Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Legion on July 08, 2012, 06:58:24 PM
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Premier League: 8th
F.A. Cup: Quarter-Final
Capital One (League) Cup: Semi-Final
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Premier league 10th
Capital one cup Winners.
FA cup 5th round.
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Premier League: 9th
Capital One Cup: 4th Round
FA Cup: 5th Round
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Premier league 5th and back into Europe where we belong
FA Cup finalists-hopefully winning the damn thing cause my 57 shirt is now wearing a bit thin
Capital One cup-Bloody Winners for gods sake.
And no, i have not been smoking the funny stuff, just very optimistic for the coming season.
UTV
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League 9th
FA Cup 5th round
League Cup finalists
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I'm getting quite optimistic. Lambert seems to have some great ideas and really seems a good fit with the club. The signings and those we're linked with all seem promising. We're just moving in a different direction to the last few years and it's exciting.
League- 7th
LC- Winner (fook it, why not?)
FACUP-Quarters.
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12th and early exits in cups.
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League: 9th
League cup: Quaters
FA Cup: 4th round
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Premier League 10th
FA Cup 5th Round
Capital One Cup Semi Finals
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League Winners
FA Cup Winners
League Cup Winner
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League: 6th
League cup: 4th round
FA Cup: WIN!!!!!!
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League Winners
FA Cup Winners
League Cup Winner
Too soon, we'll do that the season after.
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League Winners
FA Cup Winners
League Cup Winner
Thats the spirit !! Fuck'em all and go for it.
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It'll take a while for the new team to knit together and I expect there will be more changes in January so:
A decent 11th and 7th next year
FA Cup 6th round and LC semi-final
But we will continue to build. I like this chap.
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League 11th
League cup quater finals
Fa cup 5th round
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9th
5th Rd in both cups
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respect and dignity back for us. silly fuckers like norwich fans not saying 'you used to be a big club' and becoming the best in the midlands and we wont bleet once about it as it is a minimum requirement!!
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respect and dignity back for us. silly fuckers like norwich fans not saying 'you used to be a big club'
Less 'you used to be a big club' and more 'where were you when you were shit'.
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FA Cup winners
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FA Cup winners
" and there is more"
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League: Respectably in 11th place. Many comparisons to MON's first season are made.
FA Cup: Semi-finalists, knocked out by the eventual winners.
League Cup: Knocked out in the 4th round at Old Trafford.
Personally, I'd be very happy with all of that. I think people predicting that we're going to finish in the top 7 are being a tad optimistic, but there's nothing wrong with that!
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League: 10th
Cups: depends on the draw!
What I want more than anything though is a palpable sense that the club is once again going in the right direction and that winning matches is the objective when we take the field!
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I will be over the moon if we just play some nice football
League 10th
F A cup quarter finals
Carling cup quarter finals
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League - 10th
FAC - 4th Round
COC - QF
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League 8th.
LC quarter finals.
FA Cup 5th round.
But football entertaining all round with goals galore!
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League - 9th
FA Cup - 5th Round
League Cup - Qtr Final
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League: 6th
League Cup: 4th Round
FA Cup: 3rd Round
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Too early to say, tho I've not seen any of the players we're linked with / have bought anyway!
I'll say 8-12th, probably about 10. Quarter finals of one of the cups. If we do that while playing god football, scoring goals, taking the game to teams and two or three of the kids finally establish themselves as top half epl quality I'll be happy.
I hope people's expectations aren't so high that they start to have a moan if we have a wobbly spell or new signings take a while to settle in.
We're still not spending big bucks it seems and have lost a huge amount of quality / experience. I'm intrigued by our purchasing strategy but it'd be stunning if they all come off.
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PL 6th nailed on.
FA Cup winners
LC QTR final
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League 11th
League Cup: Fourth round
FA Cup: 5th round
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Mathematically safe from relegation by Christmas. Final position 9th.
LC semi final
FAC. 5th rnd
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I think we will finish 9th.
League Cup, QF
FA CUP, disappointing defeat to PL opposition in the 4th round.
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Mathematically safe from relegation by Christmas.
Its only usually the team that goes on to win the title that has 40 points at Christmas!!
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League: 7th Heaven.
League Cup: Semi-Automatic Shotgun.
FA Cup: Quarter Pounder.
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League 9th.
League Cup Semis
FA Cup Final.
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League: 9th
League cup: Quaters
FA Cup: 4th round
Adding a home win against Manure, and doing the double over Shitbion
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League: 9th
League cup: Quaters
FA Cup: 4th round
Adding a home win against Manure, and doing the double over Shitbion
Have to agree with this...
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League 11th
League Cup: early exit to lower league opposition where PL has it confirmed that there is still much to do with the rebuilding of our squad and goes to RL begging for major investment in January
FA Cup: Pre January investment and a 3rd round exit away to top 6 side
The season after is when it all happens for us
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Premier League: 7th
F.A. Cup: Winners
Capital One (League) Cup: Quarter final
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Isn't it simply incredible the way one managerial appointment can transform a whole club's psychology?
Most of us know we will be doing well to make the top ten this season, but we all seem certain that this will just be the start of a journey. We just know that villa are again going places. After two years of making up the numbers and lacking direction we seem like a transformed club.
It's great!
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10th in the league
cups - who knows, it's a lottery.
I just want to see some positive football and some progress.
Great to see some positive yet realistic forecasts on here. What a change.
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League - 8th (Man City Winner)
League Cup - Semi Final (Arsenal Winner)
FA Cup - Winner :)
Golden Boots - Darren Bent (38)
Champions League (Real Madrid)
La Liga (Real Madrid)
Spanish Cup - (Atletico Madrid)
Golden Boots (Ronaldo 79)
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League: 13th
League cup: Quarter final
FA cup: third round
Transitional stuff.
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League - 8th
FA Cup - Quarters
League Cup - Winners
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League - 9th
League Cup - Semis
FA Cup - Winner (This IS our year..)
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Premier League: 9h
F.A. Cup: 6th round
Capital One (League) Cup: 4th round
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In a word? Fun.
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My prediction is it'll be much better than last season
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I predict a season similar to MON's first one. A few ups, a few downs but dignity restored and some hope for the future.
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a few less ff sakes and a lot more fkin get in !
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10TH
Early cup exits
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League: Respectably in 11th place. Many comparisons to MON's first season are made.
FA Cup: Semi-finalists, knocked out by the eventual winners.
League Cup: Knocked out in the 4th round at Old Trafford.
Personally, I'd be very happy with all of that. I think people predicting that we're going to finish in the top 7 are being a tad optimistic, but there's nothing wrong with that!
