Ian Taylor interview on Remi Garde

West Bromwich Albion 2-3 Chelsea match report Sunday 23rd August 2015

John Terry was sent off as Chelsea secured their first victory of the season with a nervy win over West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns. 

 In the 54^th minute the former England captain received the fifth red card of his career for a last-man tackle on striker Salomon Rondon. But his side managed to hold on despite a goal from James Morrison.

 The Baggies’ midfielder could have given his side the perfect start after Nemanja Matic tripped Callum McManaman but his spot kick was easily saved by Chelsea ‘keeper Thibaut Courtois.

 The miss proved to be costly as new signing Pedro linked up well with Eden Hazard to score 20 minutes into his debut with a fine finish. Ten minutes later the former Barcelona star provided Diego Costa with a tap in from a right hand side cross.

 Morrison finally made amends in the 35^th minute when he latched onto a pass from Baggies new boy Rondon but just as the home fans sensed a comeback, Cesar Azpilicueta added a third Chelsea goal three minutes before half time to make the match appear all but over.

 Albion came out strongly in the second half with Rondon growing in confidence and it was the pace of the £12 million signing that led Terry to pull him back and referee Mark Clattenburg immediately produced the red card.

 West Brom seized their opportunity against the 10 men in Blue and Morrison netted his second one minute shy of the hour mark to set up a thrilling final half an hour. Jose Mourinho sent on Gary Cahill and John Obi Mikel to see out the result and the tactic worked as Chelsea hung on for their first win of the season. 

After the game, Baggies boss Tony Pulis was asked why he chose to leave out striker Saido Berahino, the club’s regular penalty taker and target of two bids by Tottenham? He once again emphasised his call for the current transfer window situation to be changed to protect players.

“The transfer window should close and the season should start and everybody should be talking about football and not other things,” said Pulis.

“I spoke to Saido yesterday and it is unsettling. He is a young lad.”

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was happy with his side’s first win of the campaign but claimed football fans across the country would not be.

"Many people in this moment are disappointed in this result. People love Chelsea to lose a game,” he said. “There is a feeling we are fighting against a lot but today we won."

FA Cup Final preview Aston Villa v Arsenal

Two days before Aston Villa's trip to Wembley to face FA Cup holders Arsenal, I checked out the mood in the Bodymoor Heath training camp with manager Tim Sherwood.

Aston Villa 0 - 1 Burnley. Match report May 24th 2015

A goal by wantaway striker Danny Ings provided relegated Burnley with the perfect parting gift and left Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood with a pre-Cup Final headache.

The 22-year-old, who is out of contract in the summer and looks set to leave the club, headed home from 12 yards out to ensure that the Clarets’ would go back down to the Championship full of pride.

Villa’s second successive defeat was not what boss Sherwood nor the 40,000 home fans wanted a week before the Villans take on Arsenal in the FA Cup final.

“We didn’t show enough imagination today. The boys tried hard enough. We were just lacking a bit of quality,” said a disappointed Sherwood.

Villa started the game positively with the huge crowd singing loudly about their forthcoming trip to Wembley but the buoyant atmosphere changed in the fifth minute when Ashley Barnes headed the ball into the Villa box and Ings was on hand to plant a pinpoint header into the top left corner of the net.

The goal shocked the home team and silenced the fans and as a result the Villa players struggled to find any momentum. The best chance of the first half fell to Ron Vlaar but the big centre back smashed the ball past the left hand post.

Ashley Westwood had two good chances, the first after some good work on the left hand side by Charles N’Zogbia who fed the ball back to the edge of the area but Westwood fired over from 18 yards. Minutes later, the midfielder had a scissor kick attempt tipped over the crossbar by Burnley ‘keeper Tom Heaton.

The second half was poor fayre with Villa dominating the ball but they couldn’t convert possession into chances due to a very well organised and stubborn Burnley defence. The visitors should have doubled their lead following a determined run from Ings which saw him slip the ball in behind the Villa defence for the advancing George Boyd but his close range shot was smothered by stand in ‘keeper Jed Steer.

Christian Benteke and Charles N’Zogbia went close late in the game but Burnley held on to grab a final three points before they drop to the Championship for next season.

After the match, Burnley boss Sean Dyche reflected on a ‘frustrating’ season in which his team had kept 10 clean sheets but failed to convert important goal-scoring opportunities.

“It’s about margins and although we have done well over the season we have not taken the key moments,” he said. “It is frustrating but overall I am very proud of the players and everyone at the club.”

The final table saw Villa finish 17^th, three points clear of relegation and boss Tim Sherwood said he was eager to change what he described as a ‘losing mentality' at the club.

“It [the table] tells no lies. Wherever you finish in the league is where you deserve to finish,” he said. “Our mentality needs to change. This club is used to losing which is not good.”

 

When asked if he would have to lift the players for next weekend’s FA Cup Final after suffering two defeats, Sherwood added: “If we need to lift anyone for an FA Cup final we have serious problems. I don’t anticipate any problems...”

West Bromwich Albion 3-0 Chelsea match report Monday 18th May 2015

Cesc Fabregas saw red in a bizarre sending off as his Chelsea team collapsed to a humiliating defeat by a resurgent West Bromwich Albion.

