we lost again......but the youngsters won

[ChicagoLion]

Aston Villa manager Remi Garde watched his side lose 3-0 to the club's U21 development team in a behind closed doors match at their Bodymoor Heath training ground last Friday.

Villa first-team players Brad Guzan, Alan Hutton, Ciaran Clark, Kieran Richardson, Ashley Westwood, Jordan Veretout, Idrissa Gueye, Leandro Bacuna and Scott Sinclair all featured in the match, which offered little to please Garde.

wow


Does anyone know the starting 11 for the U21s

Surprised it was only 3

[Clampy]

According to the report on the OS, it wasn't the first team versus the u21's at all. Garde mixed the teams up. Ayew and Bacuna played for the side that won.

[Jon Crofts]

The majority of the U21's are playing tonight so what the first team played against is anyone's guess.

Would only matter if the U21s had to break sweat, which judging by last weekend is unlikely.

[VillaAlways]

Manager checks out players.


Rémi Garde made the most of the free weekend to take a look at several senior players and young lions in a behind-closed doors match at Bodymoor Heath.

The manager mixed teams on Friday as he observed players coming back from injury, those who haven't featured recently as well as several young lions eager to put on a show.

Garde rested his whole back five - Mark Bunn, Micah Richards, Jores Okore, Joleon Lescott and Aly Cissokho - for the encounter.

Strikers Libor Kozak, Gabby Agbonlahor and Rudy Gestede also took no part in the match.

Keinan Davis and Scott Sinclair led the line for the more senior of the sides, with Leandro Bacuna and Jordan Ayew playing for the more youthful XI.

Garde watched the 90 minutes as he looks ahead now to Saturday's 3pm clash with Stoke City.

[PaulWinch again]

Now I know we're in poor shape at the moment, but what a completely ridiculous non-story.

[eamonn]

Think this belongs in the ''People Lining Up To Take Pot Shots'' thread.

[adrenachrome]

Think this belongs in the ''People Lining Up To Take Pot Shots'' thread.

Most assuredly. Add Sky Sports to the growing list of sports news outlets best ignored.

John Percy at the Torygraph is about the only football journo I trust anymore. The writer at the Express and Star used to be decent, but their coverage seems to have gone to pot as well. 

[eamonn]

Stuart James at the Guardian usually knows his stuff when it comes to us, too.

[adrenachrome]

Hmmm.

Express and Star

Villa fans plan protest at next three games

Aston Villa fans are planning mass walkouts during their next three home games – as it emerged the club’s first team were beaten 3-0 by their own under-21 side.

PUBLISHED: February 22, 2016 5:00 pm LAST UPDATED: February 22, 2016 5:40 pm

First-team regulars were put to the sword by the development team in a behind-closed- doors match at their Bodymoor Heath training ground.

Friday’s latest humiliation was watched by boss Remi Garde and is  understood to have included many familiar faces.

The likes of Brad Guzan, Alan Hutton, Ciaran Clark, Kieran Richardson, Ashley Westwood, Jordan Veretout, Idrissa Gueye and Scott Sinclair are all said to have featured.

The news emerged as the newly-formed' Out The Door On 74' group, named after the club’s founding year of 1874.

It's  encouraging fans to take part in a peaceful protest against the board and its strategy over the last six years.

Group member Mike McKenna, aged 62, originally from Saltley, in Birmingham, now travels from his home in Bournemouth to attend every home game.

He said: “I have seen the highest of highs and the lowest of the lows over the last 57 years.

"Despite our time in the old third division, in my opinion the club is now at its lowest ebb ever and it may be a long, long time before we come back.

“In many ways the situation reminds me of the era prior to 1968 when the directors of the club were considered out of touch and lacking the ambition.

“However, back then the voice of the supporters was much more important and as we proved change could be affected when a new consortium was installed.”

The walkouts are planned for Villa’s home games against Everton, Spurs and Chelsea.

Mr McKenna, who runs a business in Bournemouth, said after launching the group’s website on Sunday it received 3,000 hits by yesterday morning.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

According to the report on the OS, it wasn't the first team versus the u21's at all. Garde mixed the teams up. Ayew and Bacuna played for the side that won.

Which must have made a nice change for them! ;-)

[Ivo Stas]

Bacuna played for the side that won.

F*ck me, the other 10 must have played well..!
 :-)

[kippaxvilla2]

It's amazing how this story about the under 21's beating the first team is doing the rounds on social media.  Under any other circumstances it wouldn't even register anywhere but the club is now being symptomatic ally picked apart by media outlets with no hint of a strategy to defend it.

[Richard]

Got to agree kippax - a Blue Nose colleague of mine took delight in texting me this non story - also it was three days ago ffs the Expeess and Star etc can go screw themselves.

[Jimbo]

Hmmm.

Express and Star

Villa fans plan protest at next three games

Aston Villa fans are planning mass walkouts during their next three home games – as it emerged the club’s first team were beaten 3-0 by their own under-21 side.

PUBLISHED: February 22, 2016 5:00 pm LAST UPDATED: February 22, 2016 5:40 pm

First-team regulars were put to the sword by the development team in a behind-closed- doors match at their Bodymoor Heath training ground.

Friday’s latest humiliation was watched by boss Remi Garde and is  understood to have included many familiar faces.

The likes of Brad Guzan, Alan Hutton, Ciaran Clark, Kieran Richardson, Ashley Westwood, Jordan Veretout, Idrissa Gueye and Scott Sinclair are all said to have featured.

The news emerged as the newly-formed' Out The Door On 74' group, named after the club’s founding year of 1874.

It's  encouraging fans to take part in a peaceful protest against the board and its strategy over the last six years.

Group member Mike McKenna, aged 62, originally from Saltley, in Birmingham, now travels from his home in Bournemouth to attend every home game.

He said: “I have seen the highest of highs and the lowest of the lows over the last 57 years.

"Despite our time in the old third division, in my opinion the club is now at its lowest ebb ever and it may be a long, long time before we come back.

“In many ways the situation reminds me of the era prior to 1968 when the directors of the club were considered out of touch and lacking the ambition.

“However, back then the voice of the supporters was much more important and as we proved change could be affected when a new consortium was installed.”

The walkouts are planned for Villa’s home games against Everton, Spurs and Chelsea.

Mr McKenna, who runs a business in Bournemouth, said after launching the group’s website on Sunday it received 3,000 hits by yesterday morning.

I really wish some Villa fans would stop and think for once. A few hundred blokes leaving toward the end of a match is no protest, it's what we do every single game. Think, for fuck's sake, think.

[kippaxvilla2]

No one will notice because a) people leave anyway 15 mins before the end b) people leave anyway as we tend to be out of the game by then and c) we have lots of empty seats these days anyway.