Now this blog is called Everything Villa and when I say everything, I mean everything! It turns out that star striker Darren Bent is a bit of a mover on the dance floor and says that he is a keen follower of Strictly Come Dancing! Robbie Savage is the only footballer on the show this series and I think I speak on behalf of most Villa fans when I say that I hope he fails miserably. Bent also reveals that Petrov is as uncoordinated on the dance floor as he is on the pitch (not in those words!).
He said:
“It looks cool, but also hard work,”
“Robbie is doing really well with it at the moment. I’ve been impressed.
“It’s nice to get involved in things off the pitch and when I’m finished with playing football, I could give it a go.
“I am a decent dancer. I like to make an effort on the dance floor when I’m out and about.
“In terms of poor dancers in our dressing room, that’s not tough. Stan can’t dance. He thinks he can but he can’t!”
Monday, 3 October 2011
Zogs Accepts Being Dropped
Alex Mcleish has come out today to explain his reasons for dropping N'Zogbia against Wigan. I don't think he really needed to explain why he was dropped, his performances have been shocking so far this season.
Here is what Mcleish said:
"He understood. There is big competition now.
"Charles has been very exciting in a lot of the games, it's just been his final ball.
"Maybe Roberto (Martinez) gave him more of a free rein and not checking back which made him a bit more dangerous at Wigan.
"But he is learning that side of the game as well which is important.
"I see Nani, Damien Duff and all the top wingers doing it."
The Scot says he wants N'Zogbia to work even harder and track back defensively, although he is mindful of wearing him out.
"Charles is explosive although we need to be mindful of not tiring him out having to run back all the time,"
"We've got to get the ball to him more and he is working on his delivery whether a shot at goal or a cross into the box or a one-two.
"These are the little things where he is not quite at his level yet."
Not too sure why he used Damien Duff as an example of a top winger but you get the idea...
Here is what Mcleish said:
"He understood. There is big competition now.
"Charles has been very exciting in a lot of the games, it's just been his final ball.
"Maybe Roberto (Martinez) gave him more of a free rein and not checking back which made him a bit more dangerous at Wigan.
"But he is learning that side of the game as well which is important.
"I see Nani, Damien Duff and all the top wingers doing it."
The Scot says he wants N'Zogbia to work even harder and track back defensively, although he is mindful of wearing him out.
"Charles is explosive although we need to be mindful of not tiring him out having to run back all the time,"
"We've got to get the ball to him more and he is working on his delivery whether a shot at goal or a cross into the box or a one-two.
"These are the little things where he is not quite at his level yet."
Not too sure why he used Damien Duff as an example of a top winger but you get the idea...
Player Profile - 7. Stephen Ireland
Stephen Ireland is a player that I rate very highly. There is certainly no doubt that when he is playing to his full potential, he can be a very good player indeed. The only question is how good can Stephen Ireland be in a Villa shirt. There is only one way to find out the answer to that question, and that is to give him a sustained run of games. I'm very excited at the prospect of Ireland at his best, but it's clear to see that he still has a long way to go.
Last season was a complete disaster from start to finish for him. Houllier never took to him and was subsequently banished to the reserves before picking up a few niggly injuries and being forced out on loan to Newcastle against his will. It's fair to say that had Houllier have stayed this season, Ireland would have left in the summer, if anyone would take him that is.
Thankfully though Mcleish has come in and is trying to get the best out of him. He is still far from his best but the fact that he has started a few games already this season is a very good sign. I can see gradual improvements from him game by game. Especially in the Wigan game he was getting much more involved than in previous games which suggests that he is growing in confidence. The final pass/shot is still far from great but I feel that given time that will come back to him and soon we will see the Stephen Ireland we saw at Man City.
The rating is very tough to decide because if I was rating him on his Villa career so far it would be shocking but I need to consider his potential so it will be an average overall score.
Rating - 6.5/10
Sunday, 2 October 2011
Bent In England Squad
So the England squad has been announced and it comes as no surprise that Darren Bent is our sole contributor to the squad. I'm sure that Gabby would have made the squad if it wasn't for his back injury mentioned in an earlier post. Lets just hope the Bent doesn't get himself injured, that's always my worry when I see our players on international duty!
Villa's FIFA Status
Time for a bit of a different post. FIFA 12 was released earlier this week and I was really looking forward to seeing what Villa's player ratings are. However when I found out, I was extremely disappointed. The first thing I noticed was that for the first time in a long time we have fallen from 4 and a half stars to just 4 stars. I kind of expected that with the loss of Young and Downing but I was very surprised to see just how poorly they rated our current players.
The defence was as you would expect and I'm fine with that but when we got higher up the pitch I was surprised with what I saw. I know that Delph is far from the finished article but I think that to go from 76 last year to 73 this year is just wrong. He is better now than 12 months ago so for him to go down so much is ridiculous. Also Bannan is only 73 when he showed great potential last year and is starting to fullfil it this season. Im sure when there is an update, his rating will be substantially higher, it certainly deserves to be.
Gabby is down to 75 which was understandable after his poor form last season although I'm sure that when there is an update he will shoot up close to 80 after his performances so far this season. The last player I'm going to mention is certainly going to be distraught when he sees his rating. Emile Heskey has slipped to a new low of 71! This is the rating of what you would expect to see in the Championship and I think, on a serious note, he deserves a lot more than that.
I know that this is completely irrelevant to what's actually going on with Villa in the real world but I just felt it would be nice to write about something like this for a change. Feel free to let me know what you think of it and what your initial thoughts on FIFA 12 in general are...
The defence was as you would expect and I'm fine with that but when we got higher up the pitch I was surprised with what I saw. I know that Delph is far from the finished article but I think that to go from 76 last year to 73 this year is just wrong. He is better now than 12 months ago so for him to go down so much is ridiculous. Also Bannan is only 73 when he showed great potential last year and is starting to fullfil it this season. Im sure when there is an update, his rating will be substantially higher, it certainly deserves to be.
Gabby is down to 75 which was understandable after his poor form last season although I'm sure that when there is an update he will shoot up close to 80 after his performances so far this season. The last player I'm going to mention is certainly going to be distraught when he sees his rating. Emile Heskey has slipped to a new low of 71! This is the rating of what you would expect to see in the Championship and I think, on a serious note, he deserves a lot more than that.
I know that this is completely irrelevant to what's actually going on with Villa in the real world but I just felt it would be nice to write about something like this for a change. Feel free to let me know what you think of it and what your initial thoughts on FIFA 12 in general are...
Jenas Out For A Month
I'm sure most people have already found out but I felt that I should touch on it anyway. News came out yesterday that the reason for Jenas missing out on the Wigan clash with an achilles injury that will keep him out for around a month. This is very annoying because I can't wait to see what he could bring to the team but every cloud has a silver lining I suppose. The silver lining on this cloud is surely the fact that against Wigan our midfield started to look quite good so it will be good for them to get a few more games together. It also means that Stephen Ireland can get a few more games under his belt which I feel is essential for his Villa career.
Petrov Bigs Up Gabby
Stiliyan Petrov has come out today and praised Gabby Agbonlahor after his Man of the Match display against Wigan yesterday. He talks about what he is capable of and how he is deserving of an England call up.
He said:
"Against Wigan is the way Gabby plays - that is his strength. If he manages to use it every game, teams would be scared.
"Look at Wigan. Every time he picked up the ball they were going backwards because they were scared to go closer to him.
"That is Gabby. We know what he can do. He does it every day in training and he has been doing it more consistently.
"That is what makes good players - being consistent every game. That will make you a world-class player. I don't think there should be any doubt about Fabio Capello picking Gabby for England.
"I wouldn't even think about it. He deserves to be there. He has great ambitions and we will probably see him back in the England jersey."
He said:
"Against Wigan is the way Gabby plays - that is his strength. If he manages to use it every game, teams would be scared.
"Look at Wigan. Every time he picked up the ball they were going backwards because they were scared to go closer to him.
"That is Gabby. We know what he can do. He does it every day in training and he has been doing it more consistently.
"That is what makes good players - being consistent every game. That will make you a world-class player. I don't think there should be any doubt about Fabio Capello picking Gabby for England.
"I wouldn't even think about it. He deserves to be there. He has great ambitions and we will probably see him back in the England jersey."
Gabby to see a specialist
Gabby has revealed that his ongoing back problem has forced him to see a specialist over the international break. Hopefully for our sake its not a major issue (it obviously hasn't been affecfing him too badly!). Without him in our side we lose our one man who can create a chance out of nothing simply down to his immense pace. Obviously this should mean he won't be in the England squad but that doesn't bother me as whenever Villa players are playing for England I spend the whole game worrying about them getting injured.
This is what Gabby said:
"I've got a back problem which I'm going to get sorted during the international break.
"I'm going to see a specialist about it - but overall I feel okay and I feel good about things.
"The manager knows what I am capable of and has given all the players the confidence to go out and do their best."
Player Ratings vs Wigan
Shay Given - 7 - Had a very quiet first 70 minutes but made a couple of top saves late on to preserve the clean sheet.
Alan Hutton - 6.5 - Got away with a clumsy challenge in the box but overall did quite well against a tricky Moses. Got forward when possible but his crossing was poor throughout.
