I haven’t been blogging about Villa much lately. Part of it has been that I have been busy with three very different book projects (stay tuned for more on those). Part of it has been the usual stuff of my day job, my family, and the things I love to do, like coaching my kids’ teams. But I suspect the biggest reason is that, too often, I feel I’ve run out of new things to say.
I’ve written one or two posts about what it feels like to win. I’ve written a few posts about meaningless draws. I’ve written still more about losses big and small, and the grind of supporting a terrible team. And I’ve written a lot about how, often, the only thing that makes supporting Aston Villa worthwhile has been the Chicago Villans.
So Next Year I’ll Have to Watch Games on Bein Sport?
Is this how our Premier League run ends? Losing 2-3 to a newly promoted side?
Or did it end with last week’s 0-4 loss to Everton, a loss so disheartening I couldn’t write about it. I had a headline—”When the Light at the End of the Tunnel Is an Approaching Train”—but nothing else.
It will likely be impossible to pinpoint the moment Villa secures relegation, and it won’t be official for some time to come. But even I, an eternal optimist and true believer, don’t believe we’ll find safety this year. And Alan Hutton’s own goal, when he nudged the ball away from an onrushing Odion Ighalo only to guide it into the corner of Brad Guzan’s goal, sums up the season well enough.
Hope is a slow-acting poison. After Remi Garde engineered a shock nil-nil draw against Manchester City, I fully believed we could engineer another draw against Everton, despite their superior record against us. Who knew? Maybe we’d even steal a win. Ross Barkley’s first goal at 17 minutes destroyed Garde’s game plan, though, starting the rout, and by the whistle I was convinced our season was over. Continue reading “Aston Villa 2 – Watford 3: Game, Set, and Season?”→
Blake McVey with sons Wil (in the back) and Lochlan (in his first Villa shirt)
An American fan who’s never been to Villa Park, spreading the gospel of the Holte End? That may sound like a contradiction in terms, but, as I’ve learned this season, it’s certainly not an anomaly. In fact, the more American Villans I meet, the more amazed I am that a team from Birmingham can sink its hooks so deeply into us, even though we didn’t grow up watching them play. (And this guy isn’t even a Browns fan, either!) At any rate, let me introduce you to Blake McVey, who grew up as a “soccer-starved fan getting by on scraps,” and is now a claret-and-blue supporter who gorges himself on all the soccer the internet has to offer. (Funny, he doesn’t look morbidly obese . . . . )
The Starting Eleven
Where were you born, where do you live now, and what do you do for a living?
I was born in Garden City, Kansas. I mostly grew up in Edmond, Oklahoma, where I gained a love for soccer and played as a fullback for nine seasons. Now I live in Memphis, Tennessee, where I’ve been for the past 19 years. I am a therapist working with teenagers in a residential facility.
How and when did you choose Villa?
Growing up in the 1980s, I didn’t have many options for following the sport: the Tulsa Roughnecks played in the NASL, but I was never able to go to or even see a game. I would sometimes watch Soccer Made in Germany or USMNT qualifiers. I did pay rapt attention to the World Cup in 1994. There was also the MISL but, hopefully, indoor soccer will never be spoken of again. Basically I was a soccer-starved fan getting by on scraps and memories. Through school and work I’d occasionally be fortunate enough to meet a foreign national with whom I could discuss the game with a high level of ignorance on my part. I eventually resigned myself to not being a fan at all—until the internet came along and changed everything. That luscious WWW has allowed me to become morbidly obese with all the football options out there!
Celebrity supporters: Tom Hanks, Bob Stephenson, British Consul Priya Guha, Colin Hanks, and Geezer Butler with Matt Lowton (July 2012)
But you asked how I got started with Villa. I’m a sports fan, and I played American football (both pro and college) and other sports to various degrees. (Mostly basketball, NEVER baseball. How anyone can watch baseball and then call soccer boring thoroughly puzzles me.) After the 2006 World Cup, I came across a Bill Simmons article in which he detailed his plan to choose an EPL team, follow them for a year, and evaluate whether or not he wanted to stick with it. He provided his reasoning for choosing Spurs and, along with it, had at least a brief blurb on every team in the Prem that year (included were Bolton, Charlton, and others that have not been in the top flight since).
