Aston Villa Rumours Archive February 01 2017 to March 03 2017

01 Mar 2017 10:24:27
Wow just wow well done bruce and villa, great result loved the game can't wait for Rotherham now. Down side kodjia penalty miss, it's not the 1st penalty he has missed. i say let Jedinak take them, he takes them for his country and he doesn't miss. 1 day it will cost us the game. green was brilliant, everyone great. hutton you legend sets the standard for effort.

27 Feb 2017 00:05:11
Hi guys, heard an interesting rumour today. My mate had some electrical work done about 6weeks ago. Who was the sparky it was Jamie wards dad (the guy who scored for Burton) . He said back then McCormack was going forest. Aparantley he has been a bit of a bad influence on grealish for the partying. Villa had to get rid of one to calm it down and McCormack as we know has missed training a few times. I did find it weird his he only went forest on last day if true but this was what was told. My pal is pretty honest so I do believe him.

27 Feb 2017 11:51:28
If you have to get rid of one of them to stop them partying then there's something really seriously wrong, just tell them "no more".

27 Feb 2017 17:24:20
Macormack is a twat. gets as chance at a terrific club like villa to show of his skills. what a waste! Does anyone think he will see the claret and blue again?

27 Feb 2017 19:49:20
Steve had to send R Mc a strong message and at the same time let all the potential boy racers and big time Charlies there is a code and line not to cross. Well done on getting a rotten apple out of the barrel regardless of his price tag!

27 Feb 2017 21:04:05
Could, not agree with you more nick. A bad apple is right and would have carried on and influenced more in all probability.

27 Feb 2017 20:54:14
Yes mate I do. at Scunthorpe!

27 Feb 2017 20:59:05
I heard burnley are interested in taking another of ours;namely mcshortfarce, so roll on the summer,

27 Feb 2017 21:05:58
Be brilliant if he can sort out his attitude because at the end of the day he scores goals, gives us another option next season.

28 Feb 2017 22:02:28
Another win under the belt and another good shift put in by players. can forgive the penalty miss with the 3points swept up. its looking good for the Rotherham game as well. a bit scrappy again but hey credit where it's due. pleased for the Bruce, players, an fans.

25 Feb 2017 11:11:23
For what its worth i hope we give samba a contract, i don't care if he's as slow as an iceberg, the quality i think he will bring is putting himself about, which our defenders don't really have in them. his aerial prowess, the reassurance that our players will feel, knowing any balls from corners or crosses will be dealt with pure and simple, not trying to be clever, just clear the danger and let everyone else worry about any second phase play.

Also he's a leader in an old fashioned sense, he'll shout and cajole them all so their all singing from the same hymn sheet, and above all, he'll intimidate the opposition and make them think twice, i just pray we give him a deal. he may just be the rough diamond every team should have.

25 Feb 2017 13:36:35
When was the last time you saw him play?
I'm not being deliberately antagonistic. It's' just that you seem to be talking about the memory of a player from 7-8 years ago. Unless of course he was truly outstanding during his 2 games before being released by Panathinaikos this year.
If he's 85% of the player he was at Balckburn he's a real find; if not, he's a risk.
I hope he's the former (obviously)

25 Feb 2017 15:04:38
From what I hear samba last couple of outings were dog rough. agree a good player in the past, past is the past though. it smacks of being a little desperate especially if he is unfit. Would love him to prove me wrong but have my doubts. Hope mark Bunn gets another chance between the sticks can only do better certainly CA, my do worse.

25 Feb 2017 20:11:36
Yea a huge risk if he was decent you'd think he would already have a club, however if Bruce has got him training then he'll see him first hand and know if his worth it.

26 Feb 2017 08:26:00
Fellas, your probably right about his prowess; but i think put him in the middle of defence to lead, let those around him do the donkey work and let him organise and cajole them, i'd say most of the time he'd win any headers and him staying back would allow the likes of chester to chip forward, what i'm saying is his experience may help to overcome a lose on athleticism, and he's a natural leader too, after all that bruce will probably release him now! -i think he could be our robert huth type player that all.

