Wembley Memories !

It's been a while since I've written about Aston Villa, and some big changes have happened of late. Paul Lambert tried his best, but ultimately, I believe the job became too much for him and he has since been replaced by Timmy! [Tim Sherwood]. Sherwood has shown the passion for football that once helped him as captain of Blackburn Rovers lifting the premier league trophy under the management of Kenny Dalgleish [and recently stating how he hates to lose] Tim could start to become a legend if he can mastermind one more victory this season and all the pressure would be on Arsenal to retain their title.

The last time I visited Wembley Stadium [as it is now] I witnessed Tom Brady distribute a 45-7 beat down over the St Louis Rams in a wonderful performance in which Tom Brady went 23/35 for 304 yards, 4 TDs and 0 INTs. TE Rob Gronkowski had 8 catches for 146 yards with 2 scores on the hallowed turf and Michael Hoomanawanui also played [I just like saying his name out loud, you want to try it to, don't you]? The Rams didn't start out too badly, converting a 50 yard pass from Sam Bradford on the games' first drive [which at the time, Patriots fan in me wouldn't let me appreciate, but I knew it was special from the roar], but really didn't get a look in after this due to the Pats being more than ready for the Wembley crowd. If I was writing Ones to Watch back then [look out for that over on UKFirstDown], this game would have been an amazing chance for the Rams to prove they belonged and victory there would have evened their record at 4-4, and could have proved a catalyst to possible post season glories, [I would have said that too].

Before that, way back in 1990's [at the old Wembley, with the twin towers, and this logo ]

I witnessed the England Schoolboys play Germany Schoolboys in a final of something, which obviously, the Germans won, although I'm pretty sure I saw a special performance from future sensation Michael Owen in that game. I remember being a young , smaller person [with a lot more hair] believing one day I'll see Aston Villa lifting the FA Cup at Wembley.

Fast forward to the year 2000 I thought I might get that chance, but it wasn't to be as they lost to Chelsea, which transformed Chelsea into eventual world beaters. [Not because of this triumph, but it certainly helped]. A few weeks later it closed and a few years later, Wembley Stadium, as we knew it would be demolished.

Fast Forward again to the year 2007 and Wembley reopened. It now sports this logo.


 It leaves me a little deflated [leave it], as the old W for me was everything growing up !
 It also bought with it regular season games within the NFL calendar and eventually saw the Patriots come over and play [first in 2009 victorious over the Buccaneers, and in 2012 detailed above].

30th May 2015 will live in the memory banks forever as the day Aston Villa finally made it back to a final with a chance to lift a trophy, having already beaten more favoured opposition in Liverpool back in the Semi Final [which shouldn't, in my opinion be held at Wembley] and will undoubtedly be up for the challenge. To borrow a phrase from the other type of football I care about, AVFC, #DoYourJob and the title is yours. In watching videos on the internet earlier, I thought that, there can't be any other option than lifting the trophy, it's not possible to us to go there and see them lose [again], but there is no tomorrow.  It feels like our name has been written on the cup since the campaign kicked off, but there's a lot of hard work to between the lines. They've had better chances to lift the title and didn't even make the final [Bradford semi fnal league cup] and haven't won the FA cup since 1957, it's long over due and if on the day, Villa can't win the cup, I may get over it one day, but if a cup being held aloft by Fabian and co is how the day ends up, I'll never forget it, and I'll be so honoured to have watched it on the television, wishing I could have been there in person.

I've been to Wembley in different guises, but I would trade it all in to be in the crowd to see a potential FA cup victory this year in 2015.

I love you Aston Villa, through hard times, through glorious times, I will always be a Holte Ender. 

Fantasy Baseball, Tales of the SABER WAR.... Part 1 !

Saber War is another rotisserie based format and this is also hosted via Yahoo and is a 14 team, 14x14 category league. This might seem a lot but in addition to the usual R,HR,RBI,SV,AVG cats on hitting we also use XBH, GIDP for negative points, Ks for negative points, BB [Walks], CS for negative points and Sacrifice Hits and Sac Flies. On pitching, IP,SV, ER for negative points,HR for negative points, Ks, Replacing Wins with QS, and also for negative points, BB allowed, Wild pitches and HR allowed.

Now, You may remember from previous instalments that I've always favoured H2H because I found them easier to win, and a look at my Fantasy Sports CV would indicate that to be correct with 100% of victories coming in H2H play, but this year I feel more in touch with roto and up until midweek I was 2nd in the league and have alarmingly slid down to 6th place at start of play 25/05/15.

My lineups as of now are C Miguel Montero, 1B Chris Carter, 2B Yangervis Solarte, 3B Mark Reynolds, SS Andrelton Simmons, CI Adrian Gonzalez, MI J.J Hardy, LF Justin Upton,CF Cameron Maybin, RF Will Venable, OF Gerardo Parra and Billy Burns, UT1 Ian Desmond, UT2 Mark Trumbo and on the bench I have Corey Spangenberg.
Pitching wise I have the following names:
SPs Michael Pineda, Mike Leake, Bartolo Colon, Dan Haren, Garrett Richards, Tim Hudson, Stephen Strasburg.
RPs Joakim Soria, AJ Ramos, Jake Petricka, Pat Neshek,Joe Smith, Brad Zieglar, Drew Storen and Tony Watson,

[On the DL I have Jacoby Ellsbury and Austin Jackson hitting wise and one pitcher on the DL Mike Minor - I live in hope he will pitch again ] !

I may be 6th right now with 2322.00 total points, but I've never been more than around 833.00 points behind the leader [which is currently where I'm at] and at one point was within less than 500. I feel good about this league and I fully expect to win a trophy at the end of the season [although 1st place would be amazing, anything less than third will be a failure compared to where I've been most of the season]. It's not as if I've suddenly started losing points, I've just been scoring less than the teams around me. Yesterday I scored 49 points, compared to the 133 by the team directly behind me, 113.50 by the leader to slightly extend his lead and the teams in 5th place and 3rd place scoring 58.00 and 65.50 respectively. If I can get down to less than 750 behind by the weekend, then I might be onto another good run to get me up there again. I will update this story shortly, at an interval that seems appropriate.

thanks for reading, till I write again stay well !

Fantasy Baseball Analysis... Time to panic?

I thought I would take the time to write about a specific league this time so the league I will focus on in this edition is based off of Yahoo, and is called 'Baseball Fan Dynasty League'. From what I remember about this league, is originally [way back in maybe 2006] it used to be called something slightly different, then a series of events occurred which helped to set up Dynasty League Baseball [which I won in its inaugural year], and now we have the BBFDL. In its current guise, we have 16 teams [6x6 categories] with standard Dynasty league rules, [in which we name our team after a historical, or current major league franchise] and we have a minor league farm of up to 8 players at the start of the season. The league is Head to Head based [H2H]. My team is the Colorado Rockies and my roster looks like this [as of Monday 18/05/15].

C - Wilson Ramos 2/$6
1B - Mike Napoli 2/$9 
2B - Johnny Giavetella FA [Free Agent, or No contract assigned]
3B - Pedro Alvarez 2/$9 
SS - Danny Espinosa 1/6
CI - Jose Iglasias 3/$3
MI - Stephen Drew 1/$1 [short term fill in ]
LF - Josh Reddick 2/$12
CF - Gregor Blanco 1/$4
RF - Gerardo Parra 1/2 [Picked up this morning for Carlos Beltran 1/4]
OF - Jarrod Dyson FA
OF - Brandon Guyer FA
Util - Mark Reynolds 1/3 [Picked up this morning, after placing Ike Davis on the DL] 

SP - Madison Bumgarner 2/$35
SP - Cole Hamels 1/$27 
SP - Mike Leake FA
RP - Dellin Betances 1/$10
RP - Jake Petricka FA 
RP - Justin Grimm FA
P - Jered Weaver 2/$7 
P - Chris Tillman 1/$3
P - Tim Hudson FA

Bn - Jarred Cosart 2/$12
Bn - Eddie Rosario MiL [Promoted from the Minor Leagues, but hasn't earned enough ABs [At Bats] to qualify for a contract]
Bn - Scott Atchison FA
Bn - Zack Duke FA [This league counts Holds, no other reason why I'd add him]. 

I also have the following on the Disabled List [DL]

Alex Cobb 2/13 [Acquired earlier this season in exchange for Adam Wainwright, a rare trade that nobody wins] Sorry !

Jordan Schafer 2/5Ike Davis 1/20.

