VILLAMARV

yeah, I feel it! but the table on 85mins on saturday looked alot different to how it does now. not saying we'll definately pull clear but there are lots of twists and turns to come. For me the time to start praying will be after the double header against Reading (a) and QPR (h). Come the end of march we could be 9 points richer or looking to beat Man Utd + Chelsea in a 7 game win streak to survive and the only thing I can really say with any certainty is that that's not gonna happen We'll be ok if they just stop ripping our hearts out at the death every week!!

yeah, he's there till the end of the season, they have an option to buy apparently. He will still have no work permit, have turned 30 and have one year left on his contract this summer so the option cant be for much!!

Relegation has been on the cards for a good 3 seasons now. late rally when Houllier got Ill saved us. Last year we couldnt score enough goals in the last 5 or 6 games without Bent and how we scraped through I still dont know. This year we've been crying out for a bit more fight and some better performances and to be fair, late goals aside we've seen that in the last few games. They have to keep it up for the rest of the season whoever is playing / injured. If they do, I see more hope in this team doing enough to stay up than I did last year. Watching games where we know we're going to concede is more fun when there's also a chance that you might score a goal. This imho is why Lambert is doing a better job than McMuppet, whatever the stats or table may say at this stage. Whether they will keep this level of performance up or not remains to be seen obviously. But it is by no means in the lap of the gods just yet and while our own fate is still in the hands of the team, I'll keep believing. VTID.

Saw a van drive past me with "BJ's Builders" on the side last week. made me chuckle.

This has GOT to happen hasn't it? I very much doubt he's registered I may be wrong, but I'm sure he was registered in our squad at the start of the season. lets hope that's true then, coz Chelsea at Villa park, Big Crowd. Would be a fitting end if that's what it is to be. Whatever our league position. ref should let us bring him on with 19 seconds to go at least

This has GOT to happen hasn't it?

Bastos's debut goal for Schalke was a pearler!

Dont forget the club and Trapatoni had a falling out over Dunne and the Euros. I dont blame the fella for playing if he was carrying an injury, but then I'm not Irish so it doesnt bother me if they get embarrassed in every game and sent home. It does bother me IF that means we lose him for months and are still paying his wages. If they put him in the squad now and he picks up another strain it would be a PR nightmare for the FAI. as for him making it up. well... its a groin injury, not a broken arm. there's no "oh good he's fixed in a set amount of time" moment I'm afraid. He'll be ready when / if he's ready. Considering he's always had a reputation for being a clean living tea totaller though I'm sure his recovery has been super swift........

I'm not so sure on that. Given started the first 2 league games but was dropped after the Everton game. Guzan played LC against tranmere kept a clean sheet and made some great saves earlier in the season. the roles reversed after that. Even in the 8-0 to Chelsea Guzan saved a penalty and made numerous good saves to keep the score down. I'm not saying Given is a bad keeper or knocking him at all. he did ok last year I suppose. But personally I've never been THAT convinced of him either here or at Newcastle or Man City. The only problem for me is that you're basing this on something you saw years ago rather than what's happening now. I understand what you're saying about giving him a break, but we did that and went out of 2 cups in a week as has been said before. Also the lad's been waiting years to get a chance here and really impressed when he was given that chance. On top of that I still think Man City did better out of us signing him than we did. Given is no Enkleman for sure, but he's not in the same class as Spink, Bosnich, Schmeichel or Friedel for me, and my heart would pick Sealey and Guzan ahead of him too.

it seems he's started his own footy website....... http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~3064823,00.html

So THATS what happened to Enckleman

his overinflated sense of self worth would fit right in at the moment. Maybe on some sort of pay as you play deal where he gives us some of the money back he stole was paid from us down the years for every appearance he makes? He would also be a great ambassador for the club and a great example to the youngsters we have of how to make it and be successful in the modern game. shouldn't this be in the non football threads anyway mods?

