So we’re still in click-bait limbo before the window opens and new kit leaks have been making the rounds. Kodjia is off to Fenerbache on loan. Wait, no he isn’t. Is he? I’ve lost track of all the rumors and advice handed out by pundits who know less about Villa than any of us.

As far as kits go, I’m kind of liking the one I’ve seen with the narrow claret stripes on a sky-blue shirt. Not so keen on the embroidered lions all over the classic claret shirt. Millennium would be a logical sponsor, a way for Dr. Tony to slide funds into the club through the back door. About time we had that kind of synergy. I would think they should be happy to pay us £50 million a year for the privilege. A bargain, really.

Patience
Perhaps more significant than new kit designs is Dr. Tony’s recent pledge of undying, lifelong loyalty and commitment to Villa. That’s good to hear, and I’ll take him at his word. I’ll also take Keith Wyness at his word that the good doctor is a quick learner and has indeed learned a lot about owning a football club over the last year.

Part of his recently acquired nous is apparently realizing that you can’t necessarily buy your way to promotion. We had hints of this earlier, when he limited expectations for another big spending spree over the summer. Naturally that made sense in terms of FFP and overall prudence. But in his latest remarks, we’re also seeing that he’s coming around to the idea that you have a build a team and have a bit of patience.

Obviously, we’re all rather impatient to get back up to the top tier. It’s where we belong, and history suggests that the longer you languish in the Championship, the harder it is to get back up. But even though Dr. Tony is surely aware of all this, he may simply be understanding that what the team might need is less pressure. That they might achieve more for not being expected to.

Team Versus Individuals
We talk about gelling on the field, but the gelling that matters takes place elsewhere. It’s a coming together of individuals to make a team. They don’t necessarily need to have Sunday dinner together, they don’t even need to like every one of their teammates. But they need to trust each other, show the same endeavour and commitment, and work hard for each other. They need to buy into a collective vision and play their respective parts.

This, to me, is largely the difference between Villa and the more successful, cohesive, committed and much more frugally assembled squads that ended up above us in the table at the end of last season. The tactics and formations themselves, while obviously important, aren’t necessarily the only things that matter. You have to execute them with commitment and belief.

Pressure and Expectations
When we talk about pressure, we of course are also talking about the series of events leading to a crisis mentality that can be traced back to Lerner’s arrival—because Lerner had some money and spent it. With spending came expectations. But if you don’t spend wisely, you can find yourself in a spiral making a series of increasingly desperate and/or poor decisions driven solely by finances. Because in football, you can’t always just sell the assets you shouldn’t have acquired in the first place. A positive vision goes out the window, replaced by one focused on avoiding a negative outcome.

So when we talk about a negative psychology at Villa Park, I really wonder if isn’t a build-up of desperation and resentment we’ve witnessed. The constant lurching from one approach to another is never a good thing for any team, either in terms of understanding on the pitch or buy-in from the players. There’s no cohesion in recruitment or playing style. You end up with the proverbial set of mismatched parts in the garage. And you keep bringing in a different mechanic with his own ideas about the parts. You get players worn down by continually being criticized and replaced. You get players resigned to situations off the pitch that aren’t conducive to success on the pitch. You basically end up with, “What’s the point?”

This is all rather obvious, but I don’t know that it’s gotten its due in terms of us understanding why Villa haven’t seemed to change. We’ve been in the same place at the end of each season, and facing the same circumstances heading into the next. The faces have all changed—but the circumstances haven’t. It’s always been about the pressure born of increasing desperation, decreasing options, and expectations that defy them both.

What Can Bruce Do?
Right now, my guess is that Steve Bruce’s vaunted man-management skills have been mentioned so much because what’s required is not another re-shuffling of the pack. What’s required is team-building. And I suppose I do mean that in way that calls to mind the dreaded workplace baloney.

The players have to come together. They have to have a shared sense of purpose and belonging, a shared desire to give their all and help the others flourish.

It all sounds very touchy-feely. We think, “This is their job, you do it one place, you come in and do it at another. You’re getting paid well, so pull your heads out and get out there and do it.” And we’re not wrong to think that. Or at least think that it should be possible. But if all the above is true, you don’t necessarily have the conditions in place to support the mentality that allows players to just step in, be welcome, and get on with it.

For me, then, it seems, as I mentioned a while back, that the most important thing Bruce might, and frankly needs to, achieve this summer is getting these guys to feel like a team. Then they might play like one. Villa have enough talent (especially with the 3-4 signings we’re looking at) to play with anyone in the Championship. It’s time for them to settle in, pull together, and start realizing their potential.

We’ll almost certainly continue to debate whether Bruce is the best man for the job. But right now he’s here and he’ll have enough talent. What he needs is a true team mentality, buy-in from everyone on a shared vision. So once everyone’s back from their holidays, Bruce could do worse than bring everyone in for a big group hug at Bodymoor. After, of course, he’s had a good long think about what he’s going to do with all the parts laying around at his disposal.

