villa-revolution

Bottom Line is we hit the post more when Bannan plays.

I've read articles where he gets credit for setting up the Weimann - Benteke counter-attack goal against Liverpool. Also the Reading game, where he got into the right position to get a shot on goal, which was on target enough to bounce back into a dangerous position for one of our strikers to score. Composed. Composure is hitting the post? Is that subjective or objective? It was a reactive, instinctive flick toward goal. He had no time to think about it. It was composed in the sense that he found the target, which is the shooter's first main objective. If you hit the target good things happen. Hitting the post does not constitute as a shot on target though. What about hitting a barn door? Emile Ivanhoe Heskey had this off to a fine art. Especially off of a Bannan Hollywooder!

Every time I hear Bannan's name in the team it fills me with dread & I instantly fear the worst. He is so lightwight it's unreal & he looks as if a Bambi style type tackle could snap him in half every single time. He just bounces off opposition players similar to a cow swatting a fly off his backside. Most of the time they don't even notice that he is there & plough straight through him. His set piece delivery is just plain awful as he always floats the ball in giving defenders time to adjust, instead of whipping them in & mixing them up occasionally. I remember the Reading game at home where Bannan did this all evening long without any positive results. Then, 10 mins from time Westwood swings over his first corner & hey presto! Benteke lights up Villa Park. Bannan's ball retention is good (except for when he is attemting those Hollywood passes) & although he has been guilty of switching off occasionally with some seriously horrendous misplaced passes, to be fair to him he is no more guilty of others for this tragic overall sloppiness that runs throughout the team. It is the rest of his game then allied to this that make him such a liability. Daft thing is, imagine if there were 2 Bannan's in the team (God forbid!) ala Xavi & Iniesta. It could well be that then, & only then, would you be able to unlock his undoubted footballing potential. Hopefully Lambo isn't thinking along those lines though otherwise I'll throw myself in Gas St Basin now!

Good job it's not that fat prat Dowd!

Did you know he has the best passing rate in the whole world, or something like that? I think you have all been Con-ned!!

If they were 39 I would have said yeah .. but 40 and with their GD I don't think so .. Because if you want Fulham to go Down .. We need to beat Sunderland and Norwich + Getting something from Chelsea .. Stoke to Beat Norwich and Draw with Sunderland .. Sunderland to win Southampton .. Southampton to win Stoke or Spurs or West Brom .. Newcastle to win and draw in their coming game .. Norwich to win one game .. Wigan to win 3 and draw one .. + Fulham to lose all !! We might be in a little danger if we were 40 because of the GD .. But I think they don't have to ! Lol .. When I read my posts .. I realize that I spend a lot of time staring at the fixtures and the table ! I don't want Fulham to be relegated, unless ofcourse it was a straight choice between us & them. As your thorough research shows it would take a set of highly improbable results to occur for that to happen. All I am saying is just how crazy it would be if such a scenario actually played itself out. plus,Imagine Villa & Wigan winning this weekend/monday & Newcastle,Southampton & Fulham all losing while Stoke & Norwich draw, The pressure is going to cause meltdown!

Wouldn't it be just crazy if a team currently on 40pts ie Fulham thinking they were safe & completely out of it still ended up going down!

I'm going 2-1 win with our heroes coming from behind. I can see Darren Bent coming off the bench to dramatically snatch a late winner after Benteke's equaliser. I would play Westwood Sylla & KEA in the middle. (Do note rate Delph as he is reckless in the tackle & dribbles the ball in dangerous positions just in font of our back 4.) Would also go Gabby, Bent & Benteke from the off but no doubt Lambo will choose Weimann over Bent which most people appear to be comfortable with. (Can live with this but would still prefer Bent)

I am not surprised only one poster has come forward so far saying he expects us to get 2 clean sheets from the last 4 games. Because of our Collective defensive weakness I am going as follows. Sunderland (H) win 2-1 Norwich (A) Draw 2-2 Chelsea (H) Lose 2-1 Wigan (A) Draw 1-1 Hence 5pts & no clean sheets. Will it be enough? Yes! But only time will tell.

