Aston Villa have played their 4th pre-season game against Wycombe and this time we didn’t tie 1-1, but instead 2-2. In the first half Aston Villa played with a relatively strong defence, with Lowton, Vlaar, Clark and Luna all playing. Yet, it was in the first half in which Aston Villa conceded both goals. First goal came from McCoy who scored with a ‘cross-shot’ that surprised Guzan and went in. Aston Villa did respond with a goal from Lowton in the first half, Bacuna found Lowton and with a teasing ball; Lowton steered his header into the bottom left corner. Later Wycombe scores again, this time Johnson scored from a corner taken by Spring. In the second half, the same team played and Westwood score his first goal for the club. Grealish was fouled and Westwood scored with a well-placed free-kick.
VILLA: Guzan, Lowton, Vlaar, Clark, Bacuna, El Ahmadi, Luna, Westwood, Weimann (Burke), Grealish, Carruthers.
50th Minute Subs: Steer, Donacien, Baker, Johnson, Delph, Webb, Sylla, Bowery, Burke, Herd, Gardner.
Paul Lambert also lost two forwards to injury. Weimann came-off with a rumored rib-injury in the first half. Later in the second half, substitute Bowery limped off with a back injury, Bowery’s injury doesn’t seem to serious and Lambert didn’t want to risk him. Helenius also didn’t feature in the match, nothing has been confirmed, however Helenius must have had a small knock that kept him out of the game. Weimann, and Bowery will join Agbonlahor, Tonev and Okore in the injury room. However, the majority of the players should be fit and available for our next friendly against Luton.
Aston Villa are yet to win a pre-season game, am I worried? A tiny bit, I think our strike force will be fine, like it was last season. But we are still having issues at the back. Lets hope things improve with Okore, but the vibe that I’m getting from fans is to get Baker to partner Vlaar and place Clark in midfield. It’s worth a shot.
Image courtosey of BBC
Your worried because we havent won a pre-season game..are you for real. How about saying ‘I’m delighted we havent lost one’. FFS they are just friendlies. This does not mean we will either struggle or challenge for a CL place.
UTV 🙂
You seriously think we could challenge for a CL place!! You must be on happy pills or something!
If you read what I said again you will look like a complete prick! And you say I’m on happy pills!
I’m not really worried just noting a few observations.
I remeber when Spurs were managed by Ramos, they won all there pre season games. Yet scored very little points at the beginning.
But you’re right. I should look more at then positives
Okore will start, either with Baker or Vlaar. PL didnt pay 4m for him to sit on the bench. I doubt Clark will start in midfield ahead of Delph or Sylla.
We wont qualify for champions league no chance, but the result is still meaningless I wouldn’t have cared if we had won 8-0. Aslong as the team is settled and fit come Arsenal that’s all that matters.
Adam.. Same applies to you as oohah … FFS read what I said! No wonder people are slagging this site off. Just engage brain before replying, or better still read the comments PROPERLY!
UT
I see what you meant now Rotterdam I read it wrong too much sun 🙂
Yeh sorry I skim read yours and saw oohahs.
Clark was rubbish today, couldn’t decide what to do with the ball and more often than not thumped it clear. Tony Moon was excellent and Baker was in the thick of it. Westwood’s goal was great. Their first was probably a fluke but the second was very poor defending. Please Lambert don’t put Clark in defence this year!
Lambert hasn’t played his strongest side yet, so we can’t really judge how we’re going to do when the league starts.
Shouldn’t need our strongest side to beat wycombe ffs. Like Bradford we still havnt progressed
What do people think is our strongest side at the moment?
Guzan, Luna, Okore, Vlaar, Lowton, Delph, Sylla, Westwood, Gabby, Benteke, Weimann
Looks a pretty decent side to me, with Tonev and Helenius to come on in attack. Baker as cover at the back. Might even consider playing Baker at left back instead of Luna or instead of Vlaar in the centre.
