PS Mr Lerner

[hawkeye]

Maybe those that are tyring to justify GH selection are doing it out of a mis placed sense of loyalty to the Club. The majority of fans are angry because thier loyalty to the club includes doing the best to win and to experience glory. That opportunity was shamelessly denied them by our managers actions. His subsequent attempt to justify his decisions was disrespectful and arrogant.
Those that are now insulting those fans because they are rightly angry and upset is very sad.

That's a bit rich coming from you.

thanks for your contribution, well done

[5ft811st2 Durham]

I'm furious not incredulous and I'm furious because we have an arrogant and patronising manager who selected a side to get us deliberately knocked out of the FA Cup  and  expects us idiots who pay his wages to believe him when he claims that he didn't put out a weakened side..

Are you saying that with a straight face?

I would say that with a massively under strength team including a number of players playing out of position with no apparent plan  the result was inevitable and Houllier knew it.

[villa `cross the mersey]

Thanks for responding guys - there were some good points made from many sides.
Two days on I am just as perplexed as I was Wednesday night when I saw the line -up. It was quite surreal - VCTM jnr switched over to ITV just as the teams were shown - we both looked at each other in utter disbelief.....I commented that it was going to be a waste of time watching it ...little did I realise I would be vindicated 4 minutes in !!!
I became disenchanted with football once before - when Keegan joined Newcastle as a player and he was on £2K a week - I was barely picking up £100 with overtime. I gave up my season ticket and attended less frequently for several seasons. It is only since VCTM jnr was born (10 years ago) that I rediscovered my love for the game again.

As the Villa slogan once said - "It`s in the blood" - Villa that is.

My disdain for the "modern" game (i.e. the Premiership) has grown season on season. Its no longer a game but a huge business with all the unpleasant traits of the business world thrown in - cheating, fraud, scandal, bullying, bungs etc.


Sadly my club have now followed the trend of several other clubs by disrespecting the FA Cup and more worrying its own fans who had travelled  miles to watch their team compete for a place in the next round.
OK "rotation" might be what the "modern" game is all about, however you can`t convince me that Houllier sent out a team that he thought could draw let alone win the tie.

Some say that`s what we have to put up with these days - the same was said about Ticket prices, re-arranged fixtures, replica kit prices, players ridiculous wages etc.

There comes a time when the scales tip or the camel gives into that last straw.

I am close to that right now - I will be there at Bolton tomorrow but without VCTM jnr who would rather go to his mate`s birthday party ! I will also be there at Everton to meet up with all my old work mates - but will I be there in the Lower North next season? Hmm .....will depend on the noises coming out of the corridors of VP - and not from Houllier,  or General Krulak but from the owner who I believe should let the fans know what he wants from a manager and what as a club we should be striving for. If it is solely survival  (i.e where 16th has become the new 4th) then he should state that so fans can decide whether it is worth spending £100`s on following their club. I will always love the club I have watched since 1960/61 however if the club`s aspirations no longer match those of thousands of loyal fans I may seek an alternative form of "therapy"
Over to you Mr Lerner - regards VCTM   

[usav]

I'm furious not incredulous and I'm furious because we have an arrogant and patronising manager who selected a side to get us deliberately knocked out of the FA Cup  and  expects us idiots who pay his wages to believe him when he claims that he didn't put out a weakened side..

Are you saying that with a straight face?

I would say that with a massively under strength team including a number of players playing out of position with no apparent plan  the result was inevitable and Houllier knew it.

Fair enough if you think that.   I just think he took a gamble and it backfired badly - a gamble I wish he hadn't taken or don't think he needed to take.

[Risso]

It was a gamble he couldn't afford to take.

[Nigel Macdougall]

Marvellous posts VCTM ! I  respect your opinion ,as a true "non local" supporter,far more than those with  tens of thousands of posts and given moderator status on here ,who never see hide or hare  of Villa Park and subsequently contribute ,presently ,nothing financially to our great club and yet question our current owners !

[hawkeye]

It was a gamble he couldn't afford to take.

The thing is we are stuck with him. They will hope it has all blown over by the summer after he has over come the mighty challenge of keeping us in the League.  I am far from convinced that he is the right man for The Villa. Its such a shame when it seemed that he was getting it right on the pitch that he seems intent on shooting himself in the foot. I cant believe that this will be the last time that he alienates the fans. He seems to have a real talent for it.

[Risso]

Marvellous posts VCTM ! I  respect your opinion ,as a true "non local" supporter,far more than those with  tens of thousands of posts and given moderator status on here ,who never see hide or hare  of Villa Park and subsequently contribute ,presently ,nothing financially to our great club and yet question our current owners !

