January 2009 Archives

IT was a memorable week at Aston Villa alright, good and bad.

The death on Tuesday of Johnny Dixon was immensely sad. As I wrote in a tribute piece for the Mail on Thursday (the news of his passing did not come through until late Wednesday morning - from the quite brilliant Former Players Association) if you asked a section of Villa supporters over a certain age to name their favourite players of all-time then Dixon would make most, if not all, of those lists.

Skipper of the 1957 FA Cup winning side, Dixon was a true great - on and off the pitch. It was just a pity for him that his period at the club just happened to be one of struggle. All the more fortunate for Villa that he came along when he did.

Then on Thursday afternoon, again from Neil Rioch and Karl Cort's FPA offices, came news of the passing of Vic Crowe - a man who had given Villa such sterling service from the mid-1950s to the mid-70s. As a player he plugged the enormous hole left by the £30,000 departure of Danny Blanchflower to Tottenham and as a manager he helped rebuild a club
that had fallen on its knees, eventually putting in place the foundations from which Ron Saunders would build the side of all sides.

It was ironic that both would leave this mortal coil (with apologies to Hamlet) at a time when Martin O'Neill's side were preparing for a fourth round FA Cup tie at Doncaster.

Dixon's memory will always burn bright as the last Vilal skipper to lift the trophy. Crowe just happened to be the manager when Villa inflicted their one and only defeat on Doncaster in ten attempts, a Third Division game back in 1970.

Crowe also played the last three games of a remarkable five game fourth round contest against Rovers in 1955, which took in five grounds over 16 days.

If O'Neill's men needed any extra incentive to progress through to the last 16 today, it is for the memory of two fine men whose places are etched in claret and blue folklore.

As British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan told a Conservative rally in Bedford 52 years ago: "You've never had it so good."

And who'd gave thought it?

I sat down with a collection of record books infront of me, just trying to figure out exactly when Villa had last managed to collect as many points from the opening 21 games of a season.

I expected the answer to be ten years. Well, much was made at the time of the record start made under John Gregory. Surely most fans will remember the side posing for pictures on the pitch at The Dell after a convincing win over Southampton?

I didn't expect the answer to be never.

Not since Villa's Championship season of 1980-81, the last season of two points for a win, have they managed 41 points from 21 games.

Ron Saunders' side would have held the equivalent having won 12 and drawn five of their first 21 games to sit level with Liverpool on 29 points in the days of two points for a win.

It was 40-points under Graham Taylor when they finished runners-up to Liverpool in the old First Division in 1989-90.

Ron Atkinson's runners-up of 1992-93 had taken 35 points from their opening 21 matches.

John Gregory's side of 1998-99 had taken 40 points from their opening 21 games to sit level with Chelsea at the top of the Premier League, while Brian Little's fourth-placed team of 1995-96 had taken only 36 points from their opening 21 matches.

Imagine that. Not even the title winning side had made as good a start to their season as Martin O'Neill's are currently enjoying.

That is an incredible statistic and puts a whole new gloss on the season, for me.

Ask yourself the question: If it was Villa '81 v Villa '09 -who would win? A non-starter, surely?

How many of the current side would get into Saunders' outfit? Gareth Barry definitely, Martin Laursen alongside Allan Evans, probably, Ashley Young on the opposite flank to Tony Morley? Yes, I like it. Imagine that pair laying on balls for Peter Withe? Frightening.

I have been criticised in some quarters - you needn't look any further than a glance at the respondents to my last blog - for being too harsh on Villa following the derby win over Albion.

My point is this: if you stand fourth in the league then everything you do comes under far more scrutiny. Expectatations rise and simply winning matches, or not losing them, does not quite seem enough.

That should not be the case, but it is.

Liverpool were booed off the field at home to Fulham and West Ham. They were top of the league.

The flip of the coin is that Hull City - everyone's tips for the drop in August- are now being judged as a mid-table club. And Phil Brown can't handle it.

Now to the argument about counter-attacking football. Should Villa be happy winning matches but not being adventurous? Should their one man up front approach cast them open to criticism when they are so close to the top of the table?

I'm not talking about the Albion game, because there was a long period before half-time where Villa could have been out of sight.

But, like at Hull City in a terrible spectacle of a match, is it just ok to win? Well, yes it is for Villa for now... but that won't always be the case.

