede I think we would see a completely different style of play mixing up counter attack with balls into the box emerging. It will require that front man (seems like gabby is not the one) A quality DM like the swiss lad from Leicester and a quality RB (seems like remi has settled on cissoko at LB) then we could see a big difference and Gil, Grealish and Adama would be less risky options

  17. steamer

    Well Malfitano and Mandanda are off to fresh pastures and they ain’t in Birmingham, even the freebies are saying no thanks.

    Ten years time and the quiz question will be ‘which was the only team Villa beat during the 2015/16 season ?’

  18. Mark King

    from grulaks’s speech does this mean Lerner is coughing up £25-30M?? i would very much doubt it

    “I speak to Randy almost every day.

    “He is a man of high values and integrity — the equal of anyone I have ever known.

    “His word is his bond. Nobody has their sights set on anything other than staying up and Randy is backing the manager 100 per cent.”

    Begs the question does Krulak know many people??? 🙂

  21. James Gill

    Mark k
    Your coming round to my thinking at last,but you are on about traore crossing before Xmas don’t know what site it was on but diagram on Hutton crossing over 90 percent either edge of box useless or out for goal kick,a few rudi should have scored from,as for rudi I and plenty others can’t figure out why kozak not playing when he came on at Sunderland his positioning was miles better than rudi,

  23. Mark King

    JG-been there for month mate but we sold all the wingers, albrighton,graham. Kosak its a mystery unless its because we have just bought Getsede and we have had offers for Kosak? Tim didn’t fancy him either.

    steamer- 🙂

  24. RichardS

    Roderick – an excellent comment.

    We should support the team but let Lerner and Fox know hoe we feel about their mismanagement.

    They are complete morons.

    Let the protest begin.

  25. steamer

    Judging by some of the players turning us down i think its fair to say that we’re now a joke on the continent as well as the UK. I’d say there is a very good chance that AVFC will be a dead parrot in five years or less. It takes a great talent to absolutely destroy an institution like AVFC in less than six years and not actually realise what your doing, even Herbert never quite managed it. To be honest, rather than continue with this humiliation i’d prefer that Lerner just resigned from the league and folded the club, what was that stupid quote of his again “even if we’re relegated, we’re still Aston Villa.” How dare he use the word “we.”

  27. John Lerwill

    Mark,

    Adama – yes, his crosses can go astray, but the point is that he was on for just 25 mins and almost immediately created that goal. He did the same at CP. Not only that he was at least showing some life and made a terrific tackle by the corner flag that somehow got interpreted as a bad foul for which he got a yellow. The referee was not v. good. The issue is he looked a lot more lively than Jack and a much more dangerous player too.

    Gestede If we can’t get balls through to him then we’re not going to get balls through to anyone are we? The point of my article is that we spend too much time ponerously thinking a way through … and it all has to be speedied up for us to get anything. And some better shooting is required.

    Paul,

    Interesting notes about what GT achieved in using those players. However, apart from Spink, Daley and Platt, none of those survived long, did they? That squad was good enough to *just about* get us out of the second tier, but not good enough to do well in the top one. The first season back in the top flight nearly came to us being relegated again.

  29. Mark King

    JL- I don’t disagree with the speed aspect just the accuracy, If gestede is it then from what I have seen it is hit and miss, mainly miss. The other problem is if they don’t time it right as we have also seen we are still charging forward trailing in Adama’s wake as the ball is lost only for it to be launched back up field leaving us open.
    The fact Gil got into the box is what we should be looking for, at least 3 bodies in the box regardless of who crosses it or we are wasting our time. That’s why I suggested Kosak up with Gestede if we go that route.

  32. John Lerwill

    Mark,

    No, it’s not just about speed … Adama’s body language tends to tell me that he’s out there to make a difference. And does: he wants to get involved. I can’t much see that in Jack – unfortunately.

    It could be that having Adama on for 90 minutes is not realistic, but I think he’s certainly well worth a full half of the match on the pitch.

    And it’s not just getting Gil into the box … it’s getting *anyone* into the box! The commentators quite rightly state there’s lack of movement from the Villa players. Now that maybe just lack of confidence, but with a player like Traore supplying ammo, they could get woken up.

  33. Mark King

    Jl- On jack me neither such a shame, Gil is the first player other than Vertoute I’ve seen try to get in the box it must be about confidence, also timing Adama cannot be easy he is such a one off and unpredictable not like Young or downing used to be.

  34. B62 Villa

    AVFC were the subject of choice on Talksport drive, whilst driving home with plenty of Villans phoning in. Shay Given has said we are down and have to offload any big earners and surplus players, as we have to focus in the championship.
    Plenty saying JG looks set for a loan to Derby with a view to a permanent deal, they feel he is being made a bit of a scapegoat for the team/managers/CEO /Owners failings. GA to wolves aswell is a rumour
    A lot not happy with Garde either, believing he is a TF yes man and not up to the job. With the window now open and the silly season back, it will be interesting to see who we sell/give away and if we are bringing anyone in, and of what calibre .
    Given is right, staying up isn’t going to happen, a 12 point swing in 18 games is a miracle too far, many don’t think we will win another game this season. We have to approach the rest of the season as a fresh start and try and get as many points as possible. This window could well set the tone for next season and what our ambitions are, if RL, TF and RG are still her, I will write next year off as we will be struggling in the lower echelons of the championship rather than a concerted effort at a quick return.

  35. steamers75

    on five live this morning about 5-30 they had this yank on saying how the premier league is turning into the biggest watched sport over there , there is one game a week free then pay per view for the rest with over 20 million watching the games and he said the stats made the reading that more over there watched the games than here ,and that with this new payment of sky it should make the league a bit more competetive and that the yank owners over here are pushing there team profile , but forget about the villa there then , and as its only Prem games we can forget about getting a following next year , l think a few would like the terminology they use during the game , heres one , 90% left upper , take a guess .
    B62 thanks for that message the other day mate , but lm with you and what Given says , were down , l havent met one villa fan in the flesh who thinks were staying up . even die hards who lm ringing up about a 60th next week are saying were down , most season ticket holders . but aint bothering next season as they reckon you’ll get tickets if you want to go down the park ,
    Hi JL , them books have gone down well again but its causing a few arguments as to why l havent got some of the others one )) oh hum , hope you and yours had a good xmas ,
    Jenny xxxxxx hope your well xx

  36. steamer

    Only a complete moron would sell Grealish, OK he’s not performed this season in a team of idiots but potentially, when he does move it won’t be for the peanuts that Derby will pay. George Graham went for 6,000 quid in the sixties when we were being run into the ground and it looks like those days are returning. Our only hope is that the new chairman isn’t American and actually knows a bit about footy and curtails the idiot Fox because sure as eggs are eggs this gobshite will finish AVFC.
    Someone mentioned that Lerner is planning to stick around for two years for the parachute payments and then sell Villa for 70m to get his $$$ back, and some planks reckon he’s a ‘good guy.’
    Can see some psycho writing Fox off at the AGM if he has the goolies to turn up.

  41. James Gill

    Steamer
    Garde smells of a bully drops grealish fines him
    Drops gabby fans happy
    But keeps playing 4/5 worst ever players why
    Why is Lerner not panicking thought losing over 100 m next year alone or has he been taking management fees loan repayments every year doesn’t care he has money back when you add up spending since he took over minus sales it doesn’t amount that much a season
    And worst spell of spending was after Mon walked
    Ireland bent makoun fees 30 m wages over 30 m for less than 100 app
    Then McLeish year
    Zog 10 m fee wages nearly 17 m for 63 app 5 goals
    Given 4,5m wages about 14 m for 37 app had to be paid off
    Hutton 4,5 fee wages 8 m up to new contract where prior to this season didn’t manage 50 app in 4 years but had made 33 on loan at 3 clubs
    Thank you chubby and fox two of biggest chances conmen to walk the world and along with crap owner ruined great club

  43. B62 Villa

    Steamer
    I hope that Berbatov rumour is BS, as that is what we don’t need in our position, a mercenary over the hill work shy bugger who won’t bring much to the party or be here next season.

  44. James Gill

    Today’s headlines in mirror sign players on a Bowman well go back summer 2014 buffoon Lambert in charge
    Two center halves on frees lescott senderous
    He signs senderous 20 months later 8 appearances for villa in between we give wba 1.5 m for lescott
    Joe Cole comes on free less than 10 appearances we have to pay him to go to Coventry
    Jena’s comes on loan less than 30 mins football no injury clause in contract
    Ilor here for just over 4 months at a cost wages loan fee no football played now pool want him back to go in team

  45. James Gill

    Today’s headlines in mirror sign players on a Bowman well go back summer 2014 buffoon Lambert in charge
    Two center halves on frees lescott senderous
    He signs senderous 20 months later 8 appearances for villa in between we give wba 1.5 m for lescott
    Joe Cole comes on free less than 10 appearances we have to pay him to go to Coventry
    Jena’s comes on loan less than 30 mins football no injury clause in contract
    Ilor here for just over 4 months at a cost wages loan fee no football played now pool want him back to go in team
    What a joke

  46. Heroes-and-Villans

    James

    The phrase ran into the ground was made for us.

    This is like a nightmare i cant wake from, everything about villa which i used to worry about for most of my life is now happening.

    If we dont get these next 2 transfer windows right the championship will eat us alive.

  47. Clive Evans

    For once everyone is in agreement on here – we are doomed………….unless a miracle happens.
    As JL states we have not had a drumming for some time and the last minute additional goals have been when we have been pressing for a draw.
    The defensive lapses (Richards is a full back not a central defender) have resulted in Guzan’s poor form and vice versa; we lack a leader at the back as well as a left back.
    I agree with those who says we will not attract anyone in our present state, not even a loan player. Living abroad I don’t get to see the reserves but surely we have some players there who are hungry for success or are they all out on loan to next season’s local rivals?

  48. steamer

    All those rumours were on Sky Sports so i don’t have any idea how reliable they are.

    How can any club get themselves in a position when they’re called “an abomination ?” it just shows the type of vermin that we have at the club, apart from being incompetent they should be booted or being scum.

  51. steamers75

    Cant see what the fuss is about Traore being out for 10 weeks. Hes only played about 80mins for us anyway . So dont think Remi going to be upset about him being out .

  53. John Lerwill

    S&5/Andrew,

    You two have been eating the wrong food today methinks! 😉

    The kid has produced more attacking in his 80 minutes (or whatever it is) than any other attacker bar Ayew.

    I’d suggest we’ve lost one of those that have given a bit of hope – as Amavi did, and who we’ve lost.

  54. Heroes-and-Villans

    John i agree, thats why i have mentioned and been hoping for an arm around the shoulder and to say to him your def playing the next 4 or 5 games, show me what you got. All he has had is 10 mins here and there. Pointless.

    Linked to a few Gooner players today. If we come out of jan with a rb, gk, st, cb and cdm it will feel like winning the league!

  55. Heroes-and-Villans

    Also should be saying the same to Gill…the mans a match winner, sure he may go missing a bit but he is capable of that killer pass or goal, bit of magic. Give him a proper run for christ sake, get his confidence up.

  56. Heroes-and-Villans

    Been watching alot of championship footy….i really like the look of middleborough LB friend going to be class. Also sheff wed foriegn striker looks class.

    Besic again for toffeess last night looks the real deal. I get a feeling the everton fans aint really buying into the everton set up, they seem to get very frustrated with them quickly which is weird cause they have some great young players coming through. Barry was motm last night.

  57. steamers75

    JL
    l cant believe you have bit !! ) l was being ironic )) you’ve had a coffee without the sweetener , but its true as Andrew points out fans have gone crazy about it , but your right to point out he has done more in that 80 mins than anyone else , you’ve seen it, Andrew has and l have , but has Remi ? methinks not ..
    Steamer . Wycombe have put a notice up that for the away fans they are putting a marquee up with bars and saying you can get in early and decorate it , and it seems they know fans will stay in there rather than go watch the game methinks , lv rang Perksy up , ))
    have you seen the flag thats been made for Learner and the games on live . cant wait ……

  58. Heroes-and-Villans

    i think im the only one not excited about possibly signing debuchy. Just shows how our management dont plan or think at all. Debuchy on loan is just a waste of time and money. Get Birami in, time to settle etc and ready for next season…is that too much sense?

  60. John Doyle

    read all comments today but for me it is the young players that have to start now give them games letting Gardner go is stuped the old shi te like guzan Hutton Richards if gw won’t play full back geste the crab scabby n zog Richardson all need paying up and got rid off every other player at the club besides grelish should be put up for transfer and if we could get 20 mill for the whole lot we would be very lucky go and get Rowett from the blue noses and give it to him to spend as he has built team that is arguably as good as ours that cost 100mill plus for less than 1 mill now there are facts not pie in the sky bull shi te and the facts also say we were 4 points from safety when this lump of french turd was appointed we are now 12 points and you can have yourself 50 to 1 vill staying up which quite simply we are already down so wake up happy clappers an empyy villa park is the only thing that will get change so fuc kin wake up or if this lump of french turd is kepy along with fox and co the old 3 div days will seem like the top of the prem

  61. steamers75

    JL
    have a brain deader its been wonderful for me the past few weeks , even forget how bad we’ve been , then steamer drops round ((
    that books got me in trouble as some now saying lv got favourites in our lot , which is true l suppose ,

    Steamer where was you today , could have done with you on this fault at a job , why do people mess with electrics , this couple should be dead , noses though so no big loss )))

  62. Jenny Truman

    Hello John ,

    Good to see you back writing here again ! I agree with what you say – particularly with Adama who is a very exciting player with bags of potential .

    Seems we are in the position where if it can go wrong , it will go wrong though as just heard on talk sport that Adama is out for ten weeks – foot injury. What a blow for the lad and the club .

  64. Frem

    Gutted about Adama but Garde will be happy. Didn’t play him anyway.

    The thought that Sinclair will play most games now is worse than us not winning in 19 games. One of the worst forwards I’ve ever seen play football. Level who Gabby. Horrible player to watch

    Hope Garde signs a striker now, and a winger who can play football. Send Shitclair to forest green or something

  66. Mark King

    Clive- just read that article about or many frailties and I 100% agree with it, I have been saying the same for weeks. People wonder why Garde doesn’t take a more offensive stance its because we are crippled by so many frailties we get left wide open, when we do create chances they are fluffed. I still say if we could of fielded the team that played against wet spam we would have at least 4-6 more points and a smaller safety gap.

    I hope we get Any right back that’s going, Debuchy would be fine as long as Garde picks him because unless Richards plays there we are stuffed. cissoko looked solid on the whole and if we can make the defence actually work then the attacking layers might be able to do just that attack.

  67. Heroes-and-Villans

    Mark

    Whats the point of getting debuchy? It really does defy belief to me non of the management are planning long term and given us a chance to come back up first attempt. Debuchie aint playing in the championship so why waste the money? Wheres the plan and thinking behind it? And gg who proved to do well in that league is prob being sold. Is it just me who thinks these are basic management skills??

  68. steamer

    Andrew,
    Who knows whats going on at any level at VP ? common sense has gone out the window, will someone explain to Lerner that AVFC is an English association football team fro Birmingham currently in the Premier League, he seems slightly confused as he’s running it like a third rate American football team using a failed fizzy pop salesman and under qualified clowns who wouldn’t get a job anywhere else in football.

