blandy

Good article. I think the reason I dislike the Blues as much as I do is the one you mention - "they hate us". It seems to me that there is a huge part of that club which defines itself by "hatred of the Villa"rather than by any particular pride in their own entity. You see it in Manchester too, with City fans and the emnity for United, though at least with Man City they have had periods where they've actually been successful. Generally though the long overshadowing of one club by a near neighbour is going to create resentment which turns to dislike and then to hatred. It makes them bitter and jealous and distorts their perspective. With Wolves and Albion they have alternated and both have the tradition and trophies. With Blues and Villa only one club has the successful record. Blues are at their best when they forget about trying to get one over on the Villa and just concentrate on their own club and plans and games. If they did that more often, I'd stop hating them* and settle instead for severely disliking them. *maybe.

Small heath for me. Judging by the reaction in the away end at Anfield when West Brom stayed up - a significant minority cheered - hatred for the Albion is limited. The reaction (again at Anfield) last season when small heath went down was euphoric. No contest, small heath are absolutely, these days public enemy number 1. When I were a lad, there was a lot more widespread dislike of the Albion, but then they disappeared off to the Endsleigh Leagues and it seems to have faded away due to their unthreatening ineptitude. small heath on the other hand have revived their rancid rotting corpse a bit and so concentration is more on their foul and unclean stench.

Top article Chris.

I like music from all of the decades in the poll. I think Punk was hugely refreshing. It changed the way music was "made" for the better, as well as spawning some quality bands. It suddenly became clear that "anyone" could start a band and make music. It changed the way record labels behaved, to an extent and that was a good thing. It brought music with a conscience much more widely than previous "niches" There have been fallow periods (for my tastes) in all of the decades, but if I had to pick one decade from the list for as the best, I'd pick the 80s, just. Still plenty of Punk, Still the best of the 70s bands going, then kind of post punks stuff all the way up to the Stone Roses and Manc music. New Order, Joy Division, Echo & The Bunny Men, the Weddoes - proper indie bands. Talking Heads, REM, Talk Talk, and all that Stuff Paulo likes, Oh and the Magnificent Blue Nile. the 80s was great, despite all the crap.

Now seems like an appropriate time just to say "thank you" So, Thank you for the now tangible fruits of the effort all at the club are putting in.

Excellent report. It's a big thing to take off both your strikers when you're 0-0 and desperate for a goal. Personally I'd have hoiked Baros rather than Angel, but then it worked, so top marks to MO'N. Quite impressed by Cahill and Olly at the back, and Bardsley didn't put a foot wrong. All in all a very good day for the manager. It worked out fine in the end, and though we made hard work of it (and Watford played OK) we won. I feel better, now.

top report OBE. Sounds like a good night and good game

Nice post Scott. Actually, come to think of it, the club mentioned that they wanted to promote reserve games via independent sites like VT (we said of course we would, just let us know the details and anything else you want to add..). Don't think they've got round to it yet, which is a shame, but your post does it beautifully.

Yes and no. Why give a "credit" for the future. Why not build it in to the current price at the start of the season. I feel "credit" tomorrow will not be an incentive compared to "well I'll just pay game by game at lower prices" The club has been sending out marketing e mails - season ticket holders got one for example for the Watford game. Ex-season ticket holders were sent tickets for free for Blackburn and Bolton (I think it was) Most remained unused according to the club. I personally am not concerned by commercial progress at the club. I'm also not concerned with the ticket office people. They've always been pretty good, IMO. Problems in the past have mostly been caused by people "higher up". Now I feel there's more freedom, perhaps for people to get on with their jobs, to take decisions and they've been getting them right. They deserve a pat on the back. One of the points of my post was to see what people think about the debate in terms of one step more than what is currently the "established" thinking - from I "I buy/don't buy a season ticket because" to " No, I don't agree with you on pricing, or seperating out the wheat from the chaff" or "yes, I agree too" or "this is a better idea" I'm just convinced that pricing has to change not just at Villa but elsewhere. Higher prices would be suicidal, just keeping them the same would be the timid, easy, option, but in the end, they'll come down. Might as well create a huge lot of goodwill and get ahead of the game, rather than following the pack.

Good article, Chris, and I agree with OBE - Liverpool fans were equally unsure. I guess it's just his nature. And LV's right too - his agent isn't ideal.

thanks. [i'll shamelessly nick your spot-on analysis for my next report, and claim it as my own ]

Iforgot to say that Tommy should perhaps have saved Carricks shot for the second goal. Hard to tell from the angle I was at, but it wasn't the most powerful shot, and it wasn't right into the corner.

