Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine

Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: cannock villa on December 01, 2015, 12:35:36 PM

Title: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: cannock villa on December 01, 2015, 12:35:36 PM
After Saturdays defeat, I have done my mourning and now come out the other side. Unless we do something that has never been done by any team in the history of the premier league, we are going down.
Now, i'm old enough to remember the last relegation but more memorably I remember our year in the old second division. I can honestly only look back on it with fond memories, we were the big fish in the little pond.
Of course things could be different this time, football is a different beast these days, but having stunk the Premier League out the last 3 - 4 years, I will look forward to seeing a winning side again even if it is against poorer opposition.
So my message to the ones who haven't been here before is don't worry, it may not be as bad as you think, you may even enjoy it more than the last few years. Anybody know Graham Taylors number.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: brian green on December 01, 2015, 12:46:57 PM
Or as my son put it, no more hanging on by our fingertips until the last game.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: Richard E on December 01, 2015, 12:53:16 PM
After Saturdays defeat, I have done my mourning and now come out the other side. Unless we do something that has never been done by any team in the history of the premier league, we are going down.
Now, i'm old enough to remember the last relegation but more memorably I remember our year in the old second division. I can honestly only look back on it with fond memories, we were the big fish in the little pond.
Of course things could be different this time, football is a different beast these days, but having stunk the Premier League out the last 3 - 4 years, I will look forward to seeing a winning side again even if it is against poorer opposition.
So my message to the ones who haven't been here before is don't worry, it may not be as bad as you think, you may even enjoy it more than the last few years. Anybody know Graham Taylors number.

I remember the away games from that season fondly, the home matches not so much. Losing at home to Blose, Stoke, Oldham, Milwall etc and draws against colossi like Barnsley and Huddersfield.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: Hookeysmith on December 01, 2015, 01:08:44 PM
We would be a huge scalp for most clubs and its a long tough season but I think I may enjoy it
I have not given up hope of our survival just yet but I long for the days when we had a more even playing field. The premiership is lost for me ever since it became a sky induced rigged deck based purely on money spent.
Can you imagine the horror on sky / EUFA's faces if Leicester keep this up and end up in the Chumps league.

So to go into games on occasion being the favourite again would be better than the shite we have now
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: levico on December 01, 2015, 01:16:11 PM
Let's not get too excited about the Championship, things have moved on.

I would expect Lerner to pair down to the bone to reduce costs. For one thing the squad will be unrecognisable and we have no idea how Garde will fair.

We may end up flirting with relegation all over again.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: remy on December 01, 2015, 01:18:45 PM
I only started supporting Villa from 1987 my first players were Alan McInally , Ormydroid, Olney, Cascarino. I was hooked :-)

Since then my passion has increased year on year and spread to my children. Over the last 5 years I've witnessed our club torn apart by the selfish interests of the owners, managers and players. The fans as usual all suffer.

Manager does crap - here is a lottery win for your trouble and on your way, mind how you go.

Owner does crap - here is hundreds of millions for your custodial reign and in return the new one can rename the ground, change the colour of the strip and sign away the heritage.

Players carry on being crap - lets plan a move away for millions in signing on fees and screw this place.

After Watford we are resigned to the inevitable. I only looked at who we have on saturday, not to look forward to the match but see how many we may lose by on this occasion, visualising Richardson being bypassed, Clark like a statue and Guzan flapping before the roar goes up. I love my club but watching this week on week is soul destroying.

When we're relegated we wont go straight back up, so Im getting more and more used to the championship.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: Dave on December 01, 2015, 01:41:09 PM
Let's not get too excited about the Championship, things have moved on

I would expect Lerner to pair down to the bone to reduce costs. For one thing the squad will be unrecognisable and we have no idea how Garde will fair.

Will it? Everyone will be on a contract that reduces their wages to a sustainable level if we go down. Pretty much all contracts stipulate that now, since Newcastle were burned by it a few years ago. Even Arsenal put relegation clauses in new contracts.

And it's not like there is going to a big queue for many of our players from teams better than us. I expect the bulk of the squad would likely stay as it is.

We may end up flirting with relegation all over again.