Villa are now judged as a top four side. A draw at Sunderland will probably be seen as a failure. Is that right? Will a 1-0 win when they have played poorly not open them up to criticism?

It's all about pressure and so far Villa have coped admirably well.

But one defeat and the complexion changes. That just goes with the territory.

It has been a really superb season so far, but just as the manager and players seem to be saying, now is not the time to be jumping through hoops and twirling banners proclaming a side of world-beaters.

Villa have weaknesses. They are massively reliant on Ashley Young and Gabby Agbonlahor. When either or both have an off-day, as they have even in this nine game unbeaten league run, then Villa struggle for outlets.

The switch of a midfielder to full-back and a right-back to left-back hasn't affected them at all, although Nigel Reo-Coker offers little down the flanks.

Zat Knight is a poor replacement for Laursen, although he did well as it happens, at Gillingham in his last match and was unlucky to be dropped.

You can go through the first eleven and heap credit on Villa: Laursen has been outstanding, Davies excellent but for a couple of blips at Hull and Gillingham, that central midfield three of Sidwell, Barry and Petrov has worked magnificently.

All three have dovetailed well in a system which suits Villa to a tee. Luke Young looks as if he has played on the left all his career, James Milner has worked tirelessly although does, in my opinion, need to improve his final ball and Young and Agbonlahor have been the icing on the cake.

Their improvement under O'Neill over the last two years have been staggering.

I saw Agbonlahor down at the training ground this morning and kept a straight face when I asked: "Is all the praise you are getting this season down to the solid groundwork put in two years ago by David O'Leary?"

His face was a picture. Eventually when I started to smile, so did he. "No comment", is all that actually came back.

Young isn't just potentially one of the best players in the country, he already is. And he is English.

But when you know someone can play so well, then you have a duty to ask for them to achieve it consistently. That is the whole point.

Anyone who saw Cristiano Ronaldo - the world's number one player - at Villa Park in November will struggle to believe which one played for Watford two years ago and which one is on the back or front pages every day either with a new girlfriend or because he has crashed his Ferrari.

With a record of 41 points from 21 matches it is mighty difficult to find fault with anything. Villa deserve all the credit that is coming their way and there is little doubt a squad of 18 players has helped create a unity.

Now if Villa want to make a move to the next step then they must have areas of criticism come their way.

They must tackle the issue as to whether they are good enough to break down the defensive teams at Villa Park, or whether they will ultimately be good enough to see off Chelsea at Villa Park next month, or go to Anfield and Old Trafford and win.

One look at Villa's bench, and bear in mind the fact that four players are on yellow cards, tells its own story: Harewood, Shorey, Cuellar, Delfouneso, Knight and Gardner.

All decent players (although some of you may beg to differ on one or two names there) but capable of allowing Villa to turn a game that has slipped away, or hang onto three points in the latter stages?

I like Gardner though. Just like Martin Jol who kept mentioning him over in Hamburg.

As good as the season has been there remains so much to win and so much to throw away.

The club's desperate need for a top quality striker is there for all to see, although it would appear you'll get little change out of £25 million for one target, Roque Santa Cruz, whilst another- Kenwyne Jones - would appear to be priced around £15million.

Ridiculous sums. But that is what selling clubs can ask when Manchester City enter the market.

One injury to Agbonlahor or Young and the quest for success in one or more of the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and top four of the Premier League would become difficult, if well nigh impossible for O'Neill.

In conclusion: great season, much to shout about, but much work to be done.

Fifth place now would be unbearable for Villa fans to stomach right now when of course they would have taken it in August.

That is the new level of expectation. That is the level to which they aspire.

It was the worst defending I have seen by anyone this season and probably a good few years... well alright since Derby County last season.

Gabby Agbonlahor went jogging down the wing at such a leisurely pace that you half- expected to see his labrador on a lead at his ankles.

There he was into the box and then sidefooting into the net off the keeper's elbow, all with no support in sight.

Maybe Hoefkens thought Gabby was getting a little too frisky? Maybe that is why he was quite prepared to see him trot away into the distance?

I'm just wondering though whether Agbonlahor managed to get Carl Hoefkens' vest and shirt after the match, because he was clearly intent on getting it in the incident that led to crucial first goal.

