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 08-11-2007, 02:38 AM | #31 (permalink) | |||
| Fredua Koranteng Adu Offline Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Estados Unidos Posts: 256,709 vCash: 20158194 Rep Points: 916 | Aston Villa vs Liverpool
Saturday, 11 August Kick-off: 1715 BST Coverage on the BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on Match of the Day Stuart Taylor will start in goal for Aston Villa, with David Bevan on the bench, as Thomas Sorensen is injured. Nigel Reo-Coker is set to make his competitive debut and Marlon Harewood, is set to be on the bench as John Carew partners Gabriel Agbonlahor in attack. Liverpool have no injury problems, leaving manager Rafael Benitez with plenty of selection dilemmas. Fernando Torres seems sure to make his league debut up front with Dirk Kuyt, while Yossi Benayoun could also start.  News conference: Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez Aston Villa (from): Taylor, Bevan, Gardner, Cahill, Mellberg, Laursen, Bouma, Reo-Coker, Young, Petrov, Barry, Berger, Maloney, Osbourne, Carew, Agbonlahor, Moore, Harewood. Liverpool (from): Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Riise, Benayoun, Gerrard, Alonso, Voronin, Torres, Kuyt, Itandje, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Pennant, Sissoko, Crouch, Kewell, Babel, Mascherano. Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill: "We could get turned over by Liverpool very easily. "But the overall depth of the squad will be the most important issue and that's what we're addressing at the minute. "The better quality of player that comes to the club, the better it is for everyone." Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez: "If you want to be contenders then you have to score a lot more goals than we did. "I am not thinking about Torres scoring 20 or more goals. "What I would like would be to see is Voronin scoring 10 to 15 goals, Crouch, Kuyt and Torres all the same." BIG-MATCH FACTS Two of the seven remaining Premier League ever-presents go head-to-head. Aston Villa, who ended last season as one of the 'form' teams, also got off to a storming start under new manager Martin O'Neill with three wins and six draws in a nine-match unbeaten run before that sequence was ended by Liverpool. Liverpool have not won an opening Premier League fixture since defeating Aston Villa 0-1 at Villa Park on 18 August 2002. A draw or better will see Liverpool become the fourth club to bag 1,000 Premier League points. CLUB FORM ASTON VILLA Club stats Fixtures Last season: 11th 50 points 1. One of five founder members of the Football League competing in this season's Premier League; the others are Blackburn, Bolton, Derby and Everton. 2. Have been crowned champions of England seven times, but not since 1980-81. 3. Were Premier League runners-up in the inaugural season of 1992-93. 4. Their average Premier League finish is ninth. 5. The Premier League draw specialists with 175 of their 582 fixtures finishing level. Indeed, the 2-2 stalemate at Bolton on the last day was the 1,000th draw in their league history. 6. Drew 48% of their league matches last term (17 of 38). 7. Started and ended the season with nine-match undefeated strings. 8. Arsenal were the last side to beat them; 0-1 at Villa Park on 14 March. Won four and drawn five of the subsequent fixtures. 9. Drawn their opening Premier League fixture in each of the last two seasons. 10. The 2-0 eclipse of Southampton at Villa Park on 14 August 2004 is their only opening day maximum in seven seasons. LIVERPOOL Club stats Fixtures Last season: 3rd 68 points 1. The Champions League runners-up secured third place in the Premier League for the second successive season with a 2-2 draw, home to relegated Charlton on the last day. 2. Been crowned champions of England an unmatched 18 times, although Manchester United are catching up fast (16 titles). 3. Yet to win the Premier League trophy. Their most recent title was 1989-90, under Kenny Dalglish. 4. One of 10 founder members of the Premier League competing this season. 5. Experiencing the third longest unbroken stint of top flight football of 46 seasons from 1962-63; beaten only by Arsenal (82 seasons) and Everton (54). 