collapse collapse

Please donate to help towards the costs of keeping this site going. Thank You.

Recent Topics

Unai Emery by PeterWithesShin
[Today at 09:47:04 AM]


Kits 25/26 by frankmosswasmyuncle
[Today at 09:46:19 AM]


Summer 2025 Transfer Window - hopes, speculation, rumours etc. by LeeS
[Today at 09:44:46 AM]


Brentford v Aston Villa Pre Match Thread. by Rodders
[Today at 09:38:15 AM]


Season Ticket 2025/26 by Nii Lamptey
[Today at 09:31:51 AM]


Other Games 2025-26 by PeterWithesShin
[Today at 08:50:41 AM]


Loanwatch 2025-26 by VILLA MOLE
[Today at 08:14:17 AM]


Bears/Pears/Domestic Cricket Thread by Villan For Life
[Today at 06:36:43 AM]

Follow us on...

Author Topic: Positivity  (Read 41328 times)

Offline pauliewalnuts

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 74621
  • GM : 28.08.2025
Re: Positivity
« Reply #180 on: October 31, 2023, 01:53:51 PM »
Before reading this, YES, I KNOW BEING GREAT IS BETTER THAN BEING SHIT, so don't tell me the obvious.

Anyway, this post inspired a bit by reading something Monty wrote in the Forest thread, which chimed with me, but does anyone else find themselves increasingly nervous the longer our run of good results goes on?

I mean, it's like we've emerged from a decade plus of mostly shit, in which the predominant emotion prior to a match was that things would go as shitly as they always do, to stumble into a new era where we are, frankly, fucking great only to find that presents itself with a whole new raft of emotions?

I'm looking at the top five and how tight it is, and how there's at least now a gap forming behind us, and how despite winning very frequently, the standards up there are so high that it isn't enough to move you up the table that much, because all the teams up there are great, meaning that dropping any points at all is potentially expensive.

I find this makes watching our games on telly (or stream) really tense (this as I've always found watching on telly way more stressful than watching at the ground).

I guess it's part of supporting us in recent years, that feeling that we're going to bollocks it up at some point, because, other than about 3 or 4 years in my 50 plus years of life experience, that's basically what Villa do (I am not permitting promotions in that tally, as IMO, getting promoted just balances out getting relegated in the first place, so it's zero sum).

I found myself thinking today, what if we do beat Forest, Fulham, get some sort of result at spurs, but then lose to Man City and possibly to Arsenal, how will I and the supporters in general react. And I started worrying about this, which I know is a bit ridiculous and irrational.

I think its called something to lose and the hope being the thing that kills and all that.

Briefly the other day, I caught myself thinking about a title challenge.

Online Clampy

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 30272
  • Location: warley
  • GM : PCM
Re: Positivity
« Reply #181 on: October 31, 2023, 01:55:08 PM »
It'll be interesting to see how we cope with the 8 games we have in December. As for us losing, we will at some point. We do tend to bounce back quickly though under Emery apart from that run last year when we let a few in. Each game as it comes and all that.

Offline Exeter 77

  • Member
  • Posts: 8461
  • Location: Back outside the realms of possibility
Re: Positivity
« Reply #182 on: October 31, 2023, 01:55:21 PM »
Paulie has just described exactly how I feel but I also acknowledge Dave Woodhall's point that us feeling like that is a big part of what hold the club back. 40+ years of expecting our next step to be the one of the cliff edge has led to an ingrained view of our own club not being deserving of being consistently successful. Just like our acceptance of the Unai Emery style of patient build-up from the back on the pitch we have to begin to see our club as long-term winners rather than feel inferior to the media's favourite clubs just because that same media tell us that's how we should feel. If that means we need to shift our traditional Brummie pessimism to something nearer to the arrogance associated with Mancs or Scousers then that is what we need to do.

