Aston Villa Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2013/14

Synode

Good man CSF. Love the name.

If anyone else is interested get in before kick-off

CSF

To be honest, if BT/Setanta weren't showing Villa on the first day, I totally wouldn't have just wasted my money on the package. WHAT HAVE I DONE???????

Synode

Is it €16 a month? That and Sky Sports would set you back €50 a month. Madness

JPA

Synode wrote: »

It's Bentekkers (Boards name: ????????)

That's me!

matrim

Synode wrote: »

Combustible Lemons (Boards name: ?????????)

Me

Synode

We have the ten so. Can't see if anyone else has joined as the league is updating.

If anyone else wants in, they can post their team name here before 12:45pm, and join when it re-opens. After 12:45pm it's closed to new players.

I'll send a private mail once we know who Benteke the beast is.

Patser

Aston Villa: Guzan, Lowton, Vlaar, Baker, Luna, El Ahmadi, Westwood, Delph, Weimann, Benteke, Agbonlahor.

Subs: Okore, Clark, Bacuna, Helenius, Steer, Bowery, Tonev

Just looking at that squad and are we a bit light on midfielders? Tonev is our only out and out midfielder on that bench right. I know Clark could fill in but what is Bacuna's preferred position? I also know Sylla is out with a minor injury. Just if one of our defensive minded mids liuke Delph or KEA was to get injured, who'd replace him.

Also that settles the Clark, Baker, Okore question at least til Okore gets more match fitness

Bounty Hunter

Patser wrote: »

Aston Villa: Guzan, Lowton, Vlaar, Baker, Luna, El Ahmadi, Westwood, Delph, Weimann, Benteke, Agbonlahor.

Subs: Okore, Clark, Bacuna, Helenius, Steer, Bowery, Tonev

Just looking at that squad and are we a bit light on midfielders? Tonev is our only out and out midfielder on that bench right. I know Clark could fill in but what is Bacuna's preferred position? I also know Sylla is out with a minor injury. Just if one of our defensive minded mids liuke Delph or KEA was to get injured, who'd replace him.

Also that settles the Clark, Baker, Okore question at least til Okore gets more match fitness

Bacuna is a midfielder, an attacking one though who can also play on the wing as far as i know. I do think we are light in CM however and looking at that bench I wonder if Clark would be considerd the DM replacement if one was required

LeBash

Didnt see Baker getting the nod but back 4 service from last season is reasumed

Patser

LeBash wrote: »

Didnt see Baker getting the nod but back 4 service from last season is reasumed

Just as you were typing that Baker was going off injured with Clark replacing him, so the position is back up for grabs depending on Okore getting match fitness, how bad Baker's injury is, if Clark can lay down a marker here and wether Vlaar switched the hell on, he hasn't been great so far

CSF

Well eh that was fantastic.

remoteboy

Top of the league!

Just 37 more points to go then I'll start to relax.

Synode

Couldn't have asked for a better start. Benteke taking up where he left off.

We probably need to do something about all the yellow cards. We'll have too many sending offs over the season if they keep that up

Bounty Hunter

hard to believe after going behind after 5mins but what a game. Easy to go overboard after such a match but Lambert seems to have really gotten this group playing for each other and I honestly would not be surprised if Benteke was the Prems top scorer this season

Doodee

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

hard to believe after going behind after 5mins but what a game. Easy to go overboard after such a match but Lambert seems to have really gotten this group playing for each other and I honestly would not be surprised if Benteke was the Prems top scorer this season

I think the team is well used to going a goal down at this stage :pac:
Was a solid performance. Some rather hair raising moments where I was certain Arsenal would get back into it. Some luck for Villa too.
Result should ease the burden on the next 2 games.

UTV!

COYVB

Fantastic win. 36% of possession in that game according to the post match stats. Amazing stuff

I thought we were very poor up top apart from Gabby though. Tekkers didn't look interested at all, and still got 2 goals. Good start, but I fully expect we'll be brought back down to earth on Wednesday

listermint

That was great. Even put money in my pocket on Benteke to score two. Thank you VERY much

Synode

COYVB wrote: »

Tekkers didn't look interested at all, and still got 2 goals

Sign of a genius. Only saw the second half and our counter attacking was great. He could easily have had a hat trick

cathalio11

Popping in as an Arsenal fan. Once again, everyone seems like decent, humble supporters.

