I could try and be really clever and profess my knowledge of all European clubs and rattle off a load of guff about it’s history and players etc.
But the truth is I’ve never even heard of them and I very much doubt anyone reading this has either, unless they avidly follow European footy. Even then, you’d have to be pretty focused.
First off, I’ll just post Wiki’s first few lines about the club;
HŠK Zrinjski Mostar (Croatian: Hrvatski športski klub Zrinjski Mostar, lit. ’Croat Sports Club Zrinjski Mostar’) is a professional football club, based in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The club plays in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and has been one of the top teams in the country over the last few years. With eight championships won in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zrinjski is one of the most decorated football clubs in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The club plays its home matches at Stadion pod Bijelim Brijegom in Mostar.
Well, that’s a lot more than I knew before I read it, anyway.
Am I showing my lack of knowledge if I openly admit I’ve never even heard of Mostar?
So basically, they’re a tin pot club and this ought to be a double figures win, eh?
Hmm, I thought that against Legia last week (well, a straightforward win anyway) and we all know what happened there.
Squad news and it’s not good really. Moussa Diaby, Boubacar Kamara and Jacob Ramsey are all out, although it hasn’t really been pointed out why.
It just amazes me how easily players seem to get injured these days. I recall loads of tackles years ago which probably would have literally snapped today’s players in half, yet they were often just brushed off with an attitude of “I’ll have you for that”.
I’m laughing to myself, but well, that’s how it seemed anyway, although the truth is I’m probably looking back with my rose tinted glasses. The point is players definitely seemed more robust 30 or 40 years ago.
It has to be over-training or something, I’m sure.
Fish and chips washed down with half a dozen pints and 20 fags never hurt the likes of Franny Lee, did they? (RIP and who knew he created a bog roll empire?).
Ahem.
So the big question for me has to be will Emery rotate or will he play it safe after last week’s fiasco? He has to go as strong as he can, I reckon, because we don’t want to underestimate our opponents. Except I think the manager will rotate again. I think Duran will come in for Ollie.
And then I don’t want to think about what else he might change as I get the shivers even beginning to think about last week’s defence, or rather lack of it.
I’m not even going to make a prediction this week, except I think we ought to win.
But anything is possible and I’m only leaving myself wide open to even worse disappointment if we get beat.
UTV
Comments
154 responses to “Villa – HŠK Zrinjski Mostar; Who?”
1874, they usually bet through boredom. It’s not about the money, although we all know betting can be a slippery slope.
Having just looked at the rules, footballers are not allowed to bet on anything to do with the game of football. But they are allowed to bet on other sports. You would have to wonder why they don’t stick to those. They’re not as numerous as footy, but there’s usually something going on 24 hours a day.
Otherwise, apologies for not writing anything chaps. I just don’t have much to say and I’m sure you know speculation isn’t my scene.
If anyone has anything they fancy writing, feel free to let me know.
“You would have to wonder why they don’t stick to those.”
Maybe they can’t extend any influence over those?
Philogene scores twice on his debut for England U21’s.
I have a feeling we may trigger his buy back clause – possibly more likely than Archer?
That’s the thing isn’t it Hitch? We have a few cracking players at the club now. Genuine prospects and not just perpetual squad fillers, a no good for anyone system I’ve moaned about for years.
Barrie has been ripping it up in league 2 and it looks like he needs to move up at least one level already. No doubt another one to be sold on with a buyback clause.
I’m happy with it, as at least the players get to play and if they continue to excel, we can get them back while making the other club some good profit for educating and playing them.
It’s a good business model and win-win all round, as far as I can see.
I do find myself wondering what’s changed though? Better coaches (do we still have them?) or is it simply more investment?
Importantly, we now look like a proper top club.
It now transpires that Zaniolo was betting on Blackjack, but on an illegal site, which he says he didn’t know was illegal.
At least it’s not as bad as betting on footy, if he didn’t know.
Illegal site – does that mean an unlicensed one? That sounds more like a criminal offence than a footballing offence.
Unfortunately, ignorance is not a defence but, hopefully, the repercussions won’t be too serious.
What sanctions, if any, would football regulators have?
Just read somewhere that, if Zaniolo was found to be betting on football, it could be a three year worldwide ban. Fortunately, if that happens, it will be Galatasaray who will bear the brunt of the loss and not us. Also reading that more players may be implicated so it doesn’t seem as if it’s just a one-off thing.