Like him, I didn’t want to choose the obvious teams, such as Man United. I liked his reasoning: ” . . . can you imagine knowing a foreigner in their mid-30s who was looking for a baseball team and announced, ‘I’m going with the Yankees!’ Wouldn’t you hate that person? I don’t want to be that guy.” I also can’t even specifically say why I chose Villa—Lerner was just about to buy the team, so it wasn’t the American-owner thing, and I don’t even know if Martin O’Neill had been hired yet. I know I love the colors, I love the working-class attitude and the celebrity fans aren’t too shabby (Sabbath members, the ever-touted Tom Hanks). I also like that they are a sort of sleeping giant: they’ve had the ultimate success in my lifetime (’82) and they remain one of seven ever-presents in the Prem, but they are NOT supported by bandwagon jumpers. Whatever other reasons I cannot recall I do know that I am with them forever—I am a loyal fan and Villa will always be my team.
What was your happiest moment as a Villa supporter?
Blake and middle son Lochlan
This is difficult to say—there have been many good times. I always love it when we make Liverpool look bad, so last term when Benteke destroyed them I was thrilled. I loved Ashley Young giving us the last-second win against Everton a few years ago right after they thought they had managed a draw just seconds before. I also loved the first game this season against Arsenal. I was in a pub with my middle son (also a Villan!) and as we cheered the mighty Villa on to victory the one Spurs fan and a pack of Liverpool fans cheered us—the Spurs fan for obvious reasons, but the Liverpool fans I think felt that Arsenal was in their way for Champions League football. Both team’s supporters supported us (the old “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” argument) and after the win was secured the Liverpool fans sent two whiskey shots over to our table. We laughed that my middle son (only 14 at the time) was physically of a size that they thought he could legally drink and I gracefully accepted both shots. (I think the alcohol in the whiskey killed any Scouse germs that may have been on the shot glasses).
What was your most painful moment?
That one is also difficult. There have been too many recently. I hated it when Milner left a few years ago. Strangely I hold almost no grudge against him for leaving, probably because of the way he handled the whole process. He just seemed a class act throughout. Also, the way he played up until the transfer and even scored a goal, and a mighty good one at that, just keeps a warm spot in my heart for him.
Also, every time an ex-Villan scores against us I hate it. Especially Downing (a triple traitor—not only did he leave us after we saved him from injury oblivion, but he also stayed for too short of time, and, this is the kicker, he went to LIVERPOOL! I HATE that guy!) and Ashley Young. Young has no class whatsoever. The only thing that makes him better than Suarez in my book is that Suarez plays for Scouse scum. Also, at least Suarez is a very good player and Young has been exposed at Man United. I have toyed with the idea of sending him a tube of Neosporin to help treat all those splinters that must be all over his ass.
Which team would you most like to see Villa beat, or beat again, or have beaten this year?
I always want us to beat Liverpool. I don’t quite know why I despise them so much, but I do. Birmingham City have never been too good since I became a Villan so it’s been hard to properly hate them, so Liverpool functions the same as City for me.
Who is your favorite player on the current squad?
Man, that is actually hard. I love my fellow Yankee Guzan, and I like Westwood, Vlaar, Benteke, and Bacuna, and I do have hope that these young pups will make good and show the doubters how wrong they are. Of course it’s hard not to like Gabby, Weimann, Albrighton, etc. I guess that really leaves Delph. I think he’s my current favorite, because he’s just classy, on and off the pitch, he has a lot of skill, heart and he has actually scored some awesome goals this term.
Who is your favorite player of all time?
Bosko Balaban – just kidding!
Wow—again, tough. I wasn’t around for McGrath, der Hammer (though I have to give him props for recently coming out), or Balaban (just kidding) or any of the other Villa greats such as Withe, etc., so my pool of players from which to choose is more limited than many fans. I looooved Mellberg and Carew and I formerly loved the traitors: Barry and Young, and I even liked Downing OK. I know football is a business and I’ve had favorites leave from other of my teams but there was just something especially galling about the Barry/Young transfers and especially the Downing thing, but I was much less attached to that guy.