6. On an overall total of 999 Premier League points. Only Manchester United (1,232), Arsenal (1,081) and Chelsea (1,013) exceed that. 7. The only club whose players were not shown one red card in Premier League competition last season. 8. Drawn their opening league fixture for three seasons in a row. KEY PLAYER NOTES ASTON VILLA Ins and Outs New signing Nigel REO-COKER was shown more yellow cards than any other player in the Premier League last season when wearing the West Ham shirt (13). Another new import from West Ham, Marlon HAREWOOD, needs one goal to total 100 in his league career (Nottingham Forest, Ipswich and West Ham). Olof MELLBERG was the only player to have started every one of Villa's league matches last season. If he plays:- Patrik BERGER will be facing a former club. The Czech Republic international made nearly 200 appearances for Liverpool between August 1996 and June 2003 and scored 35 goals for them, of which 28 were in the Premier League. LIVERPOOL Ins and Outs Peter CROUCH was Liverpool's leading scorer last season with 18. CROUCH spent 18 months with Villa from March 2002, recording 43 appearances (37 in the Premier League) and scoring six League goals. Dirk KUYT netted the club's highest number of Premier League goals (12). Jermaine PENNANT made most appearances for the Reds (51). HEAD TO HEAD Aston Villa have claimed just four points from the last 27 available in home Premier League matches against Liverpool. They have not beaten them at Villa Park since Stan Collymore scored a brace in a 2-1 triumph on 28 February 1998. Liverpool hold an 11 match unbeaten league record of seven wins and four draws over Villa - their last defeat being a 1-3 reverse at Anfield on 8 September 2001. Home and away League (inc PL): Villa 51 wins, Liverpool 77, Draws 36 Prem: Villa 8 wins, Liverpool 16, Draws 6 at Aston Villa only League (inc PL): A Villa 37 wins, Liverpool 25, Draws 20 Prem: Villa 5 wins, Liverpool 6, Draws 4 LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME Aston Villa 0-0 Liverpool 13 March 2007 - Ref: Lee Mason REFEREE Mike Riley (Leeds, Yorkshire) Mike Riley's 2006-07 Premiership card count This is a late change. Mike Riley and Steve Bennett have effectively swapped matches. Bennett was originally selected to referee this game, but he is now controlling the Chelsea v Birmingham clash. | |||
| 08-12-2007, 03:27 PM | #34 (permalink) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fredua Koranteng Adu Offline Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Estados Unidos Posts: 256,709 vCash: 20158194 Rep Points: 916 |
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| 08-16-2007, 01:48 AM | #35 (permalink) | ||||
| Fredua Koranteng Adu Offline Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Estados Unidos Posts: 256,709 vCash: 20158194 Rep Points: 916 |
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| 08-16-2007, 01:48 AM | #36 (permalink) | ||||
| Fredua Koranteng Adu Offline Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Estados Unidos Posts: 256,709 vCash: 20158194 Rep Points: 916 |
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| 08-16-2007, 01:52 AM | #38 (permalink) |
| Fredua Koranteng Adu Offline Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Estados Unidos Posts: 256,709 vCash: 20158194 Rep Points: 916 | Aston Villa v Liverpool Aston Villa v Liverpool Liverpool head to Villa Park having not won their opening league fixture for five years. With no injury problems, Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has plenty of selection dilemmas ahead of this match. He claimed on Thursday that big transfer fees do not guarantee a player his place in the side, but £20million signing Fernando Torres seems sure to make his league debut up front, probably partnered by the hard-working Dirk Kuyt. Yossi Benayoun's good pre-season form could see him claim the right-wing role ahead of Jermaine Pennant, while Steven Gerrard will start the season in his favoured central midfield role. competitive debut Villa manager Martin O'Neill's lack of goalkeeping options for the opening fixture of the campaign means academy prospect David