Time to put this season out of it's misery.

[GreasyChipBeattie]

Aston Villa plan to play youngsters against Liverpool in FA Cup after Covid outbreak

Aston Villa are preparing to field a team of youngsters in Friday's FA Cup third-round tie at home to Liverpool.

www.bbc.co.uk

I remember growing up as a kid being told in school, 'If you cheat to win, you're only cheating yourself'
I didn't fully understand the meaning at the time, but it was enough to teach me that we shouldn't cheat and that ultimately, such a 'victory' would be a hollow one.

I also remember as a kid, me and a couple of mates sneaking off into the scout hut once and nicking a couple of choccy bars. To avoid being caught, they were snaffled down so quickly that I don't even remember tasting them. I certainly didn't 'enjoy' my ill-gotten gains.

So wtf has this got to do with football? Although it could be applied to much of what happens in the modern game nowadays, this relates (sorry) to Covid and the effect that it's now having on the game.

Considering all that's happening now and taking this to it's ultimate conclusion, if we won the FA cup, or stayed up, or went on some crazy run of winning the rest of our fixtures and qualified for Europe because we came up against significantly weakened teams while being at our strongest, wouldn't that just make a mockery of what sport is all about?
No cheating involved, but an un-level playing field just to 'get the job done' ie get the season finished in all its formats for whatever political or financial reasons.
No fans, weakened teams through Covid or whatever the reason, most 'outcomes' this season (and last, really) will always be remembered as 'one of those from the Covid-affected season'

I'm now firmly in the 'Void it and start afresh next season' camp. And this is not because of our current position.
Being totally honest, if you offered me an FA cup win now by us facing everyone's reserves and/or under-18s (not through choice to field young/weakened teams like Arsenal did a few years ago, but because they have no option) I'd say no. It just wouldn't be the same. A victory in name only.
Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but if, or when we win something, or qualify for something, or even avoid the drop, I want it to be because our best was good enough, not because circumstances gave us a 'leg up'

 

[Booker4]

Aston Villa plan to play youngsters against Liverpool in FA Cup after Covid outbreak

Aston Villa are preparing to field a team of youngsters in Friday's FA Cup third-round tie at home to Liverpool.

www.bbc.co.uk

I remember growing up as a kid being told in school, 'If you cheat to win, you're only cheating yourself'
I didn't fully understand the meaning at the time, but it was enough to teach me that we shouldn't cheat and that ultimately, such a 'victory' would be a hollow one.

I also remember as a kid, me and a couple of mates sneaking off into the scout hut once and nicking a couple of choccy bars. To avoid being caught, they were snaffled down so quickly that I don't even remember tasting them. I certainly didn't 'enjoy' my ill-gotten gains.

So wtf has this got to do with football? Although it could be applied to much of what happens in the modern game nowadays, this relates (sorry) to Covid and the effect that it's now having on the game.

Considering all that's happening now and taking this to it's ultimate conclusion, if we won the FA cup, or stayed up, or went on some crazy run of winning the rest of our fixtures and qualified for Europe because we came up against significantly weakened teams while being at our strongest, wouldn't that just make a mockery of what sport is all about?
No cheating involved, but an un-level playing field just to 'get the job done' ie get the season finished in all its formats for whatever political or financial reasons.
No fans, weakened teams through Covid or whatever the reason, most 'outcomes' this season (and last, really) will always be remembered as 'one of those from the Covid-affected season'

I'm now firmly in the 'Void it and start afresh next season' camp. And this is not because of our current position.
Being totally honest, if you offered me an FA cup win now by us facing everyone's reserves and/or under-18s (not through choice to field young/weakened teams like Arsenal did a few years ago, but because they have no option) I'd say no. It just wouldn't be the same. A victory in name only.
Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but if, or when we win something, or qualify for something, or even avoid the drop, I want it to be because our best was good enough, not because circumstances gave us a 'leg up'

If there's one team that's suffered most at the hands of this lockdown in the PL then it's us! Whether that be an injury to our best player or the lack of pre-season or the lack of fans, it's arguably affected us more than anyone. So if we are able to go on a run to stay up, or qualify for Europe (more chance of me winning Miss World and I'm a 41 year old bearded man) then I'll take it and it'd go down as the greatest escape since we last did it in 1991. Not that the football world remembers that because it was before football started - pre Premier League days.

So no it won't be that we've cheated, if anything it's United that have been cheated by circumtances. I agree we should void the season though!

 

[Mumbo]

If there's one team that's suffered most at the hands of this lockdown in the PL then it's us! Whether that be an injury to our best player or the lack of pre-season or the lack of fans, it's arguably affected us more than anyone. So if we are able to go on a run to stay up, or ualify for Europe (more chance of me winning Miss World and I'm a 41 year old bearded man) then I'll take it and it'd go down as the greatest escape since we last did it in 1991. Not that the football world remembers that because it was before football started - pre Premier League days.

So no it won't be that we've cheated, if anything it's United that have been cheated by circumtances. I agree we should void the season though!

Our form went off a cliff post restart last year whilst other teams showed big improvements so yeah we were definitely adversely affected.