In perhaps one of the most comedic dismissals of the season, Fabregas booted the ball onto the head of Albion player Chris Brunt from 20 yards away leaving referee Mike Jones with no choice but to send the Spanish World Cup winner off. The bizarre incident happened after a tussle between Gareth McCauley and Diego Costa became heated but just as things looked to have calmed down, Fabregas struck the ball into the crowd of players and Brunt was the unfortunate one to be hit on the back of the head.

After the match, Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho voiced his confusion as to why the red card was awarded. “I would like to see it again as what is this for a sending off. Where is the danger of the situation? Where is the aggresivity?” he said.

The 3- 0 result was Chelsea’s heaviest defeat since March 2012 and Mourinho was honest about his teams’s performance, saying: “the ideal scenario is to be champions and don’t play again. I don’t blame the players. To blame the players is to blame myself as I’m no different from them.”

The match was played at an incredibly high tempo, considering that Chelsea were already champions and the Baggies safe from relegation.

West Brom took the lead  on nine minutes. A rare burst out of defence for Joleon Lescott saw him play the ball to the left where Chris Brunt laid it inside to Saido Berahino who hit a looping, curling effort over a helpless Thibaut Courtious from 20 yards to net his 20^th goal of the season in all competitions.

Fabregas was sent off with half an hour on the clock and the momentum shifted rapidly into the favour of West Brom. Despite seeing most of the ball, the Blues’ couldn’t break down their opponents' 10-man defence.

Barely two minutes into the second half, the home team doubled their advantage from the spot. John Terry wiping out Berahino in the penalty area and the 21 year old coolly stepped up to convert from 12 yards.

The misery of Chelsea was completed on the stroke of an hour with Chris Brunt going from provider for Berahino in the first half to scorer in the second. He played a one-two from the right hand corner flag with substitute Craig Gardner. The northern Irishman then took the ball into the right hand corner of the penalty area before smashing it inside the near post with his left foot, an effort that the Belgian Courtious could do nothing to stop.

In one of the shortest pre-match press conferences of the season, Baggies’ boss Tony Pulis said: “I'm really pleased, it was a great performance and a great result.” The Welshman was also quick to congratulate Chelsea saying: “I don’t think anything should be taken away from the team that we played. They have been by far the best team in the Premier League this year.”

Aston Villa 1 - 0 West Ham United match report Saturday 9th May 2015

Tom Cleverly all but ensured that Aston Villa will be playing Premier League football next season after his finish was enough to see off a blunt West Ham United.

The man on loan from Manchester United poked in from three yards to give his team the three points that theoretically means they will avoid relegation.

His manager Tim Sherwood was full of praise for the 25 year old, saying, “He still shows a lot of energy and determination and leaves nothing on the field. I'd loved to have played with him because I know when he gets the ball he creates chances.”

Cleverly failed to hit the net in 37 matches before scoring three goals in his previous three games. Sherwood added: “I said to him you don’t score goals unless you get in the box. He just needed to add goals to his game.”

With Cleverly becoming a free agent in the summer, Sherwood was asked about his interest in signing him. “We’d like to keep him. I said to him if you don’t sign he’s not playing in the final,” he joked.

It was a must win game for the Villans. With fellow strugglers Sunderland winning earlier in the day it was vital Sherwood's men didn’t get sucked further into the relegation rat race and they set out with a point to prove. With 12 minutes on the clock, Cleverly had the game’s first meaningful effort when his shot from the edge of the area was easily saved by Hammers' goalkeeper Adrian.

The FA Cup finalists got the lead they deserved on half an hour. Man of the match Jack Grealish jinked his way to the byline on the left hand side before squeezing the ball into the box where Cleverly poked home.

The Hammers' felt aggrieved not to have been awarded a penalty in the 38^th minute. A corner from the left was whipped in and Leandro Bacuna heaved down Enner Valenica but referee Lee Mason adjudged that West Ham captain Kevin Nolan had fouled Villa ‘keeper Shay Given.

At half time West Ham boss Sam Allardyce threw on Alex Song and Nene to try and earn something from the game. They enjoyed more possession in the second half but could only muster an offside goal as their best effort. Villa valiantly held out and gave themselves breathing space above the relegation zone with two matches to go.

After the game Allardyce lamented his team's lack of goals. "Our cutting edge has been missing for weeks now. It doesn't matter how many chances we create, we are not scoring them," he said.

Aston Villa 3-2 Everton match report Saturday 2nd May 2015

Christian Benteke netted a brace to earn Aston Villa three vital points in the race for Premier League survival.

The Belgian scored his 11^th goal in nine matches to ensure that his team were one step closer to safety with other teams around them also picking up points. Tom Cleverly netted his second goal in as many matches to make sure the points were safe despite a late Toffees’ comeback.

With Leicester City continuing their survival surge with a win against Newcastle, the Villa players knew they had to produce a top level performance and Tim Sherwood sent his troops out ready to battle from the off.

After a flying start Villa grabbed the opener with 10 minutes gone when Fabien Delph curled in a pinpoint cross from the left which Benteke headed powerfully into the corner leaving Tim Howard rooted to the spot. Everton offered very little in reply with Shay Given back in the Villa goal having an easy afternoon.

