Uno
ial Villa News…
Fancy a Villa ball signed by Nigel Hokey Cokey? Read on then! Click Here
Gillingham take on Stockport County tonight at Edgeley Park to see who faces Villa in the FA Cup on January 4th 2009.
Dave Jones, manager of Cardiff, is keen to keep Villa winger Wayne Routledge longer than the January 17th deadline for his loan. He said: ‘Villa will make a decision purely on their European campaign because they have to full up their tally for Europe. But if they don’t need Wayne for Europe, we might get him that little bit longer. I’ll ask the chairman but it is down to funds, we have to look after funds prudently.’
According to The Mirror Wigan striker (allegedly) Emile Heskey will run down his contract at the JJB and move on a free in the summer. Heskey has been linked to Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham along with about a 1000 paper articles saying he is Villa bound. Another report yesterday repeated the rumour that Steve Bruce had put a £10million price tag on the players head LOL.
Martin O’Neill has explained that the players are there to please him, not the other way around. ‘Players want to play. They get disappointed if they don`t play and I am here to win football games. My job is not to please every player every minute of the day. As Sir Alex Ferguson once said: ‘Their job is to please me.’ Full article: Martin O’Neill Not Here To Please Players
Martin O’Neill wants his team to stay in the top five into the New Year to give Aston Villa the edge on our rivals. He told the Birmingham Mail: ‘Psychologically it would be great to stay hovering around the top five. The Everton game was vital anyway, but Bolton takes on different connotations now. There is an opportunity up until Christmas time to stay in the top group. That is as good an incentive as anything to go and do it.’
Ashley Young spoke to AVTV after the last gasp winner against Everton on Sunday (hands up who isn’t still smiling at that finish?!) and said ‘The way we managed to get that late goal and win the game was brilliant. The dressing room was loud and everyone was absolutely delighted to come back in that way. The strength and character of this squad is incredible. The mentality we had when they got the late equaliser was that we still had time to play and we should carry on to the final whistle.’
Ashley Young also spoke about Steve Sidwell’s early goal saying: ‘It was a quick goal and a great strike. He does that every day in training. He can add that to the cracker he scored against Wigan earlier in the season. He certainly has that in his locker. It was a brilliant finish.’
Latest Villa ticket news: Click Here
Win a chance to play at Villa Park with Football Aid in association with Vital Football. As HolteEnder43 said ‘Been there done that , and got the tee shirt. Absolutely awesome, so go on and have go. It was an awesome moment warming up and smashing a ball into the holte net!’ Full details: Win A Chance To Play At Villa Park
Short FFC survey on aspects of the relationship between football and the family Short FFC Survey On Football & The Family
Free video highlights of Everton v Villa: Click Here
A great away match report by Glensider: Glensider at Goodison Park
Martin O’Neill’s post match reaction: ‘Extraordinary’ Attitude – The Verdict
Match stats: Click Here
Martin O’Neill has spoken about Villa’s record summer signing James Milner who joined Villa from Newcastle. The Villa boss said: ‘James had to wait a while to get into the team but I signed him for the next four or five years – not the next four or five games. I never ever doubted him and he is doing fine. There is more to come from him. He works exceptionally hard for the team. Taking players on is a big strength of his and he will only get better. I have been very pleased with him – but then there wouldn’t be too many that I wouldn’t be pleased with.’
Martin O’Neill ripped apart the rumour (the same we heard last summer actually) that Villa were about to sign Henrik Larsson. He said on Sky Sports: ‘There`s not a scrap of truth in it.’
Martin O’Neill says that both Luke Young and Carlos Cuellar will become better players for having a spell out of position. Young, a right back, is currently playing at left back and Cuellar, a central defender is currently our right back. You following this?! MON told the Birmingham Mail ‘I just think it will add to Carlos Cuellar and Luke Young`s experience, I don`t think it will do them any harm. I don`t think Gabby playing wide up front during my first year did him any harm. In fact it gave him a better idea of what it is like to go wide and face up to those things. I think it helps you as a centre-forward.’
MON has also backed summer signing from Reading Nicky Shorey to make an impact at Villa. Again in the Mail he said: ‘I am sure Shorey will come through. He has got plenty of determination, he wants to get out there and do it. There will be hiccups. I never look at it as pessimistically as people can.’
Thought for the day: ‘A waiter asks a man, ‘May I take your order, sir?’ ‘Yes,’ the man replies. ‘I’m just wondering, exactly how do you prepare your chickens?’ ‘Nothing special, sir. We just tell them straight out that they’re going to die.’
