Villa Fans against AMc, PF and RL

Some may have noticed that I haven't posted on here in quite some time, the reason being I just stopped getting any pleasure out of watching and talking about Aston Villa, I have not attented a game since January and have allowed my hard earned season ticket expire without making the most of it as my own personal protest, it might have been a waste of money initially buyt I have saved a small fortune by all the other costs saved from a match day. I have still watched all the games whether it be via steam or on live TV and I cannot say anything over the last 3 months has changed my opinion, Mcleish is out of his depth, so is Faulkner and obviously Randy always has been.

 

Nothing else matters at the moment except getting these people as far away from our club as we can manage. It's about time we took our club back from those who are abusing it, we have suffered for too long now.

It's not about where he came from it's about where he's taking us.

 

Dear Aston Villa.

 

I am writing to you today because I have an overwhelming feeling of discontent. I am slowly falling out of love with football and I am finding it more and more difficult to care about the club the way I have done for over twenty years.

Aston Villa was my first and only love in football, I first went to Villa Park back in 1992 and watched Villa take on Queens Park Rangers. Villa won the game 2-0 and if memory serves correctly Dean Saunders and Dalian Atkinson got the goals. Having the same surname as Dalian really sort of made him stick out that day and he quickly became my favourite player.                                   I may have only been five when I first went to Villa Park but I can remember that day vividly, everything from the walk down from the train station amongst the surge of people to my dad holding me up so I could wee in the sink at half-time!

 

That first game was just the beginning for me and I have been a fierce supporter ever since. Having seasons tickets for 9 of those years including this current one. I am not trying to sit here and make out I am the worlds greatest Villa fan or that my support is any more important than anyone else's. I speak to people on a regular basis who have supported the club for over fifty years and have stories that could blow mine out of the water and would make me seem like an amateur in comparison, but that is what football is all about, the uniting of people from all walks of life under one shared passion and that is their football club but sadly I am slowly losing passion for mine.

 

I am a window cleaner and many of my customers are Villa fans, hardly surprising as I work around the Birmingham area but I would guess somewhere around 60% of them support AVFC. I talk with lots of them on a regular basis, and the general consensus is that neither they nor I are happy.

I'm not a child nor am I niave you can keep your PR, Mr Lerner.

You can have Mcleiish calling us a loud minority and you can have pundits saying our problem is just because of where he came from, you can dress it up and disguise it as much as you like but the truth will always shine through. Nicola Keye has called me on two occasions this season both times in response to an email I had directed at Mr Call Centre PF. As much as I appreciate her taking her time and effort to give me a call back, I'd have actually hoped that Mr Faulkner would have had both the decency and the bollocks to pick the phone or send me an email back himself. I mean for Two Million Pounds a year, I think I could manage to do that. You know why he doesn't though don't you?

Yes the main reasons are all obvious, he actually couldn't care less about us supporters, he's not a Villa man, he's a business man and a poor one at that. It doesn't bother him the way the players are performing and where we are in the league, as long as he still gets his pay check each month PF is happy.

I also believe the only fundamental reason why he is point blank refusing to reply or call back frustrated supporters is his knowledge that he is hugely out of his depth and honestly he doesn't have the answers to the fans questions, he has no prior knowledge of the game and how the supporters feel, he has no natural ties to club other than it is his place of employment and most importantly he would have to justify the appointment of Mcleish. And I'm not sure anyone at or away from the club can do that sufficiently.

Now I would like to get a few things straightened out, let me make it clear that previous excuses and retorts used by the club no longer have any clarity with me. When it was rumoured that Alex Mcleish was going to be our next manager my initial reaction was a laugh, thinking it was a media rubbish trying to wind the supporters up. (Much the same way Robbie Savage was linked to us under MON) As well it just sounding plain stupid because of his appaling Premiership record, his negative, boring tactics and his inability to get the best out of any of the attacking options he's had, he was coming from the BLUES. Although personally I don't buy into the Villa/Blue hatred(I'd take Hughton in a heartbeat to empashise that), just the fact that he was their manager meant the Villa shouldn't touch him with a barge pole. I thought Randy knew better, I thought Villa knew better. Doug would have.

Though as the story started to gain more and more momentum that initial smile was soon wiped from my face. And a huge sense of dread began to emerge in its place. As it became more and more likely that he would be appointed many supporters decided to protest and made their way to Villa Park. I was actually camping the weekend it was arranged or else I would have gone down and joined them, despite the fact I did not agree with the damage caused and the bad imagine the protest caused for the club, I wholeheartedly supported their cause. This is our Aston Villa and if you're not happy you deserve your say, but alarm bells should have been ringing as these protests were taking place. Alarm bells that should've cemented that this appointment was never going to go down well, it was never going to work. And for that you cannot point the finger at Mcleish, it can only be pointed at Randy and Paul Faulkner.