A Derby team with Scott Carson in goal, Stephen Warnock in defence and Andi Weimann leading the line is currently the form team in the Championship, two points from first. Bobby Zamora is scoring the goals to keep Brighton top 

Would you replace any of the current team with them? If not, why wouldn't we be doing as well as they are? It's a league in which Cameron Jerome and Rudy Gestede are considered 20+ goal strikers.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: brian green on December 01, 2015, 01:42:31 PM
If it helps, being in the third tier is even more fun than the second. It is the only time in a long spell of me being a Villa fan when you could look at the fixtures and say who are we going to smash this week?
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: cannock villa on December 01, 2015, 01:51:46 PM
I suppose the point of the thread is that it may be what we need, to go down, take stock and start over again.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: NeilH on December 01, 2015, 02:41:32 PM
Both of my kids have no intention to go down this season. I have offered to take them when I am over at Xmas, but even with the 20quid deal I could not persuade either of them to go. Both of them are fans, both ask me every weekend about the result and both wear their shirts proudly; but both are utterly sick to death of hearing the line ‘yeah we lost again.’ To them the Championship represents an opportunity to see their team win and to enjoy themselves at Villa Park once more, cos every occasion I have taken them down over the last 5 years has ended in misery and disappointment for them.
I am, of course, more than aware of the pitfalls of us going down and recall vividly some of the god awful games from the last time we were there. However, I have long since passed into the acceptance part of my grief process to our demise and the optimist in me sees a chance to totally reset the dial, bring much needed positivity back to the club and from a personal perspective to let my kids see us win.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: CT on December 01, 2015, 03:14:15 PM
So many seem to assume we'll go down and suddenly learn the art of winning games again.

I remember 87/88 very fondly too, but as said before, it's a totally different game now. Teams have rolled up to VP and taken the piss for years now and the way we're being run I don't see that changing just because we're in a different division.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: brian green on December 01, 2015, 03:18:59 PM
I don't (respectfully) see how we are being run as a problem. How we have been run caused the damage.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: Dave on December 01, 2015, 03:28:01 PM
So many seem to assume we'll go down and suddenly learn the art of winning games again.

I remember 87/88 very fondly too, but as said before, it's a totally different game now. Teams have rolled up to VP and taken the piss for years now and the way we're being run I don't see that changing just because we're in a different division.

Well... Ciaran Clark might find it easier to defend properly against Daryl Murphy than against Romelu Lukaku.

And Rudy Gestede might find it easier to score against Jonathan Spector than Vincent Kompany.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: Ads on December 01, 2015, 03:36:40 PM
I think we'd walk the Championship as Newcastle did.

The squad wouldn't be vulnerable to being stripped down, as I think only Richards would be drawn away and we'd be able to keep hold of the rest given the lengths on their contracts.

We'd need a centre half, goalkeeper and maybe another midfielder and forward depending on depth, but otherwise the bulk of the squad would be good enough. They should be good enough to stay up as it stands. We'd be the biggest and richest club down there, with the greater draw of any of them in respect of transfer targets.

Ayew and Gestede would score bucket loads. Grealish, Gil, Sinclair and Traroe would be far and away the most creative midfield elements going, while we'd have a manager capable of playing the type of football beyond most in the league.

We may get the opportunity to re-build our home form as it would be 20 odd sides coming to park the bus at the big ground, only this time we have a manager whose attacking nous extends beyond the "get it wide and get it in" mentality.

It would be horrendously embarrassing and a complete humiliation and I for one would only permit myself to crack a smile on two occasion after we smash up the Noses, who to echo Dave's point about the crap Derby being top, the Noses are flying high despite being one dimensional, functional shite.

It’s a league chock full of dross, where the likes of Bournemouth who can kick a ball with relative tempo to a team mate look like their playing a different sport because of it.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: conman on December 01, 2015, 04:40:00 PM
it wouldnt be too bad going down if it wasnt the mega money TV deal for prem clubs next season ,,
the trouble with villa ,,, for years its been set up to look after the corporate / hospitality / executive lounges and boxes  side  rather than joe public the working class villa fan in the stands,,,,we will be saddled with debt
theres going to have to be a big clear out of the hangers on doing pointless matchday jobs
i can take going down,,,,,,what pisses me off is the constant comments from  blue noses and  from people who dont really support anyone or have never been to a football match in their life
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: Percy McCarthy on December 01, 2015, 05:53:38 PM
I think we'd walk the Championship as Newcastle did.

The squad wouldn't be vulnerable to being stripped down, as I think only Richards would be drawn away and we'd be able to keep hold of the rest given the lengths on their contracts.

We'd need a centre half, goalkeeper and maybe another midfielder and forward depending on depth, but otherwise the bulk of the squad would be good enough. They should be good enough to stay up as it stands. We'd be the biggest and richest club down there, with the greater draw of any of them in respect of transfer targets.

