Aston Villa Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

Bounty Hunter

Ive hear talk of Capello wanting to look at different players for Englands next game:

Wednesday, 11 February 2009
International freiendly match
Spain v England

There could really be a lot of Villa players involved: Barry, Gabby, Heskey, A.Young, maybe Davies and maybe even Milner. ive also heard that Capello is really impressed by Luke Young but wouldent be expected to pick him until he is playing at RB regularily with the same form.

Anyone know off hand what Villa games are either side of this game?

Savman

Blackburn away 7th Feb and FA Cup is 14th Feb, so that potential trip to Liverpool or Everton.

Bounty Hunter

also great/mad to think that if we beat Wigan we go 3rd no matter what happens else where at the weekend and on merit! (i.e no games in hand elsewhere)

Neil3030

Helix wrote: »

hopefully not

hes a mouthy dickhead whos done nothing but try his best to upset the apple cart at newcastle

not the kinda thing we want or need, regardless of how good a player he is

we dont want a david bentley, we want a jimmy milner

Newcastle is a circus at the moment and he has a right to want out. As I said, the stipulation on him would be that he knows his place if he moves here, but I wouldn't call anyone a dickhead for wanting to leave Newcastle and voicing it publicly.

Bounty Hunter

Savman wrote: »

Blackburn away 7th Feb and FA Cup is 14th Feb, so that potential trip to Liverpool or Everton.

I dont consider cups the priority atm but should we make that match and our players be fit id expect a full strength side to play against Everton/Liverpool so there is a negative to that amount of players maybe playing that night especially when very few nations have a match that night, still would be nice to see all those Villa players get the recognition of the call though

Savman

Neil3030 wrote: »

I wouldn't call anyone a dickhead for wanting to leave Newcastle

:eek:

Savman

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

I dont consider cups the priority atm but should we make that match and our players be fit id expect a full strength side to play against Everton/Liverpool so there is a negative to that amount of players maybe playing that night especially when very few nations have a match that night, still would be nice to see all those Villa players get the recognition of the call though

Balls to that friendly and balls to Capello.
After Blackburn I hope our players get "injured" ;) nudge nudge

kinaldo

Neil3030 wrote: »

Newcastle is a circus at the moment and he has a right to want out. As I said, the stipulation on him would be that he knows his place if he moves here, but I wouldn't call anyone a dickhead for wanting to leave Newcastle and voicing it publicly.

As a heartbroken Newcastle fan it's hard to disagree with the sentiment from nufc.com:

Excuse us if we fail to get too animated about the statement released on Monday evening by Charles N'Zogbia:

"First of all I wish to apologise to the fans for wanting to leave the club."

"However, having been insulted by Joe Kinnear, I will never play for him again while he remains Newcastle manager.

"The club are aware that there are offers on the table for me and they should accept one of them."

Apology not accepted. You haven't wanted to play for us for a couple of years now, notably protesting on the pitch frequently when selected at left back.

To use JFK's post-match slip-of-the-tongue as an excuse to leave won't wash with most of us - presumably it didn't cause the mysterious injury that prevented N'Zogbia travelling to Manchester.

What Charlie has done is manage to cost the club a couple of million in transfer fees, with his refusal to play again giving buying clubs carte blanche to drop their bids.

If we weren't in such dire straits it would be nice to give sulky Charles a season in the Reserves but of course that isn't a luxury we can afford at the moment.

Having said all that, Kinnear needs to send out Chris Hughton more often if he is going to drop clanger after clanger in front of the cameras, although Sir Bobby used to do it on a regular basis without causing any upset....

Bounty Hunter

to put it simply Kinaldo do you think N'Zogbia would be a good or bad signing for Villa?

Helix

Neil3030 wrote: »

I wouldn't call anyone a dickhead for wanting to leave Newcastle and voicing it publicly.

theres a right way (milner) and a wrong way (nzogbia) to do it

Savman

Yeeehaaaaw

Wilfred Bouma and John Carew are back in action for Aston Villa following spells on the sidelines.
The pair both played 45 minutes of a behind-closed-doors friendly against Derby on Thursday and came through unscathed.

