Written by Damian Tuesday, 03 November 2009 11:02
You might have noticed that it is all a bit quiet at the moment and I thought I should explain. It's not that there isn't any news or there isn't anything I could copy and paste, but I sort of don't like to just copy and paste when you can get that news yourself. That and I know you're not stupid and I also know you don't come here to find out about ticket news.
Also if the only news I have worth commenting on is from John Carew saying he is happy with a point, I'm too scared to write my opinion on what he said, as I don't agree with him and I'll offend some people when it isn't meant to offend.
You see, I don't like getting fed garbage and I don't like fools. You might say I'm a fool and you're entitled to that opinion but I'm not and you know I'm not. You might not like my views and you might think I'm a little outspoken, but that doesn't make me a fool. It's also not just fools. I don't very much like Ashley Young at the moment either, but he is no fool and he is a top class winger on his day and a player I know will get better as the season goes on.
It also isn't that I don't like him, I actually don't know him, but I had an Everton supporter round at the weekend to watch the match and as soon as Young went down, again, and limped and sat down for his 93rd consecutive match, I got a little annoyed. It wasn't that Young had done it, it was that the Everton fan knew it was coming and told me he'd be fine and running around in a minute and that he does this every match.
Our Ashley Young is getting a bit of a reputation for this and while the diving, okay, scrub that, the falling over and making it look good after someone brushes past seems to have taken a back seat, I don't need fans of other teams telling me about our player and his feigning injury.
Don't pretend like you haven't noticed. Every single match the physio comes on and every single match he is fine. Maybe it is because I'm a little older and we were always told to run it off, maybe it's because we actually know he's going to be okay, or maybe it's because the referees are also not stupid and they look at our Ashley like the boy that cried wolf. I don't know what it is, I know it annoys me a little though.
Sure, he could get a little knock and sure, he could be in a little pain but surely he must have figured out that in the 93 times he has done it now, more often than not, it's turned out okay, so just stand up and keep running - it might also help his game if instead of thinking about how hurt he could be, he thought about the game and concentrated on the job at hand.
I'm glad I've got that thing about Ashley off my chest. He's a fantastic player and he will get better, but the falling over and the injury once a game is becoming too much now. Hell, it was too much last season and the season before but when supporters of other teams start talking about it, it has to stop. No more feeling hurt Ashley - get on and do your job or you'll never play for a top four side.
The Game in Hand
Right, moving on, we have West Ham tomorrow and I don't expect much. We played an under strength Everton at home and contrary to what John Carew has told us are not that decent at home - Wolves and Stoke both got a point and last season they relied on their away form for their 5th place finish. But if I don't expect much from tomorrow, maybe I'll be surprised.
I'm not looking at stats or previous results, but I have a good feeling about tomorrow. We like playing at West Ham I think and while, not remembering all the results Martin O'Neill has had against them, I have a feeling the matches are usually quite good.
But we need a win. A win will put us 4th and while Manchester City will still have a game in hand, chances are they will draw or lose as the Mark Hughes bubble has burst, but even a draw would move us to fifth and that is good news. A defeat to a team sitting in the relegation zone will be a hard pill to swallow and is a possibility.
Three points for West Ham would move them out of the relegation zone and up three places and say what you want about them, they won't go down and they play good football. When the football starts to get better for them under Zola, like it did last season, they'll slowly move up the table and if they were to get an injection of cash and some new players in January, West Ham could very well be a team fighting for a European place, much like us, season after season.
But that is tomorrow. This post started as me trying to explain why it was a bit quiet and took two directions, so now I can at least put a title to it, but more later maybe and definitely more tomorrow. So, until then, I'm off for coffee and to care for a 5 year old with fever and a desire to play XBOX.
