Millwall v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[russon]

The worst midfield I can recall is the one which had Barry Hole in it.   Perhaps some other old timer can add the others.    Was one Phil Woosnam?   I think his awfulness came later.   Ron Wylie was crap also.

Barry Hole! Tell me we didn't have a player called Barry Hole purleez.

Mark Lillis was crap personified and i think may have played in tandem with David Hunt which is too gruesome an image to contemplate.

(Quite what this has to do with the Millwall match thread I don't know but it's a blessing to be talking about something else)

[Dave Clark Five]

Oh yes. Aitken, Arce, Hole was how the team read.

[jembob]

I think that Brian is correct in his identification of the players within the squad who display a modicum of commitment however, even with the rest of the players on the pitch they should at least be able to demonstrate some understanding of what they should be doing. I can forgive players for not being good enough and I can forgive players for temporarily losing motivation but what I've found totally disgusting in recent games is the sheer absence of any form of organisation. We don't even seem to be able to do the very most basic things at any point in a game and I'd be fascinated to know what goes on at Bodymoor Heath because the team don't seem able to reproduce it on match day.
Lambert gained a reputation for polishing turds and it just mystifies me that he can't get this team to do the basics. Bradford, Southampton and Wigan have all done well at VP by doing basic things well. Our failure to do the simplest of things on the pitch is really sad to watch. Really, really sad.

[jembob]

Oh yes. Aitken, Arce, Hole was how the team read.

I thought it was Brown, Arce, Hole. That was Jimmy Brown.

[FrankyH]

How long is Herd out for?
Dunne needs to come in for Clark and play alongside Ron.
Herd needs to come into a midfield 3 alongside Westwood and Delph (kea when he's back)
Benteke needs to go out wide of a 3, bring Bent in the middle and nzogbia out left.
Moving Benteke out wide will draw defenders out, leaving space to bent to chase through balls and flick one from Benteke

I am sure I read Lambert saying Herd will be out for 6-8 weeks somewhere on the official site.

[brian green]

Man City had a very paranormal midfield back in the day.   Bell, Book and Kendall.

[russon]

Oh yes. Aitken, Arce, Hole was how the team read.

...and a front two called Ring & Piece?

[brian green]

Now you are being silly Russ.   His name was not Piece it was Pace.   Doc Pace.

[Dave Clark Five]

Oh yes. Aitken, Arce, Hole was how the team read.

I thought it was Brown, Arce, Hole. That was Jimmy Brown.

That was another contrived line up that never happened.

[silhillvilla]

Just back from London after another Hallmark Villa show. What a waste of time and money.
That's my last away game for a while.

[Flamingo Lane]

Man City had a very paranormal midfield back in the day.   Bell, Book and Kendall.

Except Book was a full back and Kendall played for Everton.

[brian green]

Tony Book played midfield and so did Felicity Kendall.

[lennythekad]

There really has to be an end to this "get behind the lads" and "get behind the kids" and "get behind the manager" nonsense.  The players and the manager and the support staff are all professionals.   They are not children.   They are not part timers.   They are not amateurs or volunteers giving up their free time to make it possible for some young men to enjoy a game of football.  They are professionals and they are very well paid.   They live in fabulous homes, they drive fabulous cars, the have exciting lifestyles of travel, glamour, money and celebrity.

The fans, like me and my sons, squeeze our income, make sacrifices, infuriate our spouses, manipulate our work commitments, travel hundreds and thousands of miles at our own expense, endure fatigue and sleep deprivation, get ripped off  (bottle of warm beer 500ml at £3.60 at Millwall last night), get treated like aliens intent on destroying the planet (ditto Millwall last night), endure uneducated mumbling of meaningless cliches or total silence when we need information, get snarled at by coppers with hate in their eyes while the opposition fans throw bottles at our players on the pitch, endure ridicule and mockery from other so called football watchers (I will not call them fans because they are not) and give up the chances to do other more rewarding and pleasurable things with our lives -ALL OF THIS in order to support the lifestyle of a goalkeeper on more money for a week than most of the supporters earn in two years, who cannot even keep goal kicks in the field of play and whose answer to repeatedly kicking the ball into touch and conceding possession is to hold up the palms of his hands and then proceed to do the same thing five minutes later.   And players who clearly do not care if we lose, who lack fight, who lack technique, who lack self discipline, who lack composure, who lack mental strength, who lack love of their club, who lack team spirit, who lack pride, who will not communicate with each other, who will not or cannot be coached into the elimination of glaring errors in their individual and collective organization on the field, with a manager who makes Alex McLeish looks competent - all of whom as I write this are yawning and stretching themselves and wondering how they are going to spend some money today and which nightclubs they are going to grace tonight.

You ask me to "get behind" that stinking mess?

Anybody who does "get behind" the disgraceful shambles which is Aston Villa FC, and not demand a complete and total reality check from the very top of the club down, is, in my opinion as culpable and as guilty and as weak minded as the owner, the CEO, the manager and the squad. 

The club needs to be purged but it is only going to happen when we are on the brink of relegation to League 1 and guess when that day comes who the people in power on bloated salaries at Villa Park will turn to for the inspiration to rebuild the club?   You've got it.   The fans.

Brian, absolutely brilliant post. You put things so eloquently, and always hit the nail on the head.

[olaftab]

Felicity Kendall was awesome at the back.

[eastie]

Felicity Kendall was awesome at the back.

She had her knockers as well.