After last week’s poor show against Newcastle, where I basically spat my dummy out and couldn’t be bothered to write anything, I determined that I’d try to look at today’s game in a more positive light.
I didn’t really need to as it turned out, because straight from the off the Villa were very good to watch.
We took the game to Hull and played with a really high tempo, something that I’ve often said is our best asset.
We were quite simply too sharp and fast for the opponents; so much so, that they looked a bit shell-shocked, in my opinion.
Just when some of us were slating Gabby and Andi Weimann for a lack of goals, so they turned around and proved us wrong.
Gabby took his goal well with a sharp turn and shot, which reminded me of Kenny Dalglish in his heyday and Weimann did well too, after a nice ball in from Richardson.
So two up at half time (it could easily have been three if Westwood’s free kick had been an inch to the right) and we were cruising towards what I thought was going to be a 4 or 5-0 job.
So what on earth happened in the second half?
You might say that Hull massively stepped up their game, but I don’t believe that was the case.
My money says we totally took our foot off the gas and let them back into it.
So much so, that they looked more dangerous than us.
Perhaps it was a case where our lads had just run themselves into the ground, in which case I’ll forgive them.
But I doubt it myself.
I reckon it was down to Lambert wanting to protect the lead; a poor tactic.
Whatever, there were quite a few positives.
The defence looks pretty solid overall.
Cissokho gives me loads more confidence about our left hand side.
And young Grealish just scares the proverbial out of the opposition.
Mr Potato head had obviously done his research and told the players to take him out.
If the kid can stand up to the “treatment”, I see a great future for him.
The biggest positive of all?
That’s 7 points out of 9.
Better than I expected, if I’m honest.
Back to Mystery Man we go: Claim’s we’re looking at Ryan Mason to learn from Joe Cole and add creativity. Joy, he’s not near good enough.
Learn how to be injured from Joe Cole don’t you mean?
Be as big a failure as Dawkins if it happens. He’s not near good enough.
Ryan Who
Ryan Mason, been going off on loan to lower leagues and once to Lorient since 09. 23 already.
Pretty sure that teh Cleverley deal is off. He doesn’t want to play for Villa but wants to go back to his mate Martinez so that’ll please a lot of posters on here!
According to a couple sources, we’re still not giving up. He wants Everton but they don’t want him as he wants a permanent move and they only wanted a loan. He won’t wanna stay at United so I can honestly see it happening.
ben arfa is a flair player how many times has he scored against us when we were on top ??? well hes on his way 2 talk 2 hull how many have bought and how much as well
Prepare to be underwhelmed folks 🙂
Anything actually happening……no, didn’t think so. Canales another Belhanda and Kyotake story..yawn
SSN confirm Cleverley deal dead and likely no signings what a surprise!
Oh well LERNER you’ve managed to avoid parting with 8mil been a good window for yer eh?????
Seemingly so, but one person we can’t blame is Lerner at the moment, especially if the reported 8m and 5.75m fees were agreed for Cleverley and Canales. There was money.
So Sky Sports claim we’ve officially pulled out of Cleverley signing and won’t make anymore. Pathetic.
Told u so all bollox like Dempsey last year wasn’t that for 8m to lol. Having said that I’m glad we didn’t sign him.
Me too but there’s a big footballing world out there & there should be a realistic wishlist put together so if one fails move on to the next or is that asking too much???!
2 possible loan signing slots, no reason not to utilize them.
Welcome to the real world Andrew.
Eh, I posted couple hours ago I had my doubts. Still can hope though.
Andrew is as knieve as Lerner believes everything
That’s adorable Oohah, completely false if you bothered reading most of my posts, comprehension would help.
Can always have hope, no? He reportedly rejected us, like Dempsey did. Sad really, but he’s not worth 60k wages here.
If he always wanted a move to Everton then why hold talks with us?
To try and take us to the cleaners I suppose.
Because we were the only team willing to buy him permanently. Looks likely he’ll go on loan to Everton, maybe, if they’re willing to pay his now 80k a week wages. United wanted to sell him permanently.
Just on Ssn that TC never agreed anything with Everton. Not even been to their training ground. Everton happy with signings they’ve made. Sounds like they think he is a waste of space to in the end. TC will prob get loaned out now to some championship club and sold next yr on a free when his transfer ends. Shame vlaar didn’t fuck off though
Nobody signing? hey ho. If Cleverley goes to Everton we will get to see what we missed (or didn’t). I’m still reasonably optimistic about this season, once we get Benteke and Kozak fit. The midfield is stronger with CNZ and Richardson (and Cole?), the defence looks much better (with maybe Okore to come). We will not set the Premiership on fire but we should be in a better position next summer. If that’s the case maybe we can attract one or two better players. Unless we get a sugar daddy owner that is probably the best we could hope for.
