Milner and Litex Lovech
James Milner has completed his move on a four year contract.
Kevin Keegan says it was his decision alone to sell the 22 year-old- but I'm not so sure.
What a terrific piece of business for Villa and it gives them an incredible boost before Sunday's big game.
Picking Villa's starting eleven last season was simple.
Now I couldn't tell you who will drop out of the midfield- Nigel Reo-Coker, who was given the ignimony of playing at right-back last night when Craig Gardner was excelling in the middle of the pitch- or Stiliyan Petrov?
All of a sudden you start to question where Steve Sidwell will fit in.
Eight summer signings, including Curtis Davies, or seven without. All in the space of about five or six weeks and at a cost of between £35million and £45million, or thereabouts.
Finally Villa have a right winger and a a set of full-backs. I can't remember when they last had such a glut.
Martin O'Neill must feel like he's been handed a golden ticket at Cadbury's and been told to help himself.
Just need that striker now. And I understand things are already in motion with three days and a few hours still to go.
I think the three main centre-backs (Davies, Laursen, Cuellar) will alternate all season with so many domestic cup and European games ahead.
Speaking of Europe, a trip to Bulgaria it is then......Litex Lovech- currently top of the Bulgarian league after winning two and drawing the other of their opening three games.
The ties will take place on September 18- an away trip just three days before the noon kick-off at Albion- and October 2 at Villa Park.
It's a good draw for Villa and should see them nicely through to the four game Group Stages which will keep them busy until mid-December.
Litex has twice been Bulgarian champion and three times the Bulgarian Cup winners and play in a tiny 7,000 seater stadium.
Villa will have to up their game from last night when Moustapha Salifou and Gardner were the only players to really stake a claim for a first team shirt.
Perhaps it was the total lack of alcohol available in the stadium due to UEFA rules. Ouch! Don't get me started on European guidelines. They'll be telling me next that the hot dogs have to be of a certain curvature.
I did manage a pint of cider. In the Holte Hotel no less. The General walked past at one point. Didn't realise he was pushing five foot tall.
Back to the game and wasn't Marlon Harewood atrocious?! What has happened to him infront of goal over the summer?
As for the team it was always going to be a matter of simply making sure they got through into the UEFA CUP first round draw with the performance secondary.
Just ask Manchester City supporters how they are feeling today!
It was pleasing afterwards to see Gareth Barry address the press in the mixed zone. He didn't say anything controversial, but the mere factor of opening his mouth three days before this huge game suggests he wants to let bygones be bygones with Martin O'Neill.
Barry has even been speaking today about the trip to Bulgaria.
So from a totally frustrating summer of little transfer action and a hige cloud hanging over the club with the Liverpool saga, the mood has now lifted immeasurably.
A first home win over Liverpool in ten years on Sunday and despite the defeat in the Potteries all the talk will be on Villa potentially overhauling Benitez' side into the top four.
Steven Gerrard won't be playing- so who knows? I've tipped Villa in today's paper.
Would just be great to see Villa get that striker in. I've given up on Marlon!
By the way, Villa's unnofficlal travel club at Premier Ents have already started taking bookings for a one night trip costing between £270 and £300 from Luton- but be warned, prices are likely to creep up as the games get closer.
Contact them on 01543- 426 426.
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Mat Kendrick - is the Birmingham Mail's man at Villa.
couldn't agree more re.'Marvo'.....!!!???
What a borefest eh?
Some thoughts from the Liverpool Echo blogger on the Villa Liverpool game.
Difficult to say who's the most disappointed.
http://www.luketraynor.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/08/shock-tactics.html
What a borefest eh?
Some thoughts from the Liverpool Echo blogger on the Villa Liverpool game.
Difficult to say who's the most disappointed.
http://www.luketraynor.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/08/shock-tactics.html
What a borefest eh?
Some thoughts from the Liverpool Echo blogger on the Villa Liverpool game.
Difficult to say who's the most disappointed.
http://www.luketraynor.merseyblogs.co.uk/2008/08/shock-tactics.html
James Milner at £12m..."a terrific piece of business for Villa"!!Your having a laugh,ain't yer?James is a really hard working young pro, but he's never going to to deliver those game-changing moments that would justify such an outlay and not even MON's magical,metamorphosing man-management is going to change that.James is a good squaddie and would have been decent business at about half the price.Terrific business for Fat Boy Ashley.
Sad to see you taint an otherwise readable piece with a commercial for Premier Ents...what were the commission arrangements? You might like to know that my company,Deadly Tours,leased Doug's yacht,"Spirit of Bosko"and were able to offer an all-in return trip to Bulgaria for £34.We were a little undersubscribed but a good time is being had by all,and,favourable winds allowing,we should be back in time for the second leg.A plug from your goodself,in good time, would be welcomed.
Keep the faith!Come on you Loyons!
Hi Bill!I have to say that I think you were absolutely right not to post my recent comment.It was not in the best of taste and was undermining of a really fine man.I got carried away and hell,Bill,I'm sure you as a journalist know how it is;I'd had a couple of large Jackie D's and,well,you know...........but anyway,I think you were just a little bit to blame,'cos it was you that first raised the subject of the General's lack of inches.He's a fine man and I just know he would have approved of your censoring of comments that fall short of decent standards.But be careful Bill,. how you use your powers.You know how it is:you start off censoring comments and before you know where you are, you're growing a little bitty mustache and making crazy speeches in a beer hall in Munich.Bill,take my advice:stick to what you know best,and that is Aston Villa.Great result against the Buggies.Take care Honey.
