I HEART OLOF

NEW OLOF BLOG!

2008-05-30T18:35:00.002-04:00

OK so I'm tired of having to deal with html, so I've made a new Olof blog. YOU CAN FIND IT HERE. I'll leave this one up for a while so people have plenty of time to find the new one, AND so you can read through any archives if you so choose. But for now, come join me at the new blog!

Happy Birthday Blonde!

2008-05-27T13:32:00.002-04:00

I hope you have a wonderful day! The video is silly, but it's cute, AND it reflects my maturity level hehe SO IN IT GOES!!!!!!!!

XOXOXOXO

Something to Think About...

2008-05-27T13:26:00.007-04:00

Euro 2008 - An ethical choice
I am indebted to Paulie for pointing me in the direction of this site from the World Development Movement... Who should I cheer for in Euro 2008?

Given that England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland didn't qualify for Euro 2008 - who do you cheer for? What about the coolest flag design (probably Portugal)? Maybe the best holiday destination or food (got to be Italy)? How about supporting the team that gives the most aid to poor countries? Perhaps cheering on the country that spends the most on healthcare? Or booing the country that spends the most on weapons?
They give loads of information on the countries with teams taking part in the competition to find the most supportable - based on a whole load of facts and figures - the results might surprise you!
On the basis of my favourite European holiday destinations I was going to support France, followed by Portugal, but based on this table France are 11th and Portugal 7th. So, it looks like Ollie Mellberg's team for me.
Posted by bobpiper on May 27, 2008, 3:35 PM |
(source)

CLICK HERE TO CHOOSE YOUR TEAM

Photo of the Day

2008-05-21T12:32:00.002-04:00

Another adorable kiddy photo from Olof's last Villa match.
Too frickin' cute.

Tribute Video

2008-05-15T19:18:00.002-04:00

*WARNING: turn the volume down before you click play - TRUST ME ;) *

Photo of the Day

2008-05-12T19:27:00.001-04:00

Mellberg's Parting Gift to Loyal Villa Supporters

2008-05-12T19:21:00.002-04:00

Every Aston Villa fan, it seems, left Upton Park with an Olof Mellberg shirt except the very man himself who had to return to the dressing room post-match to salvage his kit from his last-ever match for the club.

On another emotionally-charged day Villa fans were able to say their very last goodbyes to the defender who has been a loyal servant to their club for the last seven years but has decided to join Italian side Juventus.

Mellberg was eager to keep his own shirt as his own special memento of the day having shelled out in excess of £50,000 to make sure every Villa supporter present at his finale all 3,200 of them had received a shirt upon entering the turnstiles bought and signed by the kind-hearted Swede.

Mellberg said: "I almost forgot my own shirt with all that happened but I think it will be nice to keep it for myself as this was such a special game for me.

"It was my own idea to give the supporters the shirts. It was an unusual situation for me because I knew so far in advance that I was leaving at the end of the season.

"During the last few months so many fans have asked me for a signed shirt and so I thought it would be a good idea.

"I would have liked to have done it for my last home game last weekend but I thought 45,000 shirts might be a bit too costly!

"I also wanted to do something nice particularly for the away fans because they have supported us and me throughout the year and they have been fantastic this season.

"This game had been sold out for quite some time so the club knew how many shirts to make and so I hope everyone got a shirt."

Mellberg refused to divulge just how deep he had had to dig into his pockets to fund his novel gesture but he insisted it was simply about saying goodbye to his fans.

"I wouldn't be here, making the money I have from football if it was not for those supporters," he said. "The money was not an issue. I have always said I have been trying to repay the fans' support by performing for them on the pitch and always giving 100 per cent and I think that is what fans appreciate more than anything.

"This was also a way for me to say 'thank you' in a different way on my final game. "

The 30-year-old said he was sad to leave and had mixed feelings but added he was delighted to leave Villa as a club on a high.

He said: "It is nice to go out this way. We have been striving all season for Europe and even though it is the InterToto, we should have a really good chance of making the Uefa Cup.

"That has been our aim and our focus and I am delighted we achieved it."

Mellberg, who will move to Juventus and his new career in Serie A after he has played in the Euro 2008 Championships with Sweden, added: "There were many reasons why I decided to go to Italy and Juventus had been following me for some time.

"I know their manager [Claudio Ranieri] pretty well and they are a big club. I felt this was an opportunity for me at the age I am and at the stage I am at.

"I will miss the Villa and the fans but, who knows, maybe we will be playing each other.

source

Too Much Cuteness

2008-05-04T12:08:00.007-04:00

HOW CUTE IS THIS PICTURE?!?!?! I'm dying from cuteness...THANKS SARA!

And THANK YOU JOSY for including THIS LINK, which has over 200 Olof photos, including more of him with his kids. So we get hot AND adorable. Nice ;)

THANKS GUYS, AND EVERYONE - ENJOY! ;)

UPDATE: I FOUND MORE PICTURES HERE - CLICK TO VIEW (but I've included two more kid pics below, because I just can't resist the cuteness ;)

Like the Corners of My Miiiiiiind........

2008-05-04T12:03:00.001-04:00

Olof Mellberg's Favourite Aston Villa Memories

AS Olof Mellberg prepares to leave for pastures new he reveals to Bill Howell some of the best memories of his time at Villa that he will be taking with him.

Who has been your best central defensive partner?

- Martin Laursen

When I came here myself and Alpay started together but first I got injured, then he got injured and then he left for various reasons!

So it would probably have to be Martin Laursen and myself, especially at the end of last season it worked really well.

We seem to complement each other really well. We understand each other quite well too.

Your favourite Villa player?
- David Ginola.

The most talented rather than anything else would have to be David Ginola.

He had everything. Even though he was at the end of his career, he was really fit and strong and great technical ability - and the goals he scored were unbelievable.

I have never seen such a talent. It was a shame he stopped playing because he had a few years in him with the physique he had. He probably wasn't at the top of his game when he was here but you could definitely see his talent.

He had great presence and he was a great character off the pitch as well.

Best game for Villa?

- Villa 5 Blues 1

I felt we really dominated that game from the first minute and because of how special those games are, to perform like we did under pressure makes it even better.

Best atmosphere?

- Villa 3 Blues 1

I will always remember this last derby game. I wasn't involved when we won 3-1 at home and Gary Cahill scored that wonder goal. I sat in the stands and you feel the atmosphere in a different way when you're watching it from the stands.

There is always a great atmosphere at the away games as well. It's special when you see all the travelling fans.

The fans who go to the away games are really up for it - they sing from the first minute we come out in the warm-up to the very last minute.

Most influential person on your Villa career?

- John Gregory

John signed me and if he hadn't have signed me, I probably wouldn't be here. He was the one who followed me for quite a long time. He came down to Spain and he watched me with the national team on a few occasions so he was the one who really wanted to sign me.

But a lot of players have influenced me here as well. When I came here, I got a great start and I really felt welcome here.

Favourite Villa goal?

- Middlesbrough away this season. I took the ball down in the box and had a good finish.

The one I scored against Manchester United at Old Trafford from a corner was special as well (2002). We got a point from there by drawing 1-1 which doesn't always happen so it was a good result and special to score in a big game like that.

The goal I scored at Arsenal was similar because we got a draw and it was special because it was the first goal at the Emirates.

(source)

Aston Villa 0-2 Wigan

2008-05-04T11:50:00.003-04:00

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

Ecuador star Antonio Valencia scored two second-half goals to seal Wigan's Premier League place for next season with a surprise win at Aston Villa.

Valencia, with just one goal in 29 previous matches for the Latics, was fortunate to see his shot deflect off Wilfried Bouma for the first goal.

But the second was a fine right-footed shot, as he surged into the box to beat Scott Carson at the near post.

Villa had plenty of chances, but Chris Kirkland pulled off some fine saves.

And Wigan's second away win of the season puts a massive dent in Villa's hopes of claiming the fifth Premier League spot that would guarantee Uefa Cup qualification.

As much as Valencia will take his share of the headlines, it was Kirkland who arguably put in the outstanding performance of the match.

In the first half, he dived to his left to pounce on a Zat Knight header and pushed a Gabriel Agbonlahor header on to the bar.

Agbonlahor suffered a frustrating afternoon and was again denied deep into the second half when Kirkland dived high and to his left to punch a header away from the corner of his goal. By then, Villa boss Martin O'Neill had used his first substitute Patrik Berger and the Kirkland save prompted him to throw Marlon Harewood on as well as he opted for a 3-4-3 formation.

But although dominating for long periods of the game, it simply was not to be Villa's afternoon.

Wigan started the match brightly, but Swedish international Olof Mellberg, playing his final match at Villa Park before his move to Juventus in the summer, made some important tackles and the hosts soon settled.

The first chance for Villa came just after that awkward first 20 minutes when Knight's header from an Ashley Young free-kick forced Kirkland into the first of his collection of fine saves.

That chance finally roused Villa out of their slumber and the home team's midfielders, marshalled by Gareth Barry and Nigel Reo-Coker, helped provide further chances.

Kirkland, now wearing a baseball cap with the sun directly in his line of sight, produced another good save to deny Barry, before Agbonlahor wasted a chance by dragging his shot left.

Villa started stronger in the second half, but the goal came against the run of play when Valencia's speculative shot from outside the area was cruelly deflected by Bouma.

Carson was hopelessly wrong-footed and suddenly Villa were chasing the game.

But they were simply not making the most of their chances. Barry shot wide soon after the hour mark before disaster struck for the home team.

Kirkland's clearance upfield was headed on by Emile Heskey.

Valencia surged between defenders and stabbed a powerful shot with his right foot.

Though well-positioned, Carson had little chance to stop his shot.

As Kirkland continued his fine performance in the Wigan goal, John Carew missed one of Villa's best chances of the match when heading wide from an unmarked position on the edge of the six-yard box.

Many Villa's fans took that miss as their cue to head for the exits.

Wigan manager Steve Bruce:
"It's as good as I've ever done in management, in terms of where we were going into the Blackburn game in mid-December with nine points.

"To get 31 points since the turn of the year is fantastic for the players.

"I'm delighted we've managed to do it and do it in some style against Villa who have been playing well.

"I'm sure the fans are delighted seeing a little town like Wigan year after year staying in the Premier League."

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill:
"It would be hard to explain why we were so flat for so long.

"We had been coming into the game with loads of confidence and playing brilliantly of late.

"I can understand the first 15 or 20 minutes being a bit tentative. After that I thought we would settle down and get into a bit of fluency but it never materialised.

"The goals put us on the back foot and the second really deflated us.

"We had this opportunity to put pressure on Everton (for the Uefa Cup spot). The crowds have been fantastic and have been used to better fare than that."

BBC Sport

Ask Ollie

2008-04-29T10:38:00.002-04:00

Ten minutes with the legend that is Olof Mellberg
Written by Damian
It's his last game at Villa Park in claret and blue this weekend and I've got a sneaky feeling that he's going to get a pretty big send off.

To put the icing on the cake of this website for this season, we've been given the green light, by the man himself, to ask him a few questions and seeing as I'll have difficulty coming up with them all by myself, I'm asking for some help.

Basically were going to use the same format as we did for the likes of John Gregory, who incidentally put Mellberg down as his best ever signing and Ian Taylor, so all we want are your questions.

The questions can be about anything you want and the best few, for whatever reasons, will be put to him when everything is arranged, but please try to make the questions as original as possible and also factor in that we've not got long with him, so if your question is likely to force a five minute answer, it probably won't get used.

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT HOW TO ASK YOUR QUESTIONS

Everton 2-2 Aston Villa

2008-04-29T08:10:00.003-04:00

Aston Villa drew with Everton after a dramatic finish to keep alive the race for fifth spot in the Premier League and a place in next season's Uefa Cup.

Phil Neville's strike put Everton ahead via a deflection off Martin Laursen.

But Gabriel Agbonlahor tucked home a corner after 80 minutes to spark a spell of three goals in six minutes.

Joesph Yobo volleyed home Lee Carsley's cross but John Carew then headed in Gareth Barry's cross to keep the gap between the teams to three points.

Both teams have two fixtures left to play and though Everton currently occupy fifth spot, Villa have a marginally better goal difference.

The result also meant that Liverpool are guaranteed to finish fourth in the Premier League and thus play Champions League football next season.

Played on a sodden pitch at Goodison Park, there was little hint through most of the match of the dramatic finish that saw Villa twice force their way back onto level terms.

Villa looked stunned after Yobo's goal put Everton ahead for a second time just minutes after the visiting team had finally fashioned an equaliser.

But the emotional rollercoaster soon swung in the other direction as Everton paid the price for allowing Barry the time and space to pick out Carew with an inviting cross.

The first half had produced precious few clear chances, although Everton started well and might have scored through Yakubu after 19 minutes.

Villa keeper Scott Carson dived to his left to palm away a shot from the Everton striker, who had dribbled past Nigel Reo-Coker before seeking out the bottom corner.

The rebound fell invitingly to Manuel Fernandes but he shot tamely wide.

Villa had gone into the match unchanged from the team that thrashed local rivals Birmingham 5-1 and came close to an opener when Ashley Young hit the crossbar with a superbly struck free-kick.

Young also delivered a superb cross into the Everton area from another set piece but Olof Mellberg headed wide.

Heavy rain greeted the start of the second half, making control difficult and leading to a series of frenetic exchanges as both sides struggled to retain possession.

But, as with the opening 45 minutes, it was Everton who started with the greater endeavour and they were rewarded with a goal after 55 minutes.

Yakubu's ball across goal rolled out of the Villa area and was met by Neville, whose crisp strike defeated Carson via the crucial deflection off Laursen.

Steven Pienaar almost doubled Everton's lead with a cross-cum-shot that nearly eluded Carson, who recovered his position to palm the ball away at full strength.

Time appeared to be running out for Villa and manager Martin O'Neill brought on Patrik Berger and Marlon Harewood.

But it was Agbonlahor's sharp reactions which finally restored parity for Villa.

He lost Leon Osman and showed a deft touch to guide Barry's corner into the roof of the net after the ball bounced off the skiddy surface.

Yobo then volleyed home from six yards at the far post from Carsley's dinked cross but Carew had the final say with his decisive header.

Everton boss David Moyes:
"I am disappointed we conceded so quickly after scoring our second goal.

"I think that it was probably a fair result. There were two teams going for it and Villa are a very good side.

"Being three points ahead of Villa with two games to go is a great position for us to be in."

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill:
"We have the ability to fight back. We knew this would be a difficult game and so it proved to be.

"I felt the first goal was going to be vital and yet we managed to get something out of the game.

"We are capable of scoring goals and we never gave up. We have a lot to play for over the last two games."

BBC Sport

Photo of the Day

2008-04-26T21:53:00.002-04:00

Wallpaper created by VillaFanDan
"Ollie Mellberg being substituted to a standing ovation at the end of the derby game against Birmingham City, April 2008."

Aston Villa vs Birmingham

2008-04-25T10:00:00.000-04:00

Olof Mellberg Clinches Award By A Whisker

2008-04-25T09:57:00.002-04:00

Vital Villa have started the end of season awards.

The first one up was best beard of the season award (originally set up 6 seasons ago to ensure that Mellberg won something whilst at Villa).

The options were:

Olof Mellberg or Olof Mellberg

Mellberg won by a whisker (get it?) over Mellberg! 51% to 49%

Yes, I know I've lost my marbles, but this is a major honour for Ollie and I'll make sure the club pass on our congratulations to him. I'll also beg to see if we can get an acceptance speach for the prize (which is a blunt razor to make sure he doesn't think about shaving the beard off!)

Congraluations to Mellberg, he has beaten off all comers including Ridgewells bum fluff and Juan Pablo Angels goatee to pick up the award six seasons in a row.

Vital Aston Villa

Photos of the Day

2008-04-24T11:35:00.004-04:00

I've been meaning to post both "sets" of these photos all week, but it's been a hectic week, so it's been put off and put off. I'm on my lunch hour now, I've nothing to do (for once) so I'm taking this time to FINALLY post these.

The first set of pics is from our Cazza, and they're from the Villa vs Derby match from a few weeks ago. As always, we LOVE our Cazza and thank her from the bottom of our heart, don't we? ;)

The next photo comes to us courtesy of blonde27, who kindly posted a link to a set of pictures from last week's Villa vs Birmingham match. The photo below is of Olof's send off when he was subbed with a few minutes left in the game.

THANK YOU CAZZA AND BLONDE!!!!!!

Villa star delighted with standing ovation!!!

Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg has spoken of his delight at the standing ovation he received when substituted during Villas 5-1 victory over Birmingham City at the weekend.

The Swedish star is joining Juventus on a free transfer in the summer and was given a huge send off by the Villa Park faithful during their derby win.

"That meant a lot to me," the former captain said. "I don't know why I was taken off, but it was nice in a way because of the reception I had. Hopefully that was in the gaffer's mind."
(source)

Aston Villa 5 - Birmingham 1

2008-04-21T07:52:00.000-04:00

Ashley Young and John Carew both scored twice as Aston Villa outclassed Birmingham, keeping their local rivals deep in relegation trouble.

Young's rasping shot gave Villa the lead and Carew nodded home the winger's free-kick shortly before the break.

Carew tapped in from close range for Villa's third and Young beat two players before scoring his second goal.

Mikael Forsell scored a consolation for Birmingham, but there was still time for Gabriel Agbonlahor to grab a fifth.

Villa have now scored 15 goals in their last three Premier League games as they keep the pressure on Everton - who they meet next Sunday - for a Uefa Cup place.

Birmingham enjoyed a decent spell of possession early on, culminating in an effort at goal from David Murphy, but the visitors failed to really test Villa keeper Scott Carson.

The home side soon began to stamp their authority on the game as they over-ran Birmingham in midfield, with Carew going close with a header from an inswinging corner and the influential Gareth Barry firing narrowly wide with a snap-shot from inside the area.

Birmingham, with in-form striker Mauro Zarate desperately short of service up front, were almost non-existent as an attacking force, and Villa had the next chance - Barry's free-kick drawing a reasonable save from Maik Taylor.

Stiliyan Petrov's swirling effort caused problems for the Blues keeper, and the dam finally burst when Olof Mellberg's mishit pass bounced into Young's path.

With England coach Fabio Capello among the 42,640 sell-out crowd, Young did his international prospects the power of good as he unleashed a fantastic effort past Taylor and into the bottom corner.

There was a hint of controversy in the build-up though, with referee Mark Clattenburg breaking up a confrontation between Young and Mehdi Nafti with a full-blooded shove to the Birmingham defender's chest as play went on.

Undoubtedly fired up by the unexpected intervention, Nafti beat two players in a narrow space moments later before firing over for the Blues.

