Aston Villa Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

villains77

id give him another season or 2 depending on who we buy this summer. but i think he has done great with villa up till now and those that care calling for his head allready are loony's his first season he kept us up then we finished 6th last season and we can still finish in 5th spot. its progress. fair enough the resutls havent been going well for us these last few weeks, and i think that the laursen injury and the uefa cup exit has a effected the squads confidence. in the last few games we have been playing well but we need to concentrate for the 90th mins and not concede silly goals like we have been doing lately. really need a good result on monday week come on lets all get behind the villa for the last few games and finish the season on a high

COME ON THE VILLA

invincibleirish

Congratulations to Young Player of the Year Ashley Young, a shining light in these dark times.

The third Villa player to win the award, with Andy Gray & Gary Shaw.

JPA

invincibleirish wrote: »

Congratulations to Young Player of the Year Ashley Young, a shining light in these dark times.

The third Villa player to win the award, with Andy Gray & Gary Shaw.

Well done Ashley. Can this not be another argument please.

Villain

Fair play to Young, MON has really brought him on, he looks a real bargain now

wynters

Helix wrote: »

mon isnt the type of manager to bring in hidden gems tho.

Ashley Young???

.... I don't think O'Neill deserves the criticism he's getting. I don't like to judge him based on arguments questioning his tactics or player selections, because they're not definite rights or wrongs, just personal beliefs and matters of opinion. But looking at it on paper, his good signings have far outnumbered the bad. The 'quality' of the squad has improved every year, and he's kept us progressing up the table each season so far. He played an absolute blinder during the whole Barry episode last summer too let's not forget. Progress from 16th to 6th in two seasons is one thing, but consolidating progress is important too. Which we've done at least... so O'Neill needs to be cut some slack.

One of the most frustrating things about the Ellis era was that managers always seemed to be sacked or hounded out of the club prematurely. Between Saunders and O'Neill, 10 managers averaged 2 seasons each at Villa Park. Without Abrahmovic-type investment, how can any manager or club be expected to build something worthy of competing at the top-end of the table in that kind of time-frame? Any change of manager is a serious fork in the road - New ideas / new tactics / an overhaul of playing personnel... There's a 2/3 year transitional period involved (which O'Neill has only really come through this season) so a change of manager now could set the club back years. It's laughable for anyone to even suggest changing manager...

One positive thing at least now is that 'maybe' there could be some early transfer movement this summer for once. For the first time since they took charge of the club, there's gonna be some pressure on O'Neill and Lerner to make big imrpovements to the squad. On top of a frustrating end to the season, they still have the Barry & Laursen issues to manage, and imminent challenges from City and Spurs next season to consider. The whole atmosphere around the club needs a shot in the arm sooner rather than later, and if they have ANY intention of even trying to persuade Barry to stay, they'll need to show some serious ambition early on. The way fans are feeling now, leaving signings to the last week of August again would be really asking for trouble...

invincibleirish

Still think someone else should take freekicks mind.

Kinetic^

Congrats to the young lad. Well deserved.

JPA

invincibleirish wrote: »

Still think someone else should take freekicks mind.

Maybe

Helix

wynters wrote: »

Ashley Young???

we were in a bidding war with spurs for him, and the final bid was £9.6m

hardly unearthing an unknown gem was it lol

Helix

wynters wrote: »

It's laughable for anyone to even suggest changing manager...

i honestly wonder about some of the posters in this thread

just coz people are pointing out mons ample weaknesses doesnt mean theyre saying he should be sacked. how many times has this to be pointed out?

invincibleirish

So Ashley Young moment of the season? his exploits at Goodison were memorable but his goal against Frnanfkdkdhfor in the Intertoto was class, i'll try and find it.

Here we go:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1625211/uefa_cup_aston_villa_vs_hafnarfjordur_highlights/

I really enjoyed those early summer day Intertoto fixtures.

wynters

Helix wrote: »

i honestly wonder about some of the posters in this thread

just coz people are pointing out mons ample weaknesses doesnt mean theyre saying he should be sacked. how many times has this to be pointed out?

Are you Mr. Alan in disguise???

Mr. Willbeck suggested it a couple of pages back... And you even suggested potential successors! When was your last positive post on O'Neill???