Ayew and Gestede would score bucket loads. Grealish, Gil, Sinclair and Traroe would be far and away the most creative midfield elements going, while we'd have a manager capable of playing the type of football beyond most in the league.

We may get the opportunity to re-build our home form as it would be 20 odd sides coming to park the bus at the big ground, only this time we have a manager whose attacking nous extends beyond the "get it wide and get it in" mentality.

It would be horrendously embarrassing and a complete humiliation and I for one would only permit myself to crack a smile on two occasion after we smash up the Noses, who to echo Dave's point about the crap Derby being top, the Noses are flying high despite being one dimensional, functional shite.

It’s a league chock full of dross, where the likes of Bournemouth who can kick a ball with relative tempo to a team mate look like their playing a different sport because of it.

Thanks Ads, you've cheered me up.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: four fornicholl on December 01, 2015, 08:07:45 PM
I suppose the point of the thread is that it may be what we need, to go down, take stock and start over again.
lets take stock and start over again NOW
fk this relegation talk
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: Skerra on December 01, 2015, 08:09:56 PM
I've been a Villa supporter for far more years than I care to remember. One thing that has always puzzled me is how many of our supporters take mediocrity as standard in the Premier and, even contemplate how much better it will be in the Championship. Can anyone please tell me which other major club in the Prem would have accepted our shocking state of affairs for the past 4/5 seasons? Also, can you imagine how fans would react from Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool etc.to having been lowered to our depths. There would be absolute outrage and I doubt that any of their fans would be looking forward to being relegated just to win a few matches.

The world of football has been turned on its' head with all the money sloshing around as, I don't think we would we will come straight back up, will fall so far behind that only a Sheik someone or other would be able to get us promoted and, once again, compete in the top division which all Villa fans should strive for.

Never mind, a miracle could happen!!
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: Stirchley Villain on December 01, 2015, 08:21:29 PM
Bring it on.
Every year for the past 5 has been the worst to go down.
We'll still have resources other Chump clubs can only dream of.
RL will be desperate to get back to the prem.
We'll have the best centre forward in the Chump.
We'll still pull 30k most games.
Bring the fucker on.
We are Aston Villa.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: TonyD on December 01, 2015, 08:30:04 PM
Just lthink we will be going down.   After the next two games easily 10 points adrift.  Started going down in 79 and then experienced 87.  It's not all that bad.  Had a good crack in fact.   I think we would come straight back up. Everything in football is hyped up including the quality of the Championship , what a stupid name.   
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: Ads on December 01, 2015, 08:53:01 PM
We will 10 points adrift after the next two games.

Of 11th.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: oldtimernow on December 02, 2015, 08:45:49 AM
If it helps, being in the third tier is even more fun than the second. It is the only time in a long spell of me being a Villa fan when you could look at the fixtures and say who are we going to smash this week?

Agree with that Brian.

The 3rd division days were great fun,fondly remember Notts County away...met Mrs OT that night and she's the second longest relationship I've had!Doncaster and Tranmere were good away days too, exotic places like Shrewsbury as well.


Dropping in to it was not so good mind and we would not be guaranteed to return at first attempt but I also have good memories of our returns so hope that the players grow some balls and would be up for the fight.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: postal on December 02, 2015, 09:18:37 AM
IF we go down, we will get rid of the PL relegation albatross that has been around our necks for longer than it should be.

It wouldnt be the end of the earth, we should bounce back first time.

That is IF we do go down.  ::)

Tho' I was watching bbc's saturday's FinalScore and they said "over to the Championship" and I thought, I might have to get use to that.

Jason Mohammad seems to take "joy" at villa's demise.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: mattjpa on December 02, 2015, 11:42:36 AM
people are getting way too pissy over the championship. We do not have a massive wage bill and do not have a particularly good squad that will get fingered if we do go down. This squad will in the whole stay intact.

We will be in the top few teams, we will win most of our games and will come straight back up with a possible playoff final day out to celebrate. We will be less accessible on streams and on sky and if anything, our attendances will improve because when it comes down to it, we have a very big and loyal fan base. I would love to see Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs fill their grounds after the 5 years we have had.

We will have the luxury of giving players like Gardner, Baker and Bennett a good chance at establishing themselves at the club which will stand us in better place when we do come back up. More importantly, we will all look forward to the weekened again and can enjoy a day out at VP.

