Positive Signs But Same Old Woes

Once again I have mixed emotions after a Villa game and it's really starting to get on my wick! We've got it in the locker to play good stuff and dominate teams, we showed that at times today. Why then do we go ultra defensive as soon as we take the lead? We did it under O'Neill aswell but not quite to this extent. Mcleish is the only man responsible, and only he can fix it.

There were clear positives to take from today, the obvious one being scoring twice away from home. Stan's one in a million's are turning into one in ten's, N'Zogbia started to look like justifying his price tag (not totally yet) and Chris Herd did everything I thought he could do. We had moments where we dominated possession and we created a few good chances. Much better away from home.

But once again we are talking about dropped points. I know that both Sunderland goals could potentially have been avoided if the ref had given decisions our way but that doesn't excuse poor defending. The first goal was decent but easily avoidable and the second was just unforgiveable. The smallest player on the pitch with a free header from close range when we are just a couple of minutes from 3 valuable points.

If we cut out the stupid defensive errors and get Heskey out the side I think we have the makings of a solid
mid-table side. Unfortunately I think that's the best we can hope for but I for one would be happy with that. There have been whispers of relegation recently so I would be very pleased to cement our place in the Premier League.

Sunderland: PREVIEW

Another match day and once again I feel as though we need at least a point from the game.  Results have not been going our way recently for one reason or another, and it's about time we added to our points tally.

Sunderland are a vulnerable side at the moment.  They enjoyed a good victory over Bolton last week but I feel that if we can get at them early on and maybe take an early lead, we should be able to control the game.  We should be looking to start like we did against West Brom and hope that the ref doesn't ruin the game again.

Despite the loss of Bannan, we will go into the game with a strong looking squad.  Herd's suspension written off, Hutton fit and so is Jermaine Jenas who could make his debut finally.  Lets just hope he doesn't pick up another knock in the next 24 hours!  I expect Mcleish to look to try and steady the ship with a solid point, even though this is a very winnable game, so I expect the following line up:

                     Given

Hutton  Collins  Dunne  Warnock

              Petrov  Delph

  N'Zogbia  Ireland  Agbonlahor

                     Bent

I don't think Jenas will start but I expect him to play some part in the game.  I would love to see Herd keep his place but I can't see it happening and the same applies to Cuellar.  He's so reliable but managers always seem to want him as back up which is very unfair to him.

Why Herd Must Start Against Sunderland

Now that Herd is availible after his rescinded red card, it is clear to me that it is vital that he starts for us.  Especially now that Bannan is out of the equation we are low on midfielders, and the ones we do have availible are mediocre at best.

Herd gives us something that nobody else in our midfield does, and that's fight.  He gets right in the faces of the opposition and gets stuck in.  When was the last time we saw Petrov do that?

Away from home is where it is most noticeable.  We let our opponents hav the ball in the middle of the park, give them all the time in the world to pick out a pass and don't pressure them at all.  And then when we get the ball we get put under pressure straight away, we panic, then we lose possession.  This has become a recurring theme away from home, and sometimes at Villa Park aswell.

Herd can gie us that fight in the middle of the park which can win us possession and force errors from the opposition.  It seems like teams don't really worry when we come to visit them because we let them play their own game and don't dictate anything.  This needs to change and I think the way to change it is to play Chris Herd.

Bannan Suspended By Villa

Bad news coming out of Villa that Barry Bannan has been suspended pending an internal investigation over recent allegations of drink driving.  Bannan was arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning along with former Villa striker James Collins (Junior) and will not be availible for the trip to Sunderland.  This can only be seen as bad news as he is our only creative midfielder so chances should be even fewer and farther between compared to usual.  Lets just hope we can get this sorted out a.s.a.p.

A Long Way To Go

I think a lot of Villa fans were expecting a scoreline similar to 4-1, perhaps not quite as bad, but it's the way in which we conceded the goals that annoyed me.  I said before the match that I thought  had learnt our lesson since last year and we wouldn't concede any cheap goals, but here we are, talking yet again about sloppy goals.

It seems as though Warnock is never going to learn how to be a 'solid' defender.  Yes he has his good days, Wigan being one of them, but I have voiced my concerns about hi in the past and he is doing nothing to change my mind.  He is an accident waiting to happen every single game, and against Man City he is starting to make a habit of having shockers.  Surely Ciaran Clark deserves a chance at left back against West Brom.  I know he isn't a left back, but he was more solid last season than Warnock has been recently so that change can't hurt.