Bounty Hunter

Savman wrote: »

Yeeehaaaaw

now that is great news, I wouldent imagine Bouma being rushed back but could see big John on the bench soon. He will be a great impact sub when he is trying to get his starting place back off Heskey imo.

kinaldo

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

to put it simply Kinaldo do you think N'Zogbia would be a good or bad signing for Villa?

Actually yes I do think he would be good for you lot, he's worth 6 mil. But only if MoN sorts him out and gets some sort of consistency from him. He could be a really, really good player if he changes his attitude. He's certainly more talented player than Milner will ever be.

Helix

kinaldo wrote: »

He's certainly more talented player than Milner will ever be.

dont think i buy that

milner will be one of the best wingers in the premiership

Bounty Hunter

Helix wrote: »

dont think i buy that

milner will be one of the best wingers in the premiership

dont think hes saying hes better more talent doesent mean better, Milner is a workhorse of a player aswell as Talented. Always thought N'Zogbia looked like he had really big potential a few years ago, maybe at Villa he could realise this, still doesnt seem like a MON type player only cos of the attitude he has displayed (although its hard to argue with his most recent statement excluding the strike-esque bits).

Neil3030

Helix wrote: »

theres a right way (milner) and a wrong way (nzogbia) to do it

Curtis Davies? Nigel Reo-Coker?

Helix

cant remember there being any issue with davies?

reo coker was screwed over by west ham, they told him if a top 4 club came in for him he could go. arsenal bid while they were in 5th place and west ham got technical on it saying they werent a top 4 club, so you cant blame him.

anyway he stuck around for another season, taking the brunt of the fans anguish at their poor performance, and then west ham cashed in on him

matrim

Villa can upstage big four to win title

Aston Villa's superb form this season has made a big impression on TEAMtalk's Isaac Fannin, who claims the Villans can win the title this year.

It's been a rollercoaster season so far with half the league feeling the threat of relegation. Hull City got off to a wonderful start in their maiden season in the top flight with some even tipping them for a European place, but their slump in form illustrates how topsy-turvy the season has been. Every single team in the division has had their ups and downs. Except one.

The team that continue to shock and surprise everyone. The team that has been grinding out results, week in, week out. The team that works wonders and thrills spectators with the last minute exploits. That team is Aston Villa.

What a season it has been for Martin O'Neill's men! As an neutral observer, it is difficult to not secretly root for the Villans. Their Goodison Park great escape was in my humble opinion, the Premier League highlight this year; game of the season. Forget Manchester United v Chelsea or Arsenal v Liverpool. Everton's clash with Villa had everything and it saw the coming of age of Ashley Young.

In Young, the Villans have arguably this season's best winger and yes, that includes a certain World Player of the Year. Young is indeed "world-class" as O'Neill often describes him. He has a devilish delivery and four times out of five, they find a Villa target. His overall game has come on leaps and bounds partly because in O'Neill, the former Watford winger has found a nurturing presence who has overseen his development in a similar way to how Sir Alex Ferguson looked after Ryan Giggs and like Arsene Wenger looked after Cesc Fabregas. When Young came up with the Hornets, there was no question he was talented but with Villa he has started to use those talents ruthlessly and efficiently in the big games.

Gabby Agbonlahor is in awesome form too, and fully deserved his full England debut in Berlin. He's filled the void created by John Carew's injury and done a sterling job so far. His speed is fearsome, probably the fastest player in the league; he'd give Usain Bolt a run for his money, literally.

Watch Gabby flourish now that he's got big Emile Heskey by his side. The partnership showed promise straight away at Portsmouth; a nice headed one-two and another three points.

When Young returns from suspension to join the party, don't be surprised if Heskey enjoys another twenty-goal season.

The Villans are fourth in the league and have tough but very winnable games coming up: Wigan at home and then Blackburn away. If they claim three points at Villa Park on Saturday and the titanic clash at Anfield between Chelsea and Liverpool ends in a draw, Aston Villa will mind-bogglingly finish the weekend in second place.

