limpid Posted December 30, 2010 Administrator Posted December 30, 2010 by John_Lerwill The feelings of the typical Villa fan are currently probably akin to the feelings of the bride spurned at the alter. She thought that her future was laid out, but she was cruelly cheated. 1982 was a year that resonated strongly in the Villa camp and has done ever since. It has been the constant reminder of what can be achieved given the right ingredients, but, significantly, the manager that effectively took Villa to their climax was also lampooned at one stage during his team re-building. Despite his achievements to 1979, he found that the Villa fans expectation was high (and totally expectant) despite the fact that only 5 years before the club was stuck in the lower division. But he (and Tony Barton) won out in the end. Since then, Villa’s fortunes have waxed and waned, and, because a new owner emerged in tandem with a manager that somehow was seen as having charisma a-plenty, Villa’s following thought that a repeat of the 1982 success was just around the corner. In the three years culminating in 2010, expectations were maintained, only to be dashed when their hero manager walked away – and at a deadly moment. In stepped a former Liverpool champion. He was virtually the only manager available with any significant pedigree, and was given the job of turning around what may well have been something resembling a debacle. I presume the highly-qualified M. Houllier has seen something drastically awry at Villa Park, including the scouting system, the players’ reward structure, the fitness regime, the attitude of some senior players and the style of play. In a brave move, he has chosen to try to attack all the deficiencies from the outset and during this process encountered one player injury after another. Furthermore, he has still not had the chance of buying-in new talent. AVFC have already used 27 players this season, and there have been hardly two matches in sequence when the same team has walked out onto the pitch. Nevertheless, I feel that M. Houllier knows what is needed and is trying to build on rock rather than the sand that characterised the previous manager’s period in office. In January he has the opportunity to sign a couple of players with the iron in the soul necessary to keep Villa afloat this season. Yes, we all know that Aston Villa should not be where they are in the League, and all Villa fans want the matter sorted. There have been troubles before at this great club, the most serious of which occurred years before the current younger generation of supporters. There was a way through those former troubles, and there is a way through them now. However, no knee-jerk reaction is going to get it ‘sorted’; the manager has a very difficult job and, really, the only way of fans helping the club is to acknowledge that promise has been shown (take the Manchester United match as an illustration) and to vociferously back that promise and M. Houllier’s work in moulding a basis for a better push next season. The solution to the current situation is partly in the hand of the Villa supporters. Encouragement is what is needed right now, nothing else. UTV! John
AVFCinSpain Posted December 30, 2010 Posted December 30, 2010 The support will be there if the players earn it. Currently, there is only a handful doing a full shift, the others don't look as if they are bothered. If the management team in the dugout looked a bit more animated and could be seen to be encouraging the team, it might help, IMO, their whole demeanour is one of defeat.
John_Lerwill Posted December 30, 2010 Posted December 30, 2010 The support will be there if the players earn it. Currently, there is only a handful doing a full shift, the others don't look as if they are bothered. Agreed, if the players (or a number of them) fail to 'turn up', then there is a problem. However, in 2 days GH will have a method at his disposal to remedy part of that if he can bring in the 'iron in the soul' material needed to revitalise the team. Until that trasnpires (or a magical uplift by the unperforming players) then the fans' backing is needed. I think perhaps the fans are also overlooking that several players are trying to get back into their game after injury. If the management team in the dugout looked a bit more animated and could be seen to be encouraging the team, it might help, IMO, their whole demeanour is one of defeat. I get the feeling that the management team are more in a state of shock than anything else!! I can't (and I don't think any fan) can really believe the management team don't have their hearts in it ... to me it really all is a case of getting through January and let's see where we are at that point.
barry'sboots Posted December 30, 2010 Posted December 30, 2010 The critical requirement for me is a player that can link the midfield with the striker. I though this would be SI but he has not delivered and I don't think Ash works in there either. Perhaps Gary Gardner will be able to do this but I wouldn't want to rest this on his shoulders at this point. I don't believe our current CM'ers are capable of playing in a 2 man CM and I think any combination of NRC/Stan/Delph/Bannan/Hogg provides two deeper lying/sitting midfielders (and, from what I have read) Makoun and Fofana are the same types) and without that link there is a huge gap between the striker(s) and the CM. If Ged can fix this, I think we will start to climb the table.
