Villa Signings and General Rumours Thread

gosplan

While I'm here I may as well say that I've been really impressed with Villa this year. (partly because I have Laursen in my ff team)

Here's hoping you stick it to Liverpool tonight.

It's a really tough one to call though. They defend against set pieces excellently but really blow hot and cold. Villla excel against the big teams but rely a bit on set pieces.

Who knows?

Regardless they're the most improved team of the year so far. Man City push them close but aren't as exciting and still have all their really tough home games left.

Even if it was a tie Villa would get it for the two Chelsea games.

Villain

MON has said Berger is not available.

Any word on Barry for tonight?

Mr Alan

actually Gosplan, our defending has been pretty poor from set pieces this year.

dont know wats happened, usually unbeatable at Anfield and solid as a rock, now we are flying away from home and conceding all sorts of soft goals

a change is gonna come-lets hope its tonight.

should be a cracking match.

therecklessone

Helix wrote: »

and tell me, how does this contract extension that defoe is meant to have signed today fit into all this?

You're welcome to point me to any mention of that on the official Spurs website.

http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/

Thanks.

DSB wrote: »

It is fairly irritating when someone comes in talking about their amazing anonymous source that they've heard, and expect people to just take it at face value.

Fcuk me you're easily annoyed.

I won't bother posting info I get in good faith any more, if you lot are gonna get your knickers in such a twist.

Villain

Well if your info was accurate I don't think people would have a problem, but as it happens on this case your info was wrong.

Mr Alan

There is wrong info in the paper every day...doesnt stop people reading it.

If people dont want to hear about little whispers other people hear then dont read them. your choice.

Recklessone-i always find the inside info you have interesting, dont stop on account of some people who just like to moan for the sake of it.

Christ its a football board, 99.9% of everything posted is full of ****e anyway!

therecklessone

Mr Alan wrote: »

Recklessone-i always find the inside info you have interesting, dont stop on account of some people who just like to moan for the sake of it.

Appreciate that, thanks.

_blank_

Mr Alan wrote: »

Christ its a football board, 99.9% of everything posted is full of ****e anyway!

You post a lot Alan, but to claim 99% of them is a bit much tbh

Mr Alan

touche desmond!

Helix

therecklessone wrote: »

You're welcome to point me to any mention of that on the official Spurs website.

http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/

Thanks.

i will when you point to anything saying defoe had talks with villa on the official villa website

coz all thats on that site is the official statement that he had no talks, and theres been no contact

Villain

The problem is therecklessone kept insisting he was in Brum for talks, if he just said sorry lads that what I heard but could well be just gossip I don't think anyone would have a problem. Lets just accept that therecklessone's info was wrong and forget it.

Savman

It wasn't so much his info, more his general tone like we should be thankful he chose to grace us with his presence. Don't mind a bit of crap talk about rumours and such, just be civil about it.

DSB

Savman wrote: »

It wasn't so much his info, more his general tone like we should be thankful he chose to grace us with his presence. Don't mind a bit of crap talk about rumours and such, just be civil about it.

That's pretty much what I meant too.

therecklessone

Helix wrote: »

coz all thats on that site is the official statement that he had no talks, and theres been no contact

I don't see any official statement on your site, but I'm open to correction.

I do see a reference to MON's comments on Sky Sports News: http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11677_3058539,00.html

That would certainly call into question the info I was given last week.

The only official statement I'm aware of is from our end:

Once again, we have reached that time of year where there is a great deal of press speculation linking us with players from all around the world.

Sporting Director Damien Comolli noted: “The majority of the reports that I have read are completely wide of the mark. I feel it is important to clarify a couple of things that are unhelpful - namely that reports that Darren Bent is for sale are totally inaccurate and, furthermore, we are not in the market for any strikers.”

No denial that Defoe is on his way, which I thought was illuminating,

Its as simple as this, I choose to post info I'm given in good faith. I can't be arsed trying to defend myself against sceptics on this site, you either take what I post as an honest account of what I hear or not. I won't lose any sleep over the issue.

My last comment on the issue, and on this thread. Best of luck chaps.

Villain

He was bloody captain at the weekend therecklessone.

You keep saying you don't care whether we believe you or not but when we say we don't you keep posting saying what you heard and trying to prove its true when its obviously not as Savman says nobody cares that you were misinformed.

Savman

Liverpool predictions?
Very tough fixture, I'd say O'Neill would take a point. We can cause them problems but make no mistake about it, they do have some real quality, the kinda quality that wins you games.

Gonna throw few quid on the Villa anyway, simply because there is far greater pressure on the Pool than there is on us and every so often the off field instability can cause a team to feel under extra pressure. On paper this will be down as a home win, esp given our record against them but if Europe beckons then we have to win some of these kinda games.

g'wan

DSB

Agreed. My head says Liverpool win, but I think I'm gonna follow my heart on this one.

Savman

I don't think we can really complain if one £26m player is the difference on the day, just to put things into perspective. Class player that he is, we got 4-5 players for that price.

Helix

im gonna go out on a limb and say 2-1 to us

invincibleirish

If Hypia is playing i fancy Villa to win or at least get a point.

however i'm wary of the fact that with all the turmoil surrounding Liverpool at the moment that it could lead to a galvanising display from their team and fans so Villa could get caught out, i hope not! i do love to see the arrogant scousers in trouble!.

Bounty Hunter

Hypia is playing.Villa's lineup is as follows

Taylor
Mellberg__Laursen_Davies_Bouma__
Gardner_Petrov_NRC_Young__
Gabby_Carew_

Barry is out!
1-1 for me which will be a good result

PHB

1-1 would be a great result. I think Young and Gabby will punish Liverpools lack of pace at the back, make them make mistakes they normally wouldn't.