On the stroke of half time Villa doubled their lead when a Jack Grealish corner from the left was flicked on at the near post by Ron Vlaar and Benteke was there unmarked at the far post to stab home.

The Toffees’ who despite having nothing to play for in the league at this stage of the season, came out in the second half with a much more positive attitude and in the second minute, Benteke’s fellow countryman Romelu Lukaku went on a surging run which needed the fingertips of Given to tip his 20 yard effort round the post. With 59 minutes on the clock Everton finally got back in the game when a scramble in the Villa box ended with Vlaar bundling over Steven Naismith and Lukaku coolly stroked from the penalty spot.

The goal spurred Roberto Martinez’ men on but any hopes of an equaliser were quickly stubbed out in the 64^th minute when a defence splitting pass by Leandro Bacuna was latched upon by Tom Cleverly who slotted into the near post from the right hand side of the area.

With the game moving into injury time, Phil Jagielka headed home a sloppy consolation goal despite a blatant foul on Given by Seamus Coleman but Villa held out for the win.

After the game, a happy Villa boss Tim Sherwood was full of praise for his players particularly Man of the Match Fabien Delph. ‘To me he is the best midfield player in the country at the moment. I wouldn’t swap him for anyone,’ he said.

With Leicester and Sunderland picking up important wins, Sherwood was keen to point out that the work to stay in the Premier League was far from over.

'It’s a freak season. Who saw Leicester winning five out of six? If we win the games available to us we will be fine but I think we need to win all three. If we don’t do our job we deserve to go down.’

Everton manager Roberto Martinez said he was disappointed after a ‘fantastic’ result last weekend against Manchester United. ‘I did feel in the first half we were second best in everything we did. Aston Villa were the best side in the first half. We were the better side in the second half but we couldn’t get through the problem of giving away a two goal lead. On the basis of our second half performance we deserved something better.’

 

West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Liverpool match report Saturday 26th April 2015

Steven Gerrard’s 500^th Premier League appearance was the only highlight in a dour draw which all but ended Liverpool’s chances of a Champions League spot but lifted West Bromwich Albion a point closer to safety.

The England legend was given a huge ovation from both sets of fans as he reached the magnificent mark and came close to breaking the deadlock in the 27^th minute but his 20 yard free kick  curled just wide of the post.

Then a goalmouth scramble resulted in a double save from ‘keeper Boaz Myhill to deny first Phillipe Coutinho and then Jordan Henderson.

Apart from that, the chances were few in a first half which was poor as both sides seemed to run out of ideas as soon as they got close to their opponent’s penalty area.

The second half was more lively as both teams decided to be a little more adventurous in search of a season-boosting three points.  James Morrison came closest for the Baggies’ when his header from a Callum McManaman cross was cleared off the line by Dejan Lovren. The away team also had chances to win the game. Jordan Ibe rattled the crossbar and Lovren himself couldn’t divert a 93^rd minute header goalwards.

Neither team could take advantage and as a result they were forced to share the spoils in what was poor fayre for the sell-out crowd packed into the Hawthorns.

After the game Liverpool boss Brendan Rogers lamented on the lack of goals this season after Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge scored 52 goals between them last season.

“You take 52 goals from a team and it certainly doesn’t help,” he said. “But the players showed terrific quality. It was a good response but we couldn’t quite make the breakthrough.

“As a team the players are giving everything but in the final third we couldn’t make that final pass that made the difference.”

Baggies boss Tony Pulis was full of praise for his team’s hard work in holding on for a vital point in the fight to stay in the Premier League.

“We showed some resilience but we had to as Liverpool stepped it up in the second half but we got the result we needed,” he said. “It is a great point for us but we need to keep going. We still need one or two more points.”

West Bromwich Albion 2-3 Leicester City match report Saturday 12th April 2015

Jamie Vardy struck late to keep Leicester’s Premier League survival hopes alive and anchor West Bromwich Albion firmly in the relegation dogfight.

On a day when West Brom paid tribute to scoring legend Jeff Astle, it was striker Vardy’s injury time winner that ensured the Foxes fingertip hold on their Premier League status will continue for a little while longer.

The sell-out signs went up weeks ago after West Brom announced they would use the fixture to launch the Jeff Astle Foundation, aimed at researching the dangers of head injuries to sportsmen and women.

For only the second time, the FA allowed a team to wear a changed kit which saw the Baggies players take to the field in a replica strip to that worn in the 1968 FA Cup Final in which West Brom beat Leicester 1 – 0 thanks to a goal by Astle.

The wonderful occasion in the Spring sunshine was a fitting tribute to the Albion legend who died in 2002 from a degenerative condition caused by continually heading a football.
Unfortunately, the Baggies players of 2015 failed to live up to the glories of the past as they slipped to a second successive home defeat after last week losing 4 -1 to QPR.

Everything looked as if it was going perfectly to the script when on eight minutes Darren Fletcher popped up at the near post to flick in a Chris Brunt corner to score his first in an Albion shirt.
But with 20 minutes gone, Leicester turned party-poopers when a quick free kick on the half way line by Esteban Cambiasso was flicked on into the area by Leoardo Ulloa and David Nugent was there to slot home from 12 yards out.

