Aston Villa have won their first pre-season game against Crewe Alexandra, Westwood’s former team. Lambert allowed Westwood to lead the team out against his former team, which was a nice touch. Aston Villa won 5-1, Benteke scored a hat-trick, Weimann 1 and Bacuna scored 1 as well.
Weimann scored his first after 2 minutes, after El Ahmadi’s original shot was blocked and it landed to the young Austrian, who blasted a shot into the net. Benteke and Weimann teamed up again, and after some good work by Weimann on the right, he picked out the Belgian who easily scored. Benteke’s second came after El Ahmadi’s through ball set him up on goal and he also easily converted that one. Benteke’s third goal, saw the player cut in from the left and drilled a shot past keeper Philips. However, Aston Villa failed to keep another clean sheet with Alex scoring following Harry Davis crossing in from a tight angle. In the second half Bacuna added another goal, he was moved from midfield to right-back but that didn’t stop the Dutchman from scoring. Bacuna scored a left-foot screamer that landed into the top corner.
Weimann returned from injury, earlier then expected and Agbonlahor and Helenius also played a part after returning from injury. Tonev, Albrighton and Okore remain out.
It’s a sign of relief that Aston Villa have won their first game, fans got a closer look at the potential first team for the new season and this game shows how important Benteke is for Aston Villa. Weimann and Benteke were the main attacking threat, El Ahmadi played well, Luna impressed (again) and Bacuna also played a great game. Next up Aston Villa play against Walsall, before a trip to Shamrock Rovers and the week before the Arsenal game, Malaga goes to Villa Park.
Villa first hour (4-2-3-1): Guzan, Lowton, Vlaar, Clark, Luna; El Ahmadi, Westwood; Bacuna, Weimann, Agbonlahor; Benteke.
Villa final half hour (4-2-3-1) Steer, Bacuna, Herd. Donacien, Baker; Delph, Sylla; Gardner, Carruthers, Robinson; Helenius
*Highlights aren’t of best quality, but you can still watch it
Must confess, I was at Edgbaston last night for the cricket but this is a good result.
Great to see Weimann in after rumours he was out for a while, and pleasing to see Benteke in the goals.
He didn’t seem to celebrate them, but if his attitude is he’ll play himself out of the club to a better side after a great season and a World Cup show, good luck to him. Better he does that at Villa Park than White Hart Lane.
Bring on the Saddlers !
Some nice goals there.
Benteke really does make it look easy, doesn’t he?
Bodes well for the season, but yes, agreed Vaze, he didn’t look particularly happy.
Let’s hope that’s just a professional attitude.
Well in fairness, it is pre season. Weimann didn’t really his celebrate his goal either, the only one that did celebrate a goal was Bacuna, which is understandable as it was his first for the club.
Benteke and Weiman staying this season was massive for our immediate future.
Can u imagine if both had left.. Unthinkable..
I am really hoping that by next summer. Bent Given Ireland Hutton will all be gone.
The new lads settled and we have a decent season. So next summer we are ready to go for 2/3 7M players to push us on..
friendlies for players is getting the match fitness up, goals aren’t overly celebrated anyways i was happy 2 see the injuries clear slightly and also a chuckle this morning when my bullshit sun news paper reports bale wants 2 jump ship 2 spain lmao ( see how they like it ) and pool are up 4 sale while our house is nice and neat around us is falling apart
Lol can’t believe you actually buy the sun supporting murdochs bullshit
guilty as charged ~ but in my defence i usually buy the mirror but saturday i fancied a comic lmao
Still another bullshit red top paper 🙂
Does anyone know how long Okore is expected to be out for?
He will be out for 2 weeks, I think knocking the door come the start of the season.
I would like to start seeing a clean sheet though, just show us that the defensive attitude is beginning to work.
I will be at the Walsall, and Malaga games so let’s see how we fare there.
Blackburn have had a bid for Bannan accepted;
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-barry-bannan-bid-5374284
Normally I think we should have got 2m for Bannan, but we have to start moving players on…so it makes sense even at 750k.
I really hope the Bent saga will be over soon and Lambert will be able to bring in one more player before the season starts.
