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ChrisVillan

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Blog Entries posted by ChrisVillan

  1. ChrisVillan
    Mercifully, Chris and Steve were unable to record last week because of work commitments. But we were at the Aston Villa v Liverpool match and we haven't avoided it altogether because we discuss it very briefly in this week's episode of Aston Villa Review. There's also a short preview of the Stoke City game, but we kind of get distracted.

    But the main focus this week is the #OutTheDoorOn74 demonstration. The shape this football club is in is a disgrace and a group of supporters is leading the way on the protest front by organising a walk-out against Everton. We talk about the demonstration and whether we're entitled to be angry. Warning: if you don't want to hear two blokes reach the end of their patience, this ain't for you.

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  2. ChrisVillan
    It's been a busy week for Aston Villa. The transfer window ended on Monday with no business done and the board under fire, but it was right back to Premier League action on Tuesday evening. Villa's last game at West Ham United's Boleyn Ground resulted in a 2-0 loss, a defeat made all the more painful by the fact that Jordan Ayew's sending off gifted it to the Hammers before the match really got going.

    But the weekend was brighter and even brought with it three precious points. Joleon Lescott and Gabriel Agbonlahor scored the goals as Villa won 2-0 at home against Norwich City, their third win of the campaign. In this week's show Chris and Steve assess both matches before previewing Sunday's visit from Liverpool.

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  3. ChrisVillan
    Aston Villa's brief and slight resurgence ended with a bump on Saturday afternoon. A 4-0 home defeat by Manchester City ended Villa's FA Cup involvement until next January and the nature of the loss was difficult to stomach. Chris and Steve discuss the game in this week's Aston Villa Review, but not before a quick chat about one Charles N'Zogbia.

    But there are more important matters at hand. This week sees Villa travel to East London to play West Ham United on Tuesday before welcoming Norwich City to Villa Park on Saturday. We preview both matches in this week's show.

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  4. ChrisVillan
    Aston Villa remain unbeaten since their devastating loss to Sunderland and appear to gradually putting together some kind of solid footing. The FA Cup Third Round replay against Wycombe Wanderers meant they had another two-game week to negotiate, and they did so in satisfactory fashion.

    On Tuesday two late goals saw off the League Two side to set up a Fourth Round visit from Manchester City, and Villa faced West Bromwich Albion on Saturday in a Premier League clash that ended, somewhat predictably, in a goalless draw. In this week's show we focus on that game and look ahead to next weekend's FA Cup showdown.

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  5. ChrisVillan
    In the context of this abysmal Premier League season the last week has been something of a triumph for Aston Villa. Last Tuesday Remi Garde's team finally logged their first league win since the opening day of the season, benefiting from a Wayne Hennessey error to defeat Crystal Palace by a single goal at Villa Park.

    On Saturday they took their twelfth point of the campaign with a 1-1 draw against Leicester City in the most woefully officiated game for years. Roger East, have a word with yourself. In this week's show Chris and Steve review those games, preview the next two and welcome French Football Weekly's Jonathan Johnson to talk about Villa's French connection.

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  6. ChrisVillan
    As easy as it is to criticise Aston Villa supporters who cross a line in terms of their expressions of anger - and we certainly criticise them in this week's show - Villa's season is going from bad to worse and the very fabric of the club seems to be falling down around us. It's not, but it's been a minging winter for us all and it's going to get worse before it gets better.

    Villa followed up a defeat at Norwich City with another against Sunderland, the team directly above them in the table and now comfortably clear in 19th. If that put paid to any faint hopes of Premier League survival, the FA Cup Third Round draw at Wycombe Wanderers proved to last straw for many supporters. The club, as we head into the middle of January, is utterly toxic.

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  7. ChrisVillan
    The season goes from worse to worser to worsest for Aston Villa and the Christmas period hasn't been much different. There was a glimmer of hope in the performance against West Ham United, just enough to make supporters wonder whether a miraculous escape might be possible after all. Sadly, two days later, any remaining hope was dashed.

    In this week's Aston Villa Review we use the phrase "by our standards" a lot in order to try and squeeze some positives out of the West Ham match. There's a cursory nod to the Bank Holiday defeat at Norwich City, some choice words about a former player and brief previews of the upcoming games against Sunderland and Wycombe Wanderers. Warning: negativity.

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  8. ChrisVillan
    It's Christmas! Well, nearly. Aston Villa kicked off the festive period with an improved performance in difficult circumstances at Newcastle United, where torrential rain threatened the match itself but Villa's players worked through the conditions and a first half Newcastle goal to push for a win in the sodden second half, eventually taking a point.

    In this week's show Chris and Steve assess Villa's performance on Tyneside and discuss whether draws picked up here and there are of any use to Villa whatsoever. We also look ahead to the first couple of Christmas fixtures with previews of West Ham United's Boxing Day visit to Villa Park and Villa's bank holiday trip to Norwich City.

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  9. ChrisVillan
    Aston Villa are in 20th place in the Premier League. Sunderland, the team immediately above them, have twice as many points. Twice. As. Many. Points. The debacle of this season, in which Randy Lerner is finally getting his deserved comeuppance, just drags on and on and Villa wins are beginning to feel like a thing of the past.

    Villa haven't won at home yet this season and Sunday's visit from Arsenal was never likely to buck the trend. But other teams in the bottom six have upset the odds already this season and did so again this weekend. Villa simply don't look capable of matching that. This week Chris and Steve review the Arsenal game and cry a bit.

