The West Ham Manager Looked Be-Moyse-d!

Yes, David, you perhaps have a right to be rueful-looking watching how Villa broke away to score the third and fourth goals. At that time, West Ham, having come back to 2-1 following their fortuitous goal, were striving to make a break-through and a Villa of old might just have caved in.

But the Villa showed clearly that they have a superior quality stemming from confidence when on the ball, and that appeared to be the difference. Those third and fourth goals were super-confidently taken. But it wasn't just Villa's quality in scoring those goals; in the first half Villa largely controlled the match and, indeed, should have gone in at the interval two or three goals ahead, not just the single well-taken goal.

In the first-half Villa's play was patient and sometimes very piercing as they 'transitioned' the ball through. How Watkins didn't score from his one big chance, and how their keeper saved Douglas Luiz's top-corner-bound shot, are two big questions. For the rest of Villa's shots, they were mostly wastefully wide of the mark when they should have done better.

But those third and fourth goals made up for all that.

So, four home league games and 17 goals scored in the process. This is a Villa Park performance that is way overdue and I believe there's a good chance Villa will score 50 or more goals at VP this season. If we can improve the away play and the results, that would be something.

Performances from all the team were good today, but McGinn was not much in it apart from flashes and particularly an excellent ball to send Watkins away for the third goal. Zaniolo played a better team game today, but I think a fit Ramsey would get the nod over him.

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The Wolves Were The Real Villains

A mostly awful match to watch, but then it was a derby and derbies have often brought up such situations. Wolves with 19 fouls against them, and a red card to boot, demonstrated they are a team of spoiling tactics, with a couple of their players falling over like flies because of a knock or two.

The Villa, though, should have had the game wrapped up in the first 15 minutes. Initially, Wolves looked a bit nervous facing their local rivals who had scored six last time out, and McGinn really should have scored his 20th Villa goal today with two shots that were good but inaccurate. 

So Wolves, having got through that period, must have thought they had a chance of winning, and very occasionally that workmanlike but scrappy team looked as though they could do that while spoiling Villa's chances of making progress with niggly fouls. That trip from behind just as Watkins was about to shoot near the end should have produced a penalty, but the referee wasn't interested. And there were other fouls that went unpenalised.

We should have won, but I'm grateful that Villa didn't lose this difficult match, unlike Man City last week.

The team looked a bit tired I thought, and now for a break for those not in international squads, and extra time for Ramsey and others to recover from their injuries. Then we go again.

Considering that we're without Ramsey, Buendia, Moreno and Mings, and Tielemans not yet coming up to scratch, we are not doing badly at all.

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6-1! How Did It Happen?

I am still perplexed. Nine attempts on target and six scored with only 39% possession. Actually, perhaps it says a lot about Brighton, who spend so much time passing the ball (though quickly) but against a defence like Villa's it did not help them much. Their one goal was through a freakish passback from Digne instead of whacking it out for a corner if that was his only real option, but at that stage there seemed to be a possibility that the Seagulls might claw their way back (so to speak!).

The replacement of Zaniolo with Ramsey was key I think. As Pete the Canadian directly put it in his analysis after the Everton fiasco, Zaniolo just now looks full of promise from time to time, but it is so little that comes from him to help the team in the entire period he's on the field. Ramsey made that needed difference to keep us looking purposeful.

So, an impressive scoreline to keep the fans happy. After Wednesday's match there were a lot who were far from happy, in particular the season ticket holders who no longer get a gratis cup match ticket and have to pay the full whack to attend a cup match. Quite a few were also complaining about what is being done to the Holte End to provide fresh 'experiences' - and at what cost to their pockets! Also the constant display of ads around the pitch. For me, watching on the box, I just find the pre-match flag waving and flame blowing all a bit too much ucky and almost a turnoff. Add to all that business about the sweaty shirts and the decision to review the Club's crest yet again (etc) I sometimes wonder when the backroom boys at Villa are going to get it right.

