Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
Great time for a break
Wednesday 7th October 2009, 8:02AM BST.
I am not normally a fan of the International break but, for once, I think this latest one may have come along just at the right time, writes Sporting Star columnist Neil Whitehouse.
Although some will say that today’s players with all the modern conditioning methods and dietary plans should be able to manage to play two games a week on a regular basis, there is the danger that the quality of performance starts to dip and perhaps that’s what has happened with us of late.
We have played a lot of football during September and for one or two players, it looked like one or two games too many. Gianni Zuiverloon has gone on record saying he has struggled with the demands of the frequency of fixtures at Championship level and he more than most has struggled to find a level of consistency so far.
But he is not the only one; players such as Joe Mattock, Shelton Martis and Graham Dorrans have all had to come to terms with regular first team football of a high tempo nature for the first time in their careers and perhaps we fans forget that at times.
So let’s hope the break will allow some of our younger players to draw breath and get ready for a less hectic next few weeks.
The two week break may also be the opportunity for James Morrison to rejoin the first team squad in earnest.
Although he has missed the pre-season preparation, wouldn’t it be great to see him back and involved during the next month or so to compete with Chris Brunt and Jerome Thomas for the wide roles in midfield. If he can get and remain fit, he should be able to give us an extra dimension at this level and provide the forwards with more goalscoring opportunities.
So we can all take a step back and reflect on the start that Roberto Di Matteo has made to his managerial career at the Albion.
The summary has to be that we have made a good solid start in our pursuit of an immediate return to the top flight. I suppose we have all become concerned at the results of the last three games but if we had lost our fourth and seventh game instead of the ninth and tenth of the season, we may not have reacted to the set backs suffered against Palace and Barnsley and the stalemate at Preston quite as much.
Instead, let’s be grateful we have completed our visits to two of our bogey grounds for this season.
What is it about Oakwell and Deepdale that means we cannot get a win at either ground regardless of how well we play? There just seems to be some places where we are destined to struggle.
I am more than grateful for the fact that we are not going to Stoke’s Britannia Stadium this year because we all know how dismal our record is there. I seem to remember we had similar difficulties at their neighbours Port Vale until the last couple of occasions we went there. Derby is another one of those places where we have not got a great deal over the years.
But, on the flip side, I am sure everyone has better memories of the venue of our next away trip to Coventry’s Ricoh Arena which has provided us with several very pleasant days out. Enjoy the break.
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Great time for a break. Looking at our squad, how many of our players could cut it in the prem? Morrison, Dorrans and the jury would be out on Olsson. Apart from that we have nobody who could cut it at that level. I hope this season we build and next season get ourselves in a position where we have a squad that could at least compete if we were promoted. Brunty does not look interested, Bednar is just a lump, zuivy is tired and cant defend, Carson makes me nervous, Jara looks like hes going to smack someone everytime he comes out of a challenge, Reid and Cox are lower league players and we have a manager who has looked very worried and his lack of experience has been shown in the last few games. If we could get a sponsor hat may bring in the revenue to get ourselves a quality loan signing from the villa, wolves or blues? We have to utilise our premiership neighbours.
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Have read on either the club’s website or on the Birmingham Mail’s site that Morrison has begun training. Hope it’s true
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1
Major problem with that as i see it, Wolves dont have any premiership quality players, but you would know that LW.
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Mmmm… I wonder who t believe? I know that in any given group of people there will always be different opinions and points of view, but over the last few articles we seem to have ‘nearly all (all) of our players are rubbish’ through to ‘all our players are great’ opinions. Now who do I believe?
Yes players have off games, but I read Bednar is running round like a headless chicken followed by Bednar is chasing everything down to try and get goals. Now who’s right?
Confidence is a fickle thing and any player reading these comments are apt to drive to the nearest ‘lovers leap’. I know, I’ve gone a bit OTT, but you know what I mean.
Constructive criticism is one thing, downright negativity is another. Let’s get behind the team, praise the good points and help them allieviate the bad points.