26 Feb 2017 09:53:12
Could we not be talking about Bruce playing himself to do the same thing?

26 Feb 2017 10:24:10
Why would anyone want a Robert Huth type player?

I think he will sign, and think it will be a good move, but I can't see how he replaced anyone, unless you suggest returning to the fantastic 3 at the back which was a great success!?

Our major problem, and has been for a long time, is a lack of confidence in the guy in goal.
Rather than allow them to defend, and control their own game and line, the lack o belief in him means every one sits deep, and feel they need to deal with all balls in box as the goal keeper won't.

Fir example, 3 times yesterday, the ball was played down our channels, a long ball firbthere wingers to run on to, and our player, (baker 2x Hutton once I think) got there first. no one in our box. and rather than trust the keeper to take control and launch up field, we kicked out for a throw bear corner flag.
This keeps their pressure on, and we have to stay deep.

When he punches everything, rather than catch, the ball will just come back, when he doesn't command his 6 yard box to claim everything, our defence has to. So we remain disjointed, to deep and constantly under pressure.

I don't know the stats, but I would bet that we get given the fewest offsides in the division, as we sit so deep, they never are!

Rather than an aging out field player, just because he has no contract we look at, why not a keeper, someone mentioned swchartzer, perfect. Yes getting on, but game management, and experience are priceless.
Even if to help Johnstone, play every other match.
I think Johnstone will be a great keeper, his shot stopping is amazing, and his distribution is awesome.

But this is to big a job to soon. Rather than totally ruin him, we should help him.

26 Feb 2017 12:03:33
Good point, well made!

27 Feb 2017 01:33:20
Good point-but will bruce be willing to drop johnson and incur the wrath of mourinho, over the years he's bought and loaned quite a few from them, i'm guessing he'll persevere with him, though schwartzer would be just the ticket.

22 Feb 2017 00:47:23
I see nothings changed at all about villa this season it has been a mess i fear for us we are going to drift down the leagues if we are not carefull our signings have been poor apart from taylor we should be signing prem players not second rate players, our gk is not good enough huttons useless midfield weak apart jedinek no good wingers and one good striker .

that's not going to keep you in this league we should of got warnock he would of been perfect i'm not bruces biggest fan but villa is becoming like england impossiable to manage . we should of never let martin o'neil leave villa our fate was sealed then .

we have wasted millions on average players in the last 3 seasons its a joke. if we escape this season we will be very very lucky its going to come down to when we play burton rotherham blackburn n wigan we get wins against them we will be safe but wouldn't bank on it.

22 Feb 2017 13:49:23
I agree with a lot of what you said but when you start mentioning Martin o'neil who brought zak knight and habi beye an marlon harewood you lost me he put them on huge wages so the club was introuble moneywise when you think back at the time beye was on more than defoe.

I agree we need prem players the ones bruce has brought so far havnt been great but its early yet. A lot of good prem players don't want to drop to our league mate i looked at the newcastle team a lot of that team was already there. I don't think we will go down its been a horrible season but 1 that we will learn from.

My issue with Bruce is his management has dipped a bit take the preston game 2-0 up when he 1st came he was time wasting men behind the ball his stop doing that preston made it 2-2 in the end Bruce form as dipped but if he gets back to form his a top manager but we need the steve bruce we had at the start not this 1 who looks lost. Keep the faith tho mate nobody said it will be easy this league that's why needs who go up stay up now because its a war to go up! Predicted finish 14th.

22 Feb 2017 14:45:00
Agree with most of what you say. its been a little up an down the new players have, t settled yet. I believe they will and I think we will be safe. have a feeling we will end the season strong. if we do it will stand us in good stead for next season. Got to keep the faith mate.

