Tayls

Collins was shaky for me. poor passing and poor defending. Still, first game back and all that.

Was you even at the game? He was phenomenal! Both him and Dunne were excellent.

Their goal was just the whole team switching off for a second, Young shouldn't have allowed their player the amount of space he had to cross the ball and Warnock and Dunne should have tracked Gamst-Pedersen better.. And you could also argue the cross was close enough for Given to come out and get..

But, Collins was fantastic

Haha - has anyone ever made a villa match day friend??

Problem is, bet most of you are season ticket holders so wouldn't have consistency lol. Tempted to go along at some stage this season just to try and enjoy a game. Where is the best place to sit for some banter and people who are welcoming to others. Where I tend to sit on the DE stand isn't so great. Imagine the holte is difficult to get into unless I have an ST?

I'd loved to have brought an ST for this season... But I simply have no 1 to go with. Tempted to go alone next season and think screw it, but I decided against it this year. I wasn't put off by the appointment of McLeish, the sale of Young and Downing, the lies we have been told... Didn't bother me!

Just wanna watch the team play. Managed to convince my dad to come with me for the game on Saturday against Blackburn. But can't imagine him wanting to come to more than 10 this season... And the gf won't and I don't have any Villa supporting mates. :/

Can we buy Alan??

**** - good goal. 1-0 Braga

What a ball...

Good to see someone having a go at their defence. Midfield looking really good! Kit looks cool as well.

Hi General

How's business?

Just a couple of things I would like to discuss with you, let me know if there's a meeting room we can perhaps use at VP anytime so we can go into greater depth and I will free up some time from work to come over. In the mean time I will share my concerns via this site... and you can respond in your next post if it's easier. :/

Ok, you have probably read it a thousand times already, but quite simply... Why arnt we going to invest any further in the squad? We know now that no further business will be done which is shocking to say the least. The last 2 games were poor. Most recently vs Derby, it really shouldnt matter if we played a weaker team because so did they. Our front line included Makoun, Albrighton, Bannan, Ireland and Bent... That really should have got us a goal or two... Those are players we will expect to be in the starting line up next season. Our Midfield needs some addressing... Would you not agree? All them players are great.. And I'm glad they are Aston Villa but if certain line ups don't work who we will we have to compete for places? Reo-Coker being released should not have happaned.

Ooo, good news, I'm looking at getting my first season ticket with my dad, I dont really do any father son things with him so I'm looking forward to spending some time with him watching the Villa. He's not really a football man but he took me to a couple of games around my birthday when I was a lot younger. Should be good!

I like forward to your views on the above.

But the thing with Clark is that he's not yet a guaranteed starter. Our CBs are Dunne and Collins. Clark shouldn't play DM as I think he is less effective there.

There is no way the captaincy should come from the midfield, as there is nobody there inspiring enough. Same with Upfront... Bent and Gabby are not captain material. So that leaves us with defence and keeper - Given is brand new and shouldn't be given it yet (plus I don't really like goalie captains) so that really only leaves us with Dunne. Which, I will be happy with.

Because N'Zogbia is a guaranteed starter - but saying that no way should/will he be captain...

Dunne.

I was quite happy with Ireland, seemed to want the ball a lot more than any of our so called midfield. Delph was atrocious, Petrov did ok, but he's not the greatest of midfielders technically so he was just used as a wall which didnt really work out either.

I don't know what people are moaning at Ireland for... How was he supposed to do anything when he had Heskey/Delfoneso on the left wing and Albrighton who was no match for Zhirkov unfortunately...and Gabby upfront who spent most of his time in our half!

The problem is we don't play out from our defence enough. You look at what Chelsea were doing the defenders were playing up the field and then passing it onto the midfield well into our half before then trying to do some damage with the strikers. Where as our guys get the ball then shout "ave it" as the ball goes out of play.

So, once the rest of the team actually learn how to play football, Ireland will be great.

442 is the only formation we should play. Delfoneso/Heskey/Gabby should stay clear of the wings!!

I'd just like to thank Chelsea for allowing the people of HK and us back home to watch Chelsea train... it's been great.

It has been dreadful but try not to get to disheartened if we lose here... This is about fitness and getting the team playing some games together. This is our third game of the pre-season and we have already beaten a premier league team. Chelsea have been out in HK longer than us so have had longer to acclimatise aswell.