After all, what is the 'experience' that the fans really want? None of the commercial and glossy stuff but to watch a team that entertains with commitment ... and is successful.

As to success, I am pleased that Ollie has regained his scoring instincts. A tad lucky with one or two of them today, but he was there working his socks off and he got his rewards. His four goals in two league games must surely be giving him the boost he needs.

As for Tielemans I am almost shocked he's not producing more by now. He's had plenty of opportunity.

Well, away to Wolves next match. We have come unstuck against them before but perhaps this time we will put out a team that will hold things together.

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Some Villa Fans Need A Reality Check - For The Sake Of Their Health!

A win, partly thanks to a sending-off I feel, as I don't think there was much to choose between the teams. If 11 Chelsea men had remained on the field I think the final score could have been 5-5 without the performances put in by the two 'keepers. 

Both goalkeepers excelled themselves to keep down the number of goals. There were two thunderbolt shots from Villa and their keeper's response to both was superlative. But Emi also did his job very well, showing great anticipation.

Villa still are not quite 'there' yet, as numerous other writers would agree, but there's something satisfying about the players' commitment. Not only that but the fact that after this week-end's results, only Manchester City have won more points than the Villa this year! Yes, in the calendar year of 2023 it would seem that we have racked up 55 points - alongside Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal. We are therefore in joint second place for the year versus the steamroller that is Manchester City, on 74 points.

And yet I have just read a blog by a Villa fan that says that after the Liverpool match he did not know where to put himself and didn't view any further Villa match until Thursday just gone, in Warsaw.

If a Villa supporter can allow himself to do that having presumably experienced the hell years between 2011 and 2018 (dare I mention 2015-16 in particular?) then he surely needs a reality check. I am sorry, that is how I see it: life is far more than grumbling about the odd defeat in a general scenario that shows that the Villa is quietly 'getting there'. And thanks to Emery really. He may have some flaws but at least he owns up to his errors and generally gets things sorted pretty quickly. The fact that the players have 'bought' into his methods and decisions is a very positive sign. And I'm quite enjoying Villa's style of play.

I'm happy with the odd 'blip'.

As to today's match I'll not say anything more except mention our Belgian friend Tielemans. In the last two league matches he has come on as a sub and - for me at least - looks good. I feel he will show us some more of what he can do pretty soon.

Well, next up is a League Cup match against a resurgent Everton. But we can do it.

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Football Is Not Played By Robots - Yet!

Well, we lost in Warsaw. Defensively in particular, we looked naive. But with so many changes in that area I am not surprised at the misunderstanding showing in Villa's defensive ranks.

Most importantly, it's not the end of the world considering this is a group stage. We have a good chance to put things right and progress further. It was by no means a fluid Villa performance, but to some extent you have to give credit to Legia for that being the case. 

Legia managed things better, in addition to some muscle that stopped Villa from getting through on a few occasions. The time Duran was pulled back just when he was about to shoot comes to mind, plus a high kick to stop Bailey getting through. That was a red card incident in my view.

But if you were to read the knee-jerk reactions of some regular Villa supporters and their match assessment reports you'd think that there were some very awful individual performances from Villa players last night. I feel that much of it was lack of understanding; after all, it is a team game and understanding has to be built up. Chambers is rarely used and Lenglet was making his first appearance, so what we saw was, for me, not altogether surprising against a quick team like Legia. Otherwise those players played some good stuff last night in my view. 

Yet on the Villa supporters sites I mentioned there were scores of 3 and 4 given for individual performances. 

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but if they're not capable of making reasoned judgments then stay quiet, please. Otherwise all it does is encourage over-expectation for instant success. For goodness sake, Emery has been in the job for less than a year and what he has done in that time is quite remarkable. But on the way there are going to be blips, and this one was surely down to lack of mutual understanding at the back.

Robots have not yet taken over to make football perfect (and every game a 0-0 result!) and long may they stay away.

Let's see what happens on Sunday.

