[King Gizzard]

Deffinetly

But don't think we have the money sadly! (but i'd rather be tight than be in debt)

[setanta]

Very true, and Villa fans shouldn't complain too much about matters right now. O'Neill has been terrific but I just don't know if he's a real winner in the Premiership. We'll see.

[King Gizzard]

The boo boys should be ashamed of themselves

well the ones who were booing at the wolves and sunderland should be

[bbfan1991]

Originally Posted by Nathan

The boo boys should be ashamed of themselves

well the ones who were booing at the wolves and sunderland should be

They will soon be praising MON and the lads the next time Villa win, typical fickle behaviour from footie fans lol.

[King Gizzard]

Almunia terrible again

[setanta]

Was he ever any good? Don't understand how he's survived in nets for so long with them

[King Gizzard]

Hes always been terrible yep lol

[setanta]

Professional job by United. Watched that game too.

[bbfan1991]

Originally Posted by setanta

Professional job by United. Watched that game too.

Funny how the people who thought that this season we would struggle without Ronaldo and Tevez are now praising us. Fergie always finds a way.


Hope West Ham go down.

[bbfan1991]

I dislike Alan Green on BBC 5, he talks a lot of rubbish and thinks only his opinion counts.. he's obviously a Liverpool fan who gets his kicks slagging off the opposition.

[setanta]

Originally Posted by bbfan1991

Funny how the people who thought that this season we would struggle without Ronaldo and Tevez are now praising us. Fergie always finds a way.


Hope West Ham go down.

I like Zola though but I can't actually see them winning many more games.

[bbfan1991]

Originally Posted by setanta

I like Zola though but I can't actually see them winning many more games.

He's considering his future, only outside of relegation zone on goal difference so desperate to get a result somehow.

[bbfan1991]

GABBY AGBONLAHOR is ready to sign a two-year contract extension this summer that will place him among the highest earners at Aston Villa.

The striker, 23, signed a four-year deal two years ago - but has since become a full England international with an outside chance of going to the World Cup.


Agbonlahor, 23, is thought to have signed an agreement in the summer of 2008 that put him on a basic wage of Ł40,000-a-week.


But it was always intended that the contract would be reviewed subject to the player making sufficient progress under Martin O'Neill, and a new deal would see his pay rise to as high as Ł60,000- a-week, which is closer to the likes of Ashley Young.


A source said: "Gabby has proved over a number of campaigns that he is capable of scoring goals consistently for a top club in the Premier League.


"Villa want to keep him and he is keen the stay there, so I'm sure it won't be long before they start talking about extending his stay by another couple of years."


Agbonlahor is enjoying his best goalscoring season since breaking through to the first team four years ago after netting 14 goals so far.


The Villa boss, who insists on a loose salary cap to protect morale in the dressing room, has made it a priority to tie down as many of his top players to new deals as possible.

The policy would also ensure that the Midlands club are well compensated with a transfer fee in the event of any of them leaving Villa.

Stilyan Petrov recently signed a contract worth Ł50,000-a-week, while Richard Dunne and Norwegian striker John Carew are thought to be on slightly higher deals.

England international James Milner is also close to entering negotiations which could see him replace Young as the highest earner in the squad.

[bbfan1991]

Inter lost against Roma.

Serie A title race is tight now, hope AC Milan don't win it.

[30stone]

Almuina had a good game made some good saves,
The goal was just extremely unlucky.

Very dissapointed in us we have no chance now imo.

[30stone]

Almuina had a good game made some good saves,
The goal was just extremely unlucky.

Very dissapointed in us we have no chance now imo.

[30stone]

His hat-trick last week against Zaragoza – not to be mistaken with his hat-trick against Valencia the week before – has prompted such a gush of global reverence that the Vatican have shown great restraint in not having him beatified. Saint Leo is working miracles.

The Zaragoza coach, Jose Aurelio Gay, claimed Messi was like Diego Maradona "but faster" and shrugged off the defeat – what can be done in defiance of an act of God?