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Tim Wood
said:
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... Boo Hoo Woe is me! I've stayed away from this site for a few months because the constant negativity was really getting me down. I decide to take a peek today and guess what more negativity! How depressing! If we win tomorrow we could go into the top 4 for f*** sake! We really are having a bad season aren't we?!?!?!?! As for Ashley Young, it's well documented that I suggested we accept the £25million for him in the summer. Playing on the wing, he is a one trick pony, or a wonky donkey at the moment! Lets hope DJ Stu is fit soon! |
Damian
said:
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... Timmyrara and if we had beaten everton we would already be in the top four with a chance of going 3rd tomorrow night .. not to mention if we beat wolves and everton, we'd then be in with a chance of going second. 4th would be excellent tomorrow but if we continue to not take our chances like everton and wolves for the rest of the season we won't be in the top four .. |
Adrian Kilgallon
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... Timmyrara for once i agree with you. Young really is a one trick pony playing on the wing. |
Tim Hillman
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... I agree Ashley young isn't a bad a layer and in fact is a very good player. I just think teams have worked him out. When DJ is fit I thinnk Young needs to move into the role just behind the striker where we can use his creativity and pace with more effect. Being right footed and playing on the left isn't easy (just ask Ryan Babel). The boy will come good. However he does need to stop collapsing in a heap whenever someone breathes on him. He is making drogba look good! Timmyrara - I wouldn't say this is a negative post just a realistic one. |
Andi
said:
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... Young maybe a one trick poney but wasnt he a striker ?? and his one trick helped towards our great form last year. So a player is having a bad patch who has previously contributed loads to us and what we jumpp on his back ?? you refer to history and the past when attacking MON or results why not refer to history before attcking a player he is having a bad patch thats all and if it isnt a bad patch he could be off in Jan or the summer and with DJ coming in and hopefully returning to form would they be a bad thing ? Before i get hammered for the EMULE attacks i have given out EMULE has never been a good player for us and as he has no history with us i have none to refer to. |
Damian
said:
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... Once again, I'm going to go against the majority and say that Young has it in spades, but he just seems to want to go down too early or do something again when he doesn't need to do it .. His crossing fails because sometimes he crosses when actually the best option would be to just pass it back a bit .. or sometimes he crosses when there are 3 defenders and only 1 player to cross too .. O'Neill or someone at the team has to sit down with him and develop his game - look at what is happening and what he could have done better ... I'm worried these things don't happen, but surely not. It will come good for Young - he has the talent and so what if it is only one trick - as long as he masters that, it will work every time wont it? |
Steve
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... Sell Ashley Young?! Yes he isnt at his top level and yes he goes down to easy, but he is the ONLY creative player we have and you want to sell him?! Perhaps if we had more creativity in the team, the opposition wouldnt be able to triple mark Young. As much as you guys rave about Milner (and yes he works bloody hard), when was the last time he actually created something, ie delivered a top class cross or skinned a couple of people?! Looking at our centre mids, neither Sidwell nor Petrov create anything, so bar Ashley we rely on Gabby just being quick, Warnock starting to overlap and being big at set pieces. So in conclusion, those who think we should sell Young are clueless, we need to become less predictable and that requires buying a classy centre mid |
Tim Wood
said:
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... quote]Timmyrara and if we had beaten everton we would already be in the top four with a chance of going 3rd tomorrow night .. not to mention if we beat wolves and everton, we'd then be in with a chance of going second. 4th would be excellent tomorrow but if we continue to not take our chances like everton and wolves for the rest of the season we won't be in the top four .. ...and if we had won every game so far we would be top |
... We have 18 points. From the same fixtures last year we had 12. Ashley Young is having a blip. He still has the quality to change a game and selling him is out of the question. West Ham, three points, fourth place, leap frog FSW and MWF. Nuff said. |
Andi
said:
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... if heskey has his wetabix tomorrow we could get a goal our of him and i beleive it so much i have had a beat on him to score and villa to win 2-0 |
tubbydunne
said:
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... We will get the three points tomorrow and will sit in fourth. A point in a derby game is acceptable. A point at Goodison is a good days work. Everton have had a sluggish start but as the season wears on they will be one of the sides pushing the top four, they have been doing it for a while but still don't get the credit they deserve. A bit like ourselves. Spurs(and their a hole of a manager)and man city are the darlings of the media at the moment. Ourselves and Everton have being building steadily over a number of years and are well capable of finishing ahead of the them and all their spending power. We will win tomorrow night, we are missing a few but have strength in depth and I am really looking forward to see what team is named. |
Andi
said:
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... "beating heskey open session" can you imagine the money that would be raised we could buy a real striker with money raised !!!  |
Eoin Greene
said:
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... First off on the Young debate - i pretty much agree with everything Damian says. I dont doubt the guy has talent and in fact is our only creative outlet. The problem is that this slump has gone on for over a year now - its not just a 'bad patch of form'. On the positive side - he is still involved in I would imagine the vast majority of our goals - so he is doing something right. But in addition to his every single game 5 minute injury - he also has an absolutely horrible attitude towards referees - every time he doesn't get a free he sulks like a big baby - like Ashley Cole and Ronaldo..... I think Youngs lack of form for over a year is, as is the case with the majority of things wrong with us right now, down to the way we play. We dont get possession in the oppositions half of the pitch enough, there are huge gaps between the forwards and the rest of the team, the midfielders dont know if they are defensive or creative - so Young hardly ever gets posession in a decent attacking situation - he nearly always seems to be double marked. People are saying that Downing on the left wing will free him for a more central role - I thought everyone on here sees Downing as Barry's replacement and the man who will completely change our football and approach (not my opinion by the way - just an observation...) |
John Samuels
said:
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... eoin, I couldnt give two s**ts if Young goes down every game. Why care, he plays he assists, we score, we win. He is being doubled even tripled up on at times. I play on Sundays anf if he receives the kicking I get (I play left wing) then I can understand it. His attitude to Referees probably stems from the fact he isn't playing well, but it happens with lots of players all the time...who cares? People on her are just looking for something to moan about. As far as Downing goes, who cares where he plays, as long as it improves us.. The guy has quality which is obvious, I just hope that where ever he comes in he makes the team better, that is all i can ask. You can go on and on about him playing left or right or in the middle but at the end of the day no one knows so who cares. Wait and see. Don't just moan about it chaps. |
JohnnyMcleod
said:
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... I thought Ash did ok on Saturday and he seems to be building up a decent understanding with Warnock. Opposing teams still see him as a dangerman and usually double up to try and stop him, this ought to mean a bit of space being created for our attacking midfielders to exploit, unfortunately that means Sidwell and Milner who are as likely to benefit as Heskey is of scoring with an overhead kick from the halfway line. |
Dave
said:
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...... A lot of the negativity on this site has gone away reecently, most the posters are generally more positive and happy with our performances. This does not mean a bit of crticism is unwelcome. The fact is Damian has a point about Young, he loves the ground. On the other hand, if you have a slender player running with pace, it really doesn't take a lot for them to be knocked off balance. And he might well just be a bit f a mummys boys... |
keith
said:
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... the way to look at our present situation is that we are playing pretty crappy and are in with a shot at 4th place. if we put ash,gabby and milner up for sale they would be bought by the top 4 or top european side so to be honest they are not just grafters, speed merchants or one trick ponies. the one thing i do agree on is that there is something missing, what im not sure, is it a creative midfielder or a 20 goal forward, one thing i am sure about is that top 4 is on this season even with the players we have with dj being a bonus. the good thing about this blog is everyone is entitled to an opinion and its good to see them. |
Mike Carter
said:
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... Ashley Young is a poor player at the moment, there's no denying it. Most call it a run of bad form, but I'm seriously beginning to wonder myself. Right now if we were offered £25m, I'd be laughing my ass off. That would be daylight robbery. I wouldn't pay £5m for a player like him at the moment. |
Steve Badger
said:
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... Young annoys me too, with his constant going down and seemingly feigning injury. But I put it down to his slight frame meaning he only has to get a tap and he's hurt. Heskey's falling over annoys me more, but that's been done to death, so I'll leave it. What concerns me more is that ash doesn't seem to be enjoying his footy atm and perhaps that's what it is, he's just short on confidence. I think it's no coincidence that while he's gone off the boil, so has the rest of the side. That said, Ash will come good and the thought that we're pushing for 4th with him still to start firng on all cylinders can only be a good thing. Got to agree with you damian, we need to win this tomorrow. Lokk at West Ham's form. They've won one, drawn four and lost five. And they've scored less than us. If that's not a side that are there for the taking, well there can't be one in the prem, imo. That said they don't concede that many and on that basis, it has to be 1-0 to us. But at the same time, I've always gone with the theory that you shouldn't expect too much and anything else is a bonus. So it won't surprise if we lose. As has been said, 4 points from 2 away games would be a pretty good haul and things are not that bleak really. |
daniel brown
said:
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... Guys having read all the posts about our ashley i think he has been found out and over marked due to our lack of quality in midfield. However once DJ is fit i would move ashley over to the right which means he can use his pace and actually cross the ball instead of checking his run to come in the his right foot. This will give the team proper balance. To that end i would try the following tomorrow. GK baby brad Rb luke young CB collins & dunne LB bouma RM young CM delph & reo LM warnock ST carew & gabby A team with proper balance and still a strong side with players missing. Any takers? |
John Samuels
said:
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... Badger, Young is small and quick and a bit of a prima donna, that's it. As soon as he hits form again we'll be fine. I partly blame the quality of ball into him and someone with a bit more vision in the middle may get the best out of him down the left. More of a goal threat in the middle would also make it harder for teams to double up on him. We do need the points at West Ham and this should be easier than Everton although it's an evening game so I think the Hammers fans will be full of beer under the floodlights and create a bit of a cauldron. We need to keep Collison and Cole quiet who seem to be the main threat, Collisons and Cole's goals. They look a little weak in midfield so I would vote for NRC over Sidwell but it won't happen. We need to score early take it to them and put it out of sight before the hour mark. We don't want to go there and do an Arsenal. Tough game, 3 points would be a good result and I'm confident we can get it. |
jerry
said:
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... Chaps, I urge patience. Young will find his place in the scheme of things. Sidwell will improve and Downing and Delph will provide options yet undreamt of. Honest. Sticky, thanks for the kind words from the previous thread, and Nan, if you place a bet on Heskey scoring, don’t come on here telling us about it. It’s too depressing knowing about such human frailties. |
Adrian Kilgallon
said:
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... Is Young really that good at beating full backs? If you compare him to Lennon, SWP, Pertov(Duff and Robben in their days) to name a few other wingers does he have the same skill and ability to go past the full backs? I personally don't think he does. He has one trick and thats about it and now that the full backs know about this they can snuff him out comfortably. I think he is a striker in all honesty and the sooner MON trys a few things out the sooner we can stop being so predicatble. As it is Young is the major reason we are limited going forward. I don't blame him entirely as this game plan is coming from MON. But i do expect (and hope)Downing to go straight into the team as the left winger. |
Tim Hillman
said:
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... If you look at the games we have won and got points from this season, apart from the Liverpool game I would say we have played below par. Yet we have only lost 2 games. If this was a few years ago and we went to Everton and went 1-0 down that would be it, yet we managed to get the equaliser and take point from a top 6 side. Equally when we held on to win against Chelsea. A few years a go that is the type of game we would have let a last minute equaliser in or gone on to lose. Ok there will always be games where we concede late and not hold on to gain valuable points (Wolves this season, Stoke and Man U last season) but I am much more confident that we will hold on to the lead and win games. Now I even expect us to come back in games when we are behind. The sign of a good team is one where you don't play well yet pick up points. If we win tomorrow and get in the top four without playing well then surely it bodes well for when we do start playing well and players like Young and dare I say it Heskey start to play better! |
Ed
said:
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... I think people should get off Damian's back here - he has a massively valid point, one that I agree with. I'm really not sure what it is, but Young looks a totally different player to a couple of seasons ago. He just seems like he can't be arsed anymore, and that exciting aspect to his game - the trickery that makes every villa fan sit on the edge of their seat - seems to have disappeared. Our once most clinical and creative player has become our most indecisive and lazy player, it really is quite an incredible, and for me, unexpected transformation. He rarely takes players on anymore, choosing instead to go down easily and look for the free kick, which, if he does get, is usually a poor delivery from him. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I seem to remember a time when nearly every ball he put into the box resulted in a good chance or a goal. Maybe there is some psychological reason for Ashley's bad form? I honestly can't understand how else he could go from being such a massive asset to the team to being a bit of a liability. |
Adrian Kilgallon
said:
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... EdAVFC i think the major thing is the deterioration in Youngs deliveries from open play over the last year. If you take delivery of crosses into the box from his game as a winger you are left with an average enough winger. I also can't understand why this has happened as all he gets is praise from MON. Maybe more time on the training pitch would work? |
John Samuels
said:
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... edavfc, How is he a liability? I don't see many other out and out wingers chasing back and making slide tackles to regain posession near his own by-line. He works incredibly hard in games and although the final ball isn't quite there at the moment it's ok, it'll pass. Remember when Gabby couldn't hit a barn door, but Ash was in the england squad? It seems things have changed a little so who's to say it won't change again? Also you mentioned the Ash of a couple of seasons ago? Are peoples memories really that short. He was still doing it in January when we were still winning. Thats only ten months and he wasn't playing premier league football for three of them. Plus players need time to find their feet at the beginning of a new season. He is a good player and more than that he is a human being not a stat in a book that never changes. He will have ups and downs and if you ask me he is due an up, in fact the whole team is due a bloody great performance and I think while Downing might not be the huge individual talent of say Messi etc, he may be a Catalyst for a cnahge in the way we play slightly. MoN obviously spent £12m for a reason, I just want to see what it is. |
Mike Carter
said:
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...SWP over young, no chance. If you take off the claret & blue tinted glasses, you'll see that SWP is playing a lot better than Young at the moment. He's using his pace and ability to beat players and put crosses in. He's also very good at drifting into the middle and dragging fullbacks with him. Plus he's got a decent eye for goal. Young can't do any of this at the moment. |
Steve Badger
said:
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... Some good stuff coming out of this thread, imo. More of a goal threat in the middle would also make it harder for teams to double up on him. That goes without saying JPA, but I'd like to have thought that ash would be able to work this out. Hopefully he will. I think the thing that many people seem to have forgotten is how much Ash has been tracking back, as has Milner. This has helped our defence and is part of the reason we look so solid at the back imo. But it's costing us going forward too. The points about his poor delivery all all valid and I have to say the difference between early last season and now is startling in this respect. Trust me, I can cross as good as Ash atm. Very strange. I wouldn't consider selling him though. Hopefully when Downing returns, he'll put a bit of pressure on that left wing starting berth and Ash will start to pick up. Mind you would MON consider "resting" him? I'm really not sure. Which leads me on to what I think is the single most interesting thing about tomorrow. Luke Young. Do we think he'll start? |
Adrian Kilgallon
said:
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... Ive been watching SWP, Petrov and especially Lennon to see how they attack their full backs. Neither of those have the skills of Duff, Robben or Joe Cole but are in a way more like Young. Small and quick. What i noticed is how fast they knock that ball past the full back once they recieve it. They don't give them any time to settle or get into position (which also stops the doubling up effect) they are at them immediately. Young on the other hand tends to take his time which leads to players getting back into position. He then does he usual one trick and most of the time he is stop and stoped easily enough. He needs to taker the full backs on ASAP as he does not have the skill to beat them otherwise. I would say that Young is a better to cross then Lennon and SWP though but he needs to learn how to go past the full backs. |
Rios.Jockstrap
said:
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... As much as it infuriates me, ive learnt to accept the reason why Ashley does what he does. Ive also noted that he does it more when things are not quite going for him. It points to somebody whom likes to be the centre of attention. Its the reason why Martin keeps calling him class when we all know hes been shite most of the season. Take that away, and Ashley would be very mediocre. Players like him strive on the attention he recieves when he does things well, and when they are not, they simply act like tools. Live with it, i do  |
Car Frost
said:
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...Aston Villa striker Emile Heskey is again being linked with a move to Fulham when the January transfer window opens.WOOP WOOP - what were we saying about Roy Hodgson taking us to the next level the other day? Martin O’Neill faces a selection headache before tomorrow’s tough away match against West Ham United with James Milner “extremely doubtful” and skipper Stiliyan Petrov also facing a late fitness test.Cokers big chance. Megson: Knight must improveTEE HEE - The guy used to give me kittens every week, I think he now has more own goals than Carew has goals. As for dropping points - granted at home you would expect 3 points against weaker teams but I think to get anything away from home is not that much of a disappointment, the gulf between sides is less than ever. Gone are the days when the weaker teams have only decent championship players, they all have internationals in the ranks these days. |
Andi
said:
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... I would like to see Luke Young start tomorrow as i would bouma and as someone has suggested play Warnock on the left and Ash on the right, maybe not having to cut back so often will help him out ?? When Downing makes his long awaited debut i hope we will see Downing on the left Young on the right and Milner pushed inside, I think milner could make it in the middle. On the subject of resting him everyone needs a rest every now and then and some time not because they really need a rest but they need to reflect and get a grip a little. Maybe a rest for Ash would do him the world of good or maybe someone needs to sit him down with a dvd of last season and find out what it is thats going on and how we can get him back to his best, rest, move to the right, play him behind the front two ?? not sure what the answer is but you dont lose ability you ever have it or you dont. |
John Samuels
said:
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... Viva If you take off the claret & blue tinted glasses, you'll see that SWP is playing a lot better than Young at the moment. The most important part of that statement is the last three words. A firing Ashley Young is one of the best in his position in Europe let alone England and SWP has and never will be as capable as Young. It's form that is lacking at the moment. Class is permanent. Badger, Downing provides options and allows MoN to try things with three quality attacking midfielders that are all capable of playing all over the midfield. Especially Milly as he is two footed like Delph who is one to watch. It seems bleak in that position at the moment, but Mon has addressed, it just needs a little time to come to fruition. Ash will come good, so will Downing, so will Delph. Heskey? Maybe not. I hope so, I know Chiefy and Nan would absolutely love him to get a goal tomorrow. Luke Young has to start now surely, he's match fit and Cuellar is suspended. I fancy he'll come in and barring a horrendously rusty performance he'll stay there for a number of games and Cuellar will get a well deserved rest. We need him sharp in case anything happens to Ginge or Dunnie. I love this squad depth lark, options are awesome. |
Steve Badger
said:
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...Luke Young has to start now surely Exactly why I'm asking. I've suggested a couple of times that there's something going on re LY and most just brushed it off. My view is that if MON plays Beye or especially NRC at RB, LY will be gone in January, without question. Luke Young is probably seen by all of us as the best RB at the club (not that we've seen that much of him there) and to not play him would be strange to say the least, imo. |
Rattus NorVillicus
said:
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...eoin1981 said: I very much agree with that. Indeed it's hard to determine what our style of play is. Or more to the point, what style of play mON is striving for. At the merrment we seem to defend stoutly, show plenty of spirit and endevour, and try to nick a goal or score from a set piece. It's very much the way Liverpool play actually, except we don't have Gerrard or Torres to create and score the goals out of nothing. And we don't have a creative player like Benyoun to mix things up a bit. I very much hope we do beat WHAM, but I wouldn't put any serious money on it. |
davidc
said:
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... re: Ashley Young. Every club in the country, and half the top clubs in Europe would take him off our hands in a shot. Thats not to say he's playing at the top of his game currently. Its more a statement/testament to his ability and the potential he undoubtedly has. re: dissatisfaction at not winning at Everton. Foolish. A point at Goodison is a decent point. Everton will finish above Spurs this year. And possibly above Man City too. Everton (like last year) will be our prime challenger for 5th spot (possibly 4th spot if Liverpool continue to implode). |
Andi
said:
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... Pancho -- the talk of putting money on things, i got excited yesterday for some reason was feeling really good so i put a £10 on Heskey to score and Villa to win 2-0 and the return is £81 plus my bet so £91 now that has got to be worth a punt, Heskey overhead kick in the 7th minute and Young with a screamer 72nd minute i reckon, scrap the over head kick he will just score |
Simeon
said:
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... It isn't that Ashley Young has been found out. As is well documented, teams double up on him, because he is a dangerous player. The problem is that he's our only creative threat. Keep Young quiet, and for the most part you keep Villa quiet. There's always a chance that Gabby will create a chance for himself with his pace, and we are a threat at set-pieces, but otherwise, there really isn't much to worry about provided you double-team Young. If we had another creative outlet, teams wouldn't be able to give Young as much attention, so it's actually the Villa team as a whole that has been found out. As for Young's 'play-acting', maybe he does over-egg the proverbial. But maybe he does feel the knocks, and granted, maybe he isn't seriously injured, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't still hurt. What is certainly true is that he does dive from time to time, and I'm not about to condone that kind of behaviour. But I'd rather focus on his work-rate, which is superb, and his ability to defend, which is massively underrated. He's not on form at the moment. That much is clear, though the reasons for this aren't so clear. The big worry is that his set-piece delivery has, for a long time now, not been up to scratch, given that our game plan appears to be, Keep things tight, and we'll nick a goal from a set-piece. |
Edward Riordan
said:
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... I think we have reached a cross road in our season. If we win we have a great chance of success this year but if we loose we will have lost ground already. I know its a long season and a couple of wins can turn things around but I can't see us putting together 3 or 4 wins on the trot atm. Any idea who will be out injured 2mo?? Come in Villa. |
Rios.Jockstrap
said:
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...Rio, you write like a grenade has gone off in a grammar and cliche factory. |
Steve Badger
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...re: dissatisfaction at not winning at Everton. Foolish I totally disagree. Where a team will finish has nothing to do with it, imo. It's more about how that team is playing now and form. Teams such as Wolves and stoke took a point at Goodison, for example. Where do you expect them to finish? A team aspiring for top 4 should have done better, imo. Although you could throw my form argument back at me and say wer'e out of form, I suppose  |
Steve
said:
 |
... Got to agree with you Simeon, Ash still is our biggest threat IMO despite teams wising up to him and i think this is the issue rather than his possible antics. All our open play seems to come down the wings which makes it easier for defences to double up and keep players lie Ash quiet. having said that he is still getting the free kicks that are posing a problem and still delivering good corners, although this part of his game is gone off the boil a bit i feel. My main concern is the lack of midfield creativity that can open up other parts of our game play but this has been documented quite extensively in previous blogs, however I will say that we need to start blooding Delph a bit more. Please do not talk about selling Young, we are 10 games into the season and doing good. the defence is sorted, the midfield will come next and the rest will follow, Young will find some form when we stop relying on him so heavily and a little pressure from Downing won't go a miss. Chins up lads - i bet Ash's boot sponsors are loving it! |
Andi
said:
|
... keithj - but on stats and form would you not prefer him to Heskey ? lets face it Cole is direct competition for Heskey's england place and when comparing the two it is clear who is miles in front at the minute |
henrydouble
said:
 |
... viva on Ashley Young... I wouldn't pay £5m for a player like him at the moment then im glad ur not advising MoN on transfers |
Paul Theiss
said:
 |
... jonnycarew: As much as you guys rave about Milner (and yes he works bloody hard), when was the last time he actually created something, ie delivered a top class cross or skinned a couple of people?! Someone started this opinion that Milner can't cross; then many others on here uncritically adopted it. Milner actually crosses quite well and does so with both feet. On Match of the Day after the game against Wolves, Hansen did an entire segment dissecting the quality of his crossing. He highlighted a few of Milner's really great deliveries. |
Christian
said:
 |
... Ashley Young has suffered from the same problem Aaron Lennon had. A couple of years ago Lennon was England's right winger and was simply unplayable at times. Much like our Ash was 18 months ago. Then, Lennon goes off the boil and gradually fades from people's memory. I dont know what causes this, do they believe their own hype? Do they think they're untouchable? Is it too much too soon? Do teams just get better at blocking them out? Whatever it is, it certainly happened to Lennon and Young. Lennon seems (seemed) to be over it and was terrorising defences again earlier this season, our Ash hasn't figured out the cure... |
Christian
said:
|
... Does anyone remember a lad called Damian Duff? He had the world at his feet at one point, he even turned it on on the world stage. Big money was paid for him, then he did a Lord Lucan. There is the danger this could happen to Young  |
henrydouble
said:
|
... ak... He has one trick and thats about it which trick in particular does he use??? the step-over, the drop of the shoulder, faking one way then going the other etc... there are so few to choose from, do you actually watch football? |
Christian
said:
|
... How silly is this argument about 'Stoke and Wolves took a point at Goodison so we should have won'??!! They're still a decent PREMIERSHIP side playing in front of their own fans. It's never easy and LOTS of teams will get beaten at Goodison this season, its a good point earned. Damn, if we're gonna look at who else took points off them don't forget that BURNLEY beat Man United! Shit when United come to Villa we should, on that basis, beat them 5/6-0???? And Wigan beat Chelsea AND us! So they're gonna win the league surely?? Sometimes the things written on here make me question the brains of some fellow fans. |
Steve Badger
said:
|
