I spent literally four or five hours on Sunday, trying to post something saying how chuffed I was that we’d got another win, but I had to concede defeat against the chronic internet over here.
I’m now on a paid-for connection and whilst it’s still poor, it does at least work sometimes hence I’ll try again.
So no doubt I was as elated as it seems most of you were, but I still had the overwhelming feeling that it’s too little, too late.
Never mind though, as it isn’t yet impossible that we might survive and Garde is saying the right sort of positive things, even though he must be gutted at the lack of support last week.
It’s a shame really, as without looking, we must have moved up the form table a fair way, something that has to be seen as a major positive, given that we’ve been bottom for so long.
Going back to the game for a minute, I couldn’t have got it more wrong, could I?
A set piece goal, Gabby scoring and win too!
Seeing as I got the Palace game wrong too, I think I might start predicting us to lose more often.
There’s not a fat lot in the news from what I’ve seen, but the stories about Garde doing one at the end of the season seem to have died down.
I’ve still to make my mind up about him overall, but as I’ve previously said, I don’t believe he’s the man to keep us up because he doesn’t seem to be the big motivator type to me.
That said, he doesn’t strike me as the “yes man” the board were probably hoping for either and he’s certainly ruffled some feathers. Let’s face it, anyone who can get Gabby in to actually score a goal can’t be all bad can he?
And while I don’t think Garde will keep us up this season, I’m very much coming round to the fact that he might just be the bloke who can actually manage the club when we do go down.
And no, that’s not just based on the back of a win against a dire Norwich side.
It’s based more around what I see as a man who very much knows how to handle himself.
He has something about him; an assured man, who knows what he wants and doesn’t panic in his thinking.
I think the way he reacted to the West Ham defeat proved that, after all the speculation about him resigning and the Ayew debacle.
I’m very much sticking my neck on the line here, as the following might well haunt me for years, but do you know who he reminds me of?
Alex Ferguson or even Arsene Wenger.
Take your pick, as either will do for me.
Feel free to mock me, as that’s what it’s all about.
But I definately feel this bloke is the best/only chance we’ve got amongst a hierarchy that doesn’t have a clue.
Oh and Happy New Year!, if indeed we have any Chinese readers lurking in the background (I wonder how that push at China has gone? No doubt another failure, imo).
Blimey, the post worked; Happy days indeed.
Just seen on the B’ham Mail [yes, I know…], according to the ‘form table’ over the last 5 games, we’re 4th in the Prem. Just shows that statistics aren’t the be-all and end-all!
I know what you mean about Garde, but I don’t see him as anything like old Sir Red Face; he’s much more controlled, like Wenger.
Like you, I think the current form is too late, especially since we’re not just battling against Norwich in the drop-stakes; unfortunately it seems that whatever we manage to do, both Sunderland and Newcastle manage similar or better. I’d hoped that by now there’d be a few more teams in free-fall [Swansea, Bournemouth, etc.] and that at least one of the Geordie clubs would be down-and-out.
As it is, even if we manage to creep off the very bottom of the table, I can’t see us climbing 3 places higher before the end…
Another reply wasted by me, because the net just doesn’t work. ARRGGHH!
Suffice to say, yes, maybe Wenger’s the better choice, but I don’t recall Fergy being so brash in his early days?
Remi was the first player Wenger signed when he became Arsenal manager, l think it was Ray Parlour who said that Wenger really trusted Garde, and Garde admired Wenger. They come face to face on the last day of the season, what’s the chances of Arsenal needing 3 points to win the league and Villa needing 3 to stay up. Could the apprentice beat the sorcerer!
Hi Badger. As I was reading your post, I immediately thought of Wenger and not just because they speak in exactly the same way!
Actually, I hope the board persuade him to stay and reward him with some decent funds in the summer. I would also .ike to think some of the better players – Ayew, Vertout, Okore and Amavi spring to mind – will commit to staying with us next season. I’m becoming less negative about next season as long as we keep our better players and add done quality in two or three key positions that we all know about.
As to this season, I might have more hope if we add a proven goal scorer because I’m pretty sure an analysis of our season to date will highlight the deficiency in converting chances to goals as the killer – I think we have the worst ratio by far in the prem.
Oh for a Vardy to get us through to the end of the season.
Oops sorry a few ‘big thumbs’ typos but I hope you get the drift.
Also think it’s probably too little too late but the important thing for me is that we enter the Championship in a positive mind set.
