Aston Villa Under Transfer Embargo

Is Lerner about to sell Aston Villa

It has been a while since we heard about the consortium planning a takeover at Villa Park and also about the Roy Keane arrest for his spat with Arsene Wenger but today both had an update.

Lets start with the big news, that is the projected takeover at Aston Villa. Chairman Randy Lerner today announced that the consortium in which definitely contains an ex-professional footballer have finally submitted an offer for the club.

Lerner, though is starting to really frustrate the Villa fans because he will not give details about how much the offer is, who is behind the offer and will Aston Villa manager Paul McGrath get funds to spend or even be fired so the new board can bring a new man in. We are looking to sell Aston Villa Football Club to a consortium, I can not at the moment give anymore details but this is not because I don't want to but because I am not allowed to make sure the deal has a chance of going through. It is very important that you know I would not just sell this great club to anyone, I love this club but I can not compete with the bigger sides. I have done my research on this consortium before even allowing dialog to take place so you will all have to trust me.


Roy Keane has been released from Birmingham Police Station

The other news is that amazingly Irishman Roy Keane has been released without charge from Birmingham Central police station. The Irishman, if you remember punched Arsene Wenger and then kicked him in the ribs but it is understood that Wenger dropped all charges and he can not wait to take up his role as Villa Assistant Manager again.

I am very, very glad that I have been released from custody, I do regret punching and kicking Arsene Wenger in public and I wish I did it behind closed doors but Villa have done well and I want to return to work right now!

So big developments with both Keane and Lerner so watch this space more more news!

Aston Villa Under Pressure?

Things at Aston Villa were looking up at Villa Park this season, then Lerner announced that he was to sell the club and Villa were given a transfer embargo too. Then Villa had some amazing form but suddenly it dropped off and now the bombshell that the management are to consider any offer while Lerner tries to sell the club means that it is going to be uncertain times coming into January.

If things do not get resolved quickly enough then stars like Christian Benteke, Jordan Graham and Jack Grealish will no doubt be sold. Fans though are shell-shocked that Lerner is effectively wrecking the team that manager Paul McGrath has worked so hard to create.

McGrath, however was very calm on the subject. What will happen will happen in my opinion. The club at the moment is doing what needs to be done, I mean there is a conflict in the process to sell the club obviously but we will see what happens. I would like to say that the players will stay but that all depends on the outcome of this takeover bid and that is all I have to say at the moment.

FA Cup Third Round Draw

Aston Villa have drew Birmingham City in the F.A Cup in what will be the tie of the round. This will be the first time the clubs have met since 16th January 2011 where there was a share of the spoils at St.Andrews in a 1-1 draw.

As of the end of the 2010–11 season, there have been 120 meetings in major competition between the two teams since the first FA Cup meeting in 1887, of which Aston Villa have won 51 and Birmingham City 38. The most goals in one game were scored in a league game on 7 July 1895, in the First Division, as Small Heath lost to Aston Villa 7–3. The biggest winning margin was 6–0 to Aston Villa on 9 November 1988, in a Full Members Cup fixture. The last Birmingham City league victory over Aston Villa was on 20 March 2005, when Blues won 2–0 at St Andrew's. Villa won six encounters in a row, most recently on 25 April 2010 (2005–2010). The two teams drew for the first time in over six years in the next match (the first of three in the 2010-11 season), with the match finishing 0-0 (the other Premier League match of the season also finished as a draw). The second match of the season resulted in the first Blues win since 2005, as they beat Villa 2-1 in the 2010-11 League Cup Quarter Final on 1 December 2010.

Gabby Agbonlahor has scored 4 times for Villa in this fixture and will be looking to add some more to his tally but atleast this will be a distraction to the off field goings on.

Goals Galore Monthly Update & Transfer Window Opens

McGrath in a Topsy-Turvy month

In a somewhat interesting month for Aston Villa there were some great results and some absolutely shocking results so lets get to the reporting.

West Ham were first up at Villa Park and with The Villans losing 3-1 to Southampton the game before this was a big match so when West Ham's Mouro Zarate scored in the 43rd minute to make it 2-0 to the Hammers, Villa looked down and out but Jack Grealish who was harshly relegated to the bench was to come on at half time. The first West Ham goal was scored by Enner Valencia with a crisp drive from about 10 yards.

The second half though was like a different game! It took just 3 minutes for Grealish to deliver a cross for Luc Castaignos to head home and suddenly the Villa Fans were sensing they could get something here. Benteke then went close after Jordan Graham and Tom Cleverley interacted well but they did not have to wait for long for the equaliser.

Jack Grealish played a neat one-two with Gino Peruzzi and he then skinned 3 players and smashed it home into the roff of the net with Adrian standing no chance! and Villa had salvaged a decent draw.

Next up was Man City, who had beat Villa earlier on this season in the Capital One Cup 5-3 and who woul dhave though it would have happened again but this time Villa made the brighter start.

