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RobVilla

Listed below are comments made by RobVilla between Tuesday, 12th May 2009 and Wednesday, 25th November 2009.

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Benitez under spotlight after Champions League exit 12:38pm on 25 Nov 2009 Well a better than normal blog and as a comparative insider at both Merseyside clubs I think you are right in the fact Benitez will not be sacked. They are in enough financial trouble without adding another 10m to the pot.

Should Liverpool lose against the blue half on Sunday then I dare say that Everton (who have been without some of their best players all season and don't moan) will join Spurs, Villa, Liverpool and City in the hunt for 4th.

Incidentally

Liverpool's best 1st 11 available thus far thus year?

25 Reina
02 Johnson
22 Insua
23 Carragher
37 Skrtel
08 Gerrard
15 Benayoun
20 Mascherano
21 Lucas
09 Torres
18 Kuyt

That'll be the the team that got beaten by Villa in the 3rd game of the season. Not many 1st teamers missing are there at that stage certainly according to Rafa's current thinking?
Does anyone seriously think that team is better than any of the Top 3s starting 11.
Man City will regret lack of ambition 7:32pm on 22 Nov 2009 Mmmm - not sure a 2-2 draw at home to City is a worse result for City. Reckon Hughes would have taken that as well as the draw at Villa where they were more attack minded, granted.
Liverpool have 4 definite starters Reina, Carragher, Gerrard and Torres so of those only 1 was missing. The other 7 positions seem to go into Rafa's tombola and Liverpool have literally dozens of first team squad players to chose from. Johnson may become number 5 in time.
Phil on a previous blog I not only stated that Liverpool would not win the title or finish in the Top 2 because they over achieved last season due to Utd being involved in that World Club and European Super Cup nonsense and played catch up couple with JT and Lamps not wanting to work with Big Phil. Neither of those are factors this season.
It may have been deleted by the moderators however - they don't seem to like home truths about the Beebs favourite team.
Looking at table tonight compared to pre season I would have expected Liverpool on 23 points - so 5th. They are lucky to have 19 - Bolton and West Ham deserved not to lose.
Can James answer England call? 12:56pm on 08 Oct 2009 Form wise Green - best of an average bunch though Robinson is still the most talented and confidence is returning and has served England well in the past. Someone justifiably mentioned good at stopping penalties as well..
James is (for a footballer) media savvy and not unintelligent which is refreshing. However on a football level he has no current claim to this spot - he had numerous chances and rarely shined and never inspired confidence.
To the person who mentioned Taffarel or Bartez - both these (94 & 98) would walk into the current England team though neither were .
To the person who mentioned James foul v France in 2004 - to be fair he had no chance once StevieMe had played it into path of Henry (at the time probably best player in the world). Please stick to the facts - that was Gerrard fault he should have booted it out of play.
Capello can plot World Cup glory 08:09am on 10 Sep 2009 Phil this is a pretty well rounded piece. I think England are behind Spain and Brazil in the pecking order though alongside Germany, Holland and perhaps Italy.

The following line IS laughable:

'Gerrard still has to win over some England supporters, but the very notion of a Capello side without the Liverpool captain is laughable. '

Gerred played ver well last night as did all of them. However Gerrard has consistently let England down when it mattered. He isn't the only one so last night's performance is recompense of sorts. Insert 'squad' in the above line instead of 'side' and the comment is valid.

All of the England players will be picked by Capello on merit - attitude, application and performance and Not reputation - just ask Michael Owen.
Owen worth Man Utd gamble 11:31am on 03 Jul 2009 This smacks of the Blackburn - Fowler deal last year and that worked out well, didn't it?

Someone mentioned about Inzaghi or RVN - agreed much better options and would cost a little bit more overall due to transfer fee.

He simply isn't good enough to play for Man Utd or any top 10 club. However a sporting franchise that is £1bn in debt he is a comparatively cheap option.

By the way there is no such thing as a free transfer (rather no transfer fee). Wages are a huge proportion of cost to clubs nowadays - Owen cost Newcastle £40m in total - Phil was he worth that money?
Owen worth Man Utd gamble 10:12am on 03 Jul 2009 Phil seems to be Owen's unofficial cheerleader and spokesperson

Good enough for Man Utd - 7/8 years ago. Yep
Good enough for Everton/Villa. Nope.
Hull/Stoke worth a pay as you play punt. Yep
Moyes and Everton can defy odds 12:41pm on 29 May 2009 Good luck Everton.

I hope they win and put the final nail in the coffin of this season's most arrogant, petulant losers - and bearing in mind that qualifies them ahead of Benitez an extra special feat not to be proud of.

I hope all self respecting football neutrals wish them all the best.
Quartet face relegation nail-biter 10:04pm on 22 May 2009 I completely agree that it is down to the 4 teams (unlike Sheff Utd 2 years ago when without Tevez West Ham would have finished bottom) not Fergie.
Phil - Shearer is not under the greatest pressure. He will not be blamed in any way if they lose to my team. He will be under pressure if he stays regardless of outcome next season, especially if Newcastle get relegated.
Please no hard luck/didn't he do his best on your Beeb's mate.
Course you are right they should have got in Terry Venables - I mean the rescue job he did at Leeds in 2002/3 under similar difficult circumstances (no money/huge debt/team that doen't own their ground/inept leadership) qualifies him. Maybe not. He was so good that Peter Reid was brought in to resuce Leeds from certain releagtion. Funny Terry like Alan is another 'media' darling.
Man Utd are worthy champions 1:08pm on 18 May 2009 Phil - agree the best team always wins the League Title. It is the truest test of a team.

Man Utd were the best team over 38 games afainst a backdrop of having the best financial & player resources with a manager of unique desire.

It annoys me somewhat Derby's 1970s title, Villa (81), Arsenal (89) and Leeds (92) were never given the credit they deserve for being the best team over what in most cases 42 matches
Obviously the 1981 is closest to my heart with the National Press blanket backing of Bobby Robson's Ipswich (before the days when said Press lampooned him as England manager for the best part of decade) over Villa and the lines '.....had the league been over 36 games then Ipswich would have won....'It wasn't so they didn't.
Brave Shearer gives Newcastle hope 11:49am on 12 May 2009 Phil - sorry mate add Necastle/Shearer to Liverpool and England in things you should steer clear of writing about. Are you angling for a job as Shearer's PR man.
It is not brave to haul off a player who's last good full or even half a season is well over half a decade ago who happens to draw a wage of 100k+ a week. Good win for a poor Necastle team over a poor Boro team which would have been more comfortable without Owne.
The number of good games he has had in the 4 years in the biggest unsuccessful club in Europe numbers no more than a dozen. I was a huge Owen fan (occasional dives aside) until 2003 as he and Beckham dug England out of holes a number of times. He looks way way past his best now - a useful punt on a Pay as you play for a season ling contract - no more.
However Owen as a former darling of Merseyside will always get support from the Beeb pundits no matter how average or dare I say unavailable he has been ever since.

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