  69. Mark King

    Andrew- because this squad is low on quality and Garde will not of given up and nor should he.

    Maybe he has targets for right back that he cannot get at this point without paying over the odds? The 2 Loan spots have been cleared because for six months we can get a couple of quality players in at little cost instead of paying out on long contracts, instead of someone like Ilori who was a punt at best.

    When and if we hit the championship then that is the time to buy at championship prices not prem prices. By all means identify your targets but pay over the top January prem prices would be far more stupid.

    If we are going to fill our obvious faults in the team and try and stay up with one eye on the championship we have to box clever.

    If we are going for survival only we should do what it takes but as we have seen not many will commit to a club at the bottom with seemingly no hope.

    All this buy now for the championship is being used as a stick to beat the management for obvious reasons we hate them, Garde is being lumped in with Lerner, Fox and Krulak which is unfair IMO. He is working with two arms and a leg tied behind his back in so many ways its painful.

    In his short Tenure he has been asked to save us from the drop, clear out players that are divisive and have been on wage ride at the club for to long, give the team with the lowest confidence stretching back years (delph, Benteke,cleverly Vlaar all gone only the dregs left) Restructure a broken club and prepare for next season!!!???

    Maybe he isn’t the right man for a short term fight and has been brought in for his long term vision , work with Lyons academy and obvious advantage of being French with £40m spent on French players. I think he’s tried to get the best out of the hand he’s been dealt when you take in our ability to beat ourselves and its a shame moyes coach couldn’t agree to join as he would of provided a link for Remi to reach the English Layabouts erm players.

  70. Heroes-and-Villans

    Mark

    I dont know mate, it still seems pointless to me if we got Debuchi on loan. Rather someone from reserves.
    To me it just seems to make sense to use this window to help us all we can for next season, sam byrami would be a great signing for us at rb and out of contract in the summer, at least try for him.

    But saying all that it must be impossible to convince a half decent player to join us such is the mess we are now in. Take Byrami, he will have 5 or 6 prem clubs looking for him, where on the list would villa be for clubs he wants to join 🙁

    Sacking off the high paid crepe and playing the kids would be ok to me.

  71. Mark King

    Exactly Andrew IMO that’s why we will clear out what we can get loans in and maybe buy 1-2 but mostly they will be cutting the likes of cole, Nzogbia adrift.

  72. runtings

    Debuchi would be a very welcome loan for me as we have no quality in that position and we have lost too many games already because of it

    i don’t agree that the club should just give up on the prem – Garde seems to be taking a fair amount of stick for a mess which completely inst of his making – but unless we want to see Hutton and Richardson constantly playing other players that are clearly more competent than them need to be brought in

    Hopefully we get more experience and talent in and win some bleedin games — our youth team won’t be able to reverse the slump imo

  74. Jenny Truman

    Whoever is manager at AV is in a no win situation and will be criticised whatever they do. Fight for prem survival and they are called delusional . Prepare for championship they are called defeatist . we all know buying in January doesn’t give you the best buys – which is why Fergue and Wenger try not to do it . I wouldn’t throw the kids in either as it’s just not fair on them when they’re not going to make a difference .

  75. Mark King

    To be honest Jen without Adama we have no wingers, we have 2 in the youth side in Sellars and Green who could do a job IMO, out and out wing play doesn’t require you to be huge. Its a risk but not in the sense of playing in defence or midfield or CF.

  78. James Gill

    As of now the only dealings that villa should be doing is firing fox and all appointed by him,one thing that is clear from Lerner he has not got staff around him worth shit,could do with a couple sugars people from apprentice claud that new woman put them in room with fox Reilly alstad for one hour show them how useless they are
    Get people in to run club let them watch remi to end of season if not making headway go to Pearson Moyes model get up first time to repair years of damage by Faulkner fox Reilly alstad Lambert Sherwood get rid of players
    Guzan bunn Hutton Richards Richardson lescott Westwood zog sendross Gabby crespo
    Keep to get up
    Richards Clark rudi Sinclair
    Keep long term
    Amavi vertout gana ayew gil freakish traore

  79. Mark King

    JG I would be amazed if Richards stays if we drop, the reason he is playing CH is he thought he had a shot at the euro’s, its been the worst decision amongst many to allow him to do so. wouldn’t be surprised if Clark goes too along with Sinclair.

  85. Heroes-and-Villans

    gg off to forest on loan but villa wanted to swap him with burke whoever that is.
    Just read an article on how Bournemouth (if they stay up) will be able to out muscle ac milan in ££ stakes such is the amount of money being made available from next seasons sky deal. Yep well done villa you have picked the worst possible time in footballing history to go down. It really is a bloody unbelievable nightmare.

    We are the next forest/Leeds.

  86. steamers75

    Read it Mark but l think even an idiot would know we had problems before he came , jeez we’ve had 5 years of shite ,
    had a long hard think about going to Wycombe , but going to take Jessie to chester to spend her xmas money instead ,

  87. steamers75

    Andrew
    just had 3 of the steamers here and they said the same as you mate ,
    Staemer just had Coog + round jeez these lot have just got rid of my xmas chocolate got your invite to coogs 60th Feb at Irish center and it is jammy’s new place , and they said we’ll drop round more often ((( lm fucking moving now ,
    have you got your head around you new phone yet ??

  88. steamer

    Another Villa agent, James Vaughan signs for the mealies.

    Think Calder is back from Dundee, he may get a game.
    Disappointed that GG has gone, must have passed a fitness test so why let him go ? He’d get in either of the two central MF slots.
    Richards may HAVE to play RB if Huttons out and Remi wants Bacuna at LB or MF.
    Does anyone actually believe Aggy is injured ?

  89. steamer

    S75,
    Just been walking round Sheldon and kept hearing this crepe music, after five minutes i realised it was my ring tone, so the answer is NO, where’s those tin cans and string.

  90. steamers75

    Steamer
    give it Belle , she can work it out quicker , and will get a intelligent conversation with her , also got her a lamb shank bone as went coleshill hotel for dinner yesterday . crap mate .

  91. Paul Pears

    Great to see Nigel Kennedy having his say on Villa, maybe Randy may actually see the article..!!

    Get the feeling that Wenger is prepared to help Remi with players to keep Villa up, provided that the players are willing to come.

    Nice to see the Mail poll give a 92% vote for Richards to be a RB rather than a CB. Will he take notice.

  92. Heroes-and-Villans

    As soon as okore was fit the obvious was to put richards rb okore lescott whoever lb.
    To my untrained eye thats just basic, why cant remi see richards lost at cb and hutton crepe at rb?

    Steamer, im beyond annoyed gg left. We could have him running the show for us next season in the champ. Why not give him a run now in the prem for us? Is he worse than sanchez or west?!! Albrighton mark 2 🙁

    Steamet75

    Im not too sure many realise the deep affect the new deal will have…we are going the be light years behind, its a disater

  93. steamer

    Yes Andrew, we have a team of mainly talentless dummies who don’t give a ff and then get rid of a potentially decent player without giving him go.
    To be honest i lost any enthusiasm for AVFC years ago and reading the blogs so have a lot of others, do we have enough young fans to keep the faith or are they all Untied, Chelsea and Arsenal ?
    No players from the ‘best league in the world’ in the European team of the year then, Hutton must be peeved.
    Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich and Germany).

    Defenders: David Alaba (Bayern Munich and Austria), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid and Spain), Dani Alves (Barcelona and Brazil), Gerard Pique (Barcelona and Spain).

    Midfielders: Andres Iniesta (Barcelona and Spain), Paul Pogba (Juventus and France), James Rodriguez (Real Madrid and Colombia).

    Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona and Argentina), Neymar (Barcelona and Brazil) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid and Portugal).

  94. Mark King

    I think Remi was referring to a group or at least the mentality of a group that’s been at villa a while. Led I would think by the gabmeister, as Steamer says is he injured?

    On GG I’m gutted but maybe Forest are taking him and hoping he plays as he did for them last season? so a bit of a punt for them. Every time the lad puts on a villa shirt he gets injured. Don’t know what he does in training but it can’t be that impressive to Garde. For me he’s a matchday player so unless he gets on the pitch you won’t see the best of him.

  95. Mark King

    Iloris another weird one, I think Liverpool are short and have approached him, so after being injured for the majority of his stay the new manager Klopp wants to see him in F.A. cup, Expect him to play like Beckenbauer on speed. Saw him play once for the U21’s thought he looked steady but nowt special at he time.

  96. James Gill

    mark k
    if gg had been bought like helnius would you care,he is 23 now any going to cut at decent level to injury prone
    remi starting to sound like sherwood saying villa problems go back past last summer think sherwood said last match villa have major problems like other 2 gutter snipes lambert mcleish preached after they took 30ty pieces silver

  98. Mark King

    JG- If I hadn’t watched GG play for years in the stiffs and seen his huge potential plus the 18 games for forest and 4 cracking goals, no I wouldn’t be bothered but I did so I am mate. GG will do himself no harm if he plays like he did at forest last season and makes Garde take note.

    PP- I think that is the aim, clearing squad numbers too.

  99. B62 Villa

    So ilori doesn’t get a start or any game time at Villa, recalled and goes straight in for Liverpool( I know it’s a young/changed side). Surely he could have been tried at FB. GG needs to play football, yes I would prefer it was with us, but Forest is a decent chance for him to get a lengthy run in the first team, he prob wouldn’t play if he stayed as we have so much talent in the middle of the park, that have been spurn this season, so it’s understandabl!!!!!!!!
    I suspect that Villa will go for loans this window, they will be thinking let’s not pay money out until it’s confirmed which league we are in( reality is it will be championship) and they won’t want to be held ransom for players in this short window. We need to be sensible, we are more than likely going to be playing in the football league, with all that goes with it, next season and prob for years to come. The loss of income is such a game changer it’s entirely possible that missing out in the TV money has effectively killed us off as a big ( ish) club with ambition, we will be a yo yo club at best or more than likely stuck in the championship for a very long time like Leeds, Sheff Eds, Forest etc. we may never be able to compete with West Brom again.

  100. Heroes-and-Villans

    B62 damn right about the money. Bournemouth bid 10mill for the wolves striker we were keen on is an example of whats coming. The next few windows for prem teams is going to be oscene. Agents and up and coming players will be rubbing there hands. 200k a week will be the norm soon. I suppose you have to be clever in our position. All these players that will come to the prem will leave some talented youngsters needing a team, snap them up

  101. B62 Villa

    Listening on the radio earlier TS I know, but they do a prediction league with the presenters, ex players, famous people and fans that call in. To day they did predictions for the live FA Cup games, only Peter Hooton( the Farm and Liverpool fan) predicted we would win, everyone else thought we would lose . The tie has been picked because everyone wants to laugh at our demise, they know we will struggle to turn over a struggling Wycombe side and could go out, although I would suggest us winning is more of an upset we are so bad.
    Rumours abound that Lescott is off to LA Galaxy, some suggesting he has said his goodbyes at BMH and tomorrow is his last game.

  102. steamer

    Dear me, if we lose tomorrow the poo really will hit the fan, if it meant F, A and R went i’d accept a 5-0 defeat but it won’t, Lerner will never accept that he makes mistakes and however much the club suffers he’ll stick with them.
    B62,
    Only an opinion but this is why i’d like to stick with Remi, he’s not like most managers, given a bit of patience from the fans he can rebuild AVFC on a budget, most English bosses just moan about lack of money when they fail ( e.g. Lamebert who never used our academy and released 25m of home produced players, Albri, Johnson & Graham ). What we need is a complete clear out of playing staff excluding only Grealish, Gil, Vertout and Amavi.

  105. James Gill

    any one still backing remi garde need to take reality check
    ilor playing tonight yet remi played hutton lescott even richards ahead of him ilor on one leg is better player than hutton with 2
    kozak finally got run out last match all remi can say he can go where rudi who hasnot scored since sep playing every match
    traore i know injured but created more chances or life in team yet only last 2 matches he got more than 10 mins

  107. James Gill

    not watching have nearly stopped watching football completly thanks to lerner, heard a bit on radio ilor not the best but compare him to hutton anyone would be better

  108. Jenny Truman

    I was keen to see how Llori faired tonight and it’s safe to say he won’t be in a Liverpool shirt very soon . Not match fit , not good enough and no wonder two managers at AV haven’t played him. Not his fault he’s not match fit but don’t think he would have made a difference .
    Liverpool’s fielding Theur under 21s plus Benteke demonstrstes that us pushing our young lads in is not the answer either . Liverpool under 21s struggling to beat a league 2 team says it all . And they’ve got Teckers too !!

  122. Heroes-and-Villans

    Leicseter are forecasted to make more in tv money than bayern! Let that sink in and realise what we are about to miss out on.

    Mind you with randy and fox at the helm it dont make much difference to us!!

    Gabby off to the baggies?

  123. Heroes-and-Villans

    Mark

    By the time theres an economic crash we will prob be in league 2 and watford have a team worth 200mill 🙁

    At long bloody last a journo has asked remi about playing micah rb!!!! Says its been in his thoughts

  124. B62 Villa

    Morning all, the magic of the FA Cup is upon us, David v Goliath, anything can happen, its 11v11 and I fancy an upset today, I think Aston Villa may actually win a football match!! Controversial I know, as most people feel Wycombe will turn us over. I had to pass on my chance of a ticket as I’m going to Bristol for a meal and night in a hotel, for my sisters 40th ( which was at the end of dec), normally I would be able to swerve it, but today is also the wife’s birthday and she was never going to turn down a night in a psh hotel and black tie gig, in order to let me go on the piss in Wycombe . What she doesn’t know is our game is live on TV, and hopefully we will just happen to come across it in a pub near the gaff, if we get there early enough( at least the second half).
    Last season the the FA Cup provided some of the vest times watching Villa, well the 1/4 & 1/2 finals, the final itself was an utter embarrassment.
    In a season where we have been utter shit( an understatement) pretty much every game, the cup is a welcome distraction. Next season we will be looking at the draw as a lower league team hoping for one of the big boys, like WBA, AFCB or Watford 🙁

  126. steamer

    Wonder what they’re going to do with the new badge in March ? Uncle Sam possibly, a US marine, Tommy Cooper, a dog turd, whatever its not going to be any good if Lerner & Fox have any say, lets get back to the traditional gold lion in that ornate early 20th century style with Prepared and Aston Villa emblazened in scrolls, never mind AVFC thats for blogs and graffiti.

  128. B62 Villa

    Steamer
    Are we changing the crest??? I fucking hope so this one is as bad as the team , utter shite, embarassing and a poor imitation of what’s gone before. I’d like an updated version of the classic 80’s round badge

  131. southwestvillan

    Morning AVL,

    Well I am back from my backpacking in Oz to find our club in a even bigger mess than before I left how did our board achieve that it is truly a miracle.
    I sat there for almost half an hour trying to explain the demise of Aston Villa to my Aussie friends and at the end all they could say was who the fuck is Aston Villa
    Steamer you surprise me clinging onto any hope from a new chairman don’t you realise that he will be put in that position by the people who have destroyed our club so in essence he will be following a brief from the American idiots so if you think we are going to get some sort of knight in shining armour then I fear you may have missed your meds
    Just watched the BT clip and to hear AVFC described as a abomination of a club makes my blood boil, after nearly sixty years supporting this club I thought I would be immune to it all but it still hurts to see our club go down the pan, when will this nightmare end god only knows and I don’t mean big Paul.

