Kendrick Says It's Time To Ask Questions

[Clampy]

As for Dave - he is entitled to take his own editorial in whatever direction he sees fit. He has no brief to represent anyone. He gathers articles randomly as they are sent in, and prints them whether he agrees with them or not, but he doesn't have to change his personal view. With most publications, if people don't like the editorial direction they stop buying it. That is people's right. That's the risk he takes by holding an unpopular view - but it is his choice.

Absolutely. Just because someone is relatively well known, runs a publication and has a better opportunity than most to say what he thinks doesn't automatically mean he has to say what some people want to hear. What do people expect, The Woodhall Report?

[robbo1874]

Because it's preferable to being so twisted that you start to say relegation was a success.

I'm not sure anyone's said that though.  Relegation = bad season.  Promotion = good season.  I wouldn't have described that as a giant leap away from conventional football wisdom.  Promotion = bad season.  Now that has been said and it is a bit puzzling.

Being there in the first place = absolute disaster. In the circumstances worse than anything any other chairman of any club has ever overseen.

didnt Utd get relegated 5 years after winning the European cup in '68? That must have taken some doing, considering their relative strength at the time? Agree with your point about Ellis generally though.

[robbo1874]

Wow, this kicked off overnight!

My favourite part was the 'promotion = bad season' doublethink.

the season in the 2nd div was one of my favourites for personal reasons. Mainly due to being just old enough to go to home games unaccompanied and some fantastic displays with the likes of platt, mcinally and tony, tony Daley , spinksy and birchy. The Bradford game is right up there for me. You can argue it either way and I do acknowledge why some people would think it was a bad season for us, but I loved it. The all ticket match against Leeds and spanking blues 5-0 in the cup, culminating in going straight back up.

[Richard E]

There were some great away trips that year but we sucked at home for the majority of that season as well. Plus ca change...

[mattjpa]

Weighing in to the good season/bad season debate, surely the only parameter that really counts is how you feel walking away from villa park? its not even the results because I can feel ok coming away after a loss as long as ive seen some drama, a couple of goals for us and and some fight. I dont really care if I come away seeing us beat Fulham 2-0 in the league or Rotherham 3-1 in the League cup as long as ive been entertained and got my moneys worth. On the back of that, I agree that had I have been old enough, the promotion season in Div 2 would have no doubt been a good season.

Can any of the currently pro board/management brigade honestly weigh up any of the previous four seasons with the criteria I have outlined and say any of them have been good? I worry that the board etc are now taking advantage of the goodwill and time granted to them during this rebuilding process. It cannot carry on like this

[Dave Clark Five]

Because it's preferable to being so twisted that you start to say relegation was a success.

I'm not sure anyone's said that though.  Relegation = bad season.  Promotion = good season.  I wouldn't have described that as a giant leap away from conventional football wisdom.  Promotion = bad season.  Now that has been said and it is a bit puzzling.

Being there in the first place = absolute disaster. In the circumstances worse than anything any other chairman of any club has ever overseen.

didnt Utd get relegated 5 years after winning the European cup in '68? That must have taken some doing, considering their relative strength at the time? Agree with your point about Ellis generally though.

Utd were on the wane much quicker than that. They lost to a Third Division side in the LCSF in 1970.

[rob_bridge]

Wow, this kicked off overnight!

My favourite part was the 'promotion = bad season' doublethink.

the season in the 2nd div was one of my favourites for personal reasons. Mainly due to being just old enough to go to home games unaccompanied and some fantastic displays with the likes of platt, mcinally and tony, tony Daley , spinksy and birchy. The Bradford game is right up there for me. You can argue it either way and I do acknowledge why some people would think it was a bad season for us, but I loved it. The all ticket match against Leeds and spanking blues 5-0 in the cup, culminating in going straight back up.

The 5-0 was the start of the following season.

The noise v Bradford before and after Platt's wonder header. Andy Gray blasting the 5th v Hull on NYD to go top.

Good times IMO

[rob_bridge]

Weighing in to the good season/bad season debate, surely the only parameter that really counts is how you feel walking away from villa park? its not even the results because I can feel ok coming away after a loss as long as ive seen some drama, a couple of goals for us and and some fight. I dont really care if I come away seeing us beat Fulham 2-0 in the league or Rotherham 3-1 in the League cup as long as ive been entertained and got my moneys worth. On the back of that, I agree that had I have been old enough, the promotion season in Div 2 would have no doubt been a good season.

