Against Manchester City, Aston Villa made a real attempt to win the game in the second half only to stop short and sit back.

In doing so, Villa not only conceded any chance of winning the game, but also played a dangerous game of seeing what a good team could do with the ball. We all know what happened next.

When you’re playing a team that is better in technical terms, you had better have a strategy to do something different. Out-work them, out-muscle them, whatever – you can’t just let them have the ball and expect anything less than conceding.

Villa showed immediately after half time just what energy could do. City were rocking and Charlie N’Zogbia was running through their defence like they weren’t even there. That’s what you need to do when you’re playing a team like City.

What you can’t do is let them have the time to play little passes around in dangerous areas. It is one thing letting the opposition have the ball in their own half, but standing off the opposition in the middle and final third is suicidal, especially against a team like City.

After all, with players like David Silva and Sergio Aguero, City have game changers. Sure, Villa have game changers – N’Zogbia was probably the biggest one in terms of ability – but without that energy, it was always going to fall flat.

So the question does beg – what could Villa have done better?

The simplistic answer would be to say they could have/should have worked harder. Maybe they should, but the reality is that the energy expended to get City rocking was probably enough to tire Villa out. Sure, you can get your energy back, but once you stand off the opposition – and they can pass the ball with inch perfect accuracy – they will make you work for the ball, a process that tires a team out anyway.

If there was one glaring issue with Villa at the weekend, it was the fact that there appears to be zero positional awareness amongst many of the team who started. Every so often, we’d see a clever flick or pass that would have been great had the other person been on the same wavelength.

It would be wrong to criticise the team for trying to make those clever passes, but when the people around you can’t get on the end of it, it looks pretty stupid. Those moves reminded me of the brief time where Robert Pires played for Villa – his ability to see four passes ahead was wholly wasted on a team that couldn’t even see the next pass, never mind four ahead.

Maybe Villa just aren’t clicking at present. Maybe, and perhaps more honestly, they are just struggling against better teams than themselves – hardly the biggest sin on the planet.

Whatever is happening, there’s a chance to get something from the Everton game once the international break is over and done with. Roberto Martinez, a manager lauded by many, has not done as well so far this season and that means Villa could get a point or more.

Or, for the pessimists amongst us, Everton may use us as the springboard to kickstart their season. For the sake of our fans and my sanity, I sincerely hope not.

Comments 118

  1. agree with your points,,, we dont have many attacks or shots and have converted a few of the few chances we have had this season so far,,,

    but we get forward quickly and in numbers when we do,,,

    i feel that there is a lack of confidence or panic about the oppositions penalty area,,,,
    many times its a poor final ball or not instinctively reading the pass or space

    against the non top 6 we should like against hull have more of the play and with the big man back we should be able to have more of a threat in the box

    if we can improve upfront like we have at the back then all will be rosy eh,,

  2. Matt, that’s a good review on class vs the others. Man City, of course, have paid a huge sum of money for their players and their wages are sky high as well. So i.m.o. we should expect them to be in a different class and not expect Villa to be able to get a win out of it.

    Having said that I thought for large swathes of the game Villa did do well – in a limited way, but Villa certainly showed up better after the break. At least Villa started the match showing some self-belief. But, as you say, too many Villa moves broke down because of misunderstandings and bad passes. Villa again let the opposition play as a result.

    Once Fernando came on I don’t think Villa had any chance at all of getting a win, but with proper subs being made Villa did have a chance of eking out a confidence-lifting draw. But the proper subs weren’t made.

    In my view, I think we have to accept that there are no pretences for great achievements in this Villa side. They have been organised in my view to get points off the bottom 12 in the table and to expect zilch against the top sides. Last season, if we were to remember, we did pretty well against several top sides but didn’t do at all well against the others. This season is more likely to see the reverse I feel. And that’s probably a sensible approach given that we do not have a lot of experienced creativity.

  3. morning matt
    I’m with john on this match as we were overrunning the city midfield until Fernando came on, toure was being bypassed. the sub broke up are play effectively and our subs i’m assuming, put on to inject more energy going forward sealed our fate, while others faded too.
    In pre-season I remember one match where bent, weimann, joe cole, Grealish and N’zogbia were all on and the movement and understanding was there to see. Also the fullbacks were much more adventurous and I expect to see more of that.

