Steven Gerrard

[VillaParkAvenue]

The situation in England is special. In most other countries a newspaper will have a number of journalists specialized in football, who will write about domestic and international football and about many different clubs.

In England football writers are often specialists on one particular club and will only write about, e g Arsenal.

This makes them more involved in that club’s business and those journalists can potentially get certain news early. The downside is they have to be ”friendly” and can’t be critical without risking some club people stop talking to them.

[Didiersix]

16 minutes ago, KevinRichardsonsMoustache said:

Stevie got an easy ride. All managers get an easy ride. The idea that journalists will ask questions of any sort of public (in this case fan) concern is a thing of the past. In the main, there are two types of sports journo/presenter:

 

1. The PR Journo. Let's face it: there's a revolving door between what is now considered journalism and PR writing. Our Chief Operating Officer was once head of Press and PR at ITV (he's easily the most high profile and capable [on paper] out of all of them). Our Communications Director is a former journalist. Our Senior Comms Officer is a former journo (and Swindon Town fan, interestingly). Our current comms officers are mostly graduates from really sh*tty journalism programmes. They're the same people. Any of the hacks in the regional press would take a job at Villa.

2. On the other side of it are the older local radio sports presenters. These guys are more concerned with saying something that'll be considered funny or topical by their audiences. Basically, pretending to be pals with the stars so they keep their jobs. 

 

In both cases, these people aren't there to represent fans or fans' concerns, they're there to make their own careers. Press conferences are networking events for them at best, click bait to drive ads at worst. Either way: they need access to perpetuate the husks of their careers while they can go around and claim to be journalists breaking important stories. There's no money in asking difficult questions in a football context. 

Going way off topic here but most journos have a beat. So the idea it is a networking event is not true. They will know most of each other. The point about click bait doesn't make sense either in lots of ways.

Watching today's presser, I agree that Gerrard got fairly anodyne questions from the TV media - which probably indicates that it is early days and no one is going to go to heavy on scrutiny of certain aspects just yet. Lots of other things to discuss (Lampard head to head being one that more people would be interested in). There might be some more interesting questions/comments coming out in the written section tomorrow. 

[jim]

17 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

It's bizarre that people are annoyed about not having more negative press to run with on the Eve of a game.

What is the priority?

This thread man.

I was pulled up the other day for my negativity towards Smith after bad results and shouldn't have a go at others doing the same now. But my word some of y'all are taking it to a whole new level.

I've never seen so much hate and negativity in the 15 or so years I have been here.

It's not great right now but some are acting like we've lost 10 games on the spin and spent half a billy in the process.

[rodders0223]

Just now, jim said:

This thread man.

I was pulled up the other day for my negativity towards Smith after bad results and shouldn't have a go at others doing the same now. But my word some of y'all are taking it to a whole new level.

I've never seen so much hate and negativity in the 15 or so years I have been here.

It's not great right now but some are acting like we've lost 10 games on the spin and spent half a billy in the process.

You don't remember the Garde years fella.

[Vive_La_Villa]

55 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

It's bizarre that people are annoyed about not having more negative press to run with on the Eve of a game.

What is the priority?

The Fitness update should go some way in telling people the status 

It’s madness! They want him hounded out by journalists after 1 game of a season because of last season! 
 

Just popped back in to say that

[nick76]

42 minutes ago, jim said:

This thread man.

I was pulled up the other day for my negativity towards Smith after bad results and shouldn't have a go at others doing the same now. But my word some of y'all are taking it to a whole new level.

I've never seen so much hate and negativity in the 15 or so years I have been here.

It's not great right now but some are acting like we've lost 10 games on the spin and spent half a billy in the process.

Not far off…
 

14 minutes ago, RicRic said:

[Jas10]

1 minute ago, nick76 said:

Not far off…
 

Utterly abysmal.

[nick76]

3 minutes ago, Jas10 said:

Utterly abysmal.

