Well, another bad day at the office for Kevin Mac and Aston Villa. After playing, on the whole, well in the first half and into the second, scoring in the process; we went to sleep a bit at the back and conceded. After that we seemed to play in spells, with some very good play at times, but the defending just got worse and worse.
Emile Heskey won a penalty but after Petrov failed to convert it, Villa stopped performing and we conceded. Heskey Redeemed himself by somehow turning in a Habib Beye volley with his chest. Or stomach. Maybe shoulder, who knows?
Then some awful defending errors led to two goals that hardly deserve any attention, they weren't anything special.
Maybe Kevin MacDonald has been told he can't spend unless he becomes permanent manager but whoever gets the job NEEDS to buy a second choice left back. Preferably someone without a large wage for a change!
Overall verdict: Some good play, more concentration at the back please. Another Left back needed.
Thursday, 26 August 2010
Monday, 23 August 2010
Newcastle 6 - 0 Aston Villa
Simply awful. I really don't know hot to make this article any longer than five lines.
Our defence was all over the place and I'm still wondering how they could move so slowly. I think Dunne is brilliant, but yesterday he let Carroll walk all over him.
However, our attacking was also poor, John Carew still can't score and most surprisingly, Kevin MacDonald did very little to try and change the way the game was going
Overall verdict: shoddy but there's always next week.
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
Rapid Vienna Squad. Fear.
Rapid Vienna. The team we went out to last year. I know we had a good game with some youngsters on saturday, but this squad is a bit... ambitious.
The squad is:
Brad Friedel, Brad Guzan, Elliot Parish.
Eric Lichaj, Stephen Warnock, Ciaran Clark, Curtis Davies, Habib Beye, Nathan Baker, Shane Lowry.
Isiah Osbourne, Nigel Reo-Coker, Barry Bannan, Stewart Downing, Marc Albrighton, Jonathn Hogg.
James Collins (Jnr), Nathan Delfouneso, Emile Heskey, Andreas Weimann.
To me, that looks like a weak squad. Fair play, give some youngsters a run out, but if we are losing 60 minutes into the game, who are you going to bring on that can realistically score a goal.
Out of that squad, I can't see who is going to play in the centre of midfield with Reo-Coker. The only way I can see us avoiding to play Osbourne is:
Brad Friedel / Brad Guzan
Habib Beye Ciaran Clark Curtis Davies Stephen Warnock
Nigel Reo-Coker
Marc Albrighton Barry Bannan
Stewart Downing
Emile Heskey Nathan Delfouneso
I'm not going to lie, that scares me. If it turns out that Downing can play behind the strikers well, then we are fine! In fact, we will be better than fine, I can see it going very well. However, if it doesn't work out then I can see them playing it straight through our midfield. Not good.
Our other option is to play Osbourne. Let's stop there? Let him come on for the last 15 minutes and then everyone is happy! Don't know enough about the other youngsters in midfield but let's hope they are sensational!
My main worry is if someone gets injured, or sent off. Mainly at CB or CM, then we have only got reserves to replace them, personally, I would have taken the Youngs, Petrov and Carew and sat them on the bench as a back up plan. But then again, I haven't been in football for however many years so I guess I'll take Kevin Mac's word as what's right.
Fingers crossed for the Villa, I'm off to a festival tomorrow so it'll be listening to Five Live for me.
The squad is:
Brad Friedel, Brad Guzan, Elliot Parish.
Eric Lichaj, Stephen Warnock, Ciaran Clark, Curtis Davies, Habib Beye, Nathan Baker, Shane Lowry.
Isiah Osbourne, Nigel Reo-Coker, Barry Bannan, Stewart Downing, Marc Albrighton, Jonathn Hogg.
James Collins (Jnr), Nathan Delfouneso, Emile Heskey, Andreas Weimann.
To me, that looks like a weak squad. Fair play, give some youngsters a run out, but if we are losing 60 minutes into the game, who are you going to bring on that can realistically score a goal.
