Aston Villa season 2011/12

[westozfalcon]

After a fairly tumultuous 2010/11 campaign the Villains make a new start under manager Alex McLeish.

Gerard Houllier's tenure was controversial and unsettling. He tried to implement a slick, passing style of game but in reality we didn't have the players with the silky skills to execute it. It's no good trying to play champagne football on a beer budget!

Under 'Big Eck' we can expect roughouse long ball tactics and counter-punching which in reality will probably suit the players at his disposal. Obviously this will mean that we won't trouble the classier teams but a mid-table finish is a reasonable goal.

Stephen Ireland can virtually be considered a new signing since he never got a look-in under Houllier. He'll be keen to impress and I reckon he'll have a good season. Charles N'Zogbia will prove a worthy replacement for Stewart Downing. He likes to score a goal too which will take the pressure off Darren Bent.

Speaking of goals, Emile Heskey and Gabriel Agbonlahor need to contribute more this season.

The signing of Shay Given is important. He is too good a keeper to be sitting on the bench like he was at Manchester City and he should relish the opportunity to be on the park again.

I expect at least one more signing before the end of August too.

Here's to a good campaign!

[Bully]

still think the villians will struggle and will be around the 10th-15th mark this season

[johntheclaret]

Hadn't N'Zogbia gone or did I misread it

MacLeish is definitely a better manager for Villa than Houlier. Villa have gone backward for 3 or 4 years and are no longer codidered one of the top sides in the division.

Shame really as they were a good footballing outfit but macliesh is probably the best option for them now with the quality they have left

[LPH]

Begin the season with an away draw

[westozfalcon]

Hadn't N'Zogbia gone or did I misread it

MacLeish is definitely a better manager for Villa than Houlier. Villa have gone backward for 3 or 4 years and are no longer codidered one of the top sides in the division.

Shame really as they were a good footballing outfit but macliesh is probably the best option for them now with the quality they have left

Yes N'Zogbia is indeed on board at Aston Villa. He signed just over a week ago.

I agree with your assesment of where Villa sit in the scheme of things.

According to reports we are looking at bringing in another striker. This is a good move because apart from Darrent Bent we don't have any reliable goalscorers. The targets are apparently Nicklas Bendtner, Peter Crouch and Hugo Rodallega.

[johntheclaret]

Rodaliega would be a good pick up IMO and the best of the bunch you mentioned. Wigan are strapped for cash by all accounts so the right offer might get your man.

[westozfalcon]

Judging by the match report, a point was more than we deserved at Everton. We lacked style and creativity but still scraped a draw. Last year we'd have lost a game like this.

Alex McLeish seems to have instilled some tenacity into the lads and that augers well for the rest of the season.

[johntheclaret]

Judging by the match report, a point was more than we deserved at Everton. We lacked style and creativity but still scraped a draw. Last year we'd have lost a game like this.

Alex McLeish seems to have instilled some tenacity into the lads and that augers well for the rest of the season.

Don't forget that Everton are notorious for slow starts to the season. Both sides look like they are short on team investment. The Everton fans were demonstrating down Stanley Park before the game.

[westozfalcon]

After Aston Villa's home loss to West Brom yesterday there was a lot of talk about how the sending off of Chris Herd hurt Villa's chances but Baggies manager Roy Hodgson said they'd have still beaten Villa with a full 11 men. He's dead right!

To blame a sending off is to gloss over Villa's deficiencies.

Alex McLeish could soon find himself in the territory he seems to revel in - a relegation scrap!

[Bully]

yes i thought villa are playing way out of the league (area). I thought you might struggle to stay in the league this season. Great start but the wheels are starting to fall off.

Mcleish to go down with both Birmingham AND Villa ??

[westozfalcon]

The next month is crucial in Aston Villa's history. I seriously believe that if we go down this season, we're not coming back any time soon. Make no mistake about it, there are teams currently in the Championship that are a lot better than us so the players need to fight tooth and nail to preserve our Premier League status. If we can just survive, I believe we'll have weathered the storm and will flourish next season with McLeish getting the chance to re-shape the squad.

The run home is:

April
21 Sunderland (H)
? Bolton (A) previously postponed
28 West Brom (A)

May
5 Tottenham (H)
13 Norwich (A)

I reckon 5-6 points from this set of fixtures will see us through.

[JK]

The next month is crucial in Aston Villa's history. I seriously believe that if we go down this season, we're not coming back any time soon. Make no mistake about it, there are teams currently in the Championship that are a lot better than us so the players need to fight tooth and nail to preserve our Premier League status. If we can just survive, I believe we'll have weathered the storm and will flourish next season with McLeish getting the chance to re-shape the squad.

The run home is:

April
21 Sunderland (H)
? Bolton (A) previously postponed
28 West Brom (A)

May
5 Tottenham (H)
13 Norwich (A)

I reckon 5-6 points from this set of fixtures will see us through.

Surely there's enough points in that lot, with the break you currently have on those in the drop zone, to stay up .. If you can't from here you dont deserve to (no disrespect intended)

[Jim05]

Villa have a good bunch of kids and they are starting to find their feet, if they manage to stay up they will be ok next season. Still dont think too much of McLeish though, he is very average tactically

[Bully]

may 5 game theres points there ....

[Bully]

Villa are struggling and will be very lucky to avoid the drop this season.

[westozfalcon]

Villa are struggling and will be very lucky to avoid the drop this season.

Well it's still in our hands so it's not just a matter of luck but having said that, we are the worst side in the Premier League at this point in time and that includes Wolves who are already relegated.

We somehow need to win one of our last two matches to ensure survival. Anything less won't be enough.
The worrying thing is that we don't seem to have the capability to score more than one goal a game.

The contribution this season of just one goal from Emile Heskey, a regular starting striker, has been pitiful.

[Bully]

Villa are struggling and will be very lucky to avoid the drop this season.

Well it's still in our hands so it's not just a matter of luck but having said that, we are the worst side in the Premier League at this point in time and that includes Wolves who are already relegated.

We somehow need to win one of our last two matches to ensure survival. Anything less won't be enough.
The worrying thing is that we don't seem to have the capability to score more than one goal a game.

The contribution this season of just one goal from Emile Heskey, a regular starting striker, has been pitiful.

just beat spurs for us....please, please

[westozfalcon]

Somewhat predictably, Alex McLeish has been fired after a miserable Villa season.

It was never a popular appointment with fans and as a supporter I was amazed that we picked a bloke who has been so synonomous with relegation scraps. As it turned out McLeish almost had the 'distinction' of consigning both Birmingham teams to relegation in consecutive seasons.

To an extent I feel sorry for McLeish because our squad was sadly lacking in quality and he didn't have a lot to work with. Then again, with the limited funds at his disposal, he made two poor signings in Charles N'Zogbia and Alan Hutton.

But four wins out of 19 at home is abysmal and it's no wonder the supporters were angry.

I don't like the idea of Paul Lambert (Norwich) or Roberto Martinez (Wigan) who are touted as replacements. Martinez rejected us last year and didn't exactly have a great season with Wigan (apart from the last month) and Lambert probably just had a flash-in-the-pan season with the Canaries.

I'd prefer to see us get someone from overseas who is not tainted by any previous Premier League failures.