MON is praying the international break doesn’t do as much damage as the Dubai one did?
Not too long ago, still a very fresh (sour) memory in all Villa fans’ minds, is the trip to Dubai that Villa made in order to correct the sliding path we had embarked upon. The intention was to get the team out of the Midlands and try to refocus their minds on the task at hand. We had been knocked out of the FA Cup and UEFA Cup and our league form had gone from winning constantly to 2 losses and a bitterly received draw.
The plan failed.
Villa came back and lost at home to Tottenham and then got thrashed 5-0 at Anfield. Hardly the re-establishment of a push for Champions League.
Sure, even the greatest teams lose from time to time, and they also go on bad streaks, but to lose as many as we have recently and then to get thumped so heavily, does make me wonder if we’re better off finishing 5th and trying to give UEFA a REAL push next season. We treated it with a little disdain this season, sensing that a greater achievement was in our reach, but maybe we should try to grow slower. After all, many a team has tried to grow too fast and seen the following season be one of misery, instead of continued growth (ie Everton and Tottenham).
Back to the point though, the international break is now half way through and come the weekend, the Premier League battle recommences. Villa may still be gunning for 4th, but really our goal needs to be in the short term first and that is to get back to playing well. Even if we don’t get anything at United, to play well will mean a lot to our confidence.
But if we go out and get hammered again then I think it’ll hurt the confidence so bad that 6th will be our best hope!
Can Bouma get back to the player he was when he got injured?
As Freddie Bouma gets within spitting distance of match fitness, he must be elated to see that his position never got properly filled and is as good as his once he feels ready for it.
The right back slot has for a number of years been Villa’s problem position, so when we bought Luke Young it looked to finally be resolved. But with Nicky Shorey failing to put confidence in O’Neill, Young has played more at left back than right, meaning that when Bouma returns he will most likely walk straight back into the side, with Young reverting back to his preferred role.
The kick in the face to Shorey will almost definitely see him depart in the summer, but the question I am now wondering is;
Will Freddie Bouma be able to be the great player he was for us before he got injured, now that our expectations has risen?
Bouma was approaching cult status with the Villa fans prior to his horrific injury and he will no doubt receive a rapturous ovation on his return to first team action, but will he be back to his best right away? (or ever?) Injuries have often disrupted a player and after being out for so long, many have failed to re-achieve their previous success.
There’s no two ways about it; Villa fans have raised the stakes this year. Booing a team that is 4th in the Premier League has become the fans’s new standard and throwing caution to the wind with the UEFA Cup we fought so hard to get into is the manager’s new standard. But when Bouma went out, we were simply in the Intertoto Cup and loving every sniff of success we got.
Will Bouma be dropped from the side after a couple of average / poor performances, like Shorey? Or will he relish the challenge and shine under the new brighter lights at Villa Park?
But the big Villa transfer rumour around is…
Steven Defour.
Yes, I’m afraid that the Villa news is so limited that I needed to stretch a transfer rumours story over 2 days! Well, that is unless I wanted to tell you that Agbon has withdrawn from the U21s through injury but I’m sure you all already heard that yarn.
So who in the name of Jebus is Steven Defour?
Well, he currently plays for Standard Liege and is an attacking central midfielder. You can see where I’m going here can’t you? Yes, that’s right, he is being so closely linked with Villa as he is looking to be one of the most apt and able replacements for the long-serving but very-probably-soon-to-be-leaving Gareth Barry. Defour even has many a quality that Barry is lacking in, such as his goalscoring prowess. Maybe that’s not fair, because Barry, when happy at Villa and pre-falling-madly-in-love-with-Gerrard, was very capable of both scoring plenty and creating plenty of goals, but of late he has fallen from the golden boot rankings.
Anyway, Defour is a strong presence in the middle of the park and could possibly fit in with our style even better than Ole Bazza. I can see him and Ashley Young forging a partnership. It will take anyone time to be what Barry has become though, so don’t be too quick to judge.
Will it happen?
There’s no real reason to say it won’t, particularly when the player has already been speaking to the press about Villa, sort of pre-empting the speculation, but there is going to be a rumour about every-man-and-his-dog-who-can-play-central-midfield, so this one definitely stands out from the crowd as a possible (and pleasurable) reality.
