Where Did It All Go Wrong....

[brian green]

I agree that the flouncing of MON should have been a positive development but we (Lerner) went on a huge guilt trip about it all when in reality is was a wonderful chance to leave behind the Jurassic age of football management.  Since then we have been cursed by lack of imagination, of daring, of vision.  The curse of the safe pair of hands the steady as she goes mentality.  I think the actual pivot of where it all went wrong was Randy Lerner being pressured by his family who were also his business partners over how much his flirtation with "soccer" was costing the family.  He simply cut us loose.  Brothel creeper shoes walked into the Villa boardroom and the club was thrown at him gift wrapped.  It is a miracle we survived without going into bankruptcy.
We have never really recovered from that turmoil.  The club has been kept going by throwing excessively large amounts of money at problems that could be solved by good business management as they have been by other "smaller" clubs.  Smith should have gone at Christmas while he could still be a mate of us all but somebody bottled it so he will get the cabbage treatment, albeit virtually.

[Damo70]

2006, with hindsight. If Lerner’s first managerial appointment had been more imaginative/progressive the whole future trajectory would have been different.

I can't agree with that. He was arguably one of the most coveted managers in the game when we appointed him. It felt similar to when we appointed BFR. He had done excellently with Leicester winning promotion and two  League Cups and with Celtic where he won seven trophies in five years and who he took to a European final, making him Celtic's most successful manager since Jock Stein.

Wasn't it Doug who appointed O'Neill?  Or have I misremembered that?

I think Doug wanted to take the credit and he probably suggested MON. But I am convinced that without Lerner taking over and rubber stamping the deal MON would not have signed up to work with Doug.

[JJ-AV]

Extremely ambitious approach in the transfer market that, with the benefit of hindsight needed a bit more certainty. Also refusing loans.

Again, fantasy manager with hindsight but someone like Cahill on a free and Harry Wilson on loan instead of £20m+ on Engels and Trezeguet would have given us some more players suited to the league and an experienced leader at the back.

Kalvin Phillips was another key signing we missed out on too and left us with Nakamba.

If we'd have signed those 3, even with the appaling centre-forward roster we've acquired I think we'd be safe

We were bumbling about on 1 point per game with Heaton, Mings, McGinn and Grealish in the side together and all playing well and carryin the side.

McGinn dropped off and we got worse. Then he got injured and we got even worse and Mings dropped off. Then Heaton got injured.

[Damo70]

Can't help but think the lack of crowd has fucked us at home.

It's a fair point. Through the entirety of 2018/19 and 2019/20 up until the enforced break we failed to score in home games twice. We've equalled that in three games since the restart.

That said, they are highly paid professional athletes and shouldn't have to rely on people singing "your support is fucking shit" or "shit on the city" every now and again in order to generate a bit of effort.

On the subject of goals, when the games restarted I expected the rustiness, lack of match sharpness and lack of fitness to result in more goals being scored in games. It has actually been the opposite and most games so far have been low scoring affairs.

[Ads]

Chelsea being cheating ******. If we had Tammy, then perhaps in those tight games up to Christmas we'd have squeezed out 6 or 7 more points and be set for survival

[London Villan]

Lack of premier league experience. 3 senior, old heads on loan or cheap would have helped massively.

[Aldridge Villa]

Bodymoor Heath and the whole academy structure. Paltry reward.

[Ads]

I miss Snoddy.

[brian green]

Paltry for us Aldridge.  A river of young talent going to other clubs.

[Aldridge Villa]

And Alex Cropley too. Every good Villa team needs a north of the border influence.

[hilts_coolerking]

I miss Snoddy.

I was thinking that earlier, talking about who we'd have if we have to try and get promoted again.  He was such a positive force for us last season.

[Ads]

I miss Snoddy.

I was thinking that earlier, talking about who we'd have if we have to try and get promoted again.  He was such a positive force for us last season.

Season before, but still agree. Its not like he's ever had pace and his attitude was first class. A player, like Tammy, who I like a lot and I think he feels the same way about the club too.

[KevinGage]

If they give the gig to Terry I could see that one happening.

[aj2k77]

And would be a huge signal that although loaded they make terrible footballing decisions.

[villa `cross the mersey]

Our current predicament shouldn't come as much as a surprise - we didn't exactly pull up many trees last season - granted we had a good streak of results but we weren't outstanding by any means
A savvy management would have rewarded Smith with a nice bonus but would have been ruthless and appointed  a manager  of repute - Smith has been out of his depth - embarrassingly  so in respect of tactics/game management. All the positivity from last May has evaporated .......current world events make football appear somewhat trivial , however I can't help but think " what if" ........we had appointed  " a big name manager "