Derby v Villa Friendly

[ASHTONVILLA]

Starting to worry now. I know it is only a friendly, but I would expect what is with the exception of N'Zogbia likely to be our first choice midfield and attack this season to be able to score goals against Derby County.

Can't see past bottom six at the moment based on pre season indications. Ireland does not look any better than last season, Warnock still looks poor, as do Collins and Dunne. Albrighton on current form is not a good replacement for Downing either.

If Bent or Given or N'Zogbia pick up an injury we are going to be in real trouble.

[Greg N'Ash]

was delph any use - assume he got a yellow card, pretty much a given - but did he do anything??

i'm guessing not. I know some on here believe he's gonna be a star but i don't 'get' delpth i must say.

Or how to spell his name.

Sometimes he can produce something special if you look at some of the balls he has delivered and the passes he has made. That said so can Bannan or even Ireland. For me he really has to have a good season as he has struggled to get going at Villa. You can only be promising for so long. 

yep thats not far off my view really. I don't rate him much higher than some of our promising youth midfielders so when you consider how much he cost us.

Think he has the potential to be a top quality midfielder, that said was disappointed with his performance vs Chelsea on Saturday.

I have seen enough of him "live" though to think he has something about him,  so count me as one of the believers.   Don't forget also that he has had two serious injuries since he has been here and has hardly played !!.  If he has started 15-20 games that would be about it, is my guess.

So lets give the kid a chance eh?

yeah...said before its a big season for him and i take the point about the injury that would have put anyone back let alone a kid. Good or bad, i can't seehow he's not gonna get his chance this season so we shall see....

[monkeyboy]

was delph any use - assume he got a yellow card, pretty much a given - but did he do anything??

i'm guessing not. I know some on here believe he's gonna be a star but i don't 'get' delpth i must say.

Or how to spell his name.

Sometimes he can produce something special if you look at some of the balls he has delivered and the passes he has made. That said so can Bannan or even Ireland. For me he really has to have a good season as he has struggled to get going at Villa. You can only be promising for so long. 

yep thats not far off my view really. I don't rate him much higher than some of our promising youth midfielders so when you consider how much he cost us.

agree - he needs to produce this year- i'm really hoping he proves to be better than i'm giving him credit for

[Greg N'Ash]

look on the bright side. Usually by this time we're still waiting for our 1st signing let alone worrying whether he'll mesh with the team

Yes, going on the one season when we didn't sign anyone in July since Randy took over, (or as I call it, last year), you do have a point.

i wasn't being entirely serious, just a light hearted comment. :0)

[Somniloquism]

Even if it was two weeks - and I don't honestly know - that's not a particularly long time for a close season transfer. How long, for example, did the Ashley Young deal drag on for?

Manure still signed Ash before the players reported for duty for pre season so he has managed to get as much time with his new team mates as possible, although it helps that the manager could say who he wanted even before the end of last season.

You are correct that 2 weeks is not that long, and with the idea of other signings being made it would not be as big an issue. But with Alex being quoted (misquoted?) again that no other signings were to be made, having Chuck hitting the ground running is more important then ever. So the more time he can spend with his new team mates, the more chance of that happening.

[dave.woodhall]

Even if it was two weeks - and I don't honestly know - that's not a particularly long time for a close season transfer. How long, for example, did the Ashley Young deal drag on for?

Manure still signed Ash before the players reported for duty for pre season so he has managed to get as much time with his new team mates as possible, although it helps that the manager could say who he wanted even before the end of last season.

You are correct that 2 weeks is not that long, and with the idea of other signings being made it would not be as big an issue. But with Alex being quoted (misquoted?) again that no other signings were to be made, having Chuck hitting the ground running is more important then ever. So the more time he can spend with his new team mates, the more chance of that happening.

I would hope a couple of weeks will be plenty. I was once told "Give a player an excuse and he'll take it" and I have a feeling our manager won't be quite so accommodating as some of his predecessors.