It was like watching one of those 1980s stage magicians who can take off a man's underpants over his shoulders without removing his trousers or shirt.

Crucial decisions. And I've not even got to the allegedly feintest of touches by Ashley Young's studs on the ball in the box. Young appears intent on making Steve Bennett fret right up until the last seconds of matches.

Scott Carson got all the post-match stick. But the blame should have gone squarely in Leon Barnett and the rest of the back four.

'Twas a pity for Albion because they were the better side with the football. But such poor defending happened on several occasions - remember James Milner receiving a quick free-kick in his own half and galloping down the wing to square to Steve Sidwell infront of goal?

Villa just about deserved the win. But it was not a pretty sight seeing Milner kill time by the corner flag in the dying stages. That's cheating in my book.

As for Curtis Davies and his goal celebration? Any player who doesn't just raise their arms in the air and offer just a few congratulatory handshakes to team-mates deserves to be put on the platform they crave and spanked. (No wait a minute, that'll just incite them)

There was a whole heap of fuss about nothing after Davies put his fingers to his lips and didn't jump around like a ten year-old whose eaten a bowl of sugar for breakfast, dinner and tea for the past fortnight.

It even made a national radio debate.

From Villa's point of view, there's nothing to moan about. Great manager, great chairman, great ground, great training hq and nine unbeaten league games.

There's nothing for the internet family of carpers to get their teeth into.... except perhaps the manager's ability to frustrate in the transfer market.

Kenwyne Jones and Roque Santa Cruz are there for the taking. Neither will come cheap. £12 million to £18 million probably. But with games against Moscow to come wouldn't it just be nice for him to bite the bullet?

And what did you make of Tony Mowbray's comments that Villa were not interested in playing football?

I loathe certain managers. I have very little time for Tony Pulis or his brand of punchbag football. Nor Phil Brown for continually wallowing in his own ego and refusing to accept that penalty decision against Villa like a man. Nor, going down the leagues, Neil Warnock for reasons similar to those given for Pulis.

I cannot be bothered with all that 'mind game' nonesense spouted about Rafa Benitez and Alex Ferguson, although Benitez does appear to have a point about David Gill and his dual role at the FA and United.

But I like Mowbray. Not just as a gentleman but also as a true professor of the game.

His side may be bottom but he doesn't hide and he will not allow his footballing principles to slide. Was there a bad tackle at all on Saturday?

Well, there would have been if Ashley Young had not skipped over Paul Robinson who would have just about have connected with the ball had he launched his attempt around midnight on Friday.

Mowbray was not suggesting that Villa were ugly and just wanted to hoof it.

He simply explained that if you want to take points off them you need to sit back, eat up the available space and rely on some solid, good defenders.

Mowbray called Villa a: "breakaway" team- which is exactly how Ashley Young summed it up afterwards.

"They have got Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor. They are a counter-attacking team. They are not really interested in playing football," said Mowbray.

"That is why teams like us are a dream for Aston Villa because we try to retain the ball and move it around. There is space for them to break.

"We all sat and watched their game at Hull recently. You can either have two teams who understand each other's play and not get any shots all game until the 96th minute, like at Hull, when an own goal decided it."

He has a point. That game at Hull was as bad a spectacle as you will ever witness- partly through Hull sticking one man up front and playing for a point and partly through Villa not being sharp enough to do much about it.

Still, you cannot lose an argument when you are winning.

And if Sunderland want to win on Saturday they'd be best sticking Kenwyne Jones on his own up front and packing the midfield. That'll make it as dull as dishwater but otherwise Young and Agbonlahor will eat them up and another three points will be coming Villa's way.

And as the weeks have gone by have you noticed how talk of fourth jhas turned to third, second or even title winners?

I disagree with Martin O'Neill. Villa are not "a million miles away", but still a good few hundred behind the big three. Fourth though? That would just be incredible.

ALLY Brown- not to be confused with Robertson or Tony or the cricketer- was a hero of mine.

Hero might be too strong a word.

'Hero' is a title best reserved, and I am speaking about myself as a ten year here, for my father, or grandfather perhaps. Or Luke Skywalker, albeit fleetingly.... or Linda Lusardi, again fleetingly (well until she joined Emmerdale 20 years later), although she would have been more of a heroine, surely? She and Mrs Collins, my Welsh teacher at school, opened my eyes ...although neither would ever have known it.

