Roberto Di Matteo

[Grasshopper]

@dont_do_it_doug.

Dave, one of my pet hates is 

watching people trying to do their job, f*** up whilst I can see whats coming but can do nothing about it.

Hindsight is no compensation

Edited September 14, 2016 by Grasshopper

[TheStagMan]

30 minutes ago, R.Bear said:

Right so Newcastle are pissing the title and making this shit quality league look as easy as it actually is whilst we despite spending a billion pounds are just above the relegation zone. We and indeed RDM, are a complete joke.

Jesus. Got to love Villatalk at times when you get shit like this. We are far from being a joke, we WERE a joke, but we have turned a corner, we have stopped the rot, we need things to start clicking over the next few games and we will then start to dominate in this league. Newcastle lost their first two games, since then they have played some pretty weak teams. We are 10x better than we were. it was a massive turn around job and we are not there yet.

[dont_do_it_doug.]

40 minutes ago, R.Bear said:

Right so Newcastle are pissing the title and making this shit quality league look as easy as it actually is whilst we despite spending a billion pounds are just above the relegation zone. We and indeed RDM, are a complete joke.

This post is embarrassing. Indicative of the modern 'fan'. 

[LoughboroughLion]

Once the team gels, we should be doing - for want of a better phrase - 'a Newcastle'. 

Of course it will take a bit of time. If it doesn't in the medium term, then a deeper look will be needed. But for now, in the short term, RDM has proved his worth.

Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. 

[bobzy]

1 hour ago, R.Bear said:

Right so Newcastle are pissing the title and making this shit quality league look as easy as it actually is whilst we despite spending a billion pounds are just above the relegation zone. We and indeed RDM, are a complete joke.

A BILLION POUNDS.

Jesus, give it a rest. No idea what you get out of football tbh. 

[hippo]

52 minutes ago, TheStagMan said:

Jesus. Got to love Villatalk at times when you get shit like this. We are far from being a joke, we WERE a joke, but we have turned a corner, we have stopped the rot, we need things to start clicking over the next few games and we will then start to dominate in this league. Newcastle lost their first two games, since then they have played some pretty weak teams. We are 10x better than we were. it was a massive turn around job and we are not there yet.

Hope this happens - but I suspect we will continue to spluuter along under RDM. For all the good things Tony has done - the most important decision I believe he has got wrong. I suspect RDM will get most of this season - but I am not expecting promotion - I think we will hover just around the play off places.

 

[NIVillan]

Simples - Newcastle were not in such a mess as we were so took less time to turn it around.

[hippo]

Just now, NIVillan said:

Simples - Newcastle were not in such a mess as we were so took less time to turn it around.

True - but the other key thing is they have a much better manager. 

[markavfc40]

3 hours ago, R.Bear said:

Right so Newcastle are pissing the title and making this shit quality league look as easy as it actually is whilst we despite spending a billion pounds are just above the relegation zone. We and indeed RDM, are a complete joke.

You are not comparing anything even close to like for like are you. Newcastle went down on more than twice the points total we had. Newcastle have retained the same manager and coaching staff from the second half of last season. Looking at their line ups around three quarters of the side was there last season. They were well set to hit the ground running.

We have had a complete rebuild since the season finished. New owner, new CEO, new manager, new coaching staff and a huge overhaul of players. We were always likely to start off slow whilst the whole thing bedded in.

For me we aren’t far away. Performances have in the main been good. A few lapses in concentration and us taking our foot off the gas have cost us. We also haven’t had the rub of the green and overall our performances haven’t yielded the points they deserved. Having said that we do now need to start learning from where we are going wrong and we do need to start picking up three points and closing the gap on the top 6. I am confident that will be the case and in fact once we do get fully up to speed expect us to be seen in a similar light to what you described Newcastle as doing and making much of this league look poor. Just give it a while longer.