[cdbearsfan]

was delph any use - assume he got a yellow card, pretty much a given - but did he do anything??

The commentator on AVTV said he was one of our better players before being taken off, although a few of his long passes didn't come off. A reverse of his performance against Chelsea where he was one of our poorer players but put in some good long passes out wide which our wingers made pigs' ears of.

I was impressed with how he played even out of position at the end of last year and reckon he'll come good. Not too bothered how he plays in friendlies so long as he's match fit for the Fuggers game.

[Somniloquism]

yeah...said before its a big season for him and i take the point about the injury that would have put anyone back let alone a kid. Good or bad, i can't seehow he's not gonna get his chance this season so we shall see....

As a kid, hopefully they are most likely to heal and recover from it these days. He has had some smashing games but he has not been able to put a run together of games in the middle due to getting niggling injuries or our situations of either challenging at the top, or trying to escape relegation.

The same can be said of Gary Gardner, no opportunities followed by a big injury suspending his development. I would have liked to see him in some games last season when we were safe but he wasn't even on the bench.

[dave.woodhall]

The same can be said of Gary Gardner, no opportunities followed by a big injury suspending his development. I would have liked to see him in some games last season when we were safe but he wasn't even on the bench.

The trouble is that these days there's so much prize money at stake clubs can't afford to give kids a run-out. Reasons to hate football (cont)....

[pauliewalnuts]

I'm still worried that we're way too light on the squad. Nothing like strong enough.

However, I've been worried about that for a while.

A meaningless pre-season friendly in which we played a load of second stringers shouldn't really be enough to swing anyone's opinion - either doomwards or towards happlyclappyland.

[Greg N'Ash]

I'm still worried that we're way too light on the squad. Nothing like strong enough.

However, I've been worried about that for a while.

A meaningless pre-season friendly in which we played a load of second stringers shouldn't really be enough to swing anyone's opinion - either doomwards or towards happlyclappyland.

WORD. means nowt in the big scheme of things

[Phil from the upper holte]

I went not very impressed, I know it was a friendly but we created nothing, albrighton, makoun, delph poor, Ireland had alot of the ball but didn't hurt them, there was no service to bent and one shot

Fonz is not the player people think he is and his first touch is very poor. Disappointed we didn't at least try two up front

[The Laughing Policeman]

Sack the Board!

Don't give a shite about the result in all honesty, it's more match fitness and game time in the legs -even for some of those who might not feature heavily this year.

Plus a good pre season results wise almost guarantees a problematic nine and a bit months.  It's the law.

y the fuck would u do that the board r gd they r giving us money to buy o'neil left us in a state no the board

You'd better look to your laurels Mr. Woodhall, this man is a master of the English language. I predict he will be hailed as the Shakespeare of the 21st. century.

[Matt C]

Felt like a training match more than a friendly, nothing too meaningful to take from it on our part. That said, I'd still like to have seen a but more from Albrighton, Bannan & Ireland on whom we're seemingly pinning a lot of hopes.

[Chris Smith]

Starting to worry now. I know it is only a friendly, but I would expect what is with the exception of N'Zogbia likely to be our first choice midfield and attack this season to be able to score goals against Derby County.

I don't that. Petrov, Gabby and N'zogbia are all likely to start I reckon.

First half we were OK, tried to play football and the passing was quick but lacking a little in the final third.  Bannan was our best player by a mile, I think he's put himself to the front of the queue. Ireland started slowly but had a good last 25 minutes of the first half but faded after being switched wide after half time. Makoun had a good game, Carke and Herd were decent at the back, Delph was neat and tidy but I thought Albrighton other than 2 or 3 early crosses was poor. None of the subs impressed.

I really wouldn't read any significance into a team that probably had only three players in it who will start at Fulham.

Great turn out, watching from the box at the opposite end they were still coming in at 5 past 8. Highlight, other than the hospitality of our hosts, was our lot taking the piss out of the music after the first goal.