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VAR is a VAT! (Value Added Tax)

So goals are being refused by VAR when a toe is judged to be offside? I thought that the powers-that-be were trying to learn how to use VAR properly? How come that a goal scored with such skill can be chalked off because the player's toe is too long? What kind of game are they trying to create?

Hands up anyone who remembers that the 'three points for a win' law was introduced in 1981 to encourage more goals to be scored; to move away from the defensive mentality. Today we have the unfortunate situation that team managers are scared of losing, hence their support for VAR even though it remains so much a debatable tool in the way it is being used.

For a while yesterday, the refusal of Diaby's 'goal' had the effect of encouraging the Palace's mass defence and breakaway tactic to the point that it nearly made the game sterile. Until they scored just after the break. That had the benefit of making Villa realise they had to do more, and with a few team adjustments, 'more' was achieved in the shape of three goals. But even one of those brought about more controversy.

Well, we have to thank Jhon (spelling?!) for a remarkable goal to bring hope back to Villa Park. His shooting really is good; rarely does he shoot off target, but that shot was a cracker. Whether he is really the entire answer to Ollie's scoring difficulties just now, I'm not sure, but the thought does occur to me that perhaps we should play both of them, with Ollie lying deeper. One issue is, however, that there would be no other recognised striker to warm the bench in case of need unless Zaniolo is able to plug the gap.

One positive development for me, yesterday, was the better contribution from Tielemans. It was he who set Diaby racing through to provide the assist for the third goal, and Tielemans it was who provided the slide rule pass to Watkins, who won the penalty.

Ah, the penalty. I was impressed by the referee yesterday as he clearly stood his ground having recognised the intent of the defender to stop Ollie at all costs. It was a clever tackle, in my opinion, to give the impression that he was playing the ball, but this referee was having none of it. The VAR check again took so long, and the referee in charge at VAR HQ seems to have been taken in by the clever tackle. The ref on the turf, however, would not be intimidated. Good for him, and I am not saying that because he made a decision in our favour. Perhaps our ref was disgusted by the chalking-off of Diaby's goal! Justice was done in my view. And good for Douglas Luiz, too, as he also kept his nerve.

In the end a much-needed (and deserved) win to restore confidence, especially with a visit to Chelsea coming up who (despite - or because of - their league position) will be wanting to be top dog in that match), and then we have Brighton, who are really impressive just now.

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I Saw Red Today!

Well, if you play average opposition over four games and score 15 goals in the process I suppose you can get a bit complacent. But there is complacency and there is naivety, for surely everyone knows that if you go to Anfield they'll run at you and pass you by if you'll let them.

Unfortunately, no one seems to have told Mr. Torres that as he tried (what we now know is) his normal shimmy and was robbed of the ball, leading to a corner that produced a goal. And that in the third minute too. What a way to get shaken up, and then followed by Matty's own goal, which was just plain unfortunate. And in-between Carlos having to come off the field with yet further injury.

In reality, the final score could have been about 6-3, but a three-goal deficit whichever way you look at it. At no time in the match did we really look as though we might come back into it, but we had three fluffed chances that went begging, and if one had gone in who knows what might have happened.

I couldn't help but notice that after Messrs. Zaniolo and Duran came on there was a touch more sharpness, but being already 3-0 down didn't do much for their confidence as they couldn't put anything on target. But it was a general sharpness that Villa lacked today after their menu of average opposition in the last few weeks. After Newcastle and now Anfield we should by now have learnt our lesson and be following our Club's own ancient motto: "Prepared".

I suppose that having spent so much on new players the expectancy factor is so much higher, but that expenditure brings me to think about the sale of Aaron Ramsey, Archer and Philogene. Archer already shows quality for the Premiership - I saw it two years ago against Chelsea and two really good strikes for the Blades over the week-end confirms his quality. Yes, I know we have buy-back clauses for each of them, but these players really needed better massaging for first-team action last season, not to be dealt with in the way that has transpired, though I will accept that the Club's pragmatic target was European competition for this season.