My overall record so far is 13-50-9, good enough for 16th place. In what has largely been an expected rebuilding year for me [apparently, every year of late is a rebuilding job], I'm finding it a lot tougher than I thought it would be, although I have placed everyone on the Trading Block to enable a quicker rebuild process than it otherwise might be. 

While it is early in the season, I'm still only 27 Games back from first place [so if I can reel off two 12-0 wins, I'll be right back in the thick of it]. In addition to Eddie Rosario from the 'farm' I also have Christian Villanueva a young third baseman in the Cubs system currently at Triple A, Zach Lee a Right handed Pitcher in the Dodgers system currently at Triple A, Justin Nicolino, a 23 year old pitcher in the Miami system, currently at Triple A. I'm big on third baseman [apparently] as 23 year old Richie Shaffer in Double A of the Rays system so is a bit further away [Dynasty rules]. In the 2015 Minor League Draft, I added reigning Minor League player of the year, Steven Moya, an exciting OutFielder in the Detroit Farm System, Sean Coyle, a MI/CI of the Boston Farm system and catcher, Chance Cisco. 

I might be biased, but I don;t think the team I've put together is that bad, but I could be wrong from the inside looking out I feel as though I've been closer to winning than losing, although records don't accurately reflect that [can you tell I've been watching Moneyball lately] ?

The only way from here is up , though knowing me, I'll find a way to go backwards !

Til' I write again folks it's been a pleasure. 

Fantasy Baseball Addiction

Hi, I'm Matt and I'm a fantasy baseball addict.

Many people will already know that, but I felt like I needed to take a moment to explain / talk about my hobby.

I've been in some Fantasy baseball leagues since 2007, or at least I've been an active player since before then , although some leagues that existed back then, now don't.

I joined a new league for 2015 called 'The Perfect Game' League, in which it rewards defensive play as well as hitting an occasional home run. I'll be honest, My team has been banged up since the draft, and I've seen Alex Cobb, Adam Wainwright, Kenley Jansen [although this one was expected], Matt Weiters hit the DL [Cobb has since undergone Tommy John Surgery and will not represent my team until around mid 2016]. Now, last week [in the midst of going 0-5] I made a couple of trades. I traded away Andrew McCutcheon [5 year contract] [my first round pick], Jon Niese [2 years], Craig Kimbrel [3rd pick IIRC, 4 years] , in exchange for Carlo Gonzalez, Ryan Braun[2 years], James Paxton [and boosted my minor league farm] acquring Mark Appel, Steve Matz and Alex Myer. That wasn't all either and in a seperate deal, I exchanged Yonder Alonso and Minor Leaguer Henry Owens [whom I selected with my penultimate Major League draft pick] for Edwin Encarnacion [2 years] and Minor Leaguer Noah Syndegaard. As of now, I hold a 119 point lead in the weekly matchup against the leagues' other winless, cellar dwellar. I've made some moves via FA also and that is not limited to dropping players I issued a contract with after the draft [Weaver 3] or picking up Evan Gattis on a 2 year deal.

This could very well be the last H2H league I join for a long while as my passion I once held for Head to Head has wained, and now I've grown more interested in Roto leagues, and in 4 Roto leagues currently, I'm in 2nd place in 2 of them, 5th in the third [although it's my longest standing roto league]and the fourth isn't going to plan as I'm sitting down in 10th. That doesn't mean I'd be looking to leave any leagues I'm currently in, but I won't be looking to join any new H2H leagues for 2016 and beyond [for the forseeable future], nor will it be likely that I join redraft leagues either.
The standings of my longest tenured roto league after the first month saw my team down in 10th overall with 51 roto points [and as of writing this, they have climbed up to 5th place with 67.5 roto points] with a rise to the category lead in Runs, and being 2nd in Stolen Bases, Wins [although in a three way tie for that position], and just a shade outside the top three of Ks [Strikeouts] and RBI.

To sum up, for the most part I'm relatively happy with most of my teams, and over the course of the season I will address each of them to voice my discontent at how I've let them become the leagues' laughing stock, or marvel at my genius as I look down on everyone from the top position. I'm in no doubt that a few public leagues I joined this year, in an attempt to spruce up my Fantasy Sports CV will have to be the first to go to get my numbers down as well to better enable total concentration on getting another Fantasy victory.

Till I write again, Stay safe ! 

NFL Ones To Watch Week 12....

Normally, this can be found over on UKFirstDown but due to technical difficulties I am able to post it here !

Last week, Eli Manning threw 5 INTs, Peyton Manning also lost and for now, Tom Brady holds the advantage in the play-off run. This week’s Ones To watch are New York Jets vs Buffalo Bills in an AFC East duel, Arizona Cardinals vs Seattle Seahawks and Washington vs San Francisco’s 49ers.

New York Jets [2-8] vs Buffalo Bills [5-5]

The Jets recently named Michael Vick starting QB and their decision paid dividends before their bye last week as they beat the Steelers in Week 10. The Jets season sees their offense ranked at 26^th, defense at 7^th, passing at 32^nd and their rushing is 5^th. Vicks season to date looks like this: 57 completions from 102 attempts totalling 528 yards with 3 TDs and 1 INT. Running Back Chris Johnson recently agreed that if Michael Vick had been starting, the Jets would be winning / have won more games, and on the season he has rushed the ball 85 times, for 360 yards at an average of 4.2 yards per carry scoring 1 TD. He’s also caught the ball 17 times for 116 yards at an average of 6.8 yards per catch scoring 1 TD. Eric Decker can really move the chains as he is averaging 10.5 yards per reception from his 43 receptions totalling 450 yards and 4 TDs. It’s a far cry from his final season in Denver in which he amassed 1288 yards and 11 TDs at an average of 14.8 Yards per catch, but his QB was Peyton Manning then, but he still has a high average of more yards than needed for a first down. Jets’ defense has 27 sacks total, and Sheldon Richardson has 3.5 of those, Calvin Pace has 4.0 Muhammed Wilkerson leads the defense in sacks [4.5] from 48 combined tackles [28 total, 20 assisted].
Buffalo enter with their offense ranked at 25^th, defense ranked at 6^th, passing at 20^th and their rush game 25^th. Kyle Orton has 146 completions from 228 attempts for 1580 yards 10 TDS and 3 INTs. In rushing the ball, the Bills have three guys whom average about the same yards per rush [4.2, 4.1& 4.3] and it is Fred Jackson [4.3] whom has the only rushing TD of the regular three. Jackson has 58 carries for 249 yards. CJ Spiller and Anthony Dixon are separated by 1 carry and 9 total yards. 69 to 68 carries respectively with 287 and 278 yards respectively. Sammy Watkins leads all receivers with 5 TDs and they have come off 45 receptions for 649 yards and he averages 14.4 yards per reception. Like the Jets, the Bills have a couple of guys who dominate in terms of sacks with Marcell Dareus and Mario Williams each have 10.0. Williams has those off just 27 tackles [4 assisted] and as a staff the Bills has 12 INTs although 0 have gone all the way back to score.
This battle between AFC East foes will likely come down to defensive displays, although similar things were said about the Eagles trip into Green Bay last week, and we all know what happened there. *Due to snowfall in Buffalo, this game has been moved to Detroit’s Ford field, and also to Monday with the Lions on the road in New England.

