| editorialWe've been here before, haven't we? A
manager comes in, does a good job for a time then it all starts falling to bits.
By the time you read it this might be out of date, but
that's the Villa for you. Never do anything to make our lives easy. Despite a point at
Everton John Gregory's long-term job prospects are looking as secure as Jeffery Archer and
if he goes then a lot of people won't shed any tears. I know he was being touted in these
pages not too long ago as the reincarnation of George Ramsay, but that's the nature of the
beast. Yes, sacking the manager at the first sign of panic solves nothing, but this is far
from the first signs. The team have been playing like relegation candidates for too long
now and John has made too many errors. His transfer record is poor, his man-management is
questionable and his selection policy sometimes seems based on the back of the programme,
a pin and a blindfold. If John eventually turns things round then great, I'd love to be
proved wrong. But it's going to take one hell of a lot of work.
And if you're looking for someone to share the blame,
step forward the usual culprit. We've never been ones to give him our whole-hearted
support, but running through this issue more than usual is the heartfelt cry "Taxi
for Mr Ellis."
It's all been said before, I know, but there's no point
in not being vindictive towaards those that deserve it most. Despite what he might have us
believe he never was the most dynamic of businessmen, but there's never been a time when
Doug Ellis has appeared so out of touch with the ordinary supporters and with the demands
of modern football.
It was interesting to see John Russell's letter in the
Mail last month. If you don't know who he is, John was one of the two men who organised
the Digbeth Civic Hall protest meeting and subsequent campaign in 1968 which led to Doug's
arrival. When such a man says we're headed the same way as we were then, it's time to
listen. The problems of thirty years ago were caused by a board who through old age and
narrow vision were unable to cope with a rapidly changing world. Sounds familiar?
To restate the obvious. We've got a chief executive who
is 75 this month. Who regards Villa Park as his private fiefdom and rejects the idea of
anybody intruding with his work. Who refuses to show that any provisions has been made for
the future and brushes aside all legitimate concerns with some half-cocked cracks about
having to be carried out feet first. It's not the way I want my football club run.
John's survived the first crisis, but there will be
others. There always is. That's the way this club runs, with no long-term planning,
rampant complacency and too much acceptance of mediocrity. And when the inevitable happens
and somebody leaves, one thing will be certain. It won't be Doug Ellis who will pay for
years of wasted opportunities. It never is.
We shouldn't let him get away with it. When the next
change comes at Villa Park, it shouldn't stop at the manager's office.
day by day. the h&v diary
18th October: Sunderland 2
Villa 1. And on the eighth day the Lord did rest, and he did look round and think
to himself "I've made it too good here. Nobody's ever going to be scared of me when
all they can see is the decent things I've made. I'm going to have to put a bit of shite
in to show what I'm capable of if you piss me off." And he did create Small Heath,
and all the demons therein and, to really round it all off, he did then pick up a piece of
dung, and he did breath life into it, and he did call it David Ellery. And that's all
there is to it, folks. We were one up and doing mighty fine until two decisions from Mr
High and Mighty denied us a penalty (which we'd have probably missed anyay) and gave them
one (which put them back in the match). If Sunderland are so high up the league it shows
how poor it is, the only difference between them and a Very Ordinary Team Indeed is Kevin
Phillips knowing he's going to score at least once a match. Twice if he's in league with
the Refereeing Devil. Stan's back, misses training and gets fined 40k. Not the biggest
surprise of the decade.
C O N T I N U
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