This, no season is complete without an away Cup tie against Manure
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I respectable eight in the league. Need Gabby to have a good season and Bent.
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Very hard to judge until us and others have completed their transfer business. However, that having been said, I think a top half finish is not beyond us. From where we were last season that's a massive improvement and provides a nice platform to push on again the following season.
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I predict a season similar to MON's first one. A few ups, a few downs but dignity restored and some hope for the future.
Agree with this. I'm not expecting miracles as it will take time still to recover from the damage inflicted over the last couple of seasons. But with renewed hope and performances that are at least positive, I'd reasonably expect a finish around 10th.
I've got a really good feeling about Lambert and am loving the feel of our two Dutch imports.
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Ninth in the league with far more attacking football, goals and wins to cheer at Villa Park. Some battling away performances that are not as defensive/defeatist as last year. And if he can win the Scottish Cup as a seventeen year old in his first season as a player with St. Mirren he can win the FA Cup in his first season managing Villa!
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League: 8th
CoC: Semi-final
FA Cup: 5th Round
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league: somewhere between 8th and 12th. so 10th.
fa cup: 4th round
league cup: quarter finals.
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7th and a good cup run.
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League: 9th
FA Cup: Semi-Final
League Cup: 2nd Round
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League - 8th
League Cup - 4th Round
FA cup - 6th Round
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God knowa, but I hope we will see a team showing the commitment and passion that our shirt deserves.
And a smile or two..last season was like the bloody weather, depressing and eternally miserable (or is that just me?)
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Could people here please refer to the league cup as `The League Cup` or `The Football League Cup` and not Capital One Cup, COC, whatever.
The trophy presented to the winners will be the original trophy (not the trophy used during Littlewoods or Milk eras) engraved with the words `THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE CUP` and will have some detachable ribbons no doubt containing the name Capital One. We are competing for the cup - which should we win it will have our name permanently engraved at the bottom where we already have it engraved a number of times - not some temporary ribbons.
League 10th
FA Cup 4th round
THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE CUP Winners (Again)
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Aww, but saying Villa fans want the COC is funny.
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Steady start, and then a very solid finish. No real major slumps.
League 7th
FA Cup: winners
League Cup: QF out on pennos
Top scorer: Bent 23 league goals, 28 overall
Player of the season: Karim El Ahmadi
Young Player of the Season: Ciaran Clark
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I would simply like to believe it will be worthwhile buying match tickets and turning up to watch them, playing good football and not scrambling for results. With Lambert in charge, that looks very likely, happily.
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Mid-table in the league.
Quarter's LC.
5th round in the FA.
Along with a few lows hopefully we will start to see the beginnings of good football while building for a the future after 2 shite seasons. The excitement factor has returned.
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Right now, all I'm predicting is that we'll be the hardest working side in the Premier League. Lambert will insist on nothing less than 110% effort from the lads.
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Steady start, and then a very solid finish. No real major slumps.
League 7th
FA Cup: winners
League Cup: QF out on pennos
Top scorer: Bent 23 league goals, 28 overall
Player of the season: Karim El Ahmadi
Young Player of the Season: Ciaran Clark
If Bent scores 28 goals next season KEA will have to go some way to be player of the season!
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League : Winners, we also get a hand written apology from Scudamore for making such a dogs dinner of what started out as a really good idea
F.A. Cup : Winners, awarded the trophy outright, together with a hand written apology from the F.A. for Bert 'cold balls' Millichip
League Cup : Winners, but we decline the cup because it is cheap and vulgar and would lower the tone of our trophy cabinet.
F.A. Youth Cup : Winners, followed by a begging letter from Barcelona wanting to know how we do it.
Reserve League : Winners, despite fielding only 9 players in the play-off final to make a decent game of it.
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League: just muddle along nicely while reating players now and again because we are targetting one or both of the cups.
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I'd like to see who we sign before making any predictions. In the general optimism, let's not forget this is a squad that performed poorly two seasons ago, even before it lost it's two best players. Since wthen, we've also lost Stan. I know that McLeish wasn't up to the job, but it doesn't change the fact that he had a very weak squad. Until we get some quality additions, Lambert can only do so much.
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Aww, but saying Villa fans want the COC is funny.
After our failed attempt in 2010, and The 'Noses successful one in 2011, I'm absolutely craving the COC this season.
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League, 8th
FA Cup, winners
League Cup, quarters
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League: 11th.
FA Cup: 3rd Round.
League Cup: Quarter Finals.
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10th and early cup exits. Evolution not revolution.
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Would like to give it another few weeks until the squad is closer to completion. Right now we'll struggle to get near the top half IMO.
14th.
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Most bookies have us at odds of 16/1 or 20/1 to finish in the top 6. Sunderland and Fulham are on shorter odds unbelievably.
I might well have a punt.
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I'd like to see who we sign before making any predictions. In the general optimism, let's not forget this is a squad that performed poorly two seasons ago
When we finished 6th and got to Wembley twice?
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Would like to give it another few weeks until the squad is closer to completion. Right now we'll struggle to get near the top half IMO.
14th.
So you weren't one of the many people who thought Mcleish should be doing better with the resources that he had?
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Most bookies have us at odds of 16/1 or 20/1 to finish in the top 6. Sunderland and Fulham are on shorter odds unbelievably.
I might well have a punt.
We're very much under the radar at the moment. The national press (Talksport) seem to be all AVB/Big Sam/Liverpool focused whilst paying very little heed to the goings on at Villa Park. I reckon we'll surprise a lot of people and the key to my feeling this is not the new manager and the new signings (who are all making me feel very positive) but rather the core of young lads coming through. They're that bit older, wiser and toughened as a group and I don't think many clubs out there will have as hungry and committed a core of players turning out for them. Potentially it's a superb platform upon which to build a team.
Prediction: Top eight this year followed by a top 4/6 push next year.
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I've said for some time that the expectation of some supporters is way bigger than the capabilities of the team.
Because we'll be playing a different style with plenty of new faces to get used to, I'll be well pleased with a decent cup run and 10th in the league, anything else will be a bonus.
I can see it being similar to Houliers season, without the flirtation with relegation, with us getting stronger towards the end of the season.
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I think all the players this season have a clarity with Lambert that there is someone right behind them to take there place if he does not see the commitment and required effectiveness he demands. Last season a lot of the players were in the first team under little or no pressure. Think we will have a slow start but as Lamberts coaching and philosophy becomes more apparent he will get better performances. 9th-12th with a quater final in one of the cups .......
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16th unless things change on the transfer policy. The deadwood needs to replaced with some quality, but, after the Vlaar farce it doesn't fill me with confidence.
