Relegation?

[brian green]

I cannot be alone in the belief that scrambling and clawing your way to survival every year is every bit as bad as relegation You face the same humiliation, the club's standing is demeaned and diminished in exactly the same way being premiership chopping blocks as being championship contenders The way I see it is that out of the prem the club loses the TV money and has less to spend but since we exist on financial bread and water diet at Villa Park anyway it makes no difference to the fans There is no pride no glory no history no sense of achievement in what we have been doing for three years In our predicament relegation is irrelevant, merely words and numbers on a screen or a sheet of paper.

[Ads]

We aren't scrambling or clawing. We are well clear and have been well clear all season.

[Mister E]

I cannot be alone in the belief that scrambling and clawing your way to survival every year is every bit as bad as relegation You face the same humiliation, the club's standing is demeaned and diminished in exactly the same way being premiership chopping blocks as being championship contenders The way I see it is that out of the prem the club loses the TV money and has less to spend but since we exist on financial bread and water diet at Villa Park anyway it makes no difference to the fans There is no pride no glory no history no sense of achievement in what we have been doing for three years In our predicament relegation is irrelevant, merely words and numbers on a screen or a sheet of paper.

I remember back in 2001 there was a suggestion that relegation would be better than playing appallingly under a chairman who seemed more intent on his take-out from the club rather than on developing the Villa. The response generally was one of incredulity that fans might prefer relegation to the status quo.
I do not think we are quite at the point where relegation would be the required catalyst for the necessary changes. The summer period will be the defining time, and the tipping point for change will be next November-December if things still haven't significantly moved forward positively.

[Concrete John]

I cannot be alone in the belief that scrambling and clawing your way to survival every year is every bit as bad as relegation You face the same humiliation, the club's standing is demeaned and diminished in exactly the same way being premiership chopping blocks as being championship contenders The way I see it is that out of the prem the club loses the TV money and has less to spend but since we exist on financial bread and water diet at Villa Park anyway it makes no difference to the fans There is no pride no glory no history no sense of achievement in what we have been doing for three years In our predicament relegation is irrelevant, merely words and numbers on a screen or a sheet of paper.

I agree.  Therefore my support for Lambert will remain even if we go down

[brian green]

My support for Villa will remain as ferocious and proud as it has for the last seven decades The big sea change which has come about is the massive lowering of expectation. That we now see another "have we got enough points to stay up"  "yes just about" as reason to be comfortable about the club is symptomatic of that acceptance.

[Meanwood Villa]

I cannot be alone in the belief that scrambling and clawing your way to survival every year is every bit as bad as relegation You face the same humiliation, the club's standing is demeaned and diminished in exactly the same way being premiership chopping blocks as being championship contenders The way I see it is that out of the prem the club loses the TV money and has less to spend but since we exist on financial bread and water diet at Villa Park anyway it makes no difference to the fans There is no pride no glory no history no sense of achievement in what we have been doing for three years In our predicament relegation is irrelevant, merely words and numbers on a screen or a sheet of paper.

The problem with this is the assumption we will be Championship contenders. If we go down it could be the start of an even further downward spiral. Ask Forest fans if they'd trade their last decade for ours. It's much better to rebuild and renew while already in the premier league.

[kipeye]

I cannot be alone in the belief that scrambling and clawing your way to survival every year is every bit as bad as relegation You face the same humiliation, the club's standing is demeaned and diminished in exactly the same way being premiership chopping blocks as being championship contenders The way I see it is that out of the prem the club loses the TV money and has less to spend but since we exist on financial bread and water diet at Villa Park anyway it makes no difference to the fans There is no pride no glory no history no sense of achievement in what we have been doing for three years In our predicament relegation is irrelevant, merely words and numbers on a screen or a sheet of paper.

You are not alone by any means Brian. No-one would want to see their team relegated, but many would prefer to watch real committed players earning their wages.
What people have forgotten since the Preeemiership is that it is just as enjoyable watching your team when they play well against good opposition-at any level. Not many will understand why I enjoyed some of our league cup victories more than winning the European Cup (which was a delight, of course). Even now, I would prefer to see Villa win an FA Cup rather than join the Champions League circus where we would always be playing catch up. As for the Europa League-I do not know why clubs enter it at all, it is certainly not for the fans sake.
Some of the lower league matches still get me excited as they seem to be 'proper' games. No namby diving cheating and full on football. Agreed there are howlers too-but the Premier can be really turgid year after year.

[Virgil Caine]

Whilst agreeing with you Brian the sad fact that the Premier League has now morphed into a have, have not, division. In truth all teams below Spurs are existing rather than competing for anything. I believe we are all realists to recognise that in order to become a Top 6 side it would take such a hugh whack of investment with no guarantees of success (apart from the drag factor Europa league). I cannot see any mega wealthy individual doing that now unless they want a pet cash cow to wash money through.

It would be interesting to ask Leicester or Burnley fans after next season, if they are promoted, which campaign they enjoyed most, the winning one or the probable struggling embarrassing one in the PL. Like many of the old campaigners on here I do hanker for a competitive league where the playing field was level.

If I don't renew my season ticket next year, it will not be because my love of the Villa has diminished but more of what is the point?

[Brend'Watkins]

My support for Villa will remain as ferocious and proud as it has for the last seven decades The big sea change which has come about is the massive lowering of expectation. That we now see another "have we got enough points to stay up"  "yes just about" as reason to be comfortable about the club is symptomatic of that acceptance.

Good point.  Are we becoming conditioned to accepting staying in the premiership as the pinnacle of what we can achieve?  Man City come along to ruffle up the league and we seem to have given up.  I know we can't compete and we have to address what has gone before but we should still strive to be best of the rest and try for a cup or two.

[Dave]

As for the Europa League-I do not know why clubs enter it at all, it is certainly not for the fans sake.

I'd love to see us back in the Europa league. In order to be there we'll either have needed to finished in the top six or so or have reached a cup final.

[Brend'Watkins]

As for the Europa League-I do not know why clubs enter it at all, it is certainly not for the fans sake.

I'd love to see us back in the Europa league. In order to be there we'll either have needed to finished in the top six or so or have reached a cup final.

That would be the only good thing about it.  It's a curse of a competition.

[brian green]

I used the word "contender" in the championship when I should have said "participant" I could not be further from wanting to see Villa relegated I simply want there to be an end to the ethos that survival is an honourable ambition in isolation.  Our players and the manager took the field against Stoke as though they were already in the promised land of Sky money next season.  Any whiff of the real world of real football games played full bloodedly was blown away by our early goal.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

My support for Villa will remain as ferocious and proud as it has for the last seven decades The big sea change which has come about is the massive lowering of expectation. That we now see another "have we got enough points to stay up"  "yes just about" as reason to be comfortable about the club is symptomatic of that acceptance.

Good point.  Are we becoming conditioned to accepting staying in the premiership as the pinnacle of what we can achieve?  Man City come along to ruffle up the league and we seem to have given up.  I know we can't compete and we have to address what has gone before but we should still strive to be best of the rest and try for a cup or two.

Indeed. Sadly, we now have the mind set of a newly promoted team.

[Concrete John]

I just link expectations to money.  We haven't got much money, so shouldn't expect too much from the team.

Sad but true reflection of modern football.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Top 6 spender over the last 5 years. Not sure what the ranking has been over the last two years but I'm sure it doesn't reflect our position.