Play poorly and score 5, how strange
So, what a very strange game. Frankly all but for 20 mins we were rubbish, in fact more than that, abysmal might be the better word. However like all good teams we saw a weakness and exploited it for a magical 20 minutes to win 3 points and put us amongst the top 4 teams with some ‘easy’ games to come.
At 1-1 with 10 minutes of the 2nd half gone I was calling for Carew instead of Heskey, that is how bad it was. We could barely get our game together and the first half was as bad a first half as we have seen at Villa under MON. We could barely string passes together and looked like a relegation side, yet once Downing gave us the lead we looked a completely different side, one that finally had believed in itself.
Then we saw the real Villa, one where down the wings we totally exposed Burnley and for once were very clinical in front of goal. You would hope that this result now gives us the impetus to move forward and actually believe in ourselves as an attacking force.
With the other results today it means the whole battle for top 4 has become a 4 horse race and with the fixtures to come we have to be very confident that unlike last season we can push on for the rest of the season and grab the spot. when we get the belief we can be a very potent force it seems sometimes we lack the belief to do that and if this gives us the boost then today may be the start of a very successful last few months.
No defeat in 2010 is unlike the other MON seasons at the same stage and maybe being slightly defensive but with attacking poential will prove to be pivotal, we hope so.
UPDATED, Match ON – Snow warning for Burnley game
If anyone just saw the BBC Weather forecast they have a severe weather warning out for heavy snow in the West Midlands for early tomorrow morning.
The forecaster has just said a possibility of up to 10CM for our area, it is the last thing we want for the game to be cancelled tomorrow and lets just hope it will not be as bad as that.
Official warning from the Met Office
Sleet and snow will spread eastwards across parts of the West Midlands and northwest England during Sunday morning, giving widespread accumulations of 2 to 6 cm, and locally up to 10 cm. This will also lead to widespread ice on roads and pavements.
The public are advised to take extra care and refer to the Highways Agency for further advice on traffic disruption on motorways and trunk roads.
Issued at: 1749 Sat 20 Feb
UPDATED – 08:45 – Snow has fallen, I live 3 miles from Villa Park and around 4-5 cm of the stuff has fallen. However already it is starting to melt away, think we will be all OK
UPDATED – 09:45 – Official Site has confirmed match definitely on
The ancient battle of the Claret and Blues resume
Back in 1888 two teams played each other in the first ever football league season. One team was vastly more successful but given the size of Burnley they did not do to bad as well.
So for the first time in my supporting history Burnley play a league game at Villa Park with an abysmal away record. On Sunday this resumption of an ancient rivalry resumes and it is obviously a game we must win to ensure that the race for fourth stays a 4 horse race. In fact with Liverpool and Man City playing after our game it is clear a win will put us right up amongst the positions for 4th.
Therefore I expect nothing less than a full strength team for this game. If everyone is fit the only real debate is exactly who will play at RB, Luke Young or Carlos Cuellar. I like Cuellar, no emphaise that further I really rate him and he has played really well, However at this stage we need a proper right back, we have to win the game and Luke simply HAS to play.
The only other area is who would play alongside Gabby. With Heskey breaking down every game, Carew playing like he has already left then is it time for Nathan Delfouneso ? MON said today
Delph and for that matter, Nathan Delfouneso, have got wonderful ability. I expect those two boys to be really, big big players for us next season.
I totally agree and the only reason I would not play Delph tomorrow is that he is needed for Wednesday. However Delfouneso can start against Burnley’s slow centre backs and I believe he would be excellent against them and provide a real threat and more importantly goals.
whatever team is picked we must win and hopefully get a few goals, the next month is vital for our league ambitions and anything less against a team with only one point away from Turf Moor is just unacceptable.
Tough choices and 9 goal Spurs up next
It is a strange time with Villa at the moment and one I struggle to understand.
Burnley away is a tough game I do not think in any way we under estimated them but the team selection of Petrov over NRC left far too many people questioning MON’s tactics and his decisions. Overall in the game we once again failed to perform on the road and is it down formation o the players.
I have a simple answer for this and his name is Carew. I may sound like a stuck broken record but away from home his style is far too lazy to be effective in a 4-4-2 and often leaves us with just 10 effective players on the pitch and struggling to control games. MON is a stubborn person and I just wished that away from home he would go to a 4-3-3 with NRC in the middle with Petrov and Sidwell or in the future Downing.
However at home 4-4-2 seems to be working and Carew is far more effective as he will tend to get more space to do the things he is very good at.
One very good piece of news yesterday was the surprise and sudden return of Downing. We knew he had played 90 minutes in a behind closed doors friendly but to come on as sub, play well and have a positive effect is excellent for him and the team.
The next few weeks MON will have some tough choices on who to pick and I think those choices with a tough December could decide his future at Villa.
Tough at Turf Moor and Downing’s return
There are always questions that surround a MON team selection and more so after a 5-1 defeat of Bolton. A lot of managers would stick with the same team and keep to a winning side. However with Collins having played so well and Petrov having a decent season and captain will MON revert to the tried and trusted team and in many ways put himself under a lot of pressure.
How would Reo-Coker and Luke Young react to being dropped after such good performances ?
But that is what MON is paid to do, he has to make the calls in the best interests of the team and more importantly to get the three points we need to sustain a challenge for the top 4. MON has shown throughout the past few years that he does not bow down to fan pressure and is 100% responsible for his own decisions and that is how it should be.
So on at Turf Moor on Saturday we know what we will face, a very good home team who likes to knock it about and harass the opposition a lot. There should be doubt that this will be a very tough game, it will be tight but I really think the pace up front against slowish defenders will cause a lot of problems for Burnley.
Some very good news today about Downing who played 90 mins and scored in a behind the closed doors friendly against Lincoln, very good news for us and all Villa fans are excited at seeing him return as the options he gives us are immense.
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