Naturally, I was very upset with the referee today but these things happen.

Koscielny was sent off for 2 tackles, one of which was where he touched the ball (given as penalty) and then Vlaar got away with a clear bookable tackle.

That's enough of complaining about the referee though. Villa were decent. Delph was very good and Gabby showed some great magic to get them back in the game. Without that, I feel Arsenal would have cruised home with 11 men.

Benteke didn't look great, honestly. But we couldn't have lost to a more respectable team.

As for fantasy, had Benteke, Giroud and Luna. Thrilled in that respect. I must thank a couple of lads from this thread for assuring me that Luna would start.

I also had Koscielny

djPSB

Excellent performance from Villa.

Delighted for Lambert, important to remember that alot of people wanted rid of him when Villa weren't going well last season.

Glad he got the time to turn things around and he assembled a nice team.

rebelomar

Good win today. One point though where we could improve is to hold into the ball for longer. We don't need to try and launch a lightning quick counter attack every time we win the ball.

Guzan is a culprit here. We nees to pick our battles in this respect. We do have players who are good enough on the ball to mix and match our play.

Clark's distribution though is truly woeful. Did well defensively but my God his passing.

We def improved defensively as the game went on. Luna looks an upgrade on Bennett and took his goal really well.

basillarkin

Any word on how long Baker will be out for?

CSF

cathalio11 wrote: »

Popping in as an Arsenal fan. Once again, everyone seems like decent, humble supporters.

Naturally, I was very upset with the referee today but these things happen.

Koscielny was sent off for 2 tackles, one of which was where he touched the ball (given as penalty) and then Vlaar got away with a clear bookable tackle.

That's enough of complaining about the referee though. Villa were decent. Delph was very good and Gabby showed some great magic to get them back in the game. Without that, I feel Arsenal would have cruised home with 11 men.

Benteke didn't look great, honestly. But we couldn't have lost to a more respectable team.

As for fantasy, had Benteke, Giroud and Luna. Thrilled in that respect. I must thank a couple of lads from this thread for assuring me that Luna would start.

I also had Koscielny

The ref got the 2nd peno decision wrong and therefore got the first yellow card wrong also. I think Arsenal fans are overdoing it though, because there were a number of legitimate major decisions that went against them also and they are adding those to their frustration. Ref didn't have that bad a game. Just got the Koscielny peno wrong and it was a difficult call to be honest but he should have erred on the side of caution anyway.

COYVB

looking at the replay, i think he actually got the 2nd pen right. look at kos taking gabby's standing leg out from under him before he gets to the ball

cathalio11

It was definitely a penalty decision that was so hard to call. Apparently the linesman claimed that he didn't award the penalty so maybe some consultation was needed. Nonetheless, it was not the most blatant of errors.

Delph looked really good and for the first time, in my eyes, lived up to his transfer fee from Leeds. Obviously injuries delayed this.

I'd love to see Villa nick a few points against Chelsea and Liverpool. Maybe another Benteke goal and a Luna hattrick

COYVB

delph was great for the latter past of last season too. can't see us getting anything from chelsea, but we might be able to get a win against liverpool. 6 points from those opening 3 games would be absolutely incredible

G.K.

How was El Ahmadi today?

COYVB

G.K. wrote: »

How was El Ahmadi today?

very solid

rebelomar

COYVB wrote: »

very solid

There is def a decent player in him...maybe he needs a run of games to find his real form. Good passer and his tackling was much crisper today than last season

COYVB

i think he just struggled to adapt to the league last season. looked a lot better today though

LeBash

rebelomar wrote: »

There is def a decent player in him...maybe he needs a run of games to find his real form. Good passer and his tackling was much crisper today than last season

Hopefully he is just a late bloomer.