Edited September 14, 2016 by markavfc40

[KHV]

1 hour ago, TheStagMan said:

Jesus. Got to love Villatalk at times when you get shit like this. We are far from being a joke, we WERE a joke, but we have turned a corner, we have stopped the rot, we need things to start clicking over the next few games and we will then start to dominate in this league. Newcastle lost their first two games, since then they have played some pretty weak teams. We are 10x better than we were. it was a massive turn around job and we are not there yet.

Im sorry I can't agree we have turned the corner or stopped the rot. We are 7th from bottom in the championship after 1 win against a shit Rotheram team, we have been dumped out of the cup by Luton, been beaten by Sheffield, Bristol City and have failed to beat Huddersfield and Nottingham at home.. 

This team has won 23 league points from its last 126 available. Has not won an away game for 13 months and has spent an awful lot on players in that time. 

The corner needs to be turned very quickly but the flaws in the squad will not make it easy at all. You need more than an expensive strike force to be competitive. We have neglected too many key areas in this window and are suffering for it.

[tom_avfc]

8 minutes ago, hippo said:

True - but the other key thing is they have a much better manager. 

I think its difficult to compare the job that Rafa had to do at Newcastle to the one that RDM is doing at Villa. Newcastle are largely a settled side who could afford to make a few big money signings to improve on what they had. Villa have a new player playing in almost every position. If Rafa takes Newcastle up by dominating the league he will have achieved the same feat as Chris Hughton last time Newcastle were in the Championship having spent more money and with a better initial squad to work with.

I'd imagine that if RDM had the Newcastle job when Rafa took over and if Rafa had taken us on when RDM got the job the two side's league positions would be largely the same. We don't have the points that most would feel we deserve and it is still too early in the season to be assessing how well a manager has done

[dont_do_it_doug.]

I feel like you've wasted a lot of finger energy there @markavfc40 but your effort is appreciated. 

Posts like the one you quoted are pathetic and strike me as attention seeking. RDM might turn out to be a plonker, all the signings wank. However should the results start reflecting our play posts like that should be remembered, not to score points but as a reminder for when we next hit a rough patch not to be so reactionary. To grow a pair of balls. 

[hippo]

18 minutes ago, tom_avfc said:

I think its difficult to compare the job that Rafa had to do at Newcastle to the one that RDM is doing at Villa. Newcastle are largely a settled side who could afford to make a few big money signings to improve on what they had. Villa have a new player playing in almost every position. If Rafa takes Newcastle up by dominating the league he will have achieved the same feat as Chris Hughton last time Newcastle were in the Championship having spent more money and with a better initial squad to work with.

I'd imagine that if RDM had the Newcastle job when Rafa took over and if Rafa had taken us on when RDM got the job the two side's league positions would be largely the same. We don't have the points that most would feel we deserve and it is still too early in the season to be assessing how well a manager has done

Maybe - but if we had RAFA in charge I d be a lot more confident of our final league placing than I am with RDM.

I would disagree about Houghton - I thought newcastle were in a terrible state last time they were relegated. CH only got the job because others declined it. Getting promoted from that is some achievement.....but also proves that can be done. 

I think the difference is that it is very early days - some are expecting an upturn in form and see us surge up the table. I m at not - I think the task is to big for RDM

[tom_avfc]

Just now, hippo said:

Maybe - but if we had RAFA in charge I d be a lot more confident of our final league placing than I am with RDM.

I would disagree about Houghton - I thought newcastle were in a terrible state last time they were relegated. CH only got the job because others declined it. Getting promoted from that is some achievement.....but also proves that can be done. 

I think the difference is that it is very early days - some are expecting an upturn in form and see us surge up the table. I m at not - I think the task is to big for RDM

I'm fairly confident with RDM - he has done it before after all and that was with a dominant Newcastle side also in the division.

I think we're agreeing about Hughton to be honest. I was pointing out that even if Newcastle do dominate the league under Rafa its not going to be a massive achievement and I said that Hughton achieved the same from a poorer starting position.

I'd like to see that upturn in form quickly but to be honest at the moment I'm enjoying the way we're playing and its nice to look forward to our matches. Yes the results haven't been good but for me its more frustrating than anything else as the level of performance has been good for the majority of the season so far.

[bobzy]

1 hour ago, KHV said:

Im sorry I can't agree we have turned the corner or stopped the rot. We are 7th from bottom in the championship after 1 win against a shit Rotheram team, we have been dumped out of the cup by Luton, been beaten by Sheffield, Bristol City and have failed to beat Huddersfield and Nottingham at home.. 

This team has won 23 league points from its last 126 available. Has not won an away game for 13 months and has spent an awful lot on players in that time. 

The corner needs to be turned very quickly but the flaws in the squad will not make it easy at all. You need more than an expensive strike force to be competitive. We have neglected too many key areas in this window and are suffering for it.

Do you actually watch our games or do you just wait for the table to update to conclude we're shit?

[Richard]

1 hour ago, KHV said:

and have failed to beat Huddersfield

To be fair every team they have played they have beaten this season except us,  and that includes barcodes

[TRO]

3 hours ago, R.Bear said:

Right so Newcastle are pissing the title and making this shit quality league look as easy as it actually is whilst we despite spending a billion pounds are just above the relegation zone. We and indeed RDM, are a complete joke.

You are hurting and any Villa fan worth his salt, should be.

RDM was not my choice of Manager, but I will not give up on him yet( and to be fair, I have no monopoly on who the right one was) one window was a big ask to put all our ills right, but Until I hear him say directly, what he is unhappy with and what he is working on I will have my doubts. I need to hear a plausible opinion from him as to what is not right, because it clearly isn't.....If he says Blah,blah ,blah and we are working on it , fine.

But we have just come off the back of 6 years of bullshit and hidden agenda's 

To just drift from one match to another from one disappointment to another, without intimating what his concerns are I find uncomfortable.

I understand that you cannot divulge too much to the opposition or in fact demotivate players.....but to say stum is a cop out IMO....The only thing I hear from him is nebulous soundbites.

We have improved, no doubt about that in my mind, but only one aspect of our play.....The offensive side.

We still have a massive job to do in preserving our good work.....hopefully, we will see some light, tonight.

I am not going to say keep the faith,because that is patronising.....but he does need sufficient time, to prove his worth. I fear that could be too late to make an impact this season.

[BOF]

24 minutes ago, Richard said:

To be fair every team they have played they have beaten this season except us,  and that includes barcodes

Not that it changes the jist of your post, but they did lose last night to Brighton.

[skarroki]

I think most our fans need to stop obsessing over the Newcastle game. Be glad once it's finally out the way, in the next 5 games it is the only one that isn't winnable on paper so I'd like to remain positive and hope for 10-12 points from the next 15. 

I'm off to Deepdale as my old man supports Preston on the 1st October, if we're in a similar position and are once again unlucky I'll start to be concerned but I won't be judging our league position or how many points the team has picked up till then. So I won't judge the manager or the quality of our new signings either till that point. 

(As a side note, we now have an identical for and against record with PNE now, their top goalscorer is Robinson, who we released in the summer. I imagine he wouldn't make our bench if he was still here)

[TRO]

1 hour ago, markavfc40 said:

 Having said that we do now need to start learning from where we are going wrong and we do need to start picking up three points and closing the gap on the top 6. 

That is the poignant bit for me Mark. and we all respect these things are not 5 minute jobs.

We have all experienced a very open and explicit communication from the Owner and yes it is down to individual personalities....but the reaction from RDM to the season start, fills me only with meloncoly.

We all understand that these things take time, what we don't know is how long.....We have had managers for 6 years telling us that while we were getting worse. That is not the case now, but things are not right.

This is a new broom and it undoubtedly will take time.I am just asking the football management at VP to treat us with a bit of respect in terms of our ability to watch a game and communicate the fact that they are on this case.....we just need to know, that they know.