Summer transfer rumours, speculation and out-and-out b*ll*cks.

[Olneythelonely]

Q4. What is your favourite way of quoting someone.

[cdbearsfan]

I'm not sure. I reckon the original Coopers Injury, while a miseryarse and a troll, was a bit more erudite than this ne'er-do-well WikiVilla.

[Concrete John]

Q4. What is your favourite way of quoting someone.


<clappy thingy>

[luke25]

Nobody mentioned Ged wants to sign Kim Källström from Lyon for £6 million.     Could see this happenning.  Be nice to get rid of Ireland to the barcodes for £6 million too.

Luke25 likes this! We need a scandanavian or two amongst our ranks.

[Mazrim]

I'm not sure. I reckon the original Coopers Injury, while a miseryarse and a troll, was a bit more erudite than this ne'er-do-well WikiVilla.

You think Coopers Injury was erudite? He probably thinks that's some sort of glue.
Nah, it's him alright.

[peter w]

i think this season has become a bit akin to the Tories (sorry to go off an an off topic tangent) constantly saying that our credit is 'maxed out' to make us be;ieve that cuts are needed massively and quickly and so by saying it enough try and get us to agree.

Houllier has made mistakes, yes, but also has been unfortunate. He came into a club that had just sold one of its best players, a disjointed team that was lacking in shape, a defenc ethat was shipping goals, and one thing that has oft been overlooked, a team that was hit by an amazing list of casualties. Our reserves were playing as a premiership 1st team for many games and we did suffer for it.

Its not an excuse to see the likes of Clark, Baker, Herd, Lichaj, Bannan, Hogg lining up more often than they should have been whilst losing the spine of the team to said injuries and poor form.

Also, I think too much has been made of the loss of momentum thing after Man City in the Cup. Yes, we should have gone for it, but playing with the defence we had was always going to make it difficult. Also, Bolton away. We murdered them and if Ash had have scored the pen then 3-1 would probably become more because we were that good on the day going forward. but, again, not having an experienced, settled, defence ultimately cost us.

Although, I'm still undecided by him, I think that he should have a summer to sort things out. but with all things being equal, if its much of the same next season i wouldn't want to see him still in charge come October.

[Mazrim]

Well said, Peter.

[Toronto Villa]

Lets be realsitic, Boswinga will demand CL football if he does leave
Based on his last 2 games, Walker can do one back to Spurzzz, headless chicken spring to mind

are you auditioning for the 2011 Coopers Injury Award for the most negative bastard poster on this site? When was the last time you said something remotely positive or supportive of your team? Every post is just another jab at something to do with the club. Now it's Kyle Walker, a 20year old kid making his way at the top end of the game. He's going to make mistakes. I know for a fact I wasn't as good at my job at 20 as I am today. Maybe you're the exception, but I dare say that this is pretty much the standard for most people.

stop swearing and behaving like a bell end
I have made plenty of positive posts

how's that "bell" comment working out for you?

My lawyer's been looking through this place for your "positive posts". He just texted me saying that his discovery has so far been a waste of time, and that this will be an open and shut case.

[cdbearsfan]

I'm not sure. I reckon the original Coopers Injury, while a miseryarse and a troll, was a bit more erudite than this ne'er-do-well WikiVilla.

You think Coopers Injury was erudite? He probably thinks that's some sort of glue.
Nah, it's him alright.

I didn't say he was erudite, just that he was more erudite that Wiki. In the same way that Mussolini was more cuddly than Hitler.

[WikiVilla]

Can this Erudite bloke play RB ?

[Mazrim]

[KevinGage]

KG, I won't answer individual points because that would take hundreds of years. Only a few points.

Firstly, the idea that Barcelona aren't a physical side (and that saying we should take their playing style as a role model is to denounce physicality) is bollocks. Have you seen them out of possession? They're the most tenacious, grafty, stamina-driven bunch around. Add to which, yes, they have players like Pique and Puyol, so physicality (and height, in Pique's case) is important at the back. But I can't put it better than Xavi, who said that the Puyol types "have to adapt to the passing system, and not the other way around". Very important.

Will keep this brief, as it's way off the grid at this stage.  Yes, Barcelona do have a work ethic to go with their undoubted quality. The best sides generally do. They're about as far removed from a physical side as you can get though.