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  10. ChrisVillan
    Aston Villa took the lead in their Premier League match at Southampton on Saturday but were pegged back, not without a degree of inevitability. Taking a point from difficult away games like this one should be satisfactory but Villa's predicament means that the draw has left some supporters feeling nothing other than empty.

    In this week's show Chris and Steve discuss Villa's latest performance as well as looking ahead to Sunday's visit from injury-hit Arsenal. We also take a look at the first examples of Remi Garde's man management. Have Gabriel Agbonlahor, Libor Kozak and Jack Grealish been handled the right way since the new manager took over?

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  11. ChrisVillan
    You've heard this episode of Aston Villa Review before. Villa have been terrible for ages. In the last game they offered us a glimmer of hope, picking up an unexpected point before being cut off by an international break. This week, they've brought us back down to earth with a crash by bending weakly to the will of a superior side. This time out that was Everton, the score was 4-0 and the culprits were many.

    In this week's show Chris and Steve briefly discuss Jordan Amavi's injury before serving up a sober assessment of that limp defeat at Goodison Park and ask whether manager Remi Garde missed a trick or two in his tactics and team selection. Do Jack Grealish and Carles Gil warrant two starting places and should Garde switch it up against Watford? It's a cheerful one, naturally.

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  12. ChrisVillan
    It's only been eight days since the last episode of Aston Villa Review but things have moved on apace at Villa Park since then. Remi Garde was officially appointed in time to be in the stands as Villa were beaten by Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane and took charge for the first time in Sunday's home draw against Manchester City.

    It was a solid start for the new boss and Chris and Steve look back over his debut, the result, the line-up and the performance in this week's show. We also skim over a few details from the Spurs game, briefly welcome the new man officially and ask whether the international break has come at a good or bad time for the club.

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  13. ChrisVillan
    Life as an Aston Villa supporter is currently dominated by the appointment of the club's new manager, expected to be confirmed as Remi Garde this morning, but there's football to attend to as well. In this week's Aston Villa Review we briefly preview tonight's match against Tottenham Hotspur and even more briefly preview Sunday's visit from Manchester City.

    There's a very short chat about last week's League Cup loss to Southampton before we address a handful of listener questions, ranging from the new manager's use or otherwise of Libor Kozak, possible transfer requirements and the overall attractiveness of the Villa job. (Not very.) Welcome to the club, Remi.

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  14. ChrisVillan
    With apologies for the mix at the top of the show - an oversight, sorry about that - here's a special one-off show in which Steve investigates a few of the perceived problems at Aston Villa. We've all become accustomed to the blame game in recent years, and with Villa now bottom of the Premier League we believe it's time to really start attaching the right names.

    Steve talks to @Flav_Bateman of The Fighting Cock podcast (Tottenham Hotspur, obviously) about former Villa manager Tim Sherwood, whose time at Spurs went somewhat under the radar for Villa supporters, and to Arsenal Supporters' Trust member @TimPayton about two of the most important men at Villa: ex-Arsenal suits Tom Fox and Hendrik Almstadt. Are we barking up the wrong tree?

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  15. ChrisVillan
    After eight months, 28 matches and a three-week propaganda war, Aston Villa's decision makers have defenestrated "manager" Tim Sherwood with the team sitting at the foot of the Premier League table. The weekend's defeat to Swansea City appears to have been the final straw but the likelihood is that Sherwood has been a dead man walking for weeks.

    In this week's Aston Villa Review we touch on the latest match briefly before discussing Sherwood's tenure, sacking and potential replacement. Sunday afternoon brought with it some very credible sources making some bold claims about former Lyon coach Remi Garde, who seems to be the favoured candidate as the search begins/continues (delete as appropriate). We also look ahead to this week's League Cup tie at Southampton.

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  16. ChrisVillan
    Aston Villa losing to Chelsea is no surprise. In fact, Aston Villa losing to anyone is no surprise. Tim Sherwood's bumbling, incompetent performance has dragged the team right back to where it was when he replaced Paul Lambert but he won't enjoy the same longevity as his predecessor. Villa's 2-0 loss at Stamford Bridge, reviewed in this week's show, might very well have been the penultimate straw.

    Chris and Steve also discuss the possibility of David Moyes replacing him, compare Moyes to Brendan Rodgers, and preview the next game. Villa host Swansea City on Saturday needing to arrest an astounding slide towards the bottom of the table, where they will find themselves sooner rather than later if next weekend's fixture list shakes out as expected. Still, at least Stan Collymore and Chris Sutton like Sherwood.

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  17. ChrisVillan
    You can tell Tim Sherwood is the Aston Villa manager, can't you? The ordinarily quiet international break has been taken over by gossip and apparent leaks from the club, all pointing towards some kind of behind-the-scene endgame and Sherwood's possible departure. In this week's show Chris and Steve examine the current state of play and ask why, if he's going, the Villa suits don't just make him go now.

    We also preview this weekend's Premier League fixture against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, where two under-fire managers might well be battling it out for only one available stay of execution. Jose Mourinho's side are only four points ahead of Villa's dire start and the rumblings of discontent can be heard loud and clear as far away as B6. Could Villa be the end of Mourinho once more?

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  18. ChrisVillan
    A Friday night fixture took Aston Villa to the new home of Brighton & Hove Albion for the first time last week, and Steve Bruce's side came away with a very respectable 1-1 draw against one of the most highly-rated teams in the Football League Championship. Nathan Baker scored Villa's goal in a game that left us with mixed feelings.

    Most Villa supporters would've been happy enough with a draw if offered beforehand, but the performance in the second half especially deserved all three points. In this week's show Chris and Steve focus on the positives of the Brighton game before looking ahead to Saturday's home game against Cardiff City.

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