Shay Given admits Villa have underachieved

[Tony Boucher]

“You take positives, but you would rather win 6-5.”

Sounds like a hint to the manager to me - maybe the players are getting fed up of the safety-first approach

[Ad@m]

I would rather start from the same place that Swansea or Norwich started from than have these people around the Villa.

You'd rather be in the 3rd tier of English football?  As Swansea were in 2008 and Norwich were in 2010? (Although to see them comfortably above us in the league at the moment does show what a spectacular fall from grace we've had and also shows what happens when you appoint the wrong manager, twice!)

[WA Villan]

I would rather start from the same place that Swansea or Norwich started from than have these people around the Villa.

You'd rather be in the 3rd tier of English football?  As Swansea were in 2008 and Norwich were in 2010? (Although to see them comfortably above us in the league at the moment does show what a spectacular fall from grace we've had and also shows what happens when you appoint the wrong manager, twice!)

No from championship to premier, were not getting relegated to 3rd tier football, mind you some of my fondest memories of being a Villa supporter are from the 3rd Division.

[Ad@m]

I would rather start from the same place that Swansea or Norwich started from than have these people around the Villa.

You'd rather be in the 3rd tier of English football?  As Swansea were in 2008 and Norwich were in 2010? (Although to see them comfortably above us in the league at the moment does show what a spectacular fall from grace we've had and also shows what happens when you appoint the wrong manager, twice!)

No from championship to premier, were not getting relegated to 3rd tier football, mind you some of my fondest memories of being a Villa supporter are from the 3rd Division.

But neither of the clubs you mentioned started from the Championship.  Norwich had a major implosion due to a number of poor managerial appointments and found themselves in the 3rd tier less than 3 years ago.  Swansea have always been a lower league club as far as I'm aware.

There's a world of difference expecting a load of kids to hold their own in the top divisions versus setting them up against lower league clubs.  That's why the likes of Arsenal put their kids out against lower league teams in cup games and why Barca and Real have their kids teams playing in the lower divisions over in Spain.  I worry that if we do get relegated, expecting the kids to get us straight back up might have completely the opposite effect.