Aston Villa 1 Manchester City 1
Traditionally, we struggle against Man City so this was a good point earned, especially when you consider their form and the players they have purchased. Predictably, Gareth Barry's return was met with boos, but the Villa Park crowd wasn't united in its hostile front, which was good to see. Whatever people say, I believe he left not for money, but to play with genuinely world class players like Adabayor, Ireland, and Robinho and he was a good servant to our club.
Villa got off to a flying start, going straight at City from the off and coming close at the near post following a corner. On that occassion, Given was able to save with his feet, but shortly after he was left with no chance as Dunne outjumped Barry and powered a header into the top corner. But from that point on, it was mostly all Man City. Young threatened occassionally on the break and Agbonlahor held up the ball well, but we were out run and out thought in midfield and Carew did absolutely nothing up front. His replacement, Heskey, also failed to contribute in any way. This is our problem - with Petrov and Sidwell in central midfield we are too pedestrian and lacking quality in possession. While Petrov is useful at breaking up attacks, he fails to capitalise on winning the ball back and consistently moves the ball forward only to stop and turn back, giving the opposition the time to regroup. Other teams don't do that - they have the power, pace and precision to move forward and put you under pressure immediately. Sidwell is the better athlete of the two and works hard, but lacks that sharpness on the ball that we so desperately need. Up front, we are badly under strength. Carew seems to be disinterested, Heskey is rarely a goal threat anyway, and that leaves Agbonlahor with a lot of responsibility. If we can offload Harewood and Reo Coker in Jan, we should look at bringing in an athletic forward so that we can offload Heskey next summer.
On the plus side, the defence looked magnificent again - finally! Dunne and Collins make a formiddable pairing and Warnock looks assured at left back.
For city, Bellamy was outstanding, scoring their goal and causing us all sorts of problems. When Ireland came on in the second half, he changed the game, and it was City who looked the most likely winners at the end.
A decent enough result against a classy side, but not a convincing performance by any means - the centre of midfield is mediocre at best and we are a forward light. If only we had bought Bent in the summer. He is exactly what we need.
Tuesday, 6 October 2009
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Blackburn 2 Aston Villa 1
Back down to earth with a bump. A mediocre performance at best against a direct and physical Blackburn side. You wouldn't expect anything less from an Allardyce team.
We got off to a good start with Agbonlahor completely mis-hitting a shot that crept in the far corner. But despite playing some good football on the deck for a change, we couldn't get the killer second and Blackburn were able to equalise. The game looked all set for a draw until Dunne was harshly judged to have handballed in the area when putting his hands up to protect his face from high feet. Blackburn's Dunn slotted home and it was too late for us to come back.
Deserved at least a point.
We got off to a good start with Agbonlahor completely mis-hitting a shot that crept in the far corner. But despite playing some good football on the deck for a change, we couldn't get the killer second and Blackburn were able to equalise. The game looked all set for a draw until Dunne was harshly judged to have handballed in the area when putting his hands up to protect his face from high feet. Blackburn's Dunn slotted home and it was too late for us to come back.
Deserved at least a point.
Aston Villa 2 Portsmouth 0
A good win against a poor Portsmouth side that featured several new signings (who all look to be Championship level players). A solid performance, but not a vintage one. Goals from Agbonlahor and Milner do the damage and Portsmouth rarely threaten, apart from a short spell in the second half that forced two good saves from Friedel.
Reo-Coker sent home for the weekend after reported physical tussle with Martin O'Neill. Surely he will be sold come January.
Agbonlahor's looking strong - causing problems, holding the ball up well and scoring for fun at the moment. Could he force his way back into the England reckoning? He has a chance, along with Darren Bent at Sunderland, another free-scoring forward this season.
Reo-Coker sent home for the weekend after reported physical tussle with Martin O'Neill. Surely he will be sold come January.
Agbonlahor's looking strong - causing problems, holding the ball up well and scoring for fun at the moment. Could he force his way back into the England reckoning? He has a chance, along with Darren Bent at Sunderland, another free-scoring forward this season.
Sunday, 13 September 2009
Birmingham City 0 Aston Villa 1
Agbonlahor's great scoring streak against the Blues continues!
Martin O'Neill fielded a new back four at St Andrews, with Richard Dunne and James Collins forming a new partnership in central defence, with fellow debutant Stephen Warnock replacing Shorey at left back and Carlos Cuellar moving into the right back slot at the expense of Beye. And for the first time in ages, the defence looked solid and organised. Dunne and Collins threw their bodies in front of everything, with Dunne being particulary dominant in the air.
The match itself was a dour affair with neither midfield being able to get hold of the ball and both teams resorting to long, direct balls down the flanks. Possession was fairly even with neither team creating much in front of goal.
With 20 mins to go, Carew replaced Reo Coker and the game sparked into life. Carew was unlucky when put through on goal, but gave Villa more presence up front. Shortly after his arrival, a free-kick from the left found Agbonlahor unmarked in the box and he planted a header into the bottom corner. Moments later, he was less effective, running on to a through ball but taking it slightly wide and then blasting his shot over when one-on-one. He has definitely added muscle to his frame since last season, and I'm starting to wonder if he has lost a little of his pace too. He's still quick, but doesn't seem to eat the ground up like he used to. Maybe it is just an illusion caused by his new, bulkier frame.
A poor game but good result. The defence was outstanding, midfield cumbersome (Petrov poor again and Sidwell anonymous), and forwards out of sorts.
Pompey next!
Martin O'Neill fielded a new back four at St Andrews, with Richard Dunne and James Collins forming a new partnership in central defence, with fellow debutant Stephen Warnock replacing Shorey at left back and Carlos Cuellar moving into the right back slot at the expense of Beye. And for the first time in ages, the defence looked solid and organised. Dunne and Collins threw their bodies in front of everything, with Dunne being particulary dominant in the air.
The match itself was a dour affair with neither midfield being able to get hold of the ball and both teams resorting to long, direct balls down the flanks. Possession was fairly even with neither team creating much in front of goal.
With 20 mins to go, Carew replaced Reo Coker and the game sparked into life. Carew was unlucky when put through on goal, but gave Villa more presence up front. Shortly after his arrival, a free-kick from the left found Agbonlahor unmarked in the box and he planted a header into the bottom corner. Moments later, he was less effective, running on to a through ball but taking it slightly wide and then blasting his shot over when one-on-one. He has definitely added muscle to his frame since last season, and I'm starting to wonder if he has lost a little of his pace too. He's still quick, but doesn't seem to eat the ground up like he used to. Maybe it is just an illusion caused by his new, bulkier frame.
A poor game but good result. The defence was outstanding, midfield cumbersome (Petrov poor again and Sidwell anonymous), and forwards out of sorts.
Pompey next!
Monday, 31 August 2009
Aston Villa 2 Fulham 0
Traditionally, we do well against Fulham at home and this season proved no different, with the London team looking tired from their European exploits and lacking the invention the injured Danny Murphy brings to their side.
Martin O'Neill surprisingly retained the successful 4-5-1 formation from Anfield, with Agbonlahor working alone up front. And he was exceptional, nabbing the second goal with a piercing run and a powered finish from the edge of the box. Villa's first goal had come early - an own goal following a wickedly delivered corner from Young.
We were in control for most of the game and rarely looked under threat, with debutant Ciaran Clark partnering Cuellar well in defence and Shorey keeping his slot at left back despite new signing Warnock arriving earlier in the week.
A solid performance and 3 points at home. Just what we need before the visit to St Andrews.
Martin O'Neill surprisingly retained the successful 4-5-1 formation from Anfield, with Agbonlahor working alone up front. And he was exceptional, nabbing the second goal with a piercing run and a powered finish from the edge of the box. Villa's first goal had come early - an own goal following a wickedly delivered corner from Young.
We were in control for most of the game and rarely looked under threat, with debutant Ciaran Clark partnering Cuellar well in defence and Shorey keeping his slot at left back despite new signing Warnock arriving earlier in the week.
A solid performance and 3 points at home. Just what we need before the visit to St Andrews.
Thursday, 27 August 2009
Aston Villa 2 Rapid Vienna 1
And so we go crashing out of the Europa League at the first hurdle. I suspect that this may be a blessing in disguise as not being in the competition will mean our squad is not stretched and we're not jaded by travel. Of course, it also means a lot of the fringe players won't play as many games, so it could mean more unhappy campers come mid-season. Still, they've only themselves to blame.
It was all looking so good as well. Young was a constant menace in the first half and it was his run that led to the first of two penalties. Sadly, he decided to take it himself and his poorly hit shot to the keeper's right was easily saved. This seemed to galvanise Vienna and they continued to look a threat on the break, even after Milner converted the second penalty of the night.
A very quiet Carew gave Villa a 2-0 lead in the second half with a nice cut inside and finish at the near post, but from that point on, Vienna always looked the more likely to score and missed two clear cut chances before finally slotting the away goal that saw them through.
Dropped from the side that beat Liverpool were Sidwell, Reo Coker, and Agbonlahor, replaced with Delph, Heskey and Carew. The two big men up front were largely ineffective and offered little movement and didn't convince as a pair. Delph worked hard in midfield and showed moments of promise, but we sorely lacked the energy of Reo Coker. Though whether he would have been able to produce it so soon after the game at Anfield is open to debate.
Sadly, this game showed yet again that Petrov is too slow and cumbersome to compete at this level. He was repeatedly caught in no man's land and it was his mistake in midfield that led to Vienna's goal. He works hard but is clearly too pedestrian - he just hasn't got the pace and energy needed to compete in the role he has in the side.
Another sour note was Curtis Davis walking off in the second half with what looked like a dislocated shoulder - a problem that has been dogging him for some time.
On a positive note, Warnock has signed from Blackburn so should come in for Shorey and improve the left back slot and provide cover for left midfield and we have had bids agreed for Dunne from Man City and Distin from Portsmouth (though it looks like he is off to Everton). With Davies out injured, I expect Dunne to come straight in at Centre Back alongside Cuellar, who was suprisingly excellent again tonight.
It was all looking so good as well. Young was a constant menace in the first half and it was his run that led to the first of two penalties. Sadly, he decided to take it himself and his poorly hit shot to the keeper's right was easily saved. This seemed to galvanise Vienna and they continued to look a threat on the break, even after Milner converted the second penalty of the night.
A very quiet Carew gave Villa a 2-0 lead in the second half with a nice cut inside and finish at the near post, but from that point on, Vienna always looked the more likely to score and missed two clear cut chances before finally slotting the away goal that saw them through.
Dropped from the side that beat Liverpool were Sidwell, Reo Coker, and Agbonlahor, replaced with Delph, Heskey and Carew. The two big men up front were largely ineffective and offered little movement and didn't convince as a pair. Delph worked hard in midfield and showed moments of promise, but we sorely lacked the energy of Reo Coker. Though whether he would have been able to produce it so soon after the game at Anfield is open to debate.
Sadly, this game showed yet again that Petrov is too slow and cumbersome to compete at this level. He was repeatedly caught in no man's land and it was his mistake in midfield that led to Vienna's goal. He works hard but is clearly too pedestrian - he just hasn't got the pace and energy needed to compete in the role he has in the side.
Another sour note was Curtis Davis walking off in the second half with what looked like a dislocated shoulder - a problem that has been dogging him for some time.
On a positive note, Warnock has signed from Blackburn so should come in for Shorey and improve the left back slot and provide cover for left midfield and we have had bids agreed for Dunne from Man City and Distin from Portsmouth (though it looks like he is off to Everton). With Davies out injured, I expect Dunne to come straight in at Centre Back alongside Cuellar, who was suprisingly excellent again tonight.
Monday, 24 August 2009
Liverpool 1 Aston Villa 3
Villa came into this game on the back of a diabolical display against Wigan and a somewhat lacklustre match in Europe, so I wasn't expecting anything other than the customary defeat at Anfield. And after 5 minutes, that seemed to be the inevitable consequence of our trip to Liverpool. Because from the off, Liverpool were straight at us, getting the ball in and around the box and causing mayhem. But Friedel was in inspired form and we held out.
As the first half developed, so did our confidence and with Davies and Cuellar uncharacteristically outstanding in defence, helped by sterling performances from Beye at full back and a tireless Reo Coker in midfield. Suddenly, Liverpool looked to have run out of ideas, and despite dominating possession, rarely threatened. And then, against the run of play, we took the lead. Petrov was fouled about 25 yards from their goal. Young whipped in the free-kick into a dangerous area and the hapless Lucas headed into his own net. The wind had been knocked out of Liverpool's sails and we looked comfortable. As half time approached, a corner from the right exposed Liverpool's zonal marking system and Davies was able to head in from close range at the near post. 0-2 and the natives were not happy.
As expected, the second half continued in the vein of the first, with Liverpool dominating possession but failing to create chances against a solid Villa defence. The few chances that did come their way were from long distance or tight angles, making Friedel's numerous saves a lot easier to pull off.
When the Liverpool breakthrough did come, in the 71st minute, it was Torres who side footed into the roof of the net from 6 yards. Despite a petulant performance, he had looked the most likely person to break the Villa rearguard.
I feared a capitulation, but within a few minutes we were 1-3 up. Reo Coker broke through from midfield and missed a ball into the box by inches, then seconds later burst onto a through ball only to be taken down by Gerrard's sliding lunge. Penalty. Young stepped up and slotted it to Reina's left with admirable calm and ease.
Lacking any invention and clearly frustrated, the Liverpool players continued to dominate possession without looking threatening and, strangely for a Liverpool side, seemed resigned to the defeat long before the whistle for full time.
After recent games, this was an encouraging performance from Villa. It was Reo-Coker's best game for us in my opinion, and he certainly did enough to warrant his place in the starting eleven. Full of energy, running, and tackling, he was everything Petrov isn't. And alongside him, Sidwell worked hard, getting forward when possible. But the real Villa stars were the back four and Friedel, all of which were outstanding, particularly Cuellar and Davies in defence. Perhaps they are finally starting to gel and can form a convincing partnership afterall?
2nd leg against Rapid Vienna next, then Fulham.
As the first half developed, so did our confidence and with Davies and Cuellar uncharacteristically outstanding in defence, helped by sterling performances from Beye at full back and a tireless Reo Coker in midfield. Suddenly, Liverpool looked to have run out of ideas, and despite dominating possession, rarely threatened. And then, against the run of play, we took the lead. Petrov was fouled about 25 yards from their goal. Young whipped in the free-kick into a dangerous area and the hapless Lucas headed into his own net. The wind had been knocked out of Liverpool's sails and we looked comfortable. As half time approached, a corner from the right exposed Liverpool's zonal marking system and Davies was able to head in from close range at the near post. 0-2 and the natives were not happy.
As expected, the second half continued in the vein of the first, with Liverpool dominating possession but failing to create chances against a solid Villa defence. The few chances that did come their way were from long distance or tight angles, making Friedel's numerous saves a lot easier to pull off.
When the Liverpool breakthrough did come, in the 71st minute, it was Torres who side footed into the roof of the net from 6 yards. Despite a petulant performance, he had looked the most likely person to break the Villa rearguard.
I feared a capitulation, but within a few minutes we were 1-3 up. Reo Coker broke through from midfield and missed a ball into the box by inches, then seconds later burst onto a through ball only to be taken down by Gerrard's sliding lunge. Penalty. Young stepped up and slotted it to Reina's left with admirable calm and ease.
Lacking any invention and clearly frustrated, the Liverpool players continued to dominate possession without looking threatening and, strangely for a Liverpool side, seemed resigned to the defeat long before the whistle for full time.
After recent games, this was an encouraging performance from Villa. It was Reo-Coker's best game for us in my opinion, and he certainly did enough to warrant his place in the starting eleven. Full of energy, running, and tackling, he was everything Petrov isn't. And alongside him, Sidwell worked hard, getting forward when possible. But the real Villa stars were the back four and Friedel, all of which were outstanding, particularly Cuellar and Davies in defence. Perhaps they are finally starting to gel and can form a convincing partnership afterall?
2nd leg against Rapid Vienna next, then Fulham.
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