The Real Start Of The Gerrard Era

The new season cometh closer!

The Australian foray has, I believe, brought a clear message about what the first team is likely to look like when the new season kicks off. Gerrard made it possible to assess that by selecting the team he did in the first half of the Manchester United match, a half which saw some downgrade performances compared with the players that came out for the second half.

The two teams were a bit chalk and cheese, impact-wise, and I got the feeling that we were looking at a mid-table team first half and a top-8 (potential top-6) team in the second half. One major enlightenment for me was how Bailey came on and seemed to replicate his performance last season against Everton, even to that last minute corner. 

So, to be brutal, I feel that the following players from last season should be sitting on the bench in the new season: Konsa, Mings, J.Ramsey, Coutinho, Luiz, Ings. I keep McGinn in place purely because of his match commitment level and also as the new captain. I suspect Nakamba is on his way out, as also El Ghazi.

So, here's my first choice starting team (of course, not taking into account any further signings), chosen because of their match impact:

Martinez

Cash, Chambers, Carlos, Digne;

McGinn,       Kamara,

Bailey,                    Buendia,

Archer, Watkins.

Anyhow, that's me feelings!

UTV!

A New Villa Crest

My working ideas for the new Villa Crest ...

The following AV emblem has a historical basis. It was actually used on the decorations welcoming the Queen to Aston Park in 1858 (Victoria and Albert)...

But something very similar was also used as a design for a floor mosaic in the old Trinity Stand that was demolished in 2000.

When in the Villa archives, I saw some pics of the old Trinity demolition, including ones of that mosaic. So...

Final draft...

Previous...

These are by no means what I'd put forward as a final idea ... they're just elements that I've thought of.

Comments are welcome.

UTV

What Kind Of World Are We Heading For?

Kamara will be picking up at least a whopping €500k a month at Aston Villa, which works out at €125,000 a week, or €6m a year. That accounts for around half of the £60m he’ll pick up over 5 years, which means Villa could have also given him as much as a £30m signing on fee to get him ahead of the competition. That is according to this article.

If that is true - and we must surely realise now that money seems no longer to be an issue at Villa Park - then in the light of the European Champions team of 1982 receiving in the order of just £500 per week at that time, with fairly ordinary club-supplied cars on top I believe, how do we feel about these modern payments?

Do they make sense in a world where there is vastly increasing devastation and poverty? A world where people on Pacific islands watch the water lapping up their beaches, just waiting for their islands to submerge. A world where half of humanity seems to be on the move - or will be soon. That's forgetting what's happening to wildlife who hold no value to the mining and deforestation companies.

Though - of course! - I want to see my football club do well, I cannot accept the justice in the payment of these sums that seem to be germinating at Villa Park. Those with nothing must be looking on and asking "What is all this about?".

Of course, we have known of a number of highly-paid players who send a large proportion of their income back home to those in need, whichever country they come from. Or UK born players who have shown a social conscience. But I wonder just how many there are who do that?

On top of that, Villa supporters will have to fork out more for their season tickets I understand. For many, the choice is already to eat or heat. What choices are Villa supporters making I wonder? All in the name of wanting success, but at any price?

Archie Hunter said, so long, long ago, "I never have much sympathy with players who put pecuniary conditions first and think of the sport afterwards" in this statement:

Some of the old members, myself among the number, who had been playing as amateurs, had a great reluctance to be paid for our services. Our diffidence may or may not have been reasonable, but it was sincere. When we finally ceased to be amateurs I may say that we left it entirely with the committee to arrange terms; and I never have much sympathy with players who put pecuniary conditions first and think of the sport afterwards. But professionalism is so strong and competition for good players so great that a ‘pro’ may ask for a good round sum as a retaining fee [plus] a high salary and stand every chance of obtaining both.

"Times have changed", you say? Haven't they. "Have they got better?", is what I ask.

I also ask, "Is all this sustainable?"

UTV : Undecided about The Villa