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.

McLeish away! Are we similar to the Browns? Can Shurmur unlock the Scots potential?

Randy Lerner has sent Alex McLeish to the US to exchange ideas/learn from Cleveland Browns coach Pat Shurmur. The exchange will see Big Eck monitor a coach with similar troubles and pressures.

The Browns have had an average to poor season, haven’t excited too much and concerns about tactics have always been in question.
Though both managers share similar sporting disappointments there is one clear difference to their style; Shurmur has the fortitude to share examples of his own failures and recognise his development potential.

Comments from Shurmur such as,

"We have to play smarter" and “We can't be our own worst enemy. That's an important thing to learn.” 

echo in the opinionated minds of Aston Villa fans; McLeish so rarely criticises his team and is yet to recognise his own mistakes with tangible actions.

The recent Man City defeat was an apt example of Aston Villa’s play this season and even post match questions to McLeish exampling his lack of attacking ambition did little to encourage the manager to recognise his errors.

“I thought the players executed the plan really well and the discipline was fantastic”.

“We were never going to go gung-ho against City because we just don’t have the players to do that.”

Dwight Yorke politely disagreed with McLeish in the post match analysis and his studio colleagues offered no disagreement to the Villa legend.

This has been a problem with McLeish, he has little faith in his own players and even less in his tactical aptitude.

But why send McLeish  to the US? Match reports suggest the managers shared similar problems and a critical article from the Bleacherreport compounds the fans opinions.

'The team was terrible, especially on offense where he was the man in charge. The play-calling—his play-calling—was confusing, boring, unimaginative, and ultimately unsuccessful. All in all he looked lost many times trying to run the team.'
(http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1001827-pat-shurmur-hot-seat-ranking-the-hcs-biggest-blunders-in-2011)

The similarities in on-field play are agonisingly close but structurally they probably end there, Shurmur had little off-season, no offensive coach and limited offensive talent whereas McLeish had a whole pre season, a selection of coaching staff, old and new, and two England International strikers, one with a tremendous league record. 

Presumably he also had scout report from his most recent Premiership adventure if he did want to add any potentials.

So what can such a fresh coach teach the wise Scot?

Shurmur has gone through fan turmoil but through honest appraisals and some experimentation he seems to have won supporters over in a way that mirrors McLeish’s much slower progression.

Shurmur is able to reflect on his own management technique, something McLeish has shown little of; on his coaching technique, play calling and staffing Shurmur is quoted as saying,

"More than anything, I think what it will do is allow me to just step back and look down on some things and some areas that I may to be able to contribute more"

McLeish on the other hand has had many years as a manager, he has at his disposal a much respected Kevin McDonald as coach and a less loved Peter Grant as assistant but is neither able to use them beneficially or take a step back to work out where he/they are not contributing enough, or contributing too much.

Shurmurs inexperience may be beneficial to the wise head of McLeish; and give him fresh perspective in changing old tactics/views and trying new ideas to improve team harmony. 

Something is awry at the club and rumours are Peter Grant is not a player favourite.

As well as coaching this is something that could apply to players; on 25 year old Colt McCoy Shurmur is supportive,

"I think he throws the ball well enough. There’s so much more that goes into playing quarterback than just pure arm strength. I think you’ve seen through the years examples of guys that No. 1 have had extremely strong arms and couldn’t succeed and guys who have been very efficient and had not very strong arms and have won a lot of games."

Like the Browns Aston Villa have their own talisman but unfortunately at 32 years old Petrov, who releases most play from midfield to attack, does not have the time to develop or the mentality to do so, and in his case it’s up to his manager to change the way he plays.

This is a problem that Shurmur faces when appointing an offensive coach; he needs to get the best for his team through McCoy and he realises his new starter needs support, games and the right tactic; most of which he has been given.

In soccer central midfield is much like the quarterback position and demands a real edge of team and enigmatic play, this season McCoy began his first Browns season as a starter (replacing Delhomme) and has found his plaudits and support. Senaca Wallace who has been a pro for 9 seasons is a steady replacement but when fit McCoy is much preferred.

Aston Villa also have their McCoy/Wallace combination in the way of Petrov/Gardner but they have only recently been a preferred partnership and Petrov is yet to be removed from the equation.

McCoy has spent the year learning his trade whereas Gardner has watched his elder youth colleagues get only odd minutes before crowd pressure forces the managers hand. 

In the case of Gardner it is difficult to see how fans didn't have an influence and they have been shown astute in their passion for him to get minutes. 'Barry for England' comes to mind.

As Aston Villa fans we will take any improvement we can get for our team whether it be a physical improvement for the players or a better ideas for team morale but what we really crave is a manager who recognises football and sport is evolving and so should he.

It seems both managers will be allowed to continue for another season and perhaps the cross in sports will develop their own managerial confidence. McLeish is now stepping to the edge of his technical box a little more which has been encouraging, and Shurmur is conscious that he may need someone to call some of his plays for him.

From my own perspective I hope McLeish looks at his own technique; he needs to fully assess the quality of his coaches, look at the type of decisions he makes/could make in game and see them as brave and not a gamble. He needs to work with his players to give them sustained chances, learn how to work with particular players to get the best of them in individual and team play and develop tactics that stifles teams instead of setting out a tactic to stifle them in the final third. 

Apart from Hutton he has done an good job in the transfer window, and even Hutton is beginning to look like he is a footballer; I firmly believe with reflection and support McLeish can do a great job for Aston Villa and like Shurmur he needs time and patience.

Aston Villa 0 - 1 Manchester City (12/02/2012)

With both managers feeling the pressure but only one in fear of backlash the score line may have been a positive for both managers; Aston Villa however failed to deliver any sort of competition for a swaggering Man City who coasted to victory to reclaim top spot in the Premiership.

Manchester City lined up with a decent team littered with players struggling for form or starts and Aston Villa lined up with Heskey on the right wing, Cuellar on the left and 10 men behind the ball, the end result was one of drab defensive football and a midfield battle Aston Villa never participated in.

From the first minute the two game plans were obvious, Aston Villa sat back lumping the ball to Heskey and Bent while Man City calmly plugged away in their defensive exercise.

Until the 88^th minute the match was barely a contest, but at least it became a game in the 76^th with the introduction of Stephen Ireland. Aston Villa were drab, predicable and defensive with no intent on pushing forward as a unit and taking a chance on matching Man City. Man City were fairly drab too but never really looked concerned by the Aston Villa tactics.

Aguero looked lively and shifted the Villa back line every time Man City moved into the final third; his shooting lacked the same class and Johnson who hit the post in the first 10minutes also followed that trend. In truth the game was about a controlled Man City backline including Kolarov and Zabaleta and smart midfield including Barry and Milner who made Petrov look inept and Gardner inexperienced. The Aston Villa midfield were not aided by awful tactics but Barry looked excellent and moved the ball to his teammates with ease in all parts of the pitch. 

When Villa did move forward Barry closed them down well and held a solid shape with De Jong.

Man City had a vast majority of the ball but it was a corner in the 62^nd minute that finally gave their away form the boost it needed. Man City always looked dangerous from corners and while Silva lacked through balls in open play his set piece delivery was stunning. Constantly under pressure Villa finally cracked from a back post inswinging corner from Milner, Barry met the ball and headed it across the box to a karate kicking Lescott who put the ball away cleanly.

Lescott in truth has a good game especially in attack where the childhood Villa fan had the Villains scrambling at every corner. For the goal he was helped by a confused Cuellar who instead of watching the ball ran across the box to where he thought it was going to land and Collins who wandered from his position to also close down the curing ball. Lescott was happy to accept his freedom in the box.

Freedom was something that Man City had on their left side; Albrighton was the pushing highline but also played as a wingback, he was left to chase many balls and was not aided in any way by a bungling Hutton who looked involved in the final third but lacking any defensive ability.

For Aston Villa the game came alive in the 88^th minute when McLeish encouraged his players to come forward but the late substitute N’Zogbia had little support from midfield and Albrighton had already been withdrawn. Late on Aston Villa had a couple of chances that did trouble Hart; especially a volley from Bent but it was too late and they had wasted their home advantage and Man City’s lack of away form.

Mancini would no doubt leave happier that his out of form players picked up a win but a post match interview McLeish showed he too was satisfied with his teams’ efforts.

Those Aston Villa efforts were directed to defence and three centre backs showed their intent; Albrighton played more like a returning defensive midfielder than a winger, Heskey who was great in defence offered no attacking ability and a dropping midfield left Keane frustrated in his last game and Bent completely isolated. Bent perhaps could have won many more headers with his back to goal but this was the Aston Villa ploy, hold the ball if possible and stifle the Man City possession. 

They did neither.

Aston Villa fans were no doubt expecting to concede a few more but like at Arsenal a few weeks ago Man City were there to be tested; unfortunately like the Villa team that came out in the second half of that clash at the Emirates they lacked managerial backing and any belief to win the game which ultimately made them look second rate.

The 100 odd Villa fans protesting McLeish may have been in the minority but after 88 minutes of uninspiring football and a self assured McLeish interview perhaps their numbers will swell.

Update - Dunne who was injured late on has a fractured clavicle and will be out for 2 months.

Manchester United 2 – 1 Liverpool (11/02/2012)

Two strong teams lined up in a game neither could afford to lose and it was Sir Alex who came out on top with his blend of youth, intelligence, experience and hard work.

In a game that started under an Evra/Suarez black fog and a lacking an ‘all clear’ handshake there was little animosity on the pitch and a sense of purpose from both teams.

Liverpool started the brightest and immediately pushed forward with Suarez and Kuyt running the channels well; unfortunately they were met by a staunch United defence and excellent tracking back from United’s attacking players who as soon as the game settled made both Liverpool strikers took fairly anonymous.

Wayne Rooney’s two goals in 3 minutes exemplified United’s killed instinct but the work of two of his teammates allowed move after move to find its way into the Liverpool half and Sky’s Man of the Match 

Rooney to play the game at his tempo.

Paul Scholes played a neat passing game that allowed a hardworking attacking outfit in front of him time and more importantly space to get onto the ball; a lesson for any central midfielder Scholes used his teammates to great effect and rarely misplaced a pass, or relied on the killer balls to get a move going. His body shape and control on the ball was only matched by Rooney who was devastating in all parts of the pitch and had Liverpool players scrambling.

The quality on show from both players only materialised because of their target man, channel running lone forward Welbeck who played magnificently and worked tirelessly to get himself all over the park, especially in the first half. In their own half Welbeck put Liverpool under huge amounts of pressure and allowed Giggs and Valencia to take their defensive duties seriously and time to get into attack.

This all amounted to a fairly average and stagnant performance from Liverpool who defended in numbers and failed to push United back until they changed to 442. Suarez looked full of purpose but he found it difficult to get any extra time on the ball and wasn’t helped by a slow passing midfield and dropping Gerrard.

Wayne Rooney who should have had a hat trick continually tested Liverpool in midfield and attack and looked comfortable with Scholes behind him and Valencia racing up in support. His first goal on 47mins typified his ability and Liverpool’s frailty, as a corner missed by everyone dropped to his right boot and allowed him to volley the ball past Reina with Johnson left stranded by Rooney's movement..

In the 50^th minute Rooney struck again as he was found by a fantastic Valencia who deftly played a ball into Rooney’s path allowing him to slide the ball in-between Reina’s legs. It typified United today who won many 50/50 balls and pressurised Liverpool in every part of the pitch.

On 80 minutes a Charlie Adam ball into the box and a mistake from Ferdinand, who was caught out by the flight of the ball, dropped to Suarez who duly tucked the ball past de Gea. Adam who came on with 15minutes to go allowed Liverpool a little more room and a better shape to force United back but ultimately the goal came out of nowhere and Liverpool did little to trouble United after that.

A well deserved victory for United that puts them top overnight and leaves Liverpool tittering on the edge of mediocrity.

Though United deserved the victory the game will be overshadowed by two tunnel incidences, a lack of handshake from Suarez (though Evra enjoyed the pantomime of it all), Ferdinand sticking up for this left back with the same gesture to Suarez, a foolish celebration and two passionate interviews from the opposing managers.

On the pitch the match was without incident and at the end of the day that was what mattered.

Yes sir, no sir, three bags full of money. Capello resigns.

   As Capello leaves his post as England manager a nations fans rejoice and the FA could be pushed into making the decision the fans would have made many years ago.
That decision is not one pertaining to the potential appointment of Harry Redknapp but rather if he does get the job fans will feel vindicated that they finally have a man with motivational charm and in this case a suitable nationality to boot.


And Booting will most likely be the next step for Mr Redknapp; a few players must be concerned for their future and others perhaps ready to give the best 6months of their career but what we know is that he has the attitude to make players believe and everybody with the right attitude could be in contention.


Capello leaves amongst Terry turmoil and the FA’s statement showed no signs of giving anything away.

"We have accepted Fabio's resignation, agreeing this is the right decision. We would like to thank Fabio for his work with the England team and wish him every success in the future."

At least they are taking control again and perhaps the next step they make will make or break them as a unit.

   Capello whose recent appearance on Italian television criticised the way The FA dealt with the Terry affair was the final insult for both parties, and the impending resignation has been nicely coupled with 6 months press of ‘Arry for England.’

If anyone needs reminding of the qualities of a man motivator they should look at O’Neil at Villa, O’Neil at Sunderland and of course Redknapp at Tottenham.

So who might prosper and who might get cut and who might sneak in if Redknapp gets the nod?



Darren Bent – Sold by Redknapp; thinks his wife is a better striker.

Jermain Defoe – Liked by Harry, plays for his club, still in and around the England squad.

Kyle Walker - Harry’s right back star gets things going for his attacking team and works well in his system.

Ashley Young – Harry tried to buy him so will probably get his place

Gabriel Agbonlahor – Another player Harry has been linked with

Aaron Lennon – Admired by Harry, plays for him and in front of Walker.

Frank Lampard – Family, blood is thicker than water

Joe Cole – Surely not....but Harry has always liked him

David Beckham – Still an admirer; sees him at Spurs so why not England

Dawson – Not a regular for England but one for Tottenham and liked by Redknapp

Phil Jagielka – Handy player that Harry would find useful at Spurs and probably useful for England

Ledley King – Looks assured of his place if he stays fit, a certain starter under Redknapp

Jack Rodwell – Harry has made no secret of his admiration, perhaps he will get some friendlies

Scott Parker – Clearly a starter for Harry and it could signal the end for either Lampard or Gerrard with a captains role to boot

So is it going to be Harry? And if so is he going back to Spurs? A nice way to get to know some players if he is.