Open Letter #2: To the Aston Villa management

Dear Gerard and Gary,

It`s best to get the most important bit out of the way first. Whilst the contents of this is representative of myself, and myself only, I`m sure I`m speaking for everyone connected to Aston Villa FC when I say we all wish you a speedy, and full recovery. Results on the pitch may not have been what we or yourself would have wanted, but this was a stark reminder that there are so many more important things in life and we all wish you well during your recuperation.

As you have both been quoted on recently, as the management team of Aston Villa results are your responsibility. And for a large part of this season the results have not been good enough.

Having said that – the last twelve months has featured incredible moments of drama which has effected the on the pitch performance – for the second season running we`ve been forced to sell our best player, the previous manager left days before the beginning of the season, the caretaker manager before you came in did his best but put out a team which lost 6-0 at Newcastle, we had a crippling injury list at one point which meant two inexperienced reserves were in the center of midfield against the league`s best teams, there have been reports of at least two breaches of discipline by senior players who should know better and a number of our more experienced players are out of contract in the summer, presumably eyeing up moves elsewhere.

If it is any crumb of comfort, I cannot think of one football club that would manage a season that could be called anything like successful.

But there have been periods of joy. The signing of Bent – not only did it show the ambition that was being craved by supporters, but the relief and celebration after he scored his first goal for the club, on his debut, in the win against Manchester City was something that I won`t forget in a long while.

A number of players, such as Stewart Downing have really thrived on the football that we`ve tried to play since you have both been at the club. And that has given hope that if we can just drag ourselves across the finishing line then come the summer with a chance to regroup, get the squad how you would like it and with a pre-season together we`d have a much better year next time around.

The football has, at times, been so much better than before. And it`s the type of football which tends to get played by those who are successful. However, those times have been sparse. And then hampered further by obvious weaknesses in the team which you have both mentioned that you know exist, yet are not willing to do anything about until the Summer.

What I, and I suspect many others, want to know is why not? Why were you prepared to make such a shift in our playing style whilst in the middle of a season, and yet not prepared to get the players practising not only the defending but attacking of set pieces.

It is clear that, in particular, our defending at set pieces is abysmal. Players are out of position. They aren`t putting their body where it is needed. And sometimes they are making elementary errors which you wouldn`t expect from a professional footballer.

This is costing us points again and again. Surely changing things couldn`t have made it any worse? How could it get worse from letting in a goal every time a corner was taken up at Bolton?

To have let over twenty points slip after being in a winning position is something which just isn`t acceptable. I`m sure I don`t need to tell you that. But it`s this set piece issue that you have refused to address that has, in part, contributed to this.

I write this letter on the 4th May 2011. It was 54 years ago today that Aston Villa last won the F.A Cup. That`s not just one generation – that`s two generations of Villa fans that have grown up not seeing Aston Villa, a club which has won the trophy seven times, win the most famous domestic trophy in the world.

And this is why I was so disappointed in the decision to effectively give up on the competition in the quarter final stages this year. I am a firm believer in trying to win every competition that the club takes part in. We should be putting out the best team possible for every game. I`m not stupid – I expect a few changes – but the decision that night let a lot of Villa fans down.

Even more so, because of the way we had been dumped out of the UEFA Cup for the second year running by the manager putting out a weakened team, treating it as a ‘lesser` competition. It was, in fact, the third year in a row Aston Villa had been defeated in the UEFA Cup because of this – something which had really disappointed me in the previous manager and caretaker before you were appointed.

Obviously, your job is to manage Aston Villa FC, and not just to make me happy. However, the problem that I and many Villa fans have with this ‘resting` a whole team of players is that the first time we did it – and got knocked out of the UEFA Cup at quarter final stage – the club when on a streak of over ten games without a win. And again, this season, after the loss at Man City the club`s form which had looked a bit better took a bit of a nosedive again. It just doesn`t seem to work.

Next season seems a long time away. But Aston Villa needs stability – especially after the kind of season we have had this year. You only need to look back nine months to see how important a good, settled pre-season is. Please, one way or another make sure this happens this time. Because another summer of uncertainty will mean yet another wasted season. And whilst it looks like we have, thankfully, avoided the drop this time around (though this may soon change should we not gain a favourable result against Wigan) – another season of turmoil would made it even harder.

CustardCream.