Daholteend Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 In General Krulak's thread a poster wrote about not believing in this team My response turned out a lot longer than anticipated and since it wasn't on topic I chose to comment here. Actually, none of us believes in the team that are playing now, we need many new players to become successful. But I'm sure you all know that better than me. Actually Rocafella, with all due respect your comments may be your opinions but certainly not mine or many Villa fans. I believe in the team that wears claret and blue on the pitch. They may not always perform to the level of our expectations and they may not always even perform to their own expectations of themselves. Nevertheless, good or bad you have to believe in your team. Belief is a powerful motivator and above all requires faith, a dauntless tenacity, a degree of inspiration and devotion trust and confidence in your chosen team. Whether you be a fan or a player, these are qualities I look for and the qualities that most true and ardent fans have with Aston Villa. A supporter of any cause has to believe in the cause and be 1000% behind the cause through thick and thin. What good would it have done Richard the Lionhearts Crusaders if half way to Jerusalem or Acre, one of their number turned to his compatriots and said like you have just done "I don't believe in this mob ! We need better archers and infantry if we are going to win any battles and I think you are all doomed unless we can go out and buy Saladins hordes " A great American Football coach, Chuck Knox when under adversity used to always say "You have to play the hand you are dealt " . He never would moan about the things he didn't have. He fixed his priorities on what he had to work with and turned his teams into believers. He took ordinary men and made them into great footballers. Why? Because he believed in himself and he believed in his men and the men in turn believed that they could use their God given talents to play football, win or lose. Winners don't have defeatist attitudes, they give their all, even when the odds are stacked highly against them. I believe in Aston Villa. I don't believe that jumping all over any player or team that has an off day is productive. They know how well they have or have not performed and true players like true fans know they can always do better and aspire to peak performances. More than 6500 Aston Villa fans sang and cheered their way through a disappointing night at the Bridge. However, they never quit ! They didn't stop believing in Aston Villa. Martin O'Neill has warned us that there will be days like this and we fans especially those of us that have scores of years behind the goals at the Holte End know this. Manchester United knew it last night. It happens. The Browns fans know it, but it doesn't stop them from believing in the team on the field (pitch) Bring on Everton! I believe we can beat them. I believe that the players also believe that. We will see better performances......but you have to believe it. Football teams are always a work in progress, an evolution of changing styles, players, managers and owners. You can only watch the team that is currently on the pitch. Yesterday's team has gone, tomorrows team will arrive in due course but I will always believe in the team in front of me that wears claret and blue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connell Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 Hear, hear, i totally agree. Anyone expecting instant success was always going to be proved wrong. i am just glad we have finally got the regime change we have all for so long called for. as someone said in another thread, this season is all about transition and asny higher thasn 12th is a major achievement. Just think about it, if we went a whole season drawing and winning and maybe losing the odd game 1-0, we wouldnt really identify our weaknesses as good as when we get handed a good trouncing every once in a while. i believe in martin o'neill. i believe in randy lerner. but most of all, i believe in aston villa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daholteend Posted November 9, 2006 Author Share Posted November 9, 2006 Heheheheheh it took 900 posts to get all that off my chest. I feel much better now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connell Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 i also liked the american football analogies "when the breaks are beating the boys, do one forn the villa" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condimentalist Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 Good post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntD Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 Great Post and fair play to you. I had tears in my eyes at 4-0, from when I looked around and listened to the passion of Villa. Not because we lost a game 4-0. Big differenc for me at least. We CAN believe now ...we have hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted November 9, 2006 Moderator Share Posted November 9, 2006 It's a really good subject, because it goes to the heart of being a supporter. Da's post is a cracker, and the sentiment will undoubtedly be shared by many. But we're all different, our brains are wired slightly differently (or mine is, anyway). There's a part of my brain (or heart?) that has the same outlook as Da's - basically I "just" (such a small word for a massive emotion) want Villa to do well. But I confess there's another part of me which is different - last season particularly, for example on and off the pitch, players, board, some fans even, just "broke" something. They broke my faith, my "belief" - in people in players and in the club. I didn't want to go to games, didn't want to know anymore. It made me miserable - whether it be ineptitude on the pitch, incompetence in the boardroom or (to me) basically lies and attacks on people I know not to deserve a fraction of the abuse and ill considered hostility. Mind you I still went to games (away only after Jan) and still talked to people and still wanted Villa to do well, but I just felt massively let down. Shattered even. And surely there's a part in every fan that thinks, even if 2-0 up with 30 seconds left, "they could still throw this away" - so that's not really "belief". More bitter experience It's a complicated old business. And there's the last part - the "eveidence of my eyes" part. I'm sure Chelsea fans look at their team, manager and players, and think "Yep, they're a cracking side, with a cracking coach, and 90% of the time they'll win at home." Whereas fans of, say, Sheffield Wednesday will look at their side and think "For all the great Stadium....etc....the team's a bit very average and won't get promoted this year, won't storm the division.... So with Villa, I look at the team and manager and Chairman, and the circumstances and think we'll do OK. We won't win the league, won't go down....etc And when you see that, it's not unreasonable to explain why you reach that conclusion. We need al lthe different facets - the people who just believe and believe in the face of all evidence. The people who pick up every flaw, even when we win - how else do you improve? The people who look at the picture "dispassionately" and see something that isn't apparent, perhaps to those with their head in their hands, or those leaping about in joy. Anyway, good thread, good post DaH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 There are many things that give us Belief and Martin O'neill and Randy are examples.What happened over previous seasons will not be washed away quickly ....it takes time.I can understand some folk saying they don't believe in the team, but comments like those are probably better left unsaid as they are more helpful unsaid as said. The more experienced fan who watches the play during 90 minutes rather than the net bulge will know what is needed as does our Manager and the owner, But we have 11 games to get to the watering hole and our Manager needs to know that he has an army of believers in Him, which will inevitably filter back to the team. Irrespective of how much we get our heads turned by the "Chelsea's" of this world..... we are villa fans ........ we will have our day of that I am sure...... with this team I am not so sure, but I do know this ......IN ORDER TO PROGRESS, WE MUST GET BEHIND THE TEAM, THE MANAGER AND THE OWNER......they all need our support & motivation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwyllum18 Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 Amen! And who was loudest at Goodison today-the Villa fans! Well said, hombre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RantinRob Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 Blimey Mike - you got a COMPUTER up there now? :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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