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1. I can’t believe you just wrote that!!!!
Bednar is a very good number 9.. Holds ball up well and is a good target man. His work rate also is brilliant oh and last championship campaign he scored 20+.
Jara has played twice??!! So he had a pop at someone for trying to ‘do him’…
The worst comment is to bring in loan players from Villa – small squad. Blues – Rubbish.
Wolves – ha ha who from that lot????
Ok Cox and reid, i’ll give you that.
Lighten up we’ve lost once all season!!!!!
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2- Medway
I think it’s worth considering that the Albion pages have been infiltrated by a lot of dingles recently.
My personal opinion on Bednar having been to most games this season, is that he’s keen to make an impression, is working as hard as ever, but he’s clearly not at his sharpest. I’d guess that comes down to his lack of pre-season.
On Saturday, he was asked to play upfront by himself and ran his socks off without much reward against some physical centre-backs.
Unfortunately that’s not enough for people like boingboing, wes and dorrans, who seem to disregard the fact his Championship record is better than a goal every 2 games, and think we should’ve thrown him on the scrapheap and signed Fernando Torres and David Villa on loan.
My opinion is if we stick with him and he gets the right service, he’ll come good.
Other opinions seem to be that Carson makes everyone nervous? I agree he has made me in the past, but I can’t see he’s done too much to warrant that in recent weeks. It seems he, along with new signings Mattock, Reid and Jara are subject to a lot of negativity on very little evidence.
Mattock’s looked more solid recently, Reid played the odd cameo role out of position and Jara’s played 3 games in different positions….the latter being reasonably impressive. The criticism of those 3 has been anything but constructive in many cases…..we don’t know enough about either of them.
Think you used the word fickle Medway, perhaps it’s something we should get used to. A lot of these Premiership fans seem to forget where we were 15 years ago. We have a team full of internationals, it aint gonna get that much better for a club of our size in today’s football climate. Get behind ‘em!!!!
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Warren (6) Oh I know that a lot of Wolves fans come here to ‘gloat’ and I do try and take that into consideration. And I am behind the team, I have followed Albion since I was a lad and my grandfather used to walk from Blackheath for every home game. I don’t get the chance to watch the team now as I work Saturdays and live in the South East. I trust RdM and I believe that we are in a good position to get back into the greed league.
I used ‘fickle’ in relation to player confidence as we all know how easy it is to lose that precious commodity and how had it is to regain it when you are on a losing streak and when you get tons of negative comments it makes it even harder. That’s why, like you, I called for us to get behind the team.
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7. Wolves fans coming on here to gloat? What about, losing to a team with zero points from 21 and who`s players aren`t getting paid?
1. Loan players from blues or wolves. They`ll both be down before the christmas decorations so I don`t think so.
Personally I love Jaras agression allied with his speed and obvious class, wait for him to climatise to the fizzy pop and we`ll have an awesome player on our hands. Good work RDM!!
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Good on you Medway. Just to clarify, my “Get behind them” remark was aimed at the idiots who insist on being hyper-critical when we’re in a position we’d have all taken gladly 4 months ago, and not you!!
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I have to agree with your negativity comments, and yes we sre stillin a superb position, i do however retain the right to voice opinions,some of which are critical. i have hardly missed agame home or away, and can forgive results easily, but you cannot hide from the fact that at the moment we are in ganger of going backwards with virtually the same squad. that can only be down to management, and while i do think rdm will be a good manager, i cannot understand his continued practice of playing players out of position. I rate reid, but would love to see him up front, i rate brunt, but want to see him on the left, koren is one of the best centralmidfielders in this league, bar none, so play in the the centre, tex offers a fantastic right side alternative and played very very well at the emirates, so play him. im not negative just frustrated
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8 – The gloat comment was tongue in cheek
9 – I realise that get behind them wasn’t aimed at me, but like you I get annoyed by the doom and gloom merchants. We’ve played eleven games and have got a heck of a long way to go, and we’re second…rejoice and keep your fingers crossed.