    GSAVFC

  136. steamer

    Peple slagging off Ligue 1, well heres something to think about –

    IFFHS World’s Strongest Leagues of 2015

    1 Spain

    2 Italy

    3 Germany

    4 Argentina

    5 France

    6 Brazil

    7 England

    8 Portugal

    9 Belgium

    10 Russia
    How much evidence do you want British footy is total crepe, wealthy, yes but still crepe.

  137. southwestvillan

    B62,

    Saw you was coming to Bristol where you staying, lots of places to drink in Clifton it is a very affluent area Brown’s is a nice place if you want up market but there are plenty to choose from and you won’t find a rough joint anywhere, there is a Wetherspoons called the Berkley frequented by students but I think you might struggle to find the Villa game on anywhere although there is a sports bar on the Triangle but never been in there so can’t recommend it, head for the Triangle and you will be spoilt for choice, anyway don’t spoil a good day by watching that shite.
    SWV

  138. southwestvillan

    JL,

    I would prefer Jason King whoever it is will be just another yes man for Lerner and Fox until those two are removed from our club we cannot seriously start to rebuild, perhaps we ought to replace the Lion on our crest with a Phoenix .

  140. southwestvillan

    JL,

    Too true but can it possibly get any worse we thought DD was a disaster and then Lerner comes along with the influx of bigger money surely someone must see the potential in a club like the Villa.

  141. Mark King

    I’d settle for someone who wants to win not just survive, easy to say I know with the money involved but in essence its what football the game should be about and community. Although with the world wide audience that becomes diluted.

  142. Mark King

    looks like Remi is giving the under performers a go and keeping vertout and ayew fresh for tues. bunn in goal. Richardson left back oh dear. Richards RB? okore and clark cbs . guessing westwood gana sitting with gil central bacuna right sinclair left gestede up top

    Fans already giving the coach your not fit to wear the shirt, helpful that.

  147. r0bb0

    Just got home with game being recorded. About to turn it on so haven’t read any comments on here but my wife said that the villa players were booed off the bus
    Just wanted to say that the fans that did that BEFORE a game are a total disgrace and should be ashamed of themselves.
    Now to watch the game . . . . in hope!

  156. steamer

    Thank the Lord, managed to hold out, Wycombe must be favourites though with our record at VP and also they now know just how bad we are. Strange, i’d get rid of ten of the starting line up and only keep Gil yet Garde either leaves him out or takes him off. The fans have turned as well, possibly our second half of the season won’t be as good as the first. Oh well.

  158. Mark King

    How the feck anyone can blame Remi when his best option up top is Gestede well I don’t fecking know any more, people are ready to blame anyone except the low quality fuckwits on the pitch. Gil was getting the shit kicked out of him, feet left in constantly where were the yellow cards?? definite pen for us in the first half their pen 50/50 at best. Richards again tripe. Glad Lyden got on at least he had the gumption to get in the box.

  160. Heroes-and-Villans

    Oh dear, when you think it can’t get worse. I’m sorry but I can blame the fans for starting to snap. We have put up with 5 years of this, enough for any fans to loose patience. It’s hardly going to effect the players, they loose anyhow. I know your a fan of remi mark but it’s impossible for him as manager to get away with his current 0 wins whatever mess we are in. End this experiment, get moyes in and re build

  161. Steve Parkes

    Mark King

    Totally agree, Garde has inherited a piss poor team, even ‘The Special one’ would struggle to get a win with this s**t.

    We have to play the likes of Gestede, Sinclair, Westwood etc. as we have no second option in their positions. Just hoping Garde signings will make a difference, only then I think we should give judgement.

  162. steamer

    Gestede tells the fans to Foff and all of a sudden the happy clappers are out in force slagging of the fans who paid good money to watch that shite, one actually said that it wasn’t the players fault. Villa fans have piss running through their veins, no fall about the game and accept zero effort, no wonder we’re going down the bog with arseholes like these. 20-65,000 per week, and won’t get a sweat on and tell fans to foff and STILL the gutless bastards stick up for them, AVFC is dead.

  163. Mark King

    Andrew- no it isn’t mate, a reality check has to be taken and I’m afraid with the help of timbo we have assembled the most gutless squad I have had the pleasure to watch. No manager on gods green earth can help this lot, they have to take stock of themselves and tell each other some home truths .

    Personally I think if we did not have Ayew, vertout, gana, amavi the money spent in the summer would be a total waste. Tim formed the basis for how we would play and asked for players in XY positions, whether he got the players he wanted is immaterial its still his squad built to play his football, Lambert would of bought better let alone garde.

  164. RichardS

    If Gestede told the fans to fuck off he should be dropped.

    His movement today was non existent – he was lazy beyond belief.

    Kosak has played for Lazio and European football, how an he not get a start when Gestede has not scored in 15 games.

    Villa created 18 chances today – we we unlucky not to win – it was never a penalty

    It is just not happening for Garde – he was not the best managerial option – he is being to idealistic with his style of play. He got the job because of his Arsenal connections – not because he was the best option

    Moyes would have organised the team better – made us harder to beat and then used his experience and connections to get players in the January transfer window

  165. r0bb0

    Andrew, I can u sweats d fans being frustrated and wanting to lash out but to do so before a game is naive, self Indulgent and immature.
    have you ever been to a sales conference where you’re wanting to motivate your team and push them on to increase sales. If you tell me that you or anyone else have ever been to one where the management have told the team how rubbish they are

  166. Mark King

    Richard S- mate that is all conjecture, some of these have shown poor defensive qualities for 2-3 three seasons now, there is very little for any of those managers to work with.
    Garde has done exactly what you have asked, tried to stop us conceding but with so many losses he also needs to strike a balance to try and win. You yourself asked for the likes of Gil, Adama and grealish to all start not long back we are too poor end of, we need players in with some cohonies and quality.

  167. r0bb0

    Andrew, I can understand fans frustration. . . . We all feel it, but to boo the players and tell them their not fit to wear the shirt before the game is naive, and immature.
    If you ever go to a sales conference where the objective is to motivate the sales team to go out and sell then you won’t hear them being shouted at and told they’re useless. If any tells you they have seen this then I’ll show you a liar.
    It’s just not how you get the best out of players. Those people aren’t showing that they’re more passionate or better fans, they’re just showing that they are not very intelligent.

  168. RichardS

    Mark — I agree, I would love to see Traore – Grealish and Gil play in the same team, however, I appreciate you might have to start with two of the three.

    I don’t understand why Garde has constantly overlooked Traore.

    I don’t understand why Garde dropped Grealish for going out after a game

    I don’t understand why Garde has constantly started Gestede.

    I don’t understand why Garde constantly changes the defence

    I don’t understand why Garde has constantly started Hutton

    I don’t understand why Garde plays Richardson and Guzan

    I don’t understand why Garde overlooks Gil and Grealish

    I appreciate that Garde is not responsible for the current squad, however, he has made zero impact on this team and the results. In fact the performances against Watford, Norwich and Sunderland have been comical under his leadership.

    The players are not responding to his methods and he criticises the players publically.

    It is just not working out under Garde – is it.

  169. Mark King

    Richard S- I disagree, Tim would not play any of the french lads at one point and they are all better than the English players. Garde is limited with what he can do, we have no RB’s of quality hence hutton, Okore is our best CH and has dodgy knees and has to be rapped in cotton wool same I imagine for Lescott. Richards is the captain so hard at this point to drop without repercussions in the camp. Grealish was dropped for not playing well and partying instead of working hard. Mr Aston Villa appears to have a dummy probem. I could go on.

    Mainly he plays them because what else is there? Gil grealish and adama are not team players, moyes would not play them either mate. A team low on confidence cannot support that trio, Gil is the only one I’d play at the moment.

  170. Mark King

    I’ll also add It didn’t work out under Tim either and he was in from the end of last April shaping the team. Garde needs to put his stamp on this side, maybe he is naive in thinking these players should man up and do what they are paid to do considering they haven’t won in 109 days. Come the end of this season he will drop a lot of them like hot potato’s of that I have no doubt.

  171. James Gill

    richards
    spot on

    mark k
    how can you say its not remi fault but sherwood is to blame
    players sherwood signed
    richards bunn rudi lescott
    our problems with decisions not to replace
    guzan
    hutton
    richardson
    westwood
    gabby
    add to that contract exstensions to
    steer bacuna clark baker westwood hutton gabby
    decision to sack lambert replace with novice sherwood sack sherwood replace him with an even bigger novice remi garde
    but remi side today hurt his subs shocking leaving richardson westwood rudi on ,not trying kozak with sinclair ayew up front taking gil off ,only player looking to do something

  172. Heroes-and-Villans

    Mark

    Agree this squad is horrid, I called it after leister game 🙂 :(! Agree with Richard s though remi could do more. How gested plays I don’t know and no jack today but Sinclair? If moyes was not available id have more time for him but it makes too much logic not to get him in.

  174. RichardS

    Mark – I have not mentioned Sherwood in my post – sure he made some mistakes, but he did manage to keep us up last season when we were dead and buried. I believe it is true to say he didn’t want to lose Delph, Benteke, Vlar and Cleverley.

    Sherwood only signed 3 of the 12 players we signed in the summer, the rest were signed by the board. This was a year to consolidate, not gamble, given the amount of Premier League prize money available next year. The bottom team will receive 100M

    I cannot see how you can argue that Traore should be left out of the team. The kid is explosive. Stating that Gil and Traore are not team players is delusional. Garde has not utilised/played Traore/Gil/Grealish and we have not won a game.

    Remi Garde has done NOTHING since he arrived. The points gap has unfortunately widened under his leadership. He has not won a game and some of the performances have been embarrassing. And that is a fact, Mark.

  175. Heroes-and-Villans

    Messi ain’t normal. Some say Ronaldo is better, lol. Jack is ill to be fair and out next 2 games. There will always be pressure on a manager and rightly so, however shite hand remi has been dealt, which he knew about, 0 wins in 10 just can’t be accepted.

  176. Mark King

    Sorry Richard S garde hasn’t won yet but he’s lost less. He inherited a divided squad , one that Tim Sherwood would of highlighted whom he wanted to keep and what positions he wanted to fill so the board would of provided him with options to choose from that’s how it works. Maybe to begin with they let him go his own way and saw what a bunch of expensive crap he was going after.

    If Gestede, richards and Lescott are Tims answer then what else would he have brought in, Vertoute , Amavi and Ayew are the best we have IMO . the points gap has been more down to others getting unexpected gifts from Manure etc. The last 2 prem games with half his prefered team out was unfortunate at a time we were beginning to click.

  177. Heroes-and-Villans

    Steamer. The players are very quick to lap up the fans support and singing there names. We gave gestede every chance…singing Ruddi ruddi ruddi, but no he can’t be arsed to even move and put himself about and now upset cause fans have had enough, bull shit.

  179. Mark King

    Forget wins we are in a unprecedented position at the moment and it requires letting the manager sort it out, throwing the toys out of the pram will not help, we have rolled the dice with a new manager and still no wins, surely to god that must tell you something???

  180. James Gill

    in all honesty they deserve it all ,them fans have worked hard to go and watch their team and players put on crap showing ,bacuna had pictures up of him in sea not very clever me thinks

  182. RichardS

    Mark – that post from twitter is unacceptable. Villa fans acting like animals. The language is obscene. That behaviour will do nothing to restore confidence in the players.

    When we lose to Cyrstal Palace on Tuesday I feel Villa Park will turn into a cauldron on animosity.

    Saf Times.

    AVFC RIP

  183. James Gill

    mark k
    it shows us lerner has fucked up beyond belief 100m at stake you appoint fizzy pop salesman to make decisions onhundreds of millions pound business ,faulkner failed but fox is going to be like nick leeson is to banking fox to football destroying one of oldest clubs in world destroyed in 18 months of madness

  186. John Lerwill


    Mark: “Mainly he plays them because what else is there?” [in response to RichardS’s list of ‘I don’t understands…’]

    Perhaps the answer is a bit more subtle?

    1. There’s an important match coming up on Tuesday and he wants to not risk too many of his first-choice players (I won’t say ‘best’ players!)

    2. The team he put out should have been good enough to beat WW. They (WW) didn’t play with the class that Exeter did and should have been pushed over with the side that was put out.

    I have lost hope with both Sinclair and Gestede, And nearly with Grealish too. I don’t understand the hype that surrounds him. He’s a maybe for the future i.m.o.

  187. John Lerwill

    RichardS,

    I agree with you about Traore and Gil.

    But about Garde, let’s see what he achieves once he’s got a team of his making, I suggest.

    The job he’s been given is the worst given the state of things. I wonder why he took the job.

  188. John Lerwill

    I’ve just re-read the RichardS/Mark conversation and realise I’ve again done a mis-read.

    Back to the valium!

    Anyhow, the main point is that Garde is just in an unfortunate situation. He’s inherited a mess and what you can only get out of it is an improved mess.

  189. RichardS

    John – I just think Garde was the wrong appointment given the situation we are in. I feel no annomisty towards him – although I am losing patience with his team selections. I agree with you about Sinclair and Gestede – I have no idea why he persists with these players given their current form.

    Villa needed a proper/experienced football manager. Moyes would have been perfect given his experience In the championship and the premier league working on a tight budget at Everton.

    Villa are now in official melt down. The reaction of the fans before the game and the violent scenes at the end can only be a signal of mutiny from the Villa Faitful.

    The fans have been mistreated long enough. Patronised and ignored by the incompetent board of Aston Villa.

    The rhetoric coming from the club has been asinine. The General with his abonimal, disrespectful marine comparisons, Fox stating that we are building something special at Villa Park and we have sold more shirts – it simply cannot continue. We are bottom of the league and have become the laughing stock of the football world

    Over to you Randy.

    AVFC RIP.

  190. steamer

    Judging by the blogs most of the fans are in revolt, just the mugs on twitter and facebook who take the so-called higher ground, happy to watch the club disintegrate as long as they can feel superior to the vocal fanatic who spends his hard earned being conned by the hierarchy at VP. I can just imagine them giving Lerner a standing ovation if he appears at the Palace game, (he won’t), we’re with you Randy, USA, USA, you’ll get it right one day, too bad we’ll be in Conference North by then and VP will be an ASDA.

  191. RichardS

    You simply cannot condone the behaviour of the Villa fans who violently abused the team on the coach as they departed the ground. There is so much hatred in the work today, I fail to see how this degree of annomosity can help any situation.

    This was not our worst performance and we were unlucky not to win. We created 18 chances and it was never a penalty.

    Sad times

  193. steamers75

    Matbe garde will show learner the videos .if he can get them past fox .
    A couple of weeks ago people asked for protest . Well its started and tgese are the fans paying hard earned cash to follow the team . Like l pointed out the other . Go into the pubs and see the toxity . And fair play to Richards for having the bollox to go and chat with the fans.
    Im not convinced with garde so l will see what he does with this window. Iv yet to hear a fan say were still up on my travels . New years resolution . Keep money in my pocket and get a laptop and become a keyboard warrior

  194. Paul Pears

    Today, I really felt for Remi, seeing all the frustration in him, as he watched a team that should have quite easily despatched a fairly average Wycombe side.

