"Villa Park is an Exciting Place to be Again"

(www.gettyimages.com)

Over the years, Villa Park has become a stadium filled with frustrated, agitated fans, yet since Sherwood's arrival it's not just the team that has been rejuvenated. The fans have been too. In recent games, the atmosphere has returned and fans are enjoying having their Villa back once again.

As part of my fan interviews reviewing the 2014-15 season my second Q&A is with Daniel England, who you can find on Twitter @Dengland80.

1) What did you make of the sacking of Paul Lambert?
I was delighted. It should have happened after the Bradford City debacle. It really couldn't have got any worse.

2) Initially, what were your thoughts on Tim Sherwood's appointment?
Apprehensive. The mixed views from Spurs fans made it difficult to judge but I was hopeful we'd see some attacking football.

3) Has your opinion changed since?
I've been delighted with the impact. The improvement has been exponential, Villa Park is an exciting place to be again. He is more tactically aware than I thought he would be.

4) What do you think he's done to change things around?
The freedom given to the midfield is the most obvious, our midfielders are getting into the box and scoring. Benteke obviously, and the style of football has been great; one dimensional to a team that can change style in the blink of an eye.


Grealish, Delph and Benteke are a trio worth building the
team around.
(Kieran McManus)

5) Who has been your player of the season?
Delph has built on last year and been fantastic. Young player has to be Jack (Grealish), a brilliant impact.

6) What has impressed you about them?
Delph's energy, ability to keep the ball, drive, passion, pace and creativity. Jack's enthusiasm, ability to draw a foul, vision and attitude. Both clearly love the club and give their all. Too many over the years couldn't have cared a bit.

7) What are your thoughts on this season as a whole?
Disappointing. I spent a lot of time arguing Aston Villa were no where near as bad as our league position. It is really frustrating to see what could have been if we had a decent manager all season. Underachieved doesn't come close.

8) What are your hopes for next season?
Hold on to Benteke. If that happens there should be no reason why we can't challenge for a top 6 finish. On paper we should be as good as Southampton, Swansea or Liverpool.

9) If you could sign one player, let one player leave and extend one player's contract; who would they be?
Cleverley to sign, Weimann to go and extend Benteke.

10) Have you got tickets for the FA Cup final and what is your prediction?
Yes today! (Tuesday). Our record against Arsenal says they should win but with Sherwood you never know.

Thank you to Daniel.

If you would like to answer the ten questions, please direct message me on Twitter @m0llyfaith or email me at molly.jennens@outlook.com

"Sherwood Brought us Back into the Light"

(www.independent.co.uk)

As the 2014-15 season draws to a close, Aston Villa face Southampton and Burnley before the FA Cup final on May 30th. After a turbulent time under Paul Lambert, there is now renewed hope under Tim Sherwood, with a feel good factor flowing through fans and players alike. Who would have thought this time last year that Lambert would no longer be at the club and Villa would be at Wembley for the second time in six weeks? With that in mind I've been asking Villa fans via Twitter to do a quick Q&A reviewing this season.

My first interview was with Lewis Raybould who you can find on Twitter; @LewisRaybould.

1) What did you make of the sacking of Paul Lambert?
100% agreed. I thought he should have gone earlier than he did. We were so negative as a team and I felt that was because of him. He had to go.

2) Initially, what were your thoughts on Tim Sherwood's appointment?
I didn't think he was the right person, I thought there may have potentially been better options but I wasn't so opposed to it at the time.

3) Has your opinion changed since?
Yes, I love him. I'm amazed by what he's done to the same team.

4) What do you think he's done to change things around?
He has a positive approach and he's managed to rally the players and all the fans together and get behind him and the team. It's paying off massively.

Ciaran Clark's demanding displays at the
heart of the defence has turned him for zero
to hero during this season's campaign.
(www.zimbio.com)

5) Who has been your player of the season?
It would be between Clark and Hutton, but because of the way Clark has improved this year, I would give it to him.

6) What about young player of the season?
I think it's hard to overlook Jack (Grealish) for that one. Under Sherwood he's been brilliant and proved to be a first team player.

7) What are your thoughts on this season as a whole?
The start was great. Then it spiralled into hell before Sherwood brought us back into the light. But under Sherwood my thoughts are that we look like a team that can go into any match with a shot of winning and that's awesome.

8) What are your hopes for next season?
If we can get top 10 next season and then build upon that then that would be great.

9) If you could sign one player, let one player leave and extend one player's contract; who would they be?

During Milner's time at Villa he scored
22 goals, with many fans wishing for a
return to Villa Park
(PA Wire)

I'd love to see Milner back, Weimann can go and I'd extend Benteke's contract even further!

