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Aston Villa set to join chase for Wigan star

2006-06-05T12:43:00.000-07:00

David O’Leary could join the bidding for Jason Roberts if the striker moves on this summer

The 27-year-old looks set to leave Wigan Athletic after expressing his unhappiness at the club’s contract offer and has been linked with a move to Turkish side Besiktas."There has been a lot of talk but nothing has been done. I believe Aston Villa, Charlton and Blackburn are also keeping tabs on him," said agent Willie McKay.

Aston Villa star cools Monaco link

2006-05-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

Aston Villa Football Club star Milan Baros insists he knows nothing of reported interest from Monaco.
It was reported last week that the French outfit were lining up a move for the Czech Republic international, who only moved to Villa Park from Liverpool last summer in a £6.5million transfer.However, Baros insists he knows nothing of the speculation of a move to the principality, and is focusing his total concentration on the World Cup Finals this summer. "I know absolutely nothing, all these things go past me," Baros said to Sport. "I am fully concentrated only on the World Cup and if some news gets to me, I don't even want to comment on it. "My priorities for now are the World Cup and Czech Republic national team."

Aston Villa rule out Bakke swoop

2006-05-22T10:19:00.000-07:00

Aston Villa Football Club are unlikely to pursue their interest in Eirik Bakke.

The Leeds United midfielder – who worked under Villa boss David O’Leary at Elland Road – enjoyed a loan spell at Villa Park earlier this season.It was widely expected that the Midlands club would make a move for Bakke on a permanent basis this summer, yet Doug Ellis has seemingly ruled this out. "He can't even get into the Leeds side on a regular basis. That's my answer to that," said the Villa chairman when asked about a possible deal.

Aston Villa boss ready to sell

2006-05-17T14:10:00.000-07:00

David O’Leary is preparing to offload some of his Aston Villa Football Club squad as he looks ahead to next season.

The Irishman may well have been given a vote of confidence by Villa chairman Doug Ellis, yet with transfer funds limited, he has also been told he must sell if he wants to enter the market this summer. "I have a list of targets and it depends how much money I can generate,” said O’Leary. “The only way we are going to be able to change things around is by changing players around and generating money in that way.”"But if you take Milan Baros out of the equation, we have brought in a lot of players on free transfers or paid a couple of hundred thousand pounds here and there. We have been shopping around at this club in that way for quite a while. “I don't think that has changed in any way. The club set the agenda, the wages, the amount of money. They tell me I have 'X' amount. The agenda has been set for me this summer in that I have to sell to get people in. That's what I have got to do."

Aston Villa vow to keep Davis

2006-05-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

David O’Leary insists Aston Villa Football Club will not sell Steven Davis.

The Northern Ireland international made the breakthrough to the Villa first team this season, and has been perhaps the only bright spot in a disappointing season.Manchester United are believed to be considering making a bid for the youngster, yet O’Leary insists the club will not be selling Davis at any price. "There is no way Davis would be a player we want to sell," said the Villa boss. "There are loads you wouldn't want to do that with and within that bunch you might have to bite the bullet and let one go to raise money. “But he is not one of those. For that to happen it would have to be one taken out of my hands, an absolutely obscene offer money-wise. Steven has been the most consistent player this season and he would win my vote for player of the year."But I don't buy into him being linked with other clubs."

England Premiere League

2006-05-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

This Sunday one of the most prestigious Leagues in the world comes to an end, which is the English Premier League. It’s been a fierce competition all season long, especially between Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United fighting for the first three places. Even though Chelsea is already the champion with one fixture left, the fight for second place is fierce between Manchester and Liverpool for a chance to get into next year edition of the champions league.

A team that should’ve figure among the first places and didn’t was the Arsenal with an impressive campaign in the Champions League they couldn’t do the same in the Premier League 25 points behind first place Chelsea unless they win the Champion League Final they will not enter next years edition due to their current position in the Premier League.

The situation with Arsenal in the Premier League has left the fans and the team very disappointed because everybody had great expectations. Although they couldn’t play as well as everybody expected in the Premier League, they still have the comfort of being in the final of the Champions League.

Let’s talk about the new Champion Chelsea; they didn’t have a good campaign in the Champions League like their counterpart Arsenal. Still they managed to get the title in England without any major dispute towards the end of the season. They have a great team that maybe doesn’t have so many stars like other teams, but they managed to get the formula needed to have a balanced team both in offense and defense. This has allowed them to be at the top of the table most of the season.

After the defeat against Blackburn Rovers, three days after winning the Championship, Chelsea coach Mourinho admitted, he wouldn’t have been quite so philosophical over the outcome had the lost points been of greater consequence. “I am laughing now because I am champion, but if today I was not champion, I think it would be the end of my career in England because I would be suspended forever!” he said, painting a picture of how he would have reacted.

If you like sports betting don’t miss the chance to bet on this weekend’s final game for it will be the last match day of the season and will be a long time before we have English soccer again.

