brummie

Team: Aston Villa Current Position: 3rd Where did you expect your team to currently be: 5th or 6th Best player so far this season: Agbonlahor or Laursen. Agbonlahor has a new wiliness about him, added to his pace, and always was an excellent finisher. Laursen is just brilliant week in, week out. Worst player so far this season: Marlon Fucking Harewood. Nigel Reo-Coker doesn't impress me much. Milner is struggling a bit, but needs time, and will get it. Best game so far: Ajax at home, Spurs away, Wigan at home. I much prefer watching us away from home. Worst game so far: Newcastle away. We just didn't look bothered. Everton away we played poorly, but still won, and scored 3 goals away from home, so that can't really be the worst away match, but i thought our all-round performance in that one was poor. Who would you like to sign in January: We've two issues. Firstly, we need more strength up front. So I'd like Roque Santa-Cruz. Secondly, when we can hit teams on the break, we're lethal, but when they come to Villa Park and just defend (as they do increasingly) we sometimes struggle to unlock teams. I'd like Gordon Cowans for that one. Who would you like to sell in January: Marlon Fucking Harewood. Thoughts on your manager so far this season: He bamboozles and bewilders in equal measure, but every time I see him interviewed, a little bit of me melts and I think how incredibly glad I am to have him as our manager. Relegation certainties to third place in a little over two years. There have been some oddities along the way (Harewood, Knight) but you've got to have faith in someone who delivers that. General thoughts on your team so far: We've played well within ourselves for much of the season. To listen to the media wankery over us, you wouldn't think this was true, but we've not played anything like as well as we could. Losing Bouma for the season so far was a great loss, and the recent loss of Carew was the same. At times, we can be absolutely devastating, and I really enjoy watching us. I think we could have a really good season if - as I firmly believe we will do - we pick up the pace for the second half of the season. Where do you think you’ll finish from this point to the end of the season: Probably 5th, quite possibly 4th, outside chance of 3rd. If we put a run of form together like we did the second half of the season before last, and for a big chunk of last season, then .... really, who knows. I'm also convinced we'll reach the UEFA Cup final, but that's not based on anything resembling rationality.

We've got them at home on Boxing Day. Looking forward to that one. How did it end at The Emirates? Was it 3-1 to Villa? Agbonhalor scoring a couple if im not wrong? 2-0, Agbonlahor and an own goal

We've got them at home on Boxing Day. Looking forward to that one.

I really don't see why you can't do it tbh. Liverpool & Chelsea have been doing as much as they can to hand Man Utd the title lately, Man Utd are dropping points when they get the chance to close the gap, Arsenal have been sh*t, and you're just going about your business. Similar to us in 01/02. I was actually joking, however, if we could put together a decent run where we played as well as we did last year for long spells, I would fancy our chances of doing very well. We've been playing badly for several weeks now, but we keep getting results somehow. Everton away and West Ham this weekend. Poor performances. Six points. We've played 9 away games and taken 18 points from 27, won 6, drawn 3. That's impressive, but what worries me is that we've played really well about 3 times this season at maximum. It could go either way for the rest of the season.

Five points off the top. I'm predicting the big trophy in B6 in May if the "top" teams carry on being this shit. Oh yes.

Only twice this season have we played as well as we did very frequently last year. If we start playing for the rest of the season as well as we did last year - and it really could happen - then God knows what we could do. Liverpool are top of the league, and have looked absolutely average most of the season.

This is his third season. What I am most happy about is that we're playing badly at the moment (Everton away, today) and still picking up three points. First half we were quite good, and could easily have been two up at the break. Second we were shite. Who fucking cares. Third in the league. I'll take that.

Entirely undeserved, but when things are going well, they're going well.

I understand we will play one of Udinese, Wolfsburg, Galatasaray, CSKA Moscow. But I may be wrong. Either way, it could be worse.

Our first choice are a decent match for Arsenal's first XI. Our second XI probably aren't.

I think he's great except for when he has to play alongside Zat Knight. Knight would make Maldini look shite.

We left Barry, Young, Agbonlahor, Laursen and Milner (!) at home. That tells you all you need to know about how much we were bothered about that match. I'm just glad I didn't travel over there. 3000 very pissed off fans over there, I would imagine.