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John Clark
John is co-owner of AVL, and has followed the Villa since the '70s. A journalist by trade, he is, by most accounts, a very nice person. You can follow me on Twitter @JClarkKohoutek. It's an astonishing experience. Or a complete waste of time.

Comments 36

  1. Trinity

    Good morning, JC.
    Thankyou for a well written reiteration of what JL has been trying to get across for a while.
    “Perhaps more significant than new kit designs is Dr. Tony’s recent pledge of undying, lifelong loyalty and commitment to Villa.” I’m glad you brought this up again. JL posted a link a couple of days ago about this. It seems to have slipped under the radar, but is important news, and good news going forward.
    Can’t agree more about building team spirit and cohesion being Bruce’s most important challenge. Studying the likes of Howard Spencer and John Devey as a group wouldn’t be a bad thing.

  4. John Clark

    Morning, evening, afternoon…cheers, Iana.

    I really do think that little tweet was significant. If he’s changing the remit, so be it. Better to be realistic than unreasonable.

  5. John Clark

    JL…does it pay? Think I’m looking for Nickey Shorey-type terms. Say £2m/yr, four-year contract, show up for 20 or 30 days, get paid for the rest regardless.

  7. Mark King

    Thanks JC, It all hinges on Bruces ability to bring what he has together (which should be more than enough)and both encourage and coach them in whats expected, I hope whats expected is better than last produced.

    As for Dr xia’s new found patience? maybe being one recently gave him new perspective? although I think its more likely the dwindling funds under FFP and the non promotion that have prompted a come down.

  9. r0bb0

    IanG. That’s a really encouraging article and more important than whoever gets elected today.
    The big step forward now will be the development of larger, more efficient batteries.
    We installed solar power on our warehouse. We wanted to do double the amount but the grid infrastructure wasn’t there to support it. If we could start storing more of the energy at the point of generation then we could use more of it at the source of production and level out supply when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow.

  11. r0bb0

    Oh
    . . . won’t open
    Sorry guys
    Anyway . . . . it said that solar and wind production prices continue to fall and have surprised everyone at how fast the technology is expanding
    It now has a greater capacity than coal and oil
    Now we need those batteries to store he energy when it’s produced!

  15. DarrenO

    Well it will be a long road to our final goodbyes as fellow Europeans, it means May will spend much of the early part of her new tenure determining if she gets into bed with the Lib Dems plus DUP for a majority or seeks parliamentary concensus for every piece of legislation she wishes to bring in.

    Given the requirement to complete Brexit negotiations by Oct 2018, she probably at best has 12 months to complete them which may mean the creation of a roadmap to full Brexit running into years of more detailed negotiations.

    If you never entertained the idea of being European and the extent of your European knowledge is where in Marbella you can get a full English breakfast for 2.95 while proudly displaying your bulldog tattoo and wearing your country’s flag as a pair of shorts then perhaps you were never in Europe to exit out of it in the first place. 🙂

    Great result for politics in that a manifesto was voted for in Labour as opposed to the politics of personality, heard on Sky parts of Wales found May a more attractive leader but then again they find sheep attractive.

    Worse still is you have the two main parties split, far right Tories vs. their middle ground and Blairites vs. far left socialists in Labour. There will be too much infighting to focus on the needs of the country and its issues like low GDP, sterling drop (great for exports but imported goods will become more expensive). NHS funding hole, pension funding for an aging population that is living longer, saddling your youth with huge debts from college before they start work. Siding up with a Trump vision of the world that is selfish first even though for all the poor in the UK it’s not a patch on the Third World despite many of those countries being formerly under the British Empire or possibly still within the Commonwealth (a term that was never valid anyway).

    Landsdowne Road for me this Sunday, Ireland v Austria so a bit more football before complete withdrawal symptoms kick in and I’m left with newsnow click bait

    Great article and summation of AVFC prior to the new season JC, there are positives and a clean slate to see if Brucie can get his promotion bonus, tall order based on the previous season but in the sage like words of JL it’s in the past now.

    All the best my fellow lifers

  17. DarrenO

    Sorry I frequent Torremolinos, full English is 3.95 and yes two sausages, can’t stand beans so get them replaced with a third sausage or a hash brown 🙂

  18. John Lerwill

    Darren,

    Though I did not think I’d say this 2 or 3 months ago, I think the danger of in-fighting in the Labour Party has receded. Having listened to the centre and right Labs last night I think they’re now happy that the policies Labour has are fair and that they can unite under the policies flag.

    As to whether Corbyn will last, that’s another thing. Perhaps he won’t. But I think that he’s set a style and connection with the ordinary people that the other Labs have noted, and it will – hopefully – mean that the Labour Party now stays connected and stop having dreams of grandeur!

