Just as I suspected, the internet over here in Turkey is abysmal and I’ve hardly been able to read the site, let alone get a stream to watch the friendlies, where it seems the club did a good job in getting them out there.
Good words should be spoken about the results too, of course and while I’ve ever seen friendlies as practise, you can only beat what’s put up against you.
So to score seven and concede none is all good.
My thanks go out to all who posted opinions and they were really helpful to me, given that this was about the only source of news I’ve had.
Please feel free to do the same for tonight’s game!
There’s the news that Johnstone has committed. While we knew it was in the bag via Langford’s source, it’s at least one position finally sorted.
I didn’t realise he’s a free agent next season and have to say I’m surprised we haven’t had to pay a fee.
As has been said, if he proves good for us, we would have to favourites to get him on a free.
The last thing I wanted to mention was a good article in the Independent, that explains how transfers work;
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/transfer-window-premier-league-revealed-how-a-transfer-deal-really-works-a7837031.html
I found it interesting, not only because it backs up my point that clubs make next to nothing from big signing shirt sales, but more because it goes some length to explain how clubs can make the books out to suit themselves to a certain extent.
And that’s only scratching the surface, but my point is you can shuffle the figures, as long as everything adds up in the end.
Of course, there’s also good mention about how us fans only look at the headline figures too.
Here’s hoping we beat the Shrews and I actually manage to get this post out there.
As always, Up the Villa!
A manager is playing to a couple of special audiences in the early proper friendlies. The Owner, and the Bomb Squad players themselves – who may have delusions about their retained ability.
The presence of Hutton, Gabby and Richards was to be expected – and the result. It reinforces he manager’s advice to the Owner that these bums need to be offloaded. It’s the Deadwood Stage. Whip-crack away!
oll
then why play hutton to get new contract, big up gabby saying he was going to be important, richards ? they are bruce typeof playerslook at sunderland wigan hull all the same type players signings
On the contrary. Hutton excepted,who is the sort of player Bruce tolerated at Wigan, Gabby and Richards are formerly good players, England fringes. The sort of player Bruce does not tolerate because they have the skill but not the effort.
Manager-speak does not include trashing your obviously trashy players to the press. Doing so won’t help shift them. ‘You come out with the Clean slate’ spiel, knowing that if given a chance they won’t take it.
gabby never had skill just pace with some clever players who used it with forward passes, yet bruce has picked as soon as he could so why would this season be any different
Dear oh dear, what a shambles Bruce is presiding over. Continuing to give Richards game time when he should have his contract ripped up, signing a past it John Terry and sticking with the Johnstone who was poor and error prone last season. I cannot believe the delusion amongst sections of our fanbase who suddenly think we will challenge this season. Our manager is a dinosaur who is out of touch with the modern game and until that changes, the bottom line is the results and the performances will not.
Watch it, you’re gonna get called deluded as that was pointed out all season and despite being correct, people don’t wanna hear that claim their hero is a failure.
Good analogy Bruce is a dinosaur not in age terms but the way he thinks is outdated
Johnstone was poor and error prone but had more clean sheets than any other keeper in the Championship last year.
Your opinion, fair enough but it seems you can accuse those supporters who disagree with you as ‘being deluded’ but Andrew is concerned that they might be deluded enough to return the compliment! đŸ™‚
Kettle black pot calling – rearrange!
rubbish
johnson 8 clean sheets in 21 games goals conceded 24
gollina 5 clean sheets in 20 games goals concede 17
stockdale had20 clean sheets in 45 games
More clean sheets in half a season? Wow we must’ve never conceded.
And I never claimed you were deluded for disagreeing with him, that’s fair enough if you can back your argument (unlike some other people), but Pro-bruce fans are very, very quick to calling others deluded or not real fans for calling him out. (reason I went with Pro-bruce fans as they tend to like Johnstone, for some reason.
changing your mind again muppet. stick with your posts your views grow some balls for fuck sake
Good thing I didn’t change my mind. Nice attempt at an insult. Time to run along, I’m not gonna bother with someone who knows nothing about the sport.
Andrew, I am pro Villa and Bruce is our manager and I’ll support him until it’s proved he can’t deliver. I don’t believe it’s fair to judge Bruce on last season although I did criticise him at times for what appeared to be strange decisions and for the lack of quality in the football at times. For that attempt at a balanced open minded view there are some on here who are clearly anti Bruce labelled me a ‘happy clapper’. They obviously know a lot more about football than me!
I’ve never called another fan deluded for their point of view even though I might violently disagree with it.
