Reluctant Striker

Still feels difficult to quite know what to make of, or expect of Villa. Last week felt harsh at one of the toughest places to go. This felt like it was less of a challenge than Hibs will put up in the next few midweeks. In the John McGinn derby. And Coutinho joins the injury list. Who was starting to seem like a clear & obvious Euro starter.

DCL is jinxed. Or someone somewhere has a voodoo doll of him. This time it's clattering into Emi Martinez. With his head. Despite all the talk around that type injury, still like a struggling boxer some 15-20 minutes later & then goes off.

The crazy thing is, Spain lost 4-0 to Japan in the group stage. And finished 2nd in that group.

Feeling slightly nervous. One of Mings strongest points is winning headers. Needing Konsa & Torres to step up. I did wonder if Carlos may get in ahead of Torres, or Digne. DCL is fit. It is at Villa Park, but Bailey & Diaby in same 11 again.

Fair play to Spain, whatever disagreements & fall outs there have been, they performed well. Hemp missed chances she has been putting away. Lauren James was popping them in from wing-CAM, but gets asked to play LWB. England have Russo, and record breaking 22 in 22 league games Rachel Daly. But finish with 2 totally different players up top. 1 of them the big lump of a CB. Wiegman, for all appreciation of the trophy they did win, has had a dubious tournament & a nightmare of a final. Bronze had an assist in the penalty. She stood the side it went. Not the greatest England look. Toone seemed to freeze. Stanway & Walsh just were not at the same level in the middle. But.. 2 semis & 1 final of last 3 women's world cups. The Euro win. Many young players. And football as a whole, the men with 1 semi, 1 final & 1 quarter in their last 3. Both England sides are regularly at the business end in recent times. No reason to believe a 2nd win is a million miles away.

I have been unconvinced Russo was number 9 ahead of Daly, who in turn was being asked to play LWB, rather than being subbed on. Taking both Russo & Daly off & going with no number 9? And Lauren James LWB? I disagree totally. The way back into this seems further away.

Spain will not be giving free chances. And they should have 2. Hemp hit the bar & the keeper with England's best chances. Lauren James definitely needs to be on soon.

Mason Mount, For England or Chelsea, would have been 1 of the 3 behind the striker. It seems he's playing deeper for Man United. It feels like an ongoing theme at Man United. Where the shopping list says breakfast cereal. Someone, somewhere decides milk will therefore be needed. And at the end of it all there is a shopping bag of milk, apples, potato & pasta. Nobody starves. But the next shopping list still says breakfast cereal.

The England Euro 2022 Q Final was a narrow 2-1 aet win over Spain. England coming from behind. The semi final was a 4-0 demolition of Sweden. Strangely Fara Williams & Alex Scott thought Spain reaching the final was cause for celebration. I have read suggestions the Spain squad & management are not really a unified group. I do feel confident in this England side. That they are just on a roll & this is their era right now. Lauren Hemp has started reminding of a male player in his prime. I will not say who, but he won a trophy fairly recently. It is the most confident I can remember being of any England football side. But, Australia were very nearly 2-2, with Sam Kerr putting a good chance wide. From a goalkeeping punch Pickford would have been absolutely hammered over. A route to the final of Nigeria, Columbia & Australia. I do think Spain could be the toughest opponent yet.

I will be watching the 3rd place play-off & will be wanting to see Australia take the bronze medal. I feel sure that would be given an enthusiastic celebration. And would be a great thing for all the viewers of any level of interest to see.

The English FA suggesting it is open to Sarina Wiegman becoming mens football manager. Probably well intentioned, but does seem a bit weird to specify. Laura Woods, ITV presenter of both mens & women's world cups in UK, thinks women's football should not be compared to mens, because Sally Gunnell & other Olympic athletes are-were not. And thinks women's football should be enjoyed for being its own thing. Ok Laura Woods.. but I do think you are addressing the middle men. What happens when another female presenter or female footballer is all about equality? Which can have a very different implication than just being appreciated for what it is in itself. Or another female does not see female sport as really, properly, truly valid (those females do exist..) What then? What conversation or response is given in that scenario? For me, it involves acknowledgement of different levels of physicality, speed, etc, etc. And then leads on to suggestions of enjoying it for what it is. And IMO, such conversations need to be endured, if they are troublesome in some way. Because for many people, women's football & female presenters in mens football are very, very, very new & have not been around anywhere near as long as the Olympics. So will take time to be absorbed into culture.

Both Spurs vs Man United and Man City vs Newcastle look like fascinating matches. Aston Villa vs Everton : if there is a winner, then one or other is the early season crisis club. I firmly believe Tielemans was somehow not deemed fit enough for the opening match. He really does seem the most natural choice in the squad for the Jacob Ramsey spot. With Douglas Luiz & Kamara sitting, allowing Tielemans & McGinn to support & create for Watkins & just the 1 from Diaby & Bailey. That sort of balance was working well.

Sounds like he intends to play again. And someone will give him the chance to. The brave & correct decision is for Man United to release him. There are other similar cases out there of professional footballers playing on somewhere. And Man United as a huge football club just do not need the circus that will constantly be around the 1 player.

I have been listening to Vindaloo 2 for the last few weeks. I posted a link to it way back. I had a tear in my eye when I knew this England women's team had made it to the World Cup Final. I have been wearing something red, white, or both, every day they have played a match in this tournament. I feel proud of them. Any of you, especially the English football fans, that have not commented on most matches, as I have, but feel inclined to jump in & make bizarre comments suggesting higher grounds.. Step right up ! I'm here till Sunday !