Even the extremes people are trying to portray as bad and they say we aren’t that, when you look at the actual results they aren’t a million miles away from it as I showed.

Edited August 12, 2022 by nick76

[Jas10]

17 minutes ago, nick76 said:

Even the extremes people are trying to portray as bad and they say we aren’t that, when you look at the actual results they aren’t a million miles away from it as I showed.

There are so many valid concerns and worries… this isn’t just about SG (I really don’t give a shit about him nor have had a strong opinion of him beforehand)… this is about our club and the damage that could be caused along with potential regression… I just want us to succeed and progress (and actually make the most of the opportunities and resources we have had) and the manager has proven to be more of a hindrance to that than an aid - that’s what it boils down to. People crying about negativity and insisting we should continue to back him make little sense to me right now but I would rather that they’d be proven right tbh because that would benefit AVFC in the short term… I just don’t see it though.

My hope has evaporated but, again, I would be so happy for a “reversal of fortunes” or for us to start “clicking” and moving forward.

The problem is, there is no sign or tangible evidence of that happening, not anytime soon anyway… how much more time can we waste?

On the so called “negative” side, there are so many facts, stats and opinions that can be shared…

I haven’t really seen anything credible or worth leaning on in the sense of the “positive” side, i.e. stick with the manager and everything will be rosy… How???

It’s just theoretical and “what if?” stuff… 

All I’ve mainly seen is this stupid “one game” rhetoric after 9 months+ of largely this:

 

 

Edited August 12, 2022 by Jas10

[Xela]

4 hours ago, sparrow1988 said:

Why do people keep referencing Arteta when saying Gerrard needs time? 

They have similar lego hair?

[Xela]

46 minutes ago, dubbs said:

I've spent less time on VT this week cuz so much negativity isn't good for your health.  Really hope tomorrow is the performance we all want but then again if it was some would find plenty to complain about.

I've had to step back from it all and I just laugh at it now. Far more important real life things to worry about. 

 

[Zatman]

1 hour ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

It's bizarre that people are annoyed about not having more negative press to run with on the Eve of a game.

What is the priority?

The Fitness update should go some way in telling people the status 

In fairness if his name wasnt Steven Gerrard and some foreign nobody he would have been hounded out long time ago

[Tommo_b]

4 minutes ago, Zatman said:

In fairness if his name wasnt Steven Gerrard and some foreign nobody he would have been hounded out long time ago

Doubtful. You get hounded out if you’re crap regardless.

I can safely say before his appointment there was and still is far more anti Gerrard supporters than supporters on this forum, 

Edited August 12, 2022 by Tommo_b

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

3 minutes ago, Zatman said:

In fairness if his name wasnt Steven Gerrard and some foreign nobody he would have been hounded out long time ago

I'm not bothered about that.

I'm more bothered by the fact that our own fans are desperate for negative soundbites right before a game.

Regardless of feelings, I'd assume fans would want the most peaceful/encouraging run up to the game as possible.

If it's shite again tomorrow, then by all means, let him have it afterwards, from the press I mean.

 

[nick76]

Just now, Tommo_b said:

Doubtful. You get hounded out of you’re crap regardless.

I can safely say before his appointment there was and still is far more anti Gerrard supporters than supporters on this forum, 

I used to love watching Gerrard play (except when he played against us) he’s the kind of player every team wants and had so many attributes to admire.  I’ve never been one to hate great players of other teams and Gerrard was one of the best of the PL era.  Since he’s been here my view of him has been tarnished over the last 9 months game by game, I hope that turns around but I’m not seeing a ray of light at the moment.

[Keyblade]

1 hour ago, jim said:

This thread man.

I was pulled up the other day for my negativity towards Smith after bad results and shouldn't have a go at others doing the same now. But my word some of y'all are taking it to a whole new level.

I've never seen so much hate and negativity in the 15 or so years I have been here.

It's not great right now but some are acting like we've lost 10 games on the spin and spent half a billy in the process.