But it was not long before Villa surged further ahead, as Young's accurate free-kick found an unmarked Carew inside the six-yard box, allowing the big striker to nod home from point-blank range.

It was more of the same after the break, with Birmingham's defensive frailties ruthlessly exposed by a rampant Villa.

Young was involved again as his long ball found Barry - coming back from a borderline offside position - and the England midfielder unselfishly squared for Carew to guide the ball into an empty net.

With the match effectively over as a contest, Young scored his second on 63 minutes, beating two players before firing a low shot towards goal.

Taylor saved the initial effort but the ball bounced perfectly into the 22-year-old's path and he slotted home to cap an excellent individual display.

With his team's fans pouring out of the ground by the minute, Blues substitute Forssell - on for Zarate, who had a mini-tantrum as he left the pitch - cut the gap after a good passing move.

But the final goal went the home side's way after a howler from ex-Villa defender Liam Ridgwell allowed Agbonlahor to race through the middle and slide the ball into the centre of the goal.

It sealed his side's biggest derby win since 1988 - and kept Birmingham in the bottom three of the table.

• Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill:

"Winning was the most important thing, but to win so convincingly is a great boost for us.

"I thought we played brilliantly. We are a really decent side going forward.

"Ashley Young and John Carew were both absolutely outstanding. Ashley couldn't have done any more in front of Fabio Capello.

"We're still there fighting for the Uefa Cup. We're in full flow and the Everton game (on 27 April) is a massive one for us."

• Birmingham boss Alex McLeish:

"We were on the end of a bruising from a really good Villa side.

"Villa's front men were on fire and we were unable to string any passes together until the second half.

"You have to say that Villa's agenda is totally different to our's - the bottom line is that they are a better team.

"It's all about our next three games - we have to take as many points from those games as we can. This match doesn't mean we're going down

"I can take some things from the game and we have been a different team at home."

BBC Sport

Photo of the Day

2008-04-15T08:39:00.003-04:00

These two seem to party together a lot. Do I see some slash in their future? ;)

PS Yes I know the photo is old. Doesn't mean we can't fantas.....include it.

Derby 0 - Aston Villa 6

2008-04-14T08:14:00.002-04:00

Aston Villa hammered Derby at Pride Park to plunge the relegated Rams's season into an embarrassing new low.

Derby keeper Roy Carroll had a torrid first-half, failing to clear Ashley Young's free-kick for Villa's first.

John Carew drilled in seconds later before Stiliyan Petrov expertly lashed Carroll's hideously skewed clearance into the top corner from 45 yards.

Gareth Barry slotted in after half-time then Gabriel Agbonlahor and Marlon Harewood tucked away to end the rout.

Derby manager Paul Jewell had talked of giving the fans a glimmer of light in a dark season for the Rams, and his players initially set about that task with zeal.

Young went close with a snap-shot on the half volley after five minutes but Derby, backed by a vociferous home crowd, dictated the early play with Kenny Miller providing guile.

The Scottish striker cleverly set up David Jones on the edge of the box on 15 minutes but he could only scuff a tame shot into Scott Carson's arms.

Derby continued to probe impressively but lacked real class around the penalty area and failed to carve out any clear-cut chances.

But with the game drifting and Villa looking lacklustre, a mistake from Carroll changed the course of the game.

Young swung an innocuous free-kick towards goal from 30 yards on 25 minutes and, as Olof Mellberg challenged him, Carroll failed to make any real contact to clear and the ball went straight into the net.

Cue Derby's catastrophic collapse.

Less than 60 seconds later, England midfielder Barry broke down the left wing to cross, Carroll could only push the ball away from a sea of bodies out to Carew, and Villa's big striker rammed a vicious shot back into the goal.

With Derby's confidence now at rock bottom, Villa streamed forward in waves but it was another Carroll clanger which led to their third.

A routine punt downfield was skewed towards Petrov who, 45 yards from goal, controlled impeccably and then lashed back over Carroll's head into the top corner for a breathtaking goal.

That was enough for some Derby fans who have not tasted victory in 30 games and they soon filed towards the exit gates before half-time.

And the East Midlanders' suffering continued into the second-half.

On 53 minutes, Young neatly played England colleague Agbonlahor into the box and the rebound from his low shot, saved smartly by Carroll, was tapped home by Barry with Derby's defence at a complete standstill.

Derby plugged away and Robbie Earnshaw forced Carson into a flying save but the Rams agony continued on 75 minutes.

A simple clearance inadvertently knocked on by a Derby defender was pounced upon by Agbonlahor who tucked into the corner from 15 yards.

Five minutes before full-time Patrik Berger played in fellow substitute Harewood who raced beyond Derby's static defence to coolly slot home past the beleaguered Carroll and boost Villa's European hopes.

The only relief for Derby was the final whistle and they are now in danger of becoming only the second club ever in history to go through a full league season with just one win.

The Rams now stand on the brink of breaking a host of records which would confirm then as the worst ever side in the Premier League - and one of the poorest top-flight teams ever.

• Derby manager Paul Jewell:
"It is difficult to accept a performance like this.

"We played well for the first 20 minutes but as soon as we concede a goal it is like a pack of cards and we just collapse.

"It is a horrible situation we are in and it is uncomfortable. As soon as we face a bit of adversity we have not got enough leaders or men to get us through it.

"Once they scored the difference in class was huge."

• Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill:
"We played very well today. Derby started very brightly and we were playing second fiddle.

"But we got the goal and the whole game changed. There was plenty of confidence about the side but we had to work hard and try to get the ball back.

"Petrov played very well last week and recreated that today.

"We have got everything to play for still this season, but we can't make any mistakes. We need to give ourselves a chance."

BBC Sport

Olof Mellberg Day, May 3rd 2008

2008-04-11T08:10:00.001-04:00

When Gareth Barry finally decides to retire from playing football, which I have no doubt will be at Aston Villa, the club will endorse a Gareth Barry Day. Without a doubt he'll deserve it and even I'll buy the t-shirt.

Barry will be with us for another few seasons and I reckon he'll play well over 500 games and nobody can doubt his love and support for the club.

But against Wigan on May 3rd it will the last time Olof Mellberg puts on the claret and blue shirt and plays at Villa Park, and I for one have enjoyed watching him play for us.

We asked, back in January if the club should endorse an Olof Mellberg Day and of the almost 400 people that voted, over 85% said they should.

Well, they haven't come out yet and endorsed it but that doesn't mean you shouldn't go out and buy your Viking hat or wear yellow and blue on the day, in recognition of his time at Aston Villa.

Mellberg has recently spoken about maybe one day coming back to Villa as a coach too, so it's quite clear he loves the club. "Would I like to come back to Villa as a coach? If you would have asked me a few years ago I would have definitely said no to staying within football.

"But I'm more interested in it now. I watch more football now and certainly follow it more than I used to so it is a possibility. It would be nice to coach at Villa."

He may have only been with us for seven years, but it's his passion and desire that many of us appreciate and can any of us forget his comments before a Birmingham City match?

I could never think about playing for Birmingham City. That's not an option. I made up my mind during the games at their stadium. The atmosphere between the players was not brilliant and I've just got the feeling that I don't like Birmingham City at all.

Love him or hate him, whenever he pulled on the shirt he gave 110% and for that, I think he should get a good send off and the point of this post is just to remind you that on May 3rd, against Wigan, it will be his last game. Make it a good send off.

AVFC Blog

Photo of the Day

2008-04-10T11:38:00.001-04:00

I've no idea when this was taken, and the page from which it originates doesn't clear it up, but look at Olof and his fancy scarf! Aw...fancy scarf...

We Just Need the Benny Hill Music...

2008-04-06T11:37:00.002-04:00

I've spent the last half hour or more checking out videos on Footytube (I ALMOST had some highlights for you from yesterday's Villa vs Bolton match, but they've been taken offline already) and came across this, "Top 10 Fights and Fouls (Vol. 1 and 2)" It's a good way to spend a few minutes, if you're into this sort of thing (which, since I'm Canadian, I am - I'm ALL ABOUT the hockey fights ;)

OF COURSE Olof vs Freddie is in there ;)

10. Benjamin Massing vs Claudio Caniggia (Cameroon v Argentina)
9. Lee Bowyer vs Kieron Dyer (Newcastle v Aston Villa)
8. Fernando Derveld vs Randers player (OB v Randers)
7. Roy Keane vs Alf-Inge Haaland (Manchester United v Manchester City)
6. Harald “Toni” Schumacher vs Patrick Battiston (Germany v France)
5. David Navarro vs Nicolas Burdisso (Valencia v Inter Milan)
4. Leonardo vs Tab Ramos (Brazil v USA)
3. Olof Mellberg vs Fredrik “Freddie” Ljungberg (training ground)
2. Rüstü Reçber vs Kieron Dyer (Turkey v England)
1. Zinedine Zidane vs Marco Materazzi (France v Italy)

10. B 1909 vs B 1913
9. Eric Cantona vs Crystal Palace fan
8. Stefan Effenberg vs Real Madrid fans
7. Jon Obi Mikel vs Xabi Alonso
6. David Beckham vs Diego Tristan
5. David Beckham vs Aldo Duscher
4. David Beckham vs Diego Simeone
3. Carlos Diogo vs Luís Fabiano
2. Barnsley vs Birmingham
1. Rome police vs Manchester United fans

Aston Villa 4-0 Bolton

2008-04-05T18:25:00.001-04:00

Gareth Barry's brace helped Aston Villa to get their first win in six games and increased Bolton's relegation fears.

Barry headed in powerfully from six yards out after an excellent run and cross from Ashley Young.

Gabriel Agbonlahor scored from close range after a swift passing move and Villa got a third when Barry's strike was deflected in by Joey O'Brien.

Marlon Harewood headed in a fourth as Bolton rued earlier missed chances by Heidar Helguson and Danny Guthrie.

The visitors began positively for a side that had gone seven Premier League games without a win.

Villa had fared little better in recent times and were on a five-match winless streak which included losses in their last three league matches.

Villa took the lead when Young's trickery on the left saw him evade the challenge of Kevin Davies and his pinpoint right-footed cross was met firmly by Barry's header.

Bolton's early optimism had been dented within 10 minutes as they failed to pick up the unmarked Villa captain.

Gary Megson's side had earlier seen a header from Helguson sail over and Guthrie shoot wide when unmarked inside the area.

The early goal seemed to breathe life into Villa as they started to play a more expansive game which was reminiscent of the form they had shown before their mini-slump.

Bolton almost levelled fortuitously when Davies crossed and his effort beat Scott Carson but clipped the top of the crossbar.

Young was the central figure early on as he roved from one flank to the other causing Bolton's defence numerous problems.

But the visitors were playing a full share in the game and almost levelled when Matthew Taylor's goalbound free-kick from long range was deflected wide for a corner.

However Bolton almost became the architects of their own downfall when they failed to clear and presented the ball to Martin Laursen, whose shot cannoned to safety off the post.

The visitors began brightly after the interval and forced three corners which were dealt with unconvincingly by Villa's keeper Scott Carson, who flapped at the ball on each occasion.

Villa made the game safe with a second goal which followed the best passage of play in the match.

A swift move which included eight passes saw John Carew link with Young who then found Barry who crossed intelligently for Agbonlahor to prod in from close range.

Villa pushed on and increased their lead further when O'Brien's attempted block only succeeded in deflecting Barry's shot into the net.

Bolton's misery was compounded when substitute Harewood made the most of evading his markers to head in from a free-kick.

The spectre of relegation looms large for Bolton as they remain in the drop zone with five games remaining.

But for Villa hope springs eternal as they hold on to their hopes of securing European football next season.

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill:
"We got back to basics and we were terrific.

"We had been scoring freely but then we recently hit the buffers.

"The first goal was crucial and we got it through Gareth Barry's header and then our confidence came back.

"We have not been able to keep a clean sheet to save our lives so it was very pleasing to get one."

Bolton boss Gary Megson:
"We fell apart after they scored their second goal.

"We have to get up and dust ourselves off and we have to take the criticism.

"We have only taken one point from the last 27 points available but we now have to focus against our game against West Ham next week."

BBC SPORT

Photo of the Day

2008-04-04T10:37:00.003-04:00

Thursday March 27, 01:26 AM
International Friendly - Sweden v Brazil - Emirates Stadium

Mellberg Hopes to Return to Villa as Coach

2008-04-01T08:13:00.002-04:00

I don't know how I feel about this...coaches are supposed to be good public speakers and should have a healthy amount of tact. As much as I love him, Olof doesn't really fill either of these categories, you know? Agree? Disagree?

As he prepares to join Juventus, Olof Mellberg admits he'd be interested in returning to Aston Villa as a coach.
He told the Sunday Mercury: "Would I like to come back to Villa as a coach? If you would have asked me a few years ago I would have definitely said no to staying within football.

"But I'm more interested in it now. I watch more football now and certainly follow it more than I used to so it is a possibility. It would be nice to coach at Villa."

tribal football

Man Utd 4-0 Aston Villa

2008-03-30T13:17:00.001-04:00

Manchester United stretched their lead at the Premier League summit to six points with a stunning display.

Cristiano Ronaldo's outrageous flick started the agony for Aston Villa after 17 minutes and he provided Carlos Tevez with a simple second before half-time.

Wayne Rooney rounded Scott Carson for a third after 53 minutes and he slid home the fourth with 20 minutes left after more superb creativity from Ronaldo.

Shaun Maloney missed Villa's best chance, but United were outstanding.

United's football was mesmeric, despite atrocious conditions, and Martin O'Neill's fast-fading side could easily have been on the end of an even heavier beating.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson took a precaution ahead of the Champions League quarter-final visit to AS Roma by resting goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, who was suffering from a slight groin strain.

Tomasz Kuszczak returned in goal, but spent much of the evening admiring a virtuoso United attacking display.

Ronaldo had already tested Villa keeper Carson before he produced a finish that was brilliant even by his own sky-high standards to give United the lead after 17 minutes.

Villa could not clear a Ryan Giggs corner, and when Rio Ferdinand chested the ball towards Ronaldo, he produced an outrageous flick between the legs of Martin Laursen to beat Carson.

Ronaldo turned creator as United extended their lead after 33 minutes, producing a perfect first-time cross to provide Tevez with a simple headed finish.

Villa were facing a long and arduous 90 minutes, and their situation was not helped when striker John Carew limped off with a groin injury before half-time, to be replaced by Maloney.

Rooney should have sealed the points for United after 48 minutes when he was put clear by Tevez only to shoot wide - Maloney then wasting an equally good chance for Villa in a similar position seconds later.

England striker Rooney made amends for his miss after 53 minutes when he took another flamboyant touch from Ronaldo to round Carson and score with ease.

Kuszczak was called into action after 55 minutes to save from Maloney's curling angled drive, but it was a minor inconvenience to a United side threatening to run riot.

Ferguson made a triple substitution in the 61st minute, sending on Owen Hargreaves, Anderson and John O'Shea for Patrice Evra, Michael Carrick and Ferdinand.

Hargreaves was in on the action instantly with a perfect cross that Tevez somehow headed wide, before Rooney struck the outside of the post with a measured finish.

Ronaldo and Rooney were irresistible - and combined once more for United's fourth in the 70th minute.

Rooney slid in a right-foot finish after being played in by another stunning touch from Ronaldo.

• Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson:

"The players reached a peak last week and we've continued that.

"They realise now it's a race to the line, we need consistency and real focus and we showed fantastic energy.

"The title doesn't feel that close for us, but there is great confidence in the way the team is playing and that's great at this time of the year."

• Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill:

"If you could ever try to set the benchmark, that's it.

"We came up against a team on top of their game; we have to admit they were splendid.

"There were things there to give us heart. The scoreline was pretty strong, but we had one or two chances that could have made it more respectable."

BBC Sport

Sweden 0-1 Brazil, France 1-0 England

2008-03-26T19:42:00.002-04:00

Teenager Alexandre Pato marked his international debut on Wednesday with an astonishing opportunist goal to give Brazil a 1-0 win over Sweden in a friendly at the Emirates Stadium.

The 72nd-minute strike was the one fitting moment of a match marking the 50th anniversary of Brazil's victory over Sweden in the 1958 World Cup final in Stockholm for the first of their five titles. The 18-year-old chased Rami Shaaban towards the right touchline as the substitute goalkeeper looked set for an easy clearance and contrived to block the ball, swivel and send an exquisite left-footed lob into the unguarded net.

"It was flawless, a perfect volley, but he also had a little bit of luck," Sweden coach Lars Lagerback told a news conference.

Brazil coach Dunga was characteristically low key about the strike but praised Pato for his commitment.

"Let's not exaggerate (the goal's brilliance), but it was an important goal," said Brazil's 1994 World Cup-winning captain.

"(Pato) has technical quality, but I liked how he went to put the goalkeeper in difficulty," he added.

"He has everything to be a crack (player), but let's see (how good he is) after 40 games."
cont'd

England suffered their first defeat under coach Fabio Capello with a disappointing performance in France.
Franck Ribery scored the only goal from the penalty spot with 32 minutes gone after David James had spectacularly brought down Nicolas Anelka.

Florent Malouda, Anelka and Ribery all went close to a second, while Steven Gerrard twice headed wide on a night when England created very little.

David Beckham lasted 63 minutes on the night he won his 100th cap.
cont'd

Sweden Without Star Ibrahimovic for Brazil Friendly

2008-03-26T07:55:00.003-04:00

I know some of you are going to this match (f*cking BASTARDS! Sorry, sorry...jealousy is an ugly ugly thing...) so in case you were looking forward to seeing this man, well, you won't. But YOU WILL see Olof and Freddie (BASTARDS! I HATE YOU ALL! Sorry, again, sorry...)

STOCKHOLM (AFP) — A lingering knee injury will leave Sweden without its star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic when the squad meets Brazil for a football friendly in London on Wednesday, the Swedish Football Association said.

"We agreed that he's better off taking the time for rehab and resting his knee. He's played on painkillers for several matches now," coach Lars Lagerbaeck said in a statement.

Ibrahimovic, who plays for Inter Milan, was diagnosed with a knee tendon injury in February.

The Swedish side will also be without Wigan Athletic's defender Erik Edman, who suffered a nasty knee injury in a Premier League match against Blackburn on Saturday.

The Swedish FA said Edman tore the ligaments in his left knee and is expected to be out of action for around six months.

Sunderland striker Rade Prica will replace Ibrahimovic and Mikael Dorsin will replace Edman, the FA said.

The Brazil clash at Emirates Stadium is part of Sweden's Euro 2008 preparations, and is the last match before Lagerbaeck announces his selection on May 13.

