ChesterDad

23 hours ago, the_eristic said:

Has to do better with the late chance, think he's gotten into his own head a bit after not scoring last week.

I agree - that was the Ollie of old, snatching at the ball, however I think that he was having an off night and not the best of service -  I feel that if the same chance fell to him in the Bournemouth game, he probably scores, due to his confidence being high.

Csnt be too harsh though - he has been very good recently  

59 minutes ago, villanmac said:

Spurs are so limited. It's just  a front 3 of pure pace where the tactic is for the wide forward to get a yard and to put it across the box for the opposite wide forward to tap in at the back post, which with Werner and Brennan Johnson is annoyingly successful considering how limited they are as footballers. A bionic man CB to breeze past he opposition breakaways covering up how shit they are defensively (convinced he's not a got good defender) and enough athletes across the pitch to press the opposition into submission. Saying that, that style vrs Chelsea would make it very 50/50, both sides will go for it, it will be mayhem and basically be who takes their chances imo. 

I don’t see the spuds beating Chelsea - I think ( and hope this is a draw at worst ) We are inching ever so close to that 4th spot

They do say that you can sometimes score too early and I think this was one of those games - I remember on Tuesday night - thinking sh@t - that was the worst result possible for us, and going in front so early in the game, I think strangely worked against us. Chelsea did deserve the 3 points imo - When we are good, we can be very good, but what is worrying - is that when teams get after us, we can also look very ordinary - this could be a mentality thing of course, and no doubt will be featured in our pre season signings.

I still think we will limp over the line to 4th but heavily aided by Spuds fixtures

1 minute ago, ozvilla28 said:

He is way overated here Kamara is alot better. We didn't miss him when he was suspended either looked miles better.

I wouldn’t call him overrated - but yes I agree Kamara is a better player 

On 26/04/2024 at 07:08, UpTheVilla26 said:

I'd have Barry but to play LB. 

One player not mentioned who I'd swap McGinn for is Ian Taylor. 

I wouldn’t to be honest. We all love what Ian Taylor stands for ( Gobby this is a Villa fan )

But I really don’t think he was a better footballer than SJM  imo 

13 hours ago, duke313 said:

Two draws hopefully 

I think this is most likely - and Chelsea

On 24/04/2024 at 13:22, jackbauer24 said:

See... I have a confession... I'm just, just, JUST holding on to my hero Mark Bosnich!!

Can't judge a player by their success internationally when it comes to Villa (unfair on McGrath, JPA and even Bailey etc!) so it's all to do with their performance at Villa.

I love Martinez, he is incredible and undoubtedly a massive player for us but my nephews asked me a long time back if he had pushed Bosnich from his pedestal and I said it was close, so close, but he needs to help us win something.

Stats wise;*

Mark Bosnich played 174 times for us in the league, keeping 61 clean sheets (W72 D46 L55), we won 2 cups and we were consistently (ish!) in top parts of the league including a great spell in 95-99. He almost single handedly (pun?!) won us the 1994 League Cup in the run that season.

Emi Martinez has played 142 times for us in the league, keeping 45 clean sheets (W65 D26 L51) and this is our first season really pushing back at the top of the league.

There's clearly a very strong argument to suggest Martinez could be considered the better player but the stats aren't that conclusive and, I put so much weight on bringing home a trophy that, for now, just, I still hold a flame for my idol Bosnich. That's loyalty!! 

Speak to me again after May 29th hopefully.

*stats bloomin hard to find so take with pinch of salt!

 

 

Don’t think you are as wide of the mark as you suggest - I have always thought of Bozzie as being the most natural goalie I have ever seen.

He also had a moment of madness in him too 

5 minutes ago, CarryOnVilla said:

who was Villa’s best ever RB? 

John Gidman - great footballer and athlete 

If he goes - I am sure we will look back 12 months from now and think what if ?

I really believe he can play. The green shoots of him, coming to terms with a new country, new league are there to see now imo 

Gosh - did things today that I wasn’t aware that he could. 
He really does seem to be improving week upon week.

If this improvement continues for the next 12 months - I think he will be one of the very best strikers in the world.

His touch and awareness were just fantastic today.

57 minutes ago, bobzy said:

"Fresh from a triumphant penalty shootout against Lille in the Europa Conference League, Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez decided the local populace needed a more personal touch to truly digest their defeat.

Martinez, not content with merely silencing the roaring crowd at the stadium during the penalty shootout, embarked on an evening stroll through Lille’s quaint streets, knocking on doors to remind residents of the virtues of silence, while offering them his trademark ‘shoulder shuffle’ to those who greeted him at the doorstep."

(Link:  https://newsthump.com/2024/04/19/aston-villas-emi-martinez-spends-evening-going-door-to-door-in-lille-telling-residents-to-shhh/)

 

 

 

Love it - take a bow

16 minutes ago, TRO said:

I stand by my interpretation.

I think Emi is loosely associated  with ****housery as an easy description....but in context, I don't think it is.

what Emi does, is passive.

Roy Keane was ****housery, or Mark Dennis and Julian Dicks

Look, I am not an authority on football descriptions, but that's the way, I see it.

Emi just teases the patience and seriousness of opponents....that's fine by me....refs are just rocked by the outcome, and feel they have to react....that's as much on the recipient for being weak, as Emi, for being strong.

Sorry TRO - you and I are around the same age, we’ve seen the same things and those guys were thugs pure and simple.

Emi is a pussy cat when ranked alongside these guys.

Emi is full of xxxxhousery - but he ain’t a nasty piece of work. The tools you mention are.

This is how I see it anyway

33 minutes ago, TRO said:

Brinkmanship, gamesmanship, call it what you will....its ok by me.

**** housery is what Vinnie Jones used to do, and few others....Emi does not do that.

Players have a responsibility, in high stakes games, to be mentally prepared....That's what makes champions, and leaves others behind.

What Emi does, is challenges the mental resilience and eks out mental frailty in the opponents.....tangibly its innocuous, but when a player has to take a penalty, with such high stakes, a butterfly passing randomly can be enough to put them off.

Emi should not be punished, for their mental frailty, he is just exercising his right to challenge it, in much of the time, a passive way.

We shouldn't be put off by the cancel culture in football.

 

TRO - not sure about this, Jones was a Thug and not on his own in that era.

Emi is full of xxxxhousery, whether you like it or not is down to the individual.

My concern would be that this type of thing has a habit of biting you on the bum.

I only hope that he is not setting himself up for a fall

15 minutes ago, R.Bear said:

Yes so take that tired argument somewhere else.

Well fair play - I guess on this occasion we must agree to disagree.

1 hour ago, R.Bear said:

This just isn't true and a very obviously blinkered opinion.

Did you see him play ?

15 minutes ago, jimmygreaves said:

Anonymous in the 120 min prior....

 

Tbf to him, he wasn’t alone in this.

9 hours ago, R.Bear said:

This is a good point and based on what you said, you’re right. He’s the best player to have ever played for us. He’s the best in his position and would get into every team in the world, club or country. No one else in Villa history can say that.

With the very greatest of respect - Paul was simply the best centre half of his generation and would have walked into any team in the world at his prime.

Even today - legends from that era talk about him, as being the best.

You might be lucky enough to be young enough, not to have seen him play - I don’t know ?

But trust me - Paul McGrath is a footballing genius and simply world class. 
I would back him against anyone Haaland, Ronaldo ( both of them ) anyone to be honest with you

12 minutes ago, Alakagom said:

Said everyone on this forum about Bailey last season. Get a grip 

If Bailey had been sold - I very much doubt too many of us would have cared - so I think you are being harsh. 
Football fans the world over are fickle - myself included, I still think Bailey has work to do, but I rate Zaniolo - how does this work ? 
Diaby is a good player imo and I believe he will come through 

22 minutes ago, villa4europe said:

That's a different thing, I'm not saying emi is out best ever player but he is the only villa player that can say he is genuinely the best player in the world at his position while wearing a Villa shirt 

And obviously world cup winner while playing for us 

Mcgrath can't say that, as good as he was he wasn't the best CB in world football

Well that is a debatable point in itself - I think Paul McGrath is as good a defender that has ever been  - imo 

3 minutes ago, villa4europe said:

He's an absolute word removed and a disgrace to football, no one should ever think of buying him or wanting him at their club 

He's a genuinely world class best in his position player, maybe the first time ever at Villa you can say that, I'd like to think he's ours, he's one of us, even though I know that means nothing in football anymore, he knows what he means to this club 

You did see Paul play ? With the greatest of respect Emi is not our best ever player 

5 minutes ago, rodders0223 said:

I'd have guessed he would have been subbed off anyway as his main goal in life seems to be 'how can I get booked in the shortest time possible '

 

Edit  minutes played for club and country he averages a booking about every 90 minutes. That is absolutely mental.

That is not a reflection of his ability and quite an assumption as well 

15 minutes ago, rodders0223 said:

Never want to see this moron ever again

 

That is a very harsh view imo 

I love him - can’t wait to see him play again he is a little magician as far as I ‘m concerned 

5 hours ago, AndyM3000 said:

One of the reasons I liked him was because of his build and his ability to hold the ball up and use his body to protect the ball. With Bailey, Diaby and even Watkins playing we lack this option.

The thing I noticed with him and also Duran is when they come on for 10-15 mins, they feel like they need to impress and often try to do way too much. 

I think you make a very good point and this is probably down to how they view themselves, coupled with the desire to be starting games.

He is a very good footballer and we should be thankful, he is ours.