Out of that squad, I can't see who is going to play in the centre of midfield with Reo-Coker. The only way I can see us avoiding to play Osbourne is:
Brad Friedel / Brad Guzan
Habib Beye Ciaran Clark Curtis Davies Stephen Warnock
Nigel Reo-Coker
Marc Albrighton Barry Bannan
Stewart Downing
Emile Heskey Nathan Delfouneso
I'm not going to lie, that scares me. If it turns out that Downing can play behind the strikers well, then we are fine! In fact, we will be better than fine, I can see it going very well. However, if it doesn't work out then I can see them playing it straight through our midfield. Not good.
Our other option is to play Osbourne. Let's stop there? Let him come on for the last 15 minutes and then everyone is happy! Don't know enough about the other youngsters in midfield but let's hope they are sensational!
My main worry is if someone gets injured, or sent off. Mainly at CB or CM, then we have only got reserves to replace them, personally, I would have taken the Youngs, Petrov and Carew and sat them on the bench as a back up plan. But then again, I haven't been in football for however many years so I guess I'll take Kevin Mac's word as what's right.
Fingers crossed for the Villa, I'm off to a festival tomorrow so it'll be listening to Five Live for me.
Monday, 16 August 2010
Would you boo Martin O'Neill?
I was wondering yesterday morning, well, I say morning, I guess it was more afternoon, but anyway. I was wondering that if Martin O'Neill suddenly became the Newcastle or Rapid Vienna manager (because they are our next games), would you boo him when he came out? It's pretty obvious that at least half of Villa fans (as far as I can tell) no longer like him because of the timing and the way he walked out on the club just five days before our first game (how many times have I heard "just five days before" this week? It's starting to get silly but I'm afraid I'm gonna say it one more time).
However, would you go as far as boo him?
Or would you even be as extreme as to applaud him for what he did for the club?
I always thought he was a brilliant manager (and still do) but when he walked out stats started appearing the the papers. He'd spent so many millions of pounds on such a player that never played etc etc. This was the first time it really dawned on me that he might not be as good as he seems. Of course, everyone knows about Reo-Coker but it came about how much he spent on players like Harewood, Salifou and Osbourne. So now I see that maybe, money wise, he wasn't that great.
Had he not wasted the money or reserves then maybe we would have a transfer budget this summer. Then O'Neill might not have left. Then I wouldn't have had to hear "just five days before" so much so that my ears begin to bleed.
So no, I wouldn't boo him, but I'd give him bleeding earfuls.
However, would you go as far as boo him?
Or would you even be as extreme as to applaud him for what he did for the club?
I always thought he was a brilliant manager (and still do) but when he walked out stats started appearing the the papers. He'd spent so many millions of pounds on such a player that never played etc etc. This was the first time it really dawned on me that he might not be as good as he seems. Of course, everyone knows about Reo-Coker but it came about how much he spent on players like Harewood, Salifou and Osbourne. So now I see that maybe, money wise, he wasn't that great.
Had he not wasted the money or reserves then maybe we would have a transfer budget this summer. Then O'Neill might not have left. Then I wouldn't have had to hear "just five days before" so much so that my ears begin to bleed.
So no, I wouldn't boo him, but I'd give him bleeding earfuls.
Saturday, 14 August 2010
Aston Villa 3 - 0 West Ham
What a start to the season! I watched it at Villa Park and (apart from the rain) it was brilliant to watch. There was controversy over James Milner's place in the starting line-up but he had a solid game, getting the third goal with a well placed left foot.
Apart from a ten minute spell in the second half (when the rain thundered down) Villa dominated the game. We looked good in possession, Milner and Petrov rarely losing it in the middle and pressing well when West Ham had the ball. We looked good in attack with the ball going down the wings with Downing and Albrighton sending countless balls into the box and we won a corner, on average, every four minutes.
The first goal came from a poorly punched cross which, to be fair, cant be completely blamed on Green. If your team had to deal with 50+ crosses into the box in 90 minutes then you are bound to mess one up at some point. Anyway, the shot from Albrighton, saved by Green only to be tapped in by Stewart Downing. There was a good call for offside on this one, and I have to admit, I thought offside when I saw it too but it was a goal waiting to happen.
The second was a good bit of movement from Petrov as he headed away Ashley Young's cross.
