‘I’m an Aston Villa season ticket holder and have the answer to Unai Emery’s request’
Aston Villa are facing new complaints surrounding the atmosphere at Villa Park.
As a season ticket holder since 2013, seeing the Villans sitting third in the Premier League should represent the best times following my side in my lifetime.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t feel that way at Villa Park right now, with the atmosphere being dull compared to years gone by.
The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell reported on Thursday that Unai Emery and other senior figures in B6 are calling for changes to help improve the atmosphere on a matchday.
Intervention from the head coach proves just how bad things have gotten, and I want to assess what could be changed ahead of a hugely important part of the season.
What does Unai Emery want at Villa Park?
The Athletic report outlines that the Villa boss is “a chief driver in wanting improvement” with senior sources reiterating that “a noisy Villa Park is critical”.
The claret and blue outfit have reportedly shown a willingness to work with supporters and the fan advisory board after accepting the need for change.
That won’t come as a surprise, especially with more supporters complaining about a dull atmosphere every week.
Emery, Damian Vidagany and other Bodymoor Heath figures have asked what can be done to change things, with the idea floated of a dedicated singing section for upcoming fixtures.
As a fan and season ticket holder myself, this idea may sound ok in principle, but it is the exact sort of tinpot behaviour that shouldn’t be needed for a side fighting for Champions League football.
The real problem with the Aston Villa atmosphere
If you’ve ever sat in the Upper Holte during a big game in B6, you know just how loud it can be.
Just last season, games against PSG and Bayern Munich in particular came with deafening noise that no one will forget for a long time.
That, in itself, for me, is the exact problem with Villa Park right now and why there is very little to be done in terms of atmosphere.
Back in the days of the Championship or even after promotion, games against lower-ranking sides meant a lot more.
The West Brom play-off semi-final was huge, but then in the Premier League games against someone like Watford became massive.
The atmosphere was stellar on those days, but now it’s a real struggle for a lot of people to get up for these sorts of games, when Villa should realistically be winning comfortably.
That is something that really won’t be helped by a so-called “singing section”.
Aston Villa don’t need a ‘singing section’ at Villa Park
Emery, Vidagany or whoever else are involved are right, the atmosphere at Villa Park has been poor for many weeks and months now.
I don’t think that it is a coincidence that a downturn in atmosphere has come at the same time as an upturn in form and an increase in ticket prices.
Villa may be flying high in the Premier League, but fans who have been going for years are being forced out and now watching from home.
If the hierarchy in B6 is going to sit on their high horses and echo Ollie Watkins’ comments, saying the atmosphere is flat because people are expectant and leaving early, they need to change their mindset.
There is a whole host of different reasons for the issues right now, and the football is one of them after a terrible run of results and performances at Villa Park.
The Villans need to remember where they were even five years ago and understand that they have forced fans out, and that has played as much of a role as anything else.
The claret and blue faithful are more expectant, but that comes with three years of European qualification and can’t be an excuse for the team to perform poorly, unfortunately.
Villa Park needs a total reset to make fans feel wanted; it doesn’t need a poxy singing section so they can act as if they have done all they can while doing nothing at all.
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