I take it you mean me.  Well I'll be at the game tomorrow, so see you there.

[villa `cross the mersey]

Marvellous posts VCTM ! I  respect your opinion ,as a true "non local" supporter,far more than those with  tens of thousands of posts and given moderator status on here ,who never see hide or hare  of Villa Park and subsequently contribute ,presently ,nothing financially to our great club and yet question our current owners !

I take it you mean me.  Well I'll be at the game tomorrow, so see you there.

Bromilow Arms at 12.30 for me - Is Blandy coming?

[eastie]

I don't think it was aimed at you risso, you certainly weren't the person who sprung to my mind anyway when I read it .

[Risso]

Marvellous posts VCTM ! I  respect your opinion ,as a true "non local" supporter,far more than those with  tens of thousands of posts and given moderator status on here ,who never see hide or hare  of Villa Park and subsequently contribute ,presently ,nothing financially to our great club and yet question our current owners !

I take it you mean me.  Well I'll be at the game tomorrow, so see you there.

Bromilow Arms at 12.30 for me - Is Blandy coming?

Should be there about the same time with Blandy and Gareth, see you there.

[pestria]

The people on here that are trying to justify our managers decision just dont get it, he killed a lot of supporters rationale for supporting the club, there is absoloutely no justification for Aston Villa to act in this cowardly and disrespectful way. You should read again what VCTM said, why on earth should any one comit to a club that is not commited to the majority of it supporters. Yesterday was one of the darkest days in our history and what is so sad about it was the fact that it was self inflicted.

No, no over-reaction here either.

Dave over reaction by the paying customers...now what's wrong with that?
Hawkeye and VCTM  have it bang on.
My support for the club started with the relegation from the second division  and  was cemented during 1970/71 season and in particular the semi final and final of the League Cup. I know that our top priority was to get out of the Third division however the daunting task of 46  league game did not mean giving up the League cup. All I and many other fans ask is that we compete and when we don't I reserve the right to over react.

It isn't 1971 anymore. Talking about darkest days in history and never watching the team again is ridiculous. There isn't a team in the league, and possibly any league, that take league positions less seriously than cups.

Fulham did last year when they sacrifced a couple of league places for the chance of winning the UEFA cup.

[Legion]

Marvellous posts VCTM ! I  respect your opinion ,as a true "non local" supporter,far more than those with  tens of thousands of posts and given moderator status on here ,who never see hide or hare  of Villa Park and subsequently contribute ,presently ,nothing financially to our great club and yet question our current owners !

Yes, VCTM makes a good set of points. By the way, I attend every home game and some aways. I regularly frequent the club shop. Post count does not equate to Moderator status, by the way.

[Phil from the upper holte]

I got to page 20 and now im depressed, my two penneth.

I'm as disappointed as everyone else but I think this whole season has been a farce from that wanker walking out with 5 days to go. The kit, the manager farce, Europe,  Newcastle, Stephen Ireland, the injuries, The FA cup, the League cup and many other things.

I'm hoping next year will be a bright one im willing to forget the other night for now and look forward to hopefully a much better season next year.

We've had worse days and recovered

[mattjpa]

The people on here that are trying to justify our managers decision just dont get it, he killed a lot of supporters rationale for supporting the club, there is absoloutely no justification for Aston Villa to act in this cowardly and disrespectful way. You should read again what VCTM said, why on earth should any one comit to a club that is not commited to the majority of it supporters. Yesterday was one of the darkest days in our history and what is so sad about it was the fact that it was self inflicted.

No, no over-reaction here either.

Dave over reaction by the paying customers...now what's wrong with that?
Hawkeye and VCTM  have it bang on.
My support for the club started with the relegation from the second division  and  was cemented during 1970/71 season and in particular the semi final and final of the League Cup. I know that our top priority was to get out of the Third division however the daunting task of 46  league game did not mean giving up the League cup. All I and many other fans ask is that we compete and when we don't I reserve the right to over react.

It isn't 1971 anymore. Talking about darkest days in history and never watching the team again is ridiculous. There isn't a team in the league, and possibly any league, that take league positions less seriously than cups.

Fulham did last year when they sacrifced a couple of league places for the chance of winning the UEFA cup.

granted, but this isnt a couple of seasons ago and were not guarenteed mid table mediocrity. There has never been a season like this whereby any of the bottom ten clubs could reasonably go down. If we had another 7points on the board now, I think we would have gone full strength.