Those goals took his total to 34 for the season so far – how do you stop him plundering more? If you ask an Argentine they will tell you the only man capable of the task is Maradona himself, whose tactically inept handling of the national side manages to subdue Messi.

Yet last season, one man managed to do a sound tactical number on Messi: Guus Hiddink. In the two legs of Chelsea's Champions League semi-final with Barcelona, the Dutchman's team kept Messi remarkably quiet for 180 minutes, and went out, remember, only on away goals and after some, well, bizarre officiating from Thomas Ovrebo.

In the first leg, Chelsea sat deep and Jose Bosingwa, the stand-in left back and a right-footer, was comfortable with Messi cutting inside from the right – his characteristic movement as he is left-footed – because Michael Essien had been stationed deep, just in front of the centre backs, to pounce on the Argentine every time it happened.

Hiddink prompted Essien throughout. With Florent Malouda tirelessly tracking the overlapping runs of Daniel Alves and the Chelsea midfield trying to close the supply-lines to Messi, he was suffocated.

The second leg at Chelsea was a repeat, this time with Ashley Cole doing the honours at left back, working with Essien to ensure the space was constricted. They created a human cul-de-sac.

In part because of the way he was nullified by Chelsea, Guardiola switched Messi up front for the final against Manchester United, in which he proved much harder to contain, even if he didn't have his finest game.

Furthermore, Chelsea's tactic, defending so deeply, relied on Barcelona's reluctance to cross as Chelsea's defence so dominated in the air. Even the Barcelona corners were taken short.

This deficiency is another Guardiola has sought to solve, by signing the tall, powerful striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to play up top. With him, the cross has become an option again. Messi, ostensibly on the right, is allowed to roam freely. It's a whole new headache.

Arsenal cannot copy Chelsea's tactic. They do have a quick left back in Clichy but lack a defensive midfielder with Essien's combative zip. Even if Alex Song were to have the game of his life tracking Messi, the idea of the back line dropping to the edge of the box or deeper goes against Arsenal's every instinct.

To mitigate the damage Messi can do I suspect Arsčne Wenger will take the high risk, but high reward, approach of trying to pin Barcelona back. In opposition to Hiddink he will want his team to retain possession and to take Barcelona on,
getting Clichy to pin Messi back by getting forward himself.

The flaw in this system is that with William Gallas out injured, either Mikaël Silvestre or Sol Campbell will start alongside Thomas Vermaelen in the centre of defence.

Neither player is good when players accelerate down the channels to either side of them, so Messi must not be allowed to isolate them.

Despite the success Sir Alex Ferguson had with getting Park ji-sung to tail Andrea Pirlo of Milan remorselessly in the previous round, Wenger has ruled out a man-marking job.

"It can work, but in exceptional teams you have two or three you should man mark and then you have to go to a system where you could create your own problems just by following somebody everywhere," he said.

Devoting one player to pursue Messi (and it would have to be a spare midfielder) would leave the midfield open for Xavi and Andres Iniesta to feast.

[30stone]

His hat-trick last week against Zaragoza – not to be mistaken with his hat-trick against Valencia the week before – has prompted such a gush of global reverence that the Vatican have shown great restraint in not having him beatified. Saint Leo is working miracles.

The Zaragoza coach, Jose Aurelio Gay, claimed Messi was like Diego Maradona "but faster" and shrugged off the defeat – what can be done in defiance of an act of God?




Those goals took his total to 34 for the season so far – how do you stop him plundering more? If you ask an Argentine they will tell you the only man capable of the task is Maradona himself, whose tactically inept handling of the national side manages to subdue Messi.

Yet last season, one man managed to do a sound tactical number on Messi: Guus Hiddink. In the two legs of Chelsea's Champions League semi-final with Barcelona, the Dutchman's team kept Messi remarkably quiet for 180 minutes, and went out, remember, only on away goals and after some, well, bizarre officiating from Thomas Ovrebo.

