Can Guzan realistically challenge Given?
Now that Brad Guzan has officially signed a three year contract at the Villa, a lot of talk has begun regarding whether or not Guzan might realistically be our number one next season.
There are plenty of Guzan fans, and I certainly think he’s one of the very best number two goalkeepers in the Premiership. I believed he’d be off this summer, and he certainly has the talent to start for a good enough club (maybe Championship, a few Premiership sides) so for me it is a bit of a surprise to see him back at Villa Park, albeit a welcome one.
Lambert has spoken on the subject, and perhaps he has had a word with Guzan, and assured him that if he does perform well, he has a real chance of being our number one on a more permanent basis. Last season must have been tough for the player, after McLeish basically said that whatever happens Given would always, bar injury, be the man between the sticks. I doubt Guzan would agree to come back if he had no chance whatsoever of being our number one if he performs well:
“I’ve watched Brad and some of his games when he was in the team last year and he was excellent, I know he’s always had that stigma of being the No.2 behind some really good goalkeepers here.
But when you come back at the start of the season nobody knows what’s going to happen and it depends on whoever does well. Brad played very well the time he was in and maybe he found himself a bit unlucky to be back out.
The club needs two or three good goalkeepers, so when Shay comes back from the Euros it will be a big bonus and we’ll see what happens.”
Guzan did well when called upon last season, and has of course done well previously in various cup competitions. There are many who believe that Guzan should be our number one, and while I felt the right decision was made last season regarding Given taking his place back, this upcoming season brings up a new debate.
Given had a bit of a mare these past euros, though I feel a lot of that might have been due to an injury or two. This has only served to further support the argument of many of those in the pro Guzan camp though.
I really rate Guzan, but I’d still be very surprised if he starts the new campaign as our number one (barring injury). If he is then great, because in Lambert’s eyes he would have deserved it, but it would still be a bit of a shock personally speaking. Given is on a lot of money, and while the amount of wages paid shouldn’t equal a guaranteed place, it still makes little sense to have him as our back-up keeper. Both keepers have their weaknesses, and it will be interesting to see how Given performs this season. If he does continue to struggle, then the calls for Guzan will only increase.
Where do you all stand? Do you think Guzan can realistically challenge Given?
As per, feel free to let us know.
UTV.
Categories: Up the Villa Tags: Brad Guzan, newsnow, Shay Given
Should Shay Given stay or be sold?
Straight off the bat I’d like to share my opinion, and I think we should look to keep him. After his performances in the Euro’s with Ireland though I’ve seen plenty of people criticising our number one, and suggesting that we might be better off selling the keeper.
Twitter is always an interesting place, and it was no different yesterday as the Ireland game was on and Shay was clearly struggling. He might have done better with the first one and almost instantly a range of comments varying from ‘this is worrying’ to ‘get rid!’ started to pop up on my timeline. Some looked to blame him for the second but I don’t think he was completely at fault. Anytime a ball travels through two sets of legs a keeper is always going to struggle. He then made a worldy save in the second half and predictably the good feelings towards Shay returned. Always amusing.
What do you all think? I’m genuinely interested because he does seem to really divide opinion. Looking at the pros and I still maintain that on his day he’s one of the finer keepers in the Premiership. He was up there with our players of the year last season and played a huge part in us staying up with THAT save against West Brom. He appears to be a good teammate and is a popular figure with the fans.
Looking at some cons and some fans believe that he may not be the keeper he once was. He does look a little sluggish at the moment; or rather not fully fit but some view this as a worrying sign. He’s also had his injury problems with Villa, missing a number of games as Guzan came in. He’s also 36 and although this isn’t especially old for a keeper some would prefer to look at a younger player. There are also a number who maintain that he doesn’t command his box well, with set-pieces a particular area of concern.
He’s on a long term contract, and probably on a decent wage and has already been linked with a move to QPR this summer. Personally speaking I’ve said I’d like to keep him, and in an ideal world have him hand over the number one shirt to reserve keeper Siegrist in a few years.
What are your thoughts though? Would you keep him here or sell him if offered the chance? Any ideas on possible replacements were he to move on?
It’s a really interesting subject in my eyes, and as mentioned I’d love to hear what some of the fans think.
Let us know!
UTV.
