Aston Villa Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

Raekwon

Eirebhoy there is no doubt that Maloney is a good player it just didn't seem to happen for him at Villa for the obvious reason that his head and heart were still with Celtic & Glasgow and in that respect I don't think he was ever fully committed to Aston Villa.

From a Villa fans point of view it's a shame but he seems to have a great partnership with Samaras so the best of luck to him.

Now if was MON I'd test Celtic's resolve with a cheeky bid for Shunsuke Nakamura :P

JPA

eirebhoy wrote: »

Have a look at Maloney's play for Celtic's 3rd goal here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azf4gTEcjwU

Crap opposition or not that is the play of a truly intelligent player. I know he wasn't given much chance at Villa and I won't wreck your heads about him on this thread again (;)) but Maloney is more than good enough for most premiership teams. Someone like Liverpool would have been ideal for him as he's exactly the type of player they're looking to play on the left. £2.5m absolute bargain! Right, sorry about that. I love the guy.

You could see from his press conference that he was just so happy to be back at Celtic.
I know he didn't get that many chances but I feel that even if he had he wouldn't reach the level he had showed at Celtic as his heart wasn't in it.
Good luck to him anyway.

JimiTime

eirebhoy wrote: »

Have a look at Maloney's play for Celtic's 3rd goal here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azf4gTEcjwU

Bloody hell, I know the opposition were Falkirk, but there was some lovely one touch football in those highlights.

Neil3030

Hold on a second, so if Celtic suddenly go out of business, Maloney's career is over?

His heart wasn't in it, he missed Glasgow, that's all another way of saying - he is a poor professional footballer. He may be a decent player for a specific club in a particular city, but he flopped when he made the step up to a more challenging league, playing for a team with a stronger squad of players.

Granted, if he was second to Ashley Young in his favoured position there wasn't a whole lot he could do about it, but why didn't he at least try and prove himself at the top by joining one of the other premiership clubs supposedly interested, where he would have gotten a starting place?

Oh, because he missed a certain city and a certain club? Well let Celtic join the fecking premiership and see how long his love affair with Glasgow lasts. More interestingly, I'd like to see what excuses he'd come up with to cloak his inability to handle the stronger opposition. Would he start getting too homesick having to go all the way to London for an away game? Or would teams from England coming to Celtic Park remind him too much of his upsetting time at Villa?

Chap needs a kick up the hole imo.

Villain

SWP rumoured to be gone to Everton

JPA

Villain wrote: »

SWP rumoured to be gone to Everton

I saw that somewhere. Is there any remotely reliable link to that?

Villain

Nothing relaible no, just rumoured at the moment

Hero Of College

Raekwon wrote: »

The goal aside, Martin Laursen had a nightmare game conceding the penalty and giving the Stoke forwards way too much room. It was very uncharacteristic of Great Dane I have to say, I wonder is he fully fit?

Villa really need to get their finger out for next weeks game with Liverpool because if we play as badly as we did today we will be routed and I really don't want to see that happening especially after this summers turmoil between the two clubs.

Lauresen was robbed. De Lap Dived. At least there are no divers in the Liverpool team. Apart from Gerrard {Or so says Gilesy.}

Savman

Neil3030 wrote: »

His heart wasn't in it, he missed Glasgow, that's all another way of saying - he is a poor professional footballer.

+1.

Shaun Maloney couldn't cut it in the Premiership.

Hero Of College

DSB wrote: »

Disgusting gutless performance, Friedel was crap. Young and Carew were the only 1s who looked any use.

With due respect, and I am not trying to get on anyones case here, but O'Neill got the hump during the summer and just would not use his loaf on the Carson issue.

Now, Carson was never worth £10m, but he was settled, and had impressed for Villa before.

Friedel, by reputation, is a great keeper. But....he's been around a long time and keepers kind of go on forever, then get old overnight.

You could have had Carson for £4m.

eirebhoy

Savman wrote: »

Shaun Maloney couldn't cut it in the Premiership.

I don't know. The Maloney I saw for Villa was exactly the same Maloney that played under O'Neill at Celtic. He was decent enough but under Strachan he's superb.

DSB

eirebhoy wrote: »

I don't know. The Maloney I saw for Villa was exactly the same Maloney that played under O'Neill at Celtic. He was decent enough but under Strachan he's superb.

Its a huge amount more difficult to be superb when playing against teams that aren't Hamilton and Kilmarnock.

Helix

Hero Of College wrote: »

You could have had Carson for £4m.

thats about £5m too much

the chap was absolutely awful

Savman

eirebhoy wrote: »

I don't know. The Maloney I saw for Villa was exactly the same Maloney that played under O'Neill at Celtic. He was decent enough but under Strachan he's superb.

