El_Hierro

I can see why our defenders hoof it so much as most of the times they try a simple pass they tend to put their teammates under pressure. Case in point, well there were several really, when Collins in total control of the ball, tried to pass it to Hutton quite early on in the first half and it ended up five yards behind Hutton and he just had to run back and clear it.

Oh, and so nice to see Ireland putting in a shift in a type of match where he'd be a passenger a year or so ago.

What did Warnock do, other than getting shot at from half a yard?

Decent enough performance, 3 good goals from 3 homegrown players, I like it. Bring on the 4th round.

Decent enough performance, 3 good goals from 3 homegrown players, I like it. Bring on the 4th round.

Good post.

Warnock has been absolutely ok this season, some ups, some downs, mostly ok, but I guess it's in the nature of football that you're remembered for your last game. It's the same with Beye really who had a thoroughly ok career for us until THAT game vs Rapid Wien where he was put at left back and played the WORST game of his life singlehandedly getting us knocked out of Europe. Up until then he was doing quite all right with even a MOTM performance against Liverpool in there somewhere. Before Swansea Warnock had one of his best games for us vs Chelsea, absolutely brilliant defensively. Watch it again and you'll see what I mean. Warnock is still very much a key member of our squad, although I'm quite intrigued to see how this Stevens chap works out.

Goal of the year contender. Why can't we have players like that? :notworthy:

And Tiote too.

Signing of the year ahead of Yakubu Leaving for the ACN shortly, right? (Ba, that is)

Discounting Swansea I think Warnock's had a good season tbh. Against Chelsea the match before he was excellent, best I've seen of him.

Good player.

Perfect team for me.

I don't buy this 'we only beat them because they were poor' either because usually, in the past, when other teams have hit a slump like that, Aston Villa have usually been the team you want to play aganst to break that slump :winkold: It's the same with players on a goal drought really, playing us will get them back on track. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but that's the way it has felt sometimes. Not this time though, this time we beat one of the best teams in the country, at their pitch, for the first time in 10 years. It really was a remarkable achievement, and McLeish got his tactics spot on for this one.

And it wasn't just the goal, the passing and the running into postions, he got stuck in, tackled, backtracked, basically it was a solid allround performance.

Player of the season so far for me.

Like Milner and Downing in their first seasons then.

What a fantastic end to a miserable year. Ireland MOTM, well chuffed for him. Thought everyone did well (but for the occasional ****-up like Dunne on their penalty), but special mentions go to Gabby, Petrov and Warnock, the latter who I think played one of his best games for us today. Great to see a Villa team with players like Clark, Albrighton, Bannan and Gardner, a team with LOTS and LOTS of potential. Happy new year!

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but Heskey had a better goal ratio for Liverpool than Suarez has. Not the point of this thread I know, but interesting enough Edit: In his first year I should add.

Those would be the ones MON brought in or developed at Villa who have been sold off, I guess. Errr, no need for the plural, as I think only Ashley Young actually falls into the category of 'developed' under MON and subsequently 'sold off'. Cahill, Barry and Milner were already 'developed' before MON got his hands on them. Downing didn't play for him much. But Young was a good player for the Villa. Not as good as Barry and Milner or, last season at least, as Downing, but he was a good player and MON found him, signed him ahead of West Ham, and developed him, so credit where credit is due. For me, even though Barry had already been with us for several seasons, he very much developed under MON. It was MON who put Barry in the middle and got him to play to a standard where he became an England regular and eventually sold to Man.City where he now plays regularly-ish, and is seen as a key member of a 'top-two' squad in the Premier Leauge. Something like that would be unthinkable for the player Barry was pre MON.

Unusually optimistic today. Away win.

Highlights (if you can access it from the UK)

Chris Herd can become Aston Villa's anchorman, says Peter Grant

Taking positives from the first 20 minutes of the second half today - some nice passages of play, e.g leading up to the penalty and to Delph's two good chances. Penalty was correct, good call by the ref. Ireland coming along nicely - good touches, nice passing, made some good runs where he didn't get the ball and got stuck in a couple of times as well. My MOTM today. Given, Dunne and Bannan also good. Rest of the game - meh, but as said, bright start to the second half, best we've played all season apart from Blackburn (not saying much I know but it's a start), and hopefully something to build on.

Not quite, but a decent team. Bolton v Villa: Bogdan, Steinsson, Cahill, Muamba, Eagles, Holden, Gardner, Prtley, N'Gog, Kakuta, Wheater. Subs: Robinson, Tuncy, Petrov, Davies, K Davies, M Blake, Jaaskelainen