Villa Fan Asks: Why All The Doom & Gloom

You can't really just say ignore last season, we are starting this season in last seasons end of term poor form. 6 draws, 8 losses, just 3 wins. Even Sidders - article to follow - is admitting the form is awful and we've got to pick it up + says the fans had the right to boo (still don't like the booing really) I think Villa fans have been bloody patient over the years but for all the talk and hype, we aren't exactly setting the world alight and for some 6th isn't a 'great' season really? Love the positivity though dude!

Yup agree that it's great to be positive, but this isn't about ONE league defeat is it, it's about being ill-prepared for the new season time and time again. That's what gripes northstandlower, and with all the scouts, research, funds etc at his disposal MON really should have the team in tip-top shape at this stage. Also, the type of football we're playing eg hoof it up to heskey, is enough to depress even the most hardened non-league supporter. Most Villa fans are just being realistic instead of blindly saying 'have faith' and 'be positive', As soon as there's a grain of something to be positive about then I'll be the first to start getting excited. But until then we have a right to whinge in the hope that MON will start doing something about it.

Patient for what? We have no divine right to win the Prem or qualify for the CL. MON took over a side that was literally relegation fodder and delivered back to back 6th place finishes. Admittedly our form is poor at the moment, and I'm not above being critical of MON but we're only one game into the season, though looking around the internet you'd think the sky had fallen in. Hardly a day goes by without some self indulgent diatribe being posted about giving back season tickets etc. Despite what Sidders says the real embarrassment at the moment is the fans. I didn't know where to look last week at half time; it was shameful. If we'd have supported our side we might have got back in the game. We have some really excititing, young players now and a great platform to push on in the richest, most competitive league in the world, but we won't be winning anything if fail to support our team.

other managers have done the same RoyalVilla, JG straight up in his first season, DOL who everyone hated got us to 6th, both with less money. I know you are being positive and that is fantastic but you surely see the squad is wafer thin again and we don't have cover, this after 7 transfer windows? Wish I was you mate, I'm slowly melting into negativity and you are looking up ... superb, I'll have to have some of what you are on, all credit to you! lol Oh, it isn't just the internet, if you were there on Saturday (or a lot of games from last Feb) you'd have heard the boos (again, don't like them) plus moans from fans at half time, full time etc? Think it is well out of order to say that the fans are a disgrace or to blame, we've had our expectations raised and the squad for me is a shambles, even Sidders (about to be published) seems to half agree!

I agree Olof, if we keep our mouths shut then nothing will happen. The fans are the main share holders as someone else pointed out. If the fans start voting with their feet, and not buying soivenirs, plus the TV not wanting to show us so often, the income and future look bleak. We are still Villa fans, and because of our passion and love of the club we are moved voice concerning opinions! This should act as a "wake up and smell the coffee" call to Mr Lerner and MON! Of course NO, one game isn't a season, but it IS a continuation of a bad finish last season, and that cant be ignored either! We are NOT doing a Newcastle, but we are not top 4 either!

When MON said we are going to strengthen the team I believed him, Now I realise that was complete fabrication, I am angry, I'm not going to apologise for that, also even though it is only one defeat, if you take the Villa result away from Wigan they would be bottom with a minus 6 goal difference, that worries me enormously, MON also thinks everything is great that worries me even more!

Royal Villa, I agree with you and why Mr Fear sees fit to answer every positive comment whilst allowing the likes of AVFC 48 impunity for a long time is beyond me. No-one is pretending we have had a great start to the season and yes you can be critical about transfers. But wasted windows? Look at the team it is almost totally MONs buys so the board and manager have hardly sat back and done nothing. I wish we were doing better too but what ever problems we have ain't going to be cured by a barrage of continuous moaning and groaning. Some of us protested about the Smith board in the 1960's so I know how people feel. But the amount of noise at the moment is an over reaction. Give the manager and board a chance - and your support - it may just do more good.

I'm probably being a bit more positive than is deserved. I think we can be tactically disingenuous (that's being kind) and I sometimes hear quotes from MON that make me worry, but pragmatically I think some of the negativity is a bit OTT. We've over achieved, which has raised expectations, but MON's been building a squad from the ground up which takes times and is not an exact science; thank god we've had the money to spend over the last few years or we'd probably be in the championship. I agree that DOL and JG delivered good seasons, but IMO the football landscape has changed since then and I think things are much tougher now. When I try to explain to some of my mates why we boo our team they look at me like I'm mental. So whilst I don't think things are perfect, I think some of the negativity is undeserved and feel I have to stick up for a lot of the positives we have. Things can change quickly in football, but in the meantime I don't see the point in making harder for the club than it already is. There's no need to melt into negativity just yet Fear :)

yes one game lost, but at home to wigan, give me a break!

