Aston Villa: 2011/12, a former manager returns.

After the departure of Gerard Houllier, the search for a new manager seemed to take many twists. Ancelotti decided to take a year out, Martinez decided to stay at Wigan and the Villa fans said f*** no to the idea of McClaren or McCleish. So Chairman Randy Lerner was running out of options, and he turned to the only other possibility…..former Aston Villa manager David O’Leary! O’Leary brought Gavin McCann out of retirement (He was in a coaching role at Bolton) and gave him a new Villa contract. He also signed Shay Given, Charles N’Zogbia and Pedro Leon from Real Madrid. Ashley Young and Stewart Downing left the club.

First game
Fulham 2-2 Aston Villa
Craven Cottage, 3 pm, Saturday 13^th August

After a week of riots in England the punters were glad to turn their attention to the Premier League. However Spurs vs Everton was called off because of the riots. At Craven Cottage, N’Zogbia put Villa ahead in the 63rd minute but Fulham turned it around with a goal scored by Danny Murphy and a powerful header by Hangeland on 78 and 87 minutes respectively. Villa weren’t finished though as Darren Bent scored a header after the ball deflected off Chris Baird’s shoulder in the 93^rd minute! The ball bounced off Baird into the sights of Bent but it was still a tricky chance to convert. Randy Lerner jumped up and hugged the friend he was with, Villa had salvaged a point at the death!

Post match interviews

David O’Leary: Well I tried to sign Hangeland in the Summer, so that didn’t make the second goal any easier to stomach. We’ve got an honest bunch of lads, we’ve got a small squad and we’ll see what we can do.

Prem Table after all this week’s games

Man City--------------------3 pts----plus 4 GD----played 1
Liverpool--------------------3 pts----plus 2 GD-----played 1
Chelsea---------------------3 pts-----plus 2 GD------1
Norwich---------------------3 pts------plus 1 GD-----1
QPR--------------------------3 pts-------plus 1------1
WBA-------------------------3 pts-------plus 1-----1
Fulham----------------------1 pt--------0------1
Villa--------------------------1 pt--------0------1
Arsenal----------------------1 pt--------0------1
Blackburn-------------------1 pt--------0------1
Newcastle------------------1 pt--------0------1
Wolves----------------------1 pt-------0--------1
Everton----------------------0-0-0
Spurs-------------------------0-0-0
Wigan------------------------0 pts------minus 1---1
Bolton------------------------0-------minus 1---played 1
Man Utd--------------------0-------minus 1----played 1
Sunderland----------------0 pts-----minus 2—played 1
Stoke------------------------0 pts----minus 2----played 1
Swansea-------------------0 pts----minus 4-----played 1

Nicely written and presented, is this a football manager diary, or are you just making this up as you go along. I shall be reading, but as I hate the Villa, I hope you do terrible for them.

Nah it's not based on a video game or anything like that, I'm just making it up. Will try and make the table look a bit neater after the next game. Thanks for commenting.

Game 2
Aston Villa 2-0 Blackburn Rovers
Villa Park, 3 pm, Saturday 20th August



Two teams that both drew their first match of the season met today, and Villa grabbed all 3 points. Darren Bent was on target in the 37th minute, and he stepped up to take a penalty which was awarded to Villa a minute before half time. He found the net from the spot with a shot directed into the bottom left corner of the goal.

Prem table after all this week's games


Man City: 6 pts / pld 2
Liverpool: 6 pts / pld 2
Chelsea: 6 pts / pld 2
Villa: 4 pts / played 2
Norwich: 4 pts / pld 2
QPR: 3 pts / pld 2
Everton: 3 pts / pld 1
WBA: 3 pts / pld 2
Fulham: 2 pts / pld 2
Newcastle: 2 pts / pld 2
Wolves: 2 pts / pld 2
Spurs: 1 pt / pld 1
Arsenal: 1 pt / pld 2
Blackburn:1 pt / pld 2
Wigan: 1 pt / pld 2
Man Utd: 1 pt / played 2
Sunderland: 1 pt / played 2
Stoke: 1 pt / played 2
Swansea 1 pt / played 2
Bolton: 0 pts / played 2

League Cup Round 2
Aston Villa 2-0 Hereford
Villa Park, 7.45 pm, Tues 23 August



David O'Leary made a few changes from the Blackburn game but Villa still had enough to beat League 1 side Hereford. Pedro Leon crossed for Gabriel Agbonlahor to head home on 55 minutes, before Charles N'Zogbia set up Marc Albrighton to finish from close range on 78 minutes.


Premier League Game 3
Aston Villa 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Villa Park, 12.05 pm, Saturday 27th August

Wolves suffered their first defeat of the season, in a game of few clear cut chances. A mazy dribble from N'Zogbia committed a couple of defenders, opening up the space for substitute Emile Heskey to slot home in the 71st minute.

