Aston Villa vs Fulham Post Match Thread

[Des Little]

I think the fans have been very, very patient and got behind the team given the utter shit we have endured. The team owe us, not the other way round. They can't hide behind such claims - they are handsomely paid to perform under whatever 'pressure' a passionate support brings. And this season, like last year, they have let us down.

[silhillvilla]

I looked around me at one stage yesterday, think it was about the 35 min mark and nobody around me was actually watching the game. They were either on their phones, looking at the floor or reading the progra.... I mean H&V .

[KevinGage]

As sure as night follows day.

We have a bad run, the manager looks like he's on borrowed time and we'll have someone blaming paying spectators.

We just need that berk with the visual aids to make a bold return to the fold.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

I think the fans have been very, very patient and got behind the team given the utter shit we have endured. The team owe us, not the other way round. They can't hide behind such claims - they are handsomely paid to perform under whatever 'pressure' a passionate support brings. And this season, like last year, they have let us down.

Why do the team owe us? We're considerably more successful than the vast majority of team in England, so what exactly do they owe us? Winning the league? Finishing top 4? Finishing mid-table? Staying up?

Why the team owe our fans anything is beyond me. May be the fans supporting the team might help (and that doesn't mean when you are beating a team, it means throughout). Oh sorry, us poor Villa fans have had it bad for years blah blah blah. Just look at other teams. If everyone did as their fans thought they should, we'd have won plenty by now.

[Des Little]

I'm not interested in other teams. I don't support other teams. I support this one...and I do support them, thanks very much. If you're happy with the way it's going, then great. I'm not.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

I'm not interested in other teams. I don't support other teams. I support this one...and I do support them, thanks very much. If you're happy with the way it's going, then great. I'm not.

I'm not happy. I expect more. But what are you happy with? A lot on here moaned about where we finished under MON.

I've gone past positional expectations as we're never going to win anything and just want to see us play entertaining football. It's not happening so I'd make a change.

[Des Little]

I'm not interested in other teams. I don't support other teams. I support this one...and I do support them, thanks very much. If you're happy with the way it's going, then great. I'm not.

I'm not happy. I expect more. But what are you happy with? A lot on here moaned about where we finished under MON.

I've gone past positional expectations as we're never going to win anything and just want to see us play entertaining football. It's not happening so I'd make a change.

Very fair point. I can't argue with that - I can cope with not winning things, but not a lack of tactics and a non descript or attractive style of play. Something has to give.

[amfy]

'poisonous' is harsh. It's definitely tough to keep singing & chanting when they can leave you feeling so flat - & I did think the crowd had a good go at trying to keep some noise going. However, so many upping & leaving when we went 2-1 down wasn't exactly helpful.

There turned out to be 4 minutes of injury time, those who were left actually managed a bit of a roar of encouragement when it was announced. We needed to have done that as they came back to kick off after that goal, instead of facing them with the angry clatter of upturning seats.

We hoped to be better against a Fulham side who had been rooted to the bottom of the table, but we hadn't been outplayed, we were still in the game, there was time left. Look at how much happened in the last few minutes at Albion last week - it needn't have been over, but it felt like it was when so many decided they'd seen enough.

On MOTD I noticed they showed Fulham players tweets of appreciation for their '12th man'. In the moment after Fulham's 2nd goal, our impact as a group of supporters was more like having one sent off!

There isn't anyone here who hasn't seen how easily this team's confidence swings, how good they can be when their tails are up, as well as how bad they can be when their heads go down. I don't know why we don't want to try & give them that boost. We do know it can make a difference.

I don't blame anyone for booing them off at the end, of course we should have won that game. I'd prefer people to show their displeasure by doing that rather than giving up before the match is done. (& that exodus really wasn't about beating the traffic!)

I wish people wouldn't get so defensive. It's not about blaming the fans, letting the team the manager, the board off the hook - for me it's about us being a team. I expect them to do their bit, and I am pissed off when they don't, but I expect us to do ours as well. I know we are the paying public, but it's just how I always thought football worked.

[Witton Warrior]

Can I apologise for being pissed off with watching us lose for the 12th time this season - it is obviously people like me who are causing the poor results of the last three seasons so maybe it is best if we don't turn up year after year to upset the players - the fact I had shouted myself hoarse for 93 minutes (OK I did slump when they scored their second - fickle me) was a mistake on my part as it may have distracted the defence at crucial moments.

Tongue. In cheek. But do me a favour ;-)

[BC54 VFC]

The poor poster has apologised for the 'poisonous' comment so why have three subsequent posters felt the need to pick up on it. The guy / girl has only made four posts; they won't be encouraged to make many more if this is the response they get!

[Legion]

Apologies - poisonous was a bit harsh. Just hate to see the fans giving our players a harder time of it than the opposition players.

Thank you.

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

Other teams have been through what we are going through and still kept a high level of support. Its all about sticking with your team. Watching some of our performances is painful and it is happening over a long period of time, with the odd game that gives a false sense that we are improving. We have just got to prey that we stay in the prem and PL improves the quality of the players he brings in and that some of the players he has already brought in step up (Tonev, etc) ........

[KevinGage]

We've all been to games where the Villa fans have been up for it and possibly provided a shot of adrenaline at a key stage.

10 home defeats indicate that our problems run a bit deeper than how audible the crowd are, or how many positive songs they sing, though. If the fundamentals are so deeply flawed (as ours have been, in defence, midfield and attack this season) no amount of partisan support from the stands can override that.

If it did have such an impact over a prolonged period of time Leeds and Portsmouth would still be in the topflight. And Arsenal would be non league.

[amfy]

The poor poster has apologised for the 'poisonous' comment so why have three subsequent posters felt the need to pick up on it. The guy / girl has only made four posts; they won't be encouraged to make many more if this is the response they get!

To be fair I was largely agreeing with their sentiments! I more wanted to say that just because they'd used the word 'poisonous', it didn't make the whole post wrong.

[Billy Walker]

'poisonous' is harsh. It's definitely tough to keep singing & chanting when they can leave you feeling so flat - & I did think the crowd had a good go at trying to keep some noise going. However, so many upping & leaving when we went 2-1 down wasn't exactly helpful.

There turned out to be 4 minutes of injury time, those who were left actually managed a bit of a roar of encouragement when it was announced. We needed to have done that as they came back to kick off after that goal, instead of facing them with the angry clatter of upturning seats.

We hoped to be better against a Fulham side who had been rooted to the bottom of the table, but we hadn't been outplayed, we were still in the game, there was time left. Look at how much happened in the last few minutes at Albion last week - it needn't have been over, but it felt like it was when so many decided they'd seen enough.

On MOTD I noticed they showed Fulham players tweets of appreciation for their '12th man'. In the moment after Fulham's 2nd goal, our impact as a group of supporters was more like having one sent off!

There isn't anyone here who hasn't seen how easily this team's confidence swings, how good they can be when their tails are up, as well as how bad they can be when their heads go down. I don't know why we don't want to try & give them that boost. We do know it can make a difference.

I don't blame anyone for booing them off at the end, of course we should have won that game. I'd prefer people to show their displeasure by doing that rather than giving up before the match is done. (& that exodus really wasn't about beating the traffic!)

I wish people wouldn't get so defensive. It's not about blaming the fans, letting the team the manager, the board off the hook - for me it's about us being a team. I expect them to do their bit, and I am pissed off when they don't, but I expect us to do ours as well. I know we are the paying public, but it's just how I always thought football worked.

Spot on.