West Brom restored their lead six minutes later when Craig Gardner’s shot from the penalty spot trickled into the net past Foxes’ goalkeeper Kaspar Scheimechel who argued profusely that Albion defender Craig Dawson was offside but the referee Martin Atkinson gave the goal.
In the second half Leicester boss Nigel Pearson staring relegation in the face, decided to go for broke and switched to three at the back. The decision proved to be a masterstroke.

Attack after attack finally paid off for The Foxes on 80 minutes when West Brom players failed to clear their lines from a corner. Nugent headed back into the box at the far post where Robert Huth rose highest to head the ball into the net. The grandstand finish was on.
With a tough run in against Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City as well as Liverpool, West Brom needed three points to ensure their safety while their opponent’s needed the spoils just to have any hope of playing Premier League football next season.

Nigel Pearson sensed his team could snatch the victory and frantically waved them forward. As the gripping game entered extra-time Baggies defender Gareth McCauley was robbed on the halfway line by Jamie Vardy who drove towards the left edge of the box before slipping the ball past Joleon Lescott and powering home past Boaz Myhill to send the 2500 Foxes fans into raptures.
West Brom have it all to do now with just two home games to go while Leicester have a game in hand on their relegation rivals and are only three points from safety. The great escape is well and truly on.

Baggies boss Tony Pulis admitted that with 33 points on the board, his team are far from safe at the lower end of the Premiership table.
“I don’t think we were ever out of the relegation fight. We need the points as I have said all along,” he bemoaned.
“We played well in the first half but the three goals were disappointing. The first goal was lower league stuff!”
Leicester manager Nigel Pearson was full of praise for his team but well aware of the task ahead. “The longer we can keep our fate in our own hands the better,” he said. “We can’t get carried away as there is still an awful lot to do. We have to go out in the next game and perform again.”
 

Tim Sherwood previews Aston Villa v QPR

With QPR winning 4 - 1 at West Brom on Saturday and Aston Villa losing 3-1 to Manchester United, the clash between the two relegation-battling sides takes on huge importance in the fight to stay in the Premiership. Villa boss Tim Sherwood gives us his thoughts on 'the most important game of the season for Aston Villa'.

Manchester United 3 - 1 Aston Villa match report Saturday 4th April 2015

 

Ander Herrera netted twice as in-form Manchester United saw off a spirited Aston Villa side to go third in the Premiership.

The Spaniard, who at one point in the season struggled to even get in the United team, showed manager Louis Van Gaal why he deserved his starting spot with two smart finishes each side of Wayne Rooney’s superb touch and finish from just inside the penalty area.

Christian Benteke scored for Villa in the second half to make the game more of a contest but Villa fans’ hope of seeing their side steal a point was dashed in injury time when Herrera scored his second – the first time the former Atletico Bilbao player had hit a brace in his career.

Despite his optimism going into the game, Tim Sherwood’s men offered very little in front of goal while at the other end, the defence stood firm until two minutes before the break when  an injured Alan Hutton allowed Daley Blind room on the left hand side to cross the ball into the area where Herrera finished tidily through a mass of bodies.

United doubled their lead on 79 minutes when substitute Angel Di Maria went down the left and crossed for Rooney who allowed the ball to drop over his shoulder before finishing in the top corner past a helpless Brad Guzan.

The jubilant United fans were silenced a minute later when a miscued corner from the right by Joe Cole found its way to Belgian Benteke who fired straight at David De Gea but the Spanish goalkeeper fumbled the shot into the goal to give the Midlanders an unlikely lifeline back into the game.

Any hopes of a comeback were crushed in stoppage time when Herrera slotted the ball home with a conservative finish from the edge of the area.  

After the match United manager Van Gaal said he was very pleased with the fifth Premiership win in a row which keeps his side firmly in the Champions League positions with games against Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea to come.

“It is now a rat race and it will be fantastic to be there next week against City where we have to get three points,” he said.

Villa boss Sherwood said he felt his team were always in the game until the crucial third United goal.

“The third goal killed us but it was encouraging. The players gave me everything and left nothing on the pitch but Manchester were too good for us,” he said.

The win means United go above rivals Manchester City and piles even more pressure on Aston Villa for their crunch match on Tuesday night against fellow strugglers QPR.

“It’s a massive game for us. They got a win but we’re hoping to have six points between us and them at the end of the match,” added Sherwood.

Aston Villa 0-1 Swansea City match report Saturday 21st March 2015

Bafetimbi Gomis hit home a late goal to end Aston Villa's recent run of good form.

After having two earlier efforts thwarted, the Frenchman fired home from 10 yards out with three minutes left to earn a win which moves the Swans into eighth in the Premier League.

His manager Garry Monk was full of praise for Gomis post match saying: “From his last performance there is no stopping him. He persevered and kept pushing and got his goal. It’s crucial for any player, that perseverance to keep going.”

As for Aston Villa, it was back down to earth with a bump. After successive wins against rivals West Brom, and hitting four past Sunderland last week, the Clarets had a reality check against an organised and well drilled Swansea team and remain three points above the relegation zone. Boss Tim Sherwood was disappointed to see his side lose late in a game for the second time in recent weeks. He said: “It was disappointing to lose in the Stoke game and it happened again today. I think we deserved a point. I thought in the second period we were more likely to score.”

