The Week In Villa (4)

You lucky, lucky things. It's an eight day week! What? I was busy. Get off my back, okay? Jeez!

Wednesday, 22nd August

Charles N'Zogbia comes out with comments that suggest he has remembered he's a professional footballer. I bet he forgets again soon enough.

Over on Twitter, some hilarious nonsense about an 'unknown player' being at Bodymoor Heath creates some drama. Stuff like, 'It was a black man, I saw his arm' gets treated like a journalistic report. It comes to nothing, you'll be stunned to know.

Thursday, 23rd August

Very little to discuss. This lack of transfer stuff is starting to concern me for the first time.

Friday, 24th August

Remember when Jean Makoun went on loan? Apparently it's official today.

As we lose one midfielder, we, um, lose another. Sadly, Gary Gardner is out for the season. Having lost a good chunk of his career at a very important time, he's done it again at an even more important time. One has to fear for him now. It's not impossible for him to get back to it, but this is a crucial time in his development.

Apparently Lambert has no interest in Defoe or Jones. That'll be that then.

Everton tomorrow, hope Lambo gets off to a good start at Villa Park.

Saturday, 25th August

Well that was depressing. Okay, in that first minute, had Delfounso's cross landed on Bent's head and then the Everton net, it's a different game. But it didn't, and it wasn't.

You know, in 1991-92, I remember Big Ron playing Paul McGrath at right-back in one one of his first games and aged just 10 years old, I was thinking, 'What the hell are you doing?', but things still worked out okay under Ron.

So here's hoping, because that performance was wrong from the manager to the players. Tactically, it was woeful. Performances were not up to scratch. Overall it was just an awful, awful afternoon. Terrible goalkeeping, a defence that was too deep, a midfield that was as easy to walk through as an open field, and a powder puff forward line.

The problems are fixable but there is plenty of work still to be done.

Sunday, 26th August

We're linked with Kevin Doyle. Wolves won't have any players soon!

Monday 27th August

Caramel - the best player on Saturday by some way - speaks of us needing character from here on in. Him and Vlaar already seem like the two main leaders in the team.

We're linked with Christian Benteke from Genk, and Dale Stephens from Charlton. I know nothing about either, other than they are a forward and midfielder respectively.

Tomorrow, we play Tranmere in the League Cup. A win would be lovely!

Tuesday, 28th August

We got that win! First of all you'll be delighted to know I watched the game from one of the Trinity Road executive boxes. There wasn't many people there to witness it; just over 15,000. That's as low as I can remember seeing at Villa Park.

It wasn't a great game, it was a professional win and we were never in any trouble.

I have seen lots of comments from people practically salivating at Stephen Ireland's performance, which is absolute nonsense. It is not the first time he has looked good against painfully average opposition and it won't be the last. Of course, you can only beat what is put in front of you and yes he played well, but only when he does it consistently in the Premiership will I start taking such gibberish seriously.

Tactically it was still a bit weird for me. Bannan was the deep lying midfielder with Herd and Delph either side and Ireland the most offensive of the diamond. It was enough to beat Tranmere but I would be scared to death if I saw us line-up like that in a Premiership game.

Still, a win is a win is a win is a win. We needed it, we got it, and I don't know about you, but I think it is about time we won the League Cup again!

Wednesday, 29th August

YOU HAVE AN EXTRA DAY TO READ ABOUT! THEY'LL BE DANCING IN THE STREETS!

Lots of transfer talk today. Benteke, Stephens, Joe Bennett (Middlesborough left-back) and Jordan Bowery, who plays up front for Chesterfield.

The aforementioned Bennett is the one who actually signs for us. Apparently he's a very attacking full-back. With our system, that is ESSENTIAL. I look forward to seeing him.

Two days to go, hopefully more to come in.

Sadly the youngsters lost another NextGen game, 1-0 to PSV. The next match is at home to Celtic, tickets are only £4, I urge you to go!

Enjoy that extra day, kids. CHERISH it! Next week it will just be six days...

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