...How silly is this argument about 'Stoke and Wolves took a point at Goodison so we should have won'??!! Sometimes the things written on here make me question the brains of some fellow fans. I don't think it's silly at all. Whilst I agree that any team can beat the other on any given day, it's a fact that the ones who dig out the most wins and draws finish highest, even when they're not playing to their best. Of course I don't think we'll win all our games but things also average out over a season, yes? And on average, if Wolves and Stoke can get a point, we should have got more, because we expect to finish higher than them. Unless of course you think that we're going to finish on a par with Wolves and Stoke? That would be another debate. I keep going on about these kind of results because I know they're ones we'll be looking back on ruefully. Much the same as if we lose tomorrow, I'll be saying "we've lost to a team that has only won 2 in 11?". I'm beginning to see what some posters mean about our acceptance of what I perceive to be poor results. We'll never get anywhere by saying that equalling a Wolves result at Goodison is ok, imo. |
Villa_Man
said:
 |
... Damo, you talk about the games we should have won, like Wolves away and Everton Away, in which we got a point in each. What about the games we should have lost like Liverpool away and Chelsea at home, in which we gained 6 points? Surely that makes us about where we should be in the league? Instead of moaning about our results lets take the fact that we have only lost 2 in 10 this season, we have a game in hand on most of our rivals, we have a squad to cope with all the fixtures, our defence is the strongest its been in years, Gabby is scoring, we are in the quartfinals of the cup, and possibly our best player in Young hasnt even started this season, we have Downing to come in, we have money to potentially spend in January. Im sorry but I cant see how anyone could be negative about the Villa at the moment. UTV |
Damian
said:
|
... Villa_Man those games we should have lost you talk about are not games i see us as losing but games we should be drawing and sometimes stealing, which is what we have done this season - so in that regard we have developed it is okay developing our game but it has to be all round development, not just for the top four who come to us and attack and we counter ... it should also be for the other teams you could argue that this is what we are working on this season or have done for the past three .. it can be argued or put in a position anyway you want but if we are only going to beat liverpool and chelsea to then lose or drop points to the other teams we are not really developing are we? we will see at the end of the season if we have developed and to use what you have said - we will be where we should be in the league. the question is then going to be, after four full seasons and £100mn is that where we would have hoped we would be, regardless of everything else that has happened |
Steve Badger
said:
|
...What about the games we should have lost like Liverpool away and Chelsea at home, in which we gained 6 points? Of course this is a good point too and is one I do try to keep in mind. But by the same token, we should have got a better result at OT last season. Ultimately one match doesn't make much difference, but it goes back to having to get the right results as often as possible. I thought Man U were mostly average last season, but they won the league because they won a lot of games that they never deserved too. That's what we want. But, things are definitely not all bad and it's all part of the rollercoaster that is Aston Villa |
Daniel Wilson
said:
 |
... Completely agree with this post regarding Ash. A Player with bags of tallent who is just having a bad time of it recently but class doesn't vanish over night as i've said many times before. The feigning of injury needs to stop though. IMO this has more to do with his age and maturity than anything else and when he has a few more seasons under him I can see it stopping. Can anyone remember what a young Ryan Giggs was like when he took a knock? I can't recall but I bet his attitudes have changed with time. I would like to think MON would have a word with him about it at some point, but then again, look at the rewards the worlds best player reaped during his time in the premiership from diving and making the most out of nothing. It doesn't set a good example, and i'm happy that winker now plys his trade in Madrid. For West Ham tomorrow, I have a sneeky suspicion we wont see L.Young in the starting XI. I read in a paper the suggestion of Heskey going there and I can't say i'd be shocked... I'm also seriously hoping that Reo-Coker is not bunger out on the right because he doesn't perform there, put him in the middle where he belongs, although with respect to the spam, for matches against weaker midfields i'd like to see Delph deployed and given a chance to get into the swing of things. Is Albrighton ever going to get a proper run out? I'm very unsure of MONS youth policy, it seems acceptable to pay for young tallent and play it, but if it came through our accademy it has to wait and wait... and wait some more? Anyhows, heres hoping for three points tomorrow! UTV |
Villa_Man
said:
|
... I take your point Damo. All im trying to say is we should be happy overall. I was slightly dissapointed with our performances in the Wolves and Everton games. We didnt really deserve anything but still came away with 2 points. I, as im sure you do, almost expect us to win every game, but it wont happen. I still think MON and Lerner have the clubs and fans best interests at heart. We have come a long way and I believe we are 1 classy midfielder away from the top 4. No team can win every game in a season, but we dont look like losing many. I just dont think theres any room or reason for negativity to be honest. UTV |
Derek Gordon
said:
![[dg]](http://www.gravatar.com/avatar.php?gravatar_id=5b39faf1ca385a2c6d3ba8a6f8f7f245&default=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thevillablog.co.uk%2Fcomponents%2Fcom_jomcomment%2Fsmilies%2Fguest.gif&size=55){kind=avatar} |
... Ignore the Kool-Aid drinkers, Damo. I feel the same way. It almost feels as if ouor lads need a formal invitation from City, Liverpool and Spurs to "pretty please with sugar on top" leapfrog us in the table. Beating top 4 contenders means f* all if they're the only teams we beat. Yes lads, I realise we beat Portsmouth, Small Heath and Fulham too. |
El Rifle
said:
 |
... Would have to disagree on the Young assessment. He gets free kicks for us, and that is where we are at our most dangerous. Paolo Montero once said of Totti who had dived to get a penalty and won the match 1-0 for Roma vs Juve. "Totti dived, but he is cunning and congratulations it won his team the game" The obsession in the premier league about diving is only in the premier league. In other countries they see it as cunning and part of the game, not as cheating. I wouldnt worry about it. Ashely however likes himself way too much these days and does need a swift kick up the rear. He plays like Gabby was playing last year. Then Gabby didnt score and looked crap, and suddenly realised if he didnt get his shit together he would be dropped. This will happen to Ashley soon enough I believe, sooner rather then later I hope, and then we will see him back to his best. |