Angel unsure of Aston Villa future

2006-05-02T08:12:00.000-07:00

Juan Pablo Angel admits he may leave Aston Villa Football Club this summer, yet he hopes to remain in England.
The Colombian striker has endured another frustrating season at Villa Park, with manager David O’Leary often preferring to pair up Kevin Phillips and Milan Baros in attack.Angel recently stated he would not be prepared for another season on the bench, and he has now revealed that he may leave the club in the summer although he wants to remain in The Premiership. "I'll always be thankful to the Villa fans for the rest of my life and that will never change," he told the club's website. "But we'll have to wait and see what happens. "I'm really happy in England and my kids are growing up here and I can't see any reason why I'd want to go anywhere else. Ideally I want to stay at Villa but I can't control the situation."

2006-05-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

AstonVillasoccerArsenal boss admits England interest11:36 4/30/2006Arsenal Football Club boss Arsene Wenger admits he would be interested in managing England in the future.Mail The Arsenal Journo Leave A Comment On Our Message Board Send This Article To A FriendThe Frenchman is regarded as one of the finest coaches in Europe, yet he has barely been linked with the post which Sven Goran Eriksson will vacate as soon as the World Cup Finals are over.However, Wenger has perhaps saved the Football Association a job by revealing that although he would be interested in managing England in the future, now is not the right time. "It is a big honour to be talked about as though I am capable of doing the England job, but I am not a candidate," said Wenger. "I feel completely focused on what I want to achieve with Arsenal. "In the future you never know. If tomorrow I am free and England was to offer me the job of course I would take it - but at the moment I do not feel the need to go from club football to national team football. "I always try to honour my contracts and my contract runs out in 2008 and of course part of it was to stay through the opening the new stadium and keep the team going. "After 2008, what I will do? I do not know."

2006 UEFA CUP Tournament

2006-04-26T15:40:00.000-07:00

The UEFA Cup is handed over to the Dutch city of Eindhoven, and in preparation for hosting this season's final, golden memories of 1978 will come flooding back.
It was on 9 May 1978 that local side PSV Eindhoven established themselves as a major force in European football as they beat SC Bastia 3-0 at the Philips stadium - the venue for this season's final - to win the UEFA Cup, following a goalless draw in the first leg in Corsica two weeks earlier.
By that time, PSV had already broken the cast-iron grip that the big clubs from the west of the Netherlands - Feyenoord and AFC Ajax - held on the Dutch title by winning the Eredivisie in 1974/75 and 1975/76, but in taking the UEFA Cup, they announced their presence to the whole continent.
With the final being contested over two legs in those days, PSV had not enjoyed an easy time in the opening fixture against Bastia. Heavy rainfall turned the first leg into a boring show. But the second leg, however, was much more one-sided, and with the elements no longer blocking their route to goal, PSV shone with Willy van de Kerkhof, Gerrie Deijkers and Willy van der Kuylen finding the target as they secured a famous victory in front of 27,000 fans.
With Feyenoord and Ajax both having won major European competitions in the early 1970s, PSV were the third Dutch club to triumph in UEFA competition, and added to their trophy cabinet by winning the European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1987/88 before reaching the UEFA Champions League semi-finals in 2004/05.
The memories of that first success back in 1978 will be celebrated as 2004/05 UEFA Cup, against all the Sportsbooks odds. Winners of last year’s cup PFC CSKA Moskva hand the trophy to Eindhoven, with goal scorers Van de Kerkhof and Van der Kuylen in attendance. Sadly Deijkers died of heart failure at the age of 56 back in October 2003.
Deijkers' story was an odd one. He had played as a defender in previous seasons but coach Kees Rijvers - who will also be at the handover - decided to hand him a chance to become a striker as PSV were having attacking problems in 1977/78. He went on to score 18 league goals and six in the UEFA Cup that season.
While Deijkers will be missed at the ceremony at the Evoluon building in Eindhoven, plenty of other PSV stars of 1978 will be there to make up the numbers. Among them will be Willy's twin brother René van de Kerkhof, Jan Poortvliet, Adri van Kraay and Kees Krijgh all eager to get their hands on the trophy again.

Aston Villa close to £3million Milner deal?

2006-04-26T15:38:00.000-07:00

Newcastle United midfielder James Milner looks set to make his loan move to Villa Park a permanent one

Reports on Wednesday afternoon suggest that a deal is close for the England under-21 star, who has been one of the few bright spots in a disappointing season for David O'Leary's side.The 21-year-old former Leeds star has played 31 times for Villa during the current campaign.

Aston Villa are looking for a new manager

2006-04-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

The bible of football stories, the Sunday Mirror, are running with a great one this morning; Aston Villa point spreads are searching for a new manager which means the end of O'Leary. If it is true and deep down we know it is then all of our dreams are coming true.
David O'Leary is a complete waste of space. We know this, he knows this, the players know this and the last person to figure it out, Ellis, has finally joined the party.
What you've got to remember is Aston Villa are one of the biggest clubs in the country. We have a team of full internationals and possible the best group of youngsters in the country. This club will be attractive to the right man.
The right man is going to have ambition, drive and a good footballing pedigree. If Aston Villa do this right and tick the right boxes I'm convicted we'll be challenging for European football next season and that we'll see more days like we did against Blues at Villa Park very soon.
This brings us very nicely to our new question to the right. Should the board wait or should they pull the plug and put in a MacDonald Cowans team until the find the right man?