James Collins - 7 - Another typical Collins performance of blocks and headers and hoofing. Had one wobble in defence when Di Santo seemed to run straight through him just before the penalty appeal but otherwise solid.
Richard Dunne - 8 - Another fine display in a magnificent start to the season. A dominant display where nobody was able to find a way past him.
Stephen Warnock - 8 - I haven't been his biggest fan recently but I thought against Wigan he was fantastic. He made many key challenges and ran up and down the wing all day. Lets hope he can keep it up.
Stiliyan Petrov - 5.5 - Another game where he was off the pace. Whenever the ball came to him he seemed to take an age over assessing his options and then always picked the most negative one. Also he fannied about by wanting to take every corner short which just did not work.
Fabian Delph - 5 - Not a great performance once again. He gave the ball away in key positions too often and going forward his final pass was woeful.
Barry Bannan - 7.5 - Had a great first half where he created most of our chances. Almost bagged a goal from 25 yards early in the second half but began to fade after the second goal went in.
Stephen Ireland - 6 - Got more involved than I've seen recently which was pleasing but his final pass/shot still needs work. Game time needed but promising signs.
Gabby Agbonlahor - 9 - Ive already mentioned it in my previous post. His electrifying pace was terrorising the defence all day and took his goal brilliantly.
Darren Bent - 7 - Took his goal nicely and almost got one in the first half when he wrong footed the defence only to be denied by Al Habsi. Great to see him score at the Holte End finally.
Saturday, 1 October 2011
Gabby Steals The Show
Such a nice feeling to be relaxing on a Saturday evening on the back of 3 points for the Villa! And I think it's fair to say that we owe pretty much all of it to Gabby Agbonlahor. I actually thought he started the game poorly, giving the ball away a bit too easily and not making the most of promising positions. However as soon as he scored his goal he seemed to turn into a man possessed.
First things first I think that goal deserves a mention. Bannan, who had a very impressive game before fading late on, sending an inch perfect ball down the left for Gabby to run on to. He then ran at his marker, cut inside and rifled an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net. It was a taster of what Gabby has to offer this season if he can keep up his level of performances. He has the speed to terrorise any defence in the league and now he is starting to develop some skill to go with it which can make him unplayable at times. He is also starting to improve his level of finishing which makes him even more dangerous as now he doesn't need 3 or 4 chances before he will take one.
For the second goal he went on a magnificent run down the left, leaving Emmerson Boyce for dead before delivering a perfectly placed cross for Bent to volley home his first goal in front of the Holte End so a special congratulations to him. As for Gabby's role in the goal, there is nobody else in our squad who has the ability to do that, his pace being the key factor but now he is finally starting to use his pace more effectively.
Other than Gabby, I felt there were plenty of other positives to take from the game. As mentioned earlier, I felt that Barry Bannan looked very creative and created pretty much all of our chances in the first half before almost scoring a cracking 25 yarder in the second half. Stephen Ireland is far from the finished article but I saw moments of promise and I feel that given a lengthy run of games in the first team he could become a key figure this season for us. As ever the defence looked solid, and I was especially pleased with Warnock's display. I thought he was terrific today. Last but not least another mention to Shay Given, who after being so quiet for most of the game came up with a couple of quality stops to preserve a clean sheet which will go down well in the camp.
First things first I think that goal deserves a mention. Bannan, who had a very impressive game before fading late on, sending an inch perfect ball down the left for Gabby to run on to. He then ran at his marker, cut inside and rifled an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net. It was a taster of what Gabby has to offer this season if he can keep up his level of performances. He has the speed to terrorise any defence in the league and now he is starting to develop some skill to go with it which can make him unplayable at times. He is also starting to improve his level of finishing which makes him even more dangerous as now he doesn't need 3 or 4 chances before he will take one.
For the second goal he went on a magnificent run down the left, leaving Emmerson Boyce for dead before delivering a perfectly placed cross for Bent to volley home his first goal in front of the Holte End so a special congratulations to him. As for Gabby's role in the goal, there is nobody else in our squad who has the ability to do that, his pace being the key factor but now he is finally starting to use his pace more effectively.
Other than Gabby, I felt there were plenty of other positives to take from the game. As mentioned earlier, I felt that Barry Bannan looked very creative and created pretty much all of our chances in the first half before almost scoring a cracking 25 yarder in the second half. Stephen Ireland is far from the finished article but I saw moments of promise and I feel that given a lengthy run of games in the first team he could become a key figure this season for us. As ever the defence looked solid, and I was especially pleased with Warnock's display. I thought he was terrific today. Last but not least another mention to Shay Given, who after being so quiet for most of the game came up with a couple of quality stops to preserve a clean sheet which will go down well in the camp.
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