Misery. Kathy Bates.

shoutman

Helix wrote: »

we were in a bidding war with spurs for him, and the final bid was £9.6m

hardly unearthing an unknown gem was it lol

I didn't know much about him, and I don't think I had my head in the sand. Even O'Neill said he paid over the odds for him at the time.

He spotted something in him that other managers didn't. I'm sure if Fergie or Benitez knew what he would turn into in two years they would of both been in for him.

invincibleirish

Wasn't Curbs WHU in for him as well?

JPA

invincibleirish wrote: »

Wasn't Curbs WHU in for him as well?

Ya West Ham and Spurs. but if other managers saw what he could have possibly become every club with money would have bid for him.

Helix

wynters wrote: »

When was your last positive post on O'Neill?

when was the last time there was anything positive to say about him?

DSB

Helix wrote: »

when was the last time there was anything positive to say about him?

Theres still plenty positive to say about him. The last 2 months have been a horrible spell, but thats football.

wynters

Helix wrote: »

when was the last time there was anything positive to say about him?

So you've nothing positive to say about him... but you don't think the club needs a change of manager? How's that then?

wynters

Villa boss keen to strengthen

Martin O'Neill wants to add to his Aston Villa squad for next term after admitting he expects Manchester City and Tottenham to be major rivals.

O'Neill and his team of coaches and scouts are scouring the country for potential new blood as Villa look to build on this season's push for a European spot.

The former Celtic boss is due to meet club owner Randy Lerner during the next few days to discuss his plans.

O'Neill said: "I have been checking out players up and down the country - any country. We had about 15 games covered at the weekend all over the place.

"We are looking at players to try and improve the team. That is the important thing.

"If we are going to keep going in the way we are doing, then trying to improve the side means trying to compete.

"It will not be easy next season. Manchester City will be very strong. They have got the wherewithal and the financial clout to do something about it.

"Tottenham Hotspur spent big in January just to get out of trouble so you can imagine, with the hope and expectation with Harry Redknapp coming there, that they will also have the wherewithal.

"I really think this summer will be very important indeed and also very difficult.

"I will be speaking with Randy (Lerner). If it is not this week, then it will be the week after. We will get a chance the next time he is over (from America)."

O'Neill believes Lerner is happy with the progress being made by Villa, who for a long time were challenging strongly for a Champions League spot before a recent slump in fortunes.

He said: "I think Randy is pretty aware of things. He has watched a lot of football. He has been pretty excited about the way we have played.

"He sees this season as one of progress. He has been delighted - and also delighted that the crowd have stayed with us.

"He has a reasonably grand plan for the club. He has got some decent plans aswell for the improvement of Villa Park in the next couple of years."

Central defender Martin Laursen is expected to confirm his retirement because of his well documented knee problem during the next few days.

Helix

wynters wrote: »

So you've nothing positive to say about him... but you don't think the club needs a change of manager? How's that then?

no i think he should be given another year to see if he can sort things out

will i just stick that into my signature to save me posting it every day for the benefit of people who dont bother to read threads?

mirwillbeback

from footie365's weekly Winners and Losers section.............

Losers

Aston Villa
Progress? Villa may not have won a game since early February but they're winning the battle of the spin. Their collapse - Last 11 games: Won 1, Drawn 5, Lost 5; Previous 11 games: Won 9, Drawn 2, Lost 0 - has barely been remarked upon by the national press that was lauding them as the next big thing of English football just a few months ago and fifth place has been talked up as progress without dispute.

True enough, fifth spot in the league would represent a year-on-year step forward after finishing sixth in 2007/08. However, Villa still require another six points to overtake their haul of the last campaign and on present form they will fall short. If places are swapped with Everton then the Toffees will have the consolation, and excuse, of a FA Cup final, while Villa will still have their decision to effectively withdraw from the UEFA Cup to rue as the turning point of the campaign. Three days after fielding a weakened side in Moscow in order to concentrate on the Premier League, they capitulated against Stoke. Momentum sunk, they've been sinking ever since. It is a familiar story: they also only won three games after March last year and just four after Valentine's Day in 2006/07.

"Would fifth place be progress?" asked Gareth Barry last week. "I think it definitely is." Nice try, but he's expected to provide an entirely different answer in a couple of months when his future is on the agenda. This season is Villa's missed opportunity and it is unlikely to come again next year. Both Tottenham and Arsenal have shown enough in recent months to convince that they'll be far tougher propositions in 2008/09 and so, in all probability, will be moneybags Manchester City. With the career of the hugely-influential Martin Laursen in doubt and the club's manager indicating on Monday that Villa would not spend big in the summer, it would take a brave man to bet on Villa finishing higher than seventh in 12 months' time.

