Aston Villa Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2013/14

Raekwon · 28-04-2012 4:48pm

What a save! :eek:

Helix · 28-04-2012 4:53pm

G.K. wrote: »

I honestly don't think Villa will get any more points.

say that again before each of our last 2 games will you? it seems to do the trick for us to pick points up

Savman · 28-04-2012 4:53pm

Game Over, uncomfortable viewing yet again. Spurs next for the lean mean drawing machine!

Helix · 28-04-2012 4:54pm

Savman wrote: »

Game Over, uncomfortable viewing yet again. Spurs next for the lean mean drawing machine!

well, as things stand now qpr and bolton both need 4 from their last 3 to pass us

qpr have chelsea and city to play

Raekwon · 28-04-2012 4:55pm

Yet another draw, well McLeish did send his team out for a 0-0 so I'm sure he'll be over the moon with that.

Not out of the woods yet by a long shot, if QPR & Bolton win their games in hand then anything can happen.

G.K. · 28-04-2012 4:55pm

Helix wrote: »

say that again before each of our last 2 games will you? it seems to do the trick for us to pick points up

:pac:

Well, if it helps Villa stay up. Have always had a soft spot for the club, whatever my posts suggest.

1 more point and you'll be safe. QPR won't get more than 37 points, and Blackburn are as good as down.

Bounty Hunter · 28-04-2012 4:59pm

In a strange way this will make some Villa fans happy as it moves us a little step towards being a Prem team again next year but doesnt eliviate any pressure on McLeish or Lerner (in terms of what to do with McLeish).

Raekwon · 28-04-2012 5:00pm

Chelsea will be most likely be fielding their reserves against QPR with two cup finals on the horizon. I won't be surprised to see an away win there. Man City will be tough for QPR but have they got the bottle not to slip up and hand the title to Utd? Sure I'm sure nobody though Wigan would murder Newcastle today!

Neil3030 · 28-04-2012 5:02pm

Would it be fair to say that in Heskey and Agbonlahor we have the worst strike partnership in the league?

6 goals between them this season.

cgpg5 · 28-04-2012 5:03pm

Raekwon wrote: »

Chelsea will be most likely be fielding their reserves against QPR with two cup finals on the horizon. I won't be surprised to see an away win there. Man City will be tough for QPR but have they got the bottle not to slip up and hand the title to Utd? Sure I'm sure nobody though Wigan would murder Newcastle today!

Ah c'mon Chelsea will not be putting a reserve team out tomorrow. It's a must win. I'd expect them (regardless of their team) and City to beat QPR comfortably.

Helix · 28-04-2012 5:07pm

yeah chelsea need to finish top 4 to get champions league football next season, even if they win it

cgpg5 · 28-04-2012 5:09pm

Helix wrote: »

yeah chelsea need to finish top 4 to get champions league football next season, even if they win it

Well if they don't win it and don't come top 4 there'll be no CL for them next season. There is no way they'll run the risk. Also they can play 4 of their top players (who are banned from final) at their leisure in PL

Helix · 28-04-2012 5:10pm

Raekwon wrote: »

Why is it a must win for Chelsea?

because no top 4 = no champions league next year

cgpg5 · 28-04-2012 5:13pm

Raekwon wrote: »

Why is it a must win for Chelsea? Their priority is with the FA Cup final next Saturday plus they had a grueling match midweek in the Nou Camp and might won't to rest players.

It's also a West London derby and there is alot of bad blood between the two teams culminating with the withdrawal of the pre-match handshake over the Terry 'incident'. Not to mention QPR ware battling for their lives.

The form book is out the window in this game!

Eh to finish top 4. You really think they'll run the risk of giving up on top 4 to go all out to win CL? And if they lose CL final, as they're expected to by many, what then? They won't be resting anyone for any FA cup final. Doesn't matter to them half as much as CL football 2013.

cgpg5 · 28-04-2012 5:14pm

Helix wrote: »

because no top 4 = no champions league next year

Really? Thought they were guaranteed if won CL regardless?

Helix · 28-04-2012 5:14pm

cgpg5 wrote: »

Really? Thought they were guaranteed if won CL regardless?

nope

only top 4, holders dont qualify

Mr Alan · 28-04-2012 5:15pm

Helix wrote: »

nope

only top 4, holders dont qualify

Huh? You sure about that?

G.K. · 28-04-2012 5:16pm

Actually Helix, Chelsea would qualify if they won the CL, wherever they finished.

http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/fans/faqs/who-qualifies-to-play-in-europe/

English winners of the UEFA Champions League finishing outside the top four places (but who qualify for the UEFA Europa League through their domestic Barclays Premier League position) go forward as Winners to the group stage along with domestic champions, runners-up and third place.