Offline Smirker

  • Member
  • Posts: 7167
  • Location: Birmingham
  • GM : Sep, 2014
Re: Positivity
« Reply #183 on: October 31, 2023, 02:02:10 PM »
I mean, it's like we've emerged from a decade plus of mostly shit, in which the predominant emotion prior to a match was that things would go as shitly as they always do, to stumble into a new era where we are, frankly, fucking great only to find that presents itself with a whole new raft of emotions?
I like the cut of your jib, sir  8)
It won't be the first time we've gone from the second division to Champions of Europe in less than a decade. Enjoy the ride! 8)

Offline Risso

  • Member
  • Posts: 89939
  • Location: Leics
  • GM : 04.03.2025
Re: Positivity
« Reply #184 on: October 31, 2023, 02:02:42 PM »
It'll be interesting to see how we cope with the 8 games we have in December. As for us losing, we will at some point. We do tend to bounce back quickly though under Emery apart from that run last year when we let a few in. Each game as it comes and all that.

The level of consistency since that run of games has been astonishing. We just feel like a train running on the most even of tracks now.

Offline LeeB

  • Member
  • Posts: 35557
  • Location: Standing in the Klix-O-Gum queue.
  • GM : May, 2014
Re: Positivity
« Reply #185 on: October 31, 2023, 02:04:34 PM »
As long as we put up a better showing against Spurs, Man City and Arsenal than we did Newcastle and Liverpool, I don't really mind. I think we will, as well. And as long as we don't get absolutely done by VAR or the refs, either.

Have you noticed how, and I know I'm tempting fate here, VAR and such things don't seem to fuck us up nearly as much as it used to and does to lesser teams?

It might be just me, I don't know.

Offline LeeB

  • Member
  • Posts: 35557
  • Location: Standing in the Klix-O-Gum queue.
  • GM : May, 2014
Re: Positivity
« Reply #186 on: October 31, 2023, 02:11:52 PM »
Before reading this, YES, I KNOW BEING GREAT IS BETTER THAN BEING SHIT, so don't tell me the obvious.

Anyway, this post inspired a bit by reading something Monty wrote in the Forest thread, which chimed with me, but does anyone else find themselves increasingly nervous the longer our run of good results goes on?

I mean, it's like we've emerged from a decade plus of mostly shit, in which the predominant emotion prior to a match was that things would go as shitly as they always do, to stumble into a new era where we are, frankly, fucking great only to find that presents itself with a whole new raft of emotions?

I'm looking at the top five and how tight it is, and how there's at least now a gap forming behind us, and how despite winning very frequently, the standards up there are so high that it isn't enough to move you up the table that much, because all the teams up there are great, meaning that dropping any points at all is potentially expensive.

I find this makes watching our games on telly (or stream) really tense (this as I've always found watching on telly way more stressful than watching at the ground).

I guess it's part of supporting us in recent years, that feeling that we're going to bollocks it up at some point, because, other than about 3 or 4 years in my 50 plus years of life experience, that's basically what Villa do (I am not permitting promotions in that tally, as IMO, getting promoted just balances out getting relegated in the first place, so it's zero sum).

Going back to this, I'm finding the exact opposite.

I fully understand where you're coming from but the manner of how we're going about things is leading me to sit relaxed watching us, not shitting bricks when opponents have the ball or remotely intimidated by their previous exploits.

My problem is with reality itself, it feels a bit like some weird out-of-body-experience that I'm watching in a dream state. I fear I'm going to wake up at some point and Gerrard will still be in charge and Connor Gallagher will be our record signing that just 'needs time'.

Offline paul_e

  • Member
  • Posts: 37287
  • Age: 45
  • GM : July, 2013
Re: Positivity
« Reply #187 on: October 31, 2023, 02:39:29 PM »
It takes such a long time to readjust your mindset after so many years of being either fairly average or absolutely dreadful. Lots of people were expecting a "typical Villa" performance against Luton, but what transpired was the most boringly straightforward win in years. I think the only thing that might derail us is further injuries, as we just haven't got the strength in depth that other teams around us have. Other than that though, averaging 2 points a game for as long as we have doesn't happen by chance.

I slightly disagree because I think our squad has as much depth as Spurs and isn't massively weaker than Arsenal either, take 4 of the matchday 20 (3 starters) out of either of those squads and I think they'd look as thin as we do.

