EPL Talk » Aston Villa

Wolves v Villa Match Highlights Problem With “Last Man” Rule

Phil McThomas — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:47:56 +0000

For two weeks in a row now, glaring penalty calls have been missed in the early Saturday EPL game. Wolves’ striker Kevin Doyle was fouled twice, by my count, when through on goal, and last week it was Villa’s Agbonlahor who was being tripped in the act of shooting. (Here are the videos for the Wolves and the Villa incidents).

What’s interesting is the commonalities: Both incidents would have demanded a red card for the offender, and they both happened very early in the game (2nd minute for Wolves, 11th minute for Villa). (I’ll set aside the fact that in both cases, the more-fancied team was given the benefit of any doubt).

It’s my feeling that referees are loathed to call a penalty that would also result in red card that early in the game. Whether it’s human nature or a conscious decision, I reckon they don’t want to spoil the game by making 10 v 11 for 80+ minutes.

This highlights the problem with the so-called “last man” rule. When it’s also a penalty, the double-whammy sanction is just too severe. In both of these cases, the defender was making a genuine attempt to tackle. If they’re off by a fraction, should they effectively forfeit the game? Of course not. But that’s what the rule calls for.

There’s another problem with the “last-man” rule – it’s sometimes too lenient. If the foul is outside the area, and it’s late in the game, then it’s hardly a deterrent at all.

Here’s how I would change things: I’d award a penalty for any foul in a clear goalscoring opportunity, no matter where it occurs on the pitch. To me, that’s just common sense. I’d then leave the red-card decision up to the referee. If it’s flagrant – a hand-ball on the line, a rugby tackle with an open-goal gaping – then send the guy off. If it’s a legitimate attempt at a tackle, then a yellow card is sufficient.

I know tinkering with the rules is often considered heresy, but I’m just getting sick of teams getting short-changed by referees who are too timid to make the right call.

What do you think? Crazy talk or crazy-sensible? Let me know below.

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Phil McThomas runs the site CleverFootball.com – a super-smart football news site like no other. You can follow him on Twitter – @SoccerShout.

Premiership Final Day Preview

Paul Bestall — Fri, 22 May 2009 00:44:09 +0000

Ready For Sunday then?

So, how’s your nerves? Sky Sports News have today been running an article about stress relief for fans for Sunday. Tips included having a hot bath, avoiding alcohol and meditating to stay relaxed in the build up to the final round of matches in the Premiership. Which will be no help to any of the fans who’s nerves are probably already shredded about Sunday. For the first time in the UK, we’re going to have 4 games broadcasted from the Premiership simultaneously with streams coming in from Hull, Sunderland, Aston Villa and West Ham, which worries me about the potential for an RSI based injury.

The trapdoor to the Championship is wide open, beckoning 2 teams to join West Bromwich Albion in relegation despair. Poor WBA, such lovely football, but no cutting edge, what they’d give for a 15 goal a season striker, it would have made all the difference to such a good football side as daft as that sounds. At 6pm, we will know which of the four candidates will have joined them, with each team’s destiny entirely in their own hands, but for Middlesbrough, it just looks too big a job.

Turning around a 5 goal deficit on Hull City, couple with a Newcastle defeat, is the Boro’s only hope. It’s not impossible to imagine Manchester United putting 3 past Hull, but to win 2-0 at West Ham? That’s a tough ask for most sides, but is it impossible to achieve? Come the last day, nothing would surprise me anymore. Can a team who’ve only scored 27 goals get at least 2 away from home and hope that results in two other games go their way?

Most eyes are going to be on the K>C Stadium, to see exactly which team Ferguson sends out to face Hull City. I’m annoyed by the accusations of a “weakened” Manchester United side taking the field, a side that will probably feature Neville, Ferdinand, Nani, Fletcher,Giggs and Tevez. Disgraceful isn’t it to pick such inexperienced players as those. It’s a side track issue that shouldn’t be even a discussion point; all of those players would walk into every other side outside the top 4 without question.

Newcastle need to worry about themselves at Villa Park, if they don’t win then it could possibly not matter. They have to win and hope for the best, but it’s a massive ask of a team that has only won 2 games this year. Defenders are dropping like flies, Owen isn’t fit, Andy Carroll is definitely out and a couple of youth team players may be on the bench. It all looks hopeless, yet I can’t condemn them fully, something just won’t allow me to say they’re down. It looks impossible but with all of the potential relegation sides in such poor form, it’s too close to call.

Finally, Sunderland, who have just drifted into this situation from seemingly nowhere. Keane walked out when he was rightly questioned over his signings by the majority investor, Ellis Short, over just what value for money they were getting. When someone pays £6 million for Teemu Tainio, you’ve got to ask questions haven’t you? Of all the sides at the bottom, they’ve spent the most, yet got worse so have the most to lose in my opinion, by being relegated some Sunday.