On Johnstone, I understood he had the most clean sheets based on the period he played in the Championship last year – if that information is wrong then I apologise. Notwithstanding, I believe he is a better keeper than Gollini is now and will do a good job for us this season – who can tell in the future?
Having checked the stats, I find that I was correct in that Johnstone had more clean sheets than any other Championship keeper over the period of his loan. Apologies for missing the qualifying bit at the end.
That’s fair then, if he had the most clean sheets during his loan period than any other keeper in that time period. It does help we had the most defensive team in the league though, and the third least scored goals so clearly we were sitting back a lot.I hope he proves me wrong, but I don’t personally think he’ll be good enough. I have said though this is his standard of goal keeping, the Championship, and one day he’ll be a lower-end premier league keeper because he’s English and if the likes of Green, Carson and such can do it, so can he.
Gollini got a lot of harsh treatment for not doing a lot wrong, he rarely conceded, though it seemed more often going off the stats. Like he’d concede in more different games and Johnstone would concede 2-3 in one game and then not concede for 3-4. I do hope the best for Gollini, but I think he thought he’d have an Italian mentor and that’s why he came over, but that seems like it wasn’t meant to be with Di Matteo so we move on. I do like that it’s a loan deal for Johnstone again though, doesn’t mean we have to sign him permanently, and he’s not a player who will ever make it at United so that can put some fans who hate loans at ease that we’re getting him ready for them. He can’t even beat out Romero who’s mediocre.
Gollini was too error prone that’s why he got slated
Surely we can cope with losing richards, gabby and hutton? We have youth players that would work their socks off given a chance and would have a lot more to offer on the pitch!
deluded is suggesting results matter when playing these friendlies.bruce swapped almost his entire team on the hour mark, was this tactical doubt it, was it protecting the players from injuries. more likely. as these games are designed into getting match fitness into the players.not just the main players, but the squad of players as nobody knows which players will be needed as injury could happen to all or some or none. if results really mattered then he would not av swapped the team in this fashion.
shrewsbury lost other day to a non league in their first match, in sport your the hunter or hunted. little teams have their fa cup final when a bigger team play them. could this explain them losing to a non league team just days before. it didn’t matter to them as its a friendly. but it matter to the non league team, it was probably their biggest match of the season.
posters on here are split for and against bruce WRONG nobody gives a flying fook about him, the same ppl who are against him are always against the manager who ever that be. those that are for bruce just want the club to be the best it can. we are not deluded, we are realists. if it was to go pear shaped this season. we probably looking at a fallen giant staying fallen. i might even have to change my club or sport, start learning the rules on american football or rodeo
When is De Laet due back? From the sounds of it, Bruce was just showing the Dr how shit some of our players are which will hopefully strengthen his hand in the transfer market.
he is back bum bum, but long injuries like he had take time to recover. he will be used sparingly.
Easah Suliman scored for england under 19 against Portugal in the final of european championship.
I see Sunderland & Watford lost yesterday, the Watford loss stands out as they lost to afc Wimbledon, I suppose there are mental breakdowns happening north of London as well as the north east
We’re doomed, I tell you doomed đŸ™‚
But they have been punching well above their weight and are in the prem so they can be excused. We are a shambles and have been for years. See the difference
That’s the biggest load of bollocks yet from you Oohah
There has been quite a lot of debate over ‘home grown talent’ v overseas players. For me ‘home grown talent’ means young players from Villa academy such as Green, Grealish and Davies, not the Lescott’s and Richards of this world where, no doubt, there are much better options in Europe for less money (although it may have escaped some people’s notice that Villa haven’t exactly been successful buying European players!)
What, to my mind, is more important is the ridiculous contracts handed out to English and European players, mainly by the previous administration, which means we are now landed with hog maintenance assets with little or no capital value. Whatever one thinks of Bruce, he is not responsible for the financial mess we now have to resolve.
Foreign players are better always have been. My dear old mum who knows sod all about football has said to me in the past you can tell which team is foreign and which is English when I had football on at her house and she was right. She said the foreign players are comfortable on the ball and play with more flair. And she didn’t even know what teams were playing. Says it all
bruce gave gardner new contract last december for what,he couldnt even bother yesterday to pick up his man at a corner,
OK – why don’t you both just ignore the point I’m trying to make as a basis for debate and trundle out the same old?
you are saying cant blame bruce, yet i give you gardner and you say i am ignoring the point, bruce other targets all seem to be in same mould of lescott richards sendross,sorry but the successful sides lastseason didnt sign failed premierleague stars on big wages
Actually JV I said you can’t blame Bruce for the financial mess we find ourselves in; giving Gardner a new contract hardly qualifies wouldn’t you agree? We’ll agree to differ on his alleged targets as I actually think JT Is a good signing and on a sensible contract basis.