Helix · 28-04-2012 5:16pm

Mr Alan wrote: »

Huh? You sure about that?

yup

after the liverpool thing a few years back it was decided that it would be top 4 only. uefa granted liverpool dispensation, not the FA, and they said it would never happen again

cgpg5 · 28-04-2012 5:16pm

If Chelsea win the CL they will qualify as holders regardless of position in the league.

Mr Alan · 28-04-2012 5:17pm

Actually you're wrong Helix

IF CHELSEA WIN THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
The Blues will qualify for the Group Stage of next season's tournament as winners.
If Chelsea also finish third in the Barclays Premier League (their highest-possible finish as of April 25th), then the fourth-placed team will enter the competition at the Play-Off stage (which follows the three qualifcation rounds) - the final obstacle ahead of the Group Stage.
If Chelsea finish fourth, all four Barclays Premier League teams will enter at the Group Stage.
If Chelsea finish fifth or lower, they still enter at the Group Stage as defending champions. Because no nation can have more than four teams in the competition, the team that finishes fourth in the Barclays Premier League will qualify for the UEFA Europa League, not the UEFA Champions League. The top three clubs will enter the UEFA Champions League at the Group Stage as normal.

From premierleague.com

Helix · 28-04-2012 5:17pm

G.K. wrote: »

Actually Helix, Chelsea would qualify if they won the CL, wherever they finished.

http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/fans/faqs/who-qualifies-to-play-in-europe/

i stand corrected

that's new

either way, it'd be a hell of a risk wouldn't it... resting all your players on the basis that there's no CL football if you don't win the final with half a starting xi suspended

cgpg5 · 28-04-2012 5:19pm

Helix wrote: »

i stand corrected

that's new

either way, it'd be a hell of a risk wouldn't it... resting all your players on the basis that there's no CL football if you don't win the final with half a starting xi suspended

Exactly they have to go all out tomorrow. As I said they can play Terry, Ramires, Ivanovic and Meireles with no fear of them missing the final if they acquired an injury.

Mr Alan · 28-04-2012 5:20pm

It's not new, the rule was changed back after we won it.

Patser · 28-04-2012 6:09pm

Either way, there's a long gap to the CL and FA cup finals for Chelseas now, so unlike last weekend, they don't need to be resting players.

Also to be 100% fair, Wigan have now beaten 3 of the top 4 over the last few weeks. Back then, with that run ahead, Wigan looked dead and buried. After beating Utd, Arsenal and hammering Newcastle today, they deserve to stay up. If QPR can go on a similar run and beat Chelsea and City, it'd be hard to begrudge them safety too. But that's if they go on that run.

IMO it's looking like it'll all come down to the last day of the season, same as last year, and at a guess I'll say Blackburn will be gone by then too. So it'll be us, QPR and Bolton fighting it out for survival that day. If so and given the stakes, I'd rather be playing Norwich than a Man City side possibly chasing the title. Monday night's game suddenly has a big impact on our season.

It's all so very, very frustrating. How many times over the last few games have we looked suddenly safe - ahead against Stoke, ahead against Bolton, 0-0s with Sunderland and WBA where any jammy goal would have sealed it. And still we're down on the mix.:(

pavb2 · 28-04-2012 8:45pm

20 points dropped from winnng positions isn't it?

I think Blackburn are gone, so QPR looking most likely to join them with Stoke (H) Chelsea & Man City away. But as Wigan have shown......

Think we need a City win on Monday

Patser · 29-04-2012 6:38pm

Well Blackburn's loss today makes it all but impossible for them to catch us - 6 points and 14 goals behind us. And QPR's thrashing by Chelsea doesn't bode well for their fighting abilities since they'll need to get something from the City match, regardless of what they do against Stoke.

So it is starting to look like we're dragging ourselves slowly over the finish line. Hopefully this will act as a wake up call the Randy Lerner, that flirting with relegation last season, then selling all our most creative players, is not going to make us any more competitive the following year. It's starting to feel like the Villa Thread belongs in with the Irish Economy forum, we've gone through so much austerity the last few years after our MON Tiger years but really there's not that much more left to cut from the team. Instead it needs investment and some excitement back for next season to get us, the fans, back interetested.

Doodee · 29-04-2012 6:53pm

Patser wrote: »

Well Blackburn's loss today makes it all but impossible for them to catch us - 6 points and 14 goals behind us. And QPR's thrashing by Chelsea doesn't bode well for their fighting abilities since they'll need to get something from the City match, regardless of what they do against Stoke.