All in all though, we look a lot stronger going into this season with good cover in all areas.
i can understand the urgency with mutton and bent but bannan is alittle different i feel sad that it never happened in the villa 1st team but iam confident given the rite position and team around him he will succeed
I think bacuna will be our Ashley young this year something we’ve greatly missed the last two years, I also think weimann is going to be our Milner but better. Looking good imo. Just pray okore will add some steel and stability in to the defense. We may even make 1 or 2 more signings that could further improve us. Can’t wait to stun arsenal in a few weeks! UTV
I would still love to get another CB.
Unless Okore can hit the ground running.
For younger posters a classic video of us beating utd in a cup semi when we were in the third division with a vp crowd of over 60,000 ffs those were the days http://youtu.be/oBmTw7UaaM8
We should bring back standing areas the atmosphere would be amazing and crowd numbers would increase.
I agree, nothing wrong with standing areas if done properly. I’d love to be able to stand all game, more atmosphere and higher attendances.
Not so sure the attendance would increase due to standing, it would be great atmosphere though
It would increase as ticket prices would be cheaper so would encourage more people to go plus atmosphere would be better. Seats have taken the atmosphere out if stadiums and most grounds are just sterile
There is no evidence that ticket prices would be cheaper, I agree that standing would bring some of the atmosphere we used to have back, but not the number of supporters.
I struggle year in year out to buy my ticket and always have done, but regardless of price I still purchase it, and that’s because I am a devoted follower, and have been for 38 years, first season ticket I ever purchased was the start of devotion, but this is mind set, cause I sacrifice all the other gadgets to enable be to do this.
So cheaper ticket prices may bring a small number of extra supporters but not many IMO.
I’m not sure VTID remember that a standing area can hold probably twice as many fans as seating areas so its feasible standing could be half price of an average seat which makes it a lot more affordable for a father and 2 sons for example
I think it was the Popperwell report in the 70s that changed all the grounds to seating, agree standing there was more of a atmosphere, think now due to what’s gone on in other games and grounds that will never happen. can you remember them pig pens they introduced even them was dangerous.
Gosh pig pens that brings back the memories. Isn’t that a part if ground where they put hooligans or something? Sky wouldn’t want standing as they are after the middle class as oppose to working class which is why there is not as much atmosphere. Would love to holte and witton of the early 70s back packed with home and away fans. Even as a div 3 side we got over 60k for that game which proves a point. Tv also cut out the sound of the fans as well which pisses me of
I think its Germany were they stand safely, I can’t see why this couldn’t be safely done here, I think it works out at 3 people for every 2 seats so it would be cheaper and you could get more people through the gates . Utv
Well yes and no Oohah, the police in their informanent wisdom thought that if fans act like animals why not treat them as just that animals, worst move from them that happened, yes was a lock up right hand corner of witton end, did you ever have the honour to use it? Can you remember them pushing people down from the back to get them in,and people getting hurt, the next move from them was seats.
I can though I was an holte ender though I did do the witton warriors remember them. We are the witton witton warriors la la la la la la la la la la
Lol
Barry Bannan off to Blackburn AVFC accept bid#UTV
I believe most fans will rue the day we axed barry Bannan. He’s only 23, and sure he couldn’t keep up with the demands of the premier league due to his size and overall presence, but make no mistake, he is arguably one of the best dribblers at the club. He’s capable of keeping the ball stuck to his foot, and it’ll be a sad day for me, when he goes.
If we are depending on our youth team players to take us forward in the future then we have problems. Being battered by Newport County does not bode well. If we dont add some quality and experience soon we will struggle again we have spent very little this summer (8-9m) and with players leaving or about to leave that figure will reduce. We need quality !
We played our U21 team, it looks like they played their normal squad. Plus it was a friendly, again.
Ill never rue bannan to blackburn. Gifted with ability, yes. Cut out for the premier league, never ever in his career. Even if blackburn get promoted we’ll see the same issues with him. Techinque is a key factor or any player and bannan has that in abundance but in the top flight you also need either pace or power, bannan has neither of these
I see they take after the first team in the defending stakes only this was Newport ffs
Don’t care what anyone says getting smashed by Newport with any team is just embarrassing ,shows we have no depth .
No, it shows that our u21 side…….full of mostly teenage kids………got smashed by a team full of men in a friendly.
It’s not even disappointing, let alone embarrassing……it’s a friendly that would have been forgotten already but for that horrible, rough little club lying that we assured them we were taking a 1st team. A development friendly as advertised, is just that
…..same side that lost 3-2 to Tamworth last week!