I think it's ridiculous to expect them to win every game left but I don't think it's ridiculous to think they might cause one or two upsets. Why are people expecting them to do that, and expecting us to pick up next to nothing? Wigan's secret is simple. Because they are such a small club there is no pressure on them so they stay calm & only ever play each game at a time.They do not look ahead & brick it like we do when they see fixtures like Manure & Chelski on the immediate horizon. If they lose 8-0 it has absolutely no effect on them whatsoever. They simply kick off the next week again with the exact same mind set that Martinez has instilled in them & just continue to play. This explains why their results are so unpredictable unpredictable. Their most important weapon in their arsenal is the totally destructive psychological effect that their unexpected wins do to blow the mind set of those struggling in & around them. Once you understand this you also know this psychological damage is also being heavily inflicted on Sunderland, Stoke & Norwich. Bear all this in mind if Wigan do turn Spurs over (God forbid) & we crash & burn Sunderland. The pressure is going to be enormous & last season's lessons show that it was Bolton (Bookies favourite's to survive) who ultimately went down It's all about keeping your nerve & letting others blow their washing machines trying to clean out the skid marks in their underwear! The fact we have such a young side paradoxically may help us. These lads play without fear & the kit man assures me ALL underpants are claret & blue only & skid mark free!

This is my fear. I don't think there's any chance they will actually "throw" any games. I do think the West Brom fans' support for their team may be a bit "tepid" if they think a Wigan win could help to send us down, so I suppose there's a danger that could rub off on the team's performance. I also worry that West Brom won't exactly be on a leash in these games but that is just a fear that most fans share I would imagine. Logically, I believe the Albion fans would take great delight in helping our demise but fortunately I believe the West Brom Management & players will not share this view & will adopt a professional approach to these games. Bottom line though is that if we take care of business ourselves we simply won't have to worry about Wigan, West brom, or anybody else for that matter.

Absolutely love it when our over seas fans turn up. Really looking forward to spotting you all at VP monday night. Have you any special plans? ie Will you all be wearing King Olof Mellberg masks? Etc Etc These guys are setting the perfect example & as the OP say, it's absolutely vital that every fan & his dog get's their arse down to VP for this match & shouts themselves completely hoarse in backing our claret & blue heroes throughout! It's gonna' be insane! We'll be drunk and loud. No, seriously I don't know. I know we sometimes have a swedish flag with Villa Sweden written on it, but we don't always bring it. We brought it last year so I hope and think we'll bring it again. Usually we're seated on the Holte, and I quess we'll be there again this year. And if you're at the Holte just listen for a group of people who says "bork bork" all the time and that's us. :-P Absolutely magic guys! Please, please bring the Villa Sweden flag & drape it over the Holte End for all to see & to hopefully bring us good luck. I will be on the North Stand so will definitely be looking out for it Also, can you guys chant "Bork! Bork!" as loud as possible, every time we hit the back of the net. I hope to hear this rendition on multiple occasions! Similarly, all other members of the `chosen few` please also bring as many scarves, hats, balloons, flags etc etc & get behind the boys in claret & blue. Our Club needs you! FACT!!

Absolutely love it when our over seas fans turn up. Really looking forward to spotting you all at VP monday night. Have you any special plans? ie Will you all be wearing King Olof Mellberg masks? Etc Etc These guys are setting the perfect example & as the OP say, it's absolutely vital that every fan & his dog get's their arse down to VP for this match & shouts themselves completely hoarse in backing our claret & blue heroes throughout! It's gonna' be insane!

If staying in this division means having to go through this experience again next season, BRING IT ON!! 1. Because it means we have survived. 2. Because logic from this therefore dictates that a similar experience means we would also survive again next season. Finally, i'm sure few posters have enjoyed this season unless they are masochists. There is absolutely no positives in relegation. None!