I'm now going to say something that many people will be afraid to say. I hope that it doesn't land me in a mental institute but here goes: Aston Villa CAN win the title!

I can hear the uproar from desks and homes all across the world: "You're mad!" and, "you don't know what you're talking about". My reply to that is: Why not?

Why can't Villa win the league? They've nicked four points off Arsenal, drawn with Liverpool and United. Chelsea beat them at the Bridge but that back in the day when when Chelsea beat everyone at the Bridge. They have tough away games at Old Trafford and Anfield but they've already gone to the Emirates and done the business and they have won more games away than any other team.

Liverpool seem to be in freefall, Chelsea are far from their fluid selves. If Villa can keep the form going, the key period will be between March 22 and the April 4 when they travel to Anfield and then Old Trafford in quick succession.

Villa can beat any team in this league; their away form is imperious and the thing that strikes me most is that they haven't really won many matches comprehensively which indicates that they can get better. Just like every title contender, they're grinding results out.

Yes, United are flying but Villa are keeping pace, winning games. Pundits are beginning to say it's a two-horse race with United keeping Chelsea at bay. I think that is a foolish and arrogant way to look at our fantastic league. The 50/1 odds you can get from Sky Bet for Villa to win the league are worth a punt in my view.

Fabregas, Van Persie, Lampard, Terry, Torres, Gerrard, Ronaldo, Rooney - all these players are match-winning stars. On this season's form, Agbonlahor and Young can join this elite group.

Villa have an excellent chairman, stable finances, a brilliant manager and a young, vibrant squad. If I'm wrong and they don't win the league, I won't regret what I've said because they have everything they need to mount a challenge in the future.

Villa win my vote for Champions of England 2008/2009.

From http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1767_4871125,00.html

Savman

Stop stop stop, no "winning the league" talk here please :rolleyes:

JPA

Carew is in the squad for Wigan.

Martin O'Neill has revealed John Carew is in the squad for the weekend clash with Wigan Athletic.

He takes the place of Marlon Harewood, who is out with a foot injury.

He said: "John played 45 minutes in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Derby and is feeling good.

"Marlon picked up an injury - on his instep - this week so John comes in and that's good news.

"He hasn't had much match practice but it's still very encouraging. Offensively, it's very positive for us."

Helix

bouma played in that game too

invincibleirish

Aston Villa's ambitions are so often overlooked that the team are clandestine contenders. The manager Martin O'Neill would probably be the first person to ridicule the idea of his line-up as champions, but their prospects can only be marginally worse than those of Liverpool or Chelsea, who are just a point ahead in the notional pursuit of Manchester United.

The public has got out of the habit of giving Villa any thought whatsoever. When O'Neill was appointed in the summer of 2006, he took over a club that had just come 16th. The manager's rebuilding has been thorough and swift. Of the 18 players who started or were on the bench for the 1–0 win at Portsmouth on Tuesday, 13 had been bought since January 2007 and four more had emerged from the youth system.

The visitors were a little lucky, but there is nothing to quibble about in the broad sweep of results. Villa have collected 22 points from their past eight league matches, an identical haul to United's. O'Neill, of course, has enjoyed the resources made available by his club's owner, Randy Lerner.

While the manager did not break the £10m barrier when making Ashley Young Villa's record signing, he has put a handsome budget to extensive use. All of O'Neill's great experience has been evident in the piecing together of the squad. Martin Laursen's knee injury is disturbing and the Dane has decided to end his international career, but Villa have three other centre-halves in Curtis Davies, Carlos Cuéllar and Zat Knight.

Only at full-back, where Nicky Shorey is still to establish himself, do Villa have unresolved concerns. It is, above all, a line-up that makes sense and that is the source of its reliability. Managers of O'Neill's calibre can make management appear an easy career. Young, who knows how to deliver the ball, arrived in the same week as John Carew, a striker who thrives on crosses. The piecing together of a team, however, is not as elementary as all that.

