Dodgyknees Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I've been a Villa fan all my life, I was named after two greats in the game and my first ever gift was a history of Villa book (whilst other kids get a teddy, my dad showed sense). I was wrapped in a Villa shirt when cold, I wore claret and blue socks to P.E when at my first school, I cried when we lost to Tranmere 3-1 because the kids in my class took the piss... I then took the piss when we turned it over and I saw my club win a cup for the first time. You see, I was born just too late to see us win the league and I was too small too remember anything at all from the greatest moment in our history. But I have always had something and something to believe in at Villa. Even if we struggled, I kept the faith and knew it was ust a bumpy road, the corner would come. But this feels different. My first actual game, we were losing 5-0 to Southampton by half time, it was a harsh lesson on what life is like as a Villa fan. it has always been hard for me to attend games, as a kid Mum and Dad had to pay for myself and my brother, a train, one for them too, also my sisters had to come. it was hard. Mostly, I would wait in anticipation for a South Coast game, easier and cheaper. As soon as I turned 16, I would travel up once a season to see us play, by the time I was 20, that had become 5 games a season at Villa park and the occasional away game, also of course those on the South Coast. I have not missed a game for 15 years, but this year I have not gone to a game. I struggle with myself over this, I have undying love and devotion for this club, I have the blood running through my body and even though it has cost me money, made me sad and had a negative effect too (OS...) it has always been the one and only thing I believed in 100%. And now, this season. The chairman is somebody I feel is lying to me, I wouldn't shop at a supermarket who lied to me, so why give my money to him? One thing and then another, not attending himself, pushing things on is we do not like nor want, who does he think he is to be able to have such a lack of respect for those who have ALWAYS been here for the club and not just there on a whim, we may not all have tattoos, but we have felt the pain for a hell of a lot longer. And the manager, how can I believe in somebody who talks such nonsense? he sets us up to play football which makes me feel angry and depressed, he doesn't set us up to win, he plays those who make mistakes and drops those who put effort in. The only reason he played other players today was due to injury. How can I pay all the money in my pocket at the end of a month to come up and watch that and put money into the coffers of those two? I don't believe in the two people who are supposed to make things work out well for us, so how am I supposed to throw money at it too? And as for Faulkner... I just do not know who to believe in any more at Villa, it all feels like a lost cause. The thing I love so much is a floating wreck and we have no idea where that is heading, all I can see is stormy sea's around us. I find it hard to believe. Proud history, depressing future. So who do I believe in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hycus-flange Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Have you tried the baby Jesus? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I've been a Villa fan all my life, I was named after two greats in the game and my first ever gift was a history of Villa book (whilst other kids get a teddy, my dad showed sense). I was wrapped in a Villa shirt when cold, I wore claret and blue socks to P.E when at my first school, I cried when we lost to Tranmere 3-1 because the kids in my class took the piss... I then took the piss when we turned it over and I saw my club win a cup for the first time. You see, I was born just too late to see us win the league and I was too small too remember anything at all from the greatest moment in our history. But I have always had something and something to believe in at Villa. Even if we struggled, I kept the faith and knew it was ust a bumpy road, the corner would come. But this feels different. My first actual game, we were losing 5-0 to Southampton by half time, it was a harsh lesson on what life is like as a Villa fan. it has always been hard for me to attend games, as a kid Mum and Dad had to pay for myself and my brother, a train, one for them too, also my sisters had to come. it was hard. Mostly, I would wait in anticipation for a South Coast game, easier and cheaper. As soon as I turned 16, I would travel up once a season to see us play, by the time I was 20, that had become 5 games a season at Villa park and the occasional away game, also of course those on the South Coast. I have not missed a game for 15 years, but this year I have not gone to a game. I struggle with myself over this, I have undying love and devotion for this club, I have the blood running through my body and even though it has cost me money, made me sad and had a negative effect too (OS...) it has always been the one and only thing I believed in 100%. And now, this season. The chairman is somebody I feel is lying to me, I wouldn't shop at a supermarket who lied to me, so why give my money to him? One thing and then another, not attending himself, pushing things on is we do not like nor want, who does he think he is to be able to have such a lack of respect for those who have ALWAYS been here for the club and not just there on a whim, we may not all have tattoos, but we have felt the pain for a hell of a lot longer. And the manager, how can I believe in somebody who talks such nonsense? he sets us up to play football which makes me feel angry and depressed, he doesn't set us up to win, he plays those who make mistakes and drops those who put effort in. The only reason he played other players today was due to injury. How can I pay all the money in my pocket at the end of a month to come up and watch that and put money into the coffers of those two? I don't believe in the two people who are supposed to make things work out well for us, so how am I supposed to throw money at it too? And as for Faulkner... I just do not know who to believe in any more at Villa, it all feels like a lost cause. The thing I love so much is a floating wreck and we have no idea where that is heading, all I can see is stormy sea's around us. I find it hard to believe. Proud history, depressing future. So who do I believe in? As Johnny Rotten said: ‘Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated? I feel for you and share your plight. Saddens me to see "fans" who say "It's just a game" and a owner who sees us as customers and nothing more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbr600rr Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 feel your pain, trust is gone with them in charge, the thing is randy says not a word..ever.. at least doug had a voice, theirs no way doug would have put up with AM, unless a rich oil rich sort came in & released