22 Feb 2017 18:08:28
You make some good points but as good as Martin O'Neill was at getting a tune out of a team on a Saturday afternoon I think some of the issues we are having now still stem from his time in charge. We bought average players under him and paid big wages to them. Sidwell, reo-Coker, Beye, Heskey and petrol were all on £50k a week plus and as much as we love Stan for his heart and fight he was still pretty average for a premier league team. He made some decent buys that we sold on at profit but when you look at a man that sells Gary Cahill for £5m so he can buy Curtis Davies for £6m + Luke Moore it's hard to say his transfers were successful. It's only my opinion but O'Neill spent all the money that Lerner had and he spent it on average players that won the same amount of silverware as mcleish and Lambert. Yes we played some decent football but he got us into Europe and then put the kids out so we were out. O''Neil cared about one thing and that was himself and that's why he could just up and leave because he didn't get his own way. I thank him for bringing the likes of Carew and Milner to our club and also bringing the best out of Gareth Barry but he was the start of our demise and I certainly don't think he was the messiah some said he was. and breathe lol.

23 Feb 2017 11:41:55
No he was not the messiah he was a very naughty boy lol.

24 Feb 2017 09:17:48
I've a feeling of deja vous with that messiah expression, i wonder why?

20 Feb 2017 15:23:14
Well I told you season ticket prices were coming after our meeting with keith Wyness didn't I? Yes they are cheaper for kids and under 18 and under 21s but don't read too much into it. his price freeze for adults he said he was going to reward fans especially longest serving fans with making it cheaper. I suppose in his eyes he has made it cheaper.

next meeting I will ask him how he has rewarded us long serving fans. Kids are like 3 pound a game season ticket wise. great deal for them and younger adults, but don't see how this made it cheaper for us adults. But if you are under 21 you will love these prices.

So to clarify season tickets are coming down for Under-21s and juniors the long serving fans have their season ticket price frozen, but there is a loyalty card replacing villa cash that will make it cheaper for long serving fans.

Checked backed at my minutes and he has done what he said he was going to do. So I wasn't lying as some people said.

I was right about season tickets coming out being cheaper. Now wait for the new sponsor to be announced and Aston Villa to have pre season in the Algarve. These meetings give good info, I will still post because some will find it interesting, some will carry on calling me a liar but come on did anybody else know season ticket prices was coming out this early, plus its nothing to lie about its only information we were told.

20 Feb 2017 16:24:08
They come out at the same time every year.

20 Feb 2017 17:01:53
Well done you.

20 Feb 2017 19:13:54
Also hate to be a problem but they announced on the website about 5 days ago season tickets were coming down. and all that information you just posted? You may as well have copied and pasted it from the website. Not disputing you went to a meeting, who knows maybe you did, maybe you're lying for some weird reason. however everything you have said about tickets has been public information ever since they announced it some 5 days ago.

20 Feb 2017 20:17:52
Why have you got to be like that for? we may not always have the same views, but we all want Aston Villa to do really well. It's better to have information about our club rather than always having a go at one another. Anyhow i am going for a 2-2 draw tonight. come on the Villa. For those who are interested, any bit of info I get I will continue to post.

21 Feb 2017 18:28:00
Walkthewalk, it's a trust issue.

21 Feb 2017 19:17:11
Walk the walk talk the talk.

15 Feb 2017 10:22:57
Good news, or bad news, depending on your state of mind, whispers that jack 'the legend' grealish has admirers in the prem. it seems everton are taking an interest, and apparently 2 european clubs as well.

16 Feb 2017 19:29:47
Great, for £30 mill let him go. Such an under performer.

17 Feb 2017 10:26:34
Is that us paying £30m as a dowry to send him on his way?

14 feb 2017 23:05:06
we might as well go for the triple top of ex blue-nose managers and bring in gary rowett, who else is there, pardew, micky adams, curbishley, dwight yorke, ryan giggs.

i'd like to see phil parkinson have a crack at it, always got a tune where ever he's managed, and he wouldn't take any crap from the little princesses who frauduantly mascarade as our football team, failing that, its got to be neil warnock, i don't care anymore how pretty we play, i want results lively!