    I understand taking Gil off, as he was been kicked all the time, and was getting no real protection from the ref. I am also sure that Kozack will get an opportunity soon, as will Adama, once he learns when he should release the ball, instead of trying to beat that one payer too many. JG was ill with the flu.
    Was glad to see Lyden get his debut at last. He is going to be a player who has the talent to take Westwood’s place.

    I understand fan’s frustrations, but attacking the team before they have kicked a ball, just does nothing to improve the situation. The main person they should vent their anger towards is Lerner.

  196. r0bb0

    Yesterday I thought that Gestede fell short of what We should expect from a player fighting for his club in a desperate situation. He is reported to have told fans before the game to fuck off. He should have been more professional, but I’m not angry with him, I’m angry with the fans who were shouting in the players faces before and after the game.
    When Leicester and crystal palace were in trouble their fans kept chanting, singing and supporting their team and they were part of the miracle turn rounds in their seasons.
    It doesn’t always work of course. . . . Derby fans were the same in that desperate year when they only got 11 points. To their credit, after a tough time, they’re fighting for promotion again now.
    In contrast, some self indulgent villa fans think that abusing our players is the way to motivate them to try harder.
    Most of these players have no deep affinity with Aston Villa. . . . they are not even from this country. Put yourself in their shoes: how would you feel as you prepare to run the gauntlet of red faced, abuse screaming fans on the way too and from the team bus. How many of those players do you think will want to stay and fight for those fans week in and week out, or if we get relegated this year?
    Those fans aren’t more passionate than others. They don’t ‘hurt’ any more than other fans when we lose. They are just trying to make themselves feel better by finding someone to shout at. They’re behaving just like the screaming, foot stamping 3 year old who hasn’t got what he wants. I’m angry that those idiots are doing real damage to the reputation of the club I love and at the same time making it ‘less’ likely that we will do well on the pitch, and ‘more’ likely that the best players will take the first opportunity to leave the toxic environment they find themselves in.

  197. John Lerwill

    r0bb0,

    Some good points there, about the players and certain fans.

    As for Lerner, it’s occurred to me that he states he has a penchant for history … Actually, he’s beginning to remind me of some of some of the obnoxious kings that this country had in time of yore! Lerner should know about those. Especially the ones who lounged in their palaces and castles many yonks from the needs of the country.

    Here’s a question for you. Perhaps he (Lerner) was a king in his previous life. Which one do you think he would have been?

  198. steamer

    The Villa fans have been tremendously supportive of the players through all these years of absolute shite and have only turned in recent weeks so that destroys that argument, in all those years the players never responded, never gave 100% effort for the shirt and never showed the fans any respect. Because they’ve had enough of these conmen taking thousand out of the club each week and contributing nothing in return, the supporters have reached the point where its either make a stand and possibly save AVFC from destruction or sit back and watch the club return to the nether regions of the league or worse. Unfortunately AVFC seems to have a self destructive section of fans, the happy clappers, who would rather Villa implode than upset the status quo, some should know better having been around for that close call in 1967/68 when we were TWO weeks from folding but others are just clowns who like to take the higher ground and then when the worst happens say “well, it shouldn’t have happened, we should have ….” well your as much a problem to Villa as Lerner and Fox are. I’d sooner have that bloke in front of the coach telling the players some home truths than any of you gutless gobshites who meekly complain and take all the shite thrown at you.I this upsets anyone on here….TOUGH.

  200. steamer

    While i’m on a roll, that bloke actually showed more passion in that rant than the team has for years, all this talk about destroying confidence blah, blah is just psycho babble, the players are just gutless parasites, only Ayew ( who got MOM in the Merc for 19 minutes ) even got a sweat on yesterday.

    Mark (LB),
    Ignore WOC,he’s just a wind up who knows fall, loves Gabby, says it all.

  201. John Lerwill

    RichardS: “This was not our worst performance and we were unlucky not to win. We created 18 chances and it was never a penalty. “

    Uh?

    1. The team we played is 54 places lower than us in the league set up – and they looked like it.
    2. Our goal attempts were mostly pathetic.
    3. And as it would have been a foul outside the area, it *was* a penalty. But we should also have had one in the first half.

  203. muz1

    steamer,

    Great post mate,

    I think the fans have been incredibly supportive considering all the sh*te they have had to put up with over the last few years.
    What happened yesterday has been coming for a while, with one gutless performance after another. Lerner, as usual, is nowhere to be seen and has destroyed this club, and, a backlash,whether fans agree or not with how it was carried out was inevitable.
    If Lerner was any kind of owner he would be on the next plane over to sort out this mess.

  204. Jenny Truman

    I have seen the clips of Richards having a bunch of idiots screaming at him behind the dug out and even more sickening those pathetic morons who waited an hour for the team coach to leave so they could call each one a f:;ng. c%#nt . Don’t anyone assune they speak for all Villa fans because they don’t .
    I am friends with Lions Clubs organisers , villa fans of 50 years who go home and away every game and all to a man are revolted by what those idiots did yesterday
    . This is what one Lions Club chairman , a man who organisers away coach travel , tickets for every game – does more for Aston Villa than the abjsive lot ever will and even fire to pre season tours

    “As well as losing my patience with the current crop of shite we are employing, I’m getting even more annoyed by the wankers who slag off the players before they’ve even kicked a ball!! We all know we’re not good enough but booing them off the team coach …”

    How is it acceptable to stand and shout in players face – you’re a c#nt they’ve even got to the game . This is a small group of twenty or so low life a are a bunch of cowards . If they were one to one with the Micah Richards wouldn’t say no to him let alone call him a c:/t .

    And John Doyle can come on here and say he’d “break players this that and the other ” – ridiculous . I’m sorry John , but no you wouldn’t. It’s beyond a joke now .

    Vile, disgusting cowards who have brought our club down to new low. Don’t give me “it’s not the fans fault “. In this life you choose how you react to situations. It was their fault – they are the abusers . The players aren’t child molesters – they’re just not good enough right now . What next – lynch Westwood for giving a penalty away – which shouldn’t have been given in the first place .
    Only a bunch of low level cowardly thugs would respond like that . Do they get pleasure in shouting wan#%r at young men who they wouldn’t dare to normally.
    Remi Guarde had a police escort out of the ground – we will need one for the players soon . Is that what they want ?

    This is the second time it’s happened now – confronting players on the coach – I would take criminal charges against these cowards and ban them from the ground . They don’t represent the decent thousands of fans that go week in week out but its these pathetic fools who are in the press masquerading as “villa fans”.
    What they did is indefensible and anyone supporting them , shame on you .
    The abuse Ian Holloway got was shocking . Well done you morons , you’ve just taken it to a new level by attacking the players .
    I see from many equally disgusted villa fans that they even want to write to the club and Remi to apologise and disassociate themselves from this minority of fools . I hope they do .
    As for Rudi telling people who have a abused him before he kicked a ball , shouted profanities at him for 90 mins , to FOff . I don’t blame him . Before all the cries of “it’s not professional ” hypocrites pipe up – in criminal law there is the defence of “provocation “. Week in week out these players are abused by foul mouthed fools – the biggest surprise isn’t that all the players didn’t tell them to F Off.
    and to think that the same “you are a fing c%#t Micah” merchants will be complaining we don’t bring in any new players . No ones going to want to come to our club and be abused every Saturday .

  205. Jenny Truman

    Ayew was chucking his shirt in the crowd. They werent having a go at him but I thought he was gonna cry. I got in early and some fans singing shite so ended up moving! Embarrassing. Just stay at home!!!!

    From another villa fan who goes to every away game

  206. Jenny Truman

    Another villa veteran

    “I’m sorry but I ain’t too good on this social media stuff – are any of you guys able to get these comments to the club somehow. Yes the players have been poor but I don’t want to be in any way associated to the foul mouth rants that some of those young players had to endure. Oh and by the way. I go to the matches (not many away now) and have done for 56 years. The last 45 as a season ticket holder. So I’ve had my share of misery.”

  207. Jenny Truman

    And another villa fan

    “I’ve see a couple of videos and read loads of blogs and quite frankly am embarrassed by some of the vitriol thrown at the players by so called fans. You just don’t get it do you. It’s a job to them and if some foul mouth yob starts to howl at them they will think f*** you why should I bother. If you acted like that in a pub you’d be barred. If you acted like that in a taxi you’d be in hospital, if you acted like that in a train station you’d be arrested. Why is it acceptable. Oh yes I spent my money so I can say what I want. Well no you can’t your no better than a cave man. As Sherwood indicated these Villa players are shit scared of pulling the shirt on because of yo alike you. Get behind the team, if we get relegated get behind the team again it’s called support. We have no divine right to anything. We pay some of the lowest prices in the premier league and wonder why we can’t compete. It’s a tough time but blame the owner not the employees.”

    This is what the majority of decent villa fans feel – sorry to clog up the thread but as the minority’s of abusers have had their say I think it’s right that the majority of villa fans have theirs

  208. Jenny Truman

    The irony of ppl saying they want to keep Ayew, Veretout , Amavi , Gil – After that abuse they will be desperate To be first out the door as they will find clubs – we will be left with those who no one wants. Think before you shout “you’re a c£)t ” in a players face . Would t surprise me if they start getting sick either . Would you want to turn up at work and be abused by a mob of foul mouthed idiots every week .

  209. Jenny Truman

    Amongst the villa players being shouted at on the coach was a 19 year old , Lydon, making his debut…. and yet fans are clamouring for the kids to be thrown in . Not on your life .

  211. Paul Pears

    Extremely well said Jen,

    It needed saying, and perhaps you are the best person to say it. It goes without saying how much this abuse affects the women and children (future Villa fans) to hear and see this abuse. How do parents feel about such behaviour, when the club approaches them to sign their son.

    How would you feel if you were Jordan Lyden’s dad? Would you want your son to be part of it.

    I have many friends, like Jen, who go to every Villa game, organise transport, tickets etc, because they love Villa, who are totally disgusted.

    This is not going to change anything to the good for the team the club and the future.

    Reminds me of some of the fans, who take up their seat late for every match, can’t wait for the end of the half, and go to the bar, and then come back late for the second half and then leave early.
    Did they actually come to watch a match, and I know someone will immediately come back and say it is not worth watching, but they would not do it at a concert, etc.

    PERHAPS THEY WANT THE PLAYERS TO DOWN TOOLS AND GO STRIKE FOR BEING ABUSED, because that is exactly what they would do in a similar situation….

  212. runtings

    There is a lot of anger around with the realization for all now of how dead in the water Aston villa is

    Reading the blogs reflects the mood at the games with a large section wanting heads to roll

    The problem is if you attack anyone other than the owner you are directing that anger in totally the wrong area

    Randy is solely responsible for the beginning of the end of villa

    I have zero confidence in Learner getting villa back up as nothing he has been doing suggests that there is bright hope for the future

    The person destroying villa is away from the crumbling institution and the wrong people are now taking the flack

  213. John Lerwill


    Jenny,

    Yes, I support most of what you’ve written , and r0bb0 and others hinted at that earlier.

    BUT … this is the effect of the club’s maladministration over the last (at least) 5 years.

    The club’s management at the top have pulled this club down, so I feel any letters of apologies from well-meaning decent fans would be misconstrued as an OK for the way the club is run.

    This situation you’ve described is bad, no doubt, but it only demonstrates that the club should revert to ownership that understands what is required.

    It’s the only way forward. If it doesn’t happen then the future of the club is not worth thinking about.

  214. Jenny Truman

    In no way can the majority of decent villa fans be associated with this bullying, disgusting behaviour.

    https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwib0saMop_KAhVBTBoKHY2pCKQQqQIIITAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mirror.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Fnews%2Fwatch-irate-aston-villa-fans-7148722&usg=AFQjCNFm_Up30qjnqJl019Yv7sCUygM1AA

    Singling players out like Bacuna and the others – revolting.

    How does writing to the club saying we are ashamed of what people masquerading as ‘supporters’ imply we are happy with the current regime. I disagree John. We don’t just need the players to know that they won’t be lynched every week , we need to set the record straight to the rest of the football community : the future players, the future managers. What impression does this latest breakdown between fans and players give to future buyers of the club. Who would want to deal with that rubbish every week. I am sorry but to ignore abuse implies that it is acceptable. Don’t they dare call themselves ‘supporters’ – listen to them shouting abuse from 2 yards away .

    I read that the players now need police escorts . I repeat – who is going to want to play for us, manager us and buy us when the players and manager need police protection from so called supporters.

  215. Jenny Truman

    John, no one would argue that the club has been badly run but is calling Micah Richards a c23nt going to improve matters. No. There is no excuse for that behaviour. The villa fans should be joining together supporting the players and the management and doing their peaceful protesting away from the players IMO. The effect of yesterday’s coach episode is that villa fans are portrayed as vile, ignorant , thugs. This is not a true reflection of the majority of villa fans. From people I know who go to away games, and it happened yesterday, there are small pockets of fans shouting abuse, and the older generation of fans are telling them to shut up.

  216. Jenny Truman

    I would also add that Stan Collymore, constantly bitching about Bacuna is not helping either. If a player does get hurt then I hope that Stan will have the honesty to examine his actions and ask himself “have I contributed to this”. Posting photos from Bacuna’s twitter account saying he shouldn’t be doing this. So what was he doing ? Was he frequenting child prostitutes, was he getting pissed two days in the row, was he smoking drugs . No, he was sunbathing . Big deal. Now the players aren’t supposed to recover according to Stan and he is preaching this to thousands of gullible villa fans. People are letting their hatred for the Board cloud their basic common sense and decency.

  217. B6toBrasil

    Afternoon Lifers.well said and written Jenny T.,I agree entirely.People love to have a pop at the players,and some criticism is spot on.but this has gone too far.
    RG has walked into sheissestorm,not of his making….ok,he is not exempt from constructive criticism.I am fully aware he has not won a single game,but to read some of the comments in the footie blogs which are demeaning,spiteful and vicous.Does anyone really believe that Garde sits down with his coaches on a Monday,planning the week that they collectively say “OK lets play crepe again,we really must loose again,we really need to pee the fans off as per usual,and above all we must make the most bizarre substitutions once more?”
    Come on,freedom of speech yes,but bullying,spiteful,attacks with no regard for respect or manners no.It`s no more than threatening behaviour.
    Ok I am open to abuse for saying this,respect is a 2 way street and the fans have been shown precious little from the club for many a year.However to scream at the players and to “get in their face”and to excuse it as frustration is rollocks IMO.
    Did Richards sign NRC,did Richards let Cahill go,did Richards sign Hutton,did Richards offer Heskey £60 a week,did Richards offer Gabby a new deal?Of course not,but our problems are deep rooted and have not been addressed for nearly A DECADE,so stop barking up the wrong tree.
    I understand the frustration of travelling to watch a load of crepe,especially after a few medium sherries,but our fans are good people and better than this.
    Please ,please when we are relegated,do not sit with your shirts off pretending to cry so that the Sky cameras pick up on you,hoping that we people think this is “passion” and “look what it means to them”,we are not Geordies we are AVFC.

  218. John Lerwill

    Jenny: “no one would argue that the club has been badly run but is calling Micah Richards a c23nt going to improve matters. No. ”

    Of course not, Jenny. Do you think I’d think otherwise? 😉

    All I am saying is that *real* issue is about how we’ve got to this point – and it’s *that* which has to be addressed before we can *expect* to see change in those supporters’ attitudes.

