Rich_D

Downing Bradley Makoun Delph Young

---------------------Bent

Next season?

Albrighton Bradley Makoun Bannan Downing

---------------------Bent

Some highlights. Some lowlights.

Friedel (saves), Makoun (overal showing of his quality), Bent (movement with not much service and finish) highlights

Walker (too much in vital areas) Petrov, Downing, Young (poor)

I don't think we played that badly. We were VERY unlucky to be 1-0 within 2 minutes, which is never a good idea anywhere, nevermind OT.

To me, it is just clear that Utd are playing OK football but can still pull out a performance out of nowhere when they want to. Class acts up in Manchester.

Here is to the rest of the season and qualification of Europa League.

Get some games under his belt. Get his confidence back. Get him back in the summer. Have a good pre-season. Then we will have that Ireland kid we all thought we were buying.

I didn't judge Ireland through his time here, I was just majorly disappointed. But lets face it, it is so much easier coming into a team that is performing well than one that is not. Also, if Ashley Young has been quoted last week saying he felt the world was on his shoulders because the team weren't performing and now that has gone since Bent joined, just imagine how Ireland must have felt.

True but perhaps a longer, better quality footage.. that was really laughable.

It was lucky there was even footage of the game. A lot of the press (written and tv) did not realise it was an early kickoff.

Maybe the quality was because it was Villas own cameras that they stream to the boxes etc.

We'll know if he passes the medical or not if he was injured

Downing?

Medical does not look too closely at current injuries. Look at Fofana deal that fell through

Makoun NRC

Downing Young Gabby

Bent

That is how I would play it against Utd on Tues.

Makoun & NRC to primarily hold. Makoun to burst forward if possible.

Downing Young Gabby to work their socks off both going forward and in defence.

Bent to tap in the winner from a Young cross

Alex Song type of player, anyone?

Can hold well, but also has the ability to play in the top quarter of the park as well.

Once he has settled in, got match fitness up, got used to the pace of the game, it will be the end of season, no, joke, he will do well for us.

Very good PL debut. Top kid as well, used to play with him for a number of years. Glad he has finally got a chance.

O NAA NAA JEAN MAKOUN

If we lose Young, I want N'Zogbia. Got so much talent just has pretty poor players around him

It is not as if he has not seen/heard/met the Villa players in previous seasons. He knew Dunne. Get on with it. Your a professional

How about the little visit to Villa Park for Darren Bent and the welcoming of Jean II Makoun. Forget the opposition

Rihanna "What's my name" tune at the start

O Naa Naa Jean Makoun, O Naa Naa Jean Makoun

Typical VT. Positive news comes in to the club and then, bang, you log on to VT and people are complaining about the potential signing of an English striker than is proven over a number of years in the Premier League at scoring constantly.

£18M? A bit pricey compared to past examples yes, but we are in different times as players cost more nowadays due to City and Ronaldo transfers etc.

Play Bent up top with 2 quality wingers and a midfielder that can find his feet and he will score for fun.

According to SSN, someone close to Downing says that there is genuine interest.

Hope not, yes, maybe he has not been the great player we thought he would be but he has been one of our better players and someone that can feed Bent if he comes.

Goes against everything Houllier has in his plans if he goes, IMO, as he wants Ash behind the striker leaving on Albrighton to play on the wing, unless he believes Gabby is more of a winger than a striker?

The lad is 19! He's a year older than me, I'm not bulky whatsoever, he's got time to bulk up a bit, he'll naturally fill out a bit!

He was 19 2 years ago. He is now 21.

As much as he has not done anything since he joined (apart from a one on one against Chelsea early on), i think with a creative CM he can work in the whole, but then Houllier says Ireland will never play there again.

He will shine in the team once Delph and Petrov are playing, and that is something I have been waiting for for some time.

It is a tough one imo. He already seems to have a swagger about him, like he has already made it when he has not. The guy has potential no doubt, that is why we should have sent him out on loan at the start of the season.

Start him against Chelsea? Not on his own up front

Everyone has to take the blame.

1. Randy has most likely appointed the wrong man but also had little other options.

2. Houllier has done a poor job since coming in.

3. Some players simply haven't performed, even haven't worked for the team.

4. O'Neill left us in an awkward position, leaving us with little option to choos from in terms of a manager.

In terms of order...

Houllier, Players, O'Neill, Randy.

Surely if MoN left us in an awkward position, leaving us with little option to choos from in terms of a manager he is to blame the most? Lets face it, a lot of people seem to think that if MoN was the manager atm we would not be in this situation.

I would personally say MoN for dumping us, Randy for potentially not getting the right man, Houllier and the players for the results and performances

MOTM already

Don't understand how you can say Delfouneso was 'utterly utterly anonymous'. He had far more impact that Gabby did and was on the pitch less. Yes, he didn't change the game, but to say he was the above is uneducated.

I'm not worried about our league position. We have not had a full compliment of players and this will coincide with Houllier being able to get rid of players that are deadwood and putting that money towards his style of player.

It will, and always has been a transition season for the club. We will not go down but nor will we have a great season. It has also coincided with teams like Blackpool and Bolton etc getting wins when we have not so it is making our situation look far worse than it actually is

70+ mins against 10 men...we should have won....

Well, it is Villa, we still have the counter attacking mentality. We rarely take a game to team. So, if anything, it probably made it harder.

Delph. Glad he started, maybe a little too early yes, however, he did not look too short of match fitness etc.

Lichaj. Sometimes Bale had the best of him but he recovered very well each time. High hopes for this lad.

Delfouneso. Needed a performance to prove his worth. Think he is starting to show some signs of what he can do. Still needs to go out on loan imo to a team where he will play more games for a few months or so.

Let face it, we played against a strong Spurs side with a world class number 10 in the terms of VDV. Something I wish we had here at Villa Park but we don't. Simply a classy performance from a classy player. Hats off to him.

We were very unlucky as well, we had chance after chance but just did not test Gomes enough and maybe that is down the lack of star quality up top.

Lack of confidence all round the club is my guess. That will happen with the results the way they are going but I still think there is a team spirit.

O DO NOT START CALLING FOR HOULLIERS HEAD, IMO, IT WAS THE PLAYERS NOT THE TACTICS ETC THAT LET US DOWN TODAY (people say we need to play two up top, he did. Cuellar, played. Maybe NRC or Petrov instead of Hogg but doubt it would have made that much of a difference)

Carew is off. No surprise he is not on the bench. Same with Dunne.

NRC hopefully seen as the player that is needed against City in our next game. Either that or he is being benched because he is not signing a contract. Unsure. I am probably just reading too much into things.

COME ON VILLAAAAA!!!!!!!

Bale has world class potential but is very easily locked down in games. Has not exactly emulated the form he was in against Inter in many other games, but that could bite us in the arse today. VDV is also a huge threat for Spurs against us today. Those two can change a game in the matter of minutes.

The above being said, I still think if we play the right team we can get a result here today. A point would be good, 3 could change the spirit in the camp and help us go on to winning a few more games coming up.

Every team in the PL this season is beatable, and that is not necessarily something that could be said about team last season, imo.

Friedel

Licahj

Cuellar

Collins

Warnock

Albrighton

NRC

Bannan

Downing

Heskey

Gabby

That is what I'd play if LY & AY are not fit to start. Has energy and an attacking threat. Players on the bench to make an impact with Petrov, Delph and hopefully AY if he is fit

He has potential. But so did I when I was a youth. Potential really means nothing to be honest, you have to back it up with something more than just a season. He could work here, he just seems so reluctant to do so.

Lets be wise and put his wages somewhere worth while and improve our game on the field.

I can see him going to a Bolton, Blackburn, Fulham style club where he will, like Sidwell, play most games and get in to a rhythm and become successful for them. Wouldn't be surprised if he opt abroad though.

Apologies as I don't know you and how much potential you had or what level you got to. But that statement is a joke. SI has got potential but he has also played very well for 2 seasons at the top level for a good team. He's got more than potential.

I beg to differ. So your saying he's past the potential stage? Well if so, what has he done? Bar that outstanding season at City where he played with the likes of a very in form Robinho, Elano etc.?

For me, a player comes out of the potential stage once he has actually proved something over a decent amount of time.

He has not exactly set Villa on fire and has come nowhere close to how VDV has set Spurs up this season.

No as I said he still has that potential but he has done well for 2 seasons in the prem not just one. People seem to forget the season before when he chipped in with a few goals and assists. Not just the Robinho season. For a player to do that in 2 seasons at the age of 20/21/22 means that they have also realised some of that ability. Now he needs to do it every season for a prolonged period.

The previous poster was comparing SI's situation to his own and I'm saying it's markedly different. Unless said poster has played for a good premiership club and performed well for 2 seasons?

Didn't play premiership football but played for a premiership club. I **** things up because I wasn't grounded and let things get to my head.

Anyway, Ireland got 4 goals the season before, hardly setting it alight really and definitely did not have the impact like he did the season after. yes, i appreciate the season after he way a year older, a year wiser but he had different quality around him, helping him to look better than he was. IMO!

He still has A LOT to prove and show the fans that he actually is good. I think that is what is frustrating for most of the fans here, the fact that everyone can see he could be good but he thinks he has done it already, when he is far far from it.