It doesn’t look good.
Apologies for posting again but just found this from BNN-
“The players were questioned by police at the camp and subsequently had their phones and tablets confiscated. They face the possibility of lengthy bans from the sport. The investigation is being carried out by prosecutors in Turin and it is reported that more than a dozen Serie A players could be implicated in the scandal, including a teammate of Tonali and Zaniolo at Juventus. The players stand accused of betting on soccer matches via unauthorized websites.”
Zaniolo has claimed he was playing Black Jack and has never betted on sport.
We need to keep an open mind – innocent until proven guilty – albeit this maxim has never been respecter by the Twitterati or social media!
The England game. Why a female ref??? More Woke poison…
Why is it, even when we’ve been closer to winning a tournament, there is always something missing? Southgate’s England seriously lack any form of soul. No danger, just boring functionality. Can’t wait for him to piss off. He’s like a petty school teacher.
“Hear, hear!”
Nice to Ollie on the score sheet with an assist from Jack (:
(But I somehow have a sneaking suspicion that neither will be in the reckoning for the UEFA Euro qualifying game against Italy?)
Agree about Southgate but Frappart is a top rated FIFA ref. Having watched her officiate in quite a few games I’d honestly swap her for any of our current crop of PL refs who don’t seem to know their arses from their elbows, Webb included.
The Southgate selection is his team and the other selection is based on the football writers’ choice – most of which he doesn’t rate but picks under sufferance. Australia faced the latter.
What you have to do to get dropped from the whole squad – not the first team – beats me. Alongside Phillips & Maguire the Manchester Squatters – there are players so careless and who couldn’t give a toss like Gallagher and Maddison. A new face – Pass-backwards Tomori.
Is he to rival Square-ball Wilkins for the title of England’s most negative post war player? Mind you he isn’t the only one afflicted. Former attacking favourite Grealish seems to have had his will and maybe skill to take on defenders extracted by Pep – now he has more reverse gears than an Italian tank.
OLL I noticed that Dion Dublin on the commentary said something similar. He said that England have just about everything you could wish for in a team but they still play too negatively and have no idea how to beat a side that plays the low block. While you can argue about the team selection, this inability has to be solely down to the manager. He is telling them to play in a certain way and that way is far too safe.
Player for player we are light years ahead of the Aussies but I actually enjoyed seeing Australia attack as a team and I was wondering what it would be like if we could swap managers. It would certainly be more exciting to watch.
1874. I agree totally. There are two tested ways of beating a low block. Firstly dribbling skills – running up to and round an inner defender, at the risk of losing the ball of course, but a colleague mopping up behind you may get it back. Secondly going forward as a wave: the players off the ball making a run through the two banks of four and the player on the ball getting close and firing the ball at the shins of the player blocking him. There is slightly less than 50% chance the ball will deflect behind the blocker and be collected by an attacker. The better team will get the majority of loose balls.
Whereas Southgate wants them to retain possession as a priority. So when confronted by the low block we cycle the ball through each of the ring of attackers – left to right and back again. It is too slow and there are no visible gaps. Nobody risks a dribble, and the pinball element is missing so England don’t get a lucky deflection. The pace advantage we have is negated.
Nicolo, Arrivederci and good luck, you’ll need it. So glad that we didn’t buy him.
From GOAL – “Zaniolo’s offences are being reported to be more serious in nature than the other two and has been accused of violating Article 4 of law 401/98. This means that the police suspect that he had been an active figure in organising and spreading betting illegally.”
That might be Nicolo Fagioli not Zaniolo – we’ll just have to wait and see what transpires.
See Southgate still picking his ‘mates’ Maguire and Phillips, even though neither actually play any football.
His hypocrisy continues to achieve new levels of incredulity.
Add Stones to that list!
And surprise, surprise poor defending by Maguire and Stones!
As long as England manage to win, Southgate & co are untouchable. The media will turn on them when they lose…
Harry Kane has bailed Southgate out so many times already. It’s really difficult trying to enjoy England with him in charge. I’m enjoying some winter sun before work next week and decided I would rather go and order a crepe and miss the first half.
Thank goodness we are back to proper football this weekend.
When you walk in form work the misses is watching Pride and Prejudice and asks “Do you want to watch the match?”
You reply “no, you’re okay babe, you carry on.”
Sorta sums up Southgate’s England?