Can any of the currently pro board/management brigade honestly weigh up any of the previous four seasons with the criteria I have outlined and say any of them have been good? I worry that the board etc are now taking advantage of the goodwill and time granted to them during this rebuilding process. It cannot carry on like this

Yes in December's 2007 and 2008 we played Arsenal. Lost one, drew one. £100 spent each time including trip to club shop. Entertainment personified.

[Dave Clark Five]

Promotion would not represent a good season

Tell that to the thousands who partied after Swindon like it was ..erm...1988. Our promotion didn't represent a good season, it was a great season .

The last few seasons have been shit and the relegation season was dreadful but the promotion season was one of the highlights of my Villa supporting career. It's my opinion, but it was better than the slow death we've been enduring these past few seasons. I saw a team coming together under a proper manager, who didn't make excuses when we played shit and told it like it is, a genuine resurgance in fanatical support, some great wins, some fantastic away days and some geinuine passion without the need for the club to lay on free coaches, Bright Future scarves, silly flags or any other American-style marketing gimmicks.

I'd never want to be in the position again, mind. Have I just contradicted myself?

Yes indeed. Those who throw the towel in after a relegation is liable to miss some great times. We don't want it to happen but, if it does, enjoy what bits of it you can.

[Mister E]

Because it's preferable to being so twisted that you start to say relegation was a success.

I'm not sure anyone's said that though.  Relegation = bad season.  Promotion = good season.  I wouldn't have described that as a giant leap away from conventional football wisdom.  Promotion = bad season.  Now that has been said and it is a bit puzzling.

Being there in the first place = absolute disaster. In the circumstances worse than anything any other chairman of any club has ever overseen.

didnt Utd get relegated 5 years after winning the European cup in '68? That must have taken some doing, considering their relative strength at the time? Agree with your point about Ellis generally though.

Utd were on the wane much quicker than that. They lost to a Third Division side in the LCSF in 1970.

And that night still rates as one of the all-time best Villa Park occasions ... wow!

The atmosphere at VP is now a pale shadow of what it used to be; not least because the last four+ years have seen such unremitting dross (punctuated by glimmers of light, like the 6-1 last season against Blunderland).

It's the home form for which successive managers should be rightly panned.

[robbo1874]

Going back to the title of this thread, why doesn't Kendrick ask the bloody questions? It is after all his job, as a local journo following the club. Surely if he's persistent enough and goes about it in a reasoned and measured way, he should be able to smoke them out and get some answers?

[Dave Clark Five]

Going back to the title of this thread, why doesn't Kendrick ask the bloody questions? It is after all his job, as a local journo following the club. Surely if he's persistent enough and goes about it in a reasoned and measured way, he should be able to smoke them out and get some answers?

He'll only have PF to speak to. It seems to me that he has to carry the can for everything. Must be tough facing all the questions while the owner cowers elsewhere.

Edit - probably a bit harsh as Lerner was rarely here when we weren't so bad.

[saunders_heroes]

Going back to the title of this thread, why doesn't Kendrick ask the bloody questions? It is after all his job, as a local journo following the club. Surely if he's persistent enough and goes about it in a reasoned and measured way, he should be able to smoke them out and get some answers?

Oh for the days of real journalists who didn't give a damn why they upset and printed what they liked. Now we have nodding dogs like Kendrick who is terrified of upsetting Faulkner and co.

[robbo1874]

So Kendrick, or nobody else in the local media has randy's mobile no. Or email address ? I take your point DC5, but my perception of the situation is that no one wants to upset Lerner, for fear of being blacklisted like bitter pat murphy. Understandable maybe, but if there's questions to be asked and answers to those questions sought, surely the responsibility lies with those people for whom it is their main job? I know the mail (probably often quite rightly) gets a lot of stick for being anti-villa and pro-blues at times, but if they really wanted to demonstrate impartiality ( or even a show of support for the club) then get in there, ask the questions, don't get fobbed and keep going until something gives. To try and put this on the fans is a bit like the kid trying to start a big scrap at school and then running off and hiding in someone's front garden.  Come on Matt, get some answers. Do your job.

[not3bad]

The problem is Kendrick knows who he is dealing with and so knows more than likely that asking direct questions isn't going to do any good.  What if you saying "go on ask, the questions directly" is a bit like saying "go on, have a go at that brick wall?"

Basically a pointless exercise, no?