Benteke’s fact, Holt’s here and Baker is still alive!
After Arsenal left Villa Park with a 2-1 win, Villa’s home record makes Aston Villa fans increasingly want to break down and cry. And the atmosphere around the club doesn’t look that it will be getting any better, any time soon, with four tough games on the horizon. Such is the current Villa team’s lack of identity and unpredictability, they’re more likely to beat Liverpool at Anfield, than the Baggies at Villa Park. A signing was announced today, but most Villa fans were pretty dismissive, so what are the reasons to be cheerful as Villa fans?
1. Well, lets get the obvious one out of the way first, Benteke has finally scored. His goal drought was getting silly. Interestingly, the Belgian was a slow starter last season with five goals in his first 16 games for Villa. His recent goal against Arsenal, means he matches those figures this season. So now, all he has to do is go onto score something close to the 14 goals in his final 18 games last season. If that happens, Villa should be sweet.
2. At 2-0 down, it looked like Arsenal would pump up the numbers and make serious dents into Villa’s goal difference. In some respects it reminded me of the Newcastle game last season, were Villa were two-nil down, but after getting a goal back, showed a new found spirit that had been lacking for months before. Hopefully, the team will kick on from here. Benteke in ‘Beast Mode’ at Anfield ala last season, would be a great start.
3. Nathan Baker is ok. Sometimes the Villa centre-back plays like he has a death wish. At least he managed to wait until the game kicked off to get injured this time, after getting injured in a warm-up to a game recently. Why does he always seem to get into some kind of trouble in every game he plays? Brave or wreckless? You decide.
4. Aston Villa CEO Paul Faulker said in a radio interview before the Arsenal game, that all was well at Villa. “There has been very clear, definite progress from last year, certainly in terms of where we we’re sat this time, to last year in the league and points-wise,” he told a pandering Tom Ross. “We’ve got a lot of reasons to be positive going into the second half of the season.” It’s good to know someone is confident at the club, especially since we currently have exactly the same points in the equivalent games we played last season. Hardly progress PF.
5. Is Grant Holt your favourite player? Or are you at least a big fan of the ex-Norwich striking juggernaut? Then we have great news for you…he’s signed for Aston Villa on loan for the rest of the season! It’s surely better than seeing him waste away on the sidelines in the Championship at Wigan, right? You must be in dreamland right now. UTV
In reply to Villa Villa Villa on Baker being in the wrong place, the ball was at the feet of the attacker and he was about to shoot. The defender has to go forward to block. But no defender can ever work out where the ball is going to go. It was less than half a second between shooting and being hit. Had the ball hit Baker on the chest we would all say it was a great block.
He was in the right position for a shot going on goal and had it been a foot higher he could have headed it. But for no one’s fault – the arsenal player was not aiming at his head – he got hit. He was doing his job and it was an accident. But he was playing as the text books say he should. No chance to get out the way.
Had he ducked we would all say he was a coward. So lets give the lad a pat on the back.
And this is only a small part of a big debate. Will MOMs set up a forum to discuss the long term problems at Villa, like why we play so badly at home and why the atmosphere is so dead (and so critical) that these young players get nervous and make mistakes?
Trevor Fisher
A forum for supporter issues is something we are looking at. Whether there is an actual need for it (what it provides beyond what facebook can do) and also what is the best way of doing it. Plus, there’s a time issue. I need to free up more time to make a living, or Villa is going to kill me!
On the forum issue, there are loads of forums, they come and go. The majority are just about immediate first team issues. No real need for any more to discuss these, they already exist. What we need is one that can look at what goes on behind the scenes. Has the club accepted that we cannot compete financially and is LErner simply trying to get his money back? What is the development plan? Does it cover 5 years as one person with ear to the ground suggested? The board backs Lambert, but not with cash so far. Is this possible?
That would be the kind of issue I would like to discuss, not whether we can pay the wages of an ageing player. LEave that to a club with no plan at all like West Ham.
trevor fisher
Liverpool, start praying now…
Forget your SaS. We now have – the B&H Superkings!
Ironically, I forsee a lot of huffing and puffing on the pitch, leaving us the butt of everyone’s jokes. Tar very much.
Haha – B & H Superkings!
Trevor
Surely “Taking the ball in the face and being knocked out shows” he was in the WRONG position??
I agree that Faulkner is being too optimistic about the situation, but the squad is better but lacks experience. I don’t think anyone should be hard on Baker, lots of talent but maybe injury prone. Taking the ball in the face and being knocked out shows he was in the right position. Overall it is going to be a hard season but as I said in a letter to the Birmingham post on the 9th, we have to get experienced players in at least on loan – Grant Holt will do as a short term loan for starters.
At half time last night I feared the worst, Arsenal were playing keep ball. But at the end they had been in a fight and with benteke on fire again and three men up front the gunners were rocking. No doubt who was annoyed there were 6 added minutes. So some positives. Liverpool I cannot see a result like last season but after that lots of games to come where we can push on. This season is all about getting enough points to be comfortable and giving the youngsters time to mature. With a few more experienced players, this should be possible. There are many hard games to come, but it is not impossible we could be turning the corner.
Keep behind Lambert, put pressure on lerner to back him in this transfer window, and help the players at home where they as nervous as kittens by keeping up the volume of support.
Any chance of MOMs getting a proper discussion forum going?
trevor fisher
I keep thinking about what use a forum will be. Obviously, there are a few decent Villa forums about at the moment, so is there a need for another? A lot of MOMS discussion is on FB. I am considering setting one up to discuss actual Villa supporter issues. These things take time to set up and run, and that is at a premium at the moment. We’re looking into it though (and testing methods), so it might happen, if we find a useful and decent way of doing it.
When are we going to buy or loan what we really need, an experienced, proven attacking midfielder to provide the link between defence and attack.
And while were at it why are West Ham getting in Villa fan Lescot and not us to cover for Okore?
Lescott’s wages are the big issue. They’d cost a bomb. West Ham might be a bit more desperate to front up the cash for them.