What are your favorite sources for Villa news?
I often start simple, with Aston Villa News. That often brings up the basics. I also frequent My Old Man Said, 7500 to Holte, the ESPN blog for Villa, and the Birmingham papers, the Express & Star and the Birmingham Mail. I keep track of several fan pages on Facebook as well—too many to list. I also used to frequent the boards at Avillafan as soonerfan61, but a change in jobs left it difficult to log in with any regularity, so I haven’t been on there in a very long time. That is far and away the best blog that I’ve seen, though.
Rate yourself as a fan. What are your best and worst qualities?
I am a rabid fan—I spend almost every day catching up on something Villa-related and I hate those slow news days. I have not yet been able to visit Villa Park but one day that will be remedied. My best quality is my loyalty and objectivity (yes, those two can co-exist) and my worst is that I can’t spend enough time spreading the gospel of the Holte End.
Where do you usually watch games?
Hmm . . . there’s not really a “usually.” Sometimes I get to go to the pub (there are almost NO Villans in Memphis!), sometimes I can watch from home, sometimes I pick up a feed on a laptop or a desktop—it really depends. I scour footytube for highlights whether I’ve seen the match or not, and unfortunately at times that’s all I get.
What are you usually drinking?
It depends on where I am. If I’m at the pub I get some sort of dark brew (Guinness is the likely culprit). If I’m at home I just drink dark, sludgy black coffee and if I’m elsewhere I may not be drinking anything.
Extra Time
You’re a former football player. What is the best way to answer an ignorant person who says “soccer is for sissies”?
I don’t know—I haven’t met Jim Rome in person. I’m kidding, but I just really don’t engage those troglodytes anymore. If the game doesn’t suit them that’s fine—but I’ll sure remind them of that ignorant opinion if/when they want to talk to me about baseball, NASCAR, professional wrestling, etc. I think our sport is head and shoulders above any of those offerings and if someone wants to dismiss my love of the game by distilling it down to an ignorant, short-sighted, brainless opinion then they have the right to do so. I just don’t bother myself by arguing with the small-minded.
Another native Clevelander who supports Aston Villa because of the Randy Lerner connection? Pure coincidence that this is the second such Villan of the Week in a row. Or … is it? (Cue creepy theme music.) At any rate, Mike Smoak is proof positive that American fans are just as capable of having their Saturdays ruined by a bad result as fans who were born into it. As the new chairman of the North Carolina Lions Club, he’s a great example of how many American fans are willing to spread the word—and, speaking of “born into it,” he and his wife are, quite literally, helping to birth a new generation of fans. After you read about his plans to provide a gathering place for Charlotte supporters, I think you’ll agree he’s a leader with vision. (In fact, is it too early to suggest Mike’s house as the destination for the next North American meet-up?)
The Starting Eleven
Where were you born, where do you live now, and what do you do for a living?
I was born in Cleveland, Ohio, but moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, during fourth grade. I have lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, for about 10 years. I am a regional sales manager for a sports doping/clinical drug testing laboratory.
How and when did you choose Villa?
It was right around the 2006-07 season. I had played soccer and been a fan of the game for years, and, with it becoming more available to watch in the U.S., I knew it was time to choose a club. Being originally from Cleveland, and a huge Browns fan, Lerner’s recent purchase made it a very easy choice. Sadly, Villa fits right in there with the Browns/Indians/Cavs.
What was your happiest moment as a Villa supporter?
Two summers ago when my wife and I flew up to Chicago to watch Villa play. It was the first time I had watched them in person and it was awesome. Meeting great guys like Simon Leach, Ben Mitchell, Chris Fetters, etc., just added to an already fantastic time.
What was your most painful moment?
Losing 8-0 to Chelsea was bad. But in 2012, when we were beating United 2-0 and then lost 3-2 on a second-half Chicharito hat-trick was the most painful.
Which team would you most like to see Villa beat (or beat again) this year?
