If reports are to be believed it seems new Chairman Steven Hollis is asking the same question as he is bringing in consultants to help him understand Aston Villa`s dramatic decline.
Well, Stevie Boy – times are tough. So tough according to one disgruntled ex-employee – who sounds like she`s got an axe to grind – we can no longer afford to give chocolate biscuits to the Prawn Sandwich Brigade in hospitality. Therefore, I`ve done the job for you. Much cheaper than the thousands of pounds I presume these consultants charge, too. I`m not asking for a single penny. All I want is for you to fix the problems and get us back and running as a football club again.
1. Communication
A common complaint from football supporters tends to be of a lack of communication from the club – and being honest, I think there is benefit for football clubs to have to keep a lot of what is going on ‘behind closed doors`. The amount of money at risk dictates that. Where Villa have a complete failure in communication is the way communication is carried out.
For example, whoever is in charge of the official Twitter account recently unfollowed thousands of supporters that it had previously been following. Not a problem – I doubt that they really wanted to see the thousands of messages from supporters unhappy from the significant number of losses that we have suffered. However, at the time that the club unfollowed supporters we were having messages from players and Remi Garde on the Official website with the theme of ‘We are all in this together`, that ‘your support can make the difference` and to ‘stick with us`. There are mixed messages there aren`t there? We are all in this together and we need you – but we`re unfollowing you all.
I`m sure there is some perfectly good reason with a new digital social media strategy being put in place – but it can (and was by many) be easily seen as a kick in the teeth to the supporters following them. If when making the decision to unfollow supporters, someone had been sensible enough to have considered what fan reaction might be – all it would have needed was one quick Tweet explaining the decision and I suspect the reaction to it would have been a lot less severe.
The club and it`s supporters are disconnected. It all too often feels a one-way relationship until the club wants our money again. It may have been mocked at times – but at least when General Krulak was engaging with supporters it gave us some dialogue. Now, we get a statement once a year if we are lucky – often full of strange references – I`m not sure how many of us had heard of the Shulamites until Randy told us he was selling up!
When the going got tough, the club closed ranks and communication changed from a conversation to what feels like someone moaning about the club in the same way they would complain if they`ve received bad service from a chain restaurant.
The exact moment it feels the relationship bubble popped was the McLeish debacle. His appointment was as big as a statement as is possible for a football club to say it doesn`t care what it`s supporters thinks.
It was easy to cast aside the vigourous concerns shown by many as anti-Birmingham City tribal nonsense. And yes – there was some of that thrown in. But the majority of the nervousness shown was because here was a manager just relegated, known for playing awful football which was totally alien to what was being built and would not suit our new record signing striker. These rational worries were written off as anti-Blues bias.
Football clubs shouldn`t be making decisions based on fan feelings – of course. But it needs to take us into consideration.
This is why Steven Hollis`s slip up at the Trust meeting, where he used the term ‘customers`, caused such a kerfuffle. I`m sure it wasn`t meant how it sounded to some – but the offence was taken as that is how many of us do feel the club sees us – customers not supporters.
So how is this fixed? Let`s look at getting someone in who can communicate with the media and supporters. Allow them to tell us the truth, even if we won’t like it. We don`t need every detail – it`d take the fun out of speculation anyway – just be transparent and let us know what`s going on. Whilst that is taking place, re-look at the messages being sent out to fans. Articles on the Official website tend to finish with one sentence, unrelated to whatever the story is about such as “Click here to buy tickets for next week`s game against Burton Albion now” We are already on the site. We know if we want tickets or not. Give us a reason to buy them – don`t just dangle them in our face asking if we`ll take them off your hands.
2. Effort, Motivation & Morale
Another key complaint about Aston Villa is that there is a lack of effort from a number of players. Whilst I`m sure the vast majority of the squad could look at themselves and admit that there are games in which more energy and concentration could be put into games, I suspect more often than players are giving their best – or at least enough to for more points to be accumulated that have been.