"We'll be playing against one of the best teams in the world. It'll be a good test for us to play a team that in terms of offense and passing is as good as Spain, who we'll be playing against in the European championships," Lagerbaeck said.

The Sweden-Brazil face-off also marks the 50th anniversary of the 1958 World Cup final between the two teams, one of Sweden's most illustrious showings in the sport despite its 5-2 loss.

Lagerbaeck will be coaching a largely routined side, apart from two players who have made their debuts this year, Sebastian Larsson and Fredrik Stoor.

Fredrik Risp, who last played for the national squad in 2005, will also make his comeback after struggling through injuries for several seasons.

Others on Wednesday's roster include goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson, defenders Olof Mellberg and Mikael Nilsson, and midfielders Kim Kaellstroem, Marcus Allbaeck, Christian Wilhelmsson and Fredrik Ljungberg.

AFP

Them's Fightin' Words!!!

2008-03-25T08:09:00.005-04:00

I expect a bit of reaction to Ollie's latest quote ;) AND I foresee much benchwarming in his future.

Mellberg eyes central role at Juve

Aston Villa right-back Olof Mellberg is hoping that he will be deployed in the middle of the back four at Juventus next season.

The Sweden international defender has agreed to join to the Italian giants in the summer and is looking forward to reverting back to his favoured position.

He has often been used at right-back during his time at Villa Park, but admits that he prefers to be in the heart of the action.

"They consider me as a central defender, which is what Martin O'Neill used to see me as," he told Sportbladet.

"Last season, it worked really well with (Villa centre-back) Martin Laursen and also at the start of this season when we played together.

"I don't feel uncomfortable when I get to play as a central defender."

Melberg also revealed that his decision to end his seven-year stay in England was driven by a desire to challenge for league titles.

"It will be different in Italy," said the 30-year-old.

"Actually, it's the first time that I will be joining a real top club who can, and wants, to fight for titles.

"With all due respect to Aston Villa, they have never had the possibility to challenge in that way."

teamtalk.com

Aston Villa 0-1 Sunderland

2008-03-23T13:27:00.003-04:00

A late Michael Chopra strike gave Sunderland's survival ambitions a lift and hit Aston Villa's European hopes.

Chopra raced on to Kieran Richardson's pass with seven minutes left to beat Scott Carson and seal Sunderland's first away win in the league this term.

Villa were disappointing, with Marlon Harewood wasting their best chance when he was clean through after the break.

Sunderland were worthy winners, with Roy O'Donovan off target before substitute Chopra struck.

As Sunderland fans celebrated wildly at the final whistle, Villa's supporters rounded on Martin O'Neill's side as their recent indifferent form continued.

Sunderland suffered a blow before kick-off when influential striker Kenwyne Jones was ruled out through illness, while Villa's only change was the recall of Craig Gardner for suspended Olof Mellberg.

John Carew almost gave Villa the perfect start after four minutes when he produced a surprise overhead kick which flew narrowly wide with Sunderland keeper Craig Gordon motionless.

But Sunderland more than held their own in the first 45 minutes, with Villa's cause not being helped by a shaky performance from England keeper Carson.

He was fortunate to escape in the 23rd minute when he dropped a long ball and appeared to handle outside the area as he attempted to retrieve the situation, but referee Howard Webb ignored Sunderland's appeals.

O'Donovan should have put Sunderland ahead three minutes later when he directed a poor header well over the bar when unmarked only eight yards out.

Carew was at the centre of most of Villa's attacking threat, and he almost broke the deadlock four minutes before half-time when he pounced on a poor clearance from Gordon, but the Sunderland keeper recovered to save his shot on the turn.

Sunderland were furious with referee Webb again on the stroke of half-time when Andy Reid's shot struck Nigel Reo-Coker on the arm, but once more their claims were waved away.

Villa boss O'Neill made a bold substitution after 56 minutes, sending on striker Harewood for holding midfield man Reo-Coker - a move that almost yielded instant dividends.

Harewood muscled Sunderland defender Nyron Nosworthy out of the way, but steered his first touch of the game inches wide with only Gordon to beat.

He was a lively presence after his introduction, unsettling the Sunderland defence again only to find the side-netting.

Sunderland still looked dangerous on occasion, and Grant Leadbitter wasted a good opportunity to put them ahead with 13 minutes left, dragging his shot across the face of goal when well-placed.

But Sunderland got the goal their determination and resilience deserved after 83 minutes, when Richardson's speculative long ball dropped behind Zat Knight, leaving Chopra to race clear and coolly loft a finish over Carson.

Villa almost responded instantly when Gabriel Agbonlahor broke into the area, but Gordon saved with his legs to clinch a priceless victory.

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill:
"We failed to take any chances that came our way but you can't just point the finger at that.
"Our overall play was disappointing and it is my responsibility. Since we drew with Arsenal a fortnight ago we have been really disappointing.

"You would not expect us to collect only one point from our last two home games. I have to rectify it."

Sunderland boss Roy Keane on their first away victory of the season:
"We have been unlucky in some away games - it is not as though we have been battered every week.
"We have played quite well without getting over the finishing line but here we achieved it.

"We played some decent stuff. Maybe we rode our luck a little bit but we got one clear-cut chance in the second half and managed to take it."

BBC Sport

Aston Villa Boss Martin O'Neill Targets Spurs Keeper Paul Robinson

2008-03-21T14:42:00.002-04:00

Just curious as to your opinion on this. Obviously Robinson's confidence has suffered for the past while - is this a smart move? Fresh start? Bad for Villa?

Opinions?

PS I have ALWAYS thought Paul Robinson was HOOOOOOOOOOT. The few of you that will remember World Cup of Eye Candy might remember that he was one of my nominations. *swoon* That doesn't necessarily help him on the pitch, but it HELPS ME when I see him on TV (hey that rhymes...)

Martin O'Neill wants to put an end to Paul Robinson's misery at Spurs by taking him to Aston Villa.

O'Neill plans to swoop for the unsettled keeper in the summer, with Robinson hoping for a fresh start after losing his starting place for both club and England in what has been a difficult campaign.

He battled back to again be first choice in Juande Ramos's side, but the Tottenham manager is looking around for another keeper.

Robinson was hurt when he was dropped following a dip in form and would be prepared to quit White Hart Lane for Villa, who head the pack chasing him.

Advertisement
Boss O'Neill is looking for a long-term answer to his goalkeeping problem, with Scott Carson set to return to Liverpool after a yearlong loan because Villa are reluctant to pay £10million to secure him.

O'Neill's bid for Brad Guzan looks doomed because the American will struggle to get a work permit in time for next season.

Robinson could cost up to £5m, which Villa can afford.

Mirror.co.uk

Second Yellow Was Harsh - Olof Mellberg

2008-03-17T10:26:00.001-04:00

OLOF Mellberg believes he was unfortunate to receive a second yellow card from referee Chris Foy at Portsmouth.

It was the first of his near eight-year stay at Villa and came on a ground where he was left on the bench for the first time in his career five years ago.

Mellberg was carded for grabbing Niko Kranjcar around the neck and then tapping Lassana Diarra's ankles.

He said the second yellow card was harsh.

"There was definitely nothing much in it,'' he said.

"He sent one of their guys off (Sulley Muntari) so maybe it had a little bit to do with that.

"It was a foul, I couldn't quite get there, but a card was a little harsh.

"But by that time there was not much time left.

"It wasn't down to frustration. I had lost the ball and didn't really want them to break.

"I didn't mind giving a free-kick away as one there wouldn't have mattered in that area as they were breaking at us. That is what I was trying to do, to get back and maybe give a free-kick away.

"We were gambling at that stage, at 2-0 down.

"I knew he would send me off because I saw him grabbing for his card straight away and heading towards me.''

Mellberg had no complaints about the first card for grabbing Kranjcar.

"That was probably a yellow card. At first I was trying to get past him and he was standing in my way, so I grabbed him a little bit."

Mellberg, who will miss Saturday's clash with Sunderland through a one-game ban, was just as frustrated by Villa's defending at Pompey.

"It was disappointing to concede the goals. They felt cheap,'' he said. "The first was from a really long ball and we were then unlucky for the second.

"I thought we had come out strongly in the first half. We looked as if we could score goals, we tried to create chances and looked dangerous on set-pieces as well.

"It felt like there were goals in the game. But it was frustrating and away from home you find it difficult to get back from that."

Birmingham Mail

Portsmouth 2-0 Aston Villa

2008-03-16T18:00:00.002-04:00

A delightful Jermain Defoe lob and a bizarre Nigel Reo-Coker own goal saw Portsmouth leapfrog Aston Villa in the Premier League table.

Defoe neatly controlled Glen Johnson's long ball to beat the culpable Scott Carson from the edge of the box.

And Carson was at fault for the second when the goalkeeper's clearance ended in the back of the net via Reo-Coker.

Both teams ended the game with 10 men when Sulley Muntari and Olof Mellberg were sent off in separate incidents.

The visitors performed better than they had during the lacklustre 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough, but Portsmouth ruthlessly penalised silly errors.

Carson was caught in no-man's land when he was beaten by Defoe, who, in front of the England manager Fabio Capello, scored his sixth goal since his January move from Tottenham.

Villa responded positively, with Ashley Young's trickery and pace causing Pompey problems. But for all their attacking promise the visitors were toothless in attack.

John Carew, having done the hard work by beating two defenders, was guilty of missing a great opportunity 10 minutes before the break.

And Carew was to rue his profligacy when Portsmouth doubled their lead.

Carson came rushing out of his area to clear the danger posed by Muntari's through ball. The keeper kicked the ball straight at Reo-Coker and, to everyone's surprise, the ball bounced off the midfielder's toes into the back of the net.

Villa should have halved the deficit immediately after the break, but Gabriel Agbonlahor failed to connect with Shaun Maloney's cross for what would have been a simple tap-in.

Marlon Harewood came on for Maloney as Villa boss Martin O'Neill sought to out-muscle the Portsmouth defence.

But the home side stood firm despite a bombardment of free-kicks into their box.

Portsmouth should have scored a third only for Niko Kranjcar to shoot wastefully wide from a promising position.

Villa finally found the back of the net - but it was disallowed as Harewood was offside.

Minutes later and Young's free-kick forced a fine reflex save from ex-Villa keeper David James, who was making his 161st consecutive appearance in the Premier League.

Portsmouth were then reduced to 10 men when Muntari received a second yellow for a foul on Villa substitute Moustapha Salifou.

Yet, even with a man advantage, Villa were unable to break Pompey's defence and, three minutes before the end, Villa's frustrations came to a boiling point when Mellberg was sent off for a second yellow card.

• Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill:

"Luck deserted us but it's all about winning games and we've got to get back to that.

"We won't give up. There are still eight games to go and if we are capable of winning most of them.

"There are plenty of twists and turns left even though the margin for error is growing less."

• Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp:

"We've gone above Villa into sixth place now but Everton are the team to catch for fifth and we'll keep trying.

"We did well because Villa set us a lot of problems, particularly from set-pieces.

"They're such a big side that it was bound to be that way but without Sol Campbell we defended really well."

BBC Sport

Photo of the Day

2008-03-13T08:46:00.003-04:00

This photo comes to us courtesy of Josy, who, if you'll recall, ALSO provided us with the HOTTEST OLOF VIDEO OF ALL TIME. I'm STILL drooling over that one.

Anyway, I don't think this is Olof's BEST photo. It's the angle - if Canada's, America's, and Australia's Next Top Model has taught me ANYTHING (besides how to pitch a good cat fight) it's WATCH YOUR ANGLES!!! So the angle is off, making Olof look almost....Nosferatu-like, if you ask me. But what I LOVE about this picture is his expression. Is it just me or does he look like whomever he's listening to is saying the stupidest shit Olof's ever heard? Like, Olof's counting the seconds till he doesn't have to listen to this drivel any longer?

Doesn't it?

Aston Villa 1 Middlesbrough 1

2008-03-13T08:37:00.003-04:00

PANCAKES, a tyre punctured by a nail, a snooker table, Holland. Now add a DVD of Villa against Middlesbrough March '08...

All very, very flat.

Another bumper crowd just shy of 40,000 turned up expecting champagne football, bubbles galore, but got served pop with the top left off overnight.

Villa hadn't been this bad, Carling Cup aside, since November 2006 against Manchester City.

It was completely unexpected.

Sure, they've had bad halves on home soil: Newcastle just recently and Arsenal both before half-time, and Tottenham after it when they were clinging on.

But they had always produced a blood and thunder response and it has been a good 16 months since they were this bad at home, or away for that matter, for 90 minutes.

Now with their game in hand over Liverpool and Everton now gone, Villa are a daunting seven points behind the fifth place they need to claim a UEFA Cup place, and looked doomed to have to go along the InterToto route.

The trouble about having to play, according to the manager, consistently at full pelt and over-reaching yourselves - as they have most of the season and certainly did with a performance of real flair and character at Arsenal - is that when it comes off it delights.

But when you tail off and produce something well below those standards, it doesn't half show.

This was truly gruesome. No one played well.

And it is doubltess going to be just as difficult against three other similar teams yet to visit Villa Park: Sunderland, Wigan and Bolton. All striving to stay in the division and likely to be just as physical and just as resolute in their search for a point. (The Blues derby falls into its own category completely.)

Villa's away form has been so impressive that the club are in danger of forgetting about their own back yard.

Booed off at half-time it was much the same at full-time because most knew that Boro should have strolled it.

They scored a cracking goal, missed two absolute sitters through Mido but continued to boss the game until late on with former midfielder George Boateng playing like a man possessed, as if his career depended on gaining some sort of pride back after a string of heavy Villa wins at The Riverside.

The fact Villa walked away with something was down to a highly dubious penalty award when Ashley Young's shot appeared to strike the back and then the trailing elbow of Luke Young who had turned his body to block.

The Boro defender was so incensed that he continued his protests after the final whistle as he asked referee Steve Bennett to take another look at his decision.

A yellow card was all he got for his troubles, Boro's sixth of the night for which an FA fine beckons.

"I don't like to go on because it always sounds like sour grapes," Gareth Southgate said. "But our lad's got his back to the play and the ball hits him and I don't see how it can be anything other than involuntary handball."

There was a long pause for a couple of bookings but Gareth Barry was not put off and made up for his error at Reading with an immaculate penalty, confidently stroking low to the keeper's right for his fifth goal of the season and first since Boxing Day to keep up the club's continuous scoring streak of 24 Premier League matches.

But the goal wasn't anywhere near enough and for the fourth time in five visits Boro managed to take the sting out of Villa on their own patch.

There was a lot of needle as Villa continued to struggle and Boro tried every trick in the book to hang onto their point after the injustice of the equaliser, none more so than when former team-mates Boateng and Olof Mellberg - a used substitute for the first time in his club career - clashed as the Swede looked to take a quick free-kick.

Boateng refused to let go of the ball as Mellberg tried to wrestle it from him. Boateng then clutched his face as if hit, just as he did to get Nolberto Solano sent off at The Riverside four years ago.

There was much evidence early on as to why Villa have the weakest defence in the top half and are on the longest run in the division without a clean sheet of now 15 matches.

A poor pass out by Zat Knight, making his first start of the year, gave a woeful pass out of defence and then compounded matters was then beaten by Downing who then fired low and hard inside Carson's right-hand post.

Despite their dominance it took a fine goal-line clearance by Mido from John Carew's close-range shot to preserve Boro's lead.

Shaun Maloney had knocked Ashley Young's free-kick back across the face of goal but the Egyptian was well placed only for Carew to then head over the crossbar as the rebound fell invitingly.

That was Villa's one real chance, but they still came close to nicking it in stoppage time as Mark Schwarzer missed his punch to Barry's corner but the ball fizzed wide of the far post.

Beforehand Mido was doing his best to get Villa into Europe. He should have put Boro ahead when he sidefooted wide with Scott Carson stranded after saving at the feet of Tuncay who had turned away from Knight.

Then seven minutes after the re-start Downing managed to get a yard of space from Mellberg down the left wing. His cross wrong-footed the Villa defence and Mido seemingly had the simplest of tasks to tap into the net but elected a fancy flick of the boot which cleared the crossbar.

It took a brave clearance from Carson, racing out of his area, to beat Tuncay to the ball and keep Villa's dignity in tact before the hour.

Gareth Barry sent a dipping left-foot shot narrowly over as substitute Marlon Harewood tried to whip-up the crowd with a series of fist shakes and other animated gestures and growls.

This time the crowd saw through it and waited for Villa to lift them with some sparkling play.

They exited still waiting...

Birmingham Mail

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAZZA!

2008-03-05T21:11:00.002-05:00

HA! I MADE IT, JUST UNDER THE WIRE! Well, here in North America, anyway ;)

TODAY (or yesterday, for you Euro folk) IS CAZZA'S BIRTHDAY!!!!!! I actually remembered, then forgot, then saw Cazza's comment below and remembered all over again. SO YES, CAZZA MY LOVE, that video below IS your bithday present! Even though it's from Josy, not me. But I'll gladly take credit for it since I almost missed your birthday... ;)

I HOPE YOU HAD A FABULOUS BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! xoxoxoxo

Hot Olof Video skldfh;oshroijhawor@)&#)L:IFJ(*ino

2008-03-05T09:11:00.003-05:00

HOLY SWEET JESUS...Josy has provided a link to this Olof video, with Olof looking SO INSANELY HOT that I can't even...I....I just....

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

I don't know where or how you found this, Josy, but I'll love you forever because you did.... ;)

Arsenal 1-1 Aston Villa

2008-03-01T12:24:00.004-05:00

OH MY GOD! WHAT, LIKE 5 SECONDS LEFT?!?!?!? OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!

Perhaps I should explain...

I was able to watch this game!!!! Well, I woke up too late and didn't join in until the 50:00 mark, so I really didn't get to watch the game, but I got to see most of the second half! I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT WITH ABOUT 5 SECONDS LEFT IN PENALTY TIME ARSENAL SCORED!!!!!!! I mean, what the hell is THAT?!??!?!?!

ONE MORE THING: because I only got to see the second half, MY opinion of the game seemed to be QUITE different from the announcers. They kept saying how Villa was dominating the game, Arsenal was the second class team today, etc etc etc. Well, when I was watching, Villa managed to get out of their own end maybe 5 times, and only for a few seconds each time. Sure, defensively they were dominating, but that hardly qualifies as dominating a game if you're simply managing to hold off the other team, if you ask me! SO - I'm going to assume the FIRST half was all Villa? And not just Villa holding them off? Yeah?

PS - Where was Olof????

A late Nicklas Bendtner goal rescued Arsenal after a Philippe Senderos own goal had seemed set to cost them their place at the top of the Premier League.

Gabriel Agbonlahor's driven, low cross was turned into his own net by the unfortunate Senderos on 27 minutes.

