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?”
No McGinn?
Villa XI: Martinez (GK); Konsa, D. Carlos, Pau, Digne; Kamara, D. Luiz, Cash, McGinn; Diaby, Watkins.
Villa subs: Olsen (GK), Tielemans, Bertrand Traore, Chambers, Lenglet, Zaniolo, Duran, Bailey, Dendoncker.
I’m going blind, I think.
You blood frighten me then Badger
A very cagey game. I think we’ll step up after the break…
Mcginn needs to be careful on a booking already and he’s getting too involved in little spats. Calm heads needed 2nd half. Need to get Watkins and Diaby involved more and use this left side with Digne a bit more. Hopefully Emery will get in to them at half time and we’ll come out firing.
Nice if we could hit the net instead of Wolves players
Our passing has been really poor. Particularly Torres when looking for Watkins and Diaby. A massive improvement needed.
1-1. I only went to the loo!!
Looks like we have a game on our hands!!!
With so much “fake injuries” time clubs are going to be required to provide entertainment
Nearly won by Zaniolo!!!!!
Aaaaaggghhhhh!!!!! Beaten by the post!!!! So close!!!!
It was a poor game and far too many misplaced passes and irritating fouls. They seemed happy to make sure it wasn’t a free flowing game and it wasn’t until they went down to 10 men when we managed to string some passes together. We need the next two weeks to hopefully get players back fit.
If you hit the post you have missed the goal, for feck sake its 8ft x 24 ft.
Bum Bum , nearly not good enough, how he missed that god knows, a few shots blocked as well from our lads we would have been second in the league, still we didn’t lose and we’re 5th still.
Official stats show last two games 45 shots 2 goals. We could be amazing. On todays results we could have taken 2 points on Liverpool, Newcastle, Brighton and West Ham
If only we cpuld have afforded Harry Kane…
TBH, I’d have taken the point before the game.
Our record against Wolves has been pretty poor recently, and I really didn’t expect us to win today.
A point away in the PL is never to be sniffed at but I can also understand the frustration some fans are feeling because we can play better. Just think of that. We’re currently 5th in the PL and just 4 points off the top and we’re not playing that well.
God help the rest of the PL when we start playing properly. I fully believe that this will happen before too long and that’s what makes this season so exciting.
COYL
It seems Fulham won’t have an uncontested claim to be the dirtiest team in the league. Wolves committed 19 fouls, most of them deliberately to break up play when Villa seemed to have the upper hand.
Torres involved in both goals, his lack of pace allowed the winger to measure a square pass under no pressure and Digne covering Torres place in role reversal was unlucky to get a touch which aided Huang. Torres didn’t need to be travelling quickly for his debut goal, but he fooled the keeper by shooting across him.
Overall since the start of the season I’d give us 8.5 out of 10.
It’s been a great season so far. When Pep leaves Citeh, it’ll be a total free for all. Arsenal won’t simply be handed the baton.
Ollie will have sleepless nights over that late header. Oh well!!! A well earned brèak and Wet Spam next!
Lange to Spurs and a restructure at Villa.
Is this a plus or a minus; has Lange eventually been forced out by Emery’s Spanish cabal at Villa?
Heck comes in and upsets supporters with Villa Terrace, Lower Grounds and pricing for the Everton game – what he’s doing trying to mix hospitality in the Holte Upper was rejected by fans at Man U.
Now Lange leaves. Is all well at Villa?
I don’t know if Lange was good or bad for us Hitch. And I don’t think anyone else knows either.
As for Heck trying an American corporate thing at the Villa, I strongly suspect that’s doomed to failure.
Us lil old English are different animals who won’t stand for being milked the way they are over there.
My SIL, my daughter and the lads went to the Mostar game and I asked if they’ve bought the 3 game package. The reply was that they’ve still got the hump that they don’t even get a cup game on the ST anymore.
They went so the lads could do a European night for the first time.
I won’t mention what they thought of the atmosphere for the first 75 mins.
The club need to be careful they don’t lose touch, imo.
Totally agree Badger.
As much as I appreciate Emery this may well be a case of all eggs and one basket.
Who knows what’s coming down the line?
Emery gets the hump, does an exit stage left and all the backroom staff throw the towel at the same time?
Not a healthy position Imo
Or do you place your trust in Emery and let him manage in his own successful way? And allow him to build his own team?
Fair point but I don’t see Emery as a quitter.
He got sacked and derided – probably unfairly – at Arsenal and is out to a prove a point. And to misquote the irreplaceable Sir Ron – ‘do you want to bet against him?’
