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The_Rev

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Posts posted by The_Rev

    FA Cup 3rd Rd 4/8 January

    in Other Football

    Posted

    2 minutes ago, trekka said:

    So, white and black striped shirts with red player numbers, red and white striped shirts with black player numbers.  Madness. 


    They’ve played each other 150 times in these colours. It’s fine. 

    FA Cup 3rd Rd 4/8 January

    in Other Football

    Posted

    3 minutes ago, switters said:

    I don't understand why you'd do that at 2-0 up. Super cringe-worthy and you're more likely to liven up the home crowd.


    He was standing in front of 6000 Newcastle fans at the time. I think it’s obvious why he did it. 

    FA Cup 3rd Rd 4/8 January

    in Other Football

    Posted

    4 minutes ago, Mantis said:

    Sunderland trying to play Emeryball when they just don't have the players lol.


    They don’t have the shape either. The ball out from the keeper to the pivot has been a hospital pass a few times, they nearly got done in the first half and they didn’t learn. There’s got to be an easy first time pass option for the guy receiving the ball from the keeper or he’s just going to get pressed into oblivion. 

    Player of the season so far

    in Villa Talk

    Posted

    I think it's Luiz by a hair's breadth.  McGinn is playing the best football of his career at the moment, Konsa has stood up when we've needed him, Dibu is Dibu, Watkins is one of the best forwards in the Premier League right now and there are half a dozen others who have been fantastic for us all year but Dougie is the heartbeat of the team. 

    Media and punditry

    in Other Football

    Posted

    He'd have also been in Barcelona in the 80s so a lot of the institutions to promote Catalan as a language following the death of Franco hadn't really sprung up yet.  I believe it was the 1992 Olympics which was the coming out party for Barcelona as a global city and as a place that would rep for Catalonia. Catalan getting taught in schools was banned for decades under Franco and that would have just been starting to spin up again, as well as cultural events having a lot more chance of getting funding if they promoted Catalonia and Catalan.  Same thing in Bilbao and the Basque country, I was out there during the Aste Nagusia festival this summer (highly recommended btw) and just from talking to people out there it seemed that local/autonomous regional government in Spain tends to be full of true believers right now and funding is poured into those languages at school and in the cultural/arts spaces but Spanish is still the language of business and it's what most people's first language will be, especially if they are in bigger cities.  It's interesting to see that Athletic Bilbao fans would rather get relegated than have non Basque players represent their club, even if the definition of what being Basque means is changing as time goes by. 

    Back to Lineker though, and a wider point about footballers abroad. He's said multiple times that one of the first things he wanted to do after signing for Barca was just learn the lingo as he figured he'd actually enjoy being there if he could integrate fully with the city he'd be living in.  I don't understand people who don't share that viewpoint. Surely you'd have a much nicer time somewhere if you could have a laugh and form friendships with the people who are surrounding you? As a footballer you'll definitely have the time and the help to do this too, even if you're not speaking that language at home.   I've noticed Villa seem to be pretty good at getting the foreign lads into speaking English and I applaud it as we don't want to ever end up with another situation like we had with Savo where he basically felt isolated from everybody and everything during his tenure in England. 

    • Like 3

    Media and punditry

    in Other Football

    Posted

    10 hours ago, VillaJ100 said:

    I'd imagine he picked up at least some rudimentary Spanish when playing for Barcelona? Although it should probably have been Catalan

     

    He's fluent.  I believe he has Japanese down to at least a conversational level too.   

    • Like 1
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    Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Burnley

    in PL: Burnley h

    Posted

    Been home for a couple of hours now and have had a bit of time to collect my thoughts.  Firstly: 

    image.png.2e8b8440d1579e12c3d4329ac0cd37ab.png

     

    That's a game every three (ish) days for five weeks.   In that time we've played Spurs, Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, a Bournemouth team who appear to have temporarily turned into Real Madrid and had a very much must win game against Legia.    We've come through it with aplomb.  We've averaged more than two points a game over a brutal looking run of fixtures, won our Conference League group and we've done it while dealing with injuries and suspensions.  This is beyond our wildest dreams stuff considering the bulk of the squad were here under Dean Smith.  

    As for today?   Dug deep, won.  I've barely skimmed the thread but I'll agree with the consensus that JJ isn't match fit yet.  Diego Carlos hasn't convinced me at all.  I think we look better when Bailey is coming off the bench but I get you can't really leave him out and keep him happy when he's pulling up trees in terms of end product.    We've definitely lost our shape a bit too, I figure it's because the players who had that consistent run of games together from August to November all knew where each other would be running to and the passing just seemed so crisp and sharp, there have been times where a ball to the outside that would have been on before just isn't there at the moment because players aren't making the same runs.  We've got to deal with other teams being more prepared to face us too, nobody is buying the attempts to bait the press on Martinez anymore, they just stand off and let us have the ball which probably explains why Ollie can't get isolated against their centre half any more.  Teams are really focussed on stopping the ball into Douglas Luiz too, he's often the trigger for an opposition press because they seem terrified to let him have time and space.  Konsa is a total baller, he's been great at right back but I think we need him playing in the middle with Pau and if Matty Cash isn't the main to play at right back then perhaps that's where we strengthen in January.   It's gonna be weird to have a whole week between games, I figure they get a couple of days off and we use the fringe players in the cup against Middlesbrough (I suspect they'll rotate too given they've got a League Cup semi final three days after they play us) and we should see a more familiar looking team against Everton in a couple of weeks. 

     

     

    7 minutes ago, ozvillafan said:

    Trafford is a great keeper. Possible Olsen replacement?

     

    When he leaves Burnley he aint doing it to go sit on the bench somewhere else.   If he's as good as he looks (and it's important to remember he's only turned 21 a few weeks ago and has played just half a season of Premier League football) then the best thing he can do is play regularly at a club who are going to play out from the back.  I can see him at a club like Newcastle when they eventually sack Eddie Howe. 

    • Like 15
    • Thanks 1

    Match Thread: Villa v Burnley

    in PL: Burnley h

    Posted

    Looking a bit leggy but winning against a Burnley side who are here to play football. At the moment it’s just having better forwards that has made the difference. Not feeling the makeshift back four at all, Carlos looks well off it.  JJ isn’t yet back to where he should be either, hopefully just getting minutes in the legs will solve that problem. 

    • Like 2
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