  219. James Gill

    Jenny t
    I he seen Sunday league players getting worse abuse than that yesterday and they had to pay to play yesterday was final straw for me with remind yes you can say he never signed a player but how many did Sherwood sign and house can blame him easy
    Watching match most of villa players didn’t look out of place 4 the tier eg Richardson bacuna Westwood rudi even gana that’s 5 players remind is playing most matches along with Hutton guzan ,none of them can do basics run pass shoot ,god rudi will not even move inside 18 yard box lost count crosses last few matches he never moved for,surely kozak should played yesterday no excuse for remind there,Richardson should never again play kinsella should got run out,bunn played yesterday miles better than guzan another fault remi ,Westwood challenge was a pen every time he tackles its a foul because he is a coward think back to injury time in Norwich match
    I don’t know where we go cause no player will want to come here or manager,ayew saying he wants out ,he has scored 5 goals 1 a pen in 20 matches not exactly brilliant altogether no tap ins where is going to play
    Some people blaming Mon well at least we where competing with top 4 now we are at league 2 standard old div4, Lambert done more harm in his 2.5 years in charge signing crap giving contract extensions building bomb squad

  220. John Lerwill

    Jenny: ” We don’t just need the players to know that they won’t be lynched every week , we need to set the record straight to the rest of the football community ”

    Yes – again – *of course* it does – but while the current club administration is there such messages are not likely to (effectively) get through to have any worthwhile and lasting effect.

    The fans are sick to death of paying a lot of money to get disappointed every week (for 5 years+) and there is an extreme element that are demonstrating that to the worst extreme.

    But I still say that unless something quickly turns round at VP you are not likely to get your message across to many of the extreme element.

    Unfortunately. The way life is now, there always will be extreme elements in everything.

    I’m afraid you can’t convince me otherwise. It’s the change that’s needed at VP before those so-called fans will change.

    The only logical way for the situation to be change otherwise – as I see it – is to provide better security for the players by keeping the rowdy element well away.

  221. Paul Pears

    Really sad JL,

    That you feel the need to defend in any way this sort of behaviour. How we arrived at this position, has little bearing on the behaviour. There are many ways of showing your disgust for mis-management, but this is not on of them.

    I think many people should start to think seriously about what is happening, when Jenny is moved to stand up and be so outspoken. I am extremely proud of how she has stood her ground, and she has my full support, and I am sure the support of many others.

    I want this club to change. I want the players to go out and win matches, exactly the same as the Swansea fans have just shown that they fully support their team. This club has been around a lot longer than Randy Lerner, and I will still be there when it rises from the ashes of the disaster of this last 5 years.

  222. John Lerwill

    Jenny: “How does writing to the club saying we are ashamed of what people masquerading as ‘supporters’ imply we are happy with the current regime.”

    Simple, Jenny – their mentality is not like yours. They’ve proved over and over they can’t think straight and yet you expect them to take such a message in the way you expect.

    They’d say, in response “Thank you for your letter Jenny. We appreciate what you have written and agree with its content. As you know we repudiate this sort of behaviour and know that the real supporters will give the club [i.e. they will really mean the ownership] every support.”

    The ownership thinks of the real supporters as customers not supporters, don’t forget.

  224. Mark King

    First off, Jen and brasil well said common decency is what we all expect from people in society toward us and our family so why not extend it to others. Can see why people want to vent but Its not constructive, Not turning up and backing Lerners regime is definitely something all fans abusive or not have to consider.

    Plenty have said we are down for months but the reality is beginning to set in and the reaction is destroying any chance no matter how slim of a turnaround. Fans actions will either cause a siege mentality and galvanise the players or further destroy them. It will definitely destroy any chance of the Calvary coming in via signings which lets face it Garde is on a hiding to nothing already.

    Garde has hinted at an undercurrent at the club that goes beyond the summer signings and so did Tim, players happy to sit on their contracts while offering little. Garde would not of seen this from the outside but he knows it now and left to him there will be only one winner. He is between the devil and the deep blue sea, I think he is on the verge of blooding youth players if we do not get fresh blood in, while there is still a chance he’s still trying to keep us up as amazingly its still possible.

    Best possible move By Lerner would be to sell, that’s unlikely so he really needs to bring a top draw chairman and give him the reins, someone to galvanise the club because well paid players that know we are not expected to do anything will do precisely that, nothing. The French lads we have duped into signing don’t think that way they are here to progress and I have every sympathy for them and Garde who right now needs 11 of those individuals if not 25.

    Here’s a thought, the present regime may have realised there cock ups and are trying to rectify the situation but being disconnected with the fan base and having crapped on us for to long plus having brains of shite they have made their position untenable.

  225. John Lerwill

    Mark,

    I like the approach of your comment a – indeed – I like Jenny’s.

    But the reality is … can we really expect Randy to bring in “a top draw chairman”? If he does I’ll be utterly surprised. He’s far more likely to bring in someone who fits in with the rest – like Fox & co.

    As time goes on the writing seems to be firmly on the wall for this club, plans or no plans beyond the summer.

  226. muz1

    I do not condone what happened yesterday, but, unrest has been brewing for a few weeks now.
    The club must have been aware of this, so to appease the fans what does the CEO say, well on the positive side shirt sales are up, not top of the list for supporters when staring relegation in the face, that, the club have sold a few more shirts than last year.
    The owner is thousands of miles away, as usual, so the CEO needs to quell the growing unrest before it gets completely out of hand, by explaining what has happened for the club to get in the position it finds itself in, and not how well shirt sales are going.

  228. Paul Pears

    JL,

    I apologise if I am wrong, but I can only comment on what I feel coming from your writings, not necessarily that you back their actions, but are finding lame excuses for it, when their actions are indefensible.
    I am sure that the majority of us feel the same about a lot of what has happened, but it is how deal with it that is important. I feel very strongly when often these days, there are youngsters in families becoming fans, and this is not what they should be seeing from any fans, let alone our own.

  229. James Gill

    Johnl
    Well put who ever are running are club won’t care about letters when randy appointed McLeish he done the biggest turd on villa possible,randy towers are soundproofed to villa Cleveland browns fans told us what to expect and they where spot on
    Mark k
    Think Sherwood starting to be proved right we have white squad and if you take last summers signings from cup final which got hammered
    Given. For bunn why no replacement for guzan
    Hutton no replacement crap player
    Richardson amavi good signing injured but left with Richardson crap player
    Vlar Richards no difference
    Okore lescott 10 years to late crap player now
    Westwood no replacement 3 years of crap why
    Delph for gana no change
    Zog for ayew finally improvement
    Grealish lost benteke lost form
    Cleverly for vertout no change
    Benteke for rudi disaster signing
    Other signings traore looks good improvement on wiemen
    So fox explain how team spanked by arsenal soon Burnley last 3 matches can improve with only 2/3 improvements 2 long term injuries

  230. Mark King

    JL- yes mate I thought I covered that in the brains of shite section 😉
    If by some miracle he did find one its the best solution in the interim.

    On what king? Lerner has to be either one of the classics, either King Canute or the emperor Nero

  231. John Lerwill

    PP: ” There are many ways of showing your disgust for mis-management, but this is not on of them. “

    Quite agreed. Any decent person would say that so why are you saying it to me? 😉

    Do you take me to be someone who stands in the shadows with a flick-knife in my hand?!! 😀

    Joking apart … the matter is serious … I am afraid you *do* have to connect cause (*gross* mis-management, in terms of how the supporters have been treated) to the behaviour of people who were not schooled correctly – the subject of Jenny’s postings.

    Agreed (of course) that their behaviour should be far better controlled, but (as in society) if the those on top don’t show much sympathy to the ordinary guy, then the rougher element know only one way to respond. It’s in-bred and those who have not been schooled like that will simply not understand it. Of course it shouldn’t exist … but it does. And the only way of making it go away (re: Villa) is in producing better results.

    The civilised element of the club’s supporters shouldn’t have to defend themselves – nor need to i.m.o.

  233. Mark King

    JG I think Gestede was only meant to back Ady up in Tims mind except Ady hadn’t read Tims script along with the other spurs cronies. I also dread to think what the squad could of been if he was aloud to continue.

    JL- I think the saying ” they think we are mushrooms, they feed us bullshit and keep us in the dark”
    is perfect for the lerner regieme except they are not dealing with an American audience.

  234. John Lerwill

    Mark: ‘ I think the saying ” they think we are mushrooms, they feed us bulls**t and keep us in the dark” is perfect for the lerner regieme except they are not dealing with an American audience.’

    🙂 Yes.

  235. Jenny Truman

    James G . Whether Sunday league players get shouted at and threatened hours before they’ve kicked a ball , doesn’t make it right does it. Which Sunday league team has its own supporters shouting at each one as they arrive ? Why would they do this ?

    I watched Micah Richards bravely , yes i repeat Remi’s description , bravely go towards a group of about 20 and plead with them “we are trying ” “we know “. This, after he’d been called names and shouted at . What did they do ? Abused him further in their comfort of the group and fence between them . Cowards .
    Then I watch our players , board a bus BEFORE the game and get “Oy Bacuna – you’re a bleep bleep”.
    Shouting the same at each one and some say the fans behaviour is “understandable ” .
    Get real . This happened before they’d got on the coach , before they’d kicked a ball . These so called fans don’t want us to do well. It was a planned attack – they waited an hour for the coach to leave .
    Put yourself in the players shoes .
    As the press reported :

    Rémi Garde and his Villa flops hid from angry fans – and needed a police escort to the team bus. Cops told boss Garde and Villa players to gather in the Wycombe boardroom to prevent supporters getting at them following the humiliating FA Cup draw with the League Two outfit. They were kept back for almost an hour before being led out by a heavy police presence, including two mounted officers.

  237. James Gill

    Mark k
    Could Sherwood have been any worse 12 matches since he was sacked and in my eyes we are getting worse at a frightening pace yesterdays match on top of last 2 was brutal no effort no skill no shots another fuck up in Westwood yes it was a pen his elbow was high yes we should had one as well we can’t score since sep Richards with 2 ayew with 5 our midfield haven’t contributed one goal all season

  238. James Gill

    Jenny
    Bacuna posted pictures past week of him in sea why not extra training he doesn’t give a fuck like most the rest nice 5 year contract thank you fox asshole
    Not saying its right but Lerner sitting hiding stealing money out of club he doesn’t care he has his money back in interest fees only interested what he can get out of villa,and if this unrest goes the way I think then Lerner’s fucked nobody will want to buy of him plus two failed business not look good on his CV for other companies going to do businesses with him

  239. John Lerwill

    James Gill,

    I think you have a point, but since the summer signings Tim didn’t know how to cope.

    The answer should have been that Tim was still here, but he’d have needed to have control over who was signed to make his tenure effective.

  240. Heroes-and-Villans

    Real madrid fans would of set the bloomin coach on fire, all a bit ott for me. Would rather swing the way of a bit of passion and letting off steam than doing nowt.

    Protests should be at the board and no one should attend matches is what id prefer to see.

  243. steamers75

    muzi 1
    l go to away games , dont go to homes .
    but l noticed the fans turning as far back as last season , it started with villa vs villa and l got involved in one ,purely to break it up , it kicked off last season at newcastle so l knew what it was going to be like this year , but l used to smirk when l’d read about how great the villa fans are who follow us , NO you had to be there to see the anger that was building up , l dont condone the abuse screamed at players , but if you watch MOTD , every week , when a player has to get the ball for a throw in or even worse a corner do you think those fans are shouting “hey you . l dont like you ” are they fuck you can sometimes hear them or you can read their lips , and sometimes these fans are as young as 11 year olds . so too think this is something new is ridiculous , its been going on for years , when Richards went to the crowd he spoke back and let his feelings be known and l didnt see any of those fans trying to land one on him , l think those fans appreciated it .
    and as for these little darlings out of the youths , jeez ,l know someone in sutton who rented a house out for these munchkins , coming in at 3am pissed out there heads and playing in the morning , and the one who had a wardrobe full of sextoys for old women he went with , Yeah they really need to be protected from swearing !!! if l was being paid over 60 grand a week you could throw the kitchen sink at me . and as for the players worrying about the plight of the club l think people are in a dream world .
    theres a young lad we know who is playing for the Albion youths at the moment and l admired his honesty when l asked him if he’d like to play for the villa later , and he said villa and albion and the like are classed as stepping stone clubs .
    but l can bet those players yesterday sat down in their seats put their headphones on and never gave that abuse a thought , lets see if it did sink in and on Tuesday see if they put a shift in .

  244. Heroes-and-Villans

    Agree with steamer that this is not normal behaviour from us villans, but its not a normal situation. If we were mid table and just lost a first game in a month and acted like that than id be worried. But this now is the realisation we are off into the abyss, we are going out of the prem and aint coming back for a long time…theres going to be big emosions and i think it will get worse each defeat.

  246. B6toBrasil

    S75,GREAT POST MATE.Yep it`s not new,and I admire Richards for having a say back without spitting,punching or swearing(I think?).Whether you are on a fortune or the minimum wageyou are entitled to respond to stick whilst at work,and I say fair play to Richards,not everyones cup of tea as a footballer,but I do have some respect for him now.
    No player ,bar perhaps Ciaran Clark,is bothered about the club.We are a means of gaining a salary that`s all.How about some sympathy-in advance-for the staff behind the scenes would will probably be made redundant when our status changes?They have bills to pay,mouths to feed and most are on “normal” salaries.

  247. Heroes-and-Villans

    Steamer75

    Nzog is a classic example of the modern player, he geniunly does not give a toss. The abuse he gets on twitter and instagram is enough to make your hair curl but he does not get angry or anything, cause he just does not care. These players are in such a bubble we can never understand it.

  248. B62 Villa

    Missed the game yesterday as we got to the Hotel as it was finishing, gotta say I am bitterly disappointed in the fact we couldn’t beat a struggling team 54 places below us. If it was a one off or a tremendous David v Goliath type performance by the underdog, I could possibly write it off as a bad day at the office, and say we will beat them easily in the replay. But it’s not, it was another in a long line of abject performances this season. There hasn’t been one game this season we looked like winning the match, even against Leicester despite taking a 2-0 lead, even against the cherries in our ONLY win bar the lge cup, I thought they would come back and get at least a draw. Whilst not condoning their actions or the way they went about it, I fully understand those fans Venting their anger and frustrations at the players and manager, even Garde has stated it was deserved. These lazy over paid millionaires simply aren’t putting it in, the manager is looking more clueless each week, the longer this winless streak goes on, the more inept he looks. I know he didn’t buy these players and it’s not his squad, but he surely should be doing better than a 0% win ratio. I don’t buy he is making us harder to beat, not when we are regularly being out played, out thought and out fought. Garde has to take responsibility for the team he selects and the tactics he utilises. Even with this squad I expected more fight, more wins and to still be in with a chance of survival come the Jan window, but we have gone from only being 4 points from safety to effectively 12 and no chance of survival or attracting anyone who is of a quality to help dig us out this hole.
    I was told yesterday that Villa have told most of the corporate staff won’t be required next season, and that Traore has spent so long pumping iron in the gym it will take ages for his to get to the fitness levels required at this level , he is too muscular.

  250. muz1

    steamers75,

    I think some people on here are more upset about the reaction from the fans than the players themselves.
    Like i said earlier i dont condone what happened yesterday, but i hardly think it will effect players performances as they have been shocking all season.
    It will be interesting to see if there is any reaction from the club following yesterdays reaction from the fans.