He was definitely unfairly sacked. It took Arteta three seasons to equal Emery’s points total at Arsenal and that with Emery having to deal with players and staff who were incredibly set in their ways after umpteen years of Wenger having been in charge. Arsenal would have achieved success much sooner if they had allowed Emery to get rid of those who resisted change but, in the end, the tail wagged the dog and the players won. Worth noting that Emery then later went to Villareal where the team was unbeaten in their first 18 games. They also went on to win the Europa League and got as far as the semis in the Champions League.
I wonder how long it will take Arteta to get Arsenal that far? The last European competition they won was the Cup Winners Cup nearly 30 years ago.
And to quote the late great Greavsie…
‘It’s a funny old game’.
It appears Tielemans wants on his bike, oh well.
https://www.footballinsider247.com/exclusive-youri-tielemans-wants-to-quit-aston-villa-after-fall-out-with-emery/
Well, on the plus side he didn’t cost us anything so if he goes in January then it’s money we can spend on someone who actually wants to play for the club. However, if he stops whingeing and starts playing, there might still be a decent player in there.
A win-win for us really…
So Small Heath have appointed Rooney as Manager while Eustace, who did an alright job, is sacked. Just like Rowett and Zola all over again, isn’t it?
It’s my bet that Rooney will, like Zola, be a disaster and I don’t think that we’ll be playing the Noses this side of a decade at least. Shame as 6 guaranteed points every season would have been nice.
BCFC, the gift that just keeps on giving 😁
Bluenose fans who had been given a 2007 Club Diary as a Christmas present must have had a shock when they looked at the Club honours page. In place of winning the Leyland Daf Cup and Auto Windscreens Shield was an impressive array of honours which included winning the European Cup, European Super Cup, seven League championships and another seven FA Cups. Perhaps there really had been a curse but instead of it stopping Birmingham winning honours it had just made their fans, well, a tad forgetful!
The reason was less supernatural than human. A mistake had been made by the diary printers and the honours won by near-neighbours and great rivals Aston Villa had ended up on the Birmingham City honours page. Embarrassment and apologies all-round but just to make sure things were clear Birmingham City announced, “We would also like to make it clear that Birmingham City Football Club has never won the European Cup.” Now we know.
(This could only happen to our hapless neighbours)
https://www.footballsite.co.uk/DYK/DYK13a-Whoops.htm
That’s funny! I didn’t know that 🙂
As Santa might say Ho, Ho, Ho!
Is the owner of Blues the Tod Boehly of the Championship?
All American NFL rhetoric?
Anyone remember Proud History, Bright Future?
The diary? Really??? Awesome!!!
I’d rather play someone else than the Bluenoses even for zero points. Haven’t you been reading the papers about the Bed Bug infestation? I know a Bluenose who won a night at an upmarket hotel and brought a jar of bedbugs from his own matress and sprinkled them under his sheets to make himself feel at home. He couldn’t sleep otherwise.
Ha, Blues appoint Rooney and the BBC run a ‘Rooney”s Best Goals’ piece. How does that relate to being a manager?
Might as well do the same with Gerrard and claim he was unfairly removed by Villa!
Have a couple of good friends who are Bluenoses – going to be interested in their views.
Sorry to spoil the “Rooney” party but news from the Italian Camp that involves us.
Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali and Aston Villa’s Nicolo Zaniolo have left Italy’s training camp after being told they are involved in an investigation by Italian prosecutors.
The Italian football federation (FIGC) said the players were not in the right “condition” to participate in Italy’s two upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers.
The FIGC has not specified what the investigation concerns, but Italian news agency ANSA reports it relates to an illegal betting probe.
“Regardless of the nature of the investigative order, given that in this situation the two players are not in the right condition to face the commitments of the coming days, the federation has decided […] to allow them to return to their respective clubs,” the FIGC said.
Was NZ betting against himself to score? There has to be something behind his ineptitude. Or will he suddenly come good like Savo Missalotofit?
Why oh why do players have to bet illegally? It’s not like they’re not earning enough money as it is.
Oh well at least we’ve only got Zaniolo on loan and I’d guess that, if he has broken the betting rules, then that might break our loan agreement and we could send him packing back to Galatasaray and spend his wages on someone else.
Whereas Newcastle have shelled out £55 million for Tonali and he may well face a lengthy suspension.
Also note that Fagioli of Juventus is involved. Did you know that his surname means ‘butter beans’ in Italian?
Injuries and now this (alleged / potential) betting scandal is the last thing we need.
I suspect January is going to be quite busy at Villa.