There is an attitude that has developed through the playing squad of recent years that is rather alarming. Particularly under Lambert, the team would occasionally manage a run of two or three games where it looked like things might be turned around, only then putting in a terrible, lackluster performance which would damage morale and turn into a losing run. The week before this loss would often be full of interviews on official outlets from both players and managers talking about having turned things around. There seemed to be a regular slipping into ‘relaxed` mode rather than being mentally turned on and ready for the game,
This attitude, mental sharpness or whatever you wish to call it was evident only a few weeks ago with Remi Garde as manager at an FA Cup game against lower league opposition.
Whilst no malice was surely meant by it – and it was just a jokey game played – two of the senior players in the squad spent time playing ‘Who can spit chewing gum the furthest?` rather than staying tuned in on the game, and being ready to take part should they need to be. The lack of thought about how they needed to be prepared for participation, let alone why the management staff were letting this happen or what the supporters might think as they see this very public childish game is all rather amazing.
It is not surprising that Lescott and Guzan have both been two of the biggest under-achievers this season when this kind of attitude has been allowed to develop within the playing squad.
It is not fair to only point fingers at players though. The club at times have treated it`s players appallingly. Jores Okore, a player who has a contract up next year and currently most in-form defender (though that doesn`t say much) has had to go to the press to talk about the lack of a new contract offer – basically reminding the club he`ll be off on a free if they can`t sort something out. Marc Albrighton was left hanging until his contract had expired – but worse of all comes the ‘Bomb Squad`.
Players deemed not good enough for Aston Villa, after spending fortunes on them just left to rot outside the senior squad rather than trying to get the best of them. Charles N`Zogbia is a player that needs to be loved. I`m not justifying his poor performances – but the way to get the best from a player like Charles is not to cast him aside and hope somebody buys him. Because when you need him to fill in – like Garde did shortly after joining – he looks at the last 18 months training with the reserves – and wonders why he should put in the effort when the club has treated him so poorly in his eyes.
A similar instance occurred with Hutton. Here is someone who was frozen out of the side for two years. Suddenly, West Brom wanted to sign him with a year left of his contract and we were without a first team right back. Other than professional pride – could you blame him if he didn`t want to run through walls for a team that gave him an enforced break from his short career?
For success, you need players to be motivated and willing to fight for their teammates, supporters and the club itself. These conditions are not present at Aston Villa.
Supporter morale and trust in players is also at an all time low. It is hard to support – get behind a team – when you do not believe it is capable of winning. The lack of faith comes after a long string embarrassing events occurring once that thing supporters cling on to – hope – is delivered. Losing a two-legged semi-final against a team three leagues below them when it looked like a cup could be won. Being humiliated in the FA Cup final. Club record defeats at home and away within a few years of each other. They all mount up. The fragile state of mind that players in this squad currently possess often contributes to going from conceding one goal to three or four in a short space of time.
So how do we fix this? The manager of the playing staff, whether Garde continues or someone else takes the job needs to address the discipline issue. Players not willing to be prepared in the correct manner for the game need to be deemed ‘injured` until they are – they are not mentally ready for the challenge. These players need a psychological coach – to get their heads ready and until they need to be moved away from the first team.
Regular interaction with players and a designated member of recruitment staff should occur with contract periods and player intentions noted.
And finally – morale. This is only realistically going to improve once games are won on a regular basis. But there are things that can create a boost, get a bit of excitement or hope. Should Garde leave this summer then a ‘Name` needs to be targeted. Remember the bounce of excitement when Martin O`Neill was appointed? How many managers have been met at Villa Park and cheered on in upon appointment? Automatically a good feeling was generated. It may have eventually turned sour – but it was a truly exciting appointment and that`s what needs to be created again. Should Garde stay then we need to look elsewhere – a marquee signing – someone to get excited about – is desperately needed. Money may be tight and about to get tighter, but it will be money well spent.
The current team and squad does not boast one player that supporters can get excited about. It doesn`t contain one player who when he has the ball, that tingle of electricity runs down your back to make you think he can get us a goal here. This squad is made up of fragile, temperamental – and because a better word escapes me – boring footballers. And the type of football and results reflect that.
3. Team Quality
The club has been for sale for a number of years now. To cut costs, the decision has been made to become a ‘selling club`, only providing funds for player purchases once they have been secured from selling players. This policy of selling the best players at the club needs to end immediately. A team cannot be built when it consistently sells the players it depends on.
