Aston Villa News 24/7It’s been a reasonably quiet week on the Villa front so I elected to make a rare foray into the realms of off-the-field antics at another club, mainly to get to the little nugget about Sir Alex not fancying Villa Park because of Deadly, but I suppose the Rooney story was the story and worthy of a mention.
Football’s resembling a cheap Mexican soap opera more and more every day. Frankly, I was never a soap opera type and it all bores the shit out of me. In true soap opera style, Rooney, from a position which appeared untenable, has now signed a new five year contract at Manchester United.
¡Ay, caramba!
A balaclava is placed back in its drawer, no longer required. The camera pans to an overhead position as a gloved hand taps the woven fabric as if to say ‘job done my friend, job well done’. Cut to a tight shot of Ian Holloway gazing out of his office window over a misty landscape, brandy in hand, a wry smile curls at his lips, a fireplace crackles in the background.
No. Whatever.
Meanwhile, Ashley Young, who according to all the tabloid headlines, has been “poised to sign a new contract” at Villa Park for a couple of weeks has now decided to wait a while so he can “concentrate on his football”. No wonder footballers get tired so easily if placing a signature on a contract that seemed to have already been negotiated is so terribly distracting.
Unless the reports of Ash being “poised” – I imagined pen was literally hovering over paper – weren’t entirely accurate. No! That could never be the case!
Anyhow, Ashley Young doesn’t see the point of being concerned with a new contract since his current one will still have 12 months on it come next summer. So would Wayne Rooney’s. That was the point, Utd have a policy of not letting contracts get into their last year before negotiating an extension as it puts the club in a massively weakened position.
Anyone seen my balaclava? It’s got reindeers on it!
No, wait… actually… whatever…
Sunderland
As I risk wandering off on some whiny rant, I’m reminded that there’s an actual game of football tomorrow. Against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light if I’m not very much mistaken.
Oh goody! I love football, me!!
So, what should we know about this one then? Well, Heskey’s fit and available, as is Albrighton, but then he only missed last week’s game through a tummy bug or something that kept him up the previous night. Not such good news for Luke Young though, he’ll be out for a couple more weeks at least with a torn hamstring.
Gabby will be another week or so. Gilmore’s Groin I believe. The fountain of all knowledge, Wikipedia, reliably informs me that Gilmore’s Groin has previously done in Frank Lampard and Fernando Torres, which is obviously extremely encouraging.
Sunderland have won one game this season: Man City at SoL back at the end of August, City’s only loss so far as it goes. They’ve drawn their last five, although Arsenal, Liverpool (I should still include Liverpool among a list of formidable opponents, shouldn’t I?) and Utd were among their opponents, they occupy 13th place in the league and are averaging a goal a game.
We won this fixture last season 2-0, Heskey and Milner with the goals, but our away form was 3rd best in the league last year. The year, our away form currently ranks 16th. Sunderland rank 10th on home results alone.
I don’t see any real reason to change the team that grabbed a point at home to Chelsea last weekend, but then we have to rotate or the poor wee lambs will be tired. There’s also Albrighton of course, we have to start him or the manager won’t be giving youth their chance. Until we can play 12 then, someone has to be dropped in the middle.
Erm… Stephen, sit on the bench would you? There’s a good lad.
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11 Comments to “Soap operas, Ian Holloway, Ashley Young, Sunderland and whatever”
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A. Young is off in the summer. Wouldn’t surprise me if he’s been tapped up already by City, or even United? Surely part of the Rooney contract was assurances of signing top talent, and Ash falls into that category. Rooney loves his wingers you know! Still, prepare yourself for this summer’s “Transfergeddon 3″
if they do indeed leave it until next summer, that would be extremely likely.
if we have a third straight year of losing a key player, i’d see no reason why the likes of albrighton or delfouneso won’t make it four and five straight years.
hacked off at the moment tbh.
I am almost positive someone’s had a word with his agent. Before today there was all this “I love Villa, I love the fans, I can’t wait to sign” rhetoric. Now we’re waiting until the summer? You’re right about Albrighton as well.
Is sarcasm the taste of the day, Dan?
I’d keep the same team for this match – Heskey would probably be the only exception (In a week of “U-Turns”, I can’t believe how much I’ve turned on this one).
Although we were dominated for much of the second half against Chelski, we created enough genuine chances to win the game so I’d keep the faith and use the returns of Marc and Emile as a bonus.
yes. feeling pretty jaded today. i like to think there’s a little satire though, so it’s not all the lowest form of wit.
I’m sure losing out on an extra £15-20k a week by not signing now is very distracting, for the poor lamb.
He’s keeping his options open, with a view to doing one or holding the club to ransom, simple.
If it’s the former, he can F*** off now, as much as I like him.
If it’s the latter, I can’t honestly say I blame him.
Football in general has created the state we’re in, so I’d milk it for what you can get away with too.
Either way, I’d be surprised if he’s still at the Villa come February and my best guess would be Spuds or Citeh steal another march on us
that december fixture list of ours looks all the more ominous now. could our position in january decide one or two fates during the winter window? quite possibly.
i’m even more determined to focus on what happens on the pitch. off it is just a circus.
What is the point of keeping Young? we cannot finish in the Top 4 anyway. Our team is just there for our footballing pleasure. Results have become meaningless. Young doesnt pleasure me anymore so he may as well piss off. For me, this season is now all about Heskey. I’d love it, love it, love it if he finished top scorer. Now that would pleasure me.
“Young doesnt pleasure me anymore”
I worry about you Nan.
Did you fall out or something?
Was this something to do with the webcam thing?
Haha
I guess I feel the same way as Dan and seemingly yourself today.
I’ve got the right hump as I have to start a shift at 2pm tomorrow
It’s all that falling over crap. He does my head in. I want to love him, but he makes it so hard. I know the course of true love is never easy, but he’s just not trying.
Heskey up top today boys. Show me the some magic big man.
Apologies for the broken English. Hung over.