The second half began and brought the rain with it, West Ham enduring their best spell of play where they were at evens with Villa at best. Even so, it brought them a good chance, only to be scuffed wide by Faubert.
With Villa dominance resumed, Marc Albrighton seemed even sharper in the second half than in the first putting forward a good case for a first team place when he took the ball past two defenders to set up Milner for what is likely to be his last goal for the club.
Two more chances fell to Carew but he (somehow) failed to capitalise, no matter how close he came when he hit the post.
This was the most convincing performance I have seen by Aston Villa in a long while, looking good in attack, comfortable in possession and safe at the back.
Although the main focus of the press is on Marc Albrighton, I'd like to stress how much of a good game Ciaran Clark had. He didn't put a foot wrong in all of the 90 minutes and made some solid tackles. If he can perform like that in a few more games then he has a serious case to break into the first team.
Final score: 3 - 0 Game Summary: Great teamwork, strong in every department.
Apart from a ten minute spell in the second half (when the rain thundered down) Villa dominated the game. We looked good in possession, Milner and Petrov rarely losing it in the middle and pressing well when West Ham had the ball. We looked good in attack with the ball going down the wings with Downing and Albrighton sending countless balls into the box and we won a corner, on average, every four minutes.
The first goal came from a poorly punched cross which, to be fair, cant be completely blamed on Green. If your team had to deal with 50+ crosses into the box in 90 minutes then you are bound to mess one up at some point. Anyway, the shot from Albrighton, saved by Green only to be tapped in by Stewart Downing. There was a good call for offside on this one, and I have to admit, I thought offside when I saw it too but it was a goal waiting to happen.
The second was a good bit of movement from Petrov as he headed away Ashley Young's cross.
The second half began and brought the rain with it, West Ham enduring their best spell of play where they were at evens with Villa at best. Even so, it brought them a good chance, only to be scuffed wide by Faubert.
With Villa dominance resumed, Marc Albrighton seemed even sharper in the second half than in the first putting forward a good case for a first team place when he took the ball past two defenders to set up Milner for what is likely to be his last goal for the club.
Two more chances fell to Carew but he (somehow) failed to capitalise, no matter how close he came when he hit the post.
This was the most convincing performance I have seen by Aston Villa in a long while, looking good in attack, comfortable in possession and safe at the back.
Although the main focus of the press is on Marc Albrighton, I'd like to stress how much of a good game Ciaran Clark had. He didn't put a foot wrong in all of the 90 minutes and made some solid tackles. If he can perform like that in a few more games then he has a serious case to break into the first team.
Final score: 3 - 0 Game Summary: Great teamwork, strong in every department.
Friday, 13 August 2010
First Game Of The Season.
Well, your first game is always a big one. West Ham. I have to say, I'm nervous. I watched the game at Upton Park last season, when Villa lost 2-1 and I'm going to Villa Park tomorrow to watch it. West Ham have signed some half decent players by the looks of things as well, which is a surprise to me after Ilan and McCarthy last season. I saw Pablo Barrera, one of their new buys, in the world cup, looks like a threat if he can perform but even so, not exactly an inspired signing. Piquionne showed at Portsmouth that he can be a goal threat too but as long as we defend our corners well, we should be fine.
One disappointing World Cup over and I can't wait to get stuck into another Premier League Season and it looks like it could be a challenging one for Villa! After the Milner saga and O'Neill leaving only five days before the new Premier League Season, I'll be more than happy to hold on to our 6th place that seems to favour us for the past few years.
My prediction? Hard to say with it being the first game of the season, even harder since it's a new (albeit temporary) face in the dug-out, but I'm going to venture a guess at: Aston Villa 3 - 1 West Ham.
One disappointing World Cup over and I can't wait to get stuck into another Premier League Season and it looks like it could be a challenging one for Villa! After the Milner saga and O'Neill leaving only five days before the new Premier League Season, I'll be more than happy to hold on to our 6th place that seems to favour us for the past few years.
My prediction? Hard to say with it being the first game of the season, even harder since it's a new (albeit temporary) face in the dug-out, but I'm going to venture a guess at: Aston Villa 3 - 1 West Ham.
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