You can't blame a man for wanting another shot at the big league, a better job with a bigger club and a better anual salary. Who wouldn't? And I'm sure he genuinely believes some of his self-confidence and belief and he probably thought he really could do a job for us, despite the initial displeasure in his appointment.

Like many others once he was finally confirmed as manager as much as it disappointed me and left me feeling betrayed by the club, I decided I would give him a chance. I wasn't one of those calling for Houlliers dismissal despite the poor season last year, I could see what he was trying to do in the long term and I bought into his ideas, the football progressively was getting better and it seemed he had identified the problem areas, in one transfer window he went and did something that nobody for years had done before him and went and signed Aston Villa a proven goal scorer, he brought in a very able midfielder and a top rated right back. I was happy with how the club were progressing but unhappy with the results and where we were in league, yet I never once called for his head. It didn't work out for Houllier, maybe he was too old, maybe it was too much to ask, but it got the better of him and he left the club in the summer through Ill-health. And we were lumbered with Mcleish and we really had no choice but to back him. I did just that and getting off to a half decent start pointswise Mcleish shook a few of the arrows off his back though it wouldn't last long.

The football has been poor since the day he took over, even in games where he was playing three strikers we were poor in the oppositions half and failed to really create anything or put teams to bed, it seemed the philosophy has changed from must win, to must not lose. In my opinion I was patient with Mcleish for the first few months, even though I wasn't pleased with what I saw on the pitch, I thought his discipline and man management skills would rub off on the team, I had to think that else I had no idea why else he was appointed. I was wrong.

For me I think the point I'd started to have enough was the Tottenham game 21st November where the team was an embarressment to the shirt, we lined up without any intention of winning, we just didn't want to get hammered, it's negative and it's wrong. That isn't what I've grown up thinking Aston Villa was about. The way I felt after the Tottenham game was continued into the Swansea game and it was the United game where I finally started getting angry. I watched the game again the next day as I had recorded it.  A number of times during the game the commentary team made United out to be world beaters and they were far from it. They talked about how well the moved the ball around and how well they played as a team but none of it was deserved. Manchester United on that day we there for the taking and we didn't even try, it was the easiest three points they will get all season and I hate the fact that it was at the expense of my Villa.

What a sour and unambitious appointment.

When you play horrible football you will always have critics, when you play that kind of football and it gets you results (Bolton under Aladyce for example) those critics are somewhat overlooked for a while anyway... When you play good football and don't get the results, again you have your critics, but you always have your fans. (Wigan under Martinez for example) The results may well be below par, but the good entertaining football eases the pain for supporters gives them something to be excited about.

So when you play horrible negative football and you don't get the results either surely the whole world is on your back? Well in reality this is the case, in Aston Villas case it is only a small minority which are unhappy but that statement alone just proves how out of touch the club is with it's supporters, what a shambles.

This is the first time In all my years as a loyal supporter that I have ever publically called for a managers head, this is the first time I have ever actively supported online petitions and protests. This is the first time in all those years that I have felt the need to complain via phone and email to the club about how things are on and off the pitch.

And what were their replies? Stick with the team, the board backs him, support the badge, get behind the manager, he needs time, he needs money, he needs to bring in his own players, he inherited a very average squad, blah, blah, blah, Bollocks.

The only thing Alex Mcleish needs is dismissing.  I honestly believe that his time at our club has massively outstayed it's welcome and with every game he remains in charge more and more supporters will turn their backs on the club, more will turn their backs on Randy Lerner. All the coaches, free scarves and hats, all the nice things he's done for the club in the past are slowly being pissed up the wall by allowing this inept, in denial idiot to continue taking our club into the Championship. The season ticket sales are going to be hugely down next year as will the few games a season type supporters. The problem Villa are going to face is when those ST holders like myself decide not to renew, they're not still going to go the games all the time either. And they will find alternative things to do with their weekends and things to spend their money on, and if it is allowed to carry on for too long some may never come back, despite what changes are made. This isn't just a decision that is killing the club currently, it's one that could kill it a long time into the future.

I called Mcleish and idiot a little way up and I would like to correct myself. Alex Mcleish is a very poor manager, with an equally poor record, he has proven consistently that he is out of his depth in the Premiership and he isn't exactly well liked in his homeland either. Yet he has managed to get himself a better job, with a much bigger club with the chance to work with far superior players and he has gotten a big pay rise to boot, Mcleish isn't an idiot,  he is a genius. Randy Lerner is an idiot.

