Villa v Sunderland as it was tweeted...

Shay Given in Middlesbrough loan deal

Forgotten Villa keeper Shay Given is off to Middlesbrough in a last gasp loan deal.

Boro's regular No1 Jason Steele is suspended for Aitor Karanka's first home game as the club's head coach so Shay is expected to go straight into the first team.

The former Republic of Ireland first choice lost his place to Brad Guzan at the start of last season and has been frozen out this term with Jed Steer being the second choice goalie.

The deal is subject to Premier League clearance and will run until December 29

Jordan Graham, Enda Stevens and Benji Siegrist off on loan deals

Two of Villa's bright young stars are off on loan deals and will hopefully pick up some much needed first team experience playing with the big boys, while unwanted Enda Stevens also gets another chance to impress, this time in the Championship.

Benji Siegrist is off on emergency loan to Burton Albion where he will wear the coveted number one shirt. Siegrist will be no stranger to the Pirelli stadium ashe has played there this term for Villa's Under 21 side.

The Swiss shotstopper and Under 21 international will relish the opportunity to kick on and get game time for the League Two outfit.

Burton Albion manager Gary Rowett said: “We have been watching Benjamin for some time now, Kevin Poole, Kevin Summerfield and I have all watched him and have been impressed.

“We’re always interested in strengthening our squad and at six foot four inches tall he is a big goalkeeper and has some good attributes.

“We now have two excellent young goalkeepers who are both there to challenge each other and will both be looking to start matches.”

Jordan Graham, only recently returned from a lengthy injury lay off, will be looking to seize the chance of first team action at Mick McCarthy's Ipswich Town where he'llwear the Number 17 shirt.

Capped by England at U16 and U17 level the tricky wide man  is just 18 years old but  has already impressed, being a key player in the NextGen squad before his injury and impressing for the Under 21s on his return.
It's understood that Graham won't be available for FA Cup games.


Bomb squad left back Enda Stevens is off to Paul Dickov's Doncaster Rovers on an emergency loan until January 1st.

Villa have been keen users of the loan system this term with Albrighton and Burke both getting spells away while Nathan Delfouneso, Darren Bent , Stephen Ireland Jack Grealish and Samir Carruthers are all out on loan.

Keep yer Wigan...Albrighton's coming home!

Paul Lambert has decided not to extend winger Marc Albrighton's loan at Championship club Wigan Athletic.

The 23-year-old moved to the DW Stadium at the end of last month for 28 days and now returns to Villa despite expressing an interest in extending his stay with the Latics as he continues his comeback from injury.

Wigan head honcho Owen Coyle today confirmed at his press conference ahead of tomorrow night's Europa League tie against Zulte Waregem that Mister Albrighton was on his way back to Villa Park.

It remains to be seen whether Lambert's decision means that Marc will be given a crack at a first team birth or offered an extension to his current contract which is drawing to a close.

Judging by Twitter, many Latics fans are sad to see Albrighton leave, which is good news. Owen Coyle is said to be disappointed while Dave Whelan broke his leg playing in an FA Cup Final apparently.

Meanwhile Mat Kendrick is reporting that Jordan Graham could be off for a spell at Ipswich. The highly rated winger has just returned from nigh on a year out with injury and such a loan could be great news for the player's  development.

Talk of Aston Villa youngster Jordan Graham joining Ipswich on loan. Should be a good opportunity for him to kick on #avfc
— Mat Kendrick (@MatKendrick) November 27, 2013

U21s Premier League Cup Villa v Fulham as it was tweeted

Match Preview: Villa v Sunderland

For those accusing us of blatantly including naked people in our Match Previews just to boost our "hit-rate", we say "Pah".

Meanwhile, here's French weathergirl Doria Tillier starkers...



Who are we playing?

Sunderland

Where are we playing?
Villa Park, Saturday 3pm

Can I go?
You can. Loads of tickets left.