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8. Greta the great – Birmingham and Wolves have alot of fringe players that would walk into our 1st 11, I am not bothered that they are our local rivals if it benefits the albion thats all I care about.
Blues – Mc Sheffrey, Larsson, Phillips, Ridgewell, Marcus Bent
Wolves – Ebanks Blake, Iwelumo, Dave Jones, Neil Collins, Ikeme, Vokes
All fringe players from other clubs that would walk into our account. If we could get these players it would help us to get promotion as they have already achieved it. If these 2 sides were in our league they would walk it as the top 2. Lets stop being blind to our neighbours and put this petty rivalry behind us and get some quality in.
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I posted recently that the main threat to our promotion hopes are our own fans. We have seen the dingles heap scorn and bile on their own players over the years – and those players then buckled under the pressure.
The problem on here is spotting the obvious dingles (see 1 above) from fans who seem genuine albion but regularly post non constuctive and often unfathomable critisism on our players.
Its the same a booing a player as soon as he walks onto the pitch – whats that going to achieve ??
It may be simplistic – but I support every player who wears the shirt – even if I disagree with the selection – and I ALWAYS hope that they will prove me wrong !!!
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Not sure where all the negativity is coming from. I thought we played well at Preston, against a team that tried hard to intimidate. Jara looked class to me. With Thomas and Morrison back to mix it with Brunt and Cech, the creativity will return. Bednar looks lost up front on his own, but I think RDM will want Jara, Mulumbu, and Dorrans in most of the time, so a bit of positional mixing is inevitable. Not sure whats happened to Wood.No one else has the quality of players to come in that we have. Meite still looks like an accident waiting to happen, but slightly more impressive than Martis imo.
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5. Nathan we lost 3 games in a row. Arsenal under 10′s, Palce, Barnsely and a fortunate point at preston.
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No 8. Good Point.
Apparently players are turning up for free to beat the dings!!
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12 – yopu are a perfect example…. you suggest that Blues and Wolves have “fringe” players better than our first team – and then name Bent, E-Blake Phillips and Larson to try to prove your point…. all first team regulars at teams that can’t win a game !!
You then suggest Iwelumo, Vokes McSheffery Collins and Jones – just proving that you are best ignored.
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Following Phil Brown’s “heroics” in talking a suicidal woman down from a bridge, it turns out Mick McCarthy has just done the same thing.
Only problem is she climbed back up when Jez didn’t accept his resignation !!!
Boing Boing !!
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2,
he is back in trainin. i know a few youth team players.
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Hilltop
I know you’re a genuine fan, apologies for being argumentative on other threads, am just as frustrated as you, it’s the unconstructive negative points that get my goat and I appreciate yours always come with reason.
I agree with all your points about out-of-position players, but I still think we should be beating the likes of Barnsley with Koren out wide, Brunt on the right etc….after all they both did a job there last year, even if it’s not the preferred position.
Anyway, 2 home games, here’s to 6 points and hopefully everything will be rosey again!! Come on you Baggies!!
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18. I am sorry that you do not agree but that is the whole point of these boards and as you said “I will no longer post on here” it seems you only like to post when we do not all agree with your opinions 3 defeats and 1 draw in 4 games is not good enough.
Fit strikers for Reading game:
Cox- league 1 player at best.
Reuben Reid – league 1 player at best.
Bednar – overweight and let our club down.
Luke Moore – how many chances is this rubbish getting?
If you think that Vokes, Mc Sheffrey, Marcus Bent wouldnt get in our side you are deluded.Collins is better than Meite and Zuiverloon and Mattock (he kept bednar very quiet on sat) and Jones would arguably get in over Jara who is settling into the english games. I suppose you are an armchair fan, not like some of us who have been devoted home and away. I am not bothered by who they play for but the chances are as we are local and that enhances are chances of getting them. I am sure some of you armchair fans would prefer us to go down then loan a dingle or someone from the vile. Ridiculous.
