Heskey Adds to Villa Injury Woe
Aston Villa front man Emile Heskey could be out for up to a month after sustaining a knee injury in training on Wednesday. The news comes on the back of the revelation that captain Stiliyan Petrov is likely to miss out for at least three months with the ligament damage he picked up in the 1-0 defeat to Sunderland. Heskey has been in good form under Houllier, having worked with him at Liverpool, scoring 3 in his last 6 appearances with two of those coming from the bench. The injury leaves John Carew and Nathan Delfouneso as the only fit first team strikers with Gabby Agbonlahor’s groin injury taking longer to heal than anticipated. With Carew lacking in confidence in the box and without a goal all season I think it should be time to give Delfouneso a chance after fine form with the reserves this season. More News on the Injury
Quarterly 2010/11 Season Review: Aston Villa Attacking Statistics by Player
Following on from my defensive stats accumulation, I have also gathered some attacking statistics for each midfielder and attacker in the current Villa squad. The stats again, show each player’s record thus far this campaign as well as their overall Premier League record for their combined clubs in parenthesis. The stats include each player’s shots on target ratio, the shots to goals ratio and the average amount of minutes on the pitch it takes each player to score. Again the findings do reveal some interesting results. I will list the top 3 players in each category regarding their attacking record as well as the bottom 3 culprits. Individual Attacking Stats in Full
Quarterly 2010/11 Season Review: Aston Villa Defensive Statistics by Player
Mainly down to having far too much time on my hands and being a stickler for a good stat, I decided to comprise a list of the defensive statistics for each Aston Villa defender and midfielder (excluding wingers Marc Albrighton, Stewart Downing and Ashley Young). The stats show each player’s record thus far this campaign as well as their overall Premier League record for their combined clubs in parenthesis. The stats include the average amount of goals the team concede per game, the average amount of clean sheets the team picks up and the average number of shots on target it takes to concede when each player is on the pitch. Exciting stuff I realise but it does reveal some interesting results. I will list the top 3 players in each category regarding their defensive record as well as the bottom 3 culprits. Individual Defensive Stats in Full
Villa Linked with Host of Stars Ahead of Transfer Window
My bi-weekly Rumour Mill feature steps up a gear at the end of October as manager Gerard Houllier looks to strengthen his squad. Many of the rumours and reports over the last two weeks have featured midfielder’s despite a desperate need for proven goal-scorer. Some interesting and encouraging links none the less will go under my rule of quality and likelihood in 15th-31st October instalment. Diarra, Makoun, Muntari and More
No Operation Required for Petrov
Villa captain, Stiliyan Petrov has been assured that he will not require an operation on the injury he sustained in last weekend’s defeat to Sunderland. The skipper retired hurt in the first half and it has since been revealed that the midfielder is suffering knee ligament damage. Nigel Reo-Coker has been entrusted with the armband in Petrov’s absence which could stretch over a number of months. Manager Gerard Houllier confirmed yesterday that he hoped the Bulgarian would not need an operation on the injury and would prefer a natural recovery. Houllier exposed that this was indeed the case and Petrov would not need surgery on the knee though the duration of the injury is still expected to be as long as first feared. The manager stated that the 32-year-old will not be back in action until the New Year with an expected lay-off of around 8 to 12 weeks.