Can I watch it live on the telly?

It's a Saturday 3 o'clocker, so if you want to watch on the box, you'll need one of those dodgy web stream thingies or a naughty pub with a foreign satellite box.

Big game?
Massive for Sunderland because they are rapidly looking like relegation certainties and need all the points they can get. Massive for us because any other result than a win against a team in Sunderland's form would hammer home just how poor we are at Villa Park.

The shadow of last season's remarkable game hangs heavy over the fixture

Kate Adie dressed for an away match

Do Sunderland have any famous fans?
Well there's one woman war zone, the plucky, seemingly bulletproof Kate Adie, which is quite impressive as famous fans go...but we've got Vassos off the Chris Evans Breakfast Show...so we win!

Who's playing for us?
Tony Moon is on the comeback trail and back in the squad after his hamstring trouble, while the returning Marc Albrighton will hope he's been dragged back from Wigan with good cause. Gary Gardner is back in training but this game is bound to be too soon for a comeback.

Most of us will be hoping that the Monday night's trio of substitutes - Gabby, Andi and Fabian - will be fit enough to start.

It was interesting that that Lambert chose to withdraw Kozak on Monday even though he'd been more effective that Benteke. How long can the big Belgian live on his reputation before he gets his mojo back?

Bacuna had his worst game since the Liverpool match versus Albion so Matt Lowton surely must have a sniff at getting his place back.

Who's playing for them?
Gus Poyet is struggling to find the best combination from Sunderland's array of talent. Bad boy Phil Bardsley seems to back in favour, which ex-Villa man Craig Gardner is likely to be in the squad. Former Villa favourite Carlos Cuellar might not be.

Any useless stats?
Of course, here you go:

• In all competitions we've won 79 to their 54 with 43 draws.

• We managed a league double over the Black Cats last term, Gabby getting the only goal at their place before Villa ran riot at Villa Park with goals from Vlaar, Weimann and Agbonlahor and a Christian Benteke hat-trick. Danny Rose got their goal

• Villa's 4-0 demolition of Sunderland in 1980 was one of the highlights of our championship winning season

He said, She said...

Prediction:
A home win. Can't see us getting six again though.

Albion v Villa as it was tweeted...

Match Preview: West Brom v Aston Villa

Who needs Daleks when you've got Aston Villa?

Bored with all the Doctor Who stuff that's EVERYWHERE this weekend? Well fear not because on
Monday night Aston Villa return to action after a SIXTEEN day break

Who are we playing?
West Bromwich Albion

Where are we playing?
The Hawthorns, Monday night

Can I go?
The Villa section is sold out, so if you've not got a ticket already, you can't go

Can I watch it live on the telly?

It's Sky's Monday Night Football offering so if you've got Sky Sports you can. Now TV does a day pass for £9.99

Do West Brom have any famous fans?
Well, there's Frank "Three Lions" Skinner and Adrian "Working Lunch" Chiles but we've got Mrs. Doyle from Father Ted so we win the battle of the celebs.

Who's playing for us?
No idea!

Benteke was badly out of sorts for Belgium and missed the second international while clutching an ice pack to his knee, so he must be doubtful as must hamstring victim Andi Weimann and ankle crock Gabby.

We're desperate to see Delph back after his illness and knocked knee shenanigans while it would prove to be something of  a novelty to see a specialist full back in a Villa shirt due to Lowton's form and Luna and Bennett troubling the physios.

Then there's the Guzan mystery that caused Jurgen Klinsmann to leave him out of the USA squad. Perhaps Jurgen is just scared of Villa goalkeepers...

The word from Paul Lambert is that Big Chris, Andi, Tony Moon and Bradley are all fit to play but then we don't always believe him when it comes to injury disclosure. Even our poker-faced, cards-close-to-the-chest gaffer admits that Agbonlahor and Delph are doubts.

