These are not new stories, I know, but I’ve been busy and have only just read them.
It appears at first glance that the under 21s beat a first team squad by three goals to nil.
I have to say this makes interesting reading, although I have to wonder who made up the defensive part of the senior side when you realise that Mark Bunn, Micah Richards, Joleon Lescott, Jores Okore and Aly Cissokho didn’t play. Gabby Agbonlahor, Rudy Gestede and Libor Kozak were also absent and when you look at it like that, surely it means that most of what we perceive as our “best” players didn’t actually play?
That said, some “decent” players were involved, with Carles Gil, Jordan Veretout, Idrissa Gana, and Ashley Westwood, all expected to start at the Britannia, alongside Brad Guzan, Ciaran Clark, Kieran Richardson, Alan Hutton, and Scott Sinclair getting at least a run out.
Not that I’ve seen how long any of them actually played. For example, Bunn wasn’t involved and it seems Guzan played at least some part. So who was the main goalie? And which goalie actually conceded the goals?
It’s a bit of a non-story for me, but it doesn’t look good doesn’t it?
If indeed it was the case that the senior team played most of the game, perhaps I ought to reconsider my stance and concede that those of you calling for the kids to start might well be right.
Well, let’s see how many kids Remi Garde throws in against an ugly Stoke side.
I can’t see it being many, if any at all, myself.
Onto the latest protest idea then and it appears that a group of fans have started a campaign for a walkout in the 74th minute for the next three home games.
The 74 represents the “1874”, in case you hadn’t guessed.
Well, I won’t be reading unfortunately, as I detest Facebook with a passion. If Facebook was a tasty lap-dancer, I wouldn’t touch it with Defoe’s, put it that way.
My personal sentiments on that part aside though, I have to say I think this is doomed to failure.
It’s not that I want to put a downer on the idea, as I’m all in favour of some sort of protest that I thought might actually achieve something, but who is going to want to walk out of a game that we might be (ahem) winning?
And if we’re losing, or very possibly getting soundly beaten, won’t there be a mass walk out anyway?
It’s not a clear enough sort of protest for me, as many fans will ignore it, rightfully thinking that they’ve paid their money, so want to watch the game.
No, if you were to ask my opinion, we need some method of protest that is much more of a show stopper, as your regular protests are becoming old hat and too routine.
Something that would grab world-wide attention.
Something akin to the Albion pitch invasion, but that goes further in actually getting the game abandoned.
Let’s face it, the club got a £200k fine when it’s fans were only celebrating, so they might as well do the real thing for the right sort of reason.
I’m not talking about the last game of the season either.
The Newcastle game would be the one, especially if they’re going down with us.
Imagine if the two sets of fans teamed up on the pitch, in protest at the way the game is going and the way the clubs are being run.
Imagine the headlines. Genuinely worldwide and high up the agenda. A real kick in the proverbials for the Premier League, Lerner and Ashley.
Beautiful.
Now that’s what I call a protest.
But of course, that sort of thing would be bad for the club and the media would probably only twist things, just as they did against the Albion anyway. Still, imagine those headlines.
Before anyone rants against my wishful thinking, don’t worry. It won’t happen.
People don’t do outlandish things like that anymore.
It’s only in my dreams and I can’t be seen to advocate people breaking the law and running on to the pitch anyway, can I?
The reality is you’d get some idiotic Villa and Newcastle fans knocking lumps out of each other, because that’s what happens.
Coming back to the real world, I’m much more minded to agree with those who say we just shouldn’t attend at all and indeed, I’m somewhat ashamed to admit, that I haven’t attended at all this season. I refuse to hand over money to a regime that obviously refuses to compete; it’s as simple as that.
And while my one titchy bit of a protest won’t make much difference, the club would do well to consider that if I do attend, I don’t go alone, because at least two grandkids accompany me.
The club, or more accurately, Lerner is peeing our future up the wall and that’s the part that really annoys me.
He’s already made the penultimate mistake in not demonstrating support for his manager.
Will he make the ultimate one in not investing to get us straight back up?
That’ll be the question in just a few months, won’t it?
Suffice to say that I think any more normal method of protest is destined to fall on deaf ears.
Lerner doesn’t give a stuff about what we think and the media is 100% behind him, make no mistake. The protest against McLeish’s appointment said it all, when it was dominated by the graffiti at BMH. And still he ignored the fans.
