Expectation, Expectations, Pt 2 An Estimate of the clubs con

[bickster]

By avfcinwales

In part 1 of this minor diatribe Pete Bosworth posted a reply suggesting I’d hugely underestimated the mess the club was in, as Ellis had run the club into the ground, so much so that it was a club stuck 25 years in the past.

I've thought long and hard about the comments from PB, and although I was always keen to lambast Ellis, I had to grudgingly admit, the club financially wasn't that badly off, especially in comparison to some others who finished well above us last year and who are presently winning in Europe, Newcastle the prime example. Our borrowing was very, very low in comparison.

I can't argue that the club wasn't in a poor state overall, low moral everywhere, overstaffed in the wrong areas, suffering from poor leadership, poor training facilities, and so on.

The squad had been under capitalised for years, was short on quality and numbers in comparison to the best, but injuries last season was the main difference to a squad that finished 10th and 6th the previous two seasons under what some on here reckon to be the devil incarnate in a managers suit.

But now we have the main man managing the club, at all levels, according to so many, so where is the problem?

He's already bought in a quality midfield player, the younger kids have improved, some beyond measure, he has the impetus generated by the takeover and the exit of both O'Leary and especially Ellis, so where is this desired club rebuild going to impact on the squad being improved enough to achieve a European qualification ?

Surely if Blackburn, Bolton, Spurs, especially Newcastle with their huge debts, poor chairman, and lets face it not too inspiring manager can, what has Ellis done that is so limiting, so restricting, so damaging.

Surely, with the start O'Neill has achieved so far, he being such a great manager, he should be able to find and purchase enough decent players to get us through to spring in the top half, and then with his affable charm, and genius get us that little bit further and into Europe, come the summer, where's the limitations?

To put the whole club right will take much longer, without doubt it will, but we aren't in a lower league, we aren't restricted, supposedly, financially, we aren't hindered by a suspect manager, we have as many decent players as most of the squads outside of the top 5 or 6 and we are 7th in the Premiership as of today, what's the problem?

In addition we have a ground capacity and support that can beat the arse off most, the more successful we are, the more will come in, so shouldn't European qualification be an achievable target, a priority even?

I bet Bolton, West Ham, Boro, to name 3 would love to be the only Premiership side in 100 or so miles, with our potential support base.

We now have top businessmen running the club, top financiers even, a top manager, tell me what is there to limit them achieving a European place apart from the usual bad run of injuries, or bad luck?

I'm not asking for a miracle, I'm not asking for huge spending, just a little ambition, a little positive thinking, for in my opinion something with our present setup shouldn't be such a big ask.

[blandy]

I'm not asking for a miracle, I'm not asking for huge spending, just a little ambition, a little positive thinking, for in my opinion something with our present setup shouldn't be such a big ask.

Amen .

And to my eyes that's exactly what we're getting - oh, and also on "positive thinking" that is something the vast majority of the supporters have been given back and gladly accepted and taken on.

Good innit?

[villacross]

We now have top businessmen running the club, top financiers even, a top manager, tell me what is there to limit them achieving a European place apart from the usual bad run of injuries, or bad luck?

Yes, I see your point and I've no doubt with such talent at the helm that all the off-field problems will be ended before the end of tis year -ie the primitive catering, the unfinished training facilitity, the old ruin which used to be the "Holte Hotel", the lack of adequate car parking or local transport facilities, the out-of-date "on-line" ticketing system, the amateurish "Villans" media/radio station, etc etc.

Then perhaps in Jan '07, having sorted out these few problems as well as slimming down the non-football payroll, they will be able to turn their endeavours to signing another eight or so top flight, players on £3 mill pa+ and who knows, we will then be able to look forward to competing in the Champions League within the next five years - anything is possible, as you say!

[TGM]

For once we actaully look like a club with some ambition, instead of the same old boring Villa that were stuck ina rut.