Written by Damian Thursday, 07 May 2009 06:33
Backwards posting today so I'm beginning with the Swedish rumour and unfortunately Olof Mellberg isn't coming back after Martin O'Neill convinced him he made a mistake in not getting him the contract when he was willing to sign it, no, it's Swedish central defender Jonas Olsson.
Olsson isn't a bad player and has done well for the Swedish U21 team, he is strong and has a similar spirit to Mellberg, which will win the fans over quickly, but I'm still to be convinced that he can play at the top level, but he's the type of player that can easily convince me.
It is just a rumour though and we are apparently linked with the likes of, you guessed it, Everton, Pompey and Blackburn.
Moving on, Stan Petrov has spoken about him committing his future to Aston Villa and he's suggested that he may sign a contract next week or in the summer. I can't see him not signing, can you?
Stan Petrov, May 4th 2009
We have had a few talks and we will see where it will end up. It could happen next week, and it could happen in the summer. I don’t think anyone has ever heard me say I was ever unhappy at Villa.
I am going through a better time on the pitch now, though, and as long as I go out and perform well for the team and the fans then I am happy.
Petrov is staying, unless Liverpool only want to sign Barry if they get Petrov at the same time or Manchester United see him as a replacement for Carrick who is convinced his long term future is at Villa Park alongside Carlos Tevez who has refused to wear the red shirt again unless he gets his summer move to B6. Petrov will sign, he's probably just haggling over more money.
Lastly for this post, but I suspect they'll be another one later, my weekly pop at James Milner.
James Milner, May 5th 2009
It has been a poor run and we know we should have done better but it's about what you take from them and how you bounce back. If we are in the same position next year with 10 games to go, hopefully we'll see it through and go one better. But it's very rare you'll find a team that goes through a season without having a dip in form.
It's about how you recover from that and we had a spell where we weren't putting in good enough performances but since Manchester United we've come away and had some good performances.
We beat Hull, a team that hadn't won in so long that they've probably forgotten how to and we don't need a player coming out as if it is all over and telling us about bouncing back. We needed to bounce back in February and March, not wait until April. It's also about practising crosses in training.
But he is right, it's about how we recover, but have we? I don't think we have. In my preview, I put Hull down as a victory only because they were such a poor team, but I'd predicted draws for the previous three matches and I won't be confidently predicting three points at the weekend either.
At the end of the day we only had a couple more shots on target than Hull and we're up against a team this weekend who have a better home record than we have away record and it will be a proper test, because Fulham are a team we should be beating, regardless of where they sit in the table.
As for good performances Jimmy, that match against Bolton was possibly the worst performance all season. Come on, put things into perspective and instead of just crossing, with hope, if you're not extremely confident of getting it to a Villa player or you're not quick enough to beat the first man, don't just kick it and give possession away, hold on to the ball and play it across the ground to man in space. That or practise your crosses, we can't score if you don't have the ball.
Right, that is my little moan for now, but did anyone see the Chelsea match last night? I'm not convinced Barcelona deserved to win last night but I think over the two legs they deserved it, which should be enough for Chelsea. As for how some of their players acted at the end and in particular Ballack, during it, well, it just brings shame on the English game.
But I do think Graeme Souness had something last night when he said that UEFA wouldn't be unhappy that it was not two English teams. I'm not suggesting the referee was under orders, but Chelsea should have had a penalty or two last night and you can't really see any other result other than quite a bit Manchester United win.
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Anthony Laud
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... yeah i saw that comment from milner. oneil has a number of players making similar comments. davies often pops up after a clean sheet saying its good we sorted out our defensive problems then it goes back to conceding 2/3 every game. we certainly arent over our slump - hull are without dount the worst team in the league on at the minute and we struggled to beat them. Fulham are def favorites at the weekend - a point would be a good result for us. i mean fulham beat man u and only lost to liverpool in injury time at home when both those were going for the title. as for chelsea barca - chelsea deserved to win on last night but i didnt see the first leg so cant judge based on that. The behavios was bad from Ballack and drogba. i know you criticised lampard and terry as well yesterday damian but going up to the ref and putting your point across in a pretty furious manner is not all that bad especially after his performance and the heat of the moment! think man utd will spank barca in the final. there defence looked dodgy anyway and both there full backs got suspended last night! |
Chrisodon
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... UEFA are a joke all the they're always trying to shit on the english league and it's teams, by scrutinising our foreign imports..they didn't care when it was always a spanish or italian team making up the final. Fuck off back to your vineyard in france platini you're a living hate monger of the english game. |
jerry
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... Sometimes your articles give me hope that you’re learning how to do this. Writing good stuff on a daily basis isn’t easy so I’m impressed when you do it. Then, just as I’m looking forward to an interesting read, the sickness returns and I’m forced to take back the gold stars I awarded you. There is, I suppose, a chance that you do this deliberately just to be controversial. Whatever. If you’re going to write about football for a living you really need to understand the elements of team building beyond being complimentary to the flashier players. I don’t think you understand. If you are just stirring the pot, stir a different one. Tell us that Marlon Harewood is going to become a prolific goal scorer; or the Blues will qualify for Europe next year. If you write in this blog that Doug Ellis is a humble man, I will seriously consider the merits of the proposition. But do not tell me that James Milner is worth about £3 mil and expect me to take you seriously. If you really do believe that then you are lost. Your mind has entered a dark, surreal fantasy and you must abandon hope. |
DavidC
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... We've all got our pet hates as players. Milner is obviously Damien's. Everyone else can see that Milner has come on leaps and bounds over the past 6 months. He is going to be a big, big player for us next season. |
Steve Sims
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... I just voted for my player of the year and it was an easy decision. It began with P and ended with etrov. Holding on to players like him is crucial. I can understand Damien's frustration with MIlner, because he crosses like a child who doesn't have the strength to get the ball off the ground with every attempt. He routinely hits the first defender - and not just a headed clearance either, sometimes his 'cross' is volleyed clear. I'd love to see any stats about this. |
Damian
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... churchill a. i don't do this for a living - do you see any ads on this site - any way for it to generate money? b. i've not brought up the value of james milner today or in fact if he has a value to the team, so i'm not entirely sure where i'm asking you take take anything like that seriously DavidC Milner took time to settle, when we moved to a five man midfield, his development took a little slump, but towards the end of that, December and January - even I was writing about the positives of James Milner - because he had gotten used to the new system. His crossing however, for a right sided midfielder, is poor. However, I can see, if he practises, how he can become a much better better crosser of the ball and I can also see his value to the team. It is on record that I don't think he was worth £12mn. but at the same time, Martin O'Neill wanted him and that was what he had to pay, so it's done. Has MIlner gotten better this season yes, I think he has. But his crossing isn't great and today, I'm mostly annoyed at how he has come out spouting all this blarney after beating Hull. If we beat Fulham, Boro and Newcastle, I'll accept it, but after the horrible run of form we've had, I don't expect to be hearing all this after one result against the worst side in the league. |
