When does the Booing stop....

[peter w]

They may well be nervous, and booing may well make it worse for them. But it is lack of application that got us relegated.

After how the majority of players have played all season why should we care if they are a bit nervous now. What they have done is not good enough and it's fine to show them this with full force for a time limited period for the next few games.

It's not the lack of application it's the general lack of ability. We're not bottom because players can't be bothered. We're bottom because we're not good enough.

And we don't work hard enough. Stats will confirm that

I agree. But that's because they are not at a level where they have the ability to compete. That includes on fitness and stamina for the top flight.

[AVH87]

I'm guessing it's unlikely you'll be at VP for the Newcastle match mate, but if you are, would you really be booing the players during the game if we've still got a chance of dragging the Geordies down with us? I'm all for giving them stick when they come out, but we've much more a chance of beating Newcastle with the fans getting behind the players during the match?

I don't give a shit about Newcastle, whether they stay up or sink with us. And which of our players do you think will, after 35 games of doing absolutely nothing, suddenly make any effort if we clap them?

It would be great to win, not because of who we're playing but because we've only done it 3 times this season.

Yet you continue to advocate generating an atmosphere which makes this less likely?

You have your view, but a lot of people disagree with you, including the acting manager.  It's not about payers trying harder if you clap them, it's about them not having their confidence stripped from the moment they step on the pitch (and forget all that 'targeted booing shite - it is the general negativity effecting all players).  They are afraid to receive the ball, to try anything positive for fear of making mistakes etc.  You are quite right that clapping them won't suddenly make them a good team.  But encouragement is far more likely to contribute to a better performance than booing.  Surely you can't dispute that?

The team have received fantastic support, absolutely unbelievable support for 3 quarters of this season and it's done nothing to lift the team. More than that, it seems to have been thrown back in the fans' faces by several players. How could we possibly play worse?

28/10/2015 I have a clear memory of it being 10 minutes into the game at 0-0 when we started singing 'We're fucking shit'. That wasn't the first time, and it has been done all season since. So can we put to bed the sanctimonious myth of our incredibly patient support?

So basically 10 or so games in to another bad run during the 6th season of continous poor form and bad runs? But were not patient? Yeah, Ok.

It was a League Cup game on the back of 6 straight league defeats. Bastard fickle Villa fans.
[/quote]

Plus I'm pretty sure that was a game where it was tickets for £10 adults/£1 kids during the school holidays, hence our end contained a lot of 16-18 year old kids who wouldn't otherwise have gone, who probably thought it was funny and 'bantz'.

I've been at all home games in the league and a handful of aways up until Feb and can't remember hearing 'we're fucking shit' being sung once.

[amfy]

I'm not blaming the fans, but pre-season we talked about how it'd take time for a team with so many changes to gel, & many of those early defeats were narrow & not the kind of abysmal half arsed performances we have seen later in the season.

I am not blaming the fans, I am saying that I find the booing unpleasant & uncomfortable and would like it to stop, and I am as entitled to an opinion as to how best to support the team as someone who wants to boo them is. (Not more, not less)

I was also responding to the notion we had been patient for 3/4 of the season, when actually we were patient for 10 games before we couldn't stay behind our team for the first 10 minutes of a game we weren't losing.

I'm not blaming the fans because I don't know whether or not it affects the players, what I am saying is that it affects me.

[robbo1874]

Well it should have been

[robbo1874]

Sorry Amfy was responding to the post above yours

[PeterWithesShin]

Over the last 5 years i'd say our support has been incredibly patient. I'm not a fan of booing from word go but can fully understand why some are doing it.

This is the 5th straight season we won't have won more than 10 games in a season. Over those 5 seasons we've peaked at 41 points, the other 4 we got less than 40. We're averaging less than 5 home wins a season in that time. We've won 22 home games in 5 years. We've broken just about every negative record in the club's history. We've been more than patient.

[peter w]

I agree PWS - I think we have been overly patient especially during the lambert reign.  But that doesn't mean we should allow the atmosphere to continue. its just not a nice environment to watch or play in.

[chrisw1]

Mark & Chico, as two of the more vociferous backers of wanting the booing to continue, neither of you seem to have addressed the questions of what you hope to achieve - the message has been well and truly delivered by now - or the negative impact the atmosphere may be having on the club.

Black has stated that he is concerned about throwing youngsters into that atmosphere.  That is from the horses mouth so whether you think you are 'targeted booing' or not that alone should be enough for you to realise it is having an adverse impact on the club.

