Graham t

Let's be honest, when was the last time Dean surprised the fans with some tactical brilliance ? Where he surprises me is his faith in certain players who are obviously not Premiership standard. Still, as ever, I hope he can inspire the lads on Sunday and I will be delighted if he proves me wrong and gets everything right on the day.

ATB

VLD.

9 hours ago, Rob182 said:

It says nothing.

What you've said probably applies to the bottom 6 or 7 sides in the league.

The fact is, if you're near the bottom and losing more than you're winning (as the bottom 6-7 are), then a manager will try to make changes to find a winning formula.

If any of the managers down here aren't changing their side, and are still continuing to lose and draw most of their games, then that says more about a manager, in my opinion.

Fair enough, you may well be right. My point was that his lack of a successful team is down to the fact that he does not have a plan, other than to chop and change until he gets lucky....or not, as is the case. You may think he does have a plan, in which case I would be intrigued to hear it......As long as it does not include Wesley or Drinkwater who have been an embarrassment to the club and were persisted with beyond any reasonable logic, in my opinion.

ATB.

VLD.

We are approaching the last few games of the season and our manager still does not know his best team ,or which tactics to use to suit them .Says it all for me.

ATB

VLD.

12 hours ago, Morley_crosses_to_Withe said:

This is probably one of the weirdest threads I’ve ever read on here.

The gist seems to be: man meets ‘hard man’ at a football match. Develops a peculiar man crush on him because he was big and hard. Writes about it on the internet 50 odd years later, closing each post with a metaphorical stiffy (“You didn’t **** with John Smith”)

Ooooo lads, did I tell you about the time I, mmmm, met John mmmm Smith, mmmm...

Sorry you weren't able to keep up with the topic, is that you in the cartoon?

Regards,

VLD.

20 minutes ago, Laughable Chimp said:

Ok boomer

You're up late, does your Mom know.....

Regards,

VLD.

43 minutes ago, KentVillan said:

This is all El Ghazi’s fault

I told you he was a problem, now look what he has started......

And furthermore.....

John Smith was responsible for the only one punch knockout I ever witnessed on a football pitch.

The season was progressing normally with defenders lining up to kick me as only a suicidal death wish lunatic would kick John Smith . Then it happened, a suicidal death wish lunatic duly marched up to 'John' as we had our kick in prior to the match and announced that he had heard all about John Smith and he was going to 'sort him out'. John calmly ignored him and carried on his pre-match warm up.

We kicked off and the game ebbed and flowed without any further outbursts. After about 10 minutes I was strolling back to the half way line when I heard a sickening crunch that could only be a huge fist smashing into someone's face. I turned to watch the pre- match lunatic sailing through the air and landing with a lifeless thud unto the pitch where he duly stayed , definitely unconscious. John Smith ambled past without so much as a smile.

Everybody on the pitch knew what had transpired, especially the referee, nobody said a word and the unconscious idiot was carried limply off the pitch.

No, you didn't f#ck with John Smith.....

ATB,

VLD.

Just now, KentVillan said:

Top division Mercian amateur league striker, after dinner speaker - is there anything you can’t do?

I'm looking for a secretary for my fan club if you are interested?

Regards,

VLD.

Playing alongside 'John' was an experience I can tell you....

He could certainly play and moved to Bath City at the end of the season ( semi pro).

I guess Villa Talk is the wrong section to post this and I have asked admin to move it to a more appropriate area.

ATB 

VLD.

Hi, 

I have been enjoying a debate today on how things were tougher playing football in 'the good old days'.  Here is my example. At the start of one season ( 1960's ) I missed training sessions and had joined a club late and only met up with the players on the first day of the season. They were a good club in the top amateur league locally ( the Mercian ) so I was really looking forward to playing a good standard of football. As we had our pre-game kick around the manager introduced me to the players , most I knew from previous clubs. We then came to John Smith ( not his real name ) who I would be playing next to 'up front' , I knew 'John' by reputation but had never met him. What I did know was that ' you did not f#ck about with John Smith'. He was an impressive specimen about six foot and about 14 stone of solid muscle. He shook my hand a bit too warmly and looked me straight in the eye for a couple of seconds longer than was comfortable. I walked away thinking ' does this guy know we are supposed to be on the same side'.

One of the lads I did know trotted over and told me not to worry about John as he was ' like that with everyone at first'. But he continued, I was under no circumstances to upset him.' Sod that ' I thought flexing my 20 year old muscles. My new mate grabbed my arm, 'the police are still after him you know', 'what do you mean ' I replied. Well he said,' he chased a bouncer out of Barberellas ( a night club ) and down Broard St not long ago. 'So what' I said not particularly impressed, 'he was waving an axe at the time' continued my new mate.

No , you didn't f#ck with John Smith.

Regards

VLD.

14 minutes ago, Laughable Chimp said:

Look, I got no issue with you. I was just joking with the boomer stuff. I'm not trying to diminish or dismiss what the older generation are saying.