My other point was not to deny there aren’t better players in Europe but there is as much risk buying cheaply in Europe as taking on an English player. Villa have a dreadful record when it comes to buying European players.
As for Gardner, I suppose we could have let him leave for nothing as his contract was up and then you could have complained about that as well.
he also gave bunn another year forwhat,steer and sarkic should be good enough cover, and hutton earned another year just after bruce buying bree thats 3players bruce has kept
That’s a fair point, Hitchens. But that goes along with my pro-foreign over pro-home grown (choosing the word home grown in hopes of us being in the Premier League in a season or two where there’s the whole you need home grown players quota). They tend to expect higher wages for doing a lot less. Just look at the likes of Richards, Gabby, Lescott, Hutton compared to probably the likes of De Laet, Okore (who was better than Richards and Lescott put together) or hell, even Kozak who’s done more than Gabby, and he was out with two broken legs.
blar blar blar only gabby is homegrown muppet the rest i class as bought homegrown means developed from the academy. you should learn to read like you accuse me. i said homegrown meaning ACADEMY big differences. when i slagged off richards for same thing over paid rubbish defender
mind changer what is your prediction where will villa finish
Lol I haven’t changed my ind on anything, and you’re so obsessed with me I wasn’t even talking to you or about you, yet you comment on every thing I post. I was giving my definition of home grown because that’s what home grown is, players that can match the quota the Premier League hits. You say I need to grow up, move on mate. No need to be so angry. Insults don’t make your posts any more meaningful nor are they going to get me to change my mind or insult you back.
(Wonder where Badger is with all this, he dislikes people posting personal insults and such, can find 3 just on this article alone from this “man”).
lets get one thing straight iam not obsessed with you, never heard anything so funny. you are a nothing but annoying. another thing i have been replying to your insults to me. also you told me that’s what a debate site offers you, a chance to debate your theories and mine
as for running off to tell badger your grievances, you should stop winding ppl up and maybe they won’t take offenses. i tried to talk normal to you and you started getting personal with me,
i would love nothing more than to ignore you, you keep prodding with your stick saying things to get reactions.
Reply to JV’s last post as he was so kind as to correct me over Johnstone
Steer was injured all last season and is still not fully fit so we need extra cover.
Hutton triggered a one year extension on his contract which he was entitled to do so had nothing to do with Bruce.
who picked hutton to trigger extension, bunn has offered nothing in any game he played,4 permanent managers havent picked him
as for johnson cleans sheets not hard when we only had kodja in other half, he still let in more goals than gollina
hutton had in his contract option of extension. this was written in well before bruce came. bruce picks his team on which players were available and on form. as it happens hutton has been top performer for 2 seasons. sadbutrue
which goalkeeper would you buy for nothing JV free transfer remember please amuse us with a name. i thought johnston was good and he was getting better.
*hog – meant high – predictive text!
Hitch, you know and i know that as allotment owners home grown is better,đŸ˜†
and may I add that if you was in a den of lions you fight for your life, how things have changed. It’s now the way kids are dragged up, no spunk.
Political correctness decries that all shall be equal so kids aren’t allowed to win any more in case it upsets those that lose! They are all going to get a shock when they get into the real world and I think we are failing are kids in not preparing them for the reality of life. It’s not their fault. No doubt I’ll be criticised for such an outdated view.
You are wrong there H60. There is real desire to win at all costs in kids football, particularly outside of school. That’s whats wrong IMHO. We don’t develop skills and technique, instead pick the kids who are big and strong at each age group in order to dominate and win.
That’s a major reason why we come up short against most decent European and other countries.
the gap between the kids in england and europe seems to have closed. just this summer our kids done much better, reaching 4 finals and winning one. maybe this gap is closing fingers crossed
That’s the problem DSVilla, is that the kid’s wanna play technical football, but once they get into the first team, they’re forced to bulk up, they lose that ability and they become the big and strong guys who fail on a constant basis. Just look at England. They’ve done well at the youth level, because they wanna play, they don’t want to long ball it, they don’t want to bulk up and try to play physical because that doesn’t win you games, talent does. Which they lose when they get older, and are forced to play the long ball English game. Which is also the problem with 99% of English managers, like our very own. Too old school.