Villa almost added a second but Manuel Almunia did superbly to turn Shaun Maloney's fierce shot onto the post.

As a below-par Arsenal looked destined for defeat, substitute Bendtner poked in an equaliser in the last 10 seconds.

Arsenal started the match looking determined to shake off the after-effects of last weekend's nightmarish experience at Birmingham, the scene of two points dropped as well as Eduardo's horrific leg break.

And Theo Walcott - up front in place of Eduardo - brought a fine save out of Scott Carson after an exquisite turn and shot.

Soon though, Arsenal were given warning that Villa would launch fast counter-attacks whenever possible.

It took a superbly-timed sliding tackle from William Gallas to prevent Agbonlahor teeing up a shot when clean through in the box.

However, Arsenal might have taken the lead had Senderos not fallen backwards as he volleyed goalwards after a poor punch from Carson.

There was little time for Senderos to reflect on that as Agbonlahor's pace caught Arsenal out and his fierce low cross was turned in by the unfortunate Swiss defender at his near post.

Villa suffered some rotten luck when first Nigel Reo-Coker and then, six minutes later, Curtis Davies had to go off due to injury.

But defensively they remained solid and they also stayed true to their strategy of hitting on the break.

It almost got them a second goal, but Maloney's vicious 25-yard drive was pushed onto the post by a full-stretch Almunia.

As half-time approached Arsenal might have snatched an equaliser after great trickery from Walcott, but Cesc Fabregas fired over from eight yards.

Trying to raise the tempo after the restart, Arsenal surged at Villa and Walcott drove in a shot that Carson palmed around his left post.

A better save came shortly after at the other end, when Almunia did superbly to divert Ashley Young's fizzing shot away from the bottom corner.

Back came Arsenal, and Matthieu Flamini dragged a shot wide before substitute Bendtner missed with a header and Gael Clichy also failed to trouble Carson.

Then a chance for each team in quick succession - and while Almunia was relieved that Agbonlahor shot straight at him, Carson made an outstanding stop from Alexander Hleb.

But as they came forward Arsenal also looked vulnerable and Villa substitute Marlon Harewood smashed a shot at Almunia when he might have done better.

A rising drive from Flamini went over the bar as Arsenal pressed, and it was looking as though Villa would be only the second team to win at The Emirates.

But in added time Bendtner slotted in from six yards following Adebayor's downward header to ensure Arsenal stay a point above Manchester United in the table.

Arsene Wenger:
"Everyone goes through a bad spell, but every point gained is of vital importance.
"They were difficult opponents. They defended very well and were sharp on the break.

"We had to dig deep to get to the pace of the game and it was the desire and refusal to lose which got us a point."

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill:
"It's hard to describe, to come here and play so well. We deserved to win because we played brilliantly.
"We're capable of attacking every team. We didn't come here just to hit them on the break. We're capable of scoring and, unfortunately, conceding.

"We're a miles better side than when we came here last season."

BBC Sport

Photo of the Day

2008-02-29T09:41:00.000-05:00

*snicker snicker*

B E A R D · R E V U E

2008-02-28T08:06:00.005-05:00

I know I've posted beard related stuff before, and I don't think anyone finds it as funny as I always do, but I'M STILL going in for more.

This appears to be a site dedicated to the almighty beard. Which, again, tickles me to no end. Our Olof seems to have scored rather low on the beard scale - 4.6 compared to, say, Robert Wyatt (9.2) or George Washington Carver (7.7) or even the lovely Brad Pitt (8.5) I say we get on this thing, and DEMAND a higher score for Olof! The man is KNOWN for his beard! Vikings and all that! ATTICA! ATTICA! ATTICA!

Olof Mellberg is a Swedish football player who currently plays for Aston Villa (currently ranked sixth in the Barclays Premier League). I won’t lie and tell you I know everything about this guy — I spent half a year in Spain following Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Beckham, all typical naked facers. But what I can tell you is this Swede sometimes sports chin strands.

However, dedication is not Mellberg’s strongest suit. The short beard he wears may be envied on the pitch, but is just another vehicle for handicapped humans to the rest of the bearded community. I suppose its mere presence is somewhat admirable, and that the continuity from crown to jaw is tough to beat (I love balance!).

If you fancy a starter beard, add three points to the above score. If not, let’s just home Mellberg’s beard performance is a little stronger at Juventus.

B E A R D · R E V U E

Premier League - Mellberg Fears Being Frozen Out

2008-02-25T09:19:00.000-05:00

Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg fears that his lay-off through injury could spell time on his Aston Villa career.

The Sweden international centre-back was not involved in Villa's 2-1 win over Reading at the weekend with a foot injury sustained against Newcastle, and was replaced by Craig Gardner.

With a deal to join Juventus at the end of the season now sealed, Mellberg is worried that manager Martin O'Neill will not be inclined to field him in a Villa shirt anymore.

"He (O'Neill) told me he wasn't very happy with the situation, and the fact that I'm moving to Juventus this summer does not help", Mellberg told Swedish paper Sportbladet.

"The injury does not threaten my career in the long run but I will only find out later in the week how long it will take to heal completely".

"O´Neill and I have a good relationship and I don't have any problems with him.

"However, he told me that he wasn't happy with the situation. I will still do my best to get as much playing time as possible."

Yahoo! Sport

Reading 1-2 Aston Villa

2008-02-24T13:47:00.003-05:00

Aston Villa kept up their challenge for fourth place in the Premier League with a win at relegation-placed Reading.

Villa's Gareth Barry missed a dubiously-awarded penalty before the visitors went ahead when Ashley Young slotted home after a counter-attack.

Nicky Shorey had a shot parried as the Royals fought back, but Marlon Harewood curled in a shot to secure Villa's win.

Reading efforts did receive their reward in injury-time when Shorey scored with a 25-yard free-kick.

But the loss was their eighth on the trot and the foundations for it were set early on.

The home side's defence had looked uncertain at the start and it was a sign of things to come as they gave the home fans plenty of cause for concern.

Any promise that James Harper's early shot, which stung the hands of Scot Carson, had briefly given the Royals quickly evaporated by a shaky back-line.

Centre-back pairing Kalifa Cisse and Ibrahima Sonko failed to clear a high Villa ball and John Carew seized on the loose ball to screw a shot just wide.

Young was given space to run at the home defence and his shot was saved before Gabriel Agbonlahor's pace saw him break clear down Villa's left flank.

He put in a low cross for Carew but Cisse blocked before the danger was before quelled with some desperate defending.

Reading were given little respite, and Harper petulantly nudged Villa boss O'Neill when the ball went out for a throw-in near the visitors' technical area.

Barry was given the chance to exact a swift revenge for his manager when the referee awarded a harsh penalty for a Cisse handball from Shaun Maloney's shot.

The normally precise England midfielder sliced a poor spot-kick wide but it did not stop Villa momentum.

Martin Laursen had a header saved by Royals keeper Marcus Hahnemann before the inevitable goal for Villa came just before half-time.

Agbonlahor burst clear on the right before squaring the ball across for Young, who controlled and sidefooted in.

Reading exerted a spell of decent pressure in the second half and almost levelled when Shorey's angled shot was only parried by Carson.

A mix-up between the keeper and his defenders nearly let in Stephen Hunt but the visitors eventually cleared the danger.

Carson blocked a looping Shorey free-kick, which appeared to get a faint touch by Dave Kitson, as Reading pegged the visitors back.

But another swift Villa break as Reading pushed forward ended with Harewood curling an effort into the far corner to secure his side's victory.

Shorey scored with virtually the last kick of the game when his set-piece squeezed past Carson as he notched a Reading consolation and their first goal since 12 January.

Reading boss Steve Coppell:
"They had the edge in many areas, we fought well but just need more quality, we need to get better.
"When you're down at the bottom you clutch at things that can give you a little boost, to change your form.

"Hopefully Nicky Shorey's consolation goal can do that as we need something against the clubs that are with us in the mini-league at the bottom now.

"The penalty was an absolute nonsense and I thought it was poetic justice that Barry missed the kick."

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill:
"We looked a threat all day, scored some great goals and played openly.
"Until we got the second goal it was difficult to breathe easily as we had to pick ourselves up after missing the penalty, but we scored at vital times.

"The second goal sealed the win for us, so we're still in there battling, still competing to finish fourth.

"Barry doesn't miss too many from the spot, but he apologised at half-time where there is no need, as he's pulled us out of a hole more than a few times in the past."

BBC SPORT

Cat Gets Into Olof's Shorts

2008-02-22T08:35:00.003-05:00

Our very own Cat is the proud owner of these previously worn Olof shorts. The only problem, IMO? This:

THESE SHORTS ARE FROM THE 05/06 SEASON AND COME FULLY LAUNDERED.

Like Cazza said, why would they WASH them?!?!?! That doesn't help anyone!!!!!!!!

CONGRATS, CAT! Here's to a long, loving relationship between you and the shorts - taking them for a walk in the park, having a romantic dinner at a cozy, fancy restaurant, snuggling on the couch with a glass of wine...

CLICK HERE for the eBay page

Should Olof Mellberg Start?

2008-02-18T14:02:00.001-05:00

Vital Villa asked, in a poll suggested by young_jonah,

Should Olof Mellberg remain in the starting 11?

The majority, with 49% want to see Craig Gardner given the right-back spot as they voted 'Not sure but Gardner should be right-back'

35% disagreed saying Mellberg should still be played at right-back.

10% said Mellberg should now be used as a sub and 4% that he should still be playing in the centre.

That left 2% saying as he is leaving for Juventus, he should now be dropped...... Bit harsh!

Our latest poll continues on the Mellberg theme and asks what fancy dress fans should wear for the last game of the season in his honour! Hey, don't shoot the messenger, I didn't think it up!

Vital Aston Villa

Photo of the Day

2008-02-13T15:43:00.001-05:00

Aston Villa 4-1 Newcastle

2008-02-09T17:29:00.000-05:00

Striker John Carew scored a hat-trick to help Aston Villa fight back from a goal down to beat Newcastle.

The visitors took an early lead thanks to Michael Owen whose deflected header beat Scott Carson at the near post.

Defender Wilfred Bouma equalised for Villa with a low shot from 20 yards before Carew grabbed his first with a header from Ashley Young's corner.

Carew nodded in to make it 3-1 before he scored his third from the spot following Stephen Carr's handball.

The victory was a thoroughly deserved one for Martin O'Neill's side who ended their run of three games without a win in emphatic fashion, while opposite number Kevin Keegan was left wondering where and when his first win would arrive following a shambolic collapse.

It started well for KK when Owen gave the Magpies the lead, eluding his markers to head the ball, with the aid of a deflection from Gareth Barry, past Carson.

Villa posed little threat in the first half but when they did it was often thanks to sloppy play from Newcastle.

O'Neill's men would have felt aggrieved they did not get the rub of the green when Barry's goalbound shot from 20 yards seemed to strike the hand of Joey Barton in the area, with the Newcastle midfielder appearing to have also pushed Shaun Maloney to the ground.

Villa were unlucky not to win the penalty but there were enough big cracks in Newcastle's defence to give them the belief they could it around in the second half.

The home side's equaliser was not long in coming after the break when Bouma scored his first goal in 76 games.

The Dutchman chanced his luck from 20 yards with a drilled low shot that deflected off the calf of Habib Beye and past Shay Given.

Newcastle then imploded. Young, one of the shining lights in English football, delivered another great ball from a left-sided corner and found the lanky Carew, who did not need to leap to nod in his first.

Villa had endured a miserable January but it must have felt like Christmas Day for them.

And they soon unwrapped their third present thanks to Three Stooges-style defending from the visitors.

Given had come off injured with a groin injury and been replaced by Steve Harper but he, like his team-mate, was not helped by his defence, who failed to clear a cross from the right and allowed Carew the simplest of chances from two yards.

And Villa's fightback was complete in the final minute of the match when they were awarded a penalty following Carr's handball.

Regular spot-kick specialist Barry stepped aside to allow Carew to grab his first hat-trick for the club.

The Norway forward did not let his colleague, his team or himself down by rifling the ball past Harper.

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill:
"We had more drive and determination in the second half.
"John Carew is a real handful and a super player and was outstanding and also scored a hat-trick.

"Marlon Harewood has been waiting for his chance but every time he has come on he has had a major influence and he did that in this match.

"I have got more confidence in the players than they have in themselves but it is getting there with time."

Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan:
"We played very well early on for a team that has not been having results go for us and we built the platform for a victory by taking the lead.
"Sadly half the second half came and I'm baffled by what happened because it was the same players but we never really got going after the break.

"Their first goal was a hammer blow and our goalkeeper got injured at the same time and when they got their second we had a mountain to climb."

BBC Sport

Beards

2008-02-06T09:55:00.000-05:00

“Chins without beards deserve no honour” – Spanish Proverb

It seems strange that 20 or 30 years ago almost every footballer had a beard; it was a status symbol, and chicks used to dig it. Why though now has it taken STT two weeks of fervent list-making to compile enough Premier League footballers with beards to even justify this article? We wanted to show that some guys around at the moment still have that hippie swagger, casting out the razor in favour of a handy place to store undigested foodstuffs.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE POST. ;)

Photo of the Day

2008-02-04T09:28:00.000-05:00

Fulham 2-1 Aston Villa

2008-02-03T18:46:00.000-05:00

Jimmy Bullard's late 25-yard free-kick earned Roy Hodgson his first victory as Fulham manager against high-flying Aston Villa at Craven Cottage.

Villa had taken the lead on 68 minutes when Aaron Hughes turned the ball into his own net after Olof Mellberg flicked on Shaun Maloney's outswinging corner.

But Fulham hit back five minutes later when Simon Davies finished off a fine sweeping move involving Bullard.

And Bullard ensured the three points with a brilliant strike on 85 minutes.

There was further bad news for Villa manager Martin O'Neill when England call-up Gabriel Agbonlahor was forced to limp off at half-time with a hamstring injury.

The striker is a major doubt for England's forthcoming friendly against Switzerland at Wembley on Wednesday.

The much-needed victory is only Fulham's third all season, consigning Villa to their first defeat in nine games.

The game ended in complete contrast to how it began - the first half was almost bereft of any goalscoring chances.

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson gave new signing Erik Nevland his debut, playing the Norwegian as a lone striker in front of a five-man midfield.

The visitors were without the pace and penetration of new Ashley Young, who missed the match because of a one-game suspension.

His replacement, Shaun Maloney, fashioned the best chance of the half for Villa on 39 minutes.

The Scot capitalised on a defensive mistake from Danny Murphy, sending a dangerous ball across the face of Antti Niemi's goal, but Agbonlahor failed to make contact as the ball flew across the box to safety.

Agbonlahor was forced to sit out the second half after he was crudely brought down in full flow by Davies on the stroke of half-time.

The visitors had the better of the opening exchanges in the second half, with Marlon Harewood, on for Agbonlahor, looking threatening up front.

And once again Villa took the lead through a set piece, albeit with help from the hapless Hughes.

Maloney's corner was flicked on by Mellberg at the near post, but rather than finding a team-mate in claret and blue, the Swede found Hughes's left boot and the defender looped the ball into his own net.

Martin Laursen spurned a glorious opportunity to double Villa's lead a minute later when he blasted over from another corner from six yards out.

The miss proved costly as the home side hit back on 73 minutes with a well-crafted equaliser involving Bullard and Davies and the latter neatly finished on the half volley from 12 yards out.

And Bullard sealed the vital three points with a superb free-kick after Curtis Davies had brought down Diomansy Kamara 25 yards out from goal.

The former Wigan midfielder curled his strike beyond the sprawling Scott Carson, prompting scenes of crazy celebrations.

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson on Jimmy Bullard:
"He has done extremely well to comeback and give that kind of performance he has surprised us all.
"If he keeps that level of play up then he will be like an extra player signed in the transfer window.

"We have been trying to get one foot on the first rung of the ladder, now we have to start climbing it."

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill:
"When we got ourselves in front we didn't defend well enough for their equalising goal.
"I wanted us to play with drive and ambition, but we didn't have the momentum. We were not good enough."

BBC Sport

Det kändes lite bättre idag (?)

2008-02-01T09:53:00.001-05:00

CLICK HERE to watch a recent (short) interview with Olof. It's in Swedish, but like you're LISTENING to him anyway. ;)

MORE INTERVIEWS:

CLICK HERE

AND HERE

AND HERE

Photo of the Day

2008-01-31T08:20:00.000-05:00

Olof off to Juventus, Jenner off to I Heart Olof

2008-01-29T20:27:00.000-05:00

Hello one and all! I am slowly, slowly easing back into the ol' blogging thing, so I hope you ease on back with me (lube helps *wink wink*) Thank you all for your comments in the post below - not just for the encouragement, but the fact that you stuck around and chatted with one another in my absence. That means a lot to me - I like our little Olof harem...erm, Olof admirers club we have going here ;)

And for those who sent emails - thank you thank you thank you. I WILL respond soon, but I couldn't at first because...well, I'll be completely honest, they made me cry. In a good way, though. So again, thank you. xoxoxo

OF COURSE I have to start things off with the biggest news of late (which I know you all know, but still, how could I NOT "restart" the blog with this?): Olof is indeed off to Juventus. After months and months of rumours (and hundreds and hundreds of google alerts, I might add) it is FINALLY official. My condolences to the Villa fans. :( BUT this news in no way means we won't have any Olof news/pics in the future!

So I'll be slowly getting back to my old posting ways - it make take a bit of time, but I'll get there. I've emerged from the darkest moments, so the only way now is up. So here's to the future, here's to strange new lands (literally), here's to Olof, and HERE'S TO ALL OF YOU!

OH, ONE LAST THING - I noticed several of you mentioned the wonkiness of the comments section the past couple of weeks. I've seen this mentioned on other sites with haloscan. I have no idea WHY it happens, but since it's haloscan I'm not surprised. They (the comments) always come back though. Wherever they go - Bermuda Triangle, the secret door at the back of the dryer, the magical land of Narnia - they always return. So just a heads up - haloscan is weird.

Mellberg to Leave Villa for Juventus at End of Season
TURIN, Italy - Sweden centre back Olof Mellberg will join Juventus from Aston Villa at the end of the season.

"I am very happy with this agreement," Mellberg said in a statement released by Juventus on Monday. "It will be an important experience at a prestigious club and one of the most important leagues in the world."

Mellberg's contract with Aston Villa is due to expire in June, and Juventus said the player was signed on a three-year contract. Mellberg is currently in his seventh season at Villa Park.

"(Mellberg) will bring to Juventus his contribution of international experience and quality," Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri said.