Arizona Cardinals [9-1] vs Seattle Seahawks [6-4].
The Cardinals enter play with the 20^th ranked offense, 13^th ranked defense, 11^th ranked passing and their rushing is 31^st. It’s hard to fathom a team that’s only lost once [Bronchos] can be viewed as an underdog, but that’s how Head Coach Bruce Arians sees the situation as “going  up there, everyone is an underdog, They’re the World Champions” he told the Arizona Republic . Drew Stanton is the QB as Carson Palmer succumbed to a season ending knee injury, and [Stanton]has 67 completions from 125 attempts for 920 yards 5 TDs and 2 INTs. Larry Fitzgerald is questionable for the game, but if he can go he can build on his 46 receptions for 658 yards at an average of 14.3 yards per completion and 2 TDs. If Fitzgerald is unable to suit up for the game, the catching duties will fall to primarily Andre Ellington who has 41 receptions for 356 yards for 8.7 yards per catch on average and scoring 2 TDs also. John Brown could also be a feature, although he doesn’t start many games [he could get the start if Fitzgerald misses the game] and has 34 receptions for 468 yards with a 13.8 Yard per completion average and 5 TDs and looks to be a very promising rookie and he could go on to be the next Larry Fitzgerald. Andre Ellington also has the majority of the rushing load with 186 carries for 624 yards at an average of 3.4 YPC and has scored three times.
The Defending champion Seahawks enter with their offense at 11^th, defense at 3^rd, passing at 30^th and rushing at 1^st.
I’ll start by looking at their strength and Marshawn Lynch has 177 carries for 813 yards averaging 4.6 YPC and scoring 9 TDs. Lynch also leads the team in receiving TDs too with 3. Doug Baldwin has the most catches with 44 which he’s taken for 485 yards at 11.0 YPC and scoring 2 TDs. Russell Wilson has completed 182 passes off 291 attempts for 2019 yards for 13 TDs and 5 INTs. Wilson’s average yards per pass is down on his previous two seasons [8.2 in last year’s Super Bowl victory campaign] to 6.9, a whole yard lower than his rookie season the year before. Defensively, ‘The Legion of Boom’ look slightly out of sorts compared to seasons past, but Richard Sherman has made 37 tackles on the season [7 assisted] and that’s nearly as many as the whole of last season combined where he made 48 [regular season only]. Sherman also made 16 Pass Defences and 8 INTs [1 pick six] last year, compared to this seasons 4 and 1 respectively. Coming out of Seahawks HQ is a suggestion that Sherman could also be used in a WR role, as the offense has also been lacking some punch, and as head coach Pete Carroll told reporters “He was a good receiver growing up and has a tremendous catching range [as witnessed in his defensive play]. He'd love to do it and he’s ready, so if we get an emergency situation we’re going to him”.
It’s an important game for both teams, but one in which the Seahawks can’t lose if they are to retain any hopes of trying to go back to back, though one more loss anywhere might be too much to overturn and the Cardinals themselves will be trying to win as every win ensures the likelihood of a bye to the business end of the playoffs as the NFCs best team and to become the first team to compete in a Super Bowl in their own stadium.

Finally this week,

Washington [3-7] vs San Francisco 49ers [6-4]

Washington enters with the 8^th ranked offense, 10^th ranked defense, 7^th in passing and 16^th in rushing. The QB position has been somewhat of a revolving door and could be about to change again with RGIII struggling, but as it stands he enters play with 72 completions from 100 attempts for 763 yards 2 TDs and 3 INTs. The Washington team as a whole have 13 TDs and 13 INTs, and that in itself is one of the reasons why this team aren’t winning as many games as their numbers dictate they should. In catching the ball, DeSean Jackson is making the most of his receptions with 40 for 819 yards averaging 20.5 per catch with 4 TDs. With 10 team rushing TDs, Alfred Morris has 6 of them from 172 carries for 701 yards averaging 4.1 Yards per carry. Ryan Kerrigan leads the defense with 7.5 sacks from 41 tackles [10 assisted ]. Trenton Robinson has their only Interception return for 14 yards, although didn’t get to score from it, and the other 2 INTs were downed at the spot.
San Francisco enters with the 18^th ranked offense, 4^th ranked defense, 23^rd in passing and their rushing game is 7^th. Kap has 194 completed passes from 318 attempts for 2394 yards and 14 TDs. Frank Gore isn’t having his best season and has amassed 158 carries gaining 648 yards with a pair of scores. Gore also has caught the ball 8 times scoring once [a 55 yard effort] with 98 yards. Gore scored 9 times on the ground last season. Anquan Boldin is dynamite with his 56 catches going for 688 yards at an average of 12.3 yards per reception and scoring 3 TDs. Michael Crabtree has also chipped in with 4 scores from 43 receptions for 509 yards averaging 11.8 Yards per reception. Of the 49ers 16 INTs, only one has gone all the way back [Dontae Johnson] although Perrish Cox has 4 picks.
Both teams are loaded with playmakers who are capable of making a huge play when its needed most and this should be an entertaining battle, and the Washington team have turned a corner recently which could provide the catalyst to see off the more consistent 49ers. 

Rebuilding Aston Villa..

In my last blog about AVFC, I stated that "Somewhere in the rubble, is a foundation which will come to bloom next season . There are a few current Aston Villa players who I believe have no future, but I will comment on them after the season concludes away to Tottenham next month".

The Time is Now to address the situation going on in the confides of Villa Park.

Players I would let go [in no particular order]
Nathan Delfouneso [which actually happened] Has never looked good enough to be a Premier League player, but can still have a thriving career elsewhere.
Jed Steer [LOAN] , Nothing against him, I just don't see how not playing him improves him as a player, he should be given the chance to prove what he can do elsewhere.
Enda Stevens - I'm not sure why he got signed in the first place, but he did look useful on the rare occasion he wandered onto the big green enclosure surrounded by angry fans, bless him.
Ciaran Clark - Has often been given the nickname 'Calamity' due to his error strewn displays, I feel he just tries too hard, but he just isn't a good enough central defender.
Ryan Bertrand - Technically, doesn't belong to us, but I wouldn't make his Loan permanent as he just didn't do enough I don't think, although he did look a massive improvement on what we had at the position, until he missed a game due to ineligibility, then he looked forever lost.
Alex Tonev [LOAN] I still believe he can be a really good winger, he just needs time to settle, in a less hostile atmosphere, although with changes happening all around the club, perhaps he's in the best place. Still a regular run playing every week whill do wonders for his confidence.
Yacouba Sylla. Doesn't add anything special, should go while he's still relevant and can gain a little sum back.
Nathan Baker . Like Clark his Central Defensive partner, he just isn't good enough for this level at this time. Maybe one day he can be, but I wouldn't risk it happening under our watch.
Grant Holt. Like Bertrand isn't under contract to Aston Villa, but I would ensure he doesn't get that way as well. Did OK when Benteke was lost for the season, but I would have rather seen Robinson, Helenius or Bowery given a run in the team and the loan signing could have been used elsewhere of need.
Jordan Bowery - Until his cameo appearance in the final games of the season, I'd forgotten he was even a Villa player. Played well against Hull, but was pretty absent in the finale. Hasn't really had the regular first team action he needs to play well, as it stands is probably fifth on the depth chart which means unless there's an injury crisis, he wouldn't normally grace the bench.

Players I would sign [in no particular order]

Thomas Kuszczak - Brighton - Free His experience in the game should be a good fit in Aston Villa, and I'd definitely offer him a contract. He has worked under Sir Alex after all, who better to learn from ?
Marc Albrighton. Key when he featured, and often turned in man of the match performances. Sadly, this too has not been done as he's been released. Terrible decision.
Gareth Barry - Manchester City - Free. Would be amazing to get reunited with a player who still has it at the top level. Most Villa fans have got over his leaving, but he can really help the midfield which would free up so many other options he would be like having three new players.
James Milner - Handled his exit with class, and would love to see him back crossing the ball in to create chance after chance. Come on home Jimmy !
Charlie Austin [Providing QPR don't get promoted]. A 20 goal a season striker, would surely be a welcome addition to Aston Villa. 20 goal a season strikers are rare to come by anyway so I would put a bit extra into securing him, to form a menacing 2 headed attack with Christian Benteke [post injury].
Shaun Maloney - Struggled last time although he had homesickness troubles, seems more settled this time, so should remain a force, playing behind the strikers or doubling as a winger to assist Milner / replace him late in games.
Jonathan Woodgate - Middlesbrough. Has had injuries in the past, but has also played for Real Madrid. Good player, and would bring in a Centre back with experience which would be needed. In his final year of his contract, and he may be unwilling to leave his boyhood club, I'd certainly check in with him.

While I concede it's highly unlikely as things stand Villa could actually sign them, these are players I firmly believe they should target, given who might be available, and all could be considered realistic. The only problem with a few of them might be wages, but then, if you aren't prepared to pay top dollar, you end up paying for Yaouba Sylla.

Aston Villas Hour of need ...

What they need will be explained [hopefully] within this entry.

Firstly, I would like to point out to those that don't follow football, or Aston Villa that this has been a very trying season, for many different reasons, but it has all come to a head this week with the suspensions of Ian Culverhouse and Gary Karsa .

This announcement , and the following one which saw Gordon Cowans and Shay Given as assistants to Paul Lambert for the relegation avoiding run in, have seen a new lease of life around B6, and all things considered it would explain a lot as to why the players looked petrified playing at times.