After the recent run of good form, Villa Park was almost full of expectant fans but they left disappointed after Villa failed to break through a well organised Swansea midfield and back four marshalled by Ashley Williams and Frederico Fernandez. It took until the 31st minute for a Villa  player to even register a shot on target with England international Fabian Delph's left wing shot saved easily by Lukas Fabianski in the Swansea goal.

At the other end of the pitch, Gomis spurned two opportunities in the first half, thwarted by ‘keeper Brad Guzan while Villa defender Ciaran Clark blocked a goal-bound shot from Swans' winger Wayne Routledge.

The second half followed the same path as the first with Swansea’s neat passing game helping Garry Monk's side to dominate possession for large parts of the game but they couldn’t breach the Villa back four.  

With 63 minutes gone, Monk threw on Jefferson Montero and the injection of pace was the difference between the two teams. On 87 minutes. Wayne Routledge fed the ball down the left and Montero played an inch perfect first time ball into the area where Gomis got in front of Ciaran Clark and fired home.

Villa fans packed into in to the Holte End thought their team had equalised a minute later when Fabien Delph surged forward down the left and hit a superb pass to the right hand side of the Swansea goal where former Swans player Scott Sinclair looked odds-on to score but his powerful shot flew inches over. 

Villa boss Sherwood admitted his team were still in the relegation dogfight but welcomed the two week international break as a chance to get his injured players back fit.

"Every point is vital and we have to pick up as many as we can to make ourselves safe," he said.

West Bromwich Albion1-0 Stoke City match report Saturday 14th March 2015

Tony Pulis was full of praise for his old club Stoke City but it was he who had the last laugh in the Midlands Derby.

His West Brom team earned a gritty 1-0 defeat over a below par Potters team thanks to a 20^th minute header by Baggies striker Brown Ideye. Post match he said: “I had a great 10 years at Stoke, it was a wonderful journey but today it was about West Bromwich Albion and we played really well.”

After back to back defeats to local rivals Aston Villa, the Baggies needed three points to get back on track but rarely beat Stoke, who won the last five meetings at The Hawthorns.

The game lacked imagination for much of the 90 minutes. The flicker of inspiration came with 20 minutes on the clock. A cross from the right hand side by Craig Gardner was headed in by Ideye, on target for the fourth time this season.

Arguably the biggest talking point of the first half was Saido Berahino’s goal which was disallowed. A through ball by James Morrison took a deflection off a Stoke defender and found its way to Berahino in an offside position. However the ball was spilled back into play by Stoke ‘keeper Asmir Begovic straight into the path of Berahino who rolled the ball into an empty net. The referee’s assistant ruled the goal out sparking furious protests from Tony Pulis and head scratching from thousands in the ground. “They make the rules up as they go along,” was the Baggies boss’s view after the game.

Sadly even a flare let off by the away fans couldn’t light up an otherwise dull first half and the second half did not offer much more with James Morrison coming closest for West Brom with a fierce volley which was tipped over by Begovic.

With 10 minutes left, goalscorer Ideye took a knock to the knee and with Albion so limited in the striking department, centre back Jonas Olsson was thrown on to fill the void, adding a touch of humour in the process.

Despite this Albion hung on to earn a victory which takes them 11 points clear of the relegation zone.

As for the Potters, their three game winning streak came to an end with manager Mark Hughes making no bones about the poor performance. “We didn’t play particularly well today,” said the Welshman. “We spoke at length about not conceding the first goal; unfortunately that’s what happened. In the first half we didn’t ask any questions of West Brom... in the end they were able to defend quite comfortably.”

West Bromwich Albion 1-0 Southampton. Match report February 28 2014

 

Saido Berahino’s second minute goal was enough to see off a blunt Southampton and send West Bromwich Albion eight points clear of the relegation zone.

With just 72 seconds on the clock, a free kick from the left by Chris Brunt was headed into the box by Craig Dawson  and the England striker finished smartly from 18 yards with his left foot. The early goal spurred the Baggies to arguably their best performance of the season so far.

Baggies boss Tony Pulis was full of praise for his young in-form forward: “It was a wonderful strike, there’s no questioning his (Berahino’s) talent... he works so hard... he’s the icing on the cake, the bit of quality every team is looking for.”

And all of this despite Berahino having spent the week on the sidelines and requiring an injection before the game. Unfortunately, he only lasted 10 minutes of the second half before being substituted.

Southampton decided to play with three central defenders but that system was unpicked immediately with the early goal from West Brom which forced them to revert to a traditional centre back pairing in manager Ronald Koeman’s attempts to get back into the game. But their best opportunities were blazed over the crossbar by Sadio Mane and Morgan Schneiderlin.

The second half followed the same course as the first. Saints’ best chance fell to out of form striker Graziano Pelle. A cross from the left hand side eluded Baggies ‘keeper Ben Foster and from two yards, with an open goal at his mercy, the Italian managed to miss the ball completely and a deflection from an unaware Chris Brunt took it closer than Pelle’s effort.

