Quote from: Steve Rose on May 03, 2013, 01:21:30 AMI think it's a combination of many things Louzie,..Er, I haven't posted on this thread!Agree with your points though.
I think it's a combination of many things Louzie,..
I'd like to add that Barry Bannan and Joe Bennett have taken an incredible amount of stick that has clearly contributed to some of their poor performances. Up to and including January I'd say the fans, at home, have been pretty poor. Only recently has it improved, as have results.On Monday, in true typical Villa fan fashion, there were two blokes behind us moaning when it was 5-1 that we kept passing the ball around and weren't going for more goals. Only a Villa fan could criticise their team when 5-1 up.However, Monday was by far the best atmosphere this season, but was it because of the teams performance, or was the result by the team helped by the fans?
Aside from the bit-parts played by Bent and CNZ, we've never seen any of them play against us. Not one of them. I love that. It does engender a feeling that they are "ours", that they truly are out there playing as if they were one of us, that they're all living our dream. And that in turn goes a long way towards this feeling of us all being in this together, that we all want them to succeed, and they in turn want to succeed for us as much as for themselves.I like to believe that Lambert considers character and attitude to be as much parts of a player's make-up as ability. Doing so, he has assembled a side who appear to want to play for Aston Villa, to play for us as much as just wanting to play football. I doubt that any arrivals over the summer shall not fit into this ethos.I believe that we will be successful in the not too distant future, and when that day comes, all this will make that day so much sweeter.
Quote from: Louzie0 on May 03, 2013, 01:46:12 AMQuote from: Steve Rose on May 03, 2013, 01:21:30 AMI think it's a combination of many things Louzie,..Er, I haven't posted on this thread!Agree with your points though.Apologies to both yourself and Ozzjim. Serves me right for reading two threads at once when a little 'overtired'.
Quote from: Steve Rose on May 03, 2013, 10:59:18 AMQuote from: Louzie0 on May 03, 2013, 01:46:12 AMQuote from: Steve Rose on May 03, 2013, 01:21:30 AMI think it's a combination of many things Louzie,..Er, I haven't posted on this thread!Agree with your points though.Apologies to both yourself and Ozzjim. Serves me right for reading two threads at once when a little 'overtired'. I've posted when 'overtired' a few times At least you agreed with me! (now wondering which other thread you were reading) UTV!
Quote from: ciggiesnbeer on May 03, 2013, 04:19:13 AMQuote from: PeterWithesShin on May 03, 2013, 02:04:57 AMFrom a PM I sent someone a few days ago "I'm loving watching this Villa team though, been a long time since I have felt such affinity for a Villa team."I agree. This is he first time in a long time I have liked the team as blokes not just players. They seem to care, not be jerks and actually likely to improve in the future.I hope they stay up, dammit they deserve to stay up.I agree with that - unlike in years past where you knew 1 or 2 were always on the beer, or propping up the rocket club for example, you get the impression with most of this lot they are doing most things in a very professional way in an attempt to better themselves. Delph said they are like a little family and all very clean living. I can believe that looking at them, and I can believe that made part of the reason for Lambert buying them. Look at the contrast of say, Ireland and Westwood. The former has his house and girlfriend all over the press etc, the latter I would not know if he is is even in a relationship, you hear nothing about him away from the pitch, which is grand.
Quote from: PeterWithesShin on May 03, 2013, 02:04:57 AMFrom a PM I sent someone a few days ago "I'm loving watching this Villa team though, been a long time since I have felt such affinity for a Villa team."I agree. This is he first time in a long time I have liked the team as blokes not just players. They seem to care, not be jerks and actually likely to improve in the future.I hope they stay up, dammit they deserve to stay up.
From a PM I sent someone a few days ago "I'm loving watching this Villa team though, been a long time since I have felt such affinity for a Villa team."