In the first leg, Chelsea sat deep and Jose Bosingwa, the stand-in left back and a right-footer, was comfortable with Messi cutting inside from the right – his characteristic movement as he is left-footed – because Michael Essien had been stationed deep, just in front of the centre backs, to pounce on the Argentine every time it happened.

Hiddink prompted Essien throughout. With Florent Malouda tirelessly tracking the overlapping runs of Daniel Alves and the Chelsea midfield trying to close the supply-lines to Messi, he was suffocated.

The second leg at Chelsea was a repeat, this time with Ashley Cole doing the honours at left back, working with Essien to ensure the space was constricted. They created a human cul-de-sac.

In part because of the way he was nullified by Chelsea, Guardiola switched Messi up front for the final against Manchester United, in which he proved much harder to contain, even if he didn't have his finest game.

Furthermore, Chelsea's tactic, defending so deeply, relied on Barcelona's reluctance to cross as Chelsea's defence so dominated in the air. Even the Barcelona corners were taken short.

This deficiency is another Guardiola has sought to solve, by signing the tall, powerful striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to play up top. With him, the cross has become an option again. Messi, ostensibly on the right, is allowed to roam freely. It's a whole new headache.

Arsenal cannot copy Chelsea's tactic. They do have a quick left back in Clichy but lack a defensive midfielder with Essien's combative zip. Even if Alex Song were to have the game of his life tracking Messi, the idea of the back line dropping to the edge of the box or deeper goes against Arsenal's every instinct.

To mitigate the damage Messi can do I suspect Arsčne Wenger will take the high risk, but high reward, approach of trying to pin Barcelona back. In opposition to Hiddink he will want his team to retain possession and to take Barcelona on,
getting Clichy to pin Messi back by getting forward himself.

The flaw in this system is that with William Gallas out injured, either Mikaël Silvestre or Sol Campbell will start alongside Thomas Vermaelen in the centre of defence.

Neither player is good when players accelerate down the channels to either side of them, so Messi must not be allowed to isolate them.

Despite the success Sir Alex Ferguson had with getting Park ji-sung to tail Andrea Pirlo of Milan remorselessly in the previous round, Wenger has ruled out a man-marking job.

"It can work, but in exceptional teams you have two or three you should man mark and then you have to go to a system where you could create your own problems just by following somebody everywhere," he said.

Devoting one player to pursue Messi (and it would have to be a spare midfielder) would leave the midfield open for Xavi and Andres Iniesta to feast.

[30stone]

Arsenal Move Ever Closer to Signing Ł19m Starlet Sensation Eden Hazard

Arsenal are reportedly closing in on Belgian international Eden Hazard.

Arsene Wenger is known to be an admirer of the 19-year-old, and the Arsenal boss has reportedly made contact with the Lille midfielder via a personal call.

The report in the French media has striking comparisons to when Wenger contacted Thomas Vermaelen, then at Ajax. Two weeks later, the Belgian centre back signed for the Gunners.

Hazard has constantly impressed at the Ligue 1 side since breaking into the Lille first team back in 2007, and the teenager was rewarded for his efforts earlier in the current campaign when signing a new contract with LOSC.

A string of european clubs are queueing up to take him away from Stadium Lille-Metropole, with Barcelona, AC Milan, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Inter all thought to be tracking the diminutive playmaker.

Liverpool are another side who have been heavily linked with Hazard, who built on his reputation with two fine displays against the Reds in the Europa League last 16. He was on the scoresheet in the first leg of that tie.

It’s Arsenal who appear best positioned to bring Hazard to England though, with the Gunners sending scouts to watch Hazard in a Belgian international recently.

Wenger was obviously impressed, following up the scouting reports with the aforementioned phone call, and could make a summer move when the transfer window re-opens. (Give Me Football – Official PFA Website)

[30stone]

Arsenal v Barcelona: prodigal son Cesc Fabregas the touchstone for Arsene Wenger
As teenagers in Barcelona's academy Lionel Messi and Cesc Fabregas used to compete over football games on the PlayStation.

