Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Rip Van We Go Again on February 22, 2011, 04:04:53 PM
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by Mathew Kendrick, Birmingham Mail
Barry Bannan has agreed to wait patiently for a first-team recall at the club he loves after admitting “I’m an Aston Villa fan”.
Bannan is happy about Gerard Houllier’s refusal to send him on loan despite increased competition for places in Villa’s midfield.
The Scottish international would rather fight for his claret and blue place than drop down to the Championship for a short while.
“My loans have been good for me but I don’t really want to go out on loan again,” said Bannan.
“Going to Derby when I was younger, then Blackpool last season was brilliant, but now I’ve played in the Premier League I think I’m good enough to play for this club.
“I’m just going to keep working hard and improving as much as I can.
“You want to be playing week-in, week-out but I’m still young. I’ve had a good few games already this season.
“I wouldn’t say I’m frustrated, but after getting a taste for it I want more. I’m training hard so hopefully I can get my place in the side back again.
“It hasn’t knocked my confidence because the gaffer has been brilliant with me and has kept my head up.
“I’ve come a long way in a short space of time so I’m just enjoying it at the moment.”
Bannan has been sat in the stands on most Premier League matchdays since the turn of the year because of Villa’s options in the centre of the park.
The 21-year-old playmaker has been pushed further down the pecking order following last month’s arrivals of Jean Makoun and Michael Bradley.
Asked what kind of spectator he is, Bannan, who could profit form Makoun’s ban with a return to the squad against Blackburn on Saturday, replied: “I’m just a normal fan really!
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For me he should be playing.
Put him in between NRC/Petrov and Bradley on Saturday.
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Am I right in thinking that after a good performance against Blackburn in the Cup, he hasn't made the bench? Strange if so.
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Agree sandman, sorry bentman, I'd play bannan with reo coker and Bradley on Saturday , it's a must win game and he may unlock the rovers defence .
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with Jean 2 out for the next 3 games I suspect we'll get see Bannan brought back in. He was superb in the cup win against Blackburn a few weeks back. Mind you, I also think we will see Bradley start on Saturday. Bannan has a big future and I think both he and GH have been saying all of the right things.
My impression is GH gets on far better with kids that are hungry with the right attitude than senior players that think they've made it. Kids will always get a chance with Houllier around.
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I thought he was disappointing last night for the Reserves. He made two delightful through balls for the forwards but overall his distribution was poor. Obviously the pitch didn't help. His close control and skill are outstanding, he can always get himself out of trouble and find space, maybe he was trying too hard. I don't know what GH plans for him but I'd have liked to have seen him further up the pitch linking the play, rather than sitting so deep.
I still think he can make it, hopefully it will be in a more advanced role and hopefully between now and the end of the season he'll get the chance to shine.
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Am I right in thinking that after a good performance against Blackburn in the Cup, he hasn't made the bench? Strange if so.
I thought he was outstanding against Blackburn, best player on the pitch by some distance.
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I'd guess that Bannan has been involved in over 20 games this season.
He needs to be patient, then take his chance. Surely next season we could be without NRC & Petrov. He'll get a chance.
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Bannan has an eye for a good pass that can split defences and could be the ideal supplier for bent with his well timed runs , I'd far rather see him than petrov on Saturday. Bradley should be ready for a start too and if nige plays the holding role it could be an interesting game.
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think in league matches he will trust is experienced players , but in cup matches he will give youth a chance
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He does need to be patient but when we are struggling in a game his ability to open up a defence should be tried off the bench.
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Against Blackburn he had loads of time on the ball and was hardly challenged. I think Houllier is hoping to improve his game against more competitive midfielders, and on his decision making and movement .....
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Bannan as part of a 3-man central midfield has to be the future - 3 from BB, FD, MB, J2M (plus Hogg, Gardner, Carruthers) is where it's going to be.
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Seems like the lad has a good attitude which is great to hear. I think GH has done well in taking him and Albrighton out of the firing line, taking the pressure off and allowing the hype to die down.
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Am I right in thinking that after a good performance against Blackburn in the Cup, he hasn't made the bench? Strange if so.
I thought him and NRC had good games against Blackburn. Thought they might get a bit of a run in the side after that.
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I thought he was disappointing last night for the Reserves. He made two delightful through balls for the forwards but overall his distribution was poor. Obviously the pitch didn't help. His close control and skill are outstanding, he can always get himself out of trouble and find space, maybe he was trying too hard. I don't know what GH plans for him but I'd have liked to have seen him further up the pitch linking the play, rather than sitting so deep.
I still think he can make it, hopefully it will be in a more advanced role and hopefully between now and the end of the season he'll get the chance to shine.
Im sure i read he was the stand out player for us last night?!
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Seems like the lad has a good attitude which is great to hear. I think GH has done well in taking him and Albrighton out of the firing line, taking the pressure off and allowing the hype to die down.
I have to agree with this. Bannan and Albrighton played a fair few games when they needed too earlier in the season, so leaving them out to give them a breather and have them wanting more won't harm them. Maybe it's time they both got a look in again now though.
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He should be in with NRC and Bradley.
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I disagree with Mark, I thought he was magnificent for the stiffs last night, head and shoulders above anyone else on the field, if only metaphorically.
