Oh, were it possible to bring back Johnny Dixon (or Martin Laursen)!
Watching the Villa play as they are now (and over the last 3 years) is a little bit painful for me. My thoughts go back to the Fifties and Sixties when the play and results could sometimes be equally dispiriting, but the feeling then was that there was enough passion and pride on the field that would carry the club through. That super-confidence nearly had disastrous results, of course, and it took the revolution of 1968-69 to change the club's direction.
But in my early days as a Villan, the club was able to call on the influence of mature midfield players and captains like Johnny Dixon and Vic Crowe to drive the team, and their example was always capable of turning round a match. And Villa Park was a great fortress in those days; apart from the worst years in Villa's history, it was only the best teams that could be given a chance of gaining a win at Villa Park.
What a change to the recent record, which shows less than 25% wins and 50% defeats at Villa Park over the last 3 years.
During the club's best ever period (say from 1880 to 1930), Villa achieved what they did as a result of great captaincy on the field, as well as the playing method they utilised. I almost drool when I think of the affect of captains like Archie Hunter, John Devey, Joe Bache, Frank Barson, Frank Moss and Billy Walker. And without exception these players influenced the team from either midfield or attacking positions. Before anyone says "Ah, but Frank Barson was a centre-half", I must point out that Frank was of the 'old school' of centre-halves - they were defenders as well as midfielders until the 'stopper' centre-half came into being.
To my mind, captaincy should come from the midfield area of the team. Dennis Mortimer, Kevin Richardson and Andy Townsend were perhaps the best captains in the club's 25 year period to year 2000, and they were all midfielders. Later we had Martin Laursen, of course, but he was such a strong man that it mattered little where he skippered from. We miss him, in my opinion.
In last season's January purchasing 'window', I strongly felt that the club should have purchased a mature and capable midfielder to come in and guide the players. Methinks Villa's team has too much youth and not enough leadership, and a Gareth Barry was (and is) just what is needed in my view.
The team will gain the experience needed if they are given chance, but I sometimes feel that today's team managers overlook some of the well-learnt principles of what seems like eons ago ... when Aston Villa ruled the football world. (Sigh)
.
Watching the Villa play as they are now (and over the last 3 years) is a little bit painful for me. My thoughts go back to the Fifties and Sixties when the play and results could sometimes be equally dispiriting, but the feeling then was that there was enough passion and pride on the field that would carry the club through. That super-confidence nearly had disastrous results, of course, and it took the revolution of 1968-69 to change the club's direction.
But in my early days as a Villan, the club was able to call on the influence of mature midfield players and captains like Johnny Dixon and Vic Crowe to drive the team, and their example was always capable of turning round a match. And Villa Park was a great fortress in those days; apart from the worst years in Villa's history, it was only the best teams that could be given a chance of gaining a win at Villa Park.
What a change to the recent record, which shows less than 25% wins and 50% defeats at Villa Park over the last 3 years.
During the club's best ever period (say from 1880 to 1930), Villa achieved what they did as a result of great captaincy on the field, as well as the playing method they utilised. I almost drool when I think of the affect of captains like Archie Hunter, John Devey, Joe Bache, Frank Barson, Frank Moss and Billy Walker. And without exception these players influenced the team from either midfield or attacking positions. Before anyone says "Ah, but Frank Barson was a centre-half", I must point out that Frank was of the 'old school' of centre-halves - they were defenders as well as midfielders until the 'stopper' centre-half came into being.
To my mind, captaincy should come from the midfield area of the team. Dennis Mortimer, Kevin Richardson and Andy Townsend were perhaps the best captains in the club's 25 year period to year 2000, and they were all midfielders. Later we had Martin Laursen, of course, but he was such a strong man that it mattered little where he skippered from. We miss him, in my opinion.
In last season's January purchasing 'window', I strongly felt that the club should have purchased a mature and capable midfielder to come in and guide the players. Methinks Villa's team has too much youth and not enough leadership, and a Gareth Barry was (and is) just what is needed in my view.
The team will gain the experience needed if they are given chance, but I sometimes feel that today's team managers overlook some of the well-learnt principles of what seems like eons ago ... when Aston Villa ruled the football world. (Sigh)
.
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