tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43280637672134518722012-02-26T12:15:54.346ZThe Villa and The VillansThoughts and issues regarding the past and present of a great football club by "The Chronicler".John Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-90446009024503597022012-02-26T12:15:00.002Z2012-02-26T12:15:54.354Z2012-02-26T12:15:54.354ZWould a Taylor be able to mend things?
Well, folks, here we sit, pondering on our navels - wondering about just what can come next.
It can be said that the Villa has been through at least as bad situations before in the club's existence, but I doubt (unless great changes are made in the board and in the management) that the situation this time will be as rectifiable. In 1968, the situation was changed by a revolution, but unless John Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-53490696946664994692012-02-13T10:34:00.002Z2012-02-13T10:39:02.546Z2012-02-13T10:39:02.546ZA Sad CaseWhen I started on my deep research into the Villa history at the beginning of 2006, I was not to know that Randy Lerner would be taking over as the new chief later on that year. When he did, and going by the utterances that exuded from his office, it seemed to me that a new era had dawned and that the new era would see a return to some olden and golden values. His support of the Acorns charity John Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-33055038544900795162012-01-22T12:58:00.002Z2012-01-22T14:14:52.268Z2012-01-22T14:14:52.268ZAre we Keane?The arrival of Robbie Keane through the portals of Villa Park did not end up in a dream start when Villa played at home against Everton. Instead, Keane came on to play a cameo role for some 10 minutes and everyone was left waiting for the next match to see whether he still had any magic in him.
Magic? It certainly looked like it judging by the method employed in his scoring brace at Wolves, bothJohn Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-24537377857548791582012-01-15T13:30:00.002Z2012-01-15T13:32:30.237Z2012-01-15T13:32:30.237ZVilladom in a CloudWhen I look back over my previous posts about the season, the board and the manager, I read in them my sense of shock that Villa has become simply one of the other teams, and just in the space of the past 18 months.
For the entire period of the 90s, a new generation of Villa supporters had grown up thinking that success was Villa's prerogative - after all, Villa had been top dogs as recent as John Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-21422797629853105132011-12-29T14:29:00.001Z2011-12-29T14:30:18.032Z2011-12-29T14:30:18.032ZAre Spurs the Model For Villa to Emulate?Two brilliantly taken goals this week by Gareth Bale have sent Independent journalists scurrying for their notepads to declare: "[The] Best since Best? Bale makes a convincing case."
But the journalists (James Lawton and Richard Rae) go further. Lawton states:
"Levy held the brilliant Luka to his contract ... With a degree of financial prudence that is unlikely to cause problems with the FFP John Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-91079522543211369422011-12-22T08:55:00.002Z2011-12-22T09:34:51.720Z2011-12-22T09:34:51.720ZSigns of Stopping the Rot ... ?When a 5' 2" opposing forward drops in to head a winner with 3 minutes to go then you really feel that Villa's season has become a big tester, and Albrighton's record of scoring the PL's 20,000th goal suddenly lost its lustre.
The fact that Villa showed that much more commitment is the biggest factor to draw from this match in which Arsenal fielded a weakened defence. As their defence is their John Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-89275398893118161072011-12-12T09:48:00.000Z2011-12-12T09:48:32.614Z2011-12-12T09:48:32.614ZIs there room for hope?Well - success! An away win against now bottom Bolton has at least brought some satisfaction, not least after their disposing of the Villans in the League Cup at Villa Park.
Big Eck at last took notice of the harangue thrown in his direction for the lack of enterprise and spirit shown by the Villa for most of the season, and introduced two wingers. This helped to produce a marked improvement in John Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-46164197480768103132011-11-15T10:42:00.001Z2011-11-15T10:50:03.329Z2011-11-15T10:50:03.329ZThe Sleeping Giant“Villa have been a great club, are still a great club, and always will be a great club.” - Fred Rinder, 1936.
“Aston Villa was built on class and the slogan that nothing but the best is good enough for Villa.” - Eric Houghton, 1969
I wrote the following statement as the opening lines of my then new Villa website in 1998: “It must surely be a fact that I was born (not long before 'D'-Day, 1944) John Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-71622514679848745292011-10-16T13:41:00.002+01:002011-10-16T13:47:57.168+01:002011-10-16T13:47:57.168+01:00William McGregor - AnnouncementPress release:
FOUNDER OF THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE REMEMBERED
Tuesday 20 December marks the centenary of the death of William McGregor, founder of The Football League and chairman of Aston Villa during a most important period of the club's history.