Prem Table after all this week's games.

Man City: 9 pts / pld 3
Chelsea: 9 pts / pld 3
Liverpool: 9 pts / pld 3
Villa: 7 pts / played 3
QPR: 6 pts / pld 3
WBA: 6 pts / pld 3
Newcastle: 5 pts / pld 3
Man Utd: 4 pts / played 3
Sunderland: 4 pts / played 3
Everton: 4 pts / pld 2
Norwich: 4 pts / pld 3
Fulham: 2 pts / pld 3
Wolves: 2 pts / pld 3
Blackburn: 2 pts / pld 3
Spurs: 1 pt / pld 2
Arsenal: 1 pt / pld 3
Wigan: 1 pt / pld 3
Stoke: 1 pt / played 3
Swansea 1 pt / played 3
Bolton: 0 pts / played 3

This is an amazing idea Here is gone. And as I support Villa I hope you win the league!

So far this has stayed very true to real life results wise, let's hope the same continues tomorrow.

David O'Leary made some transfer deadline day signings. He brought Alan Hutton, Jermaine Jenas and David Bentley to the club. Carlos Cuellar was sold.

Premier League game 4
Everton 0-0 Aston Villa
Saturday 10th September, 3 pm. Goodison Park


Both sides had yet to lose this season, and the situation was the same at the final whistle. James Collins was impressive in the Villa defence. Everton's Philip Neville wasted a glorious chance about 60 minutes into the match. Marc Albrighton went close for Villa in second half stoppage time, striking the post from 25 yards.

The other Premier League results this week:

Arsenal 3-1 Swansea
Man City 3-0 Wigan
Stoke 0-1 Liverpool
Sunderland 0-1 Chelsea
Wolves 1-2 Tottenham
Bolton 1-3 Man Utd
Norwich 1-0 West Brom
Fulham 1-0 Blackburn
QPR 1-2 Newcastle

Table:

Man City: 12 pts / pld 4
Chelsea: 12 pts / pld 4
Liverpool: 12 pts / pld 4
Villa: 8 pts / played 4
Newcastle: 8 pts / pld 4
Man Utd: 7 pts / played 4
Norwich: 7 pts / pld 4
QPR: 6 pts / pld 4
WBA: 6 pts / pld 4
Everton: 5 pts / pld 3
Fulham: 5 pts / pld 4
Sunderland: 4 pts / played 4
Arsenal: 4 pts / pld 4
Spurs: 4 pts / pld 3
Wolves: 2 pts / pld 4
Blackburn: 2 pts / pld 4
Stoke: 1 pt / played 4
Wigan: 1 pt / pld 4
Swansea 1 pt / played 4
Bolton: 0 pts / played 4

Premier League game 5
Aston Villa 1-2 Newcastle United
Saturday 17th September, 3pm, Villa Park



Villa slumped to a disappointing defeat to Newcastle, bringing an end to their undefeated start to the season. Villa had won their previous 4 league games at home to Newcastle, but it was the away side who started brightly. Shay Given had to make two top good saves to keep it goal-less but Newcastle found the net in the 24th minute when a fiercely struck shot from Ryan Taylor deflected off a Villa player into the path of Demba Ba who took the chance well. Newcastle extended their lead about 10 minutes later when Cabaye headed home from a corner. Villa pulled a goal back in the 38th minute, which was scored by Marc Albrighton but that was the last goal of the game and Newcastle got the 3 points.

The other Premier League results this week:

Blackburn 2-2 Arsenal
Bolton 1-0 Norwich
Everton 2-1 Wigan
Swansea 0-0 West Brom
Wolverhampton 0-1 QPR
Tottenham 3-2 Liverpool
Fulham 0-1 Man City
Sunderland 1-0 Stoke
Man Utd 2-0 Chelsea

Table:

Man City: 15 pts / pld 5
Chelsea: 12 pts / pld 5
Liverpool: 12 pts / pld 5
Newcastle: 11 pts / pld 5
Man Utd: 10 pts / played 5
QPR: 9 pts / pld 5
Villa: 8 pts / played 5
Everton: 8 pts / pld 4
Norwich: 7 pts / pld 5
WBA: 7 pts / pld 5
Sunderland: 7 pts / played 5
Spurs: 7 pts / pld 4
Fulham: 5 pts / pld 5
Arsenal: 5 pts / pld 5
Blackburn: 3 pts / pld 5
Bolton: 3 pts / played 5
Wolves: 2 pts / pld 5
Swansea 2 pts / played 5
Stoke: 1 pt / played 5
Wigan: 1 pt / pld 5

This looks pretty good so far and It's good how you make Villa lose sometimes instead of making them always win like you could have done.