The big call here was Albion’s second goal in the first minute of half time.
My understanding of the game has always been that if a player contacts the ball and knocks it onto his own arm, it’s an automatic handball.
And that’s exactly what happened.
I think it was Rodriguez who headed the ball and as he was diving forward and hit the ground, the ball hit his hand and went into the net.
That’s handball for me, plain and simple, hence the goal shouldn’t have stood.
But it is what it is and it’s swings and roundabouts, where we’ll probably get one go in our favour at some stage of the season.
It’s galling, but what pleased me was the performance from the whole side.
They ran their socks off today and it’s hard to criticise anyone, especially if we’re talking about effort.
If I am going to be critical though, the big one has to be Nyland. He’s incredibly unconvincing when the ball comes in and he’s actually worse than Freidel was at dominating his box. I really struggle to believe that Dean Smith will stick with him after the January window.
Abraham had a boat load of chances again. One in particular should have been buried, but it wasn’t to be.
He is getting in the right positions though, so I can live with it. It just annoys me that we’re educating a player for Chelsea, as we’ve no chance of keeping him, in my opinion.
I’m being really critical though after what was a very good performance and a game that I think we deserved to win, the illegal goal apart.
If you look at it like me, where I think we should have won, that means we’ve done Derby, Boro and Albion all on their own turf.
Where do we think we stand when we look towards the rest of the season?
I’m incredibly encouraged and for the first time in a very long while, I now think we have a very good chance of winning every game we play for the rest of the season.
Injuries apart, that is. A few players went down tonight with knocks and general injuries, which is a bit of a worry.
Are the players being pushed just that bit too hard?
I don’t know, but it seems the lads are happy to apply the work rate.
So, all in all, things are looking good.
And this is before Smith has bought a single player of his own.
It’s quite incredible really and again shows to me how Bruce got it so massively wrong.
UTV.
Which is exactly what I think.
We’re going up this time, unless something goes drastically wrong.
I see Gareth Farrelly has now accused Kevin McDonald of bullying. Not going to comment specifically but maybe I should accuse my original employers and senior work colleagues of the same attitude in the 70’s and 80’s – in fact even in later life as a senior manager – of course no one will be interested in me because I was not a footballer, pop star or other high earning ‘star’.
That’s food for thought Hitch, some people can go through life in a normal way, others have to find ways to criticise, I was the most cained child at school to a way I couldn’t pick a knife and fork up. Starting work I had lads on a track that bullied me untill new ones started. you in my mind work your own way to what life ever it throws at you. Get on with it I say I did and proud of what I’ve did.
Moving on – I see that Gary Cahill is now favourite (13/8) with some bookmakers to join up with JT at Villa. Apparently there has been ‘quite a lot of money’ on the Villa move recently.
Reckon that would be a good and popular move even though he’s now 32 and would allow us to move on the Jedi who I really can’t see fitting into Deano’s plans other than by force majeure (sic)
On another sour note, I see Jordan Amarvi doing well , I wonder who couldn’t see it.
It is a year-and-a-half since Jordan Amavi left Aston Villa for Marseille.
But, while Villa have spent all that time trying and failing to plot an escape out of the Championship, the left-back has gone from strength to strength in his homeland.
Amavi impressed in Marseille colours last season, helping Rudi Garcia’s side reach the Europa League final while producing seven assists in all competitions.
Champions League: Who qualified for the last 16?
And, 18 months after bidding farewell to Villa Park, reports from across the channel are suggesting that Amavi could be heading for one of the biggest clubs in European football – the mighty Paris Saint Germain.
Paris United are claiming that the Ligue 1 champions are on the lookout for a left-back and sporting director Antero Henrique is a big fan of Amavi, having already held talks with his representatives
Always rated him highly. Stupid to sell him.
The other Jordan, Veretout at Fiorentina, isn’t doing too badly either. I’ve seen him play a couple of times now and I’d guess that he’d slot into the new Villa style of play quite nicely.
Typical Villa – but like the amateur speculator; buy at the top and sell at the bottom!
