Carpe DM is next for the Vital Villa interview.
Carpe DM is next for the Vital Villa interview.
1) When did you become a Villa fan and why?
Was taken to Villa Park at the age of 7 by my Grandad who used to follow them all around the country. Remember Dwight Yorke scoring for us in a 1-1 draw with Arsenal. Was only one team for me from that day forward.
2) What is your favourite Villa moment of all time/most treasured memory?
Has to be the UEFA cup tie against Atletico Madrid purely for the atmosphere. Will always remember sitting in the Holte End being deafened by the noise when Collymore put us 2-1 up, and the subsequent tension of us trying to grab a winner which we ultimately fell short of.
3) If you could bring back a former Villa player into this team (at his peak) who would it be and why?
Martin Laursen. Bit too young to remember McGrath in is heyday for us but I think Laursen was a great defender and a natural leader, was just a shame his career with us was cut short. Would have been exactly the sort of player we needed last season as well.
4) Paul Lambert? Your opinion please?
Was excited by his appointment after the ill-fated decision to hire McLeish, and I really like the way he is trying to build the squad, especially with all the financial constraints he has had to deal with. It was obviously a big gamble to go with youth last season but surviving relegation was key and I think it will give us the platform for Lambert to work towards this bright future we have been promised since the beginning of the Lerner era.
5) Best and worst moments of last season?
Worst moments were obviously the Christmas period stuffings, and the league cup defeat to Bradford. Best moments were the 6-1 thumping of Sunderland, Lowtons strike versus Stoke, and overall the way in which we were trying to play football, which I thought showed encouraging signs for next season.
6) Some say last season was a success, others not so much. What is your opinion?
We seemed to have been in a transitional period since MON left, but its only now we have a stable manager that things can finally progress. Last season was always going to be tough and I think we did fail in some areas such as the amount of goals leaked and falling short of a cup final to lower league opposition. However there were still positives to take and avoiding relegation, whilst not a cause for celebration was a definite must and will hopefully pave the way for the start of something exciting.
7) Your opinion of Randy Lerner and the board?
Not knowing Randy`s finances and what he actually has to throw at the club without financially ruining himself/us, I would say he has done a pretty steady job. He backed MON who really did waste a lot of money on deadwood and then reigned the spending in. He and the board are only human and will make mistakes, but I do think they should have made a better decision on the appointment of McLeish. Hopefully though the way things are going should mean that we fall within financial fair play rules and our great club is here for many years to come and doesn`t fall the way Leeds and their ilk have.
8) Which player/s should Villa sign this summer?
When it comes to specific names, not a clue. English players are vastly overpriced and I haven`t got a good knowledge of foreign players, although I do think an exciting attacking midfielder would be a good addition to the squad. Haven`t heard of any of the summer signings we have made so far, but as long as they turn out more like Benteke and less like Holman then that`s ok with me!
9) Which player/s should Villa get rid of this summer?
Pretty much the players that we have been touted to get rid of anyway. Ireland, Given are two examples of players on big wages who we really don`t need and can be replaced by younger cheaper versions. Having said that, I think we should keep Darren Bent if we can as you never know what`s round the corner injury/transfer wise and he would be good cover for our main front three.
10) Favourite current player?
Towards the end of the season, I really enjoyed watching Fabian Delph play. He seemed composed on the ball and would get stuck in with tackles, and was not afraid to run the ball up field and take on a few players. Hopefully he has a big season ahead of him and he can be integral to our plans.
11) Who was your first footballing hero and who are your favourite all time player/s?
Never really had a footballing hero, loved Dwight Yorke but then he buggered of to Man Utd, so lost faith in the ‘loyalty from footballers` at an early age. My favourite players are anyone who pulls on a claret and blue shirt and shows passion for the team, so I guess Olof Mellbeg would be up there along with Martin Laursen.
12) What do you expect us to do/finish this season?
Premier 10th
FA Cup: Q/F
Capital One: Q/F
13) You can ask yourself any question you want to about Villa and what is your answer?
Will we keep hold of Benteke?
Yes, we will tie him down on a long term deal and finally buck the trend of selling our best players every season. Progress.
{answered before the transfer request JF}
14) Just to change the theme slightly, a snap shot of you outside of football, answer or ignore at your leisure:
(based on our WHO ARE YOU thread!!!)
a) Which celebrity/s would you most like to meet and why? Never really been bothered about meeting celebrities and how that would benefit them/me
b) Age 24
c) Location: Milton Keynes
d) Favourite alcoholic drink: Coors
e) Favourite non-alcoholic drink: Coca Cola
f) Favourite Film/s: Pulp Fiction, Gladiator
g) Favourite TV Show/s: Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Dexter
h) Music?: Anything from Bob Dylan and Thin Lizzy to Eminem and Skrillex
i) Best ever moment in your life: Graduating from university
j) Ambitions: Get lots of money. Retire at 30. See Villa win the treble.
k) Wise words: “Don`t you dare support Birmingham” (my Grandad, circa 1996)
Now your turn, how to submit an interview: click here
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