10) Have you got tickets for the FA Cup final and what is your prediction?
Despite working there for three years I don't have the chance to buy one. I say 4-3 Villa, Delph (2), Benteke and Westwood.

Thanks to Lewis for his time.

If you would like answer the ten questions, please direct message me on Twitter @m0llyfaith or email me at molly.jennens@outlook.com

Rejuvenated

Rejuvenate (Verb) Past tense: rejuvenated

1. to make young again; restore to youthful vigour.

2. to restore to former state; make fresh or new again.

Despite a slow start to his managerial career at Aston Villa, losing to Stoke City and Newcastle United, Tim Sherwood has since rejuvenated a club that appeared to be dead and buried. Sat in the relegation zone, 18th with just twenty two points from twenty five games, Randy Lerner needed to act fast. Out went Paul Lambert, in came Tim Sherwood and the rest is history. Yes, it hasn't been all good, there has been some bad, but 'Aston Nilla' are now rightly Aston Villa.



As the definition says, Aston Villa have been made fresh and new again.

At the heart of that is of course Tim Sherwood. As many have said "the shackles have been taken off." The team are now playing with a freedom that excites the Villa Park faithful, with attendance numbers increasing by the game. This team has flair, pace and skill along with heart and energy. Compare that with the lifeless, boring players under Paul Lambert, it is remarkable what one man can do. I for one was one of those people saying what can another manager do with this group of players? It wasn't Lambert kicking a ball, or saving a goal so what could sacking the man improve? Well, I'm now sat here writing this eating a large slice of humble pie. Sherwood has come in and been a revelation. I'll also hold my hands up and say I wasn't Sherwood's biggest fan and I wasn't particularly excited by his arrival, yet he spoke incredibly well and has proved me wrong ever since. What a man.

Thumbs Up for Tim (www.squawka.com)

The "stats don't lie" either. Lambert had a win ratio this season of 20% winning just 5 out of 25 games. His team scored only 12 goals in that time. Whereas Sherwood, who has took charge of 11 games, has already clocked up the same number of wins with a ratio of 45.5% that is "second to none", scoring 18 goals in the process.

It has been quite an unbelievable turnaround and only the man himself knows how he has done it. But until he tells us his secret equation, we can continue to hypothesise.

Christian Benteke is back on the score sheet:

The first thing that Sherwood identified when he came to the club was the lack of goals the team, in particular Christian Benteke, were scoring. Despite being injured for the early part of the season he had only scored 3 goals in all competitions, a stat which didn't reflect the striker's capability. Often we saw Benteke strolling around the half way line angered by his lack of chances. Since Sherwood has been at the club he has scored 9 goals, triple what he had previously scored. But he hasn't just been scoring, he has been restored to his former state. He looks happy to be playing again and with his confidence sky high, for the player of the month for April it seems that everything he touches turns into goals.

"I'm not going to go over the top here, but there isn't a better midfield player in the country than Fabian Delph":

Delph and Westwood celebrate his goal at Wembley
(Andy Hooper)

We all knew Fabian Delph had it, but Sherwood has made him look even better. The Yorkshire man never shies away from a tackle, is full of energy and desire and can score a goal or two. As a midfielder he seems to have it all. Demanding and strong, he leaves nothing on the pitch and has become an integral part of the starting eleven. He has been handed the armband and is the first name on the team sheet. Loyal and committed, you won't find another player like him and he has still got a lot of years left in him. Delph didn't need to be rejuvenated but he has added an extra dimension to his game, having arguably his best game in a Villa shirt at Wembley in the semi final against Liverpool. He is the epitome of Aston Villa under Tim Sherwood, and he can only get better.

Super Jack Grealish:

"The bigger the stage the better he plays" - Tim Sherwood
(Marc Atkins)

Quick feet, blistering runs, one touch passing and even an occasional Gerrard-esque pass, the nineteen year old seems to have it all. That's right, he is only nineteen. Only five games ago he was handed his first Premier League start, but you would have thought he had been playing for five years let along five weeks. He has been influential in games against Manchester City and more recently West Ham United, but his best performance came at the national stadium; a ground he may be seeing more of. It may have been labelled Liverpool and Steven Gerrard's day, but April the 19th belonged to the nineteen year old and Aston Villa. He shows maturity and intelligence beyond his years and doesn't look a shin pad out of place in this Villa team. He has claret and blue coursing through his veins, and he bleeds the colour on the pitch. It is hard to not love one of your own.

Tom Cleverley:

Cleverley scoring in the recent game against Everton

The on loan Manchester United midfielder didn't have the brightest of starts to his Aston Villa spell. There were games where he was either booed or sarcastically cheered off the field of play. He was neither here nor there, trying to fit into a team that was restricted to passing backwards and sideways.