To appreciate the scale of Villa's decline, however, we should look back rather than forward. Rewind to January and Villa were being depicted - foolishly, of course, by observers who hadn't spotted the size of their squad - as title contenders. 'Villa emerge from off the radar to mount a genuine title threat,' wrote The Guardian's football correspondent Kevin McCarra on the penultimate day of that month. 'Often overlooked, Martin O'Neill's astutely assembled cast at Aston Villa are ready to pounce for the Premier League title...We ought to be glad that someone is striving to smash the cartel at the top of the table.'

This weekend, when Arsenal all-but secured fourth spot, the Villa manager described his side's failure to "break through into the top four" as "a morsel of disappointment". No further comment.

rgiller

invincibleirish wrote: »

So Ashley Young moment of the season? his exploits at Goodison were memorable but his goal against Frnanfkdkdhfor in the Intertoto was class, i'll try and find it.

Here we go:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1625211/uefa_cup_aston_villa_vs_hafnarfjordur_highlights/

I really enjoyed those early summer day Intertoto fixtures.

Never mind Young's goal, what about Gabby's in that game? Class

wynters

Helix wrote: »

no i think he should be given another year to see if he can sort things out

will i just stick that into my signature to save me posting it every day for the benefit of people who dont bother to read threads?

If you wish. We do read threads. Don't see the harm in asking someone to clarify some very obvious contradictions...

Cheer up Charlie.

Helix

wynters wrote: »

Don't see the harm in asking someone to clarify some very obvious contradictions...

ive made no contradictions tho, and ive pointed out countless times that i want mon to be given next season to try to fix things+

shoutman

Throw it in your sig Helix, no harm can be done of it.

Helix

done

shoutman

I can't seem to see it Helix, ah well I know where you stand.
Great to see that MON has sent so many scouts out looking at games, both here and abroad.

invincibleirish

Yeah MON had to say he is looking for talent, at least Villa have a scouting network!. Remember anyone when Gregory left VP before a game ended on a motorbike to go scouting abroad? i'll give a thanks to anyone who can tell me who he was meant to be scouting(no googling).

DSB

invincibleirish wrote: »

Yeah MON had to say he is looking for talent, at least Villa have a scouting network!. Remember anyone when Gregory left VP before a game ended on a motorbike to go scouting abroad? i'll give a thanks to anyone who can tell me who he was meant to be scouting(no googling).

Balaban?

Kinetic^

Scouting for hookers in the costa del sol? :pac:

invincibleirish

Nah ah DSB it was Javi Moreno remember him?, he of the Alaves team that did alright in 2000/01. I wiki'd him there, no great loss i think, he went to Milan after 2001 but then went through a few clubs. Just as well Gregory saved his cash instead for Balaban.

invincibleirish

Kinetic^ wrote: »

Scouting for hookers in the costa del sol? :pac:

This is John Gregory we're talking about how dare you! truly a man of immense moral fibre.

Raekwon

Villa sealed the Barclays Premier Reserve League South title with a 2-0 win over West Brom lastnight. Well done lads

Good to see that we have a few decent players coming through at the club! Hopefully the likes of Marc Albrighton, Harry Forrester & Co can come through the ranks the same way the likes of Gabby Agbonlahor & Darius Vassell did.

Proud history bright future!

wynters

Winning the reserve league two years on the bounce with basically a team of kids is no mean feat when you consider the squads Arsenal and Chelsea have in the same division!

Big talk about that Forrester lad alright... we beat a lot big clubs to his signature... hope he can make the step-up soon.

Helix

albrighton will definitely make the step up next season

forester is apparently a bit of a charlie big potato. thinks hes a superstar already and likes the gargle a little too much. hed wanna sort that out pretty quick

wynters

hahahahahahaha!

Like the signature Helix!

Savman

wynters wrote: »

hahahahahahaha!

Like the signature Helix!

Indeed, he's put his money where his big mouth is :pac::pac::pac:

shoutman

Helix has just always come across as a pessimist, things are never right.

Have you gone out and stocked up your bomb shelter on account of this swine flu?



