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Villa Park Atmosphere


wilko154

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Bluntly, we have an incredible number of thick fans.

We all get frustrated and sometimes vent when things aren't going right - most fans make irrational or illogical comments and that's to be expected. And no-one wants to see a lack of effort or commitment. But as others have said, it's mind boggling how many people in the stands seem to think that the missing piece in our tactical jigsaw is to just "get it **** forward" at every conceivable opportunity, and always as early as possible. Some yelling it seem to be genuinely doing so in some kind of apoplectic rage. It's beyond pathetic.

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I actually think that the atmosphere in each game has been very good from kick off, but then goes downhill as the game begins. The performances on the pitch have a direct impact on the atmosphere and therefore it is upto the players to help raise it.

Saturday is a prime example of the atmosphere being very good up until the 30th minute, the performance started to drop, we stopped pressing as we had started out, the passing stopped and WBA started dictating play. By half time we were 2-0 down and the atmosphere was completely dead. Second half we couldn't break them down and the atmosphere barely lifted itself back up again.

Unfortunately we have some complete morons in the stands, and the actions of these morons are picked up by a large number of fans. The jeers and boos when Hourihane was subbed came from a very small minority at the back of the Holte, but as soon as they started the rest of the ground seemed to pick up on them and it became louder.

I'm normally against the cry's of 'get it forward' as sometimes you have to go back to build up the play, but Saturday was dismal and we were sending the ball backwards and sideways simply because we didn't know what to do with it.

It's now time for Smith to make some changes to the line-up, he has the bonus of Grealish and Tuanzebe coming back, Carroll and Lansbury soon returning. Realistically he now needs to take some risks, Ramsey seems to be the start of it. If the fans can see we are trying to fix the current mess we are in, if the fans can see that the players are putting some effort in on the pitch, pressing, tackling, showing some fight; then the atmosphere will return.

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10 hours ago, Troglodyte said:

Bluntly, we have an incredible number of thick fans.

We all get frustrated and sometimes vent when things aren't going right - most fans make irrational or illogical comments and that's to be expected. And no-one wants to see a lack of effort or commitment. But as others have said, it's mind boggling how many people in the stands seem to think that the missing piece in our tactical jigsaw is to just "get it **** forward" at every conceivable opportunity, and always as early as possible. Some yelling it seem to be genuinely doing so in some kind of apoplectic rage. It's beyond pathetic.

What would you have them do? Stand up and and elegantly quote chapter and verse on the many virtues of playing on the front foot? Calls to pass the ball forward are not random or spontaneous; when you have seen a player make a forward run for the 20th time only for Hourihane or Whelan to turn their back and pass it backwards to a centre half it is enough to try anyone's patience. 

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5 hours ago, Pimlico_Villa said:

What would you have them do? Stand up and and elegantly quote chapter and verse on the many virtues of playing on the front foot? Calls to pass the ball forward are not random or spontaneous; when you have seen a player make a forward run for the 20th time only for Hourihane or Whelan to turn their back and pass it backwards to a centre half it is enough to try anyone's patience. 

But I'm not just talking about the times when a player makes a run (which to be honest, isn't often enough) and isn't found. That is frustrating.

I'm talking about the fact that every single time we play the ball backwards or sideways across the back, or a defensive player holds on to it for literally more than one or two seconds, there are several morons who start standing up and literally screeching at the top of their voice to "get it forward", regardless of whether anything's on or not. As I said before, they're thick.

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If Dean Smith hasn’t hired a sports psychologist yet to teach the players how to block out the groans, moans and boos that flows from our stands then he should get on that. Being a Villa player must be a constant mental battle to summon the will power to try anything remotely unique or risky in front of our home fans. A sideway pass is often the low risk option.

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The boos are one thing, but there were plenty of audible groans last night when the likes of Salah were misplacing passes around the box.

The German fans meanwhile were bouncing and singing regardless of what was happening.

 

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On 19/02/2019 at 14:37, Troglodyte said:

But I'm not just talking about the times when a player makes a run (which to be honest, isn't often enough) and isn't found. That is frustrating.

I'm talking about the fact that every single time we play the ball backwards or sideways across the back, or a defensive player holds on to it for literally more than one or two seconds, there are several morons who start standing up and literally screeching at the top of their voice to "get it forward", regardless of whether anything's on or not. As I said before, they're thick.

I blame grass roots. I remember as a kid it was all about getting rid of it!!

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1 hour ago, Wainy316 said:

Huge booing from Derby fans at the final whistle tonight apparently 

Having been out of the top flight since 2002, except for one utterly disastrous season in the premier league wedged in the middle, the Derby fans have a lot to be unhappy about.

Take a close look: they may show us our future...

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As I have said on VT before Villa fans have to have at least one player as our resident pantomime villain to abuse in any given season. At the moment it’s a toss up between Taylor and Hutton as Westwood was a couple of years ago for example. I can’t imagine the abuse they get either at the game or on forums like this help in any way at all.

We have seats eight rows from the back of the Holte so in a pretty good position to judge atmosphere which for the most part is poor. It’s good when we are winning but rapidly decends to near silence punctuated by groans every time a pass goes astray or we are not attacking the opposition. Personally I don’t think we get behind the players hardly at all, we are not that mythical ‘twelfth man’. OK you aren’t going to be singing or chanting for the entire game but it awfully quiet at a lot of games.

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I remember about 20 years ago we were on TV and was a home game. The opposition manager said before the game if keep it tight for 20 minutes the Villa fans are famous for getting on the players back quickly

Something the opposition is aware of as well, Phil Thompson used to say it on Sky when we in top flight too

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Can anyone that was there confirm this?

We need totransfer this attitude to VP.  We know we're not going up now so let's just try and enjoy the rest of the season and pass some positivity on.

Quote

 

'Credit to their club' - Aston Villa fans have been given this glowing endorsement

The AVFC fans impressed as their team was held by Stoke City on Saturday

Not only have they filled out almost every away end in the Championship, they’ve also stuck by their team through thick and thin.

Villa were head and shoulders above struggling Stoke and when Albert Adomah levelled after the break, it seemed there would only be one winner.

Jack Butland had other ideas, saving superbly from both Tammy Abraham and Tyrone Mings as they spoils were shared.

Unlike last week at Villa Park where fans turned on individuals and booed off the team, the claret and blue fans showed togetherness and unity,

They sang throughout cheering on their troops and also clapped them off on the final whistle.

Dean Smith was frustrated with the result once again  - but hearing the fans chanting his name at the end would have helped take the edge off.

Reluctantly, Villa’s away fans have accepted their fate this season.

Another campaign in the Championship looms but the supporters will do their best to make a difference.

Watch the video above to see Gregg Evans’ views on the supporters in full.

 

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30 minutes ago, Nigel said:

Great to see we have kept our class even when things are not going well!

I don’t think performances have been bad, we just keep conceding sloppy goals, mainly from set pieces. We’re scoring a lot, we’re only 8 points off the play offs with 12 games left

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On 18/02/2019 at 22:54, Troglodyte said:

t the missing piece in our tactical jigsaw is to just "get it **** forward" at every conceivable opportunity, and always as early as possible.

If your midfield is rubbish it's better to bypass it completely. I find great beauty in the long ball game.

 

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5 hours ago, Wainy316 said:

Can anyone that was there confirm this?

We need totransfer this attitude to VP.  We know we're not going up now so let's just try and enjoy the rest of the season and pass some positivity on.

The away fans have always been much more positive than the home crowds in my experience. They deserve all the praise they get.

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