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Depends on what happens in the rest of the transfer window, but regardless of that I do think we will much stronger than last season as I have a lot more confidence in the manager and coaching staff.
Even if the squad now stays as is then I think we will do better this year. The manager has recruited a midfielder that can win and keep the ball which will take pressure off the defence and help set up our better attacking players, this has been our biggest weakness for two seasons now. He is clearly looking at improving the defence and will likely give Clarke a run which will help a lot. I like the look of Holman (might be the one good thing TSM did for us), and I do think the kids will respond well to a more expansive passing game. Predict 10th to 12 and decent cup runs.
If we can move on one or more of Collins/ Hutton/ Warnock/ Dunne/ NZogbia and use the wages / transfer income to recruit another centre back, fullback and possibly a centre forward then I think we could be back in contention for a European place and maybe a cup final.
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I think we will be at least top half, as take out man utd/city, arse,spurs, chelsea, then there prob isnt that much between the rest...How will newcastle cope with europe, tbh no one thought they would do as well as they did last season,i think they will find it hard to do as well, liverpool are not that good imo, the rest are much of a muchness so there is no reason we cant be top half, and with favourable draws a good cup run or 2.
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16th unless things change on the transfer policy. The deadwood needs to replaced with some quality, but, after the Vlaar farce it doesn't fill me with confidence.
What, the transfer policy that appears to have unearthed an absolute bargain in KEA? A transfer that was done very quickly and under the radar? That transfer policy? You really will use anything to have a dig at the board, won't you?
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Bent to be our top scorer? are we all predicting that?
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Even with some deadwood still in the squad I think PL will do hugely better than TSM with the resources in hand. We'll play better football, keep the ball better, and hopefully cut out the inability to defend set pieces. Shit - we might even score from a corner this season! I think we'll end up mid table with at least one decent cup run.
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I think we will be at least top half, as take out man utd/city, arse,spurs, chelsea, then there prob isnt that much between the rest...How will newcastle cope with europe, tbh no one thought they would do as well as they did last season,i think they will find it hard to do as well, liverpool are not that good imo, the rest are much of a muchness so there is no reason we cant be top half, and with favourable draws a good cup run or 2.
Agree with you Dave, always said that outside the current top 5, it is very much of a muchness with an awful lot of teams at the same - very mediocre for me - level. We could easily finish around 8th with more confidence instilled in the team. It still staggers me that we could be so appalling last season and win so few games and yet still stay up and not be that many points off teams a good deal higher up the table.
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PREM-5th.
FACUP-QuaterFinalists.
LEAGUE CUP-Winners.
Putting us back in the EuropaLeague and if taken serious a good run
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PREM-5th.
We might be good next season but not to that extent. It's good to be optimistic though. Welcome!
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PREM-7th.
FACUP-QuaterFinalists.
LEAGUE CUP-Winners.
pretty much as you said but with a slightly lower finish as i think spurs, arsenal, liverpool will be fighting it out for 4th and 5th, that said if liverpool fail under rodgers which i suspect they will and avb's spurs do a chelsea we could sneak in there to 5th or 6th
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Prem - 9th
FA Cup - Quarters
League Cup - Semis
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League - 8
FA Cup - Winners
League Cup - Quarter Finalists
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League 8th
Fa cup 3rd round
league cup - winnere
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I still think 12th and a decent cup run would be an excellent start to the Lambert era.
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16th unless things change on the transfer policy. The deadwood needs to replaced with some quality, but, after the Vlaar farce it doesn't fill me with confidence.
Yup.
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edit
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7th for me
and at least a semi-final in one of the cups as well.
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11th, Quarter finals in the cups.
Passing team at home, counter attacking team away. A plan B when required.
Squad numbers are out Wednesday apparently.
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Whilst it certainly cannot be any worse than last season, I really don't expect too much next season. Whilst the new signings seem to represent good value, I would be surprised if they are good enough to get us back into the top ten. We need to be very lucky with injuries next season.
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Prem: 10th
FA Cup: winners....please(prob get Manyoo away 3rd round :()
League Cup: a good run (possible to get to the quater finals)
looking forward to this season and already looking forward to October 20th, best away day of the lot
UTV
The Doc
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Premier League 8th
FA Cup Winners
Capital One Cup Finalists
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Premier League 12th
FA Cup quarters
Capital One Cup Winners
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I'd be surprised if we finished bottom half. We'll play an attacking game to get the best out of Bent, so as long as the defence isn't awful that should be enough for 10th at least, IMO.
After that I think we need a great season out of one or more of Gabby, N'Zogbia or Ireland to propel us anything past 8th.
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Premier League 9th - and top midlands side - Some great 3-0 wins and a couple of stonking 4-5 defeats.
FA Cup - 4th (losing to someone we should beat hands down)
League Cup - Quarters.
A decent, 'rebuilding' year.
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I fully expect a slow start and the reappearance of Gregnash and Villafirst et al before we turn things around and charge up the table to a respectable 8th place finish and a decent FA Cup run
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9th and above the baggies by 15 points!
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I think we'll finish somewhere around 10th, and that would represent a pretty good season in my view, establishing a new core group of players along the way and leaving us well-placed for next summer to, once more, add a few quality signings.
But mostly, I think we won't be shit to watch every week and that will also make me happy.
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Anywhere in the top ten will be a bonus. Some things will improve right away, like our defending from set-plays, as it can't be as bad, surely? But, a lot of people are expecting big things quite soon. I think we'll be in for a '5-year-plan' sort of thing...
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We need 2-3 more players in key positions to have enough depth and quality. Initially I thought we could finish top 8, but the injuries to Gabby and Dunne just drive home the point that we don't have enough cover if first teamers are out. Taking that in mind I'll take a top 10 right now.
Depending on who else comes in, injuries etc, we'll finish 8th-12th I reckon. Probably 10th if I'm gonna be specific.
We'll see but there's 3 weeks left to get in some more players. Goals will be a problem so another forward is needed.
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9th, but we'll overtake Everton and Newcastle the following season.
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Somewhere between 8th-12th depending on who else we sign, injuries and luck but it will be infinitely more entertaining and pleasurable to watch.
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Give it a go in every match (including cups) and i'll happily take 10th.
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About 10th for me too, but with plenty of positive signs. Last year's top 4 plus Chelsea, Liverpool and probably Newcastle should all finish top seven.
I think we may get off to a slowish start tho. I have a very strong feeling we'll lose v west Ham for example, with a defence trying to find it's feet, and the bannan / KEA partnership being out muscled - I think that's the last weekend of Ramadam!
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Top ten, nothing spectacular but a new brand of attacking football and I'll be happy.
