Radio WM

[saunders_heroes]

Just what's their problem with the Villa? The whole sports dept seems to be anti Villa for some reason, and that's not the paranoia speaking believe me. They seem to be wallowing in our shit season and they're practically taking the piss out of us with constant digs. Even after a win they'll take a negative slant at things. For example, right after we beat Chelsea 3-1 in their own back yard the first thing Paul ("call me Franksy") Franks said, "Villa win 3-1 but will Bent be here at the end of January". You could hear the pain in Mark Regan's voice when Villa hit back at Wolves the other week, and it almost killed him when Keane hit the winner. Even the other night they claimed we were "probably a bit better second half against QPR" even when we absolutely battered them and scored two fantastic goals, and they hardly mentioned the clear cut pens we should have been awarded.
They've been like this with Villa for a few seasons now but they seem to be getting worse.
I know we've been pretty shite this season but that's mainly down to our awful defence, but other than that I think we've some decent football and scored some cracking goals. According to WM though we're akin to Wimbledon of the 1980s.
Thoughts?

[dave.woodhall]

You're right. Even when we win they have to moan about the crowd, or certain players, or transfers. After the Wolves game you wouldn't have known it was a derby - they only wanted to talk about Wolves. 

[Nev]

I don't see it myself. They're not meant to be cheerleaders for the club and will exagerate the negative as well as the positive to provoke a reaction from the supporters and initiate phone calls. It's the same for all clubs, the media will never match the opinion of the fans.

Local coverage, however patchy the quality, should be cherished or the alternative will be Murray, Savage and the radio equivalent of Sky Sports news.

[Exeter 77]

I think - and have mentioned before - that WM now find getting information out of the club much more difficult since the Randy Lerner takeover. The club have made their job more difficult and WM are reacting against this. I don't think ths is confined to WM though as Pat Murphy on Five Live has also more negative about Villa in recent years, even more so since Martin O'Neill left.

[saunders_heroes]

You're right. Even when we win they have to moan about the crowd, or certain players, or transfers. After the Wolves game you wouldn't have known it was a derby - they only wanted to talk about Wolves. 

I listened to the phone in earlier and Paul Franks said this was the most boring Villa team in the most boring Villa season ever. To claim that every game has been boring is just utter shite. We've been involved in some cracking games this season and he knows it.
They seem to be down on everything Villa whilst proclaiming Small Heath as the new Brazil. Every time they mention them they talk of the fantastic football being played down there. Funny that because every time they've been on the box it's been a bore-fest.

[dave.woodhall]

I really do try to look at them objectively, but they do seem to go out of their way to exaggerate our bad points and ignore the good ones. How anyone can say our last three games have been boring is beyond me - we've scored at least twice in each of them for a start.

[phantom limb]

I've had my suspicions about Radio WM for a while. I can remember us beating Wigan 4-0 when Steve Bruce managed them and all they wanted to talk about was that our zonal marking system didn't work (despite us successfully defending every setpiece and not conceding a goal), how lucky we were to score four goals and about how great Steve Bruce was. They never seem to say anything positive about us whatever we do, and as such I very rarely listen to their commentary now.

[VillaAlways]

I listen to that phone in every week.They are completely biased towards the other teams. However Franks does tend to defend Mcleish. Is it me or is it the same callers every week. Paul the bluenose from Shrewsbury and the same Walsall fan phones up every single week

[Exeter 77]

I would be interested to see the places across the area where WM have their highest concentration of listeners. From their output and apparent leanings I would assume more people listen in the Black Country than in the Birmingham area.

[Chipsticks]

Haters gon' hate.

[DeKuip]

Simple answer – stop listening to the shite.

I stopped insulting my ears with it years ago.

[ROBBO]

Could it be that the other teams around us are never expected to amount to much, we are the big fish in our domain and should be able to match it with the best, we are supporters so we take umbrage but to the general populace we are a constant disappointment.

[Steve kirk]

Years ago I would religiously listen to the friday night 6 o clock phone in on Radio wm but in recent times there has been a definate shift against us and I just cant be arsed to listen anymore, no matter what we do they are very down about us and you would never know we have been the west midlands top club since god knows when.   

[Nev]

Years ago I would religiously listen to the friday night 6 o clock phone in on Radio wm but in recent times there has been a definate shift against us and I just cant be arsed to listen anymore, no matter what we do they are very down about us and you would never know we have been the west midlands top club since god knows when.   

The radio phone in is a dying animal, hence the same callers being put on air time after time. At one time it was the only forum to air your views (apart from the pub) and the only place to hear others. Now there are numerous outlets and radio is being left behind.

[FrankyH]

I listen to that phone in every week.They are completely biased towards the other teams. However Franks does tend to defend Mcleish. Is it me or is it the same callers every week. Paul the bluenose from Shrewsbury and the same Walsall fan phones up every single week

The bluenose who says mate every other three words.
"Its like watching Barcelona mate"
"We're going up mate"
"Can I have a bronx hat mate,sorry Paul mate I thought you were Tom mate"