Bevan will be on the bench. Stuart Taylor will be between the posts as last season's number one Thomas Sorensen is sidelined with a hamstring injury. England Under-21 skipper Nigel Reo-Coker is set to make his competitive debut following his £8.5million move from West Ham but the other summer capture from Upton Park, striker Marlon Harewood, is expected to be among the substitutes. John Carew should recover from a groin injury and is likely to partner Gabriel Agbonlahor in attack. teams: Aston Villa (from): Taylor, Bevan, Gardner, Cahill, Mellberg, Laursen, Bouma, Reo-Coker, Young, Petrov, Barry, Berger, Maloney, Osbourne, Carew, Agbonlahor, Moore, Harewood. Liverpool (from): Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Riise, Benayoun, Gerrard, Alonso, Voronin, Torres, Kuyt, Itandje, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Pennant, Sissoko, Crouch, Kewell, Babel, Mascherano. |
| 08-16-2007, 01:52 AM | #39 (permalink) |
| Fredua Koranteng Adu Offline Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Estados Unidos Posts: 256,709 vCash: 20158194 Rep Points: 916 | Aston Villa v Liverpool Aston Villa v Liverpool Liverpool head to Villa Park having not won their opening league fixture for five years. With no injury problems, Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has plenty of selection dilemmas ahead of this match. He claimed on Thursday that big transfer fees do not guarantee a player his place in the side, but £20million signing Fernando Torres seems sure to make his league debut up front, probably partnered by the hard-working Dirk Kuyt. Yossi Benayoun's good pre-season form could see him claim the right-wing role ahead of Jermaine Pennant, while Steven Gerrard will start the season in his favoured central midfield role. competitive debut Villa manager Martin O'Neill's lack of goalkeeping options for the opening fixture of the campaign means academy prospect David Bevan will be on the bench. Stuart Taylor will be between the posts as last season's number one Thomas Sorensen is sidelined with a hamstring injury. England Under-21 skipper Nigel Reo-Coker is set to make his competitive debut following his £8.5million move from West Ham but the other summer capture from Upton Park, striker Marlon Harewood, is expected to be among the substitutes. John Carew should recover from a groin injury and is likely to partner Gabriel Agbonlahor in attack. teams: Aston Villa (from): Taylor, Bevan, Gardner, Cahill, Mellberg, Laursen, Bouma, Reo-Coker, Young, Petrov, Barry, Berger, Maloney, Osbourne, Carew, Agbonlahor, Moore, Harewood. Liverpool (from): Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Riise, Benayoun, Gerrard, Alonso, Voronin, Torres, Kuyt, Itandje, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Pennant, Sissoko, Crouch, Kewell, Babel, Mascherano. |
| 08-16-2007, 01:53 AM | #40 (permalink) |
| Fredua Koranteng Adu Offline Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Estados Unidos Posts: 256,709 vCash: 20158194 Rep Points: 916 | Villa wrap up Carson deal Villa wrap up Carson deal  The 21-year-old, who enjoyed a successful loan spell at Charlton Athletic last season, will be available for the trip to Newcastle United next weekend. Villa manager O'Neill told Home Page | Aston Villa | HOME: "I'm really delighted. I think he's got the potential to be an absolutely top-class goalkeeper. He's had the year's experience down at Charlton last year, where he did very well, he's carried that on with the England Under-21s and he's ready. With those experiences he now obviously wants to play." compromise "Liverpool have made it abundantly clear that they do not want to sell him and they've mentioned that for quite some considerable time. Their stance has not changed, so a loan is a compromise. In an ideal world I would have preferred to have had our own players on a permanent basis, but we have him for the year and I'm absolutely delighted. "I asked about Scott some weeks ago and Liverpool's position has never changed. I'm delighted that they've allowed him to come and I'm obviously very pleased that he has." O'Neill does not want his acquisitions to end there, having already signed Marlon Harewood and Nigel Reo-Coker from West Ham. He added: "We've got a number of weeks yet to go. By the time that transfer deadline is over we will have played three league games, but we will still have 35 left to play. We're in a position to do something about the squad size. "I'm acutely aware of having let players go over the summer time. We need to build the squad up and I would like to get as much quality into the squad as possible. You can always build up by numbers if that's what you want to do, but I believe that quality should really come first." Home Page | Aston Villa | HOME |
