Data supplied by the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Select and manage your own team of stars at http://fantasy.premierleague.com/ or with FIFA Ultimate Team for FIFA 15.
Manchester City are still chasing second place, despite their recent collapse in form, and a win here would take them above Arsenal who currently occupy that spot, as they play on Sunday.
City will need to work hard against the recently revived Aston Villa side to ensure that they can break them down, and Jesus Navas may be key to this. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index can reveal that the Spanish winger has covered a squad best 266.2km so far this term, also hitting a top speed of 34.5km/h, with only Sergio Aguero topping that speed.
Sergio Aguero himself has now scored 20 goals in the league this season and they have come at an impressive average of a goal every 105 minutes according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Aguero’s goals stem largely from the fact he is the player with the most shots on target in the league (51). He also has seven assists to his name and as such he provides the main threat to the Aston Villa defence.
Tim Sherwood appears to have saved Aston Villa’s season and they have now moved four points clear of the drop zone with five games remaining. He will know, however, that they are still not guaranteed safety and that three points would be vital in their bid for survival.
One player vital to keeping Villa on track is star striker Christian Benteke. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the big Belgian is now on ten goals from his 24 appearances, and has scored a goal on average every 195 minutes. He has recorded 25 shots on target, more than any other Villa player.
Villa will hope that their ever-dependable American shot stopper Brad Guzan delivers another high quality performance this weekend. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that Guzan has racked up 100 saves so far this season, at an average of 2.22 saves per goals conceded.
Gabriel Agbonlahor will be looking to assist Benteke in the quest for goals. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index indicates that he will look to use his direct style of play, having completed 24 successful dribbles and hitting a squad best top speed of 34.87km/h.
The Author
Matt Turvey
Matt is the owner of, and chief writer for, Aston Villa Life. He is also a columnist for the Wolverhampton Express & Star, appearing in the Kick Off pullout on Saturdays and the Final Whistle pullout the Monday after Aston Villa play, as well as every Thursday as a blogger on their website. He has previously been featured as a writer on Football365 and Life's A Pitch, and was a regular pundit for Sports Tonight TV on Sky.Comments 215
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Hello all,
JL, not only Okore but Kojac and Sanchez, give them all a go, they’re new to the EPL and OK and LK have had bad injuries, so keep them.
Bit worried about today, City are easily more talented than Spurs & Pool and have a better manager, if they hit form i think they’ll win. The danger man for me, if he plays, is Dzeko, if he makes late runs into the box behind Bacuna he’ll destroy us. Should be a good battle between Kun and Vlaar. City have some big lads for dead balls so Guzan will have to come a bit further too. I see a 2-1 defeat.
Half decent TS interview –
http://www1.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/9820657/redknapp-meets-sherwood
steamer- I think we will trouble them up top and in midfield if toure is still not at his best along with their backline we will get goals, on the other hand there frontline can destroy us no doubt.
interesting that when we played them at villa park we had no frontline at all. Benteke came on in the 60th odd minute with nzogbia and grealish but they didn’t score until the 80th minute they had 26 shots only 7 on target though, senderos hutton sissy and baker at the back kept them out . This should be a home win but the way we have been playing its a tough one to call.
I think we’ll give it a go and will maybe take the lead but eventually go down. I’ll say 4-2 city.
Morning all.
I dont think we should go all guns blazing. The last week or so has seen us play a lot of games and exert a lot of effort. We need to manage the games we play to an extent, id love to say we should go there and give them a right go but the most important thing right now is to stay in the PL. Best way imo is to save ourselves for Everton since we have a better chance. That doesnt mean we should lay down and die, just that we should be realistic. Id bring in Sanchez for Westwood for the added physicality and also rest Grealish play Nzog and Sinclair in a 433. Grealish may be in good form but he is still only a young lad and this is the type of game he wont get much of the ball. Defense pretty much picks itselt.
City aint exactly in great form. They huffed and puffed against a poor West Ham team. I think Silva is back for them which is bad news for us, he makes them tick. Aguero and Yaya are obvious threats but as long as we dont give away any stupid early goals I feel we can frustrate them and nick a draw. Its a big ask to go there and win, cant expect that at all. Hopefully the other results are not too bad for us.
UTV!
Wait… I just realised Sinclair cant play due to being on loan from City! Guess we have to play Grealish then…
steamer- good interview, night and day from mcmumbles time. He said a manager should fit to the players he’s got not the other way around sharp contrast to Lambert though slightly different circumstances and remit. He is very likeable and I’m wondering why the spurs fans got the hump with him?
Ree- I think we will see the same formation as last Sunday as it lends to packing the midfield and counter attack. think your right on Sanchez although Westwood starts attacks better and might be worth 60 mins and change if we are up and under the cosh.
the big call for me is Nzogbia or gabby on the right, or does he change formation and go gabby up top. what formation do city normally play?
Very studious type surprisingly. Spurs fans get the hump with anyone who can’t produce the impossible… like a good team.
Have a feeling that we may see Carles on the pitch today.
Rags,
Could be a great game, we’ll go for it no doubt, good luck to the team and the fans will do their bit too.
he pretty much said in that interview that he’ll look to impose our game on them so no bus parking I’m glad to say. would love to see Gil in for nzogbia and go with the team from Sunday but don’t think it will happen.
I also have a feeling we’ll see Gill just because Sinclair is out; maybe for as a sub for Zog, fingers crossed!
I’m of to Manchetser in a min with a mate.
Not really to worried. It’s the three home gams we have left we have to win
Hope Gabby and Sissy both start. More power and pace
One thing the away fans will be in full voice. Just hope the players are down to earth and don’t get to cockey after Sunday. Can kind off see another Man U away display but I hop not
UTV !!
Gil won’t play guys. It will be the same as Pool just Gabby and Sissy coming in.
Hope Westwood plays over Sanchez
could well see sissy coming in Frem although richardson links the attack better, neither are the answer for me. hope TS is better at buying leftbacks than Lambert. that said he has spoke of players on loan coming back in, what’s the odds of him making Bennett a player?
City usually play a 442 type formation and I expect that again with Bony or Dzeko partnering Aguero. It is pretty fluid with Silva floating inside, so we can take advantage down his side particularly with Clichy out.
Not sure if we should play Gabby today, If he’s fully fit possibly but if he is nursing the injury better off on the bench. We need our best team possible for the next game, dont need to aggravate an injury to Gabby.
just to let you know , the german pulled out , he knew that title was going to stay in brum , chris still diplomatic about it but l aint the little fucking wanker , fair play though the spanish champion flew in thursday to take the fight , l was at the weigh in and because my brother had a touch of the flu l stepped in to take him , but to see him trying to cut weight frightened the fuck out of me , the fighters were like zombies, just a small thing in the cut , chris never had a drop of water from 1pm thursday till 4-30pm friday , seeing that happening you get to realise what these fighters go through to make the weight and l see the agony my brother and his wife have during this cut , but lm looking forward to the fight , keep an eye out for a northern ireland lad (ginger hair) and his opponent , think the ones called fletcher , that has some shit going on as it kicked off at the weigh in , well its on spike TV tonight live ,
Frem
have a great day at Man city , i think 2-1 villa , oh and talked steamer into letting us test his house , he does’nt mind if we blow it up , that will be how not to test and inspect , lol
have a good weekend all
jenny xxxxxxxxx
Mark
you been on the sherry ?? l have got steamer here with me all day dont get putting him in a bad mood , Bennet a player !!! indeed ))
Ree- I liked are fluidity without gabby but he has always troubled citys defence with his pace. I think its a fine line for us, sit back lose anyhow and lose momentum or have a real go, those are the risks, injuries happen either way and sometimes to more than the body. wouldn’t want to see us go down 4-0 with a wimper we are better than that.
st-75 Definitley the sherry mate, as you spoke bennetts just had a shot for Brighton and is playing well 😉
Hope chris comes through tonight unscathed, its about time they changed the way they do the fight game altogether. how can a fighter be at his best when 24 hours before he’s on deaths door? some fighters put on a stone in that time. surely they should be weighed over the build up at a natural weight and widen the weight band? it would cut out the silly starvation/dehydration.
someone thinks we have more than a chance
http://news.bwin.com/en/football-betting/premier-league/is-it-just-usor-can-aston-villa-beat-man-city-at-the-etihad,73481.html
Ree,
I don’t think he’ll play Gabby, hammies are strange things, a little stress and you miss two months.