So it is starting to look like we're dragging ourselves slowly over the finish line. Hopefully this will act as a wake up call the Randy Lerner, that flirting with relegation last season, then selling all our most creative players, is not going to make us any more competitive the following year. It's starting to feel like the Villa Thread belongs in with the Irish Economy forum, we've gone through so much austerity the last few years after our MON Tiger years but really there's not that much more left to cut from the team. Instead it needs investment and some excitement back for next season to get us, the fans, back interetested.

I must say that given how Wigan appear to fight through the rough times I would welcome Martinez as club manager.
Too bad he is not interested

cgpg5 · 29-04-2012 7:26pm

Ye can now afford to lose ye're remaining games and still stay up imo. But boy do improvements have to be made

Helix · 29-04-2012 8:23pm

Doodee wrote: »

I must say that given how Wigan appear to fight through the rough times I would welcome Martinez as club manager.
Too bad he is not interested

to play devil's advocate there, it's also worth remembering he's the manager who was in charge to get them into tough times to begin with. this run they're on seems to be making people forget that they got into that mess with him as manager too

that said, i think he'd do a decent job

Paully D · 29-04-2012 8:34pm

cgpg5 wrote: »

Ye can now afford to lose ye're remaining games and still stay up imo. But boy do improvements have to be made

Bent will be back fit at the start of the season which is a big boost to Villa. They've struggled to score lately and he's good for 15 a season.

Helix · 29-04-2012 9:47pm

Paully D wrote: »

Bent will be back fit at the start of the season which is a big boost to Villa. They've struggled to score lately and he's good for 15 a season.

assuming there's a new manager in and the way we play is changed, he's probably good for 20 tbh

our problems run deeper than our manager though. our lack of movement has been a problem since before lerner bought the club, and it continues to be our biggest issue. that doesnt get fixed overnight, so it's something that we're going to have to deal with for the best part of another decade

O.A.P · 29-04-2012 9:47pm

My stomach is churning watching this, hopefully Villa stay up and then get rid of the hired help from over the road,
Wigan hopefully stay up too they play nice stuff and definately deserve a place in the premier league more so than Villa I'm afraid.

Paully D · 29-04-2012 10:17pm

Wigan and Villa will stay up.

Blackburn and Wolves are gone now and it's between QPR and Bolton for that last spot. QPR will take it IMO.

I have to say I've taken Helix's view with regard to Villa's relegation chances and basically said there's no way they'll go down. I know it has looked hairy at times but it's never really got as bad as most of you thought IMO.

Helix · 29-04-2012 10:26pm

twitter chatter reckons we're making an announcement tomorrow. im sure it's crap, but if it was about getting rid of mcleish i think it would make a bit of sense. it'd definitely eschew convention, but i think it makes perfect sense to get rid of him next week. i doubt lerner wants a repeat of bolton from the home crowd, not for the last game of the season with season ticket renewals not going too well. if, and its a big if, they have decided to get rid of him now, it'll mean a great atmosphere at villa park at the weekend now that we're all but safe. the fans will be happy, the players will be happy (assuming they dislike playing for him) and the overall vibe will be a lot more positive

as an aside to that, perhaps mcleish has also decided that he'd rather go now, when he can claim he got us safe, rather than facing more abuse. it's probably as good a time as any to get rid for both parties, so it genuinely wouldn't surprise me

Neil3030 · 29-04-2012 10:28pm

Hodgson approached re: the England job. Surely Eck would relish the chance to take down the last remaining West-Midland club :P

cgpg5 · 29-04-2012 10:59pm

Paully D wrote: »

Wigan and Villa will stay up.

Blackburn and Wolves are gone now and it's between QPR and Bolton for that last spot. QPR will take it IMO.

I have to say I've taken Helix's view with regard to Villa's relegation chances and basically said there's no way they'll go down. I know it has looked hairy at times but it's never really got as bad as most of you thought IMO.

Agree. If QPR fail to beat Stoke 34/35 points could be the cut off. Has to be the lowest in a while.

Always knew Villa had done enough. If it was another year Villa would be gone, but ultimately this season proved quite an easy year to stay up!

Patser · 30-04-2012 10:44am

Suddenly I'm nervous again about Villa and I think it's all this talk that we're safe. Yes we look safer than before the week-end, yes we have the advantage but with Spurs winning yesterday and locked in a fight for 4th, I can see them winning at Villa Park next weekend.

If that happens and QPR and Bolton (again assuming Bolton lose their mid-week Spurs game) get wins - quite possible - then we'll all go into the last game pretty much equal on points and then you have to worry that QPR could steal a point against a City team that may or may not be in the hunt for a tite.

