Fans Worried Over Villa Future

[ROBBO]

Hasn't been a problem at Wigan this season though has it? Enough money has been spent on the side this season too suggest that if we give more to O Leary he'll waste it. He could buy decent/great players but under his guidance they'd undoubtedly become one paced lump-it merchants who wouldn't have a cluesing the ball to a player in a claret and blue shirt.

Was talking about Wigan at the weekend, interesting to see how they go next year as I believe they will get a rude awakening.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Hasn't been a problem at Wigan this season though has it? Enough money has been spent on the side this season too suggest that if we give more to O Leary he'll waste it. He could buy decent/great players but under his guidance they'd undoubtedly become one paced lump-it merchants who wouldn't have a cluesing the ball to a player in a claret and blue shirt.

Was talking about Wigan at the weekend, interesting to see how they go next year as I believe they will get a rude awakening.

From what I've seen of Wigan, they shouldn't have too many problems next season as their game is not one dimensional, they can certainly pass the ball around, show great movement on and off the ball, the only doubt I have is how the new players they bring in during the summer will adapt to the club. Wigan play the type of football we were promised by O'Leary and with on paper an inferior squad, so it's not rocket science to understand why they are where they are and we're looking over our shoulders, although I'm sure some apologist will try to justify the great void.

[Chris Smith]

Hasn't been a problem at Wigan this season though has it? Enough money has been spent on the side this season too suggest that if we give more to O Leary he'll waste it. He could buy decent/great players but under his guidance they'd undoubtedly become one paced lump-it merchants who wouldn't have a cluesing the ball to a player in a claret and blue shirt.

Was talking about Wigan at the weekend, interesting to see how they go next year as I believe they will get a rude awakening.

From what I've seen of Wigan, they shouldn't have too many problems next season as their game is not one dimensional, they can certainly pass the ball around, show great movement on and off the ball, the only doubt I have is how the new players they bring in during the summer will adapt to the club. Wigan play the type of football we were promised by O'Leary and with on paper an inferior squad, so it's not rocket science to understand why they are where they are and we're looking over our shoulders, although I'm sure some apologist will try to justify the great void.

I think they've got cause for concern, they have only won twice in the league this year. I think they've been sussed out and will not have the surprise factor next season. Like West Ham they've been fortunate not to pick up many injuries, it's unlikely they'll be so fortunate again and for all that they are only 6 points above us.

[Brend'Watkins]

I too think they have cause for concern.  It's all well and good when you're attacking style brings about the good results, but when it doesn't as the case in the League cup final has shown, they don't have the nous to defend like a team of premiership stature should when they should.   A few injuries to key players and trying to bed in new players to move the team forward may well mean they go backwards, just like the Blues.

[JD]

Wigan had trouble signing players at the beginning of the season, despite having money, as everyone thought they were dead certs for relegation. I think that with Dave Whelans backing they will sign some decent players in the off-season.

[achilles]

Quite honestly it just goes to show the fine line between success (i.e. the top half of the table excluding the top four) and failure (i.e. the bottom eight sides)!

What would our season have been with a fit Laursen and Mellberg... I am certain we would be looking at an Europen place at least!

Oh well, we can all dream!  O:)

[Legion]

Will we ever see Laursen or Berger in a Villa shirt again?

[achilles]

Will we ever see Laursen or Berger in a Villa shirt again?

Laursen, unfortunately no, Berger unfortunately yes (but only in ten minute spells, he is not injury free for any longer)!  ](*,)

[peter w]

Going back to Wigan their problem will be the same that caught out Ipswich. They had a great first season, an unfancied forward who scored lots of goals in Marcus Stewart, and a manager everyone was raving about. They even ended up in Europe. The problems are many fold. The first one, and it is a big one, is expectation. The fans, the board, will expect the same and more from the team. This will bring the first test of Jewell, how to deal with fans/team of high flyers. He will have increased spending and will be tested for the first time with regards to who to buy. He will need better players for Wigan to even stand still, how will he assimilate them into the team. Bigger and better players expect bigger and better roles. Work horses-who have performed brilliantly this season- will not be sufficient forever.

The point about injuries and suspensions is also valid. Wigan have byenlarge avoided them-as did we when we pushed on into 6th a couple of seasons ago. Finally, if they have a bad start the players will not be used to struggling. Neither will the fans. neither will the manager or the board. If money has been pumped into the club to move them on, then the pressure willl grow on Jewell if things go wrong. Its all been rosy so far, but when the pressues change then the person who is in the firing line is the manager.

Whelan seems a different chairman, but if Wigan are in Europe, struggling in the league, the fans becoming disgruntled, what are the odds on him looking for a manager with lots of Prem experience?

[ROBBO]

Teams new to the premiership have a sort of honeymoon period as many of their players are an unknown quantity it is when opposition coaches pay attention to the particular strengths and weaknesses of these players that their troubles will start. I think that happened with Wigan over the xmas period and their results have fallen away as a result. I do not believe they have the name to attract the better players as most will be expecting them to have a short premiership life.

[peter w]

Not sure whether not having the 'name' too attract players is that important Robbo. Money-and Europe-is. Bolton? Middlesbough. Plus they will be able to pay half decent wages. Which is another problem. If they got players in on 20 maybe 30 000 a week, how would the other players fit in with them. ie would they resent the 'fancy-dans' coming in.

[JD]

Good points Peter & Robbo. It will certainly be interesting to see how Wigan approach next season and to see what type of players they look to sign.

[dave.woodhall]

and for all that they are only 6 points above us.

We're only six points behind Wigan. I bet we'd have all settled for that at the start of the season, eh?

[JD]

I wonder if Paul Jewell has contacted DO'L yet to let him know that Wigan have reached 40 points and that he hopes that Villa do too?  :-

[peter w]

It will be interesting to see how they end the season now. Depending on the fixtures they've got left. It will be a good bet that they'll do us. A hard working, battling team always seems tod o for Villa. As for Dave's point about being 6 points behind, obviously at the start of the season we wouldn't have accepted that. But there again if we were told that we were going to be behind them we would have thought we'd be bottom. Not 6th or so from the drop. And shite.