Stephen Warnock

[PeterWithe]

When most of us starting watching Villa, we were doing so from crumbling terraces ankle deep in piss, wondering how we were going to get home without a detour to A&E.

I note that we are now accusing folk of being robots and apologising for not knowing each others pronouns. If that’s not progress I don’t know what is.

[Dogtanian]

I said about a nickname for Morgan Rogers then people started being vulgar designed to wind me up !

Try not to take the smut personally. We don't do it to wind you up, we do it to amuse each other!

And it happens to anyone who posts something we can see a rude meaning in.

It's childish, but it makes some of us smile, and has been part of British humour for longer than any of us have been alive!

[Percy McCarthy]

When most of us starting watching Villa, we were doing so from crumbling terraces ankle deep in piss, wondering how we were going to get home without a detour to A&E.

I note that we are now accusing folk of being robots and apologising for not knowing each others pronouns. If that’s not progress I don’t know what is.

Excellent point.

[Somniloquism]

It's childish, but it makes some of us smile, and has been part of British humour for longer than any of us have been alive!

There is a reason Tom Sharpe had a massive career, the Carry On Movies was a long running series and certain postcards kept the seaside economy going for years. The germans had full on hardcore anal, we had Robin Askwith and his long ladder.

[Dogtanian]

It's childish, but it makes some of us smile, and has been part of British humour for longer than any of us have been alive!

There is a reason Tom Sharpe had a massive career, the Carry On Movies was a long running series and certain postcards kept the seaside economy going for years. The germans had full on hardcore anal, we had Robin Askwith and his long ladder.

I've always thought the Germans had a lot to offer the world, personally.

Footy, have you ever watched a Carry On film?

[mike]

It's so fucking endless, and it's clearly posted to create exactly the sort of reaction that, ultimately, he (they) end up getting. It's just so obvious.

Either:

1. It's a bot, a collective of people on a wind up, a trolling exercise, something like that, in which case, well, what are you supposed to do? How are you supposed to react to obvious trolling?

2. It isn't the above, it's a genuine poster, in which case, why not treat him (or they) exactly like you would any other poster? If - randomly selected poster - Bad English, someone who has put in the years here, a recognised regular, started posting what FV does, he'd get *exactly* the same response.

So, basically, either it's a wind up, in which case, it reaps what it sews, or it's genuinely a regular poster who believes this stuff, in which case, they can expect to be treated like any other rational poster who posted endless utter rubbish clearly designed to wind people up.

And it's far from just this thread. See, as an example, recent utter rubbish about Morgan Rogers.

I think there is probably another explanation, though I'm not sure how appropriate it is to mention; but I have encountered posters with similar styles before, and there's usually a reason for it.   

FWIW , I don't think he's a deliberate troll, he's just a different personality type to most of the other people who post on here.

I have an autistic boy. He’s a lovely boy but can offend people because he can’t read a room and he expresses himself very directly. This guy appears to me to communicate in the same way with the added hindrance of English not being his first language. Now on the whole, I don’t disagree with people who make controversial statements having them robustly challenged and on a football fan forum, that is sadly likely to be personal and offensive. We only come on here because we’re tribal by nature. However, as Robin Williams said of depression, ‘people don’t fake being depressed, they fake being well. Be kind.’ Obviously it’s a different thing (I know I suffer from it) but I just think before heaping dog’s abuse on this guy consider that there is at least enough likelihood that he’s is a vulnerable neurodiverse individual as a troll/bot/collective of trolls to not risk causing him some real mental harm. As many have said, just ignore him if you don’t like him and definitely just ignore him if you think he’s a bot. And honestly, which theory - neurodiverse man or bloody AI bot is more likely.

[Monty]

In general, I'd rather look like a fool trying to be sympathetic than an arsehole trying to be cynical and ungullible .

[LeeB]

In general, I'd rather look like a fool trying to be sympathetic than an arsehole trying to be cynical and ungullible .