For every attack the Saint’s threw at them, West Brom resisted and held their own brilliantly in what can only be classed as a Tony Pulis masterclass with solid performances from Darren Fletcher, James Morrison and Craig Dawson. The man with the Midas touch has helped West Brom to six clean sheets in his 10 games in control.

The result means that high flying Southampton haven’t scored in their previous three matches and see their attempts of a top four finish, slowly slipping away. After the match boss Koeman said the best team won.

“West Brom were tough to break down. We had one or two chances to score but they deserved to win,” he said.

“The total performance of the team in quality is a little bit low from the beginning of the season but we have to go and believe in the next win. Next Tuesday against Crystal Palace we have to win, as we need those points.”

Aston Villa 1 - 2 Stoke City. Match report Saturday February 21 2015

Tim Sherwood's first game as manager of Aston Villa ended in a disappointing defeat thanks to an injury time spot kick winner by Victor Moses. 

The 46 year old’s arrival sent an air of optimism around Villa Park and all looked good for 44 and a half minutes when Sherwood and the 31,000 fans  were sent crashing down to earth as Stoke striker Mame Biram Diouf powered a Stephen Ireland cross into the net to equalise a 19^th minute goal from Scott Sinclair.  

A distraught Sherwood made no effort to defend his side's sorry performance after the game saying "the performance wasn't great" and he realised the extent of the task in front of him with "it's going to be a work in progress and a lot of work needs to be done... It's going to be about putting the right jigsaw together". 

Villa started the game well and dominated midfield with fine interplay between Carlos Sanchez, Carles Gill and Fabien Delph. A 19^th minute corner seemed to have gone over everyone to safety but the England midfielder chased the ball on the left and fired in a pinpoint cross which was flicked in by on-loan striker Sinclair. Cue mass hysteria as Villa fans celebrated a new era. 

Minutes later Sinclair almost added a second when he powered through the centre of the Stoke defence only to be thwarted as he went to pull the trigger. 

All looked well until 20 seconds before half time when Villa failed to deal with a throw-in on the right corner where Jonathan Walters fed former Villa midfielder Ireland who fired in a pinpoint cross which Diouf headed home.

The goal certainly changed the game as Stoke dominated the second half leaving the Villa players chasing shadows. Stoke manager Mark Hughes changed the tactics around perfectly, allowing their opponent’s little in terms of attacking impetus.

 

The physical affair resulted in injuries to Villa’s Kieran Richardson while Potters defender Erik Pieters limped off but the most unorthodox injury was referee Roger East who, while trying to keep up with the pace of the game went down with cramp in his calf which was greeted by sarcastic jeers from both sets of fans. Fourth official Tony Harrington warmed up but was not needed. 

The longer the game went on, the more obvious it was that Sherwood and his players would settle for a point but all that changed in the third minute of time added on. Potters’ flying winger Moses burst into the left hand side of the penalty area and was brought down by Villa captain Ron Vlaar who, having been booked a few minutes before, was given his marching orders. The Nigerian stepped up and coolly converted the penalty to ensure his side went home with all three points.  

After the game Mark Hughes described Stoke’s display as ‘... an excellent away performance’. 

“We needed to bounce back after last week’s disappointment against Blackburn and we did that. In the second half we were the better team and we got the rewards in the end.” He said. “We are delighted with the three points and it is a great reaction after the last two results.” 

New boss Tim Sherwood could not hide his disappointment at the defeat. “I am bitterly disappointed for everyone at this football club,“ he said. “We started well and got the goal but switched off before half time and I did think the match would peter out to be a draw but it wasn’t to be. It was a cruel way to lose the game. I am devastated, No-one feels as down as I am.” 

When asked what was needed to turn things round Sherwood added. “We have to try and affect games. We have the quality in the squad but it’s just a matter of putting the right jigsaw together to win the games.”

 

Tim Sherwood: Villa fans speak

Before the Villa v Stoke clash, I went out to ask Villa fans their thoughts on the new manager and their predictions for the result.

Aston Villa 1-2 Chelsea match report Saturday 7th February 2015

Aston Villa finally managed to find the back of the net after almost 11 hours but failed to grab the points as Jose Mourinho earned his first win at Villa Park.

Jonas Okore scored his first goal for the Villans to end a drought stretching back to December last year but the delight from the goal-starved Villa fans was short-lived as  Branislav Ivanovic scored his fifth goal in six matches at the stadium to win the game for Mourinho's side.

Aston Villa were bolstered by last season's heroic 1-0 victory over Chelsea but any hopes of a repeat result were swept away in the seventh minute when Oscar burst down the right and found fellow countryman Willian on the right hand side of the box. He slipped the ball into the area where it was poked home from close range by the Eden Hazard.

Villa, who dropped main striker Christian Benteke after a string of poor performances, looked lively through Gabby Agbonlahor who had his team's best chance of the first half when he met a cross from the left but could only head over from six yards.

Paul Lambert's half time talk certainly worked as the Villa players came out for the second half a completely different team and immediately took the game to the Londoners .  Two minutes in and more than 35,000 home fans were finally rewarded for their patience after some lovely trickery by Carles Gill produced a cross from the right hand side to the far post where Okore was there to head home completely unmarked. Ten hours and 59 minutes of famine and frustration for fans and players was finally over. 