There are many reasons as to why Culverhouse and Karsa have rumoured to have been suspended for, but it is clear, at many stages this season alienation and bullying is at the tip of the iceberg. For a while. things haven't seemed quite right, although nobody really knew why. Talk of players being sent home from away games alone, or being dropped because of a lack of belief in youth [even though that was supposed to be the plan] and being quoted as unavailable due to injury. [There have been a suspicious amount of Achilles heel injuries on an unrelated related note] although sadly, Christian Benteke's is real.

Moving on to another issue, the dropping of players.

A large portion of the Summer's new recruits have failed to properly settle, and once promising players, Tonev, Helenius have been relegated to bench warming roles [Although last home game against Fulham, Tonev looked back to his Bulgarian best. and even regular starters Weimann and [this one isn't really specific to this season] Agbonlahor  Good players don't suddenly become so bad they'd struggle in the non leagues [ no disrespect to the lower leagues] and bad managers don't suddenly become incapable of managing to walk from the beach to the ocean without getting lost.

Another point I would like to touch on is the idiotic morons who would troll an ill advised Q&A with Joe Bennett. They call themselves fans, although some questions were enough to raise a small chuckle, on the whole I'd be embarrassed to call myself a fan if I behaved in such a manner. The reason it's idiotic, is he'd played a handful of games in Lambert's tenure, yet people blame him for the position the club finds itself in, he is just one man, one player, and the same people also refuse to criticise Benteke for having more enrgy in flailing his arms up and down when he doesn't get the ball.

Back to my original point here, I don't condone the lack of a plan B,C or D there is barely a plan A at times, and making a substitution with less than 10 minutes to go to find an equaliser, much less a winner, is baffling, but it happens time and time again. I've been on record as saying " that kind of decision should be reserved to see out victories or to ensure points don't get dropped in the final few minutes". Lambert's lack of flexibility is eerily similar to Martin O'Neills reign where he has his XI and that was that. I'm sure there is a silver lining under all of this obscurity, but it starts this weekend in the penultimate home game vs Southampton.

Somewhere in the rubble, is a foundation which will come to bloom next season . There are a few current Aston Villa players who I believe have no future, but I will comment on them after the season concludes away to Tottenham next month.

My Graduation

So, I graduated?

Someone tell me it isn't a dream, and I did gain a degree. I do have pictures to prove it, but maybe it’s a cruel practical joke and I don’t really exist? Though, if that’s true, how did this get written?

I am so honoured to have taken this ride and along the way met some truly fantastic people, and for these people I will be forever grateful for their dealing with my 3 am rants about whatever it was I couldn't do, or just taking the time to care about how I was doing with certain tasks. It was this, that although might not sound like much to you, definitely helped me to take a deep breath and refocus my efforts and slow everything down around me to enable me to make the decisions with a clear head. I've never properly thanked these people, because to me I had no idea how to do so in a way that was more than a thank you, because I felt it deserved more than a word. Though I'm a huge believer in the little things meaning more to me with something as huge on the line as my future, simplicity wasn't ever going to cut it.

Now, I know that I’m not the first person to graduate university, and I won’t be the last, but if you know where I've come from, or where I've been then I might as well be. I know I'm pretty special to the world, and I know I have a lot to give, and I will prove it.

I seem to be walking around taller and prouder since I graduated, and I've recently become accustomed to spring fever, and I [with help] have transformed my entire man cave, and who knew that to get a better night’s sleep is to turn the bed around? Well see, I've now given you all a better quality of life, as you’ll sleep better, and in turn get more done when you’re awake. Just a small tip but I feel infinitely better since doing so.

I love the spring, it reminds me that the best time of year is to come, and up to now the best time of the year is behind me, in regards to the aforementioned graduation, 2014 is going to be pretty huge all being well. I will do everything in my power to ensure it being so!

I'm finally accepting where I am in life, and what to do to get where I want to be, and where I want to be is right there with you on this ride of a lifetime. Strap in, settle down and I will guide you through this year with positivity, Heart-felt thoughts of gratitude, and excitement of what’s to come.

I sincerely believe in myself, I always have, but now I have a new found belief that no matter what the situation is, I can turn it around, whether I end up homeless, or I get stranded with no money miles from home, or I could be down in a darts match by over 300 points, so long as I have my legs, I’ll be fine !

[those are just extreme scenarios, but the darts one really did happen, and I still managed to remain competitive].

I’d rather have regrets for trying something and it failing, then not trying it, and this too happened, but I won’t share the actual event in which I felt this [as it will ruin the feel good vibe I’ve worked hard to produce here].

To close, I am honoured to be in this position, but the real opportunity lies just around the corner, and I will say to you all, do not be afraid to try anything new.

Thanks for reading . 

Behind the Visuals.

There is always an iconic piece of music, whether it be television, film, or in the rare occasion a score to a video game which takes it into a whole other level, and some of you may be aware that soundtracks are a passion of mine, and every week starting from next week, [Week Beginning March 3rd 2014] I will post starting with Number 10 the 1st entry on my top ten list of Television Theme Songs. I will also do a Top 10 Songs from within film, and eventually get onto a top Ten Songs list all of which I'm really looking forward to putting together for you all.

The only things some people may know are two entries on each list from personally knowing me but they don't have any idea where any of the entries will come in. Set your excitement phasers to mouthwatering excitement !

Thank you for reading this, and I'll urge you all to know that, it isn't necessarily going to be from a show I watch or enjoy, but if the TV theme is iconic enough to me, then it is worthy of inclusion and some just happen to entertain me with their television programmes content.

Maccie. 

In need of greater Arsenal ...

Now, last night, Aston Villa took on Arsenal at Villa park on a cold night. For 65 minutes, we all felt the cold, then the team woke up and we weren't aware of our surroundings, and the crowd was full of energy, full of life, as was the team.

Sadly, they were already 2-0 down at this point [due to a minute of two mistakes] . This happened not long after losing Nathan Baker to a mild concussion, and a very scary moment in which he didn't move from the moment he went down, and I suspect he was already out before he hit the turf, for a further five or six minutes. They hadn't really looked like losing, until then, and didn't deserve to lose either, as Arsenal weren't that dangerous in my opinion. Something needed to happen, something like, maybe a Benteke goal, but given that he hadn't scored for 11 hours it was unlikely, wasn't it?

Suddenly, down he went and sent a diving header [which probably could have been scored with either foot] but whose complaining? A goal is a goal, and for the tall striker, a much needed confidence boost, and he looked a different player for a small period before it, but mostly after, he had a new sense of self belief, but that's only natural for an out of form player.

It was certainly refreshing to hear applause and pride from the crowd at the final whistle, instead of the usual booing, to which he have recently become accustomed. It was a moment of clarity, that when everybody is back and fit and playing well, we are definitely a team that can, and will cause problems for any team. I said at the beginning of the season, that there will be some dark times ahead, and in the future the team will start winning more regularly, and be more competitive for longer, and the beginning of "The Project" is.... Now.

I will reiterate, a creative midfielder is still needed, as is a more experienced CB, it is a position were they just can't keep healthy, and Baker is definitely better than Clark. Without Vlaar, there's little chance of a win, Vlaar is really the key for keeping the back door locked. That said, 2014-15 is tipped to be one of high potential, which should be fulfilled, for the most part.

Last night, it finished 2-1, and Villa one another day, might have had more, but sometimes that's football. 

Oh, to be a Villa Fan...

Firstly, apologies for the lack of Villa related match reports, it just became difficult to sum up woeful in more than one word. I don't mind the team going out there, fighting hard and coming away with nothing, as that signifies honour, but there is no honour in not fighting at all, a prime example, before taking the lead against Swansea [which was the first time they managed to find the net in the first half all season at home] The last time a goal was scored at Villa park by them, was back in November I believe, in a 2-0 win against Wales' other Premier league side, Cardiff.

For whatever reason, the team is lacking in confidence, and panic easily, and as fans, we haven't always been supportive, but when your team is getting at most 30% of the ball in a game what are we supposed to do? For the most part, I think us the Villa Fans are in this for the long haul, but we are alarmed at how woeful they have been lately. Things have to change, and this is the right time of year to add something new, and slightly abandon the youth policy we have going on. Youth is fine, but with injuries to the experienced players, the young lions look lost and vulnerable.

That said, we can take heart that they didn't lose against Swansea, to remain unbeaten by them in the Premier League, P3 W1 D2 . What the team needs, is a but of steely determination in the midfield, and a slight formation change. It's all well and good playing 4 - 3 - 3 but when one of your strikers has to cover Left Back, then things are never going to go that well.