    I watched the highlights of a reserve game with joe cole and grealish in together and they had a good understanding, I’m expecting that benteke will be added to a similar game with them this week and it will be worth watching.
    Villa have had this problem for a while now with players either failing to make the obvious run when needed or running into space where a remote control ball wouldn’t reach them, it’s frustrating to watch.
    All we can hope for is something clicks in the next 5-6 matches so that when we face the top 4 we will be more deadly going forward to add to the steel

  4. Thanks for the write-up Matt; we were as you say lacking in energy and motivation in midfield and, subsequently, in defence.
    Lambert trolls out the usual ‘I couldn’t ask any more from those players’ – why not? Is it the tactical options that are missing? Many of us have seen the problems but I expect few of us have the solutions, other than on paper. That’s what managers are for. Or are we looking for a coach? There is a subtle differnence in meanings.

    I hope we don’t resort to the tactics adopted by many latin teams (and I don’t necessarily mean this sterotypically) of breaking up the rhythm of a passing side by constantly slowing down the play, wasting time and feigning injuries. It works but it’s dire to watch.

    Having said all of this, I think we now have the makings of a mid-table side provided the approach to matches against other sides in the bottom 11 is pro-active.

    Meanwhile on here a belated Happy 29th to Kristina from Monday, although I passed same on on other media on the day.

  5. The positional awareness issue which Matt correctly identifies is tied up with an inability to keep possession. We have very few players who are comfortable in possession and even fewer who are comfortable receiving the ball under pressure. Gareth Barry was a master in this. So was Roy Keane – he needs to instill this in our players.

    How is this related to positional awareness? Because of how hard good players work to provide a simple ball for a man in possession. We do not do this at all. In fact, Xavi or Iniesta wouldn’t be comfortable in possession in this Villa team because their team mates first reaction is to stand there gawping at a man under pressure with the ball rather than making an angle and helping them. This leads to the ball being hoofed long and as Man City showed, it might be some time before we get it back.

    It has certainly been a brutal run of games and with Everton and Spurs in the next three games, it isn’t over yet. But we need to start showing some bravery in possession and have people who actually want the ball and aren’t afraid of it. And yes, we need to work harder to make good options when we’ve got the ball.

  6. What makes people think we will improve on possession ?

    Last season was the same, we had no intent on retaining possession even when we lost most.He still kept the same system and I think he will all this season. I don’t think he’s a manager with a plan B. I think it’s plan A or the highway.

    We will see against QPR and teams like that. We should be having at least 50% of the ball against those sides and much more shots and exciting to watch. Will we be though? I have my doubts

    As Clive says, we could become a team know one enjoys watching like Stoke of old

  7. To improve possession we need to see midfield players brave enough – and good enough – to take the ball off centre halves, full backs and the keeper and try to play simple ball stuff. Cleverley should be used to this and able to do it, Sanchez and Delph as well. But as we’ve said, if the options aren’t there it won’t work and the ball will continue to be knocked long in sheer panic.

  8. It’s about time Villa beat Spurs again, too, been too long since.
    I like the idea of Benteke and Gabby up top with Nzogbia just behind them. That trio should bag us some goals. Like Clive says be “pro-active”.

  9. ————-Guzan———-

    Hutton—vlaar- Dross—-Sissy

    ————–Westy—————–

    ——–clev———–Delphi—-

    ————zog/Grealish———-

    ———–Beast—-Gabby———

    Has a better balance and look than this bloody 451 we keep playing

    Those two up front has extreme power and pace between them. Could cause back four all problems. Zoggy or Grealish in a free roam area and Clev and Delph getting forwards

    That would be nice to see but Wiemann would he in the number 10 role ahead of Zoggy and Grealish is Lamberk has his way

  10. Frem I don’t think we will in a swansea fashion we are just not set up for it. What I’m hoping is we get smarter around the oppositions box to make more off the chances we do create. This has been the main reason for our lack of shots on goal imo

  11. Steve w.
    Westwood is our only option at the moment who slows the game and I’m sure he’s told to get it forward as quick as. The answer might be grealish and a more astute forward to add to benteke

  12. Mark- not Swansea level yet but we need a dramatic improvement in ball retention. We always play like a league 2 side in a cup tie against a Prem side. Nervous, compact, little quality and very very little of the ball and chances created. That needs to change.