I really hope we improve our home form, was an absolute embarrassment last term.
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Euro football at the end of it by whichever way it comes
\Just nice to have the feeling that whoever / wherever we play we will try to win the game - we might get beat, we might even get gubbed (Norwich last season conceded 3 or more goals in a game 7 times - FFS one of them was us!) but just to have that feeling that the team will try to win
This was the thing that sapped the life blood out of me last eyar
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I think an expectation of euro football is precisely the sort of over optimism that Stuart James is talking about in his article. Doesn't that mean a top 6 finish or winning a cup?
That would be fantastic but surely the upper limit of what might be possible?
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I agree what was said about us actually trying to win games. Man City at home for example, we're always likely to lose but I'd rather go for it and lose 3-1 than play like mice and lose 1-0. I don't expect us to win every game and I know there are games we're highly unlikely to win, but the manner of some of our defeats last season was an absolute disgrace.
Also, I'd argue that Europe should always be the aim for a club like us, but obviously we have to be realistic and know that it's not likely this season. Within the next 3-5 years it should be the aim for us to be there or there abouts when it comes to EL qualification.
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I'm worried. I dont doubt that Paul Lambert is a better manager than the many characters who have presided over our team over the past 2 seasons but we are stuck with many of the same players that have been piss poor over the same timeframe. As with all new signings you can never tell for sure if they will be a success but Lowton will be jumping up 2 divisions, Vlaar, Holman and El Ahmadi will definitely take some time to settle in to english football. Vlaar in particular worries me, as the few times I have seen him play i thought he was woeful frankly. Even at this early stage, I cant see him having a better season at club level than the 2 centre backs he is effectively replacing, Collins and Cuellar. Holman to me should settle in pretty well but is more of a squad player than a regular starter. Lambert obviously had targeted El Ahmadi from a long way off so he clearly rates him anyway. Fingers crossed he settles in early and nails down a spot in a real problem position for us.
We have a gaping hole at left back with no obvious selection to play there. The success of this season seems to be dependent on Lambert getting consistent performances out of the likes of Clark, Delph, Bannan, Nzogbia and Ireland. The later two are particularly flaky but certainly have the ability. Delph and Bannan have never shown anything at senior level. Clark will be part of a centre back partnership with little pace and will have to thrive I think early on if we are not to concede goals all over the place.
Given's performance at the Euros was very worrying. It took him a long time to get over the WC in 2002 if I remember correctly, seemed to blame himself for not saving the last Spanish penalty. Far more experienced now but his performances were so ghastly that I'd be worried about him. Throw in the fact that his injury problems arent going away and I can see Guzan playing quite a bit of first team football this season.
We need to sign proven quality in a few positions I feel to ensure we wont be dragged into another relegation scrap.
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12th and playing better football, Lambert to steady ths ship but dont expect miracles with that squad
League Cup quarter finals
F A Cup 4th/5th round
League position based on Bent staying for the whole season.
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9th. Well if albion can get 10th without being very good...
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10th
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I think we can surpass expectations this year and finish 10th.
There is absolutely no point in trying to predict which round of the cups we will reach as it totally depends on who we draw and when.
I predict Ciaran Clark to get POTY and CNZ to be sold at the end of the season after an awful season comprising of (at most) 1 goal and 2 assists.
In addition I expect Guzan to be our number 1 before the trick-or-treaters' are out and Ron Vlaar to score off a corner on the opening day in a 2-2 draw at West Ham.
Oh, and PL to get manager of the month for September......
UTV
:)
EDIT: And our first 40,000 plus home attendance (likely to be v Everton) to be met with claims of Villa fans being fickle etc..... some of which will come from our own "fans" who just feel the need to perpetuate the talk sport bollocks that we are in some way a more expectant crowd than any other club.
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15th.
Our squad is right down there with the poorest in the league.
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I expect to watch Villa try and win games, even against teams we're not expected to. As a result, I expect to see more goals scored and conceded, which should make for a more entertaining season.
In terms of position, I think 9th to 12th is likely and a similar season to MON's first season would give us something to be very optimistic for the following season.
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15th.
Our squad is right down there with the poorest in the league.
Correct, Lerner needs to go - he's not supporting PL and clearly won't sink the funds into the club to ensure we have half a chance of winning anything. The squad looks woefully weak and ripe for another relegation battle.
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out of the bottom 6 will do me this year
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It could be anything really, the last few seasons nearly everyone from 18th to about 9th for most of the season could have finished in any of those positions if they hit a small run of good or bad form. A few of these teams you never thought would get dragged into it but points wise they could have quite easily.
I'm hoping for a good season and would be really happy with 8th or 9th, whether that will be possible I'm not sure but one good thing is my optimism has returned after fearing the worst for the last 9 months.
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12th for me.
Think we'd do well to get top 10 with the austerity measures that we have in place.
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A Brian Little-esque 5th place. I like the cut of Lambert's jib.
I like the cut of your jib Riss. Not sure I'm that confident for 5th this season, and I can't even recall what I might have posted before on this thread. But right now I'll say 7th, and a cup win. That would be a great first season.
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15th.
Our squad is right down there with the poorest in the league.
Correct, Lerner needs to go - he's not supporting PL and clearly won't sink the funds into the club to ensure we have half a chance of winning anything. The squad looks woefully weak and ripe for another relegation battle.
No it isn't. 8th.
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If there's one good thing to have come out of the McCatpiss fiasco, from Lerner's point of view, is that expectations will be sufficiently lowered towards the point where most supporters will be happy with a 12th-ish placed position, as long as the football itself is reasonably entertaining.
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League 12th
League Cup Qtr Finals
FA Cup 4th Round
If we buy some decent players i will revise my predictions.
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If we go well this season, there are probably only 4 teams who you could say are guaranteed to finish higher than us based on their squads and we know who they are.
Outside that, its really a lottery I think. We've got a new manager, so have Spurs and Liverpool. Newcastle are the only other 'big' club and perhaps Everton outside the top 4 to have retained any continuity and stability from last season.
On this basis, I think 6th is realistically the highest we can expect if we have a good season.
If we have an OK season, you'd maybe expect Liverpool, Spurs and Everton to finish above us too, which would leave us 9th.
Even if we have a shocker, l can't see us doing any worse than last season so maybe 14th, worst case.
Personally, I think we'll have an OK season and finish around 9th place. We've a decent (if a bit thin still) squad and a good management team. Injuries will be inevitable and we'll probably still have to contend with our post-christmas annual slump.
But it looks a lot better going into this season than either of the previous two seasons, for sure.