However, the leash has been removed and Cleverley is a man that has been restored to the player that was labelled the next Paul Scholes. He may never fulfil that tag, but he has sure made his own name since the arrival of Sherwood. Scoring three goals in his last three games, he has demonstrated his abilities in front of goal but it has been more than just hitting the ball into the back of the net. Playing in the right side of the diamond, Cleverley has been given the license to make runs into the box, break up play and showcase a range of passing.

Villa now face a battle to ensure they get his signature.

With two games left to play in the Barclays Premier League and an FA Cup final to look forward to, here's to a good end to the season. Up the Villa. 

14 Cup Finals Left To Play



"We have 13 cup finals left in the league and hopefully another one at Wembley." - Tim Sherwood

End of an era (Getty Images)

It's been a rollercoaster ride at Aston Villa and it was by no means willing to slow down with this week being no exception. Last Saturday saw the team score their first goal in six games, however, it was followed by a 2-0 loss against Hull City on Tuesday night. This saw the end of Paul Lambert's Aston Villa career, a reign that spanned one hundred and one games, which only saw twenty five wins; including the heavy defeats to Chelsea and Arsenal. We all believed that Villa were establishing themselves, yet struggling to see what the club were actually trying to achieve. What is their style of play? Who can be their stand out performer? Many said we were over-reliant on counter attacking football, others said long balls were our 'speciality', whereas Lambert tried to make us into a version of Bayern Munich. However, we were the team that couldn't score goals and played boring football. A team lacking in confidence, passing balls sideways and backwards; it's all well and good having 62% possession but if you're not creating chances and players aren't making runs, there's no point in having the ball. The club was now a joke. "Aston Nilla" cried the papers. Fans starting to become agitated, angry, disgruntled, "Lambert out" ringing around the stadium after another winless run of five. It almost became inevitable even for Randy Lerner and Tom Fox to ignore.

Let's be fair though, Paul Lambert did give us some things to cheer about. There was the 6-1 win against Sunderland, wins against Chelsea and Man City at home, and Arsenal and Liverpool away, and that 4-3 victory over West Bromich Albion last season. He brought in Ron Vlaar, Carles Gil and Christian Benteke and helped Fabian Delph progress into the player he is today. He worked within tight constraints and managed to keep us in the Premier League despite having to hang on by finger

nails. And, we are still in the Premier League. He has left us with at least a chance of retaining that.

But now, there is a new beginning.

New man Time Sherwood (Neville Williams)

Tim Sherwood returns to football after being given a three and a half year contract at Villa Park. After leading Tottenham Hotspur to a total of thirteen wins in twenty two games in his six month spell at White Hart Lane, Villa can look forward to a young manager with passion, confidence and honesty. I'm sure he won't hold his tongue.

His first challenge is to keep Villa in the Premier League. He has thirteen games left, "13 cup finals" as Lambert put it. But he has enough players capable of avoiding the drop into the Championship. Yet, these players are low on confidence, lacking in self belief, so you could argue his biggest challenge is to galvanise these players into playing for him and the claret and blue shirt. One of those players is Christian Benteke - the player that single handedly kept Villa safe from relegation in his first season at the club. With a total of just twelve goals scored this season, the Belgium only adding two, he is a fundamental part to the squad that needs to start firing.

Aston Villa have a team that can stay up. We have the potential that needs to be fulfilled.



Aston Villa 2-1 Leicester City

FA Cup 5th Round

Weimann, Delph and Cleverly celebrate with Bacuna (Getty Images)





Villa secured their place in the hat for the quarter finals of the FA Cup on Sunday, when they put two past Leicester City thanks to goals from Leandro Bacuna and Scott Sinclair. New boss Tim Sherwood watched from the stands as Scott Marshall took control in the dugout, however his input was needed as Villa finished the first half 0-0 and his words made an immediate impact. They got bodies in the box, passed the ball round quicker and were more direct.

Villa's midfield will need to start chipping in with goals and they did so yesterday. Ron Vlaar, returning to first team football after being out since New Year's Day, found Bacuna on the left hand side of the pitch. The Dutch man then drove forward, taking on Danny Simpson with intent before unleashing a shot that nestled in the far right side of the net. Villa could have been in front one nil, had Benteke's not been offside when he put the ball neatly into the back of the net in the first half. But the Belgium striker made up for his straying nature when he set up Sinclair in the 89th minute for his first Villa goal. His lofted ball found Sinclair, who hit his shot towards Schwarzer's net. The goalkeeper should have done better, but he fumbled the ball into the back of his own net.

Now Villa are just one win away from Wembley. Here's to a good sixth round draw, up the Villa.