  252. RichardS

    Wow. Is that true about the odds on Garde being sacked suspended?

    We have a game in less than 48 hours. It will be interesting to see the team line up after the debacle yesterday.

  253. steamers75

    Muzi
    dont hold your breadth mate ,
    Mark
    if you believe all on the net its looking like Gardes for the chop . l think he’ll walk . and decency works both ways . the club shows non to these fans who turn up each week , and its come to a head especially when they hear the shite fox comes out with , but then again you get the prawn sandwich lot patting him on the back

  256. Mark King

    I hope that its just the obvious conclusions being wrongly come to regarding Garde although the fans are making it intolerable for our lily livered arse wipes at Villa Park, they will crumble and we will achieve naff all, Just another knee jerk reaction IMO.

  257. Jenny Truman

    St75 – I know it is nothing new for players to get abused. What is news to me though is for home fanss to wait for the team coach hours before kick off just so they can call them fing pricks to their faces. I am not excusing abuse during the game – I hate it – but this is one step further. This mob weren’t responding to poor play – unless the players didn’t sprint onto the coach quick enough for them – was that way they said “Oy Bacuna you are a c23t – it was a pre-mediated and spiteful attack. You are wrong if you think it doesn’t affect them – it does affect them – it does.

    Yes we would all probably put up with abuse if we were paid 100 k a week – that is missing the point. Abuse from your own doesn’t make you play better, it makes you play differently. It doesn’t make you try harder it weakens you. Abuse will make you sprint out the club quicker than when you came and it is going to stop decent players coming here.

    Muz – theres a difference to playing poorly and shouting you are a “””” in someone’s face. It puts me off going to VP just like the scenes at Bolton game which I was there for.

    Steamer 75 – coming back to you – yes it has been going on for months – my away fans mates have told me that. Fans against fans – but having to have a police escort to protect you from your own is as far as I am aware a new low for the club. As you know, I have two teenage daughters who are no angels – do I want them witnessing that – no I don’t . Not because they don’t swear – because it is bullying and vile and knowing them they would be really upset seeing players abused like that.

    I hope for Remi’s sake he gets out of this club before it ruins his health. He looked ill yesterday and the abuse aimed at him after 10 games was ridiculous. I guess he will walk .

  258. Jenny Truman

    It will come as no surprise if they all call in sick and I won’t blame them either. The players who left last season must be thanking their lucky stars.
    If Remi leaves then wait for the appointment of Neil Warnock or other desperate soul.

  259. RichardS

    Jenny – you are incredibly intelligent, perceptive and absolutely correct in what you have written.
    The vile and violent abuse the players experienced yesterday, before and after the game was unacceptable.
    AVFC RIP

  260. Jenny Truman

    Muz – as Micah Richards said to the ‘fans’ behind the dug out “this isn’t helping”. IT will be a first if shouting you are shit you are pr23ck helps confidence and improves play .

  261. Jenny Truman

    Thank you RIchardS. I was waiting for the “but” and it didn’t come 🙂 I speak from the heart and I was really upset and affected by what I saw yesterday. Cheers.

  262. muz1

    Jenny,

    As i said earlier, i dont condone that kind of behaviour, the point I was trying to make is that this set of players are just not good enough at this level.
    The ones who should be taking the flak for the situation we find ourselves in are hidden away, so I suppose the easiest targets are the players and manager.

  263. RichardS

    Jenny – It was shocking. And it does nothing for the reputation of our great football club.

    I am sure every player on the coach was calling his agent asking for a transfer.

    Sad times.

  264. John Lerwill

    Jenny,

    Abuse towards any player – certainly of the kind you mention – does indeed get to most players, not necessarily all.

    Frank and Amos Moss were second cousins of mine and played for Villa in the 1940s/50s. Amos Moss – unfortunately – was the lesser capable of the two and didn’t play too many games. In fact in his last season (55-56 I think) he was heckled very badly and there was even an article about it in the Argus at that time. It affected him.

    Strangely his brother Frank was a toughie (and a good player) … and dished out abuse to his own players on the pitch!!

    There are those that can take it and laugh it off … and there are those who can’t.

    It doesn’t excuse violent language (and I have no truck with it), but it does help if you can toughen the mind against it. I suspect these days there are quite a few who can’t.

  265. Mark King

    I think If Garde walks I might just follow him, firing a man when there is no possible chance of a replacement doing any better is crazy. Given player assessment, Jan window and players we are already showing the door.
    If he doesn’t get until the end of the season from both management and fans my love for this club will take a huge dent and I will look elsewhere away from football. I’m extremely sad as my family on both sides have been with Villa through 4 generations since the start of the 1900’s but the stench is getting to much, this isn’t sport any more.

  266. RichardS

    John – I find your comment ridiculous. The players experienced mob hatred yesterday from vile, brainless individuals. Our own team had to be protected by the police from Villa fans.

    Of course it will have an impact on the players – tough or not.

  267. Mark King

    JL- comes back to that divide that the money creates on both sides IMO , the player feels he’s special and above the crowd and the fan wants to know how they are worth 1000 x their wage.

  268. steamers75

    Jenny as l said l dont condone it . but like l said its been building for a long time and on all blogs and media a call for demonstrations and the like is happening . And l think if we lose tuesday this will be classed as tame . But the players dont help with the tweets and instagrams . And l dont think that will be the last time this happens . Theres a new breed of thugs following teams .look at that table put out last week . Were 4th out of all the leagues for fans arrested. Now heres a little nugget you might want to think about . Some of these young bucks have even been looking to take the steamers on . Were all in our fucking 60s ffs but some of these little shits are after a scalp . two years ago in the social some of these shits tried it . They got a bloody nose . This is whats going to games now. Well lets see what happens tuesday .

  269. OldVilla

    There’s a lot of emotional, well written, straight from the heart comments on here – Jenny has said at all so very well and yes, you can tell how much this has got to her ……. as it has with many of us. And Marks comments earlier – ” I’m extremely sad as my family on both sides have been with Villa through 4 generations since the start of the 1900’s but the stench is getting to much, this isn’t sport any more.” How many of us does Mark speak for here? Quite a few I would imagine – I myself have followed the Villa since I was 8, followed them through the late 60’s, the wonderful 70’s and 80’s up until now. My Grandad used to regale me with stories about the old days including (John L) the Mosses and the half back line of Gibson, Talbot and Tate ……..
    But we are where we are – with a team that has been put in place and, at the moment, doesn’t seem up to the job. This is not the players fault as they have been put in this position, no matter how much they earn. Do you really think that they enjoy not winning every week? Remi has walked into/been talked into something that he cannot have imagined, surely no-one would take such a job if the facts had been properly laid in front of him?
    And now it is all turning nasty as the club is a laughing stock and the ‘fans’ we saw yesterday abusing the players before, during and after the game are bringing it to a new low. Please don’t tell me that if you pay your money you can do what you want because that is bo££ocks. If you buy an air ticket does that give you the right to abuse all the airline staff and call them c##ts?
    So – the root cause. It’s been said so many times before on here = the owner and the board et al. Not the players. Not the manager. But the executives of our once great football club are the root cause of our problems and until that is resolved then we cannot hope to get the ground level issues resolved. So aim your abuse and vitriol in that direction and not in the direction of young footballers who we need so badly to start playing with some believe and not scared of failing ……..

  270. Heroes-and-Villans

    Ah guys check out vital vill.

    Apparently the chaps talking to richards were sat behind the dug out all game. Throughout the 90 mins guzan and lescott spent the whole time laughing and joking and playing a game of getting your chewing gum on the touchline. It was a see through dug out and the fans banged on saying you should be tsking it seriously and guzan told them tofuck off. Then they told lescott they thought he was a villan and also told them to fuck off!! Hence the abuse at the end.

    Jenny i dont condone swearing at individuals but a dose of your not fit to wear the shirt after a pathetic performans is no bother….they arent!

    If above is true then garde neede to stop them or the coaches.

  271. John Lerwill

    RichardS,

    You can think it “ridiculous” if you wish … I have no problem with your opinion.

    I think you’d be surprised by what people can overcome – with resilience. And you can learn resilience. I know – I’ve had to do it.

    So for you say you find what I said “ridiculous” seems to me that you are saying that you’ve not tried to find the secret of resilience.

    As I’ve said, I have no truck with that behaviour and condem it, but at the same time you can walk away from it. But if it becomes at such close quarters as you say, then so long as they are more than adequately protected they should get over it … and go and spend their unearned pay without any qualm whatsoever. Shouldn’t they?

    Meanwhile – the supporter who has slogged at perhaps some menial job to watch his team play and gets his face slapped for daring to expect that his team might perform, gets no understanding at all. Even after 5 years of tripe.

    Though (as I’ve said) I have no truck with the behaviour that’s been described, there is a story behind it which should be learnt.

  272. Mark King

    Oldvilla- do you know mate I think Garde would of took this job regardless, something the hierarchy have said has convinced him there’s a future around the corner rightly or wrongly. He’s in it for the money gets thrown at him but that is not what I see from him, I think he is very principled but a realist. He wants to win you can see it in him or at least I do and there will be no half measures from him as Gabby and nzogbia are finding out. Don’t want to play for Villa follow the arrows to the exit. The management have to bite the bullet and cut loose from the mediocrity mindset that Villa have bred or the fans might just burn it down for them.

  273. Mark King

    JL- I agree mate some of us are made different in the way we face adversity, some have it thrust on us and learn to cope, some are born that way. As a footballer its nigh on impossible to avoid.

    If what andrew has said is true and not a fabrication to warrant the abuse then they deserve it, Garde knows this club is rotten and its more than just the management, another reason to keep him IMO.

  274. Heroes-and-Villans

    Mark

    There was a pic too of the dug out area littered with chewing gum. One of the chaps was a proper old villa who was at rotterdam. Sounds true but who knows, surprised at lescott who has always acted like a pro in his career

  275. RichardS

    John – please don’t be condescending. I know all about resilience – it has been part of my martial arts training.

    What we are witnessing now is mob rule and it is ugly.

    If Andrews comments are true then the club should question Guzan and Lescott. Both players have been a liability all season and I don’t see a future for either of them at the club. The coaches and the back room staff should monitor the attitude and actions of the players in all situations.

    We can all see what is going to happen after the Palace game. I believe it will be a rerun of the Bolton game under Mcleish.

    We are a club in crisis

  276. OldVilla

    Andrew – if being at Rotterdam means you are “proper old Villa” what does that make me?!! Really very old Villa? I like the steamers and others from AVL were at Villas first expedition into Europe – Antwerp in the early 70’s. Not to be forgotten for many reasons lol …….
    And if I’m really very old Villa, what does that make John L?!!!!!!!!!

  277. steamers75

    What Andrew saud was on the media sites after the game and it was mentioned as too why those fans reacted .but the tv and papers didnt want people to know that . They want it aimed at the players . So they can stretch the story of our demise. The media must have been wringing their hands with joy. Hopefully someone or the tv cameras can pick this up . Were a big club thats going down and is big news

  278. Heroes-and-Villans

    Bournemouth sign afobe to go along with iturbe. A poss 30 mill strikeforce. Yes thats BOURNEMOUTH. Whilst we struggle along with gestede. This is how far and fast we are falling.

    Plus side they reckon wolves will get gabby to replace afobe

  281. steamers75

    Steamer
    Go thevillablog. It would seem archieboy was on our coach when we all got nicked and was on about Big Pat ….he was one of the two who legged it . What a day that was . Doogle days methinks. And one of the others was on about greekie . Seems he was our leader. Possibly never heard what boots done to him . Night night all

  282. Heroes-and-Villans

    Gum gate in the mirror now. They should of been made to pick it all up, disgusting. I would not like to be guzan in front of the holte! Wonder whats going to get chucked at him! Surly remi was aware of it. Didnt want them at the club and certainly not now!!

    Also richardson apparently making money gesture to wycombe fans…..classy.

    Jen…..can we set there coach on fire now 😉

  283. B62 Villa

    For an alternative view on the fans who waited to give the players a price of their mind, read the article in My old Man Said. Interesting and puts a whole new slant on it.
    Lescott, Guzan and Richardson should be fined/Dropped/ and some discipline e instilled into this shower of shite, if they want respect and to be treated with dignity they should act as they wish to be treated.

  285. steamer

    Aston Villa have called a crisis meeting in New York to discuss how they can save their season after another dismal weekend for the Premier League’s bottom club and with a growing mutiny among their disillusioned fanbase.

    The chief executive, Tom Fox, is flying out on Monday for talks with the owner, Randy Lerner, to see if there is any way the damage can be repaired by using the current transfer window to bring in new players.

    Fox will be accompanied by the sporting director, Hendrik Almstadt, on the back of the 1-1 draw against Wycombe Wanderers in the FA Cup on Saturday, when their failure to beat a League Two side culminated in angry scenes involving the away supporters. As well as chants of “You’re not fit to wear the shirt” towards the players, Villa’s fans also turned on the manager, Rémi Garde, who has now been in charge for 10 games without a victory.

    Hope the twats stay there. Conveniently misses the Palace game.

  286. James Gill

    Would love to be fly on wall tomorrow fox alstad crisis meeting in new York,how fox can explain his way out of this mess ,every back page had villa today and now with gum gate now for tomorrows papers,
    And why halfway through month no signings if remi is going to stay start now get rid of guzan Hutton Richardson senderous lescott zog Westwood bacuna gabby Sinclair rudi this month we are down get rid of scum who took us down see how many clubs want them and their attitude

  287. Heroes-and-Villans

    Wtf

    A. why was this not done in december…..its now 10th jan!

    B. Have they heard of skype. Really any need to fly to ny?

    C. They have no idea whatsoever what they are doing.

    D. Its only going to be pointless loan deals for rest of seaon and then they want to sign players with championship experience in the summer

    C. We are fucked

  290. Jenny Truman

    If Guzan and Lescott told the idiots who were abusing them to F off then so what . I don’t blame them . You try being sworn at week in week out and not retaliating . I’ve seen enough vids of this and other incidents , I’ve been at VP when players are constantly abused to know that they will have been provoked and have been all season . So called fans have been waiting for the villa coach before and after games . Or are you suggesting that they told the happy clappers to F off. The fact is that all of these players were shouted at before the game and no doubt were for the entire game . As the Wycombe keeper said – it was great for them listening to the villa fans getting on the players backs – and hope that they do the same at villa park .
    Are you really suggesting that it is the players at fault for saying F Off when they’ve been shouted at, sworn at , intimidated to the extent they need a police escort .
    No John , this is not character building , it is not about building up resilience , it is vile, wrong and totally negative. I feel the same way Mark – this weekend has destroyed the “sporting ” element for me and as Richard S said , it’s mob rule at its worst .

  291. Jenny Truman

    It’s the usual villa way of shutting the door after the horse has bolted steamer . It’s a crisis when your players need police escorts . It’s pointless – unless we recruit from Iceland , no one is going to want to come to AV

  292. RichardS

    Guzan should try sticking the gum to his gloves – he might actually be able to catch the ball with sticky gum on his gloves

    The whole situation is asinine – it’s beyond comprehension

    Gum gate – mob rule – loads of money Richardson – fuck off is the most common search term on Villa Twitter – can we all just grow up

    I cannot believe the Villa board have to have an emergency meeting in New York – what is wrong with the board room at Villa Park?

