Scapegoat

[Mister E]

It is never nice when a player or other individual is picked on ...

.. In broader terms the role of scapegoat should be seen as an honourable one.

Deep man. Real deep

Better not to flatter his ego.

And if he thinks that scapegoating is simply picking on someone he's got it all wrong anyway.

[rob_bridge]

The stick bannan gets is trivial compared to the flak given by those around me and including me at the likes of Simon stainrod and paul Elliott.

Jeeps I've got an outbreak of cold flushes. They are names from the past. Shockers both of them in a Villa shirt.   

[villan from luton]

Ken McNaught got dogs abuse when he first came from Everton to replace a great servant in Chris Nicholl. Funny how peoples views can change.

[Drummond]

It is never nice when a player or other individual gets picked on but I think you have to accept that creating a scapegoat is a necessity for the proper function and cohesion of the tribe and the sustaining of its belief system.

Just as the scapegoat would serve the purpose of convincing a primitive tribe that the sun would rise in the spring and that next year's harvest would be better, so it goes with the football tribe.

Trying to somehow sustain the belief that things are not as bad as they seem requires a scapegoat, so the tribe can claim that everything would be great if it wasn't for X or Y, which avoids the actual reality and sustains hope in the face of disappointment.

It is ugly and it seems ignoble but the use of a scapegoat has to be seen as a necessary evil to serve a greater good: sustaining the belief which is necessary for the tribe to cohere.

In broader terms the role of scapegoat should be seen as an honourable one.

Bollocks

[not3bad]

If/when Benteke has an iffy game people will start saying "he'd rather be at Arsenal" and "his heart's not in it since the summer".

[Damo70]

The stick bannan gets is trivial compared to the flak given by those around me and including me at the likes of Simon stainrod and paul Elliott.

Jeeps I've got an outbreak of cold flushes. They are names from the past. Shockers both of them in a Villa shirt.

I think it was due to a mixture of apathy and the crapness of the whole team that watered that down. At the time, Italian teams were known for buying players on the basis of one game. Like Hateley's goal in Brazil, and I think Rideout got a hat trick the day Bari came to watch Cowans. Christ knows what game Pisa watched Elliott in. I know I couldn't have been there.

[supertom]

If/when Benteke has an iffy game people will start saying "he'd rather be at Arsenal" and "his heart's not in it since the summer".

What we don't want to see is a paper story, midway through the season with a solemn looking Benteke pictured, being interviewed about being denied a big move the previous summer. Then we really will have a scapegoat.

[sirlordbaltimore]

I'm going for Clark too, he always seems to get it in the neck unlike Baker

[tomd2103]

I think this thread is pretty harsh on Villa fans who were absolutely superb last season.  Yes there might be the odd one or two at games who like to single out players, but the majority at the games I went to got behind the team and I believe were a major factor in us getting some big results at home.

[supertom]

I think this thread is pretty harsh on Villa fans who were absolutely superb last season.  Yes there might be the odd one or two at games who like to single out players, but the majority at the games I went to were superb ands I believe were a major factor in us getting some big results at home.

Yes considering the season before, and the xmas period we had, I thought we stayed fairly level headed, despite some calls for Lambo's scalp in the more desperate times. Largely we backed the players and gave them some support because of their age.

[pauliewalnuts]

I'm going for Clark too, he always seems to get it in the neck unlike Baker

Could that be a reflection of people thinking Baker did a much better job at the back than Clark did, though? I certainly think the majority opinion on here would be that Clark was poor at CB.

In which case, he's not necessarily being made a scapegoat, he's being criticised for what people see as his failings.

[Clampy]

I'm going for Clark too, he always seems to get it in the neck unlike Baker

Could that be a reflection of people thinking Baker did a much better job at the back than Clark did, though? I certainly think the majority opinion on here would be that Clark was poor at CB.

In which case, he's not necessarily being made a scapegoat, he's being criticised for what people see as his failings.

I think that's probably the case yes.

[pauliewalnuts]

If/when Benteke has an iffy game people will start saying "he'd rather be at Arsenal" and "his heart's not in it since the summer".

And that wouldn't equate to him being a scapegoat.

Hard time, yes. Harsh? Probably. Scapegoat? Not on the basis of that, no.

[PeterWithesShin]

I'm going for Clark too, he always seems to get it in the neck unlike Baker

Could that be a reflection of people thinking Baker did a much better job at the back than Clark did, though? I certainly think the majority opinion on here would be that Clark was poor at CB.

In which case, he's not necessarily being made a scapegoat, he's being criticised for what people see as his failings.

There is a big difference between a player being a scapegoat and a player getting stick for not performing. Which seems to be getting missed at times.

[sirlordbaltimore]

I'm going for Clark too, he always seems to get it in the neck unlike Baker

Could that be a reflection of people thinking Baker did a much better job at the back than Clark did, though? I certainly think the majority opinion on here would be that Clark was poor at CB.

In which case, he's not necessarily being made a scapegoat, he's being criticised for what people see as his failings.

I'm sure some people do think that. But if Clark has scored two own goals and lunged in like Baker did on Suarez they'd still be burning effigies of him now. I'd take Clark over Baker every day at this stage