Are you going today ? your neck of the woods isn’t it ? Used to enjoy going to Maine Road although i never saw Villa win there or even play well. Hate Old Trafford, only my opinion but its the ugliest ground in the league and beyond, no atmosphere, bent refs and cheating players.
So Birmingham is the worst place in the UK for rat infestations, they could kill 10,000 in one swoop by knocking down St. Andrews at 3-15.
haha,
Steamer my mates a pest controller but he’s a bluenose, hence his reluctance to sort the problem out!
If TS’s comments on sunday are to believed gabby was touch and go to play. so why risk a player coming on and getting injured and worsening your sub options if he’s not ready? either he’s fit and good enough to play or leave him out until he’s fit.
talking of which how is Kosak doing wasn’t he supposed to be back this month?
2-2 southampton v spurs. anyone beginning to believe our recent wins have been deserved and not just flashes in the pan? could get something at saints.
Mark,
Not sure how the under 21’s work but Kozak didn’t play for them on Friday- any ideas why? Surely he needs to match fitness?!
Hello all lifers
Been catching up on the site today , and enjoyed the two articles by Matt and John plus comments.
Hi Steamer , that’s very kind of you , JEff L so talented , a master of so many instruments – and brought up near you. Just had a listen on u tube and strange magic / evil woman / it’s a living thing current faves.
A good comparison John , Tjm is certainly our Mr Blue Sky and what he’s done so far is remarkable . Today will show that more credit should have gone to us last Sunday , and I can see us getting three points today if we perform like we did against Pool.
The great thing about match days under Sherwood is that you know you’re going to get excitement . He has made us into a team that the bigger teams will fear . We are a bottom table team playing like a top table team. Christian Benteke is as good as any striker in the premier league at the moment .
For as much as AV players hitting their peak as a team and individually, Man City have looked jaded and the team spirit is low.
Now to the team selection – will he change a winning team ? Can’t wait to see !
St 75 – thinking of Chris and family – must be terrifying ! Hope he does well tonight ! Xxx
Have a great time at the Etihad Frem . My prediction – 2-3. Bebteke , Grealish , Gabby (if he plays) otherwise Benteke 2.
ree doesn’t look good unless he’s with the squad
Kosak still on the injured list no return date ree
Palace just had a legitimate goal disallowed, looks like a set of shocking results for us today… we won’t be allowed to enjoy our run up to the cup final.
rags its now a must win today 🙂
hahahaha, yeah if not Sherwood out!
if we win by more than 1 goal we go above newcastle who are tied to a concrete block heading down. what’s the odds on the north-east derby being in the championship next year?
austin missed a penalty could of been worse
Probably around 20/1 I’d say chap!
No Gill in the squad, Zog on the bench, Westy and Sanchez start, we’re 4-5-1 by the looks of it.
city 5 in midfield, nobody saw sanchez in for nzogbia, gives us best of both world, think sanchez will be there to stop silva
got 11/1 to win yesterday Rags
You mean on the Villa or the north east derby being in the champo?
on us mate wasn’t thinking that far ahead 🙂
Lovely to see Stan Pettov on Pre match.
oh feck
yes gen could of done with him on the tele for wembly
looking too similar to the manure game so far and we cannot play this way
sorry “Jen ” 🙂
have they renamed the etihad the etihad Library to get around FFP ? we need to get the ball to grealish and benteke and support them, when we do they look vunerable, extra man in midfield and nobody wants to venture forward. Cleverly has got his clown boots on took one chance off of tekkers boot as he was shaping up for a volley! oh and thanks Guzan.
First 25 mins shocker but we are warming up and City are cooling down. All that separates us is a goal gifted to them by Guzan. We looked the more threatening last 10 mins.
Sanchez needs to come off to much 2 yard passes between him and westwood, toure off so get nzogbia on and take it to them
always said cleverly was good 🙂
and sanchez never take him off 🙂
feck
Mark, keep slagging our players off so that they go on to score…
This villa team have industrial strength cohones!
Benteke not offside and they go up the other end, what a shame another terrible officiating call ruins a superb game.
Calum and Blue- wish that was true they just turned my potential £120 into a £10 loss 🙂
Well done Villa .
well what the hell were we so afraid of except are own errors? never want to see Sanchez and Westwood together again on he same pitch unless we have sold one.
tekkers should of buried that chance in the first half and defo pen, but when the ref doesn’t book one of their players for a professional foul you can’t expect much. Gabby would of loved the space in behind today shame.
Mark ,
This is a good learning experience in the run up to a final. The message to take from this is that we should fear no one .
Yep, you’re right there about Gabby, Mark!
JL- looked at the bench for gabby and boy it looked thin, nice to see senderos though
Totally agree prox but the westwood/ sanchez combo is too negative and they both want to occupy the same space, Westwood went off and suddenly loads of space for us in midfield. put them together and they become a liability
Mark,
It’s a relief that Senderos is at least available for selection – the c/b department had begun to look very bare.
whats the thoughts on Guzan? looked a bag of nerves and could easily lose his spot IMO
Mark,
I’d have subbed him today. Drop him asap.
waste of a sub though rags, perhaps he’s suffering from lack of glory? 🙂
Guzan has had a poor season…dropping is long overdue.
Although Sherwood has improved the approach going forward we could still easily get relegated if he doesn’t sort out the joke defending. No improvement in defence since Lambert left; Sherwood has lost a lot of league games.
Disagree Mark IMO we at least draw tonight if we subbed Guzan.
I think there was more evidence to Mark’s (I think) point that JG40 plays better with another AMC alongside him.
I’m not having it that our defence is poor, Guzan fucking up like that is not the defences fault, that free kick was not the defences fault and defending corners is a team responsibility and Guzan was in no man’s land AGAIN. In open play our defenders were superb against the best striker inn the prem.
I think Tekker’s suffered from ‘Balotelli’ syndrome today in that he was legitimately offside around 7 times, the flag became a habit I’m afraid; it got to the point that the lino was just assuming he as off.
Delph, Sanchez, Bacuna, Vlaar, Okore, Grelish, Cleverly all class again but the team was let down by the Goalkeeper today. All in all very impressed with the performance; we’ll beat West Ham and Burnley, get a point vs Everton stay up. UTV
Paul agree about Guzan, as for defenders we have none left they are all injured.TS hands are tied so let’s not get too down. We made schoolboy errors at the back and no amount of coaching can change that.
We played well again as for Tekkers I thought he was offside as well when it was 2-2.
We can hold are heads high because the mancs know they got out of jail tonight.
https://twitter.com/bentekechris20
ree- I think he has to be at least dropped for the next game, second goal was Richardson flinching and leaving a gap in the wall no gap no goal.
