Hoolahans, Hipsters and Hallucinogenics
Despite hitting the post early doors, Everton were largely left frustrated in the first hour of Villa’s visit to Goodison. After Bacuna’s goal, the game seemed set up for the perfect smash and grab victory by Villa, who only enjoyed 29% of possession in the match. Two changes ultimately turned the tide of the game in the later stages. Steve Naismith coming on and Ron Vlaar going off injured. If Vlaar stays on, I’m pretty sure Villa would have left Merseyside with a point. More worrying is if any further absence of Villa’s captain will cost the team any more points this season. Before we try to derive five reasons to be cheerful as Aston Villa fans, answer me this… Why did Paul Lambert go to Liverpool, arguably a better team than an injured plagued Everton side, full of attacking intent, yet parked the bus against the Toffees? It doesn’t make any sense. If it ain’t broken…
Five Reasons
1. We never have to talk about Wes Hoolahan ever again. Good luck to him for the rest of his career and life, now that his five seconds of fame are over.
2. The result might not have brought much joy, but Nathan Baker’s beard suddenly provided a few laughs. A beard should be a beard, i.e. connected to the rest of your hair. Baker with his shaved sides, a bit on top and a ginger beard, looks like a wannabe hipster. I would string out talk of beards over the next three points, if I could, just so I could avoid talk of Villa’s performance at Goodison. When it comes to Villa, at the moment, there are only ‘beards of shame’. I’m talking to you Antonio Luna.
3. To be fair to Villa’s backline there has been a growing resilience this season away from home. Only Fulham have beaten Villa by more than a single goal, and that includes trips to Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton. Villa do keep themselves in most games as Roberto Martinez alluded to pre-match. Until Vlaar left the field, while you expected Everton to score one goal for their pressure, two seemed unlikely. This improved mettle will be key in not slipping into a relegation dog-fight again this season.
4. Somehow, despite the gloom which temporarily lifted for five seconds after the Baggies win, Villa are still 10th in the league. It’s perhaps the limit of where they can realistically finish this season, but I predicted it at the start of the season, so it would do. Where Villa really stand in the scheme of things in terms of future ambition, we’ll find out more this summer.
5. This tip could potentially cheer at least a few Villa fans up. If any Villa fans are into doing recreational hallucinogenics, if you want to score something really strong, try to catch Paul Lambert in the Villa staff car park before the upcoming Hammers match. ” I thought we were excellent until the first goal,” said Lambert, about Villa’s performance at Everton. “I think they hit the post, but other than that…” I don’t know what Lambert is taking, but it’s obviously powerful stuff. It’s worth asking him if he has any left to sell; it could really help you get through the Hammers game. UTV
Since it didn’t make the cut in the article, I’ll add the suggestion I sent in.
#6 – In the last three Premier League rounds, Villa, WBA, Liverpool, and Everton have effectively played a round robin, as if it were the group stage of a tournament. Looking at those three rounds and comparing the four teams involved, Villa would come 2nd after Liverpool.
Team W D L P GF GA GD
Liverpool 1 2 0 5 7 3 +4
Aston Villa 1 1 1 4 7 7 0
Everton 1 1 1 4 3 6 -3
West Bromwich 0 2 1 2 5 6 -1
Apparently, spacing doesn’t come out in the final post.
Coming second to Liverpool in anything doesn’t make me cheerful!
looooool @ number 5 lol Lamberts on crack :)))