The Canadian Press

Hiatus

2008-01-15T08:23:00.000-05:00

Hello my dear Ollie lovin' friends! Just to let you know I'm putting the blog (this one and my main one) on a mini hiatus. I'm going through a few things right now (nothing serious) and I need time to concentrate on that. And even though the blog really doesn't take that much of my time, I just don't have the heart for it right now. I usually LOVE posting things - articles, sweet pics, etc, and my heart just isn't in it right now.

SO I'll hopefully be back in a few weeks, and hopefully you'll be back, too! BUT IN THE MEANTIME, HERE'S A LITTLE SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HOPEFULLY HOLD YOU OVER. Remember a while ago we did our sort of slash fiction stories? You can find them if you crawl through the archives. OR you can use the "search blog" feature in the top left corner of the blog - if you type in "cock" you get my story hehe, if you type in "viking" you'll get Muffin's story (there were a few stories, so just keep typing in dirty words and I'm sure you'll get something ;) Anyway remember how all of our stories were about Olof and Freddie (and Becks, in my story)? Well our Cat has written one about Olof and a different paramour, Martin Lausen. I guess Olof & Freddie are on the outs, and since Laursen's been playing so well as of late Olof has set his sights on him. What a fickle fickle man is our Olof...

Cat says this is her first time, so be gentle! ;)

Anyway, I hope to see you all again in the next few weeks, and in the meantime, enjoy some saucy smut courtesy of Miss Cat!

xoxoxo

As Olof sped into the ground knowing that he was already late thanks to the flat tire that greeted him that morning he sighed a breathe of relief seeing Martin just getting out of his car looking all flustered - late gain! At least he wouldn't be called into the bosses office for a bollocking by himself.

As they approached the changing room Martin turned to Ollie "Take my bag in for me,I'll go tell bossman that we're here you go get changed!"
"So I have to face him properly first your a true friend Mart, can you tell him that I-I-I got to take a shower cause of the damn car!"

By the time that Martin had got back to the changing room Olof was in the showers and as Martin stood listening to the running water he closed his eyes and thought of his mate naked with water dripping down his body. Hearing the water being turned off he snapped out of it and walked over to his bag to start getting ready.

"God that's better, not so dirty anymore - for at least ten minutes till I tackle Gabby hey?!"
"Yeah something like that!"
Martin looked at Ollie and saw the water still running off his broad shoulders, over his chest and down his hard stomach he felt a twitch in his cock and quickly looked away and gave a sigh and then he felt a hand on his arm that sent waves of pleasure all over his body and he looked into the amazing blue eyes of Olof.
"Are you alright mate?"
"Yeah head rush I guess."
"Oh I hate those, as long as you're alright, I'm gonna get ready I think we're late enough as it is!"

As Ollie picked his towel up to dry his body he felt two hands on his shoulders that turned him around and shoved him against the wall.
"What the hell martin?"
"I can't do this anymore Ollie I need you, I wanna suck you and feel you inside me. I can't deny it it's not fair."
As Martin pushed his lips onto Olof's he pushed him down to sit onto the bench as Olof pushed him away with a look of disgust in his eyes Martin knew that he if he left it now that Olof would ensure that they would never be alone in the same room again so he knelt in front of Olof and whispered to him.
"I'm not going to apologize for that cause I know that you feel something for me too and I know that you would never do it yourself cause your too shy."
Martin ran a hand up Olof's chest and Olof felt torn between letting himself go and beating the crap out if him. But as he felt Martin kiss his stomach he felt his body responding, he put a hand behind Martin's neck to pull him and as they kissed it was Martin started to stroke Ollie's cock and kissed along his jaw and down his strong neck. He was kissing him and trying to memorize every inch of this toned body that was his fantasy every night. He felt Olof try to pull him up into a kiss and just said
"Not now, it's all about you for today, you'll have to pay me back."
He took as much of Ollie's hard, long thick cock into his mouth and slowly sucked, he then licked up his shaft and licked around around his head he felt Ollie's stomach tighten with pleasure and his breath catch and he took his cock back into his mouth and slowly started to suck he started to suck faster as he found a rhythm that Ollie really enjoyed. Ollie grabbed the edge the bench as he felt his body getting close to the release that it needed.
"Oh god Mart...that's it..oh go..."
As Ollie exploded into his mouth Martin swallowed all that he had to give until he was dry. He looked at his Swedish friend with his eyes closed getting his breathe back and smiled knowing that this was going to happen again.

He sat on the bench and put his head on the broad shoulders of Ollie and asked.
"So when are you going to pay me back?"
Ollie's eyes shot open and he pushed Martin off his shoulder and got up and grabbed his clothes and started to pull them on.
"It won't happen again it was a mistake, I've got to get to training - just stay away from me."
As he got to the door he felt Martin's hand on his arm turning him around again.
"It will happen again and you know it, because of this..." and he kissed him and Ollie felt his body reacting wanting him to touch him all over again.
"and this."
And his hand was on his cock stroking slowly making him harder with every one.
"I know it's a weird place to be - I was there not to long ago but the sooner you realize it's what you want the easier it will be."
Ollie couldn't help but look at his lips and lick his own.
"No it won't."
And he shoved Martin away and turned and left the room leaving Martin to get ready with a smile on his face.
"Till next time."

TBC
The End

Aston Villa 3-1 Reading

2008-01-14T08:51:00.000-05:00

Reading's nightmarish away form continued as Aston Villa battled to a third successive Premier League win.

Villa dominated set-pieces with the Reading defence unable to cope with the accuracy of Ashley Young's crosses.

John Carew glanced in an inswinging free-kick midway through the first half before Martin Lauren rose to head home a corner just after the break.

Carew scored again late on when Gabriel Agbonlahor squared to him before James Harper slotted a consolation.

It was a win very much in character for Martin O'Neill's men, who have scored more goals from set-pieces than any other side in the top flight.

Reading created more chances throughout the 90 minutes but were denied by both the profligacy of their strike-force and the reactions of Villa keeper Scott Carson.

Kevin Doyle wasted a glorious chance to give the visitors the lead before Carew's opener, spinning away from Laursen to go clear on goal only to balloon his shot way over the bar as Carson advanced.

Villa took immediate advantage as Carew rose unchallenged five yards out to head past the helpless Marcus Hahnemann.

It was the 30th goal Reading have conceded away from home this season, although replays showed that the Norwegian striker may have been marginally offside when his team-mate Young delivered the ball.

Dave Kitson, in his 100th league start for Reading, dragged his shot wide when well placed on the left before Doyle blazed a chance from outside the box high into the stand.

With Gabriel Agbonlahor causing problems down the Reading right, Villa won a series of corners - and Laursen out-jumped Kitson to head home Villa's second just minutes into the second half.

Reading rallied and almost scored when Kitson's flicked header was palmed away by Carson, before Carew turned smartly at the other end and fired in a shot which Hahnemann tipped over.

Carew missed another good chance after cutting in from the right while Laursen went close with a towering header from yet another Young corner.

The striker made amends just before the end when Agbonlahor ran on to Young's through-ball before squaring across the face of goal to set up the easiest of finishes.

It was Villa's eighth successive win over Reading, and James Harper's late strike - slotting home under the advancing Carson - did little to lift the dark mood of Royals manager Steve Coppell.

Villa manager Martin O'Neill on Ashley Young:
"He has taken things by storm. He has been fantastic. He also works hard. The way in which he tracks back is brilliant.
"He can go 60 yards at pace, beat players and has the ability to deliver from the open play of free-kicks."

Reading manager Steve Coppell:
"It looks to me like John Carew was offside for their first. At the point of delivery he looked beyond the defensive line.
"The second one came off Ashley Young for a non-corner. We don't want to moan to the world about it, but it just wasn't our day on those decisions."

BBC Sport

Villa vs Tottenham Highlights

2008-01-10T08:47:00.000-05:00

I know this match happened over a week ago, but Ollie makes an appearance or two in this video. ;)

Aston Villa Vs Tottenham Highlights (http://www.goalcentre.com) - More free videos are here

Aston Villa 0-2 Man Utd

2008-01-06T12:31:00.000-05:00

Wayne Rooney scored under the watchful eye of new England coach Fabio Capello as Manchester United ruined Aston Villa's FA Cup chances once more.
Rooney inspired United after coming on as substitute with 20 minutes left.

He fired just over seconds before Cristiano Ronaldo turned home Ryan Giggs' cross with nine minutes left.

Rooney then provided a superb finish with a minute left, firing across Scott Carson from 20 yards as United sealed a place in the FA Cup fourth round.

This was the fourth time in the past seven seasons Villa have been paired with United at the third round stage - and they have lost each time.

Nine players eligible to play for England were included in the two starting line-ups as Capello took his seat alongside the Football Association's chief executive Brian Barwick in the stands at Villa Park.

Rooney was not on display from the start in front of Capello, being kept on the bench after missing two games with a virus, but he had a massive impact when he finally emerged.

There was little for impassive new England coach Capello to get excited about in a poor first 45 minutes.

Giggs had the best chance on the stroke of half-time, when Villa keeper Carson palmed out Ronaldo's shot and the veteran star could only steer the rebound wide.

Rooney indulged in a lengthy warm-up routine at the start of the second-half, much to the delight of United's travelling fans.

United almost broke the deadlock without him after 56 minutes when Nemanja Vidic glanced Giggs' corner just off target via a deflection.

Villa made the first change seven minutes later, sending on Luke Moore for John Carew, who looked to be struggling for fitness throughout.

Rooney was finally introduced with 20 minutes left of what had been a dismal encounter, replacing Ji-Sung Park.

Villa occasionally posed a threat when they broke on United, but Ashley Young shot wastefully wide from 20 yards.

Rooney had a glorious chance to open the scoring after 79 minutes when he played a long pass to Ronaldo before taking the return and firing over the top.

But United did not have to wait long to take the lead, Ronaldo scoring seconds later.

Giggs' cross went through Curtis Davies' legs and Ronaldo forced his way in front of the flat-footed Wilfred Bouma to score.

Carson then made a fine double save from Michael Carrick as United threatened to hit Villa again on the break.

And Rooney completed a brilliant cameo with a low drive beyond Carson as United sealed the win.

BBC Sport

Aston Villa 2 - Tottenham 1

2008-01-02T07:31:00.001-05:00

Welcome back everyone! I hope the holidays treated you well! I had a great time off - I spent Christmas at my mom's, hanging out with my mom and my brother, and our doggie Martha (aka Marfa, Marf, The Marf.) Had a WONDERFUL time. I'm a tad pissy that I'm back at work, but I'm also glad to get back to normal, you know? I've been SO out of TOUCH the last week and a bit! Crazy.

Anyway, I was going to go back through all my google alerts and post the results of the various matches I've missed, but to be honest I can't be bothered posting it all. I'm still sort've on holiday - in my head, anyway. Besides, I'm sure those of you who are Villa fans already know the results. ;)

SO INSTEAD I'm posting the most recent results, yesterday's Villa match vs Tottenham, INCLUDING a nice pic of Olof. I'd prefer a nice facial shot (*snicker*) but I'll take a bum shot. ;)

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, and here's to a great 2008!

Martin Laursen's 84th-minute winner helped Aston Villa to sixth place in the Premier League after an entertaining match against Tottenham.

Olof Mellberg put Villa in front when he rose unopposed to head home Ashley Young's free-kick on 40 minutes.

Spurs equalised in the 79th minute when Jermain Defoe finished acrobatically after Dimitar Berbatov set him up.

But Laursen secured the points to move Villa into sixth place when he headed home Gareth Barry's inswinging corner.

Both teams had been among the most entertaining in the Premier League over the festive period, so goals were always likely to feature.

Villa manager Martin O'Neill made one enforced change with Luke Moore replacing the injured John Carew up front, while Stilian Petrov slotted in to the right side of midfield in place of Shaun Maloney.

Spurs boss Juande Ramos, keen to reinforce Tottenham's defence after the 6-4 thriller against Reading, recalled Michael Dawson in place of Ledley King, with Didier Zakora taking Pascal Chimbonda's place at right-back.

Midfielder Tom Huddlestone made way for Kevin-Prince Boateng, while Robbie Keane was relegated to the bench, handing Defoe only his second start of the season alongside Dimitar Berbatov up front.

Boateng, making only his third start for since signing from Hertha Berlin in the summer, lacked the direct running of Huddlestone, which forced Dimitar Berbatov to drop deeper in search of the ball.

The uncertainty of the Bulgaria international's future at White Hart Lane had dominated the build-up, and the striker's constant gesticulations and impromptu one-man deliberations to referee Steve Tanner could have graced one of Shakespeare's finest tragedies.

But his side had more pressing concerns containing Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young as the strikers caused havoc pulling centre-backs Dawson and Younes Kaboul wide with intelligent runs and blistering pace.

It was Dawson's foul on Agbonlahor that created Villa's first chance, but Young's vicious right-footed free-kick was unconvincingly parried by Paul Robinson.

O'Neill will be scratching his head wondering how Laursen managed to blaze over the bar from 10 yards with an open goal to aim at on 24 minutes.

The Spurs defence had failed to clear a dangerous Petrov cross from the byeline, which deflected straight into Laursen's path, but the Dane somehow missed the target with Robinson committed.

But Villa took a deserved lead on 40 minutes when Mellberg headed Young's inswinging free-kick into the bottom right corner past Robinson.

The Sweden international was helped enormously when Boateng clattered into Dawson to rise unopposed from six yards.

Berbatov was denied an equaliser two minutes from the interval when he fired his well-struck shot straight at Scott Carson - a yard either side of the England keeper and Spurs would have been level.

Ramos, clearly unimpressed with Spurs' impotent first 45 minutes, made three bold attacking changes in the first 12 minutes of the second half, bringing on Huddlestone, Keane and Jamie O'Hara for Boateng, Aaron Lennon and Kaboul.

Although the changes beefed up Spurs' attacking potential, it was their continuing fragility at the back that will concern the Spaniard.

Moore should have doubled Villa's lead on 68 minutes, but he scuffed his side-footed shot from Petrov's dangerous cross.

Spurs' endeavours were eventually rewarded when Berbatov's header found Defoe inside the box and the striker acrobatically finished past Carson to give the north London side fresh impetus and hope.

But yet more uncertainty in defence gifted Villa the three points when O'Hara lost track of Laursen at the near post and the defender rose unopposed to meet Barry's corner with a thumping header.

Tottenham assistant manager Gus Poyet:
"We had a chance (to win) the game, we changed the system (in the second half) and we were controlling the whole game.
"But we conceded two goals from set pieces again, it's not about individuals, but week-in week-out it's different players, it's a team problem.

"We are going to have to change, maybe we are going to make big changes."

BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match: Aston Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor 7.50 (on 90 minutes).

BBC Sport

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!

2007-12-23T20:59:00.001-05:00

It's Christmas time!!! In my world, Christmas is one of the most exciting times of the year, just ahead of Halloween, and right behind my brithday and the start of hockey season.

I have this week off from work (yay me!) so I'm not sure I'll be around much, so in the meantime for those of you who haven't yet seen Olof's Elf Dance (brought to us courtesy of blonde27) CLICK HERE.

AND THIS ONE isn't "Christmas-y" but it's also hilarious - CLICK HERE to see our very own Maluse dancing with Olof! I'm insanely jealous, but since it's Christmas, I'll let it go...THIS TIME...*stink eye*

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and a FABULOUS New Year!!!

Love, me xoxoxo

Olof vs Man City

2007-12-23T11:01:00.000-05:00

Aston Villa 1-1 Man City

2007-12-22T17:50:00.000-05:00

Aston Villa and Manchester City fought out a dull stalemate.
Rolando Bianchi gave City the lead from Martin Petrov's cross after 11 minutes, but John Carew's deflected shot put Villa level three minutes later.

Villa took control, with City keeper Joe Hart turning Carew's shot on to the post and Elano clearing Gabriel Agbonlahor's effort off the line.

City's Petrov wasted a good chance to seal a win late on, shooting wide from substitute Vedran Corluka's cross.

City's rejuvenated striker Bianchi capped a fine start by the visitors with the opening goal after 11 minutes.

Petrov took massive credit with a classic left-wing cross that simply invited the Italian to slide it home from eight yards.

The Villa Park crowd had already grown restless, but Martin O'Neill's side equalised in slightly fortuitous fashion three minutes later.

The giant Carew ran on to Wilfred Bouma's pass and got ahead of Richard Dunne to send a deflected shot beyond City keeper Hart.

City suddenly went into their shell and Villa dominated for the rest of the first half, with Carew's stature causing major problems.

Villa were a real threat at corners, and thought they had taken the lead after 24 minutes.

Agbonlahor bundled Ashley Young's corner towards goal, and it needed a last-ditch clearance from Elano to save City, despite appeals from Villa that the ball had crossed the line.

Television replays proved inconclusive, although the Villa players were clearly angered by the failure to give a goal.

Carew almost got his second after 30 minutes, when Hart turned his 20-yard shot on to the post - although City made justified claims for both offside and handball.

City managed to stem the flow of Villa attacks after the break, but were struggling to get their own match-winners Petrov and Elano into the game.

The Brazilian had a chance with an angled free-kick from 20 yards, but he could not find his usual accuracy and curled his effort well over.

It was Elano's final contribution, the talismanic midfield man looking short of full fitness, and he was replaced by Javier Garrido with 15 minutes left.

Petrov had a glorious chance to put City in front after 80 minutes when he was found unmarked at the far post by substitute Vedran Corluka, but he swept a poor finish off target.

Nigel Reo-Coker then led a Villa counter-attack, but delayed with Agbonlahor waiting unmarked and City defender Michael Ball recovered to clear.

Hart was then alert to race out of his area to block Agbonlahor as he raced through.

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill:
"It was frustrating because we started on the back foot and conceded an early goal again. I feel we should have won in the end.
"John Carew was fantastic, unplayable at times. He was immense with players hanging over him all game. It was a phenomenal performance and he doesn't get too many fouls either.

"He is supposed to just look after himself because he is so tall, but overall I couldn't be more pleased with the team."

Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson:
"I was very happy with the spirit out there. We fought and tried to win.
"I was pleased Rolando Bianchi scored again. It was a typical Bianchi goal and he is settling in better and better.

"Villa were dangerous on the counter-attack, but the alternative is not to attack and we always want to take the risk and attack."

BBC Sport

Photo of the Day

2007-12-15T18:46:00.001-05:00

Sunderland 1-1 Aston Villa

2007-12-15T18:40:00.000-05:00

A fine second-half free-kick from Shaun Maloney denied Sunderland a much-needed win at the Stadium of Light.

Danny Higginbotham met Ross Wallace's corner with a powerful header on 10 minutes to give his side the lead.