Paul Lambert's men were so unused to scoring in a game that sadly they decided to sit back and allow Chelsea to  come onto them with the predictable result. Sixty-six minutes gone and Blues' left back Cesar Azpilicueta forced his way into the area and as Villa defenders failed to clear,  his cross was met by right back Ivanovic who powerfully struck home from 10 yards.

As time ticked away, Chelsea showed why they are Champions elect by shutting up shop. Mourinho sent on John Obi Mikel to sit deep and despite the introduction of Christian Benteke, Villa couldn’t find a way through the formidable blue line. With Manchester City managing only a point with Hull, Chelsea now sit seven points clear at the top of the Premier League.

After the game Jose Mourinho praised Villa who he said were a difficult team to beat.

"Aston Villa have very good players and it is difficult to prepare against them as they can change the way they play. We showed good ambition after they scored. We pushed hard and got  a very important victory."

However, the Blues manager was not yet ready to clear a space in the team's trophy cabinet for the Premiership crown. "Seven points is nothing when there are 42 points to play for," he said. "Everyone can take points off each other in this league. I take things step by step."

Villa boss Paul Lambert was full of praise for his team's performance and disappointed they did not get something from the game. "We did not deserve to lose. We had a good tempo in the game. We scored a great goal and I thought the performance was very good," he told the press. "We set a standard today and if we play like that in the coming weeks, we will pick up points."

West Bromwich Albion 0-3 Tottenham Hotspur match report Saturday 31st January 2015

Harry Kane netted twice to end Tony Pulis' unbeaten start as West Bromwich Albion manager and see his team to a comfortable 3-0 win. 

The 21 year old smashed home from 20 yards in the first half then converted a penalty in the second after Christian Eriksen had opened the scoring with a free kick in the sixth minute. 

The gulf in class and financial clout was obvious from the first whistle as the Spurs' midfield dominated with Moussa Dembele and the excellent Christian Eriksen running the show. After six minutes Mauricio Pocchetino's men took the lead. A needless challenge by Claudio Yacob on Dembele on the left of the box presented the in-form Eriksen with a free kick 25 yards out which the Danish international beautifully dipped over the West Brom wall and into the corner of the net, despite a flailing hand from ‘keeper Ben Foster. 

The game was all but over on 15 minutes when Dembele strode through the centre of the pitch and laid the ball to Kane who, under no pressure from the Baggies defence cut inside Andre Wisdom from the left hand side of the penalty area and powered home from the edge of the box.

The West  Brom players finally woke up on 27 minutes when James Morrison forced a fantastic fingertip save from Spurs 'keeper Hugo Lloris with a curling left foot shot that looked bound for the top corner but the Frenchman tipped it over. Two minutes later a training ground free kick from the Baggies found Saido Berahino at the far post and the England striker pulled the ball back into the penalty area where it was met by Yacob whose effort looked bound for the corner of the net until Lloris reacted quickly and saved.

The West Brom rally almost produced a goal with 37 minutes gone when a free kick from the right hand side by Morrison was met by Craig Dawson but his header hit the crossbar.

In the second half Spurs killed off any chances off a comeback on 64 minutes when full back Kyle Walker flew down the right hand side to fire in a cross which hit the arm of stand-in left back Joleon Lescott and referee Kevin Friend pointed to the spot. Up stepped Harry Kane to confidently fire the ball to the goalkeeper's right sending Ben Foster the wrong way. 

After the match, all the talk was about Kane and his almost certain call-up to Roy Hodgson's next England squad. Spurs boss Mauricio Pocchetino preferred to talk about his team's overall performance. "Harry Kane played well but I am very happy with my whole team today. We knew it was important to start well and we did that. It was a great performance," he said. 

Despite the 3-0 defeat, Baggies' boss Tony Pulis preferred to focus on the positive and his team's 10 minute spell in the first half. "We had good opportunities and if we could have got a goal it would have lifted us but their goalkeeper (Lloris) was fantastic. His save from Morrison was top drawer," he said. "The breaks went for them and not for us. It was their day and good luck to them." 

Aston Villa 0-2 Liverpool match report Saturday 17th January 2015

 

Aston Villa drew a blank for the sixth league game on the bounce to increase the pressure on manager Paul Lambert. 

The defeat by Liverpool means the Villans haven't scored a goal in the Premier League in almost nine hours. 

One good piece of news for beleaguered Lambert was that an online protest which called for fans to boycott their seats before the game,  only drew support from a few hundred. 

 

Fabio Borini and Rickie Lambert grabbed the goals which continued the Reds eight game winning streak and helped Brendan Rogers' side up to seventh in the table. 

Italian Borini netted with 24 minutes on the clock after he poked in a Jordan Henderson right wing cross from close range. Raheem Sterling, fresh from his Caribbean break, should have doubled their lead when he was played through one on one with Villa ‘keeper Brad Guzan but his attempt at a clever chip over the American provided mere catching practice. Alberto Moreno had a goal ruled out for offside.

Villa’s new signing Carles Gil came on in the second half to replace Tom Cleverly which was greeted with sarcastic applause and noisy boos by the home fans. The little Spaniard offered Villa something new and linked up well to create an opportunity with Andreas Weimann but couldn’t convert the return pass on the right hand side of the penalty area.