John_Lerwill Posted December 30, 2010 Posted December 30, 2010 Yup! Sounds about right to me. ... allied to the slightly easier fixtures coming up.
markavfc40 Posted December 30, 2010 Posted December 30, 2010 Where to now? Chelsea, another gutless display and 7 defeats in last 8 games I presume. Depending how poor Chelsea are we may get a dicking we may not but we go a goal down we've lost anyway. Then maybe a sneaky dig from Houllier at one or two players to the media after the game and a few words of non wisdom about how we'll turn it around. Then a game against Sunderland which if we fail to win will get very ugly for Houllier and I'm sure even he will hear the message from the supporters loud and clear.
John_Lerwill Posted December 30, 2010 Posted December 30, 2010 That reads like if...if...if...if to me markavfc40! :?
snowychap Posted December 30, 2010 Posted December 30, 2010 Encouragement is what is needed right now, nothing else. I'm getting quite fed up by this kind of comment, tbh. Implicit is the suggestion that criticizing things that may appear to be wrong (to some) means that one cannot, separately, offer encouragement to Villa. Implicit also, it appears, is a bit of a 'with us or against us' accusation which is pretty dreadful. If it were just a rallying call then that would be fine, to an extent, but it always seems to be something more (not just in your post but others of the same nature). Even if it were just that, there are only so many times one can listen to the same rallying call. That reads like if...if...if...if to me markavfc40! Doesn't your article?
spacehead Posted December 30, 2010 Posted December 30, 2010 A really well thought through article. If I had time, I'd love to analyse where teams who sacked their manager at this time of year finished at the end of the season. I've no doubt that GH will use January to his advantage and make the most urgent changes that he believes are required to move this club forward.
John_Lerwill Posted December 30, 2010 Posted December 30, 2010 Encouragement is what is needed right now, nothing else. I'm getting quite fed up by this kind of comment, tbh. Implicit is the suggestion that criticizing things that may appear to be wrong (to some) means that one cannot, separately, offer encouragement to Villa. Implicit also, it appears, is a bit of a 'with us or against us' accusation which is pretty dreadful. If it were just a rallying call then that would be fine, to an extent, but it always seems to be something more (not just in your post but others of the same nature). Even if it were just that, there are only so many times one can listen to the same rallying call. You make it sound that "the rallying call" is at the point where the absolute limit has been reached and there's no hope. Well, if that's how you feel then so be it. But how sad - this is not 1968. Even then a solution was found. And, btw, there's nothing in my article that is anything other than a rallying call. If you are reading anything else into it, then you're using a lot of imagination! That reads like if...if...if...if to me markavfc40! Doesn't your article? No. You've just suggested that it's a rallying call, and that's what it is; pure and simple really. Ahem, based on a few but relevant facts.
John_Lerwill Posted December 30, 2010 Posted December 30, 2010 A really well thought through article. If I had time, I'd love to analyse where teams who sacked their manager at this time of year finished at the end of the season. I've no doubt that GH will use January to his advantage and make the most urgent changes that he believes are required to move this club forward. Thanks, "spacehead". Well, from now on in it's GH's chance to show how good a manager he is.