Villa enjoyed the lion's share of the ball but could not find a way through until Maloney's 71st-minute free-kick soared into the top corner.

Sunderland thought they had won in injury-time, but Danny Collins's header was ruled out for a foul.

The match was classic end-to-end Premiership fare with a shocking raised-foot tackle from Craig Gardner that caught Dwight Yorke in the stomach setting the tone for a frenetic encounter after two minutes.

Sunderland took the lead their energetic start had merited when Higginbotham - rising above the static figures of Gardner and Martin Laursen in the six-yard box - got on the end of Wallace's inviting corner.

The goal actually sparked a period of concerted period for Villa as they dominated possession, with Ashley Young seeing plenty of the ball down the left flank.

Young's speed and trickery caused the home side serious problems, but Villa could not quite find the breakthrough despite a series of chances.

John Carew went closest for the visitors with an inventive flick after getting on the end of a Young cross, but his effort rebounded back off the post.

Sunderland should have doubled their lead moments later but they made a meal of a three-on-two attack with Kenwyne Jones ignoring two better-placed team-mates to have a strike at goal.

Wallace tried to snap up the rebound but was denied by a last-ditch Wilfred Bouma tackle, and Stokes's diving header at the far post was ruled out for offside.

Jones's five-game run without a goal seemed to be weighing heavily on his mind in the dying moments of the half, with the striker deciding to go for goal - and again failing to score - despite Stokes waiting in space.

Villa started the second half with tremendous urgency, and enjoyed a string of chances as Sunderland struggled to keep up.

Goalkeeper Darren Ward spilled the ball in the air, but Carew's shot lacked any conviction and was comfortably cleared by Higginbotham and the same striker had a glancing header saved soon afterwards.

Sunderland were defending for their lives, but the resistance finally broke when Paul McShane conceded a senseless free-kick on the edge of the box by barging into Maloney.

The substitute picked himself up off the floor and curled a delightful effort into the top corner with Ward left rooted to the spot.

With the volume in the stadium reaching a crescendo, both sides went seeking the winner and it was Sunderland who enjoyed the better chances with Grant Leadbitter heading straight at Carson after good work from Andy Cole.

Deep into injury-time, Collins nodded home at the far post to spark huge celebrations only for referee Steve Bennett to rule out the goal for a foul on the keeper.

Sunderland's players were incensed by the decision, while Roy Keane's furious reaction suggested Bennett should not hold his breath waiting for a Christmas card from the Black Cats boss.

Sunderland boss Roy Keane on Steve Bennett's decision to disallow Danny Collin's injury-time goal:
"It's the Sunderland fans I feel sorry for - they deserve better.
"It sums up (the referee's) day. He was giving everything against us and to say we're disappointed would be an unbelievable understatement.

"You could sense he was waiting to blow his whistle. It would be nice to see him later.

"We started well and managed to score from the set piece. Villa are a good team and put us under a lot of pressure and we had to defend very well.

"We always felt we would create something special in the last 10 minutes and that's what we did. We did score and but for the ref we would have had three points."

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill on the same incident:
"They may feel aggrieved but I think it was a foul.
"And if you told me we didn't deserve something from the game then I'd take issue with you.

"We were terrific. We showed plenty of resilience and character and were full value for the result away from home."

BBC Sport

Danish Fan Jailed for Referee Attack

2007-12-12T09:36:00.000-05:00

Remember THIS? He's going to jail...

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - The Danish fan who attacked a referee during a Euro 2008 qualifier between Denmark and Sweden in June was sentenced to 20 days in jail by an appeals court on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old man, who remained unnamed, was convicted of attempted assault and trespassing by the Eastern Court of Appeals, overturning an earlier suspended sentence of 30 days plus 40-hours' community service.

The man attacked Herbert Fandel when the German referee sent off Denmark's Christian Poulsen and awarded Sweden a penalty in the closing minutes of the match on June 2.

Denmark's Michael Gravgaard managed to keep the drunk man away from Fandel, who opted to abandon the Group F match, with the teams tied at 3-3. Sweden were later awarded a 3-0 victory by UEFA.

"The assault was only prevented because Michael Gravgaard physically stepped in and it is apparent from video footage that the defendant was very determined in his actions," the court said in a statement.

Denmark failed to qualify for next year's European championships while Sweden took one of the group's two qualifying spots alongside Spain.

The man has admitted to drunkenness and to entering the field illegally.

Reuters

Juve Dossier on Villa's Mellberg

2007-12-12T09:22:00.000-05:00

This is a comment regarding this article - BY AN ARSENAL FAN:
he is one of the most underrated players in the Prem...if he does join Juve good luck to him and it would be a huge loss to Villa.

CLAUDIO RANIERI has compiled a staggering dossier on Aston Villa’s Olof Mellberg.

Italian giants Juventus have watched the defender in every single game he has played for club and country this season.

The Sweden star is set to sign a pre-contract agreement with Ranieri’s Juve in January and can leave Villa Park on a Bosman next summer.

But ex-Chelsea chief Ranieri wanted to make absolutely sure Mellberg, 30, would fit into the Turin set-up.

Out of position
There has been a representative from Juventus at all 19 of Mellberg’s matches and the reports have compared him with famous old-boy Paolo Montero.

Mellberg has played out of position at right-back this season because Villa are short in that area.

And his commitment means that boss Martin O’Neill will not hesitate to keep picking him even if he does agree to join Juventus.

O’Neill said: “I don’t have a definitive answer on what I would do but Olof has been prepared to play out of position all season and shown great commitment.

“I am sure he would continue to do so and I see no reason why I can’t carry on selecting him.”

The Sun

Photo of the Day

2007-12-09T10:13:00.001-05:00

Aston Villa 1-3 Portsmouth

2007-12-08T11:30:00.000-05:00

Two outstanding strikes from Sulley Muntari helped Portsmouth to a sixth straight away win against a shell-shocked Aston Villa.
Villa dominated the first half but fell behind early on when scrappy play in their penalty area led to Craig Gardner prodding the ball into his own net.

Muntari's first was a left foot strike from 25 yards and he then beat two defenders to score with a low shot.

A late penalty for Gareth Barry was little reward for Villa.

Portsmouth had not won in the top-flight at Villa Park for 52 years but they ultimately deserved to end that miserable record if only because of the brilliant goals from Muntari, who produced the two rays of sunshine on a rain-lashed afternoon.

Pompey opened the scoring after 10 minutes after the ball fell to Noe Pamarot wide on the right.

Wilfred Bouma failed to deal with Pamarot's miscued shot and in the confusion Craig Gardner prodded the ball into his own net and past a stranded Scott Carson.

That was harsh on Villa who pressed hard for the equaliser and they were offered two, gilt-edged chances to do so.

Both fell to Martin Laursen, who will rue those missed opportunities. In the 18th minute, his free header was saved by David James, and just two minutes later he squandered an even better chance.

Ashley Young's free kick found him totally unmarked but this time he headed wide from just five yards out. It was almost a carbon-copy of his earlier chance - only easier.

Further chances fell to Gabriel Agbonlahor and Gareth Barry in a first half Villa controlled.

But they were made to pay the penalty with the first of Muntari's screamers after 40 minutes. The Villa defence failed to close him down as he fired a left-footed shot into the top right-hand corner from 25 yards. It was an unlikely end to the first half.

Muntari's second shortly into the second period was even better. He robbed Nigel Reo-Coker in the Villa half and nutmegged Zat Knight before shooting low into the bottom corner.

Villa didn't deserve to be 3-0 down and they responded well, although they only had a single goal to show for their efforts and that came from the penalty spot.

It was awarded when Distin was adjudged to have brought down Ashley Young on the edge of the box with a quite unnecessary challenge and Gareth Barry stepped up to reduce the deficit.

Villa continued to seek a way through with Patrick Berger firing over the bar and Olof Mellberg shooting wide.

But as they pressed, Portsmouth threatened to do even worse damage on the break with Papa Bouba Diop guilty of a terrible miss late on.

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill:
"The defeat is disappointing because we had more than enough possession to get something out of the game.
"Our spirit and determination was there although at times it might have been misdirected but I have no complaints about the attitude of my players.

"This defeat is a body blow because confidence was high but we have to bounce back from this setback."

Portsmouth striker Sulley Muntari:
"Harry is a good manager. He talks to the players and he makes us happy. That is why we are doing well and we will continue to do well.
"We work as a team and we are winning games and that's important. We can aim for Europe and that will be fantastic.

"It was hard to play out there today but it's great to be in England and playing in the UK."

BBC Sport

"A Done Deal"???

2007-12-07T08:28:00.000-05:00

Most of the google alerts for Olof I've received the past day or two have the blaring headline "Mellberg to Juventus A DONE DEAL". Now, WE all know this talk has been going on for A LONG TIME now (which is one of the reasons I don't post many articles about it) so no doubt this is still just your typical journalism rabble rousing.

However, there's an interesting post on the AVFC blog about it, and the main reason I say that is it points out something I myself have said a few times, as have some of you:

If Martin O'Neill wanted to keep Olof Mellberg at Villa Park don't you think it would have been sorted by now and not left until a few weeks before he can, in theory, sign for another club? O'Neill has been saying pretty much the same thing about the Mellberg situation for nearly a year and nothing has happened.

The other reason I'm posting this is I want you to CLICK ON THIS LINK to read the article, IN ORDER TO READ THE READER COMMENTS. Some of them say this is Martin O'Neill's style, to leave things to the last minute. Others say that while Olof is a good player, he won't be missed. One reader says "Mellberg deserves Champions League football ".

What would your response be, both to this article and to the reader comments?

Mellberg off to Juventus and Maloney going home to Celtic

If Martin O'Neill wanted to keep Olof Mellberg at Villa Park don't you think it would have been sorted by now and not left until a few weeks before he can, in theory, sign for another club?

O'Neill has been saying pretty much the same thing about the Mellberg situation for nearly a year and nothing has happened. It means either Mellberg wants to leave or O'Neill doesn't want him to stay.

Either way, if Mellberg does leave, I suspect he'll get a wonderful send off and if he doesn't leave, well all this paper talk that Mellberg has agreed to join Juventus is just paper talk. The Sun claim the deal is done - I hope not, but I wouldn't be that surprised....Anyway, it's all paper talk, but if the bookies would take a bet on these two things happening, I'd be putting quite a bit of cash on it.

AVFC Blog

Video of the Day

2007-12-04T09:20:00.000-05:00

This is from the Aston Villa blog, and it's their "video of the day". It's silly, but I did laugh in a few places (the dude with the stretcher? PRAY you never need a stretcher, AND IF YOU DO, you don't get THAT guy.)

PS - if you click on the "Aston Villa blog" link, there's an article about trade rumours at Villa, including, of course, our very own Olof.

Aston Villa 1-2 Arsenal

2007-12-02T18:21:00.000-05:00

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

Premier League leaders Arsenal went five points clear at the top after an impressive away win over Aston Villa.

Arsenal had to come from behind after Craig Gardner side-footed past Manuel Almunia to give Villa an early lead.

But by the interval Arsenal were ahead after keeper Scott Carson was beaten by Mathieu Flamini's ferocious shot and Emmanuel Adebayor's thumping header.

John Carew came desperately close to equalising for Villa when his angled header came back off the crossbar.

Villa's approach might have been more utilitarian than that of Arsenal, but their forceful style disturbed the league leaders in a keenly competitive second half.

It was very different from an opening half that saw Arsenal produce some quite wonderful periods of play.

Without their chief conductor - Cesc Fabregas was absent through injury - Arsenal turned to Alexander Hleb to pull the strings.

The Belarus midfielder proved more than an adequate stand-in, so much so that at times in the first half Arsenal were reminiscent of Holland circa 1974.

That Holland side had defenders that were as comfortable on the ball as their attackers and Arsenal, in Emmanuel Eboue and Gael Clichy, have defenders that provide enormous attacking momentum.

Arsenal had suffered their first defeat of the season in midweek to Sevilla in a Champions League game, but in the early stages of the game there was no sign of any European hangover.

Carson was twice called into action as he pushed Eboue's shot round the post and then saved with his feet to deny Hleb.

Against the run of play Villa took the lead when Gardner stroked a volley past Almunia after Carew's cross deflected into the path of the Villa midfielder.

Within two minutes Arsenal hauled themselves level with a wonderfully worked and taken goal.

A swift interchange between Eboue and Adebayor freed the Ivory Coast defender and although Tomas Rosicky was unable to reach the cross, Flamini certainly was, lashing a shot past Carson.

Ten minutes before half-time another superb touch from Eboue helped to unravel the left flank of the Villa defence.

The ball finally reached Bakary Sagna, whose floated cross was met by Adebayor's soaring jump and Carson was powerless to stop the Togo striker's strong header.

Villa emerged after the break in determined mood and Martin Laursen went close after the ball broke to him in the box.

Just before the hour Hleb had to go off after he was fouled by Carew to be replaced by Theo Walcott.

Carew was soon back in the action in a more positive way when his clever header rebounded off the bar with Almunia beaten.

With Arsenal so gritty in defence of their lead, Villa's frustrations at their inability to equalise began to show and Ashley Young was booked for diving in the penalty area.

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill:
"We totally dominated the second half. Arsenal are a very fine side, but we deserved to get a point."
"We showed great character in the second half and I don't think Arsenal have been put under that sort of pressure for some time.

"The players just have to have that belief that they can win these type of games. Our attitude was magnificent."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger:
"I think the first half was amazing.
"We were quick and sharp on the move, while in the second half we were resilient and showed commitment and calm to deal with the pressure.

"This was a big test for us. We were really tested when we were losing and we deserve a lot of credit. We wanted to extend our lead and we're happy."

BBC Sport

Olof Mellberg Defends His Loyalty to Aston Villa

2007-11-30T08:51:00.000-05:00

"Defends"???? Does he really need to "defend" his loyalty? Perhaps the author meant "pledges" or something?

Whether or not you're a Villa fan, you have to admit that that wording is awkward - fault of the author or something more?

OLOF Mellberg today broke his silence on the delay over his new deal and revealed he will continue to give 100 per cent and hopes the supporters continue to back him.

The 30-year-old defender is out of contract in the summer and talks over a new deal have been put on ice.

Mellberg is said to be wanted by Juventus, Roma and AC Milan, and, although he is keeping his options open, he admits talks with Villa so far have progressed well.

The Swede joined Villa for £5.6million in the summer of 2001 and has maintained a high level of performance throughout.

He hopes his near seven-year loyalty does not come under scrutiny.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow's game against Arsenal, Mellberg said: "We have had good talks and everything but we are going to leave it for a bit.

"We are obviously chatting all the time, so I am sure we will get back to it."

Mellberg has been a popular figure with supporters ever since his transfer from Spain and he hopes his current impasse does not come between him and the fans.

"I hope no-one can fault my loyalty through this," he said. "It is all about showing what you are about on the pitch with your performances and your attitude.

"I have always given 100 per cent for Villa. I have played almost every game, every season and been really happy.

"They have been the best footballing years of my career. Santander were a good side then we got relegated the last season I was there, so it was great coming to Villa.

"They had had an interest for quite a long time, so there was never any doubt in my mind about playing for them and there hasn't been for all these years.

"It has been great and hopefully the fans feel the same."

Mellberg has recently seen himself openly touted to Juventus by former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

"I don't know about what was said, I am just obviously trying to do as well as I can and focus on performances here at Villa now," Mellberg said.

"Sweden have qualified for next summer's European Championships, so now it is all about Villa.

"I've got to take a little time and keep the door open in order to make the right decision.

"We will see what happens. We have had good communications with the club and my agent has spoken to them as well. There hasn't been any problem so far.

"It is just exactly as the manager said last week: we will leave it for a bit and then get back to it."

icBirmingham

Blackburn 0-4 Aston Villa

2007-11-28T21:32:00.000-05:00

In-form Aston Villa won their fourth straight league fixture to move to sixth place in the Premier League.

Villa keeper Scott Carson made three good early saves before John Carew headed the visiting team ahead.

Gareth Barry scored from the penalty spot after Rovers skipper Ryan Nelsen harshly saw red for a tug on Gabriel Agbonlahor's shirt.

Ashley Young scored with a curling shot from 20 yards before Marlon Harewood's late volley from close range.

Villa boss Martin O'Neill has now named an unchanged side for the last four Premier League fixtures and must be delighted with his team's recent form.

It is the first time Villa have won four Premier League fixtures back-to-back for more than seven years - and the victory over a Rovers team with a strong home record must be the finest.

Rovers had won four and drawn one of their previous last five league and cup games at Ewood Park and created a clutch of chances in the opening period.

Carson, pilloried in the press after his disastrous showing for England last Wednesday, soon showed the kind of form sadly absent against Croatia.

He first denied David Dunn from 25 yards, tipping the ball out for a corner, then Nelsen from 20 yards before saving David Bentley's curling free-kick.

Roque Santa Cruz shot wide and later passed for Benni McCarthy to slot home only for a questionable offside flag to rule the goal out.

Having failed to capitalise on their impressive start, Rovers were punished when Carew struck - his glancing header from Young's free-kick leaving the advancing Brad Friedel stranded.

Villa threatened again before the break. Another Carew header, this time a flick-on from a long ball forward, played Agbonlahor through.

The Villa striker hooked the ball goalwards with his first touch but this time Friedel was equal to the task, blocking Agbonlahor's effort.

McCarthy might have restored parity within minutes of the restart but his crashing volley struck Wilfred Bouma on its way to goal.

And Villa scored the game's decisive second, doubling their advantage with the penalty that also resulted in the dismissal of Nelsen.

Nelsen did pull Agbonlahor's shirt but contact was minimal and the red card decision seemed unnecessary after referee Phil Dowd had already pointed to the penalty spot.

The excellent Barry, striking the ball low into the corner, eluded Friedel's dive.

Ten-man Rovers were left with 38 minutes to try to salvage something from the contest and pushed forward whenever possible.

But Villa eventually made their numerical advantage tell through Young, who superbly finished from 20 yards.

The chance appeared to have gone when Agbonlahor's pull-back initially failed to pick out a Villa player but the ball rolled all the way out to the winger, who closed in on goal before shooting.

Harewood scored his 100th league goal close to the final whistle after Friedel had parried Carew's initial strike.

The ball looped up and fell to the unmarked Harewood, who had plenty of time to compose himself before striking the fourth.

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes:
"We have been beaten 4-0 but no way was there four goals between the teams.
"For the first 30 minutes we were totally in control of the game.

"The turning point was the penalty. It was a penalty but why the referee sent him off, you'll have to ask him that."

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill:
"It has been a terrific effort in the last few weeks.
"I think the game was closer than the scoreline suggests but I think we defended very strongly and Gareth Barry is back to his very, very best.