I'm a bit of both I reckon, a foolish arsehole.

[eamonn]

Yeah, I've found people's inability to just humour FV and either ignore or not pick him/her/them up on the more unorthodox opinions they state; difficult to understand.

[Footy-Vill]

Sometimes I think I'm easy target. I been told I don't help myself? For why ? Being myself and my beliefs. I like me not to be seen as anything more that I am just an individual with same equal as next member poster and it's up to me and me alone to disclose other things.
I've had advantage taken of me both online and in person so I'm weary to give details quite so much thank you. And yes I appreciate Mike words and support and understanding and some others but people don't have to have first hand experience to show to be decent and fair it's down to how they choose to be towards me which at times is not nice.

[Footy-Vill]

On topic
Warnock or the podcast that Warnock related to the O'Neil regime.
At the time, O'Neil was simply coaching using techniques that he had used when playing or those he believed would be most liked and suitable for the players.

In the grand scheme of things, finishing sixth and nearly making the champions league three times was an accomplishment compared to a few years prior! and most definitely afterwards.

Additionally, I think it's really sensationalist that Warnock can remember every detail—and that's just his opinion—after O'Neil said anything. I record it in a manner akin to a Doctors or teacher applying their techniques, without listening or understanding the student or patient I have had both of those experiences!
So if insist it was/is personal woes with both, but I felt as though i could relate to Milner and his outburst to question !

Warnock gives some great insight and it is supported by other players but I think tactics and fitness was regarded differently by generations and culture.
It's often said by Keown that Wenger implemented new methods in English football.

[Monty]

While that's fair FV, the frustration with MON was that his way of doing things was dying out at the top level during his time with us. Wenger and Mourinho had considerably pushed things with tactics and fitness, Ferguson had already employed Queiroz for years to help keep his team up to date, Man City employed Mancini in 2009, there were people like Rafa Benitez whose standards were so much more modern than we'd been used to...basically all sorts.

MON's time with us coincided pretty perfectly with a great leap forward in professionalism and preparation in the English game. His methods, combined with rather a lot of money, were enough to do decently, but were being exposed year after year. It was a real chance to cement ourselves at the top of the league, and he blew it.

[Mellin]

Sometimes I think I'm easy target. I been told I don't help myself? For why ? Being myself and my beliefs. I like me not to be seen as anything more that I am just an individual with same equal as next member poster and it's up to me and me alone to disclose other things.
I've had advantage taken of me both online and in person so I'm weary to give details quite so much thank you. And yes I appreciate Mike words and support and understanding and some others but people don't have to have first hand experience to show to be decent and fair it's down to how they choose to be towards me which at times is not nice.

Apologies FV, I know you're trying to move passed this, but I just wanted to say I agree that you may be perceived as an easy target, and this doesn't reflect well on those who harass you. I'm going to be generous and say it's bordering on bullying, but we're beyond that in all honesty. I hope you find strength and comfort in the fact that you have persevered where others wouldn't, and I also hope others will come to see that you are a harmless individual who's just trying to communicate, albeit occasionally a little clumsily, with fellow Villa supporters. Keep going. You have my respect.

Anyway, Stephen Warnock. 

[curiousorange]

Warnock had a strange career, really. One of those overpromoted Liverpool talents who seemed destined for the lower leagues, but managed to make a World Cup squad.

I identified quite strongly with the whole loss of form after direct criticism thing, something which has stalled my own creative outlet. It does go to show man management isn't as simple as kicking a person until they show resilience, even for footballers who have been in the game since they were knee-high to a grasshopper.

Other than the Blackburn semi final, my main recollection of a Warnock contribution was the away game at Molineux in the Houllier season - he crossed the ball to Heskey for a late winner. Must have been not long after that that Houllier froze him out.

[Rigadon]

I don't think the video does anybody (James Milner aside) any credit.  Warnock comes over as being a bit brittle and MON negligent (the late season dips are now completely explained!).  Sigh.