barry'sboots

He trained a couple days with the first team and took part in a few activities, missed some out. (Probably the more contact stuff)...but light training is ball work, more than just running. I'd bet right now, he maybe isn't match fit but he's strong as ever through the gym work and he's also at a decent base fitness level. I can't see why it would take 2 and a half months for him to go from ballwork, light training to 'around first team' basically....even however serious. He'll be pretty much full training by early January and once he starts full training, he will only need match practise. Be back way before march. I'm with you. I've had my cruciate ligament re-built and it isn't as bad as some make out if handled properly. I know Gary Mac has had the experience as well. I think he actually tried to defer a cruciate ligament operation by building up his hamstring so he could play in the euros (I think it was) but broke down. So he will be well aware of the recovery process. I'm sure that the club will handle him properly though and ease him back in appropriately - reserve games, followed by sub appearances, followed by starts - and get him back in the side as quickly but as safely as possible. I personally hope he's back starting in February.

Gary Gardner ??? Osbourne ???

Spot on. This is the kid that ran the show against Man U at home last year - until Nani was sent off and MON didn't respond. He is special IMO. Always able to create space for himself and find a ball to a team mate. Very similar to McAllister in his pomp IMO. I can't wait for him to come back in alongside Makoun potentially!

Agree re the balance that he brings but I thought he looked poor on Saturday against the Baggies. Fine when he was on the ball, although he had to come too deep to pick it up, but fairly ineffectual otherwise. I don't know whether this was tiredness, dip in form (to be expected with young players) or simply that he was just outnumbered or outmuscled by the Baggies' three man CM. I thought Hogg looked much more involved and had a very good game. I was willing Ged to take Bannan off for NRC much earlier than he did to solidify us a bit and close out the game.

I would expect Delph to be back in and playing regularly this season. Gardner is younger and I would have less of an expectation here. I think he can be eased back in with reserve games followed by cameos/sub appearances etc.. There are a number of potential reasons DJ didn't settle immediately - new club (after all his life at one club) as for Stan when he arrived, playing right midfield when he is predominantly left footed. Both look very exciting and I am hoping a front 6 of: --------------- Makoun/M'Vila ------------------ -------------------------------- Delph/DJ ------- Albrighton ------------------------------ DJ/Ash --------------- Gardner ------------------------- ------------------- Gabby ----------------------- Will be the bedrock of a very exciting team for a few years to come.

This would make sense although I might keep Warnock in the starting XI as Young is only just returning from a groin strain. I would also have Clark on the bench in front of SI in case NRC breaks down. I would also, but Ged won't, bring Downing inside and shove Ash out wide left.

Good question that. I know British Law dictates that you can't force somebody to carry out a personal service, such as playing football. At best, you can impose an injunction to stop said person from playing elsewhere. But whether you could claim for compensation from the player? Theoretically, he's broken a contract, so I would say yes. The latest reports on BBC suggest that they will seek compensation. Is this really any different from Mutu who Chelski have successfully sued I think, where drug taking effectively caused a breach of his contract? Its great to see what will happen with a club that has enough resources/is able to let him rot on the bench/reserves if he throws his toys out of the pram. Football biting back? :winkold:

Fair summary. I would reduce Bannan's score as I thought he was poor and struggled to get in to the game. We need more of a physical presence in there when we play a good team with 3 in the CM. For me, this means a stronger pairing or a three if Barry is going to play. Like Blandy, I would also have scored Hogg higher as I thought he was excellent yesterday in that understated DCM role - Stan with legs for me.

He played in the middle at Middlesbrough a few times and looked really good in the middle. When he runs at players full pace down the wing though they shit themselves, I wish he would do it more...keep the ball away from them on his left foot and run. Remember it well. If [can't remember their expensive striker] could have hit a barn door he would have had loads of goals and DJ would have had more assists than anybody that season. I love the way that he runs at players as well although I don't think he has the natural pace of Ash and Marc. He is the best technical footballer that we have, with the possible exception of Bannan, and this is why I would love to see him at the heart of the team and build the team around him. ----------------------- DCM ------------------------ ------------- Delph --------------------------------- --------------------------------- Downing ---------- Marc ------------------------------------------- Ash ----------------------- Gab -------------------------

Would love to see him have a go in the middle with Ash pulling out to the left. I think he has a real shot on him and this would see him getting more opportunities. He would need an enforcer/tackler alongside him and would probably be more suited to a three.

Impressed with his performance yesterday. He seems to have real pace and good energy and some throw! I think Luke definitely has competition now and we need to offload Beye in January.

Comfortable win. Boggies shaded H1 but apart from Tchoi's effort did little to threaten Brad's goal. We were dominant in H2, apart from the last 5 minutes or so. We looked much better defensively with Carlos in there. He has to retain his position. My ratings: Friedel - 6 - Okay but not a lot to do. Lichaj - 7 - Strong game. Much better than I thought he was going to be from previous viewings. Great throw and real energy and pace when he gets a head of steam. Collins - 6 - Much better game today. Cuellar - 7 - Our defence looks much more solid with him at its heart. Able to step in front of strikers and take the ball off them. Great reading of the game. Warnock - 6 - Did a lot better today. After a poor H1 against their most potent threat for me - one hell of a size for a right winger - Warnock really stepped it up second half. Downing - 8 MOTM - Excellent, worked hard, used the ball well and was always a danger. Wouldn't mind seeing him inside instead of Ashley as I prefer the latter outside. At least they should be alternating during the game. Bannan - 4 - Poor performance and he never really got in to the game. Tough against a five and it needed someone with a bit more presence or an extra body in CM for him to really have a go. I was calling for NRC to replace him much earlier than it happened or to come on and move Barry forward and take off one of the wingers. Hogg - 7 - His best game so far for me. He looks like a Petrov with energy! Albrighton - 7 - Did well and always looked a threat Young - 6 - Buzzed around. Involved and had intent but just doesn't look a threat to me in a central position and I'd like to see him back out wide. Heskey - 7 - Great game form the big man and he worked really hard. Good back up to Gabby now. Reo-Coker - 6 - looked good for the short time he was on Fonz - 5 - didn't really have a chance to get involved Herd - not on long enough to rate

--------------- friedel ----------------- young--- cuellar --- dunne --- warnock ---------------- hogg ----------------- gabby --- ireland --- ash --- downing ---------------- fonz ---------------- That front 5 should give them something to think about with Marc, Barry and Emile as back up off the bench. I would want to see lots of interchangeability from that attacking 4 and in particular Ash and DJ. I would rest Collins against the Baggies as I don't believe that they have an aerial threat? Bring the King back in and see if this can stimulate the back 4 into a return to form.

We were a top 6 side and then we lost our POTS who was crucial to that top 6 placing IMO. Yes, every side has injuries. Our issue is that they are all in the same area. - Gabby and Heskey out at the same time. - Stan and Petrov out at the same time. - Milner gone and Delph and Sidwell out injured. CM has been destroyed and we have had to bring kids in to replace these players. Bannan, for example, has done really well BUT, IMO, he would have done much better if he had been playing alongside NRC or Stan - a more experienced player. If we had lost our spine like Liverpool - Stan, Dunne and Gabby say - we could, under normal circumstances, have replaced them with NRC, Cuellar and Heskey, but we have lost the first teamers and the plan B players at the same time and are thus on to plan C i.e. the kids. Plop last night were at least able to replace their missing 3 with experienced internationals, for the most part.

If Clark is out: -------------- Hogg -------------- ------------------ Herd ---------- -------- Ireland ------------------ Gabby ------------------------ DJ -------------- Fonz -------------- Please Ged. Bench may look a little skinny??

If Bannan isn't fit ------------------------ Friedel ---------------------------- Young -------- Cuellar --------- Collins ---------- Warnock -------------- Hogg --------------- Clark ------------------ ------------------------ Ireland ---------------------------- ---- Gabby ---------------------------------- Downing ----- ------------------------The Fonz----------------------------

Are you on the sauce as well then? :winkold:

Same side as above but I would represent it slightly differently: ------------------------Friedel---------------------------- Young--------Cuellar---------Collins----------Warnock --------------Hogg---------------Clark------------------- -----------------------Bannan---------------------------- ---- Ireland ------------------------------ Downing ----- ------------------------Gabby---------------------------- Subs: Guzan Beye Dunne Pires Herd Carew Fonz I want to see Ireland and Downing playing in closer to Gabby and the three CM'ers as a solid three hopefully creating space for Young and Warnock to get further forward. Ire

I was not questioning "your call", merely the rhetoric at the time - and I believe that it was you that said it (I may be wrong) - that we did not want a manager that was employed as that would mean that he would be leaving a job to join us and may do the same to us at some stage. If this was not said and I am mistaken I apologise, my memory must be playing tricks on me. If it was said, then I was merely stating that I think it is an incorrect stance to take and, if for whatever reason we have to appoint a new manager in the future, then we shouldn't follow this policy.

I imagine he was saying "wtf am I doing playing out on the right wing when that clown ashley is **** everything up in CM!"

Apologies for the abuse that you appear to be getting this morning. I'm sure that you can understand the emotional feelings that most Villa fans have today. Indeed, I am sure that you and Randy are also feeling gutted this morning and that that feeling would have been made ten times worse by having to watch that clown Egg Foo Yeung jumping up and down in his roadkill coat. I have a few points that I would like to make. Firstly, I think Ged appears to be making some strange selections at the minute. Pires and Carew starting on Saturday (we all witnessed the visible improvement on the introduction of the Fonz and Ireland) and Bannan on the right last night when Ash could have played there and wee Barry in his natural position in CM and Collins and Dunne retaining their partnership in spite of poor form. I am wondering if Ged has a touch of the Cappellos and doesn't want to upset our big names/highest earners. I feel a bit more communication/clarification on some of these selections would be really helpful to us as fans to understand what Ged is trying achieve. Secondly, on Ged's appointment. He wouldn't have been my first choice but I can understand the rationale and I will support him, unless, that is, he keeps making these strange selections! However, I found the comments at the time - i.e. that we would not take another manager from an employed position - to be a little naive. The best managers tend to be employed, for the most part, unless you are lucky with timing which Mr O'Neill made sure we weren't. We all know that there is a chance that, just like a player, a successful manager may move on in search of bigger and better things and, whilst this can be frustrating, I don't think this should have stopped us looking at people in employment like Hughes and Jol etc.. I applaud your moralistic stance, if that was the driver, but think it can be hard to be the only kid with any morals in the playground! My third point relates to the violence last night. I find this really frustrating that we all knew it was coming and certain clubs - Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Millwall and a few others - consistently deliver this sort of atmosphere and intimidation without any seeming real punishment. I think it is about time that the other clubs pushed the FA/PL to deal with these clubs once and for all and get this out of the game. All clubs have their idiots but some clubs seem to revel in it and this can encourage the worst elements in their opposition's support as we witnessed last night. My fourth point also relates to last night's violence and the consistent poor policing of the derby games. I would have thought, by now, we would have established a national and dedicated team to deal with such matches, of which there are probably 20 or so a year, that would work with local forces for those games and ensure consistency and that best practice (from around the world) is followed at all times. I am sure that the premier league and FA could afford to fund this central team - maybe instead of paying such ludicrous amounts to the part timer, Mr Cappello? - if the government couldn't suffer the burden. I would hope that this point would be worth raising with the powers that be and I am sure that you are in a much better position than I to do so. We, i.e. football, need to get a grip on this violence before the knuckledraggers and their mates deter the good fans from going to games. Rant over. Best of luck for the rest of the season. :winkold:

Felt Ged got it wrong again. Ash in the middle and Bannan on the right was just wrong wrong wrong! Friedel was decent only. Made a mistake for second goal (that wasn't given) and now needs to be replaced. McGregor in January please. Age catches up with everybody. Foster showed what a keeper in his prime can do for a team. Young. I thought he played well. Dunne. Poor. Collins. For me, poorer than Dunne. What is he doing letting the ball bounce and consistently outmuscled by Carthorse Jerome. Warnock. I thought he had a decent game. Bannan. Okay BUT played out of position. Clark. Did a reasonable job given he is also out of position and has a lot of composure on the ball. Will be a classy CB but will need a Laursen type alongside to deal with the big lumps. Hogg. Had a good game. Solid and involved. Difficult to say he did anything great but also couldn't say he made any mistakes. Not sure what I think of him. Downing. Okay. Always looks our most threatening creative for me. I would still like to see him play more centrally. Ash. If he was half as good as he thinks he is I wouldn't mind him wearing that Snood! For £18m I would sell tomorrow and bring in N'Zogbia and Bentley. Gabby. Did well. Great goal and looks dangerous every time he gets the ball. SO glad to have him back. Not sure why he is getting dragged out wide so much though. If we are going to play the 4-5-1 he needs to spend more time centrally.

It can't be beyond the wit of man to devise a way to get fans in and out of a ground without trouble?? The police are always useless in these events. There are maybe 20 games a year - derbies etc. - across the country that generate this sort of behaviour and atmosphere and I wouldn't have thought it impossible to have a special team set up to deal with these events that travels around the country when appropriate, even if they are supplemented by local police. This would ensure consistency and best practice and better planning. Probably too sensible for our forces to consider! And I would have thought the PL/FA would be able to fund this. It really is about time that clubs that have this sort of following/behaviour - Scum, Milwall, Cardiff, Leeds and a few others - took responsibility and sorted it out.

dont understand the love in with Delph, can remember one of two good performances. The rest were very unmemorable. Bannan for me has been a lot more consistent than Delph ever was. I agree with POB. I really like Bannan but I've seen more from Delph. The only part of Delph's game that needs work is his tackling and general experience of the Prem, imo. Bannan is good on the ball, has a good pass and good vision of the game as a whole. But, imo, Delph is better on the ball, is just as good at passing, has pace, vision and, from what I've seen of him, more clinical shooting. I like them both and it's good to have some good youngsters coming through. If we can keep them both, as well as Gardner/ Albrighton/ Clark etc, then we could have a really good squad for years to come! Agreed. Slightly different players IMO. Both have excellent ball retention but they do appear to me to be slightly different: - Delph has a bit more physical presence for me and his tackling appeared to have calmed down a bit as well in the last few games he played. He is better at creating space for himself and makes more driving runs. - Bannan has a superior range of distribution, like the ball to Albie against Fulham and is probably, from the limited I have seen (and this seems to be backed up by players' comments), the better footballer technically. I don't see either of them competing with Stan and NRC as I see them as complimentary i.e. I would play: --------------- NRC/Stan ---------------- -------------------- Bannan/Delph ------ ---------- Ash/SI ------------------------ depending upon the opposition/form/injuries etc.. But it is good to have options/subs etc. this season.

I really can't see him starting with Pires again. At least I hope not. ---------------------------- Friedel ------------------------------- Young ------- Collins ------------------- Dunne ------ Warnock ---------------- Hogg -------------------- Clark ----------------- ---------------------------- Bannan ------------------------------ Young --------------------------------------------------- Downing ---------------------------- Gabby -------------------------------- Strong CM in a defensive set up. Wear them down for the first 60 minutes then unleash the Fonz and switch to 4-4-2. Same tactics as O'Neill deployed (seems strange to use "MON" and "tactics" in the same sentence) last season and it worked a treat. They have no Hleb or McFadden so their creativity is weakened and I would ensure that Bannan pushes on to Ferguson when they are in possession so he is deprived of the space he needs to pull the strings.