I stated before the match the urgency for three points and for the first half the players seemed both capable and up for getting them. Villa took the lead after some wonderful play from Carlos Cuellar threading through for Charles N'zogbia to score his second of the season, Villa had countless chances in the first half yet failed to take all but one of them.

Half time came too soon for Villa and for those saying we play better without Darren Bent I hope you were watching today, what Villa lacked today was class in front of goal and Bent offers that, as did Robbie Keane.

At the start of the second half Blackburn boss Steve Kean made two changes and his side really upped it a few gears from how they were in the first half, the arrival of David Dunn as much as it pains me to say it really lifted the team and there were times when Villa couldn't cope with the pressure. I'm not sure exactly what was said in the half time team talk by Alex Mcleish but It certainly didn't contain anything about Blackburn stepping up their game. The message was clear and simple, this game is in the bag, lets go out second half and see what happens.  Blackburns equaliser was inevitable for a long time before it happened and in some aspects Villa can count themselves lucky to take away a point from this game as they could well have lost it.

A must win game turned out to be yet another draw, the 12th in fact. And this simply will not do. It means Villa have managed to grab just two points from two of the bottom4 teams. These two games on paper as well as the next week were deemed as both winnable yet we have been unable to get the points.

As much as people like to say the players should share most of the responsibility you have to blame this result on the manager. Blackburn were not up to scratch first half and Kean changed it and his changes worked, Villa were not up to scratch second half and AMc left it too late to change it and I was overly convinced with his subs, right players on, wrong players off. And as for leaving it until the 88th minute before bringing on Weimann talk about a kick in the teeth.

It's another disappointing weekend for us Villans and another poor result, a point is a point, but I'm sorry todays game needed more than a point, the players have lost all that confidence they seemed to have in the first half and I can't imagine they're going to be surrounded by a very supportive crowd next week at Fulham, I certainly wont be. It's time for action and although action has been going on for a few weeks now it's time for that action to snowball. The only people who can save AVFC now is us, the fans.

The sharks are circling, so they should. I can't see him going before the end of the season personally, but I hope to god I'm wrong because by then it could already be too late....

 

I have read this numerous times thorughout the week and dozens of times already today. Todays game is a must win one, not just because of those vital three points but because of the lift the players need, the negativity surrounding the club due to Mcleish and co is bound to have had a knock on effect towards the players.

I hope everyone going today sings their hearts out for the players and gets right behind them for 90+minutes. If you have your frustrations towards Mcelish let them be known but always be fully committed to the players. I saw a few heated words given to Barry Bannan on twitter during the week and this is something I cannot accept.

We're all in this together and it is our duty as supporters to always back the team, I appreicate how difficult that has been so far this season and speaking for myself I know how hard it has been to even want to watch the second half at times this season but we must not falter.

Here is the BBCs head to head.

 

• Blackburn have won the last two league meetings between these sides at Ewood Park, having lost the previous three.
• However, Villa have won four of the last five competitive fixtures against Rovers, including the last three.

Blackburn

• Rovers have lost three of their last four league matches, conceding 14 goals in that period.
• They are the only team in the top four divisions in England not to have kept a clean sheet this season. If they concede against Villa it will be the longest streak without a clean sheet in the top flight since QPR's all-time record of 39 matches in 1968-69.
• Only the top six and Norwich have scored more than Blackburn's 37 goals.
• Blackburn have let slip 14 points from winning positions - only QPR (15) have fared worse.
• Steve Kean's side have the worst record in the division against bottom half of the table opposition, earning just 12 points from as many games.
• Morten Gamst Pedersen will be making his 250th Premier League appearance.

Aston Villa

• Villa are winless in four matches and have only accrued six points from seven matches (W1, D3, L3).
• However, Alex McLeish's side have only lost one of their last seven away games in the league (W3, D3, L1).
• They are the only team not to have scored from a corner in the Premier League this season, but they have conceded 11 goals from corners.
• Gabby Agbonlahor's goal against Norwich on 5 November was the last to be scored in the league by any of Villa's available forwards. Agbonlahor, Emile Heskey, Nathan Delfouneso and Andreas Weimann have since gone a combined 25 appearances without a top-flight goal.
• Shay Given made two Premier League appearances for Blackburn early in his career, while Stephen Warnock played 109 league and cup games for the club before an £8m move to Villa in August 2009.

 

 

For those who listened or those who didn't Ryan from VFU was on TalkSport again today, it was only a brief phonecall but it once again was good exposure for the cause. He was on the air with a Blackburn fan so it was good pre-match build up as well as discussing both sets of supporters frustrations towards their managers and boards.

If you didn't manage to listen or would like to hear it again you can do so here.

 

Come on the Villa, we need to see what you and AMc are made of today!