Winning games against Manchester City [H] and Southampton [A] mask over the real problems, but with 65% possession against Crystal Palace, in a match they lost 0-1 , indicates what exactly we will need to kick on.

1) Experienced CB - Jores Okore looks a really decent buy, but with his ACL injury early in the season, he's not likely to play again until next season, a real shame, and Ron Vlaar is also injured at present, but he should be back within a week or two. The team look confident enough with Vlaar at the back, but another experienced head at the back, can help mentor, or guide Clark and Baker through the season.

2) A Distributor in the Midfield. While Delph and Westwood are good at what they do, they need something different in the midfield who can make that killer pass to open up defences , or can hold the ball up so strikers can find better positions. Also discipline is a slight worry, but like Delph's technical skill, that can only improve with more experience.

3) Ditch the long ball stuff. It is easy to play against Villa, home or away now, as teams are wise to their tendancy to pump it long through the air to the big men up front [Benteke or Kozak] but the team play their best stuff, when Benteke isn't in the lineup and they get the ball to feet and pass and move. After all, that's how they took the lead against Swansea with that exciting style. People say Kozak won't make it, but I'm, fairly sure he will, and if he played together with Benteke, he'd be very effective, as defenders might get confused as to which one to mark, and with Albrighton and a new buy whipping in crosses, the attacking line should be very profitable indeed. If you are going with three up front, I'd modify it so that it's more like an Attacking Midfielder and Benteke + Kozak in there, however, Benteke hasn't been properly fit for months, which begs the question, why was he played so much when he clearly wasn't right ?

4) Do not sack the manager. That seems like a ridiculous thing to have to say, but stick with Lambert, even with this questionable substitutions, but that's part of the job, they work he's a hero, they don't work he's a moron. With more options available, and from the changes he's made, I can understand some of them, but I can't fathom why bringing one someone with 5 minutes to go, to change the game is good. Sometimes, I feel that the changes are a little backwards, in that by all means, bring on some new legs with less than ten minutes remaining, but that's best used for holding a lead. If it's an attacking change, do it no later than 75 minutes. Everything will work out, people are just too impatient, and lets not forget, this was the guy we all wanted from another club. Give him a break.

Hopefully, if just one of these steps is taken from now till the end of the season then it will improve fortunes greatly, and when that questionable substitution works out, the Holte will go crazy for more, but while it's not looking close to being a formula for success, it is easier to criticise than to see the bigger picture. Every manager makes changes that are baffling, it's a learning process for the manager, as well as the XI on the pitch, but in two years, hopefully the nucleus is there to challenge for the right end of the table again.

To sum up, there will be some lows, but as time goes on more highs, and hopefully this will be a side that can stay together for five-eight years, and then slowly bring in the next breed to do exactly the same again.

NFL Ones to watch Week 11

Week Ten continued to surprise where the Jaguars surprised the Titans, the 49ers only conceded 10 points and still couldn’t win and Atlanta’s season is officially over now. Well, that’s less of a surprise.

It wasn’t surprising to me that the Buccaneers dispatched the Dolphins as that club is an utter mess right now although they should have an easier time of it against the equally matched 4-5 Chargers. With that said the three games to watch in Week Eleven are Washington at Philadelphia , Jets at Buffalo and finally Green Bay Packers on the road in New Jersey.

Redskins vs. Eagles. This will be a reverse fixture of the first week when the Eagles were electric and got off to a really fast start, but since then had really struggled, but are now back at .500 with some excellent performances of late, particularly from back up QB Nick Foles (who 2 weeks ago tied an NFL record with 7 TD Passes). Nick Foles also has more TDs in a months’ worth of games, than RG III has all season long. The numbers are extremely close overall, as the Eagles have 413 YPG, 260 Passing YPG and 153 Rushing YPG compared to Washington’s 410, 259 & 151 respectively. Eagles should find a way to win again as they are steadily improving all round to have the full team game in full flow, but it’s not going to be as easy as week one. RG III is finally showing that his injury is on the back burner and he looks able to plant and go at will now, which is something he rarely looked like in the season’s opening weeks. If the Redskins are to have any hope in this one, they have to stop McCoy , as he is their rushing weapon. His numbers of 932 yards, at an average of 4.8 YPC for 3 TD’s off 193 carries may not seem like much by way of TD’s, but what he does do is gets them first down in big spots, which is how the Eagles go on to score through the air mostly. Very important player. For the Skins, for them to win they have to fully utilise Alfred Morris who rush for rush is slightly better than McCoy with numbers of 825 yards, at an average of 5.2 per carry with 5 TD’s off 159 carries. RG III is also a run option and he should easily add a secondary threat. Eagles win by 5 points.

Jets at Buffalo. This is shaping up to be a fascinating battle between the two teams that will be fighting for second place in the AFC East. You can see why the Jets have a better record, and Jets have beaten New England already, and have a very favourable schedule the rest of the way. The Bills need a Win here more than the Jets, although the Jets need a Win to move 2 games above .500. With the Bills being 4 games under .500 their road to second place is really difficult, but they must start with a win here, to go on with a purpose. The Bills actually have more Yards per game than the Jets, but the Jets execute better. That seems like an obvious thing to write, but with 11 rushing yards per game more than the Jets, the Bills also average 332 yards per game, which is an advantage over New York by 2 yards per game. 11 and 2 doesn’t sound like much, but if it wasn’t for their strength on the Rush, they’d have negative splits all across the stats as their pass YPG is negative of 200. This one won’t be pretty based on what is at stake for both sides, but based on everything, The Jets will win this one by 2 possessions, and for what it’s worth, the Bills should at least get to third place as the Dolphins aren’t solid and their tow headed rushing threat totals over 1000 yards, they can play spoiler if teams don’t pay attention to them, and if it’s any comforter to them, if this were baseball, they’d have a competitive batting average.

Finally this week, Packers vs Giants. The Pack should make short work of the recently rejuvenated Giants and it will be a tougher task for the Packers with Aaron Rodgers still on the shelf with a fractured collarbone. Although even in this state, he’d be more useful than Eli Manning. The Packers already have an average of more than double Rush Yards than the Giants, and with Tolzien starting at QB I would like to think they’d run even more. Of course the old adage remains, that the NFL is a passing league, and Tolzien will do enough of that to keep the Giants guessing, though the Giants have won 3 in a row don’t look as useless as they once did. Eli is below the leagues average in Touchdowns and Completion Rate, but is above average in Pass Yards. Goody, he’s above average in something, finally. The Packers have the 3^rd ranked O line, Mid range D line (18) and Top 6 Pass and Rush lines (5^th & 6^th respectively) which compares to the Giants 23, 11, 14 & 29 respectively. The Giants come into this encounter off the back of 3 straight wins, and the Packers are rather inconsistent at 5-4 and off 2 straight Losses. This will have huge implications on possible play off races in both the NFC East which is being co-led by the Eagles and the Cowboys [whom are on a Bye this week] and the NFC North in which while the Packers are sitting third currently, a few wins can get them back to the brink as the Lions currently sit in first place with a 6-3 and the Bears at 5-4.

To sum up, the AFC East is probably over with the Patriots winning the way [somehow] at 7-2 who will look to move to 8-2 on Monday Night Football at the Panthers who could also be playoff bound as they sit just behind the Saints [7-2] in the NFC South at 6-3. Go football ! 

* It got even more complicated as the Patriots lost to the Panthers last night , so they sit at 7-3, while the Panthers also now sit at 7-3. 

3-0 or is it 0-3 ?

So, this is the week in which I’m beginning to look silly with my pre-season predictions. Hmm, let’s proceed.

I may as well start with announcing that this week’s Team focus is the Kansas City Chiefs.  They certainly will have more than the total amount of touchdowns last season that Peyton threw in week one, plus one more. Ok, that’s the last time I’ll mention it, I promise. Perhaps just one more, with this victory over the Eagles, in which they forced five turnovers… No, I’ll leave it, but you know where I was going with it.

With that said, the 3-0 Chiefs, [Yeah you read that right], have promised much, and surprisingly have looked accomplished. They destroyed the Eagles, who after dominating against the Skins in Week One, have for the large part, failed to live up to that early promise, and made a mug of many so far. (I am one of them). Though it is still possible the Eagles can live up to the dark horse tag I had them being, they need to stop the rookie like mistakes, and quit calling timeouts whilst on Defence.

(True, that would have left them unable to mount a possible comeback as time wound down, a Timeout would likely have been called against them, and the Field Goal still scored, but who am I to argue?)