Who's playing for them?
Who cares? Still have nightmares about Victor Anichebe after his performance against us for Everton at Goodison last term. One can only hope that Ciaran Clark has learnt from that experience.

Any useless stats?
Of course, here you go:

• We haven't beaten our neighbours since December 2010 when Stewart Downing and Emile Heskey were the scorers in a 2-1 victory

• After West Brom beat us 1-0 at The Hawthorns on 8th April 1985, they had to wait 26 years until their next victory, a 2-1 win refereed by Phil Bloody Dowd on 30th April 2011

• Aston Villa utilised The Hawthorns for Intertoto Cup games in 2000 including the infamous Battle of Celta Vigo

• Villa's biggest victory over Albion came in 1899, a 7-1 success at Villa Park with Billy Garraty getting a hat-trick.

• The tale of how David "Psycho" Cross knocked out Allan Evans in a particularly "lively" derby is told in our All Our Yesterdays section

He said, She said...

Paul Lambert "The Hawthorns has got a really good atmosphere because it’s small and it’s on top of you."
Victor Anichebe: “You can’t beat the atmosphere. You look at derbies in different countries and they are not the same as in England and they are always nice to play in. I always enjoyed playing against Liverpool."

Prediction:
A tense evening, a highly charged atmosphere and a one-nil victory to Villa

Match Preview: England v Germany

Don't mention it

Who are we playing?
Germany

Big game?

Any game against Germany is a big deal, but on the back of a home defeat and with no more games until March, it takes on an extra importance. Neither side will be at full strength but it's another chance for fringe players to put a marker down for a World Cup place.

Where are we playing?
Wembley, a great stadium if you like riding escalators

Can I go?
Possibly. The Germans aren't bringing many fans, blaming the midweek nature of the fixture, though that didn't stop hordes of Dortmund fans heading for the Emirates. The FA expect a sell out though. If you're desperate to go and miss out on a ticket, it's worth checking some of the supporters clubs and coach trip organisers who sometimes have a few going begging.

Easy to get to?
The roads have been a nightmare just lately, so best not attempt driving it unless you can set off early. If you are travelling from Birmingham, the train is probably your best bet, with direct trains from Moor Street to the Stadium, and trains back at 22:18, 22:50 or the last one at 23:17 if you fancy a cheeky couple of post match pints. A Super Off Peak Return will get you there for £27.50

Can I watch it on the telly?
itv will provide you with live pictures and also stream the game online if your better half insists on watching Holby City on the "big telly". Now that Roy Keane has got into bed with Martin O'Neill, you have put up with Ian Wright as a pundit, but hey, that's what your mute button is for...


Who's playing for us?
Despite reports that Sturridge had a niggle in training, Roy has confirned that he will start and everyone's favourite shampoo poster boy returns in goal.

England (confirmed) :Hart, Walker, Smalling, Jagielka ,Cole;Gerrard, Cleverley, Lallana,Townsend ; Rooney; Sturridge

Who's playing for them?

Germany unlikely to start with two big strikers

Well, no Bastian Schweinsteiger, which is good news if we want to win the game but bad news for those of us who enjoy watching him play.

We can probably get a clue who will play from the side that got a 1:1 draw with Italy which was: Neuer, Höwedes, Boateng, Hummels, Jansen, Khedira, Lahm, Müller, Kroos, Schürrle, Götze while Bender made an appearance from the bench.


Any useless stats and info?
Of course, here you go:

• Since 2000, the sequence of results goes win one lose one, so based on this pattern, we will win.

• We've never beaten Germany at the new Wembley and you have to go back to 1975 for our last victory over the then West Germany in the old stadium. Don Revie's England ran out 2-0 victors with goals from Colin Bell and Malcolm MacDonald.

• Our last meeting with Germany came in the 2010 World Cup. The game was clouded by controversy when Frank Lampard scored the famous goal that wasn't and the Germans went on to win 4-1, dumping England out of the tournament.

