Gabby V Andi Part II; Stan; and May Poster Player of the Month

Gabby V Andi Part II

 

 

At the start of last month I asked the question 'Gabby or Andi.' There wasn't a clear winner. Local boy V Austrian wonder, sprinter V finisher, finisher V sprinter. On twitter I asked the same question and these are some of the replies I got; @amorse1980 said how Andi is the better finisher and can build up play, creating something whereas Gabby was just a sprinter. @PEASLEY7 said that Andi has been more consistent over the course of this season, and also if Andi was in a one on one with the keeper he's trust the Austrian more so than Gabby. @_munch replied with it depending on which aspect you were to look at, and if he could take the best aspects from each player, he would to morph into one. @Jessyka1990 would prefer Gabby as she knows that he's loyal despite being inconsistent.

 

But have these views change since the last two games against Norwich and Sunderland?

 

******

 

Stiliyan Petrov

 

A leader, a fighter, a man with a heart of gold.

 

Our captain Stan retired from the game he loved yesterday after a year long battle with acute leukaemia, and as he continues to fight this horrible disease he has decided to focus on his foundation to help others.

 

He'll be a character in the dressing room we'll miss and a player on the pitch we could never go without.

 

Coming from Celtic, Martin O'Neill brought Stan in to anchor our midfield, to steel it up a bit; so to speak. He played just in front of the defence offering them support, producing next level tackles and breaking up attacks.

 

The 2007/08 season for the Bulgarian was his best were he gave us a goal to remember. "Petrov, from the half way line," his goal against Derby was just that. After a miss kick from the keeper fell perfecting for Stan he hit it like a peach, watching it fly into the back of the net.

 

In that same season he then went on to win Player and Supporter's Player of the Year.

 

Shooting from long range was his speciality and he once again proved that last season, in the same year that he received the worst possible news. His goals against Sunderland, Everton and Bolton will be three others one to add to the collection of 'screamers.'

 

Powerful and influential in the middle of the park, Petrov drove the claret and blue's on week in, week out and he's definitely been a hard act to follow.

 

Seven years in a claret and blue shirt, playing two hundred and nineteen games, scoring twelve goals, Stan is someone who you won't forget easily. He wore his heart on his sleeve and gave everything for the club and fans that loved him with everything they had.

 

There has been no better way than the nineteenth minute to reminisce the memories that Stan has given us, and to give something back to him to help him in his battle.

 

Let's give him the send off he deserves when he leads out the team tomorrow for the player's lap of honour. He deserves it.

 

******

 

May Poster Player of the Month

Poster player of the month is the player that will appear each month at the top of my blog.

 

 

Christian Benteke

Powerful, skilled and an eye for goal. Our own Belgian beast is out to get ya.

 

When Benteke came into our ranks, most of us wondered who the hell he was, but now everyone does and wants a piece of this young in form striker.

 

Scoring important goals in important games, we can't thank him enough.

 

His first goal on his debut against Swansea typified what the Belgium was all about; the ability to read the game as he followed in a sloppy header from Ashley Williams; the composure of a thirty seven year old as he clipped the ball over a helpless Vorm; and the touch of a predator as he touched the ball into the back of the net.

 

He has all the qualities you'd want from a striker at Aston Villa.

 

An all rounder.

 

Ever since John Carew we've been begging out for a big goal scorer who could slow play down, bring the ball under control and score vital goals. Yet we never expected this.

 

Well done Paul Lambert; you unearthed a gem.

 

Talk to me about his back heel against Liverpool, his eighty mile per hour goal against West Brom, his header which saw him jump as high as the crossbar against Sunderland.

 

And he's only twenty-two.

 

To top his fantastic debut Premier League season, the Belgium has collected the Player's Young Player of the Year Award and came second to Gareth Bale in the PFA YPOTY.  

 



2012; A Year Of Mixed Emotions

After Stan Collymore tweeted earlier asking fans for their moments of the year, I decided that this would be my next post for all you to have a look at.

Captain Fantasic; Stan Petrov scoring in the 3-1 victory
over Chelsea on New Year's Eve

The year 2012 was set up nicely after a 3-1 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Stephen Ireland, Darren Bent and Stiliyan Petrov scoring the goals on a night which saw Alex McLeish record just his fourth win in charge of Aston Villa.

Despite this result we then went on to lose 2-0 at home to Brendan Rogers' Swansea side.

This year has seen the loss of our captain to illness, the sacking of Alex McLeish and the employment of former Norwich City manager Paul Lambert, the summer signing of Christian Benteke and the mixed bag of results.