Well, let's dust ourselves down and pick ourselves up for the visit of the once claret-and-blue team of Crystal Palace. We have two weeks nearly to work out how to do it! In particular, how do we solve the cenre-back crisis that has emerged now Carlos has gone down again. And will Mr. Torres not be so casual in the future? At present, I live in fear of what good opposing sides may do to our defence.

Still, there are plenty of average sides to practise against and get points off.

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The Toffees Managed To Get Stuck

So, the goal difference has been restored to zero!  And really it should be showing plus, but I can accept that with matches coming thick and fast, and with a few injuries to worry about, there's no point in the players blowing a gasket I suppose. At least one more Villa player has gone down today with a serious injury it would seem.

What were the Toffees doing? It is difficult to believe they were so poor, but perhaps they got mesmerised by some really skillful play in the first half in particular.  Using two old Villans in their ranks (Gueye and Young) did not help them one bit, allowing their old boy (Digne) to strut his stuff and provide Diaby with a chance to show his volleying skills again, and other close calls. 

With Burnley next up, we have another chance to sharpen up before we get to Anfield, and perhaps the Hibernian games will provide good practise as well. By the time we get to Anfield we will have a far better idea of how we are shaping.

I continue to admire our manager/coach in his approach, but sad also that young players are being shipped out in favour of big-money signings, and foreign players at that. But complaining is a luxury as the owners probably think that enough time has passed without silverware and if it means a big spend up to get that then so be it. I suppose. I have never been happy with that approach in the game and have long complained about the Manchester clubs, Chelseas and others for the big-spend attitude. Because my own club is now doing it rather than promoting more young players cannot change my view on this big-money philosophy. 

So long as the football is good to watch and matches are entertaining then I will try more to hold my counsel. Nevertheless, the amount of money in this sport is frightening, and with the ladies wanting their slice of the cake as well now, together with the hype building in their game, an independent observer might think that football has become something that matters above all else. This in a world that is increasingly suffering.

Don't the big-money people read the media for the news?  Do they help? Do they want to?

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They Got Our Measure - Helped By Our Own Errors

Well, where do you start? You could put it all down to the Geordies' Pace, Precision and Power; but was it as simple as that?

At half-time we had, amazingly, recorded more shots than them, but a couple of those were genuinely squandered chances. We should have been at least level at half-time.

But one of the two real turning points in the game was firstly in losing Mings to injury, and secondly that awful lapse in concentration by Konsa to effectively give away the third goal. This was after we had spent nearly 15 minutes at the start of the second half trying to take control of the match, plus the 15 minutes before half-time.

The departure of Mings affected Konsa's play, I feel, as they have formed a solid partnership over the past two or three years.

After the third goal, Villa seemed to just lose whatever cohesion they had. At the end of it all, Newcastle had 17 shots and we had 15! The difference was that 13 of theirs were on target, while only 6 of ours were similarly placed.

This result is a bit of a shock to Villa fans, but perhaps we should accept that their manager had at last got the measure of Villa's play after their defeat at Villa Park last Spring, and the draw in the pre-season tournament. They learned something while we seemed to be utterly complacent - particularly at the back, even before Mings' premature departure.

It's a bit early to draw conclusions, but it seems that injuries are rocking the boat at Villa Park quite a bit just now, plus the fact that I feel that Cash and Bailey will have to fight harder for their places. I really like Philogene; one spin turn of his near the end left three players in his wake and I feel that with being played more and with encouragement, Bailey will find what he's up against for his place in the team.

As to the new signings we saw today, Diaby will do well, I have no doubt. Tielemans came on at half-time but did little for me. Is he suited for such a match? Torres will also do well, but it's a question of getting that understanding going with his defensive colleagues. Carlos is still virtually a new player and will help our cause, no doubt. Perhaps we will see a back four of Konsa or Chambers, Carlos, Torres and Digne while Mings is out.