• Germany used to fear England on the football pitch. After our initial meeting ended in a 3-3 draw, England won seven on the bounce, culminating in the 1966 World Cup Final victory.

Prediction
It's time England put this Wembley hoodoo to rest, but with the talent Roy has at his disposal, we think a draw is the best England can hope for.

Benteke firing blanks as Colombia burst Belgium's bubble

Those people bigging up Belgium's chances in the forthcoming FIFA World Cup were dealt a reality check on Thursday night as the Red Devils were brought back down to earth by two second half Colombian goals.

That's not to say Belgium were without their chances, but unfortunately most of these fell into the lap of Aston Villa's out-of-sorts striker Christian Benteke, who seems to have lost his mojo since his hip-flexor injury.

Belgium looked the better team early doors  and on six minutes a cross from debutant Thomas Meunier, found Big Chris in front of goal but he headed just wide. Midway through the the half, Benteke pleaded for a penalty but his claims were swiftly dismissed by referree Marl Clattenburg.

Benteke continued to suffer from fifty pence head syndrome in the 40th minute, missing a gilt-edged chance from Marouane Fellaini. The Beast of B6 finally managed to get a shot on target just three minutes into the second half  but a deflection took his strike over the crossbar.

Belgium defended with a high line and it cost them big style after 51 minutes, Falcao springing the offside and dancing past Mignolet to put the Colombians ahead.

The goal seemed to strike fear into the hearts of a makeshift Belgian defence and Mignolet was forced into action moments later after Juan Guillermo Cuadrado's spectacularly mazed his way through the bewildered Red Devils backline.

The second goal saw Ibarbo find Luis Perea's header from a free-kick and slot past Mignolet with a left-footed effort from close range..

Belgium actually looked more likely to score after Benteke had limped off with both Fellaini and Mertens managing to hit the post.

Benteke's substitution sent the Villa Twitterati into overdrive with much weeping and gnashing of teeth about a potential injury but Belgium coach Marc Wilmots confirmed that it was the failure of the partnership between him and Lukakau that prompted his withdrawl.

Wilmots explained: "I wanted to try [the pairing], but I soon saw that nothing was going to happen.

"I am glad that you could see that. That is why I took Benteke off."

We should be more worried about his current form than a knock to the knee.

Villa players on International duty

Gordon Strachan has faith in Alan Hutton

England may have overlooked Villa players for the first team and the Under 21s but Callum Robinson earned a call up to the Under 19 squad as they took on Hungary. Callum managed to get onto the pitch and the scoresheet, scoring a late goal as England ran out 4-1 winners.

Forgotten man Alan Hutton may not be wanted at club level but is a key member of Gordon Strachan's Scotland side and is expected to play against the good old US of A and Norway. Mystery surrounds Brad Guzan being omitted from Jurgen Klinsmann's USA squad "as a precaution". That's a worry!

Injuries to key members of the Denmark squad mean that Nicklas Helenius has been given a late call up for the clash against Norway..

Libor Kozak joins up with the Czechs as they face Canada while Ron Vlaar is in the Dutch squad taking on Hiroshi Kiyotake and co in Japan followed by a home tie with Colombia.

Big Chris Benteke will be hoping to restake his claim for a place the Belgian starting line-up as they take on Colombia and Japan.

Arsenal U21s 4 Villa U21s 2 as it was tweeted...

Match Preview: England v Chile

Who are we playing?
Chile

Big game?
No, frankly. It's one of two Wembley friendlies before the international break. Not much use in terms of World Cup preparation but of great use in helping the FA foot the bill for the stadium. This is a pity, because these games might have created more of a buzz if they could have been played out in the provinces.


Where are we playing?
Wembley Stadium, in Wembley, in London. Wembley is not the loveliest part of the UK, but they still decided to build the national stadium there, giving foreign visitors a less than sparkling impression of our fair nation.