Now, kids and, ahem, adults around the world channel Messi and Fabregas through their consoles, harnessing the simulated skills of these most exhilarating of players. Not that they'll be playing on Wednesday night: Arsenal versus Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-final promises football beyond the ken of even the most imaginative programmer. In this case, reality trumps fiction.

Much of the attention will be directed at each club's respective icon. Messi gets the attention because he is undoubtedly the best player in the world but for Fabregas it is a bit more complicated. He is Arsenal's most influential player, sure, but he is also playing against the club that nurtured him, and a club that would dearly like to have him back. This added pressure on Fabregas is a concern for Arsčne Wenger.

"Yes, I'm a little bit worried," said the Arsenal manager. "He will be under pressure because of Spanish attention. But he has to relax and enjoy the game like everybody else. I believe as much as it's important not to speak too much about the individual players of Barcelona it's important we don't put too much pressure on Fabregas because everybody will look at that.

"I can see Cesc playing a great game on Wednesday night. But I believe again that it is my job to make sure that we focus on a good team performance and don't expect Fabregas to make the difference on the night. It will be unfair – and not be realistic as well. Because he can turn up this special performance but he can only do that if the team does well."

This is presidential election year at Barcelona so the focus on potential summer signings has intensified. Sandro Rosell, the former Nike executive seeking to oust his former friend Joan Laporta this summer, is close to the Fabregas family and has spoken publicly about his desire to take him back.

To return to Barcelona and play for Pep Guardiola would give Fabregas's career a certain symmetry. Rodolf Borrell, a former Barcelona coach, tells the story of how, when Fabregas was 13 and upset by his parents beginning divorce proceedings, he approached Guardiola, Fabregas' hero, to sign a shirt for the teenager. Guardiola wrote a long message of encouragement to Fabregas on that shirt, telling him that one day he would play for the first team.

Guardiola couldn't have known quite how good Fabregas was. His act of kindness seemed accidentally prescient, though, as Fabregas continued to flourish at La Masia (the Farmhouse), Barcelona's academy and his prophecy looked like being imminently fulfilled – until the summer of 2003 when he went with the Spain Under-17 team to the World Championships in Finland. In the unlikely settings of Lahti, Tampere and Helsinki, Fabregas's ability was spectacularly revealed, as he led Spain to the final, scoring five goals and being voted player of the tournament.

The heart rates of the assembled scouts must have gone through the roof and it was in Finland that Wenger saw Fabregas for the first time. "You could see straight away that his vision of the game was exceptional," Wenger said. "He was physically a little bit weak at the time but he could score some goals. He lost that when he played with seniors but now he has found it back.

"There was less opportunity [to scout him than with other players]. I couldn't go as manager to watch a youth team game at Barcelona because they would not welcome me! So I could only watch him in the under-17 national team. He played with the Messi generation. Are you surprised that they – Gerard Pique, Messi, Fabregas – won their games 9-0, 8-0, 10-0?"

Wenger moved quickly and, with his record of integrating youth players into the first team at an early age, managed to persuade Fabregas to abandon Catalonia for North London. "I don't know which other teams wanted him," he said. "But certainly they did because he was voted best player of the World Cup Under-17s. We were first. And the players want to join us because they feel they have a chance if they join us"

He has certainly had his opportunity. This is his sixth full season as a first-teamer and his 300th appearance is on the horizon. And he only turns 23 in May. This season he has reached new heights and has already scored 18 goals.

"I believe he's more relaxed, there is less tension in his finishing," Wenger said. "You feel before that he wanted to force the chance, now he's more relaxed. It's also because he gained some more physical power and you see that he resists much more the wiles of his opponents and he's more powerful in his runs. These two ingredients make a big difference." Arsenal need Fabregas at his natural relaxed best against this magnificent Barcelona team. Wenger and his captain do not want a repeat of the 2006 final when Barcelona came from a goal behind to win a game that was skewed by Jens Lehmann's 18th-minute sending off. "That game didn't become what it promised to be," Wenger said. "This time I'm sure it will be different."