Well, Mr. Emery has got something to think about. The upcoming matches versus Everton and Burnley give him a chance to get things back on track before the visit to Anfield. That's the Premier League; there's not much of a gap between the really difficult matches!

Further, this defeat and the injury situation really makes me wonder whether Aaron Ramsey's supposed transfer to Burnley makes sense.

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Konsa Leads The Way!

Well, so there is still feeling in football after all! After watching Ezri Konsa's highly individual goal against his old team, I am enthused to see that coaching methods have not wiped away the individual's need to express himself.

I can imagine his thoughts. After surrendering a penalty he must have started to get angry. When Villa went 2-0 down he must have been seething as the scoreline was against the run of play. Then, suddenly, he receives the ball just outside his own penalty area and just goes for it.

The sight of two opposition players just falling off him without making one bit of difference was not only hilarious but just underlined the importance of determination ... as well as the strength and the skill.

I always had the feeling that there's more to Konsa than meets the eye. I've often got the impression that he does get really angry when things are not going right, and this time he was determined enough to put things right.

Will he do the same thing in a league match when the situation demands it? Would any of the back three be so determined to do it in a league match? I would hope that Emery is actually encouraging a certain level of individuality, as the over-coached mechanical play on show for so many years does not do it for me.

The fact that the Villa has brought in Diaby seems to indicate the desire to create more flair in Villa's play. Bailey also indicated that spirit, but Diaby's early showing seems to indicate he is the real deal. If Diaby's example rubs off on Bailey then all the better, but we also have Philogene showing real spark, and that is really good. Showing such confidence should also provide other youngsters with the example needed to break through.

Watkins, however, needs to develop a killer instinct in front of goal to be recognised as a true striker, and Archer has not made very good use of his opportunities.

Well, the pre-season matches have so far been somewhat inspiring for me in the quality of play. Let's hope that when it comes to the first real match of the new season we can bring it all together and, especially, again show Newcastle how to play.

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I'm Growing Old Thinking About The Youth

Hello there. Last time I wrote I was aghast at the Villa's policy with regard to the shirt sponsors and also the new logo. Now it's the turn of worry about the lack of young players coming through from the Academy, despite several being lauded as highly promising. 

The recent signing of Rico Richards - another example of poaching from neighbours Albion - makes me think back to all the other players snatched from other clubs, one notable player being Louie Barry from Albion via Barcelona, at the time rated highly and now at the age of 20 you'd expect to be pushing for the first team. Surely he showed his credentials a couple of years ago against Liverpool when the Villa were forced to field the youth team in an FA Cup match. He scored a plum goal as I remember.

Others that had already shown their credentials have included Cameron Archer and Philogen-Bidace who both showed up well against Chelsea in the League Cup two seasons back.

There are countless other youngsters who have been highly talked of, such as Aaron Ramsey, the younger brother of Jacob, and also Tim Iroegbunam, another 20-year-old.

Do you remember that time when the young Stephan Moore was supposed to have outclassed Wayne Rooney in the FA Youth Cup Final of 2002? And his brother Luke was supposed to be better, but even though he scored a league hat-trick in 2005-06 (five goals in 3 matches in fact) the encouragement factor at Villa Park seems to have been nil during the 2000s for those trying to break through. Is it really any better now when we see only Jacob Ramsey in today's first team as a product of the much-vaunted Academy?

I do admire the transformation that Emery has brought to the playing method at Villa Park, but to me, it's so very sad that the names littered around the ground these days have become increasingly foreign sounding, from the top of the club to the first team.

What hope is there for England's footballing future if all the big clubs choose (have chosen) to 'go foreign' with the exception of very, very few British players. The problem seems to be increasing.