    He’s here until 2018 now so I’d like to think we will be a possession team by then

  13. frem- thats why I think better movement and pass selection up front would improve us quicker than trying to be Barca, long to medium we can bring in players to do that but I doubt Lambert will be the man to implement it I can’t remember celtic or dortmund being known for their possession, certainly not as bad as us but it wasn’t their main way of operating.

  14. why is it we are not expected to beat top sides but under lambert we cant beat lower league sides for god sake,how many matches have we not scored under him.we never laid a finger on the other teams last 3 matches like many last year and year before,even on sat when we went 1 down with 10 mins left did we throw the kitchen sink at it to go level.buys sanchez who in my opinion we need somebody of that size in mid does he play no just says needs time to get up to speed well just play him especially if you are just going out to lose by small numbers

  15. James/Mark,

    As I see it we are not (this season) geared up for winning against the better sides – simply because of the orientation on defending. Perhaps it may change once Benteke is back.

    We can’t say we’re not beating the lower teams this years – we’ve already succeeded against Stoke, Hull and even ‘Pool this season.

  16. Agree with James. It’s not just this season, but last season as well, when the opposition score we give up and I think it’s because we have no game plan to get back into games. With how we set up, we have have to score the first goal to stand a chance of getting something from a game. We didn’t even try to get a gaol back against City, Chelsea or Arsenal. Lambert does play games to keep the score the down

    It’s a bad mix. When we score first, we don’t try to get the second, just hold on. That will haunt us many times. When we concede first, we don try to attack either so it’s not a good mixture

  17. frem- I’m not sure its won’t so much as the system relies on width from the full backs, and against better opposition they have to play more orthodox. I’ll bet we will see more from them in the next few games except probably spurs as they have decent wingers. for a team with 5 in midfield most times we are quite narrow when we attack. Zoggy can’t cross with his right so cuts in or delivers a ball to the back of the forwards rushing in . on the left were Gabby normally plays we have no width. Even when its 3v2 they all go down the middle or ignore the runner in the outside channel. n’zogbia did it against city twice.

  18. john- i’m hoping we learn from playing the rest of the league and become more clinical, we have missed good chances against the top teams, we haven’t had many but have fluffed them when they came. yes tekkers should improve this but no guarantees wished we had got someone like troy deeney in, quick and knows where the back of the net is

  19. Mark- there is no need to play Gabby on the left now with Grealish around. He has to be first choice there at all times.

    Zoggy and gabby aren’t out and out wingers, that’s the problem when we play them. They both want to come inside as you say.

    Maybe they don’t play it out wide because they don’t trust the crossing ability of our full backs ?

    I really miss the time when we had Young. Touch line winger who could cross from the throw in line or run at defenders towards the box. Know one at this club can deliver a good cross from from far out.

  20. Imagine how many headers the beast would score if we signed Young and Milner back as wingers ? He’d score goals for fun

    That’s why I don’t get Lamberk. In all the transfer windows he has had, he’s not signed one player who could make like even easier for Benteke. Instead he plays strikers out wide who just don’t have the quality to supply him very often

  21. From the Evening Mail -‘The Scot regularly swats (sic) up on opponents’ – I guess if PL can’t beat them by swotting up on them he tries to beat them to death!

  22. Mark,

    Blimey was that 38 years ago, yeah we was all there I was a mere 19 year old who walked on the Holte to take on our usual spot to be faced by thousands of mental Rangers fans, we got spotted and was surrounded by a mob with bottles and knives and we had to make a quick exit the first time I had been chased off the Holte end and we ran across the pitch to the Witton End where the majority of Villa lads were.
    I remember when it all kicked off the OB came up the stairs of the Holte with dogs and were greeted by a hail of bottles and they made a sharp exit, when Rangers came onto the pitch the Villa fans ran on from the Witton to meet them and all hell broke loose, I can tell you we gave has good has we got on the pitch and then it carried on outside the ground and in the city centre all night, we came across pockets of their supporters in town and the fighting was fierce, a lot of Villa lads did not go to the match but when they heard what was going on they all made their way to town and the Rangers lads took some hidings, they thought they could overrun Birmingham but that was never going to happen.
    It was a really violent day probably one of the worst I have seen and that includes the many battles we had with the Bloose, Rangers had sheer numbers thousands of them it was difficult to put a figure to it the only time I can remember the Holte with that many opposition fans on there.

    UTV

  23. “I felt it was a bit harsh to criticise me or other players,” Keane, 43, told Football Focus. Keane on Ferguson.