Derek Gordon
said:
|
... PS All - That said (my last post), I'm really only bummed about the draw with Wolves and the loss v Blackburn. But those were conceded by penalties and it was close. Yes Everton were banged up, but if you tols me we were guaranteed a draw at Goodison when the season started, I'd have taken it with a smile. And Wigan? They're the X factor team this year it seems. The true "beats good, loses to bad" team that I dont want us to become. I'm just scared going into Wednesday because it's the type of game we should win and seem to struggle with. They say fear is the result of ignorance, so maybe I should just shut up. UTV forever through thick and thin. I hope the find their rhythm and we se a 0-3 with Collins, Our Nige and Ash all netting. |
villarobin
said:
 |
... SELL ASHLEY YOUNG ??? !! Im getting embarassed to be a Villa fan to be honest. He is having a dip in form for Gods sake. Hes playing out of position as well and always has done for us !! I would love to see him move behind the striker, and he does need to improve his game, but EVERY PLAYER needs to improve his game. Its absolutely ridiculous to suggest selling him. The same people would all be srying if it actually happened. Wake the F*CK UP !!!! |
Eamon McElwee
said:
 |
... damian, do you consider that Ashley Young gets singled out by opposition and gets kicked alot...the kid (and thats all he is) rarely dives (ok so he did against rapid - but it won us a pen - u think he shouldnt have?)and rarely goes off injured..he draws a lot of fouls and by going down he also allows our big men to get up from the back and organise our set-piece plays...i agree he's certainly been off-form this season, i think its lack of confidence and he misses Barry's support play and incisive through balls...imo when Downing is fit we'll see a more confident Ash who will feed off DJ's creativity and also it will mean that the opposition also have to nullify DJ's threat so concentrate less on Ash tus he draws less fouls...i dont really think its really fair to lambast the kid just yet, he's been awesome over the last 2 seasons - dont all players have spells like this where they lose form???? |
James
said:
 |
... Totally agree with the stuff about Young. It IS depressing see him go over and the Everton fans gave him a LOt of stick for this. Either he is one of the 'Brainless Gangsta Crew' at Villa or maybe like someone else suggested, he is self-conscious about his failure to beat the man and, like many a bad workman, looks for someone else to blame. I agree with Damian, I'm getting sick of seeing his angry/despairing looks towards the referee, after a fair tackle dumps him on the ground because he's been indecisive when faced one on one with the ball at his feet. Grow up man. Focus on the game. |
sazavfc
said:
 |
... young needs to start passing the ball instead of running around in circles and falling over. the manz turning into milan baros. what a fool |
Scrumpy
said:
 |
... Ashley Young delivered two perfect corners that resulted in goals and a win against Chelsea. People around me were moaning about his contribution that day up until that point. He didn't beat players, looked out of sorts but still won a few free kicks and in the second half kept Boswinga out of the game (Ash's best defensive performance so far). If he produces two assist a game I think that is a pretty good return even if he is then quiet the rest of the game, and isn't in the same form as last years pre-xmas spell.(I suspect that our better defensive form - apart from an improved back four - is also partially down to the improved defensive support the likes of Ash and Milner are providing) A few things I would like to see... Ash to cross the ball first time, a whipped in cross. Gabby has the pace to get that half yard on defenders or scare them into putting it into their own net. I think Gabby and Ash could work out an understanding of how to do this. (train Carew/Heskey to also take that gamble and get at the near or far post) and we might start to poach those "easy" tap-ins in the box. Secondly, when double or triple teamed I'd like to see Villa exploit the space that this must create better. This requires really good movement from the midfield (which isn't there yet - think Sidwell's run and goal at Everton last year) and is something that I think we really miss Gareth Barry for. He never was the quickets, but he used to time runs forward and provide this opening very well. Alternatively, we need to bring Warnock in more. When Ash is surrounded, don't try and always beat the two/three, but lay it back and rely on Warnock's delivery. This not only has the advantage of ensuring a ball gets into the box (and hopefully that Ash has taken smeone's marker away) but is delayed slightly not being a first time cross, and so gives the likes of Heskey/Carew and the midfield to get in the box, or the likes of Milner to get to the far post. I'd also like to see Villa make more use of the ball between the RB/LB and the CBs. I can't ever remember seeing such a ball to put Gabby, Ash or Milner through, or either of them playing a similar ball to one of the midfielders making a forward run. Watch Chelsea and its something they do very well, turning defenders and playing either a midfielder/striker or even wingback through. Add some of this stuff to the free kicks Ash wins, and the assists from corners etc and I think his all round contribution will actually be greater than when he was in scintillating form and taking on several defenders at full flight... but (hopefully) that form should return. I think this does need the rest of the team to be playing well, which it isn't quite at the moment (but for now grinding out better results/points than equivalent to last year while still not yet playing brilliantly hopefully means there is even more to come!). I think the first of the following five (Man City, Spuds, Everton, Villa, Liverpool) to put together an unbeaten run of seven/eight matches either in a row or just through home/away form (like our nov-jan form last year) could secure a big enough gap to maintain to the end and get a CL place. And given the way other results are going could even put that team in with an outside shout at the League Title. UTV!! |
Greg
said:
 |
... about ashley ive been saying a long long time he needs to man up, and stop jumping out of the way, he needs to drop a shoulder like lennon and take em on, he always goes sideway to protect himself, he a villa player and i love em all, but i love him least when he's acting like a closet case. sort it out ashley you pansy |
Andyb
said:
 |
... Seem to me like Ash's form has slowly decreased since MON said he was World Class in the corresponding fixture at Goodison last year |
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