Though Dean Smith did not achieve great success during his tenure at Villa Park, I liked his model and, indeed, showed that he was on the way in the 2020-21 season when, after that memorable 7-2 drubbing of Liverpool, the Villa flirted in the top-6 for a few weeks and for much of the season were in 9th place before finishing 11th, partly due to the over-reliance on Grealish who was injured a lot during the second half of the season. But this was also a time when Covid was still casting its mawkish spell. Dean was working under some stress yet he always seemed to learn from whatever situations were presented to him to solve.

Over-aspiration caused Villa's top brass to dispose of Dean in favour of Gerrard after he'd unfortunately lost his main coaching team and also Grealish, despite grabbing a great win at Man U not long before.

Yes, we now do seem to be getting somewhere at VP, but at what cost? I hope we don't rue the day when British blood is squeezed out of the game. Thank goodness for the improved performances of Mings, Ramsey and McGinn this season, otherwise I'm not sure we'd be seeing any British players in the first team in season 2023-24.

Let's see those Academy players being given a better chance. If they turn out well (and why shouldn't they?), that would be a lower-cost investment surely? Or are the Villa using the Academy principally to make money from sales?

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A Blast From The Past

Hello Fellow Villans!

You might say this is a blast from the past ... and it is! I have been .. away, let's say. A housing problem occurred in October last and it has taken until this month (June) to settle into something that we might call home. It has been something of a traumatic time (but all problems are opportunities are they not?!) and I send my sincere thanks to those of you who inquired of me. But we may yet move again: we will see. 

During my time 'away', one of my most frequent Villa communicants, an octogenarian lady born in Aston but latterly of the south of England, very sadly left this life. I felt her loss during the period we went through. God bless her soul.

Coming back to the Villa, though, I went 'off the air' just after Gerrard's departure ... and the change since has been nothing short of phenomenal. A change that certainly gives us, from a playing point of view, much better hope for the Club. The rise of the Villa since October has barely needed any comment from me, and I am so glad to see the resurgence of Skipper McGinn and the rise of Jacob Ramsay, but I do question the release of Ashley Young. I felt he could have something to offer for another season yet. However, Ash helped to get us back into Europe, he being one of those who played the last time we competed there, in 2010. Thanks Ash!

Note that I limit my praise of Villa's rise since October. There are a couple of non-playing things that have transpired these past few months that I have not welcomed, and they can be summed up in this image:

Apart from the basic shirt design - which I am not that keen about - there are two visible changes that are not welcome to me. Firstly: how on earth are we back into using gambling sponsors? Apart from their grotesque logo the very principle of using BK8 appalls me. The quicker it disappears from the shirt the better for me, but in any case, backing the gambling sector should not be a feature of any sport in my humble opinion.

However, the second issue is the club's new logo or emblem. Yes, why not go back to the circular badge and I am happy for its selection. I will say, however, that I believe that this has been an opportunity lost, both artistically and in the presentation of what the club represents to the locality. The badge could have been so much more in my view. But to reverse the direction in which the lion is pointing just begs the question ... WHY? Now, I happen to have some insight here, as I will now explain.

When I was officially looking after the club's memorabilia during the 2007-10 period, I discovered that the original club's lion (from 1878) faced in this, rightmost, direction, and I reported that fact to the hierarchy at Villa, who were very interested to learn this. Little did I realise that in 2023 this right-facing lion would reappear "for historical reasons", but the historical reason for it is lost on me as this right-facing lion only lasted two years at Villa! In 1880 the lion we were all brought up with was instituted: it lasted 143 years. If anything, therefore, why not introduce two lions - left and right facing - if you want to change the lion at all?

What is more mystifying, however, is that this logo will not be universally adopted except on the kit for at least another 12 months! Now, what kind of "brand" is Villa introducing? One lion facing one way ... another the other way. How farcical. It shows scant regard for the club's history and tradition, nor knowledge of it. I am afraid the club seems - in reality - too concerned about its commercial presentation. I say let the results do the presentation, and in that area we seem to be going the right way ... so long as the players all wear a logo with the lion pointing the same way!

I'll write when something else grabs my attention before the season starts.

UTV!