danceoftheshamen Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Was rather fascinated at Martin's comments on the Sky Sports post match interview last night after the Wigan away win. In it he states when asked about whether us fans would prefer to win the FA cup or finish 4th.... " LINK http://www.skysports.com/football/team/0,19734,11677,00.html He says.. "i,m never sure about our fans, i remember last year there was a real hulabaloo when we fielded some younger players in a UEFA cup game out in Russia when we had put a very strong side out in the 1st leg but hadn't been able to get a big advantage. So there was a big hue & cry at that particular time to say we hadn't played our strongest side & of course our league form dipped after that & people were starting to say it was because of that. I couldn't see the relevance of it at all & this year we've battled very very strongly...." So i thought i would state how i feel about this so Martin knows as he genuinely seems a touch uncertain Personally i would firstly like us to qualify for the Champions League as this would surely have the best overall benefit for the good of Aston Villa FC. This would enable us to attract a higher calibre of player (& hopefully that world class striker & midfield playmaker we could do with ) HOWEVER!! i can fully understand the mixed feelings from other fans who would simply love to see some silverware for the 1st time in over a DECADE!! So as fans i guess we are somewhat torn emotionally between the "INSTANT" glory of an FA cup win or the long term & massively desirable benefits of qualifying for the Champions League!! So i think this may be where the "panic" came from last year.. Not a deliberate attack on Martin as such for picking a young side but more just sheer panic & desperation at seeing yet another potential trophy slip away!! Especially when you consider the lack of European action there has been since 1982!! Surely but surely for the long term good of the club it HAS to be Champions League 1st .... but it would also be fantastic to get the FA cup for the 1st time lets not forget SINCE 1957!!!! So there is your answer Martin! What could come over as disrespectful jibes over your managerial judgement is for me actually nothing more than a BURNING desire for a trophy as many of the fans here have never seen one won!! This has probably made many very sensitive to the issue. In other words it's actually PASSION which surely has to be.... overall... a good thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Personally i would firstly like us to qualify for the Champions League as this would surely have the best overall benefit for the good of Aston Villa FC. This would enable us to attract a higher calibre of player (& hopefully that world class striker & midfield playmaker we could do with ) very much this, although i think we may be in the minority fella. Surely but surely for the long term good of the club it HAS to be Champions League 1st .... but it would also be fantastic to get the FA cup for the 1st time lets not forget SINCE 1957!!!! this also. would love to land the FA Cup. but i think getting 4th denotes us as a bigger club, and moves us further forward Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super-Villan Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 FA Cup is priority. Silverware every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danceoftheshamen Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 Personally i would firstly like us to qualify for the Champions League as this would surely have the best overall benefit for the good of Aston Villa FC. This would enable us to attract a higher calibre of player (& hopefully that world class striker & midfield playmaker we could do with ) very much this, although i think we may be in the minority fella. Surely but surely for the long term good of the club it HAS to be Champions League 1st .... but it would also be fantastic to get the FA cup for the 1st time lets not forget SINCE 1957!!!! this also. would love to land the FA Cup. but i think getting 4th denotes us as a bigger club, and moves us further forward Agreed Jon.. Champs league puts you on the map internationally & opens the door to the TOP players & also is much more financially beneficial which means you have more chance of paying those players wages!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamiebavfc Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Its a really really hard decision and doing both this season would be a dream come true. But hand on heart i would have to say the FA cup. Finishing 4th is all well and good but what happens if we get knocked out in the qualifying round Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Silverware every time. any silverware? Intertoto Cup win > CL qualification? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maradona10 Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Just a message to MON and the boys, this Villa fan is very greedy and he wants 4th and the FA Cup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billy_loes Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 He doesnt forget stuff in a hurry does he..? Sometimes I think he uses it to motivate himself. 