Shamrock Rovers v Villa - Guinness & Goals Ginormous Thread

[RussellC]

To be fair Dave, I think AVTV does still offer an audio-stream to his commentary, probably knowing there's a fairly decent chance of there being an issue with the live-stream.

This doesn't excuse his Partridge-esque delivery in the slightest, though.

[darren woolley]

Another win and clean sheet job done.

[paul_e]

I don't mind a commentator describing what's going, particularly with giving names, etc, it's when they're having another conversation whilst you can see a build up to a chance going on, there are times where you'd think nothing was happening if you weren't watching.  I view the job of the commentator in football to be about making you feel involved, so getting excited when there's a good build up, getting frustrated when it's a bit flat, etc.  Jack Partridge just doesn't do that in the slightest.

[dicedlam]

Does who he supports matter? As far as i'm concerned the important thing is how he performs on the pitch.

Exactly.

Mark might very well be a Villa fan, nice bloke and all that, but he is simply not to the standard we require.
Yes, injuries have not been to kind to him, but he was found out by defenders after his first good season with us. He was also a liability when on defensive duties.

There is no room for sentiment at this level. Let the lad leave to make the best of his profession elsewhere and wish him all the best.

Or give him one more chance to prove himself and if it doesn't work out then let him leave.  What difference does it make?  Why the rush?

No rush at all from our perspective I suppose.

However, I dont see him getting many chances this season to prove himself with Carruthers around, who in my opinion is far more technically gifted than Albrighton.

Fair points are being made on sending him out on loan, but I still think it will still end up with the invitable happening of him being elsewhere next season on a permanent basis.

[Billy Walker]

Clampy mate, Gaelic football isn't rubbish, it's just that you don't understand it or see enough of it.  It's fully amateur, give it a chance.

From what I saw of it yesterday on the tellybox (Mayo v Donegal) it did'nt make a lot of sense but it's bloody popular over there if the amount of people walking to Croke Park was anything to go by.

As it's the national sport of Ireland you can be sure it's pretty popular.

People asking earlier about how many Villa fans were there? Well, I'm no expert on these things but I'd say the ground was about two thirds full of Villa fans.  Leaving the East Stand at the end of the match had the same kind of feel as walking down the Trinity Road at the end  of a Villa match.

EDIT: Just caught the highlights on AVTV and reckon I've severely underestimated the size of the Villa contingent.

[Mister E]

I don't mind a commentator describing what's going, particularly with giving names, etc, it's when they're having another conversation whilst you can see a build up to a chance going on, there are times where you'd think nothing was happening if you weren't watching.  I view the job of the commentator in football to be about making you feel involved, so getting excited when there's a good build up, getting frustrated when it's a bit flat, etc.  Jack Partridge just doesn't do that in the slightest.

I thought yesterday that both he and Ian Taylor sounded pretty hungover, which cannot help much.
Or maybe it was my hangover that created that effect.

[Toronto Villa]

what I like about Albrighton is that his attitude is absolutely spot on. He just needs a bit of luck with injuries now and a little run to get back some of his confidence. Lambert will give him all the support he can to make something of himself at the club. I am firmly in his corner because we have seen what he can do. I just hope with the right backing he can get back to that because we have a deadly centre forward just waiting for his crosses.

[adrenachrome]

Herld.ie

Villa look a little green

THE Irish tricolour, which once flew proudly over Villa Park and all who worked there, has become a bit tattered and faded.

Aston Villa are still a draw in terms of the Irish public, that fact evident from the full house of 6,000 punters who paid into Tallaght Stadium to see Paul Lambert's side beat Shamrock Rovers 2-0 with first-half goals from Andy Weimann – likely to face Ireland in Vienna in the World Cup qualifiers next month – and Christian Benteke, the biggest gate for a British club on pre-season duties in Ireland this summer so far.

And Paul McGrath is still capable of bringing the place to a standstill with fans – many of whom were not even born when the Dubliner was playing for Villa – desperate for a photo.

Presence

But the Irish presence in the team is no longer what it was. It's amazing to think that only 18 months ago, when the country was still excited by pre-Euro 2012 fever instead of drowning in post-Poland gloom, the Villa PR department dreamed up the wheeze of assembling their Irish players in the first team for a photo, with an entire Irish XI posing under a tricolour, Villa proud that they could field an entire side – from Shay Given in goal to Robbie Keane up front – of Republic of Ireland players.

But in the summer of 2013, Villa Park is not such a hotspot for our talent. Of that Irish XI trumpeted by Villa last year, four players have left the club (Richard Dunne, Derrick Williams, Daniel Devine and Robbie Keane, though Keane was, of course, just on loan).

Three more are still on the books at Villa, but it's been made clear by the club that they do not see Shay Given, Stephen Ireland and Enda Stevens as part of their plans for the coming season.

Clubs have been linked with that trio, but their possible destinations so far – such as Doncaster (Given), Middlesbrough (Ireland) and Yeovil (Stevens) – indicate that other Premier League clubs outside of Villa do not see that Irish trio as elite division material any more. However, immediate plans are hard to work out, as Lambert refused to answer any questions on the futures of Given, Ireland and Stevens after the game.