Every year the answer is the same: Chelsea and United. I have too many friends that are supporters of these two teams, so beating either or both is the best.
Who is your favorite player on the current squad?
Marc Albrighton. He plays the game with heart and busts his ass until the whistle blows. He may not be the most skilled guy, but sometimes I’d rather see someone with passion.
Who is your favorite player of all time?
Kai Smoak, born into it
Even though I never saw him play, reading about and then meeting Ian Taylor in Chicago was a thrill. I remember being in the Halsted Harp, looking around, spotting him and telling my wife, “Oh shit, that’s Ian Taylor.” Her reply was “who is that?” “He is a Villa legend.” “How do you know?” “I’m not sure, but I know that’s him.”
But my favorite soccer player of all time, on any team, was Kai Haaskivi who played for the Cleveland Force and Finland’s national team. I named my son after him.
Rate yourself as a fan. What are your best and worst qualities?
Father and son watching the game
I’d give myself an 8, and that’s only because I have never been to Villa Park. Once I get there, it will be a 10. Best qualities are that I have been loyal since day 1; my days revolve around the game, regardless of where I am. Worst quality, is that I haven’t been to Villa Park, and any loss depresses me for the day.
Where do you usually watch games?
I usually watch in my living room, but I am currently making my three-car garage into my brewery/sports bar. I will have eight beers on tap, a few TVs and a bunch of Villa/Clemson/Browns/Indians stuff on the wall. I hope to make this the place to watch Villa for everyone in Charlotte.
What are you usually drinking?
If at home, it’s usually one of my homebrews. If I make it to a bar, it’s always a porter or stout…unless it turns into an all-day-drink-a-thon then I have to go with Miller Lite.
Extra Time
Rightly or wrongly, Paul Lambert has gotten a lot of stick for his performance as Villa’s manager the last two seasons. Were he to step down or be sacked, who would you like to see replace him?
Well, he’s available…
I am neither for nor against Lambert. I don’t know how much better another manager would do with the limited funds Lerner has given. He has made some good buys and some other bad ones, but when you are on that kind of budget, some aren’t going to pan out. At least he didn’t spend a ton of money on dead weight.
I don’t know many of the available managers, so if Lambert were sacked, I guess Laudrup or Redknapp would be my best choices.
As I approached the field before the North American Villans’ friendly against the Globe Pub last August—a game made infamous not by our intricate tika-taka passing or our ruthless finishing in front of goal but by the “Peever Roll” (and, no, that’s not a special maki you can order at the sushi bar)—Tyler Fisher was the first person I met. Our encounter was brief (he told me he wasn’t in charge) but, since then, I’ve gotten to know him as a regular at the Globe Pub, a guy who, despite a relatively short history supporting the team, is none the less passionate for it. Among Americans, Villa seems to draw a disproportionate number of Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Browns fans, which has its own kind of logic. Tyler falls into the latter camp, and surely that in itself is a lesson in patience, loyalty, and a pragmatic way of thinking. Reading Tyler’s responses, you might even call him an optimist!
The Starting Eleven
Where were you born, where do you live now, and what do you do for a living?
I was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1988. By the time I was five, we had moved from Charlotte, to Dallas, back to Charlotte, up to Chicago, and finally ending up in my childhood playground of Cleveland, Ohio. That city gets a worse reputation than it deserves because of its economy—I grew up in a great community, playing hockey, football, baseball, and lacrosse. (I stopped playing soccer in kindergarten because there was too much running.) We were a short walk from Lake Erie, and a short drive from the city, where we could watch three professional sports teams, an awesome thing to have available growing up. So, while I was born in Charlotte, I consider myself a Clevelander.
I now live in Chicago’s north suburbs and, with my girlfriend, Lesley, regularly commute on Saturdays to watch Aston Villa with the Chicago Supporters’ Club. I am an account manager at CDW-G, managing relationships with K-12 School Districts in the Pacific Northwest. In plain English, I’m an inside sales rep at a technology solutions company.
How and when did you choose Villa?