 

[8lade]

because we came up against significantly weakened teams while being at our strongest

We're scrapping to put out a decent team in comparison to last years and can't name a full bench of subs.
Let the above 2 lines stand together.

 

[Crafty Blade]

I'm not sure why the assumption is every one will be more affected than us from here on in and we'll gain an advantage. It has, and will, affect all teams to varying degrees at different parts of the season. We've arguably been more affected up to this point. If they're taking the decision to not abandon or suspend the season, and we were to come up against some weakened teams and gain extra points, then under the current situation, I would take that. You can only face what is asked of you and put in front of you. We're due some fortune. But even playing everyone else's U23 side I think we'd still struggle to stay up from here!

 

[Jon B]

No matter how badly this season ends for us we see it through to the end.

Than are some things that are much worse than having the record for the worst ever PL season. You can imagine the scorn, laughter and contempt that would greet any attempt by us to null and void the season.

 

[8lade]

It was bad enough from some quarters with Tevez business and we were definitely in the right on that issue!

 

[Oldun]

Isn’t this just how the world is at the minute? My kids are trying to adapt to home schooling. Neither of them have said ‘come on this isn’t fair I shouldn’t have to do this. Let’s just stop until this is all over and then I will start again’. Life it pretty unfair for everyone at the minute and people are having to do things differently and adapt to how things are. Why is football any different? If a team can adapt to not having fans, or manage to keep a group of players disciplined to stick to the rules and not all catch covid then why shouldn’t they be rewarded by winning the FA Cup / Prem / avoiding relegation?

 

[Gavlar]

Aston Villa plan to play youngsters against Liverpool in FA Cup after Covid outbreak

Aston Villa are preparing to field a team of youngsters in Friday's FA Cup third-round tie at home to Liverpool.

www.bbc.co.uk

I remember growing up as a kid being told in school, 'If you cheat to win, you're only cheating yourself'
I didn't fully understand the meaning at the time, but it was enough to teach me that we shouldn't cheat and that ultimately, such a 'victory' would be a hollow one.

I also remember as a kid, me and a couple of mates sneaking off into the scout hut once and nicking a couple of choccy bars. To avoid being caught, they were snaffled down so quickly that I don't even remember tasting them. I certainly didn't 'enjoy' my ill-gotten gains.

So wtf has this got to do with football? Although it could be applied to much of what happens in the modern game nowadays, this relates (sorry) to Covid and the effect that it's now having on the game.

Considering all that's happening now and taking this to it's ultimate conclusion, if we won the FA cup, or stayed up, or went on some crazy run of winning the rest of our fixtures and qualified for Europe because we came up against significantly weakened teams while being at our strongest, wouldn't that just make a mockery of what sport is all about?
No cheating involved, but an un-level playing field just to 'get the job done' ie get the season finished in all its formats for whatever political or financial reasons.
No fans, weakened teams through Covid or whatever the reason, most 'outcomes' this season (and last, really) will always be remembered as 'one of those from the Covid-affected season'

I'm now firmly in the 'Void it and start afresh next season' camp. And this is not because of our current position.
Being totally honest, if you offered me an FA cup win now by us facing everyone's reserves and/or under-18s (not through choice to field young/weakened teams like Arsenal did a few years ago, but because they have no option) I'd say no. It just wouldn't be the same. A victory in name only.
Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but if, or when we win something, or qualify for something, or even avoid the drop, I want it to be because our best was good enough, not because circumstances gave us a 'leg up'

What makes you think we could beat under 18s?!!

 

[Drunk blade]

Agree watching villas kids against Liverpool is a joke... Its like watching our 1st team

 

[robbiez666]

Agree watching villas kids against Liverpool is a joke... Its like watching our 1st team

I'm just grateful we're not losing 1-0 to them right now!

 

[Northyorksblade]

Do you know what? I think I'm just about ready for the season to be finished on a ppg basis. At least it would put us all out of our misery and in years to come, we can say it was all a fiddle and we weren't really relegated.

 

[blade too long]

Getting worse by the day

Null and void it now

 

[Blade-on-Tyne]

Our form went off a cliff post restart last year whilst other teams showed big improvements so yeah we were definitely adversely affected.

True.
Can believe that the team are all prima donnas who can’t perform without a crowd.
So it must be something that happened behind the scenes during the lockdown gap. Lord knows what.

 

[Mumbo]

True.
Can believe that the team are all prima donnas who can’t perform without a crowd.
So it must be something that happened behind the scenes during the lockdown gap. Lord knows what.

My mate was working on a players house for several weeks prior and after the restart,the player told him that a draining fitness regime during lockdown had left the players running on empty whilst other teams had a bit of a rest and that’s why results were shite.

 

[vas borbokis]

My mate was working on a players house for several weeks prior and after the restart,the player told him that a draining fitness regime during lockdown had left the players running on empty whilst other teams had a bit of a rest and that’s why results were shite.

I think this is a major factor. Plus- On top of the fitness issues at the end of last season players never really had any close season to recover fitness for this season either.