Can I go?
Still some tickets last time we looked (Monday), been bombarded with e-mails advertising the tickets. The away section is showing as sold out, but we won't have given them anything like the massive chunk of the stadium handed to the Poles.

Let the train take the strain

Easy to get to?
Driving and parking can be a pain and you know what those motorways can get like of a Friday. If you are travelling from Birmingham, the train is probably your best bet, with direct trains from Moor Street to the Stadium, and trains back at 22:18, 22:50 or the last one at 23:17 if you fancy a cheeky couple of post match pints.

Can I watch it on the telly?
Despite BT Sport's land grab of sporting rights, itv still have the England games (not sure what else they'll still have, possibly just the dominos). Sadly, Roy Keane's decision to help Martin O'Neill out in Ireland will rob us TV viewers of his "charms" at England games, but hey, we've still got Lee "Mister Charisma" Dixon to enjoy.

Who's playing for us?
Woy has already said that Joe Hart won't play in both games, so we'll get to see his understudies in action. It would be odd if he didn't give the Southampton new boys a run out having called them up and there'll be interest in seeing if Andros Townsend can reproduce his encouraging October form.

Rickie Lambert, Michael Carrick, Danny Welbeck, Steven Gerrard and Kyle Walker are all ruled out.

Goalkeepers
Fraser Forster, Joe Hart, John Ruddy

Defenders
Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, Kieran Gibbs, Phil Jagielka, Glen Johnson, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling

Midfielders
Ross Barkley, Tom Cleverley, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, Frank Lampard, James Milner, Andros Townsend, Jack Wilshere

Forwards
Jermain Defoe, Jay Rodriguez, Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge

Who's playing for them?

1. Claudio Bravo - Real Sociedad (España)
2. Johnny Herrera - Universidad de Chile (Chile)
3. Cristopher Toselli - Universidad Católica (Chile)
4. Mauricio Isla – Juventus (Italia)
5. Gary Medel – Cardiff City FC (Gales)
6. Marcos González – Flamengo (Brasil)
7. Eugenio Mena – Santos (Brasil)
8. Gonzalo Jara - Nottingham Forest (Inglaterra)
9. José Rojas - Universidad de Chile (Chile)
10. José Pedro Fuenzalida - Colo Colo (Chile)
11. Marcelo Díaz – Basel FC (Suiza)
12. Carlos Carmona - Atalanta (Italia)
13. Arturo Vidal – Juventus (Italia)
14. Matías Fernández - Fiorentina (Italia)
15. Francisco Silva - Osasuna (España)
16. Felipe Gutiérrez - FC Twente (Holanda)
17. Charles Aránguiz - Universidad de Chile (Chile)
18. Jean Beausejour - Wigan Athletic (Inglaterra)
19. Jorge Valdivia - Palmeiras (Brasil)
20. Alexis Sánchez - FC Barcelona (España)
21. Junior Fernandes - Dinamo Zagreb (Croacia)
22. Eduardo Vargas - Gremio (Brasil)
23. Carlos Muñoz - Baniyas SC (Emiratos Árabes Unidos)

Any useless stats and info?
Of course, here you go:

Nat Lofthouse

• This is only the sixth ever meeting between the nations.

• England last beat Chile in 1953 with goals from Tommy Taylor and Nat Lofthouse. The game was refereed by Englishman Arthur Ellis.

• Our last encounter with Chile came in 1998, Glenn Hoddle's side going down two-nil with Michael Owen and Alan Shearer shooting blanks. Both Chile goals came from Marcelo Salas, although one of those was a penalty

• Chile secured their place at the 2014 World Cup with a 2-1 win over Ecuador.  Striker Alexis Sanchez and midfielder Gary Medel scored in the first half for Chile with Felipe Caicedo pulling one back for the Ecuadoreans.

Prediction:
A high scoring draw, followed by lots of hand-wringing about the state of the national team in the papers.

Villa 2 Cardiff 0: the goals and as it was tweeted...