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Some of the comments on here over the last few weeks have been laughable at times. Everyone is entitled to opinions but there seems to be a lack of substance to some arguements or points made.
Jara getting stick already after 3 games?? Anyone who has played or watched any football can see he is a good player. He has come to a new country and has played 3 games for us, give the guy a chance. Same as the criticism towards Mattock, Reid and Cox. Its early days for all of them and only game time will tell if they can cut it, but there is no way we can tell this early on.
We have seen over the years, this league is not an easy one to coast througgh and there have only been a couple of teams that have stormed it. We are gonna be in a battle most games and as we are looked at a big scalp for teams in the league.
Were in a decent position nearly a quarter way in and should be looking at the positives more than the negatives. Lets get behind the club and support the side in the right way
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21- Absolute drivel
If you’re an Albion fan (which I seriously doubt), you’ll have seen Cox play about 100 minutes of football, same for Reid, and Bednar’s got a better goalscoring record than any of your beloved dingle strikers.
You keep rattling on about how many Wolves players would get into our side, what about how many would walk ito theirs?
Carson- England keeper
Zuiverloon when on form
Olsson
Brunt
Koren
Mulumbu- Don’t give me Karl Henry either!!
Dorrans
Last season, we beat Fulham, beat Wigan, beat Sunderland and didn’t lose to B’burn or Pompey. Those Wolves players are struggling to get into a Wolves team that’s languishing around the bottom three having played all of the above. They’re above us through timing differences alone. Sam Vokes? Get a grip of yourself!!
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21 – I’m actually very happy to disagree with you – and yes i did say I was stopping posting due to idiots like you – however i can’t help but defend my club from dingles in disguise like you – home and away my **** !!!!
Its mugs like you that force the genuine posters away from here
I’m not gonna argue the football merits of your posts further as its obvious you are just after the reaction and further proper discussion is pointless.
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23. Warren – Lets face it Carson embarresed himself last season. Olsson and Dorrans would walk into Wolves team but none of the others, nor blues. We have to face it that we have an extremely poor squad with a few very good individuals. We are not as good as wolves or blues as we are not in the premier league, We were last season and we finished bottom. Since then we have lost our highly rated manager, captain, first choice left back. I am just asking for a bit of realism. Happy you can call me a dingle or whatever you like, bottom line I go home and away and I am entitled to my opinion, do you?
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I really am suprised at the negativety from fans
we lost to Arsenal but the loss of Thomas clouded
the outcome. We had enough chances to win several
games against Palace the Barnsley no show we were
poor they were really up for it as someone said
there are bogy grounds Oakwell second to Stoke are
two of the worst. However lets judge our lot when
we get some of the absentees back. I may have
missed it but any news on Clem ? and will Ish
be back for xmas 09 ? Lets face it we cant afford
really good top flight players but we ought to
be able to get back up. Brace your selves for an
approach for Dorrans especially if he shines for
Scotland.
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Pleased to see you back Happy. Can’t say the same for Brummierdwes though. Nor can I remember seeing posts from him previously. We were NOT fortunate to get a Preston point, we were marginally unfortunate not to get three. I can’t remember reading such tripe in quite a while and if others think you are a Wulfie in birds’ feathers, then you have only yourself to blame. I suppose you have had one positive effect, loads of postings in response. You ARE entitled to an opinion, especially if you ARE a Baggie, but we are also entitled to think you are talking out of a different orifice from your mouth! And I certainly do!
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brummierdwes – where do you sit at the Albion out of interest?
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Brummierdwes
I think it fantastic that you take such an interest in our club, and the more dingles that have this fascination the better as we take this as a real compliment.Don’t get me wrong I think it is great you are experiencing the ‘BIG LEAGUE’ this season as I am sure you have found it very frustrating watching your neighbours getting all the plaudits in recent seasons.
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