DSVilla, sorry but I agree with Hitch, i work very close to school football and league for 11 year old kids, that is the very thing the coach’s are replying to perants when asking when picking teams, they say its not all about winning? I say its about competition and winning it demoralizing to lose a game for children and some give up the game. Them coaches of today must have been directed to coach to what Hitch is saying.
My man:….Adomah, bad injury, out for a minimum of 8 weeks! Elmohamady looks like getting done this coming week!
UTV
yippee another dud
Langford – mail saying 2 weeks with gashed shin and slight strain to knee ligaments Is your info direct from the ‘horses mouth?
UTDuds
TraorĂ© was the last diamond we bought from across the sea. he wasn’t a player picked from bad stock, he came with real pedigree. i would say green is a good comparison. hes home grown and plays similar position.i would have green in my team everyday of the week before traore.
we sold traore for no profit and it was rumored he was on wages of 70k rising to 90k if anything ruined villa its offering these wages to a nobody like him. green iam guessing is on nowhere near them figures
green is a better prospect and we stand to make a handsome profit when they sell him to spuds for 10million plus. this was the point i was making. we do need to improve the skill levels of our homegrown, because recently they haven’t been successful.but if southampton can produce decent players so can we
.
days of us spending our way out of trouble are gone, we need to produce our own like southampton have been doing. if the majority are correct and we miss out on promotion, we could be in real trouble if the dr pulls the plug on finance. wages next season will not be covered by tv parachute. we could just sell players.but selling players isn’t easy amavi veretout Gil all supposed to be decent foreign players but we cant sell them for 1million
And there’s the the rub. Any decent players we produce we will sell. Which is why we will always be a nothing club
odds on villa have drifted to 100/1 to get promoted all down to yesterday result NOT lol there is no change …..why don’t we add a prediction to our names. would be fun to see where everybody thinks we will finish and separate wheat from the chaff. no harm in that having some fun
6th.
Top…..no doubt about it!
UTV
so yesterdays result hasn’t altered your thinking. nice to see a man with strong mind who isn’t changing minds dilly dallying. i should have said i think top too now ppl will think iam copying lmao
Your not allowed to be a ‘happy clapper’ on here but no one, and I mean no one can break my spirit or positivity! I cant, and wont live my life being negaitive!
UTV…
30 years old flop from manchester city going to sevilla. thats a decent price for Nolito left back. what does this say about amavi 23 year old sevilla didn’t want to spend 8 million on him.
funny reading leeds utd fans responses to elphick links. one leeds fan says he doesn’t wanthim as he struggled at villa with decent players around him.
Nath Elphick being strongly linked with Blues.
It is futile making predictions today. I suggest posters wait until after the first weekend of action and we see what the line-ups are. I can guess 3 teams at the moment I expect will look good: Fulham, Preston and Norwich. The relegated sides have got to show they are not scarred by the relegation, I wouldn’t tip any today. Two other well supported sides will be dangerous if they make a good start – Leeds and Cardiff.
as long as we all show our predictions before the first game. we could see how easy it really is we if we are better or worse than hollyways
we have better coaches at academy levels now in england which in turn helps to produce better HOMEGROWN players.the benefits hopefully shows in this recent upturn of reaching 4 finals is hopefully the evidence that we are producing better technical players. before this summer england youth rarely reach one final let alone 4.
green is only 18 and he is technically sound he doesn’t need bulking up he lacks only experience, he will have a good season and if we are promoted he will be in premiership. if we fail,he will be sold as the kid is better than championship.
davis is another player who is not too far away. he hold the ball up well,very strong and technically sound. a skill lacking with the other forwards in the squad, on kojia hold the ball up but he doesn’t link the play up he is more selfish
i have actually played this sport, not at the top levels in fact i played and represented my school as a winger i am both left and right footed. i could also play in goals which some say i was better at. i also played for my local pub on a cow field. which is another point when i was younger we had 10 to the dozen playing fields. government have sold these off to development so were are the next George Best playing now.
when i played for my pub team on hangovers. you want to try getting technical its impossible, ppl laugh at sunday league game. but its no laughing matter you learn to protect yourself or you get run over. their used to be a tv advert was it peter kay. football players were being technical keeping the ball in the air ,they hit it to kay and he says have it and wacks the ball away at great distance. that is sunday league. get rid of it before somebody takes you out.
while we produce young players with better technical abilities, they need to also be able to survive in the game. english game is changing but it takes time