Showing articles in category Aston Villa.

I Love Villa, I Hate Heskey – An Understanding

Having an England international leading your teams front line would be seen by most as a good thing and an exciting prospect to behold. This is not the case though when that player is Emile Heskey.

Having signed for my boyhood team Aston Villa in January 2009, I was blindly optimistic that the big striker could provide our front line with a serious cutting edge, despite everything I had seen, heard and read about him before.

Instead it was the same old Emile that arrived at Villa Park, who after over 15 years as a professional has yet to find his shooting boots and appears at times to be laboriously wading through treacle, such is his slow and cumbersome manner.

Comments (10)
» Read On
The Differing Faces of Emotion

After a week of professional and methodical International football, the passion of the Premier League happily returned this weekend and amidst the action also helped to display the ambiguity of emotion.

Manchester City’s Emmanuel Adebayor is possibly the greatest exploiter of this word after he explained away the unnecessary boot force used on Robin van Persie’s face by pleading emotion was the cause.

In a fantastic game of Premier League football that saw the ascendancy of Manchester City with a 4-2 win over Arsenal, the antics of Adebayor will sadly overshadow this.

Comments (1)
» Read On
Valiant Villa Subdue Lifeless Liverpool

Anfield has rarely been a place of good fortune for Aston Villa, so ahead of the tie on Monday; I was in a mood dominated by hope more than belief that we could get a result.

A draw would have sufficed, especially after a poor opening day performance against Wigan and defeat against the powerhouse of European football Rapid Vienna, but an unexpected 3-1 win is rarer than an energetic and assured away performance in which we subdue the home side into a comprehensive defeat.

Many Liverpool fans will point to the absence of Xabi Alonso as a reason, or even an excuse for their poor performance, but his replacement in midfield Lucas, is a player of great danger when he pops up in the box and he showed this by latching onto a hopeful free-kick and expertly guiding the ball inside Pepe Reina’s near post in the 34th minute to give Villa the lead.

» Read On
Villa Sign Crocked Winger, But Is He Worth The Gamble?

The summer of silly spending is continuing at full steam and this time Aston Villa have got in on the act by signing winger Stuart Downing, despite him arriving in the Midlands on crutches.

In a desperate attempt to jump on the transfer bandwagon, Villa boss Martin O’Neill has gambled on the England international, even though the winger is recovering from a broken foot, inflicted in the penultimate game of last season by future team mate Stiliyan Petrov.

It seems as though O’Neill felt he could sign the damaged Downing with less competition now, than if he had waited until the January transfer window opened. However, perhaps the reason that there was so little competition for the winger is that he’s just not good enough.

Comments (4)
» Read On

Ian Holloway

“They say that every dog has his day and today is woof day. That might sound crazy but I want to go and bark!”

» Read More

Illie Dumitrescu

Within days of signing for Spurs, Dumitrescu was splashed all over the News of the World with accusations that he was chasing prostitutes. A blow to all those at White Hart Lane hoping he would add to the formidable attacking line-up of Klinsmann, Sheringham and Dozzell.

» Read More

Peter Beagrie

Peter Beagrie is perhaps best remembered for his somersaulting goal celebrations and a career that saw him play until he was 40, but often overlooked is the fact that he once rode a motorcycle through a hotel plate glass window.

» Read More

Steve Ogrizovic

Steve Ogrizovic is one of those players who I have no recollection of ever being young. In my mind he has always been old and was born in goal for Coventry City.

» Read More

Neil Ruddock

Where’s the referee in this picture? Where’s the ball? Is a headlock a legitimate tackle?

» Read More

Owen Coyle

Yeah yeah, Owen Coyle has guided Burnley into the Premier League for the first time in their history in only his second season at Turf Moor, but who cares when you’ve starred in Hollywood film, A Shot At Glory alongside Oscar winner Robert Duvall.

» Read More

Sasa Curcic

Sasa Curcic is a former Serbian international who had eventful spells in the Premier League with Bolton Wanderers and Aston Villa, but his achievements on the pitch were unable to match his life off it.

» Read More
ThreeMatchBan.com RSS

Subscribe To RSS