Moving on, (which is something the Steelers need to do) as do I with my obsession to take a cheap shot on them, and others… [Despite me pegging them to have a .500 Season]

With the Chiefs spoken about, I’m going to move onto the NFC. The Buccaneers. With this week’s trip to Foxborough, it is important that they exploit the weaknesses within Tom Brady’s gang, to ensure that they do not go back home to fight against the Cardinals at a 0-3 clip. What can they learn from their narrow opening week defeat to The Jets (Really?) and last week’s 2 point defeat to the Saints. Their rush game is strong, so they must continue to exploit that, and take heart that without experience in the receiving end for TFB and co, that they will always have extra opportunities to force turnovers. This game will likely see a defeat to one of the teams, and the other will roll on out of town. Ok, you forced it out of me, I reckon that the Patriots will squeak out a Win, but it won't be by more than 3 or 4 points (again). Or perhaps the Bucs will finally get over the line. Either way, I can say that I predicted it, and it's in print. 

With both divisions focussed on this week, there’s not really anything left to do.

I’d like to take this moment to remind you all that the next blog will be up on Tuesday, reflecting on Aston Villa’s away game to Norwich. As it’s an away game, it will likely have a happier tone to it than if it were being reported on a home match. I do wish it were different, but as it is, I gotta ride it out.

Thanks again for reading, and I apologise for the slightly shorter version of this week’s blog, I’ve been under the weather. It will be back to regular length next week.

Not so glorious Return

Boy. That was not worth the wait.

I can’t even remember the first half, and I was there for it, apparently. I may have blacked out through boredom. What I do remember is Air Belgium via Chicago. What that means is a lot of balls were played long and high from Goalkeeper Guzan to forward Benteke, with little else going on. There were little spells in the first half in which they promised much, but nothing really of note, and I struggle to remember a single shot in the first half. Anyway, Newcastle scored mid-way through the first, when Villa failed to deal with a low cross and the initial shot was parried by Guzan and the follow up dispatched. It was 1-0 at half time much to the relief of probably everyone. It was good that it finished and would give a chance to regroup and come out fighting in the second half. Well not fighting, but with fight in them. They at this point looked like a team who had three weeks off, and that it was a pre-season friendly they were taking part in.

Suddenly, the fans got really loud, and you’ll not be surprised to hear, that a former Villa player was riding around the perimeter of the pitch to promote his recent charity bike ride, one Steve Staunton. This passed and the players returned from their half time roasting, I would presume.

The second half began and Villa, apparently decided that to play football, meant playing the ball along the ground, and looked really dangerous in doing so. They created a few half chances, and 2 chances, which should have been converted, and had that happened, it would have been a rout. Eventually, an equaliser! A well won corner, crossed in from Westwood, converted by the Belgian Tank beast, Christian Benteke. 1-1 ! (Obviously, you all knew that).

Suddenly Villa though, let’s go over the top again, with the oh so familiar tactic, called by everyone sitting around me, before it was happening, Guzan to Benteke aerial passes. It would be fine had it been an NFL game, as I doubt anyone could out jump Benteke, but it isn’t so Benteke was able to win the headers, but there was nobody near him for the link up, so wasteful play. Also, very shortly after the equaliser, Newcastle scored again, after some suspect defending. 2-1 to the visitors, and literally, change after change happened, with the new signing Kozak coming on just before the equaliser, and with 3 minutes to go , Tonev, the promising , creative winger. Why PL waited until there were only 3 minutes left, is beyond me, as I feel that had he made that change, when Villa were dominating shortly before equalising, it would have helped to open the game up more, and would have seen Villa take all 3 points, there is no question in my mind about that.

If you unleash a dangerous Tonev down the left, the pace of Agbonlahor down the right (which is where he should be, not down the middle, as he tended to drift for the majority of the game) with Weimann anonymous, largely by part of the tendency to go through the air. If I was given the opportunity to pick the next starting lineup which would be against Norwich City away, I would have it look like this :

Guzan, Vlaar, Clark (As Okore picked up a knock), [It has since emerged that Okore is likely to miss 9 months and will need surgery to repair the ACL]. Luna, Lowton, Sylla, Westwood, Delph, Tonev , Helenius  and Kozak in a 4-4-2 . I feel this would keep things fresh, and would give a look to a formation that should be utilised at home as playing counter attacking football is fine, but is more useful on the road. Personally, if all teams are now targeting Benteke and marking him 2 or 3 men at a time, it would probably confuse them if Benteke isn’t starting and would prove that the team isn’t one dimensional.

I do believe in the football Lambert wants the team to play, and it is certainly (for the most part) better to watch then under Alex McLeish. Although at times I am baffled as to what is going on out there, for the most part, I’m at least enjoying being part of the Holte End. I can’t do it forever though, so I’ll savour the moments in which I can do it.

2013 NFL Season - Week One

So, what did we learn in week one?

We learned what we already knew. We learned that anything can happen when the players cross the white lines. This is what makes it so exciting! Or angry, depending on what game it was you happened to watch. We also learned that gut feelings are to be trusted, so if you have a thought about a game, definitely go with it.

Which is something I didn’t do last week, and I apologise, in the section about the AFC Shock team, I was initially going to write about the Patriots, and how I believe they’ll struggle this year, and judging on week ones evidence, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to think that would be the case. However, I’m also aware that it is only week two now, with just one game played, things can quickly change. I do honestly believe, the Patriots won’t be anywhere near the Super Bowl for the next 6 years, Brady and Bellicheck will be gone in 3. It’s sad to see, but the signs are there, although it’s not totally on these two, although with no capable WRs, No Steven Ridley, it may as well be just those on the field. All in all, Patriots will probably sneak into the playoffs, but not due to performance of themselves, more under performance of their peers around them. Predicted record, an un-impressive 9-7. Wouldn’t usually make the playoffs, but in their division are the Dolphins, Jets and Bills, this should see them win their division. I still love you TFB. 

Another story coming out of week one of the NFL is that Peyton Manning in one game threw one less TD than the Kansas City Chiefs did all last season. Think about that for a second, while I tell you that don’t expect Peyton to do that EVERY week. Now, has that shocking stat sunk in yet? Good, because we’ll never talk about it again. Unless I use it in the week I talk about the Kansas City Chiefs. Which isn’t now, despite the mention. Sorry KC, your time is coming. (on the blog, not in terms of getting to the post season)

This weeks’ NFC shock team is Arizona Cardinals. Similar to the Eagles I like their draft class of 2013, Solid, but nobody really stands out as the guy that will make the difference to this team in the next 3- 4 seasons. With their narrow defeat to the Rams last week, they will look to make the difference against Detroit, and this is a game in which Arizona could easily win, although the Lions are on a high after dispatching the Vikings last week. While this season isn’t likely to be a winning season for the Cardinals, it won’t be as bad as many people may think, and how they finish, will definitely impact on peoples predictions for next season. They could win 5 or 6 games, but they definitely won’t beat the Falcons (Week 8) , or the 49ers (Week 6 &17 ) The others will be back and forth affairs, in which they will be competitive, but it remains to be seen whether or not they can pull out the W. 2013 Final record 6-10 , but is probably 4 or 5 more than people think. They will of course, definitely miss the playoffs though.

*It should be noted, some of this is written before the first game of the week on Thursday, but since that game, happened to feature the Patriots, there’s one thing I can take from it, and that’s this…

I’m glad that’s over. It was brutal to watch, some of the play calling from the Jets was incredibly ridiculous, and the display from the Pats was lukewarm, at best. Awful game, I wanted to bleach my eyes out, but a W is a W, especially for a team that isn’t going to do well in the offseason, or, as what could be said, great teams find a way to win when they aren’t playing at their best. Which is the case for the Patriots? Join me all season long to find out, as well as the trials of the other teams in the NFL. (I still think they'll barely get past the Wild Card round, but we'll see) 

NFL . 2013 Season Predictions

Hi, you know me from my Barclay’s Premier League review, in which I follow my Team Aston Villa, throughout all 38 league games with an analysis of what happened, what could have been better and how I see the next game going.

I don’t claim to be an expert in NFL, but as a fan, I feel that I can give an educated insight into how I see the 2013 NFL Football season unfolding.

Let me start with the team that won it all last time, the Baltimore Ravens.

Now, considering they got demolished this past Thursday, it’s not all bad for the Baltimore fans. Sure losing a few members of the championship winning side will hurt a bit, but under Joe Flacco and his mighty arm, they should remain competitive, especially as they won’t be facing an inspired Payton manning every week. I believe their overall record will end up at 9-7 and should see them in contention for at least a Wild Card place.

