From the Daily Heil ..It would be a travesty if Villa go down

[JUAN PABLO]

he has been saying this for ages on TS , actually been bigging Villa up loads , massive history , massive club , loads of great fans , a proper club as he calls us .  He also said it has to be Villa in the cup final not Bradford so lets hope he gets this one right.

stoke on the other hand ...........

[placeforparks]

nice to have some positive press, but take it with a pinch of salt. i remember these journalist-types unzipping when we won at anfield and we followed it up with the worst defeat in our history!

[Concrete John]

Funny how this stuff has cropped up now we're in a bit of form. We had the same players when we were cocking up against Bradford and everyone wanted us to fail then, because it was hilarious.

Exactly what I was thinking!

We had similar plaudits (young English side) in the early days on MON, when we were also winning.  These journalists may think it, but will never stick their neck out to big up a side like us when we're losing, despite what they think.

[Concrete John]

he has been saying this for ages on TS , actually been bigging Villa up loads , massive history , massive club , loads of great fans , a proper club as he calls us .  He also said it has to be Villa in the cup final not Bradford so lets hope he gets this one right.

stoke on the other hand ...........

But that's usually been in the context of 'they should be doing better' and trying to get angry Villa fans ringing in having a bash at the team/manager/chairman. 

[Billy Walker]

Funny how this stuff has cropped up now we're in a bit of form. We had the same players when we were cocking up against Bradford and everyone wanted us to fail then, because it was hilarious.

Spot on.  This is what gets my back up about football journalism: there's no real analysis, in the main. 

As an example, last summer, whilst most Premier League clubs were off scouring Europe and signing players of various abilities, Villa seemed to be one of the only Premier League clubs looking at the domestic lower leagues to seek out hidden gems.  The club only received raised eyebrows when the likes of Lowton, Bennett, Bowery and Westwood were signed; as far as I could tell, there was certainly no backslapping for Lambert and his strategy. 

Bringing it back to Durham and Talksport, I've heard them talk many times about how domestic players are losing out to foreign imports, yet, last summer, when Villa bucked the trend, not one of their experts or journalists came forward to say "fair play, I can see what they are doing".  It was all:  "Villa have got no money, they're desperate."

Only now, when things seem to be picking up, do they  start to talk and "analyse".  I await Oliver Holt's eventual analysis with interest.

[not3bad]

Crikey, we're in danger of becoming some sort of official "second club" as Newcastle were supposedly in the mid-90's.

 

It's like another world to last season isn't it?  When we were reviled as much as Stoke are.

Let's just hope we get a result against Fulham tomorrow.

[JUAN PABLO]

he has been saying this for ages on TS , actually been bigging Villa up loads , massive history , massive club , loads of great fans , a proper club as he calls us .  He also said it has to be Villa in the cup final not Bradford so lets hope he gets this one right.

stoke on the other hand ...........

But that's usually been in the context of 'they should be doing better' and trying to get angry Villa fans ringing in having a bash at the team/manager/chairman. 

he's never be negative about Villa to be honest .  Always complimentary .  Arsenal yes , he winds them up.


Last season was different , Villa fans dont deserve that kind of football.

[levico]

Nice to see the positivity, as long as we don't suffer the fate of Crystal Palace, the Team of the 80s. They soon disappeared into obscurity.

Trouble with our current approach is that it might keep us in the Premier League and might win us lots of friends (all good), but where do we go from there? With our wages policy, can we ever develop into a credible PL force again?

[TimTheVillain]

What's not to like about here ?!

We do try to play football properly, hence teams like Stoke who add no value at all to the Prem at all would dessert  The Prem unmissed apart from LONG throw ins and 'up and at em' stuff.

Durham talking sense though, how novel !!

[Pete3206]

To be fair to Durham, he even said last year that it would be absurd to have a Premier League without Aston Villa.

[Concrete John]

Trouble with our current approach is that it might keep us in the Premier League and might win us lots of friends (all good), but where do we go from there? With our wages policy, can we ever develop into a credible PL force again?

I think it's all about organic growth.  The wages policy is a measure against turnover, so by progressing on the pitch we increase turnover, thereby allowing us to pay higher wages.  That could either be to keep the young players that develop or to buy in at a higher level in a year or two.

Arsenal are a good example.  OK, being trophiless for so long is getting to be a sticking point for them, but if you look at their financials, then maintaining CL status is quite an achievement.  Their's is a level above us due to CL money, so the problem might come if and when we get back into the top 6 to bridge that gap. 

[not3bad]

Everton are there and there abouts consistently.  I'd be looking to get to their level.  Once we do we may well hit a 'glass ceiling', but I'll worry about it then!

[paul_e]

Everton are there and there abouts consistently.  I'd be looking to get to their level.  Once we do we may well hit a 'glass ceiling', but I'll worry about it then!

I think Arsenal will turn out to be the more realistic comparison.  Bring through our own players and buy the odd one here and there to fill the squad out, sell the better players if we get crazy money offered, sell the average/not good enough for as much as possible.

Everton's success has largely been based on picking up guys who are doing well but not quite enough to have the top sides chasing them. 

[olaftab]

Oh Moses/Jesus/Mohammed I am getting worried now!

[olaftab]

Nice to see the positivity, as long as we don't suffer the fate of Crystal Palace, the Team of the 80s. They soon disappeared into obscurity.

Trouble with our current approach is that it might keep us in the Premier League and might win us lots of friends (all good), but where do we go from there? With our wages policy, can we ever develop into a credible PL force again?

There is no trouble with our approach except that we need to hold onto our emerging players. If we can do that we will figure in the spoils at the end.