AVFC statement - McLeish sacked.

[Legion]

[Shoody]

If we gave it a go and lost... I would be pretty annoyed and a bit disheartened - as I do not like losing and a bit angry at Man City's spending power. But by this morning, I would be excited for Wigan and mostly forgotten about yesterday.

But instead I was very annoyed, pissed off, bored and embarrassed yesterday. And just a little bit apathetic and a whole lot worried this morning.

I love Aston Villa. But I do not like Aston Villa at the moment.

[pauliewalnuts]

I am *so* stealing that, Lee.

[Irish villain]

I saw a tweet that he had resigned must be one of those fakes! Damn

[Ketzster]

The only problem with that picture is Bent is far too far up the field. Would have been more realistic if he was in his own half of the centre circle

[KevinGage]

There came a point last season when things looked a bit sticky (we had to face Newcastle at home I think) when the Villa supporters seemed to draw a collective line underneath all the negativity surrounding the club and simply rallied around to help win a crucial three points.   I think we may well be  entering that kind of situation again.  McLeish will not be getting the bullet any time soon - we're all just going to have to roll our sleeves up and lift the club up the table.

I remember going into that game absolutely bricking it. 

A loss (or even a draw) and we were staring right down the barrel.

By collectively sticking together you must mean not turning on the players/ GH mid game, as the actual atmosphere was one of the most tension filled I have experienced.  The biggest roar came at the final whistle.   Up until that point, it's as if the whole ground expected that we'd throw it away. 

I sincerely hoped that would be our lowest point.  Indeed, with the pressure off in the next few games we actually looked a decent side (Wigan ay home apart).  But our brush with the lower reaches of the table didn't teach the powers that be owt seemingly.

I'm not advocating relegation at all, but maybe it will take a box on the nose of that magnitude to shake RL and Faulkner up a little.  To get back up we'd actually need to win games, and plan with that in mind.  Which would be a departure from the course we have set pretty much since September 2010. From GH's  '7th-12th' foot in mouth opening gambit through to McDoughnuts infinitely more negative approach, it's largely been about plodding on and trying to get away with it. 

[Chipsticks]

There came a point last season when things looked a bit sticky (we had to face Newcastle at home I think) when the Villa supporters seemed to draw a collective line underneath all the negativity surrounding the club and simply rallied around to help win a crucial three points.   I think we may well be  entering that kind of situation again.  McLeish will not be getting the bullet any time soon - we're all just going to have to roll our sleeves up and lift the club up the table.

I remember going into that game absolutely bricking it. 

A loss (or even a draw) and we were staring right down the barrel.

By collectively sticking together you must mean not turning on the players/ GH mid game, as the actual atmosphere was one of the most tension filled I have experienced.  The biggest roar came at the final whistle.   Up until that point, it's as if the whole ground expected that we'd throw it away. 

I sincerely hoped that would be our lowest point.  Indeed, with the pressure off in the next few games we actually looked a decent side (Wigan ay home apart).  But our brush with the lower reaches of the table didn't teach the powers that be owt seemingly.

I'm not advocating relegation at all, but maybe it will take a box on the nose of that magnitude to shake RL and Faulkner up a little.  To get back up we'd actually need to win games, and plan with that in mind.  Which would be a departure from the course we have set pretty much since September 2010. From GH's  '7th-12th' foot in mouth opening gambit through to McDoughnuts infinitely more negative approach, it's largely been about plodding on and trying to get away with it. 

I was in the Upper Holte for that game and I remember during the last 10 minutes of that game we were defending like lions, but with out backs firmly against the wall and suddenly what felt like the entire stadium stood up and sang out a belting and emotional chorus of "come on Villa, come on villa, come on villa, come on!"

Really enjoyed that game.

[brian green]

The next mark he makes on the paper is the trajectory of the ball from the X in goal over the other nine Xs and also over Bent.

[claret and blue blood]

The thing is we had a better team last season with Kyle Walker , Young , Downing Reo Coker wqith Bent on the end of numerous chances do you really see the current side 'pulling together'

[PeterWithesShin]

The thing is we had a better team last season with Kyle Walker , Young , Downing Reo Coker wqith Bent on the end of numerous chances do you really see the current side 'pulling together'

Of the 5 you mention, 1 wasn't our player, 2 we all knew would be leaving barring a miracle and the other is a notorious coward. And Bent will never get stuck in. It could be argued that the players you named had less reason than the current squad to pull together.

[ozzjim]

Walker was brilliant for us though, and Downing at that point was singing about how much he enjoyed it here. Bent was much more involved in team play due to tactics and was getting about 4-5 chances per game, and Reo Coker was still thought to be earning himself a new deal. Petrov also had 6-7 games out of the side mid season and came back in for that Newcastle game and was a beast for 90 minutes, lead the team and was a huge reason we got out of the mess so easily. That and the back 4 worked out how to defend, but then Luke Young and Walker were very good.

[DB]

I've just looked at the table, we really should be doing better, 15th!!!!

[Greg N'Ash]

The table's misleading, just as it was a while back when we were doing better. A win and we could  be back to 11th.  There just so much mediocrity in this league its shocking. A few years ago the likes of Norwich and Swansea would have really struggled - now they're probably a shoe-in for a mid-table finish.

[Dave]

There just so much mediocrity in this league its shocking. A few years ago the likes of Norwich and Swansea would have really struggled - now they're probably a shoe-in for a mid-table finish.

Not sure that there's much more mediocrity now than there has been in the past, particularly amongst the bunch finishing between 6th - 12th where we normally end up.

In 2004 a side regularly featuring Gavin McCann, JLloyd Samuel, Liam Ridgewell and Darius Vassell finished sixth. And it's not as if the rest of the side were a bunch of superstars pulling them up to their level.

[Greg N'Ash]

well 2004 is not a few years ago Dave. To me anyway the recession has kicked in big time. I'd say only Citeh in this league have a vastly better side than they did 3 or 4 years ago. The likes of chelsea and United, as well as the also rans all seem weaker to me