Defend him all you want, but it takes more than just raw ability to make it at the highest level.

Maloney's talent outshone his attitude which was absolute rubbish.

Savman

Hero Of College wrote: »

You could have had Carson for £4m.

Oh give it a rest. Carson over Friedel? Yer havin a laff.

Hero Of College

Savman wrote: »

Oh give it a rest. Carson over Friedel? Yer havin a laff.

Scott Carson over PRIME Friedel, yes, I am having a laugh.

Carson over a Friedel who might just be shot.....no I am not having a laugh.

Why would Paul Ince SELL Friedel and replace him with, of all the people, Paul Robinson???

Is Incey having a laugh too??

JPA

Hero Of College wrote: »

Scott Carson over PRIME Friedel, yes, I am having a laugh.

Carson over a Friedel who might just be shot.....no I am not having a laugh.

Why would Paul Ince SELL Friedel and replace him with, of all the people, Paul Robinson???

Is Incey having a laugh too??

Carson is RUBBISH, he will get nowhere near a Villa or Liverpool again.
I wouldn't be surprised to see Dean Kiely back in the West Brom goal in the near future.

herbieflowers

Paul Robinson isn't awful, he just had an awful season last season. Carson is a good keepr, who will probably get better. Opinions of him seem to be based on that game versus Croatia when he was very poor. And how anyone can doubt Friedel's ability is beyond me.

LuckyLloyd

eirebhoy wrote: »

I don't know. The Maloney I saw for Villa was exactly the same Maloney that played under O'Neill at Celtic. He was decent enough but under Strachan he's superb.

Eirebhoy, I'm afraid we are talking about a much, much lower standard of opposition week in, week out up in the SPL. Maloney can cut it up there but clearly was ineffectual against higher levels of pace and intelligence on average in the defenses he faced while in a Villa shirt.

I know you will see this stuff differently because you have so much invested emotionally in Celtic and the SPL. And that is cool. But imo, the Maloney situation is the same as the trouble with McGeady - great for Celtic, rubbish for Ireland. It's a bad league and, by and large, Celtic and Rangers have a squad full of players who would be average at a higher level but destroy the SPL.

That they have done well in Europe over the past few years (and apart from last season Rangers have struggled at that level) is down to huge honesty of effort; implementation of the right tactics for two legged cup ties; and fortress like atmospheres for home games that the opposition must despise playing in.

Remember how good Petrov was up in Scotland? He's nothing better than an average starter in the Prem.

herbieflowers

did Maloney get much of a run at Villa?

LuckyLloyd

Getting Friedal was a significant upgrade for Villa at the keeper position imo. Over the course of the season he will earn you points - he usually does an impression of a wall three or four times a year.

Hero Of College

herbieflowers wrote: »

Paul Robinson isn't awful, he just had an awful season last season. Carson is a good keepr, who will probably get better. Opinions of him seem to be based on that game versus Croatia when he was very poor. And how anyone can doubt Friedel's ability is beyond me.

I'm not. But time waits for no man.

Hero Of College

herbieflowers wrote: »

did Maloney get much of a run at Villa?

Yeah, out the front door and into the street.

herbieflowers

Hero Of College wrote: »

Friedel, by reputation, is a great keeper. But....he's been around a long time and keepers kind of go on forever, then get old overnight.

er...

Hero Of College

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Getting Friedal was a significant upgrade for Villa at the keeper position imo. Over the course of the season he will earn you points - he usually does an impression of a wall three or four times a year.

Yup....like he did against Liverpool 18 months ago. He is/was a great keeper. can't understand how Liverpool ever came to sell him. Damn.

Bounty Hunter

Ince didnt want to let Friedel but Brad wanted to go to Villa, its not like he (Ince) knew something about Friedel that MON and co didnt.

Maloney didnt really get a proper run at Villa but that is probably because as Eirebhoy says his best and preferred position is AMF/WF Left a position that Villa have filled by a one Mr Ashley Young. He can play elsewhere but isnt as effective so didnt see enough game time, he was also regretting his decision to leave Celtic/Glasgow and never settled in beautiful Birmingham so has left, wish him well but he didnt exactley have a memorable time at VP.

Helix

herbieflowers wrote: »

Paul Robinson isn't awful, he just had an awful season last season. Carson is a good keepr, who will probably get better. Opinions of him seem to be based on that game versus Croatia when he was very poor. And how anyone can doubt Friedel's ability is beyond me.

no, opinions on him are based on the absolutely shocking season he had last year where he failed to stop the majority of shots on target from going into the net

DSB

Bit worrying that the signings have dried up. Was going so well for a while. Defo still need a winger and a striker at least.

