Aston Villa 1 – 0 Reading (27/11/2012)

A deserved win for the Midlanders in an anxious match

Reading never looked like taking control but neither did the Claret and Blues; Aston Villa seemed comfortable in midfield but in the final third flooding Reading defenders made them look very ordinary, on the flip side Reading looked dangerous on the break and made their way into Villa’s final third with ease but lacked somebody who was willing to take control of the second phase.

Team balance was a problem for both teams, Roberts constantly pushed the Villa defence back but lacked a partner or midfielder to support him, while Villa’s Agbonlahor and Benteke found their best fortune going it alone.

Reading’s midfield were anonymous as a team, Robson-Kanu did pull the Villa defence around and Leigertwood closed down the dangerous plays with ease but their fragility was exposed while defending set pieces from a dangerous Bannan. Bannan showed glimpses of brilliance but offered a swagger of over confidence which was only quietened when Ireland stepped onto the pitch, fitting then that it was Westwood’s corner from which Benteke headed in the winner, the first right footed corner Villa had tried. This 80^th minute goal was deserved, but looked unlikely.

The link between midfield and attack had been Bannan but he wasted many opportunities to play through the defence and sought to play the more difficult ball when he could, the same could not be said for Reading who on the day lacked any real ball players and struggled to find space.

Reading looked stale in attack but their defence looked dedicated, aided in part by their midfield. They didn’t really look tested on the ground and did a good job at closing the middle or forcing players out wide, unfortunately deep midfielders allowed Villa full backs to push high and their defenders to come up for set pieces. Clarke perhaps had more action in attack than he did defending.

Villa had a paper thin defence for this game and the injury of Stevens was a real blow, fortunately injury prone Baker continued after his knock and Lichaj filled in for Stevens with admirable quality. Lowton was a particular performer on the day and this caused Reading to stick to defensive positions, thus slowing their support, but the lack of experience still showed and players such as Clark, Lowton, Lichaj and Baker will need to remain mentally strong in the next few months.

Reading had real issues connecting up phases of play and squad depth isn’t going to assist them, Pogrebnyak who remained seated would’ve caused Villa problems, though an excellent Guzan would probably disagree, but little more graces their bench. The exciting McLeary had a few minutes but was dealt with easily by the impressive Lowton and this must be a concern for the Royals. Reading need a bit of a miracle before Christmas, as well as Guthrie, but with very difficult games ahead it could be a January transfer window that makes or breaks their season.

The same can be said for Villa, play and players are gelling but points are difficult to come by and wins even rarer; they deserved the 3 points against Reading but only managed it thanks to a LeFondre gift of a miss; something needs to develop and a player capable of taking control of the game and ball needs to be added.

West Ham 1 - 0 Aston Villa - 18/08/2012 - Drab, but not bad.

West Ham 1 - 0 Aston Villa - (18/08/2012)

A match with spurts of quality (not from Villa) fizzled out into drabness with West Ham the happier.

The first 20 minutes gave no clue to the rest of the game, Aston Villa passed well, drew West Ham out and ignored the physical capability of West Ham's outfit.
Yet 4 minutes later West Ham clearly felt Villa's passing game would not take them into the final third and they pushed up accordingly.
Long balls to the effective Cole allowed Nolan to be a nuisance and Villa never worked out how to crack their shape. As soon as Diame found his feet the midfield was closed leaving Villa out of ideas.
Set pieces had West Ham invigorated and on the 40th minute a flick on ending up dropping to Nolan who wasn't wasting his opening day gift.

To be honest there wasn't much to toast from a Villa perspective; they looked stifled and lacked a plan B, they used the long ball a little more in the second half, and big hearts helped them get up the pitch but there was no real consistent working of a plan.
Ireland was involved and look lively, El Ahmadi was insightful but always on the back foot and N'Zogbia spent much of the game allowing West Ham to get back in defence. Changes to the line-up did little to stimulate the Villains, Gardner had a horrible 15 minutes, Bannan tried but had no runners and Weimann, like Bent in the first half had nothing to feed off.
The passing was fine, the attitude was excellent but without wingers, or players who take on their defenders the staleness were evident.
Albrighton and Agbonlahor were real misses, both create space and drag defenders and this should be a thought for the future, perhaps Carruthers future.

West Ham were well drilled, strong on the ball and played decent football, they closed the game and the fans were even treated to a goal line clearance from Nathan Baker when Maiga rounded Given.
Vaz Te was a constant thorn and constantly worked the Villa defence, even Demel felt his position as defender was safe and made the right wing his own.
Whether this ploy will work all season is a question for 37 games time but West Ham start with 3 points and a good blend of characters. Nolan, Noble and Diame certainly make up for any defensive concerns.

James Collins left with a smile on his face, with his opposite numbers pondering the next game; Clark looked nervous and Vlaar over exuberant.
Allardyce probably expected a tougher game, and was surprised to come out with a clean sheet and 3 points, I don't think Lambert will be too concerned, this was always a test and certain tactical changes will take time, perhaps with a signing or two.

A deserved 3 points for West Ham, but as a Villa fan it was great to see the team passing even if these first 5 games might be a hard watch.

We have our club back! McLeish is gone!

McLeish has gone, the droll tactics are over and the next man will get the full backing of a club desperate for football rather than trophies.
Rather than discussing his inadequacies I thought I would write about our squad rebuild, a squad that isn't as bad as uninformed journalists and inept managers report.
Next season is another of rebuild, we have had a few of them recently, but we have a good base that would allow the next manager a flexible attitude for improvement.

If I were a manager, or a chairman looking at what we have and which manager fits my ambitions this is how I would look at my current squad.
The following is the squad of 20 I would use next season (not including transfers), players in red are those younger players I would move closer to first team action.


Given
Marshall (for his coaching academy)
Siegrist

Lichaj
Dunne
Clark
Baker


Herd
Gardner
Albrighton
Delph
Ireland
Bannan
N'Zog
Caruthers
Johnson


Bent
Weimann
Delfouneso (with lots of ass kicking, reality checks and support)
Graham Burke

My ambitions would be to see whether Gardner is defensive or driving, I would bring on Johnson whenever I could but in training see who he plays the best one touch football with, he is very talented at this, then use him with those players.

N'Zogbia I would encourage to be more like a forward and try and work him with Ireland and Bent; I would make sure he realises that Albrighton is a great outlet for a chance switch of play.
Albrighton I would keep near the wing, unless he comes inside to link up play, but with the hope to take the second or third pass behind the fullback.
Ireland and Bannan are great at doing this and Albrighton loves a chance to cross so I would encourage him to always flash the ball across the box if he hasn't got time to be accurate. Early balls win games.
This I feel would make proper use of Bent and allow midfielders to make late runs into the box; the one thing that is true of Gardner is that he does like to make late runs into the box.

In defence I would go with Clarke and Dunne, Clarke should play in his natural position and has good feet for a centre back but not for a midfielder. Baker would be in the mix and I would drop/shift Dunne if the young kids built a brilliant relationship. (I would try them)

Lichaj on the right would complement a winger and not a forward but I would spend good money on a left back that would actually make things happen going forward while having the pace to get back and support his defenders.

Other big money signings might come in the form of a winger because I think Albrighton tires easily and it would be nice to have a lethal threat on the wing.
I would look at getting a young decent right back and see who was available for low fees and wages in the lower/other leagues, if economically they were sound I'd buy them anyway because young players depreciate very little, it works for Spurs.

Young players across the whole of defence, up front and on the wing would be imperative but I wouldn't turn down a chance to buy someone with real potential to sacrifice some of the older, or slower improving players.

Ability is important but mentality is key and I would look at getting players who are still battling to understand the game, their potential and their ability to work as part of a tactic. Managers can achieve this as is being demonstrated with Ben Arfa at Newcastle but they also need to know their limitations as Ferguson has shown with Ravel Morrison.

I would sell Collins, Cuellar, Heskey, Warnock (unless he signed for much lower wages), Agbonlahor, (maybe n'Zog), Makoun, Hutton and Delph/Ireland if the money was good. (Ireland can be the key to our success but also a financial imbalance)

I think with some additions the squad is good enough to stay up again, and with the right players we could play with freedom and confidence in a successful manner. We have players coming through and now we have Holman he can take their place in the reserves or be used as a hard working substitute.
Depending on the size of the transfers paid I'd expect to get 45+ points and would be happy with that.

The Villa youth team is one of strong interest and unfortunately is blessed in attack more than defence, a little like the first team.
In defence Devine and Williams show promise but need to forge that promise with games. A double loan would be a good plan unless they were ready for first team activities or the first team played like the reserve team; but just as central midfield games at a decent/competitive level are imperative to development in this position.
Caira is still without a naturalness to his position and Ward is still developing his defensive attributes. I wouldn't feel comfortable moving anyone from defence into the first team.

In midfield Nelson-Addy is explosive but has a long way to go, Stieber is plodding along and Lampkin is finding it difficult to stay fit but shows ability. Courtney Cameron shows excellent promise and is ready for some first team mixing, perhaps with Jordan Graham not far behind. Jack Grealish is someone that any future manager should show interest in, young and lightweight he is a nightmare for defenders on the back foot and has shown flashes of brilliance but needs time and support in order to be a consistent threat.

In attack Connor Taylor is not considered a player of great potential but is supported by Michael Drennan a natural goalscorer and Graham Burke who have been progressing well.

The youth team needs a first team manager who supports their passing football and who would seek to develop Kevin MacDonald's initial philosophy. Having this approach would see a less tricky progression to the first team and youth players can be introduced as complements to the tactic rather than impact substitutes worrying about their individual attributes.

Wages need to be lower and tactics smarter, so use those who have already shown promise and loyalty and not those decreasing in ability at a weekly rate.

The future is very bright and the books are looking lighter, with a smart approach to using what we have, and what me might have, players can come in a act as the backbone to a team needing propping and not overhaul.

Wigan Athletic 0 - 1 Manchester City (16/01/2012)

A typically confident Martinez stood proudly as his Wigan team stepped onto the pitch to battle a strong Manchester City team; with Man City needing a win to pull clear again Wigan faced an uphill battle in a top vs. bottom clash..

As the game began Wigan seemed off the pace and in the 4th minute saw a glimpse of things to come when Dzeko, who was strong in the air all night headed just past the post. The away team only needed to wait until  the 22nd minute for him to make up for that miss when an excellently placed glancing header flashed past Al-Habsi and found its way into the corner of the net. 

Martinez will no doubt be furious as a smart Dzeko was allowed to wander about ignored and come back from an offside position just before the set piece from Silva was struck. 

This ultimately gave him the edge over the Wigan defenders who were mostly looking forward unable to see where Dzeko was going to spring from; a great ball made things even simpler but a brilliant headed nonetheless.

After that Wigan used the ball well but some good covering play meant they were relying on individual skill and not team support. Moses caused the Man City back line the most trouble and regularly used his pace and strength to manoeuvre past opposition players, Rodallega however seemed frustrated at the lack of quick return balls but added very little when he did get the ball at his feet.

The game became very open in the second half and this was almost Wigan's undoing; an annoyed Aguero danced through the Wigan defence before Dzeko stole his shot and tested Al-Habsi with a limp effort; Mancini also had a part to play when Figueroa misjudged a header on the half way line and proceeded to stop the ball with his hand. Mancini threw his arm in the air suggesting the ref should have given a red; he might have been right but it really wasn't his place to say.

Al-Habsi made a string of saves throughout the match and showed why a few clubs were after him at when the season began; he definitely wasn't helped by Caldwell who gave the ball away on a number of occasions.

Wigan tested Man City throughout the second half with a battling display or pressing football and brilliant determination but the link that allowed them to play past the high line; or dropping attackers didn't really pay in the final third and crosses either hit the first defender or were hit low. 

Stam could have changed the game for the home team but blew his opportunities to put the ball in early or kept hitting the first defender. 

The introduction of Watson and Di Santo pushed Man City back further with the latter looking cumbersome and poor in the air; Watson controlled the midfield well and was at the heart of many late quality Wigan moves; McManaman came on late and also showed he had some ability with simple passing and good drive with the ball.

Ultimately this was Man City's day; Wigan played well but need someone to help the ball into the box if they are going to stay in the Premier League, Man City of course showed everyone that in any given moment they can turn defence into attack, especially with Aguero on the pitch but the loss of Toure is one Man City are struggling to come to terms with; this weekends game against Tottenham should be fascinating but for now Mancini will be happy he left the DW with all 3 points.

Newcastle United 1 - 0 QPR (15/01/2012)

Mark Hughes was the centre of attention but two less popular sorts in Best and Guthrie made his first game in charge a little harder than he'd have liked.

QPR started brightly but lacked midfield support and found themselves with early chances but nothing to show from them. They hit the woodwork twice in the first half and pushed on well; unfortunately a lot of their attacks came from a quick Shaun Wright Phillips carrying the ball, or some excellent but lofty passes by Buzsaky; this allowed Newcastle to get back into position and while they were threatened never looked too concerned after the early flurry, especially with an excellent Krul behind them.

Shaun Derry's slow witted tackle on Cabaye saw the midfielder injured and this was the future of Derry's game. He looked off the pace throughout and this created time for the Newcastle players to eventually take control of the game. 

Jamie Mackie looked in excellent form and continued to make strong runs through the centre of midfield, unfortunately at times the rest of his team acted like onlookers rather than supporting players and by this time Guthrie came into his own and silently closed and broke down many QPR attacks.

In the 37th minute a solid Taylor dug the ball out with a nice pass and Leon Bests well taken goal sent Paddy Kenny the wrong way. 

QPR had better use of the ball in the first half but once again the fortress that was St James Park stayed firm. The second half saw QPR continue to play attacking football but Ameobi managed to slow the game up front and allowed the Newcastle midfielders to push QPR back.

Ben Arfa who had come on for Cabaye continued to test the QPR defensive players with excellent footwork and passing ability but showed he is lacking match fitness in the last 15 minutes as he laboured about the park a little.

QPR's Mackie took more responsibility with the ball was but ultimately left alone as Newcastle broke up attacks and  used the ball well. Apart from the first 25mins when QPR had new manager syndrome and Bothroyd, Buzsaky and Wright Phillips made space with individual skill Newcastle took the points in the way a solid team does.

The Championship Manager (now Football Manager) story that Pardew is living continues and his shrewd purchases continue to come good. Hughes must be gutted as QPR deserved something from the match but then again going to the now Sports Direct Arena has never been an easy task for anyone.