Weekend off

Its a weekend off for Villa since we got booted out of the FA Cup.  Thought it would be a good time for a  "State of the Villa" post.

(1) Injuries - They have hurt us this year, but injuries impact every team.

(2) McLeish - I understand the frustration many of the supporters feel about the manager and his less-than-stellar performance so far this season.  I'm frustrated as well.  His strategy for starting lineups and substitutes leaves me very confused.  But, he isn't on the filed playing either.  Each player needs to take responsibility as well.

(3) Lerner - He is a business man first (just like any sports team owner).  I have a hard time getting on his case because I have to deal with Lew Wolff  (Owner of the Oakland Athletics baseball team and the San Jose Earthquakes football team).  He has personally destroyed the Oakland A's and I believe has  done so on purpose so he can move the team out of Oakland.  I'd like to support my local MLS team, but I can't because of his ownership.

(4) Attendance - It's way down this season, but I gotta believe some of it has to do with the struggling economy (although most of it has to do with the performance of the team).  Winners seem to always attract supporters - at any cost.

(5) Young Guns - Let's get some of the young guns from the reserves out there on the pitch!

More of the Same

Well, the players had the same names and they were wearing claret and blue, but it sure didn't look like the same team that beat Chelsea just days ago.  The difference?  Bent in, Albrighton out.  Seems that the team plays completely different when Bent is in.  Simon A. also pointed out that Villa is really only playing with 10 players on defense when Bent is in.  I agree.  The offensive play is focused on Bent which is really one-dimensional.  Without Bent, all the other players need to think a little more offensively and keeps the other team guessing more.  Can't figure out why AML didn't go with the same starting 11 that played against Chelsea?  We definitely could have used Albrighton's pace.  Seemed like Villa was always a step or two behind Swansea players.  Oh well...back to normal.  Villa loses 2-nil.

McLeish @ Villa

So Villans - there has been alot of "hate" surfacing because of the talks with ALex McLeish (former Birmingham CIty manager) leading to his eventual hiring.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2003740/Aston-Villa-fans-backlash-Alex-McLeish-hits-new-heights-Bluenose-scum-welcome-graffiti.html

What do California Villans have to say?   Personally, I don't support any kind of hate.  My only experience with this involves my alma mater,  the University of California at Berkeley and our hated rivals, Stanford University.  Cal hired former Stanford basketball coach Mike Montgomery as head basketball coach.  I'm still not use to it, but he does have the team generally playing well.

Also - current Cal baseball manager, David Esquer, has taken the Bears to the College World Series AND he is a former Stanford baseball player.





I say let's give McLeish a chance.