In celebration of the centenary, Aston Villa FC is commissioning the restoration of McGregor's grave in the picturesque churchyard of St Mary's, John Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-30293283218051800702011-10-16T09:33:00.001+01:002011-10-16T09:36:17.556+01:002011-10-16T09:36:17.556+01:00A Bright Future For Whom?From what I saw of yesterday's match, the score could easily have been 5-1 or worse - and City did not seem to me to be firing on all cylinders.
No surprises on the result, then - to me at least. But does this result make Villa a team destined for doom, which was my fear at the start of the season? I think not. But neither does the current set up instill hope in me.
City have already laid wasteJohn Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-40925829615198163422011-10-01T19:35:00.000+01:002011-10-01T19:35:27.083+01:002011-10-01T19:35:27.083+01:00Eck's End of Trial PeriodOK - unbeaten after 7 league games and a GD of four. With Gabby putting up impressive shows (and I thought he'd lost his knack) with the ever useful Bent at hand, things are not looking quite so bad as I thought they might be.
However, against the opposition we've had, I would be greedy and have expected at least another 2 points on the board. There are, however, still question marks with the John Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-15072796997897749382011-09-30T15:01:00.001+01:002011-09-30T15:33:20.972+01:002011-09-30T15:33:20.972+01:00Pre-launch Last Opportunity ('The Inspirational William McGregor' )May I send you a gentle reminder about The Inspirational William McGregor (authored by myself and Peter Lupson), which is now available.
This illustrated hardback with dust cover is available from my website where you can order and pay for it by PayPal. Price is £9.99 sterling.
And, until a specially-extended date of October 7th, all UK purchasers can acquire it free of postage costs. The John Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-69184693994765680402011-09-21T08:42:00.000+01:002011-09-21T08:42:33.440+01:002011-09-21T08:42:33.440+01:00The Inspirational William McGregorI am pleased to inform you that the book "The Inspirational William McGregor" (authored by myself and Peter Lupson) is now available.
From 1877 to his death, William McGregor was a committed Aston Villa man and was an important officer of the club until 1888. By then, however, he had become vitally concerned about the organisation of the national game and this caused him to instigate a movement John Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-29197336736383664152011-09-15T08:53:00.005+01:002011-09-15T09:05:56.971+01:002011-09-15T09:05:56.971+01:00Reality FootballThe Daily Mail's report on the state of finances at Villa Park seems to put a halt to the notion that Randy Lerner is on the point of selling out. The paper's report states:
Top level discussions have taken place that will lead to cutbacks in the playing budget during the course of the next 12 months. Not huge chunks of money, but a significant amount, nevertheless. Manager Alex McLeish is awareJohn Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-50496282825517540772011-09-09T11:32:00.001+01:002011-09-09T11:36:29.970+01:002011-09-09T11:36:29.970+01:00Revelations Not So Revealing, PerhapsAston Villa manager Alex McLeish admits the club and the majority of the Premier League cannot compete with the growing new breed of "super clubs".
See http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14844717.stm
Also see:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14717626.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14683259.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14711109.stm
I think I've comeJohn Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-13826078027862384452011-09-08T11:29:00.001+01:002011-09-08T11:31:22.794+01:002011-09-08T11:31:22.794+01:00Evaluating Where We're AtSadly, but understandably, a good deal of criticism of Randy Lerner and the board has lately been developing, and I feel it’s all exacerbated by the lack of intelligible communication from them as to why certain things have been happening.
The issue that I have the most difficulty in dealing with is the fact that expectations were raised so high for the best part of 4 years, and that now it John Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-18292182818654364172011-09-03T14:31:00.001+01:002011-09-03T14:31:41.268+01:002011-09-03T14:31:41.268+01:00Requiem to The Five ... or Six!Tis a long time since Gareth was claret and blue;Ten years at Villa Park: phew, that time flew!
Last eve the Bulgars felt his form resurgent,had Stilyan forgotten that left foot pageant?
