Who should create the Atmosphere?

[Drummond]

So, it's an age old question, and is being mentioned in different threads, but I figured it could do with a thread of its own.

Should the supporters be expected to sing songs, cheer and go for it, to try and motivate the team? There's lots to be said for other grounds where this happens, such as Anfield where the fans seem to make a difference.

Or should the team get stuck in from the off and give the fans something to really get behind?

At Villa Park, I think as supporters we recognise big games, but the atmosphere doesn't truly get going until we're given something to get behind, whether it's some thunderous challenges, a goal or the referee being a twat. I can't decide whether the pre-match music is actually hindering things. With some of the music being played you could see it getting their fans more excited, and surely that's not what we want.

There was a nervousness in the air yesterday, and on the pitch there just wasn't anything to really get it going.

I suspect Ajax on Thursday with a full crowd will work well.

[Risso]

I put this in the Ajax thread, but I think it's relevant here:

The problem, is Emery's style doesn't make for an exciting spectacle quite often. Ignoring yesterday for a moment, it's made us successful which is great, but it's not the sort of football to get you off your seats. Sometimes it does, like when Bailey is driving into the box, but a 30 yard pass back to Torres to restart possession, whilst clever football that is the bedrock for how we play, it's not going to get the crowd roaring.

Personally, I don't care, as I'd much rather watch a win under any circumstances and I'm not particularly bothered about the crowd, but if you want a raucous, belligerent Villa Park driving the players on, then Emery probably isn't the manager for you.

To add: It's obviously a two way thing to a certain extent, but the crowd will always respond to a great bit of play. I've been to lots of games where the players haven't responded to a great atmoshphere. The balance is therefore that the players are there to entertain the crowd. The atmoshphere at Anfield is only better than ours because they mostly play better football and win things.

[Rigadon]

It's both I think.  Sometimes the crowd needs to lift the team, but sometimes the team can set the tone.

It's always been the same since I can remember at VP, not that I get to as many games as I'd like these days.  Sometimes there's just the sense that we're about to do something ace (Newcastle at home last year) whereas at other times it just feels a bit flatter.  We seem to be at our best when we're looking up, and not as great when looking over our shoulder.  Or maybe that's just my mid playing tricks.

[ez]

Yesterday was a bit different I think. After looking forward to this fixture it was like the fans were in shock at how it went. The crowd usually makes noise when we are attacking but we weren't taking the the game to spurs nearly enough.

[Sexual Ealing]

Easy for me to say from a couple of thousand miles away, but wasn't the atmosphere yesterday down to everyone being soaked and sober?

[Risso]

I don't think there's a set of supporters in the country who would have been in full voice if their team put in a display and a result like yesterday to be honest.

[AV82EC]

I don't think there's a set of supporters in the country who would have been in full voice if their team put in a display and a result like yesterday to be honest.

I’d agree and that may have been a reaction to what looked like a total capitulation, I’m
Wondering if we were so shocked at how inept we were at times it just kicked the voice from us.

[Risso]

I don't think there's a set of supporters in the country who would have been in full voice if their team put in a display and a result like yesterday to be honest.

I’d agree and that may have been a reaction to what looked like a total capitulation, I’m
Wondering if we were so shocked at how inept we were at times it just kicked the voice from us.

As I say above, the default atmosphere is only just above average usually, because the football isn't get the ball forward at every opportunity, kick and rush, 100mph stuff. When we play well and win, the atmosphere naturally goes up a couple of notches, but when we play badly, it doesn't take much for there to be no atmoshpere at all.

[Flamingo Lane]

Given everything we've become used to over more years than we'd care to remember, and indeed recent weeks, there seemed to be a general air of apprehension and tension amongst the supporters yesterday ahead of the game, which was only exacerbated once the game got under way and everyone could see how the team had been set up. And once the second goal went in, the air of tension inevitably became that of weary resignation.

[VillaTim]

Can we book Russ Abbott for Lower Grounds . That would get things going.

[RamboandBruno]

Easy for me to say from a couple of thousand miles away, but wasn't the atmosphere yesterday down to everyone being soaked and sober?

The wind was blowing in such a direction that the rain was soaking us in our part of the lower holte. First world problems, when i used to be caged in behind a fence, in all sorts of conditions in the 80s, but neverthless it definitely muted the atmosphere a bit.

But Risso also has a point about the style of playing and patient build up.
Saying all of that, the Man City game and the first 10-15 mins of the Arsenal game is some of the noisiest Ive heard the holte in years.

I have a feeling Thursday  will start off loud and will continue if we play well

[algy]

Can we book Russ Abbott for Lower Grounds . That would get things going.

I think you need balloons for that to work, Tim

[curiousorange]

I can only really speak for myself, but most of the time I'm far too nervous about our position in games to be raucous. I suppose in answer to the question, I'm happy to be partly responsible for the atmosphere as long as I'm comfortable with what I'm seeing.

[john e]

It’s up to the youngsters to create the atmosphere
I’ve done my bit in Years gone by, I’m to old to stand there belly busting a song out nowadays, although I do manage a chant or two when things get really exciting

anyway the young ones need to come up with a better more original chants, stop nicking songs of other people and raise the roof with them

[Dante Lavelli]

Controversial but it’s another reason for a new ground imo. We need 10,000 cheap seats/safe standing where the priority is to sing through-out. Like an away game.