brommy

As someone who could afford the £480 surcharge but doesn't see the value in it, I just stopped short of liking your post, even if your final sentence was somewhat tongue in cheek.

Great post above. I don't know if it's a modern, social media driven desire for instant results or gratification that drives the 'bad game = poor player' near instant judgement of football players or whether a sizeable minority of football fans have always done that, but it is something I've learnt not to overreact to.

To answer the question posed, my guess of what Luiz is worth - to other clubs - a maximum of £60m, to Villa - a minimum of £80m. This is why, providing Dougie continues to be happy in honouring his long Villa contract, I really can't see him moving in the short term.

Honestly, I'm fairly similar. I'm annoyed at Burnley's goal and as for the Newcastle goals - I was so annoyed I tried to totally blank football out for a couple of days. Being a 'glass half full' guy usually helps me override the extreme annoyance which is much easier now we are usually scoring and winning.

I walked by Tommy Elphick along Trinity Road last season and I'd put him at around 6' to 6'1". The joke on VT came about because some saw his height as a restriction against playing CB and it then became a joke that some were claiming a six footer as a virtual dwarf. As for 'clearing in the woods', perhaps a 'parting in Hollywood' would suit our post eighties Razzle, Fiesta and Escort VTers?

You're welcome. I'm still smiling that you've chosen this era at Villa to reinforce you are a perfectionist?! Most of the previous Villa eras must have been torture for you!!!

We've still got players with some weaknesses and there will be occasions when the tactics don't work. Knowing we're still way off the elite level, I'm guarded against the expectation of winning all the time whilst not conceding some avoidable goals, in the knowledge and enjoyment of definitely heading in the right direction. UTV!

I'm the same but put it more to extreme emotional investment in wanting us to succeed than our tactics or style of play.

Before Sunday and despite knowing Cash played more advanced earlier in his career, I'd have backed Emery to play Moreno in a more advanced role on the left, with Cash mostly holding back on the right. Now with Konsa apparently more comfortable covering the right back position than Pau covering the left, I'm not so sure. It's great that Cash and Moreno (more than ably supported by Digne (for now)) give Unai the options to use against varied oppositions.

And yet the club often talks of the whole match day experience and encourages fans to arrive early and enjoy (spend on) the food and drink they are selling. At the moment, I think the financial gain of the TVL will be somewhat decreased by reduced spending by the majority in the smaller concourse areas - certainly until the quicker order facilities of the Lower Holte are introduced and increased toilets to cope with the inevitable two+ pint urinations! The issue is about detrimental changes at increased costs for a majority in the Upper. In my opinion that shouldn't be ignored or glossed over by trying to compete on the pitch.

A club statement acknowledging the actual reduction in facilities leading to a temporary price freeze (not reduction) in Upper Holte ticket costs, announced at the same time as inflation only (should be around 5% at the time) and recognising the significantly above inflation increases of the 23/24 season, should hopefully placate. Besides, as I've already been told on VT, what are they going to about it?! Unlikely, not impossible. Hopefully Chris Heck taking commercial advantage of our improved team and club standing will more than offset the relatively miniscule cost.

As I posted, they were my suggestions of much varying likelihood, so whilst another price increase is not inevitable (perhaps less inevitable for the 'wronged' Upper HolteEnders), I accept it is unfortunately likely, so definitely no need for you to apologise. You 'not buying this facilities argument' and the club possibly not addressing it, doesn't negate the issue or undermine the strength of argument based on the factual reduction of facilities for the vast majority of fans in the Upper Holte.

My suggestions of much varying likelihood - Open it to all. See it as a concourse revamp and an increase in standards financed by the significant increase in season ticket and match ticket costs. Fill it to capacity which should partially reduce the stress on the reduced space, toilets and facilities on the remaining reduced concourse. Perhaps by offering £3 entry 90 to 60 minutes before kickoff and £5 entry for 60 to 0 minutes prior to kick off which could see the 1000 capacity reached and encourage fans to arrive early, increasing drink and food revenue whilst also reducing traffic issues. Refurbish the reduced concourse area including quicker drink and food ordering (as already seen in the Lower Holte) and increasing the number of toilets available. Freeze Holte End Upper season ticket and match day prices for a couple of seasons to reflect the imposed reduced facilities.

See my post further up this page.

Definitely no hate from me as that's not the type of person I am, well maybe at a nonphysical level towards Trump and Rees-Mogg. Despite a couple of media mentions, I did not witness any animosity towards VTL fans during the Everton game, although in fairness, I sit in row 12, fairly central and surrounded by, mostly very long term, season ticket holders (as discussed - the vast majority of which did not take the VTL expense on), so I was distant from the seating areas where most of the 'new' VTL fans were likely situated. I did take a 5 second peak through a door briefly held open by security staff upon my exiting of the Everton game. The lounge looked decent and much cleaner than the reduced concourse area was. Hopefully that will be rectified before the Hibs game. After sitting in the exact same seats with my family and friends group since the Upper Holte opened in December 1994, I can confirm I won't be taking your suggestion of a change of seat. The term 'distress' you used is far too strong a word. 'Annoyed' at paying more money for the loss of space, toilet, drink and food facilities to create what many fans see as an overpriced, undersubscribed and thus oversized lounge, might be a better description and understandable to most. Football finances show that whilst not insignificant, income generated from ticket sales and hospitality is dwarfed by other income streams, primarily television rights. In my opinion, any increase in revenue from the Holte Upper should have been created from the lounge (leading to an inevitable loss of space and facilities for the majority) OR an increase in season ticket and match ticket prices. Instead we've been hit with both significant price increases AND a significant decrease in space and facilities. I suppose a smaller lounge (half the size and half the loss in space/facilities) and smaller rise (say 5% instead of 16% for STs and even higher for match day tickets) would have been more palatable.

In fairness, isn't this down to creating an increase of match viewing for disabled fans, that I think was required to meet legislation?

'My thoughts exactly' implied an agreement to a statement, not - here are my thoughts on the question, but that's not important so I'll happily move on. Regarding your opinion - 'You don't have to use it if you don't want to', is an obvious truth, I hope my subsequent posts detailing the loss of space and facilities for a significant increase in cost, will help your consideration of how the Terrace View Lounge had affected the vast majority of Upper Holte fans.

I'd like this post to be put forward at the next fans advisory board meeting and ask 'how does the club plan to rectify these issues created by the Terrace View Lounge and how will it compensate the vast majority of Upper Holte fans for their loss of space and facilities, despite paying significantly more money?'.

@NurembergVillanpost definitely reads as genuine question asking about the actual impact of the lounge. It wasn't a statement that nothing or very little has changed for Upper HolteEnders who don't want to pay for or can't afford the lounge expense. When you write 'exactly my thoughts', are you agreeing with @NurembergVillanquestion?

Toilets, drink and food outlets and concourse space to meet, chat, drink and eat were the obvious losses I noted from one game.

Watched the game with my son. I said to him Konsa's needs to get back quick. My son said Kamara's already back covering. A few seconds later Burnley were passing backwards so Kamara and Konsa switched back. It's strange how something so apparently simple and obvious seemed so alien to us pre Emery.

Perhaps he meant Er!c Bl@ck?

He apparently attracted a few clubs attention and was sold to the highest bidder. That probably demonstrates a process of finding his true worth, especially given the buy back clause used.

Available on a match by match basis and ideally pre-bookable on a simple app (wouldn't want to arrive an hour early only to find it full), £15 to include one drink voucher or £20 to include two drinks is the absolute maximum value point for me to consider attending up to half a dozen times per season as a treat. Although, I do appreciate that others will have different price points.

He was just playing it cool.