Woodytom Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 It's not completely unknown , that I'm not a huge admirer of the players that wear the villa shirt right now. I haven't been for sometime in fact. The protest last night, although well organised, imo, was directed at completely the wrong people. (At this point I'd like to highlight that I'm not a fan of the decisions randy and the Board have made nor the job they are doing). However, ashley Westwood's comments last night about knowing the crowd are behind the players despite the protest, speaks volumes imo. They are getting away with murder and have done for years. I haven't got an issue with players not being good enough but having no fight, passion or desire is inexcusable and is something that starts within. Personnel/environment can have an effect on a person's motivation but for me, that shouldn't be where the blame lies. These players live a very charmed life and I don't think it's too much to ask that they find enough intrinsic motivation to give their very best for 90 minutes a week. They're not and we're letting them get away with it. A couple of times a small number have told the players directly what they think and we saw a response albeit minimal. It isn't a coincidence that every year our players underperform massively and their is certainly a deeper root to the problem. To take AVFC back to the top half of the league again would take a whole new regime without Lerner, without doubt. Nevertheless, I don't think it's too inconceivable to suggest that 11 players giving their all from moment one this season and we would at the very least be competitive in a relegation battle. We may have gone down this season due to the way the club is being run. However, we are going down in the manner that we are, because the players haven't tried. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 for me the problem has to come from experienced players, we have become a retirement home for old players in recent years and usually they are old players that have an attitude or are shit. only Joe Cole from the old players that we have signed I think was probably a good influence at club and no surprise that he wanted to leave to actually play football Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeyAnty Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 1 hour ago, Woodytom said: It's not completely unknown , that I'm not a huge admirer of the players that wear the villa shirt right now. I haven't been for sometime in fact. The protest last night, although well organised, imo, was directed at completely the wrong people. (At this point I'd like to highlight that I'm not a fan of the decisions randy and the Board have made nor the job they are doing). However, ashley Westwood's comments last night about knowing the crowd are behind the players despite the protest, speaks volumes imo. They are getting away with murder and have done for years. I haven't got an issue with players not being good enough but having no fight, passion or desire is inexcusable and is something that starts within. Personnel/environment can have an effect on a person's motivation but for me, that shouldn't be where the blame lies. These players live a very charmed life and I don't think it's too much to ask that they find enough intrinsic motivation to give their very best for 90 minutes a week. They're not and we're letting them get away with it. A couple of times a small number have told the players directly what they think and we saw a response albeit minimal. It isn't a coincidence that every year our players underperform massively and their is certainly a deeper root to the problem. To take AVFC back to the top half of the league again would take a whole new regime without Lerner, without doubt. Nevertheless, I don't think it's too inconceivable to suggest that 11 players giving their all from moment one this season and we would at the very least be competitive in a relegation battle. We may have gone down this season due to the way the club is being run. However, we are going down in the manner that we are, because the players haven't tried. Garde himself says he wants to replace some players but he has nobody. Yes we can play younger/youth players to an extent but i still wouldnt want to drop them in at the deep end with the bunch of loosers out their at moment on the field. Do they more harm than good. Jumble sale needed come June. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PussEKatt Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 I watch a lot of crime stories and quite often the victim is beaten to death with a blunt instrument. This board has been beating this club and the players with a blunt instrument for years........what do you expect to happen ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post jon_c Posted March 2, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted March 2, 2016 Our local b and q is closing down, everyone there are losing their jobs. But when you go in the staff are still friendly and working hard. Despite being shat on from above. Our players whatever else goes on at the club, have job security and get paid very well. They could learn a lot from the attitude of some normal workers. Show some pride, self respect and at least put some effort in. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThunderPower_14 Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 This is fine, but these things start from the top, not the bottom. We didn't just magically buy 13 players in the offseason who don't care, to compliment our existing squad of players who don't care. It took several years to beat a positive culture out of this club but it's happened, and it's going to take a strong manager running a broom through the entire football staff before we look like being a competent football team again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Pangloss Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 (edited) Our experienced players are nothing more than journeymen who really do not care anymore and happy to pick up a salary. Then, pretty much every player we signed in the summer lack leadership skills and a set of balls. The net result is we have a mentally weak team with no desire, appetite and heart. This truly is the most spineless football team I've ever witnessed, they are not fit to call themselves men. Edited March 2, 2016 by Dr_Pangloss 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferguson1 Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 (edited) The club is just rotten isn't it and do agree with you Woodytom. The problem is not just with the board, manager etc. I'm not even sure who a good influence is amongst our playing staff? Who is vocal and leads in the dressing room? Who is vocal and leads on the pitch? If I was a young player coming through who would I want to influence me? Players with experience, know how and have seen it and done it. Richards, Lescott, Hutton, Gabby - no thanks! No wonder we are a mess!! I only wish we could have a jumble sale in June but realistically that's not going to happen. However, first signing I would want to make in the summer should be our new captain! Not sure who or what position but someone that is an influence to the rest and a good one at that. Edited March 2, 2016 by ferguson1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post AntrimBlack Posted March 2, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted March 2, 2016 The fact that many of them are not good enough has to be a factor. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 3 minutes ago, Dr_Pangloss said: Our experienced players are nothing more than journeymen who really do not care anymore and happy to pick up a salary. Then, pretty much every player we signed in the summer lack leadership skills and a set of balls. The net result is we have a mentally weak team with no desire, appetite and heart. This truly is the most spineless football team I've ever witnessed, they are not fit to call themselves men. but we always seemed to sign these players, its nothing new we had Beye and Pires previously plus Heskey (but in fairness to Emile he at least put a shift in he just wasnt very good). Its a retirement home for shit 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Woodytom Posted March 2, 2016 Author Popular Post Share Posted March 2, 2016 39 minutes ago, PussEKatt said: This board has been beating the players with a blunt instrument for years....... Mind blowing that you come to that conclusion. Absolutely mind blowing. What is it about lucrative contracts and top of the range facilities that constitutes being beaten with a blunt instrument? I think you are entirely missing the point. Do you not think that despite problems off the field the players could have give more and made us more competitive? I certainly do. It's like you excuse a lack of effort because randy Lerner doesn't want to spend a fortune....... It's madness. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodytom Posted March 2, 2016 Author Share Posted March 2, 2016 8 minutes ago, AntrimBlack said: The fact that many of them are not good enough has to be a factor. Of course it is but they are good enough to perform better than they have. Without question. Hardwork won't pull up trees in this league but Itl go a lot further than most would expect. These players giving 110% each game and we wouldn't be 8 points adrift. It's as simple as that. And there really is no excuse. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supervillan78 Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 IMO the recruitment policy and the people that facilitated it are the people to blame here and not the players themselves. We've been dire for years, long before most of those players signed their Villa contracts. We lost our two most influential players in the summer and failed to replace them with any real quality, one of which was a striker who's goals arguably kept us up the previous two seasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fowlersrs Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Can't believe anyone here is still prepared to back the players and not hold them responsible, they're a shambles and must be held accountable too. Even with a new owner we would be shite on the pitch, time for a wholesale clear out imho. im so Infuriated by it all I started a new fm game and sold everyone and went on a mission to sign proper players like Kevin Nolan and Naismith. we have no leaders on that pitch, it's a shambles, the sooner the summer comes the better, I honestly don't know how anyone still turns up to villa park 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattyvilla Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 The problem is , many of the players simply aren't good enough , you can't beat them over the head when Aston Villa have come along and offered them a boatload of cash , do people really expect them to say no im not good enough to play for you.The buck stops squarely at whoever has assembled this squad for me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Getting rid of Gabby is imperative for so many reasons. Him being culture bearer in the dressing room is one of the biggest. Players like Giggs or Terry might have been total asshats away from football, but on the field they led by example. Club captain " Mr Aston Villa" is toxic to any manager trying to make a change (Imo) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ingram85 Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 I completely agree, I hate 90% of our squad. They go home after 'performing' and laugh at us. They simply don't care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post kevpants Posted March 2, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted March 2, 2016 39 minutes ago, AntrimBlack said: The fact that many of them are not good enough has to be a factor. A million times this. It's blindingly obvious our players aren't good enough. When you look at how easy it is for them to be pulled out of position and then you see them breaking their ar5es to get back into position only to slip or get played around by more intelligent players. Last night I saw Hutton, Gana, Bacuna, Ayew, Gabby all bust their asses trying to close down or make runs. The players are trying but they can't execute the game plan or they just get outwitted and outplayed due to their limitations. Seeing Aly or Hutton get the ball in those "outside right" type positions where a better player would take the man on or engineer a one-two or similar move to get space for a cross is so frustrating. What happens is that little fake to come inside in the hopes they can go outside (because they are completely one footed), the defender reads this and shows them inside so they cut in but don't have the pace or ability to do any damage so they end up having to play a backwards pass because they can't use their bad foot to play an incisive forward pass. I see that little scenario maybe a dozen times a game from our fullbacks. These are situations where Young/Downing used to engineer something. When do you ever see our players pull a defence out of shape? Even when they do play little one-twos and flicks around the corner it's in front of a perfectly lined up defence who ultimately clear it. We suck. My recomendation? Anti-Football. Play Gestede and play the percentages. Keep the ball in the oppositions third regardless of whether there's a man free or not. Press high and have the defenders dispatch every ball they get directly back on top of the opposition defence. Play the athletes, Traore, Bacuna, Sanchez, Gestede. The guys who can out muscle oppositions. There's no room for Gil, Grealish, Westwood. Get a siege mentality going. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa89 Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 (edited) The culture of the club is one of a club accepting their downward trajectory and an owner who has no interest. Players can see this and they watch as the best players (benteke) or players with any ambition (Delph) leave the club. For a club that's run like our's is, then the type of player you will attract are ones that aren't good enough or ones that are just happy to pick up a paycheck. The club needs to show some ambition and set some proper goals and targets otherwise fans and players alike will be united in apathy. Edited March 2, 2016 by villa89 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 (edited) But none of this means that OTDO74 is directed at "completely the wrong people" as the OP suggests. That's an astounding claim. The quality and motivation of the squad is a reflection and consequence of the lack of nous and sense of direction that has pervaded the club for at least the past 5 years, And that's down to Lerner and his placemen at the top of the club, and the useless managers they keep appointing. I would say you could sack the entire squad and recruit a new one and the problems of motivation and application would remain. Things will only get better if the current ownership relinquish control and people who know how to run a successful football club come in. Edited March 2, 2016 by briny_ear 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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