Grealish was the hub of every good thing we did but the midfield didn’t support him enough with runs and Nzogbias attention drawing runs were missed badly, also tekkers chose or was told to stay central, he won every header but the central areas remained pact and the space for runners cut out. I agree we should beat those teams but be prepared for some bus parking against us.
What a joke – good riddance Guzan – this may surprise a lot of you bit i have never been a fan of the fella.
Terrible refereeing decision – Hart should’ve gone
Wager there will hardly be a murmur about it on MOTD
Rags sums it up – without Guzan there were points for the taking..
Grrrrrrrrr….
UTV !!
That was a bit disappointing. One thing for sure is that Villa aren’t a bottom league team. Too bad Sherwood didn’t show up sooner. It’s also nice to see goals come from different players. Guzan has slipped a notch. He is where Given was a couple years ago. A micro second late on a lot of shots. A case of the yips. I’d put Given in for the rest of the season. He wants to prove his worth as a prem goalie and an international one. Go with his desire. He hasn’t disappointed in the cup run.
I think we need to give Given a shot from now until the end of the season. If he doesn’t perform we seriously need to look at a new GK in the summer; who was Spurs U 21 keeper 😉
as i said on here many times given is a far far beter keeper fact kicking on another planet his control of the box different class he should start every game facts say he has played in 5 games and we have won i am not just jumping on guzan because of today a blind man can see it come on tim wake up and smell the coffee richardson and bacuna would have been shot for cowardice in world war one disgraceful bottled the wall and free kick .thats the minus points now the plus
JACK the best midfield player in England by a long long way i have watched him in the last 3 games against spuds pool and today and he has been the most skilfully gifted player on the pitch by a long long way forget what any of the man city mercenaries cost and are paid Jack will be on another planet to any of them as i said and was laughed at when the top clubs in Europe wanted to sign him he is the best player villa have had since god and will be better ant that is high praise he is the best midfield player in England by along way who is there in the England team that is any where mere him none come close
the team where different gravey cleverly was outstanding we could have the England midfield here at our club as today showed first team in 6 and a half years to have more possession than man city at home FACT we where robbed by a bent linesman tonight as we should have had a pen and heart sent off we should have won 3/2 Fact tonight we where great ant only 2 wan kers cost us in Guzan and richardson cup
Bit harsh on Richardson JD. I mean yes he’s clearly pony but he’s giving 100% and I won’t knock him; he isn’t picking himself and he’s better than Aly ‘9.5% crossing accuracy’ Cissoko’. New left back has one to be number one priority in the summer!
City should have had 2 clear penalties so I think a few on here are getting carried away about the officials. All that will be remembered a few days from now is that Villa lost again to City…simple as.
3 points from Everton or they are deep in the brown stuff as everyone except Burnley is picking up points.
The top teams always get the rub when it comes to penalties or decisions by officials. It doesn’t matter what the sport. Their subconscious tells them not to mess with gods will unless of course it’s way and above normal for the underdog. Villa will have to prove their position in the top 6 to get better refereeing
Paul & Ian – can you stop being so reasonable, dare i say objective even.
Seen a lot of scousers tweeting the offside as if justice has been served from last weeks match. Last week the flag was up so early our defense stopped and could have covered the mad italian otherwise. Of course many refs would also have jumped at the Okore challenge as reason to give a pen, guessing todays ref felt quite sure Guzan would give a couple more chances to even things up.
Bibulus. Your not disagreeing though are you? I can see Villa finishing the year with 4 wins
My old doctor from work was a pool fan. He had big fingers and I’m sure an exam on me was a highlight of his day
Thats right Ian – at this stage of our season it is brutal to see these decisions drifting away from us even if they do all even up at the end of the season mind. Lets hope the end of the season is us getting the rub in the cup following securing safety before the last day of the season.
Move away from the scouse doctor stories ……
I’ve said for about two years now Guzan isn’t good enough. His time has to be up
Apart from that, the away fans all applauded the players at the end. They deserved it. They have to keep this club up though. 3 games in a row now against three good sides where we had most the ball. We will be a really good side under Tim
Villa is a pretty good team at the moment, better than average. People made mistakes which cost the match, but the team is earning a lot of respect.
I believe Guzan was better at coming and collecting the ball earlier in the season but for whatever the reason he has stopped. Givens distribution has always been better and he’s a calming influence, with Guzans strength gone he should be first choice no doubt.
City’s pen shouts were questionable Okore got the ball first and the ball was nowhere near the player bakuna lent on so would of been harsh, seen worse pushing and puling every week. the offside that wasn’t just wasn’t, the linesman fucked up and hart should of gone by the letter of the law but the ref was keeping his cards dry unless it was homicide today.
You’re up late Mark.
🙂
So near yet so far! Guzan must hang his head in shame – it affected his judgement thereafter. He could have seen the gap in the wall as it was there before the kick was taken.
I am concerned that if the 3 teams below us win their games in hand on us we could drop into the mire.
Rags: I’m not having it that our defence is poor, … that free kick was not the defences fault
Well, as JD has said, there was so little discipline in the wall it was untrue. Richardson and Bacuna seemed to share a dislike of one another’s B.O. and left a shocking gap for the shot to get through. They jumped out of the way when it just required them to stand their ground, but closer together.
Guzan? He seems to be feeling the pressure from Given and clearly dislikes being left out of the successful Cup run. Though I agree in some respects about Given, when Guzan has been at his best (which hasn’t been lately) he’s been the better keeper i.m.o.
Well, 3 game out of 4 to be played at home now. Is that a good or a bad thing considering our home record? The situation is tempered with the thought that maybe only 4 more points are needed.
John, I agree that Given is the man on form at present and like his insistence on the man on the post for corners where we have failed miserably in the past.
Having been a ‘goalie’ for a semi-pro outfit in my younger days I can testify that, once you lose a bit of confidence or form, it pays for you to drop down to the reserves for a spell.
We need to win at least one of our remaining games to keep the rest below us and, judging by the results of those teams recently, we probably need to win two as a minimum.
Clive,
Thanks for that keeper’s insight … I rather suspected that was the case. Guzan clearly had ‘lost it’ when he completely misjudged a centre after he gave away the goal, so it clearly affects your play.
Big chance for Given perhaps!
Morning all. On the Guzan vs Given debate, i feel like Guzan has been poor for most of this season. In past seasons we could rely on Guzan to save us 3-5 points a season through his displays, but this season I domt think he has contributed anything. He has made a couple good saves and I think MOM for a game early on in the season, but in all honesty its not up to standard. Right now Given is the better option but it would be tough to swap them out at this stage. Given is definitely leaving at the end of the season and if Guzan is dropped it leaves a big question over his future.
On the match itself, i didnt see all of it as i was visiting the folks with the fam, but from what I did see we outplayed the champions at their back yard. Ridiculous errors cost us. The benteke decision was major but in all fairness we had a couple that went our way too. Nzog should have released the ball a little earlier to remove all doubt. As it was at 2-2 we defended that corner horribly, allowing the ball to bounce and allowing their man to chest it up in the air and volley it witout a challenge? That is poor poor defending. Blame the defending for the defeat not the decisions. The decisions are out of our hand, our own defending is not.
Ts has never had a more obviouse choice to make but made difficult as guzan is the future when on form.
Four games to save our season or we could be the most on form side to ever go down.
For me 3 piints from wet spam who will park the bus, everton will attack so again a poss win. Burnley have 3 winnable games coming up then us.fortunately i think we will get something at saints.
Ian- sometimes my mom lets me stay up
Very accurate review Ree.
The last hour i thought we were outstanding, individual errors again, Senderos is needed urgently.
