Aston Villa News 24/7Writer: AstonVillaFC 
Date:Saturday March 7 2009
Time: 11:57AM
UK time is: 23:16:56
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Why Lose The Claret & Blue Faith?
Why lose faith?
I know it is hard to believe that we can come good and maintain our push towards the Champions league when watching an embarrassing display at the City of Manchester stadium against a team which has been, for much of the season, average. However, my fellow Villan's, we have endured our worst run in the league this season, and guess what!? We're still holding the fort of the Champions league, even if it is now by only 3 points!
All the doom and gloom of the past week is all a bit silly, considering where we are presently sitting, and our expectations at the beginning of the season! If someone had said to me that we would be 3 points BEHIND Arsenal at this point of the season I would have literally bitten off their arm, AND THEN SOME!! This season, regardless of the next 10 games has been a success!
Sure, if we drop away and finish 5th I will be disappointed, and if we finish 6th or 7th I will be GUTTED, but this season regardless of the ending to it, we have shown that we can mix it with the big boys, and have gained a lot of respect from other fans for our bravery and at times our football. We have given ourselves a platform for the coming season to challenge the top of the league, to break the 'top 4' this season, even with other teams failing, was always going too be a huge ask, and so far we've pretty much answered most the questions, and that is something I find extremely encouraging!
Now I know that the last 2 weeks have been very hard, especially in a season where we have been a little bit spoilt, but we can, and hopefully will bounce back after the players holiday and go on to stake our claim amongst the great players and teams in the Champions League next season!
So lets cheer the boys on, otherwise we may be forced to endure another match thrown in the Europa League!! :D
UTV.
AstonVillaFC
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Your Comments
I can't see where our support of the team is lacking, all that has happened is more fans are finding it less frightening to come on and criticise he who muct not be complained about.
General K and O'Neill are full enough of rhetoric thanks they don't need you offering yours, especially as I'm sure when the Man Utd job comes up O'Neill will join the cue and it might be sooner than later,
Fans still love and cherish their club, its an insult to their intelligence and the ability of players and manager to suggest otherwise.
You call it doom and gloom, why, was it a good thing to wave the flag of surrender in Europe, to lose in the FA Cup to Everton to go 6 games without victory, or is that your idea of fun, the level of your expectation?
Get ye behind
avfc48
The pish poor home performances and losing Big Laursen didnt help us much. Need a few quality squad players too. These things happen in football
medzy
"He who pays the piper, calls the tune". It is the thousands of fans that turn-up at Villa Park and the away games that pay the salaries of our squad. In my book, that gives us a right to let off steam and tell them what we think - isn't this what these forums are all about? Human nature comes into this too, and avfc48 is so right, as the expectations increase, so does the dissappointment if things don't go to plan.
claretandbluestu
But are expectations realistic? We are over achieving, and it has been fun, but when we lose a few games it seems everyone just begins to complain. I am by no means the most positvie and sunny person in the world but at the end of the day surely times of tough going are times when support is needed most. We are having our best season in a decade and still people complain. I have voiced concern ans questioned decisions, but sirely at a point it stops been a debate and just becomes and whinge...lets just leave that to the blue noses and the scousers!! :D
AstonVillaFC
We have overcheived ? We only have 4 points from same point last season and out of all the cups yet we had quite a large spend in the summer which we admittedly wasted in some areas.
This myth that we`ve acheived anything outstanding has to be addressed !!!
ASPINALL
Dont worry boys, youre playing us on Sunday. We travel about as well as the spaceshuttle columbia. 3 points and youl be back on track, keep the faith i hope you do it.
HuddersfieldYiddo
finish 4th that is not win on sunday lol
HuddersfieldYiddo
We have achieved a hell of a lot with quite a small squad, and before anyone says that is MON's fault as well, I am very skeptical as to whether anyone else could have done as well or better in the transfer market! And no, we may not have any trophies in the cabinet, but what we have done is shown that we can and will challange the 'big 4'. And in this day and age that is fairly major!
AstonVillaFC
That has a lot to do with Arsenals poor season.
ASPINALL
Do you seriously think that? We have had one of our longest winning streaks away from home, and unbeaten streaks in the league. We've had some of our best performances and results against the 'top 4 sides' in recent years, and we have been (other than the last 2 weeks) one of the most consistent teams in the league, despite suffering some pretty severe injuries!
AstonVillaFC
At home we`ve been quite poor which has unfortunately cost us.
We`ve only beaten Arsenal this season out of the top 4 ?
ASPINALL
AVFC48 - that was a bit harsh pal. You can't say you have a right to speak and then tell him not to voice his views. Let's just concentrate on what Laursen has said in his latest press release:
'It is unbelievable how much the manager has transformed the club. Look at what he has done. If you look at where we were when he took over and where we are now, it is incredible. We are fourth in the Premier League and in the hunt for a Champions League spot. It is a great achievement so far. He dreams of that Champions League place and it would be terrific for him, the players and the whole club if we managed to get that fourth spot. I never dreamt, when I joined, that we would have a chance of this. We were fighting relegation at one point and the Big Four were miles ahead of us.'...............that puts it all in perspectivefor me. Hindsight is a great thing and so is foresight. MO'N can be questioned like any other manager, i.e. Fergie bought Djembax2 didn't he? Everybody calm down.
koolbill
I see you were pretty quick to jump in on this, avfc, having been pretty quiet during most of our purple patch. How you must love it when the team aren't playing well. But your diatribe is entirely typical of your posts - a random mixture of partial truths and completely fabricated 'evidence' as a means of assassinating O'Neill's character. How does the ManUre job end up in the middle of a debate about Villa? That is so typical of your posts - shafting O'Neill for coveting a job that isn't even vacant. As far as I can see, this is the first board/owner and management team that hasn't been full of rhetoric. They have said what they will do and have stuck to that, whereas your posts of full of it. Your hidden agenda is starting to show again - remind us all again how much "you don't hate O'Neill"?
BobTheBuilder
Aspinall, it is true that Arsenal are the only side we've beaten, but our performances against Chelsea (at home), Man U and Liverpool have been worthy of at least the point against Chelsea, and against LFC and Man U arguably more! Another point when viewing the Liverpool game is how many times have you seen Liverpool come to Villa park and defend? They were more than happy with a point and to me that shows a lot of progress!
AstonVillaFC
Spot on BTB.
Mutley73
AstonVillaFC - True mate, we have been a tad unlucky in some home games.
ASPINALL
The problem with the critics such as bcfc48 is that when they post they are thinking only of themselves and how they feel. That's to look at things from the wrong end of the telescope. Does he think that voting Gabby, say, 'idiot of the match' is going to make him play better or worse? How would you react if that happened to you? If he thinks that it will make him play better then fire away. The reality is, of course, that that sort of criticism can only destroy a player's confidence leading to an even greater loss of form. We are supporters. The clue is in the name. FFS SUPPORT or shut up.
chocolate teapot
Chocolate teapot: bcfc48 - QUALITY mate, quality. Even though he is Villa through and through, your comment is major laffs.
koolbill
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