Categories: Up the Villa Tags: newsnow, Shay Given
Stephen Ireland to be sold? Hopefully not
The Mirror seem to be on an Aston Villa transfer rumour mission at the moment, and tonight another link has appeared claiming that Stephen Ireland is very much available should another club want him.
I don’t like this, not one bit, and for me the link gets all the more annoying when looking at the figure quoted. Here is a piece from the admittedly short report:
‘The midfield schemer Ireland is already looking for the exit door – and the new Villa chief has let it be known that he will take ‘acceptable’ offers of around £4million for the Irishman.’
I’m fully aware that Stephen Ireland is one of the most polarising players at Villa Park, and as you can probably tell I’m firmly in the camp that rates the player, and I hope going forward he’s one of the players we look to build a team around. There are plenty of others who don’t rate him quite as highly as me, but I still maintain that he has the ability to be a star for us. He needs to produce more consistently, but the second half of last season was encouraging.
He began to actually put in more of a shift, and it was mightily refreshing to see him clearing shots off the line, making last ditch tackles etc, and even though plenty criticised his player of the year award, it was as a result of a fan vote.
It’s hard to predict what Lambert wants for next season, and if he does fancy some of his old players or a couple of new faces then Ireland just might not fit. He’s probably on a fair amount of wages, but I still believe we can get more than the £4 million quoted for him. I’d love to see him in a Villa shirt next season, perhaps next to Makoun and watch them pull the strings.
There were plenty of times last season that he seemed almost too clever for his team-mates, producing a number of flicks and through balls that sadly went to waste. It be great to see him combine with Makoun, but again Lambert might have other ideas, and if he does then fair enough, it’s his right to do what he wants now he’s our new number one.
I hope he stays, but we’ll wait and see. There has also been another link with Given going to QPR. This appeared last month as well, and my thoughts on the matter haven’t changed, we should do what we can to keep him as our number one.
UTV.
Categories: Up the Villa Tags: newsnow, Shay Given, Stephen Ireland
Aston Villa vs Newcastle Player Ratings
Loving your work Shay
Another game, another draw. Unlike many who think the world is coming to an end every time we fail to pick up three points, it’s always better to be constructive and talk about where the Villa can do better, and thanks to everyone who gets involved.
Let’s be honest, we weren’t very good on the weekend. A bright start brought a deserved goal, but then it all went a bit wrong. Newcastle were given far too much space, and for the majority of the game looked like the home team. I don’t buy this McLeish is negative nonsense and plays for draws line that some people are using. You only have to look at the number of attacking players we started with, and brought on to see that’s not the case. In fact I’d argue we were perhaps too offensive minded on Saturday, leaving far too much space in behind that Newcastle to their credit, took advantage of.
We seemed to play a more traditional 4-4-2, and looked to push on at every opportunity. This left plenty of gaps, and Hutton and Delph in particular were left far too isolated throughout. I argued we needed a classic defensive midfielder since the departure of Reo-Coker, and this game was a good example of that. We’re far too lightweight at times in the middle of the park. For all his many detractors I also thought we missed Heskey in the final third. The ball came back too quickly, and there are few better than Emile when it comes to keeping hold of the ball up top.
Anyway there are positives, we’re unbeaten for one, and a number of players are nowhere near their top level. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the latest round of player ratings. As always feel free to share your views.
Shay Given: 9 – What a signing for us. They say a good keeper will earn you a certain amount of points with the games they keep you in, and Given is certainly doing that. Solid again, and despite being left horribly isolated for the goal, he still almost managed to make a miraculous save. The stop from Cabaye towards the end was one of the finer saves I’ve seen in a while. Keep it up please Mr Given!
Alan Hutton: 5 – He struggled on his debut last week, and while he offered a little more this time around, there is still plenty to work on. He looks to get forward a lot, and this is encouraging. Defensively though he was beaten far too easily, although as mentioned he was often isolated on the right hand side. I’m sure as he plays more games he will improve, but you have to imagine Chris Herd is a little disappointed sitting on the bench.
James Collins: 6.5 – In all fairness, Newcastle for their dominance created very little in terms of clear cut chances. As always dominant in the air, though a bit too keen to just launch the ball deep, rather than look for a pass to keep possession.