But look, he was not alone in those shoes:
Cahill's point reminding us of him and Blews;
And Young's sweet pass across the box,
giving Wayne a chance, bless his socks!
And two more ex-Villans played last night,John Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-49825012587372064982011-09-02T14:05:00.001+01:002011-09-02T14:06:41.098+01:002011-09-02T14:06:41.098+01:00What is going on?After all the PR from RL’s henchman since 2006, for the club to suddenly freeze up and not say anything that is meaningful to the ordinary fan is a big mistake i.m.o.
What is also of concern is that – accepting all the arguments why Villa have to be less profligate – players of the ilk of Parker, Cole and Hargreaves (players who are good but probably past their best) this week chose to say ‘no John Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-57738845800837499992011-08-21T17:11:00.000+01:002011-08-21T17:11:43.926+01:002011-08-21T17:11:43.926+01:00Taking a Preliminary Stock of ThingsThis week-end, I hit upon this extract from an old 'Something for the Weekend' article by an old (or not so old!) friend and writer extraordinaire, Steve Wade. This was the part that caught my eye from early November, 2006:
"The club is as much reliant on youth on the terraces, as they are in the team, while for a lot of the aged Villa fans the revolution has come a bit too late, as too many are John Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-62034160973653705872011-08-07T11:17:00.002+01:002011-09-13T08:52:36.672+01:002011-09-13T08:52:36.672+01:00William McGregorDecember will see the 100th anniversary of the death of William McGregor, a major officer at Aston Villa in the 1880s and founder of all football leagues.
A celebration of this great man's life (his biography) has just gone to the printers and is scheduled to be available by October. It is a hardback with illustrations and dust jacket (artwork by the celebrated football artist Nick Oldham), John Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-28886998605144772852011-08-04T06:43:00.001+01:002011-08-04T06:44:20.561+01:002011-08-04T06:44:20.561+01:00Getting Just a Tad Bit Nervous...A bit too early for doom-mongering ... but ...Villa were playing a Championship side yet could not even score.
It seems that Villa put out a fairly inexperienced side last night at Derby, especially in defence. On the plus side, it sounds as though Bannan and Delph both performed well. But this side also contained Albrighton, Clark, Makoun and Bent. And, importantly, Ireland.
I am really worryingJohn Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-79584397583053321152011-07-20T20:39:00.001+01:002011-07-21T08:29:16.452+01:002011-07-21T08:29:16.452+01:00History Repeating Itself?It now appears that investment in new players is coming to a premature halt. What happens this coming season (at least) will be left essentially to those players left over following the departure of Ashley Young, Downing, Friedel, Reo-Coker and several others. Cuellar is another who might leave.
What is alarming is that the players that are left leave precious little cover for the full-back John Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-1189598341649257552011-06-17T12:15:00.002+01:002011-06-17T12:18:26.761+01:002011-06-17T12:18:26.761+01:00A New Man on the McLeish...McLeish may well prove to be suitable i.m.o. He appears to have done well at Rangers and OK with Scotland, so that's a decent c.v. he's built up. That he went to St. Andrews proved that he's not against trying to do the impossible ... and yet he still won a trophy there. It was only their second-ever trophy win.
What I feel, however, is that Aston Villa is still a great club and that it has a John Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-79088741579784223002011-05-29T13:20:00.001+01:002011-05-29T13:22:24.324+01:002011-05-29T13:22:24.324+01:00Blast the Premiership!!I wonder whether the Premiership has proved to be the scourge for all Midlands teams?
Since 1992, the Villa - even without winning anything League-wise - has been leading the Midlands as the area's Pride (an epithet I like as it's associated with lions!), yet it's a false-placed pride in one way with no league silverware to go with it - and just two league cup triumphs.
At the start of the John Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4328063767213451872.post-80186203563990761102011-05-24T13:58:00.001+01:002011-05-24T13:59:22.115+01:002011-05-24T13:59:22.115+01:00Still Pride of the Midlands!It is strange (isn't it?) how we can be looking back on the season to observe how Villa are still the Pride of the Midlands, despite the Mail's attempt to claim the title for the Baggies a few weeks ago! Not that the title applies for just one season, of course, and it is clear that Villa remain greatly ahead of the other Midlands' competition.
Blews, as always, are all talk and no testosterone!John Lerwillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508029564155592727noreply@blogger.com0