50 big ones says we either get straight up or get to the play off final if we go down. Lets be having you...
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: Nelly on December 02, 2015, 11:47:28 AM
I sort of hoped this thread would be about us starting to sing this song again.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: Hookeysmith on December 02, 2015, 12:32:26 PM
Why are we so worried about holding onto our premiership status  - seriously are we ever going to win it - NO are we ever going to get a rich benefactor like Chelski / Etihad fc - NO then days are long gone

so lets have a young hungry  side that wins more games than it loses

I would like to stay but if not - BRING IT ON
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: Steve kirk on December 02, 2015, 09:49:11 PM
I think we'd walk the Championship as Newcastle did.

The squad wouldn't be vulnerable to being stripped down, as I think only Richards would be drawn away and we'd be able to keep hold of the rest given the lengths on their contracts.

We'd need a centre half, goalkeeper and maybe another midfielder and forward depending on depth, but otherwise the bulk of the squad would be good enough. They should be good enough to stay up as it stands. We'd be the biggest and richest club down there, with the greater draw of any of them in respect of transfer targets.

Ayew and Gestede would score bucket loads. Grealish, Gil, Sinclair and Traroe would be far and away the most creative midfield elements going, while we'd have a manager capable of playing the type of football beyond most in the league.

We may get the opportunity to re-build our home form as it would be 20 odd sides coming to park the bus at the big ground, only this time we have a manager whose attacking nous extends beyond the "get it wide and get it in" mentality.

It would be horrendously embarrassing and a complete humiliation and I for one would only permit myself to crack a smile on two occasion after we smash up the Noses, who to echo Dave's point about the crap Derby being top, the Noses are flying high despite being one dimensional, functional shite.

It’s a league chock full of dross, where the likes of Bournemouth who can kick a ball with relative tempo to a team mate look like their playing a different sport because of it.

Thanks Ads, you've cheered me up.

Brilliant post, cheered me up as well, thank you Ads
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: leylandalbion on December 02, 2015, 10:01:25 PM
Yeah. Agree...but I suspect all high earners would go....except gabby. No chance that we would keep half of the players.  Championship means championship wages.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: DB on December 02, 2015, 10:13:44 PM
I suppose the point of the thread is that it may be what we need, to go down, take stock and start over again.
lets take stock and start over again NOW
fk this relegation talk
Yes, nothing good comes from getting relegated. It only makes things worse.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: Steve kirk on December 02, 2015, 10:14:10 PM
Let's not get too excited about the Championship, things have moved on

I would expect Lerner to pair down to the bone to reduce costs. For one thing the squad will be unrecognisable and we have no idea how Garde will fair.

Will it? Everyone will be on a contract that reduces their wages to a sustainable level if we go down. Pretty much all contracts stipulate that now, since Newcastle were burned by it a few years ago. Even Arsenal put relegation clauses in new contracts.

And it's not like there is going to a big queue for many of our players from teams better than us. I expect the bulk of the squad would likely stay as it is.

We may end up flirting with relegation all over again.

A Derby team with Scott Carson in goal, Stephen Warnock in defence and Andi Weimann leading the line is currently the form team in the Championship, two points from first. Bobby Zamora is scoring the goals to keep Brighton top 

Would you replace any of the current team with them? If not, why wouldn't we be doing as well as they are? It's a league in which Cameron Jerome and Rudy Gestede are considered 20+ goal strikers.

Good point about those 3 ex Villa players at Derby Dave, your right if Derby can be so close to the top with those in the team we may do a lot better than people think should the worst happen.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: robbo1874 on December 03, 2015, 05:03:01 AM
After Saturdays defeat, I have done my mourning and now come out the other side. Unless we do something that has never been done by any team in the history of the premier league, we are going down.
Now, i'm old enough to remember the last relegation but more memorably I remember our year in the old second division. I can honestly only look back on it with fond memories, we were the big fish in the little pond.
Of course things could be different this time, football is a different beast these days, but having stunk the Premier League out the last 3 - 4 years, I will look forward to seeing a winning side again even if it is against poorer opposition.
So my message to the ones who haven't been here before is don't worry, it may not be as bad as you think, you may even enjoy it more than the last few years. Anybody know Graham Taylors number.

I remember the away games from that season fondly, the home matches not so much. Losing at home to Blose, Stoke, Oldham, Milwall etc and draws against colossi like Barnsley and Huddersfield.
did we lose to millwall at home that season? I thought we drew at home 2-2 first game. My memory's not the best though, admittedly.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: LeeB on December 03, 2015, 11:58:27 AM
After Saturdays defeat, I have done my mourning and now come out the other side. Unless we do something that has never been done by any team in the history of the premier league, we are going down.
Now, i'm old enough to remember the last relegation but more memorably I remember our year in the old second division. I can honestly only look back on it with fond memories, we were the big fish in the little pond.
Of course things could be different this time, football is a different beast these days, but having stunk the Premier League out the last 3 - 4 years, I will look forward to seeing a winning side again even if it is against poorer opposition.
So my message to the ones who haven't been here before is don't worry, it may not be as bad as you think, you may even enjoy it more than the last few years. Anybody know Graham Taylors number.