    Former Ipswich striker Pablo Counago has described Roy Keane as a “mess as a football manager” and a “coward”.
    Counago was responding to Keane’s claim in his new book that the Spaniard was “dead lazy” during their time together at Portman Road.
    Keane said 35-year-old Counago was “a player I didn’t particularly like or get on with” and added “I nearly physically attacked him”.

    Seems our assistant is somewhat confused.

    UTV

  24. SWV
    it looks way worse than the Wembley invasion wonder how many of the rangers fans voted to leave the UK? I’ll bet it wasn’t many

    You can’t tell with Keane, I personally don’t like these books that are really just say so. Scraping the barrel to make a few bob is what it is really. I suppose if your not particularly liked it doesn’t matter but if he wants to be a Manager its best saved until you retire otherwise it shows him up for arrogant Knob and who wants a manager like that? oh yeah manure, arse, chelski…….

  25. So Keane wants to be a manager again. Maybe he did come here with a chance of being manager after all? Until that new bloody contract was signed

    I cant see him sticking around as our assistant for pass this season really.

  26. Hi everyone.

    sorry for missing Monty’s birthday…hope you had a good one…welcome to the new Villa births and congratulations to them becoming part of the villa family.

    Had a fantastic holiday in Cyprus and enjoyed the first 70 minutes of the game, and was impressed with the team effort. understood bringing on the beast, but the substitutions were a poor shot, maybe at pleasing the fans. Richardson and Nzogbia had put in a great shift i thought. Grealish really was not ready for this level and Bacuna was not up to it either. From then on as has already been said, Fortuna just made all the difference.

    Hopefully now, after the break, we will push on and start to gel more as a team, and more players back, will make a difference.

  27. Fantastic. Just as Vlaar is ready to come back, Sendeross picks up a thigh injury and is out for a few weeks now. Just as Sender is ready to come back, I’m sure Vlaar will pick up a knock. Chances of these two playing together often are slim. Time for Okore to step up

    This club and injuries takes he piss.

    International break is a load of shite as well.

    I expect 4 points min from our next two. Both desperate for a win. We can’t lose 4 in a row

  28. International Break Amusement

    The Daily Mail quotes some pieces from Harry Redknapp’s new book, “A Man Walks Onto The Pitch”.

    1. “Warm-ups? The closest we got [in the sixties] was standing next to the radiator!”

    2. He mentions the 1947 international vs Portugal in Lisbon when their captain (Alvaro Caduso) “walked off the field and demanded to be replaced because he was so tired of being given the run-around. England won 10-0.” Villa’s Eddie Lowe played in that match.

    3. ‘Arry states that Villa and Spurs’ star Danny Blanchflower was the originator of the defensive wall when free-kicks are taken! He must be correct as I can’t remember much by way of defensive wall techniques in the early 50s.

    4. Great comments about John Charles: Nat Lofthouse said he was the best centre-half he ever played against and Billy Wright said he was the best striker he ever faced! Two players in one by the sound of it! I only saw Charles play once before he went to Italy.

    5. Great accolades too for the coaching of Ron Greenwood at West Ham. Harry says: “I still use lessons from Ron.”

  29. You are probably fed up with me and hockey but there are similarities about the two sports that i think you might find interesting. With Lerner as owner, here is a comparison to the owner of the Edmonton Oilers from the eighties and how he thought.

    http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/edmonton-oilers-reunion-standing-ovation-for-pocklington-1.2795962

    It’s a business first and entertainment second to these people.

    I’m starting to like the international week as it gives some time for nagging injuries to heal. One thing I wonder about is the length of time it takes for a leg injury to fix itself. Re: Vlaar’s calf. It’s almost a month and a half. He could have broken it and almost be back on the field by now. And how can a break be so bad that it’s almost a year for Kozak? N’Zogbia over a year? It really baffles me this length of time for recovery.

    On a brighter note, the deer are back in the yard as are the bears in the neighbours yard. Have a good Thanksgiving guys.

  30. Oh dear.

    Have we reached the sad demise of the passing of Aston Villa Life, and Villa fans in general, plus the sad demise of the national game, which only managed to produce a goal from a one of Rooney’s many free kicks, and a display in which Delph was hardly involved as the mid field seemed to feel that virtually every ball had to go to Rooney, so that he can achieve his personal goal of scoring more goals than Greaves and Charlton.