Our other full back, Hutton, is another accident waiting to happen.  I know a lot of Villa fans have said that they feel Chris Herd should be given more of a chance and I have to say that I agree.  Hutton has looked dodgy since joining and Herd has only played one Premier League game and he got MOTM.  Surely it's a no brainer!

Moving on to midfield, and it pains me to say it, but Delph just doesn't seem up to it at this level.  I could see glimpses earlier in the season of a real quality player but his past few performances have been getting increasingly ropy and it must be time for him to be dropped.  I would like to see us revert back to the diamond midfield that we saw against Wigan as it made us attack with a bit more intent and it wasn't too 'structured' where everyone has a fixed position and is afraid to move out of it.

Up front Bent didn't really have a sniff once again.  It is more understandable against top quality opposition but he must be getting more and more frustrated by the game.  Reverting back to the diamond midfield I think will create a lot more chances for Bent, as long as Bannan is on the pitch as he looks like the only player in the team who is actually focused on trying to release him.

This is the team I would like to see line up against the Baggies:

                  Given

Herd  Collins  Dunne  Clark

                  Petrov

      Bannan           Jenas

                 Ireland

           Bent  Agbonlahor

I know the odds of Mcleish making all these changes is next to nothing, but that is the team I would personally like to see.  If Jenas still hasn't recovered then I would like to see Gary Gardner given a start alongside Bannan.  People keep on giving him rave reviews so it's about time we saw if he has what it takes.  He can't be any worse than Delph has been recently.

Man City: PREVIEW

Possibly the toughest game we will play all season. We rolled over twice last season at Eastlands and Man City have strengthened a lot since then. However, despite the departures of key players in our squad I believe we will put up much more of a fight this time around. A new found solidity at the back means we should hopefully not concede any cheap goals and force them to use the undoubted quality at their disposal to break us down. Last season it was all too easy for them, but I think we could be a much tougher task than they are anticipating.

Now we get on to the injuries. Man City are thankfully without Sergio Aguero for the match tomorrow so it will most likely be Balotelli to replace him. For us we are without Jenas still as he looks to overcome an achilles injury and Nathan Delfouneso is out with a minor hamstring tear. Ireland, Bannan and Agbonlahor have all overcome injuries to be fit for the trip to the Etihad Stadium so at least we can put out a strong team to have a realistic chance of perhaps taking something back to Villa Park.

My team prediction:

                    Given

Hutton  Collins  Dunne  Warnock

              Petrov  Delph

     Bannan  Ireland  Agbonlahor

                     Bent

From what Mcleish said in an interview after the Wigan game he made it seem quite clear that he wouldn't stick with the diamond for this match. I think he will play a much more solid base and try and hit them on the break with the pace of Gabby, and I think this is the only way we can be competitive against a side better than us in all parts of the pitch. I honestly believe we could win a hard earned point if we put in a real gutsy performance. A win would be unbelievable and I don't think anyone is predicting a Villa win, but it's not an impossibilty. Keep believing and it might just happen!

Bannan Doubtful For Scotland

News today that Barry Bannan has got a gashed heel which could potentially keep him out of the crucial match against Spain. I would love to see Bannan up against the likes of Xavi and Iniesta to really get an idea of just how good Bannan is compared to the people we have likened him too since his arrival to the first team. At least if he does miss the Spain match he should be fully fit for our trip to the Etihad Stadium where we need all the quality we have to try and compete with them!

Kevin MacDonald to Forest?

I've heard rumours today that Kevin MacDonald is being lined up to take over at Nottingham Forest after the departure of Steve Mclaren. I think he would do a very good job at Forest and if he was to leave then I wish him all the best because he has been a great servant to Villa over the years and he deserves a shot at management.

However the more selfish side in me would absolutely love him to stay. He has done wonders to our youth development over the years and most recently has nurtured talents such as Barry Bannan and Ciaran Clark. He gave these players a chance to show what they can do after MON left and he showed us that we have got some very good young players indeed. This season he has been promoted to the first team in an attempt to try and help the younger players settle into the squad and so far it appears to be working. If he was to leave I've got no idea what effect it would have on the team but it certainly wouldn't be a positive. In the short spell he had in charge it was clear to see that the whole team loved him and respected him, which is a great trait to have.

