Whatsthismalarky

Another window speny busy doing nothing .

Except we've done more business than half the clubs in the league.

2015 january transfers:

http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/news/news/2014-15/january-transfer-window-2015.html

The only teams to get 2 players in so far are: QPR, Swansea, Leicester.

As far as I know the only teams spending any real money have been Man City for Bony and Sunderland for Defoe.

Remember that Rodriguez pen, well Halsey who gave it said he made a mistake. About a year later.

Was that in his book that the FA and match officials group tried to stop getting published, and then started getting the media to attack his personal life when they couldn't? Having Mark Halsey on BT Sport explaining some of the decisions etc. is quite interesting actually.

One thing I'd like to know is when we're going to be given a penalty for a handball in the box. When was the last time we got given one? I can't remember one since O'neill left, even though there has been incidents like John Terry handballing on the line from Ireland's shot under Mcleish (Ireland then hit in the rebound but its still a red card offence, so why should he get away with it). Also John Terry handballing it with arms held above his head at the start of this season. A couple seasons back (either Houllier or Mcleish) I remember a cross going all the way from the right side, travelling all the way to the left side of the box and hitting a defenders outstreched arm - nothing given. Those are just the obvious stonewall ones I can remember, then there's all the ones from shots/crosses where it hit the arm from a very little distance/ball was travelling very fast which fall under various degrees of 'harsh but I've seen them given'.

On the the hand we have for example Man City game with Weimann literally not touching the ball and its given. Same game Bannan's handball was very harsh (didn't he slip and the ball hit his arm as he fell or something? I forget). Then Clark this season I can see why it was given but it was a harsh decision. There has been a few handballs from us where we got away without a penalty, but I just can't remember the last time we got a handball decision like that give us a penalty.

I've always thought Lambert brought him in to add a bit more height and muscle to the team against the more physical sides. He started against west ham and stoke last season and we won both. Throwing him on against Tottenham was a bad idea though.

Can't believe Chelsea are loaning out Lukaku again. Makes it all the more hilarious that he came out to the press saying Benteke should join a top team asap.

How about to the tune of Rebecca Black's Friday:

"Benteke, Benteke,

 We all love Benteke,

 He scores goals every weekend

Benteke benteke, yeah!

Benteke benteke, yeah!

goal, goal, goal, goal,

He scores goals every weekend"

I just think It'd be hilarious to turn that song into a chant.

I don't, he seems reluctant to make a short pass, preferring to try the Hollywood pass instead.

That's why he'll struggle at this level in my opinion.

You say that but the pass to Gardner that lead to his shot against Fulham was a simple short pass. I think part of the problem is firstly that Bannan keeps on getting brought on at about the 80 minute mark when we're often looking for a goal, so he feels the pressure on him to try and set something up.

The other problem is he often drops deep to collect the ball off the defense, but our movement is so bad that he has either the choice of passing it back again or playing one of those hollywood balls.

Hogg looked solid enough when i saw him and has better technique than say reo coker. With more experience i could see him being PL quality. No idea where in the PL though.

Lichaj seemed solid when he played too. Most people were shocked to hear GH single him out at man city when the whole team was dire that day.

Who goes out drinking with a bottle of Lucozdade Sport?!?!

Ponce.

And Carrolls tweet. All that proves is that somebody is lying...either Carroll or Aston Villa. I could hazard a guess as to who it is aswell.

Aren't they both saying its a fake?

how many fingers has he have on his left hand?!!!!!!

This is was what i was getting at, but if you look carefully it is just the 4 fingers. It still all looks a bit off though - abnormally large fingers for his hands and his body compared to his head and such but its nothing you can use to write it off indisputably as a fake.

Has to be a fake - most importantly because there appears to be an extra hand in that photo that can't belong to any of the three of them. - edit: Nevermind on closer inspection its just the one hand, but it does seem rather big compared to his arm in the picture.

Also would question how the scarf is being held up on caroll's side, unless its glued to him.

Downing's head compared to his body underneath the scalf looks a bit maligned too but that could just be the angle he was at.

It feels as though the media are just trying to bully us. 'What, you wont tell us anything? Fine, we'll just slate you and make up unfounded rumours!'

Talksports fantastic exclusive itk seems to be an interview with an ex everton and blues player (think hes a bluenose himself?) saying he doesn't see why moyes would leave everton especially to go to villa.

His off the ball movement puts Gabby and Heskey (and Carew when he was here) to shame. I think the lad really does have what it takes to go far, if he's given the opportunity. Much better player than this time last year despite the lack of chances.

Not too difficult though. At one point Clark made a better attacking run into their box than gabby and heskey did all match.