CSF

Having watched MOTD that was a definite pen.

mirwillbeback

Synode wrote: »

Benteke the beast (Boards name: ?????????)
It's Bentekkers (Boards name: ????????)

I am Benteke the Beast mate, let me know how to fix u up

circadian

Judging by MOTD we're very sharp attacking, defence needs a little work but that counter looks great.

Corholio

It was a penalty. Kos knocked Gabby's foot with trailing leg and dont know how much of a touch he got with the tackle anyway.

matrim

I just had a horrible thought. Last season

Liverpool 1 - 3 Villa

Next game

Chelsea 8 - 0 Villa

This year

Arsenal 1 - 3 Villa

Next game

Chelsea - Villa

I really hope we don't see a repeat

CSF

matrim wrote: »

I just had a horrible thought. Last season

Liverpool 1 - 3 Villa

Next game

Chelsea 8 - 0 Villa

This year

Arsenal 1 - 3 Villa

Next game

Chelsea - Villa

I really hope we don't see a repeat

Haha. Could be 10-0 Chelsea though and would still represent a return from the first 2 games that most of us would have snapped your hands off for

Bounty Hunter

I think we might see some rotation from Chelsea against Villa, considering like Villa they will have already had a game this week and they have Utd up next. Still really formidable and I honestly would not expect anything from the game but id prefer to face Moses, Schurrle & de Bruyne than Mata, Hazard & Oscar. Similarily I wouldnt be shocked to see Torres start against us instead of Lukaku

Neil3030

If I remember correctly... weren't Villa the last team to beat Chelsea before Mourinho left the first time... I distinctly remember a 2-0 win with Mou fecking off from the stadium after the 2nd goal went in. Not 100% sure whether it was his last game or not but was around that time.

jimmy the car

Is it being televised at all does anyone know?

COYVB

Neil3030 wrote: »

If I remember correctly... weren't Villa the last team to beat Chelsea before Mourinho left the first time... I distinctly remember a 2-0 win with Mou fecking off from the stadium after the 2nd goal went in. Not 100% sure whether it was his last game or not but was around that time.

It was I think. We had a penchant for sacking managers for a while

O.A.P

I hope the special one dont hold grudges
1-1 you saw it here first

Neil3030

Hopefully we get the second half Chelsea, and not the first half Chelsea, from today's game.

Could be the difference between sneaking a draw and losing 223 nil.

OneColdHand

Neil3030 wrote: »

Hopefully we get the second half Chelsea, and not the first half Chelsea, from today's game.

Could be the difference between sneaking a draw and losing 223 nil.

Second half Chelsea were only like that cos of first half Chelsea.

In other words, once they were 2 goals up, I think they will just be happy to hold it at that.

Neil3030

So someone just hack into the Stamford Bridge system and put 2-0 up on the scoreboard, and we're laughing :cool:

Feidhlim

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

I think we might see some rotation from Chelsea against Villa, considering like Villa they will have already had a game this week and they have Utd up next. Still really formidable and I honestly would not expect anything from the game but id prefer to face Moses, Schurrle & de Bruyne than Mata, Hazard & Oscar. Similarily I wouldnt be shocked to see Torres start against us instead of Lukaku

Was Mata not on the bench against Hull? Which would suggest he starts against us?

In any case, the team we play on Wednesday will be stronger than Arsenal were...

Feidhlim

Kendrick just confirmed Baker will probably miss Wednesday and Saturday games

Looks like Clark is preferred to Okore right now

Neil3030

Okore is still coming back from injury, no?

jimmy the car

Neil3030 wrote: »

Okore is still coming back from injury, no?

Well he was on the bench on Sat wherther he was ever going to get game time is another matter, I'd far rather him to Clark on Wed, I just fear every time I see Clark that he's going to give away a free/get booked that will cost us big time....

OneColdHand

Feidhlim wrote: »

Was Mata not on the bench against Hull? Which would suggest he starts against us?

Maybe not. Mourinho will want a full strength team to face united next weekend, so maybe he'll put out a weaker team against us?! I'm definately grasping at straws here!!