I don't think we can lay claim to such a title any more. Even during the best of times with MON, we still weren't selling out every week. I think our fan base is a big consideration to a potential buyer and I think Randy has proven that even with some success (albeit relative success) our crowds won't grow exponentially. If we'd had the crowds, the north stand would be gone by now. We still have (while we are in the prem) one of the top 10 incomes in UK football. yes there are bigger teams than us in terms of historical achievements (though not many) and financial clout. but there are still a good 80+ teams in UK football that would kill for our fan base, stadium, facilities et al. Fair point. And as I was writing the above, I was keenly aware of the fact that the revenue stream from ticket sales is becoming an increasingly small percentage of turnover. Not sure what the draw is though. Even as a long-standing Villa fan, I'm not sure where our opportunities are to increase fan-base and subsequent revenue. All I see at the moment is opportunities to decrease it lol it is at our place! but really however they market 'brand villa' across the world the only thing that will attract new fans is a good team playing good football. That, and the name and the colours of course!

Guzan is the only player on the pitch who seems interested in organising anything imho. They are both good shot stoppers but Guzan offers us alot more than I've ever seen in a Villa shirt from Given. I'd like to see him giving it to the defenders a la schmeichel in his heyday a bit more but Guzan's been a real bright spot in a dark dark season for me. and while it's the midfield and defence that need to sort themselves out, Given has hardly inspired when given a go (see what I did there!). Good saves at Norwich aside he's kept no clean sheets when he's played, let in 3 goals in 2 LC games against premier league opposition, let in 6 goals in 3 LC games against Swindon and Bradford respectively and 3 goals in 2 FA cup games against championship opposition. He's also conceded 4 goals in 2 prem league appearances. All this adds up to conceding 1.78 goals a game this year. Even with the 8-0 Chelsea, 5-0 Man City and 4-0 Tottenham results marking his card Guzan is currently letting in 1.87 goals a game. He's also played in all 6 clean sheets we've kept this season. He needs to drop the left back.

I don't think we can lay claim to such a title any more. Even during the best of times with MON, we still weren't selling out every week. I think our fan base is a big consideration to a potential buyer and I think Randy has proven that even with some success (albeit relative success) our crowds won't grow exponentially. If we'd had the crowds, the north stand would be gone by now. We still have (while we are in the prem) one of the top 10 incomes in UK football. yes there are bigger teams than us in terms of historical achievements (though not many) and financial clout. but there are still a good 80+ teams in UK football that would kill for our fan base, stadium, facilities et al.

Ha Ha Ha. we were joking about this 20 years ago in a pub i worked in. whenever we score in the first 10 minutes we used to look at each other and say well can we hang on for 80 mins? Its a strange mindset to the likes of Man Utd/Liverpool fans but hasn't this always been the case? We're a defeatist bunch us villa fans, but it's born out of 100 years of underachievement. welcome to the club

they seem to be really into trolling on media message boards and the like these days!! that pisses me off more than anything these days. Ive given up on reading threads on articles (probably why I came here after all this time!) coz I'm sick of all the scouse bile. For me as a 70's kid I grew up in a Liverpool dominated era of football, so ALL the gloryhunter kids of our day were Liverpool fans. I know more Liverpool fans who have never been to Anfield than those who have. I did have a soft spot for Souness though. Anyone that sells us Staunton, Houghton and Saunders is ok in my book

no problem in football is it? Even if they want to test you you just don't turn up, tell them you're phone was off. Get a few weeks holiday as a punishment and come back no questions asked isn't it?

Good point about that Chelsea game, didn't the ref retire after that too? Unfortunately it's not a new idea though huh. The Segers & Grobelaar era should stand as a reminder that it's not just foreign teams that get caught up in this stuff. And while Le Tissier claims to have only ever tried to fix the time of the first throw in, his team mate at the time Claus Lundekvam alluded to the problem being alot more widespread in the UK than anyone wants to believe.

To be fair, this has very little to do with Lambert. Unfortunately the advent of the "Champions League" always meant this was going to happen, whatever the FA hand over in prize money for the Premier League. It is and always has been a closed shop for the big boys and unless you're in it you will never be able to compete with them financially. The EUFA FFP rules are spun as a way of protecting clubs from themselves but in reality make it even harder for a team to ever bridge that gap and help to protect the marketable brands for years to come.