Panos
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... Damian, Regarding Milner, you do have a point and he does need to improve. To be fair to him though, let's remember we had to wait almost two years for Petrov to start playing well...so maybe if we wait a bit more, Jimmy will do the same or even better...after all some times good things do come for those who wait. |
Damian
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... Panos I agree. He could get better and the chances are better for that happening than they are for me winning the lottery this weekend and I still believe, so you never know. But, how long do we have to wait for it to happen? Newcastle fans were saying the same things when we signed him; he'll run his socks off, contribute with the odd goal, but can't cross to save his life. I can see a benefit to him moving into the middle, someone suggested it here and the more I think of it, I can see it, but if he is going to stay out wide, he has to learn how to cross and isn't there something wrong in saying that about player earning £2mn. a year who plays in a position that you expect lots of crosses from? I mean, it hits the first man more times than it goes over him. |
Panos
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... Damian, I like the idea moving him into the middle myself and I hope you do win the lottery this weekend  |
Andy Pepper
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... Off the subject a little whatever happened to that fund raising idea fo Acorn you know the 5 a side tourney? |
Damian
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... villapep nothing as of yet. we did our part, as in take suggestions and give feedback, but i also suspect these things take a little time to organise and i wouldn't be surprised if there were quite a few people that needed to be convinced. i'm also not sure, just because we thought it a good idea that they would .. i guess we will find out one day |
Chris Harper
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... Ha ha Damian even if you only win a Tenner? Technically speaking that is classed as winning on the lottery!  I think it would be better to have Milner in the CM too. Maybe he could be given this role if Barry decides to leave? It is blatant that we're missing a driving force from the middle of the park. We rely too much on wing play at the moment. |
Steve Sims
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... I suggested Milner in the middle on the old site, then repeated the theme when I finally found this site! Just makes sense, Barry proves that you aren't as reliant on pace as you are on the wings, and for his faults Milner can see a pass, create a yard or two of space when needed and has phenomenal stamina. |
Damian
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... Steve Sims Then you are Yoda. I'm seeing it now .. had never thought of it before and you are right, he can see and execute a pass .. |
Steve Sims
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... Did anyone else get an email about Player of the season? Has to be Stan for me. His composure in the middle of the park is incredible. |
Chris Harper
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... No I don't think so. How do I vote? Can I do it on the O/S? Stan wins hands down for me this season. He is absolutely quality. Just shows how confidence affects players. Its a shame we can't get behind Gabby more during games. His name is rarely sang from the Holte End these days. Talking of singing names, Petrov only inherited his 'Petrov from the halfway line' song since his goal and that's hardly sang during matches. Probably doesn't realise how much we appreciate his work as a result. |
Steve Sims
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... I presume I'm ok to link to the OS? http://www.avfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ElsewhereDetail/0,,10265~1649646,00.html I must have registered for this a while ago as they sent me an email asking me to vote. |
Damian
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... gazza01 yes. and i think he did didn't he .. it just so happens milner said this yesterday or the day before and it is in the press now. i dont care who says it .. it's like all these 'rallying calls' or 'we will bounce back' .. they should do the talking on the pitch Steve Sims Yes you are .. It is here also - as a link: http://www.avfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ElsewhereDetail/0,,10265~1649646,00.html |
MattD
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... Stan Collymore has been talking about Milner playing central midfield since January... I agree that Milner likely to be more effective from CM than right wing, but this just proves Damian's point - his crossing just isn't good enough to play right wing. And for Villa to pay £12m for a right winger who can't cross the ball is not good business. So great, play Milner in CM ... oh yeah, we've already spent £20m on central midfielders over the last 3 years. That doesn't matter because we can play some of them elsewhere, oh yeah we've already done that (NRC and Milner playing at right back). That's okay, why not play our right back at left back...oh yeah we've already done that as well. Let's not forget we still need a right winger after all of this, or is that where we want Gabby to play? |
Chris Harper
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... No not really-you rarely see Gabby try to beat a player when he finds himself on the wing. He gets to the edge of the box then plays it back to whoever is supporting him such as Milner, Barry, Young. |
Steve Sims
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... good point Matt D. It's like McLaren trying to fit Lampard and Gerrard in the same England team over and over - the names seem more important sometimes than the make up of the team. It surprises me how good Stan Collymore has been as a pundit, I agree with a lot of stuff he says. The worst is Jamie Redknapp, who looks for justification from other pundits for everything he says, like a timid teenager looking for approval from the cool gang. |
VillaMitch
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... I am sure that at some stage in the past I have said that Milner would make an excellent attacking central midfielder but I also really think you are blowing this 'can't cross' thing wildly out of proportion. Look around the world and tell me where this idea that his crossing is vastly inferior to everyone elses has come from. If a winger puts in two dangerous crosses a game then in my opinion he is doing fine. If the strikers fail to get on the end of these two good crosses or miss from a couple of yards everyone forgets the quality of the delivery. If the strikers happen to stick the ball in the net from the two crosses then the winger is lauded as being a genius. Its a very fine line between being considered a good winger or a bad one and I think people who criticise Milner's crossing on here really are living in a world of perfection that doesn't exist! Yes, a lot of his crosses hit the first man, but so do most other wingers crosses. With the exception of Ronaldo who is clearly on a different planet to every other footballer in terms of what he can do on the pitch, Milners crossing is no worse than everyone elses. From out on the wing all he can do is attempt to pick someone in the penalty box out or aim for the penalty spot and thats what he does. Yes a lot hit the first man and some are so poor that they go straight out for throws or goal kicks but my point is so do other wingers deliveries. Beckham's the best crosser I have ever seen but the majority of his crosses and dead balls come to nothing. He only has to get a couple to hit the spot he wants and to get converted per match for him to be thought of as a genius. I have watched entire England games where EVERY corner he has hit has been nodded away by the first defender but he is still a great player. My point is that wingers are essentially all the same, whether its Milner, Bentley, Lennon, Wright-Phillips, Beckham, Giggs, Kanchelskis, Pennant, Robben, Messi, Ashley Young, Tony Morley, Tony Daley or Mark Walters - they all run hot and cold and thats the nature of the position and people should accept it. The best wingers in the game still put a lot of crap crosses in so why moan about Milner doing it? Accept it because it isn't going to change. Milner's a fantastic player and my only criticism of him is that he doesn't play far enough up the pitch and is often in the right back position, this isn't really even a criticism though because it's the role he is asked to perform. As for his distribution - people criticising it should look at other teams wingers and appreciate Milner for the class player he is. |
