Former PL club Aston Villa 2-3 Watford - post mortem thread

[ChicagoLion]

Charlie Austin. I don't care if his knee's made of rice paper, he'll put the ball in the net.

Him and two defenders will do.

Will do what exactly?
If you think we can stay up from here I would get down the Bookies sharpish before the fightback ensues.

[curiousorange]

Will do for a start. Of course, we could do nothing.

[SamTheMouse]

We've been circling the drain ever since O'Neill flounced out.

In the season of shitness under Houllier, there were signs that maybe, just maybe, we had turned a corner and started down the right road.

But the McLeish appointment was the beginning of the end. And now the end is nigh.

[mr-villa]

The thing you can't even say (at best) we've been unlucky to find us in such a perilous position. If you've spent the last 5 years selling your best players, replacing them with inferior ones whilst promoting youth players who are simply not good enough for the Premier League then sticking labels on them like "young and hungry" to fool the fans into thinking there's something magical about to happen.
No, this is all down to Lerner not wanting to pay the going rate for PL players. Decent players go where the wages are, and all we've done for the last 5 or so years is to hack at our wage bill with a sledge hammer.
Lerner is the sole cause of our humiliating decline. You reap what you sow, and all that.

This! When wolves went down a few seasons ago to league 1 and it all turned nasty on the pitch after the final whistle. I can see scenes like that at our place at last home game.
We're done for. We are not going to get 35 points from half a season of matches. That's champions league form for the season.
I don't see RL giving us any money in Jan either

We are still 5 games away from the half way point in the season mate, christ almighty thank god we didn't have all you moaning whingers around between 39 and 45 if so we would all be speaking German now.

[Olof's Beard]

That one was just painful. It really hurt.

The team has stunk for the last few weeks but they actually played well today. But the problem with being so bad for so long is the amount of importance attached to a game like that breeds anxiety, and you could see it in our defence. That said, one own goal and two cases of a ricochet from a half blocked shot leading to them scoring. I know people are having a go at Clark for the 3rd goal but when a ball loops up like that, it will always favour the guy who can have a run at it. The first goal was a panic-ridden shambles but when your luck's in, you get away with it.

We are so bad it barely feels real. I hate been an ex-pat at times like this. All the Villa fans I knew on Malta have left so I suffer in isolation. I would rather be at Villa Park, at least surrounded by people who feel as shit as I do.

[ChicagoLion]

Will do for a start. Of course, we could do nothing.

We are down mate, there is no escape from this.
If today did not show you that we do not have the players to win games nothing will.
The january window is too far away.

[Jimbo]

We've been circling the drain ever since O'Neill flounced out.

In the season of shitness under Houllier, there were signs that maybe, just maybe, we had turned a corner and started down the right road.

But the McLeish appointment was the beginning of the end. And now the end is nigh.

Agreed, but I really don't think the end is nigh. There's going to be plenty more torture to endure, this season and beyond, before Lerner finally skulks off.

[dave shelley]

Just back.  Some fcuking birthday!  No defence, no confidence, no luck, no hope.

Surely there's a better left back in the club than Richardson?  Even if it's some ten-year-old from the academy.  Absolutely dire defending. 

The three worst goalkeepers in the division on display today too.  TBF, Guzan wasn't too bad.

The day wasn't a total disaster though.*

*see the Who Have You Met thread.

[curiousorange]

I think being on Malta away from shithead Bitters fans sounds excellent.

[ChicagoLion]

The thing you can't even say (at best) we've been unlucky to find us in such a perilous position. If you've spent the last 5 years selling your best players, replacing them with inferior ones whilst promoting youth players who are simply not good enough for the Premier League then sticking labels on them like "young and hungry" to fool the fans into thinking there's something magical about to happen.
No, this is all down to Lerner not wanting to pay the going rate for PL players. Decent players go where the wages are, and all we've done for the last 5 or so years is to hack at our wage bill with a sledge hammer.
Lerner is the sole cause of our humiliating decline. You reap what you sow, and all that.

This! When wolves went down a few seasons ago to league 1 and it all turned nasty on the pitch after the final whistle. I can see scenes like that at our place at last home game.
We're done for. We are not going to get 35 points from half a season of matches. That's champions league form for the season.
I don't see RL giving us any money in Jan either

We are still 5 games away from the half way point in the season mate, christ almighty thank god we didn't have all you moaning whingers around between 39 and 45 if so we would all be speaking German now.

Sadly Winston Churchilll is not in charge of our club.

[curiousorange]

Will do for a start. Of course, we could do nothing.

We are down mate, there is no escape from this.
If today did not show you that we do not have the players to win games nothing will.
The january window is too far away.

I happen to agree that we'll probably be relegated, and yes, we'll probably be too far adrift by the start of next year. But as a legitimate response, maybe signing some players that might help our cause would be a more effective thing to do than accepting it.

[Toronto Villa]

What has Garde said after the game? He has to be gutted.

[auntiesledd]

Blame Lerner. Yes

But who the fuck was in charge if our transfer policy in the summer. £50m on that lot!

Coventry here we come

Ultimately it's down to Uncle Randolph - since it's him who sets the budget for transfers & wages. Had Benteke & The Slippery B'stard not been sold to pretty-much fund the incumbents this Summer, I've no doubt we would be somewhat better than rock bottom. Unfortunately, they were: & we are. Triffick.

[Rudy65]

Will do for a start. Of course, we could do nothing.

We are down mate, there is no escape from this.
If today did not show you that we do not have the players to win games nothing will.
The january window is too far away.

I happen to agree that we'll probably be relegated, and yes, we'll probably be too far adrift by the start of next year. But as a legitimate response, maybe signing some players that might help our cause would be a more effective thing to do than accepting it.

No chance. By then RL will be counting his losses and not spending

[oswald funkletrumpet]

1 win in 14, remember when it was 1 in 4/5. Fuck me... those were the days.

33 points from 48 games which is a fucking disgrace

we are down no two ways about and there is no way we will come straight back up, years in the wilderness to follow