How does this compare to 86/87?

[luke95]

It's interesting that we were better back then but the crowds were smaller. We're getting better crowds this time even though the results are worse and tickets more expensive even factoring in inflation.

Crowds were pretty low for everyone around about that time, only Liverpool & Utd were constantly getting close to full houses at the time from memory.
Last game of the season at Highbury struggled to get 18k if my memory is correct .

[frank black]

I started going down the Villa that season and although I have wiped most of it from the memory banks I would say that team was better than this team.

Can't see many of us bemoaning any rats that jump ship this summer. Non of them would set the world on fire in the premiership.

[frank black]

It's interesting that we were better back then but the crowds were smaller. We're getting better crowds this time even though the results are worse and tickets more expensive even factoring in inflation.

Crowds were pretty low for everyone around about that time, only Liverpool & Utd were constantly getting close to full houses at the time from memory.
Last game of the season at Highbury struggled to get 18k if my memory is correct .

You were also dodging "firms" fists and coins. It's a family game now.

[damon loves JT]

The biggest difference I can see is that in 87 we got worse and worse to the point of total disintegration. There was no strategy. This time we have a strategy; it probably won't affect the outcome of this season but we are less likely to go right off a cliff. If we hadn't appointed SGT we could easily have done a Wolves and gone right through the divisions.

[ez]

It's interesting that we were better back then but the crowds were smaller. We're getting better crowds this time even though the results are worse and tickets more expensive even factoring in inflation.

Crowds were pretty low for everyone around about that time, only Liverpool & Utd were constantly getting close to full houses at the time from memory.
Last game of the season at Highbury struggled to get 18k if my memory is correct .

You were also dodging "firms" fists and coins. It's a family game now.

And the old bill.

[ez]

The manager who took us down had a statue to himself unveiled at Celtic on Saturday.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/scotland/35145574?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_match_of_the_day&ns_source=facebook&ns_linkname=sport

[MarkM]

I had Hope back then, this time I don't really have any hope that we will stay up.

[Big Dick Edwards]

The 86/87 team was terrible. Looked good on paper - Keown, Dorigo and Elliott were all highly rated defenders yet our defence was a shambles most weeks. The current team isn't good defensively and isn't free scoring but it isn't being thrashed every week. This is what I'm hanging onto. If we find two players in January, one who can tighten us up at the back, and one who can add goals to the team, there's a glimmer of hope, albeit a faintly flickering one. If we could just get one win it could boost confidence no end, for the fans as well as the team.

[not3bad]

We haven't gone down yet !

and wont

That eggnog must be pretty good.

[oldhill_avfc]

I was only six at the time, and have only seen brief highlight so I'm not the best to ask.  But I can't think it would be as a bad as now. Also I am guessing than the foundations were stronger in order for the club to bource straight back.

The foundations were nowhere near as strong then as now. There was barely a player good enough who wasn't either transfer-listed or in the last year of their contract, training was barely existent and the youth set-up appalling. There was only one reason why we came straight back up.

You're right that SGT was the one and only reason we came back up.

Equally, I think you're overly positive about the current structure.  Broadly the same training facilities and methods have been in place for some time, the recruitment 'team' have hardly covered themselves in glory and the youth set up have produced Grealish and little else.

Maybe you're closer to what's happening on the ground and that insight gives you confidence, but from what we see on the pitch from the stands, I'd say we're a worse squad than 86/87.

[Reuben]

I was too young to fully understand this season as well...my first league games with my Dad came in the next year.

I have often wondered why Kevin Poole was brought in for the last games of this, and the previous season...  Did he help keep us up in 85/86?  I think the form improved then.  Was Spink dropped or injured?

[levico]

Who's going to stop us going down to League 1 this time?

Not convinced it will be Garde.

[UK Redsox]

The Grauniad remembers the last time

http://www.theguardian.com/football/that-1980s-sports-blog/2015/dec/31/aston-villa-relegation-1987-european-cup

[Ormy Droid]

The Grauniad remembers the last time

http://www.theguardian.com/football/that-1980s-sports-blog/2015/dec/31/aston-villa-relegation-1987-european-cup

God, that brings back some memories, completely forgotten about Paul Kerr, still one of my favourite kits, even though it was controversially unconventional at the time.

[rob_bridge]

The Grauniad remembers the last time

http://www.theguardian.com/football/that-1980s-sports-blog/2015/dec/31/aston-villa-relegation-1987-european-cup

God, that brings back some memories, completely forgotten about Paul Kerr, still one of my favourite kits, even though it was controversially unconventional at the time.

I'd forgotten that Walters missed much of the season too.

Speedie was exactly the type of nasty fucker we could have done with.