MattD
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... Sorry Villa_Chris, it wasn't a particularly serious question of mine. Gabby can't cross the ball any better than Milner, and nor should he because he's not a winger. My point was really if we do move Milner to CM what happens to NRC, Sidwell and Gardner? Would anyone on here have wanted to pay £12m for Milner as a central midfielder? And we're then back in the same position as we were last Summer - we still need a right winger if MON still wants to play 4-4-2. |
Damian
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... I'll get a bit of stick for this .. but Bentley has a lovely cross and while I've not seen much of him at Spurs this season, some of you will know I was hoping for him last summer when the speculation started. If Milner goes into the middle, shall we say to replace Barry, we do need a right sided midfielder and the ones MattD mentioned above won't cut it. Why not Bentley? |
Chris Harper
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... Yes, I also believe we need another right winger in the mould of Young. Someone like Lennon. Milner could maybe play in the hole behind the front 2; something which I think neither NRC or Sidwell would be suitable for. |
Abdul Kashif
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... Hello everyone.. A few posts up, I read the comment about raising money for Acorns. I'm also raising money for Acorns and to do this, I'm planning on having a raffle for a signed copy (by Juan Pablo Angel) of this month's Claret and Blue magazine. I also have a New York Red Bulls scarf that I'm throwing in. This month's Claret and Blue has a double page feature on Angel, and he has autographed one of pages. Does anyone have any ideas on raising money this way, other than a raffle? Any comments would be appreciated |
Damian
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... abz1888 you could try ebay .. in fact i'd say it would be your best bet and if you put it up, email me (contact form on site) and i'll promote it for you .. |
Damian
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... DISCOVERY Personally, I've never really rated Downing .. and I think Young is much better than him on the left so doing that would be weakening the team ... |
Chris Harper
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... Damian I was just typing that when saw your reply! Ebay is a great idea because people will be able to offer as much as they wish to, and the total could just keep on going. Just make sure you explain its for charity on the description. |
VillaDude
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... I have mentioned Bentley before on the blog and think his flair is something we will need if Barry does go. Also he can play either wing and would be good competition for Young and Milner. At the moment they are walking into the 1st team and we need compeition in every place. I know Oneill has his favourites but apart from centre mid we have a very little numbers. A CB, RB, LW, RW and ST are all needed if we are going to take every cup seriously. Martin stop using excuses and bring the players in - we can't have a small squad again for the start of the next season! |
VillaMitch
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... I honestly think MON will sign Bentley in the summer and I think it will be a great signing. I don't rate him any higher than Milner but we need as many good players as we can get and he is definitely very useful. He has had a mare this season, he is an arrogant Beckham wannabe who struts around the pitch as if he has a god-given right to be considered one of the best players in the league and from what I can gather has a Billy Bigtime attitude but I think MON will knock all of that out of him and get him working hard and playing well again. He was likened to Beckham for a reason - some of his deliveries are absolutely class. But like I have said above - a lot of what he does is crap - that's how wingers work. For what my opinions worth - I will be pleased if we sign him. |
Abdul Kashif
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... Thanks Damien, I'll let you know as and when I put it up. Still working with the guys at Villa on how best to do it, but I suppose ebay is a good option |
Michael
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... it was me who suggested milner goes into the centre lol he works hard, can shoot from a distance, can tackle, runs his socks off for the team, can pass ok, all that makes a great centre midfield, the fact he can do all that but cant cross and lacks pace tells me that he shouldnt be a winger. agree with you about bentley damian - last season when we had the choice of swp, bentley and milner, personality wise i dont like the other 2 but like milner, football wise milner was my third choice, but theres no reason why we cant have milner and bentley in the same team, specially if barry leaves and free's up some space. i really hope we dont get olsson, much prefer the idea of lescott or hangeland. and only at villa can a contract signing drag on so long, its petrov, he isnt a wanted man and we need him in our team so why is it taking so long. just heard that the ref last nigh is getting death-threats and had to be smuggled out of the country and he probably wont be able to referee a top game again. hed have probably got death threats from platini if chelsea won. |
Michael
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... abz1888 sounds like a great item you have there to raffle off. im a fan of the red bulls and a fan of angel, im not sure how you would raffle it off on the internet tho, maybe through paypal? |
MattD
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... What does that say for MON's transfer policy - we spend a total £12m on NRC and Sidwell to play in central midfield only to decide that a winger we played £12m for can do a better job in CM ... mainly because he can't really cross the ball as well as we'd want him too and our existing CMs don't have as much pace as we wanted them to. VillaMitch - you're right that accurately crossing the ball at pace is one of the hardest things to do in football. I'd rather Milner DIDN'T try and cross the ball as much as he does and simply use his pace to get himself in dangerous situations, either by coming in off the wing and taking a pop at goal or trying to thread shorter balls through to Carew and Gabby. If we want decent delivery from the right side of midfield then I'd rather have someone with less pace but the ability to put in a better cross and I think Bentley does fall into that category. (I think Lennon not much better at crossing at pace than Milner, he just uses his pace to get into more dangerous situations than Milner has doen this season). |
Abdul Kashif
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... mickey, I was thinking of maybe doing a raffle at a match, but with one game to go, it'll be a bit difficult to get it organised. Damien suggested ebay, so that's an option. The scarf is also very nice. Made by adidas. On one side it says NY Red Bulls, and on the other it says '2008 Western Conference Champions.' I've contacted Villa, and they're trying t come up with a plan, but I might ebay a shot |
VillaMitch
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... MattD I see what you are trying to say but my point is that Milner doesn't just put bad balls into the box - he puts the same amount of quality crosses in as other wingers. To say he hasn't got the ability to cross a ball isn't true because he does - but like ALL wingers the majority of his crosses are poor. Bentley will still put a lot of poor crosses in too. Some of Milner's deliveries this season have been fantastic. |
Ramon Maklouf
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... So in order to strengthen our team you guys are suggesting signing an unwanted winger from Spurs? A team below us in the ladder? In order to progress? For all your talk of signing players of ''better quality'' this signing doesn't make sense whatsoever.. Milner is a good player. He is better then anyone on here commenting on his qualities. And yeah we may have a right to criticise him because we pay his wages or whatever, but I'm sure many of you would be highly overprotective and offended if I insulted your capabilities in your line of work. Our team needs balance. We have a bad patch and all of a sudden the knives come out. I've been critical of MON lately and the team as a whole, but some comments are just plain stupid. Do you value Bentley at £17m? I remember you saying that if MON wanted him he should pay whatever it was.. He wanted Milner more and £12m in this market is good value. Is Heskey worth £3mill? When we were playing well, Milner was four times the value Heskey has brought us since January. UTV |
DAMIEN REYNOLDS
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... Damien, Your right it would weaken the team, after all Young is the best in his position in the league. |
Damian
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... Ramonicus Due respect, Milner came from a similar club. Before Bentley went to Spurs he was on the up and up and going to Spurs has basically proven the wrong move - it happens sometimes. As for his value, like I've said above, the manager wanted Milner so he paid what he had to pay, or actually what he thought he was worth - because Martin O'Neill only pays what he thinks players are worth - we've heard that a few times. End of the day though, we do need balance. What happens if Milner is injured? we lose our balance. What happens if we do well in every tournament next season and end up playing 65 games - wouldn't it be nice to rest Milner for two weeks and have Bentley come in - or like some have suggested, what happens if Milner does move into the middle - nobody can deny when he has sort of roamed into those areas, he has looked decent, then we don't have a right sided midfielder and end of the day, Bentley can cross the ball. |
MattD
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... Ramonicus - I just think that the transfer policy is a bit weird sometimes. We're not happy to pay full price for Bentley (£17m?) and so go for Milner at £12m. Yet we're happy to spend £4m or £5m for Shorey and yet play a RB in his position and NRC/Gardner at RB for months and months? We're equally happy to pay £4.5m for Sidwell and then not to play him. And you're logic for not buying Bentley (ie at a club lower in the PL) would equally have applied to Milner, Ashley Young, Freidel, Davies, Luke Young, Shorey... |
Ramon Maklouf
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... Damian the difference is Milner was playing reguarly at Newcastle. And Keegan rated him highly. Bentley is second-choice behind Lennon. If you want to sign a Spurs winger, sign Lennon or Modric. Or sign Bentley when he was on fire at Blackburn and was probably worth a few 'quid'. I actually think you can find quality players from lower in the league.. I mean look at the players on the Big4 cards. Other then maybe Arsenal, most have individuals who have been signed from another PL club. I'm not saying I don't want Bentley Damian. I think we need good quality to challenge. If we sign Bentley and say Downing I'd be pleased. We need numbers and Bentley adds flair to the team and we probably lack that at the moment. It is also good to have a Plan B. What I'm saying is that you put Bentley on a pedalstool and imply that he is a better player then Milner. He may well be. BUT based on stats this year, I think it would be safe to say that Milner has done a far better job. You keep using £12m as justification that Milner is rubbish. But compare that to the £17m spent on Bentley? Or the £15m+ spent on Nani at ManUtd? Or the £30m on Sheva? In this market, £12m.. Milner is worth it. I don't mind you having a dig at Milner. You have your opinon. BUT I find that you aren't reasonable at times. That is what frustates me. |
Ramon Maklouf
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... MattD, it wouldn't. Read my comment above. If he is a first team regular then it is different. He can't even make the first XI at Tottenham.. So I don't see how he should be in our starting XI if we are supposedly better then them? Frediel, L Young, Shorey, Ash and the like were first team regualrs when we signed them.. |
Mike Carter
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... Finally somebody has made a sensible suggestion to move Young to the right hand side. It makes perfect sense in my opinion. Infact, I'd go on record as to say the few times he's played on the right I think he's been slightly more effective. |
Damian
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... Ramonicus How am I not reasonable? I think Bentley is a better crosser of the ball than Milner - I think if you asked 10 people they'd all probably say the same. On the other hand, I'll say that Milner works harder than Bentley so he wins on that count. It's what you want for your team and clearly, I think, Martin O'Neill wants a team of grafters. What I'm actually saying about Milner above, in the comments, is I think he might be a very decent central midfielder. It's no secret I don't think he can cross, but it's also no secret that when we were playing five in the middle, he was getting praise from me as he got more used to the role. But I'm not putting Bentley on a pedestal, far from it, but I do think he would have been a better buy than Milner and I don't mind saying that. Some people get connected to players and defend them, I do, but for other reasons, it is more often than not, because of them, as players. But these players are transitional, they'll be gone soon enough and most won't have a second thought for Villa, because they won't need to. I'll still be supporting Villa many many years after they've gone and I'll still be banging my opinion about the new players that come in. They are only players and if anything, I hold my club to a higher standard and I expect those players to rise to it. But you are right; Milner was playing regularly at Newcastle, which if I'm honest, just raised more concerns as to why O'Neill splashed out £12mn. for him. And you are also right, Bentley isn't playing at Spurs - but if you turn the clock back 12 months and you can have your pick, who do you pick; Milner or Bentley? |
MattD
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... Ramonicus - i'm sorry that's still ridiculous. Just because Bentley isn't currently playing doesn't mean he's automatically worse than Milner. And would Milner be playing at Spurs over Lennon ...hmm, probably not. |
Nick
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... Apart from Milners lack of crossing ability there is nothing wrong with his game, he gives everything for the team and always gets back to help the defence. Bentley can be a very good player when he wants to be but I dont think that his head would fit through the gates at Villa park. Apperently he thought he was better than Pires when at Arsenal. |
Mat
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... Not sure you're going to like this Damian, but Oil of Ulay have stolen this page and they're marketing as something they've come up with .. |
Damian
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... NRG So, if he cant cross, maybe we put him in the middle? As for Bentley, you want players to be confident and he'll see that coming to Villa would be a good move for him, so he'll have to keep it in check - for his career if anything else. Mat No comment. Original isn't something I associate with that site any more and it will no doubt be passed off as original thought. |
Ramon Maklouf
said:
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... Valid point MattD.. So sign the better of the three and get Lennon, no? I see your point Damian.. I've never said Milner is a better crosser then Bentley.. But you are using £12m as a justification as to why he should be better.. Maybe £12m doesn't buy you a winger who can cross anymore? At £17m you can apparently get a winger who can cross but can't get into the first XI of a team, who not so long ago, faced relegation [Okay, Tottenham were never going to get relegated but you get the point]. Have a dig at Milner, but don't continually say he isn't worth £12m. He probably is when you weigh everything up.. If we signed a right sided Webcam, we'd probably lose the balance Milner offers us. And I'm not necessarily saying Milner is a better player then Bentley.. As for who I would have signed? It doesn't matter really, because I don't do the transfers, but if MON wanted Bentley he should've paid whatever he needed to get him. I am probably swayed to say Bentley but from what I've seen this season I don't think he is worth more then Milner, nor is he better.. All I'm saying is you say Milner isn't worth £12m but MON should have spent £17m to get Bentley. Based on this season, I'll ask you the question you asked me.. Who would you prefer? A £12m Milner or £17m Bentley? |
Daniel Wilson
said:
 |
... Not a fan of Bentley, yes he has a sweet cross and freekick on him but does he actually do anything else? I don't see any fight or grit in him, and when he looses possesion it's head down and a slow walk back towards the half way line. Milner lacks the final ball but will work his ass off to regain possesion. Personally i'd like to see Milner playing behind a front two, pushing on, then getting back and breaking things up before they have a chance to develop. Like the idea of moving ash to the right and having downing on the left, he's not as good as young but he is more composed and better at keeping it, kind of reminds me of Barry sometimes, the one player in the middlesborough team that you pretty much know won't lose possession. |