    Have we not already identified transfer targets – Remy has said he has been working on targets.

    Good grief – how long does this have to continue??

    It’s unbelievable

  293. Heroes-and-Villans

    Just been reading the new secret footballer book just out. Bit on how he is now looking to buy into a club and a consortium he was involved in wanted to by villa. Learner wanted 120mill cash, drip fed over time if needed. They held back thinking villa would get back in touch to negotiate but after a month they spoke to villa and villas stance was same. No negotiation. He said learner had no idea how competitive the prem is and just wants his money back

  295. John Lerwill

    Jenny,

    Sorry lass – I think you miss my point. The big problem is to do with the money that’s in the game and the importance that’s put upon it – the problem that has arisen is because of the divide, and it is that that needs treating.

    Anyway, I’ve had this quote sent to me – this morning as it happens, *and* purely by chance. it’s a statement given by a holy man (I’m withholding the name).

    Oh, to be able to get back to this scenario (before the big money spoilt everything) …


    Although there may be differences among nations in their food and recreational habits, the spirit of harmony and unity displayed in sports is a gratifying example to all. It is a distinctive quality of sports that differences are forgotten and persons engage themselves in games in a divine spirit of friendliness and camaraderie. Sports help the players not only to improve their health but also to experience joy. Students, however, should not be content with realising these benefits. It is equally essential to promote purity of the mind and develop large heartedness. True humanness blossoms only when the body, the mind and the spirit are developed harmoniously. The enthusiasm and effort which you display in sports should also be manifested in the spheres of morality and spirituality.

  296. John Lerwill

    Jenny: No John , this is not character building , it is not about building up resilience , it is vile, wrong and totally negative.

    So, Jenny, you’re saying to me that life has nothing to do with character building?

    In life far worse things happen – and are happening – Madaya for example.

    Life *is* about character building – to be able to withstand the “vile, wrong and totally negative” that you describe. Only by character building (resilience) against these elements can things be put right.

    I’m afraid your point of view (praiseworthy though it is) only leads to short-termism, not the long view.

  298. steamers75

    lv been banged up in bed for days with this throat bug , and been keeping up with things on tv F/B ect ect , and to be honest l cant see what all the hysteria is about , lv seen worse at sunday mornings football , heres a point , why has the sunday leagues (childrens football) found the need to put barriers up around the pitch and told the parents they are not allowed to stand anywhere other than behind the barrier , the reason being is these parents have verbally abused the Ref , opposing managers ,and other parents and if you read the sunday mercury they have a Roll Of Shame , and if i hadnt seen it with my own eyes l would’nt believe it , l used to go watch Chris my nephew play for 3Cs and l couldnt believe what l was hearing from the parents , one mother even shouted to her son “break his fucking legs ” at which point the dad of the kid she was aiming it at came storming ACROSS the pitch and took aim at her husband (gentleman you see as he wouldnt hit the woman ) this was a under 8s team !!! , the ref gave both managers a warning and said he was reporting it , didnt stop the abuse all through the game though , also the language from some of the kids to the ref , and there and then one of the parents hit it on the head , “oh its what he see’s the players say to the refs on telly ”
    now watch the fans during a game on tv and you can see and hear whats being shouted to players , Refs and l think the person who gets most abuse is the linesman , then you get a ref decision and what do you see ? about 6/7/8 players surrounding the ref calling him everything under the sun , and where did l see that happening , you got it . with our little munchkins on the pitch on a sunday morning , so these little tykes got it from their parents calling one and all everything under the sun and the players (so called roll models) on MOTD,
    swearing at a match has been going on since its inception and its not going to stop , sometimes you can ask a person near to you if he would tone it down and sometimes they do …. “sometimes ”
    Now as lv stated l dont condone anything that happened by the coach , but if you think it made any of them players feel worried about the next game l think you need to look back over the season , has the booing at end of games made them think about putting an effort in , IMO , no , lv seen others put on here , about how much they get and to be honest they couldnt give a fuck!! ,
    In Italy when fans attack the coach , players ect . in our papers and media its called Passion ,
    over here the media call it hooliganism , and nothing was thrown only a few profanities , l wonder should l have complained to the copper at newcastle when one of their fans called me a Fucking Villa cunt , your going down you bastard as l was getting onto our coach ? ……….Nah because l know he would have told me to fuck off and get on the bus ,

  299. steamer

    Met hundreds of pro footballers and sensitive isn’t a word i’d associate with any of them, you want to hear some of the things they say to each other on the pitch. The players would have just laughed at the yelling on Saturday, its hardly going to affect results anyway. When a player dictates how much training he does then that is the time to get worried, most of the team don’t try anyway .
    Do you remember the players saying they weren’t being paid enough to train hard ? the ringleader is still at VP, that’s how utterly pathetic the club is, its not worth worrying about.
    After reading some of the comments over the last couple of days iv’e come to the realization that iv’e wasted 55 years following AVFC, met some great people but the club is toxic, crap club, crap players and as for the happy clappers ….

  300. John Lerwill


    I can’t help but agree with both Steamers as to how things *are*…

    It shouldn’t be as it is … but it is.

    Ultimately I’d hope we could arrive at the magnificent view of sport that I quoted above, but until then nothing is really going to change the situation except by … resilience. Or by getting out of the kitchen if it’s too hot.

  301. Trinity

    Abuse is wrong. It always is. Many of the players abuse the refs. The FA lets them get away with it because they think it adds entertainment value, which amounts to more cash for them. Players often abuse each other. With all the money at stake, it’s dog eat dog on the pitch. It’s sad to see the fans having a go at each other and, especially the players. To be honest, I don’t think Prem League type clubs (in any sport world wide) are what they’re cracked up to be. It might be better to support local amateur teams or a sport that isn’t all about the money first. Something that is more community based.

  302. B62 Villa

    I think the whole coach saga and that went on between the players and fans at the side of the pitch has been blown out of all proportion, no one was physically hurt, you hear worse on the factory floor( and that’s from the women), the players live on another planet , the amount of money they earn puts them in a sort of bubble where the real world doesn’t affect them. There answer to everything comes back to money and how much they earn, like Richardsons gestures to the crowd at how much more he gets than joe public. When everything is going ok or well this is overlooked, especially when you can see the players putting it in, but they haven’t at all this season, and frustrations and anger are boiling over, when you see senior players messing about laughing and generally taking the piss , when called up on this they told the fans to Fuck off, which inflamed the situation( the players did start the swearing match by the dugout, hence Richards stepped in and fair play to him). A bit of swearing doesn’t bother me, and the players deserve to know what the fans think of them when they plainly aren’t tracking back or busting a gut( like against Wycombe who are of a standard way below Villa). Like it or not players should expect a backlash when they have under performed as they have, and after this season I expected it to be a lot worse, lose against palace and I think it will be like Bolton all over again. Other professional bodies get far more verbal and physical abuse, police officers, nurses in A&E council workers etc etc and are told its part of the territory and goes with the job, for less a year than these pampered lazy bell ends are on a week.
    A line needs to be drawn under it now, move on because moaning about fans who go home and away week in week out forking out thousands of pounds, who let their frustration and anger get the better of them after yet another appalling abject performance isn’t going to help anyone, the real problems stem from the club and their behaviour and actions.
    Players need to remember for every action their is a reaction. We are all adults let’s move on, and if any of these pampered darlings are upset at a bit of colourful language, I’m not sure I want them playing for my club, they certainly aren’t made of the stuff we need to dig ourselves out of this black hole

  304. DarrenO

    Picking up what Steamer said, the club is toxic at the moment, we’re all affected by it, as much as we’d all love to walk away right now, we’ve been supporting this club for too long not for it to mean something.

    My own opinion on what happened was that the anger prior to the match directed at the players is reprehensible and doesn’t reflect me as a life long Villan. It served no purpose and was counter-productive at the very least but the expectation is that our current crop of players are men and not boys and while I get the idea that any form of abuse is to be condemned, the abuse is directed at grown men, grown men who have showed nothing but contempt for this club that provides them with a standard of living I’ll never see.

    As for Guzan and Lescott, clearly not the end of the world in having a chewing gum spitting contest, I remember doing the same when I was 7 but it shows us what we are dealing with in that it is men who have never had to grow up, sure they get married, have babies and settle down but they lack maturity and intelligence. They have shown a real disrespect for the club along side just normal human decency.

    Fair play to Richards for coming over to the fans, he grew in my estimation as a man but maybe not as a footballer given his performance to date.

    As for post game abuse, I’ve commented before that it was completely understandable if you consider the slide into obscurity that we’ve had since MON left. None of us wants this for Villa, some of us can conduct a reasoned argument/debate and some of us shout the odds, are they not entitled to show their frustration at what they see. For my part, despite being able to articulate an argument, could easily see myself swept along in abusing the available target.

    And that’s the problem, the available targets are the players and despite most on here coming to terms with the poorness of the squad and our inability to win, the real targets should be Fox and Lerner. Every decision by Lerner has been flawed, every appointment into positions of power has been found wanting. Worse still, Fox continues to act like a commercial director securing contracts when the club is a sham.

    I’ll never walk away from Villa particularly when the need me most but feck me it’s hard to watch my club being destroyed without doing anything so if the players are abused so be it, mis-directed but what choice have we got when Fox is in his ivory tower and Lerner in his US mansion.

    If the AVST don’t get off their arses soon and organise protest, the club is lost to the money men forever, we’ll never get our club back and will only ever be customers, where the assessment is not on how well we support the club but on how many pints and pies we buy before and during the game and if they get any sales in the club shop.

    VTID FOLAF

  305. steamers75

    B62
    when we went down last time l worked at a company in Tyseley and it was mainly noses , so l went up to Oasis market and got a T-shirt made with the words ” I know lm a cunt ” and on the back , l had ” but we’ll be back ” all in claret and blue , pissed em off no end .
    the only reason this has blown up ,is Mobile Phones !! mate , jeez if we had them in our day we’d all still be locked up, l remember when the cameras were put up by the Holte pub , made villa park one of the safest grounds to come too , anyway anyone got any thoughts how this meetings going to go , Tee the hitler video being dubbed on youtube later …LOL

  306. Heroes-and-Villans

    Considering we are going down, run by clowns and will prob be years in the wilderness its hardly any wonder the fans are at breaking point.

    Its not like we are always like this. What did surprise me was watching the everton game the other week and stones done a few cruyff turnes in his own box (and getting away with it) and the abuse he got from the toffee fans was mad! They went mental and he was talking back to them and a team mate got him up the field but stones was still mumbling.

    Like said above swearing at footy has been going on at every club at every level since i have followed it.

    The levels of it vary on how well or how bad the team or players are doing!

    Steamer

    You have not wasted anything mate….very easy to think now but think of the glory times:)
    We will be back on track one day and i will always support and love Aston Villa. If i boo or swear at any players or staff members (which i havent yet) it will be because i think they are bad for my beloved club.

  307. Mark King

    Trouble is people these days we live in a world of sensationalism, Take big brother for instance, I had the unfortunate pleasure of seeing some of it and the crux of a row was a politician stated he thought same sex partners shouldn’t adopt kids or something like that. Now being big brother there was at least 3 gay people and a raft of celeb types that all have loads of gay friends. As a politician it was either incredibly brave to state his beliefs or incredibly stupid you choose but the reaction was incredible. There was no discussion worthwhile nobody tried to get to why he felt that way (religious grounds as it was) all were suitably disgusted and he was evicted and booed by the crowd.

    What I’m getting at is there is 2 sides to every story and people no longer think for themselves or have much compassion for others especially when within a peer group. The adage of not judging someone until you have walked in their shoes no longer applies in the modern Era and we all get dragged into a Kangaroo court situation because 99% of the time we are operating with half the story, we all do it when we read the headlines of the paper, some realise its mostly guff some don’t.

    St75- hope you haven’t got what I have mate its like a fecking boomerang the gift that keeps on giving, 6 weeks now.

    As for abuse at matches I remember quite fondly old ladies trying to hit me with sticks, flicking dog poo at you, pitch invasions, mass fights, outrageous abuse but never before you set foot on the pitch. one mate of mine used to abuse me if he thought I wasn’t playing up to standard because he knew I’d react. These days the players seem to have a code of you don’t shout at me and I won’t shout at you and I find that strange, If your not prepared to upset anyone you don’t want to win.

  309. James Gill

    watching sky sports tc plus tony gale ,gale still beating drum about summer signings money spent,is he stupid 7/8m spent lescott rudi have been disaster ilor a joke thats our brittish signings so far amavi vertout ayew traore look ok gana looks like makoun but hey he was 7.5m our problems lie with regulars that lambert signed or gave exstensions to,another point they made its up to lerner what he spends on clubsince mcleish about 35m over 5 years,so its up to fans how they react now to years of hell and dead right unless we can release or shift out over halve our starting line up we will probably be fighting relegation this time next year

  310. Clive Evans

    Jenny – I’ve stayed away as much as possible as I read all the same stuff every time; however your comments are the voice of reason and a credit to you as a loyal supporter. I noticed one of the media signs at Spurs that said something along the lines of loyal supporters are supporters for life.

    I have said before Richards was not a CD and he, in my opinion, confirmed it with a performance that was approaching his peak until he was injured. So he scuffed the shot that scored our goal – remember Withe’s shin in the European Cup final?

    In my view we need an experienced CD to organise the back 4 (or 5) – A GOD, a Vlaar, a Laursen but not a Lescott. Look at the change in Huth at Leicester given the task.

    I don’t hold out a lot of hope for us with regards to avoiding relegation but the fat lady hasn’t warmed up yet, so there’s still hope until it’s mathematically impossible.

    As for fans abusing the players, whatever we might think about their performance, it is not going to help them play beyond their capabilities. Are they supporters of glory hunters? I remember when they said 20,000 would turn up to watch the shirts drying n the washing line!

    Still a Villa supporter

  312. Mark King

    Clive- For me the whole having a go at the players is understandable and probably predictable too. I’ve thought about it and with hindsight and the whole Guzan, richardson, Lescott story ( which lets face it could be a reaction to the Sunderland abuse and the Wycombe pre-match abuse who really knows) my real feelings toward it are anger that the damage done to Gardes chances of getting some decent players in may of sealed our doom. We now have if they weren’t before a whole team that couldn’t be arsed, I’d prefer they did even if I want them gone in April.

    Senderos must be slower than a snail to not get a run, he is by far our most wiley and authoritative CB if fit and we are selling him? I trust Garde so I’m assuming that he just can’t make the fitness grade.

  313. runtings

    R.I.P David Bowie – truly an all time great

    With all the fussing and infighting it seems learner still gets away with the murder of aston villa while most turn on the players and staff good ol Randy is chillin in his mansion completely unaffected by the mayhem he has caused

  315. Clive Evans

    Mark – true – I thought the Senderos Vlaar pairing worked out well until it did not continue – he certainly is the experienced defender we are missing – remember we had a donkey called McNaught who relied on a road runner called Alan Evans to do the chasing about and we didn’t do so badly with that set-up

  316. steamer

    Cheers Andrew.

    Anyone heard of The Secret Footballer ? Apparently in his new book he mentions that he was part of a consortium that were interested in buying Villa, the asking price was 120m payable over a period, the bid was accepted but Lerner never got back to them, think that’s how it went anyway, 2nd hand info. Lerner has had offers but seems to think he’s a better option, wonder what he’s going to buy with his 50m when he finally sells.