I mean this is just not true. I mean for one, you were more negative during the Smith era when things were comparatively peachy so there's that.

This is the most proportionally civil it's been for a manager since MON. Don't remember the xenophobic abuse of Houllier? The incessant namecalling of Lambert (Lamberk was a popular one), Remi Garde getting it in the neck from day 2 in a doomed job? All of those managers were doomed to fail. There hasn't been a manager since MON who was given the tools to succeed to the level of Gerrard (Bruce did in the Championship, but we'll stick to the PL). He's even had the best injury luck of any manager I can remember. Yet his record is similar to all those managers. We lose 50% of our games. We have half a dozen players on 100k/week+. What did you think, it'd be sunshine and roses in this thread?

[Tommo_b]

2 minutes ago, Keyblade said:

I mean this is just not true. I mean for one, you were more negative during the Smith era when things were comparatively peachy so there's that.

This is the most proportionally civil it's been for a manager since MON. Don't remember the xenophobic abuse of Houllier? The incessant namecalling of Lambert (Lamberk was a popular one), Remi Garde getting it in the neck from day 2 in a doomed job? All of those managers were doomed to fail. There hasn't been a manager since MON who was given the tools to succeed to the level of Gerrard (Bruce did in the Championship, but we'll stick to the PL). He's even had the best injury luck of any manager I can remember. Yet his record is similar to all those managers. We lose 50% of our games. We have half a dozen players on 100k/week+. What did you think, it'd be sunshine and roses in this thread?

You’ve forgotten Di Matteo!

[nick76]

4 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

I'm not bothered about that.

I'm more bothered by the fact that our own fans are desperate for negative soundbites right before a game.

Regardless of feelings, I'd assume fans would want the most peaceful/encouraging run up to the game as possible.

If it's shite again tomorrow, then by all means, let him have it afterwards, from the press I mean.

 

I’m not sure I agree totally, I want them to come out fighting, wanting to prove all the critics wrong.  One of the best things sometimes for a team is to bond together and to prove the doubters wrong.  

You see it in so many dressing rooms from the local clubs to video clips in professional elite clubs where the manager puts on the wall an article or something dissing the team and uses that to motivate the team.  It’s not the best environment obviously but sometimes a great kick up the back side and could the kick start to a good run.  Whereas thinking everything is nice and positive when it’s not could lead to no difference on the pitch.

I don’t care what works, just something to work.

[dont_do_it_doug.]

1 hour ago, jim said:

This thread man.

I was pulled up the other day for my negativity towards Smith after bad results and shouldn't have a go at others doing the same now. But my word some of y'all are taking it to a whole new level.

I've never seen so much hate and negativity in the 15 or so years I have been here.

It's not great right now but some are acting like we've lost 10 games on the spin and spent half a billy in the process.

Nah come on man, it's nowhere near that bad. The football has been **** grim for the best part of 20 months so there's bound to be swathes of negativity, but it feels like you're confusing disagreement with 'hate'? This is pretty normal for Villa Talk, or at least the VT I have been coming to for 15 years. 

We've won 6 games from 21 and I believe we have spent nearly half a billion on player purchases alone over the past 4 years? I'm not entirely sure how people are expected to feel right now. 

[Tomaszk]

1 hour ago, jim said:

This thread man.

I was pulled up the other day for my negativity towards Smith after bad results and shouldn't have a go at others doing the same now. But my word some of y'all are taking it to a whole new level.

I've never seen so much hate and negativity in the 15 or so years I have been here.

It's not great right now but some are acting like we've lost 10 games on the spin and spent half a billy in the process.

You are a funny dude. You were like this when we were winning under Smith

If Gerrard had once won 10 games in a row with us, got us to a cup final or got us promotion, I'd probably have more time for him.

As it is, he's had the luxury of hundreds of millions to spend when he's proved nothing because the CEO liked him as a player. We've played well about five games in 30 odd with him and it's annoying, thus, people unhappy with his performance.