I enjoyed Silva’s performance, nice player.
Rumours that TS is signing a 19 yo from Spuds who has scored 39 goals for their reserve teams this season, he can’t get a look in with the first XI and his contract is up at the end of the season.
Ree- I agree to a point but goals change games, Tekkers in the first half was judged to be on side six yards out and hit the keeper, a goal at that point rather than 2-0 after two cock ups would of settled us earlier. Then the second one on one, if that went in maybe the corner never happens. Fine margins but goals change games.
steamer- If I read one article on us buying ex spuds youth…… we will have about 20 mid-fielders by next season
As an aside, this morning I had a message from a Villa, who said: ” I’m a villa fan who works with a few Birmingham City fans who constantly tell me that Birmingham have played at Wembley more times than villa I don’t believe this.”
My reply was:
I can only think of one Blues recent visit (2011) when they won the League Cup. They also reached the final of the League Cup in 2001 but that was played at Cardiff.
They reached the FA Cup Final in 1931 and 1956 (at Wembley), so that says to me they’ve been to Wembley a total of 3 times in *major* trophies. However they may have played there in lower division play-offs or minor cups in earlier years, and I suspect that Blues fans include those occasions in their number.
Villa have played there (FA Cup finals, played at Wembley since 1923) – or will be – in 1924, 1957, 2000 and 2015. 4 times.
(FA Cup semi-finals, first played at Wembley in 2000): 2000, 2010, 2015. 3 times.
(League Cup finals, first played at Wembley in 1966): 1971, 1975, 1977, 1994, 1996, 2010. 6 times.
(FA Charity Cup, since 1923): 1957 and 1981. 2 times.
So Villa’s total (in major trophies) is/will-be 13 times (15 times including the Charity Cup), Blues only 3 times.
Even if Blues have been to Wembley on very minor occasions, I can’t believe their total is greater than Villa’s 13 (or 15). And in any case the comparison should be on the basis of major events played in i.m.o.
What a terrible let down Blews are to the name of the City! 🙂
John,
Not having it about blaming Bacuna and Richardson for the free kick- that ‘gap’ in the wall didn’t appear but was there from the beginning. Last time I checked it was the goalkeeper’s responsibility to organise the wall prior to the kick being taken. I could understand if they parted after the whistle went but they didn’t from what I can remember.
Rags: You’re right there was a gap before the kick was taken, but both those defenders only made the gap bigger when they effectively moved out of the way of the ball when the kick was taken. If they’d stayed in place (even with the gap) my view of it was that they’d have blocked it or deflected it for a corner.
just looked at the wall rags and there is a gap either side, its bigger on westwoods side. a city player makes to take it with his right up and over the wall you would presume, the other city player takes it and it goes through a foot gap. I think Guzan wanted the gap at one end to see the strike but not the other at the near post and he looked pissed off with them afterwards. Richardson actually turns his body away from the ball. I think it was a bit of both.
On a second look richardson see’s the switch steps in and turns his body letting it through
http://hoofoot.com/?match=Manchester_City_3_-_2_Aston_Villa_2015_04_25
Mark, I think you’ll see that Bacuna also twists his body to avoid the ball, effectively making himself ‘thinner’.
EIther way chaps it was a shit wall! Hadrian will be turning in his grave!
if you watch both of our goals they come from poor city headed clearances nodded to the edge of the area (so we are not the only useless defenders).
One thing we did yesterday that differed to the semi was we relied on crosses and balls into bentekes head which mostly he won. against liverpoo we worked the ball through much more and looked better for it, I guess the change in formation effected this and in my opinion didn’t bring us much in the line of defensive solidity. so as much as we dominated much of the game TS got the tactics wrong and gave city to much respect
as nice as it was for sanchez to score he gave away the free kick and lost fernadinho for the third, although you could forgive him as all the villa players were marking nothing!
I said yesterday Westwood and Sanchez as holding mid-fielders doesn’t work, they get in each others way and end up slowing play down.
Worryingly the teams around us are picking up points, Leicester are now 1 point behind having won 4 on the trot, Burnley have a decent chance of upcoming points, 3 teams below us have a game in hand and should they win, we will be in the bottom 3, I accept for large periods of the game we did well, individual errors are costing us dearly, that’s 3 points lost in the last minute of games in the TS era, Stoke, Swansea and City. We have to close games out, I still think we have a chance but if we don’t get 6 points from Everton and West Ham it could come down to a last game shoot out. Saints could go either way and we may need a win there if we fuck up against the toffees and Hammers. It’s squeaky bum time
Looking at Marks link the linesmen made several errors, not just the non penalty.
Regarding Guzan, most six year olds are told not to pass a ball across the goalmouth.
Richardson and Bacuna turning their backs is pathetic.
More pluses than negatives but if you don’t get points ………..
B62,
Have heart! 🙂 We didn’t really expect to get points from Man City … did we?
The other relegation contenders have very stiff matches to come as I recall, and with 3 out of 4 matches at home (2 of whom aren’t challenging for anything and the other may well be relegated by the time the last game comes along) I am pretty upbeat.
In fact I still think we’ll finish 15th (PL’s standard level!) or even better.
Gutted this morning. We just don’t make life easy for our selfs do we. We should be safe by now, as B6 says, we’ve lost 3 points in the last minutes of games. I have no idea if we will stay up or not. Thing is, it’s not in our hands anymore with teams bellow having a game in hand
I worry for us. I’m still not confident with Villa at home. We could bottle the next two easily but we need 4 points min and then 3 against Burnley
We are playing really nice football but still can’t defend.
We are so close to great change. Survival, FA cup, Europe and new owners
Don’t feck it up Villa like you usually do
Okore stands off too much for my liking, Senderos attacks the ball.
Everton will be a toughie, WHU are WHU eternally crepe, if we can’t beat them we deserve relegation. Burnley will be harder than a lot of folk think, touch and go whether we stay up still.
b62- hull and sunderland have terrible run ins, stoke was hulls easiest match, Qpr similar. Leics have a couple of hard games plus newcastle and 2 fellow strugglers they could do us a favor, Burnley could win their next 3 newcastle could end up in the shit too unless they scrape a win soon. 4-6 points should do it 8-9 defo.
Rags – you are right about the gap – I mentioned this in an earlier post; the positioning of the wall is the responsibility of the goalkeeper.
John – I remember the Blues won the Sherpa van trophy some time when I worked in Brum as I went to a meeting in the Blues Board Room (not by choice I hasten to add) and the ‘trophy’ was lying broken in a cabinet that would not have ‘graced’ the shelves at MFI.
I also recall the B;ham club badge outside the Villa ticket office with the inscription on the three bands around the globes being ‘Never have, never had, never will’ and I think it was surmounted by the League trophy (I may be wrong on that bit)
Steamer if he is truly fit senderos will be a god send going on the way he marshalled us at the start of the season.
only hull sunderland and leicester have a game in hand, sunderland have to play leics.
hull and sunderland on form have terrible run ins
Matches to especially watch out over the next couple of weeks…
Tue 28 Apr 2015 – Hull v Liverpool 19:45
Wed 29 Apr 2015 – Leicester v Chelsea 19:45
Sat 2 May 2015 – Liverpool v QPR 15:00
– West Ham v Burnley 15:00
– Sunderland v Southampton 15:00
Mon 4 May 2015 – Hull v Arsenal 20:00
Sat 9 May 2015 – Everton v Sunderland 12:45
– Hull v Burnley 15:00
– Leicester v Southampton 15:00
Sun 10 May 2015 – Man City v QPR 13:30
And Sunderland vs Leicester comes up on the 16th.