    Very good post DOR.

    Feel desperately sorry for Garde, after a lifetime in football i bet even he was shocked at this shambles. He has big problems with Fox awarding long deals to Aggy, Clark, Hutton, Bacuna etc but if he can shift 10 or so on frees and get in a few decent foreigners then with our good kids coming through ( and we do have some ) then he may be able to turn it around.
    He shouldn’t worry about the clubs reputation, that went down the bog years ago.

    Can’t see Fox being booted although even the Washington Post is publicising our plight. He must have a degree in arrogance, even a dummy like Lerner should see through his BS.

  317. Heroes-and-Villans

    steamer

    that was me who posted about the secret footballer! He also said how much he likes villa and nearly joined us.

    Remi needs to shift as much crepe out as poss and get 4 or 5 of his own in or he is a gonner.

  318. Mark King

    Lerner needs to install a football man asap to buy himself time or his goose is cooked IMO.

    Totally agree steamer on garde, hes a smart cookie and he see’s the potential. Maybe even see’s as a chance to emulate wenger. I don’t think taking over at Arsenal really floats his boat I think he’s a builder if that makes sense.

  319. DarrenO

    that goose is too far burnt and is in the bin, even now, the cynic in me will just see it as a PR exercise to deflect attention away from Lerner with AVFC PR rolling out the red tape to even a former Villa great, only for that same person to be still under the employment of Lerner and Lerner’s money so absolutely no real power and probably result in a boardroom battle between Fox and A.N.Other for power.

    Sorry but chairperson appointment is a red herring, the club needs investment, long term investment, Fox should be demoted to Commercial Director and do a job he is good at, Almstadt and Riley given the chop, a genuine director of football appointed by Remi to look after the financing of player acquisition and retention so he can concentrate on being a coach and a new owner who sees value not commercially but in the name of Aston Villa and all it used to stand for in football and we get on with writing ‘The Lerner Years’ as a history book.

    FOFAL

  321. Mark King

    DOR- probably on my own hear but looking at our players I prefer the gruesome twosomes choices over tims. I certainly dont think riley is that bad, benteke ayew vertout amavi gana hes not all bad. The other bloke just sifts through data I don’t think he has anything more than a deciphering input to player acquisition.

  322. RichardS

    The last thing the fans need now is a PR Disaster Statement from Randy and Fox.

    Fox is a PR disaster – he will talk about increased shirt sales – what an idiot. Just look at the £100m per year you are going to lose from being in the Premier League.

    Money talks Randy – just back Remy in the transfer window. I don’t buy into all of this shit about preparing for the Championship. Randy has been preparing for the Championship with his lack of investment over the last 5 years.

  324. DarrenO

    Wouldn’t entirely disagree MK re Riley but prefer Garde was given more power as I believe he has the the connections through Lyon to be able to build the team he wants, if he wanted to keep Riley for the technical assessment of a player fine but overall 1 win in 20 would suggest that they (Almstadt and Riley) haven’t had the appropriate impact their roles would suggest.

    Love an opportunity to speak to Garde and Fox, no interest in ever seeing Lerner again, he can stay hidden. Love to know if Fox admits he’s bitten off more than he can chew and if Garde is really in this to build an Aston Villa legacy for himself and us.

  325. John Lerwill

    Mark,

    Whatever your view of Tim’s vs The Grusome Two’s, surely the crux of the matter now is that the whole lot was too many to gel together, particularly as they’re from all over the place and have no affinity with Villa apart from Lescott.

    And the major part of the signings were The Gruesome Two’s, based on stats more than anything we here. Richards and Lescott’s were good ones to go for on paper … but Richards has been dragged down by the season’s events I suspect, while he and Lescott don’t seem a good pairing. Lescott otherwise did well I think when with someone else.

    So The Gruesome Two should be consigned to the nether reaches of the Stats Office i.m.o.

  326. steamer

    Think we need Brian Little & John Gregory as joint football directors everybody reports to them, they make appointments ( scouts etc ), Fox, if he stays, like DOR said becomes a commercial dog or preferably sods off. We need Villa people not fly by night Yanks, Germans and Cockenees. The only thing is that Lerner has this belief that only Americans and Republicans are capable of success.

  327. John Lerwill

    Steamer,

    The reality is (I suggest) that whatever happens will be on the predictable lines of what Lerner thinks best … and we’ve grown accustomed to what that is!

  328. Mark King

    Jl- I hear what your saying. IMO most of the problems stemmed from who left the club. It created a huge vacuum to fill. Knowing from previous seasons under Lambert bringing in 12 players without a pre-existing spine is suicidal but departures dictated this window.
    Tim wanted prem experiance of the english variety which added to what was left would of been just as damaging as the french tilt. We may have survived but at what cost? Another overpaid too old squad to get rid of. As it is we will lose the prem riches but if a true rebuild is the aim I understand the decision. I have always maintained Tim did not expect the exodus because of his ego and relationship with the players. The rest is history.

    If you keot the majority of last seasons squad and add vertout amavi richards ayew and a RB we would look quite decent Imo

  330. runtings

    Must say if it is true that our players just walk off the pitch after an away game without acknowledging the travelling support that is pretty shameful of them considering they are being backed during games by some of the best support on the planet

    no excusing any abuse by any means but those sort of actions don’t help relations between the fans and the team — Garde should be making sure every player salutes the away support after ever nightmare game they sit through

  331. steamer

    Sure i read somewhere that Randy appointed idiots at the Browns but when he realised he’d messed up he ruthlessly booted them, so hopefully its Adidas to Tom, Riley and Henrik.

  332. steamer

    Runtingz,
    The club declared war on the fans about three years ago, nearly caused a riot by sending in the stewards to eject a fan who showed a Lerner Out banner, since then they’ve ejected anyone singing against Lerner or his managers, booted the Supporters Clubs for criticising on social media and withdrawn ST’s from Brigada 82, i don’t think they’ll be able to stop whats going to happen on Tuesday unless the heads roll today. Wonder how much Lerner has paid out in compo since he arrived ?

  333. runtings

    Steamer- and in your last post is the overall problem with our club which has now come to a head — how can a football club not respect it’s fans and there views — how can you gag the support in there freedom of speech without creating an us and them mentality

  334. Mark King

    My take on the them and us is it only exists when the them stop giving the us what they want, when Lerner was splashing the cash nobody was getting on his case. Its only since that wagon lost a couple of wheels we have stopped to see what is really going on. JL had an inside view of what the general feeling toward the support was at the time and the boards attitude but who else knew?

  335. John Lerwill

    S75: “Stinky Steamer and J lofty Lerwill may have been in Europe quite a while before us . On a bombing raid . ”

    Haha! Very funny. Actually you’ve hit on a bit of history there, as it was a Flt. Lt. Lerwill that led the first ever RAF bombing mission in WW2 – a fruitless sortie over the North Sea to find ships to bomb. He later became a fine Squadron Leader based at Malta. That ‘Lerwill’ was still alive a couple of years ago aged nearly 100.

    [BTW – I meant to reply earlier but forgot.]

  336. Mark King

    On a lighter note my Mom who’s all of 74 is talking to a 70 year old ex villa captain from the seventies on a dating site, I will leave names out for decencies sake 🙂

  337. John Lerwill

    Runtings/Mark,

    The management at Villa were very canny in how they manipulated the club’s persona. Until about 2012 many people were fooled by it.

    But all along they were far more concerned about self-presentation, knowing they knew precious little about the sport and thinking the experts they selected and appointed would do the job required.

    I expect that after their PR success in the first 4 years they thought they’d be able to carry off the partial deception and keep the fans on board, but not knowing the business of football nor the attitude of the fans (thinking that AVST could be their voice on that score) has cost them dear.

  349. Mark King

    Richard S- Been reading through that link you have posted and its superb. Every Villa fan should read it and write and apology to Garde whilst simultaneously writing to Tim and ask why he thought the defensive players he brought in or kept were adequate.

  350. Jenny Truman

    Thank you Clive – listen up the rest of you I am the voice of reason – bringing the feminine side to AVL 🙂

    Not going to say anymore about the ignorant abusive fans – other than – getting close up to someone’s face and calling them a p:;ck/ wan;;er/ c#%nt – lying in wait – goes beyond the booing from the safety of the stands . Anyway , Wycombe Wanderers appreciated it and hope we can regail them with more “you’re not fit to wear the shirt ” on the replay :-). I will say no more promise 🙂

    Sadly Remi also came in for it and he’s starting to look like his predecessors : pale, stressed and aged 10 years . Not good to witness.

    Press reports saying we will sign Debuchy – just can’t see him wanting to come here . I can’t see us signing anyone premiership level for the same reason . It’s an unhappy , sinking ship and I just can’t see us winning another game this season 🙁 I can only hope for a miracle like Benteke coming back to save us – but that’s fantasy land . Oh The irony that Klop can’t see his immense talent or doesn’t want to play to his strengths when we now have more creativity . I remember a tweet from a villa fan recently saying “Klop is spooling our Teckers”
    Oh well – Tuesday night will probably be another let down / if we do win it will feel like we have won a cup final ! Maybe I will feel differently tomorrow !!

    Very sad to learn about David Bowie . Love his voice .

  351. Jenny Truman

    Clive – ref Sendeross : I read over weekend he’s desperate to get out and is in talks with a Swiss club I think after his “nightmare time with AV”. I thought he played a couple of belting games for us when he started and is the best leader on the pitch we’ve seen for ages . He really did get and keep the team going .

  352. Jenny Truman

    Sky sports

    “Maybe the Swiss Super League is the ideal solution for me. I’ll try anything as I want to play matches again. I know I still have several good years ahead of me. I’ve not been able to do what I enjoy the most, I miss the pleasure of battles on the pitch, and it is frustrating. I haven’t forgotten how to play. Clubs just need to look at who I’ve played for in the past,”

  353. steamers75

    Yes Mark it sounds like that dreadful Lurgy going around , could be l caught it off jenny when me and steamer dropped over just before xmas and she was just getting over it and having a coffee in a dodgy Columbian Caff , Brandies going down well though so in a way lm happy ,and Jenny your friend who came over from France , let him know his nuts are lovely , nice and crunchy . xxxxx.
    Steamer l cant believe you have’nt mentioned you wartime heroics , so l will tell them ,(save your blushes ) as you know the japs started using Kamikazi pilots !! well the RAF asked for volunteers to do the same to their navy , up stepped Steamer who made 14 successful sorties and is still here today to tell the story ….
    brilliant line on Facebook by a villa fan , ” Randy’s mom had 2 cunts …one was Randy … sorry l just had the giggles with that today
    well off now for my medicines

  355. James Gill

    Mark k
    Read Richards’s

    Who says Tim had much say in who was signed ,remember Tim dropped guzan why was he reinstated to sell American papers , I have slagged off Hutton guzan Richardson for weeks never thought they where as bad as that,

  357. John Lerwill

    S75,

    This Lurgy did not have anything to do with your state of health mate!

    What you need is a good dose of Villa Park on a old night where the players will warm the cockles of your claret and blue heart! … In perhaps 10 years time … !!!!

  361. Mark King

    JG- I don’t think we will ever know to what extent Tims hands were Tied. I work on the basis of He tells the scouts etc what positions he needs to fill they provide options. You could also add that the likes of Hutton nzogbia etc were impossible to shift and that lies at fox’s and lamberts feet with extending contract etc.

    When Tim was making his we wouldn’t be in this position with me here next season with the same squad speech I’m sure he was feeling untouchable and that his troops would follow him anywhere, Delph kissing the badge signing contracts cleverly saying how much he enjoyed playing under Tim. I think the exodus began when they caught wind of the real plans and knew Tekkers was off so left Tim in the lurch. His choices that were linked did look like additions to replace weiman, Vlaar etc not the mainstays of the team.

    Reading between the lines I think it hit him hard and suddenly he had to find a whole team with the proceeds, I think he’d been given £25m plus sales initially to freshen the squad and lose the deadwood, in the end he had to buy the tree and not just the decorations. He couldn’t cope with the amount given so Riley and co stepped in. If he was so horrified by the squad you have to ask why he did not walk and do what Mon did, he would still have got his money.

    Of course its all guess work

  362. John Lerwill

    FA Cup … *If* we beat WW, then we’ve got Man City at VP.

    Mark – There is a lot of guesswork in your essay (!), and so we have to leave it at that I suppose. But the reports I’ve had suggest that Tim had a hard time in the purchasing round. It’s certainly true that Delph went because he could not be assured there was quality being acquired in the summer.

  363. Paul Pears

    No problem then JL,

    Once our newly revamped Villa team have seen off WW, we will be well on our way to Wembley, just need to repeat our previous cup success against City….4-2….then the world is our oyster, and we can continue to climb back up the Premiership……………

    Gosh that was a really nice bottle of rioja……..

  364. Mark King

    JL- yes a whole lot of filling in gaps bit like miss marples me 🙂

    I just don’t buy the “if you’d left it to me” line from Tim, if its possible we could actually be worse off ! another guess I know.

    Just listening to the radio and the topic being villa they were saying how Tim was unlucky to be sacked, nobody yet has mentioned him saying” I don’t know my best line up” and “these are not my players” and not playing any of the new players to bed them in. They are saying Remi was the wrong appointment and the players are not playing for him. thats possible but when you look at Richard S’s link its there in plain sight how awful the back four and keeper are especially without Amavi. Theres no mention of the trouble makers he’s identified or the harmony he’s tried to culture. In some instances the fans really are the experts on their own clubs.

  367. James Gill

    Mark k
    We are nearly on same page now pity Lerner fox are on different books
    Them stats are frightening I knew guzan was bad but not that bad
    Here s a thought Sherwood wouldn’t play french lads to show up Lambert’s players,garde is playing the worst of what we have to show fox Lerner how bad it is,garde has nothing to lose and by opening his mouth I have changed my view on him first manager for long time to stand up for what’s right

  373. Jenny Truman

    Morning all ,
    The stats do make interesting reading RichardS and I recently read another interesting stat – AV come top in the amount of dribbling – but bottom in dribbling producing results stats. Is this the fault of
    the dribblers , or the set up of the team / mentality skill of team because there’s not enough getting into space or forward to pass to .

    The other interesting point in the stats bomb is this. Wasn’t Henrik brought in as he is the Stats expert? According to Richard’s article , the new recruits stats were poor to mediocre .

    I’ve broken My promise on the fans already – because I am very sad to read this am that Bacuna has been singled out for vicious abuse by the fans directed at baby daughter . How low can you go . Interesting that a certain journalist has targeted Bacuna also.

  375. James Gill

    McLeish has his say
    Will fuck off McLeish your transfer dealings have been worst villa history
    Zog fee 9.5 wages 16 m
    Given fee 4.5 wages 15 m
    Jena’s loan fee 1 m wages 1 m for thirty mins football
    Hutton fee 4.5 m wages 8 m plus exstention from Lambert
    You have no right to speak clown

  376. James Gill

    Sick pundits on about our spend of 55 m in summer, not fact we had nett spend of less than 10 m
    Newcastle spent 50 m and are up at 20 m in Jan
    Bournemouth up at 30 m for Jan
    Lerner has only spent 35 m over 5 years and every club are paying big wages

Leave a Reply