Actually, it's not. Clubs don't just go offering 120k for 4 years to a 29 year old just because it's a "free transfer." He's not getting better terms at any team not named Manchester City. So it's up to him whether he'd rather have the money here or UEFA cup glory with another club. Personally? I think Owen knows this is the best deal he's going to get from anywhere. What's the point going to Spurs/Everton/Villa for significantly less money? Unless Villa gets into the CL this year and offers him a contract, or Man City fails in their bids for Villa, Drogba, Zlatan, Henry, and Eto'o and needs to go for plan F, I think he's going to sign. I doubt we'd offer him 90k a week. With his fitness issues, 90k a week for 4 years is an enormous commitment, I really doubt many clubs would be prepared to pay that. That's what, the sharp end of 20m over 4 years? God.

i always rated him when he played for us. I understand you lot aren't fans, mind *wink*

I don't think SJP is anything like the most atmospheric stadium in the top flight. To be honest, I'd expect to find the most fervour at places like Stoke City these days, places where the fans are getting more than they've had for a very long time. I also have to say that I don't really buy the whole thing about football in the region being special etc etc etc, you can find supporters of Mansfield Town or Gillingham or whoever who would say that about their own club / area. However - bear with me - I do think that there are a few really differentiating factors about SJP / NUFC that you don't see in many similar clubs. The obvious thing is that it is a single club city and a small city, but the club has a wide catchment area over a large area, and the club seems to have a wider influence than many others do. You have an enormous advantage in that the ground is in the city centre, almost as if the city grows out around it. Then added to that, it is on top of a hill. Throw in to that the fact that the city covers a relatively small area, and you feel the impact of the club throughout the area. When I lived up there, I remember being surprised the first time I heard the noise from the ground (and there were only 20k or so in it at the time, so it must be even more noticeable now) when Newcastle scored. It is like the position of the ground is like a radio beacon or something, and the whole city feels "close" to it. When I was growing up, we lived in South Birmingham. Villa Park and my house were both within the city limits, but approx 11-12 miles apart, and with one other club closer, and another one about the same distance. There's an immediacy about SJP that you don't find in many other cities.

you're joking. MON loves NRC to inexplicable levels, he really does. The number of games I've seen where everyone was practically begging him to take Reo-Coker off, then he goes and takes a right back off, sticks NRC there, then sticks someone else in midfield ... I don't really get NRC. He's a great tackler and an awkward player to have in your face, but he gives the ball away far too much. I much prefer Sidwell. I think O'Neill is always scared to take Agbonlahor/Carew off when they are playing, or to put another striker on. Saw it when you played us, his idea of an attacking change is taking Luke Young off, putting a midfielder on and throwing NRC back there. When the likes of Harewood, Salifou, and Routledge (All his own purchases) sit on the bench. Villa only have two strikers he trusts, due to some poor buys, and it leaves him with very few options when down. Holding Villa back really. Also, while Nigel showed promise a few years back, imo he really has not turned into a good player and has no place in a side with lofty aspirations like Villa. All true enough, but the reason he won't take Carew or Agbonlahor off and bring on another striker is because the other striker in question is Marlon Harewood. Salifou is a midfielder and was a 'costs practically nothing' punt as was Routledge. Like the others, Harewood is a MON purchase, you're right there, and not a particularly good one, but he's had two and a bit years to transform the squad, and he really has done it, but up front is the bit that needs strengthening still. Look at how weak the squad was when he arrived, look at it now. Centre backs - Laursen, Davis, Cuellar, Knight (yes, I know). Full backs - Bouma, Young, Shorey. Midfield - Barry, Young, Petrov, NRC, Sidwell, Milner. You can say he doesn't have any other strikers he trusts, but Harewood is the only other striker he's bought. We have Delfouneso coming through, who many say is a better prospect at that age than Agbonlahor was. What I like is the fact that MON clearly won't play Harewood unless he has to. He's not tempted to take the 'I'd better play him as I bought him' line. Up front is the obvious place we still need to strengthen, and I am sure we will. You can't do it all overnight, this kind of thing takes time, and on the results he has brought us thus far, I'm more than happy to trust him to do it (even if he is infuriating at times).