[Apologies to all the regular readers who logged on today to find nothing. I've had such a hectic day, what with my real job being crazy and cleaning up piles of cat crap (don't ask!), that it's taken me till now to get this finished and spell checked, so sorry if it's now old news]
The latest Villa transfer rumours
With the international break this weekend, there is little Villa talk around, most of it being about whether Agbon should be in the England U21 squad or not. The lad has started the last 2 England games for the Fabio Capello but now, through his drop in club form, finds himself left out of the entire squad. Stuart Pearce seized the opportunity to have him back in the U21s team and called him up. MON is apparently not impressed as he is carrying a small injury. Injury or not, I doubt Capello was interested right now, but if he goes and trains / plays for England U21 and makes his injury worse we’ll have another row on between MON and England, similar to the Emile Heskey one not long back.
Friedel’s card overturned
As many wanted, Brad Friedel’s red card against Liverpool has been rescinded by the FA, but apparently it has angered some other refs. I’ve had my say on this the other day, so I won’t repeat myself, but I’m pleased it was overturned as it was harsh and would’ve been a sad way to bring his record to an end.
So, onto the transfer talk…
Tom Huddlestone’s name has been mentioned before, but with the Gareth Barry saga regaining steam, his name will probably pop up many more times. With Steve Sidwell never quite getting back to his Reading form, NRC being linked with moves away, Salifou not ready for Premier League starts and the youth players unlikely to be desired for such a big role; we can expect to see Huddlestone being just one of many names touted with us.
Micah Richards was heavily linked with us in January but now his form has picked up for Man City it is being said that they will reject a summer bid from us if we make one.
Nene, who is a striker flying high in the Portuguese league, has been linked with us and a few other clubs. Our current problems aside, we had troubles getting the ball in the net prior and it would be great if we could sign a prolific striker in the summer. That could be the fix that Emile Heskey clearly wasn’t.
Finally Wes Brown is being quite heavily linked with us, and with our last scoreline in mind, defensive reinforcements would be of great help. Without Laursen we are beginning to look frail, so I’m eager to hear more about defenders coming in.
Brown is a lot better than some of his doubters believe, but I do fear that we need to definitely get it right with transfers now as we have brought in a number of players who either don’t cut it, don’t play or take a long time to adjust.
How did we become such LOSERS and is 4-5-1 the only way to bring it to an END?
Not too long ago, though it’s beginning to feel like a lifetime, Aston Villa were winning games left right and centre. We were 4th in the Premier League, well ahead of Arsenal, and coasting towards the Champions League qualification spot. Villa press was more about whether they had a chance of catching 3rd placed Chelsea, than whether Arsenal could overtake us.
We broke the clubs all-time record for away wins on the bounce and we were all on cloud 9 and loving every minute of the best season to be a Villa fan for far too long.
Villa went on an unbeaten league run from 15th Nov, when we beat the aforementioned Arsenal at their own ground, until 21st Feb when we hosted a rejuvinated Chelsea and gave them a damn good run for their money.
But since the victory at Ewood Park, Villa have seen a dramatic downturn in fortunes; losing to Everton to fall out of the FA Cup, losing to CSKA Moscow to fall out of the UEFA Cup and losing to Man City, Chelsea and Tottenham in the league, dropping us below Arsenal and out of the Champions League spot we’ve strived for.
We had become losers. Losing was something we had begun to forget the feeling of. And we liked it that way thank you very much. But now the losing feeling has well and truly set itself back in and is showing no signs of going just yet. We don’t like it!
Then it all culminated in a humiliating thrashing at the hands of Liverpool on Sunday. A 5-0 beating is not the kind of result you expect a team to get who are supposed to be challenging to break into the top four.
Will Villa bounce back from it? With the next 2 games being a trip to the league leaders and then a tough clash against Everton, it doesn’t look all that rosy. We can take solace in the fact that they both lost this weekend so wins are possible, but a huge attitude change is required by Villa.