| 08-16-2007, 01:53 AM | #41 (permalink) |
| Fredua Koranteng Adu Offline Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Estados Unidos Posts: 256,709 vCash: 20158194 Rep Points: 916 | Villa wrap up Carson deal Villa wrap up Carson deal The 21-year-old, who enjoyed a successful loan spell at Charlton Athletic last season, will be available for the trip to Newcastle United next weekend. Villa manager O'Neill told Home Page | Aston Villa | HOME: "I'm really delighted. I think he's got the potential to be an absolutely top-class goalkeeper. He's had the year's experience down at Charlton last year, where he did very well, he's carried that on with the England Under-21s and he's ready. With those experiences he now obviously wants to play." compromise "Liverpool have made it abundantly clear that they do not want to sell him and they've mentioned that for quite some considerable time. Their stance has not changed, so a loan is a compromise. In an ideal world I would have preferred to have had our own players on a permanent basis, but we have him for the year and I'm absolutely delighted. "I asked about Scott some weeks ago and Liverpool's position has never changed. I'm delighted that they've allowed him to come and I'm obviously very pleased that he has." O'Neill does not want his acquisitions to end there, having already signed Marlon Harewood and Nigel Reo-Coker from West Ham. He added: "We've got a number of weeks yet to go. By the time that transfer deadline is over we will have played three league games, but we will still have 35 left to play. We're in a position to do something about the squad size. "I'm acutely aware of having let players go over the summer time. We need to build the squad up and I would like to get as much quality into the squad as possible. You can always build up by numbers if that's what you want to do, but I believe that quality should really come first." Home Page | Aston Villa | HOME |
| 08-16-2007, 01:53 AM | #42 (permalink) |
| Fredua Koranteng Adu Offline Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Estados Unidos Posts: 256,709 vCash: 20158194 Rep Points: 916 | Aston Villa - Your Shot prize Aston Villa - Your Shot prize The winner of Aston Villa's Your Shot prize will receive the following ultimate matchday experience: 10.00am: Arrive at Villa Park - Car Park Pass for Villa Village. 10.15am: Breakfast - Corner Flag Restaurant. 10.45am: Briefing with General Krulak. 11.00am: Meet Jonathan Calderwood - Head Groundsman Receive Report on Pitch Conditions. 11.15am: Tour of the Holte Pub. 11.30am: Meet Tony Diffley - Stadium Manager Receive Report on Stadium Preparations. 11.45am: Meet John Greenfield - Merchandising Manager Report on Sales in Club Shop. 12.00pm: Meet Nicola Keye - Consumer Sales Manager Receive Report on Match Ticket Sales. 12.15pm: Meet Jack Woodward - Villa World Presenter Pre-Match interview- Pitch-side. 12.30pm: Lunch in Directors Lounge with CEO Richard Fitzgerald. 2.00pm: Seat in Press Box with commentary team Jack Woodward & Tony Morley. 2.45pm: Half-time interview - Views on the action. 3.45pm: Attend post match interviews with Jack Woodward - In the tunnel - Meet the players. 4.30pm: Final interview - Thoughts on the day with Jack Woodward - In the tunnel. For more information on Your Shot and the application form click here. |
| 08-16-2007, 01:53 AM | #43 (permalink) |