Recruit

Of Villa's Ireland XI from 2012, only Ciaran Clark and Samir Carruthers played any part in yesterday's effortless win over Rovers, while two more (Graham Burke and Mikey Drennan, along with Jack Grealish who is a newer recruit to the Irish cause) are still at the club and can only hope to progress next season.

Villa are one of those clubs who are hard to assess ahead of the new Premier League season in England and, if yesterday's win over Rovers is anything to go by, will certainly not be even in the hunt for a European place.

Benteke remains a goal threat, Alexandar Tonev in the middle is a classy player to have and Brad Guzan is a top-drawer keeper, while Ciaran Clark certainly looks like a player with real club and international credentials.

Clark came on as a half-time sub in the Dublin win and while he did his job at the back, limiting a weakened Rovers side to precious few chances in the second half, he almost nicked a goal at the other end, forcing a save from Barry Murphy on the hour mark.

"He done fine, the most important thing is that the players got more minutes under their belt and no injuries, which is the main thing," said Lambert when asked about Clark's contribution, the defender back in the frame with Ireland for the upcoming friendly in Wales after missing the four-game programme at the end of last season.
Unlucky

"He seems to be over his injuries now, he was unlucky. He had a shoulder problem when he was away with the national team and then he got hurt towards the end of last season. Overall, he did very well for me."

Lambert was also pleased with the contribution of Carruthers, the London-born midfielder who is eligible to play for England, Italy, Morocco and Scotland but has declared for Ireland and should win his fifth U21 cap away to the Faroe Islands in a fortnight.

"He has done alright and has been involved with us since we have come back. He is a young lad learning a lot about the workings of the game. But he has done fine."

For Villa, just doing fine in the Premier League this season would be a bonus, and even on the evidence of a pre-season win over Rovers, keeping hold of Beneteke will be a key element of that as he was a constant threat to the goal of Barry Murphy.

[dave.woodhall]

Has anyone told them Benteke has signed a new contract?

[Olneythelonely]

I can't see where they are disputing that. Just saying that keeping hold of him was important.

[Irish villain]

Enjoyed yesterday a lot. Typical pre-season freindly really, an easy enough win with the opposition not looking much cop. Benteke looked really up for it and it's good to still see him and Weimann still linking up well. I think Helenuis might struggle with the Prem at first though.

Murray's bar was great if you like that kind of thing, loads of Villa in there but not rowdy in an away pub kind of way. The ground was bloody miles away on a stupidly long tram ride. Not a bad little ground really, just two stands on either side of the pitch. Found a cracking pub after the game in the city centre which was very tiny but away from the tourists. We could have stayed in there all night.

Stood in front of Ian Taylor and Jack Woodward in the queue for the flight home. Tayls was as freindly as ever and Jack was a really nice chap.

Oh and Gaelic football is rubbish.

 

 

Gaelic Games are actually amazing. The fitness levels required are phenomenal and the pitches are an awful lot bigger than football pitches.  When Croke Park is marked out for 'soccer' there is acres of green grass left behind each goal and along the sidelines.

What pub did you find? I'd be interested to know!

[Irish villain]

Jack has rolled out every single corny cliche you could possibly think about regarding Ireland today, some of them several times.

Any examples?!

"You wake up in the morning, you've got to read all the Sunday papers, the kids are running round, you've got to mow the lawn, wash the car, and you think "Sunday, bloody Sunday!"."

'Really encapsulates the frustration of a Sunday'....were you over Dave?

[dave.woodhall]

Jack has rolled out every single corny cliche you could possibly think about regarding Ireland today, some of them several times.

Any examples?!

"You wake up in the morning, you've got to read all the Sunday papers, the kids are running round, you've got to mow the lawn, wash the car, and you think "Sunday, bloody Sunday!"."

'Really encapsulates the frustration of a Sunday'....were you over Dave?

Nothing to sell.

[Ger Regan]

Enjoyed yesterday a lot. Typical pre-season freindly really, an easy enough win with the opposition not looking much cop. Benteke looked really up for it and it's good to still see him and Weimann still linking up well. I think Helenuis might struggle with the Prem at first though.

Murray's bar was great if you like that kind of thing, loads of Villa in there but not rowdy in an away pub kind of way. The ground was bloody miles away on a stupidly long tram ride. Not a bad little ground really, just two stands on either side of the pitch. Found a cracking pub after the game in the city centre which was very tiny but away from the tourists. We could have stayed in there all night.

Stood in front of Ian Taylor and Jack Woodward in the queue for the flight home. Tayls was as freindly as ever and Jack was a really nice chap.

Oh and Gaelic football is rubbish.

 

 

Gaelic Games are actually amazing. The fitness levels required are phenomenal and the pitches are an awful lot bigger than football pitches.  When Croke Park is marked out for 'soccer' there is acres of green grass left behind each goal and along the sidelines.

What pub did you find? I'd be interested to know!

I'll be honest and say that I don't think Gaelic football is a good sport, hurling on the ore hand is an amazing sport to watch. The skill levels are phenomenal.

[eamonn]

You reviewed the Inbetweeners movie so I hope one for Alpha Papa will be forthcoming.