I’m going to be here all the way through on Sunday, so if you can’t get to watch any of the games, hopefully you’ll join us here on epltalk.com, and I’ll try to keep pace with events for us all. Let’s hope we’ve we have a fantastic last day and may the best teams stay up!

EDITOR’S NOTE: Join the live blog on Sunday at 10:45am ET/3:45pm BST for the Premier League finale hosted by Paul Bestall. Celebrate the final day of the relegation battle with one eye on the television set, and the other eye on your computer as you participate in the online experience with football fans from around the world.

Time For The Other Big Four To Step Up Next Season

Paul Bestall — Wed, 20 May 2009 22:50:48 +0000

With another season drawing to a close and the usual suspects in their normal places in the top four, isn’t it about time that the second level of teams finally pushed up to join them? With Everton once again in a Europa League place, Villa making massive strides, despite the fall away they suffered after Christmas, Harry Redknapp finally making Tottenham hard to beat and Manchester City getting ready to add to the squad to make them more consistent, next season may finally see the gap between the big 4 and the other 4 draw a little bit closer.

Next season is crucial in the development of all 4 clubs for a variety of reasons, with varying degrees of pressure on each incumbent of the managerial hotseat. There’s no doubting the influence or the excellent job that David Moyes has done restoring Everton to a safer area of the Premiership since he came in during 2002, ultimately saving the club from relegation. Since his appointment, Moyes has continued to build on his early success, the 2003-3004 season apart, highlights include finishing 4th in 2005 and getting to this seasons F.A. Cup final. All he needs is his strikers to stay fit and a bit more width in the team to make a concerted push. Moyes’s job is secure; his chairman isn’t backwards in praising him to the heavens at any given moment.

Over at Aston Villa, since Martin O’Neill returned to the Premiership, he’s overseen steady progress at Villa Park, helped in no small way by the takeover of Randy Lerner and a major investment in the playing staff. Finishing 11th, then 6th last season, the worst they can finish this season is also 6th but perhaps some fans may feel a tad disappointed. They started the season so well, flirting with a top three finish before falling away over the later part of the season.

O’Neill’s tendency to stick to a counter attacking style and his sometimes baffling decision to play players out of position even when he doesn’t have to could make it a difficult job to improve though. They really do need a plan B other than humping it forward when chasing a game. He’s facing a big dilemma over how to replace Martin Laursen and the likelihood of another summer of trying to keep Gareth Barry at the club. Those two decisions as well as adding a couple more players will be crucial for Villa to build on the last 3 seasons.

Another club that often have the knack of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory are my beloved Tottenham, a blessing and a curse in equal measure. After the disgraceful removal of Martin Jol, the ineptitude shown by his replacement Juande Ramos was stunning in its extreme with Spurs bottom of the Premiership after 8 games with 2 points. Major surgery was required and Harry Redknapp rode to the rescue. He hit the ground running and has slowly pulled Spurs to the brink of European qualification, almost unthinkable back in October.

Sitting in 8th, Redknapp can be pleased with his work this season, but he’ll know that Spurs have to get back to the level of consistency they showed under Jol and push them back in the mix further up. With several of the Ramos misfiring signings looking likely to leave, Tottenham will probably have a summer of wheeling and dealing and may have to settle for 7th or 8th again. Amazingly, Spurs now have their best ever defensive record at home in a season, remarkable considering what has gone on at White Hart Lane over the last 9 months.

Finally, Manchester City’s owners have already said they want a top 6 finish next year but would top 8 be such a failure for them? Couple with a good cup run, one thing is certain that this summer they’ll be bringing in new faces, maybe even up to 7 or 8 players. The question is, can they bring in the quality of player the owners want to propel them up the league?

Hughes has received the backing of his owner, with £80 million already spent this season alone and it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if they top that figure in the next transfer window alone. Now able to compete with any club in Europe financially, only the lack of European football may hinder them. For once, a club may finally be disappointed to see the Intertoto Cup has passed away.

These 4 clubs certainly have the potential to make next season even more exciting at the top of the table, with them jostling for position to capitalise on any mistakes in the ranks of the big 4. Yet they all need to temper their ambition with realism, a cup would not go amiss for any of them, tallied with a top 8 finish would represent an excellent season. Question is, will one of them finally push back into the top 4, forcing one of the big boys out for the first time since 2005?

Arsene Wenger Faces His Most Important Preseason Yet

Paul Bestall — Mon, 11 May 2009 20:35:34 +0000

When the final whistle went after Sunday’s match, Arsene Wenger could possibly view the previous 7 days as one of his worst weeks since he began his 13 year tenure in charge of Arsenal. In two massive matches, Wenger has seen his side start fantastically well in both games, get caught by a sucker punch and then collapse, his players heads dropping with a collective “Here we go again”.