Even if we go down winning a few games won’t do us any harm and having confidence might just be the main thing that’s holding us back. Who knows a season in the Championship and a bounce straight back might not be impossible but we need to hit the ground running when we go down.
And if Garde won’t give up until it’s mathematically impossible then that’s good too, nice to see a bit of positivism at VP.
I like Garde’s seeming unflappability, I think that his calmness communicates itself to the team.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/aston-villa-warn-club-staff-7334261
According to the Mirror –
‘An email was sent to all staff last week, informing them of likely cut-backs in the event of relegation to the Championship.’
Hope that Lerner, Fox, O’Reilly and Almstadt are on the redundancy list!
Seems Everton are on the verge of a take over. Another Yank consortium. Is that a good thing? Too many Americans in the English game for my liking already…
Interesting to read that apart from the ones now said to be buying Everton, there have supposedly also been various Chinese and American groups looking at them, and the likes of Swansea, for big investments over the last 6-12 months.
If those rumours are true, then it begs the question of why Lerner hasn’t sold AVFC: has he been too greedy with his asking price, or do we look such a poor prospect that no serious buyer would touch us?
Ardent Villain, I honestly think our next buyer will be a Chinese business man or woman, problem is Lerner has over price Aston Villa, the man to me is nothing but a leach and I think that he will let go, but business buyers wait till the enviable happens and that is taking that man down in sales by fans staying away.
The whole story around Chinese football is interesting – they seem to want European clubs as ‘feeders’ for what they intend to make the biggest league in the world within the next 10 years.
You could well be right that there’s one of those investors simply waiting for Villa’s value to halve when we’ve been relegated…
We won’t stay up this season, we played ok for one half and woeful for the other, which has been our problem for years. We got a result against a very poor Norwich side and when we play better position our frailties will be there for all to see…..
I am not being negative, just being realistic, next season we will struggle because Randy and Fred will still be cutting back, no chance of any new signings and anyone shows a glimmer of talent will be sold……bottom half of Championship all season at best, at worst relegated !
I don’t think there is any chance of us staying up for the same reasons as Saddened. Can you imagine the reaction though if we almost make it? January will be seen as a massive mistake, and be a huge cost to Lerner. How ironic?
Given the fixation on financial performance, the likelihood of spending to get out of the Championship seems pretty small. I think we are doomed to stay there for a while.
Brilliant, Coutinho and Sturridge will probably start against us!! Typical, whats the betting Sturridge puts a couple past us!!
With the attitude of no new players and redundancies I recon they want us to get relegated – they can then say they need to “slim down” which make us more attractive to any buyer.
Its the same as this government running the NHS into the ground and then their cronie friends will snap it up.
Liverpool extra time and losing in the last minute…you never know we might be in with a chance at the weekend after all 🙂
Liverpool don’t have a great team, and I think their manager is out of his depth. Ironically Sturridge is fit again just in time to face the Villa, bur hopefully not Guzan.
Depends how we play, with our chronic lack of pace in defence if we play in typical home-team style, with a high line, we will get shot to pieces on the counter.
If instead the crowd can be patient with a backs-to-the-wall approach, gaps may appear behind the Scousers’ back line. It is a big if, and the only other hope is a Mignolet gaffe.
You can virtually guarantee Sturridge will get at least one goal past us and can see benteke getting at least one goal as well if he plays. So effectively we need 3 goals for a draw or win.
WE cant defend as well as Hammers.
Remi has publicly said he wants money to rebuild and bring us back up otherwise he’ll have to reconsider his future.
Au Revoir Remi.
There’s a redundancy list going around and I fear that Remi’s name might be at the top if he mentions money.
Like many fans here I have absolutely no faith in the so-called ‘management team’ – IMHO they’ve performed even worse than the players.
Yep good luck with that Remi about £5m-£10m tops and that’s assuming we sell players like Zog
Have we ever been for sale?
Coincidence that the only talk of a sale comes around May when we are at the end of an awful season and people are thinking about renewing season tickets? Coincidence?
The only time we hear from Lerner is to drive sales. Message useually ambiguous at best.
Club appear to dangle the hope that Lerner will be gone BUT they never actually make any real comment. Or do they?
Why would Lerner sell when he can just do nothing a recoup prem money and then parachute money. I’ve never. Dear stood with all the cutbacks why HE would want to sell.