snowychap Posted December 30, 2010 Posted December 30, 2010 You make it sound that "the rallying call" is at the point where the absolute limite has been reached and there's no hope. Well, if that's how you feel then so be it. But how sad. What I did say was that there are only so many times that one can hear Gen Krulak saying, "Pull together. WE WILL GET THIS RIGHT. We are behind the manager 100%. BELIEVE." or anyone else who has subsequently said the same kind of thing (like someone suggesting people get banners of support for Houllier). And, btw, there's nothing in my article that is anything other than a rallying call. If you are reading anything else into it, then you're using a lot of imagination! There is. The bit that I have quoted doesn't just say, "Let's have some encouragement." It says that you don't want anything else, that nothing else is needed, so stop questioning, complaining or doing anything other than giving encouragement and nothing else. No. You've just suggested that it's a rallying call, and that's what it is. A 'rallying call' (with a clear 'don't do anything else') containing ifs, hopes, harking back to days of yore and the cherry-picking of history. Oh and the phrase 'knee-jerk'.
John_Lerwill Posted December 30, 2010 Posted December 30, 2010 Snowychap, what I am saying is that this is just a blip ... in my considered and 60-years-based opinion, it hardly warrants consideration of being at the edge of a precipice. You've just had 3 seasons of near-utopia compared to the previous several years, and now there is just a blip. I agree that what you've described makes mine sound like a repetition, but I am talking with 60 years experience of the Villa. With respect to the General, he doesn't have that type of relationship with the Villa, though he certainly means well, I'm sure and obviously he speaks as a very experienced leader of men. And ... there are *no* ifs in my article, actual or implied. There's no "if" in the positive act of getting behind the team - that by itself is a reality.
snowychap Posted December 30, 2010 Posted December 30, 2010 Snowychap, what I am saying is that this is just a blip ... in my considered and 60-years-based opinion I don't think anyone has suggested that you shouldn't hold that opinion or proffer it. Your opinion may well turn out to be correct; it may not. Time will, as ever, tell. I've criticized your article for the sentence that I quoted and also for the reasons in my previous post. I don't believe I have criticized you for holding an opinion. And ... there are *no* ifs in my article, actual or implied. It would appear to me that the section quoted below quite clearly suggests that 'the way through' is conditional upon fans heeding your call (and also implicit there, is the idea 'if we do, they'll pull through'). There was a way through those former troubles, and there is a way through them now. However, no knee-jerk reaction is going to get it ‘sorted’; the manager has a very difficult job and, really, the only way of fans helping the club is to acknowledge that promise has been shown (take the Manchester United match as an illustration) and to vociferously back that promise and M. Houllier’s work in moulding a basis for a better push next season. The solution to the current situation is partly in the hand of the Villa supporters. Encouragement is what is needed right now, nothing else. Edit: Punctuation.
markavfc40 Posted December 31, 2010 Posted December 31, 2010 That reads like if...if...if...if to me markavfc40! :? Lets see how it plays out. Its just my opinion based on how things have gone over the last few weeks. I genuinely hope I'm wrong as someone who as been at all of Houlliers games and only seen us win three times in the league its getting to the stage where its no longer enjoyable. I'll continue to get behind the team when at the games. As was the case at Eastlands though at 4-0 down the game was over and Houllier got plenty of deserved stick form the supporters and I'd expect that to be the case again if things continue as they are.
John_Lerwill Posted December 31, 2010 Posted December 31, 2010 That reads like if...if...if...if to me markavfc40! :? Lets see how it plays out. Its just my opinion based on how things have gone over the last few weeks. I genuinely hope I'm wrong as someone who as been at all of Houlliers games and only seen us win three times in the league its getting to the stage where its no longer enjoyable. Fair do's. No, it's not at all enjoyable, but you'll concede that it's all part and parcel of being a football supporter - certainly as it has been for Villa supporters throughout the club's history. Even during the club's most successful periods there have been pockets of depression. I'll continue to get behind the team when at the games. As was the case at Eastlands though at 4-0 down the game was over and Houllier got plenty of deserved stick form the supporters and I'd expect that to be the case again if things continue as they are. Attaboy ... but let January be given a chance, though.
markavfc40 Posted December 31, 2010 Posted December 31, 2010 John I genuinely wish I shared your optimism mate. Unfortunately I've let reality get in the way.
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