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League 12th-13th
Fa cup out to Man u early doors
League cup quarter finals
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A nice, uneventful season ending in 10th-ish with a couple of heroic wins over top 3 opponents and some positive attacking football is all I ask.
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FourFourTwo's Villa Preview:
ASTON VILLA – Simon Lucas
Last season in a tweet
Inhibited, insipid, humiliatingly unambitious football, cravenly defensive even when behind. Never has a Villa side been so easy to dislike.
Positive changes
The departure of a manager who combined cramped, tedious football with dismal results is a big boost. The appointment of a manager young and thrusting enough to be called a whizz-kid is bigger still. The wage-bill has been trimmed by the off-loading of some over-paid, under-achieving players, while replacements have been identified and signed with a good deal more alacrity than Villa fans are used to. The poisonous atmosphere that permeated every aspect of the club towards the end of last season (statistically one of the very worst in Villa’s entire 138-year history) is gone for now.
Negative changes
Villa are still paying decent money to under-achievers (Stephen Ireland) and to straightforward liabilities (Alan Hutton). The need to further trim the squad before any more new players can be brought in has become doctrine over the summer. And while the owner is taciturn at the best of times, ever since the Alex McLeish fiasco reached critical mass his silence has been deafening – the only time you’ll hear the name ‘Randy Lerner’ at the moment is when the media reports on the possible sale of one of his professional sports clubs. Oh, and club captain Stilyan Petrov isn’t out of the woods yet.
Who to follow on Twitter
@AVFCBlog (sample tweet: “for what it’s worth the new home kit is claret and blue”) is nicely opinionated, deliciously intolerant of criticism and seems very well-informed – the Karim El Ahmadi Arrousi transfer was news here days in advance of any other source. @JohnGregory77 (sample tweet: “Doug wanted me to win PL and CL and then the Euros in Holland in 2000. Apart from that not much really…”) is exactly what you’d expect: a touch jingoistic, self-regarding and self-deprecating, and with an overwhelming Bruce Springsteen fetish.
What to watch out for
The Villa Academy has done sterling work over the last few years: Marc Albrighton, Barry Bannan and Ciaran Clark have all established themselves, to a lesser or greater extent, in the past couple of seasons. This season hopes are high for Gary (brother of Craig) Gardner and the superbly named Samir Carruthers. Other than that, it’d be nice to think Villa will actively attempt to give the ball to Darren Bent, rather than following last season’s pattern of leaving the best centre-forward they’ve had in 15 years all on his own and ignoring him.
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In the People pull out for the forthcoming season, cheeky sod Jimmy Greaves thinks we'll be in another relegation battle and Lambert will surprisingly be the first manager sacked.
Are you back on the bottle Jimmy?
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Speculation? Yes. Will all prophecies below come to pass? Maybe not.
The thing is - every single forecast about every single game in the history of football is pure speculation. Some get it right more often than others. Some never get it right. I don't fair too badly to be honest.
And so - be they right by next May, or wrong, my own take on the PL's top trio, and those Championship bound.
Top of the tree!
1. Manchester United
2. Arsenal
3. Manchester City
With 2011/12 finishing City / United / Arsenal the obvious difference come the end of the upcoming season is not so much City giving the title back to United - it is just as much about Arsenal's very impressive line up as we go into 2012/13 finally getting it right, gelling and pushing for the title all the way.
Manchester United - not selected just because I am a United fan - will finish top because history really does repeat itself. No team in the English game has ever been able to keep coming back as often or as powerful as do Manchester United, yet, to some extent 2012/13 will be just as much about City throwing away the title as it is about United winning it.
City have a formidable array of talent now playing in blue but absolutely zero experience in retention of a title - perhaps with the exception of Carlos Tevez who is a loose cannon at the best of times - and there are some massive egos now having to make-do with bench starts. Implosion due methinks but still enough on he bench to make 3rd.
Arsenal meanwhile could even pip United at the end, but their weakest link will prove to be the manager Arsene Wenger. He has delivered so little of late, is getting on in years and patience is wearing thin at the Emirates. This could be their year if Lady Luck smiles down, but for now, I will go with a 1 / 2 / 3 of experience trumping new talent trumping player egos getting the better of a still inexperienced manager.
And doomed for relegation!
18. Aston Villa
19. West Ham United
20. Southampton
In recent years the relegation battles have been all about whether or not Bolton, Blackburn and Wolves could escape the drop. Almost from Day 1, these three have existed solely to survive the end of season relegation to the Championship - but now, with all three having gone down - deservedly considering the football they play, the 2012/13 season will be one centered on the struggle for survival of two southern teams, and one from the Midlands.
Villa have of course been flirting with second tier football for a while and having made no significant changes to their team will this year offer little more than last. A shame considering their history.
As far as West Ham and Southampton go, I fear both will be back on the elevator south come the early summer of 2013 - the level of football in the top division proving far too much for what are excruciatingly porous last lines of defence at both clubs.
Southampton did of course score a cracking 85 goals in their last campaign but let in more than half that at 46. West Ham were similarly shady at the back scoring 81, conceding 48!
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If I wasn't a Villa supporter I'd be predicting us to struggle this season.
Then again, the majority were saying the same of Newcastle last year.
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Manchester United - not selected just because I am a United fan
Right.
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Aston Villa Premier League preview: How will new boss Lambert fare?
Welcome to Sportsmail's team-by-team guide to the new Barclays Premier League season. Here we look at Aston Villa's vital statistics, their summer signings and sales and analyse their chances.
Manager: Paul Lambert
Position last season: 16th
Nickname: The Villans
Ground: Villa Park
Capacity: 42,640
Key man: Darren Bent
Summer transfers: Click here for all the ins and outs
Chances: Lambert has been charged with reviving Villa's fortunes after a forgettable season under Alex McLeish. Expect the former Norwich boss to make his new side hard to beat once more and move in the right direction.
Villa fans will be glad to finally have a pair of steady hands in Lambert - following on from the reviled McLeish and fellow underachiever Gerard Houllier.
The Scot has become one of the game’s most promising young managers after leading Norwich to successive promotions before comfortably keeping them in the top flight.
Sportsmail verdict: 9th - A solid improvement from last year's flirt with the drop zone
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2187646/Aston-Villa-Premier-League-preview-2012-13.html#ixzz23W1i0ryJ
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Speculation? Yes. Will all prophecies below come to pass? Maybe not.
The thing is - every single forecast about every single game in the history of football is pure speculation. Some get it right more often than others. Some never get it right. I don't fair too badly to be honest.
And so - be they right by next May, or wrong, my own take on the PL's top trio, and those Championship bound.
Top of the tree!