| Fredua Koranteng Adu Offline Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Estados Unidos Posts: 256,709 vCash: 20158194 Rep Points: 916 | Aston Villa - Your Shot prize Aston Villa - Your Shot prize The winner of Aston Villa's Your Shot prize will receive the following ultimate matchday experience: 10.00am: Arrive at Villa Park - Car Park Pass for Villa Village. 10.15am: Breakfast - Corner Flag Restaurant. 10.45am: Briefing with General Krulak. 11.00am: Meet Jonathan Calderwood - Head Groundsman Receive Report on Pitch Conditions. 11.15am: Tour of the Holte Pub. 11.30am: Meet Tony Diffley - Stadium Manager Receive Report on Stadium Preparations. 11.45am: Meet John Greenfield - Merchandising Manager Report on Sales in Club Shop. 12.00pm: Meet Nicola Keye - Consumer Sales Manager Receive Report on Match Ticket Sales. 12.15pm: Meet Jack Woodward - Villa World Presenter Pre-Match interview- Pitch-side. 12.30pm: Lunch in Directors Lounge with CEO Richard Fitzgerald. 2.00pm: Seat in Press Box with commentary team Jack Woodward & Tony Morley. 2.45pm: Half-time interview - Views on the action. 3.45pm: Attend post match interviews with Jack Woodward - In the tunnel - Meet the players. 4.30pm: Final interview - Thoughts on the day with Jack Woodward - In the tunnel. For more information on Your Shot and the application form click here. |
| 08-16-2007, 01:54 AM | #44 (permalink) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fredua Koranteng Adu Offline Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Estados Unidos Posts: 256,709 vCash: 20158194 Rep Points: 916 |
Overview Bolton have established themselves as a respected Premier League club since rejoining the top flight in 2001. The Trotters made their Premier League bow in 1995 but were relegated after just one season when they finished bottom. They returned to football's elite a year later after winning the Division One title, but went down again - this time on goal difference. Sam Allardyce guided Bolton back up in 2001 and the club has gone from strength to strength. Bolton qualified for the Uefa Cup for the first time in their history in 2005 after finishing sixth. After an eighth-place finish the year after, they came seventh last season to make the Uefa Cup again. They were one of 12 founder members of the Football League which was formed in 1888. Club Heritage The club was founded as Christ Church FC in 1874, but changed its name to Bolton Wanderers three years later. Bolton finished FA Cup runners-up in 1894 and were losing finalists again 10 years later, before making it third time lucky with victory over West Ham in the 1923 final. More FA Cup success arrived in 1926 when they beat Manchester City and again in 1929 with a triumph over Portsmouth. There was another FA Cup Final appearance in 1953, but Bolton suffered a 4-3 defeat at the hands of a Stanley Matthews-inspired Blackpool. Five years later, they made up for the disappointment by winning the FA Cup for the fourth time with victory over Manchester United. Bolton had a 29-year spell from 1935 in the top flight and eventually slipped into the league's lowest tier in 1987. They eventually clawed their way back to the Premiership in 1995. And as a Division One team, made an heroic run to the League Cup Final but lost out to Liverpool. They suffered the same fate again - losing to Middlesbrough in the 2004 League Cup Final - although a club-best finish of eighth in the Barclays Premierhip softened the blow. Premier League History 1994-95 - Reach FA Carling Premiership 1994-95 - League Cup Finalists 1995-96 - Roy McFarland replaces Bruce Rioch as manager 1995-96 - Colin Todd appointed manager 1995-96 - Relegated from FA Carling Premiership 1996-97 - Division One winners 1997-98 - Bolton leave Burnden Park for new Reebok Stadium 1997-98 - Relegated from FA Carling Premiership 1999-00 - Sam Allardyce becomes manager 2000-01 - Promotion to Barclaycard Premiership via play-offs 2003-04 - League Cup Finalists 2006-07 - Nicolas Anelka becomes record signing for £8million 2006-07 - Sammy Lee takes over as manager | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 08-16-2007, 01:55 AM | #45 (permalink) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fredua Koranteng Adu Offline Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Estados Unidos Posts: 256,709 vCash: 20158194 Rep Points: 916 | 
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