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I disagree with Mark, I thought he was magnificent for the stiffs last night, head and shoulders above anyone else on the field, if only metaphorically.
Bloody hell PW, you must have missed his numerous hoofs up to the strikers, absolutely shocking from somebody so talented. It was a poor game with no real stand out player. Herd was probably the pick of the bunch. Young Barry did well tidying things up at the back and as already mentioned, played two great balls through (on the deck) to the strikers but he'd certainly lost his Sidness last night with the 40 yard attempts. More Sims than Sid.
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Well it was foggy.
Seriously though he was the best player on the park by a country mile, he did go a bit long to Fonz on occasions with variable degrees of success but there wasn't a great deal of alternative options for him. Overall I thought his ball retention was very impressive and his defensive work a lot better than the far more imposing Gardner.
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Agree about his ball retention, superb. I was just hoping he'd actually do something with the ball once he had it. Still, it was a tough night for playing football, especially on that pitch. Gardner disappeared in the fog of central midfield. Like you I was really looking forward to seeing him play, so still don't know much about him other than he's a big, strong lad.
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I would like to see him played a bit more, but if GH thinks he'd benefit more from training and not picking up bad habits during games then fine, I'll trust his judgement. I still think he's our most gifted youngster, and could be the one to build a midfield around in future.
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Apparently, Sid rates him as the best player on our books. Praise indeed.
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Credit to him for fighting for a place. He's a good player and we need good players right now.
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Apparently, Sid rates him as the best player on our books. Praise indeed.
Sid rates Stephen Cook as one of the best he's ever worked with. What happened to him should be enough to show that young players need careful handling and that having the talent is only part of what is required to make it.
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Indeed, wise words. I reminded the fella who told me that he'd told me much the same about Cooke. Sid is always going to fancy the ball playing type.
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Ominously, Cooke was too small. Then again, that shouldn't have prevented such a good player from finding a level somewhere he could succeed at. There must have been something else wrong with him.
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I don't see the fella much these days but he always passed on the yth team gossip about who was a big time charlie, he always said the coaches thought that Cooke had everything, including the right attitude. I dunno.
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He's proven himself capable at higher levels than Cooke did, if fleetingly: Man Utd, first half against Fulham away, Blackburn in the Cup especially. It's obviously not quite enough yet, but it's a platform to build on which Cooke never managed.
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Ominously, Cooke was too small. Then again, that shouldn't have prevented such a good player from finding a level somewhere he could succeed at. There must have been something else wrong with him.
Did Cooke ever play in the prem for us? Infact I can hardly recall him playing in the first team at all.
Bannan's shown he can make it in the prem so I expect him to play a bigger part for us next season.
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I adore Barry Bannan, and I would always play him as one of the 3 CM, behind the lonely striker, with A. Young on the left flank, but I wonder how he can think to play if GH in the starting XI doesn't see even our best player Super Mark Albrighton . . .
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Unfortunately there will be no place for either Bannan or Albrighton till we desist with this ridiculous plan of sticking Agbonlahor on the wing.
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Let's flog Ashley Young in the summer. Play Downing Makoun Delph Bannan Albrighton in midfield.
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Unfortunately there will be no place for either Bannan or Albrighton till we desist with this ridiculous plan of sticking Agbonlahor on the wing.
This is sadly very true
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How is Stephen Cooke getting on outside Villa Park ? Have he moved to Bournemouth ?
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Ominously, Cooke was too small. Then again, that shouldn't have prevented such a good player from finding a level somewhere he could succeed at. There must have been something else wrong with him.
I was in the Holte Suite before a game and they had Cooke and Rob Edwards doing a Q & A session with fans. Edwards looked the part and answered his questions confidently while Cooke looked like a frightened rabbit who wished he was somewhere else and stumbled over his answers.
I always wondered if his shyness and lack of confidence was part of what held him back.
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Did Cooke ever play in the prem for us? Infact I can hardly recall him playing in the first team at all.
Bannan's shown he can make it in the prem so I expect him to play a bigger part for us next season.
he played a few times, coming on late as a sub... made his debut against celta vigo in the eufa cup, and then prem debut against bolton... (man utd and leeds were his other appearances)
he has drifted lower and lower in his career, from bournemouth to weymouth, to halesowen town, etc... he now plays for pelsall villa...
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Let's flog Ashley Young in the summer. Play Downing Makoun Delph Bannan Albrighton in midfield.
Delph is going to have to do an awful lot of tackling in that midfield!
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Bannan as part of a 3-man central midfield has to be the future - 3 from BB, FD, MB, J2M (plus Hogg, Gardner, Carruthers) is where it's going to be.
Is it just me or does anyone else struggle to remember all our midfielder by just their initials?
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How is Stephen Cooke getting on outside Villa Park ? Have he moved to Bournemouth ?
Cooke is doing the grand tour of the local non-league circuit (plus Weymouth) and is currently at Villa.
Pelsall Villa.
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We chatted briefly with Bannan in McDonalds Blackpool after the game last week.
That's all.
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Will he be in the squad on Saturday?
We can hope and pray!
Funny how a few useful performances from Makoun make him a starter and yet a few very good performances from Bannan means he is left out.