1. Manchester United
2. Arsenal
3. Manchester City
With 2011/12 finishing City / United / Arsenal the obvious difference come the end of the upcoming season is not so much City giving the title back to United - it is just as much about Arsenal's very impressive line up as we go into 2012/13 finally getting it right, gelling and pushing for the title all the way.
Manchester United - not selected just because I am a United fan - will finish top because history really does repeat itself. No team in the English game has ever been able to keep coming back as often or as powerful as do Manchester United, yet, to some extent 2012/13 will be just as much about City throwing away the title as it is about United winning it.
City have a formidable array of talent now playing in blue but absolutely zero experience in retention of a title - perhaps with the exception of Carlos Tevez who is a loose cannon at the best of times - and there are some massive egos now having to make-do with bench starts. Implosion due methinks but still enough on he bench to make 3rd.
Arsenal meanwhile could even pip United at the end, but their weakest link will prove to be the manager Arsene Wenger. He has delivered so little of late, is getting on in years and patience is wearing thin at the Emirates. This could be their year if Lady Luck smiles down, but for now, I will go with a 1 / 2 / 3 of experience trumping new talent trumping player egos getting the better of a still inexperienced manager.
And doomed for relegation!
18. Aston Villa
19. West Ham United
20. Southampton
In recent years the relegation battles have been all about whether or not Bolton, Blackburn and Wolves could escape the drop. Almost from Day 1, these three have existed solely to survive the end of season relegation to the Championship - but now, with all three having gone down - deservedly considering the football they play, the 2012/13 season will be one centered on the struggle for survival of two southern teams, and one from the Midlands.
Villa have of course been flirting with second tier football for a while and having made no significant changes to their team will this year offer little more than last. A shame considering their history.
As far as West Ham and Southampton go, I fear both will be back on the elevator south come the early summer of 2013 - the level of football in the top division proving far too much for what are excruciatingly porous last lines of defence at both clubs.
Southampton did of course score a cracking 85 goals in their last campaign but let in more than half that at 46. West Ham were similarly shady at the back scoring 81, conceding 48!
Where do you start with bollocks like that? "No team in the English game...come back as powerfully.... as Manchester United." "Almost from Day 1 Bolton, Blackburn and Wolves have existed solely to survive." "Villa have been flirting with second tier football for a while" - we've finished in the bottom half once in the past six years.
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We got to be realistic & remember where we ended up last year, anything from 9th-13th ill predict we will finish and that will be a good push from that dire season last year. I also think we might have a good chance in the Capital One Cup & with a bit of luck in the draw a good FA Cup run would be great. We need to bring those great days back at Villa Park & its not going to happen over night but with Paul Lambert in charge it can happen.
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Similar squad but a better manager so a modest improvement I think. Maybe 12th - 14th.
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from football 365:
Writing about Aston Villa in pre-season inevitably throws up memories of 2010 and speculating in this space over how Martin O'Neill was going to fare, only for him to part company with the club before a ball was kicked. The loss of the Northern Irishman, now at Sunderland, is a blow from which the club have not recovered, compounded by the poor appointments that followed.
Nice as it would have been for Gerard Houllier's twilight years to have included a successful return to club management, surprise at the medical problems that forced him from the job was not widespread. If there was sadness over the circumstances of the Frenchman's departure from those capable of distinguishing football from real life, it was disbelief that dominated when Alex McLeish was named his permanent successor with the stench of Birmingham's relegation still overpowering the fumes from the Gravelly Hill Interchange.
It is the fact that football is so hard to predict that makes it compelling (and I will have some humble pie to eat thanks to Nick Miller later in the week), but the closest thing to a racing certainty in football was that the Scot would struggle to win over the support and would be under added pressure with each adverse result. He had the backing of Sir Alex Ferguson but the support of the most biased man in football counts for nothing in real life.
Goodbye or farewell are too warm in their sentiments for Villa fans; good riddance is at least in the right area though to come close to the mark I would have to use unpublishable language. Disposing of McLeish may have been cathartic but it did not solve the Villa conundrum, and nor has the arrival of Paul Lambert.
They are the biggest club in the country's second biggest city and once upon a time they were European champions. Their top-flight roots go back to the Football League's inaugural season when they were the most southerly club and they were soon one of the most successful. But they have never recaptured the spirit of those early decades except in the years culminating in the 1982 European Cup win. Since the Premier League started they have suffered too many eclipses and even with Randy Lerner's takeover they remain in the shadow of the north-west and south-east.
Under McLeish they could not even manage to be the region's leading team, finishing nine points and six places below West Brom. Part of that was down to the former Birmingham manager's motivational skills, and the loss of Darren Bent to injury and Stilian Petrov to serious illness added to their troubles (and, in the case of the Bulgarian's leukaemia, put them in perspective).
Spending has been sensible rather than lavish, with the £3.2m paid to Feyenoord for the centre-back Ron Vlaar the high point, with another defender, Matthew Lowton from Sheffield United, just behind. Though Brett Holman, the Australia winger, could be a good Bosman acquisition, the most exciting sights for the Holte End could be the youth products headed by Barry Bannan and the still-only-22 Marc Albrighton. But it seems unlikely that Lambert will be able to get too many Second City pulses racing with this squad and if Shay Given repeats the form he showed at Euro 2012 then the Holte will howl.
Mid-table is densely packed and, though Villa finished two below the 40-point mark, 50 or so and a top-ten finish are possible. It is not clear, though, that that is the level of success Lerner was seeking when he became involved.
The good news for Lambert is that a gentle start to the season offers an opportunity to bed in himself and his new charges, with trips to West Ham and Southampton before the end of September and visits by Everton, Swansea and West Brom. But in the long run this may just be a season where relief at the departure of McLeish remains the overriding emotion and in the end a manager needs to do more than simply not be someone else.
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from football 365:
Writing about Aston Villa in pre-season inevitably throws up memories of 2010 and speculating in this space over how Martin O'Neill was going to fare, only for him to part company with the club before a ball was kicked. The loss of the Northern Irishman, now at Sunderland, is a blow from which the club have not recovered, compounded by the poor appointments that followed.
Nice as it would have been for Gerard Houllier's twilight years to have included a successful return to club management, surprise at the medical problems that forced him from the job was not widespread. If there was sadness over the circumstances of the Frenchman's departure from those capable of distinguishing football from real life, it was disbelief that dominated when Alex McLeish was named his permanent successor with the stench of Birmingham's relegation still overpowering the fumes from the Gravelly Hill Interchange.
It is the fact that football is so hard to predict that makes it compelling (and I will have some humble pie to eat thanks to Nick Miller later in the week), but the closest thing to a racing certainty in football was that the Scot would struggle to win over the support and would be under added pressure with each adverse result. He had the backing of Sir Alex Ferguson but the support of the most biased man in football counts for nothing in real life.