The summer of 2015 was the most important one the club had under the current ownership. Through sales it had a large amount of money to spend and improve the quality of players at the club. A transfer committee was put in place with the aim of improving the squad quality and league finishing despite the manager`s public wariness at such a system.
While a select number of those players have shown good form for short periods of time, not one of these signings have shown themselves worth the money. Ayew let the club down when he was needed most leaving the club without a striker for three games – and has only managed five goals in 19 games. £10m wasted. Vertout has not shown anything like being worth £10m. £6m was wasted on Adama Traore – a player who was described at the time of signing as not being first team ready. When the club didn`t have enough money to fill the holes in the squad that had appeared – why was a substantial amount of money being spent on a player who wouldn`t be taking part in many games this season?
The club entered the season – and has played throughout with no first team goalkeeper and no regular goalscorer. Guzan, having shown to have little confidence towards the end of last season was dropped to second choice – and when the club failed to secure a first team goalkeeper was expected to come back into the squad with that little confidence he did have left smashed because it was clear the manager didn`t think he was good enough but had to play him.
The way money was spent in the Summer was a disaster.
The youth system at Villa also needs a shake up. There was a period of time when Villa managed to churn out some pretty decent top division quality players. Cahill, Whittingham, Albrighton, Gardner were all let go – some pushed out the door. Since then we`ve let players who might not be of the same quality but with potential to be good players (or at least would have helped in the Championship next year) go – Jordan Graham put in some very solid performances at Wolves before injury, Daniel Johnson, Harry Maguire are three that could have gone on to fill vital areas of the squad. The current crop of youngsters seem to have developed the senior team`s habit for losing – the lack of wins in the U21 team is somewhat alarming when we are going to be needing these players soon.
So the squad isn`t good enough and we haven`t spent money well at the club for many years. How do we fix it? Firstly, if you don`t trust your manager to spend any money you do have then find one you do. Secondly – ask them what kind of scouting system they want that will help them gain success and give it to them. Don`t thrust a system upon them – be it moneyball, ‘helpful suggestions` or whatever – the manager must decide what we help him get success.
And finally – study what went on last Summer. Who decided on what players? What method was used? Who decided that was the right way of doing things? Admit it was a complete failure, work out where the failure occurred and put it right. And If you come to the conclusion that those involved in that process (Fox, O`Reilly and Almstadt) cannot do that, or the manager that you trust cannot work with them, then let them join the fourth member of the transfer team, Tim Sherwood, who is no longer part of the club as “The board has monitored the performances closely all season and believes the results on the pitch were simply not good enough and that a change is imperative.”
4. Managers
Every time the club has been tasked with finding a new manager it would quite rightly be described as a pantomime. The public courting and subsequent rejections from Ole Gunnar Solksjaer and Roberto Martinez, the appointment of Gerard Houllier who couldn`t start for an extra month despite the season having started, alienating the whole fanbase with McLeish, the legal wrangles over Lambert, calling someone who had never managed a club for a full season as “one of the most sought after managers in the Premier League” and then appointing Garde who had no experience and needed time to settle when a direct hit of confidence and winning was needed.
There doesn`t appear to be any strategy behind the club`s appointments. After signing Darren Bent for a club record fee and trying to persuade Martinez to join after Houllier to continue a passing style of football, it flipped and Alex McLeish, famed for his long-ball direct style which a player such as Bent struggles with. Suddenly that`s £25million wasted in six months.
As a club we need to decide what we want to be. Are we a tippy-tappy pass the ball around side like Garde is turning us into and has been tried with Houllier? Or do we want to look forward with the more direct, pacey style that has served Leicester well recently and is more like the kind of football that has been successful for us in those days when we did look threatening. Then get the management structure, coaching, in place to provide that.
A lot easier said than done.
There are things that the club does right – and it`s important to emphasise that not everything the club does is negative. Prices, compared to other clubs are good. The match day experience, minus the actual football, has been improved immensely since Lerner bought the club.
But there is an awful lot of fixing needed at Aston Villa football club.
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