Aston Villa v Newcastle United Post-Match Thread

[saunders_heroes]

Still want to know what people think we'd need to do before they consider us 'ambitious'.

I know what you mean. 4 relegation battles on the trot. What more do the fans want??

Again, we've greatly improved the squad. This is about this season not previous ones.

The defence looks better I'll give you that, and that's the least we should expect considering how poor it's been over the last few years. I don't think what Lerner's done so far this season is ambitious. More like the bare minimum to stay in the league.

[Chipsticks]

Still want to know what people think we'd need to do before they consider us 'ambitious'.

I know what you mean. 4 relegation battles on the trot. What more do the fans want??

Again, we've greatly improved the squad. This is about this season not previous ones.

The defence looks better I'll give you that, and that's the least we should expect considering how poor it's been over the last few years. I don't think what Lerner's done so far this season is ambitious. More like the bare minimum to stay in the league.

It's as much as I think we possibly could have done, and much more than I had expected at the end of last season.

[saunders_heroes]

Still want to know what people think we'd need to do before they consider us 'ambitious'.

I know what you mean. 4 relegation battles on the trot. What more do the fans want??

Again, we've greatly improved the squad. This is about this season not previous ones.

The defence looks better I'll give you that, and that's the least we should expect considering how poor it's been over the last few years. I don't think what Lerner's done so far this season is ambitious. More like the bare minimum to stay in the league.

It's as much as I think we possibly could have done, and much more than I had expected at the end of last season.

I don't think we'll see any real ambition at Villa until a new owner turns up.

[PeterWithesShin]

I think our overall match day fan base is poor. Even when we were skirting around 3/4 mid seasons in 2007/8/9 we didn't sell out other than when GH's turned up. That's the most disappointing thing about our city.

When we averaged 40,000 we sold out 11 times.

We had 5 capacity attendances that season, 6 if capacity was slightly lower for small heath due to segregation. I'm struggling to see any that weren't capacity due only to lack of away fans, although a few could go either way but it would be rare for the likes of Arsenal and Spurs not to sell out their allocations.

[PaulWinch again]

Still want to know what people think we'd need to do before they consider us 'ambitious'.

I know what you mean. 4 relegation battles on the trot. What more do the fans want??

Again, we've greatly improved the squad. This is about this season not previous ones.

The defence looks better I'll give you that, and that's the least we should expect considering how poor it's been over the last few years. I don't think what Lerner's done so far this season is ambitious. More like the bare minimum to stay in the league.

It's as much as I think we possibly could have done, and much more than I had expected at the end of last season.

That is true, but I think 'ambitious' is a massive push. At the end of the day in fees we've paid out we've paid around £6 million. We've spent it well, but in Premier League terms that isn't ambitious.

[Chipsticks]

Still want to know what people think we'd need to do before they consider us 'ambitious'.

I know what you mean. 4 relegation battles on the trot. What more do the fans want??

Again, we've greatly improved the squad. This is about this season not previous ones.

The defence looks better I'll give you that, and that's the least we should expect considering how poor it's been over the last few years. I don't think what Lerner's done so far this season is ambitious. More like the bare minimum to stay in the league.

It's as much as I think we possibly could have done, and much more than I had expected at the end of last season.

That is true, but I think 'ambitious' is a massive push. At the end of the day in fees we've paid out we've paid around £6 million. We've spent it well, but in Premier League terms that isn't ambitious.

Very fair point. I just don't think the club are solely operating on 'do just enough to stay up' like many insist.

[Toronto Villa]

You could make a good case for PL fees being completely mental and beyond anything that resembles ambition. It wouldn't surprise me if the PL has the highest median transfer fees and wages in world football. Relative to the actual quality overall that it produces it is not a true representation of ambition in any way.

[KevinGage]

In 1995, after the scare of nearly going down, Herbert sanctioned the spending of over £9 million on new players. 

That was nearly 20 years ago (Christ).

Going into the last week in August, and after almost getting sucked into the relegation scrap again for the fourth year on the bounce, the powers that be think £6 million (so far) is enough to turn our fortunes around.  I am happy that a few of our acquisitions look like good bargains, but the areas we really need to strengthen now (midfield and up top) also tend to be the most costly.

[PaulWinch again]

You could make a good case for PL fees being completely mental and beyond anything that resembles ambition. It wouldn't surprise me if the PL has the highest median transfer fees and wages in world football. Relative to the actual quality overall that it produces it is not a true representation of ambition in any way.

That's true but it's a different debate even if Premier League fees are massive £6 million is a pretty modest outlay. I'm not disputing it appears to have been spent pretty well, but to get the quality we require to unlock teams and create chances we'll have to spend quite a bit more.

[Percy McCarthy]

I think our overall match day fan base is poor. Even when we were skirting around 3/4 mid seasons in 2007/8/9 we didn't sell out other than when GH's turned up. That's the most disappointing thing about our city.

When we averaged 40,000 we sold out 11 times.

We had 5 capacity attendances that season, 6 if capacity was slightly lower for small heath due to segregation. I'm struggling to see any that weren't capacity due only to lack of away fans, although a few could go either way but it would be rare for the likes of Arsenal and Spurs not to sell out their allocations.

Fair enough, don't know where that little snippet was ingrained onto my memory banks from. Still, to average 40k in a capacity of 42,500 our crowds must have been consistently up around that figure.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Sky have got what they wanted - a core of four big contenders whose games they can promote to a casual audience. The rest are just the opposition. That's us I'm afraid.

So, so true. Even if Sky didn't want it, you still have the Euro Club of 16/20 who will control the TV cash.

[pbavfckuwait]

Ambition whatever it costs , as a minimum should be winning more games than you lose and trying to put on a display of cohesion, especially when the manager in charge is entering his 3rd season.

The amount of money quite rightly does not guarantee ambition or success, but the minimum any club should be looking to do is improve on their last finishing position.

[jeowje]

Was slightly disapointed after going on saturday, had hoped (admittedly rather than expected) to see a better attacking performance, but i think i agree with the majority that it is healthy to consider the wider positives- good point, unbeaten, more solid, encouraging cameo from The Rock, options in Joe Cole and Jack Grealish from the bench, impending return of Kozack and Benteke. Was my first league game for a couple of years, going to go to Hull as well I think- forgotten what a good day out it can be, even with a less inspired display.

[olaftab]

Fair enough, don't know where that little snippet was ingrained onto my memory banks from. Still, to average 40k in a capacity of 42,500 our crowds must have been consistently up around that figure.

Fair enough but the point I was making was that in this city we should have sold out every week in that era at only 42,500 capacity stadium not just  when it's a local derby or stadium  filled by brummie reds.

[Gregorys Boy]

Just about being realistic at the moment.  We have been nearly the bottom than the top for the last three or four seasons, there is not a lot to suggest things will be much different this time.  I get that the club have not shown much ambition as of late, but its gotten to the stage where we just have to deal with the problem of staying up, treat anything else as a bonus, and then try and move forward next season.