In my honest opinion I think he will stay. He seems to have formed such a close attachment to the youngsters coming through that I think he will want to stay with them until he has taken them as far as he can. I just hope I'm right!

Yet More Transfer News!

It's only October but we already have names floating around as possible transfer targets. Next up is yet another midfielder, this time Jeff Hendrick of Derby County. Reports suggest we are battling West Brom for his signature. Once again I know next to nothing about this player so feel free to leave a comment if you know anything about me. Reports say that he is a very highly rated 19 year old, which to me sounds a bit pointless. Surely this would just get in the way of Bannan and Delph's development into first team regulars. The only signings I would like us to make at the moment are for key players who would add something to the first team, but due to our financial state is unlikely. I would give anything for us to find a gem from another country, something that Newcastle seem to be experts at doing recently.

Wigan MOTM - Gabby Agbonlahor

The poll for the MOTM against Wigan closed yesterday and the result is very much as you would expect. Gabby Agbonlahor cruised to top of the poll claiming the award with Barry Bannan the runner up, however he didn't even come close to Gabby.

Tayls Believes In Bannans Character

Ian Taylor was interviewed on TalkSport earlier today. He spoke about the tough character that Barry Bannan possesses and believes he has the mental toughness to make it in the premier league.

Here is what Tayls said:

“I’ve watched Barry since he’s been in the youth team and he’s always been a player with great talent,"

“There was always the question mark about his size, and sometimes you look to Barry to do a little bit more in the game but he’s got great character and he doesn’t care who is in the team with him – he’ll be taking the penalties, he’ll take the freekicks, he’ll take the corners, he’ll do the lot.

“He’s not bothered about the experienced players trying to talk him out of it. He’s a typical tough Scot and his character is tremendous.”

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.

Bannan Targets More Goals

After finally bagging his first Premier League goal at the weekend, Barry Bannan has targetted more.  He spoke after the QPR match about the weight lifted off his shoulders now that he has his first goal in the top flight.  I'm delighted for him now that he can just relax and get into his groove and hopefully become a bit of a goal getting midfielder, something we lack since the departure of one James Milner.

This is what Bannan had to say:

“I’ve been trying so hard, I’ve been dying for a goal.

“There’s been people, not questioning, but asking when I’m going to score – my dad, mum, girlfriend. That will always stay with me, that goal.

 “Obviously I wanted the ball. Any chance to score, free-kick or penalty, I’ll be there asking to take it. I wasn’t nervous at all.

“I knew where I was going when the referee said it was a penalty. No-one’s going to change my mind, even if I think the keeper is going to go there.

“I’d made my mind up that if I hit it right it would go in. I wouldn’t say I was nervous, I was looking forward to celebrating really.

“That’ll go to the grave with me, that’s one of the biggest moments of my career and hopefully now, as I said, I can go on a run and get more goals for this team.”

Bent Wants To Be Penalty Taker

After missing out on the clash with QPR, Bent missed out on the opportunity to cement himself as the clubs penalty taker after the departure of Ashley Young.  In his absence young Barry Bannan stepped up and cooly slot away the penalty and won't want to give up the role of penalty taker any time soon.  However Bent is keen to wrestle the penalty taking duty from his team mate.  For me personally I would like to see Bannan take them until he misses one, otherwise I think it's unfair to take them off him when he currently has a 100% record.

This is what Bent had to say:

“I want to keep taking the penalties 100 per cent,” said Bent. “I was delighted to see Barry slot that one away, it was a top spot-kick.
“It was his first goal in the Premier League, too, so I really couldn’t have been happier for him. It must have been a big moment for him.
“But as a striker, if I’m on the pitch I want to take them. Alan Shearer once said to me ‘what striker wouldn’t want to be on penalties’?
“As a striker you score goals in open play but scoring from the spot is vital, too. It adds another five goals per season.
“The key is scoring goals for Villa and making sure you slot them home to win games for the team.
“I am confident when I’m stepping up to take them.”
“I am feeling good, I trained yesterday and it all felt fine. Hopefully there won’t be any reaction for the rest of the week and I will be 100 per cent for Wigan on Saturday.
“I hope to be flying. It’s been annoying. I had a problem with the left groin in pre-season and the latest injury has been the other one.
“It’s been stop-start at the beginning of the campaign but if I can get over this now I will be firing again. I want to get going.”