MattD
said:
|
... Sorry VivaVilla moving Young to right wing just doesn't make sense. We've finally(!) got a player who's one of the best in the PL in that position ... and we want to move him to RW just because we think he can do a better job than Milner at right wing???? Surely it makes more sense to bring in a better right-winger? |
Mike Carter
said:
|
... Or bring in someone like Downing. With Young and Downing on either wing, we'd have two of the best crossers in the league working each side. Players like Carew will be presented with bags of opportunities to score goals with the head. |
remus
said:
 |
... While I see why Damian has latched onto Milner to make his point (You can't refuse a dig at Jimmy can you Damo), I also agree with what Damo's saying. But ain't it always the case with the Villa propaganda machine, of getting players to spout how great we are doing. We are still living off the memories of the Europen Cup for fecks sake. It's about time players shut the feck up until the fat lady sings and we have achieved something. Look what happened as soon as we started talking Champions League qualification up. And unban me you naughty man...lol |
Damian
said:
|
... remus there is no banning on this site .. only IP numbers .. did you get your IP address banned for something? i don't remember |
Nick
said:
|
... Personally I beleive that Villa should play the same way as Barcelona with Carew up top Milner right and Young Left with Gabby on the Bench to replace either one. This formation would bring alot more goals for both Young and Milner. However for this to work we would need to buy to qaulity midfielders to support P |
MattD
said:
|
... Ramonicus - what I would say is that it wasn't Milner's choice that we paid £12m for him. The question over the value of players has been raised in relation to Luke Young, Curtis Davis, Carlos Cuellar. Milner, perhaps unfairly, gets more attention because I think he's been MON's most expensive signing to date. And I think the 'value' question is relevant because MON has moaned in the past about the size of the squad. Perhaps if we hadn't overpaid on Luke Young, Cuellar and Milner we might have saved £8m which would certainly have bought one (possibly two) very good squad players. |
Ramon Maklouf
said:
|
... For what's worth, I'd have paid £17m for Bentley last season.. BUT would you have been as quick to criticise our 'most expensive player ever' Damian if it was Bentley and not Milner? If you think Milner is poor then come out and say it. Don't come and justify it because you 'feel' that he isn't worth £12m. He's probably in our top5 players or so. I'm not attached to Milner. If he left, I'd be gutted but I follow the team and not the individual. Valid point about the size of the squad MattD, but in the current market, if we went and signed 2 players at £4m each, I can be pretty safe in saying that a whole lot of fans would come and say we had no ambition and we weren't going to progress.. I think despite paying a bit over the odds, L Young has been worth every bit of the £6mill we paid for him. Cuellar and Davies will come good too, they have just been made to accomodate to a different system and neither are Laursen's if we are honest.. |
Christian
said:
 |
... I think Ashley Young would be just as dangerous on the right. In fact, he wouldn't need to keep cutting back onto his right foot at the byline. I know we'd lose his 'cutting inside the box and shooting' threat, but how often does he score from this? He's much more dangerous when launching balls into the box. Of course this is only relevant if we get an excellent left winger. Downing, as much as I dislike him, does have a sweet left foot. Gamst Pedersen would be the choice for me- works his backside off as well. That'd give us quality on the left and right. But where does Jimmy Milner fit in? I don't think he's good enough to play attacking midfield- this is where we need a £20m man. A genius. Defour??! But we's always have the option of mixing it up- Young out wide right, left, up front. Milner wide right, central. The 'new' left winger rotating in and out the team as MON sees fit. |
Damian
said:
|
... Ramonicus Do I think he's poor? Well, he's playing on the right side of midfield and I don't think he can cross, so yes. However, like I've said above, I thought he was getting better in a five man midfield, when we were playing him there and I think he might be a very decent central midfielder. But as a right sided midfielder in a four man midfield when one of the key skills (and possibly most important one) needed is to be able to cross the ball into the box, yes I think he is poor. However, like I've implied in the actual post - if he practises, then I think he can get better. |
Mark
said:
 |
... A lot of Man U fans slagged off Fletcher when he first started getting into the team, saying he was a gratfer but didn't have the quality. The fact is Villa don't have any other grafters in the team. What Milner shows is discipline (unlike NRC who doesn't understand his role). The money we paid for Milner is just hugely irrelevant. If we had signed him on thatdeadline a year earlier for less it wouldn't change a thing about his abilities or his contribution to the team. |
Chris Harper
said:
|
... People seem to turn a blind eye to most of the woeful free kicks and corners that Ashley Young has been guilty of this season. Is he a 'genius' in those moments? I don't think so. He annoys me more than Milner for this... |
pete
said:
 |
... agree with you chris,its like watching replays with some of his corners.i think barry is the best crosser in the team. |
Damian
said:
|
... Okay, some stats for you from the last three games, specifically about Milner and his crossing. Hull: 3 successful, 7 unsuccessful Bolton: 1 successful, 5 unsuccessful West Ham: 1 successful, 5 unsuccessful But let's spruce this up a bit, Ashley Young, the same games: Hull: 2 successful, 2 unsuccessful Bolton: 0 successful, 6 unsuccessful West Ham: 2 successful, 4 unsuccessful |
MattD
said:
|
... I think if MON was going to switch Young to RW he'd have done it by now. Strangely, there are probably more left wingers around than right wingers and so it would have been straightforward for MON to do. For me, the reason why he hasn't is because it would be like Man U switching Ronaldo to left wing just because he could do a better job than Nani. I know players rotate/switch flanks during a match but I can't remember Ronaldo starting at left wing. Equally I don't think MON is going to vary too much from 4-4-2, so I think 4-2-3-1 is unlikely. Also, thing I'd say about a 4-2-3-1 formation is that your front player really has to be very mobile and whilst Carew is a God at VP he doesn't have the legs to play that role, like Eto or Henry do. Gabby is probably better suited to that role but would anyone on here prefer Gabby to Carew at the moment just to have a different formation. I'm quite happy with 4-4-2, just think we need slightly better players in a couple of positions. I think we need a bit more competition at right wing (Bentley would be my preferred choice) and a genuinely creative + attacking central midfielder to replace Barry. |
Damian
said:
|
... MattD You are right, Carew is scoring and it is almost impossible to drop him, but remember when we were playing just Gabby up front .. I think he did a more than decent job and it actually coincided with our great run of form .. I also don't think it a coincidence that all above us play a variation of 4-5-1 and none really play 4-4-2. |
MattD
said:
|
... I agree Damian, Gabby is better suited to 4-5-1 than Carew - I just wouldn't drop Carew for the sake of the 4-5-1 formation as all teams above us have a better depth & quality of midfield. |
Ramon Maklouf
said:
|
... I feel like I'm being a devils advocate but MattD, CRon has played left wing a bit this season if I'm not mistaken.. When Park has played right.. And if I remember, NRC marked CRon out of the Villa ManU game first time around when playing Rightback. Which would mean CRon was on the left for some fraction of the game..? I actually think we'd be better off mixing it up. Swapping it around, so that Ash Young wouldn't get doubled up on as much. We've seen Milner can play on the left, so I wouldn't mind seeing them change and chop during the game.. I think Carew could cut it as the lone striker.. |
VillaMitch
said:
|
... Yawn yawn, Milner can't cross, 4-4-2 is rubbish, yawn yawn. Same old tripe. This is too depressing - I am off to do something else. Might come back when you stop turning everything round to the old and boring "4-5-1 is great" argument. As you just stated: "I think he did a more than decent job and it actually coincided with our great run of form" Yep it coincided with us playing 1 up front. It WAS a coincidence - we were already playing great with 4-4-2 before Carew's injury but I can't be bothered with either of these debates anymore: Milner CAN cross 4-4-2 is the best formation In the words of the not so great Kevin Keegan: "I would love it, just love it........ if Milner sets up a goal with a great cross and our 4-4-2 formation beats Fulham saturday" Ta ta. |
Daniel Wilson
said:
|
... AVMark, I don't think it's fair to criticise NRC when he has been played out of position constantly and then lost his position when things didn't go so well. At the start of the season he was being lauded like Petrov, and was without a doubt performing as one of our very best players. Because he showed willingness to help out when injuries etc occured he has now been punished and pretty much forgotten about. Maybe because he is more defensive, and fits into the petrov role more comfortably than an attacking role, I'd be wrong to want him starting right now because Petrov has excelled but in my oppinion he is a fantastic under study and has a lot to give our side and doesn't seem to get any credit whatsoever. I'll be very pissed if he is flogged off for 4 to 5 mil at seasons end to someone like spurs where he will shine given the oppertunity. |
pete
said:
|
... villamitch you might be board of the 451 talk,but this site is here for people to talk about football and our team .anyway 442 is boring |
Christian
said:
|
... My main concern this summer isn't really about our wingers or where Milner should play. My worry is that we don't replace Barry with a player of the same/better quality. I know a few on here think he's sh*te, but i wholeheartedly disagree. I think we'll need to spend BIG to replace him alone. 'A team is only as good as its spine' is what my old manager used to tell me! So that'd be: Friedel- he's decent, bit shaky but still a top GK. Laursen- I don't think he'll be around Barry- I don't think he'll be around Carew- Top quality when fit Losing Laursen and Barry would hurt anyone badly, even the Top 4. We need a creative magician who can pass the ball and dictate play. I can't say I can think of many who are available/interested off the top of my head. Laursen is more replaceable, simply because there appears to be a greater quantity of decent centrebacks who could be nabbed (Haangeland? Lescott- v. unlikely? Olsson? My mind's gone blank!) you know what I mean.. |
Chrisodon
said:
|
... All players can be replaced no matter who, It's just takes decent scouting to replace them. We all thought we'd struggle when we lost mellberg but we've done fine, Same can be said about laursen & barry, yes they'll be missed by the fans but the team will cope and perform equally as good or better as more leaders will step up. |
Chrisodon
said:
|
... Also why is barry a magician ?. He finds the odd great pass or scores penalties, Other than that i don't see anything other than ordinary he's well over hyped because we're doing so well now as opposed to a few years back. Thing that bugs me the most about alot of villa fans and barry is they think he makes villa great!. Well NO Villa will always be great and barry well his stock will sharply fall when he leaves. |
Christian
said:
|
... I never said Barry was a magician- i said we need a magician to replace him. But he is a fantastic player- Liverpool and Arsenal wouldn't be touting around him if he wasn't. Plus, we've never really been without him in the side for a couple of years- I think we'll miss him a great deal. None of the other midfielder's in our squad have the composure and class on the ball like him. It's all 100 miles and hours down to the byline or hoof it in the air. |
gregdavillain
said:
 |
... Laursen is a good defender and is great in the air. His huge flaw was charging defenders and getting caught flat footed. His biggest attribute for a team like us is his calmness and leadership qualities his ability to deal with balls being launced into our box when teams late on, his ability to pop up with a goal in tight games and his expierience (ex ac milan player not afraid of being at the top)he was able to keep his head when all other around him were losing theirs. He will be hard to replace. Barry is underestimated, i think arsenal would be a gud club for him to play the england role, since flamini feiced off thev've missed a holding player which i think he is more suited to. I have a suspicion he might just stay with us. Hopefully he will and we still sign a replacement and a creative midfielder, centre back, utility man and a goal poacher |
DAMIEN REYNOLDS
said:
|
... Chrisodan, Look at the players Barry is keeping out of the England team Carrick and Lampard, I think he'l be harder to replace then Laursen, it will be hard to sign better midfielder's then him. |
David Tyler
said:
 |
... I may be missing something but wasn't Milner saying the performances have been better, not just looking at the results? I agree with him... In the last few games, we didn't look completely empty and disinterested, we just looked nervy coming into the last few minutes (and the self-fulfilling nature of nervous defending is that it tends to prove you were right to be nervous). Look at Man U and West Ham in particular: we wouldn't have been flattered with 4 points rather than 1 from those. In another quote of his, he makes reference to beating last year's points tally. Thinking that through, surely that is the measure of progress, not position: we can't control how many points other teams get, other than when we play them. So two more points to beat last year's tally. Just shows you how luck plays its part. Less points than last year but already qualified. Ironic... last year was the first in an age when none of the top 4 won either fa or league cup but because that meant we started our season early, it has probably led to our challenge tailing off = protecting their dominance |
MattD
said:
|
... I agree everyone is replaceable but I do think that Barry will be missed more than a few people on here will care to admit. The whole debate about whether Milner can cross or is worth £12m is a bit of a side show to who's going to come in to replace both Barry & Laursen (assuming that they won't be at Villa Park next season). Ramonicus - if i'm wrong re Ronaldo then I'll hold my hands up. I just hate seeing players played out of their best position, especially when they are one of the best in the PL in that position. |
DAMIEN REYNOLDS
said:
|
... With Gabby already fearing burn out for next season its vital we get good cover in because Milner will be playing in the U21's this summer aswell. |
Daniel Wilson
said:
|
... Discovery, without a doubt Barry is quality and top quality at that. The problem I see here is that whilst we have him and Petrov doing similar things then we are lacking an oppertunity to play someone who will cut defences open, and I don't think we should have to worry about the effect on our defence if we take one of these holding players out as they should be able to cope, just like any other top teams defences do. It will be a sad day when gaz baz does the off but I worry that until then were not going to see the flair player that everyone seems to want so badly (including myself if i'm honest!) |
DAMIEN REYNOLDS
said:
|
... Dont want to go back to the 4,5,1 or the 4,4,2 debate but drop Carew or Gabby and play the creative midfield'r behind the striker |
DAMIEN REYNOLDS
said:
|
... Ya you could be right them kind of players cost big money, then again we did pay 12 mil for Millner  |
MattD
said:
|
... Looking forward to seeing Hangeland play on Saturday. Whenever I've seen him on the telly he hasn't looked that good at all - certainly not for the £10m being put on his head. |
Michael
said:
|
... just read something about the europa league next season. The club ending the campaign in fifth spot will gain a place in the play-Off round for the Europa League, while the one finishing sixth will have to contest a third Qualifying Round tie to get into that Play-Off round. the 3rd qualifying round game will be played at the end of july/start of august, and the play off will be played end of august. However im not sure where we stand tho as everton are in the fa cup final so we may be able to finish 6th and not have to play in the qualifying round. |
DAMIEN REYNOLDS
said:
|
... Maybe Zat Knight will up his game against his former team, I think Hangeland kept Carew quite last season. |
MattD
said:
|
... TheMachine - based on what I've seen oof him on the telly I think your wish will be granted |
MattD
said:
|
... Mickey86 - I think we're safely in the play-off round (at least according to Wikipedia) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Europa_League_2009–10#cite_note-England-9 |
Mike Carter
said:
|
... The reason we go straight into the playoff round is because Everton are in the FA Cup Final. |
Chrisodon
said:
|
