The Big Interview

[Steve67]

It's great to have ambition but don't tell me, show me.  60,000, yes please! But please show me.

[Risso]

It's great to have ambition but don't tell me, show me.  60,000, yes please! But please show me.

Much as it pains me to ask the question, is there enough inherent support in the Midlands for a team (which would have to be us) getting regular 50,000+ crowds? The area hasn't had regular success in decades, with nearly all titles going to London or the North West. 

[McGraths Dry Cleaning]

Personally if I worked at Villa I'd be concentrating on us being able to take a throw in to one of our own players before we worry too much about how big the car park has to be for the new North Stand.

[VILLA MOLE]

Personally if I worked at Villa I'd be concentrating on us being able to take a throw in to one of our own players before we worry too much about how big the car park has to be for the new North Stand.

Ha those throw ins are a mystery aren't they

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

After year after year of falling out of love with modern foo£ball in general, on top of year after year of the club in particular that I love kicking me continually in the guts and completely and utterly taking away all hope and optimism it is good to have all of my faith now restored with the concept of the "Villa Engine". Thanks.

[Ads]

If all the other stuff is true then they see Bruceand his signings as a short term answer to a short term problem. I would prefer us to start the engine now, rather than shoving it in the boot of a car, driving it to where you might start it and then realise there are teething problems with the engine.

We're driving through salt water marshland at the moment. Corrosive to a finely tuned V8 and the bodywork. A rugged 3L diesel is what's required to plough our way out.

[Risso]

If all the other stuff is true then they see Bruceand his signings as a short term answer to a short term problem. I would prefer us to start the engine now, rather than shoving it in the boot of a car, driving it to where you might start it and then realise there are teething problems with the engine.

We're driving through salt water marshland at the moment. Corrosive to a finely tuned V8 and the bodywork. A rugged 3L diesel is what's required to plough our way out.

Shame we've got a Honda Jazz doing 50mph in the middle lane.

[Richard E]

It's great to have ambition but don't tell me, show me.  60,000, yes please! But please show me.

Much as it pains me to ask the question, is there enough inherent support in the Midlands for a team (which would have to be us) getting regular 50,000+ crowds? The area hasn't had regular success in decades, with nearly all titles going to London or the North West. 

I don't think there is. I think this is total cloud cuckoo land.

[The Edge]

Interesting read but short term can't they sort out the seats in the North stand. Very little room up there.

Only by giving it the long overdue bulldozer treatment

[Percy McCarthy]

It's great to have ambition but don't tell me, show me.  60,000, yes please! But please show me.

Much as it pains me to ask the question, is there enough inherent support in the Midlands for a team (which would have to be us) getting regular 50,000+ crowds? The area hasn't had regular success in decades, with nearly all titles going to London or the North West. 

I don't think there is. I think this is total cloud cuckoo land.

You think a team in Birmingham with support all over the city and the wider region that averaged 40k a few years ago for a 6th placed team with, as has been said on here, no bums-on-seats players, couldn't attract over 50k with the type of players and success Man City and Chelsea have? Because they often got worse crowds than us when they were as shit as we are.

[PeterWithesShin]

We could do it but we would need CL every year, regular trophies etc. We get 30K+ as a mediocre division 2 side, so not that hard to imagine 50K if we're regularly top 2 or 3 and winning cups. Getting to that level is another matter as it would mean sustained success that we haven't managed for a century.

[olaftab]

A little while ago both Chelsea and Man City had not had much, in fact any, success for well over a century.

[KRS]

It's easy to spout these words and have a plan in place, however these kind of statements conveniently ignore what all the other clubs are doing...particularly those that occupy the top 6 or 7 positions in the league year in year out. It's going to be a mammoth task, huge investment, a large turnover of players, a new manager and a lot of time to even get close to where they aspire to get to. There are no shortcuts when our opponents are investing and developing at a greater rate than we are.

[ciggiesnbeer]

On reflection I am happy Wyness is talking about a Villa way of playing football or "engine" I am also happy he is bigging up the idea of us expanding.

Sure they may look foolish in a year but you know what it beats the drum beat of cost cutting and balancing the books we have heard for years.

I will take Brummie Dortmund or some such.

[Percy McCarthy]

It's easy to spout these words and have a plan in place, however these kind of statements conveniently ignore what all the other clubs are doing...particularly those that occupy the top 6 or 7 positions in the league year in year out. It's going to be a mammoth task, huge investment, a large turnover of players, a new manager and a lot of time to even get close to where they aspire to get to. There are no shortcuts when our opponents are investing and developing at a greater rate than we are.

Indeed. When Lerner said he was going to take us back to the top I said it would cost him hundreds of millions of pounds for years and years. It appears that while most of us knew that, he appeared surprised by it.. Or maybe it was the collapse in his fortune that did for us.