Aston Villa. For the old timers the name conjures up memories of a Peter McParland brace in 1957 to secure a record seventh FA Cup triumph.
For those less inclined to refer to a radio as the ‘wireless’ perhaps Denis Mortimer lifting the European Cup in 1982 might be more prominent in their reverie. Or Dalian Atkinson rampaging through the entire Wimbledon side en route to a goal so stupefyingly good it made athiests believe in a higher power.
Whatever the era, whatever the connotations the famous old name throws up, there are consistent values attached to each and every one: pride, leonine passion and largely – the McLeish and Lambert tenures aside – an adherence to attractive football.
Villa have been mainstays of the top flight ever since a freak blip in 1987, a residency that travails the entire Premier League timeline, and through the roar of the intimidating Holte End, the grumpy omnipresence of previous owner Doug Ellis, and an array of protagonists that includes Big Ron, Graham Taylor, the ‘Viking’ Olof Mellberg, ‘Sid’ Cowans, Gabby Agbonlahor, and Paul McGrath have established an individual niche among the elite; a reputation of considerable standing.
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They are always there or thereabouts. Always repping the Midlands admirably. Always Villa.
Not anymore. Those days are now gone and a stature nobly maintained for generation after generation has been depressingly dismantled through an unforgivable litany of cowardly decisions, chronic mismanagement and complete absence of ambition. Even to rival supporters it has been painful to watch and if the owners had been saboteurs intent on willingly ruining this great football club, they could hardly have done a better job.
The man with the most blood dripping from his hands has a name like an apprentice porn star and a face so ordinary you struggle to recall it five seconds after looking away. Randy Lerner, a billionaire American entrepreneur (by which I mean he inherited a banking corporation from his father) was initially warmly embraced by Villans on his arrival as new owner of the club in 2006. Soon though, his interest waned and bored with his expensive toy stagnation set in from the top down. His appointment of Steve Hollis as chairman last month was essentially an admission of no longer giving a damn, but Lerner’s crime is far greater than apathy. He is guilty of Villacide.
It has been death by a thousand cut-backs and continual poor investment, accompanied by the selling of whatever talent they muster was only ever going to produce the here and now. Installing Tim Sherwood in the dug-out and having Leandro Bacuna as the heart and soul of their midfield was just the stale cherry on top and inevitably has led to a season of struggle this term. Two wins in 23 games and the dispassionate nature of the performances has resulted in Villa being all-but-dead and buried even before a relegation fight has begun in earnest.
There is shame in that certainly, but a startlingly obvious point should be noted at this juncture in that every season sees an unfortunate club fail to make any meaningful impression and find themselves seemingly doomed before spring. It happens. What exacerbates Villa’s predicament greatly – what deepens the malaise from a familiar sorry tale to that of disgraceful negligence – is what occurred between the transfer window opening on January 1st and closing last Monday. Which was precisely nothing.
I recall a series of discussions post-Christmas from pundits and journalists alike as to what Villa’s strategy should be with regards to the forthcoming window. Should they bare their teeth and bring in quality who might turn things around against the odds? Considering the share of the £5.2billion that’s due to every Premier League occupant next season there was plenty of merit to this.
Or should they accept their fate but use the window wisely to best prepare for life in the Championship? Recruit and bed in personnel with the heart and experience to ensure they were favourites for promotion in 2016/17?
In the end they did neither. In the end they signed nobody.
This amounted to a raising of the white flag in the midst of battle, a meek surrender that directly contradicts the nature and spirit on which this club is founded. After crafting a blunt sword then falling upon it, Villa have now curled up into the foetal position and started to shed tears of self-pity.
Randy Lerner has repeatedly stated that he no longer wishes to be associated with a club he lives 3,000 miles from and has been looking to sell to a reputable buyer for some time. Surely, though, he must realise that until that day happens he is in loco parentis of a proud 141-year old institution. He has a duty of care.
Their failure – and you have to question just how diligently they even tried – to sign new players just weeks after the supporters have taken it upon themselves to verbally abuse the present bunch for their lack of commitment smacks of giving up. And for a club of Villa’s history and standing that is inexcusable.
The fans deserve infinitely better than this and for neutrals who fondly recall the cup wins, triumphs and disappointments and teams that excited and delighted, perhaps it’s fair to say that we all do.
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