Clive,
I like your anecdote on Blues!
They really have down nowt, even since daring to call themselves “Birmingham” and invoking the gypsy’s curse on moving to St. Andrews!
But for the country’s second city and a club calling themselves by that name, it’s scandalous really.
At the end of the days chaps QPR are gone, unfortunately Burnley are too (anyone whose interested can check out me defending them on F365, be warned though I mention Lambert). That leaves one space and 5 teams. As much as the points issue is a worry the sheer number of teams in and around us gives us at least 80% chance of survival. ‘we’ll be fine’ ‘we go again’
http://www.football365.com/f365-says/9822958/F365-Says
Steamer,
You say that about Okore, but he really did make a very brave and brilliant tackle on Silva second-half that their supporters were shouting for!
Yep, perhaps he could do more, but I like him as he does seem to think about what he’s doing, and doesn’t seem to give way to sly fouls as some do – including Senderos.
John Sunderland Leicester is massive, they can’t both get three points! We just need one of Hull, Leicester and Sunderland to be worst than us.
You’re right, Rags. And I can’t believe we’ll not get at least 4 to 6 points from the matches that are left.
http://metro.co.uk/2015/04/26/liverpool-line-up-sensational-30million-transfer-swap-deal-for-aston-villas-christian-benteke-with-rickie-lambert-heading-the-other-way-5167432/
you have to laugh!
clive- with all due respect for your keeper knowledge Guzan cant control what they do once the whistle goes. Richardson should be tight as there is no advantage of sight to Guzan from his position. as the kick takers switch Richardson steps in tighter, bakuna jumps and twists while Richardson twists the opposite way and guzan goes mad at them.
once in that wall they have a job to do and that’s to hold there nuts and block, they both flinched.
On senderos , I think we will be fine with Okore if Given is in goal as he’s a calm talker, Guzan is more a shouter. if we stick with Guzan Senderos brings more order Imo if a little dodgy at times from lack of pace, bloody good in the air though.
I really hope it’s the end for Guzan. At best he would be a good number 2. He’s been shite for ages now
And I think Sender will come in for Everton. Lakaku would batter Okore
JL I actually put a tenner on us to win and was horrified when I saw the way we started, why do we do it?? that said I truly think city were there to be beat, as it was we bumbled are way to a respectable loss instead of backing ourselves.
There could be some good keepers available in the summer. I like Heaton from Burnley, Pantilimon from Sunderland, Schmeichel from Leicester and even Marshall from Cardiff!
Mark
I’m just not as confident whilst it’s not in our own hands, JL no I didn’t expect any points at the Etihad, but I did at 2-2 89mins, especially knowing the results had gone against us earlier, and it could have been worse with QPR missing a penalty.
We are playing so much better under TS, but we aren’t closing games out, and I have a horrible feeling it will cost us. If we can scrape over the line, next seasons looks to be more exciting, if we don’t the championship is a long hard slog which ears ex premier league teams up
Mark – I have a photo of the ‘wall’ before Milner starts his dummy run but I cannot post it here bu there is a discernible gap in the wall that Guzan should have seen. OK maybe I’m nitpicking but I would have held my hand up for the poor wall in the same circumstances
Clive- I expect Guzan was expecting it to be either around the wall central or over the wall to his right where as richardson was thinking of his rub down and a glass of beer 🙂
B62,
My take is that TS knows pretty well we’ve got a couple of defensive loopholes, but he inherited what we have and couldn’t do anything about it (the defence). Admittedly, by downright carelessness (e.g. Vlaar against Stoke and Guzan just now) we have compounded the problem and dropped points as a result..
So, what does he do? He says to compensate we have to be a lot better going forward and he finds ways in which we do that – we score and accept that the opposition will score as well. In fact I much prefer 3-2 and 2-1 matches (either way) than 0-0s or o-1s or 0-2s! In the process we seem to find a way of getting some points … and we need just a few more.
We’ll do it.
Everton 2-0 up
Looking to the last league day of the season, I see that ….
Sunderland are at Chelsea
Hull are at home to Man U
Leicester are at home to QPR
We know who Burnley are playing!
I agree JL, unfortunately against manure and manc city we tried to pack the midfield and it makes us more pedestrian when bursting forward, and strangely for the first 20mins we wouldn’t go long or commit men forward. you have to say the manure game is the only one we didn’t deserve to get something, there are not many games in the Lambert era you can say that about.
You say that, Mark, but though United probably deserved to win, their third goal was entirely fortuitous and if it had been just 1-2 then it would have shown as not a bad try.
Agreed otherwise, but I think that in the first 20 mins yesterday Villa just didn’t seem to know whether they could trust themselves to replicate their Wembley showing. They were a bit nervous and possibly because of that gave the silly goal away. And Guzan’s flapping soon after nearly conceded a second.
Having watched Everton today, next Saturday is a real toughie, no signs of them thinking of the beach, our dire home form worries me, hopefully we will be far better next season under TS who has done well with Lamberks squad ruined by PL lack of footballing tactical knowledge.
Agreed B62. There’s always hope! 🙂
Do keepers have a book on opposing strikers? Their habits or proclivities? Guzan seems to be reactive lately instead of proactive when it comes to shot stopping. Watch the contact in basketball under the net. I think a keeper should be just as in your face when he goes for a high shot or pass. It’s his box, shouldn’t it be striker beware instead of giving them the extra bit of time to set up? I don’t think the goalies are aggressive enough when things get tight around the goal.
i am looking forward to next season and our new team and our trip to wembley to beat chelski that will show people we mean business
It was a tough one yesterday…To come back from the errors and poor play, equalize and then let it slip away. Probably no coincidence the letdown occurred immediately following the decision that went against Benteke.
CNZ should’ve played the ball sooner.
But, I’m choosing to focus on the positives, because you can’t do much else. Good spirit, again some good passages of play, more comfortable on the ball, scrappy and getting it back. Still scoring.
Previously Villa would’ve wilted at 2-0 down, especially the way we conceded. And City have a much better defense than Liverpool.
When it comes to our defensive frailties, we have to remember how makeshift the combinations are back there. It doesn’t excuse poor play/errors, but it’s hardly the best/most-cohesive unit we could be putting out there at the moment.
Funnily enough, as I watched Guzan’s howler, I was on the phone with my daughter, and I said, “Perhaps City will get complacent…” and it seems perhaps they did, reverting the rather gutless bunch they are when they don’t get flying.
And on the staying positive front, I hope the loss galvanizes the side, brings them back down to earth. They can take away the feeling they could’ve/should’ve won, but realize that’s not enough and knuckle down knowing they’re now facing sides they have every reason to believe they can beat.
Everton have taken 16 from a possible 18 available, it goes to show what a drain the Europa league can be. This is possibly our hardest game left
b62- at least they will attack and that means space, with a fit delph, benteke and grealish we are a threat on the break indeed we may even dominate possession as we did against city. At least I don’t feel like we will be pushovers and Everton will know this too, should be a hell of a game.
JC- we must take the positives from this and one blindingly obvious fact, we can cause anyone problems, we cannot afford to forget this again as we did for the first twenty, a tentative villa is a doomed one.
I can’t see anything other than a defeat versus Everton, a probable three points from WHU and a draw against Burnley, looks like we have to rely on others to me although i accept four points MAY be enough.
Anyone else go onto a white page when you log in?