15 Feb 2017 08:45:15
Whats getting a new manager going to do? Xia has invested into 2 managers already this season. Your talking about replacing a proven manager in the division for managers who have done nothing! Its not bruce, its the players on the pitch, not one of them apart from chester i'd say who plays for the shirt and that's what has to change, the attitude of the players not the manager.

15 Feb 2017 08:59:51
Something's got to give mightyvillain! I'm with you, I don't want another management change but if the players aren't listening or buying into what Bruce is banging on about on the training ground then the unthinkable will become a reality and we will be in the third tier of English football. I really don't have an idea what can be done, we've brought some of the best players from the championship and that's not working, we've brought captains of other clubs to have some leaders on the pitch and that's clearly not working. What else is there left to try?

15 Feb 2017 09:15:37
I agree that somethings got to give, but every manager that has come in since o'neill has had the same issues and the same results, we have changed the whole squad twice this season under 2 managers. Say we sack bruce then what? Who else is there? Over the years we have had the chance to bring in these good managers like sean dyce, eddie howe ect. Right now I do believe we have the best we can get and that the problem is the players.

15 Feb 2017 09:40:42
Maybe give it to someone who has no experience or achieved anything as a manager but who has fresh ideas and a winning mentality. Ryan giggs springs to mind. I don't buy into this " he has no experience rubbish" no one knows how he will perform until some owner grows a pair and takes a chance. ( like Huddersfield have with Wagner and Southampton did with pocchetino)

15 Feb 2017 09:25:51
You talk like it's a foregone conclusion Bruce is going to be sacked, is that what it's come to? We are a disgrace.

15 Feb 2017 10:27:49
I want bruce to stay, he will turn it around in time, but dr. xia doesn't have a whole heep of patience, the deal he has structured will cost him if we don't get promoted, and the only thing he loves more than his reflection, is the moula, remember there are franchises he has sold as well, there'll be loss of revenue there too.

i think as long as bruce finishes the season strongly he'll be as good as gold, anything else, dr. xia has to be seen as being decisive and not hesitant, that will probably mean brucey will be on shakey ground, or, scarely, in his little mind, he'll take a short term view and pull the pin.

i guarantee there is already someone in the shadows at villa park making themselves busy drawing up a short list, that's business for ya, but i want brucey to succeed for sure, the names i mentioned have already been blogged about, i just mentioned i like what phil parkinson has and is doing, he deserves to make his bones at a big club, if the doctor goes nuclear. then its one we could look at (but hopefully not)

15 Feb 2017 09:51:48
If you think something's got to give and conclude that the manager must be replaced after the last 3 performances and it working ever so well the last 6 times then clearly aren't the brightest spark. Sack Bruce and once again become the laughing stock of the country, however at least then the club will be nearly as embarrassing as the fan base.

15 Feb 2017 10:33:09
We already are a laughing stock, that's the point. Ok chrisavfc say we do it your way and stick with Bruce, and we lose the next 3 or 4 games and actually drop into the bottom 3 with so many games of the season left, then what? " oh let's stick with Bruce, he will turn it around, yeah in the 3 rd tier. Sooner or later a change has to be made for the good of the club. why are the fans embarrassing? Because we want the best for our club and not to become a laughing stock ( not only in the midlands but hroughout the U. K. ) I'm not saying we have a Devine right to go up but we shouldn't be in this mess no matter who's in charge.

15 Feb 2017 12:27:57
Yea same as the last 3 years, shouldn't be in this mess but we are so no matter what's going on on the pitch, sack the manager again, bring in a new manager, fall to lower depths and then blame that manager.

do the same and sack him, talk about how Bruce didn't get a fair chance, and so it goes on and on and on. Look at Norwich, teetering above the relegation zone and hasn't won in 10 games, stuck with their manager because they understand football.

have a fan base that support their club 1 million percent so don't force the manager out, and now look at them, 7th and 4 off the play offs - and don't they deserve it! You talk about sacking Bruce like he goes and that's it wins guaranteed, do we not learn from the past? There is no one more qualified that we will attract than Steve Bruce, back the team.