  19. Costa del Kieran

    Hi all. I’m an avid reader of AVL but rarely post as you all seem much more knowledgeable than myself…until now. Thanks to DOR I can finally impart some of my expertise.
    You can’t get a full English in Marbella for £2:95!!!! I live in Benalmadena & the best breakfast I’ve found is the Shannon bar, they do a full Irish (bacon, sausage, egg, black pudding, white pudding, toast & a mug of tea) for 4:95€. Follow that with a nice cold bottle of Magnets & you’re set for the day. Let the heated debate begin 😉

  23. DarrenO

    Well if the price of breakfast has prompted your contribution Kieran then all the better, also we all think we know everything, it’s merely a cloak to hide our own inadequacies.

    Good to hear JL, Britain needs a strong opposition in light of the DUP being given the kingmaker role in Parliament, a party of bigots and backward thinking (right up Tory street) and the reason there is no conservative party in Norn Iron. Their only saving grace is they recognise the need for a borderless Ireland.

    Given they’ve not had real power since the 70s and that mis-use of power resulted in the civil rights movement for Catholics which created a springboard for recruitment into the IRA, I’d have major misgivings about how fair a deal for all the subjects of Norn Iron they’d arrange.

    God help Norn Iron

  24. Trinity

    Ian G
    “Did somebody say sheep??” Sure did. Lol.
    Can you still afford to buy mutton, anymore? Many families in NZ can’t. Two chops cost £4 at the supermarket.

  26. IanG

    lana
    About the same price here also, with frozen a little cheaper [NZlamb]. Fresh local or welsh lamb is more.
    I tend not to eat traditional English food much.
    In fact as it’s ramadan & I live in a 90% Pakistani area, my appetite seems to have shrunk in sympathy.
    Hope the rest of me does as well.

    Little matter of the auld enemy on saturday KO 5pm.
    NZ appear to be doing ok against Bangladesh

  27. Mark King

    JL- amazing that the conservatives didn’t see the backlash for brexit from the youth coming. All the calls for a second vote because lots of them never voted but didn’t want to leave apparently, its was on the cards. I liked the labour manifesto though shame its all made a dogs dinner of getting the brexit bit over and done, hope the conservatives or whomever gets in steals their ideas especially the central banking away from the private banks and the end to fracking.

  33. r0bb0

    Iana,
    The NZ economy is doing pretty well at the moment isn’t it?
    I remember the gnashing of kiwi teeth when we joined the EU and NZ lost its key market. It was painful for a while but they had to be creative and seemed to adapt pretty well . . . . if Brexit still goes through then my hope is that we can do the same.

  34. Trinity

    robbo
    NZ is still a so-called first world country. That’s true. I think I’m lucky to live here.
    However, NZ’s situation economically is precarious. It’s a real juggling act. The amount of homeless and inability of NZers to buy or rent a home is disturbing. That’s the major election issue this year. We also have over 200k kids living under the poverty line.
    Our army no longer has any mbts (main battle tanks) and our airforce hasn’t flown fighter jets since the 90s. Our navy has gone from a cruiser navy to consisting of two low end frigates and a few OPVs. They can’t adequately patrol NZ’s vast EEZ.
    Australia is eroding ties with NZ because they consider NZ the poor cousin. Anyone, who was born in NZ, who breaks the law in Australia is sent back to NZ, even if they’ve spent their whole life there. NZ doesn’t do that to Australian born NZ citizens because it is weak. Why doesn’t the UK do that to foreign born criminals in the UK? The UK is also eroding ties with NZ by trying to stop NZers working there on heritage visas etc. For some reason, Australia and the UK prefer migrants from Islamic countries. Maybe, they’re less trouble or something. After Britain stopped importing most of NZ’s lamb, NZ started expong lamb to the likes of Iran and Saudi Arabia. The goverment stopped subsidies to farmers, which meant only the fittist survived. Many walked off the land, some comitted suicide. NZ is still up there for suicides, especially youth suicide. NZ has lost most of its industrial base. We used to make our own train engines, assemble cars, make own electronics etc. That and the jobs have long gone because it’s cheaper to import from China.
    I still remember the Rainbow Warrior incident, when the French government carried out the bombing of the Green Peace ship, the Rainbow Warrior, in Auckland. A Portuguese citizen died. Some of the agents were caught. What did Australia and the UK have to say about it? Nothing. Brexit would, I think, be a good thing, could save Britain’s soul.

  35. John Lerwill

    Iana,

    It makes me so sad to read what you’ve written about NZ. I was on the verge of migrating there about 45 years ago.

    When I was on a contract up north (at Newcastle) some years ago, a taxi driver I used was from NZ and told me that he had been a sheep farmer in his old life. He also told me the story you’ve narrated about the state of sheep farming there.

    I used to have a buddy in London from NZ called Gerald Weekley. If you ever come across him, please tell him I’m still here!

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