Many (me included) will be screaming out for a 4-5-1 formation in both those games, as midfield domination and counter attacks have proved to be the winning formula for Villa. Yes, teams have ‘figured us out’ but even if they have sussed us, that doesn’t make them able to contain us. Do people really think that all the teams we beat were stupid enough not to know our formula? Of course they knew our strengths, just the same as every team that faces Man Utd et al knows their strengths, they just aren’t able to do much about it.
It wasn’t until Villa changed the formula and stopped playing to our strengths, that we stopped winning.
I’m calling for MON to bring back the old style. Bring back the 5-4-1. Bring back the confidence. And bring back the wins. There’s still plenty time.
Who is with me?
Up the Villa.
Don’t give up the fight! – An outside perspective on whether Villa have blown their chance by Gareth Freeman
If Martin can quote the great Bob Marley then I thought I might as well join in. Villa fans have got a bit of bad press at the moment with the whole booing thing, granted it was a bit out of order but that happens everywhere. I’m a Bolton fan (I do try and watch a bit of football occasionally though..) and a section of our crowd had a similar go at a couple of our players after Fulham ran out 3-1 winners at the Reebok, though I will be the first to admit that comparing Andy O’Brien and Gabby Agbonlahor is just ridiculous – a bit like comparing Sean Paul to Bob Marley.
I’ll leave the dubious reggae references alone now, it just isn’t sunny enough for those shenanigans. It might look like Arsenal are going to come in and nick fourth spot just as it seemed Villa were going to do what only Everton have done recently and break the top four but it isn’t a done deal yet. I’ve had a look through the Gunners’ fixture list and they still have to play Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United so there is plenty of scope for them to drop points. I know Villa have also got United and Everton in their next two games but Arsenal will surely drop points between now and the end of the season.
To keep spirits high Marttin O’Neill needs to make sure his players get over the heavy defeat to Liverpool. Sometimes teams react after a heavy defeat and it inspires a bit of improved form – lets just hope this is the case with the Villa. Everton have perhaps still got a shot at nicking the fourth spot but their squad as been hit too hard by injuries to consider them serious contenders. The race is now between just Arsenal and Villa and for me both teams have just as good a chance as the other.
Villa have to play one of the top three, Arsenal have to face all three so that perhaps even swings the advantage in Villa’s favour. Wenger’s side might be in a richer vein of form at the moment but they’ve been inconsistent all season and there is no reason why that should change now. I rate Arshavin, he looks pure quality, but one player won’t make a massive difference and I’m not sure how much better he is than what they already had (Walcott and Van Persie).
Apart from Man Utd and Everton you would expect Villa to win the rest of their remaining fixtures. With just the visits to Fulham (great at home) and Middlesbrough (fighting relegation) looking like potential banana skins. Arsenal also have to play a couple of teams fighting relegation so for me both sides face a fairly similar task in finishing fourth at the end of the season.
Arshavin may have given everyone at the Emirates a boost but the return of Carew should do the same at Villa Park. I’ve always rated Carew and he’s got a lot of skill for a big striker, his return could not have come at a better time. Basically the point of this article was to give an outside perspective, inspire a bit of confidence and demonstrate the last Champions League place is still very much up for grabs. I think pretty much the whole country, bar Arsenal fans of course, are willing Villa on at the moment just to prove it is possible for another team to get into the Champions League. I know the ‘boo boys’ are in the minority but the fans need to get behind the team for this final push, I said I’d leave the reggae alone but I’ll quote sir Bob one last time, Don’t give up the fight!
Written by Gareth Freeman, a sports writer who writes about online football betting for Betfair.
Friedel to find out today if his record-breaking run has come to an end
Brad Friedel is currently the record holder for the most consecutive appearances in the Premier League and increases it every game, but now his record looks set to finish at 182 games after his red card for toppling Fernando Torres on Sunday.
It was a harsh red card; yeah, Friedel brought down the last man, but he turned his shoulder to try and get outta the way. I guess I’ve seen reds given for less but with the guy on such a great record its a real shame for him.
Villa have lodged an appeal with the FA and will find out today if the card will be rescinded or not. I doubt it will though, he doesn’t have the connections that John Terry has!