Rated him too. God we were so badly run in those days.
Both players were decent.
But they weren’t suited to the way we were playing at the time.
Enough said, imo.
I see that Alan Hutton goal has been entered into Sky Sports goal of the month of November. From what I remembered he went through a few players and scored a wonderful goal.good luck Alan.
Villa v Sheffield Untd moved to Friday night – Sky. Great we haven’t Won in the last 11 televised Friday night games!
I would be disappointed if McDonald leaves because of ‘bullying’ some people by nature are over sensitive. Banter to most people is acceptable but it only takes one to take things personally. Accusations these days are becoming a more common occurrence. And usually they are about times gone by when attitudes were different. Maybe it is accompanied with a compensation payout! Who knows. I would imagine that every club has to inform their staff in what can’t be tolerated these days because of the blame and claim culture that now exists. On the Villa front without Grealish I have concerns this will be costly. I hope I’m wrong but I have a gut feeling Stoke will get the win tomorrow. I have forecast 2-1 to Stoke in the Super 6.
Is JG definitely out on Saturday Holte? Watched Deano’s pre match press conference and he certainly wasn’t happy about the treatment dealt out to Jack. When are referees going to grow a pair and really clamp down on the thugs.
The general standard of refereeing in the EFL is absolute garbage.
I suspect that Farelly is an early part of the “Snowflake” generation, where they’re looking to blame anyone for anything.
I personally knew someone who “serviced” his missus very, very shortly ( the same night) after they’d got married, fwiw.
No doubt McDonald used persuasion in the old fashioned ways, to my mind, along the lines of (SNOWFLAKE ALERT!) ;
“Get the fucking ball up there quicker, you prick!”
Or
“If you don’t run faster, I’m going to catch you and kick your arse”.
Quite pathetic to us older people, I suppose, but how are you supposed to cajoule kids, if you can’t shout at them?
No doubt you tell them that you love them and it’s ok if you fancy someone of the same sex, a la Eastenders and Holby (which the bloody missus watches).
With that, I’m moving on before I puke.
New post coming up.
Why didn’t Farelly raise these concerns when the original bullying accusations were made? Of course he’s now a solicitor – need I say more!
I’m with you on this Badger. I don’t support bullying when it’s vicious, nasty and targeted but if you want to succeed at sport at the highest level you have to be tough and committed.
Sir Ron used to say that if didn’t kick Morley up the arse at least once a week, Morley wanted to know what he’d done wrong!
TBH second guessing this situation is out of order. To defend McDonald as a “namby pamby footballers moaning at being shouted at” situation is a bit premature. How about wait and see what comes out?
As for you Hitch. “Why didn’t he say something before?” – really? Why doesn’t every victim just stand up at the time? I suggest you need to look at yourself and ask if that’s a fair response in the circumstances. If you’ve never been in that position I don’t think you can label others for their responses.
Maybe McDonald is being maligned here, but I have no inside information or knowledge so I’m not going to prejudge.
Rant over and no offence meant.
DS Spot on there.
People who have been abused as children can take decades to come forward and how bullying is defined nowadays is around how the person feels not what the bully thinks he’s doing. People are different and can react differently to the same situations and knowing that is the true art of good management. I suspect that from what I’m hearing McDonald was not the right person to be put in charge of young and impressionable men, away from home for the first time and with no support.
BTW Sorry Badger but I really, really hate the term ‘snowflake’ as it’s often used to demean other people’s quite often serious concerns. It’s much easier to just call them a snowflake than to actually listen, isn’t it?
Plus the bit about some ‘servicing’ his wife is frankly beneath you…or anyone come to that.
Well said DS. Very easy to speculate but there were accusations of physical abuse too, not just verbal.
No offence taken DS and as it happens, I have suffered from bullying even in a senior managers position. I also realise, looking back, that I was failing in the job I was doing and therefore I had to accept some responsibility.
You’re right though, we really don’t know enough to comment but there seems to be a view that if someone makes an historic accusation they must be right and an association of guilt immediately attaches to the accused which stays whether or not that accusation is proven.