Bannan Full Of Confidence

Barry Bannan has been on the up in the last few weeks, getting more involved with the Villa and also shining for Scotland.  As a result of this, his confidence is on an all time high.  My main criticism of him last season was that he didn't influence the games enough and didn't get involved in the games.  It was clear for all to see that he possessed great technical ability and had an eye for a pass, displayed best by his fabulous assist for our goal of the season last year against Fulham.  It was simply a matter of getting the confidence to demand the ball from his team mates and influence the game as much as he possibly can.

However he finally seems to be turning into that player looking at his recent performances.  Mcleish had this to say regarding our penalty against QPR:

"Bannan claimed the penalty, I never pre-ordained who would take a penalty if we got one, but Barry was confident.
"You can see in the way he grabbed the ball that he was very confident he'd dispatch it."

From this one act it is clear to see that he has grown massively in confidence in his ability and it's rubbing off on his game.  If he keeps improving at the rate he is currently then we can expect a great season from the lad, and then it's just a question of whether we can keep hold of him.  Rumours circulating over Man United making a move for him.  However I'm led to believe this is nonsense from the £18 million price tag being mentioned.  Lets just hope it's a wind up!

A Game Of 2 Halves

The title refers to Villa's performance.  QPR were consistently good throughout the match and on balance they deserved their point.  As for us, our first half showing was dreadful.  Our goal was under constant threat due to our inability to keep possession for more than 2 passes.  Too often did we hoof it up the pitch to an isolated Gabby who didn't have one of his better games of the season.  Second half we came out looking completely unrecognisable as we kept it on the ground, passed it around and came forward with much more positivity and purpose.

It took us until about 40 minutes to produce our first shot on goal, Barry Bannan firing a peach of a free kick towards the top corner only for it to be clawed out.  That really summed us up first half.  We showed a lack of passion and positive thinking that was promised after the shambolick Bolton performance mid-week.  The whole side looked disjointed with no apparent link between defence, midfield and attack.  We simply weren't playing as a unit.  It seemed as though our game plan was to put our faith in Dunne and Given to produce more heroics and try and keep a clean sheet, perhaps nick a goal.  THIS SIMPLY DOES NOT WORK!

Thankfully Mcleish realised that this wasn't working and we came out second half looking refreshed.  Battling all over the pitch, even winning some of the 50-50's which recently just hasn't been happening.  We were pressing higher up the pitch, getting the ball down on the ground, playing short simple passes and looking a million times better.  Its not rocket science! Its not even that difficult!  Its just playing simple passes, moving into space and the chances will create themselves.  And so it proved with a couple of good opportunities before we made the breakthrough.  Im not going to talk about whether it was a penalty or not because the decision was made and we can't change that (not that we would!).  The fact of the matter is that it was given and Bannan stepped up and put away a very good penalty.  You know it's good when the Goalie guesses the right way but still can't keep it out.  I'm made up for Barry, finally starting to get some of the recognition he deserves.

Unfortunately for some reason Mcleish decided to take him off and replace him for a walking liability.  Don't get me wrong I think he is a good player, but defensively he gives away so many cheap free kicks and you really don't want that when you are trying to protect a lead.  Also by taking Bannan off we lost our creativity which led to a bit of a rearguard action in the last 15 minutes or so.  N'Zogbia was then taken off for young Weimann, and it wasn't a second too soon.  Zogs had a shocker, not for the first time this season and I think Villa fans are beginning to lose patience with him.

In terms of QPR's goal, we contributed to our own downfall.  I know the goal itself was very unfortunate but our negativity when protecting a lead is stupid.  I really don't understand the whole fascination with taking a corner short and protecting the ball.  Very rarely does it waste any more 15 seconds and when the opposition gets the ball back, you are inviting them to attack you.  If we had taken those couple of corners we got late in the game properly then I'm convinced we would be celebrating 3 points.  You usually waste much more time when you are pressing teams back and passing it around instead of fannying about in the corner.  Anyway, that's my rant over!

Overall I think that our second half performance has given us a platform to build on.  We looked a much more attacking side and, surprise surprise, IT WORKED!  For the first time since Blackburn I enjoyed watching us play and if we start games like that and get on top of our opponents from the first whistle, we will win more games than we lose for sure.