15 feb 2017 12:33:13
"want the best for the club and don't want it to become a laughing stock" - the fan base is half the reason we are already a laughing stock. i cannot comprehend how after the last 3 years we've had anyone can honestly think sacking bruce is the right thing to do, we are a joke.

want the best for the club? stop dragging it down then, some fans don't want the best for the club, they look for any reason for a crisis, the look for any excuse to moan.

it's a good job we don't have anything like arsenalfantv because suddenly everyone would see that the morons on there aren't half as bad as the people who would be on there.

i can just imagine it, villa win a game "yea but bruce didn't play my favourite player and then one of them misplaced a pass, get bruce out his got to go"

15 Feb 2017 12:36:13
More inexperienced managers fail more than succeed, your all talking as if were in the drop zone, bruce is still finding the best system with his players but after watching the performance against brentford, ipswich and barnsley the attitude of the players is not acceptable for a club like us!

I understand a change will have to come if things don't change and we drop into the relegation places but that's not even happened and I strongly believe it wont! Bruce will get things right and as disappointing as this season has been for us we will finish strong if the players pick themselves up.

15 Feb 2017 13:38:20
And that's exactly my point classof82, some fans first reaction when things aren't going Rosey is to draw up a shortlist of other managers, start throwing out blogs about other managers and how they like to play and how the players would suit them, then spread it like wildfire.

Going to stop now before it does my head in but it seems to me like every other club around us turn things around, start getting results, the fans get behind them and push them further, whereas at our club there's a section of fans who stand in the way of the team and do all they can to stop them going anywhere and get what they want.

15 feb 2017 23:16:20
chris, i want bruce to stay and succeed, he's got the experience and track record, as to why we keep failing. i don't know if you saw kieren clarkes' interview today, but he said the main difference between us and newcastle was that the geordies were still upbeat and hopeful, whereas he said the last 3 years with us, culminating in relegation had been a time of frustration, that the club reeked of it.

so maybe clarke might have hit the nail on the head, is it the people who work behind the scenes at villa park unknowingly spreading negativity and the boys are picking up on it?

16 Feb 2017 09:37:34
I wouldn't class the fans as working behind the scenes but they are definitely the biggest cause of negativity. A serious reality check is needed, Bruce hasn't even had over 20 games yet and fans are calling for his head, looking at his replacements, writing big long posts about how potential other managers like to play - it's embarrassing. He gets forced out by the bed sheets, we get another manager, fall to lower depths and then the same fans who forced Bruce out will be the one saying "he didn't have a fair chance".

16 Feb 2017 19:42:13
My only criticism of Bruce is that he bought a bunch of new players, then three the newbies on straight away. It backfired. They hadn't had time to develope a workinv relationship. Having said that, these results are shocking and we just don't look like a determined professional side at all. Too many changes too fast, even though he's bought some great players!

13 Feb 2017 10:21:58
Maybe we're all asking the same question but in a different way, bruce's record is a good one, with more than one team, and with teams of different financial clout and standing, and as the saying goes, as soon as they step over the white line (i'm sure there's a robbie fowler joke there somewhere? ) its up to the players, so is it lack of desire, being too complacent and arrogant, or more simply, do we have no real leader (alpha) out there? me thinksno maybe its that simple?

13 Feb 2017 18:46:34
Are you looking for an arse kicker?
As for desire, we are paying prem wages for div 1 performance.
Too much for too little.

We the fans have desire, the players don't get it.
They see £40000? A week for turning up, it's almost theft.

13 Feb 2017 19:18:04
Oldvillian, yeah, someone of the jimmy case school of team mate encouragement school, i believe he took great joy in 'persuading' his bretheren to show some heart, or he'd show them the error of their ways!, our players need to show come cahoonas and leave their man bags at home for a change.