It's now 24 consecutive Premier League games that we have failed to keep a clean sheet. This problem effectively means that we need to score at least once in a match in order to get something or at least twice in order to secure all 3 pts. This problem has blighted us all season. PL must be tearing his hair out on the training ground trying to tighten us up & rectify this problem & i'm sure some fans see it as solely as a weakness in defence, whilst others a weakness in midfield that allows our back 4 to be exposed. Most probably it is a combination of both. Take Van Persie's second goal against us as an example. Rooney, goal side of both Westwood & Delph & in acres of space, is allowed the freedom of the park to pick out VP's run with a 40 yard pass that instantly took out Vlaar & Baker who positionally were perhaps 10 yards further up the pitch than they needed to be? Had they been deeper, Guzan would have probably been able to intercept any attemted penetrive ball. Here too, the question must be asked, although a great shot stopper, is Guzan any good at marshalling & regularly communicating with the back 4 to keep them on their toes? Maybe it's a formation problem? Would we be better off at playing Benteke upfront on his own & playing 5 in Midfield? Or maybe, away from home, we should just get everyone behind the ball & defend with all we have got & try & nick a goal on the break? Ultimately, you win together & you lose together. In other words, the problem as I see it, is as a collective. Absolutely nobody could criticise the work rate of the Gabster in getting back in trying to win the ball for us or Benteke's ability to hold it up. However, moves break down & possession is nine tenths of the law, so we can only reasonably expect 50% of possession in most games in any case. Can we keep a clean sheet at all again this season as it may well prove to be the key to our survival? My prediction, & I hope I am wrong is that we won't. Here's why: Sunderland (H) - Are a counter attacking side who are quick on the break & in Sessegnon & Johnson have players who can exploit our COLLECTIVE defensive weaknesses. Norwich (A) - Norwich to me, appear to play all their matches as if they are the away side. They are well organised & well drilled. The main danger here a I see it is our inability to confidently deal with set pieces especially when their Central Defenders are up in our box for cornrer kicks. Chelsea (H) - I won't even offer up any explanations here for obvious reasons! Wigan (A) - This potentially is going to be one of the most nerve wracking games any Villa fan has ever witnessed. Wigan tend to play in front of you, like to keep possession & try & work the perfect opening. Due to nerves, our being pulled out of position, losing concentration etc etc I can't see us not conceding here at some point. The good news is that in Benteke, Bent, Weimann, Agbonlahor & N'Zogbia we hopefully have players that can out score most of the above opponents & the team have also shown in recent weeks that we do have the ability to come from behind. The real problem however is our inability to keep clean sheets & our inability to hold on to leads. Over the next 4 games, how are we going to solve this major, major headache & is any body brave enough to suggest any game or games here that this highly coveted clean sheet is likely to happen?

This time last season we were definitely under a downward spiral & never looked like winning another match. At least this time around we can take heart & encouragement in the fact that Lambert will take the fight to the opposition & will try to win matches. Staying up is all about winning matches & we have proved in recent weeks that we are more than capable of doing this. Keep The Faith!

What exactly was said in the huddle prior to our latest debacle at the theatre of screams last night? Beats Me!

Anybody know how the following hypothetical scenario is resolved? On the final day of the season only Villa & Wigan can still go down. We beat Wigan 3-0. This effectively means both teams have identical records, games won, drawn, lost & goals scored & conceded & both teams have the exact same score against eachother in the head to head. How is this resolved? Is it a one off decider & if so where would it be played? Finally, could your heart & nerves stand it?

Because I am so tense I actually went to bed last night to try & dream tonights result. The ensuing dream then allowed me to view the result in the following mornings paper. Sadly, we lost the game 3-1, but oddly Ronaldo was listed as one of their scorers! The last time I dreamt a result was against Sunderland in 1976 in which I saw Alex cropley score the winning goal in the 76th minute at Roker Park. Guess what? That's exactly what happened! Weird or what? Anyway, if my dream does prove prophetic at least it will be one more goal in the plus column which could prove vital in the greater scheme of things. I am also disgusted to see that this evenings ref is from Greater Manchester, as if Manure don't have every thing else going for them. On a more a more positive note, if Wigan fail to get 3 more points this season & QPR plus Reading draw this weekend, who knows we may already be safe without knowing it ,but typically for Villa fans, are just left having to endure the agony of awaiting it's confirmation right to the last kick of the season. NB I am not saying this is what's going to happen, only suggesting that it is a possibility.

Yes, we have had a right good kickin' this last couple of matches & we've all had to put up with all the after 8 jokes etc etc etc from the unwashed etc etc, but you know what? I'm dead proud to be a Villa fan & always will be. Even if we were in the blue square. com league we'd still easily be the BIGGEST Club in the Midlands by far. Losing matches DOES HURT & so it should. That said, I always find our monopoly of losing in the last minute more gut wrenching than a game that is done & dusted before half time. The point here though is for all true Villa supporters to stamp, scream & shout for all you are worth & get behind Paul Lambert & our boys & cheer them up the table & to Wembley glory. Your club needs you now like never before. Keep The Faith!

David Villa that is! Don't get me wrong because he is a terrific player that I would just love to see on our playing staff but how many times do you enthusiastically come accross a Villa headline in your daily rag only to disappointingly discover that it is about him & not our Villa heroes? Fleet Street et al please note accordingly :bang: - thank you!