Don't forget, this probably won't be the way we play come the start of the season and we still have our new signing, N'Zogbia to fit in as well.

This is fine, let's just support the team for **** sakes.

You missed Guzan!!

How come he didn't play today?

We're getting N'Zogbia, we're getting N'Zogbia

He's gonna sign for villa, he's gonna sign for villa

He's gonna sign for Villllllaaaaaaaa

So say some of us!

Thought I'd bring a slightly different approach!

Let's play a game... From now on in this thread, we speak in song! Until there is a resolve to this N'Zogbia issue. Then we will see who is signing...

Hi General how's things going state side?

Looking forward to the new season and seeing the results of our pre season games. Hope we win that cup

Not really that fussed if we sign a whole new team or not- I do love the whole transfer window thing when it involves us and I always feel proud when we see the pictures of the new signing and they say how great our facilities and everyrhing are. Makes me happy.

It would be great to see a new signing soon, the man who will replace one of the guys we sold, the same guys we were proud to have as players for the past few seasons. I'm happy for Young, he gave us, what, 4 years? Did a great job, he deserves to go and play for the champions. Downing, did ok last year in a time that was full of problems, but only gave us a year and a half and then thought he was too good... He won't be getting any thanks from me. £20million was great business if that is indeed how much we got for him. Well played on that.

What I am struggling to understand is, we have identified the man AM wants, but not working quickly to get it done, get said player bonding with the team and learning Mr McLeish's philosophy. But, there we go, that's your guys job to bring the talent in.

I like how things are going at the moment, making changes to Villa Park etc etc... It all looks good and I too am excited to see what our team can really do next season... I think Ireland can be a massive player for us and of course Bent and Albrighton I am expecting big things from. I really wanna see the defence tighten up like we did a couple of seasons ago... Since we lost, I think 7-1 to Chelsea, we have been dreadful at the back. But, we have a new and I think better all round keeper (don't get me wrong Brad Friedel was great and I'm gutted we didn't retain him till he retired and have him become a coach or something) and Dunne and Collins in the centre with Warnock and Young on the flanks. Pretty solid really! No need for loads of goals to be leaked.

Where I think we struggle most is the centre of Midfield - very lightweight, no real ball winners who will take it and then make a sweet pass to split defences. We need that man. maybe Makoun is that man... Hope so.

Where do you think we need to improve General, based on last year and what you have seen so far?

General - I think I'm one of a few people who actually read and understood what Mcleish was saying - but please correct me if I'm wrong.

What he said was - "one more before start of the season, then we will asses again" (not the exact quote but pretty much). What this means is, we will bring in another player to start the season with us, and if it sill shows that we are short/struggling or even *touch wood* a player gets injured then we will look for some further business before the close of the window. is that, or is that not correct?

If it's not - then ok, fine... We will go with what we have, SUPPORT the club, and go from there.

Cheers Gen!

He aint signed yet! Howcome people jumping ahead?!

Gazton posted " Welcome, Seamus." ...........He's signed.. well Gazton posting that is good enough for me.

To be fair, Ireland signed several days after "welcome Stephen"

Fair enough...

Any Charles', Scott's or Alan's back there Gazton??

He aint signed yet! Howcome people jumping ahead?!

If posters want to share their own financial status that's fine, but to have in depth knowledge of whether AVFC, RL or the cleaners have or don't have a huge transfer kitty is like having a discussion on the merits of religious belief. We do not know. I am personally sick and tired of reading people spouting off about pots and piss. Wait for your comment on September 1st etc.

I think the poster you refer to above is an Everton fan.

ANd they most definitely do not have a pot to piss in!

Sadly true, which is why the reports of our bid for N'Zogbia made me chuckle.

We haven't bought a first team player for nearly 2 years!

The Zog will be in claret and blue next season, hope he does well and you enjoy a better season than last.

What part of the team would you put Bent in then?

Edit: just re-read. Your an Everton fan!

I'm pretty sure you have brought a player in two years?!

Yayy - recon we will have a PC for this one? Or do Given and N'Zogbia simultaneously?

Have we signed him yet?!

Omg Liverpool have just signed CNZ for £11.25million!!!

I didn't stand a chance I only got 4mill to start with!! I'm going with what iv got people!!!