April 4, 1987

[Big Dick Edwards]

That Villa side that went down in 87 looked more than good enough on paper to have been a mid table team. In addition to several European Cup winners, our defence, including Dorigo, Elliott and Keown went on to have long , successful careers To see them perform in the flesh as a unit though was a desperate sight.

[castlefields_villan]

That Villa side that went down in 87 looked more than good enough on paper to have been a mid table team. In addition to several European Cup winners, our defence, including Dorigo, Elliott and Keown went on to have long , successful careers To see them perform in the flesh as a unit though was a desperate sight.

I remember having this very same conversation with George Gavin on his phone in after we lost our first two games in August 1986 (to Tottenham & Wimbledon I think) and his exact words were "you don't win games on paper" - I must dig out the cassette sometime, I've still got it somewhere !

[dcdavecollett]

I recall Andy Gray appearing on TV before the opening game v Spuds (0-3), saying that with the way we'd ended the previous season, the addition of several expensive new signings and one or two young players coming through (T. Daley), he saw us as dark horses for the title.

Didn't quite work out, though...