Weimann, in for Benteke and Agbonlahor, who had been quiet of late combined to win a corner. From the resulting corner it hit Steven Jovetic and bounced in for an own goal and Villa were leading. Then Tom Cleverley, Manchester United man doubled the lead for the Villans with a stunning 25 yard smacker that Hart stood there and admired as it hit the net and surely a shock was on the cards now!

Well it wasn't because 3 minutes later Andriy Yarmolenko got one back and then Jovetic struck 3 minutes after that to make it back at 2-2 and Villa were at 6's and 7's again. They could not even catch there breath and they were 3-2 down! As in the 37th minute Sergio Aguero piled on the misery for Paul McGrath and his boys by heading home to make it 3-2. If you thought it was over for the half well Man City had other ideas as on the 43rd minute Aguero got his second and Man City's forth goal to send a dejected Villa into the changing room wonder what had hit them.

In the second half Agbonlahor got one back for 4-3 and Villa were throwing the kitchen sink at City but then as you attack more the counter attack becomes important and when City broke it was 6 against 2 including the keeper so there was only going to be one outcome and Jovetic got his second and City won 5-3 again.

Then Villa went to White hart lane and in a word got spanked. It was 3-0 and Harry Kane was the Hat-trick hero and to be quite honest if it was not for Guzan who was winning his 100th Villa appearance it should have been more.

Then followed a fantastic 5-4 victory against Q.P.R and the performance of Weimann and Grealish was incredible. They covered literally every single blade of grass and worked tirelessly, they scored two between them and set up the other three for Castaignos (2) and N'Zogbia (1). Yes Q.P.R scored 4 but this was the most comfortable 5-4 you will ever see and Rangers played there part but this was all about Weimann and Grealish!

It is a shame the next performance was utterly rubbish. Hull totally romped away to a very comfortable 2-0 victory so we move onto the Newcastle match and this was also a absolute classic!

Benteke got the game off to a flying start with a slying header but Newcastle, who have been scoring for fun hit back through Siem De Jong and then took the lead when Gouffran headed home a Jack Colbeck free kick. Libor Kozak, selected from the start for the first time this season got through on goal and made it 2-2 just before half time in what was already a stunning match.



Then in the second half it was like Newcastle had forgot to come out because Villa were pushing forward and dominating and there domination paid off when Jordan Graham struck immediately after the break with a corking volley after good work by the ever reliable Tom Cleverley. Newcastle made it 3-3 through De Jong again. Then Villa did not look back, they made it 4-3 in the 55th minute when Castaignos, bought on for the impressive Kozak scored with a low shot and then one minute later made it 5-3 with a header and Villa were coasting.

Newcastle got themselves back in it when De Jong grabbed a hat-trick to make it 5-4 and even if they lost would take the match ball at least but Benteke installed the 6-4 lead with a bullet header and Newcastle scored on the death for a massive 6-5 result and one that Villa desperately needed.

Samuel Eto'o then destroyed Villa in the last game of the month by bagging the only two goals in the game for the mightily impressive Toffees.

Player Of The Month

Jack Grealish is sweeping up all these monthly awards and was not only Villa's player of the month but also the Premier League's Young Player Of The Month. He has looked good on the ball and off it and is always finding that space and also interchanges well with Agbonlahor, Weimann or Graham but is definitely a first team starter now.

Premier League Table

At the top Chelsea now have a 5 point gap over Man Utd and a 12 point gap over Man City. Mark Hughes and Stoke are up to the dizzy heights of 4th.

Aston Villa are in 13th and that is where you would expect them and they are 14 points clear of Burnley in 18th place. they are joined in the relegation zone by Crystal Palace and Sunderland who have been been awful this season.

Takeover News

The takeover has NOT happened and the offer has been withdrew but Lerner said there is a chance that the group of business men will come back in with a better offer but said that Paul McGrath will have no funds to strengthen this January.

World Golden Ball

Cristiano Ronaldo has beat Lionel Messi to the World Golden Ball award. The Portugese midfielder got 443 voting points compared to Messi's 306 with Thomas Muller a long way off in third place.

It means that Ronaldo has now won the award for two years running and will look to try and make it three next year.

Agbonlahor: This is Worse City Side Ever

First Shot In The Build Up


Agbonlahor Speaks Out About Birmingham City

In a surprise attack, it is Birmingham Boy Gabby Agbonlahor who has spoke out about the upcoming derby clash and also said that he had interest at 16 from the blue side of Birmingham.

This for me is the worse Birmingham side we will ever have played against. I remember Christophe Dugarry, Chris Sutton, Robbie Savage and Obafemi Martins, now I look at the squad and I actually do not know any player on there squad list now. We are so much better than them and we need to not only win but we must show them up this weekend. I can not wait to hopefully score loads of goals because we are really that much better than them.

Police: Kick Off Time Is Ludicrous

Villa Park could have crowd congestion

The Birmingham Police have questioned Sky Sports decision to screen the match at 4pm on a Sunday when the pubs will have been open all day and there is already issues for trouble. the Police wanted an 11am kick off but the 4pm kick off stands and we will see if Sky Sports are going to get into any truble at all.