Brown was certainly a favourite of mine though. I used to flick heavy Topps cardboard footie cards around my bedroom floor circa 1978, racing them against one from wall to wall in some kind of Superstars event. (Brian Jacks was all the rage at the time).

I would use these cards, and the Panini stickers, instead of Subbuteo figures. Far better to pick your own side from hundreds of players. I would often pick a Midland eleven made up mainly of Villa, Albion and Forest players. Wolves players were banned. And I don;t think Martin O'Neill ever got a sniff of a call-up. I think John Robertson and Willie Johnston used to share left-wing duties- rather like Peter Shilton and Ray Clemence did for England at the time in the real world.

I suspect other kids around this time would simply have been watching Metal Mickey, collecting Star Wars figures, Dinky cars or toy soldiers?

Not me. And Ally Brown mostly always got in my team of football cards up front, although he had stiff opposition from the likes of Paul Mariner, Cyrille Regis and Peter Withe.

The very mention of Brown's name in this blog might grate with some Villa folk, probably most of them in fact. But I hope my reasoning why he deserves a fresh outlook will be given a fair hearing.

For one he's back at Villa Park on Saturday, 31 years and two months after an unforgettable incident. This time he'll be back with a collection tin in hand in aid of the Paul Birch Trust.

Birch is very ill, in hospital on morphine. Bone cancer you see. Aged 46. Cruelly his days are numbered. Sorry about the cliche but there is far, far more to life than football.

Brown will join former Albion players Brendan Batson, Ray Wilson, Derek Monaghan and Darren Bradley behind the away turnstiles looking for loose change.

Regis and Garry Thompson will be around and about elsewhere in the stadium doing their bit for Birch as will be Kenny Swain and Tony Morley. All four of those have played for both Villa and Albion although there is little doubt which club each now favours.

Plenty more Villa stars of bygone days will be carrying buckets, joined by members of the Villa Supporters Trust: Charlie Aitken, Gordon Cowans and Des Bremner to name but three.

I know the Villa Former Players' Association are still busy making calls tonight (Thursday).

Not many Villa fans will welcome Ally Brown with open arms. Not that he is likely to be instantly recogniseable. At the age of 57 his long dark curly hair and full moustache will probably not be in evidence. He'll have to wear a placard with the words: "My name is Ally Brown- not the cricketer but the former Albion and Leicester forward."

I've met Brown on a few occasions but not for many years. He used to run a social club in West Bromwich. He was always polite, always down to earth, always had time for the punters. Today's spoilt lot could do with learning some of that humility.

But he's not popular with Villa fans.

Not after Villa Park, December 1977 and Alex Cropley.

Most of you will know the story. A high ball, Cropley: 26 , talented, wiry, visionary with his passes... got there first. Brown connected with Cropley's leg. Snap. End of career- or as near as damn it as some would suggest (although statistics point to 17 appearances the following season).

Andy Gray apparently raced over and tried to put Brown over the advertising hoardings.

The broken fibula and tibia was not Cropley's first misfortune.

Injury had already blighted his career. He had the distinction of having his ankle broken by none other than Alex Ferguson while playing for first club Hibernian against Falkirk.

He moved to Bertie Mee's Arsenal in 1974 for £150,000 but cruelly broke his leg there too.

Then it was on to Villa and the derby against Albion. Villa won 3-0. Both sides finished in the top eight (Albion sixth, Villa eighth).

Cropley did play again, at Newcastle briefly on loan at Toronto Blizzard and then at Portsmouth before retiring.

He was a taxi driver in Edinburgh when I last heard of his whereabouts fairly recently.

Albion as a club, so the story goes, sent him a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of champagne whilst he never heard from Brown.

The rights and wrongs of an apology that never came can be argued alsewhere.

Brown meant no malice. This was a 50-50 challenge. Do we still despise Richard Wright over Luc Nilis?

Horrific injuries are part and parcel of professional sport and I dare say the Cropley tackle has gained in notoriety over the years as folk who were not even there exaggerate to paint a vulgar picture.

Whatever you think of Brown, and whatever your affinities this weekend, please bring a lot of coins and drop them in a bucket.

