End of Season Report

[Villa'Zawg]

And God bless Darren Bent, he is a great striker but John Carew scored more goals during the same period last season when we were battling in 3 competitions. He could and should have been handled much better than he was.

Are you including Carew's 5 FA Cup goals against Reading and Palace, of which 3 were penalties?

Yes, including FA Cup goals.

[dave.woodhall]

And how many matches?

[TheTimVilla]

And how many matches?

Just the ones Carew scored in.

[Percy McCarthy]

Like greg, I'm not bothered about PR gaffes. Results are what I care about most (they were mostly crap), and for all the talk of a more progressive style of play, I can't really remember being entertained much. There were occasional positive signs, but never really enough to convince me. That said, were he healthier, I'd give GH another year. Sadly, I think that's too risky now. We can't risk looking for a new bloke in September when all the good ones are working, and whoever takes over will be in charge of a squad into which he's had no input.

[OzVilla]

aye. couldn't care less what his feelings are towards liverpool. Like a new manager is going to be in love with aston villa or whether that makes any difference to his ability to manage.

So him waving to Liverpool fans and ignoring the Villa fans is okay??

I don't care personally. He has some fond memories of his time at liverpool and responded. Some villa fans are too precious imo

Spoken by someone who clearly didn't make the 200 mile round trip in the freezing cold to see a spineless performance and then to be totally ignored - oh and to add further insult those ignored are paying his wages too.

There is absolutley no excuses for it.   

[pauliewalnuts]

aye. couldn't care less what his feelings are towards liverpool. Like a new manager is going to be in love with aston villa or whether that makes any difference to his ability to manage.

So him waving to Liverpool fans and ignoring the Villa fans is okay??

I don't care personally. He has some fond memories of his time at liverpool and responded. Some villa fans are too precious imo

Spoken by someone who clearly didn't make the 200 mile round trip in the freezing cold to see a spineless performance and then to be totally ignored - oh and to add further insult those ignored are paying his wages too.

There is absolutley no excuses for it.   

One of GH's biggest failings is his repeated inability to judge what is prudent and what is not prudent to say.

For example - fielding a weakened team at Man City and given up on the FA Cup? In the view of lots of people, stupid, defeatist and embarassing.

That's bad enough, but what does he say the next day? The sensible thing would have been some pap about using the full squad, long season etc etc, but no, he doesn't choose that option, he chooses to say "We wouldn't have won even if we'd played our first team, anyway" - which is pretty much the worst thing he could have possibly said, it just made it all much worse.

If you don't think the fans snub / Liverpool thing was a major issue (personally, I thought it was a bit humiliating and disrespectful) then how about the "the game was over at 2-0" comment.

O'Neill had lots of faults - lots - but I don't think for a moment he'd have ever made a spineless comment like that.

[Villa'Zawg]

And how many matches?

Seeing as you asked so nicely, I counted them for you.


Darren Bent 9 from 16 (0 sub)

John Carew 11 from 15 (5 sub)

[Concrete John]

And how many matches?

Seeing as you asked so nicely, I counted them for you.


Darren Bent 9 from 16 (0 sub)

John Carew 11 from 15 (5 sub)

We should send Darren off to a few lap dancing clubs and see if it sorts his game out.

[UsualSuspect]

That's bad enough, but what does he say the next day? The sensible thing would have been some pap about using the full squad, long season etc etc, but no, he doesn't choose that option, he chooses to say "We wouldn't have won even if we'd played our first team, anyway" - which is pretty much the worst thing he could have possibly said, it just made it all much worse.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Add to that on The Friday after the game when he was questioned on his gaffes he said "I still can't understand what all the fuss is about"

That is the point.

He makes us a laughing stock and still doesn't get it

[UsualSuspect]

Darren Bent 9 from 16 (0 sub)

John Carew 11 from 15 (5 sub)

--------------------------------------------------------------------

I've just looked at JC's PL games and goals and last season from mid Jan to the end of the season he scored 6 in 6

[UsualSuspect]

6 in 16 even

[not3bad]

Makes you wonder if Bent coming in might have waked Carew from his slumber and they could have been tried as a front pair.

[Chris Smith]

After MON left and the failed experiment with McDonald a mid table finish was about what most expected, so on that score job done. The PR stuff is a minor consideration and should not detract from the overall job. We've achieved some creditable results, wins against 3 of the top 6 and only Arsenal of the CL qualifiers winning at VP. Against that there have been some shocking performances, notably Liverpool, Man City and Newcastle away and some truly inept defending for a good half of the season. However, from January on things have steadily improved and our points to game ratio has been pretty respectable culminating in 2 very good wins to round off with the team regaining their old confidence.

So it's a c+ from me.

[glasses]

Makes you wonder if Bent coming in might have waked Carew from his slumber and they could have been tried as a front pair.

Without doubt, when Carew was good, he was very good. He brought the best out in Gabby, and perhaps would be a good partner for Bent. I said it about Heskey a while back, and I think similar with Carew. His lacklustre performances, perhaps had something to do with his age and constant niggly injuries having an effect on his body. he always seemed to have problems with his back, due to his stature.

[paulcomben]

"GH and GMac have come ninth in the premier league in their first, not even full, season when even St Martin could only manage eleventh." A silly comparison.

O'Neill came in straight after Deadly & DOL's disatrous reign & his first available choice for a team at Arsenal was Sorensen, Samuel, Mellberg, Barry, McCann, Angel, Agbonlahor, Davis, Hughes, Ridgewell, Moore.

GH & GM came in after 3 years of finishing sixth and inherited Friedel, A Young, L Young, Dunne, Collins, Warnock, Bannan, Albrighton, Clark, Delfouenso, Delph, Petrov, Reo-Coker, Downing....

And they were very, very fortunate to climb up to 9th thanks to other results on the last day.