the grip thats strangling our club were in trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PompeyVillan Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Become apathetic like me. Much easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villarocker Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I watched us today with sadness. Not because we lost but because of what has happened to us in the last season. We have watched Man Utd and Liverpool once again cherry pick our better players. We then endured the painful reality that our owner decided to pay compensation to our biggest rivals for their unbelievably poor manager, despite the protests from the fans and the voiced opinions of concern. Then, we saw a shaky start to the season and the signs of negative football that we were worried about seeing at the Villa. This continued and inevitably we slipped down the table whilst losing many senior players to injury. Then, as if things couldn't get much worse, we are told of the sad and disturbing news that our Captain, and only real leader on the pitch, has a life threatening illness and will not be seen in a Villa shirt for an unknown period of time, possibly never. What this has all left us with is a team today that comprised 6 reserve team players who are products of our youth system. If you include Gabby there were 7 players who are products of our academy in that starting line up today. How many other Premier League teams can currently boast that statistic? Whether they will have what it takes to make a successful Premier League team only time will tell but with our owner's interest in our club seeming to lessen more with each passing week, under the current ownership it seems we will have to get used to watching these kids more and more. On top of this, today's bench included 6 outfield players of which 1 is out of form (although Albrighton did very well when he came on today), an over-the-hill striker who cannot be relied upon for goals and 4 young lads with no Premier League experience whatsoever! I stood there today in shock at the players on view. Not because I don't think they are any good, and not because I don't think they should given a chance. I think that some of our younger players have a very bright future ahead of them but I just do not think that they can all come through into the first team at the same time and be asked to save our Premier League status. I looked at them today and thought "is this what we've become? asking boys to go and do a man's job!" Like I said, 2 or 3 at the same time maybe, but to have 60% of your starting outfield players coming straight from your reserve team is simply asking too much in my opinion. So, I finally asked myself "just how much worse can it get for us this season?" well, the only answer to that is relegation and to be totally honest, with results going the way they did today I think it is going to be a very big ask for us to stay up if we have to rely on these young lads for the remainder of the season. I sincerely hope to be proven wrong but my belief in us staying up is draining freely from me with every passing Villa performance. Before I get slagged off for doubting the fighting spirit they showed in getting us back to 2-2, I would like to say that at that stage Chelsea were in Benfica preservation mode, which clearly showed with the 2 additional goals that they scored. They are not a great team this season and a Villa team of any of the last 5 seasons would have won that game today. I cannot remember ever feeling as bad as this as a Villa fan since the Premier League began. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villanmike Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Somehow I don't think it's right or correct to compare Aston Villa Football Club to a supermarket. Since when has a supermarket made you bleed their colours? You love Villa, and you always will... /end Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie09 Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I watched us today with sadness. Not because we lost but because of what has happened to us in the last season. We have watched Man Utd and Liverpool once again cherry pick our better players. We then endured the painful reality that our owner decided to pay compensation to our biggest rivals for their unbelievably poor manager, despite the protests from the fans and the voiced opinions of concern. Then, we saw a shaky start to the season and the signs of negative football that we were worried about seeing at the Villa. This continued and inevitably we slipped down the table whilst losing many senior players to injury. Then, as if things couldn't get much worse, we are told of the sad and disturbing news that our Captain, and only real leader on the pitch, has a life threatening illness and will not be seen in a Villa shirt for an unknown period of time, possibly never. What this has all left us with is a team today that comprised 6 reserve team players who are products of our youth system. If you include Gabby there were 7 players who are products of our academy in that starting line up today. How many other Premier League teams can currently boast that statistic? Whether they will have what it takes to make a successful Premier League team only time will tell but with our owner's interest in our club seeming to lessen more with each passing week, under the current ownership it seems we will have to get used to watching these kids more and more. On top of this, today's bench included 6 outfield players of which 1 is out of form (although Albrighton did very well when he came on today), an over-the-hill striker who cannot be relied upon for goals and 4 young lads with no Premier League experience whatsoever! I stood there today in shock at the players on view. Not because I don't think they are any good, and not because I don't think they should given a chance. I think that some of our younger players have a very bright future ahead of them but I just do not think that they can all come through into the first team at the same time and be asked to save our Premier League status. I looked at them today and thought "is this what we've become? asking boys to go and do a man's job!" Like I said, 2 or 3 at the same time maybe, but to have 60% of your starting outfield players coming straight from your reserve team is simply asking too much in my opinion. So, I finally asked myself "just how much worse can it get for us this season?" well, the only answer to that is relegation and to be totally honest, with results going the way they did today I think it is going to be a very big ask for us to stay up if we have to rely on these young lads for the remainder of the season. I sincerely hope to be proven wrong but my belief in us staying up is draining freely from me with every passing Villa performance. Before I get slagged off for doubting the fighting spirit they showed in getting us back to 2-2, I would like to say that at that stage Chelsea were in Benfica preservation