Or maybe we’ll get thrashed 5-0 (plus Fabio Capello’s Villans)
Yesterday was the first game of the season I haven’t watched (I took my dear old mom out for Mother’s Day) and I think I’m actually glad I missed it! Now I normally will re-arrange almost anything to make time to watch the boys (me and the wife even planned the date of our wedding around football fixtures!) but my brother booked the table and I could hardly say “Nah mom, I won’t be there cuz I wanna watch my crap-form team in a game they’ll most likely lose”. So I had my mates get on the text-case to keep me updated with the game. My battery almost died from the amount of dismal texts I got!
On top of the game sucking, the restaurant was freaking boiling and my little daughter cried almost the entire time, so all in all yesterday afternoon sucked big time! I’ve been told by my wife enough times that my mood is too heavily affected by Aston Villa, but a long face at a Mother’s Day meal was maybe a bridge too far! Oops. Sorry Mom.
I watched the highlights (make that lowlights) on MOTD and it looked like we gave a fair push in the first half but let ourselves down with poor mistakes; Nigel Reo-Coker being the main culprit. I was actually hoping he’d get a start, but not at right back. I was delighted to hear Carew got a start and it looks like he posed the most threat and will hopefully now start more. But I would’ve preferred to see him alone up top with NRC in a 5-man midfield. Surely MON knows that Liverpool are excellent in the middle and the only way we could even try to match them would be to outnumber them. Obviously not.
Heads down
We got thumped. We know. I’m sure that during the course of the day I will be reminded many times of this fact too. And now we go to Old Trafford with our heads well and truly down. The only comfort we can take there is that they are off form too. But before that…
Fabio Capello’s Villans
As would be expected, the England squad for the upcoming games is low on Villa players. With 6-7 of them having got in contention during Capello’s reign, he now overlooks almost all of them… and I can’t say I blame him. There’s no point taking players who are very low on confidence. Unfortunately it will only serve to kick them while they’re down, but Capello isn’t an Aston Villa motivational speaker, he’s an England manager.
Gareth Barry is in the squad which I fully agree with and right now he must be thinking that he can’t wait to get out of the Midlands. It will get better for Villa again Bazza, it may not be the next game but after that I expect normal service to be resumed. It won’t make any difference though, he’s as good as gone in my opinion. Only time will tell but I believe he’ll be a Liverpool player not long after the window opens.
The surprise in the England squad is Emile Heskey. Most Villa fans can’t see why he still gets in the Villa team, never mind play for his country. But I suppose, as I’ve said, it’s not that I think Heskey isn’t a good player, he just doesn’t fit into the Villa team. Maybe Capello has a plan to utilise his potential better than we do.
Heads up
But try to take defeat graciously Villa fans, this glitch won’t last forever. And even if we end up 5th it’s still a step forward from last season. Even 6th wouldn’t be a step backwards, though it will definitely feel like one after flying so high at points.
So heads up Villans, we have achieved a lot to be able to disappointed at being 5th.
Arsenal the only top 6 team to win yesterday, Bye bye Marlon and guess what? Arsene didn’t see anything wrong for the penalty
It was a strange day yesterday for top 6 teams. Man Utd lost to Fulham, and by all accounts were outclassed too, Chelsea lost to London rivals Tottenham (but sometimes even the very best teams lose to Tottenham) and Everton, despite taking the lead in the first five minutes, lost to struggling Portsmouth.
Villa now find themselves being only concerned with Everton and Arsenal in the short term, so the results were 50/50 for us, as Arsenal won 3-1 at St James’s Park . If we wish to remain on level points with the Gunners, we need to win this afternoon at Anfield. That’s going to be a very big ask for a team very low on confidence to beat another so high on confidence after putting 4 past both Man Utd and Real Madrid.
I won’t say we haven’t a chance today, because not only would that be defeatist but I also don’t believe it. Villa are one of those weird teams that pull it out for the bigger occasions and it wouldn’t be totally shocking if we won. I don’t fancy our chances, but I am not writing us off.