That comment leaves me baffled Gordonsleftboot maybe I JOIN IN on the site is because that is the idea of the site AND that I find a posters comments like RoyalVilla more interesting to debate with rather than some who are simply set in the doom and gloom and won't explore the possibilities that things might click right. I say in a lot of what I do I WANT to believe, sorry for enjoying the debate, I'll try to remember not to comment in future??? For goodness sake!! And why do you think (opti or negi) people turn up week in week out at games, have the first topic of conversation at the pub/work to be Villa, join in on this and other sites/forums? It is because we all love the Villa and want the best, some think we are doing well others don't, that hasn't changed since the leagues were formed by some club.. forget their name now (!)

Reading the last 2 posts makes me feel good, you make some good points, I am desperate for you to be correct, that this is just a blip and the form will turn round if we just got behind the side, I will stuggle though while we only have 2 CBs, that it is an unforgivable situation that has dragged on long enough now

I'll be doing my best then RoyalVilla, just think we look now like we did in the last season under O'Dearme, a bit short on ideas etc how to change things about (from Feb onward) but live in hope that the right signing or two comes in and makes the difference. Must admit I'd have had more optimism if we'd got the likes of bent in because I don't think we have anywhere near enough goals in the team but again, who knows, maybe JC will get a run of fitness and be the awesome player he can when up for it and and maybe Gabby will step up a gear.
Not totally sure the football landscape is much harder, always been dominant teams, just look at Liverpool in the 80's (as Allan Evans said, if Doug hadn't split that all up, it could have been us!) and ... no, I do concede the CL has put a void, the money they established top four now have does make it difficult, but then GT JG and most especially DOL were competing with that. Just a shame again when we finished 2nd in the first season of the PL that we didn't then push on, Sir Alex Chewalot said he thought Villa would be their main competitors in the 90's... Villa fans are still waiting to realise that potential and I guess with MON beign hailed the Messiah and a great new owner coming in, expectations rose higher than they should have?! Onward and upward.

I cant sit on the fence with this , I totaly agree with all the above.

I believe if Barry and more importantly Laursen had been replaced soon after they left there wouldn't be any problems now. People are moaning because they are worried, remember we have 1 fit CB who isn't very good! and we're away to liverpoo next game plus most of the names of CB's we are looking to buy (Dunne,Distin,Huth etc) are not really of the quality we would like. The club can set the mood of the fans by having the squad in place and ready to go by the first game of the season. I understand this is easier said than done but by this stage of the transfer window our dealing should done, yet we are missing 4 or 5 players.

Lets bury our heads in the sand and pretend all is well , lets pretend the last 18 games was a ONE off shall we , lets pretend that NRC is the new GB , Lets pretend Big JC hasn't had a falling out with MON . Lets pretend MON is a messiah ! Oh I feel so much more positive now !

Villan57, These issues have not gone away you are correct but I can appreciate the calls to get behind the side, and i'm in a good mood today as the cricket is going well, although that could change, it is all frustration for me, we could push on and we are not, and I can't see any logical reasons for not replacing players or any logical reason Heskey

WE'VE GOT NO MONEY.

Still not logical though, if we have no money we should not have bought Downing and spent the money on a CB, If we do have money then fine if he fancies Downing then buy him but still need to buy a CB

For me its not the one loss its the pathetic toothless way we did it

ant1ant1 , I'm a ST holder I do get behind the team . Anyone can spout positive stuff on a web site , seems to be mostly those that do not or rarely go that seem to spout positive nonsense .

hope the positive stuff ends up not being nonsense villan57, in fact if I was a religious man, I'd be praying on that this very second!

Again I agree, the problems are obvious, but i'd just love if i could be more positive, i'm looking for some encouragement from the club, anything to convince me we are heading up rather than down, but sadly it seems to be getting worse rather than better

Because we are playing ***** football and were played off the park by Wigan.

shut up Northstandlower we r ***** end of

got to respect the positive guys p.villa, whilst the rest descend into the negative mire... there are some who are fighting the good fight... I'm liking the positive vibes - that and England winning the Ashes has lifted my mood even if I'm not really in agreement!

nothing to be positive about