Goodbye or farewell are too warm in their sentiments for Villa fans; good riddance is at least in the right area though to come close to the mark I would have to use unpublishable language. Disposing of McLeish may have been cathartic but it did not solve the Villa conundrum, and nor has the arrival of Paul Lambert.
They are the biggest club in the country's second biggest city and once upon a time they were European champions. Their top-flight roots go back to the Football League's inaugural season when they were the most southerly club and they were soon one of the most successful. But they have never recaptured the spirit of those early decades except in the years culminating in the 1982 European Cup win. Since the Premier League started they have suffered too many eclipses and even with Randy Lerner's takeover they remain in the shadow of the north-west and south-east.
Under McLeish they could not even manage to be the region's leading team, finishing nine points and six places below West Brom. Part of that was down to the former Birmingham manager's motivational skills, and the loss of Darren Bent to injury and Stilian Petrov to serious illness added to their troubles (and, in the case of the Bulgarian's leukaemia, put them in perspective).
Spending has been sensible rather than lavish, with the £3.2m paid to Feyenoord for the centre-back Ron Vlaar the high point, with another defender, Matthew Lowton from Sheffield United, just behind. Though Brett Holman, the Australia winger, could be a good Bosman acquisition, the most exciting sights for the Holte End could be the youth products headed by Barry Bannan and the still-only-22 Marc Albrighton. But it seems unlikely that Lambert will be able to get too many Second City pulses racing with this squad and if Shay Given repeats the form he showed at Euro 2012 then the Holte will howl.
Mid-table is densely packed and, though Villa finished two below the 40-point mark, 50 or so and a top-ten finish are possible. It is not clear, though, that that is the level of success Lerner was seeking when he became involved.
The good news for Lambert is that a gentle start to the season offers an opportunity to bed in himself and his new charges, with trips to West Ham and Southampton before the end of September and visits by Everton, Swansea and West Brom. But in the long run this may just be a season where relief at the departure of McLeish remains the overriding emotion and in the end a manager needs to do more than simply not be someone else.
Well that's depressed me, not least because I agree with it.
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Mid table finish in the league.
Quarter final of the league cup
5th round FA cup
Anything is better than last season!
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I think we'll surprise a few teams because we will attack, but we'll also be a bit vunerable until the new backline beds in.
But with the renewed intent, and a young and commited side the place will be buzzing again, and we'll finish strong.
And win the FA Cup, of course.
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I'm not as confident as I was a few weeks ago when I had us comfortable mid-table.
We really have to hope the new players quickly bed in and that we get the best out of creative players such as N'Zogbia, Ireland, Albrighton and Bannan. Otherwise we could struggle.
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N'Zog needs to find some confidence from somewhere, have been shocked at how mediocre he's been since he got here. Himself and Ireland, if they are interested, will be a key part as to how our season unfolds. If we are attacking, we keep the pressure off the defence, the less pressure they are under the better, I think our defense is going to be suspect until they get used to each other.
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Sky Sports Villa Profile (http://www1.skysports.com/football/teams/astonvilla/profile)
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13th 47 Points. With shrewd acquisitions over the next 18 months to make us Top 6-8 contenders again come 2 seasons time.
We are still in a mess but now we have a manager who is not shovelling more and more shit in on top of us, quite the opposite
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This is N'Zogbia's chance to shine.
I think he will.
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Robbie Savage tells it like it is:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19280434
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Robbie Savage tells it like it is:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19280434
No, he tells it like the biased, sensationalist, gobshitey, straggly-bleached, shirt-buttons-open idiot fuckface he is.
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Hold on to your hats Villa fans - the wise sage of all things ballroom ... er I mean football ... or maybe I mean hairdressing? Anyways - Robbie the Jobbie - in an attempt to whip up interest in his baffling career at the BBC, the loathsome Savage has tipped Villa for relegation.
His tip goes - Reading - Southampton - Villa.
Because - Robbie tells us - Villa are a very very poor team.
Where's Dion when you need him?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19280434 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19280434)
NB: Scroll to 4.05 to avoid risk of overdose and attendant nausea.
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******!
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I see that Rangers didn't take him up on his offer to play for them for free....
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He's a rambling, headline-seeking idiot.
UTV
The Doc
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Edit: I hate him.
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Merged with the predictions thread where this is already mentioned.
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Yeah I saw that. If we didn't go down last year, there's no way we'll go down this year.
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It really is a close run thing between him and Neil Lennon regarding whom from football I most want to see get their head sliced off in a freak yachting accident.
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Dear Robert William Savage has tipped us to go down as we have a poor squad which is not better than last year.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19280434?
Such a nice chap and so bright too.
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That knuckledragging nose is tipping us for relegation, what a sad little child it is
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19280434
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19280434 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19280434)
For the second year running, we're Savages pick for relegation. Surprised because I've not heard our name mentioned by any other pundits. Is it just Savage being ignorant or are we all overly optimistic?
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As soon as I read Robbie Savage I lost interest, why do the bbc insist on employing that little twat.
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He's a ******
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What was the link again?
Joking!!
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That knuckledragging nose is tipping us for relegation, what a sad little child it is
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19280434
The pikey twat never fails to wind us up, I thought I was over all this but I still hate him, must be something in our genes DerHammer (my son)
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From an outsiders perspective it's almost understandable. To play Devil's advocate for a minute it is never easy starting a campaign with a new manager again (and for the 3rd time in a row). We were 16th last season, we've now lost our captain and influential midfielder and replaced him with a cheap unknown quantity in KEA, likewise experienced players like Collins and Cuellar have gone and again been replaced by a cheap unknown quantity from the 3rd division in Lowton and ok a Dutch International in Vlaar, albeit with no Prem experience. Holman replaces Jenas/Makoun in the squad and Heskey and hasn't been replaced. Experienced players like Beye/Hutton/Warnock are being let go or we're trying to push them on to save cash and we hope that youngsters like Stephens/Lichaj/Baker can step up. There is no serious money apparently to be spent and we start the season as we left off last with 5/6 injuries to key players. Ireland/Dunne/Gabby have underperformed for 2 years in a row now (almost 3 for Ireland albeit last year was better) and will find it difficult to get back to their previous levels and N'Zogbia has been the same for 1 season. That's not how I see it, but an outsider with no affinity to the club may do.
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We have Bent back so already 10+ goals. Savage is just out for a quick tabloid headline. I wouldn't mind so much but it's the licence fee he's wasting.
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Hasn't his mommy taught him to do his shirt up properly yet?