    No-one writing any leaders, maybe Jen could be inspired to do one.

    Hopefully, in a couple of days there will be some recovery and we will all start to argue and discuss the next game……

  31. Ian
    your garden sounds so much fun, best I’ve had in my garden is a couple of tits nibbling away at my fat balls.

    Paul Pears
    I think most of us have nothing to discuss and the rest are disgusted πŸ˜‰

  32. Paul and all…

    I’ve today been watching on YouTube a match between Villa and Leeds at VP during their championship-winning season, 1991-92.

    I found it interesting that Villa at that stage were going through some reconstruction under Big Ron and even though they were 0-3 down after 55 mins, there was something palpable by way of willpower that caused them to get back into the match. Villa scored on 67 mins and the crowd really got behind them.

    As it was, either side could have scored more goals until the very last seconds, when Leeds added a fourth.

    But there were players in that same Villa team that really gelled a year later and for a couple of years pushed Man U in the league and the league cup. In the Leeds match you could feel that although the team were soundly beaten, there was some promise – in fact Villa finished 7th that season. Not quite the same feeling today.

    BTW, ex-Villan Tony Dorigo was superb at left-back for Leeds. And Steve Hodge was on their bench in the days when you had two nominated subs to choose from and shirts were numbered 2 to 11.

  33. The Ireland v Gibraltar game on saturday evening was a very vivid illustration of the difference between athletes and footballers. Now I know it was Gibraltar but for the first hour Ireland played with creativity and drive putting seven past a determined but vastly inferior team. The backs were untroubled and the midfielders and forwards played with confidence , guile and purpose and really looked to be enjoying their football. This all stopped just after an hour when a couple of subsituitions were rightly made to rest certain players. The effect was instant , there was no link between midfield and forwards and it degenerated into kick and rush. The previously confident players reverted to type and it was an abysmal last 25 minutes in which the gibs probably deserved a goal. What was the difference ??? Wes Houlihan. Like him or not he knows how to play that role and is very effective . I would swap him in a heartbeat for the likes of joe cole.

  34. prox- I’d swop him for a bag of coal for all the use he’s been, you don’t think the fact you were playing gibraltar made him look good? or the rest of your squads poo? πŸ˜‰
    anyhow what you want to see is 90 minutes of the rooney gets closer to grievsy’s goal tally show, thats proper football.

  35. Mark ,
    The squads not great right enough, but ireland have never put big scores on anyone despite how poor they are. Houlihan knows how to deliver a through ball and always shows for the ball , he has the patience to probe defences and tbh ireland look very like villa at times in their inability to create except through counter attack or set pieces.He was by far the best player on show , I like him , he’s always prepared to have a go. There are worse players in the villa squad who are better paid than him.

  36. Mark ,
    You’re a great man for the conspiracy theories. A news site which runs an ad . “Are you ready for the Pandemic ?” probably is’nt the best source of balanced information.

  37. what a great performance by Wales……How great to see a team with commitment and proud to wear the shirt…..!!!!…..Best game I have seen of the internationals so far….!!!

  38. Iceland are going well, 2-0 against the dutch with 26% possession and more shots on goal. the way things are going england will be in the final against Corfu

  39. Ian- Corfu is a Greek Island that the Greeks are probably going to have to sell to buy a loaf of bread soon, thats unless Ebola drops the population first, right where’s that tin hat?

  40. rons replacement?Aston Villa will have to double 29-year-old defender Ron Vlaar’s wages to stop him moving to Manchester United in January. (Daily Star)

    http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/10/14/aston-villa-among-front-runners-for-porto-defender-rolando-repor/?

    http://www.caughtoffside.com/2014/10/14/aston-villa-offer-fabian-delph-new-four-year-deal-to-fend-off-premier-league-interest/?

    Winger Jack Grealish, 19, is poised to sign a new Β£20,000-a-week contract at Aston Villa after joining Stellar Group, the football agency which represents Gareth Bale and Ashley Cole. (Daily Telegraph)

  41. Mark,

    You could be right….

    I go to Cyprus and soak up the sun, only to return and watch my more recent homeland, defeat them in in a Euro qualifier..!!

    Great to see Chris Coleman able to enjoy a new team spirit in the Welsh team. Bale is making a huge difference to them,.

