AVST AGM

[olaftab]

Tonight 6.45 Start in the Holte Suite. Anyone from this parish attending?

[kippaxvilla2]

Mr Cheltenham Lion.

[cheltenhamlion]

I will be up there for about 6.30pm. Also attending are Keith Wyness and Steve Round for an hour of Q+A from the club. Shaun Teale and Peter Withe in the crowd for snaps from the patrons. And Peter has agreed to a brief Q+A after we are done with the powers that be. Should be a good night.

Say hello, King of Sweden. I will be the bloke that looks like the bastard offspring of Robert De Niro and Rodney Trotter, sporting a natty Rutgers hoodie and hair that needs a good cutting!

John and Pauline that used to knock around here shall be there as well. 

[olaftab]

 Hope to see you there C Lion. Your self portrait has intrigued me and I will endeavour to hunt you down. You will spot me by presence of lot of grey around the head and face, glasses etc  trying to cover as much as possible of darker shade of pale skin.

[SashasGrandad]

Just got home. Enjoyable night listening to 2 Viila legends, and how they still consider the Villa to be their club.

The AGM bit was extremely brief - well done to Peter for being a very efficient chair.

The Wyness and Round Q&A was very non committal - but to be fair it is very difficult to ask questions them when we don't have any idea which league we will be in next year. They are not happy about FFP and way Wolves have got round some of the rules about agents etc. But were very careful what they said in case there was a lawyer listening.

Both toed the party line that we can still get automatic promotion. Not many in the room believed them.

Interesting that Steve Round clearly stated that loan players are not guaranteed a place in the team.

Utter disgrace that "Tesco Baggies Graffiti" has not been removed from the ladies toilet in the North stand.

But things improved when Peter Withe and Shaun Teale came on for a much less formal chat - most of the audience were getting on a bit, so could remember with much fondness the games they spoke about and the good times we used to enjoy. Shaun's views about the last 2 games were very clear. The players let themselves and those of us who follow them down. Should have got something from Bolton and wrong to blame the weather.

[cheltenhamlion]

The night went well and thanks to all those who came. I ended up accidentally with a private audience with Withe and Teale for about half an hour before things started.

I thought Round was very impressive in his vision of the world and, as always, Shaun Teale was as hilariously indiscreet as we expected.

Got to briefly meet The King of the Swedes as well.

[eamonn]

I hope we hang onto Round, he has been linked to Arsenal not so long ago. He seems to know his arse from his elbow and it's a while since we've had someone like that behind the scenes.

[Ayup]

What sort of questions were asked of the panel?

[Jon Crofts]

Interesting that Steve Round clearly stated that loan players are not guaranteed a place in the team.

I thought on field matters were off limits at these things? Or is it just questions from the audience regarding on field matters were off limits?

[cheltenhamlion]

Interesting that Steve Round clearly stated that loan players are not guaranteed a place in the team.

I thought on field matters were off limits at these things? Or is it just questions from the audience regarding on field matters were off limits?

You tend more to be rebuffed if your question is "why didn't Bruce sub Hogan for Davis at the weekend". General questions are fine I.e. do we ever do loan deals where we guarantee they will play X% of games. And that met with an unequivocal "no".

Round talked a lot about our playing prospects, went into great detail on his vision for how to set it up and gave a fascinating insight into our recruitment. He was very impressive.

[Toronto Villa]

I think we need to stay the course behind the scenes even if Bruce is booted for his failures on the pitch. I would like to think the board have drawn up various scenarios should be go up or if we don't in terms of manager and support, players needed to be kept or acquired in either situation.

[cheltenhamlion]

I think we need to stay the course behind the scenes even if Bruce is booted for his failures on the pitch. I would like to think the board have drawn up various scenarios should be go up or if we don't in terms of manager and support, players needed to be kept or acquired in either situation.

Round was good on that as well. He came in to a place with no identity, with hodge podge of players, signed by various different managers, to play in various different ways.

 They want a consistent theme so if someone gets the chop, or picked up by another team, the first team coaching staff don't matter as long as you have experts in a job for life as Heads if key backroom functions (and we have apparently already kept a couple that big Premier League teams have tried to poach).

He started by talking with fans, staff and former players about what we should be and aspire to then set that in motion through the age groups. "You don't want to play 100 passes in your own half. You want committed, aggressive players. You want to play on the front foot. You want to see early balls to a decent striker in the box. There is still room for talented ball players in that framework but, most of all,  you want to see players that are busting a gut to get a game and, when called on, are prepared for it. Take James Bree. He has been desperate for a game. But when he was called on at Bolton he played well and has given the manager a headache. Not enough were ready to step in when I got here".

[Toronto Villa]

That's what we've all been saying for ages on here and no doubt amongst many Villa fans generally. That we need an identity and a way of playing. Villa fans love a certain type of player, and while we love technically sound ones, we really love the players that will run through a wall. That's why so many have taken to the likes of Terry or Chester or Snodgrass, or still remain fans of Hutton. Not to say they don't have skills and genuine ability but in my opinion embody what Villa should be. Throw in Jack and Kodjia to spice things up and we have the basis of the kind of Villa many of us would love to always see. Quality will be critical long term but it has to be coupled with the right attitude and critically a commitment to that direction at board level going forward.

[cheltenhamlion]

He also pointed out the recruitment this summer was as much about getting enough with required attitude in as ability. Intriguingly, once they agree a target, it only then goes to those running the finances. We missed one player they really wanted on account of cash but it worked out alright because they have been shite at wherever they are playing now!

[kippaxvilla2]

Sam Gallagher?