Anyhow, we only have our selfs to blame if we go down. We didn’t learn after Stoke late winner because Swansea did the same, then City again yesterday. We are in huge huge trouble now because of it
The thought of relegation is worse because we are so close to something good. I want us to stay up, win the cup, get new owners and sign good players with our good manager who has got us playing playing lovely football
The Villa I have known though always build you up to let you down.The thought of going down, losing the final, keeping randy and selling our good players is gut wrenching but probably the most likely thing to happen unless Villa change there ways of the last many years.
I agree we have to take the positives from yesterday, and going forward we are a threat, but we have to learn to shut the back door, for me Given needs to come in and provide a sense of calm and authority behind a dodgy back 4. We are already reliant on others losing their game in hand and I feel we will need more of re same in the last few games( others losing), luckily Leicester are at home to Chelsea and Hull to arsenal in their next fixtures, let’s hope as they both are going for the title/2nd they hmer our rivals.
frem yes mate just refresh the page
Going to try and be positive even though im worried sick.
April was always going to be tough and we have come through it with 4 points and a cup final and playing good footy. With the emergence of grealish as well april has turned out better than expected.
The negative is that its going to go to the burnley game, bet your bottom dollar on that.
it wont go to the last game we will win our next 2 and thats it we will beat everton next week man u are shi te we could have beat them if we had gone at them alike the last 3 games Tim admitted he got it wrong we will win ws long as Given is in goal if guzan plays we will go down for certain as the defense have no confidence in him
Sounds like Pool do want Benteke, but I’m sure many other better clubs do as well
We need to stay up win the cup and get wealthy owners to stand a chance of keeping the Beast. Couldn’t blame him if he went and would still love him
Frem
Agree with you over Guzan, as that is now his 6th recorded goalkeeping mistake, all of which have cost us dearly. TS is probably feeling mad with himself, as he was on the verge of making Given the no1 keeper for the match after his display against ‘pool. Guzan really has been awful of late, and I hope that we will be looking to sign Rob Green, who is excellent these days for QPR, or Casper Scheimeckel from Leicester.
Guzan really failed to set his wall properly for the free kick, and only has himself to blame.
Hopefully now Cleverley has broken his duck, he may pile in with a few more. Benteke needs to improve his positional play, as he was offside so many times, except when he was brought down, and we should have had a penalty. That maybe the most costly offside decision of the season, as we most probably would have taken the three points, and been well on our way to safety…!!
No surprise that having destroyed Liverpool on a regular basis, the papers are full of Benteke to Liverpool for £30m, with Rickie Lambert going the other way!!! No way will we take Lambert, the only one who wanted him was his gone namesake. I can definitely see Tekkers going, especially if we go down which is still a distinct possibility
Quickly over the bad stuff as it’s been thrashed out at length above, but the slowest, most sluggish start under TS I’ve seen, very surprising, Vlaar playing the ball back to Guzan when he had time to turn and play it forward then Guzan mis-kicking across his goal, Guzan not shooting Richardson and Bacuna for the wall before the freekick was taken so equally Guzan’s fault as Richardson/Bacuna.
I feel vindicated in my own small world as I said on this site ages ago, TS needs to man up on goal keeping and select Given for the league. This isn’t a pro Irish thing but Guzan is the one player who hasn’t recovered from the Lamberk era because his first 11 spot hasn’t been jeopardised, that needs to change for Guzan to comeback stronger.
Now the good stuff, we played our way back into the game when under Lamberk we would have folded after the first goal and shipped 5 or 6. We had more possession and were more effective with it in the home of the current champions with a more expensive squad sitting 3rd in the league, two midfielders scored finally taking the pressure off Benteke. Grealish outstanding. Arsenal finally have competition in the stadium library stakes or it seemed that way watching it on Sky, very quiet apart from the Villa fans.
Everton is going to be one tough game but I’ve a history of not seeing them lose in my one game a season and another chance to prove to the wider public that Villa are back and our recent performances aren’t flash in the pan stuff.
UTV
D’OR
Let’s hope you are a lucky charm for sat, Everton are in fine form unbeaten in their last 5 winning 4 of them. We haven’t beaten them in 13 matches, so it’s about time we did. This could be our most important game of the season( we seem to say that every week lately)
Guzan’s confidence is totally shot, IMO he’s a very good keeper going through a bad spell, Given should definitely come in for the last few games.
While i’m not too confident of surviving this season, Frem explains why perfectly, i do believe that, whatever, TS deserves to stay as boss, he has lifted the entire club and installed a spirit that i haven’t seen for years and one that had been trodden in the ground under McMumble who is the complete opposite of Tim.
Lets hope we can survive, get rid of Lerner and be able to support TS in the transfer market, the future is Claret & Blue, the future is Aston Villa.
Darren,
Pity the PFA don’t have an award for most inspiring supporters, although they’d probably give it to Arsenal.
Regarding the ticket situation, a pal of mine has just paid 1,600 quid for one.
I loved Mourinho’s comment and there isn’t much to love about him saying boring is not winning a trophy in 10 years. I think for the first time in a long time we have a manager who won’t accept mediocrity, he won’t accept being the best team in the midlands.
Agree totally with Steamer, the man has convinced me in 2 months that backing him in the transfer market needs to happen, he’s not been able to stamp his mark on any team yet and seems to have what it takes to get Villa challenging. I was very wrong about him when he joined, I did believe at the time we’d scraped the barrel when we should have been aiming for the sky.
1600 for a ticket that rules me out of the running if someone with a spare ticket can charge that sort of money, I’ve every feeler out including other football clubs but with flights, hotel, drink money I can’t go much above face value. Good news in Dublin, Murrays is doing an all dayer opening at 8am for the final so that may be the venue to lose my voice again.
Morning Homos and Jenny,
Well the one shining light from the weekend is that we are at least getting some respect back in the footballing world, under the two useless jocks we had become a laughing stock but TS has got us playing like a proper football team again and people appreciate a team that will give it a go, he has got them playing as a unit and scoring goals.
I also notice that whoever we have as manager wether it be Sherwood, Ancelotti or Guardiola we all believe we can pick a better team, if TS believes he should keep Guzan in goal then I for one will back his judgement, lets be honest since he has been in charge he has not made many mistakes and if he has he will hold his hands up and admit he got it wrong.
TS has got the club to a cup final and at least given us a chance to get out of the mess we are in, he has got the players believing in themselves again something Lambert failed to do in nearly three years, Sherwood needs to be given the backing in the summer whoever may be at the helm, we may have a gem of a manager lets not lose him just yet.
AVFC ITWT
Sherwood has got a shower of shit and turned them into a side who played Pool and a City of the Park. He has to stay I hope he wins the FA CUP, not just for Villa but him self
The nation will hope that we go down and lose the final. That’s what fans like to see. We better not do that
There is a lot of good talent out there for the summer if we survive. Bournemouth have some lovely footballers. I’d take Burnleys right back or Micah Richards who’s been linked. If the beast goes then Austin could be a decent buy in terms of a goal grabber
I still don’t know about Sinclair. I love a good old winger as you know by now but he’s not the type of guy to whip a cross in from the touch line. I don’t know where he fits in in this diamond we are playing
Hi all
shocker from guzan and while i think we could do better he has done ok overall
Everton are in fine form and it’s going to take a heck of an effort to get anything out the game —- we can do t of course but our lads to be right at it
We should have a few back , and since TS has taken over we can see the value of having gabby in the team
Has anyone noticed that we are no longer the bottom scorers in the league?
We are now equal (with 26) with both Sunderland and Burnley … and we’ve conceded less too!