This recent disclosure that Lerner has lost 300 million is at best puzzling.
OK he may have spent SOME money BUT when do the likes of Lerner and Fox star talking about how much has als come into the club via player sales, TV money, sponsorship money, season ticket sales, match day income?
When will the press report a comprehensive overview and include all the income generated and not just what Lerner has invested?
When will Lerner and Fox admit there is an expectation and a requirement as a prem team to spend.
Why is Fox still employed after all this mess? New contracts to Lambert and Agbonlahor, openly critical of fans.
Could it be that the Lerners plan is in fact being delivered and Fox has met the objectives set by Lerner? Nothing to do with football simply about money?
Its a disgrace.
This Samuelson for the Posh looks some player.
Are you watching young Mr Grealish?
Thats exactly the same I was thinking…….maybe he with have his hair done…cut the pads in half and get pissed after…..
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/union-leader-brands-job-cuts-10871228?
The above link backs up what Bill Pearson being saying all along about the questionable ethics of our colonial cousins form across the pond.
It’s a disgraceful practice from any football club let alone one with its roots in the Methodist church.
It’s Fox that should be laid off and his other hoppos
Interesting reading Garde’s comments about staying next season even if we go down. Of course he wants assurances he will get money to strengthen the team and the squad – equally he has to retain the nucleus of our best players. What struck me however was yet another reference to deep seated problems within the club. ‘On the outside we are a prestigious club but there is much to do within the club’
I really will be very disappointed if we don’t see a compete restructure at Board level because that’s where all the internal problems must stem from. It’s no good getting rid of staff to save money if you don’t remove the managers who caused the problem in the first place.
And Lerner – well he has to leave it to Hollis and King – his role now is to provide the right level of investment in the right place and trust Garde to select the right players.
Oh yeah – and find us a new wealthy and reputable owner.
Hollis and King are part of that restructure, and may even be all of it as far as the board goes. Lerner has right royally f****d up. We are nailed on for relegation which means we are heading into a period of lower income, so more cost cutting like has already started.
From the pattern seen in recent years it seems improbable that the Club will spend to get out of the Championship. Lerner probably can’t afford to sell as the price will have tumbled.
Garde will walk so they will have to find another manager. Is the existing squad going to have the mental and physical strength to get out of the Championship? It seems highly unlikely. New manager and no money to spend on players.
What a mess.
DSVilla, I think we will take the attitude of starting again with players wanting to get into the big time by riding on the back of our history, after watching the Posh playing WBA and the desires they had of the game playing football , it does look that good players are around but need a club with history and first class facilities. We will not spend mega bucks with that toe rag at the helm that’s for sure.
I thought Peterborough were fantastic yesterday Bill. That West Ham kid was different class.
Bill – DS the Posh played a blinder last night and had a lot of players that had ability or heart or both but then again that’s what you get when the Director of football (Barry Fry) both knows and loves the game.
DSV – the point I was striving to make and have done previously I’d that the mess we are in has been created as much by poor senior appointments as lack of appropriate investment. I wholeheartedly accept that this lies at Lerner’s door.
I have my doubts over Hollis but am willing to keep an open mind despite some of his unfortunate statements since taking office. Yes Hollis and King are part of a new board but I want to see significant changes with this poor appointments being rectified. Specifically we need a new CEO although I would be happy for a Fox to continue in a marketing capacity. Reilly and Almstadt (sp?) should go and be replaced with Directors having the appropriate experience and skill sets.
Not sure whether the General still sits on the Board but if he does that’s another one that should go and a new NED appointed in his place.
If Hollis does nothing more than we’ve seen to date then we’re definitely in the soft stuff.
And just to add that I don’t expect any heads to roll until either we’re mathematically down or end of the season.
I wasn’t disputing your point Hitchens. I just don’t think any of that is going to happen. You are approaching the problem from “What would I do if I was in charge?”. My point is that Lerner will continue to shift strategy with a new “plan” every year until he can find someone to take the club off his hands. In the meantime it’s cost cutting and cock ups.
This isn’t directed at you but if anyone thinks we are going to stay up just have a look at the next 8 games and look at the number of points we will realistically get from them. It’s game over I’m afraid.
Fair enough DSV although maybe not ‘if I was in charge’ but just hoping for a change in direction! FWIW I’m not in the camp that thinks we can stay up – we will get relegated do my concerns are more about next season than this.