Ow! The maths of all this are hurting my head. Why can't we just fast forward to the season's end and just get it done.

Clanket · 30-04-2012 11:01am

Have to agree. It's in no way certain that we're safe. We're showing the worst form of the teams battling relegation and we all know what happened McUseless when in the same position last year. If QPR beat Stoke at home next week, Bolton beat West Brom at home (or get something out of Spurs on Wed) and we lose to Spurs we're rightly fooked. I just can't see our players being able to motivate themselves away at Norwich on the final day. So then if Bolton and QPR get something on the final day we're gone.

These relegation battles always throw up suprises. For me at the moment, the suprise will be if we manage to stay up.

invinciblePRSTV · 30-04-2012 11:01am

I won't be optimistic about Villa's survival until such time as they either pick up a win (not likely) or other results go our way (quite likely).

McLeish's puke football means its squeaky bum time until safety is assured.

cgpg5 · 30-04-2012 11:32am

Patser wrote: »

Suddenly I'm nervous again about Villa and I think it's all this talk that we're safe. Yes we look safer than before the week-end, yes we have the advantage but with Spurs winning yesterday and locked in a fight for 4th, I can see them winning at Villa Park next weekend.

If that happens and QPR and Bolton (again assuming Bolton lose their mid-week Spurs game) get wins - quite possible - then we'll all go into the last game pretty much equal on points and then you have to worry that QPR could steal a point against a City team that may or may not be in the hunt for a tite.

Ow! The maths of all this are hurting my head. Why can't we just fast forward to the season's end and just get it done.

QPR will not get something off City, they'll even do well to beat Stoke so ye can relax.

Ye are safe. End of

Clanket · 30-04-2012 11:46am

cgpg5 wrote: »

Ye are safe. End of

Thanks, I feel much better now :rolleyes:

cgpg5 · 30-04-2012 11:49am

Clanket wrote: »

Thanks, I feel much better now :rolleyes:

You really think City will drop pts at home to QPR? QPR were awful yesterday looked disorganised and dis-interested. Even Stoke will feel they can get something at Loftus Road. City will tear them apart league or no league title

cgpg5 · 30-04-2012 11:54am

Clanket wrote: »

Have to agree. It's in no way certain that we're safe. We're showing the worst form of the teams battling relegation and we all know what happened McUseless when in the same position last year. If QPR beat Stoke at home next week, Bolton beat West Brom at home (or get something out of Spurs on Wed) and we lose to Spurs we're rightly fooked. I just can't see our players being able to motivate themselves away at Norwich on the final day. So then if Bolton and QPR get something on the final day we're gone.

These relegation battles always throw up suprises. For me at the moment, the suprise will be if we manage to stay up.

So basically you'll be surprised if City beat QPR? Get real

Helix · 30-04-2012 12:08pm

city: dropped just 2 points at home all season

clanket: will be surprised if they get anything from a qpr team with the worst away record in the league

villa: lost less away games than anyone in the league except city

clanket: will be surprised if they don't lose against a norwich side in woeful since march

good man clanket

Clanket · 30-04-2012 1:08pm

Granted QPR are our best bet of joining Blackburn and Wolves. However, as the saying goes lads, it's a funny old game.

Clanket · 30-04-2012 1:10pm

Helix wrote: »

city: dropped just 2 points at home all season

clanket: will be surprised if they get anything from a qpr team with the worst away record in the league

City could realistically be out of the title challenge this evening. Might they play a weakened team then?

Helix wrote: »

villa: lost less away games than anyone in the league except city

clanket: will be surprised if they don't lose against a norwich side in woeful since march

good man clanket

Are you seriously trying to say we'll be safe based on form?

Helix · 30-04-2012 1:17pm

city are more likely to murder qpr if they've got nothing to play for than if they're playing for the league

Helix · 30-04-2012 1:18pm

Clanket wrote: »

Are you seriously trying to say we'll be safe based on form?

check out the form for the games played so far this season, the only form that actually matters, and we've done better than those 2 teams you reckon will manage to pass us

even qpr's wonderful recent form has beatings against wolves and bolton

cgpg5 · 30-04-2012 1:21pm

Clanket wrote: »

City could realistically be out of the title challenge this evening. Might they play a weakened team then?

Are you seriously trying to say we'll be safe based on form?

City can play their 5th team they'll still beat QPR. League title or not its their last home game and they'll try put on a show for the home crowd.

Doesn't matter about form ye're still safe. Ye don't even have to turn up for the next two and ye'll still stay up.

Aston Villa Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2013/14

Comments