I am familiar with the work of wildlife cameramen. You see girls running like this? That's you that is. That's how you run. See your bike? It's a girl's bike I do not own a bicycle You do, and it's a girl's one Well I'd just like to say... It's for girls. You see those workmans' tents in the road? I have observed them etc....

All Summed up in 6 words. Good work.

It was me whingeing that started it off again edit - I should add perhaps that I've been watching Villa since the 70s, love going to games, but that Sky games mostly mean that work prevents me from attending in the week (mondays) or due to inability to get to early or back home from late kick offs due to Train services from my location.

Sure. I agree. Thing is though, and this is maybe the point about a lot of issues where someone has a comment on MO'N - you can still support him, want him to succeed, think he's the best man for the job...etc and also make a point that you personally would like to see A rather than B, or would have done something differently - can't you? I think that anyone who thinks that he has not made a single wrong decision (with hindsight) is perhaps not as analytical as all that. I bet he'd 'fess up to doing one or two things that haven't quite worked out as he'd have liked. It's only natural. I think we understand the size of the task he has, but when it comes to understanding the detail as to why he says something, we genuinely don't know if there's a reason for his tone or words. He's extremely clever. I'd guess that if he was really positive, then the papers would be all over Villa and he'd maybe not be able to do things on the QT so easily. We'd get articles every day about how so and so is coming, 20 million this, 10 million that. And it'd all be made up bollex. I like to think/delude myself that both MO'N and the board are genuinely committed to working away behind the scenes, correctly and properly and with dignity and doing things in the right way, for the best of the club. If my delusion/thoughts re correct, then I'd expect the sort of statements he's made. Talk about the transfer window - gives the press an angle, without letting anything out about possible signings. And it's truthful. s'what DO'L got wrong - he never had the hang of dealing with the press. Also, you notice little adjustments as a result of press coverage. First of it was coming across very negatively, then there's a positive adjustment about hoping to get 5 StTan class players in..but it might not be possible....but Randy's right behind me (when it was claimed ludicrously that he wasn't). He's smart. And transfer windows are mad.

I hope not - I agree with a good chunk of what Malc says. Maybe not so much on some issues. I don't think I have an agenda (apart from the secret world domination thing -Oh! Damn, let the cat out of the bag there. Curse my foolishness), but I'm not a fool - I'm cramming hard for my advanced woodwork O level.

But you do agree it could be down to lack of intelligence or an agenda? I don't think it is down to either of those things. I don't see why people should imply it is, even if they think it.

Pablo, it could be down to Malc simply reaching a different view, having different opinions. It might be nothing to do with agendas or lack of intelligence. Why are people grudgefull? (gratuitous M.E.S. reference)

Benítez' has spent almost £78m in 30 months - more than every other club bar Chelsea and Man U over the same period, btw. Hmmm... I have heard almost no-one say much materially different to MO'N. As you say, Pearce has said he's no money so can't get anyone. Chelsea have said No signings, and Arsenal too. Rafa is whingeing that it's all not fair, Even rent a quote's like Redknapp and Allardyce have kept largely stum. There haven't been many signings, and none of note. I Can't find anything MO'N has done or said to take issue with on transfers at all. Seems like he's telling it how it is, which is how I like it. I don't want words and then no action.

Fair enough Ian. Sometimes a qualified answer gets lost a bit on the internet. I'm not against it (later). I was trying to put forward the point that it HAS been looked at and ruled out for now, according to GK. I accept his answer. Bearing that in mind, and the fact he has explained the reasons, I just felt the idea, though a decent one, is one for later, rather than now. I'm happy that it's been looked at. I trust that it has been decided "not right now" for valid reasons, and frankly, like I said, there are more pressing issues anyway. I'd rather accept that GK, Russ A and the others concentrate on what they can achieve than what they can't. One step at a time.

No. At least not yet. I believe that it has been looked at and that various issues present a hurdle. Train timetables and so on. These issues aren't insurmountable, but equally the renaming of a railway station is not exactly the highest of priorities. I'd personally prefer things the way they are with the club - people have looked at it, decided for now, as I understand it, not to take it any further and instead to concentrate on more pressing issues and on more immediately achieveable issues. It's great that this sort of thing was looked at by the club, but it's also true that there's a limit on what the team of people can achieve in any given period. One for the back burner, perhaps, for me. Hopefully we will get to the sitaution where the club's image and profile is higher due to on the pitch matters, and then maybe the council will, along with the club, be able to take this sort of cosmetic action. First things first, though.

Perhaps we're more keen on really good players than fairly good players? You don't know you can't get 'em till you actually try?

ditto

I remember maybe 20-ish years ago, admittedly in a league game, going to old trafford just after "the Life of Brian" had been on the box (for the first time). There were loads of Villa fans there, behind the goal and we drew 1-1 I think it was. So obviously 1-1 again. nice preview.