There’s no doubting that this has been Wengers toughest season, with probably more criticism than he’s ever received since he came to North London back in1996. His signings have been questioned constantly, his buying policy questioned at every turn, having his tactics poured scorn upon week in, week out, even his future has begun to become a point of speculation. Yet, his response to a question about fans leaving early for the second home game in a week was unusual to say the least, “Everybody is free to leave the stadium when he wants, I don’t believe we put in a bad performance today”

I hope he’s trying to deflect criticism from his players, but he’s got strikers that can’t score, defenders that hate each other, a captain that leaves young players to try and get their own head together after making a mistake and midfield that all want to play through the middle. Of course, there’s not too much wrong with Arsenal, but Wenger really needs to bring a little bit more steel into the side and more togetherness. This is a side that seems to be pulling away from each other, rather than together.

Once Arshavin settles in and Eduardo gets a full preseason under his belt, the options upfront seem a whole lot better. The loss of Clichy and Gallas has been a big blow recently but they’ve still done well in the league, until Chelsea picked them to pieces on Sunday, Liverpool ripped them apart at will but met two players on a mission to keep Arsenal in the game. Walcott will keep improving but needs more games and to get through this injury hampered spell, Fabregas will always give you quality in the middle.

The key question is if any of his stars actually try and leave or even if one of the suitors finally comes in to take Fabregas/Adebayor/Toure away from the Emirates, what will Wenger do? Will he get the money to reinvest in more rough talent that simply needs a couple of years of polish or will he go for real top quality? Or as some are beginning to speculate, Wenger has gone as far as he can at Arsenal and the lure of AC Milan, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich will finally be too much for him to ignore as he comes up to his 60th birthday?

Next season Aston Villa, Tottenham, Everton and Manchester City will all be more consistent, all will have more experience and will look to fill the gaps in each side over the summer. The three sides above them will all strengthen with top level reinforcements and Wenger will have it all to do keeping Arsenal competitive in the 3 big competitions next season along side the other Premiership big boys. A bad draw in the Champions League qualifiers could see Arsenal dumped out before August and crucially, before the transfer window shuts.

Beautiful football is all well and good, but if it keeps leaving nothing in the trophy cabinet, what price a bit of blood and thunder if it brings home some silverware? This Summer will be Wengers most important since he joined Arsenal, let’s hope he manages it.

Liverpool: No Need For Gareth Barry

Ethan Armstrong — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:06:06 +0000

As Aston Villa’s European dreams come to a halt, manager Martin O’Neill says he would allow Gareth Barry to move on if the midfielder so desires. Once again, Barry is expected to request a move to Liverpool. We all remember the tiresome saga of his transfer attempt last summer when Liverpool tried to unload Xabi Alonso to fund Villa’s hefty asking price, a reported 18m. Now that a year has been knocked off Barry’s contract, the price could drop as low as 10m.

But Liverpool should not go after Barry again.

In the year since Rafa Benitez tried to get a hold of Villa’s talented England midfieler, Xabi Alonso has had one of his finest seasons yet. Arguably, Liverpool’s best player this season, Alonso’s poise, playmaking and drive has been instrumental in keeping Liverpool title hopes alive so deep into the season. If Alonso is injured or suspended Lucas Leiva is decent cover or Steven Gerrard can pull back from his more attacking role.

Liverpool could use a backup for Javier Mascherano. Mascherano’s contribution to Liverpool’s game is immense, in attack and defense. His absence during the first leg of the Champions League quarter finals led to Chelsea causing Liverpool endless problems as Lucas simply isn’t strong enough to fill Mascherano’s boots. The Blues scored three away goals and carried a two goal league back to Stamford Bridge, which ultimately saw Liverpool out of the competition. Evidence that Liverpool could use another defensive mid.

Barry, with his strength and defensive instincts (he started his career as a defender) could fill this role, but would he be content as a 10m bench-warmer? He certainly shouldn’t be first choice over Alonso or Mascherano if their form continues.

Certainly, Liverpool need more depth to challenge for the title repeatedly for the years to come. Manchester and Chelsea have been the contenders because they each have almost two full starting line-ups worth of top-class players. But Barry is a true starter, not a squad player. If Liverpool go after another midfielder they need to find somebody strong but young. Someone willing to sit on the bench and grow into the team.

Yet, any serious money Liverpool spend will be expected to go toward a wider player.

Arjen Robben, Glen Johnson and Aaron Lennon names arise in the transfer rumors for Liverpool. David Silva as well who could fill the Kuyt/Benayoun role of playing in more than one position.

As for Barry, despite his dreams of top four glory, he should stay at Villa. If he moves to Liverpool he could follow in the footsteps of Robbie Keane: struggling to fit in a system that has no room for him. At Manchester or Chelsea he could be overshadowed. He might do well at Arsenal who could use his strength and experience to balance out their youthful side.

But at Villa, Barry could continue as a true leader and remain a part of a club that continues to rise. Villa’s early brilliant form this season is a sign of a bright future for the Birmingham club. They’ve hit a wall in the late season as their lack of depth shows. But if Barry stays and O’Neill buys, Villa could make a more serious bid for Europe next year, and Barry could yet see his ambitions realized with the club he’s been with since 1997.