Merry Xmas to all Villa supporters & VT Posters. I am pretty sure that we all need our VT fix throughout the year & especially so in times of trauma when our beloved claret & blue heroes are under performing & savagely being beaten. I have created this thread as a bit of light hearted fun The rules are simple. In reverse order, please nominate who? In your considered opinion, should receive the VT Poster of the year award for 2012. Please note also NB NB ** - Only consider posters worthy of this award as I do not want this thread degenerating into the WORST POSTER as that can be opened in another thread if deemed appropriate by the MODS! Therefore, deep breath, here goes: In 3rd place, please step forward Woody Tom, the Villa Talk poster whose posts always provide the voice of reason . In second place, and for his constant undying wit & wicked & irreverent sense of humour please step forward Gareth RDR. Finally, for his no nonsense bluntness & telling it like it is, please step forward & humbly collect your award as my VT Poster of the year Award 2012 .......Crackpot Foriegner - The Wizard of Oz! Happy New Year To All

This is not an I'm a better fan than you thread, far from it, however, due to age, it could be construed as I'm a longer Villa fan than you thread. I watched my first ever Villa game in August 1968, a 1-0 home win against Bristol City & I have seen every Villa home game since. There was a time in the mid seventies to late 80's when I would religiously follow the Villa all over the country, normally at least 17 away games per season. I actually stopped going to away games when the F A in their infinite wisdom decided that the home team would keep all the gate reciepts because I simply refused to financially support any other club. Anyway, the point I am coming to is this - I reckon on average I must have seen Villa play at least 30 times per season over this past 44 years. That means I have now seen 44 X 30 = 1320 matches + Everton, Tranmere, Swansea, & "The Boggies" matches tat home this season so thats roughly an estimated 1324 matches all told. So, do other fans know exactly or roughly how many times they have watched our claret & blue heroes? Do you keep count? Over to you.

At this early stage of the season I am amazed to discover that there already exists a relegation thread on VT. What is the matter? Has Gobby Savage secretly signed up to sabotage VillaTalk & sneaked past the Mods in order to try & put every one on a downer? The majority of Villa fans that I have spoken to give me the impression that a mid table finish would be more than acceptable in Lambo No. 5's first season in charge. However, the general constant feeling that exists in the game from outside sources about our beloved Aston Villa F. C. & the expectation of the fan base is that we should target a top 6 finish as a minimum requirement every season & rightly so. Therefore, why should this season be any different? My own personal view is that PL needs time for his ideas to be fully implemented & similarly it will take more than a few transfer windows to fully carry out the reconstruction now necessary to hopefully bring us the success that we all crave, deserve & hopefully realize. I think that it will initially take Lambo more than half the season to finally turn our great old Club around & I predict that we may incur some heart breaking results along the way. However, after Xmas, I fully expect the new identity of our club & it's playing style to begin to evolve & burst out from this embryonic stage. The true hallmark of a PL team is that it just doesn't know when it is beaten & goes all out on the attack. These facets were distinctly & sadly absent against West Ham in the opening game as everyone at Villa Park quickly need time to adjust to the Paul Lambert dispensation. Additionally, we were also absent due to injury of the undoubted attacking speed & prowess that the Gabster will provide upon his return to fitness & Marc Albrighton's ability to beat a man & get decent crosses & service into Darren Bent & which ever other striker turns up at Villa Park before deadline day. The bottom line is that I see absolutely no reason why we can't qualify for the Europa Leage spots available this season, especially so if we are able to build up a late head of steam like this saturdays opponents Everton always seem to do & obviously if PL has worked the magic oracle. Remember too that reaching one of the domestic Cup Finals can also sometimes be enough to qualify for Europe so why not. Finally, given that this season's Premier League title race appears to be a 3 horse race between the Mancs & Chelski, and given that Arsenal & Liverpool are in decline & the jury is definitely out on AVB who is to say that even a 4th spot & Champions League Qualification are not beyond the realms of possibility for any club that gets it's act together? Anyway, for now, the Europa League is my minim expectation & this is the thread. AVFC4EVER

Ruddy Hell! As earlier poster reminded us all, Ruddy was responsible for 2 clangers in one of our very, very few home wins last season. Yes, he played out of his skin at Anfield to earn the Canaries a point but the reality of the situation is that he is too hit & miss for my liking. Shay Given has been an excellent keeper for a long, long time. Easily one of the Premier Leagues finest. However, football is a ruthless game & time & tide wait for no man, so, to be brutally honest, Shay Given is injury prone & over the hill. Worse to, from a Villa Perspective is that he is on our books for a further 4 years at £60 k per week. We really do need to get rid asap if the Club wishes to progress further up the Premier League table. Like other posters I would like to see us swoop for Foster or Robinson & even Al Habsi might not be a bad shout either. The bottom line is we 100% definitely need a new man between the sticks. Go get him Lambo No. 5.