They’re not exactly helping the situation by publicly criticising the players Kev. They have a decent manager who they seem determined to undermine. Morale must be at rock bottom amongst the players.
Thats the league gone for Arsenal. I know its far from mathematically gone, but as ye say, letting in goals like that is just retarded, and shows them to be a bit weak minded. Apparently Nasri missed a sitter just before it.
Cunts cost me a nice bit in accumulator, i’m seething.
Didn’t know they were doing that to be honest.
Macheda may have to save United tonight. I look into fate and on the weekend of Wm 25 he scored the winner against Villa. This is the weekend of Wm 26. Macheda to do it again.
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Great to get a 4.0 up away without your star player. Bolton were in the game till United got the 2nd. Nani and Berbatov did superb. Bring on Bayern!!!
We actually played well in the first half but Collins gave away a very stupid penalty just before the break. After that it was a shambles. MON’s tactical funk at half time saw Gabby move from the right wing to go up front but it seemed he forgot to tell anyone to go right midfield. Sidwell might have been told to go there but he certainly didnt. Almost all the goals came from us being overloaded down the right.
In any case the side is fucked at the moment. Anelka was outstanding today. His movement had Collins and Dunne is a mess. Malouda and Deco were superb aswell.
Very bad result but had a feeling we would get hockeyed today. Steve Sidwell is one useless footballer also.
Thought both flanks of the defence were poor today. Warnock had a stinker and Young obviously lacked match practice. Villa looked decent for the first twenty minutes but gradually imploded. Couldn’t believe the space Chelsea were allowed today. O Neill has to go soon surely?
Didnt think Warnock was that bad. At fault for the first goal I suppose but ball went through Dunne’s legs too. Predictably Joe Cole didnt do much against him and was taken off again. Warnock looked wrecked though as did a lot of players. Thought Luke Young was alright. There is only so much a full back can do if the likes of Zhirkov are running up in support of Malouda and Anelka. Hard to know which of Dunne or Collins was worse. Collins probably marginally. Petrov seemed to have the athletic capability of Christy Heffernan today. Fuck it we had one of these at the same stage last season too the 5-0 at Liverpool.
I’d give MON until the end of the season obviously. But we wont get closer to the Champions League under his stewardship.
isn’t that the issue with O Neill though? Villa always start off well and look like getting into the champions league places and then come March/April they run out of steam? Its been discussed here before but O Neills refusal to rotate his squad is crippling any chance of moving the club up to the next level. Why bother with the likes of Beye and Deplh if you’re going to let them rot in the reserves?
Of course it is. He said at the start of the season that he had learned from the burnout last season. Think Villa used the least amount of players last season. Commentator said today that apart from Stoke, Villa have used the least amount again this season. Any surprise that we are seeing another meltdown?
MON has no strategic vision. He just does not see the bigger picture at all. Look at the state he left Glasgow Celtic and Leicester when he left them too which would worry me if he is kept on at Villa. For home games in particular against weak opposition - like Wolves and Sunderland last week its ample time to see how the likes of Delph, Delfouneso, Davies etc are. If we dropped points giving squad players a chance I wouldnt mind too much. But starting the same tires eleven 3 times in 7 days in nigh on unacceptable imo and ridiculous management. What is the point in buying squad players if you dont give them a chance.
Take Nicky Shorey. He signed him for about 5m. Shorey had been in the EPL 2 years and Ashley Young had destroyed him a few months before signing him. His flaws had been exposed. About six games into his Villa career MON decides his lack of pace on the turn is too much of a flaw and drops him pretty much from then on. Dont get me wrong Shorey is no world beater but he could have played him every now and again. Kept him ticking over and feeling part of the squad. When he actually got a chance towards the end of last season he was decent. While having got a chance at Fulham he now is first choice. Curtis Davies is an inconsistent player but was superb in his last game for the club at Liverpool early in the season. Surely a home game against Wolves is a chance to see how he is and give an injured Dunne a break. But MON keeps flogging the same horses week in week out and here we are again.
Had forgotten about Davies, seemed to be improving before his last injury. Typical of Villa, player gets injured and once he recovers, cant get his place back. Whats the likelihood of Lerner looking to get rid of O Neill though? Will finish in 6/7/8 place. Is Lerner prepared to bankroll another manager? Mark Hughes a possibility?
Ya I wonder. Flano might know if he was a bit trigger happy in the NFL. If by some fluke we got by Chelsea in FA semi it would probably guarantee another year anyway. The Cup runs are masking the fact that the gap to the Champs Lg is getting wider.
Ya Hughes maybe, he would have a point to prove and we would play good football anyway. Not a bad shout actually as he might bring in some of the City misfits but Dunne would hardly be too happy. Hodgson would have to be on shortlist. Ranieri - if he fancied another crack in England. The game isnt exactly awash with money at the moment so if Lerner really flashed the cash and we showed some ambition you wouldnt know who would be interested.
Doubt if Dunne would be too upset, had more of an issue with Garry Cook than Hughes. Ranieri-the Tinkerman-well he would definitely rotate the squad anyway. Would disagree with you on the game not being awash with money, Man City still have loads to spend as do Chelsea, Spurs, possibly Birmingham next season, Utd, Arsenal all have the potential to buy players at £10-15m mark. Not sure Villa would splash that type of cash. Someone like Martin Jol would be an excellent manager if given time but not sure whether he would come back to premiership.
Phillips is some player alright. And to think there are some on here who maintain that Robbie Fowler is a superior striker. What bullshit.
Yeah, great finish from Philips there alright http://www.thefreekick.com/board/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif
Where did I mention the finish Fran? That’s a very Kev move of manipulating a post to suit your own argument.
just saw that villa were beaten 7-1 by that diddy team chelsea that inter beat handsomely a few weeks ago- AS roma hammered inter today so id say then diffrencial between villa & as roma would be huge
Lerner is not a popular figure in Cleveland. He owns one of the worst teams in the NFL. His family were part of a move that saw football leave Cleveland for a few years. His father helped ressurrect it alright, but they have had 8 losing seasons in their last 10. Randy has only been in charge for the last few years, and has only hired 2 coaches. First one was a Patriots assistant, and despite him not making any improvements, he was left there for quite a while. Second and current coach is a dickwad from the Jets, Mangini and he isnt setting things alight either. He has recruited this year tho the former Seahawks coach to oversee the club, so it could be like a director of football coming in and eventually shafting the manager. But he has not been succesful, and has made many bad decisions. He has spent a good bit of money in off season too aquiring new backroom staff.
Saw the first half of the Liverpool game yesterday and that was as well as I have seen them play all season.
Gerrard back into centre midfield alongside Mascherano with Maxi playing off Torres and Babel and Kuyt on the flanks.
Importantly no Lucas.
Great football being played on occasions.
According to Rafa there was a change in ‘tactics’ yesterday where the team was more ‘offensive’. In other words he let them off the leach, just like he did towards the end of last season. Why he doesn’t always play like that beggars belief.
Torres in the papers over the weekend saying what amounts to ‘he’ll stay if Liverpool buy a few more top class players’. Doesn’t he realise that the club is broke?
He was superb yesterday though.