Offline Toronto Villa

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 58577
  • Age: 52
  • Location: Toronto, Canada
  • GM : 23.07.2026
Re: Positivity
« Reply #188 on: October 31, 2023, 02:48:25 PM »
We also need to get used to this feeling of actually being successful and not having things fall apart because the manager doesn't actually attend training, or his entire plan is on us rolling up sleeves or giving it our best shot against the next opponent. This manager and team are obsessed with preparation and winning. And even when we don't win, he learns from it. He doesn't depend on bits of magic or needing to look anyone in the eye. He doesn't need to go again. He doesn't create bomb squads or divisions within the camp. It's ruthless levels of prep and accountability that happens if you want to be the best. We are a long way from the finished product. We've won nothing at all under Emery. But the trajectory is something we can all rely on and enjoy because of who is in charge.

Offline Hookeysmith

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 13330
  • Age: 61
  • Location: One hand on the handle of the mad / sane door
  • GM : 06.02.2026
Re: Positivity
« Reply #189 on: October 31, 2023, 05:07:49 PM »
I genuinely feel that Shitty and to a lesser degree 'The Mighty Reds YNWA' are significantly better equipped to be the top 2 teams in this division with Shitty being the stronger of the 2.

Then i can actually see us having no fear / complex about the likes of Arsenal & Sperms who i now consider to be on an equal footing with ourselves for the race for 3rd / 4th / 5th spot.

Win against Forest and Fulham, almost secure our league position in Conf league with a win against AZ and i see us going to Sperms and scaring the shit out of them.

Online Baldy

  • Member
  • Posts: 1365
  • Location: Little Island somewhere
Re: Positivity
« Reply #190 on: October 31, 2023, 06:15:21 PM »
For the first time I remember, we now have:

1) Fantastic and wealthy owners with business guile.
2) One of the top three managers in the league
3) The means to retain our star players (many poached over the years)
4) Increasing strength in depth
5) Great stadium and fan base
6) The fear factor (read other teams forums, even Notts Forest next Sunday)

It's only natural to expect us to win a lot more than we lose. We have replaced Manchester United in the pecking order.

« Last Edit: October 31, 2023, 07:14:11 PM by Baldy »

Offline Meanwood Villa

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 8645
  • GM : PCM
Re: Positivity
« Reply #191 on: October 31, 2023, 06:36:22 PM »
Going back to what Paulie said about being more nervous when we're good. I found the end of last season progressively more stressful as it looked like we might actually qualify for Europe. I suppose it's the longer term equivalent of being more nervous st 1-0 than 0-0 because you're worried about chucking it away

Offline Hookeysmith

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 13330
  • Age: 61
  • Location: One hand on the handle of the mad / sane door
  • GM : 06.02.2026
Re: Positivity
« Reply #192 on: November 01, 2023, 01:46:56 PM »
For the first time I remember, we now have:

1) Fantastic and wealthy owners with business guile.
2) One of the top three managers in the league
3) The means to retain our star players (many poached over the years)
4) Increasing strength in depth
5) Great stadium and fan base
6) The fear factor (read other teams forums, even Notts Forest next Sunday)

It's only natural to expect us to win a lot more than we lose. We have replaced Manchester United in the pecking order.



Great points - especially the part about other teams fans comments. I think this is brought on by

A manager who has never been heard to criticise refs or VAR - even when we have had some shitty ones against us.

Even though we have very wealthy owners we have not threw money around like a drunken sailor on shore leave.

We are as much surprised at our form for the last 12 months as most people and are enjoying it instead of being arrogant and claiming we are the 2nd coming (yes i mean you Wolves wankers)

There are not many individual players in the core of our team that i would swap for any others  - and that is not just ability but also their humble attitude

Long may it continue

Offline LeeB

  • Member
  • Posts: 35557
  • Location: Standing in the Klix-O-Gum queue.
  • GM : May, 2014
Re: Positivity
« Reply #193 on: November 01, 2023, 02:01:48 PM »
The core of our team have joined and grown with the club now, there's been ups and downs along the way but it's mostly ups. I think there's a bond that's not there in most other teams and I think it will help with keeping hold of those we don't want to lose.

Offline wince

  • Member
  • Posts: 4698
  • Location: Deepest Darkest Yardley
Re: Positivity
« Reply #194 on: November 11, 2023, 06:53:13 PM »
Bumping this. Never lose sight of the championship days and how we would kill to be where we are now. Ftf utv and vtid. And other cliches! Now let’s funeral Fulham! Up the fucking villa!!!!!!

 


SimplePortal 2.3.6 © 2008-2014, SimplePortal