Quote from: Louzie0 on May 03, 2013, 01:46:12 AMQuote from: Steve Rose on May 03, 2013, 01:21:30 AMI think it's a combination of many things Louzie,..Er, I haven't posted on this thread!Agree with your points though.Apologies to both yourself and Ozzjim. Serves me right for reading two threads at once when a little 'overtired'.[/quQuote from: Axl Rose on May 03, 2013, 05:43:25 PMQuote from: ozzjim on May 03, 2013, 06:39:08 AMQuote from: ciggiesnbeer on May 03, 2013, 04:19:13 AMQuote from: PeterWithesShin on May 03, 2013, 02:04:57 AMFrom a PM I sent someone a few days ago "I'm loving watching this Villa team though, been a long time since I have felt such affinity for a Villa team."I agree. This is he first time in a long time I have liked the team as blokes not just players. They seem to care, not be jerks and actually likely to improve in the future.I hope they stay up, dammit they deserve to stay up.I agree with that - unlike in years past where you knew 1 or 2 were always on the beer, or propping up the rocket club for example, you get the impression with most of this lot they are doing most things in a very professional way in an attempt to better themselves. Delph said they are like a little family and all very clean living. I can believe that looking at them, and I can believe that made part of the reason for Lambert buying them. Look at the contrast of say, Ireland and Westwood. The former has his house and girlfriend all over the press etc, the latter I would not know if he is is even in a relationship, you hear nothing about him away from the pitch, which is grand. I completely agree. I remember being with my dad outside the North Stand player entrance gates before the Swansea match in September. I was just about to disappear to Shanghai and wanted to catch a Villa game, as I haven't been home that much in the last 3 years. Westwood had just signed from Crewe a week or so earlier and he turned up with his mum and dad, his girlfriend/wife and his young baby. He seemed completely normal, polite and family man-esque. Well done to the lad, I say!Interesting. Lowton has 2 kids doesn't he? And Delph is on the cusp of becoming a father. Interesting they have settled down at such a young age. Bodes well. One of the things I always admired about Scholes and Neville was their lack of any form of controversy off the field. Nothing in the press at all, just appeared to be clean living dedicated pros. You need the odd nut case like Balotelli to keep the world interesting, but if Villa can have 11 straight laced good pros, great. Milner would fit in well with this side!
Quote from: ozzjim on May 03, 2013, 06:39:08 AMQuote from: ciggiesnbeer on May 03, 2013, 04:19:13 AMQuote from: PeterWithesShin on May 03, 2013, 02:04:57 AMFrom a PM I sent someone a few days ago "I'm loving watching this Villa team though, been a long time since I have felt such affinity for a Villa team."I agree. This is he first time in a long time I have liked the team as blokes not just players. They seem to care, not be jerks and actually likely to improve in the future.I hope they stay up, dammit they deserve to stay up.I agree with that - unlike in years past where you knew 1 or 2 were always on the beer, or propping up the rocket club for example, you get the impression with most of this lot they are doing most things in a very professional way in an attempt to better themselves. Delph said they are like a little family and all very clean living. I can believe that looking at them, and I can believe that made part of the reason for Lambert buying them. Look at the contrast of say, Ireland and Westwood. The former has his house and girlfriend all over the press etc, the latter I would not know if he is is even in a relationship, you hear nothing about him away from the pitch, which is grand. I completely agree. I remember being with my dad outside the North Stand player entrance gates before the Swansea match in September. I was just about to disappear to Shanghai and wanted to catch a Villa game, as I haven't been home that much in the last 3 years. Westwood had just signed from Crewe a week or so earlier and he turned up with his mum and dad, his girlfriend/wife and his young baby. He seemed completely normal, polite and family man-esque. Well done to the lad, I say!
It's almost as if Lambert has made a list of all the things McLeish, Houllier, O'Neill and O'Leary should have done and ticked them off one by one. It's a pity he left 'give some team a total shellacing on Monday Night Football' until somewhere near the end.