It’s time for Aston Villa to do their talking on the pitch

It was an unusual experience for me this weekend. I don’t often say this but I was lucky enough to be away this weekend not to experience another defeat at Villa Park, this time at the hands of West Ham United.

I will admit, that I have not seen much of the game but have since read or heard the comments from those who did attend the game. It didn’t sound pretty. In truth, we are only four league games into the new Premier League season and it already feels like a chore where the club is concerned.

There are far too many negative stories doing the rounds at the moment for my liking. A new season should bring hope and optimism yet as Villa fans there aren’t too many positives coming out of the club right now.

The lack of transfer business, poor match-day experiences both on and off the pitch, stories leaking about first-team players, I could go on.

Only those from within will truly know what is actually going on in the club, that’s if there is anything going on but the vultures are circling and normally in situations like this, the truth eventually comes out, sooner or later.

It’s time to stand up, be counted and do your talking on the pitch

There is one thing that will always gloss over the negativity within a football club, positive results on the pitch.

I have read and heard from various so-called pundits or journalists that Villa fans have high expectations and are very demanding. May I just ask what football fan doesn’t want more for their club? Would I love my team to win every competition possible? Of course, I would. Is it realistic? Not likely.

I am sure, I speak for the majority of Aston Villa fans when I say I want to see progression on the pitch, a direction, something to work towards. Defeats are never nice but you can buy into something if you understand the end game we are working towards. And this is where the issue currently lies.

Towards the backend of last season and throughout the summer there was a lot of noise that come out of the club. Villa fans have sat back and brought into this but then the club need to back this up on the pitch.

I have seen that managers like John Gregory and Dean Smith were afforded more time in the past because they were local. I disagree. Yes, it has its advantages but both managers had a vision, a style of how they wanted their teams to play. They both had their good and bad times. That can be accepted because we understood what the managers were trying to achieve.

If Steven Gerrard is to have a long future at the club he needs to be more transparent with Villa fans. What are you working towards Stevie? What’s your vision? Why are you chopping and changing your starting line-up and formations?

I remember Fulham fans saying similar about Mark Hughes when he managed the Cottagers. His relationship with the fans was non-existent. They didn’t understand him or what he was trying to achieve.

Villa fans have far more questions following a match day than they do have answers. This isn’t personal towards Gerrard or anyone else at the club. We all want the best for Aston Villa.

Aston Villa as a club needs to stand up and be counted, on the pitch. Right now, we are just making up the numbers in the Premier League. We aren’t a side that neutrals want to watch. All the talk of expanding the stadium is positive but if you don’t get it right on the football pitch, nothing else matters.