That's the point isn't it. I've watched Villa for over 30 years now, and even now when I go to the match, I think about the generations and generations of my family (right back to when the club moved there) who stood and watched us play on that exact same patch of grass. The oldest stand in the ground wasn't even built when I started going, but even given that, take the club away from there and you break something which you cant fix again. I don't care if Aston is a gun ridden ghetto miles away from where I live, I don't care if the area is deprived and struggling, I don't care if the public transport network makes it hard to get to, i don't care about any of it, that's the card we were dealt, that's where the club belongs, and that rectangle of grass is where we should be playing our matches. Clubs who move to identikit stadia on ring roads want their fucking heads looking at. The Baseball Ground was an incredibly intimidating place to go to, as was Ayresome Park, as was Roker Park at times. Look at the history Bolton had at their old ground. All pissed away so middle class twonks can get to matches with the same ease they'd use for an afternoon at IKEA. I'm no class warrior (I'm middle class myself, by any definition), but it really does break your heart.

It looks a lot more like the Emirates than you're letting on. Poor effort from the club. No doubt the facilities will be great but no real thought has gone into it and it isn't unique in any way. That's what I hate about the new breed of stadia, they're so fucking bland. The Emirates is a superbly furnished place to spend an afternoon in your leisure pursuit, there's no doubt you'll be comfortable, but it is every bit as soulless as the Riverside, the Reebok or the Ricoh. Everton's Kirkby plan (forgive me, I'm behind on developments there - in fact, fill me in on them if you've got time) looks like the worst of the lot. Goodison may be decrepit in parts and unserviceable, but it IS Everton. Clubs seem happy to sell out that kind of history a little too easily for my liking.

you're joking. MON loves NRC to inexplicable levels, he really does. The number of games I've seen where everyone was practically begging him to take Reo-Coker off, then he goes and takes a right back off, sticks NRC there, then sticks someone else in midfield ... I don't really get NRC. He's a great tackler and an awkward player to have in your face, but he gives the ball away far too much. I much prefer Sidwell.

i should say, whilst he's not looked particularly good with us, he has had his moments. He set up Sidwell for that first goal at Everton, he set up Young a few weeks ago in a fixture I've totally forgotten (but it was a decent run to the by line then a cut back), he also set up Sidwell's goal at Wigan. The way I'd assess him at the moment is as follows As good as when we had him on loan? No. Looking like 12m worth? No. But it is too soon to expect him to do so. Had his moments? Yes, just not enough of them so far. Worth persevering with? Absolutely. Ashley Young didn't cross like he does now when he arrived here. It took work. He looked very average for a while when he arrived. Everyone laughed at the price tag. I'm not saying he'll be anything like a good a player as Young, but I've no doubt John Robertson had a lot to do with Young's fantastic crossing. Who's to say he can't do the same with Milner? Time to write him off? Absolutely not. He's got the luxury of playing in a team that is getting results at the moment (by and large), which will probably help. He's got time. Worth an international call up? Definitely not, but I can see why Capello would mention him. What i don't understand is the level of bitterness (that's probably not the right word, but not far off) to him from certain quarters here. No, he didn't set the world alight with you, but he was far from your worst player, and you got 12m for him 2 years after coming within a whisker of selling him for a third of that. Not much to moan about there.

As a ground, White Hart Lane doesn't really have a lot of history, so it doesn't really matter what they replace it with. It does look a bit like the Emirates, though. Although that's not such a bad thing. How tacky making it quite so obvious you'll flog the naming rights by actually putting NAMING RIGHTS on the side of the renders. How awfully, awfully déclassé

Wasn't Benitez also interested in Milner for a while? He's looked dodgy since he's been here, but I remember what he was like first time around, so am happy to give him time to get his act together. Ashley Young looked dodgy for a while when he first joined, incidentally. As for getting a game for England, I can't see how he should be near the squad at the moment.

Agbonlahor today was absolutely superb. I doubted him last season, but he's added so much to his game this year.

Signing anyone in January is very difficult innit.

Absolutely no chance. MON loves him. He missed a couple of games through illness hence Sidwell getting in. In fact, bit of a sore point amongst our lot, MON will go to ridiculous lengths to avoid ever having to take NRC off. He'll move him to RB, Luke Young to LB and take Shorey off, for example.