In the 12th of a series of pre-season reports, HarryfromBath assesses the mood over at relegated Aston Villa under new manager Roberto Di Matteo by delving into their forums. Reports on Birmingham City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Brighton and Hove Albion will be on the site tomorrow with the rest of the teams in the division covered between now and the start of the season.
"I still can’t believe that we kick-off in less than two weeks. Based on our pre-season games we look as disjointed, lacking in attacking threat, unable to retain possession and with no creativity or desire from midfield and prone to errors at the back as we did last season”, "Overall we look poor.”
"This is going to be a painful season.” There is a consensus among Villans that they are not ready for this campaign. "We are a million miles from being ready. It is what I feared, there is so much to do and a simple change of manager and atmosphere isn’t enough to convert rubbish into diamonds”
"The squad needed a major overhaul when Di Matteo joined and it still does. While it certainly won’t be achieved in one window, I would still have liked to see more progress made with squad changes”, "Keep playing like we have been in pre-season and we won’t even be contesting play-off places.”
"Roberto has a hell of a tough challenge on his hands. I wish the guy luck”, "While not a universally popular choice, he seems to have raised spirits. The only reservations are around whether he can construct a football club from the roots and the length of time he has served at other clubs.”
"Welcome Roberto. We are all right behind you.” The 46-year-old former Milton Keynes, West Brom, Chelsea and Schalke boss was announced as new manager at the beginning of June. Fans have especially welcomed the appointment of ex-Reading boss Steve Clarke as his assistant.
"I worry that Di Matteo will struggle with discipline. That, and his lack of experience buying players will weigh against him”, "Roberto was positive and spoke very well, saying that ‘the only way is up’”, "It’s not true though. Down is still very much a possibility”, "Oh hope, that wonderful thing.”
"This club has the chance of a new start, but that will never get off the ground if we don’t remove the bad eggs from the squad”, "Many believed that the foreign lads brought in last season were all of a decent standard, but they were dragged down by the poor attitude of half-a-dozen players.”
"We must never allow that to happen again.” Some supporters believe that a spiral took hold under the previous owner. "A new manager always gives players a new start. The trouble is that the circle of them letting him down, the manager being sacked and players being given a chance is a killer.”
"There are a lot of players here that deserve no grace. We know what they are about. They showed us last season and some have done so for a number of seasons”, "The club was rotten from top to bottom under Randy Lerner. Tony Xia has come in. We have to trust that he will be a good owner.”
"The cull required is huge. The problems run deep and the dressing room is stocked with players without the ability of character to ever represent our club. I can’t wait to see some of them go.” Di Matteo described the club in a Guardian interview as ‘A house that needed to be knocked down’.
Many Claret and Blues had hoped for more progress on reshaping the squad after relegation, but the Italian boss is keeping his powder dry and appears to be using the full length of the transfer window to assess the abilities of the squad he has inherited before launching into transfers.
"I still think that the business done at the end of the window will tell its own story regarding our ambitions and intentions”, "Roberto has been assessing everyone on the training ground and in a couple of warm-up games. He will let go of those he can’t count on for the year ahead.”
"We haven’t got rid of the dross.” Three players have departed, striker Callum Robinson to Preston, playmaker Carles Gil on a season-long loan to Deportivo La Coruna and keeper Brad Guzan to Boro. Midfielder Idrissa Gana has triggered a clause in his contract indicating his desire to leave the club.
"My God, we still need new players”, "We need a new spine to the team and the first three signings have made a start on addressing this issue”, "We badly need a new Championship striker who is more mobile than Rudy Gestede”, "I’m worried
Di Matteo has signed 21-year-old keeper Pierluigi Gollini from Hellas Verona in Italy along with 28-year-old centre-back Tommy Elphick from Bournemouth and midfielder Aaron Tshibola, 21, from Reading. A striker is seen as a priority but fans’ favourite Jonathan Kodjia is still with Bristol City.
"That Middlesbrough fixture is just about the most humiliating game the club could have set up. Nothing symbolises our fall from grace more than a second-tier Villa hosting a top-tier Boro”, "Playing as lower league opposition against Premier League Middlesbrough is embarrassing.”
"I just hope that the Championship level is far worse than I anticipate.” Villa had been unbeaten in a pre-season run which included a 1-0 win at Nantes but the team’s performance in Boro’s 3-1 win on Saturday, after they had taken the lead brought back painful memories of last season’s relegation.
The starting XI for Saturday’s defeat included Gollini and Elphick, but stalwarts from last season such as Micah Richards, Joleon Lescott and Gabby Agbonlahor were absent. Fans were critical of the lack of creativity and movement in attack, while the lamentable defending had an all too familiar feel to it.
"Ah, yes. I remember this defending”, "We are all over the place”, "Undone in three passes”, "No team concedes as stupidly as us”, "I know this is a friendly, but oh dear”, "We have nothing in the final third”, "This is the Villa I remember, always good for a total implosion”, "It really hits hard.”
"I think we have a chance of promotion this season, although I wouldn’t say it was a huge chance”, "The acknowledgement that I can’t see us being in the mix for promotion is not a dig at Di Matteo, far from it”, "Are we allowed to start up a relegation discussion thread yet?”
"We probably will have half-a-dozen stand-out Championship players if we can keep hold of them.” Most fans the side would have a dart at the play-offs, but they agree with Di Matteo’s comments that this is a two-year project and see the squad as at least one step behind fellow giants Newcastle.
"We will lose at Sheffield Wednesday in our opening game as they are a decent team. What is more important is that we win our next two home games straight after as we need the big crowd and positive atmosphere at Villa Park for a promotion push”, "The mood cannot be like last year again.”
Some Villans are positive. "No need to panic, I’m very encouraged by the last few months and optimistic for the season ahead. The black cloud of having an owner with no ambition for the club has gone, the future at Villa is exciting. These players will want to up their game to be part of that.”
The busiest Villa website is the well-informed and very active Villa Talk.