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Author Topic: How the club is perceived by players and agents  (Read 4893 times)

Offline brian green

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How the club is perceived by players and agents
« on: January 10, 2017, 05:29:43 AM »
If there is any truth in this latest allegation about Aaron Tshibola partying with laughing gas it has to go down as another instance of a Villa player not taking his contract with the club seriously.
These very bad past few years have been littered with instances of players failing to show respect for the club paying their very substantial wages.  We have had every kind of stupid conduct from under training, over eating, over drinking,  heavy smoking, rolling in the gutter, partying with (alleged) slappers, inhaling nitrous oxide, trouser phone texting, gum spitting, hotel rowdiness, paternity scandals, want-away club trawling - the list seems to grow daily.
The question I would like to ask is whether it is just us or is the lack of respect for the clubs employing the players right across professional football.
If it is just us, how has it happened?
My personal view is that the notion that Aston Villa is a football holiday camp began with Randy Lerner's absenteeism initially further compounded by his falling out of love with the game he never really understood.  While the cat was away the mice began to play and there are clear signs some of them are still playing.

Offline martin o`who??

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Re: How the club is perceived by players and agents
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2017, 07:29:16 AM »
The over-indulgence of players isnt confined to this era or AVFC - it has always been around the game, whether it was Alcohol, drugs or Gambling, think Adams, Best, Gascoigne etc. what HAS changed is the here-and-now witness of Social Media, step out of line in a london nightclub and they know about it in Madrid, Munich and Marseille in an instant. We, as a club do seem to have had our fair share over the last few years and that may be down to careless, irresponsible recruitment procedures - but we already know that don't we?.

Offline VillaAlways

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Re: How the club is perceived by players and agents
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2017, 07:54:47 AM »
Doesn't really help our cause when the likes of Gabby after his shocking behaviour is then given a clean slate. I like Bruce don't get me wrong but this was a mistake on his part. It's no wonder the players think they can do what they want as there appears to be no consequences other than being fined ,which to them would be like us dropping 10p in the street

Offline wittonwarrior

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Re: How the club is perceived by players and agents
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2017, 07:59:38 AM »
Suppose in the same way as we perceive the likes of Leeds etc as a fallen big club. It appears we attract players on the back of a good package but at the wrong end of their careers

Offline themossman

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Re: How the club is perceived by players and agents
« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2017, 08:16:22 AM »
Yep we seem to have become like Sunderland with added languishing in division 2.

I fear it was cemented by grinning halfwit Lerner when he failed to back Garde up in any meaningful sense, who then became the kind of lame duck supply teacher that alllows players to take the piss.

Thankfully I do feel like we're at the end of that era, between Dr X's public shaming and SB's gradual reclaiming of the dressing room (if the stories about that are accurate).

Offline chrisw1

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Re: How the club is perceived by players and agents
« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2017, 08:28:24 AM »
I disagree that there is anything intrinsically different at Villa than any other club.

With Gabby, the reality is probably that Bruce feels his resources are so limited that if he can re-integrate the player that gives him a better chance of getting promoted and keeping his job.  I very much doubt it's a new found 'soft streak' or influenced by some aura hanging over the club.

I don't think players see it us a holiday camp, are deliberately taking the piss or not trying.  I just think fundamentally many of them are a bit shit.  I think us as fans, particularly those poring over message boards and hearing every snippet of news, read far more into situations like ours than is really the case.

The simple fact is we had an owner who turned off the taps and appointed a number of shit managers and bought a number of shit players.  I think Bruce and Xia will sort it out, but it will take time.

Offline aj2k77

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Re: How the club is perceived by players and agents
« Reply #6 on: January 10, 2017, 08:49:50 AM »
How many other clubs have had a litany of stories of poor behaviour or professionalism over the past 2/3 seasons ?

Offline Jimbo

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Re: How the club is perceived by players and agents
« Reply #7 on: January 10, 2017, 08:58:01 AM »
It's hard to respect a club that's been a national joke for so long. Take the BBC's coverage of us on Sunday. Hardly reverential, was it? I'm sure players talk and joke among themselves about various clubs' standing in the game, which in turn will affect how people view and behave towards those clubs. I suspect we have some way to go before our reputation, and the respect it should afford, is restored.

Offline Dave

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Re: How the club is perceived by players and agents
« Reply #8 on: January 10, 2017, 09:05:41 AM »
How many other clubs have had a litany of stories of poor behaviour or professionalism over the past 2/3 seasons ?

It feels like there wouldn't be many but I'd say a couple of things - first, we're more likely to take notice when it's us. A picture of a random midfielder with a balloon on a shit website from Middlesbrough or Leeds isn't going to register with us. Or if it had been in the news that Victor Anichebe or Cameron Jerome had been drinking in a hotel room, would we notice or care about it?

Also, stories beget stories. That picture of Grealish sitting in a night club after the Everton defeat, it's not a news story for literally any other player. It's only "interesting" because of something that's already happened. So the quantity of stories is more to do with a continuing narrative than it being our players doing things differently to others.

So with the Tshibola example - if The S*n is offered a photograph of an equivalent non-entity from Reading holding a balloon, do they buy it? Of course not, because who would care.
« Last Edit: January 10, 2017, 09:10:44 AM by Dave »

Offline kippaxvilla2

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Re: How the club is perceived by players and agents
« Reply #9 on: January 10, 2017, 09:07:34 AM »
And yet you get the likes of Steve Bruce a former Manure title winner saying how big a club it is and also saying that players need to live up to the expectations that go with it. 

Almost everyone that signs for us only realise how big we are and how good we potentially could be once they are through the door.  The mentality of the players and how they live up to that expectation is the real problem with us.  That and out and out poor signings over the years.

Offline Rioch is King

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Re: How the club is perceived by players and agents
« Reply #10 on: January 10, 2017, 10:14:43 AM »
Always interested in your posts Brian... is the elephant in the room Paul McGrath?

Offline cdward

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Re: How the club is perceived by players and agents
« Reply #11 on: January 10, 2017, 10:24:49 AM »
... under training, over eating, over drinking,  heavy smoking, rolling in the gutter, partying with (alleged) slappers, inhaling nitrous oxide, trouser phone texting, gum spitting, hotel rowdiness, paternity scandals, want-away club trawling -..
Sounds like a great weekend Brian

Offline Phil from the upper holte

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Re: How the club is perceived by players and agents
« Reply #12 on: January 10, 2017, 10:59:49 AM »
Just another millionaire wanker who is out for himself, the club is full of them and not just us...

Fuck off football

Offline Chipsticks

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Re: How the club is perceived by players and agents
« Reply #13 on: January 10, 2017, 11:09:03 AM »
The Tshibola balloon story isn't true.

Offline Lobsterboy

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Re: How the club is perceived by players and agents
« Reply #14 on: January 10, 2017, 12:41:05 PM »
The Tshibola balloon story isn't true.

The story should have read 'Championship footballer blows up balloon' but not sure too many people would be interested in the truth...

 


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