Protest? Not in my name...the football match is the main event

[Legion]

To counteract the McLeishOut protest stupidity:

I’m sure most of you have seen the reports in the papers today regarding imminent protests this Sunday before the Man City game. Normally I ignore this kind of thing as a few protests have been supposedly organised recently but nothing has come to pass. However in light of the media coverage I felt some sort of response necessary.

Is this really the time for this? Are things really at the point of protest?

At the moment, after 24 games we are sitting in 13th place, which is higher than last season. We are 8 points above the drop zone and not really much sign of us being dragged into a relegation scrap. We are only 5 points behind 8th place in the league.

Much of the ill feeling is directed at Alex McLeish and I’m afraid it all stems down to where he came from. Stats support the fact that he has a better record to Houllier last season and a record that is on par with O’Neil’s first season. I don’t remember any protests taking place back then.

In the statement issued by the protesters they state the following

‘He had a full pre-season, was given £20m (approx) to spend and has players of the calibre of Darren Bent, Gabby Agbonlahor and Stephen Ireland to work with (also the most promising batch of home-grown players produced in years).

Just to address this.  I can only add up 18.5 million pounds worth of purchases. In the current market that does not even begin to scratch the surface. Darren Bent has proven time and time again that he is a proven goal scorer but the fact is he has continued scoring recently despite the main channels of supply (Young & Downing) being sold. Agbonlahor and Ireland, I actually thing McLeish has done well in returning these players to form. Certainly something that the previous manager was unable to do!

What do these protesters actually hope to achieve? The sacking of McLeish? Please tell me which top flight manager is available to take his place.

These people will say in a seductive manner ‘if you’re a real fan you will go and protest because how can you watch your club decline?

I say how can you go to the protest and help contribute to any potential decline by sticking the knife in? The image at of the club is not great at the moment, how do these people expect anyone of any good calibre to join a club where the fans have treated their last two managers with nothing but contempt and have a record of booing their own players. I believe David Moyes said publicly that he would never come to Villa because of how the fans treated Houllier.

I’m not denying that there are some issues that need working out, but recently we have been seeing progress on the pitch. In the last 8 games we have scored 15 goals. That is not the stat of a defensive manager, especially when you consider the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal are included in that run.

At this time we need to be uniting as fans, not further dividing. Not protesting, look at the state Blackburn fans have gotten themselves into. They are now laughed at on a daily basis.

Get behind the club, get behind the team. It is no coincidence that the away form is vastly superior to the home form, due to the never say die mentality of our brilliant away fans. We need to take that into the ground at Villa Park. Stop booing the players. Stop crying about what we have not got and what has been! Look at what we have got and push the team forward!!

That’s how this team moves forward, with loud vocal support at Villa Park. Some games we will lose, some we will win! But we need to do it together!!

WE ARE VILLANS!!

BE THE 12TH MAN!

Thanks for reading

Proud to be a Villan

Proud to be a Villan on FB

I know this has already been included in the 'This protest website' thread but I've been asked by the author (Ryan Griffiths, who was instrumental in last season's 'Be the 12th Man campaign') to post it in isolation aswell. Hope this is OK.

[Percy McCarthy]

I'd join, but I've deleted my fb account to stop bloody women getting me in trouble.

[hawkeye]

I dont think the people that are protesting are the problem, they are just going to look silly. I am more worried by the people that are fed up and vote with thier feet. That is not the fault of the manager but the way it is percieved that the club is run.

[lordmcgrath5]

Not in my name either. Most of the comments are an embarrassment. The site's also a welcome playground for all manner of SHA scum - how very unpleasant.

[nigel]

How many turned up to the last protest? And the one before?
I didn't actually see anyone.

[Dave Clark Five]

Now that the media have got hold of it, we will have more idiots jumping on this bandwagon. It is an utter disgrace. They have obviously chosen a tough game so that they can all appear vindicated if we lose. I just hope that we can beat Man City and send this lot scuttling away from Villa Park, never to return.

[Dave]

They have obviously chosen a tough game so that they can all appear vindicated if we lose.

I'd say that's possibly crediting them with more awareness than they necessarily deserve.

[pauliewalnuts]

Hmmm. There might not have been protests but I recall Houllier getting all sorts of stick at this time last year.

Wasn't there a banner in the Holte about this time?

[Legion]

'Had enough Houllier out' before the loss to Wolves?

[dave.woodhall]

I'm sure they've asked permission to assemble on what is essentially private property and liaised with police.

[Risso]

Lerner out!

There, that's my protest done.

[SashasGrandad]

Now that the media have got hold of it, we will have more idiots jumping on this bandwagon. It is an utter disgrace. They have obviously chosen a tough game so that they can all appear vindicated if we lose. I just hope that we can beat Man City and send this lot scuttling away from Villa Park, never to return.

Well said that man! I totally agree.

If at the end of the season we swap leagues with that pile of smelly stuff down the road then maybe I might go to watch the lynching but it is not going to happen. Now is not the time to rock the boat.

[Witton Warrior]

I will take action that is positive to help the Villa - protests are just negative "I don't like this/that/t'other".

I would turn up to repaint the stands, clear the car parks, mow the bloody turf whatever; anything constructive happening?

[villajk]

I'm sure they've asked permission to assemble on what is essentially private property and liaised with police.

Ah, good point.  Hadn't thought about that.

[cdbearsfan]

To be honest I don't know why Pauline decided to organise this protest. I bet DC5 isn't too happy!