John_Lerwill

How come this point isn't used when talking about other games under houllier? Now, now, BigJohn (writes another Big John ... you know as well as I that this match was at the crux of the re-birth of the season for Villa. And we are now into a New Year with Auld Lang Syne in our hearts. :winkold: Fair comment - no disagreement with that. As I said, we have to see what the next month brings (you didn't quote that bit (?). However, the injuries' issue is mostly now over - the first time for quite a few games. Yep, but I feel confident. Don't you?

Richard, that's the Sun you're quoting from!! Whether Chelsea are not as good as last season is not an issue. We all know that how a team plays on the day depends on the opposition as much as anything. One thing is for sure ... the Villa were a damn sight better organised than they were in the corresponding fixture last March. Why don't we just see what happens over the next month.

Two players off - Clark and NRC. And, arguably, a better Heskey.

Well, since Houllier has not had chance to sign any, it's not too surprising, given the needs of yesterday's match! :? Clearly, Villa's tactics were a great improvement on MON's last visit to the Bridge.

You're right! The Terry one didn't show up on the BBC page straight away.

http://www.zonalmarking.net/2011/01/02/chelsea-3-3-aston-villa-tactics/ High praise from a knowledgeable fellow. On MotD last night, they showed a diagram of how last March Villa played down the centre of the park, giving away the wings to Chelsea (and losing 1-7!), and how (in contrast) Houllier this time organised them to play as in the article link just quoted. BTW - this time Villa won 7-1 ... in bookings! :?

This is the kind of sportsmanship that befits the great name of Aston Villa. 8) In its own way, one of the best posts.

Yes, clearly there are still things to be put right, but getting the team out playing with the right spirit is the first hurdle cracked. Conceding these late goals is a big worry, but at least the Villa spirit came through in the end.

I'm very relieved to hear it.

An excellent analysis, Peter, but a bit premature is my feeling. If anything it probably fans the flames against the current regime when in a month or two everything might be hunkey-dorey !! :| Nobody's giving the January window and recovery from injuries chance to see how things will pan out. Some may argue that that may be too late, but as sure as eggs came before chickens (!!) changing the structure at VP at this moment is equally likely to end in failure.

:? Reality? There's always hope while there's life !!

Lets see how it plays out. Its just my opinion based on how things have gone over the last few weeks. I genuinely hope I'm wrong as someone who as been at all of Houlliers games and only seen us win three times in the league its getting to the stage where its no longer enjoyable. Fair do's. No, it's not at all enjoyable, but you'll concede that it's all part and parcel of being a football supporter - certainly as it has been for Villa supporters throughout the club's history. Even during the club's most successful periods there have been pockets of depression. Attaboy ... but let January be given a chance, though.

No, sir. No 'if'.

Snowychap, what I am saying is that this is just a blip ... in my considered and 60-years-based opinion, it hardly warrants consideration of being at the edge of a precipice. You've just had 3 seasons of near-utopia compared to the previous several years, and now there is just a blip. I agree that what you've described makes mine sound like a repetition, but I am talking with 60 years experience of the Villa. With respect to the General, he doesn't have that type of relationship with the Villa, though he certainly means well, I'm sure and obviously he speaks as a very experienced leader of men. And ... there are *no* ifs in my article, actual or implied. There's no "if" in the positive act of getting behind the team - that by itself is a reality.

Thanks, "spacehead". Well, from now on in it's GH's chance to show how good a manager he is.

I'm getting quite fed up by this kind of comment, tbh. Implicit is the suggestion that criticizing things that may appear to be wrong (to some) means that one cannot, separately, offer encouragement to Villa. Implicit also, it appears, is a bit of a 'with us or against us' accusation which is pretty dreadful. If it were just a rallying call then that would be fine, to an extent, but it always seems to be something more (not just in your post but others of the same nature). Even if it were just that, there are only so many times one can listen to the same rallying call. You make it sound that "the rallying call" is at the point where the absolute limit has been reached and there's no hope. Well, if that's how you feel then so be it. But how sad - this is not 1968. Even then a solution was found. And, btw, there's nothing in my article that is anything other than a rallying call. If you are reading anything else into it, then you're using a lot of imagination! Doesn't your article? No. You've just suggested that it's a rallying call, and that's what it is; pure and simple really. Ahem, based on a few but relevant facts.

That reads like if...if...if...if to me markavfc40! :?

Yup! Sounds about right to me. ... allied to the slightly easier fixtures coming up.

Agreed, if the players (or a number of them) fail to 'turn up', then there is a problem. However, in 2 days GH will have a method at his disposal to remedy part of that if he can bring in the 'iron in the soul' material needed to revitalise the team. Until that trasnpires (or a magical uplift by the unperforming players) then the fans' backing is needed. I think perhaps the fans are also overlooking that several players are trying to get back into their game after injury. I get the feeling that the management team are more in a state of shock than anything else!! I can't (and I don't think any fan) can really believe the management team don't have their hearts in it ... to me it really all is a case of getting through January and let's see where we are at that point.

Rumours remain rumours until they occur of course! I take your point, though.

Yes, good points, Denis. I know what you mean about Jimmy Brown and I think that the Mercer Minors suffered burn-out as a result of being over-used, so looking after youngsters is an important issue. With R-C back - and hopefully Ireland making some impact alongside him - I feel that we won't have to rely so much on youngsters now. As to the fans, well there's too much reaction i.m.o. It seems to me that the fans expect too much PC (correctness, not the machine!) and react to anything even if the reaction is unreasonable! In the recent climate when Villa had a poor run of results then that is understandable to a degree, but on the other hand that run was surely not much down to GH?! Yes, this is an awkward period we're going through, but I reckon that Villa will be in a better state than Liverpool pretty soon. But then I'm always an optimist! :winkold:

Dennis, I hope you feel a little better after the Albion result! Though I'm as disappointed as anyone that we're not trailblazing this season, a lot has gone against GH and I think we should realise that - perhaps we should all take a month off to let the injured get back to fitness and form and then consider the situation!! Give him a chance for goodness sake ... players back to fitness and one or two good signings will make the world of difference!!

Am I the only one that's a little sensible in this riotous world?! e.g. "No one likes to lose 3-0 to any team and comments that suggest that the bitter pill is sweetened by a fondness for the opposition don’t sit well with us. That those comments are intended to be humorous only brings into question your judgement of the situation." I am sure that GH didn't mean "humerous" in the way it's been taken to mean. As a man of similar age to GH I can totally empathise with his feelings - they are perfectly natural and I think that if we were honest with ourselves, if we were in a similar posiiton then we may have done/said something very similar. Fellers - let's get a life ... there are more important things than making AVFC fill our every minute - even though it's very tempting! To GH ... good luck! I feel that you'll show 'em soon enough how good you are.

What seems to be the oldest is the photo of the Villa team that won the Birmingham Cup in 1880. The best "link" I can give you is the print of it in The Villa Chronicles. The Villa Chronicles gives the correct names and details of the people in the photo.

Hello John! Thanks for your comments. But do you know I did not take down the details of the rugby match. Grrr. :oops: