moose

Unless there's an injury or suspension, difficult to see Given in a Villa shirt again.

Don't you think he'll be used for cup games, like Guzan was as No. 2?

Hmmm... No.

Guzan was used in cups to give him a run out in a first team environment, and give the first choice keeper a break. Given doesn't need the former, and I can't imagine Guzan wants a break.

Unless there's an injury or suspension, difficult to see Given in a Villa shirt again. Guzan'a not only matured into a great keeper but he's already a cult hero to boot.

I agree I don't think we have a first choice XI, we have some first choice players who will fit into most/all of PL's preferred formations, and then he'll switch others in and out depending on the opposition/tactics/whatever

And of course as we've seen in Given's case being a "first choice player" only lasts as long as PL thinks he can rely on you to do your job.

I'm a bit puzzled by that post. Are you saying it would be a good thing if Hutton and Warnock were just allowed to spend the rest of their contracts lounging at home? Exactly how would that be good or helpful?

Maybe I just misundertood?

No I'm saying it is definitely in our best interests to get them shipped out by whatever means, even if we subsidise their wages heavily for a period of time.

I did read Hutton saying that he'd be training hard to try and get noticed, but I took that with a pinch of salt after reading the secret footballer's notes about how you have to say that so that they have to compensate you more for selling you on.

Edit : although saying that, I do like BfH&V's reply above!

I for one would not want to see Warnock or Hutton in a first team match for us ever again. Why? Well neither of them is wanted, so I reckon that despite them being "professionals" I doubt either of them would care enough about the team to play well enough to warrant their selection above playing one of the more regular squad players out of position. Their presence on the pitch, if connected in any way with an "I really don't care" attitude towards Villa, would annoy the other players on the team who did care.

Imagine if you were on a pitch and one of your guys just kicked the ball around not really bothered if he was playing well or not. Would you be happy to have him there?

I recall Barnsley signing Andy Johnson (the Welsh one) when he was released from Leicester. He lost his first team place after a handful of matches and one day turned up for training to be told by the manager that he could either look like he was actually bothered or go home and never come back. He went home.

I suspect if we gave Warnock and Hutton that same choice, they'd go home too.

Guzan used to be a flapper, this seems to have changed over night, or did i imagine that?

He did used to be a tad uncertain but yes, that's definitely changed. He's matured significantly as a keeper.

Final five minutes of the last home game of the season I reckon for Petrov.

Warnock and Hutton are going to add to an interesting January I think, but that's a long way off yet.

Hopefully they'll have gone on season-long loans well before that.

If Lichaj was a better defender then him then he would have started over Hutton who was shocking.

Hutton started because McLeish bought him. Every man and his dog could see Hutton was piss-poor in pretty much every minute of football, sorry - "football" he played.

Lichaj is a better full-back than Hutton was during his AV tenure (and yes I know that technically should be "has been" rather than "was", but he's as good as gone in my eyes).

Although it seems to be Ben-tee-kee as the correct version, Ben-tay-kay is much easier to say in a Brummie accent. I don't naturally have a Brummie accent btw, so someone else might want to validate this.

I think the constant negativity & booing thing is a sign of difficiences in our culture. The work i do covers a lot of research in this area actually & it is a fact that peoples brains are actually altering due to the internet & gaming culture. Many severely lack people skills as quite simply they do not do anything except sit on the PC or play games on the playstation, xbox etc so the basic way in which our brains are wired is actually altering according to latest university studies.

People are mimicking the behavioral pattern they have created by spending so much time on mobile phones, texting, playing games & surfing the internet generally. This has caused people to be ridiculously impatient & in some cases shockingly ignorant & petulant. If you get bored with a game what do you do?...Say it's rubbish & get a new one? Throw it away? flog it or exchange it maybe?.. This creates a type of behavior by programming the brain to act that way in everyday life.. Scary stuff!

Many drag this unrealistically impatient & dismissive behavior into real life...Well sorry but it just doesn't work in the real World.

Then couple that with the lack of people skills caused by simply not spending enough time learning these skills due to spending hour after hour & day after day in an imaginary World over which you have complete control & you suddenly see why we get the childish booing when a real game of football is maybe not going to plan...

This is of course widespread not just with our fans.

Interesting stuff

I think in a similar vein to us taking given off Man City's hands when he was displaced by Joe Hart, the same thing might happen here and another team would be willing to take him in January if he's not regained his place.

A championship winning side for £5m. That would be the best thing ever in the Premier League!

Confidence player, and it looks like the confidence might be coming back. Think "awful" is slightly harsh about his shot although I did blurt out a few expletives under my breath when he missed.

The game Lambert's trying to get them to play is definitely going to benefit Ireland.

Played well today, but did become slightly anonymous after the booking. He's 4 games into his Villa career and he's definitely looking like he'll be a central point of our team.

Guzan was superb today. I loved the way he was coming to claim everything. He really commanded his area today. Deserves to keep his place.

This.

I do feel for Given, but there's no room for sentiment from the manager's point of view and the keeper is a vital position. Shay's made a few mistakes and today Brad grabbed the opportunity.

I'd definitely leave him in the number one spot for Swansea, in fact if you're going to play on merit, how could he possibly drop him?!

What progress we've made. The controversial decision to drop Given (well, controversial to some) was justified by Guzan commanding his area, marshalling the defence, and making a lot of saves and coming out for crosses. I'd leave him in the team now.

Outfield, we passed, we created chances, we even had shots on goal. If Ireland and Bent had brought their shooting boots we'd have won it. I'm behind what PL is trying to achieve here, screw what pundits and opposition fans say about our transfer deadline day signings, it's clear that the positivity and belief is coming back to Villa.

Things that strike me as odd at VP

1. the amount of swearing in chants

2. the amount of time spent saying we don't like the blues being more than the amount of time saying we do like villa.

3. comments like "we're a big club - the fans want to see big name players"

Away games - agree they do tend to attract the type who like to spend all day on the piss and then turn up at the match barely able to stand.

Did Westwood and Benteke sign in time to play this game?

Nope, but I'd expect Guzan to start and Bennett to make his debut in defence.

Seems like a genuinely nice guy who's really pleased to have been signed by us. Not here for the money that's for sure. The ghosts of the MON era slowly get laid to rest.

Good luck to him, I think that's the end of him at VP though.

I saw it being distributed before the Tranmere match and I've seen it rammed down my throat on numerous Facebook groups for weeks now. No idea who is behind it but a subscription worked out at £4 per issue.

Would be nice, but hasn't Lambert said he knows nothing about it? Can't imagine him saying that and a few hours later actually signing him.

My money's on Genk caving in at some point today, but us already having filled out the paperwork for plan B in case it needs faxing off at 10.59pm

ps do they REALLY use faxes still in football transfers? Don't they have email at the FA?

I fully understand the sentiment. Football in general has indeed been ruined. I have zero respect or admiration for most modern footballers, including a fair few of our own. To compete at the highest level now you need untold wealth. Even a man like Lerner with all his millions is considered a peasant compared to Abramovich, City Arabs etc. Football has become just another reflection of a greedy and superficial society. It's a damn shame.

As for the fans, I agree there are some complete morons out there. Morons who think because they pay their money for tickets it gives them a right to demand footballing perfection week in/week out and mercilessly abuse the team when this doesn't happen. And then attack other fans who don't share their opinions. I can understand it when frustrations reach boiling point like they did last season under McLeish. No fan deserves to suffer that kind of football and sometimes the abuse is warranted. But booing the team off first home game of the season? I know we were poor on Saturday but many fans don't seem to have an ounce of faith or patience anymore. They want instant gratification. Another mirror of society in general.

Yet despite all this, I can't ever imaging "divorcing" the club. I would find it literally impossible to sever an emotional connection to a club I have supported since I was a small child. A love that was handed down from other generations. I'm as disillusioned as anyone but confident things will start to improve and when they do I'll wager that the stay-aways will return to Villa Park and their love affair will be re-kindled. Football is about far more than the players and the money and Sky. The sense of loyalty and identity you get from being a fan far outweighs all that. Even if the Premier League ended up a crass, OTT spectacle like in American sport, it will never change who you are and where you came from.

The Villa is yours. Don't give up on it.

Love this post. Much sense.