... it's odon but nevertheless barry's inclusion in the england squad means nothing when they pick ben foster who plays maybe twelve games a season, Over keepers that are actually playing week on week. Here's an example, You've got... defoe, bent, agbonlahor, crouch, owen, c.cole, and heskey. We all know heskey is shit but yet say agbonlahor, crouch and c.cole are all playing well and scoring, We all still know heskey would get picked over them in the list. Same goes for downing no-where near youngs class but still he gets picked. Being picked by england means nothing now and it will remain that way until the FA gets it's act together. I'd also like to pose a question would barry be starting for england if hargreaves was playing week on week at man utd ?. I'd say no the class difference between them two is huge imo. |
MattD
said:
|
... VivaVilla - i thought that too but that Wiki page says that if Everton finish below 6th and lose the FA Cup, they would be go into the thrid qualifying round draw. |
David Tyler
said:
|
... We are in the play off round by virtue of where our league is ranked. It doesn't matter whether we get there by virtue of cup or league. |
Mike Carter
said:
|
... MattD - that's correct, the rules have changed now so that the FA Cup runner-up no longer receives the qualification into Europe. It goes to the highest placed team in the league, which would be 6th. |
swansea villain
said:
 |
... barry has been great for us and will be thought of for years to as a hero but times change and i think no one in this team passes better than petrov he is always in the right position to pick the ball up of anyone. as good as barry has been for us i have also seen him be at fault for quite a few of our goals concided too maybe milner could be pushed in to the center and i think this could be the big plan of oniells. i can remember quite recently milner coming out saying his best position is in the middle we can also still by some one who is on his way to being world class but lets face the facts we are not gonna buy someone is already world class but i think we are slowly growing. we will learn from these mistakes |
robbo
said:
 |
... It's easy to see when a player makes a mistake but much more difficult to identify the contribution that he makes to the overall performance of a team. David James drops a couple of balls and he becomes Calamity James. It's lazy journalism and frequently unfairly brands a player as being poor when a more objective assessment would take a more rounded approach. Ok...i'm skirting round what I really want to say. Damian...will you please try to take a more objective view of Milner? As you fairly point out above, Milner has actually made more successful crosses in the past 3 games than Young. Is Young therefore worth far less than £12m? |
David Tyler
said:
|
... Actually I'm wrong about that - I think UEFA have changed their document from when I last read it Just looked again at UEFA's list - MattD is right: 5th place and FA winners go into play off round, 6th place (if it is not Everton and if Everton don't win cup) go into 3QR. |
MattD
said:
|
... too complicated for me, i thik Mickey86 right that 6th place normally means 3rd round qualifying rather than play off round. |
DAMIEN REYNOLDS
said:
|
... I think Damien's hart was set on Bentley so Milner was up against it from the start. |
ste
said:
 |
... and what was wrong with the chelsea players reaction whats wrong with showing passion it was a champions league semi final and they were robbed people give footballers flack for being on big wages an not showing passion you hypocrites need to have a look at yourselves what if that was villa and the villa players didnt say a word to the ref at the end of the game you would be slagging the villa players then wouldnt you.i think the chelsea players were right to react the way they did its the referee that should take a long hard look at himself not the chelsea players. |
Damian
said:
|
... DISCOVERY my heart wasn't set on bentley .. but when krulak told us all that we had bid for bentley last summer i did get quite excited by the prospect |
Michael
said:
|
... vivavilla - r u sure that the fa cup runner up doesnt get into europe if the other team has already qualified? because in scotland, there fa cup final, whoever is playing rangers in the final has qualified for uefa cup next year because rangers are in the champions league, even though it looks like they are going to be relegated. |
robbo
said:
|
... Ste, We can all understand the anger and frustration that the Chelsea players felt at the end of the game and sympathise with them showing it. It's all a question of where you draw the line. From what I saw of John Terry's reaction he spoke firmly to the ref but then backed away and pulled a couple of other players with him. In my book that was a reasonable reaction. Drogba on the other hand ran onto the pitch from the bench screamed at the ref and then swore at the tv cameras. If that had been Barry or Carew or Petrov I'd have been both astonished and ashamed to see someone representing Villa behave like that |
pete
said:
|
... ste i fan can throw a coin and hit an official (a very good shot)and get a ban for life.drogba can throw one at the crowd ,more chance of hitting someone and gets band for 3 matches,hes a twat. |
MattD
said:
|
... ste - are you IAN from last night? nothing wrong with a bit of passion but if I went up to a client, member of the public (or anyone I have to deal with as part of my work) and started swearing because I didn't like something they'd decided I'd be out on my ear. Drogba was just try to deflect attention from the fact that he missed a sitter. It would have been 2-0 and game over. |
Daniel Wilson
said:
|
...ste - are you IAN from last night? Nah, Ians currently on the Everton Blog posting updates on the cricket. |
ste
said:
|
... dan what are you doing on the everton blog and obviously ian has got what he wanted by you still talking about him are you gullable or what |
AV33
said:
 |
... The two players i'd love to see at Villa Park next season are playing against each other at the moment in the Hamburg v Werder Bremen semi final. The two are Olic for Hamburg and Diego for Bremen. Both have scored and it's 1-1 at the moment on the night (2-1 agg Hamburg). Should be a good last hour. Damo...how do i join up again, my password from the old site wasn't recognised...cheers |
Daniel Wilson
said:
|
... ste - it was a joke, as Ian is not a villa fan and last night he was on here giving regular updates on the chelsea match, and a week or so ago he was doing the same thing for united arsenal! Completely off topic, has anyone tried out multimap in birds eye view. Try this link http://www.multimap.com/maps/?...6he|B6 6HE if for some reason it doesn't work go to multimap and type in b6 6he then click birds eye view! |
Daniel Wilson
said:
|
... Ste, Barry wont sign to sit on the bench so close to a world cup, he will need assurances that he wont just be playing a bit part. If thats not the case I think he will opt to stay with us or move to another team, maybe Arsenal playing champions league. |
David Tyler
said:
|
... Ian's not here but for ste's benefit, here's the score just coming in: Man U 18, Liverpool 18 |
Daniel Wilson
said:
|
...Ian's not here but for ste's benefit, here's the score just coming in: Ha ha love it, 19 18 after next season. |
Mike Carter
said:
|
... We had nothing to lose. You're letting Man United rub it into your faces every day how much better than you they really are. You had like 10 more league titles than them, how the hell did you cock it up that badly that they've caught you up now? |
Daniel Wilson
said:
|
... Its because United that touch of class liverpool don't. United world class regularly, Liverpool world class 2 or 3 games a season. United will win the next 3 or 4 titles, Liverpool will struggle to hang onto top 4 once Man City start splashing, and if Randy pumps some cash into our team Liverpool might be looking at 6th soon with their debts. |
adam
said:
 |
... lets not skit everton their fans dont come on here spouting shite like the other half of livershite  |
Damian
said:
|
... comments from the twat have been deleted i´ve also deleted one other b30, only because it was profanity directed at him, nothing to do with you i´ve banned his ip .. but chances are that will change and he´ll come back on, but when he does e´ll get a range that we can ban .. so for now, we might have to live with twat if he comes back on, but not for long |
adam
said:
|
... sorry for my strong language i appologise .i just come on here to read interesting and sometimes insightful opinions from fellow fans andprats like that get my back up sorry |
Daniel Wilson
said:
|
... Don't think he will be back today, looks like his mum sent him off to bed around 9.30 |
Notts Villan
said:
 |
... Milner over Bentley anyday.. i cant stand Bentley's attitude, he's an arrogant p***k where Milner comes across as an all round thoroughly decent guy and puts 100% in when he is playing, even if the quality isnt always there he has the right attitude and application. Bentley has hardly set the world on fire at Spurs.. if you want to look at players who aren't value for money then have a look at him as a prime example. |