No It's directly linked. (league games) Without Bennett 12 games - 3 wins - 4 draws - 5 losses - for 11 - away 16 - points 13 With Bennett 13 games - 1 win - 5 draws - 7 losses - for 12 - away 33 - points 8 in fairness to him he was only on the pitch for 4 of Chelsea's goals and 2 of Southampton's in the 4-1 away (his debut) so maybe 6 of those should be on the other side......mind you in fairness to us the only win with him on the pitch was the 1-0 away at Sunderland where he was stretchered off after 11 mins so shall we move that up aswell? also we were 1-0 up at home to Norwich when he got sent off in a match we ended up drawing. (also the awful 1st half against Newcastle he was there [2 goals conceded], the revival in the second half he wasn't [0 goals conceded]. vs Tottenham, stretchered off conceded 0 with 10 men albeit in a game they'd already won by then.) In the cups he played in both FA cup games against championship teams. so played 2 - won 1 - lost 1 - for 3 - away 3 In the League cup he didn't feature in the wins against Tranmere, Swindon or Norwich. or the extra time of the Man City win (subbed off on 86 mins) He did play the first 86 mins of the City game and both Bradford games, although again was subbed off in the second leg (after conceding the goal). This is not an anomaly. I'm not saying he'll never make it but I really fear that if Lambert doesn't give him a rest for Lichaj/Enda it's going to seriously ruin him for the rest of his career. Definitely needs to hit the gym and bulk up along with Clark imo. On top of all this my eyes and brain agree with each other that he's not very good.

I thought he looked really nervous when he came on. He looked like he hadnt trained with us and looked a bit off the pace. But he did put himself about, which is what we need / wanted right? He looks a real battler.Anyone comparing him to sissoko is probably going to be disappointed imo but anyone who is wondering if he is the tough tackling DMC we've been crying out for, he just might be. he looks raw, he looks like he's going to pick up some cards along the way. But in 20 mins he got more involved than KEA in the rest of the match and I'd be surprised if he isn't starting against Nolan / Noble on Sunday.

Vassell's debut still makes me smile EDIT: EUROPEAN debut! lol

As awful as the rest? Would Bennett/Clark/Lowton/Baker/Lichaj/Stephens seriously get in the Dutch squad? Personally I think the good performances have papered over the occasional mistake but looking back through the thread I can see that would be a futile conversation for me to have with you so we shall agree to disagree!! I sort of agree with the last bit though I would change it to this: Mellberg wasn't Beckenbaur Laursen wasn't Beckenbaur Vlaar isn't Beckenbaur

goals conceded in League games with/without Vlaar with : 29 goals in 16 games (goals conceded per game 1.81) without: 20 goals in 9 games (goals conceded per game 2.22) (before the injury this was 22 in 13 @ 1.69) not that much in it! but hopefully I found some stats to back up my own point of view ;P yes we've let in 7 in the last 3 games since his return but we'd let in 18 in the previous 5 league games without him. It may not be perfect but it has definitely improved since his return. the night and day/ying and yang of the Bradford results would also suggest as much. Yeah there is not much in it, pretty close. Not a huge improvement like some had thought or hoped. And as has been mentioned, he has been at fault for 5 goals since his return. He is average, but he is the best centre back at the club. Not much no, but still an improvement. He like any player is not immune to criticism and when you make individual errors you will be singled out. I have no problem with that. I saw McGrath make mistakes in games. That didn't make him an average player. When he came back I hoped he would bring some stability and sort out the mess it had become in his absence. I didn't expect him to teach Clark and Bennett how to defend properly though. He is an asset and if we manage to stay up it will be because of him, not in spite of him. I dont remember a more composed defender in C&B on the ball in my lifetime. Wish he was a bit better at heading. Wish he paid more attention to the ball at set pieces sometimes. At 3mill and half Dunne's wages I think he's a bargain. But it's OK!! we're allowed different opinions after all