Particularly the £2's or pound coins. Even the 50 pence pieces. Do not save those for Harry Redknapp on May 14.

ASHLEY Young has been centre stage now for seven weeks.

Ever since he won the penalty at Arsenal and got up and missed it people have been talking about him.

Martin O'Neill has helped fuel the media's love affair.

First there was the Lionel Messi simile. Then at the weekend there was the £75 million link- all proposterous stuff and meant to be taken tongue in cheek I'm sure.

Some of the plaudits have been deserved.

Anyone who saw the game at Everton which Villa should have lost but ended up winning because of Young's supreme finishing will agree that on his day he is an absolute world beater.

He also played brilliantly in the following game against Bolton at Villa Park, and previous to that had been brilliant at home to Fulham.

But for every scintilating piece of brilliance there has been too much of the mediocre for me, and certainly too much of what boxers would call 'showboating'.

Perhaps all those headlines got to him in the build-up to the Cup tie at Gillingham? Something certainly did.

Why else was he attempting to thread passes through the eye of a needle from early on? Why else was he attempting over-head bicycle kick clearances from inside the Villa box in the late stages of the game?

Sure he had been rattled by a really poor challenge - one that would have probably led to a red card in the Premier League.

It was in the second half when Mark Bentley attempted a tackle. It was so late it connected with Young's leg almost in the build-up to Gillingham's home game with Aldershot this coming Saturday.

Young had a strange afternoon. 21-year-old full-back Stuart Lewis, a product of Tottenham's academy, had really quite a game. Some thunderous early challenges seemed to unsettle the Villa winger whose distribution wilted.

Then the penalty.

At Hull a few days previously Young whistled in the penalty area and delivered a match-winning cross.

At Gillingham he flew into the area and seemed to just want to look for contact.

"Soft"- as Adam Miller saw it. Even though he still disappeared with Young's shirt.

It was a poor decision from referee Keith Stroud who had earlier done particularly well to reprieve Zat Knight when all hell broke loose following a well-timed tackle, and had also called right when Nigel Reo-Coker fould Dennis Oli marginally outside the box.

Young's apparent willingness to go to ground was something he was criticised for at the beginning of last season. This latest incident, seen on terrestrial TV, may do little for the player's reputation.

That's a pity because there is no doubt Villa are a different side altogether with Young in full flow.

Young's game went to pieces after the penalty. He missed a cracking chance when he sent a back-pass of a shot straight at Simon Royce. Then he felt the need to react to two mouthy home fans who were barracking him at close range. There was no need.

I am still baffled as to exactly what a five-foot-seven inch player was doing in raising his hand up to the crossbar at Hull. Young and Villa were incredibly lucky not to gift the home side a penalty and a draw that on the balance of play they absolutely deserved.

That still did not excuse Hull boss Phil Brown's post-match twaddle.

Brown was made to look an absolute fool by one midlands- based national reporter who simply made the point that whatever the rights and wrongs of Steve Bennett's decision to change his mind over the penalty, it was the correct outcome.

Brown refused to agree and tried to antagonise the writer.

Brown likes the sound of his own voice as he is frequently on Sky or the BBC waxing lyrical about his hopes of managing England one day.

When Hull are next the victims of a goal that never was, or an incorrect sending off, Brown will be first to call for video replays.

Anyway, back to Villa and it was nice to see Martin O'Neill field eight/elevenths of a first team at Gillingham.

There was much anger out in Germany when he sent out the 'midweek' team in Hamburg that I feared for the poor souls in the open away section if the same had happened at a freezing Priestfield Stadium.

Gabby Agbonlahor seemed fine as he walked around the coach after the game. And I'm sure Gareth Barry and Luke Young will be fit and available for the weekend derby with Albion.

Perhaps this Saturday Villa will actually get what they deserve from a game?

Yes, I know you get what you deserve and that goals and nothing else count... but Gillingham deserved a replay on the balance of play, Hull perhaps deserved to sneak it, Arsenal should have been dead and buried by half-time, West Ham should have taken a point despite a first-half masterclass from Villa and Everton were extremely unfortunate.

Only Bolton, who were out-classed at times, got what they came for. And that was because they decided that Young could be left to his own devices.

Young has the ability to do the same to Albion. I am just hoping it is by fair and not fraudulent means.