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Swansea, Norwich, Reading, West Brom, West Ham, Southampton and as ever Wigan look weaker. And we always hope that Pulis loses his (nasty) way. Would feel better with a left back and a striker signed, though.
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As if he wasn't disliked by us all anyway, he reckons we're going down this season !
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19280434
I seem to recall him taking great pleasure as we drifted towards the bottom 3 towards the end of last season as well and said we could end up going down.
Has anyone got Dion's phone number ?
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Anyone seen this pile of horse poo?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19280434 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19280434)
Do us all a favour, do up your shirt, shut up your mouth, and will someone at the BBC see sense and get rid!
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Anyone seen this pile of horse poo?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19280434 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19280434)
Do us all a favour, do up your shirt, shut up your mouth, and will someone at the BBC see sense and get rid!
Apologies Mods, I did look but didnt find.
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Anyone prepared to go on national television sporting that hairstyle (unless female) obviously doesn't have much sense about them. Just a sad bitter ex-footballer who never had any ability, whose only talent was running his mouth.
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With the squad the way it is now I think we'll in for another season of struggle, even a relegation battle. I'm still hoping for a couple of good signings, but that could be just wishful thinking. Lerner needs to realise that while we obviously need to balance the books, his cost cutting exercise could end up with us losing our Premier League status.
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We won't go down, not a chance. If the relegator himself could'nt do it then nobody will.
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As soon as I read Robbie Savage I lost interest, why do the bbc insist on employing that little twat.
Radio 5 Live is fast descending into the sewer occupied by Talk Shite: if punters don't constantly phone, text, tweet and email them, they will blow a fuse and fuck off into deserved oblivion.
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I can just imagine Savage laughing his bollocks off as he bombarded with furious tweets.
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From an outsiders perspective it's almost understandable. To play Devil's advocate for a minute it is never easy starting a campaign with a new manager again (and for the 3rd time in a row). We were 16th last season, we've now lost our captain and influential midfielder and replaced him with a cheap unknown quantity in KEA, likewise experienced players like Collins and Cuellar have gone and again been replaced by a cheap unknown quantity from the 3rd division in Lowton and ok a Dutch International in Vlaar, albeit with no Prem experience. Holman replaces Jenas/Makoun in the squad and Heskey and hasn't been replaced. Experienced players like Beye/Hutton/Warnock are being let go or we're trying to push them on to save cash and we hope that youngsters like Stephens/Lichaj/Baker can step up. There is no serious money apparently to be spent and we start the season as we left off last with 5/6 injuries to key players. Ireland/Dunne/Gabby have underperformed for 2 years in a row now (almost 3 for Ireland albeit last year was better) and will find it difficult to get back to their previous levels and N'Zogbia has been the same for 1 season. That's not how I see it, but an outsider with no affinity to the club may do.
I must admit, this is how I feel. The squad is really no stronger than last year and Lambert may be good, certainly better than McLeish, but he isn't a miracle worker. Unless we strengthen, I think this will be another year where we will only know we're ok towards the end of April.
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Savage is entitled to his opinion and after the last couple of years I'm not surprised we have become a good bet for relegation. However I get the impression Savage likes to say things for a reaction more than anything. Hopefully with a decent manager like PL in charge we can start steadying the ship and enjoy some decent results.
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Sky Sports Villa Profile (http://www1.skysports.com/football/teams/astonvilla/profile)
This is pretty shoddy, though.
No Brett Holman in the "ins" and they have Albrighton as a first-game starter; I thought he's out injured until September?
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That knuckledragging nose is tipping us for relegation, what a sad little child it is
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19280434
The pikey twat never fails to wind us up, I thought I was over all this but I still hate him, must be something in our genes DerHammer (my son)
Looking at his mug reminds me of how Sean Bean looked in drag on telly the other night!!!
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He's a gobshite gypo bastard who talks out of his mudwhistle.
Gobby Cabbage speaks...
(http://files.sharenator.com/And_not_a_single_fuck_Was_given_that_day_Picture_Challenge_5-s364x344-162306-580.jpg)
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"I reckon Villa will go down this season"
(http://i2.cdnds.net/12/02/618x890/1194162-high_res-accused.jpg)
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Oh he doesn't wind me up. I find him funny. He's wrong of course, but there are far worse out there.
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"I reckon Villa will go down this season"
(http://i2.cdnds.net/12/02/618x890/1194162-high_res-accused.jpg)
that's him , that's the cheating gypsy scumbag!!
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savage is a clown etc etc, but he's not alone on tipping us to go down.
we were so bad last season, i don't think anyone can honestly say we weren't relegation material. whereas wigan and qpr showed a bit of grit and character, we scraped home.
bolton at home still makes me wince. the whole club from top to bottom was in malaise. a disaster. at least the board held their hands up and acted straight away.
i don't think the squad is any better than last season, but we underperformed and here's hoping a new manager can motivate our players, with the backing of our support.
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Anything could happen this season. Still concerned we havent really bought in some real quality.
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We're not going to get relegated, the manager's too good for that to happen.
If you look at our squad, though, it is pretty skimpy and low on quality, I can understand why some people might tip us to struggle.
Savage is a prick, though, of that much I am sure.
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The good thing is we've got players to come back from injury. Plus I'm expecting one or two more additions before the end of the window.
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(http://i2.cdnds.net/12/02/618x890/1194162-high_res-accused.jpg)
I would.
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What the Grauniad thinks:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/aug/17/guardian-writers-premier-league-predictions?intcmp=122
Which is nothing as they don't mention us once but at least they don't think we'll go down.
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http://fourfourtwo.com/blogs/fourfourtwoview/archive/2012/08/17/premier-league-2012-13-whos-tipped-for-the-top-and-whos-doomed-to-drop.aspx
No mention of us for the drop in the fourfourtwo predictions either.
Savage is a knob.
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http://fourfourtwo.com/blogs/fourfourtwoview/archive/2012/08/17/premier-league-2012-13-whos-tipped-for-the-top-and-whos-doomed-to-drop.aspx
No mention of us for the drop in the fourfourtwo predictions either.
Savage is a knob.
The FourFourTwo magazine predicts us finishing 10th.
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The league is looking much stronger than recent years. The teams that have been promoted are better than the ones relegated. Teams that struggled last season have made noticeable improvements and teams who have new managers don't look as vulnerable. Of course the best teams have even got better and the title will be decided between 3 teams this season rather than 2 (still not very competitive though).
There just seems like the league this season has more quality in depth from top to bottom also the teams that have been promoted don't scream relegation fodder unlike in previous seasons with promoted teams.
This could be the strongest and closest season yet.
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Anyone thinking of changing their prediction?