The trick lies in buying exactly the right individuals. O'Neill has a higher success rate than most and his preference is for men versed in British football. The Spaniard Cuéllar, for instance, had been at Rangers, where he was integral to last season's run to the Uefa Cup final. Shopping in this country is expensive, but there have been few glitches in the shaping of a Villa line-up where English players make up the majority. While O'Neill will never suffer from jingoism he sees the worth in recruiting men for whom the transition should be seamless.

There has been a deftness to the management in various areas. Gareth Barry's desire to move to Liverpool last summer did look irresistible, yet O'Neill interpreted the situation wisely. Another footballer might have gone into decline if denied his wish, but Barry would not have wished to cast away the regular England place he had attained. The midfielder, too, was an adult prepared to tune in once more to Villa's cause. In Laursen's absence, the captaincy has been restored to him.

Some quibble over aesthetics, since there can be no disputing O'Neill's practical impact from Wycombe to Villa, via Leicester and Celtic. Tony Mowbray grumbled about the manner of West Brom's defeat earlier this month. Villa, he pronounced, "are not really interested in playing football". He also chided them for an inclination to hit on the break, even though many distinguished sides take pride in deft counter-attacking. Villa will be gratified that the majority of their points have come on the road.

The team is not elaborate, but O'Neill's emphasis on width has pleased fans at all his clubs. The wing play of Young and James Milner can be exciting and he has taken steps to ensure there will be a focal figure off whom Gabriel Agbonlahor can operate. With Carew still out, Emile Heskey can now be the target man. O'Neill's strategies seem to function, considering that Villa have scored only one goal fewer than United in the league this season.

We ought to be glad that someone is striving to smash the cartel at the top of the table. For his part, O'Neill will be overjoyed if the menace posed by Villa is overlooked for a while longer.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2009/jan/30/kevin-mccarra-aston-villa

I may sound paranoid but i think all the hype over a Villa title bid is just that, hype. I'm loathe to hope for anything above being involved for a scrap for 4th which Villa may not get.

Maybe the bitter memory of 98/99 still ranks in my mind.Great news on Carew being back in the squad for Wigan.

Villain

I tell you what the next person that tells me we are playing sh1t and are only in the top 4 from luck is going to get a serious telling off.

Has anyone watched the last 10 seasons and seen how many times Utd have played crap and scraped 1-0 wins??

And as for us playing crap, I would like anyone to name a side that has played as well as we did in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal, we were fecking unreal and we got a draw so if we play poorly and get 1-0 wins I'll take that over playing great football and drawing.

Rant over.

Bounty Hunter

http://www.setanta.com//uk/Articles/Football/2009/1/30/Prem-ONeill-...
MON working on more than one possible deal before the deadline

Martin O’Neill says he is working on two more signings before Monday’s transfer deadline.

Villa have already brought in Emile Heskey but, following the news that centre back Martin Laursen is out for around two months with a knee injury, O’Neill says he is now looking for extra defensive cover.

“In an ideal world, it would be great if we could add to the squad,” he told AVTV.

“It would be great to get one or two extra people in.

“With Martin Laursen out, we are looking to try and add defensively. I just feel we could do with some more defensive cover.

“I will pursue it right until the end because, after the transfer window closes, that’s it – that’s your lot.

“I will try and do something, even at this late stage. There are a couple of things we are working on.

“I can’t say they are very, very close but we are working on them.”

However, the club will not be signing Marseille attacker Elliot Grandin.

The 21-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Villa Park in the French media this week, but it appears he will remain in France after Grenoble announced he will be joining them on loan until the end of the season.

recent links would suggest Scharner and N'Zogbia but who knows who it actually is

and
http://www.saddlers.co.uk/page/News/0,,10428~1539659,00.html

THE SADDLERS have this evening signed Sam Williams from Aston Villa on a month's loan, subject to Premier League clearance.

The 21 year-old came through the ranks at Villa Park as a defensive-minded midfielder but in recent times has operated as a striker and has been a regular on the scoresheet for the Villa reserves.