I developed an interest in professional soccer in 2007 during the summer between my freshman and sophomore years at Miami University (Ohio, not Florida; we were a university when Florida belonged to Spain). I worked in a warehouse and a few of the guys there were Arsenal fans who often discussed the sport and their team. My knowledge was limited to a few names: Ronaldo, Beckham, and Mia Hamm. I quickly learned about “the Big Four,” who at the time were Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal. As I became interested in the sport, I immediately eliminated those names as teams I’d be willing to support. Being from Cleveland, I wouldn’t know how to root for a front-runner.
Leaving the pitch after a hard-fought match wearing claret and blue
I don’t really know how I chose Aston Villa. I knew they had some connection to Randy Lerner, then the owner of the Cleveland Browns, but, more importantly I think it was because they had legitimate history, had won the European Cup, and at the time a better-than-midtable side with a lot of upside. I decided to support the club, but I didn’t become a huge follower of the sport until a year later.
What honestly got me hooked on the sport was that year’s Champions League final between two English teams, Manchester United and Chelsea. I saw the brilliance of Ronaldo, the leadership of Lampard, and learned a hell of a lot about the sport through that match. I still remember being stunned when Chelsea’s Captain, John Terry, missed the penalty take which ultimately lost them the game. And that was the moment I became an active follower of the game.
What was your happiest moment as a Villa supporter?
Narrowly avoiding relegation last season! Actually, the happiest moment was, without a doubt, the opening match of this season. That entire weekend, the first North American Villans meet-up, was incredible, but watching Villa thump Arsenal with another 50 fans was unforgettable. Simon, the Chicago Supporters’ Club chairman, really outdid himself.
What was your most painful moment?
Sitting through the second half of the season with Alex McLeish in charge. While the football was awful, that wasn’t what really depressed me. Listening to and reading fans’ reactions to every game, struggling to find the match on the internet, all of the negativity, really got to me and made it hard to be enthusiastic. It almost seemed like an affirmation that O’Neill knew something we didn’t when he just vanished. Everything about that season was terrible, but, as the season closed, we had an awful wage bill, overpaid journeymen, little talent to be excited about, and no confidence that anything would change. Meanwhile, a team like Manchester City was on the rise because of money alone. That was the low point.
Which team would you most like to see Villa beat (or beat again) this year?
This year, it will need to be Manchester City. To beat the title favorites twice in one season would be absolutely magnificent. I want another great moment like watching Andi Weimann scoring the winning goal, standing in front of the Holte End, seeing nothing but claret and blue.
Who is your favorite player on the current squad?
I can’t say I have a favorite player. I love a lot of the players on the squad, and really hope our core players develop as a unit and stay together. If I needed to pick, it would have to be Delph because of the way he has flourished this season. It is so great to see supporters of other clubs notice him, because that doesn’t seem to happen very often. I really like Bacuna though, and want to see him get a real shot in the midfield.
However, I love most of the squad: Guzan, Vlaar, Clark, Lowton, Westwood, El Ahmadi, Agbonlahor, Albrighton, Weimann, Delph, Bacuna, and Benteke. I can’t wait to see how players like Kozak, Sylla, and Okore develop, and I can’t wait to see the next undiscovered gems Lambert discovers. I think Lambert is building something great, despite what some supporters’ grumblings.
Who is your favorite player of all time?
I haven’t been around long enough to give a great answer. I started following in the age of mercenaries, and once one of our players begins to show some true talent, he gets swiped out of our hands and goes to a team that can offer more money and better competition. I loved Downing and Young, but neither showed any class when they left Villa and it really soured my feelings about them. The only player who doesn’t fit this in my time supporting the club is Agbonlahor, and while he can’t finish any better than I can, he is probably my favorite of all-time just because of his ties to Aston Villa and his desire to never leave.
What are your favorite sources for Villa news?
7500 to Holte is probably the best blog I’ve seen for general Aston Villa news. My Old Man Said, is probably the best blog I’ve seen for general discussion, banter, and support. In general though, I use News Now, a UK news aggregator to keep track of everything that is going on. I highly recommend it to everyone.