Esse85

And cover for RB, ah there's still time.

Im surprised the Hare didnt come on against Stoke, Petrov or NRC could of came off and Gabby could of played wide right, just a taught;)

Helix

we've only used 12 players in our 2 games

mon doesnt like subs

Neil3030

Why he didn't throw Harewood on against Stoke baffles me. Just the type of game his size and physicality would have made a real impact and he keeps him on the bench...

Helix

Neil3030 wrote: »

Why he didn't throw Harewood on against Stoke baffles me. Just the type of game his size and physicality would have made a real impact and he keeps him on the bench...

i was more worried about the sheer ridiculousness of the sub he DID make

shorey off, routledge on, folllowed by putting young (right back) to left back, nrc (central midfielder playing on the right wing) to right back, and putting rout on the right

why the bloody hell didnt he just put barry to left back and leave the back 4 balanced instead of a ropey mess

cost us the late goal imo

Esse85

Helix wrote: »

we've only used 12 players in our 2 games

mon doesnt like subs

Thats true but with 7 subs now allowed on the bench and hopefully with some extra quality by the end of the transfer window, MON should start using the bench more especially seen as we're in the uefa cup and players will need that extra rest.

Well so far i dont think the fact that Villa will be in the group stages of the UEFA cup has contributed towards signing quality players, obviously it wont hinder signing players but apparently a Rangers official said the Cuellar deal was set in motion back in June, and Young, Shorey and Friedal would of joined anyway i feel.

Fulham are rumoured to be preparing a bid for Doyle, as are Everton for SWP, so Martin get your skates on...

Helix

who says we'll be in the group stages? we havent even qualified for the first round proper yet

Esse85

Im saying we will:P

Why Helix, are you not as confident?

Helix

depends who we get in the first round, and how we play. if we play like we did on saturday i wouldnt bet on us getting to the group stages

One Cold Hand

Aston Villa have moved a step closer to landing Reading striker Kevin Doyle in a £7.5m deal. (Daily Star)

Aston Villa are moving closer to the £7.5million capture of Reading striker Kevin Doyle.

Villa boss Martin O'Neill has already had one bid turned down by the Championship club but he has now decided to meet Reading's asking price for 24-year-old Doyle and a deal is likely to go through this week. (Daily Mail)

Meh, nothing concrete, but there's fook all else to talk about today!

tomred1

Doyle would be a good squad signing for Villa but as an Ireland team fan i dont think it will progress his career it might hinder it as he will have to complete against Gabby/Hare for that second striker position.I do think he is better than does two but with Gabby pace he will always be the better option to play along side Carew imo.

monkey9

Helix wrote: »

depends who we get in the first round, and how we play. if we play like we did on saturday i wouldnt bet on us getting to the group stages

I'd love it if you's got St Pat's!

Helix

id actually be quite concerned if we got pats

Esse85

I see Milan Baros is about to join yet another club, this time Galatarasry. It just goes to show what a great piece of business it was to swap Baros for Carew.

DSB

Helix wrote: »

id actually be quite concerned if we got pats

Of all the sides that will be in that draw, if Pats are in it they'll be one of the easier sides. I wouldn't like the idea of supporting Villa ahead of an Irish side though so I hope we don't get one.

invincibleirish

Villa should easily beat Pats or whatever other minnow they draw, however of course Villa were supposed to easily beat Varteks last time they were in the Wafer cup.

Helix

you have to remember that pats will be giving 200% if they get villa, moreso than they woudl against any other side. and theyre a pretty bloody good team when theyre playing normally, so i can imagine theres a fair chance theyll present all sorts of problems for us if our heads arent right and we play ANYWHERE near as badly as we're capable of (odense away, odense home, city home apart from 15 minutes, stoke away)

DSB

Any of the small sides would be giving 200%. I'd still consider Pats a bit of a walk in the park for Villa.

Helix

theyll be one of the trickiest ties we'll get

its not the same as a small team from scandanavia or something. its a very different beast with an irish club and i think youre all codding yourselves if you think pats would be an easy tie

JPA

I'd be surprised if Pats even get through.

Helix

why? 2 away goals, and playing a team theyre better than

invincibleirish

If Pats are at home first then we'll probably see the usual act from LoI sides of holding out for a tight loss/draw and then go away to VP, stay in the game for 20 minutes and then eventually the gulf in class will begin to show.

Ashley Young against a LoI defence? there can only be one winner. Although any team should be good for a goal against the Villa these days whatwith the crap defending.

Villain

Reira looks set for Liverpool so Barry should be safe and lads if we can't beat Pats we shouldn't be in the Uefa cup end of ...