  42. paul P- its a crying shame he’s not english, he’s the one good reason to have a UK team add Bale and ramsey to the england squad magic. Can’t think of an Irish or scottish player worth including, anyone? πŸ™‚

  43. Isn’t it extraordinary (for their size) how Wales have had players over the last 25 years who have been able to light up the game … like Giggsy, Hughes, Rush (and one or two others) and now Bale.

  44. I wonder if the reason Grealish has not started games yet is because we have been in contract negotiations.

    If he started scoring & assisting before a new deal then he would want more £££££.

  45. Interesting point you make, Andrew.

    This seemingly calculating and self-serving Villa management may well be thinking that way.

    Mind you, player-power has perhaps forced this kind of response from club management.

  46. Great to see Grealish sign up. Now for Delph. Sounds like Vlaar is of to united

    Grealish has to start games now, not just the odd 5 mins of the bench he’s been getting, don’t know why he wasn’t even in the squad for the city game at first. Now the beast is back though I expect Wiemann and gabby on the wings. Yeeeeeey

    Remember last season Everton away, they had a lot of injuries and needed a win. Helping hand Villa came to town and they got it. It’s exactly the same this time. They have a lot of injuries and need a win, but so do we do. We can’t lose 4 games in a row or just take 1 point from a possible 12. We need the 3 points and then another 3 against QPR. No more fecking Around being losers, it’s time we become winners

  47. yes Frem a win is in need, a draw the least we should expect with everton not on top form injury wise. weiman got the hoof against city before gabby got Ill so i’m not so sure as N’zogbia did well. Weimann could be a good option from the bench from now on. I expect Bent will miss out

  48. Mark: yes John that used to be scotland not so long back they always had a strong team

    Pardon me saying it, mate, but as a a historian I’m very aware of Scotland’s history in football, and I would say that for some periods prior to 20 years ago Scotland were stronger than England, internationally. The ‘Wembley Wizards’ (1928) stands out in football memory.

    Wales is a different kettle of fish though. Although they’ve occasionally got the better over England, they’ve never lauded it over England. However, they have still at periods had players that England would have loved to have had on their side.

    Though their bright players have mainly been forwards, there have been exceptions. Remember Mike England (what a name!) of Blackburn and Spurs, at centre-half? A giant and at that position comparable with the great John Charles. But JC was superb at both c-h and c-f.

    Villa have provided Trefor Ford, Ivor Powell, Vic Crowe (really a Brummie!) and Mark Delaney as possibly their best contributors to the Welsh team, although Phil Woosnam also played for Wales a couple of times while in a Villa shirt.

    So Wales have never know what it is to be in the top echelon, while Scotland’s absence from that level is really very sad.

  49. Hutton having a mare at Right back tonight. Better get sorted for the weekend.

    Mark- hope Wiemann is benched again. The beast up top, Grealish and Zoggy on the flanks

  50. I would gladly take a point which would be very good at Goodison. I think it’s only Mirallas and Barkley the 2 main ones injured.

    Im not buying in to that there not any good now…..they looked decent at Old traff and very un lucky not to get a point.

    They wont loose too many games at home thats for sure.

  51. I don’t see Vlaar going. I would see Man U buying him only as a stop-gap and as he is injury-prone and no longer a youngster I’d be surprised if they really want him anyway.

  52. I like Vlaar as a player but he has topped out potential wise and keeps getting crocked. If a good offer comes in it’s time to sell. Baker can fill his shoes for now and has the potential to improve his mental game. You don’t get better offering biggish money to players with no potential other than a slow decline. Especially one who is on the phyisio’s table for 25% of his pay check.

  53. andrew- I don’t know if these are return to full fitness dates but its extensive stones is the other big miss for them

    S Pienaar Hip/Thigh Injury 18th Oct 14
    J Stones Ankle/Foot Injury no return date
    S Coleman Hamstring Injury 18th Oct 14
    J McCarthy Hip/Thigh Injury 18th Oct 14
    S Distin Knock 18th Oct 14
    K Mirallas Hamstring Injury 3rd Dec 14
    R Barkley MCL Knee Ligament Injury 1st Nov 14
    A Kone Knee Injury no return date

  54. Baker has shown signs of being a good fullback. with help from Hutton (who would have thought), Cissoko, and eventualy Senderos, he should push on. How quickly he improves to be his own player is anyone’s guess

  55. Soooooo, Mr. king , in light of your disrepectful comments about Irish & scottish players , please allow me to draw your attention to the 2-2 away draw achieved by jockland aginst a strong polish side , our own trifling 1-1 away moral victory over the world champions and your own highly impressive 1-0 away win against snowdonia. Cant wait to get your lot over to Dublin in april for that friendy , hopefully your fans dont sulk like they did the last time on going 1-0 down and then rip up the f**k**g stadium . Can you believe it’ll be 20 years since Neverland, played in Dublin. ?

  56. Barkley back for Sat then. Just our luck

    We need 3 points anyway but I’m sure Lamberk will be happy with a low score defeat.

    See we might be letting another Next Gen winner go. Jordan Graham on trial at Wolves. A quick direct winger.

  57. prox- what a surprise, you get a half decent injury time result against the Hun and you get all nationalistic, and Scotland basically caught Poland after they had re-enacted WW2 with the Gerrys. northern Ireland beat Greece 2-0 away and not a mention!? meanwhile we had to play a team that owned a fleet of buses and were under strict orders that only Rooney could score πŸ™‚
    We may be Neverland ( except for that one hiccup in 66 ) but at least we make most tournaments to show the world how crap we are. How else would those cheating foreign types get to hone their skills.
    I have it on good authority that the England Fen-shui society will not be attending the match against your good selves as they have a huge project on with a bulldozer down at the pig sty.

    frem- the 18th is when the players are available but they won’t be match fit just like tekkers against city.

  58. Mark , can cats get ebola? It would be a cool excuse for offing a couple of neighbours cats who slither around my garden. I could say the bullets were temperature- reducing- projectiles (which ultimately is truthful) and I was trying to save them. The large gaping exit wounds might be a bit harder to explain though.

  59. You are going to need more than a tin hat Mark. I knew he was a CH just couldn’t remember. πŸ™‚
    Ebola has a long way to go to match the gunshot deaths, motor vehicle accidents, heart attacks, and cancer in the Western World. The same media that drums shit up about the Premier League is doing double duty on the Ebola virus. It’s bad no doubt but will it reach the 250,000 famine deaths in East Africa last year? Or the nice job ISIS is doing in the Middle East? Lots to fret about especially Barkley back for Everton.

  60. Ian- maybe not mate but it will scare the shit out of the populace and thats worth more than gold, in fact it is possibly the most lucrative business today. feed them rubbish food etc and pollute their bodies then sell them therapies that cost millions and seldom work, its a winner. strange how when you take your pet to the vets the first thing the vet asks you is ” what do you feed it? ” while the doctors view is what can I prescribe you πŸ™‚

    Prox- I believe if a cat meows it has Ebola

  61. It’s all about money. We are the raw material for the wealthy. Work til 65 which are your best years then off to pension if you have one and live on scraps the rest of the way. Pharmaceutical companies who only produce product if it can generate large profit not heal the sick. Aids was a money maker in the end. And by the way 35,000,000 have passed away from it since that Canadian steward introduced it to the world 40 odd years ago. Marie Antoinette was right.

  62. …thats good enough for me Mark. Lock & load baby ,,,,

    Gibbo , I’m not really an animal lover per se , i just live and let live , apart from cats that is , they carry ebola.

    Oh and mark , i think the reason vets ask what do you feed it is because most pets are kind of shy around medical people and so are unable to articulate the full extent of their symptoms…and also because they cant SPEAK!!

  63. prox- What? animals can’t talk? so it’s not because they have a huge display of vitamin stuffed grub on display in there surgery then? what a relief. Its Strange that domesticated animals develop many of the diseases that their owners get whilst eating a diet they wouldn’t get in the wild, you’d think they’d be happy miserable gits. they would probably fair better if we let them eat each other.

    Also Prox when aunt Doris goes into the surgery with a vague story about feeling off colour there’s no need for Lab tests then? thanks for explaining that, aren’t doctors wonderful.

  64. Ian- You had me right up till you said work till 65 πŸ™
    I have the feeling Ebola is going to top that if proven to spread by air, who’s shares should we buy? body bag company? vaccine manufacturers? pine box Inc? πŸ™‚

  65. I remember reading a book about marburg and ebola in the early nineties , (think it was called the hot zone) but it was pretty much the same kind of breathless apocylayptic narrative about what might happen. Dont bother with pine boxes Mark , the bodies will be sealed up in bio-hazard bags and incinerated at high temperature. The problem they found in africa was that they were contaminating the ground water by burying bodies.
    In all seriousness though , if panic sets in , then a bout of the flu could make you very unpopular at work . It’ll be curtains for ‘aunt doris’ if she has a vague story about not feeling well . This whole thing has an eerie George A. Romero sort of feel to it does’nt it?