I would be fairly content with that for the short term. Expecting much more than that is asking to be disappointed.
yep DS you hit the nail on the head… Cleverley was asking for £80000 a week, so I just heard…
If that’s true, more fool Everton if they pay it. Beginning to think Cleverley is the new Ireland after all.
Everton reportedly turned him down due to wages. LOL
How funny what a tosser. He can rot in utd reserves where he belongs. I’m surprised utd didn’t offer to pay at least half his wages to get rid of the useless twat. Obviously utd thought us and Everton were the only mugs stupid enough to pay that
Why can’t we sign Ben Arfa?!
Half the time he’s unfit.
Rather Gaston Ramirez. Good thing we’ve played Hull once already. 😀
Hull were awful defensively wish we could play them every week.
We couldn’t sign Ben Dover ffs
No cleverly deal to Everton according to Sky. Ha ha, enjoy the bench you greedy prat.
The sad thing is Kent, how much would we enjoy sitting on that bench every week for the money he is getting???…
I did think that as I typed that last comment. Let me enjoy the fact that he probably feels a bit of a tw@t this evening.
What a load of dramatised bollox the transfer deadline day is on Sky sports. So glad we didn’t get Cleverly. May see Gary Gardner recalled sooner now which would be a better option in my opinion. When you need a play maker so badly it should have been sorted out long before now.
I said earlier it’s all bollox it’s all about promoting sky4 players as per normal. Thank fuck we didn’t get TC 80k a week his agent wanted no fuckin way he should be paying us 80k a wk to play for us
Well that was disappointing! Couldnt care less that we didnt sign Cleverley but gutted by the fact we identified that we need an attacking mid, were able to table an 8m bid…and we end up not getting anyone!
Two years in a row we have failed to sign someone decent to play this position. On the plus side at least we kept Vlaar!
All predictable as per normal anyone who thought we would make a decent signing today are deluded
Just read in the Birmingham mail and on sky cleverly was at bmh all day sitting there with a contract in front of him but the overrated jump up twat and his agent allegedly kept pushing for more and more money until Lambert finally snapped and f@@ked them off (and fair play to him). Apparently with the negotiations taking so long he shit his bolt and missed the boat with Everton, shame.
I read that Everton offered utd 7.5m which was accepted but they tried to get him for 5m and utd said no. If what u ash is true we had a lucky escape. Dint rate lambert but on this occasion I respect that he told the overrated twat to do one.
A lucky escape, not getting Cleverley. He needs to have a season in the bomb squad to re focus his attitude, while he is young enough. As far as I know a loan deal can be done any time not just in the transfer window so long as it is not between two clubs in the same league.
He’s 25 I think so not so young in footballing terms so I’m not sure he’ll change now whatever happens. Agree totally with you on the lucky escape, something seems a little awry with the fellas attitude.
Cleverly is the new odemwhinger lol
OLL – wouldn’t want him now anyway but don’t think you are right on that one. There is a further period of one month (I think) when clubs other than in the EPL can loan players (including players from EPL clubs) but EPL clubs can only sign free agents until the window opens in January. Wonder if manure will loan him out to a championship side which he probably wouldn’t bother about ‘cos all along he was pushing for a loan so he could negotiate higher wages as a free agent in 12 months time. Driven by money and not that talented equals another wasted career.
Well Oohah was spot on with Cleverley sarga, as I said fuck him off with that attitude from the start, why is it that footballers don’t want Villa, is it the midlands in gereral, is it the club, or could they see what we dont beening our set up? We seem to be a joke over the last 20 years and players duck Villa and the midlands. The only way we would attract players is honours to our club and licking the arse off Northern and Southern clubs , Villa till I die, Villa keep the wages down and bollocks to all the robbing agents groom our own players.
Morning Bill I for one am relieved the greedy sod didn’t choose us for whatever reason even better its now back fired on him, obscurity here he comes LOL.
Morning Giddy, agree mate robbing git.
In my experience moving for money (in any job) is a disaster waiting to happen. I think it says all you need to know about Cleverley’s motivation; well done to PL we avoided a large banana skin on this one. He’ll either learn a very big lesson here or become another English footballer with promise destroyed by the greed that pervades the EPL.