I’ve had trouble committing to a few of the fan forums online for one reason or another. I don’t like the insular feeling of only having one supporter’s community partake in discussion. The only other source I can add, is Mat Kendrick, the Birmingham Mail‘s Aston Villa reporter. I think he does great stuff, and seems to truly enjoy what he is doing.
Rate yourself as a fan. What are your best and worst qualities?
Tyler and Lesley meeting Ian Taylor
I’ve never been to Villa Park. I hate to admit it, but it’s true. It will happen, but, until then, I’m not sure I can say I’m a true fan. However, I am a regular on Saturday mornings, watching at the Globe, participate in discussion online via Twitter when I can, and will never turn down an opportunity to discuss Aston Villa or soccer in general with anyone. Actually, I love supporters of other teams because I go immediately into discussing the weekend’s fixtures or results. Unfortunately, they’re mostly plastic and have no idea what I’m talking about. That seems to be the majority of the fans of the “larger” clubs in America. It is depressing and insulting.
Where do you usually watch games?
The Globe Pub. It is a truly incredible bar, with a never-ending selection of beers, and supporters from a dozen teams, which always creates an exciting atmosphere. I actually discovered the Globe Pub and the Chicago Supporters’ Club via Twitter on New Year’s Day, the first weekend I had moved to Chicago. I was with my girlfriend, Lesley, in a hotel room downtown, when I saw a Tweet about the game. I shot out of bed and forced her to get ready so we could check out and watch the game. I have rarely been more excited about anything, especially in a hungover state. That has become an extremely important moment in my support history, and has become a huge part of my identity in Chicago.
What are you usually drinking?
Depending on how my Friday went, it is either water, coffee, Franziskaner, Guinness, or a Magner’s cider.
Extra Time
Is there a game we lost this season that you felt we deserved to win? (And is there a game we won where luck played a role?)
The first match against Chelsea is the first match that comes to mind. We started the season off on a tear but didn’t get enough points. Chelsea, however, was absolute bullshit. (I avoided cursing for as long as I could, and I almost made it!) Ivanovic should have never been on the pitch to score the goal. It wasn’t right, but that’s football, and I’m not one to continue complaining about decisions because some go your way and some don’t.
And it goes without saying that, while we played well, we were lucky to come out with three points against Arsenal the first time, Manchester City the first time, and Chelsea the second time. However, after some intense analysis, I’ve determined that we are consistently great against the top clubs in the league, so it wasn’t luck. Ignore this paragraph!
“Notice how all the pro-Lamberk supporters have gone quiet?”
Or words to that effect. I saw the comment on Facebook on Sunday and haven’t bothered to look for them again. I know I captured the sentiment: it’s almost as if the commenter is pleased the team has lost, so he can make his point. Would he have been quietly fuming had we eked out a win or a draw?
Bad times have turned some supporters against one another. You only have to visit the forums and the Facebook pages to see that, moments of clarity aside, an astonishing amount of energy is being expended in a war of words between those who want to sack the manager and those who don’t. Just recently, I wrote that Paul Lambert isn’t the problem. I could be wrong, but I’m sticking to that, no matter how tempting it is to demand change, any change. Blaming one person is a reductive argument, and it’s not productive, because we don’t get to make the decision about whether he stays or goes. And fan infighting is definitely making the season harder to bear than simply the poor performances on the field. One Facebook commenter, saddened by the ongoing negativity, said he was going to stay offline for awhile.
* * *
It’s not all about Lambert. It’s not all about Lerner. It’s not even all about the players. Who is it all about? The fans. Because our experience is what matters. Players, managers, owners—all of them will come and go. The fans are the only constant. It makes a certain amount of sense for fans to be angry with the players, the manager, the owner. It doesn’t really make sense for us to be angry with each other. It isn’t the fans’ job to play the games or pick the team or provide money for transfers and salaries. We’re not meant to be professionals, our judgment isn’t supposed to be infallible.
And is there any fan who doesn’t want the team to do well? We all want the team to do well, and we’re all equally powerless to do anything about it.