"I was concerned about the game beforehand. That was our game in hand and we have won it."

BBC Sport

Sven's Olof Talk Surprises O'Neill

2007-11-27T17:42:00.000-05:00

This picture has nothing to do with the story really, but it's a wet Olof. A WET OLOF.

You're welcome. ;)

Martin O'Neill has responded to comments from Sven-Goran Eriksson recommending that Juventus should sign Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg.

Eriksson made the suggestions in the Italian media, with the Manchester City manager claiming: "It would be a good idea for Juventus to sign Mellberg. He is a tough fighter, a winner and a leader."

Sweden defender Mellberg is out of contract at the end of next season and would be free to talk to foreign clubs when the January transfer window opens.

But O'Neill is still not happy that former England boss Eriksson is making suggestions regarding the future of one of his players, whom he wants to remain at Villa and sign a new deal.

The Northern Irishman said: "I was really surprised with what Sven has said because it's out of character for Sven to be speaking like that.

"I am surprised if he has said it. I am not sure he should be saying things like that about a player unless he is aiming to take him himself!

"Recommending him to another club is surprising. Maybe I should recommend some of his Manchester City players to Manchester United.

"But am I going to phone Sven up about it? Absolutely not."

Mellberg has been at Villa for more than six years but talks over a new deal between O'Neill and the ex-Racing Santander player have temporarily been put on ice.

source

Worst. Headline. Ever.

2007-11-27T08:07:00.000-05:00

I'm only posting this because I canNOT be expected to suffer in silence - that is just cruel & unusual punishment...

O'Neill Would be a Mell of a Boss (?!?!?!?!)

OLOF MELLBERG reckons Martin O’Neill is the perfect man to be England’s next manager.

The Aston Villa defender has been hugely impressed by O’Neill’s efforts since he took charge last year.

And Sweden star Mellberg, 30, also knows about England’s faults, having played against them in the last two World Cups.

He said: “Martin would do well as an international manager.

"Players want someone who is really good at motivating people.

“Martin is skilful at that and he is very passionate.”

The Sun (surprise!)

Photo of the Day

2007-11-26T08:52:00.000-05:00

There are so many things....RIGHT about this photo I don't even know where to begin...

THANK YOU CAZZA! *bows*

I just came across this photo - almost identical to the one above, but not the same photo, so in it goes ;)

Middlesbro 0 - 3 Aston Villa

2007-11-25T16:57:00.000-05:00

If only Villa could play Middlesbrough every week.

Their record against 'Boro stretches to five wins in the last six visits to Teeside.

Saturday's 3-0 drubbing is also Villa's second-straight away win—but this win is not as sweet as was the victory over Birmingham, for obvious reasons.

This is the first time in three years that Villa have stretched three wins back-to-back. Villa has only lost one of seven league games this season: at 4-1 home to Manchester United on October 20th.

This match was the first of three Premier League games in seven days for Villa, who travel to Blackburn on Wednesday before a home clash with Arsenal next Saturday evening.

The mood has lifted since England's embarrassment, and it was very pleasing to see the Villa fans get behind Scott Carson with chants of "England's Number One."

It was equally inspiring to see John Carew get on the scoresheet after his recent injury problems. Carew's finish matched his superb turn and gave Villa the lead before halftime.

After the break, Villa did not sit back and attempt to hold the lead; instead they kept moving forward. Olof Mellberg who doubled the score by shooting past Schwarzer, following a Cattermole deflection off a Petrov drive.

Agbonlahor impressively latched on to a Carson clearance and got past Woodgate to fire Villa into a 3-0 lead. Agbonlahor came close to making it 4-0 in the final minutes, but the 'Boro keeper got a crucial deflection and the ball hit the post. Agbonlahor's recent performances have shown his international promise.

Villa are now up to lucky number seven in the EPL standings, and will reinforce this position if they can manage to win against Blackburn before their showdown with EPL-toppers Arsenal.

This week should prove to be a good test for Villa, and an opportunity to show their credentials.

source

Sven Recommends Mellberg

2007-11-23T08:23:00.000-05:00

I wonder how many of you are totally cursing Sven's name right now... ;)

Manchester City manager Sven Goran Eriksson has recommended his fellow Swede Olof Mellberg to Juventus.

The Aston Villa stopper, who has been playing at full back under Martin O'Neill, is believed to be on the Bianconeri's list of targets for 2008.

"It would be a good idea for Juventus to sign Mellberg," Eriksson is quoted as saying by Tuttosport.

"For seven seasons, he has been a crucial foundation for Aston Villa and he has over 70 caps for Sweden.

"He is hard working and a tough fighter. He's a winner and a leader."

source

Swedes Secure Qualification With Latvia Win

2007-11-22T08:28:00.000-05:00

Sweden 2-1 Latvia

Sweden made sure they did not leave their fate in other teams' hands, sealing qualification with a home win over Latvia.
Sweden started the game very strongly. Marcus Allbäck was back in the starting eleven and it took him all of 34 seconds to score - a wonderful pass from Zlatan Ibrahimovic from the left and a typical Allbäck goal, just beating his defender and slotting in at the near post!

Sweden dominated during the first fifteen minutes, and for a while it seemed it would be a stroll in the park. But the Latvians began to grow into the match and their game was improving.

After a slow start and a couple of half-chances, Laizans, the best Latvian on the pitch, managed to equalize with a long-shot in the 26th minute.

The ball touched Majstorovic and Isaksson could only watch it go in. The Latvians' game improved even more, and the Swedes were making very basic mistakes, often loosing the ball.

It was not until the second half that the home side returned to show their best game.

Källström picked up a loose ball just outside the penalty area, passed it to Ljungberg, got it back and managed a well-placed shot that beat Kolinko at the far post.

Sweden had managed to score what would turn out to be the winner, and dominated the rest of the encounter.

Even though their Euro ticket never was in real danger, as Northern Ireland lost to Spain, the Swedes qualified on their own.

Ibrahimovic was clearly the best player on the pitch. His passes, lobs, back-heels, ability to receive the ball and pass it on, his vision and strength, makes him a unique player, which he showed today. Other Swedes that played well were Ljungberg and Allbäck.

Anders Svensson made a great job of replacing Linderoth in the defensive role in midfield. His partner in the middle, Källström, did not have a great first half, but improved a lot in the second - their partnership was surprisingly good.

During these last few years, and especially during the World Cup, the question was always Svensson or Källström? The answer today is both! It will be interesting to see how Lagerbäck uses these two when Linderoth returns.

Goal.com

In ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING News...

2007-11-22T07:59:00.000-05:00

HUZZAH!!!!!!!!!! All I am going to say is I said from the BEGINNING I did not like McClaren. I even ranted about it once or twice, like HERE. So you'll forgive my slightly immature reaction to this news...

My favourite parts of the article:

McClaren's reign was the shortest tenure of any England coach. (HA. Happened faster than even I could have wished for.)

"The recruitment process for the new coach begins now and we will do everything to get the right man for the job." (The RIGHT man, ie NOT YOU, MCCLAREN)

(He) also admitted that errors were made in the selection process when McClaren was appointed in May 2006.
(No comment, that's just funny...talk about throwing someone under the bus! *snicker*)

McClaren sacked as England coach

Steve McClaren has been sacked as England coach following his side's failure to qualify for Euro 2008.
Assistant coach Terry Venables has also lost his job in what the Football Association said was a unanimous decision by its board.

The FA brought a swift end to McClaren's 18-match reign as England's head coach at an emergency meeting.

McClaren's position had become untenable after the 3-2 defeat to Croatia at Wembley on Wednesday.

McClaren's failure to qualify for Euro 2008 cost him his job, said FA chief executive Brian Barwick.

"I spoke to Steve this morning - we get on very well with him. I've had many grown-up conversations and had another one with him this morning - and I can only wish him well. But in the end, not qualifying for Euro 2008 comes up short," said Barwick.

McClaren's reign was the shortest tenure of any England coach.

FA chairman Geoff Thompson said: "Like every England fan, we are all bitterly disappointed that we have failed to qualify for Euro 2008, and I know Steve feels that disappointment more than anyone.

"Of course we have no divine right to play in major tournaments, but it is quite right that qualification is expected.

"I would like to thank Steve for the work he has done since taking on the position last summer. His commitment to the job could not be questioned and I wish him the best for the future.

"The recruitment process for the new coach begins now and we will do everything to get the right man for the job."

McClaren, 46, who had a four-year deal, is expected to be paid more than £2m in compensation and ex-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho and Martin O'Neill are the bookies' favourites to succeed him.

Former Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello has said he would be interested in the job.

BBC football correspondent Jonathan Legard said: "There will be plenty of pressure within the media to have Martin O'Neill but the FA may feel that is a backwards step - he wasn't good enough when McClaren was appointed, so is he the one to take England forward now?"

The FA has plenty of time to search for a replacement with the next scheduled fixture a friendly in France at the end of March.

Barwick confirmed that nationality would not be an issue as he leads the search to find McClaren's successor.

He also admitted that errors were made in the selection process when McClaren was appointed in May 2006.

"The recruitment process for the new coach begins now and we will do everything to get the right man for the job," said Barwick.

"It will be done differently. We've got to learn lessons from the way we did it."

"Qualification for a major tournament is probably a minimum requirement."

Barwick also said he did not regret giving McClaren a four-year contract.

"The contract is a private contract. I don't regret that now; I think he has tried very hard."

FA board director and Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards defended Barwick, saying: "Brian has taken a lot of stick about him being the sole person to appoint McClaren.

"This responsibility has to be shared among us all. It's unfair to say he was Brian's man - he was the FA's man."

On the issue of the number of overseas players in the top flight, Richards added: "You would know as well as anybody that the Premier League is the best in the world, because it has the best stars in the world.

"There are also rules in the European Union that allow players to come, and clubs will pick the best stars."

Barwick said he felt embarrassed and disappointed about the situation.

"I'd like to apologise to the fans personally.

"I care about this passionately, it has never been just a job. I'm in it because I care about football, football fans and football teams.

"Last night was a tough, tough night. We care about this very much. I understand we have let them down and apologise for that."

Former Middlesbrough boss McClaren admitted before the Croatia match that he would "take responsibility" if England failed to reach the European Championship finals in Austria and Switzerland.

The FA took action to dismiss McClaren ahead of the 2010 World Cup qualifying draw in Durban, South Africa, on Sunday.

England's failure to reach a major tournament for the first time since the 1994 World Cup finals will cost the FA at least £5m in lost revenues, confirmed Barwick.

Thompson promised the FA would conduct a "root-and-branch" review of the England team set-up, and that would be led by chief executive Brian Barwick with immediate effect.

BBC Sport

TODAY'S DISCUSSION:

2007-11-19T14:09:00.000-05:00

Could Martin O'Neill manage Aston Villa AND England?

Even if England qualify for Euro 2008 on Wednesday, Steve McClaren is on shaky ground. Step up the Villa boss, who is more than capable of running two successful companies. cont'd

Spain End Euro 2008 Qualifying Pain With Win Over Sweden

2007-11-17T20:44:00.000-05:00

MADRID (AFP) — Goals from Joan Capdevila, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Ramos gave Spain a comfortable 3-0 win over Sweden here on Saturday to secure their qualification for next summer's Euro 2008 finals.

The victory in Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium maintained Spain's 100 per cent home record during their qualifying matches.

It also gave the famously taciturn Spanish coach Luis Aragones something to smile about after a campaign that got off to a shaky start when, in their first three outings, they lost back-to-back matches in Northern Ireland and Sweden.

"I didn't enjoy the insults I received back then but I did expect them. It comes with the job," reflected Aragones looking back smugly to when there were calls for his head.

"I always felt that Spain were going to qualify because we had the players who could make it happen, although you can never be sure because football is like that," he added.

If Sweden are to accompany Spain to the finals in Austria and Switzerland they now need at least a point against Latvia on Wednesday after Northern Ireland pulled off a 2-1 win against Denmark to keep alive their slim hopes of progressing.

"We still have a good chance of qualifying despite the defeat but we should have clinched it two months ago when we could only draw at home with Denmark," said Sweden coach Lars Lagerback.

cont'd

Ooooh, This Should Be a Good One!

2007-11-16T07:18:00.000-05:00

I doubt I'll be able to see it anywhere, BUT STRANGER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED. I mentioned once that one of our sports channels here in Canada broadcasts football - not regularly, ie you can't really set your schedule by it - but regularly enough that I've caught a few matches (and even one Villa match!) And I know they also broadcast international matches. So who knows? Maybe I WILL get to see this. I hope so, because I think this will be a great one:

Euro 2008
Spain and Sweden look for finishing touch
11:05 GMT, Thu 15 Nov 2007

MADRID, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Although they are on the verge of claiming their places in Euro 2008, Spain and Sweden know that a slip-up in their top-of-the-table Group F clash at the Bernabeu on Saturday (kickoff 2100 GMT) could cost them dear.

Sweden lead the group with 23 points from 10 games and a draw would secure their passage to the finals in Austria and Switzerland with a game to spare, while Spain, who are a point behind, need a win to guarantee themselves a berth in next year's tournament.

However, defeat for either team could leave them within striking distance of Denmark and Northern Ireland if one of those two sides comes away with a victory when they go head to head at Windsor Park on Saturday.

"All we need now is that finishing touch," said Spain midfielder Albert Riera when the squad got together on Wednesday.

"We have got two important games left to play and our aim is to win them both so that we can top the group. You always want to show that you are the best side, play well and make a good impression."

Spain's qualification campaign was almost derailed last year after consecutive defeats at the hands of Sweden and Northern Ireland, but six wins and a draw in their next seven matches have put Luis Aragones's side back on track for Euro 2008.

Spain will be without Liverpool striker Fernando Torres who was left out of the squad despite returning from injury at the weekend, with the in-form Raul Tamudo likely to partner David Villa up front.

INJURY WORRIES

Opponents Sweden turned in a sluggish performance in last month's 1-1 draw against Northern Ireland and have a number of injury worries ahead of Saturday's match.

Toulouse's Johan Elmander, a first choice striker for Sweden alongside Inter Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic, has pulled out of the ties with a thigh injury and his natural replacement Marcus Allback is in doubt with a sore hip.

If Allback misses out, Werder Bremen's Markus Rosenberg or AaB Aalborg's Rade Prica could partner Ibrahimovic up front.

"We would rather not depart from using two strikers," said coach Lars Lagerback. "But it's an option. A deep-line forward or an offensive midfielder instead of a second forward, but then we break a lot with the foundations of our game."

Sweden's holding midfielder Tobias Linderoth is out with a groin injury while skipper Fredrik Ljungberg is doubtful because of a calf problem.

Probable teams:

Spain: Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Carles Puyol, Carlos Marchena, Joan Capdevila; Xavi, David Albelda, Andres Iniesta, David Silva; Raul Tamudo or Cesc Fabregas, David Villa.

Sweden: Rami Shaaban; Erik Edman, Petter Hansson, Olof Mellberg, Mikael Nilsson; Fredrik Ljungberg, Anders Svensson, Daniel Andersson, Kim Kallstrom, Christian Willhelmsson; Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Reuters

Ibrahimovic Takes Top Swedish Award

2007-11-13T09:55:00.001-05:00

So let me see if I got this right...you break the rules, behave like a petulant child (read: whiny little bitch) and refuse to play for your country, in exchange for which your country honours you with the award for player of the year? And you get a trophy?

Just want to make sure I'm clear on this...

Milano striker Zlatan Ibrahimović has been named Sweden's Player of the Year for 2007.

Excellent form
The 26-year-old, who also won the award in 2005, has been in exceptional form for the Italian champions this season, scoring seven Serie A goals to add to the 15 he struck in last term's Scudetto-winning campaign. Moreover he is the joint-leading marksman in the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League alongside Manchester United FC's Cristiano Ronaldo, having registered four goals in as many games to propel Inter to the top of Group G.

International return
Ibrahimović, capped 47 times, ended a self-imposed exile from the Sweden squad in March and has played an important role in their UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying campaign. Sweden go into their concluding matches away to Spain and at home to Latvia as Group F leaders, needing just a point to seal their place in Austria and Switzerland.

'For the kids'
"This award is, first and foremost, for all the kids out there," Ibrahimović said as he collected the Guldbollen. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't play this well." Ibrahimović was also chosen as his country's forward of the year. The other individual prizes went to Fredrikstad FK's Rami Shaaban (best goalkeeper), Stade Rennais FC's Petter Hansson (best defender) and Galatasaray AS's Tobias Linderoth (best midfielder).

Coaching accolade
IFK Göteborg pair Jonas Olsson and Stefan Rehn were rewarded for their side's Allsvenskan championship triumph with the best coach accolade, while Gefle IF forward Johan Oremo was rookie of the year. Therese Sjögran of Malmö DFF claimed the Diamantbollen as the women's footballer of the year.

uefa.com

Olof vs Birmingham

2007-11-12T07:23:00.001-05:00

How. Cute. Is. This?

Everybody - awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (hehe)

THANK YOU CAZZA! This was a great thing to see in my email when I dragged my sorry ass into work at 7am....

PS - CLICK HERE for highlights from yesterday's match.

Birmingham 1-2 Aston Villa

2007-11-11T14:12:00.000-05:00

Gabriel Agbonlahor's late header gave Aston Villa a dramatic victory over city rivals Birmingham.
Villa had taken the lead when Stilian Petrov's low cross hit Blues' defender Liam Ridgewell's knee and bounced in.

Birmingham levelled when Daniel De Ridder crossed for Mikael Forssell to head home from close range.

Agbonlahor cleared a Ridgewell header off the line before meeting Ashley Young's cross at the other end and nodding past Blues keeper Maik Taylor.

The victory was Villa's first on their travels since they won at Manchester City on 28 April and, in truth, it was an unlikely triumph.

A draw had looked the fairest result as, although Villa had the best of the early exchanges, the home side had been in charge after the break.

Birmingham actually came out of the blocks quickest too but found themselves behind after Ridgewell's own goal on 11 minutes.

Petrov had done well to reach the bye-line and his dangerous cross embarrassed the former Villa trainee - who only left to join Birmingham in August - when it hit his knee and flew past Taylor.

Villa pushed forward for more and only smart saves by Taylor at his near post denied John Carew and Agbonlahor.

Birmingham were finding it much harder to carve out a chance, although they did have two decent shouts for a penalty when Zat Knight appeared to handle Cameron Jerome's cross and De Ridder was caught by Martin Laursen.

The De Ridder incident was particularly unfortunate for the Blues as, although Laursen undoubtedly made contact with the Dutch winger, referee Steve Bennett booked him for diving.

But Steve Bruce's side continued to fight on and the introduction of Forssell at half-time gave them a way back into the game.