Bounty Hunter

Reo-Coker captain for the day

DSB

This is absolutely shocking stuff. We can't string 3 passes together. Gardner, Petrov and Carew have been particularly bad. Carew doesn't even seem to want to be there, not moving for anything and constantly getting caught offside. Bit worrying that we've nothing on the bench to turn it around really but hopefully O'Neill can sort em out at the break.

Bounty Hunter

its true not much on the bench unless your a Harewood fan (is there such a thing) which is a pity cos Liverpool arent playing all that well either, its just that at the moment Villa are creating nothing to trouble them. Hopefully MON will let them have it at half time as they def still have a chance in this game. Aurelio (sp?) seems a weak link for pool also

Bounty Hunter

Harewood!!!! & Mellberg!!!you beauty

2-1

Raekwon

Get in there Harewood!

Raekwon

Sweet own goal

2-1 Villa!

Believe!

chilli_pepper

come on the Villa , hopefully they can hold on to this lead !!!!!

Bounty Hunter

love how whenever Villa take the lead the fans suddenly start signing "We shall, We shall not be moved", who would have thought Marlon would have changed Villa's entire preformance tonight

Bounty Hunter

Fup Crouchy 2-2 (a draw is a good result but...)

chilli_pepper

Yup would have been happy with a point before the off !

Bounty Hunter

and a draw we got joint 5/6/7th with City and Pool(+a game in hand)

Helix

fooking gutted

invincibleirish

Dammit! i thought i'd get a prediction right for once! and dam you Crouchy!

Raekwon

Damn you Crouchy indeed!

I would have bitten your hand off for a point before the game but I still can't stop feeling disappointed with just the one point because we were so close to collecting all three.

artanevilla

Draw away at Anfield and I'm still pissed. Missing Scott and Gareth as well. Bring on Blackburn, Europe here we come.

Time Magazine

It would have been nice to have more than Ozzy on the bench. A stronger squad would have given us two more points tbh. Happy, but disappointed.

Villain

Well I don't know part of me thinks we robbed a point because we were so poor in the first half and got a very lucky second goal but if Gabby had passed to NRC we would have been 3-1 up and took all 3 points.

A point against our bogey team away is a good result, and I'm not just saying they are bogey team the facts support that.

invincibleirish

True but we played badly and nearly came away with all 3 Points, at anypoint over the past 10 years if villa had played badly at anfield they would get stuffed!

i think thats called progress, they lucked out at VP at the start of the season with the freekick at the end so i guess villa lucked out and got two goals!, next season we'll take them home and away, with or without their americans!;)

Raekwon

Ibid wrote: »

It would have been nice to have more than Ozzy on the bench. A stronger squad would have given us two more points tbh. Happy, but disappointed.

I agree with you there, we were down to our bare bones tonight even though we only had two players injured. I think MON has no other options but to bring in a few more players.

Doodee

I can't believe abby didn't pass! We came so close.
oh well, hopefully thats enough of a show to prove that we need some more players in the squad. we missed barry terribly, passing was non existant.

Oh well, a point after a performance like that is welcome.

Bounty Hunter

a lot of rumours before the game once more that Riise is Villa bound. Omitted from the entire squad and Liverpool said he isnt injured. dunno if there is any truth to it though

DSB

Harewood needs to be given a run in the team now to show Carew that he has to compete for a place in the team. Carew was way below par today and didn't even seem to care. Great result but I think we were robbed by the ref.

Savman

No disrespect to Marlon, but NRC was my MOTM. Absolutely immense,

I'd say there's defo something in the Riise rumour, very odd decision even by Rafa's standards.

Helix

we have 4 games now before the arsenal match

blackburn (h)
fulham (a)
newcastle (h)
reading (a)

i see no reason why we cant take maximum points from them, and if we do, i honestly believe we'll be in the driving seat for 4th

after the arsenal game we have 3 games before the united match

middlesbrough (h)
pompey (a)
sunderland (h)

again, i dont see why we cant pick up 9 points from them

assuming we manage that, and lose the arsenal and united games, we'll have 61 points going into the final matches which are

bolton (h)
derby (a)
small heath (h)
everton (a)
wigan (h)
west ham (a)

12 points from them would be a realistic expectation, which would leave us on 73 for the season (which we wont get), but i do think 66 is doable and i think thatll get us 4th

Savman

Helix wrote: »

i honestly believe we'll be in the driving seat for 4th

Er, let's not go nuts. Compare our subs bench to Liverpool's. They brought on Crouch & Babel and there was still no Alonso or Riise in the squad.

I'll still take a UEFA cup spot, help us attract better quality of player next season. Baby steps...

Helix

it doesnt matter whats on their subs bench, theyre playing crap and theyll continue to drop points while benitez remains there, there can be no doubt about that

id take a uefa spot too, the fact is tho, we ARE very much involved in the race for 4th, and have the easiest run in of the 4 teams in the mix up

if we continue as we are and avoid injuries, theres no reason why we cant finish with 60+ points, and 12 points from the next 4 games will see us with a bit of daylight between us and the other 3 imho

Savman

Look how brutal we were tonight only missing Barry. And losing Maloney gave us very little by way of impact subs, meaning Harewood's contribution really must be applauded.

btw Ashley Young misses the Fulham game with suspension. Gabby looks like he could do with a rest too. I've doubts about our squad size to really push 4th but won't stop believing anything is possible. With all due respect, I don't think we'd last very long in the CL anyway.

DSB

I think we'd do very well in the Champions League. 2nd round maybe quarters depending on the draw. Can't see us qualifying for it though. UEFA cup will do lovely. Never know though. We'd need a few signings i think.