It is probably having negative impact on performance, yes we know they were shit before but the comments above about confidence etc are very real.  Personally I would like us to have as positive end to the season as possible as a springboard to next year.  And yes, I would prefer to prevent Newcastle coming and taking the piss by taking them down with us.  The atmosphere makes this almost impossible.

Add into this that the ongoing negative atmosphere must be effecting the decision making process of players we want or need to keep.  Whatever you may say, we are not signing a whole new squad this summer.  You are making it far more likely that our better players will want to get as far away from the club as possible and probably putting some doubt into the mind of players who may consider joining.  It may also play on the mind of prospective new owners or managers who may think the situation is beyond repair.

You may think some of this is far fetched, but I have no doubt that the ongoing booing can't possibly be contributing anything positive to the club and may well be very counter productive.

I think the point has been well and truly made to the club and players.  Why carry on?

[Witton Warrior]

I think the point has been well and truly made to the club and players.  Why carry on?

This too will pass...
It's the only thing to look forward to because the football sure as hell isn't.

Some folks are only hearing booing - what about the singing in support of our club that we in the Holte get going every game?

Reckon it will stop after Newcastle and the Arsenal game will see a party atmosphere with the fans singing their hearts out - regroup and then back to business next season

[Chico Hamilton III]

You'll have to search through other threads for my justification, I can't be arsed to go through it again

You are making it far more likely that our better players will want to get as far away from the club as possible and probably putting some doubt into the mind of players who may consider joining.  It may also play on the mind of prospective new owners or managers who may think the situation is beyond repair

.

What, me? I only wish I could wield such influence on my club

Black has stated that he is concerned about throwing youngsters into that atmosphere.

He comes out with some shit don't he?

Each to their own - I won't tell you how to support Villa, you don't tell me how to.

[markeeeebeeee2005]

I agree with you it needs to stop. But for me the end of the season is when we draw a line under it.

Nobody at any level of the club has set any reasonable standard for what is acceptable this season or in previous seasons. In the meantime fans have been supportive and patient. For a relatively short period of time we are showing displeasure. To be fair this is interspersed with pro Villa singing and applause for young players like Toner.

For me there is no correct answer and I agree with some of what you have said. But if you play for Villa and you do not show crude club and fans respect in terms of how you train, play and behave off the field there has to be some sort of comeback. The fans have trusted the management to provide this for a long time patience has run thin.

As I said I wasn't there on Saturday but am fully behind those who ventrd their long term displeasure, organised protest cards, held up their moms best bed sheets and of course also sang their support with healthy choruses of songs such as 'Villa till I die.'

[chrisw1]

You'll have to search through other threads for my justification, I can't be arsed to go through it again

You are making it far more likely that our better players will want to get as far away from the club as possible and probably putting some doubt into the mind of players who may consider joining.  It may also play on the mind of prospective new owners or managers who may think the situation is beyond repair

.

What, me? I only wish I could wield such influence on my club

Black has stated that he is concerned about throwing youngsters into that atmosphere.

He comes out with some shit don't he?

Each to their own - I won't tell you how to support Villa, you don't tell me how to.

I addressed you as you are one of the more vocal about it.  The thread is about the ongoing crowd booing, so of course not you alone.

Black - yes maybe he does.  But the fact remains based on his comments the atmosphere is impacting on his decision as to whether to bring young players in or not.  So yes, it is directly effecting the team in this way.

You have chipped into a thread to defend the ongoing booing, so don't get all high and mighty about telling eachother how to support the club.  If you don't want to hear reasons why some of us think it's a bad idea, then why involve yourself in the thread at all?

[Chico Hamilton III]

I agree with you it needs to stop. But for me the end of the season is when we draw a line under it.

Exactly what I said all those pages ago. I've never booed Villa in 40 years of watching them before this season and I don't intend to do it next season. If the players getting stick from the fans ( and this has pretty much been the case only since relegation has looked a certainty) - makes them feel bad, then good. To blame anyone other than the managers, owners and players is ridiculous. I've never heard Villa fans booing a good Villa team   

[scott arms]

Do you think a crescendo of boos in the last minute will work better clock wise or anti clock wise from the holte? 

[chrisw1]

Do you think a crescendo of boos in the last minute will work better clock wise or anti clock wise from the holte? 

School just finished?  Nothing interesting on the Blues or Stripey forums?