Now, last season’s losing Super bowl finalists, San Francisco 49ers. Usually, the team that lost in the Super bowl the season before, really struggle to make in impact the season after, but I think this season will be different, and the 49ers are in excellent shape to go one better and win it all. I believe their overall record will be 12 – 4. This will see them in excellent shape to pull it off, and I think they are the prime candidate to be the Super bowl representative for the NFC.

I am not going to work my way through all the teams this week, though I will try to reflect on all teams at least once throughout the season. Each week, following this article, I will focus on one team per division, so one NFC, and one AFC team. I will also rate the team of the week out of 10 per performance and also grade A-F for an underperforming team, or a team I feel should have performed better for the matchup.

A couple of teams to keep your eyes on, who I feel will surprise a lot of people.

From the NFC, Philadelphia Eagles.

While a lot of people I’ve spoken to, don’t like the background of the QB Michael Vick, while I don’t agree with it either, you can’t argue that he is the best QB the Eagles have for now.

Though TE James Casey, will be a definite upgrade, and LB Trent Cole will be a huge part of their defensive prowess. Also upgraded is their Head Coach which saw Andy Reid let go, and later he signed to the Chiefs (KC). The Eagles have an innovative new Head Coach in Chip Kelly, and his offensive schemes will suit the Eagles O line better than before. Their D left a lot to be desired and with the hot temper of CB Cary Williams, this is something which at times might need some patience, and although they won’t get at best past the Wild Card, next season they could be in prime position to make inroads into the post season glories. Their 2013 Draft Class hit all the key areas and in the coming years, Eagles could shock the world and lift the Vince Lombardi trophy by 2017. Yes it will take a while, and The Eagles need to stick with Chip Kelly to achieve this, but all things are positive for the Eagle nation. By mid-2015 some of the draft class of 2013 should be integrated within the team, and the change will benefit all parties. 2013 record 8-8.

From within the AFC, The Pittsburgh Steelers will be looking to rebound after last season’s .500 season at 8-8. They have all the pieces needed to make this happen, but it won’t be by much. They will certainly be looking forward to celebrating a winning season but it will only likely see a swing of 1 game from last year, to go 9-7. This won’t be enough for a play-off berth, but it is putting them back in the right direction. Roethlisberger will be a bigger part than ever and with Jerricho Cotchery at WR, in the final year of his 2 year deal signed in 2012, will look to make a bigger impact then he did last time out. Having only started in 2 games, he did appear in most of the 16 games, he will be in better shape to average more than 12.1 yards per reception, which was his lowest since 2005, on a team which was a perennial loser. On the flip side, his career high in carries came in 2007 when he totalled 1,130 yards at an average of 13.8 per reception. A figure, more like 500 yards at an average of 12 per reception should be considered a good season for Jerricho. He will be looked at as a veteran to help the younger members of the roster, and hopefully, will see them back amongst the top teams in the next few years. To repeat, 2013 record = 9-7. That will not be enough to make the playoffs, but will be a good stepping stone.

To quickly mention my usual blog, in which I follow Aston Villa, there will be no release there on the 10^th, but normal service should resume on the 17^th due to the next game being held on the 14^th.

Thank you for reading, and expect the next instalment of the NFL season on the 15^th September 2013.

Oh, Referee !

So, as promised a quick recap of the midweek visit to Stamford Bridge, Outside of contentious (non) refereeing decisions , Chelsea got off to a 1-0 lead early on, with an unlucky Own Goal from new signing, Antonio Luna, whom could do nothing to prevent it. It was an early insight into how the rest of the night would pan out, though at the time, nobody suspected it.

Parity was restored when Benteke excellently dispatched a pass into the near post with essentially the last kick of the first half. Excellent, could the team rally in the second and get a perfect 6 points from 6 to open the season’s first week with?

As it turned out, no.

First, the referee decided not to send off a Chelsea defender, Branislav Ivanovich, for an elbow to the Villa goal scorer, Benteke. Apparently a yellow sufficed. Fair enough, at this point. Villa did still create chances, and later, a free kick was awarded to Chelsea, and the man that, arguably should have received a red card, was there to head home the cross. Anger ensued, although after some more missed chances, and some great goalkeeping from Cech in the Chelsea goal, a ball was crossed in to the centre of the box, and there to head home the cross, no wait, there to clear the ball, with the use of an arm was perennial hate figure John Terry. No penalty. Sheesh give us a break !

It finished with a 2-1 loss, although on another night, would have certainly seen a share of the spoils.

Before I get into another contentious issue, regarding the schedule, and the weekend’s home match against Liverpool, in what had seen Villa victorious in only 2 of the past 20 meetings, the first Home game of the new season, with a new sense of optimism around, I will take the time to reflect on my last article, where I mentioned women’s football, and I realise Hope Powell isn’t all there is to the game, and that shouldn’t discredit the work that other people involved with the game do. Hopefully, in 5 years’ time, women’s football will be on the up and maybe, a highlight show for the Women’s Premier League. This would be an amazing step up for sporting Equality.

So, on we go to the home fixture, which promised much, but didn’t really deliver in the end. Both sides started brightly , but it took a moment of sloppy defending and clinical finishing from Liverpool to open the scoring, of which came in the middle of a dominant spell of possession which saw Liverpool keep the ball for what seemed like 20 minutes, and thinking about it, it probably was. Liverpool showed exactly why they could be an outside bet of a championship this time, with stellar recruiting and excellent signings. The best of which was Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, who last time he visited Villa Park, he conceded 6 in an abysmal appearance for his old club, Sunderland (the place where my mother was born) . No such repeat performance, who definitely kept his side in the lead with a string of quality saves to deny Villa’s endeavour. It finished with a 1-0 loss to Villa, who for large portions certainly looked like a team that had played three times in 7 days. Again, like the Chelsea game though, Villa need to convert the chances they get, but I’m sure with time, they will.

The peculiar thing about this seasons fixture list, is now, Villa won’t be at home, or indeed, in any kind of league action until Mid-September, when Newcastle visit.  It will seem quite strange, that everybody else will be playing, but I guess after the torrid start, with tomorrow’s League cup game to deal with also, bringing the total of 4 games in 10 days, the rest is well deserved. Except, it will also have an international break, where players fly around the world to represent their country and some of them might just have a kick or two. And if we’re all lucky, they might just kick the ball a few times too.

I guess with no league game to report on next week’s blog will either be not done, or discussing my thoughts on Ben Affleck as Batman, or Miley Cyrus’ controversy. 

Either way, keep your eyes peeled.

Maccie. 

Is there any hope left in football ?

Hope, can mean anything to any one supporter, but for this article I’ll discuss hope as it stands as a word. Any flame of delight to shout about, when your teams losing 17-0 at home to Barnet (No disrespect intended) or when your team constantly goes 2-0 up to lose 3-2 .

I will start off with today’s news that Hope Powell; the England Ladies head coach has been sacked with immediate effect. At times it was a very promising era for women’s football, and her achievements in helping England get to the latter stages of tournaments, it definitely improved the coverage of the game in England. It was amazing to see the coverage of Women’s Olympic football, and it was definitely something the women’s game needed, though the men’s game, not so much.

I am sad to see the end of hope Powell's reign as England women's football manager. It has been good to see the spotlight on a sport which gets over looked especially one in women’s football. It has come from a long way of people saying, “Oh there was nothing on Television so I watched the women’s football Cup final”.  It was definitely a game which needed the presence of the Olympic Games to promote and show the world how glorious it could be.

 I do wonder, though, that in the high stakes game of trying to guess who the first managerial casualty of the season will be, how many of you thought this would be the first one? If you say you did, I’d call you a liar. Then I’d ask for proof, and when presented with the proof, I would then dis credit that proof, such as what is often done on Pawn Stars. At least football is back, and so begins week after week of asinine predictions, and stubborn on-lookers believing their team to be the best in the world, despite being in the 4^th tier of football.

On a different note, I can find hope in that Aston Villa will silence a lot of people this season, and shouldn't be anywhere near the relegation zone. As a Holte Ender, the noise will be loud and proud for the majority of the season, and we can definitely feel more secure in retaining the services of the Belgian Beast. Phew. Keep up to date with my in season thoughts about the club that I, and so many others Love, Aston Villa.