I remember the away games from that season fondly, the home matches not so much. Losing at home to Blose, Stoke, Oldham, Milwall etc and draws against colossi like Barnsley and Huddersfield.
did we lose to millwall at home that season? I thought we drew at home 2-2 first game. My memory's not the best though, admittedly.

That game was the first game of the next season.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: joe_c on December 03, 2015, 12:13:06 PM
After Saturdays defeat, I have done my mourning and now come out the other side. Unless we do something that has never been done by any team in the history of the premier league, we are going down.
Now, i'm old enough to remember the last relegation but more memorably I remember our year in the old second division. I can honestly only look back on it with fond memories, we were the big fish in the little pond.
Of course things could be different this time, football is a different beast these days, but having stunk the Premier League out the last 3 - 4 years, I will look forward to seeing a winning side again even if it is against poorer opposition.
So my message to the ones who haven't been here before is don't worry, it may not be as bad as you think, you may even enjoy it more than the last few years. Anybody know Graham Taylors number.

I remember the away games from that season fondly, the home matches not so much. Losing at home to Blose, Stoke, Oldham, Milwall etc and draws against colossi like Barnsley and Huddersfield.
did we lose to millwall at home that season? I thought we drew at home 2-2 first game. My memory's not the best though, admittedly.

One of the few I missed but I think we lost 2-1 having a late equaliser ruled out.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: Skerra on December 03, 2015, 12:23:13 PM
Mattjpa,

I'll have some of that please - £50 of mine says that if we get relegated, we will not come straight back up.

Are you up for that?
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: Pat McMahon on December 03, 2015, 02:58:22 PM
After Saturdays defeat, I have done my mourning and now come out the other side. Unless we do something that has never been done by any team in the history of the premier league, we are going down.
Now, i'm old enough to remember the last relegation but more memorably I remember our year in the old second division. I can honestly only look back on it with fond memories, we were the big fish in the little pond.
Of course things could be different this time, football is a different beast these days, but having stunk the Premier League out the last 3 - 4 years, I will look forward to seeing a winning side again even if it is against poorer opposition.
So my message to the ones who haven't been here before is don't worry, it may not be as bad as you think, you may even enjoy it more than the last few years. Anybody know Graham Taylors number.

I remember the away games from that season fondly, the home matches not so much. Losing at home to Blose, Stoke, Oldham, Milwall etc and draws against colossi like Barnsley and Huddersfield.
did we lose to millwall at home that season? I thought we drew at home 2-2 first game. My memory's not the best though, admittedly.

Robbo,

We lost 1-2 at home to Millwall and I think we had a late equaliser disallowed (Aspinall offside from a shot that came back off the post) but I may be confusing that game with Leeds in the same season (another 1-2 defeat, with their goals coming from that annoying corner to the near post with a big fellow flicking it on for a second moose to power home a header).

Most of my good memories that season were away games.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: Des Little on December 03, 2015, 03:03:27 PM
I've accepted relegation, but only on the basis that we can shed ALL of the utter shit that we've carried for years (you know who they are), and we can build a team/squad that plays decent football and wins matches...I've almost forgotten what that's like. 

The big question is whether Garde is the man to do this - I'm not sure he is if I'm honest.
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: BoskoDjembaSalifou on December 03, 2015, 03:27:34 PM
We will have the luxury of giving players like Gardner, Baker and Bennett a good chance at establishing themselves at the club

Alright, you've convinced me! ::)
Title: Re: Always look on the bright side of life
Post by: Phil from the upper holte on December 03, 2015, 04:00:10 PM
So many seem to assume we'll go down and suddenly learn the art of winning games again.

I remember 87/88 very fondly too, but as said before, it's a totally different game now. Teams have rolled up to VP and taken the piss for years now and the way we're being run I don't see that changing just because we're in a different division.

Well... Ciaran Clark might find it easier to defend properly against Daryl Murphy than against Romelu Lukaku.

And Rudy Gestede might find it easier to score against Jonathan Spector than Vincent Kompany.

Kompany in goal? ;)
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