He was loaned out to Wrexham for the second half of the 2005/06 season before playing a handful of games on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion early in the following campaign.

He had a loan spell at Colchester United earlier this season and played against The Saddlers after scoring on his debut for the Essex side.

"We've been working hard behind the scenes to add to the squad and are delighted to have been able to bring Sam in," said manager, Chris Hutchings on his first signing since taking over at the Banks's Stadium. "He's a young and hungry footballer with Premier League pedigree and this is a great opportunity for him to come and get more first-team experience.

"He's played a lot of reserve team football at Villa Park and we're grateful to Villa for letting him come here. He's a hard-working front-man who can link up play and I'm looking forward to working with him."

The Saddlers have until noon on Saturday to receive the necessary clearance that will allow him to make his debut against Leeds United.

JPA

N'zogbia is joining Wigan. Probably.
MON sounds quite positive with what he says, so heres hoping.
But at the same time I think they will be quite low key signings.

Kinetic^

Really looking forward to tomorrow now!

Bryan Habana

Kinetic^ wrote: »

Really looking forward to tomorrow now!

I am too. Hopefully they can keep up this fantastic run of results especially with the tough fixtures in March and April.

JPA

Team is out:



VILLA: Friedel, Cuellar, Davies, Knight, L Young; Milner, Barry, Gardner, Petrov; Heskey, Agbonlahor. Subs: Sidwell, Delfouneso, Salifou, Shorey, Guzan, Osbourne, Carew


Same as Pompey with Carew on bench.

Savman

Dont change a winning side I guess.

JPA

Wigan Team:

Wigan: Kirkland; Melchiot, Scharner, Bramble, Boyce, Figueroa; Brown, Koumas, Cattermole; De Ridder, Mido. Subs: Pollitt, Edman, Watson, Rodallega, Cywka, Kapo, Camara.


Probably tempting fate by saying it's a weak looking Wigan side.

Esse85

If anyone has a good stream, can they post it please.

JPA

Esse85 wrote: »

If anyone has a good stream, can they post it please.

Here says they are showing it.

http://www.iraqgoals.com/en/ch3.html

JPA

JPA wrote: »

Here says they are showing it.

http://www.iraqgoals.com/en/ch3.html

Doesn't seem to have it. If you have TVU player click [URL="tvu://21500"]tvu://21500[/URL]

shoutman

How do you look for channels on TVU 21500 isn't showing up for me.

Neil3030

Great stream here:

Veetle

Just install the plugin and refresh the screen

Kinetic^

JPA wrote: »

Here says they are showing it.

http://www.iraqgoals.com/en/ch3.html

Working now. Edit: gone again.

That veetle link is great, thanks.

Esse85

There's nothing threathing up the right, the crowd are very quiet. We need big John in the second half.

JPA

Esse85 wrote: »

There's nothing threathing up the right, the crowd are very quiet. We need big John in the second half.

I could only see Carew on if we are 2 or 3 up.

Kinetic^

What a save!!

JPA

Kinetic^ wrote: »

What a save!!

Brilliant. He wins you matches.


This veetle is one of the best streams I've ever used.


MUST.JOIN.MARINES.

Esse85

The fcukin ref

Kinetic^

Decent spell now, need to keep up the pressure.

JPA

Gardner playing well.

Davies booked.


Carew Carew is on, Gardner off.

Kinetic^

Come on Carew!!!

Esse85

Big John is on.

Kinetic^

Terrible decision by the linesman, no way did Heskey foul him.

Kinetic^

Holy crap, what do we have to do to score?!

Esse85

Jus not our day.

Villain

Well it was just one of those days, Wigan are a decent side but we should have got a goal, at least Arsenal drawed as well

Neil3030

OMFG MON OUT. TERRIBLE F**KING RESULT. ARSENAL SLIP UP AND WE CAN ONLY DRAW AT HOME TO WIGAN. WHAT THE F***. MON HASN'T GOT A CLUE HOW TO MANAGE A TOP TEAM. SACK HIM NOW!! ACTUALLY, BLOW UP THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM!!