I’m not going to dwell on the Palace game too much, as most of it has been said already here and elsewhere, save to say that their handball goal should have stood and Grealish, in all honesty should have been booked for trying to deceive the ref.
The performance was adequate and it seems many sites gave very decent player ratings for most of the team.
But being realistic, I think the truth is that it was more about Palace being very poor. Even Taylor was rated as very good, after all and we all know how he’s rated by the Villa fans. Good professional yes, but by no means a quality player.
Perhaps I’m being harsh.
You can only beat what’s put in front of you after all.
And anyway, it doesn’t matter what I think; all that mattered was us getting the points.
Which we did.
Grealish looked brighter, but seems to have lost a bit of attacking instinct and seems to hesitate at times. He certainly should have shot first time in the play that led up to the non-penalty, imo.
Elmo did well, as did Trezeguet, in the second half at least. I pointed out a couple of weeks back that he looks our best hope as a finisher lately and seems to have better positional sense when we do threaten. So much so that I wonder if there would be any mileage in putting him up top?
Nah, it’s a daft thought and it’s too late anyway.
Which leads me nicely into the Everton game.
I watched bits of their game against Wolves and they didn’t look very good. The classic “they’re already on the beach” definitely sprang to mind, with even some of their own players admitting that they lacked desire and need their backsides kicking.
Which is what I think the game will boil down to.
Who wants it the most?
There’s no doubt the Villa lads worked hard and played for each other yesterday and it was good to see, as it means we ain’t quite down just yet.
For me, our best hope is that Everton don’t fire themselves up. Our luck says they will, but it’s hard to see how. They have nothing to gain, after all, apart from maybe a few quid in position money and it’s hard to see that motivating the players much.
I’m too scared to predict the score, because I don’t want to jinx us, so I’ll just say I’ll be keeping everything crossed come kickoff.
And then, I can’t finish without commenting about Man City.
CAS mostly overturning UEFA’s decision is horrendous and scary.
This has now moved all the power away from UEFA and towards the clubs.
In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if FFP is dropped, because it seems it’s unenforceable.
A German paper, Der Spiegel, found evidence that Etihad sponsored the club for £67 Million, yet the airline itself only paid around £8 million or so, with the rest paid by the Abu Dhabi group.
How can they get away with this?
Every man and his dog knows this is bent.
The worrying part is a Football expert who helped write the FFP rules said on the Beeb that if we’re not careful, the European game will be controlled by just three middle Eastern entities, which are basically countries (Saudi, Abu Dhabi and the UAE).
How on earth have we let it come to this?
Actually, it’s probably quite easy to answer that.
Football has sold it’s soul to pure and unadulterated greed.
And Sky and the Premier league are the most guilty.
I strongly suspect that those of us who said the Premier league will kill the game are slowly being proved right.
Absolutely, I said the Prem is just a corrupt money making monster! It’s disgraceful and ‘yes’ the Premier league will kill football, and is doing so already!
I despair for the game, I really do 🙁
Meanwhile, come on Villa, you can do these!
Wycombe next season. 😒
You obviously have no faith whatsoever, Holte.
Mind you, I thought we were gone after the Man U game, I must admit.
You just never know mate.
It’s a funny old game.
Good post Badger.
Sadly FFP won’t be dropped because it’s a useful tool with which to protect the Sky 6’s position.
Or am I just a cynic?
Just read Everton, want Mings does he need a lift and now Man United want him as well are they talking about the same Mings.VTID
Win, Draw, Win from our final three games keeps us up i reckon. Still need Watford and Bournemouth to help us out and lose their next games but its still achievable. The lads will have got some confidence by actually scoring 2 goals on Sunday and it should have been 3 really so we have to take the game to Everton and see what transpires fingers crossed Everton dont want it that much and we get a comfortable win to take in to the Arsenal game and hopefully by that game Arsenal have nothing to play for as they wont be able to reach 6th spot and then hopefully come our final game West Ham are already safe and they gift us the 3 points. hahaha now i must be in dream land!
What will most likely happen is we dont turn up against Everton and lose miserably and then were done.
Can’t see us suddenly stringing results together. Too many false dawns this season. Everton is very winnable but the public criticism they got after their previous performances will probably result in a “reaction” and a difficult game for us.
Arsenal… im very unoptimistic about. We’ll surrender like we do against all the rest of the traditional top 6 – it seems we are the only team left that show any fear against these sides. You can just see them beating us comfortably but then being bullied by Watford and Deeney on the last day giving them the points to stay up.
Please please prove me wrong Villa
Point of interest lads, Callum Ohare gone to Coventry, subject to FA approval.
Now we can monitor the knowledge of our club.
The dates for the summer transfer window have bee confirmed.
The 2019/20 season has been delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic and the summer transfer window has been pushed back as a result.
But the new transfer window will now open on July 27, with it to remain open for ten weeks, closing on October 5.
There will also be a domestic-only transfer window, that runs from October 5 until October 16.
Oh Goodie…
.
we need to get our skates on, transfer window is about to reopen and we still have the same transfer committee that we did beginning of season, which we all agree was not up to standards. again its hard caus ewe still do not know if we are going to be premiership or championship. so can not set about the incoming transfers yet
Agreed, 5 subs to be used next season. We need 11…
At least we won’t be affected by the top 6 super squads next season Bill. Playing in the championship, you would assume we would actually benefit from 5 substitutes with us having one of the biggest squads.
Oops sorry! I forget that most Villa fans think we will still be in the premier league next season! 🤣
Seriously though I was fed up when they introduced 3 subs! I thought the 5 subs was because of the congested fixture schedule. I wish they would ban substitutions after 90 minutes, or even better 80 minutes.
Well, getting nervous already for that 6pm kick off. Biggest Villa game in years!!!!
My eye’s are on other clubs results, Watford and West Ham. Tomorrow. ,I even had a heart renching moment with Bournemouth game yesterday. But will be watching with family tonight. Utv. .
Here’s some sobering stats for you.
Villa haven’t beaten Everton at Goodison since 2008
Everton are on a 10 match unbeaten run at home
Villa have only won 3 of their last 36 away EPL fixtures
Villa haven’t managed an away clean sheet in 24 EPL matches
Villa’s 2 goals against Palace was as many as they managed in their last 8 games combined.
Stats don’t lie (do they?)
Even with my optimistic ‘Everton on the beach’ hat, I can only see a defeat tonight.
And I remember watching that last win at Goodison. Sidwell scored inside the first minute. Lescott got two including an equaliser minutes from time, then Young blitzed up the pitch 30 seconds later to score his second and win the match for us.
What a game that was and what a difference in quality from the players on show now.
Had to watch it again on YouTube 🙂
Was it really 12 years ago!
I remember that game Hitch. Bloody awesome! Well, records are there for beating, so fingers, toes and testicles crossed for tonight. Is it on TV anywhere (apart from Sky)?
Bill, if we don’t win tonight, then tomorrow’s match between Wham and Wotford is an irrelevance.
Bum bum: answering where it is on, email to phattex@btinternet.com and I will tell you.
Done!
Line up lads
Rein Elmohomady Konsa Mings Luis Hourihane Trezeguet Samatta Grealish ,
SubsNylan Guilbert Kesler Hayden Nakamba Lamsbury Jota Elgazi Vasslen Davis
Mcginn and Targett.. team.
COME ON LADS!!!!!!!