VillaGoMarching

Links on Twitter seem to suggest Kozak could be off to Germany before the window shuts.

I think with these links to Lescott and Fonte, it's clear Clark is most at threat for the centre half position. Despite his new deal I think this is just a case of tieing down our talent and avoid another Delph situation.

Unfortunately Clark was most guilty of lumping the ball and losing possession while Richards was alot more comfortable on the ball.

I really like Clark but I do think he'll be paying more of a support role in the near future.

Well it sets it all up beautifully for Liverpool fans to refer back to as evidence that they took a poorly coached gem from a crappy little backwater that thought all he could do was head the ball, and polished him into the multi-dimensional progressive striker that you will see him be at Anfield, already scoring 20 yard volleys (and which he was already bloody doing at Villa)...

 

Liverpool fans, so as to avoid re-writing history and admitting they were so far off the mark about his abilities, can just claim they were right about his time at Villa, but that they've turned him into exactly what they needed.  words removed.

 

TBH I f**king hate talking about him now.  I really f**king wish he hadn't gone there and I hope he's a disaster, but I know he won't be

how i feel about it all BOF, those **** don't even appreciate his talents but will no doubt exclaim Liverpool made him the player he is. if he's a raving success.

I'm caught in two minds as to if i want him to be a bumbling Andy Carroll type of a mess or a success that the lad actually deserves for the effort he put in most of his time with us.

 

 

 

Brendan McLoughlin ‏@bren_mcloughlin 5m5 minutes ago

A Traore held talks with #avfc yest & #scfc today before flying home to mull over decision. Believe AV offer better but Barca pals at Stoke

How reliable is this guy?

Interesting if true. Starting to think our interest may be genuine.

Do players really follow their pals like that? He should use his head not his heart IMO, it's a long career. If that still means Stoke then fair play, I won't begrudge him or them, but I hope he's a bit more adult about it than that suggests.

School time is over.

 

He's a journo who writes for The Times, The Mirror, Express and BBC Sport.....He normally tweets things after they happen.

Hes the boy who bbc fell out with Rangers over. They are refusing to cover their games now i believe.

 

Brendon is a decent journo, Used to enjoy his match reports on Villa when he worked for Express and Star, if he isn't a villa fan then he has a decent affinity for us.  Saying that i'm not sure how close his links are to the club now he's working for national rags.

Is Tony Parks still involved with us, he seemed to feature strongly when Sherwood came in but can't say i've heard from him this pre-season.

I really do like Ray Wilkins,  i took a liking to him ever since he played the Sausage Sandwich game with Danny Baker and i had the mental image of him riding round it's a small world at euro disney.  

Hope he turns out to be a far greater acquisition than Keano.

time is running out for Gabby i think, given the amount of options in his position. He'll have to work his arse off to stay in contention.

Isn't the standard of the Spanish second division very **** shite through?

Barcelona B have recently been relegated to the third tier too.

Blimey we're half way through Tuesday and we haven't signed anybody this week,  Still Adebayor hasn't been complete.  Villa set the bar high last week.

Given the fact that Gabby and Bacuna would be potentially competing with this guy, i think it's worth a gamble.  I'm not sure what is Bacuna's best position and to what level he can reach, while i think most would agree Gabby's best days are behind him.  Depending how we setup we already have Sinclair, Gil, Ayew, Grealish, Bacuna and Gabby competing for wide roles.  Competition for places certainly wouldn't hurt us.  

 

 

 

 

---------------Guzan----------------

Hutton---Richards-----Clark-----Amavi

Gueye----Westwood ----Veretout

------Ayew-------------Sinclair-----

---------------Gestede--------------

Great minds.

Thirded. Pretty good side for Grealish, Gil to fight their way back in to with I imagine another couple of signings on the horizon.

Fourthded, which I am aware isn't a word. Based on who's fit at present that would be my team for Bournemouth although it wouldn't surprise me to see Gabby in for Gestede.

 

Fifthded.

 

Team seemingly picks it self with injuries to potential key attacking players Grealish/Gil and Gabby.  I could see Gabby being squeezed out in all honesty. 

Really pleased with how this summer has gone so far, even if we fail to sign anymore players.  Feels like the club finally have some stability and strategy to progress.  Huge credit must go to Tom Fox.

Yet another lesson learned for a rookie ceo at Villa, trying to keep faith with Lambert will ultimately cost us our premier league status.  It's that rather than hiring a rookie manager in Sherwood which is the key.

This is more Tom Fox's/Lerners problem.  As fans we knew Lambert was done as Villa manager but they persisted. The fact is Sherwood is having to try things out each game and we're running out of time to survive.  I don't dislike what Sherwood is doing.  He is at least trying different things.

The kid was a real prospect, essentially always prone to blowing his load in certain situations but what you see now is the result of a player, who has playedo ut of position for the best part of 3 years and for the most part barely touched a football. Those years of playing as an outside forward in Lamberts counter-attacking system have killed him.  Much like Gabby, Career may not recover.

We don't get past the first man.

We don't get anyone on the far post

When defending a corner.....we don't get an outlet player near the half way line

Where is the thinking?

There seems to be none, from the players or coaching staff. Its the absolute basics which we don't do that I find so infuriating.

Funny I watching the Hamburg game yesterday, they had a player with a wicked left foot, whipping balls in from the corner flag. Turned out to be Zoltan Stieber.

Sherwood needs to work on this, in Ciaran Clark we had a lad who used to score goals at youth level. Infact you look at our back line and Benteke and there's no reason we shouldn't be getting goals from set Pieces. All down to delivery of the ball and desire to head it. That's why we used to score so many under MON.

I think the problem now, is that none of us can envisage a turn around like ones we've needed in the past. There seems to no catalyst from within the players. That's why Lambert should have gone earlier. I think it was Steve who called it in the show. this group of players seem to have run they're race. Non of them seem up for the fight like in previous years.

It was my biggest fear With Lambert ditching the 'youthful' recruitment. Simply non of our experienced pros seem to care if they have a relegation on their CV. Lamberts first year seemed to be pushed along by a group of young pros striving to prove they could hack it in this league. I don't see anyone playing like that.

Given how Newcastle are performing, I think next week should see an improvement of sorts. Coaching team will have had a week to work with the team.

He clearly couldn't give a shit, given opportunity after opportunity and he has the same minimal impact. Sherwood must not fancy him either.

For me, I can't see us having a marginally successful side without him. He does things for the side that nobody else can. As much as I like Sanchez I don't see him as an upgrade on Westwood. I'd rather play Sanchez further forward and Have Westwood sitting.

Agreed.

And a couple of months ago I was saying I'd be happy with Vlaar not playing for us again seeing as he's gone at the end of the season.

But since he's come back he's shown that he is still our best centre back IMO.

Yesterday was **** stupid. There's no excusing it. It was an awful mistake and a silly decision.

But that's what it was. A mistake. I don't think it reflects his performance which I would have rated as good if it wasn't for that **** up.

If we're going to get out of the shit we are in we need our best players and, like him or not, Vlaar is one of them.

Were we safe then I'd be happy to leave him out. But we are very very unsafe and we need him.

I've been a big fan of Vlaar for quite some time. I agree that, on his day, he's our best defender. But, my worry is that he is not committed to the club. If he already has a deal lined up, should we really be trusting him with leading this team of players? He's hardly played this season and yesterday was just shocking for someone of his quality. He really failed us.

I like him and have always defended him but, with him not committing his future to us, and with his injury record, I think we should pass the baton on to someone who is committed to the cause.

This is how I feel. If he's not committed to us then I'd question whether it's in our best interests to play him.

Two players from me.

Rob Edwards, played at RB in a defeat at home to Chelsea under GT I believe. I thought he looked decent and seem to remember him having a mazy run and lob which didn't quite go in. My poor memory may be kind to the lad but for whatever reason he barely played for us again.

Luc Nilis, simply the biggest unfulfilled talent we've ever had, injury robbed us of some happy times. Who knows what JG could have achieved with him in the side ever at the grand age of 33.

I'll be amazed if he makes more than ten appearances for us.

We are all desperate for something to happen, I fully expect us to limp through the season.