'I'll show those fickle f*****s'. Edit: For the long term future of the club 4th spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 It's a **** disgrace and a prime example of the way football has gone that coming 4th in a competition is more important than winning another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggyrichard Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 It's a **** disgrace and a prime example of the way football has gone that coming 4th in a competition is more important than winning another. Its the greater good, we as a club are of more benefit financially and status wise finishing 4th than winning the FA cup Both would be nice tho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evel Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Is he still going on about that UEFA cup match? I thought the main reason people were pissed off was just how many players were rested for that match. Brining in L Young, Delph, Carew, even the Fonz for the odd match to rest players between now and the end of the season isn’t the same thing. He does seem to think its all or nothing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 It's a **** disgrace and a prime example of the way football has gone that coming 4th in a competition is more important than winning another. True, but that's where we're at, with money and the CL running the game. At the moment, sadly, there is no alternative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Exactly, I'm not having a go at the people that want it, I just think it's a shame that, that is the mindset we've been forced into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Prefer both but if forced would want the FA Cup. Thats what being a fan is about not finishing 4th. You get nothing for 4th spot trophy wise and to me its small time to celebrate 4th spot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheltenham_villa Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 would finishing 4th this season really give us access to all these top players. We'd still need to qualify for the champions league (failed to qualify for europa this year), we still wouldnt be an established top 4 club (think next year will see a bigger push from city and liverpool) and we'd still have a manager that doesnt seem to like targetting these bigger players. Got no proof of this but the "hard working englishman" seems to be a mould that suits. Id like to see progressive improvement (already shown this year), no concerns over the financial stability of the club (i dont want to be the next portsmouth), investment in youth (lets bring some home grown players through) and to top it all off the FA cup please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggyrichard Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Exactly, I'm not having a go at the people that want it, I just think it's a shame that, that is the mindset we've been forced into. Football is a business as much as you and me hate to accept it, football is a business. Its all about £££ and Champions League = £££ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danceoftheshamen Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 It is indeed sad but to be successful.... long term... It surely HAS to be 4th? I mean winning the FA cup is not really going to attract a better calibre of player?... Put us in the shop window yes... but it's the Champs League all the best players want to play in. Jamiebavfc states above "what happens if we go out in the qualifying rounds? which could of course happen!! BUT you would hope by then that the club would have by that point purchased 1 or 2 players off the back of us finishing 4th (Hyperthetically of course) so even if that happened it would have improved the side giving us a better chance of maintaining 4th, or even better!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggyrichard Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Jamiebavfc states above "what happens if we go out in the qualifying rounds? which could of course happen!! BUT you would hope by then that the club would have by that point purchased 1 or 2 players off the back of us qualifying (Hyperthetically of course) so even if that happened it would have improved the side giving us a better chance of maintaining 4th, or even better!? One word.....Everton!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 I suspect Martin has taken against the "Villa fans" a bit, and I don't see any sign of this wearing off (although he did go over & applaud the travelling fans at Reading). That's a shame, because I think he is the best manager we have had for quite a while who, if he sticks around and is given enough time and respect, can get us into the Champions League. The reason he is picking up confused messages from the fans is simple in my view. There is a genuine split between those who see League position leading to CL as the top priority, and those who want to win Cups. My top wish is for CL, but I expect him to make his own decisions on priorities depending on his assessment of the strength of the squad and the opportunities to make progress. I also think he's overlooking the argument that fielding a weakened side against CSKA was akin to planting an enormous flag on the pitch saying "our squad can't manage all this." and that, in my view, must have had an effect on squad morale. But that's just an opinion and anyway he's sorted it by building a stronger squad this season which so far has looked capable of competing both for Cups and League position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danceoftheshamen Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 Jamiebavfc states above "what happens if we go out in the qualifying rounds? which could of course happen!! BUT you would hope by then that the club would have by that point purchased 1 or 2 players off the back of us qualifying (Hyperthetically of course) so even if that happened it would have improved the side giving us a better chance of maintaining 4th, or even better!? One word.....Everton!!! Lol...TRUE!! Pressure would sure be on to buy well!! Or of course as Cheltenham_Villa states maybe Martin would not do things that way & would stick with his methods of buying solid British players & bringing young players through..Which i don't mind at all but question whether it is quite enough to be chasing titles etc?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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