11 Feb 2017 17:53:38
Brucie, sorry but if you play that system, you need good wing backs . Why start with Hutton, Albert or Bacuna much better suited . what Amavi has done, I can't imagine, he would be ideal on the left, even Green looked better than Taylor . We have a much improved midfield, but not one of them can tackle . Hogan must be wondering what he's come into, time after time great runs, but nobody picking him out . We put that much pressure on our selves, with rubbish passing, we just give it away time and again . The crowd today where very patient, but you can't see it lasting . Onwards and Upwards Villaforever.

11 Feb 2017 20:35:01
Amavi has cost us defensively and teams started to use him as their main point of attack, guessing that's why Bruce has took him out.

12 Feb 2017 13:00:43
Jesus Wept
Turns out Bruce is "not the Messiah. he's just a very naughty boy"

12 Feb 2017 23:53:39
Begs the question "what has Steve Bruce ever done for us? " Mendax.

05 Feb 2017 10:31:13
Okay, not the result we wanted or deserved, but when you've got 6 new players bedding in and a new system to get their heads round, then to me, actually, we did well.

more time on the training field and hard graft, and we'll gel, on the down side i saw a camera angle of grealish after his second yellow, no remorse on his face, just petulance and arrogance.

i hope bruce reprimands him and he's fined and made to apologise to the boys and in a perfect world us.

just one thing that worries me, do we have an out and out leader on the pitch, because if we're going to mount a challenge we better get one pretty quickly.

but on balance, a lot of positives, keep the faith!

05 Feb 2017 10:56:22
personally i thought we played pretty good yesterday,

the score line aside we was far better, its just the same old problem of defence going sleep in the last few minutes,

but agree on the leader chester trys to get the lads going but never seems to get them going, need a terry type at the back and a begovic in goal

oh well let's just prey they sort this mess out soon and we at least reach top 8.

05 Feb 2017 11:49:52
Fans need to be realistic, we won't make playoffs this season. Its all about bedding in the group so next season we develop a playing style and steam roll the league (which I believe we will) .

05 Feb 2017 11:43:57
Weird strikes, I was about to say about begovic, if we make a push this year it's a bonus, we now have the squad to challenge for the league next year, given time to gel etc. Only area of major concern is the keeper.

05 Feb 2017 12:05:00
Totally agree Finch.

05 Feb 2017 12:11:25
I agree Finch. It had to be a win yesterday. We need to use the games until the end of the season to establish a pattern of play. I could understand us going long when we had such a poor midfield but I want to see something a bit more expansive now that we have the personnel to play that way.

06 Feb 2017 15:26:44
Us Villa fans are so angry with the result we've lost sight of the fact we had the best chances and were actually unlucky at the end. We will smash Ipswich on Saturday!

06 Feb 2017 17:03:35
Do you actually think the frustration expressed is about one game that we were a little unlucky to lose?
Smash Ipswich at home or not, we are not getting into the playoffs and from that perspective the whole season is a failure. That's the sight most have of things I think (although I wouldn't presume to speak for others)

06 Feb 2017 17:18:34
That's one reason we are disliked Devlin, making statements like that, I would not bet on Villa smashing any side at the moment.
I do hope we win though.

03 Feb 2017 14:17:21
RHM signed new deal at Aston Villa official delighted.

03 Feb 2017 14:40:25
Can't believe he signed, when we still have Bruce in charge, and maccormack is in Notts.
What's the world coming to.

03 Feb 2017 15:15:55
Let's all hope that Bruce plays the kid now when he is fit!
Don't hold your breath because we all know how much he loves gabby?
Bruce did say he would get a chance if he signed his contract,

03 Feb 2017 15:18:29
Hahahaha.

03 Feb 2017 15:22:05
RHM signed and Grabby injured Has he played his last game? now surely behind kodjia, Hogan, RHM, Davies, Adohma, Bjarnason. Fingers crossed.

01 Feb 2017 09:04:54
No final word on Hogan? Call me Mr Cynical, but is there a possibility that the transfer deal also included 3 vital points for Brentford tonight?

01 Feb 2017 13:10:07
I agree with the doc we need patience now but i was a bit miffed as to why bikir lasted that long on the pitch last night as he looked knackered after 30 mins oh well