This year hasn't been one for the faint-hearted, that's for sure.

Goal of the Year:

Andi Weimann celebrating his goal against
Liverpool on Saturday. (Getty Images)

This was a hard one as there has been quite a few stand out goals. Andi Weimann's scored a few crackers, his one against Stoke last season and first against Manchester United this season have both stuck in my head. However, I'm going to have to go with Andi's goal from Saturday. Just the build up play is worth the plaudits. It might not have been the most outstanding bicycle kick that everyone will remember for years to come; but the way the Austrian and Benteke found each other with so much ease is something that you don't see on a daily basis. For that reason, my goal of the year award goes to Andreas Weimann's goal against Liverpool. However, half of that can go to the Belgium beast for his back heel from heaven.

Game of the Year:
There was an option of about three games that contested for this title. Wolves away in January was a game that I won't forget for a long time coming. Not only was it because of the comeback we produced with the help of an Irishman, it was the support from the Villa fans that made it a memorable afternoon. The second game that springs to mind from this year is the Manchester City away game in the Capital One Cup. I didn't travel to the game, but I remember it well, not only because of the score. It was my school's open evening and I was helping out in the science department. My science teacher, who is a Blues fan let me point out, wasn't too keen on the idea when I asked if I could listen to the game on the radio, but he reluctantly decided that I could. So, there was me in my lab coat, cup of tea in one hand, biscuit in the other listening to the game; whilst in between showing the kids my 'magic trick.' Although the score was contender for game of the year, the story behind it pushed it towards that award. However, I went with the Norwich game from midweek. What a game that was.

Support:
For me, our away support beats our home support every time. I love away days and its because of the support that makes me love them so much. My trip to Old Trafford, despite the result was one of the best. We were right at the top and you could hardly see anything but the roof, yet we still managed to out sing the boring home support. The chants of "we support our local team" put the icing on the cake.

Player:
It's difficult to pick just one player.
Christian Benteke is fas tbecoming the most talked about striker this season. His power is immense.
Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger are rated as one of the best central defensive double acts in the Barclays Premier League but from early in the game on Saturday, it was apparent Benteke’s hulking presence and work-rate was unsettling. Of the pair, Skrtel had the most trouble. The Slovakian usually gives as good as he gets when it comes to a physical battle but, on this occasion, he had no answer. His day was summed up by Villa’s third goal, when he didn’t have the strength to halt Benteke’s charge to the area and was tied up in knots. His potency is a different level. Before heading to Anfield, Benteke had only scored four times in the league following his £7million switch from Genk but moved his tally on impressively with two differing strikes. After going close with a sixth-minute header, Benteke had the air of a striker who knew he would score. His potential is frightening. It was, without doubt, his best display on these shores and doing it at stadium as fabled as Anfield will have attracted plenty of attention. Listening to Lambert, though, any admirers considering scouting him would be wasting their time. "Christian can be anything he wants," said Lambert. "He might not hit his peak until he is about 28, you never know. But he has been incredible for us, absolutely fantastic. He is playing in a fantastic Belgian side which is bringing him on as well.
You can never stop people looking but if you want to buy these players, you’ll have to have a few quid. There is absolutely no chance we would be looking to sell. We are trying to build something here and progress."
Then there's Matthew Lowton, Ashley Westwood, Brett Holman.
But I've got it down to one man; Bradley Guzan. There's not much else you can say about this man. Coming in for the dropped Shay Given he has impressed week in, week out with his solid performances between the sticks.

Biggest Flop:
I don't like to say it but Marc Albrighton has got to be the biggest flop of 2012 for Villa this year. He shone in his season under Gerard Houllier, but suffered major second season syndrome. He hasn't performed at his best this year, yet he has a lot of potential, which I'm hoping he can recapture during 2013.

"Wow"
I'd like to once again mentioned Christian Benteke's back heel at the weekend. I can't tell you how many times I've reminded that moment. But for me the "wow" of the year is every time we get up on the 19th minute for Stan Petrov. After being struck down by leukaemia we have applauded our captain on the 19th minute of each game since. Every time it takes my breath away and sends shivers down my spine. It's one special moment, emotional to the point were it leaves me with a tear in my eye.

Rookie:
As I said in my last post, it has to be Ashley Westwood. Coming from a League Two team into the Premier League and making the step over with such composure is something. A big hand has to go to Paul Lambert and his backroom staff for spotting this beauty.