mode, which clearly showed with the 2 additional goals that they scored. They are not a great team this season and a Villa team of any of the last 5 seasons would have won that game today. I cannot remember ever feeling as bad as this as a Villa fan since the Premier League began. Ditto. And what makes me angry about the whole sorry saga is that it was so utterly predictable once McLeish was appointed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VamosMiAstonVilla Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 What team wouldn't lose to Chelsea playing 6 players from their academy please? Sorry I find these "i've supported Villa for *insert years here*" posts cringy and melodramatic in the extreme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgyknees Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 What team would go into the last few games of the season needing desperate wins because the manager has played too many games not to win or to draw all season? And, if its the worst I have known since I started supporting Villa, how am I supposed to mention that without mentioning it is the worst I have ever known since then... ok, lets change it... Completely destroys the theme and feeling of it, but hey.. I am not allowed 29 years of being a fan, only allowed to mention the past year :-/ This is the worst I have ever known since I... since last week. Better? Idiot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condimentalist Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I actually find it genuinely depressing to watch us play and to think about the state of the club at the moment. I dread Saturday afternoons. The soul has been sucked out of the club by player sales combined with the frankly shocking appointment and predictably abysmal performance of the manager, who will never represent what this club stands for. We're drifting towards relegation next season and Faulkner and Lerner don't seem to have the sense to stop it. All the tours to America and the Far East are a total waste of time if the product on the pitch isn't good enough. Who would watch the Premier League and want to support us with the way we play at the moment and the lack of quality and fight McLeish has instilled? We're not just losing football matches, we're losing future generations of fans. I understand that we have to be a bit tighter with money than we have been. But that makes it even more imperative that the other factors are optimised and that's particularly true of the manager. Change the gaffer (and actually appoint someone credible like Lambert) and suddenly the whole thing looks rosier. At the moment the hierarchy of the club are making me feel helpless and the only way to deal with it is to switch off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overdubber Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Just start believing in God,Budhah or Alla. That will make things much easier to comprehend and deal with...... Relegation is looming and we are not equiped to deal with it right now. welcome to away games at Rochdale and West Ham. Not easy, but comming up soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endof Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Nah West Ham will beat Blues in the Final so an away day at the Blues is not bad i suppose ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VamosMiAstonVilla Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 What team would go into the last few games of the season needing desperate wins because the manager has played too many games not to win or to draw all season? And, if its the worst I have known since I started supporting Villa, how am I supposed to mention that without mentioning it is the worst I have ever known since then... ok, lets change it... Completely destroys the theme and feeling of it, but hey.. I am not allowed 29 years of being a fan, only allowed to mention the past year :-/ This is the worst I have ever known since I... since last week. Better? Idiot. Weren't we relegated in 1987? Drama queen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgyknees Posted April 1, 2012 Author Share Posted April 1, 2012 I've seen you try and wind others up, you're obviously a troll. Yes we were relegated then. Drama queen? Sorry troll... I repeat. But I have always had something and something to believe in at Villa. Even if we struggled, I kept the faith and knew it was ust a bumpy road, the corner would come. This feels different. That ok, troll? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Lerwill Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Just start believing in God,Budhah or Alla. That will make things much easier to comprehend and deal with...... Yes, life is full of challenges and to get through them successfully you have to put things into perspective. We are not mortal for ever and we were not born just to follow Aston Villa - even though it has had plenty of attractions! :-) But, just like the bitter experience of loss in life's other circumstances, I can well understand the experience of loss when something you are attached to has been proved to be not quite the thing you thought it was. The Hindus say that life is an illusion - and I can see the reality of that philosophy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PussEKatt Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 What team wouldn't lose to Chelsea playing 6 players from their academy please? Sorry I find these "i've supported Villa for *insert years here*" posts cringy and melodramatic in the extreme. You are right, a team playing 6 academy players would lose to Chelsea, but I am sure you have mistaken his meaning all along. Its not just the loss to Chelsea, its the losses to many other teams that we could have and should have beaten, its the draws against teams like Wigan and Blackburn its just that the Chelsea game is the last straw, because it shows in which direction we are heading. As for mentioning how long he has been a Villa supporter, I find nothing wrong in that, I have been a Villa supporter for most of my life and I am proud of that fact,so why not mention it ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coda Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 The Hindus say that life is an illusion - and I can see the reality of that philosophy.So deep, maaaaan. McLeish out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted April 2, 2012 Moderator Share Posted April 2, 2012 I believe in Coyotes and Time as an abstract. As for Villa, I believe we will get relegated and if I'm honest about that, I don't actually care in any meaningful way if we are. It'd barely ruin my day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacbuddies Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 I believe that there is more likelihood of life on another planet than Alex McLeish becoming a good football manager. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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