Okay, no problem. Personally I would not make a remark that was disrespectful to a great man who only recently died after a long battle with Dementia. 

Regards,

VLD.

1 minute ago, Laughable Chimp said:

Well, technically he's from before the boomer generation. He's part of the Silent generation.

Have a serious look at yourself chap......

3 minutes ago, lexicon said:

No way is someone paying 40m for McGinn. I'd be surprised if he went if we were relegated. 

I expect McGinn and Grealish to go to Man Utd. Unfortunately.....

Regards,

VLD.

27 minutes ago, Laughable Chimp said:

'Ok Boomer' needs to be used a lot more on here. 

Maybe, would you say the late Ron Saunders was a 'boomer' perhaps. Sorry if you don't know who he was.......

Thanks for the link 

wrong context for my post though I feel....

Regards,

VLD.

2 hours ago, Robtaylor200 said:

Cold light of day. IMO (that means in my opinion) ITS NOT WORKING - IS IT? WE NEED TO CHANGE SOMETHING BEFORE ITS TOO LATE 

We did finish only fifth in the Championship BUT we spent £160m and were told that we were not building a team to just stay up, we were building a team to compete. and they had time together to gel. Wesley IMO a waste of a shirt, but still got the nod over Davis even when fit. - not scoring but carried on regardless

Jack played on the wing for lord knows how long, when every commentator shouts out that he is the best midfielder in the country when playing in the middle - not working but carried on regardless

Defence tip tapping at the back and not booting it out of play. Cant defend a corner  -  week after week nothing changes, The coaches are brought in by the manager, he employs them

I cant agree that all, our players are crap buys, stated so many times if they cant play the way Dean wants them to then play to the strengths they used to have before they came to Villa Park - but nothing bloody changes. 

We have 11 games left, I know against top teams but its still 11 games left and IMO we have players that can do better than they have. If motivated correctly (what ever that takes). I feel we need an old style manager to get us enough points to stay up. It may not be pretty, surely everyone can see that presently it isn't working. The dream is over , the love affair with Dean is over. The coaching staff have failed. Would we have given any other manager this much time. Another couple of games and it will be too late. Loved him or hated him Doug would have made changes weeks ago.

Thank you Dean for doing your best we love you. But your best is not good enough to keep us up

Absolutely spot on. Thanking you for putting it far better than I could,

Regards,

VLD.

51 minutes ago, sparrow1988 said:

I'm pretty sure that I don't have the strength or commitment to be able to become a ballet dancer. Does this mean I am mentally strong?

You have taken some ot the points I raised out of context.

please re-visit my original post and just give it a bit more thought.....

Regards,

VLD.

37 minutes ago, LxYoungAVFC said:

Ok boomer.

What is a 'boomer' ?

Regards,

VLD.

Can someone kindly post a picture of Terry Butcher playing for England with a bandage on 'a slight scratch'. Thanks.

Regards, 

VLD.

56 minutes ago, Villarocker said:

I think this is one guy who played himself out of a starting place next week. 

Smith will pick the same team, it's what he does......

20 minutes ago, AV82 said:

Pathetic comments like those in this thread are what causes players heads to drop.

Only if they are mentally weak in which case they should be a different profession( ballet dancer)?.

Regards.

VLD.

10 hours ago, DaveAV1 said:

When I were a lad my mate used to break my leg in the dressing room before the game. Then at halftime I’d rip his arm off at the shoulder  and batter our right back to within an inch of his life. Then we’d all drink a pint of each other’s blood before going out for the second half, which in those days lasted for two hours or until more than half the team had died. And if you died you were automatically dropped for next week. 

You try telling that to lads these days and they just won’t believe you. Snowflakes. 

Very funny, and yes I do 'get it', but I am right and you are wrong. Sorry but us 'old Un's 'do come from a different generation . We were brought up that to show pain was a weakness and it has stuck with us.....To see people faking injury is just sickening. Sorry it's just the tough upbringing we had, perhaps if our team had a bit more fight we would not be in the position we are.

ATB

VLD.

1 minute ago, DCJonah said:

Hahaha

Back in my day....

Well I actually used to get paid to play, ' back in my day' .Who used to pay you young man, ( assuming you are a man, sorry if I got that wrong).

ATB,

VLD.

3 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

**** yeah. Put the magic sponge on it and run it off. 

Don't know why we even employ a physio. Waste of time. 

As I said, different times....this joker wouldn't have lasted 5 minutes under Ron Saunders or Ron Atkinson. Sorry you weren't around to witness a real manager with 'proper ' players who actually did give a toss......

Regards, 

VLD.

2 minutes ago, HalfTimePost said:

Some ridiculous posts in Here. Support the lad. He had an injury. Nobody is feigning an injury and going off after 25 mins

Okay, let's be real here...

I'm no hero but I played on after dislocating my shoulder ( 'trainer 'knocked' it back in for me ). Our full back played for weeks with a broken bone in his foot, different times I know, but Christ, we have not become such Jessie's have we?

Regards,

VLD.