Well, almost. Supporters who are able to go to games can put aside the negativity and the infighting, sing and cheer and take on the identity of the mythical creature known as the Twelfth Man. Players are human, they hear it. Even if you think they are jaded professionals who don’t give a shit—and most of them aren’t, most of them are young men who want to do well—it can’t help but lift their spirits and their play.
But, aside from that, fans can’t do anything to affect what happens on the field. So, to preserve the illusion that they CAN do something, they argue with each other. I guess the idea is that, if you win an argument, you’re the better fan. For me, if you start an argument, you’re a poor fan. (I’m talking about real arguments as opposed to friendly banter. Say what you like, but say it with a smile on your face.)
Had we won the game, my response would not have been, “See? I’m right! Keep Lambert!” Because it’s not about Lambert.
* * *
All season long, I’ve been wanting to write an essay for American readers, called, “Relegation: Best Idea Ever, or Merely the Best Idea in Sports?” Because I do believe that relegation is one of the things that makes the Premier League, and La Liga, and Bundesliga, and Serie A, and even Ligue 1, superior to NFL, MLB, NBA, and MLS. The idea that teams will be punished for lack of ambition, success, and results is a good one. Many American cities have teams who are perennial cellar dwellers. Sometimes ownership just doesn’t have the money to compete, sometimes it seems as thought they’d rather spend the money on something besides a competitive team.
But the threat of relegation makes a big club prove to its fans that it is a big club, willing to do what it takes to avoid the drop. And, if a club is too small to compete in the top league, then why not give the fans of another small club a thrill, a chance to see if they can get up and stay up. Look at Wigan: not a bad run.
It’s hard to cheer the idea of relegation this week, as Villa edge ever closer to the scrum at the bottom of the table. Just because I like the idea of relegation, doesn’t mean that I want to see Villa relegated. But the threat of relegation has another purpose besides culling the herd. It gives fans of underperforming teams something to cheer for. It quickens the blood. Here in Chicago, Cubs fans know too well the pain of following their team through a 162-game season with no hope of success and no consequence for failure. In such a situation, the fan becomes an ATM for its owners, visiting the park for the privilege of spending money—lots and lots of money—on overpriced tickets, beer, and merchandise.
Fear of the drop gives fans at the bottom of the table something to worry about and cheer for. It gives creates stakes where otherwise there would be none. It should be a reason we pull together, not fall apart. Yes, it’s been a string of the worst seasons in memory, but turning on each other won’t remedy that.
* * *
Of course, fans of a small club recently promoted to the top tier can cheer a seventeenth-place finish unambiguously. For a small club that has long labored in lower divisions, survival is itself a victory.
It’s different for Villa. Villa is one of a handful of teams never to have been relegated from the Premier League. It’s a team that has won the European Cup. It’s a team with one of the longest, proudest, and richest traditions in English soccer—its fans are not content to merely stay up.
The question remains: is Villa still a big club? I believe it is, its fans know it is, and hopefully Randy Lerner understands this. He’s rich, but he’s not a sheikh or a Russian oligarch. He doesn’t see the team as an extension of himself, so he’s not going to throw money at it, not after what happened with Martin O’Neill. He’s getting the finances in order for measured improvement. Will we ever win the league again? I don’t know. I think we should grow back into a club that competes for fifth, sixth, or seventh every year. I think most of us would be happy with that.
* * *
It’s taken me a couple of days, obviously, to write this. Time’s been in short supply and I’ve (clearly) had a hard time focusing my thoughts. There’s not much I want to say about the game itself. Our passing was awful, we allowed too many corners, and we gave Newcastle far too many chances. The only thing that saved us as long as it did was that their finishing was woeful. I heard someone describe it as “Two drunks trying to fit their keys in the lock,” which is apt.
I keep playing our best chance in my head. Benteke, moving toward the goal with the ball at his feet. He has support to the right and the left. We have numbers. All he has to do is play the ball to the open man at his left, and surely we score. But Benteke dithers, perhaps thinking he’ll be the hero, he loses the ball, the moment is over.
Benteke, our savior last season: could he become an albatross, the man we wished we’d sold when we had the chance?
American Born Villan 
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