A Tragedy of Near-Titanic Proportions

Exactly 100 years after the Titanic tragedy it almost feels that Villa are also sinking. How we got to this point is mistifying, and I have written a piece that has appeared elsewhere and which tries to address the issue:

Season 2009-10 saw Villa finish in 6th place for the third consecutive season.The next season it was all musical chairs, which,not surprisingly, saw the club finish in the middle of the table. Just who, however, would have imagined that the next step would be to finish in the bottom-6? In two easy strides, Villa's flag was lowered to the other extreme - it seemed that one moment we were complaining that Villa had lost out on chances of finishing fourth, only then to see McLeish being appointed and Villa's worst ever season unfold in front of our knowing eyes. Even on the last day of the season there was a real danger of Villa finishing fourth from bottom! What a change-around from fourth from top!

Well, if nothing else, it has taught us Villa supporters to keep our feet on the ground and not be carried away by some good PR work and humanitarian concern for Acorns.

Going back to 2006, it would seem that there was a sense of euphoria that Doug's reign was over. There seemed to be a feeling that now there was a real chance of the club getting back to something like its status at the beginning of the 80s. A billionaire, we thought, could make that possible. But Madame Reality is a funny creature. Since then we've been hearing about the realities triggered by MON's seemingly profligate expenditure and the need - for various other reasons, it seems - for the owner to tighten belts. We were asked (at a distance) to go through a transitional period whilst matters sorted themselves out. And Mr. McLeish was the man, apparently, to manage that transition on the field of play.

The appointment of Mr. McLeish has caused even the most serene of us to go purple and to throw out our rattles from the pram. "Nurse!", we cried, "do something! Change the nappy - anything!!" Transition period? No, it was more like a constipation period! And in saying that I am assuming that the club's board has come to recognise the plight that exists and will now usher out the person (though a nice feller, I'm told) posing as a Villa team manager in favour of someone who just might appreciate Aston Villa FC and what it has meant to its fans for nearly 140 years.

It is not too late for the situation to be fixed, Mr. Lerner. We just ask that something be done in the next few weeks, and that something to be a big step forward away from the maelstrom that we've been experiencing these past two years. If not, then the fans may soon be asking for the club's motto ("Prepared") to be changed to something more meaningful.

In reality, I hold that the club's management from the top down is culpable for the current situation, not just McLeish, but unless Mr. Lerner sells the club there is little that can be done in respect of he and the top executives at the club, who he appointed. 

The business side of the club is one thing - the existing structure can deal with that - but what is needed is someone able to direct what's happening on the pitch, someone who is really able and who can see and feel what Aston Villa is about. Aston Villa Football Club can do a lot better than the Swanseas and Norwiches of this world, and yet at the moment AVFC is way below their standard in the quality of play and entertainment factor. Yes, injuries and Petrov's sad situation has not helped in the latter part of the season, but the sickness endemic at Villa Park originated early in the season in the sheer poor tactics employed by the team manager.

Mr. Lerner can see what's happening at the ticket office. STs are below 6,000 sales at the moment it would seem, and it will stay like that unless the fans can see a very positive light at the end of the tunnel.

I do hope that a new team manager is appointed who has plenty of capability and, in the Arsenal style, an assistant manager who is compatible and a former Villa player, to instill the club's pride in the dressing room.

We wait whilst holding our breath.

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Is Villa Aspirational?

Well, a season or two back, we would have considered ourselves to be every bit as good as Newcastle or Everton - or even Spurs - and probably better than any of them. But a year or two is not long in football for one's aspirations to be brought right back down to earth.

This week-end, we have seen the Magpies turn on some absolutely magical style to provide pleasure to their fans and some measure of help in the economic suffering that many are experiencing in the north-east. At least the Geordies' sufferings are a bit ameliorated by the pleasure seen at the ground I will continue to call St. James's Park.

Yes, Everton conceded four goals at Old Trafford (as did the Villa), but what a finish they produced and confirmed the suspicions of many that Man U's defence has its weak points - none of which were tested by the Villa last week.

The final insult of all in this remarkable week-end is that we had a lead at Anfield that Villa allowed to drift away from them, only to be shown today that perhaps the Baggies have a bit more idea on how to go about it.

Now, let's for a moment think about the fizzogs of the three managers of the clubs just mentioned. The Magpies' manager's face is generally cheerful, and he manages to generate cheerfulness in his team's play. Moyes and Hodgson, though they can produce a worried brow, also seem inspired to produce the best out of their teams. All these managers, in fact, have not needed big sums to produce satisfactory results. Add into that equation many of the performances from Swansea and Norwich this season, and we can all see that money is not the be all and end all of the game.

But I have hardly ever seen McLeish able to raise a full smile - anywhere. Does that not indicate something in the attitude of a manager, and thus on the style that the team he manages is going to produce? For me, what Villa has been producing all season seems to be born out of worry - not remembrance of "the beautiful game".

Birmingham (and Villa Park in particular) needs something to cheer about!
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Has He a Ticket to Ride?

News is creeping out from the woodwork that the current forecast at Villa Park is for 4,000 season ticket sales for next season. Well, if this proves to be the case (even as little as 12,000 would be very worrying for the owner) it would be on one hand a very, very sad situation, but on the other hand if that lack of support proves to be the reality and it helps the current managerial incumbent to depart early in the summer, then perhaps that will be progress.

But under Randy Lerner, I am learning to wonder just what is going to come next! For example, Randy might just stump up funds in the summer to buy good players in the effort to attract fans back into the fold, and yet leave McLeish in managerial control. The development of that scenario may well be that Villa might succeed in getting back into the top-10, but perhaps with a team that should have been challenging for top-6 and/or a domestic Cup trophy to boot. I'm beginning to see McLeish as a manager that will always produce a lower return than the squad at his disposal deserves - and, perhaps worse, playing uninspiring football. I remain convinced that it would be a disaster for Villa for McLeish to remain in any circumstance. If he were to stay I would see Villa being in perpetual mediocre mode.

On the other hand, if Randy Lerner does replace McLeish, just who will he appoint? Will it be an imaginitive manager, one already with a proven track record or one with star potential? Again, unless Lerner seeks sound advice from someone who understands Villa and its supporters, I see another wasted appointment taking place.

The year 2012 has indeed proved itself to be the end of a calendar. Just what is going to happen next? The answer is indeed in the firmament.
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