  66. prox- the authorities seem awfully relaxed about it lets hope we don’t wake up to dawn of the dead, is it life imitating art? mind you a quick scan around Banbury at lunchtime and It’s looking bad already.

  67. I’d buy shares in Virgin space flights. I find it funny when they say it’s hard to catch when it’s going like gangbusters in West Africa. Reminds me of the vet on Monty Python. Tells all his clients, “I’ll have to put him to sleep.”
    That’s a bad rumour for cats.

  68. just a late night news flash to cheer everyone up.

    Villa willing to sell Vlaar to Manure for Β£12million and Delph does not need to sign new contract….he has freak shoulder injury in training and will be out for weeks…..what next….time for bed said Zebedee…

  69. Morning all
    If the mancs offer Β£12m for Vlaar I’d take it, he is regularly injured and I think we could get better and younger for around Β£6-8m, my problem with it is Lambert is the one who will be buying the replacement, and Lerner prob won’t cough up the dough it will straight into his sky rocket.
    Delph looks like he will need surgery , we looked average with him in the side, I’m scared how poor we will look without him, add in Senderos being out and our back four looks as though it will continue to leak heavily.
    Hopefully Benteke can find his Midas touch sharpish, as we have hardly troubled a keeper this season, going into a game against an Everton side who we haven’t beaten in 11 pl matches, it doesn’t bode well. I can’t see us getting anywhere near the top half come the business end of the season and feel whilst Lambert and Lerner are here the best we can look forward to is survival, unfortunately they are here to stay.

  70. hello B62

    i’d take the money too no point in keeping players who wants out and thats a bargain for an injury prone player. we seem to be after a portuguese international and its about time Okore started.
    I can’t agree with the continue to leak goals comment as up to the last 3 games we hadn’t conceded bar an own goal and the last 2 were hardly thrashings, everton conceded 6 against chelski.
    as far as delphs concerned its time for Sanchez to step up and maybe change are pattern of play and as you say goals is were its got to improve for us.

    don’t know where you get haven’t won in the last 11 from doesn’t work if you take the last 11 at home or away or combined in fact we have won quite a few at there place and drawn plenty

    http://www.11v11.com/teams/aston-villa/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Everton

  71. Vlaar back in for Everton game.

    I would take the money and Villa have just taken a 17yr old to look at from one of the local leagues, should be ready by January….

    Plenty of choices for replacing Delph in Sanchez, Cole and Clarke, or one of our other multi million pound players….

  72. What a gutter losing Delph at this stage of the season – he is in the form of his life and we need his energy and creativity. It just demonstrates the lack of in-depth quality we have at Villa.

    I would go with

    Guzan

    Hutton Baker Vlaar Cissokho

    Westy Sanchez

    Nzogbia Clerverley Gabby

    Benteke

  73. Our midfield will be even more non existent then before now without Delph. Lamberk will have his excuse already lined up

    Hopefully the anti footy man will go 442 now but I doubt it

    Sell Vlaar for 12 mill. Delph to walk for free in the summer then ?

    Looking good at Villa yet again

  74. PP- there isn’t plenty of choices in replacing Delph, there isn’t any actually. Knowone can do what he does at this club in midfield when he runs with the ball at pace and nix box to box ability. Lambert will have to change formation now from 451 to a 4231 or 442 to replace Delph. It’s a chance to go more attacking, bit I donut he will

    We now only have 3 centre mids fully fit at the club. Time to get Gardner back from loan

    I think we will be even more defensive now without him and that takes some doing. Let’s hope The Beast can grab one of a few chances he will getb

  75. I personally think it would be a mistake for Delph to leave at this stage of his career. Hopefully we can convince him to stay – he enjoys his football at Villa and he is guaranteed to start if fit. If he goes to Arsenal he is not going to start very game.

  76. The next few games will show a lot about Lamberk

    If Wiemann and Gabby are deployed as wingers again tomorrow we know nothing in him has changed since last season. They scored 6 goals between them last season. 6 goals !!!!!!!!

    Grealish and Zoggy out wide tomorrow, gabby up top with the beast.

Leave a Reply