The Hare becomes a Wolf
Marlon Harewood was apparently on the brink of joining Nottingham Forest on loan this week but rejected the chance in favour of a loan to Wolves. This way he won’t have to move house and he joins a team who currently look likely to be Premiership next season. The rumour seems pretty solid and also implies that he will join them proper in the summer.
Well I say “Good luck to you Marlon”. He hasn’t really been given enough opportunities at Villa and on some of the occasionshe has played he’s scored good goals. Whether he is cut out for a team chasing Champions League though, well I can’t say he is. But he can be a good player for a team like Wolves so I wish him well.
Arsene disagree’s with a decision that went against Arsenal!
Finally, nothing to do with Villa but I was watching the game on Setanta last night and Arsene Wenger said at the end of the match that the penalty Newcastle won and wasted, should never have been awarded because he saw nothing wrong. Well, whether it was or whether it wasn’t I couldn’t help thinking what his comments would’ve been if it had been the exact same incident but at the other end and the ref had not given a penalty. Then it would miraculously have been a clear penalty that the ref is a fool for not giving!
I know it’s not Villa-related but the guy does my head in sometimes with his bias. Whenever a player of his does something wrong; he didn’t see it, but when it’s against him he suddenly has eyes in the back of his head!
Carrroooooooooooooooooooo is gonna start & Barry will be on his best behaviour
Villa travel to Merseyside on Sunday for a 4pm kick off with the Reds and we go into it with confidence on the floor. But 2 boosts come ahead of the game to give us Villa fans a little hope; John Carew looks set to be handed a start and Gareth Barry will be out to impress.
Carew first
Martin O’Neill has been interviewed and if you read between the lines, it surely means that he intends to get Carew off the bench and onto the pitch, hopefully in place of Heskey, who has not yet found a way to fit in with our team and seems to have hindered us by changing or our style of play. Maybe during the summer we can find a place for Heskey, as he gets used to us, but for the remainder of the season, I’d be happy not to see him start another game. We need to get back to winning ways.
Here’s what MON said, and unless I’m just taking from it what I want to hear then it sounds like he’s suggesting Carew will start:
“The great thing about it is that John Carew now is getting really properly fit. He played nearly a full game up at Everton in the absence of Emile Heskey in the FA Cup. Now, in the little training sessions that he has been doing recently, he has been really sharp. He is really raring to go, which is great.
“The two goals he has got after coming on as a substitute will also have given him a big boost of confidence. It is great to see him back when, in actual fact, you probably thought that it might have been really hard work coming back from the injury.
“John coming back and firing and going well with confidence high is great. I think that will be a major boost to us. Now Emile Heskey has come in and started very brightly at Portsmouth. Yes, he is feeling his way a little bit but that is not a problem.
“To have the three centre forwards there and available can only boost us from now until the end of the season – if they stay fit.”
Four. Five. One.
Still on Carew, I’d like to see him start as the lone striker on Sunday. Two reasons why; firstly, that was the formation that worked for us, we got great results with it and even ground out wins when we weren’t having a good day and secondly, because it can’t do any harm against a team like Liverpool to have plenty of bodies in the middle of the park.
Whether Sidwell gets back into the team or Reo-Coker or Gardner gets the place, I don’t really mind which (probably leaning slightly towards Coker), just so long as we see the 4-5-1 again. Come on Marty, read this blog and trust the author, not your own years of experience.
Gareth Barry
The rumours are (as we expected) already rife about Rafa coming back in for Barry this summer, and with Villa very unlikely to do as well in the Champions League as ‘Pool if we qualify, Barry is very likely to have his heart set back on the move he wanted last summer. The word on the street is that Rafa will be given the funds to secure Barry this time around so I doubt he will be a Villa player in 6 months time and this game he will see as his chance to show his new fans what he’s made of.
It’ll be a very sad day (for me and a large proportion of Villa fans) when Barry goes, but I think we need to start accepting it now, otherwise we’ll have to set up helplines, like when Take That split up 
Predictions
I honestly think we can come away with a point. I won’t be so daring to suggest we’ll win, but I think we’ll up our game against the big teams in these next 3 games and I see Sunday as a 1-1. Anyone else wanna venture a prediction? Or don’t you dare tempt fate!
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