I’d have baker and Okore to start of with as ch. from what my mates are telling me of Luna from Germany trip he is very similar to Bennett crap defender but half decent going fwd. So for the 3rd season running we still havnt got a decent left bk pathetic
Its interesting to see the team he put out today for the first 50 mins. It looks to me as if that will be the back 4, with the exception that Okore comes in for Clark. In midfield, it will be Bacuna and Westwood as he played today. There is no way EL Ahmadi will be in the team, which may mean he is looking for a creative midfielder (hopefully) and then the front 3 will be the same as last season…with Tonev and Helenius providing competition for places.
Clark is shit I hope he doesn’t play this season was gutted to see he signed a new contract.
Yeah I’m not impressed with him either tbh. Baker is a lot better I’m surprised lambert extended his contract tbh it’s not like anyone else would want him.
Can’t really judge Luna too harshly after 50 minutes of a pre-season friendly. It’ll take him a while to adjust. I was also hoping he’d be a solid defender though. It’s been too long since we’ve been solid at the back. I grew up knowing Villa as one of the best defensive sides in the league, so it would nice to see us get back to that. If he’s going to play Bacuna, I’d rather see Westwood and Sylla start with him and Delph on the bench, although Delph was starting to show some real promise and dogged determination towards the end of last season.
Haven’t been on this site for a quite a while, but nothing ever changes. Always the same people, or should I say person moaning. Oohah, do you ever cheer up?
Moaning about pre season results is a new low. Pre season is there for fitness and integrating new players in. The results are not important. Teams have won all their pre season games and then gone on to start terribly in the league and vice versa.
And then you complain about Luna, a player you have never even seen. Again reaching new depths of pure negativity.
Anyway, I’m remaining positive and upbeat (try it oohah, maybe you wouldn’t be so miserable then). With Benteke on board for 2013/4, I am optimistic we can finish comfortably in the top half, maybe even challenging the Europa league places.
If we sign a quality ch cm and left bk then u will be super positive promise. But I don’t think we will be getting anyone else in. To me the defense is still a major worry pre season or not we ate still conceding from corners!
Is it time we stopped the Petrov round of applause, he is now fit amd well and in a new job at the club and in my opinion would now like to move on from the illness that ended his playing career. I know some would disagree but i just feel he would want to move on from it as anyone would
I’m with you on that, Wigan was as fitting a tribute and thank you to Stan as any player could have wished for and for me that should be it now.
He knows that we were, are, and always will be behind him in his battle, but fingers crossed, he seems to have won.
I would be in favour of a round of ‘one Stilyan Petrov’ but feel that the minute’s applause was a great show of spontaneous support that could be lost if it drags on.
I think chanting his name is a great idea, I hope the club and Stan make an announcement on this before the season starts.
I was not at Wigan but i was in the holte end for the last home game they were magical scenes and made me even more proud to be a Villa fan UTV
Agree mate it’s not like he was a player who we all particularly rated when he did play and has become more popular since his illness. But he is certainly a hero the way he has fought it and dealt with it with the minimum of fuss. Players like benteke should look at what Stan has gone through and be ashamed of themselves IMO
they are just friendlies and should be taken for what they are, I am however a little concerned by the defensive frailties shown over the games, its not being negative it is just a concern as they seem to be the exact same problems we had last season, im hoping we will have learnt from that.
still they are just friendlies and we shouldn’t be judging players on the face of them saying luna is crap is the same as saying helenius is the new benteke on the balance of the games so far.
we’ve got a really tough start to the season and im fully expecting us to be round about the relegation zone come the end of sept, I don’t expect us to stay there but what im saying is once more it’ll be up to the fans to get and stay behind the team again, especially at VP.
us fans were outstanding last season and we will need to be again.
UTV
That’s my biggest worry NM we are virtually starting with the same shite defense with a left bk who by all accounts is no better than Bennett and that joker vlaar will play. Even though it was a friendly yesterday the fact is we still cannot keep a clean sheet and are still conceding from corners. Lambert really hasn’t got a clue about defense and still no definite defensive coach per se
I agree morgan, people in recovery from anything need a point to move on and rise to new challenges otherwise they become the image of a victim, someone to pity. the new season is the perfect time to start anew.
so pleased for stan though and im sure he would agree too.