Looking forward to the Everton match … and the Greens winning the Election! 😉
Hey Runtings
Get rid of the stupid individual mistakes and we would have had Man City, I don’t see us making the same mistakes v Everton, they have the aging Jagielcka, the aging Barry, target those two players and we’ve a way into the game, I would be wary of their attacking threat but they’d be wary of ours, should be a good game, another benchmark on our upward trajectory.
if not, then we still have West Ham and Burnley to get the points we need
That’s the first game in SIX seasons that the opposition have had better possession figures at City, a particularly good effort by Villa because we weren’t tip tapping it about at the back but actually attacking their MF.
You could sense a renewed pride in AVFC among the fans who watched the game in the pub before the fight, which Chris won in round 2, the pub was actually full.
Darren,
Yes, the keeper’s error was a bad one, but as for other defensive frailties perhaps it would be easier just to accept that we are going to leak a couple! 😉
The fact that we have scored 14 in the 9 league games since TS arrived is the different side of the equation that (with the +ve style of play) has made us much more cheerful. Have we forgotten how dismal is was when PL was there?!!
The Everton match could go either way and a scoreline of 3-2 or 3-3 or 4-3 wouldn’t surprise me.
I’ll go for 3-3 and then take 3 points off the Hammers.
I’m of in a bit to do my first ever night shift, and my first ever 12 hour shift.
Not looking forward to it
i dont know what the worry is our performance was better than ever tons was as stated first team to have more poss than city in 6 years they would get batterd at city we played them off the park we will beat Everton if we change the keepers and start with the semi final side it wont be close
JD,
Dunno mate, although the B4 looks dodgy they have goals from MF, Miralles and Barkley are very good and if Guze plays the Baines will be a danger from free kicks.. I accept that we’re in with a chance though because we’re playing some good footy and with CB we always have a goal in us.
Frem,
Bloody nights upset your system, the gaffers don’t do them do they ? 12 hours ? you won’t be on here tomorrow.
frem- dont sit down at 3am you wont get up Mate.
It will be interesting to see how grealish does against Barry should see a lot of fouls. Everton are good there’s no doubt but we are excellent going forward, Grealish, zoggy and delph are ball carriers and can cause havoc, even Benteke can dribble for a big man, Everton have Barkley. I can see us causing them nightmares at the back.
Its that time of year again innit ? Pitch invasions, happy fans celebrating like Bournemouth did last night, will the FA punish them all ? i think we know the answer to that.
Yes strange in deed was watching skysports and they were saying that the pitch invasion at Bmouth was expected and that there fans had the right to celebrate seeing as they were close to extinction a few years back, but when we get on the pitch at the final whistle having got to the FA cup final we are thugs and animals, I always thought encroaching onto the playing surface putting players at risk was a criminal offence and carried a three year ban, apparently only in Birmingham does this rule exist, fucking wankers the lot of them.
AVFC ITWT
Not only that we get knocked down to third in the league at the start!
After 100 years Arsenal won’t start first at the beginning of the season! (AFC Bournemouth)
Arsenal shouldn’t be there anyway, Sir Henry Norris bought their Division 1 position off the bent FA ( is that bells i hear ringing ? ), after finishing 5th in Div 2, he then appointed Herbert Chapman, who had got Leeds City thrown out of the league, for illegal payments. What with the scandal with the Danish agent a few years ago it seems Arsenal aren’t that squeeky clean.
about 8 of them villa fans who ran on the pitch have been identified and will not be getting a cup final ticket , one was armed forces , but will miss it as he’s on training exercise in Canada anyway ,
as steamer said Chris won his fight and is now thinking of a 3 month training camp in Canada , Montreal . Ian and he said he wants to do a bit of sight seeing , funny how the german is now back in training , the arsehole .
Frem . when l done nights l came home had dinner and a few ciders then bed , l take it you wont be working friday’s , if not get some Ale down your neck to make you sleep on the friday night as the weekend will fuck up otherwise , monday get up as usual then try to get a couple of hours kip around 2/3pm before work , and keep an eye on your food intake as it can balls up your system , is it 2 weeks at a time ,
hi Jenny xxxxxx
Steamer,
Ay yes, you’re right on the doings of Arsenal, but Chapman had at least won the championship 3 times on the trot at Huddersfield after leaving Leeds City.
And Chapman was astute enough to take Clem Stephenson from Villa when that non-Birmingham-resident row took place in the early 20s. Clem was around 30 when he left Villa but captained Huddersfield through those 3 championships and then became manager after Chapman left. And brother George (also formerly of Villa) took over the managership from Clem.
Clem Stephenson by all accounts was a grand player but (like so many) not sufficiently appreciated by the authoritarian powers-that-be at Villa. After he left Villa didn’t seriously threaten an attack on the championship for another 10 years.
St75- missed the fight couldn’t find the channel don’t think I’ve got it. any vids up of the fight? found his interview but no fight
http://severemma.com/2015/04/exclusive-video-post-fight-interview-with-chris-miah-at-bamma-20/
What a great interview, humble but confident, sums the lad up and a Villan too.
Mark
the fight will be on again in the next week so l been told , will let you know ,
1st time lv seen that interview , thanks
SWW
you still got that big jar of vaseline you had in your kitbag ?? l see keith harris has passed , you could use it now to stick your hand up Orvilles arse and keep the little kids happy at parties , l mean you even have Orvilles voice !!!!!! )))
Here’s a good un ,
steamer
hows you knee , (think its ligaments)
me
bloody painful , took some super strength ibuprofen
steamer –
Heart attack ! be careful .
Me-
what from ligaments ??
steamer –
No the tablets ,
even Bella looked confused . and even the neighbour who was putting rubbish out, hung about for the killer line at the end . no end to his expertise in useless information ,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY —– RUNTINS——-have a good un mate
Yes have a good night on the pop mate.
Happy birthday runtingz kept that on quiet must be another 21st anniversary 🙂
Barcelona having an off day then.
Happy Birthday dear Runtingz xxxxxxx
As we have our own AVL song writer , I think Runtingz should be writing the AV final song .
How about it 🙂
I agree Steamer – what a good lad Chris is.
Steamer 75 🙂 xxxxxxx
Fucking hell, Hull have done the scouters, Saturday is now even bigger!!!!
I would say that Hull are now practically safe, they will prob beat Burnley and that’s them done. If the unthinkable happens and Leicester turn over Chelsea or even a point!! This isn’t in our own hands, we simply have to win at least two of our remaining games and get a draw. The quicker we get the first win the better, Everton is our hardest game imho, we simply have to win, even if it doesn’t mean we are safe it puts pressure back on the others. We have let points slip through stupid individual errors, these will cost us in a run in where everyone is winning games that on paper they usually don’t, all early season form is out of the window and its a game of nerve and taking your chance. It’s starting to look like a straight 3 from 5 given the remaining fixtures and unfortunately we are in the 5. I’m not confident and believe we have circled the gurgler for too long and will drop. Wigan relegated to the third tier, having won the cup so recently is a warning we need to heed,
B62
Totaly agree about needing a win sat….longer you stay in the mire harder it is to get out.
Burnley game could be horrible if they are all ready gone….play with relaxed freedom against us.
We need 6 out of six next two games to get out of dodge.
Andrew I will go as far to say lose Sat, and we are gone, it would hand the others a massive confidence boost, Leicester have won 4 in a row, they may even get something from Chelsea. Sunderland have a game in hand also, but they don’t play it until May 20th( I think), it could all be over by then, or it may roll onto the final game on 24th may. Wembley a week later will be a damp squid if we are relegated, yes it would be amazing to win the FA Cup, but it will somehow be tainted if go down. Sherwood has done pretty well since his arrival, but one thing for sure going down under him will feel just as shite as under that useless waste of oxygen Lambert, and then we will see his smug mumbling mug in the media saying he would have kept us up despite dropping us in the crack in the first place. I fucking hate Liverpool fc , shite scummy gutless bastards
We are fucked
We have to win Saturday to stand a chance of staying up
Then we have to hope Arsenal beat Hull ( we would then go back above them) hope The Saints beat Sunderland.
