Pre-season Friendlies Match Thread

[TheSandman]

I may need to put a tin hat on after this but I didn't think Downing played too badly.  Looked quite good at times.

Agreed. Final ball a bit poor but he did well.

Please tell me you are joking ??? He looks slow and failed to cross on three occasions. Albrighton made him look like a fifty year old .....

I'm not joking. I felt he dribbled well in particular in the first half and don't get how he was slow. His crossing wasn't too bad BUT I will say his free kicks were very poor. If this was Ashley Young we were talking about this discussion wouldn't be happening. If I sat watching how many times Ash made a poor cross or did the wrong thing with the ball I'd be the same. Conversely the superb cross he put in on one of the other friendlies wasn't mentioned whereas had it come from Young we would be raving.

I agree Albrighton looks a much brighter player however and were I picking the team for next week's match he'd be in it and Downing wouldn't but that is not to say that Downing did badly tonight he just hasn't been as good as Albrighton and to a lesser extent Young.

[eastie]

Luke , nige and albrighton were all good as was beye, we didn't really create many chances though and still need a creative midfielder and natural finisher- here's hoping this week!

[villa `cross the mersey]

Stewart Downing - The new Nigel Callaghan

Emule Heskey - The worst player I've ever seen in a Villa shirt. - and i've seen Bernie Gallagher

Steve Sidwell - Came on, and I honestly don't remember him touching the ball. - a complete waste of space.

Highlight - Probably Reo-Coker's performance

I'm sorry but you might not rate Heskey, but he is no way the worst player you can have seen in a villa shirt.

Erm.....he is.

Erm he isn't! I give you Ian ormondroyd!!

I`ll trump you with a Neale Cooper.

[richard moore]

Gary Penrice puts you all to bed guys....sorry, I am the winner!

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

I may need to put a tin hat on after this but I didn't think Downing played too badly.  Looked quite good at times.

Agreed. Final ball a bit poor but he did well.

Please tell me you are joking ??? He looks slow and failed to cross on three occasions. Albrighton made him look like a fifty year old .....

I'm not joking. I felt he dribbled well in particular in the first half and don't get how he was slow. His crossing wasn't too bad BUT I will say his free kicks were very poor. If this was Ashley Young we were talking about this discussion wouldn't be happening. If I sat watching how many times Ash made a poor cross or did the wrong thing with the ball I'd be the same. Conversely the superb cross he put in on one of the other friendlies wasn't mentioned whereas had it come from Young we would be raving.

I agree Albrighton looks a much brighter player however and were I picking the team for next week's match he'd be in it and Downing wouldn't but that is not to say that Downing did badly tonight he just hasn't been as good as Albrighton and to a lesser extent Young.[/quot

I see your point concerning A Young but his general contribution is always well above Downings. But for 12m he is very disappointing and i really hope Albrighton is in that side next week ..........

[gervilla]

Well I'm in the "Downing was crap " camp. He really is a shocking waste of £12 million. On Setanta Ireland, Brian Little commented that he has only showed flashes of brilliance at Villa. I think thats being very kind to him.
When the commentator came out with "Downing was muscled out of it there" I did have a little snigger to myself. No shit Sherlock !!

[villa `cross the mersey]

Gary Penrice puts you all to bed guys....sorry, I am the winner!

He did have a great Merseyside type of moustache though !!

[Phil from the upper holte]

I'm not having a go at Downing for the sake of it but I thought apart from the free kick he was terrible.

Thought NRC, Beye, Young L, Albrighton, Clarke did very well but the concerning thing was we did not look like scoring and that was against a poor team!

Must do better

[Phil from the upper holte]

Oh yeah, Sidwell & Heskey were utter fucking shite when came on, It comes to something when MON can critisize certain players but not have a bad word to say about Heskey?

What the fuck is going on there

[richard moore]

Well I'm in the "Downing was crap " camp. He really is a shocking waste of £12 million. On Setanta Ireland, Brian Little commented that he has only showed flashes of brilliance at Villa. I think thats being very kind to him.
When the commentator came out with "Downing was muscled out of it there" I did have a little snigger to myself. No shit Sherlock !!

Yes, me too. He was, indeed, crap tonight. No ifs, buts or maybes for me. Just out and out crap. I will add, however, that he looks one good ball or goal away from rediscovering his touch. The problem is we have been saying that for about 6 months

[Phil from the upper holte]

Is Fonz really gonna be all that. Im yet to be impressed and I'll be surprised if he makes it as an established prem striker.

To be fair the second half was utter boring crap, He couldn't get into the game and he got the ball once. You have to get some kind of service to do anything in a match

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

Well I'm in the "Downing was crap " camp. He really is a shocking waste of £12 million. On Setanta Ireland, Brian Little commented that he has only showed flashes of brilliance at Villa. I think thats being very kind to him.
When the commentator came out with "Downing was muscled out of it there" I did have a little snigger to myself. No shit Sherlock !!

Thank god someone is seeing the same player as me. He is weak on the ball and he is "slow" the amount of times he has faked to shoot on his left foot then totally cocked up on his right is embarassing. Give him to Arry ........

[richard moore]

Gary Penrice puts you all to bed guys....sorry, I am the winner!

He did have a great Merseyside type of moustache though !!

Of porn star proportions with the mullet to boot. He looked every inch the archetypal 80s footballer...

[richard moore]

Oh yeah, Sidwell & Heskey were utter fucking shite when came on, It comes to something when MON can critisize certain players but not have a bad word to say about Heskey?

What the fuck is going on there

And with that tatoo on Sidwell's back? My god...

[avfc_1874]

I thought Weimann looked a decent player when he came on.