Have we been in denial?

[OzVilla]

Lerner was hoodwinked into believing our kids were akin to Man Utd's of the early to mid '90's, when in reality they're incredibly average. Selling your best players and replacing them with the youth team has been utterly disastrous. His choice of managers have been even worse. Lerner has the Midas touch in reverse.

I don't think thery're incredibly average, I think there are some good players in there.  It's just that it's too much to have 7/8 thrown in at the same time against experienced PL players and expect them to be able to cope - Fergies 1996 world beaters apart it just doesn't happen like that.

[Stu]

Lerner was hoodwinked into believing our kids were akin to Man Utd's of the early to mid '90's, when in reality they're incredibly average. Selling your best players and replacing them with the youth team has been utterly disastrous. His choice of managers have been even worse. Lerner has the Midas touch in reverse.

I think the board have to come out, show their faces, and answer some difficult questions at seasons end. I'd like to know what the direction of the club is, if they will be backing the manager with money, are they happy with the way things have panned out this season, and if not why do they think it turned out so bad? Finally, why should we buy tickets to games if the football and entertainment is so shit?

That's my reasonable side. My childish, reactionary, angry side wants to grab Lerner/Faulkner by the lapels and scream "WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING APPOINTING THAT SHIT TWAT TO MANAGE THE VILLA?"

But that kind of display wouldn't get us very far.

[Gaztonniller]

Which is exactly why a more progressive managerial selection should have been made after GHou's illness.
If we're going to sell our two most creative players, then at least bring in a manager who can find 'diamonds in the rough' and develop youngsters.
We didn't.

Such as who, Martinez?  After he decided to stop at Wigan, who else fitting the above could have been brought in?

No joined-up, logical thinking by RL et al.

[Risso]

There its an air of that, people seemingly enjoying our plight.

Their names should be put in a list for future reference.

It's no worse than pretending that McLeish is doing well to maintain some of internet persona.

[damon loves JT]

A low media profile is great if you're Roman Abramovich. But if you're not, and things aren't going well, it prevents any reasoned public dialogue about the club's shortcomings. It turns into endless unfocussed rage.

I really, really hope somebody at the club does a proper `mea culpa' at the end of the season. SGT Mk II tried it, as I recall, and got booed off the pitch. But at least he tried, and he's never shied away from discussing problems in plain terms.

[ROBBO]

I probably don't have the as much faith in many of our players ability as many on here seem to have, we have a couple of kids that may turn out to be the real deal but are still green, the rest are journeymen, this isn't to say they don't put the effort in (Couldn't really have asked for more yesterday) but they are very limited. A more experienced board or people with a knowledge of the game should have pointed out to Randy the perils of relegation.

[Stu]

I really, really hope somebody at the club does a proper `mea culpa' at the end of the season. SGT Mk II tried it, as I recall, and got booed off the pitch. But at least he tried, and he's never shied away from discussing problems in plain terms.

I was there that night, it is the only time I've felt ashamed to be a Villa fan. Booing Sir Graham, for fucks sake. At least he had the stones to come out onto the pitch with a mic to speak to the fans, he respected us, and that's what he got for his trouble.

[PaulWinch again]

There its an air of that, people seemingly enjoying our plight.

Well that's nuts because it's horrible.

[PaulWinch again]

I also don't believe many people are taking pleasure in the situation we're in. Personally speaking I don't particularly enjoy us scrapping it out at the bottom of the league.

[Stu]

There its an air of that, people seemingly enjoying our plight.

Well that's nuts because it's horrible.

I imagine that the same people get off having a cheesegrater scraped across their bellend.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

There its an air of that, people seemingly enjoying our plight.

Their names should be put in a list for future reference.

It's no worse than pretending that McLeish is doing well to maintain some of internet persona.

Agreed.
There's only one Chris Smith.
The rest are pale imitations.

[JUAN PABLO]

We do not belong in the Championship.

This bloody manager and Grant do.

this

[Chipsticks]

Lerner was hoodwinked into believing our kids were akin to Man Utd's of the early to mid '90's, when in reality they're incredibly average. Selling your best players and replacing them with the youth team has been utterly disastrous. His choice of managers have been even worse. Lerner has the Midas touch in reverse.

I don't think thery're incredibly average, I think there are some good players in there.  It's just that it's too much to have 7/8 thrown in at the same time against experienced PL players and expect them to be able to cope - Fergies 1996 world beaters apart it just doesn't happen like that.

Agreed. Just because they're not going to win the league on their own does not, by any means, make them 'incredibly average'.

[saunders_heroes]

Lerner was hoodwinked into believing our kids were akin to Man Utd's of the early to mid '90's, when in reality they're incredibly average. Selling your best players and replacing them with the youth team has been utterly disastrous. His choice of managers have been even worse. Lerner has the Midas touch in reverse.

I don't think thery're incredibly average, I think there are some good players in there.  It's just that it's too much to have 7/8 thrown in at the same time against experienced PL players and expect them to be able to cope - Fergies 1996 world beaters apart it just doesn't happen like that.

Agreed. Just because they're not going to win the league on their own does not, by any means, make them 'incredibly average'.

Who said they were expected to win the league? Not me. The kids are dragging us down. That's what happens when you sell your best players and pack your first team with the youth team.

[john e]

Lerner was hoodwinked into believing our kids were akin to Man Utd's of the early to mid '90's, when in reality they're incredibly average. Selling your best players and replacing them with the youth team has been utterly disastrous. His choice of managers have been even worse. Lerner has the Midas touch in reverse.

I don't think thery're incredibly average, I think there are some good players in there.  It's just that it's too much to have 7/8 thrown in at the same time against experienced PL players and expect them to be able to cope - Fergies 1996 world beaters apart it just doesn't happen like that.

Agreed. Just because they're not going to win the league on their own does not, by any means, make them 'incredibly average'.

Who said they were expected to win the league? Not me. The kids are dragging us down. That's what happens when you sell your best players and pack your first team with the youth team.

i thought we were worse when we played the more experienced players,
 Hutton, Heskey, Gabby, Dunne, Warnock, and even Collins for long periods of the season, have all been all very average and certainly no better than then younger palyers that have had to be brought in