Some people just cannae handle their drink.For goodness sake,leave the wee man alone.OK,so he may not be much bigger than Jinky Johnstone,but the man has brought steel and discipline to the club,and if anyone is going to put a stop to that blatherskiting windbag O'Neill's fillibustering attempts to persuade Mr.Lerner to part with even more of his hard-earned multi-millions,then it's going to be the General.He may be on the small side,but he has the heart of William Wallace.So enough....
By the way:can anyone confirm that John Carew's father is a Scotsman?He certainly has the bearing and majesty of a Scot.Wouldn't that be something!Gabby,with his Scottish mother,coupled with Braveheart Carew.Ah!Dreams of Andy Gray and Alex Cropley!
Is John Carews father a Scot?I think I may be in a position to shed some light on the matter.I am a consultant to(used to be MD of)Dig Deep Ltd,a company specialising in genealogical services to the peasantry.I have extensive experience in the matter of footballer's forebears,having been employed by Jack Charlton and the Irish F.A.to visit Samoa, to investigate reports that three of the members of the Samoan national team had Irish grandmothers.Regrettably,my investigations there did not bear fruit,but it was a fascinating experience.
I have already done some research on the question of John Carew,s Scottishness.As well as being an avid Villa fan(I did some pioneering research on William McGregor's ancestry)I am a proud Scot,and confess that my interest in the family Carew has been prompted by the thought,nay the dream, that if John's Scottishness could be established, then it might,just might, be possible for him to apply to FIFA(under Rule396(a)as amended)for exceptional leave to play for Scotland,despite having previously turned out for Norway........Gabby Agbonlahor might want to do the same, vis a vis England........but I digress!
My preliminary research indicates that John is very possibly the grandson of one Daniel Carew,born 1926 in the small Ayrshire town of Joppa-coincidentally,the birthplace of another Villa Great Scot,the peerless Archie Hunter.Daniel,as a young man, had something of a reputation as a hardman.Known locally as Desperate Dan Carew,he was renowned for his ability to administer a"Glasgow handshake",especially when his attempts to elbow his way up to a bar were hindered.A promising local footballer whose career was apparently blighted by injury.
Daniel Carew volunteered for active service in WWII,and was part of a Commando unit raiding-party sent to occupied Norway to plant explosives in the Stavanger headquarters of SHTUM,a quisling organisation set up by the Germans to rig voting on the Norwegian FA Council.Captured by the Germans,Daniel spent three months as a POW,before he escaped,by feigning injury,during a football match between prisoners and guards.Helped by the Norwegian resistance,Daniel was given shelter by a local family, the Sorresons.It seems that fairly early on,Daniel gave up on thoughts of trying to make good his return to Scotland.Love intervened.The Sorresons had two daughters.Frida,a 6'5" red-haired beauty and her sister Agnetha(later to find fame as the singer of Norway's"nul point"Eurovision song contest entry"Headbangabang"). Apparently,Daniel became utterly smitten by Frida and records show that they married in late 1944.Setting up home in Oslo,they had three children and their eldest, son Angus,like his mother 6'5"tall and with gingery blond hair,married and later went on to have eleven boys, one of whom was called.............JOHN!Is this the man,the very same John Carew?Frankly,I don't know.On my last visit to Oslo, to carry out further research, I was mistaken for a drunken Kilmarnock fan.....Kilmarnock happened to be playing there in the Inter Toto cup.....and deported.But..... if it is the man himself,and only he can tell us,then bliss unbounded!!!Now wouldn't that be something.John Carew playing for God's own country.O Flower of Scotland,when will we see your like again,would never ring truer.C'mon John,let's be hearing from you.
All together now...to the tune of Que sera sera
John Carew,Carew
He's more Scottish than me or you
Lives on haggis and Irn Bru
John Carew,Carew.
What is all this nonsense about John Carew's father being Scottish?.Nonsense!His father is from The Gambia and if there is any such FIFA rule(which I question!)then I have no doubt that John(who is a national hero in The Gambia) will choose to renounce Norway and play for the country of his father's birth.Absurd!Scottish!Does he look like,behave like or speak like a Scotsman?Is he dwarflike, with ginger hair?Does he drink himself into paralysis every Friday night and start singing "I belong to Oslo,dear auld Oslo town"?.Does he speak your Queen's English as if his tongue was wrapped in rusty barbed wire? NO!He does not.Stop this nonsense now!
Come on!What the f..k is going on?Let's get this blog back on the rails.Who really gives a f..k whether Big John can play for the Jocks.What matters is the Villa.Simple.Let's look at the BIG questions.Like....will the club go bankrupt if the Bank of America goes under.Reason I ask is because when Randy sold his father's business MBNA,to the Bank of America,he was paid in Bank of America shares and at yesterday's prices they're not worth a tinkers toss.God.Imagine having less money than the Blues.At least the Golds and Sullivan are in recession-proof businesses,right Randy Erners,if you catch my drift.Anyway,I think that we should told.