Player Review: Nigel Reo-Coker
Who better to occupy my second instalment of Player Review than Villa’s new temporary captain, Nigel Reo-Coker. The 26-year-old was handed the honour of the club armband after permanent skipper, Stiliyan Petrov was injured in last weekend’s clash with Sunderland. The knee problem is likely to keep the Bulgarian out of action until the New Year but the unfortunate nature of the injury for Petrov symbolises an unbelievable turn of events in the Villa career of Nigel Reo-Coker. After featuring in 8 of the 9 league games thus far, just 2 less than the whole of last term, the midfielder has impressed new manager Gerard Houllier and fans alike with his tireless performances in the centre of the park. It is perhaps not a surprise that the London born player was entrusted with the captaincy having led both of his previous clubs, Wimbledon and West Ham, from the age of 20. Reo-Coker has also captained Villa on numerous occasions, most notably lifting the Peace Cup in last year’s pre-season, and his ability to lead by example made him an exemplary candidate for the role. The tenacious England Under-21 international will guide his team out for the first time in the league this season against fierce rivals Birmingham on Sunday. Full Reo-Coker Review
Big Game Preview: Aston Villa vs Birmingham City
Filed under: Aston Villa, Injury News, Match Previews
Sunday 31st October 2010
Opponent: Birmingham City
Venue: Villa Park
Kick Off: 12:00
Sunday afternoon sees this season’s first encounter of fierce rivals Aston Villa and Birmingham City. Both sides have had inconsistent and somewhat disappointing starts to the campaign but, rest assured all will be forgotten with a victory in the biggest game of the calendar year for both sets of fans. Villa play host to the Blues in a game which sees the two sides separated by just 1 point in mid table positions. Villa sit in 10th with Birmingham close behind in 12th but a win means so much more than points and league standings for the opposing fans. Villa have ruled the roost in the second City bragging rights for many years and City manager McLeish is yet to rack up a win against his rivals. Villa have come out on top in the last 6 meetings between the two sides with memorable moments bringing unbridled joy into the hearts of Villa fans including my own in recent times. The 5-1 thrashing and a late Gary Cahill acrobatic winner among the very best and much needed pick me ups of the home crowd in past encounters. Extended Big Game Preview
Aston Villa vs Burnley Match Preview
Filed under: Aston Villa, Injury News, Match Previews
Wednesday 27th October 2010
Opponent: Burnley
Venue: Villa Park
Kick Off: 19:45
Villa will be hoping to take advantage of some shock exits in the Carling Cup to strengthen their chances of another Wembley date next year. The competition has seen the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham knocked out thus far leaving Villa as third favourites behind Manchester United and Arsenal. Houllier’s men will have to overcome a tricky 4th round tie against Championship outfit Burnley to reach the Quarter-Finals of the tournament which they have won on 5 occasions. New manager Gerard Houllier will have fond memories of the Carling Cup as it was his first trophy as Liverpool boss. He went on to secure another final victory in his time at Anfield and Villa will be hoping the Frenchman’s impressive record in the competition continues. The home side will be big favourites but injury problems and a huge game against Birmingham at the weekend could prove potential banana skins. Full Match Preview
Reo-Coker Caps Fine Form with Captaincy
After a couple of seasons to forget under Martin O’Neill, Nigel Reo-Coker has achieved a complete turnaround of fortunes under new manager Gerard Houllier. Since it was revealed that captain Stiliyan Petrov would be out for a number of months rather than weeks, Houllier has had to consider his options in selecting a new captain. A reported training ground bust up between MON and Reo-Coker had threatened to end the midfielder’s spell at the club but a string of tireless performances this term have seen him rewarded. It is thought that the 26-year-old’s main rivals for the role were centre backs Richard Dunne and James Collins but Houllier has opted for the Englishman who has skippered both of his previous clubs, MK Dons and West Ham. To top off the fantastic news for the player, the £8.5m signing has also seemingly earned himself a new contract with the club. With his current deal expiring next summer Houllier will be keen to thrash out new terms ASAP after praising the tenacious skipper. Houllier Press Statement
Petrov Blow Paves Way for Sidwell with Delph Ahead of Schedule
Aston Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov faces two months on the sidelines with knee ligament damage. The injury which the midfielder picked up in the first half of the 1-0 defeat to Sunderland is worse than manager Gerard Houllier had first feared. The Frenchman confirmed that the 31-year-old faced a lengthy lay-off at Villa’s open training session at Villa Park today. The Bulgarian will now face a scan next week to determine whether surgery is required on the injury that is already looking to keep him out until the New Year. Likely Replacements
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