Here is the whole article

Gerard Houllier today insisted none of Villa’s young midfield stars will be allowed to leave the club on loan.

Villa bolstered their options in January with the signing of Jean Makoun from Lyon and the arrival of Michael Bradley on loan from Borussia Moenchengladbach.

And the return to fitness of Nigel Reo-Coker and Stiliyan Petrov has meant that chances for Fabian Delph, Barry Bannan and Chris Herd have been few and far between recently.

The Villa boss has allowed American defender Eric Lichaj to join Leeds United on loan for a month, but he will not listen to temporary offers for the midfield youngsters.

“There is no chance because they’ve got four months to learn,” said Houllier.

“Barry will be training with the first-team which was not the case before, so in terms of intensity in terms of pace of the game he’s got to for the four months coming up.

“It will be part of a learning process and learn about the game and of course they’ll play some games.

“You can’t put the horse before the cart, you’ve got to work and then you’ll play games.

“He, Chris and Nathan Baker won’t leave — it’s as simple as that.

“Fabian has been injured for a long time so he needs these four months obviously to build up. I’ve spoken to them and told them this.”

Does not mention anything about the previous season but the fact it says that they have 4 months to get up to pace etc indicates that this will be something new for him.

The quote i had was from the Birmingham Mail, very slightly different.

http://tinyurl.com/6hygnbe

I think you've misread that. The quote is:

“Barry and the others will be training with the first team, which was not the case before this season.’’

He just means Bannan was with the reserves last season. Almost certainly Kmac who brought him through to the first squad.

Took a decent free kick from corner of the box made the keeper strech and even then it hit the bar. Nice to see a free kick by a villa player not flying over the bar.

When hes looking to receive the ball he usually already knows exactly who he wants to play it on to. Too many of our players dont do this.

In regards to holding on to them i truly believe that being practically forced into blooding them all at once would have helped greatly. A lot of these players could have been together for a long while now coming through the ranks together. Lichaj (havent seen much of him recently?), Clark, Fonz, Albrighton, Bannan, Delph, Gardner, [yes not all have come through our ranks but they would have been in youth/reserves together and all making the step up within the same season or two to first team]. It could really help in keeping onto them. THe fact GH has brought them all in aswell after many would have been peeved by MON could also help as they could a) listento GH when he asks them not to leave. worry that if they go elsewhere (a bigger club) they will rot on the bench/reserves as backup.

Doesn't get much better than playing with your mates week in week out for a top 6 PL side.

How many can you see developing into first teamers though. Look at Bannan, 21 i think. Bit of a breakthrough season for him and then we go and sign two more central midfielders in the January transfer window. He also competing against Delph coming back from injury. Hes shown signs of promise but cant really hold his own in a central midfield spot.

Id figure that he'd be wanting to play regular first team football by the age of 23. If we dont lose Petrov in the summer im not sure i can see that happening. He could also be competing with Gary Gardener for game time.

Personally i can see him doing a Cahill/Gardener.

Well with reo coker likely leaving in the summer and petrov getting older, i think he should be able to get a look in. By the end of next season i'd expect most the youth to be higher up in the packing order than petrov

Was always going to be a hard game. I think united really brought their A game which has seen them absolutely demolish some sides this season. Then again if it wasn't for friedel we would have been aswell.

I have been critical of him more about his application but pleasing to hear how they say he is really knuckling down in training and they are seeing a big improvement

I remember i think it was a few days after bent signed he said in an interview something about staying late with fonz and someone else (gary gardner i think but can't quite remember) to practice their finishing. Definately encouraging.

It is a horrible, horrible draw.

Manchester United getting Crawley just stinks as does Arsenal getting little Orient, Chelsea facing a home tie against Reading and Spurs getting a home game too. I know it was not a fix but this draw for all the current top 5 suggests the sort of combined luck that is stretching things very near to being implausible.

I wouldn't be so sure about that

On the plus side from the beeb...

"BREAKING INJURY NEWS

Man City's England winger Adam Johnson will be out for three months with ankle ligament damage. Johnson didn't play for City against Notts County today - he was injured in training in midweek."

Other than the red card has anything actually happened this half?

We signed a player

That has to be a first? Ged negotiates signing during first half of FA Cup match

Makes it even better that apparently sunderland were in for him until we bought bent leaving them a striker short.

Maybe he was at VP and agreed at half time after seeing what we could do.

N'Zogbia was getting the better of him a few times but everyone was worried how clark would cope with him let alone someone making their PL debut. Think he got his head to quite a few of their corners. Very promising.

There's only one Jean Deux Makoun

(repeat).