Anyway the next game could be crucial, I really fancy a win from us. Would be so good to get that monkey off our back.

Helix

i dont understand the logic behind saying im a pessimist for pointing out the glaring downfalls in mons managerial ability tho. im a realist if anything

invincibleirish

So who's going in the summer time then (apart from GB & Laursen)? my moneys on Shorey & NRC, wouldn't mind if Heskey made an early exit either. Taylor, Salifou & Harewood are surely all out the door as well.

JPA

invincibleirish wrote: »

So who's going in the summer time then (apart from GB & Laursen)? my moneys on Shorey & NRC, wouldn't mind if Heskey made an early exit either. Taylor, Salifou & Harewood are surely all out the door as well.

If Bouma is fit, I wouldn't mind Shorey as backup.
Something looks fishy with NRC so I think you're right, he'll be gone.

shoutman

Reo-Coker is injured at the moment, but is due to make a return for the hull game.

Also Laursen to announce his retirement this week according to various reports.

I think Gaz Baz will unfortunately leave, Hare to make a permanent move to Wolves. I think Sidwell could be getting bored and might make a move, but I suppose that depends slightly on the Barry situation too.
Shorey to make an exit as well, he did voice his dislike at being played behind a rb switching sides.

Helix

shoreys gotten himself back in of late tho, and has improved. id say give him another year

Helix

Villa to win race for £20m-rated Blackburn, Man City, Pompey & Stoke target?

Aston Villa's superior purchasing power is expected to determine where Blackburn, Manchester City, Portsmouth and Stoke City transfer target Nikola Žigic plies his trade next season.

Žigic has scored goals for fun on loan at Racing Santander, but his parent club Valencia are ready to sell.

"Valencia hold the key to my future and I will make a decision on what to do next after meeting with the club in June," said Zigic.

"I am happy in Spain but I need to play regularly and that has proven difficult at Valencia.

"I will only leave for a club that has ambition and where I will get the opportunity to play.

"England? That is a serious option for me."

Valencia paid £20m for Žigic in 2007, so will expect to receive a similar sum before they agree to let him go.

Manchester City, Portsmouth and Stoke have all come close to signing the 28-year-old Serbia international striker in the past, but Villa are hoping to finally bring the giant hitman to the Premier League.

cant see us spunking £20m on him tbh, but hed be a great signing were there any truth to it

Helix

also mon sued f365 (again) for libel (again) and won (again)

invincibleirish

I have zero confidence in Shorey, yeah he can pass, but he's not a good defender and has no pace. I'd take Bouma & Young at LB before him.

Where that story come from Helix, sounds like nonsense to me anyway.

Neil3030

The words "£20m rated" and "Stoke target" should never be used in the same sentence...

wynters

Barry admits Villa future conundrum

Gareth Barry admits he faces a tough decision over his Aston Villa future this summer - but insists past experiences have made him wiser.

The England international was the subject of constant speculation last summer after a protracted transfer saga involving Liverpool.

Barry ended up staying at Villa Park after the Reds failed to meet Villa's asking price for the midfielder.

Reds boss Rafa Benitez is reported to be ready to rekindle his interest in Barry this summer and the player insists there will no repeat of last year's saga, though he will take his time before deciding on his long-term future.

"From the experience of last year I'm hoping to deal with it better," Barry told the Birmingham Mail.

"It would be disrespectful to the fans and the club if I'm thinking about anything else rather than trying to get maximum points from the last four games - that's where my head is at this moment.

"It will definitely be a difficult decision, but we'll see where we are at the end of the season before making any decision. It's always going to be a tough one, no matter what happens.

"I've learnt a lot from what happened and last season I learned a lot off the pitch. I'm looking for a completely opposite scale of things and I'm confident it won't be one of those sagas again.

"There are things I'll do differently. I'm not dreading it at all, I know what's coming. It's not something you dread, it's part of the game."

tomred1

That Barry interview sounds to me like he is putting himself in the shop wondow.

matrim

Villa to win race for £20m-rated Blackburn, Man City, Pompey & Stoke target?

Aston Villa's superior purchasing power is expected to determine where Blackburn, Manchester City, Portsmouth and Stoke City transfer target Nikola Žigic plies his trade next season.

Villa's superior purchasing power is expected to beat Man City's :rolleyes: