Villa being discussed at length on Talksport right now

[eastie]

It seems to me too many are pinning their hopes on bannan and to be honest i dont think hes going to cut it at this level-couldnt get into the leeds team on loan last season and he has done little to suggest to me he can hold down a 1st team place at villa.

I believe gardner and clark will be top top players in the coming years but cant say the same about bannan or albrighton.

[nick harper]

I think the defence get unfairly maligned at times. Agreed they're not the best footballers in the world but they do the defensive ugly side pretty well. All are prepared to throw their bodies in the way for the team and our defensive record is improved this season.

The problems lie in a lack of movement and poor quality in midfield. None of them are prepared to take the ball off the back four and take responsibility. Houllier made that a cornerstone of the way he wanted the team to play and we kept the ball much better as a result.

Confidence is also key of course and most of the players, particularly the younger ones, look like they don't want the ball at the moment - which is why I couldn't understand why Petrov didn't start on Sat.

[Clampy]

It seems to me too many are pinning their hopes on bannan and to be honest i dont think hes going to cut it at this level-couldnt get into the leeds team on loan last season and he has done little to suggest to me he can hold down a 1st team place at villa.

I believe gardner and clark will be top top players in the coming years but cant say the same about bannan or albrighton.

I found it strange that McCleish did'nt think Bannan was good enough to start against newly promoted Swansea, but played him against Man Utd and he had a poor game by his standards. I think he's a cracking little player who's got the ability to make it. Albrighton seems to be going through a bit of a confidence crisis, but again he's good enough to overcome it.

[Hookeysmith]

Its just so depressing whenever i see another game

last night both Fulham and 'The Mighty Reds YNWA' you could see the formation, you could see their style of play and the game ebbed and flowed backwards and forwards and although not the best game in the world it was pleasant on the eye and enjoyable.

Ours is just painful to watch

I was asked if this is the worst i have seen us play and i have to admit it is

[Mister E]

I think the defence get unfairly maligned at times. ...The problems lie in a lack of movement and poor quality in midfield. None of them are prepared to take the ball off the back four and take responsibility ... which is why I couldn't understand why Petrov didn't start on Sat.

Agree with you about Petrov on Saturday but the rest I think is wrong.
My 'take' is that our potential potency in the MF is being negated by crap defending: not the "ugly" stuff as you say but in ball-distribution and player positioning. It means the MF are either cut out of the game (by the long hoof) or spending too much time covering for their defensive colleagues.
The team needs a new back four, frankly; one in which Clark is a fixture and in which we have dependable FB who can both attack and defend.
When we get to the end of the various short-term loan periods in January, and with Lichaj fit again, the manager should be bold and play some of these young assets; trade on their enthusiasm, fitness and association with the club to get the extra performance required; maybe retaining Dunne alongside Clark as the experienced player.

[Hookeysmith]

The only player that comes to collect off the back 4 is Bannan - he then jinks about like a girl either passes it 10 yards to someone else or punts it out wide over 60 yards to no one in particular

God the more i write the more i realise just how shit we really are 

[Merv]

My observation on Fulham really was to point out that Villa man for man have better players but no system.

Yep. Fulham are also a prime example of a team with less resources than us, and perhaps, overall, lower quality in terms of the whole squad, but they have a manager who can work with that and put something decent together.

Said it time and time again - McLeish hasn't been backed by the owners in terms of transfer funds, and he hasn't been in the job long, so can always plead that it's early days still, but fundamentally he is not a manager who has the ability or the knowledge to take us forward. There are managers out there working with far, far less than McLeish has at his disposal. It was my major concern about him when he was appointed, and remains so now.

I genuinely believe that we've seen the best of McLeish: sitting in 8th/9th earlier this season. I'm not sure we'll be that high again.

[UsualSuspect]

It seems to me too many are pinning their hopes on bannan and to be honest i dont think hes going to cut it at this level-couldnt get into the leeds team on loan last season and he has done little to suggest to me he can hold down a 1st team place at villa.

I believe gardner and clark will be top top players in the coming years but cant say the same about bannan or albrighton.

Have to agree with you Eastie

And talk of selling Bent for 25 million - To who exactly?

The only english teams would be Arsenal (Wenger has said he's not going to spend in January) or Newcastle, so Bent is going nowhere

[maidstonevillain]

It seems to me too many are pinning their hopes on bannan and to be honest i dont think hes going to cut it at this level-couldnt get into the leeds team on loan last season and he has done little to suggest to me he can hold down a 1st team place at villa.

I believe gardner and clark will be top top players in the coming years but cant say the same about bannan or albrighton.

Have to agree with you Eastie

And talk of selling Bent for 25 million - To who exactly?

The only english teams would be Arsenal (Wenger has said he's not going to spend in January) or Newcastle, so Bent is going nowhere

Funny you should mention that. I caught a further snippet of Talksport last night (ferrying children around so heard odd bits and pieces on the radio), and he mentioned a rumour concerning Bent to Arsenal in January.

[DB]

It seems to me too many are pinning their hopes on bannan and to be honest i dont think hes going to cut it at this level-couldnt get into the leeds team on loan last season and he has done little to suggest to me he can hold down a 1st team place at villa.

I believe gardner and clark will be top top players in the coming years but cant say the same about bannan or albrighton.

Have to agree with you Eastie

And talk of selling Bent for 25 million - To who exactly?

The only english teams would be Arsenal (Wenger has said he's not going to spend in January) or Newcastle, so Bent is going nowhere

Funny you should mention that. I caught a further snippet of Talksport last night (ferrying children around so heard odd bits and pieces on the radio), and he mentioned a rumour concerning Bent to Arsenal in January.

Started by Talkshite no doubt - trying to create a story.

[UsualSuspect]

It seems to me too many are pinning their hopes on bannan and to be honest i dont think hes going to cut it at this level-couldnt get into the leeds team on loan last season and he has done little to suggest to me he can hold down a 1st team place at villa.

I believe gardner and clark will be top top players in the coming years but cant say the same about bannan or albrighton.

Have to agree with you Eastie

And talk of selling Bent for 25 million - To who exactly?

The only english teams would be Arsenal (Wenger has said he's not going to spend in January) or Newcastle, so Bent is going nowhere

Funny you should mention that. I caught a further snippet of Talksport last night (ferrying children around so heard odd bits and pieces on the radio), and he mentioned a rumour concerning Bent to Arsenal in January.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/8932365/Arsenals-Arsene-Wenger-rules-out-window-shopping-despite-misfiring-Maroaune-Chamakh.html

[Merv]

Hmmm... I've no doubt that Stan has his heart in the right place when it comes to his thoughts on Villa but I don't think selling one of the few class acts we have is the best way to rebuild the team.

The more I think about it, the more I think that the players GH had targeted to move on need to leave before we get anywhere.

[TonyD]

Sell Bent!!???  Why because the manager is dire and cannot bring him into the game.  Do me a favour......lets get rid of the problem and thats AM.

[Hookeysmith]

Hmmm... I've no doubt that Stan has his heart in the right place when it comes to his thoughts on Villa but I don't think selling one of the few class acts we have is the best way to rebuild the team.

The more I think about it, the more I think that the players GH had targeted to move on need to leave before we get anywhere.

Totally agree - GH had been around enough to know when there are bad eggs in the camp and he clearly had targetted the likes of Dunne, Collins and Warnock

What amazes me is like for like we have indivually much better players than he had at the Blues and although their football was atrocious to watch (from my Blues supporting mates) they still had a method of play

Our is just a total shambles - the analogy is used often in football talk but it really does look like a pub team that just meets up an hour before a game

The arguments with players in the breaks on Saturday over what and where they should be playing was unbelievable - if the players, as some suggest, are not doing what they are told or expected then drop the fuckers - i and i am sure others would have more respect for him if he taught them a lesson. The first thought when he came was this perceived discilplinarian manager - yet the players seem to not respond to him at all

[ktvillan]

The more I think about it, the more I think that the players GH had targeted to move on need to leave before we get anywhere.

Despite all his (mostly PR related) gaffes and faults, Houllier had the right idea and was, I believe, taking us in a good direction. I think his intention was to ship out a lot of the hoofers and loafers and bring in some more proper footballers (funds allowing)  People who write his reign off as as disaster are well wide of the mark in my view, and the football, whilst not perfect,  was way better to watch than this sub-MON negative anti-football we're having to endure now.  It really was bad luck when his ticker played up again.