Here is a taster, a reflection on the opening weekend of the Barclay’s Premier League match Away to Arsenal at the Emirates. The match finished 3-1 in favour of Villa, and whilst I fancied a sneaky 3 points, I definitely didn't really expect such a clinical victory. Happy Days, unbeaten going into a home clash against Liverpool, but wait!

Firstly, they have to play Away to Chelsea, as on the original date of the fixture, Chelsea are due to play for the Super Cup so let’s play this week. Superb.

More on this game will be featured in my forward to the Liverpool fixture which will be released Week commencing August 26^th.

To sign off for this week, I will mention that with Alan Pardew’s recent comment that the Transfer window should be closed come opening Weekend. I agree, it would stop these sagas of will Wayne Rooney leave Manchester United, will Luis Suarez stay at Liverpool, or where will Christian Benteke play for the 2013/14 season ? Well, The Benteke saga was answered, when he withdrew his Transfer Request, and signed a new contract to stay exactly where he was, and The Holte End will have at least 18 goals to look forward to from him alone. To answer the statement, Yes, it should close when the season starts, as there are 2 months between seasons to get things done, to buy players, to sell players, to do whatever they need to do, and maybe if they miss a player, they can use Hawkeye to review their stupidity.

Thankyou for reading and I will see you at the same time, same place next week.

Maccie. 

Out with the....

Old. Obviously, I love where I'm at right now in life, and appreciate everything I own, and everyone I know.

I am also greatful for any new opportunities I get, and cherish everyone, as I know these are hard to come by, so I do my utmost to impress.

Talking of which, a recent chance, took place at the M.A.C (Midlands Art Centre, and I took part in the Capital film Festival, and I helped film and edit a piece called "Drastic" which was written in the Screen Writers Forum, written by Liz John.

You can see the completed version here, http://vanessajackson.wordpress.com/2012/06/16/drastic/ .

Enjoy.

Owen James Hart.

It's been 13 years.... Yeah 13 years....

We, still miss you.

What happened on that tragic night, in Kansas City, will always remain with us. None of us could believe what we were witnessing, and I say that watching vidoes of the event, as I missed it, so didn't know really what had happened in truth, I don't think I ever will. I just know that watching your matches back, on DVD or Tape, and I always get emotional while watching, and I only do that for 2 wrestlers. You were the first, and the late Eddie Guerrerro is the second. Back to the point of this blog, I realise I have written you, like he can see it as if he was reading it like you are right now,

I still remember where I was when I found out you had passed away. I was on a rare day of getting ready for school, and I had the morning news on and it came up and I stood, motionless for what seemed like an hour, but in reality was a minute. Perhaps two. I don't know what it was you didn't possess as you (at least to me) had everything, excitement, professionalism, amazingness in the ring, charisma and whatever else you needed to become successful.I never understood why you never ended up with the World Wrestling Federation , or if I'm arguing this now, the WWE championship. You were everything I liked in a wrestler, and more. I wanted to become a Wrestler, so that I may entertain in similar ways to how Owen did . Fast forward to now, and I've been through the training, although I lost sight of why I wanted to be a wrestler, I knew that I'd had a craving for a while, but didn't really understand why. I hope that the hand fate has dealt me, hasn't disappointed anybody, but I'm not cut out for the wrestling lark, at least, I will not chase it to make it in the WWE. Sure I'd live to be there, and I still have visions of walking down to the ring on a PPV, and maybe Wrestlemania, and who knows, I'm only 25, and although most tend to start when they are 16,17 maybe I'll be one of the ones that make it when they get into their 30's or 40's.

Of course if that doesn;t happen, I have the perfect tribute to him. A blackhearted king of hearts. This utilises his on screen portrayals when he was the Blackhearted sole Survivor, and his later career (Pre Blue Blazer) King of Hearts. So, what is a blackhearted king of hearts? It's my first tattoo and I love it and its pretty damn awesome!


Rest in Peace, Owen, your soul is at rest.

Update !

You may have seen my other blog, you may not have, but I've been over there, working on things, having a more professional look at the world, although I'm beginning to think there's no point. No longer do I see any hope for humanity, in a world, where it is apparently a criminal offence to be different and something new.

Also, I have noticed people are scared of challenges, and also success. Why would I then be forced to do something which is both boring and poredictable, but also un-original?

While I see that sometimes, there is such a thing as being too challenging, it is better to be a mindless drone with no opinions or desires, just to go un-noticed and bring a decent craft to my mundane ideas.


 Whatever the formula is, I refuse to conform, I will definately sooner go without reward to something I'm passionate about, to sell out and get un-creative. My time will come, where people get fed up of mundanity and tedious dullness.

Until then, I'm through.

Well,

THAT I did not expect.

But, then, maybe I did.

HAPPY 2012!

Yes, that's right, it's finally here. 2012! I've been waiting for this for a whole year, since it became 2011. I didn't really get too far in 2011, because, at this precise moment in 2011, and now in 2012, I'm still sitting in this same damn chair, writing the same stuff, and some new ones for university too! (Talking of which, my TV studies essay is due in 5 days, and tbh, I'd miuch rather do this, so I am doing!
Head has officially met desk, seven times today. Make that eight, as i realise that I've written precisely 24 words on my essay. That's less than the content of this pointless, sidejob blog! As it is 2012, I would like to know which of my readers are foolish, and which ones are weak, so comment under this blog with which word you are. 2012 is hopefully a year in which I get one step closer to a celebrity status, because, look at me, I'm far too outrageous for a lifef scivvying and 9-5 mundanity. Anyhow, I think you all know about my desire to be recognised in the public eye by now so I'll press on to other matters !
Why no 2011 review? Because far too much happened for me to fairly review it on here so I haven't done one at all, besides, just put all my videos, and blogs together, and that is the 2011 review. I've also been asked a lot where Compliment guy is, and he's having a well deserved holiday ! However, he sends a word of complimentation. "Ream" So i kicked him. Hard. Sorry. Though he did comment it was a really well executed kick, so kudos for that.

Anyway, I must depart back to this essay which is important enough for me to stress about, so cheery bye !

Happy 2012, may it bring you, 366 days in the year.

Uni.... How I ....

At this moment, I'm far too tired to think rationally, and such,

Everything you see may be rubbish, but you're gonna hear it anyway!

Now, I know uni's a busy place, and as proven, I'm never stationary (no, i'm not a pencil either) for more than an hour!

I love it. I just need a good sleep once in a while!

On another note, I'm halfway to 50 in a little under 2 weeks. That also means that all my uni work for the first semester will be handed in the day before. This is partly why I've been AWOL or MIA, or to other people, just not been updating my pages !

Far, Too busy.

Anyway, Just wanted to keep you informed that I am still around and thinking of my readers!

Ciao x

Unexplained.

Anger.

Why, all of a sudden does it take one comment, to send me into a spiral of hateful anger for no particular reason?

If I knew that, then maybe i wouldn't be getting angry in the first place. I guess it might be equating it to when a PC needs to be defragged. It's the only analogy I can think could be comparable. Still these things are meant to try us and that. [aside from this bit, I am going to break a grammatical law] But why does it keep happening?

Anyone notice what it was? Good, because I haven't done it yet, but I will. First to spot it wins bugger all. Just well done for being grammatically intelligent!. (And no, it will NOT be the classic butchering of their,there and they're.)

So, anyhow. Any thoughts about why it happens? No, well shit.

How have you been anyway ? I don't even know where this rant/ blog is taking me, let's just roll with it and see where we end up [the end] shall we? Maybe the problem with me is, I actually give a shit. Who knows?

Because let's face it, giving a shit is how many people usually get hurt. Right? Yes, right, either females who stupidly fall for their boyfriends, while their boyfriend is out sewing parts with another female, or good natured people whom other people take advantage of.

Seeing as I am neither of these, why is it that I feel let down all the time by people pretending to be a friend? Of course, when I write "I", I do mean a friend of me, because who would turn their back on someone this awesome right? If they did, they lose out. You hear me out there, let down-ners. YOU (not me) lose out. The next time you see fit to Hell I don't know, NO show my birthday, Yeah, just to use an example, I'll do the complete opposite with my foot and your ass.

Anyway, I have no time to dilly dally or dick around, as I have important things to tend to. On this note I bid you all adieu.

Before I go, you all are probably thinking, there is no point to me writing this, and you'd be wrong, like so many people. If i had no reason to write, I wouldn't. (If i wasn't already in a foul mood, this blog probably wouldn't be here, so thank a douchebag (Copyright Anne Roberts) for pissing me off in the first place.

Goodnight.