First time I’ve watched England for ages – to describe them as boring woukd be an understatement.
However, I did enjoy watching Bellingham – what a player this kid is. Imagined him in a side playing the sort of silky attacking football of the Italians – who, on he night – were their own worst enemy!
We have the talent, to play it, pity the manager doesn’t!
I’ve just realised England had a game the other day (Wednesday?).
I honestly couldn’t care less. That is what Horseface has done to England. We’ll just lose to any decent team we play, as we always do.
They bore me witless and tbh, I have to push myself to be interested in the Villa, match days apart.
The whole game seems too sanitized nowadays and well, it’s not a game anymore is it? It’s a business, full stop.
I’ll still be there to watch, but the rest of it holds little interest.
I’m sunning my butt in the Canaries again and haven’t even plugged the firestick in.
I’ve not missed it either.
Sticking with the Villa, it seems the club are going with Zaniolo’s version of events and he’ll be available. I keep reading that he hasn’t done very well for us, but I think there’s a very decent player there.
I like Zaniolo, the player and think he’s improving as he gets used to the Prem.
I also think he’s been a little unlucky on, not yet, being on the score sheet.
I just watched Canadian Pete on his latest post about the new regime. Unfortunately for me, I disagree with his views that to be successful we might have to price the hard working fans out of their season or match day tickets with the view that it’s becoming a corporate driven experience or only middle class or above. Chris Heck is still new in his role but I hope he realises quickly there is a huge difference between the English and American sports fans. One thing he was correct with was the fact we have a huge history and the clubs aren’t as far apart in terms of location as any American teams so they can never understand why we despise the likes of Man Ure or Citeh.
Badger is right and the game is becoming more and more sanitised. It started with the introduction of Sky followed by seating only because of Hillsborough. The corporate areas get bigger with Wembley being the biggest embarrassment. The Villa upper terrace and lower grounds hasn’t gone down too well with the majority. One hope is with the new North stand and hopefully not too far off a new Witton expansion to make it a 60,000 which is what’s needed to keep price of tickets affordable for the majority and not the few.
I don’t really agree with mixing ‘Corporate Type’ tickets in with terrace seating – particularly in the Upper Holte. Fans accept the corporate boxes but roped off areas and lanyards in terrace areas just wind fans up.
This looks like a cynical attempt at rinsing a market sector knowing that it’s difficult for thar section of fans who don’t go regularly to matches to get tickets for games.
Rather like the overpricing of the Everton tickets, I think they’ve got this wrong.
So did I. I was about to post on here folks should watch Holy Trinity Show latest because he rattles a few cages – but you beat me to it. I think he is right about the direction Chris Heck will take Villa, and do so with the full support of the owners. It will p*** off many of the traditional fan base but the Management think they can pull in higher spending fans and will not change course unless and until they are proved wrong.
All the well behaved self conscious middle classes sit there silently while the atmosphere gets worse. Maybe we can give them rattles to shake? Partitioning off the Holte is a vile operation.
A mate took his son to Old Trafford for his birthday last week. No chance in hell of getting matchday tickets, but Utd were more than eager to fleece them at the massive gift shop. Even his 10 year old said ‘It’s a bit pricey Dad, I think I’ll keep my birthday money for something else’!!! 😂😂😂. Us Brits are a bit more cynical when it comes to things like this.
P.s. I also thought Canadian Pete missed the point with some of his corporate business ideas. When sport looks more like a business than a game, that’s when we walk away. Especially nowadays when the players wages are so obscene and owners fleece the clubs and just walk away.
No end to the madness…
Bum Bum
Interesting point you make. I must admit I think Canadian Pete got it right. You say ‘we walk away’. Pete confirmed that and then explained traditional fans are pushed out and replaced with a more financially fluid customer. Net effect is the atmosphere in the ground drops.
I guess it comes down to what we want. Aged 15 I saw us (in TV) win the European Cup, love to see it again but it is likely to come at a cost, Roy Keane’s ‘prawn sandwich’ brigade will be coming.
When Sky can dub crowd noises onto the braodcast, what does it matter?
Anyway, don’t we have some sort of football game going on today???
I think Wet Spam are due some payback this afternoon.
On another note, although he was a generation before, I must admit I had a lump in my throat over the passing of Bobby Charlton. I know it’s overused but he was an absolute God of the game for both Utd and England. A life well lived.