Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine

Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: dave.woodhall on December 11, 2016, 11:23:50 PM

Title: Press-tige
Post by: dave.woodhall on December 11, 2016, 11:23:50 PM
Bit of controversy there...

http://thebirminghampress.com/2016/12/onwards-and-upwards/
Title: Re: Press-tige
Post by: Rudy Can't Fail on December 11, 2016, 11:37:53 PM
Nothing controversial there, I think you nail it. The point about promotion is interesting but history shows that teams that know what they're doing, have a plan and rhythm to their play, are the teams to stay up. Right now we're still in the pub car park with out attacking play. Considering what we have it's an embarrassment (of riches) and Bruce needs to work on it.

Hoping that new signings in January will immediately answer all our attacking problems is nothing more than wishful thinking. It's still early in the season and tonnes of points yet to play for but we need to step it up a level. Hard work, as great as it is to see it finally return, is standard in this division and not enough to see us go up.
Title: Re: Press-tige
Post by: olaftab on December 12, 2016, 12:21:55 AM
I agree that this team will get thrashed in the PL every week if we were to make it this season through the play offs.
Title: Re: Press-tige
Post by: Toronto Villa on December 12, 2016, 01:19:25 AM
We have momentum and a bit of chemistry but it is like a flickering light. It's very jittery and it feels forced. We could click any time of course but I think until he is able to fix certain positions we will be like this for a bit. And we certainly don't have anything like the required quality or cohesion to survive in the PL. It will come.
Title: Re: Press-tige
Post by: peter w on December 12, 2016, 05:24:12 AM
The team would struggle because it's currently full of Championship players. We'd have to rebuild again in the summer should we go up which would be another period of trying to get the team used to each other. We'd be one of the favourited to go straight back down. Still, I don't 'promote' the idea of staying down for another season. We'd still be stuck with Championship players.
Title: Re: Press-tige
Post by: Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air on December 12, 2016, 11:03:52 AM
Maybe better not to get promoted ? I beg to differ ! Where's the guarantee that we would storm the division at the second attempt ?

It's a bit like the politicians we have heard all our lives promising jam tomorrow - cut backs, austerity, pain now so we will then all be better off later.  Rubbish !

What do want ? Promotion !
When do we want it ? Now !
Title: Re: Press-tige
Post by: Old Kodjia on December 12, 2016, 11:20:02 AM
I think that the "not get promoted this time around" is the controversial point that Dave highlighted in his post.

I agree.  That is what my brain tells me.  However, as a fan, my heart overules my brain every time.  I'd sooner go up this season and take our chances.  The point about being unable to exploit spaces fits very well with our status as a championship side.

Returning to the point about promotion, if we were to go up this season, you would expect high funding in the summer and hopefully 3 worse teams than us next season.
Title: Re: Press-tige
Post by: darren woolley on December 12, 2016, 11:28:43 AM
Spot on Dave.
Title: Re: Press-tige
Post by: Brend'Watkins on December 12, 2016, 11:29:53 AM
This team would do marginally better than the one that took us down but we'd still go down.  There's only Grealish, Kodja and Ayew maybe good enough for the step up in our squad. Chester possibly too. But we have to aim to get up and then see what Tony is prepared to do to keep us there.
Title: Re: Press-tige
Post by: Clark W Griswold on December 12, 2016, 02:09:48 PM
I definately see your point as this team would really struggle in the Premier league, and in all fairness it would be a lot of fun if we clicked into a team that can storm this league next season. I do think that if we go up the money will be there to really improve, certainly to the point of being better than between 3 and 6 clubs in the premier league so I think we'd be fine scraping up this season, as we have Xia and Bruce behind us.
Title: Re: Press-tige
Post by: Cleybrooke on December 12, 2016, 02:35:54 PM
Once this team clicks, which may well be next season, then there will be no stopping them.

Thing is, how many would last in the prem? Four? Five? If we need to rebuild once we get there then why not get to the prem sooner rather than later?
Title: Re: Press-tige
Post by: Chico Hamilton III on December 12, 2016, 02:42:18 PM
so I think we'd be fine scraping up this season, as we have Xia and Bruce behind us.

We get promoted, Bruce will get the sack after a struggle in the top flight. It's what he does and it's what a fair few people on here suggested would happen when we signed Bruce. Harsh reality. He's a manager to get teams promoted.
Title: Re: Press-tige
Post by: aj2k77 on December 12, 2016, 03:02:29 PM
This team would get hammered in the Premier League but we wouldn't be starting the season with this team, I've no doubt that the Dr would reach in to his pockets and spend another £50m on a handful of players again that would strengthen us.
Title: Re: Press-tige
Post by: Villafirst on December 12, 2016, 03:47:10 PM
No, worry about the Premier League when we've got promotion. If Watford, Bournemouth, Burnley etc., can survive, then surely Villa can with the Multi-Millions in TV money backed up by Dr Xia's Millions?
Title: Re: Press-tige
Post by: damon loves JT on December 12, 2016, 08:42:44 PM
Every day we spend out of the top flight is a day where we fall further behind.

As a general rule: if you waited until you were 'ready' you would never *do* anything at all.
Title: Re: Press-tige
Post by: Matt Collins on December 12, 2016, 09:11:01 PM
Good article

It's all very well saying we'd splash the cash again but buying 8 first team era in one summer and then trying to bed them in is a huge risk

Better to spend the next four windows and 18 months honing a side with genuine premier league quality - with two massive caveats

There's no guarantee we go up second time of asking

Some of our better players might leave this summmer if we don't

So I'm torn on this one. But this team would get absolutely murdered in the top flight. 
Title: Re: Press-tige
Post by: Toronto Villa on December 12, 2016, 11:24:58 PM
Every day we spend out of the top flight is a day where we fall further behind.

As a general rule: if you waited until you were 'ready' you would never *do* anything at all.

I don't really believe that. There are plenty of examples of teams who were a million miles behind that have got up and done well. Southampton is a great example of having a very solid structure in place that has produced competitive sides since they went up. Swansea even have done well despite their size and resources. You can look at Stoke, West Ham and of course Leicester who not only caught but won the bloody thing.

The critical thing for us is to decide on a defined strategy and always work towards it. So that even when we make a change in personnel (players/coaches/manager) we don't deviate from the grand plan. For the last 5/6 years of our time in the PL there was no such plan, and you could even go back to MON where the plan (it appeared) was to spend whatever MON wanted as opposed something more well thought out. A lack of identity and direction is what got us into this mess and committing to those things will set us up for the future.
Title: Re: Press-tige
Post by: peter w on December 13, 2016, 05:18:00 AM
TV they were teams who built up a momentum before going up - we haven't done that. Look at Brighton, they are bang average but have just got used to winning so are finding it difficult to stop. Those types are teams are more adept at staying up then a yo-yo club.
Title: Re: Press-tige
Post by: ChicagoLion on December 13, 2016, 05:50:15 AM
TV they were teams who built up a momentum before going up - we haven't done that. Look at Brighton, they are bang average but have just got used to winning so are finding it difficult to stop. Those types are teams are more adept at staying up then a yo-yo club.
Agree, our squad looks unbalanced and with no definitive playing style.
The teams that seem to do well have both.
Title: Re: Press-tige
Post by: Matt Collins on December 13, 2016, 09:34:47 PM
Today's game is definitely making me lean towards the view that there would just be too much to do with this team before we could compete in the premier league. I don't think it's doable in eight months

I'd want a new keeper, new right back, new centre back, at least two centre midfielders, a winger and a centre forward. Minimum.

I've got no interest in watching us get beaten every bloody week again
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