De Ridder was seeing more and more of the ball on the right and it was from one of his crosses that Forssell rose to nod home the equaliser on 62 minutes.

It was no less than Birmingham deserved and they almost took the lead when Scott Carson pushed away Jerome's powerful drive.

Villa were suddenly on the back-foot, although they still threatened when the ball broke to Nigel Reo-Coker in front of goal, only for the midfielder skied his shot hopelessly over the bar.

That had looked like the visitors' final chance of victory and they were hanging on when Agbonlahor somehow cleared Ridgewell's powerful downward header on his own goal-line.

And the Birmingham fans were still wondering how their side had failed to score when the England Under-21 striker snatched victory for his side with three minutes to go.

Agbonlahor beat Ridgewell to Young's cross from the right and, although Taylor got a hand to his flicked header, he could not keep it out.

Birmingham manager Steve Bruce:
"For me we should have had two penalties and the referee Steve Bennett has missed them.
"He has obviously not seen the first one which was handball and, for the second one, he has to be convinced that Daniel De Ridder has dived to book him.

"Daniel hasn't dived. He has been clipped on his trailing leg and gone over - the referee got it wrong."

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill:
"I am delighted that we won because the game could have gone either way.
"Birmingham never gave up when they went behind and when they got their equaliser it really opened up.

"I always thought that the next goal would win it and I am just pleased that it went to us."

BBC Sport

Even More Rumours!

2007-11-09T07:19:00.000-05:00

Newcastle United turn to Mellberg 07:46 November, 9, 2007
Newcastle United Football Club have turned their attentions to Olof Mellberg.

The Sweden international has established himself as one of the most consistent central defenders in the Premier League since signing for Aston Villa in the summer of 2001.

The 30-year-old is out of contract at Aston Villa at the end of the coming season, and has recently been linked with a summer Bosman transfer to Italian giants Juventus.

However, reports suggest Sam Allardyce, desperate to bolster a leaking back four at St James' Park, is willing to pay £2million to land Mellberg as soon as the winter transfer window reopens.

FancFC.com

2007-11-08T09:45:00.000-05:00

This is old now, of course, but hey, there simply aren't enough Olof videos in existence. So let's share 'em when we see 'em, yes?

(if you want to watch it in a bigger screen, click on "source" below the video)

width="384" height="312" id="FlowPlayer">

source

Photos of the Day

2007-11-05T15:51:00.001-05:00

Some random eye candy for you gals (and gents, of course.)

The Freddie pic is courtesy of Cazza. There was ANOTHER Freddie pic courtesy of Cazza, but for some reason I cannot get it to load. But this is the hotter one, so it's OK. ;)

PS - anyone notice a theme with the Freddie pic? By which I mean do you think Freddie & his friend called each other before they got dressed? ;)

Aston Villa 2-0 Derby

2007-11-03T18:29:00.000-04:00

Goals by Martin Laursen and Ashley Young gave Aston Villa a deserved victory over bottom side Derby County.

Scott Carson had to tip over an early shot from Rams striker Steve Howard, but from then on Villa assumed control.

Derby battled hard to keep the home side at bay but their defence went AWOL from a Young free-kick and Gareth Barry set up Laursen to sweep the ball home.

Young scored the second to secure victory soon after when he met Nigel Reo-Coker's cross at the far post.

Villa's fifth win in their last six home league games was never in doubt once Laursen found the net in the 57th minute.

But until then it seemed possible that Derby might hold on for their second successive away point - which would have lifted them off the foot of the table.

A draw would have flattered the Rams, who were desperately poor going forward and remain without am away goal this season.

However, Billy Davies' side did defend admirably, and goalkeeper Stephen Bywater was also in fine form when their backline was breached.

Bywater was lucky that Zat Knight fired straight at him from close range early on, but he made fine saves from Olof Mellberg's header and another Young free-kick to keep the game scoreless before the break.

Young, who gave Andy Griffin a torrid time on the left flank, was Villa's main threat in the first period and it was fitting that he was involved in his side's opening goal.

But it was not one that Davies will enjoy watching again as his defence stood stock still from Young's free-kick leaving Laursen to tap in unhindered after Barry headed the ball back across goal.

Four minutes later the game was all but over when Derby gave the ball to Gabriel Agbonlahor and, although Bywater saved his shot, Reo-Coker had the presence of mind to loop the ball back across goal to allow Young to slot home.

There was clearly no way back from that for the shot-shy Rams, although the introduction of Rob Earnshaw from the bench did at least increase their attacking threat.

Carson had been a spectator since making a fine stop from Howard in the opening minutes but he had to remain alert as the Welsh striker went close with two late efforts.

Villa, understandably, took their foot off the gas in the closing minutes but they had already showed that, even without injured targetman John Carew, they can break down the most stubborn of defences.

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill:
"The first half was very frustrating. We didn't play well enough, or get any momentum going.
"But we improved enough to win the game. We galvanised ourselves in the second half, got the breakthrough and went on to win it.

"We have been doing okay form-wise but this was a big win for us and it will give us a bit of confidence."

Derby boss Billy Davies:
"We could hear how frustrated their fans were getting and they knew how hard we worked and competed.
"For 45 minutes we did very well but two lapses of concentration at this level will always cost you.

"I was extremely disappointed with the manner in which they scored their first goal and we shot ourselves in the foot for their second too."

BBC Sport

Olof vs Bolton

2007-11-01T08:28:00.001-04:00

From our Cazza. Bless her. :)

Olof Mellberg Off to Juventus?

2007-10-30T08:38:00.000-04:00

This story comes from the AVFC Blog - I cannot copy & paste it (WTF?!) so CLICK HERE to read it. Now, AVFC Blog references THIS story, from Aftonbladet. It's (obviously) in Swedish, but I know some of you can read it, so click on the link & report back if you can.

Is this just that type of random speculation that pops up every now & again with most players? Total garbage? VERGE OF HAPPENING RIGHT THIS MINUTE?

What say you?

Bolton 1-1 Aston Villa

2007-10-28T13:31:00.000-04:00

Luke Moore denied Gary Megson victory in his first match in charge of Bolton as the points were shared before the Reebok Stadium's lowest league crowd.

Nicolas Anelka gave Bolton a deserved lead with a free-kick into the top corner before leaving the field in the second half with a thigh injury.

Bolton had two penalty claims rejected and were incensed by Moore's equaliser.

The referee overturned a throw awarded to Bolton, and Gabriel Agbonlahor raced clear to set up Moore to chest in.

It would be untrue to suggest that Megson's appointment had created feverish excitement amongst the Bolton followers.

There were plenty of empty blue seats again at the Reebok - not as many as last Thursday when 10,848 attended the club's Uefa Cup match - but a crowd of 18,413 is hardly what the Bolton treasurer would have hoped for.

Villa came close in the opening minute, Shaun Maloney's free-kick left by Jussi Jaaskelainen but curling only inches above the top corner.

It was to prove Villa's best moment for the next 44 minutes as Bolton had the better of a disappointing first period.

The home side had a strong penalty claim turned down as Wilfred Bouma appeared to push the ball away from Kevin Davies.

Ricardo Gardner's attempt to administer his opinion of justice was unimpressive, the full-back falling theatrically to the ground when Zat Knight's challenge clearly made no contact.

England midfielder Gareth Barry, at 26 beating Frank Lampard's record as the youngest player to reach 300 Premier League games, needed to be alert to block a close-range opportunity for Kevin Nolan.

It took Villa until the final minute of the half to find the target, Maloney's weaving run culminating in a 20-yard shot that Jaaskelainen spilled, with Bolton scrambling clear before Agbonlahor could pounce.

Martin O'Neill was understandably less than impressed, but it was Maloney who came off along with Osbourne at half-time, with Luke Moore and Patrik Berger introduced.

Martin Laursen's short back pass almost left the replacements with even more to do, however, keeper Stuart Taylor racing out to block Anelka.

But Villa found their way back in somewhat controversial circumstances.

The linesman had signalled for a Bolton throw but referee Martin Atkinson overruled, much to the bewilderment of Bolton who had switched off and were stunned as Agbonlahor was released down the right flank.

He jinked in towards goal and fizzed in a cross-shot that Moore was able to deflect in off his chest ahead of the defenders at the near post.

Bolton had further cause for complaint when the ball brushed Knight's elbow as he rose to try to clear a corner, referee Atkinson again waving away the penalty appeals.

There might still have been time for Bolton, Gardner's low shot parried by Taylor and El Hadji Diouf blazing over with his left foot from an acute angle inside the six-yard box.

Bolton boss Gary Megson:
"I was happy with the effort.
"At times I didn't think we could sustain it, and we weren't as solid as in the first half, but it gives us a bit of optimism to go forward."

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill:
"We tried a different system, it wasn't working and it was up to us to change it. Things were better in the second half without being terrific.
"Bolton were putting it in, we were coping reasonably well but you never know so I'm satisfied with a point, we probably deserved it."

BBC Sport

From Helena to You

2007-10-23T08:12:00.000-04:00

To Everybody,

Thank you all so much for your kind words and thoughts. They have helped bring comfort to me and my partner Jack at such a very traumatic time.

What has been so overwhelming is that many of you have made donations to the
premature baby charity Bliss, and that you did this in memory of Sophia. For this
we thank you all so much for your generosity and kindness. Holding Sophia as she slowly passed away was the hardest thing I've ever done, and your donations will ensure that babies and their parents will receive extra care and support and that hopefully more babies will survive.

Thank you once again for your thoughts and prayers.

With many thanks
Helena & Jack

2007-10-20T15:52:00.000-04:00

I have sad news to tell you. Last week we learned that our Helena had her baby girl, Sophia, 12 weeks early. Sadly little Sophia passed away on Wednesday. Some of you know Helena personally, some of you know her through this blog. I am posting this so those of you who aren't able to express your condolences in person have a forum for doing so.

Sometimes people like to make donations in someone's name. I've found an excellent Canadian site that provides a list of charities. This of course is an individual decision, but I thought I'd include a UK website for those of you that may be interested.

The Big Project

Much love to all of you.

Mellberg Will Play

2007-10-18T12:37:00.000-04:00

Olof Mellberg has handed Villa a huge boost as Martin O’Neill welcomed Saturday’s clash with Manchester United by insisting his side were “better equipped” to face the champions.

Mellberg, who has played every league game under boss O’Neill, shrugged off a back injury to score in Sweden’s 1-1 draw with Northern Ireland last night.

Villa’s makeshift right-back had been expected to miss the game, but passed a late fitness test .

Wilfred Bouma, Gareth Barry, Thomas Sorensen, Martin Laursen and Shaun Maloney played 90 minutes for their countries last night. Stiliyan Petrov played the opening 45 minutes of Bulgaria’s 1-1 draw with Albania in Tirana.

Express & Star

Sweden 1-1 N Ireland

2007-10-18T12:32:00.000-04:00

A stunning individual goal by Kyle Lafferty earned Northern Ireland a deserved 1-1 draw in their Euro 2008 Group F qualifier in Stockholm.
Olof Mellberg gave Sweden a 15th-minute lead when he volleyed home from close range after Kim Kallstrom flicked on a Tobias Linderoth free-kick.

Lafferty equalised on 72, beating two defenders and curling a right-foot shot into the top corner of the net.

The result maintains Northern Ireland's mathematical hopes of qualification.

Nigel Worthington's side received a pre-match boost when Freddie Ljungberg failed to start for the home side because of a lingering calf injury, Kallstrom taking his place.

Lafferty was well wide with a fourth-minute right foot shot and then Gareth McAuley made a great challenge on Johan Elmander as he bore in on goal.

Lafferty then conceded the free-kick for Linderoth's free-kick which saw Mellberg sneak ahead of Aaron Hughes to apply the finish.

A minute later Healy's free-kick was palmed away by Andreas Isaksson and soon after Lafferty was yellow-carded for an innocuous challenge, meaning he will miss the next match against Denmark through suspension.

Maik Taylor palmed away a Zlatan Ibrahimovic right-foot shot on 28 minutes and Healy's 31st-minute overhead kick just cleared the bar.

Elmander chipped a shot wide of the post before the interval.

Chris Brunt shot just over the bar with a left-foot shot from 25 yards out after 59 minutes and Isaksson smothered a Healy effort before Lafferty levelled with his fine solo goal.

Kallstrom hit the bar with a free-kick six minutes from time and with a minute remaining Healy got his toe to a cross from the left but was just off target.

Ibrahimovic headed just wide when well placed in the final minute and Healy shot straight at the keeper in added time.

BBC Sport

Olof Out?

2007-10-17T08:11:00.000-04:00

Mellberg worry for Villa
17/10/2007 - 10:06:24

Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg is a fitness concern for Saturday’s home Premier League clash with Manchester United.

The Sweden centre-half has suffered a back injury while on international duty and looks certain to miss tonight’s Euro 2008 qualifier with Northern Ireland.

Villa boss Martin O’Neill is facing an anxious wait to discover the full extent of the injury.

Mellberg has been deputising at right-back after the sale of Aaron Hughes to Fulham and the retirement of Mark Delaney.

If he is ruled out, then Craig Gardner – a midfielder – may revert to the role he occupied for the opening four games of the campaign.

(source)

Photo of the Day

2007-10-15T08:55:00.000-04:00

PS - our Helena had her baby girl! Her name is Sophia and she was born on Friday. Sophia has made her debut very early and is very small, so she needs your thoughts and prayers.

Congratulations Helena! AND THANK YOU PAULA FOR LETTING US KNOW.

Liechtenstein 0 Sweden 3

2007-10-13T20:29:00.000-04:00

Sweden took another major step towards Euro 2008 qualification with a convincing win over Liechtenstein.

Goals from Freddie Ljungberg, Christian Wilhelmsson and Anders Svensson gave Lars Lagerback's side all three points as they strengthened their position in Group F.

The away side were quickly into their stride and dominated the early exchanges but for all their possession found it hard to break down an 11-man Liechtenstein defence.

They could have taken the lead through Daniel Majstorovic, but his header flew over after a good free-kick from Tobias Linderoth.

Peter Jehle did well to block a Wilhelmsson effort as the Swedes began turn up the heat and the goal eventually came in the 19th minute.

Linderoth's intelligent pass split the home defence and the ever alert Ljungberg was unerring with his finish.

The visitors had to wait less than 10 minutes for their second which came in the 28th minute thanks to a fine individual effort from Wilhelmsson.

He started on a roaming run down the right flank cut inside the penalty and beat two defenders before sliding the ball into the bottom corner.

It was the midfielder's second goal in qualification and capped a fine first half performance.

The goal seemed to deflate the home side and they could have found themselves further behind after 30 minutes but Johan Elmander failed to control Ljungberg's pass when clean through on goal.

Daniel Frick then had a great chance to pull one back for the home side a minute before the break but somehow he put his header into the ground and wide from two yards out when it would have been easier to put it into the empty net

Sweden could have put the game out of sight when Elmander was put through but again the striker's first touch let him down.

Svensson made it three in the 55th minute with a piledriver which somehow found its way past Jehle in the Liechtenstein goal.

Sporting Life

Photo of the Day

2007-10-12T08:34:00.000-04:00

I think we've all seen this pic before, but hey, any time you get the chance to see a topless Olof, YOU TAKE IT, yes?

PS I found this image here. I don't think this site is really intended for us womenfolk *cough cough*, but as usually happens whenever I stumble across a "boys only" type of site I'm enjoying myself immensely...(some of this IS NSFW though, so be careful ;)

"Who do you hate?"

2007-10-11T10:33:00.000-04:00

OrlandoSentinel.com is running a poll of sorts, and if you want to get your votes in, CLICK HERE.

What you are voting on:

Which club do you support?

Which club(s) do you hate/dislike?

Which club(s) do you have a soft spot for?

I *HEART* OLOF

NEW OLOF BLOG!

Happy Birthday Blonde!

Something to Think About...

Photo of the Day

Tribute Video

Photo of the Day

Mellberg's Parting Gift to Loyal Villa Supporters

Too Much Cuteness

Like the Corners of My Miiiiiiind........

Aston Villa 0-2 Wigan

Ask Ollie

Everton 2-2 Aston Villa

Photo of the Day

Aston Villa vs Birmingham

Olof Mellberg Clinches Award By A Whisker

Photos of the Day

Aston Villa 5 - Birmingham 1

Photo of the Day

Derby 0 - Aston Villa 6

Olof Mellberg Day, May 3rd 2008

Photo of the Day

We Just Need the Benny Hill Music...

Aston Villa 4-0 Bolton

Photo of the Day

Mellberg Hopes to Return to Villa as Coach

Man Utd 4-0 Aston Villa

Sweden 0-1 Brazil, France 1-0 England

Sweden Without Star Ibrahimovic for Brazil Friendly

Them's Fightin' Words!!!

Aston Villa 0-1 Sunderland

Aston Villa Boss Martin O'Neill Targets Spurs Keeper Paul Robinson

Second Yellow Was Harsh - Olof Mellberg

Portsmouth 2-0 Aston Villa

Photo of the Day

Aston Villa 1 Middlesbrough 1

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAZZA!

Hot Olof Video skldfh;oshroijhawor@)&#)L:IFJ(*ino

Arsenal 1-1 Aston Villa

Photo of the Day

B E A R D · R E V U E

Premier League - Mellberg Fears Being Frozen Out

Reading 1-2 Aston Villa

Cat Gets Into Olof's Shorts

Should Olof Mellberg Start?

Photo of the Day

Aston Villa 4-1 Newcastle

Beards

Photo of the Day

Fulham 2-1 Aston Villa

Det kändes lite bättre idag (?)

Photo of the Day

Olof off to Juventus, Jenner off to I *Heart* Olof

Hiatus

Aston Villa 3-1 Reading

Villa vs Tottenham Highlights

Aston Villa 0-2 Man Utd

Aston Villa 2 - Tottenham 1

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!

Olof vs Man City

Aston Villa 1-1 Man City

Photo of the Day

Sunderland 1-1 Aston Villa

Danish Fan Jailed for Referee Attack

Juve Dossier on Villa's Mellberg

Photo of the Day

Aston Villa 1-3 Portsmouth

"A Done Deal"???

Video of the Day

Aston Villa 1-2 Arsenal

Olof Mellberg Defends His Loyalty to Aston Villa

Blackburn 0-4 Aston Villa

Sven's Olof Talk Surprises O'Neill

Worst. Headline. Ever.

Photo of the Day

Middlesbro 0 - 3 Aston Villa

Sven Recommends Mellberg

Swedes Secure Qualification With Latvia Win

In ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING News...

TODAY'S DISCUSSION:

I HEART OLOF

Olof off to Juventus, Jenner off to I Heart Olof