August 2010 Archives

Some random thoughts from Rapid Vienna...

Sky's roving reporter Pete 'We own the game' Colley used his inimitable cheeky chappy style to put the annoyingly loud photographers in their place at the pre-match press conference on Wednesday evening - and prompted much mirth among the assembled hacks and Andreas Weimann in the process.
"So, Andreas can we expect the Rapid Vienna fans to be as noisy as the snappers in this room?"
It wouldn't have been so bad had a radio sound man not done a Frank Spencer and stumbled over virtually every chair in the room while trying to 'discreetly' adjust a mic during Weimann's interview.

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On the subject of Weimann, it was an unhappy return to Rapid Vienna for the Austrian youngster who was stretchered off just moments after coming on as a late substitute, only to be abused by his home-city crowd as he was carried along the touchline.
And it wasn't just the teenage striker who was affected. Villa's media team were booted out of their minibus so it could be used to take the young striker to hospital for tests on his ankle injury - and had to squeeze on the team coach.

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It's not known whether there was room on in the makeshift ambulance for Weimann's former youth coach and current assistant manager Tony McAndrew, who left Austria with a banging headache.
News of McAndrew's gashed head emerged when a tabloid journalist received a call from his picture desk back home saying they'd been wired pictures showing the Scottish coach pouring with blood.
Fortunately fears were unfounded that Tony Mc had been hit by one of the missiles irresponsibly hurled from the Gerhard Hanappi Stadium crowd (Brad Guzan and Barry Bannan were pelted with a lighter and a plastic water bottle).
The painful injury simply occurred when Kevin MacDonald's right hand man jumped up and smacked his head on the top of the away team dugout, while excitedly celebrating Barry Bannan's goal!

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While Villa's fringe players and young guns were preparing to do the business over in Vienna, the claret and blue top brass were completing an impressive piece of business of their own. No matter how highly you rate James Milner - and I think he is a top class player - there's no way he's £18 million better than Stephen Ireland, who I expect to become a real hit at Villa Park.
And the exciting deal simply serves to underline Villa's standing in the Second City pecking order following another transfer down the road at St Andrew's last week - while Blues could only loan a county (Derbyshire), Villa were buying a country (Ireland)!

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Alas, not everybody is aware of Villa's high profile new arrival though. In interpreting Kevin MacDonald's post match comments for the Austrian press, the UEFA translator referred to the former Manchester City man as Stephen Nolan!

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And finally, while young midfielder Jonathan Hogg went on to make an impressive competitive debut against Rapid, his sliced first touch of the ball (pretty much the only time he put a foot wrong) inevitably caused one pressbox wag to grunt 'He's made a right pig's ear of that!'

I THINK Diego's got as much chance of being Villa's player coach as he has of succeeding Martin O'Neill as manager...

ASTON Villa players don't pop their cork for every manager they see leaving...

Despite reports that several Villa stars celebrated Martin O'Neill's departure by texting each other pictures of champagne bottles, the manager's resignation was not met with universal hollering and high-fiving by every out-of-favour footballer at Bodymoor Heath.

Make no mistake, there's a contingent of players who won't lose any sleep over O'Neill's shock decision to quit - and Curtis Davies admitted as much when he was doorstepped by a TV crew leaving the training ground yesterday.

But Villa's 'unwanteds' know that they will have to work hard to impress the new manager - whoever he may be and whenever he is appointed - just as they were striving to impress O'Neill.

A brief telephone conversation with one unnamed squad member (who has more reason than most to welcome O'Neill's demise), within half an hour of the surprise announcement, was refreshingly short of gloating from said player.

There was an element of relief, sure, but he was already preferring to concentrate on kick-starting his claret and blue career under a new gaffer rather than aiming a cheap parting shot, on or off the record, at his old adversary.

O'Neill had lost a lot of respect from a lot of players, but suggestions that O'Neill had completely lost the dressing room are as near to the truth as Blue Nun is to Cristal champagne.

And even some of those he didn't play fair with are more concerned with taking an unexpected opportunity rather than wishing the ex-boss any ill feeling.

AT a time when worried Villa fans are desperately clutching for any positives - at least Kevin MacDonald's reign got off to a winning start on Tuesday.

Admittedly it was only Blue Square Premier opponents Tamworth who turned up for a behind closed doors practice match at Bodymoor Heath.

And it is debatable quite how much of a part MacDonald played when he, Randy Lerner and Paul Faulkner were anxiously and unexpectedly trying to plot a safe course through the first team's opening week of the season.

But, hey, Villa ran out comfortable 5-0 winners - and at a stage where plus points are in short supply, let's be grateful for small mercies and hope it sets the claret and blues up for Saturday's Premier League opener against West Ham.

Good luck, Kevin.

Only kidding, Ash.

That, there, picture is part of the Spanish flavour that will be taking over at Villa Park for tomorrow night's Valencia friendly.

The game against the La Liga giants, Carlos Cuellar's compatriots and John Carew's former club kicks off at 7.45pm, but before that, from 5pm there are a host of family fun activities.

Fans can chant Who Ate All the Paella? at their pals because the traditional Spanish dish and other cuisine such as tapas and churros will be available at a Holte End food zone.

There will also be a bucking bronco, face-painting, balloon modelling and a soccer skills challenge.

A BRMB roadshow will be continuing the fun, although rumours that Tom Ross will be speaking fluent bull are as yet unconfirmed (just joking, Tom!).

Tickets for Villa's only home friendly of pre-season are priced £15 for adults and £5 for under-16s and are available from the ticket office, by phone on 0800 612 0970 or online at avfc.co.uk

And, as if that's not enough to tempt you, here's a picture of Carlos Cuellar with a sombrero!