In a 10 minute second half spell, Villa finally threatened an equaliser. Christian Benteke smashed a half volley towards the near post from the right hand side of the penalty spot but it was beaten away well by his fellow countryman Simon Mignolet in the Liverpool goal. Nathan Baker headed over from a corner and then completely miscued from five yards out.

Any hopes of a home point disappeared with 79 minutes on the clock. Substitute Rickie Lambert controlled a through pass from Sterling on the edge of the penalty area and fired home in the far corner to put the game beyond doubt.

After the match Paul Lambert was upbeat about his team’s performance despite going down 2-0. “I thought the second half we were excellent. Their goalkeeper (Mignolet) had a great second half. Another day we could have had one or two goals."

When asked for his views on the lack of goals, Lambert added: "I would be more worried if we weren't creating chances. They will come. We just have to stick together ."

Reds boss Brendan Rogers said he was delighted with the way his young and developing team had played. "We defended very well and should have had a few more goals," he said. " We are playing some wonderful football which is pleasing but we have to keep on improving."

 

West Bromwich Albion 1-0 Hull City match report Saturday 10th January 2015

 

 

Saido Berahino scored his sixth goal in 10 games to make sure new West Brom manager Tony Pulis got off to a winning start in the Premiership.

 A week on from scoring four against Gateshead, the England striker powered a free kick through a wall of Hull players to grab the spoils in a game of few chances which looked for long periods as if it would end in stalemate.

 After what was far from a convincing performance from the Baggies, Pulis acknowledged that despite the three points, a tough task lay ahead.

 “People need to realise how tough this is. We are in a real dog fight to the end of the season and everyone at this club needs to pull together. Take a look at the Championship. It’s full of loads of former Premier league teams who got complacent."

The cameras were focused closely on Pulis as he stood in his technical area ready to wave what the home fans hoped would be a magic wand to transform their stuttering fortunes. But after a bright start the Albion players slipped back into their old slow-build ways and chances were few and far between; the best one falling to £10 million striker Brown Ideye who fired wide from 12 yards out on 41 minutes when one-on-one with Hull keeper Alan McGregor.

The second half began at a frantic pace with both teams pushing for the win but gradually the early promise faded. The loss of strikers Nikica Jelavic and Abel Hernandez did not help the Tigers’ cause but substitute Tom Ince looked lively and should have done better with a good cross from the left which he could only head against Baggies defender Gareth McAuley. The rebound fell to Ahmed Elmohamadi but his shot was blocked.

In the 77^th minute defender Elmohamadi chased a Craig Gardner pass towards his own goal and under pressure he touched the ball back into the hands of his advancing keeper Alan McGregor and referee Neil Swarbrick immediately gave an indirect free kick 12 yards out. Substitute Victor Anichebe touched the ball to his right and despite eight Hull defenders in the wall, Berahino managed to find a gap and hit the back of the net. This time his celebration was much more jubilant than in the previous game. Speculation still surrounds the striker’s future with rumours of a possible move to Liverpool despite West Brom receiving no official bids.

After the match, Hull manager Steve Bruce said he was disappointed to have taken nothing from the game. “It was frustrating to lose the game with a misunderstanding like we have. It was cruel on us but you make mistakes at this level which we made today which was one of those comical ones. It’s the split second when there is a lack of communication and we have been punished for it. Before they scored the game had 0 - 0 written all over it.”

When questioned about his prospects of bringing in new players in the transfer market Baggies boss Pulis said he would like to secure some new signings but realised he only had a short time in which to do it before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.

“I would like to bring in players of the right calibre but my biggest worry is that I haven’t got time to get those players in.”

 

Aston Villa 1-0 Blackpool FC match report Sunday 4th January 2015

Christian Benteke’s 88^th minute strike ended Aston Villa’s goal drought and fired the Clarets and Blues into the fourth round of the FA Cup.

After failing to find the net since December 20th, Villa’s home fans were finally rewarded with their patience when two minutes from time the Belgian chested down a Carlos Sanchez cross on the left hand side of the box and smashed home from 18 yards.

The goal ended their 434 minute goal drought and was a sigh of relief for the home fans who have had to endure so much frustration over the Christmas period.

Blackpool, who currently reside bottom of the Championship, were stern opposition for the Villans and set out with a defensive strategy which frustrated the home side for long periods. Chances for both teams were few and far between.

Former West Bromwich Albion Ishmael Miller had a good chance to steal the match in the second half for the Seasiders when he thundered a left-foot shot from the right hand side of the box but Shay Given stretched out his right hand to tip it over.

With the game heading for a replay and muted strains of 'Lambert Out' echoing around the half empty Villa Park stadium, Benteke pounced to make sure his team were in the hat for the fourth round draw.

After the game Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert said: “We deserved to win the game.  With so much of the ball it was testament to us. We’ve created chances in the game. Even if you look at the games of late we have had chances to score.”

Blackpool and former Birmingham manager Lee Clarke was full of praise for his team. “We played terrifically well and were a threat on the counter. I can only praise my team, they were excellent,” he said.