Richard Dunne: 6 – As with Collins, good in the air, and Newcastle by and large were restricted to long range efforts. Lost Best for the goal though, and as is often the case in football, a mistake will go punished. Overall though it’s good to see Collins and Dunne look like they’re recreating that solid partnership that served us well a few season ago.
Stephen Warnock: 7 – After a bit of a mare last week, it was good to see Warnock return to his tenacious best. A beast in the tackle, and as a result Newcastle offered little threat down the left. He does over commit at times, and needs to work on his distribution but all in all a good performance.
Fabian Delph: 5.5 – This was a tough outing for our young midfielder, as he often found himself overrun by his Newcastle counterparts. Not entirely to blame, as he was left extremely isolated at times. Needs to impose himself on games, as when he’s on the ball, he rarely disappoints. All part of the learning curve.
Stiliyan Petrov: 6.5 – He talked beforehand of getting forward more, and stayed true to his word as he supported the forwards extremely well. His great run and pass to Bent deserved a goal, and it’s encouraging to see him offering more of a threat in the final third. His attacking runs came at a cost though, as he left plenty of space in behind. Was forced off with a knock in the second half.
Charles N’Zogbia: 5 – Every week I seem to be writing the same thing with regards to N’Zogbia. He still looks off the pace, and playing on the right doesn’t seem to be doing him many favours. A promising run might have produced more in the second half, and I hope he uses the confidence of playing the 90 minutes and pushes on. It will come, of that I’m sure and people tend to forget that both Ashley Young and Stewart Downing took a while to get going at Villa Park.
Barry Bannan: 7 – The little man got the start he deserved and didn’t disappoint with a very encouraging display. He’s a class act, always looking to get on the ball and played some passes that were a joy to watch. Playing with a load of confidence, perfectly summed up by a 30 volley that just flew wide. Set up the goal and even though he went a bit quiet second half, there is plenty to build on.
Gabriel Agbonlahor: 7.5 – The boy is on fire at the moment, and it was great to see him playing in a more central role. Took his goal well after using his strength to good effect by keeping Coloccini off the ball, and came close in the second half with a shot on the turn that was inches wide. A very promising start to the season.
Darren Bent: 5 – A tough outing for Mr Bent, who didn’t look 100% from the start. Squandered two chances you’d normally see him bury, the sooner he returns to form the better from a Villa point of view. Reportedly picked up a slight knock, hopefully it’s nothing too serious.
Subs:
Marc Albrighton: 6.5 – Looked bright when he came on, and might have done better with an effort that flew wide.
Stephen Ireland: 6 – It’s great to see him getting more game time, and he picked out some good passes in this cameo. Hoping he gets a start against Bolton in the week.
Nathan Delfouneso: 5 – Would have liked to have seen him enter the fray earlier, had little time to make an impact.
Man of the Match: Easy choice, and it goes to our star goalkeeper, Shay Given. What a bit of business by our football club.
Summary: We were nowhere near our best, and after a promising start it all went a bit quiet. Looking forward to Jenas coming in, as we’re lacking another body in the middle. Still we’re one of only four teams still unbeaten, and that’s without a number of our top stars firing.
UTV.
Categories: Up the Villa Tags: Player Ratings, Round up, Shay Given, Up the Villa., Villa
Agbonlahor is named Villa’s player of the month for August, who gets your vote?
Gabby celebrates in style
In a pretty good initiative on Villa’s part, fans are now given the chance to vote on the man of the match after every game, with the overall winner (highest point accumulator) being named player of the month. Anything that get’s the fans involved is a good thing and this has resulted in Mr Gabriel Agbonlahor being named our player of the month for August.
After each match, the player with the most votes is awarded three points, with two for second and one for third. Our top five is as follows this month, with Agbonlahor taking the crown after receiving more individual votes than Fabian Delph in second.
1st: Gabriel Agbonlahor (4 pts)
2nd: Fabian Delph (4 pts)
3rd: Shay Given (3 pts)
4th: Chris Herd (3 pts)
5th: Barry Bannan (3 pts)
Agbonlahor earned four points from finishing second against Blackburn and Wolves while Delph finished third against Fulham and first against Blackburn.
It seems that our fans can read a game pretty well as Given won the Fulham vote, Herd won it for Wolves while Bannan was first against Hereford. All correct decisions in my opinion.
For me personally the player of the month would have been between Agbonlahor or Given, with Given just about pinching it if I was pushed. They’ve both started the season in fine form though, and that’s all that really matters.
Agbonlahor seems to have recaptured the form which makes him so dangerous, and even though I still would ultimately like to see him as a striker, he’s looked very impressive playing on the left hand side. He’s already popped up with two important goals, and his celebration against Everton tells you everything you need to know about how much the Villa and it’s fans means to the player, great to see.
Fabian Delph has the makings of a top player, and it’s great to see him getting more game time as he looks to develop into the player we all hope he can be. After a hugely impressive start to the season, his performances have slightly tailed off in the last couple of games. Still, the potential is there for all to see, and at 21 he has plenty of time to develop into a top top player. At times he seems to be trying too hard, and this does on occasion cost us, as shown when conceding a needless penalty against Everton. There is plenty more to come though from this exciting young talent.
Given has been somewhat of a revelation, and already a candidate for ‘signing of the season’. He clearly needed to be playing, and it’s great that he is for our football club. He was sensational against Fulham, and has performed well in just about every game to date. We’ve always been aware of his goalkeeping qualities but what I love seeing is how he seems to be inspiring the rest of the defence to up their games. Collins and Dunne look like the players of a couple of seasons ago, with Dunne in particular excelling with his International team-mate behind him. A brilliant bit of business on our part.
Chris Herd has only played the one premiership game this season, but what a performance it was. He was sensational against Wolves, and kept an England winger (Matt Jarvis) extremely quiet, eventually resulting in his substitution. Phenomenal in the air, strong in the tackle and has a terrific attitude to the game. He almost knocked himself out in the aforementioned game, after colliding with a post yet stayed on the pitch and was correctly awarded Man of the Match. Like many of the youngsters, he has a genuine affinity with our club and plays like a fan, always giving 110%. Expect more from this versatile young star.
And finally we finish with Barry Bannan, who you get the feeling is on the brink of something very special. Us fans have been aware of his talents for a while, and on the occasions he has played this season, he has looked a star in waiting. Blessed with an otherworldly left foot, he also has a football brain that belies his young age. He was awarded man of the match for the Carling Cup game against Hereford, and you feel this may be the first of many. He has shone for Scotland this season, has impressed when coming off the bench for us and you feel a starting role is just around the corner, perhaps this weekend against Newcastle. Like Herd he has a genuine connection for the club, and I’m incredibly excited to see what he can achieve this upcoming season.
So how about you? Let us know who your player of the month is for August by getting in touch either here in the comments section, or on our Facebook and Twitter pages (links above).
UTV!
Categories: Up the Villa Tags: Agbonlahor, Alex Mcleish, Aston Villa, Barry Bannan, Chris Herd, Fabian Delph, Fans, match, Player of the Month, Shay Given, Up the Villa., Villa
Kevin Macdonald earns a promotion and a new GK coach is brought in.
Our new first team coach
Just a quick post today to acknowledge the great news that Kevin Macdonald has been promoted to a new role as first team coach. Macdonald has a bit of experience of working with the first team, after taking control of the side in a caretaker capacity after Martin O’Neill’s abrupt departure at the start of last season. After Houllier was brought in, K-Mac resumed his position as coach of the reserves, a role he had worked wonders in for many a season.
I’m delighted to see him given the chance to work at a higher level, and he thoroughly deserves it for all the hard work he has done for Aston Villa Football Club. He will of course know a number of our younger stars extremely well, and this can only bode well. The club have announced that they will be promoting from the academy with regards to the reserve team role and again this is the right thing to do. A few names have been suggested over at our Facebook page (Tony McAndrew and Mark Delaney) and either of these would be a great choice.
Alex McLeish has had this to say on the promotion:
“I’ve changed the coaching staff round a little bit. We’ve enhanced it.
“We’ve got Sid there and Peter obviously, my assistant, and I’ve promoted Kevin to help with the first team as well.
“At a club like this we need all the best coaches we can get.
“Kevin is great and so is Sid, who is quietly effective in terms of saying the right things to the young ones. They’ve got a lot of respect for him.
“A lot of them have grown up with Kevin too and he’s definitely got something to add to the team in terms of the information and his knowledge.
“We’ll now promote someone from within for the reserves”.
Villa have also announced that they have appointed Terry Gennoe as their new goalkeeper coach until the end of the season at least. Given previously worked with Gennoe at Blackburn and Newcastle and apparently sees him as a bit of a mentor. Again this is another positive move by the club, and anything that can help Given keep up his tremendous performances to date sounds good to me. He comes highly rated so well done to the club for being proactive and making a number of moves that will hopefully keep us challenging at the right end of the table.
UTV.
Categories: Up the Villa Tags: Coaches, Goalkeeper, Kevin Macdonald, manager, Round up, Shay Given, Terry Gennoe, Up the Villa., Villa
Aston Villa Player Ratings from our battling 2-2 draw with Everton.
Delight for our Skipper
Let’s face it, after the first 45 minutes yesterday we all would have taken a point, and over 24 hours after the final whistle blew, I’m still delighted with the spirit and character shown by our Villans to come back not once, but twice. This was NEVER going to be the easy game that a lot of people seemed to think it would be. Regardless of the problems Everton are going through they are still a more than decent side, with Internationals throughout the starting eleven. I would have been happy before the match with a point, and after the way we fought for a hard earned draw, I was delighted after.
While the first half was disappointing, I was amazed to see the reaction of some Villa ‘fans’ when we went one nil down. I always try to be positive with regards to the Villa, but when we do play badly (like the first 45 mins yesterday) I’d rather discuss it sensibly than begin criticising everything to do with our great club. Comments like ‘McLeish and Lerner out’ after 45 minutes of mediocrity do no-one any favours, and I’m genuinely worried how some will react when we do lose our first game this season. It seems some people can’t wait to get the knives out, but I’m sure the majority won’t overreact, and won’t think the world is ending. It’s all about the bigger picture and for me at least, McLeish has had a very promising start to the season.
Anyway enough of that! On to the players ratings after a battling point yesterday. As always feel free to get involved, and share your views (Twitter and Facebook links are at the top of the page).
Shay Given: 7 – I love seeing him in nets for us, and as mentioned a number of times this season his communication is a joy to watch. Made a couple of vital stops, and although he almost got caught out towards the end of the match, he made a great save in the last minute from an Everton corner. Could do nothing with either of the goals.
Alan Hutton: 5 – Not the best debut for the former Tottenham man, who looked off the pace throughout. Poor in possession, and Everton were successful with far too many attacks on the left side. He needs games and to build his match fitness but this wasn’t the best start for the Scottish international.
James Collins: 6.5 – The whole defence were found watching for Everton’s opener, but he grew into the match as the game went on. As always a beast in the air, and put his body on the line on more than one occasion.
Richard Dunne: 7 – After one of the best defensive performances in recent memory for his country in the week, Dunne continued his good form with an impressive performance. Looks more calmer with Given behind him, and is continuing to read the game extremely well.
Stephen Warnock: 5 – He’s started the season extremely well considering his issues last campaign. Poor game yesterday though, and he was beaten far too many times by Seamus Coleman. Poor in distribution, hoping for an improved performance next time out against Newcastle.
Fabian Delph: 5 – I’m a big fan of the player, but he needs to learn to tone it down at times, as he’s almost trying too hard. Neat and tidy at times, though our midfield was often dominated throughout the game. Gave away a needless penalty just as we were getting back into the match.
Stiliyan Petrov: 7 – As mentioned our midfield were overrun at times, though he tried his best to keep us possession and to allow us to get a foothold in the match. Stepped up when he had to with an absolute peach of a goal. The reaction of his fellow players tells you everything you need to know about the how much they respect him.
Charles N’Zogbia: 5 – Just waiting for him to really announce his arrival at the Villa, as he put in another poor performance yesterday. Showed some nice touches, but just not clicking for him yet. Was once again taken off in the second half.
Emile Heskey: 5 – No time for him to make an impact as he was withdrawn after 15 or so minutes with a hamstring strain. Disappointing after a promising start to the season.
Gabriel Agbonlahor: 7 – Quiet for the first half (along with the rest of the team) but looked much more threatening in the second half. A cracking run deserved more before he popped up towards the end of the match to rescue a point for us with a well taken header. His celebration showed just how much he loves the Villa and the fans.
Darren Bent: 5 – A poor display from our main man up front, who didn’t look quite right after his recent injury problems. Missed a good chance at the start of the second half, and while yet again the lack of service to him is a worry, he needs to make more of an impact. Saved us early on with a header off the line.
Subs:
Barry Bannan: 7 – Replaced Heskey early on, and his enthusiasm for the game is great to see from a Villa viewpoint. Always wants the ball and tested Howard with a few efforts from distance. Needs to work on the defensive side of his game, and was extremely fortunate to not give away a penalty as he appeared to catch Baines in the second half.
Marc Albrighton: 7 – Came on when we were chasing the game, and did what he had to do, putting in a peach of a cross that Gabby couldn’t miss. Very encouraging cameo after a pretty disappointing start to the season.
Stephen Ireland: 6.5 – I was impressed with Ireland when he came on, and I’m hoping he uses this appearance to push on for the rest of the season. He wanted the ball, and made a number of cracking runs. Positive signs.
Man of the Match: It’s tough this week as there was no real stand-out performance. For stepping up yet again though, I’m going to award it to Agbonlahor, who has started this season in very good form.
Summary: After a first 45 minutes that were pretty diabolical, a draw at Everton is not to be sniffed at. We came back not one, but twice, and it’s great to see our Villans display such character. A cracking goal from our captain and Gabby once again stepped up when we needed him. We’re still unbeaten, and hopefully we’ll get the three points next week and that will represent a very promising start to the season.
UTV!
Categories: Up the Villa Tags: Agbonlahor, Alan Hutton, Alex Mcleish, Aston, Aston Villa, Barry Bannan, Charles N'Zogbia, Darren Bent, Fans, manager, match, report, Round up, Shay Given, Up the Villa., Villa
International round-up as our Villa heroes shine.
What a performance
Attempting to finish up some work yesterday, I put the Russia vs Ireland match on the background hoping I wouldn’t get too distracted. Within minutes my optimistic plan had failed as I was drawn to the action, and 90 plus minutes of something pretty special from our Villa heroes, Shay Given and Richard Dunne.
Initially I was keen to see if Given would show any adverse reactions to the niggling injuries he has been carrying recently. The first half answered that in pretty emphatic fashion with the keeper making a number of top draw saves to frustrate the Russians. He moved easily, and showed tremendous agility to fling himself to his right to keep out a testing half volley that was destined for the bottom corner. He went on to make a number of top top saves, including a point saving effort in the last few minutes. I’ve touched on it before, but I also love seeing how vocal he is and you can see the difference it is making to the Villa defence already.
If Given was impressive, then Dunne was something else as he produced a quite incredible performance that just may well rank as one of the finest Irish defensive displays of all time. He was sensational, and as the match went on, you started to realise that you were witnessing something very very special. We’re all familiar with another Irish centre-half here at the Villa, and Paul McGrath indeed produced a number of inspired performances for his country, most notably against Italy in the world cup back in 1994. When he says the following then you know that what Dunne produced, was pretty special:
“Congratulations to Richard. That was the best performance I have ever seen from any Irish centre-half – and that includes myself.”
He really was that good, winning header after header, breaking up play and producing one of the best goal-line blocks you will see in a while. With around fifteen minutes left he suffered a nasty looking injury, head-butting the ground as he made yet another tackle. He received a number of stitches, dusted himself down and went back on to the pitch to ensure that the Irish team would keep yet another clean sheet (7 in a row now). It was something quite amazing and a game I was proud to watch. These words from Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni sum up just how good our Villa representatives were:
“I thank God that we had Richard in this game. He was fantastic.
“He sacrificed himself because he went back on to the pitch with four stitches. He understood the need to stay on the pitch.
“Shay Given also saved two or three goals. They were fantastic saves.”
If that wasn’t enough, rising star Barry Bannan also had a night to remember as he inspired Scotland to a narrow 1-0 victory over Lithuania. I didn’t watch the game at the time, but from what I have seen and heard since, Bannan was incredible. Us Villa fans know talent when we see it, and for a couple of seasons now it’s clear that our little Scottish star has the potential to be very special. He’s blessed with one of the finer left foots around, and he deserves an extended run in the first team sooner rather than later. Indeed if Bent is out this weekend I’d love to see him come in with Gabby moving up top. Bannan (along with Dunne and Given) must be absolutely buzzing after starring for their countries, and he deserves a chance in my opinion.
Bannan was a threat with his deliveries all night, and it was his free kick that brought around a penalty for Scotland after a Lithuania player inexplicitly handled the incoming ball. Bannan actually wanted to take the penalty himself, a sign of the confidence he possesses in his abilities. Scotland should have perhaps listened as Fletcher went on to see his penalty saved. Bannan went on to set up the only goal of the game, playing a delightful chipped ball into the box for Naismith to volley home in some style.
We wrote this on our Facebook page last night and here it is again, courtesy of the BBC text updates:
‘A standing ovation for Barry Bannan as he is replaced by Scotland in the 84th minute. He has been the hosts star performer bar none this evening.’
Bannan himself was clearly overjoyed with the outcome in his competitive debut:
“It’s a marvellous feeling, this is my first competitive game and after playing in the friendlies to get out there and start at Hampden, it’s what dreams are made of.
It’s a great result for us. We knew what it was going to be, a tough game, and we got what we came for.
To get the three points is a big result and hopefully we can kick on from there.”
Sadly Stiliyan Petrov couldn’t make it a perfect night for our Villa stars as his Bulgaria side tasted defeat against Switzerland.
We here at Up the Villa want to offer our congratulations to all our international stars on a great night. They’ll come back to Villa full of confidence and that can only be good for us.
Up the Villa!
Categories: Up the Villa Tags: Barry Bannan, Darren Bent, manager, match, report, Richard Dunne, Shay Given, Up the Villa., Villa
Under 21 roundup, star would have quit had Houllier stayed, more links to an old boy and Bent update….busy day!
Gardner congratulates the Fonz on his well taken penalty.
The encouraging start to the season continued last night as some of Villa’s young stars impressed while on under 21 duty with their respective countries.
Nathan Baker started for England U’21′s but his night was cruelly cut short as he suffered a knee injury just before half time. During the game he look composed on the ball, and spread it around nicely from his centre-back role. Could do nothing about the goal as Israel broke from a corner with Baker out of position after pushing forward for the set piece. No news yet on the extent of his injury but we wish him well.
Nathan Delfouneso and Gary Gardner both made appearances during the second half, coming on side by side with around twenty five minutes to play. Gardner was making his debut at this level and while he didn’t get many chances to show what he can do, he did spray a number of cracking balls out wide, and it is only a matter of time before he makes an impact at first team level. I thought the Fonz looked really sharp, and deserved his goal for his lively cameo. It came via the penalty spot, and despite a rather awkward stop, start, step back, run forward run-up, he still finished with aplomb, slotting the ball into the bottom corner. The game finished 4 – 1 to England and our young Villans should be proud at their performances.
Another young striker, Andreas Weimann, currently on loan at Watford scored a goal in Austria’s under 21 victory against their Greek counterparts as they won 3 2. This was in addition to the two he grabbed last Friday against Luxembourg. Not a bad few days! He’s very highly rated at the Villa and I would like to see him given a chance this season. The Championship is a very good league so the loan should stand him in good stead. Good luck for the rest of it!
As I write this Richard Dunne has just finished performing heroics in Russia, and has made a quite incredible goal-line stop which you need to see. Given was also sensational behind him and this can only bode well for the Villa, well in boys! In other Dunne news though, the defender has admitted that he would have ‘probably left had Houllier had stayed’. Now we all know about the infamous fall out last season, and his form was inconsistent at best last campaign. I don’t think it’s worthwhile talking about the past, and you can see from his performances already that Dunne, along with Collins are enjoying playing under the new manager. We’ve only conceded the one goal in three games, and I hope that this impressive form continues as the season progresses. A Richard Dunne playing at his best, can only be a good thing for the Villa. You can see the difference having Given behind him makes, and I hope we can get back to being the defensive force we were a few seasons ago.
The links to Villa old boy Steven Davis first came up towards the end of the transfer window, and now it appears as we were genuinely interested in the midfielder as McLeish has revealed the following:
“Steven Davis is a Rangers player. We asked about him, but we know how much he means to Rangers”
“We never pursued it because they made it clear he wasn’t for sale.”
I was a fan of Davis during his initial tenure at the Villa, and thought he performed well albeit in a very poor Villa side. Despite links to Man Utd he went on to Fulham where he did very little before shining in Scotland with Rangers. He does have talent, but for me we have too many similar players here, and I’d prefer to see the likes of Bannan/Ireland given a go before we wasted money and wages on a player we don’t really need. We’ve been burnt before on signing players from Scotland, and I fear we would again if we were to bring Davis back to our club.
Lastly today and a quick update from AMC who has said Bent is ‘touch and go’ to face Everton this weekend. Now this doesn’t sound too promising, and while I hope he makes it, if there is any doubt we’d be better letting him sit this one out, rather than run the risk of losing him for a longer period. If he is out then we have to find a way of creating, and taking our chances. I would like to see the aforementioned Delfouneso given a run-out, but I expect that Gabby would move up, with perhaps Jenas or Bannan taking his place on the left. Time will tell but we hope it’s nothing too serious!
As always, feel free to share your views on here, or via our Facebook and Twitter pages.
UTV.
Categories: Up the Villa Tags: Agbonlahor, Alex Mcleish, Andreas Weimann, Aston, Aston Villa, Darren Bent, Football, Gary Gardner, goal, Goalkeeper, Gossip, manager, match, Nathan Baker, Nathan Delfouneso, report, Round up, Shay Given, Speculation, Steven Davis, Up the Villa., Villa
Rating our new arrivals out of 10, because we can.
Hutton and Jenas
Ah what a nice quiet day. Thankfully the madness of transfer windows is over for at least a few months, meaning we can actually concentrate on the football, rather than getting too caught up in who we may, or more likely may not, bring to Villa Park. With that in mind, here is a quick look at our newest arrivals with an Up the Villa rating to boot.
Here we go.
Shay Given (£3.5 million): 9/10 – I wasn’t too keen, but am delighted to have been proven wrong as Shay Given has been a revelation since making the move to the Villa. He has renewed enthusiasm for the game, and is looking as solid as ever. His communication is a joy to watch, and our defence looks a lot more solid with him in goal. A great shot stopper, and the fact we’ve conceded only the one goal in the league to date, tells you everything you need to know.
Charles N’Zogbia (£9.5 million): 7.5/10 – While he has yet to really show the form that was a big reason that Wigan stayed in the Premiership, I still have little doubt that he will be a great player for Villa for years to come. He was brought for half the prize of a certain Mr Downing, and that is terrific business on our part. Still in his mid-twenties, when he gets up to speed, we will have one hell of a player on our hands.
Enda Stevens (£250,000): 5/10 – I like many other Villans, was left wondering ‘Who?’ upon the news that we were to sign young Irish left back Enda Stevens. I haven’t seen him play, but look forward to seeing him in action for Shamrock Rovers in their Europa League campaign before he joins the Villa in January. A relatively no-lose signing, from what I’ve read he seems highly rated by those who have seen him play. I love moves like this, and the Irish league has of course produced a number of world class players (Paul McGrath anyone). Looking forward to seeing him in action.
Alan Hutton (£3 million): 7/10 – In my opinion a great bit of business by our club. He’s 6 years younger than Luke Young, cost around a million more but will probably be on less wages. What’s not to like? Very well known by our manager, Hutton was reportedly extremely keen to join the Villa revolution. A solid defender who gets forward well, could prove to be a very shrewd acquisition.
Jermaine Jenas (Season long loan): 8/10 – He has his detractors, but I have a feeling this could be a brilliant move for Aston Villa. He has over twenty caps for England and I don’t care who you are, who have to have something about you to play so many times for your country. He’s hungry, has a point to prove and is a box to box midfielder who could prove to be a valuable addition to our squad. It be interesting to see if he takes his place in the starting 11 immediately, but I think by the end of the season we’ll all be happy with his impact.
So there we have it. As always let us know what you think by getting involved either here, or on our Facebook and twitter pages (links above)!
UTV.
Categories: Up the Villa Tags: Alan Hutton, Charles N'Zogbia, Enda Stevens, Football, Jermaine Jenas, Shay Given, Stewart Downing, Up the Villa., Villa
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