[30stone]

Arsenal eye move for Carlton Cole after West Ham give Gunners first option on hitman

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz0jTRAPGAn


Please No!!

[30stone]

An Italian source close to Zola told Soccernet: "Franco might decide that he's had enough, we don't know. The new owners have taken away the mobile phones - apart from Zola and his staff, taken away the players' image rights, said they should be paid 25% less if they are relegated, but in Italy there are owners that make Sullivan and Gold look like Mother Teresa.

"It's the English players who are not used to this kind of behaviour, and while the club were going downwards, they have made it even worse, and that is what Zola is thinking about."

A West Ham insider told Soccernet: "Zola has given the players three days off and they return on Wednesday. Zola thinks it's best to get away to try and take the pressure of them and to freshen them up."

[30stone]

Arsenal Captain Cesc Fabregas: Emirates Is My Home And I Have No Plans To Leave
Midfielder tells Barca he's going nowhere...

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has reiterated his desire to stay at the club and revealed his frustrations at the incessant rumours linking him with a return to Barcelona.

The classy midfielder is set to face the Spanish champions in the quarter-finals of the Champions League but admitted he was tired of talking about his future.

"We don't need to talk about my future," he told the Daily Star Sunday.

"I don't understand all the rumours about me."

The 22-year-old also insisted he was completely happy with life at the Emirates and that he had abolsolutely no desire to leave.

"I've always said that I'm happy at Arsenal. I can say a thousand times that I won't go to a Spanish club but nobody believes me," he added.

"Arsenal is my home and I don't have any plans to leave."

Wednesday evening's tie between the two sides is a rematch of the 2006 Champions League final, which Barcelona won, and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits his side will want to avenge that defeat.

"There’s a lot to make up for that defeat. Barcelona are like us, they have a reputation for playing the game the right way. They have exceptional players and play exceptional football," explained the Frenchman.

“But we also have *exceptional players who play exceptional football. I believe that of the teams left in the competition, we are the team that could beat them.

“Getting the result is up to us.”

The Arsenal boss also warned the reigning champions to beware of Fabregas, adding: "I can imagine him playing well next week."

[30stone]

Steven Gerrard has set his sights on claiming Premier League title glory and lifting the World Cup before he hangs up his boots.

The Liverpool and England midfielder can only achieve one of those aims this year with the Reds well off the pace and battling to even finish fourth to secure another season of UEFA Champions League football.

Global glory with the Three Lions is a more realistic possibility as Fabio Capello's men head to South Africa this summer among the tournament favourites.

Gerrard will celebrate his 30th birthday at the end of May and believes that he has another five years playing at the very highest level before he calls time on his career.

"It's a big time for me - I am aware of my age and what I want out of the remainder of my career," the all-action midfielder admitted.

"I look after myself, and I'm in good shape physically so I believe I've still got five years to fight for all the big prizes in football. I'll do everything I can to keep going."

Gerrard has admitted that his own personal form and that of Liverpool has been below-par this season, but he is hoping for an upturn in fortunes over the closing weeks of the campaign

[30stone]

Manchester United hero Denis Irwin believes no-one will see Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement coming.

Irwin believes Fergie will tell no one when he’s quitting.

Former United fullback Irwin said: “When he finishes it’ll be quick, clean and that will be that. He won’t warn anyone and we won’t see it coming. It’ll be a clean break, he won’t move upstairs or anything like that.

“He certainly likes challenges and with City improving he may want to face them down for another year or two.

“He’ll have other ambitions too. Passing Liverpool on the roll of honour is one and he might do it this year. I’m sure he feels he should have won more than two Champions League titles, too, but whenever he goes it’ll be quick and sudden.”