Then have to hope Newcastle beat LCFC
Apparently we’ve offered a job to the Rayo manager in Spain ?!?!?!?!??
WTF!!!! Sherwood leaving? New owners ?
How the feck I’m I supposed to sleep tonight knowing that and that we are in huge shit
B62
agree with everything you say , l feel if we lose saturday , thats IMO,
Frem get to bed ,,lol are you on 2 weeks nights?
Frem,
WOT is all this panic goin’ on? … 😯
Have faith – the old guard of ’67 are here – got the ‘T’ shirt …!
Yeah … and I thought that B62 would have better nerves …!
A big test for Sherwood’s motivational skills on Saturday, Everton will be buzzing and confident, he hasn’t failed in this department yet though.
The Hull result was a blow and with the others gaining unexpected points we can’t afford any slip ups. Arsenal next for Hull and i can see a draw there, Arsenal’s players will have one eye on the CF. No good relying on Newcastle for help either.
One of the good things is that the players are, at last, showing character and with CB on form we have a decent chance to pull away, we can beat WHU and Burnley comfortably, Soton and Everton will be harder but we are capable of doing it, just cut out the stupid mistakes.
it really could go down to a shoot out vs burnley on the last day
thanks for the birthday wishes , i think my blood is about 40 percent proof today
ST75- No. Mate, it was just a one of for me because nights had a bit of an electrical job so I went in and got some photos done for college. I going to try and do more night work though, really enjoyed it until about 4am then I got tired 🙂 There aren’t any managers around, and less other workers so we can get on with jobs without be hassled by breakdowns.
John- The table makes me panic. Let’s pray Chelsea win tonight
Frem,
Well the table’s been like that for quite a few weeks really. But as Steamer has said, we have a team with a lot more resilience now, though still leaky in defence.
The match vs Everton *will* be difficult, but I see that being a draw and a then a win against WHU. And I don’t really have fears for the Burnley match. So I believe we will get 7 points *at least*. Enough to finish in at least 15th place.
Runtins
l went to see my physio mate and after the treatment he gave me a bottle of jamaican guiness (its on the bottle ) but inside was pure Jamaican monkey rum , blew my head off , but my back was fine till it wore off , how the fuck they drink that every day !
sounds like you had a good un , wednesday is rice n peas night for me , jessie got YOS and shop next door , love weds )
lovely sentiments off the wife last night , “l got you a ticket for the final ! as its the only cup you aint seen them win !!!! ” and you probably aint got long left ! . how could l turn it down )
Frem
ok mate will sort that testing of steamers house asap , text me what days you can do ,
3am with me , l’d go have a microwave nap and be ok for the rest of the shift , try to find a bolt hole you can use , lol
Have put £40 on Grealish to score on Saturday. Unibet are offering 11-2.
I have a couple of questions for ST75 if you know them
Do you know what a suitable method of presenting the information relating to the proposals for in service inspection and testing is to a client ? Its for a caravn park if that makes any difference 🙂
and
the site manager has delayed planned maintance on the site, including inspection and test. do you know what the implications may be on site licensing and cost ?
Thanks if you know them 🙂
ST75,
I enjoyed the interview with Chris what a bright young man he must get his brains from the female side of the family certainly not from you or your brother, if brain cells were dynamite you wouldn’t have enough between you to blow your hat off.
AVFC ITWT
Not quite what I expected yesterday. But hats off to Hull for putting another nail in Rodgers coffin.
Come on Chelsea. That hurt to say.
Bloomin’ results aren’t going for us Ian are they ?
S75,
If you peg out before the final can i have your ticket ?
Well i predict
Everton 1 point
West ham 3
Saints 0
Burnley 1
37 points enough?
Predicting
Everton 3 points (just because i’ll be there)
West Ham 3 points (just because they are in our claret and blue shadow and already on holidays)
Southampton nil point (just because i have us dropping points at some stage, they may be on holidays at the time)
Burnley 3 points (we’ll already be safe and we’re getting good at putting nails in coffins (Hello Newcastle)
Everton – 1pt – We’ll concede.
WHU – 3pts – Hammers are totally crepe.
Soton – 3pts – Actually not that good.
Burnley 1pt – tough.
Afternoon All
JL nerves of steel me mate 😉
Although it’s difficult not being able to influence the results, as a supporter besides creating atmosphere, we play little in the seasonal roller coaster, despite investing hugely both emotionally and financially.
The reason for my alleged panic is our inability to keep the back door shut, lack of clean sheets , closing games out and individual errors are costing us dearly. It wouldn’t be so bad, but those around us are winning football matches in clusters, ie Hull two on the bounce, Leicester 4, both have ensured they have a great chance of survival, Leicester have a lot of home games left and I wouldn’t be surprised if they picked a point up tonight and beat Newcastle sat.
I have Everton down as a must win, time is running out, we can’t rely on next week against WHU, or Saints or Burnley as the longer we go without winning hands momentum and confidence to Hull/Leicester/Sunderland.
Browsing the media, most pundits think 36 pts will mean safety, although it could go down to GD and ours isn’t great. I think Sunderland will beat Saints sat, Leicester will beat the Geordies , Liverpool will hopefully best QPR, West Ham will beat Burnley and Arsenal will beat Hull on Monday . All this means if we don’t win sat we go into the bottom 3, with the team above us with a game in hand and only 3 games left.
hello folks, Am I sensing a little panic session?
Liverpoo are crepe at the moment, we truly blew the shit out of their season and Rodgers, I would be surprised if they get more than another 2 points. so not that surprised that they lost to hull who put their ticket prices up to £50 last night so not many scousers went as giros don’t arrive till weds.
Saturday should be a good game and I won’t be surprised with a win/loss or a high scoring draw I’m expecting goals may well be watching it in Liverpool so we better win.
think we will beat fat Sams bunch and I think we will get points at saints maybe even 3, last 3 games have been 2 draws and a win against saints so I’m optimistic, Saints play possession footy too and we just out possessioned the champs at city. Then we will beat Burnley on the last day.
could understand why we went 5 in midfield at city but was disappointed as I felt they are far from their best and we should of took it too them. Not at all gutted they lost my tenner for me, I was robbed.
last prediction, we wont win the fair play league, or most penalties received award.
Also Hull could still lose at least 3 of their matches, sunderlands matches are worse.
If any team wants to stay up then they’ll relish games against WHU, Newcastle & Liverpool and maybe even Arsenal now the leagues gone. Leicester & Hull haven’t got results on ability, they’ve won them by guts and sweat, now we’ve got to combine those attributes with our extra quality, if we do, then to quote the knob who got us in this position, ‘We’ll be fine.’
I’d say Slumberland and QPR have gone.
Me too Steamer Burnley could still do it we are their hardest game??!! Arse will still want 2nd or 3rd so they don’t have to qualify for chumps and to maintain form for when we hammer them in the cup
Leicester picking up a few injuries, Huth & King gone off.
Fucking Albrighton has clearly not understood his mission as a sleeper agent, whoever said its ok Hull and Leicester won’t win there games in hand, are forgetting desire over ability, Chelsea look like they can’t be arsed, the pressure is on just to stay out of the bottom 3 sat.
Get in, John Terry is a great player but a complete twat of a bloke:)