Damian
said:
|
... b30 it´s all good, just one word used .. i´m going to start putting filters in soon though ... |
Jeremiah Wood
said:
 |
... Milner isn't worth 12 million, but English players are always overpriced. He's done a decent job for us. He's no Cristiano Ronaldo, but he's probably not much worse than Dirk Kuyt or Kalou. I'm willing to see how he turns out. As for the Champions League final, UEFA wanted Barcelona to win, but so did I. I can't deal with watching Chelsea-Man U again. They played two legs anyway, Barcelona was better in the first match, Chelsea was better in the second, but Barca scored the away goal. I think it's a just result. I do think that (hopefully) the final will be an exciting match, at least. |
Anthony Laud
said:
|
... i would swap milner for Kuyt happily! kuyt has been liverpools best player this season and most consistent! played 48 games scored key goals and set up many other big ones at vital times in games as well! |
Nick
said:
 |
... I dont know if im the only one but, I didnt think Chelsea deserved any penalties. They deserved a few foul calls/yellow cards that were not given. On their strongest claims for penalties the foul was committed well outside the box and then it continued into the box (like vidic on agbonlahor earlier this year for a villa reference) So if the referee was perfect he would have called the foul when it originated. The ref did not call the original foul nor the penalty, so he obviously did not see it, or did not see it as a foul. There were bad calls both ways. Barcelona had a few missed and so did Chelsea. The way the Chelsea players reacted as if the ref had lost them the game was laughable. Football should be ashamed that this is how the top players behave. It's a joke, find another pro sport in which players behave like that. But that is not possible because nothing comes close to football. |
Anthony Laud
said:
|
... nick-not nicky - the hand ball on about 70 mins was as clear a penalty as i have ever seen. Anelka takes the ball flicked it to go past picque who with arm outstretched knocks the ball down! please explain how thats not a pen? and in the first half he gave a foul right on the edge and side of the box where drogba nearly scored from. that was clearly shown to be in the area so again was a certain penalty! and he was in the most prefect position to see this. lampard was next to him and his reaction was utter amazement at how it was given outside - it was 2 foot inside! the others were questionable or 50-50 but cases could be made for them. the 2 were nailed on however! I agree there behaviour was pretty poor, not terrys or lampards - drogba and ballack and it should be looked into by uefa. but uefa have come out today and said they wont comment on the referre. I am sorry but they have a duty to investigate one of the worst referring performances i have ever seen. at the end of the day i know chelsea should have killed the game off but those decsiosns by the ref still cost them a final place. nick - you obviosuly havent seen some of the behaviour in the nba play offs in the last few weeks towards refs! |
Jeremiah Wood
said:
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... The ref was bad, but Abidal never should have been sent off anyway, so it's not as if Chelsea was the only one victim to bad calls. At any rate, I say that if you're supposed to be one of the best eams in the world and you're going to play with 9 men behind the ball when you're playing at home with a man advantage, you deserve to lose. |
Anthony Laud
said:
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... jeremiah - i didnt see the first leg so i cant judge on that. but chelsea's tactics and performance apart from finishing was as good as it possibly could be against a team like barca. they let them have all the posession they wanted in areas that they couldnt hurt chelsea, hence the only shot on target was the goal, and they played on the counter attack and to be honest ripped barcelonas defence apart on numerous occassions. it astonished me that people can criticise chelseas display. they are in the competition to win it and to win trophies and tactically it was one of the best performances and playing to a plan you could see. and if it wasnt for the ref they would be in the final again. Villa and oneil in fact could learn a lot! |
David Tyler
said:
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... I'd certainly be gutted if I were a Cheslea fan or player - especially the handball: a pen for ball-to-hand is harsh if the ball wasn't going anywhere but in this case, even if unintentional, arm was up and the deflection caused disadvantage to forward. I think Terry and Lampard acted appropriately: made their protests but ultimately drew the line. We might say that's an English trait of fair play - or we could also say that the English accept/expect defeat too easily. We've obviously got a strong English spine so I hope that generalisations don't work - especially if its the latter! Nothing wrong with Chelsea's tacttics - their manager has a decent record at what ever level you want to pick. Who thinks playing our attacking style would have reaped rewards against a Barcelona team that had just beaten Real Madrid 6-2? Of Drogba and Ballack, on the face of it Drogba's actions were worse but Ballack's was mid-match and inhibited the referee's ability to officiate. He should have got a card (though perhaps he did and I missed it) We can learn from Chelsea - tactical flexibility in the face of top draw opposition, clear-headed passion to make your feelings known without overstepping the mark (JT/FL) - but a lesson too in getting on with the game (I'd like Ash to play to the whistle more) and not hiding from the truth (Drogba himself could have finished the tie but didn't) We can learn a lot more from Barcelona though. Their injustice came with 30 minutes to go and they kept on with it to the very end. A bit like us a few months back - a healthy reminder of what it can bring. |
ryan
said:
 |
... I dont think Ollsen would add much to the team, but there is a player at westbrom that i think would add something to the villa squad and thats Zuiverloon, i really rate him as a player and think he could develope into a good centerback. |
John Clark
said:
 |
... Funny, watching Chelsea I thought they played a lot like Villa. That's how we'd approach Barca, and how we look playing the the top4, more often than not. Chelsea were robbed, which was quite comical. Can't stand them, but they did deserve at least one penalty, the handball, and it would've been game over. Drogba's sitter should've wrapped it up as well. The frustration...Well, a poor display, but after what could only look like a manufactured result from UEFA, I might've had a hard time acting any differently myself. Can't stand Chelsea, of course, so it really was a pleasure to watch, but I have to admit, they did quite clearly get robbed. |
Nick
said:
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... I just remembered the handball now Tonebone, should have been a penalty, but those are often missed. However I felt most of the big calls were 50/50s, and Barcelona had a few missed also. I did not think anything was glaringly obivous (like Scholes hand ball goal line clearance against fulham a month or so ago, for an example of obvious and 99% called) to be honest I think I have seen a bunch of worse ref performances this season in the PL. I think it was Chelsea's away performance which was pathetic. They made no attempt to play, just constantly killed the game. Which they are so good at doing, but apparently not good enough. But they are poor sports, cheats and they did not deserve to play in another final. They prove this week in and week out in the PL to any neutral viewer. Ballack, A Cole, Drogba some of the biggest cheaters/poor sports with no respect for the referee or the game. Good riddance |
Nick
said:
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... I think what Im trying to say is; Yes Chelsea did get the short end of the stick. But this ALWAYS happens in football, controversial referees come with the territory. But because it happened to Chelsea they reacted like a bunch of spoiled 2 years olds who always get their way. They lost because they could not close the game out (Terrible finishing? and diving from Drogba and co?, they focused on complaining to a ref instead of getting the second themselves), and because they made zero attempt to score an away goal. Chelsea losing is hardly the crime of century. It's just football. |
Jeremiah Wood
said:
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... Well I don't think Chelsea played poorly. They played quite well, I'm just saying that you live and die by your tactics. They could have killed the game off at home against 10 men but chose to sit back and defend - quite Villa like - and they ended up getting burned by it. |
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