Manager:
It's out of two men, Alex McLeish and Paul Lambert and I know who I'd pick every day of the week. The man from Norwich is a guy that's taking Aston Villa in the right direction; forward. He has a long term plan that he's put in place. He's a tactical genius and I believe that he is the right man for the job and I hope he continues to prove the doubters wrong.

Quote:
"It's a long project. It's never going to happen overnight. I thought today we were well worth something. They are a young side but they are growing every time they play." Paul Lambert

Ireland; In More Ways Than One

"Our Bodymoor Heath training ground has started to resemble a small corner of Ireland during the past few weeks. If you include our reserve and youth players, we now have enough to form an Irish international XI - even if a couple of them, Ciaran Clark and Samir Carruthers, were not actually born across the Irish Sea!" | Stiliyan Petrov (Programme Notes.)

Robbie Keane and Stephen Ireland train before
the Everton clash.
(Neville Williams/Aston Villa/Getty Images)

Aston Villa 1-1 Everton
"One Stephen Ireland."


Stephen Ireland is Superman.
(Neville Williams/Aston Villa/
Getty Images)
Stats on the right courtesy of Opta.



Even though he wasn't able to get on the score sheet yet again Ireland produced a man of the match performance.

Over all he created four chances, three of which came from open play. One of these opportunities was converted into an assist as he squared for Darren Bent to score after fifty-five minutes.

Stephen Ireland made his touches count with a total of sixty-five and only failed on three occasions and was dispossessed on just two occasions.  Passing was another attribute that Ireland managed to keep at an impressive 87% accuracy rate throughout the ninety minutes with 40% of them being forward passes.

The midfielder had to work hard and he was not afraid of getting stuck in, shirking his attacking attributes and defended well. Stephen Ireland earnt himself a 100% success rate in his tackling, completing three tackles and winning them all.

When the Villa Park crowd started singing "There's only one Stephen Ireland." it must have seemed like all last season was worth it. To have his name in lights again must feel like he's on top of the world at the moment and rightly so.

*****

There was no Henry return for Robbie Keane however Everton's super sub Victor Anichebe came off the bench to score the equaliser.

In a game where both sides cancelled each other out it was no surprise that yet again the most played top flight game ended in a draw.

Darren Bent opened the scoring for the hosts when Stephen Ireland's cross found the England's striker.

However, Anichebe's slotted pass floated past the returning Shay Given after David Moyes had reacted to Villa's goal.

With Everton dominating the early periods, Shay Given had to be on top form. Yet only the heroics of Aston Villa's number one, who was returning to the starting line-up after six weeks out with a hamstring injury, kept us in the game, as he made a stunning save to deny Louis Saha after the striker rose well to head Leighton Baines' header on target.

Given was called upon again soon after, this time to spare the blushes of his own team-mate. Saha failed to get up to reach a Baines cross and Stephen Warnock was caught unaware as the ball came off his head but Given proved that Villa boss Alex McLeish was right to slot him straight back into the starting line-up.

Villa had to find their tempo quickly to be back in the game and so they did. When Tim Howard's launched ball fell perfectly for Gabby Agbonlahor to control, he skinned three Everton players in the build up before unleashing a shot which left Howard scrambling.

Soon after, James Collins had two clear cut chances to put the hosts ahead from set plays however no final product could be made.

After the break Everton went close again when Marouane Fellaini met Baines' free-kick at the back post, but Given was on hand to save with his shoulder.



Albrighton, Ireland and goalscorer Bent.
(Neville Williams/Aston Villa/Getty Images)

The Irishman must have breathed a sigh of relief when Darren Bent scored. Marc Albrighton's cross eventually found Stephen Ireland who thread a fizzing ball into the path of Bent for the ball to end up in the back of the net. However scruffy it was, it was a lead.
Moyes hauled off Drenthe soon after to bring on Anichebe and the substitute made an almost instant impact.

A perfectly-timed pass from Donovan, whose return to Everton and the Premier League has lifted spirits in the Toffee's camp, cut open the Villa's defence and Anichebe managed to stay onside before calmly slotting past Given.

Desperate for the win, Robbie Keane was introduced to the pitch for his Aston Villa debut.

Roars filled the stadium as Stephen Warnock made way for the new signing. You would have thought the noise was for Keane but I'm sure most was just at the fact Warnock, who has looked poor, walked over to the bench.

The on-loan LA Galaxy striker could not muster up a Hollywood-style finish even with Villa throwing men into the box at every opportunity. Except for a couple of scrambles in the area, they never came close to the winner.