The idea that you can apply the same footballing principles to Bareclona 2011 and Aston Villa 2011 is absolutely barking. You might as well suggest that we use Brazil 1970 as a template. You're determined to do it though, so kudos to you I guess.  Yes, ultimately we both have 11 players, we both play sides with 11 players -on a rectangular shaped pitch-  and we play with a round ball. That's where the worthwhile comparisons begin and end. The conditions both sides face in their domestic leagues, the infrastructure of both clubs and the culture/ style of play that is expected (and that young players coming through the ranks are indoctrinated in) is so markedly different so as to render any comparison redundant.

Here's the myth: height matters in midfield. Does it? Does it fuck. The man after whom the modern holding role was named, and who is often brought up as the kind of player many on here would like to see at VP, was Claude Makalele - 5'8'' at the most. Our central midfield is lacking energy, stamina and a certain feistiness (as mentioned above with Barca) since Milner left - 5'9'' James Milner. Inversely, Michael Carrick may be 6'1'' but you'd hardly call him a physical dynamo. Very few if any games are ever won on height in midfield. Skill and other physical attributes like pace and stamina, even strength (which is actually unrelated to height), are infinitely more important.

You're right on the energy and stamina part.  They are the key ingredients. Alongside talent of course. Would anyone seriously prefer 6ft+ Isiah Osbourne over 5ft 9 James Milner? No, thought not.  Ideally though, in a league such as the top flight in England, a midfield powerhouse with height is be preferable, which why is like players like Essien, Yaya Toure and co come at a premium, and why clubs with finance generally make that type of player a key focus of any transfer business. Even a side as gifted as Arsenal have the likes of Song, Diaby and Eboue fulfilling that role.

Secondly, I will answer one of your points, KG - that we should have made ourselves even better at counter-attacking, and that would have sufficed to improve us. I'm sorry, but that's just entirely missed all the problems we had at home last year, all the problems we had when the opposition scored first, all the problems with our style of football. Like you say, away from home, you could hear the home fans groaning whenever Barry or Petrov set Ash or Gabby away on the counter. Counter-attacking was never the problem. However, though all teams need to counter-attack well (apart from Barcelona, and this would be one area where you can't ape them), ALL successful teams can break sides down at home who've come to defend with passing football. We almost never could. The example of Arsenal's great side is nonsensical and erroneous because, while of course they counter-attacked brilliantly, they also broke teams down at home. To do that, you have to play possession football these days.

It's perhaps no more nonsensical and erroneous than suggesting we use Barcelona as a template.

We already were a counter attacking side, albeit a low rent version of Arsenal at their best. That was our strength. It might have been at times predictable, but most sides knew about us as far back as 2007, yet they couldn't stop us scoring using that system for the next two/three years.  The other string we had to our bow was set pieces, and the general mayhem Laursen caused in the opposition box. Even if he wasn't scoring, he was invariably involved. As we found, once we had scored first, sides who had set themselves up to contain us had to go for it -leaving more gaps to exploit and opening the game up.

The issue was getting that first goal -particularly at home-  and that's where greater efficiency in delivery (from set pieces and open play) taking chances and being defensively sound at the back comes into it.  In time, even better players and players comfortable in possession might have ticked the boxes for the football purists too, but it's far better to arrive at that stage naturally rather than enforce a style of play (a) not suited to the players or (b) not suited to the league and opponents you face or (c) both.

Man Citeh away in the cup was a watershed moment in so many ways. There was a stage in that match (after they were 2-0) where we played nice, intricate passing football. Lovely triangles and all the rest of it. Yet completely impotent. I don't think we created one worthwhile chance. As soon as Citeh wanted to, they just waded in and bullied us out of it. In that horrible moment, we had morphed into Tony Mowbray's WBA. That is not an avenue I want to pursue, it won't be enough for us to go down yet claim some moral victory. We're better than that.

[JJ-AV]

Barcelona are a very physical side.

[WikiVilla]

So are Bolton

[Salsa Party Animal]

I like Celta Vigo's method under Victor Fernandez when they used to be a fan-static team with couple of world class Russians and Brazilians. They are the best passing side I have seen at Villa Park. Remember those wonderful match at Intertoto/UEFA Cup.