I commented how enjoyable it's been compared to men. But, keep right on with whatever virtue you feel you own better than me. And yes, FIFA & the BBC reporting its the 1st World Cup final for an England team since 1966 ! Also in minor headlines Toone the 1st English player ever to score in a Q Final, Semi Final & Final of a major tournament ! As a special niche interest Rachel Daly has been the 1st active Aston Villa player to score for England at a World Cup finals since David Platt in 1990 ! And you know Mr Virtuous ? I compared which women are out with which women stepped up ! I have seen teenage males in England tops ! Hence my comment both genders will take plenty from an England win ! The sheer arrogant, passive sexist unequal affront of it all ! Hey ?! With the respect it sorely deserves, comments like yours & a great many other male-female Brownie point seekers want way too much moral high ground. And are the 1s letting off arrogant stink bombs with no rhyme or reason. Share your views on the women, the matches, the tournament ? Perhaps that better demonstrates your more highly developed equality !

Hilarious to hear the boos of England women. Awesome achievement to reach the final. Captain Williamson injured, Ballon D'or Mead injured, Kirby injured, White retired, Jill Scott retired. And one of the players of the tournament Alex Greenwood steps in. Carter plays well. Toone & James contribute. Zelem has made a few appearances. And Russo has scored a few. Lauren Hemp for next Ballon D'or? Between her & Greenwood for England's player of the tournament for me. They are so much easier to watch than the England men.. Can not take anything at all for granted, but England women need their own star (apparently) and England kids of both genders would take something from an England team winning a World Cup.

Well, you can enjoy the 5-1 for all its worth. There is a very good chance Newcastle will be going for Top 4 again. If not more. And a very real wake up call to Villa If they do have designs on moving up. But, especially due to the above, on the Maguire-defensive tactics & analysis, for me 'high line' is up there with 'parked the bus' as a critique. They are opposite sides of the same coin & are just easy catch all phrases that only applies dependent on a result. And often the direction someone is pulling. Yes, some players will perhaps suit 1 style over another. But for me, too much is made of it, or excused away by it.

He was linked with Forest a few weeks back. Villa also rumoured for Argentina & Sevilla's Acuna. Other full backs from Spain too. But Acuna & Zaniolo the 1s more reliable sources talking about right now. Not sure if Digne is sought after for being a French international goal scoring left back. Or Emery doesn't quite rate hime.

I don't think Maguire quite matches the skill sets Unai Emery would be looking for. But on a tangent on that 1 match: the Match of the Day analysis at least was predictably off the money. Villa started the match with an injury crisis. 1st goal - Tonali the 'DM' taking all by surprise & not picked up. 2nd goal - a badly defended free kick, or a brilliantly taken 1. 3rd goal - 99 out 100 Konsa does not provide the chance for Isak, who still does well to lift it over Martinez. 90-something matches out 100 Cash makes it 2-2. Then Villa heads have really dropped for 4th & 5th. Line maybe a little high on 4th. But nobody is picking up the right man, pressuring the pass, etc. In years gone by, I feel sure this would have been Alan Hansen's analysis. With circles & direction pointers. But we don't tend to get quite the same quality of analysis anymore.

I will say I would not mind Maguire being a Villa player, but I can not see it happening. Villa just spent £30m+ on Pau Torres, to make him the 5th senior CB. The stronger rumours right now do seem for Villa to bring in a 2nd RB. And 1 that perhaps can be 5th CB cover. Or even a LB, to allow Digne to leave. There was the false story of Villa being interested when Maguire played golf in the Midlands not too long back. Feels like if Emery & the club bosses wanted Maguire, they'd have made moves before Pau Torres.

I agree with what @Stan suggested in other thread. Challenging for a VAR review should be like in cricket & tennis. 3 challenges each. Lose 1 if the challenge is rejected. Keep the challenge if challenge is approved. May even have a side effect of improving behaviour toward the officials. Focus more on questioning each other if a review is worth it or not. It certainly seems a significant grey area when reviews & challenges are just among the refs. With varying takes on what is clear & obvious.

It is an undeniable aspect of where things are. And I do not mean the price tags. I mean in terms of kids wherever they watch the Premier League. The last decade has created lots of Chelsea & Man City fans. It really is not all about Liverpool or Man United any more.

Yes. Newcastle always seemed a dangerous mix of a side both capable of that & also quite motivated to do that. Feels like they still see Villa as a rival, or a side to make a point against. If all had been fully fit, I'd have expected Ramsey ahead of Bailey for Newcastle (a) I feel sure both Diaby & Bailey in same Newcastle (a) line up would not have been Plan A or B. Both capable of looking impressive going forward, but very much a front 3. Which hasn't actually been the case for most of the good run with Emery. More 4-2-2-2. I have been wondering why Tielemans was not starting. Emery seems so switched on, I kind of assume it must be fitness level issues. Apparently Villa want Zaniolo with option to buy, but Galatasaray wanting straight sale, or obligation to buy. Rumours already around before Mings injury was a RB that could cover CB. As they do have 4 fit CBs, I do think the original plan may still be best. Lots of random suggestions of Maguire around, but not from anyone official looking.

Crazy goings on. Definitely because Buendia has just joined J Ramsey (and B Traore) on the injured list. I guess there is a while yet before fixtures get extra busy. But, yeah, that Zaniolo might be fit. But Galatasaray may want a straight sale.

Yes, the injury did have an impact. Even at 3-1, Cash had a chance he would usually take. They really do need to regroup & refocus. Everton (h) & Burnley (a) so important now after that start.