Bacuna Goal courtesy of  http://www.feintzebra.co.uk

Kozak goal courtesy of http://www.feintzebra.co.uk

Happy Birthday Ron Saunders

Happy Birthday Ron Saunders.

Ron joined the club when we were in the old Second Division and took us not only to be League Champions but the side he created would go on to lift the European Cup.

In his very first season he led Villa to promotion back to the top-flight winning the League Cup along the way with victory over Norwich and was honoured with the Manager of the Year accolade for this achievement .

Further cup glory followed with the League Cup final in 1977, Ron's men beating Everton in a three match epic of final.

Ron then dismantled this flair filled side and spent the proceeds on building the team which in 1980-81 would win Villa's first First Division title for 71 years.

Ron left the club in controversial circumstances in February 1982, but under Tony Barton's stewardship, the team that Ron built were crowned Euroipean Champions.

Ray Winstone & Jimmy White talk Movember and Testicular Cancer

Match Preview : Villa v Cardiff City

Who are we playing?
Cardiff City

Where are we playing?
Villa Park, Saturday 3pm

Can I go?
You certainly can. Loads of tickets still on sale.

Can I watch it live on the telly?
If you are in the UK then not legally, no. Plenty of pubs will showing on their dodgy dishes though.

Neil Kinnock: not used to winning...

Do Cardiff have any famous fans?

Well, there's Neil Kinnock, who managed to lead the Labour Party to two successive General Election defeats. Neil wears his heart on his sleeve and recently got into hot water for an over-exuberant goal celebration at  Craven Cottage. We've got David Cameron. He hasn't won a General Election either, but they still let him be Prime Minister.

Who's playing for us?
Andi Weimann won't have recovered from his hamstring in time and Gabby is still out with his dodgy ankle. This should give a chance for the likes of Kozak and Helenius while Tonev will also be pushing for a recall. Fringe player Callum Robinson will have given Paul Lambert food for thought with a commanding goal-filled performance for the Under 21s, while Jordan Graham was also hugely impressive but is still building up match fitness after a lengthy lay off.

Fabian Delph, badly missed on the Boleyn mission, will be back from his sick bed.

Lack of a specialist left back will mean Lambo will have to have a think about his formation and may be tempted to stick with the back three he started at West Ham. It'll be interesting to see whether Matt Lowton can keep his place on the right after Matt Jarvis gave him a torrid time last week.

Who's playing for them?
Peter Whittingham may well have a point to prove after carving out a successful career at Cardiff since he was surplus to requirements at Villa Park. There's currently more interest in what is going on off the park with Malky Mackay at odds with owner Vincent Tan and tensions and feelings running high.

Any useless stats?
Of course, here you go:

• This will be our first ever Premier League meeting with Cardiff City and the first time we've faced them in a "top-flight" game since 1962, when we won 2-0 thanks to goal from Derek Dougan and an own goal.

• The last league meeting with The Bluebirds was a Second Division clash at Villa Park in April 1975, Villa running out 2-0 victors thanks to a brace from Brian Little

• The only subsequent meeting came in September 2009 in the League Cup, Gabby Agbonhalor scoring the only goal in a game with featured former Villa men Peter Whittingham, Riccardo Scimeca and notorious goalkeeper Peter Enckleman

• Villa's most impressive victory over Cardiff came in an FA Cup 3rd Round tie in 1929.  Goal machine Pongo Waring got on the scoresheet and two goals came from Joe Beresford.

He said, She said...
Paul Lambert: "Football is great because the wheel always turns. You always get an opportunity to try and get in and when the opportunity is there you have to go and take it.

"It's up to the individual to go and take it.

"I have confidence in Libor and Nicklas, no doubt whatsoever."

Peter Whittingham: “I don’t regret my time at Villa at all. I played around 60-odd games and had a great time.

“It was a good learning curve for me and I wouldn’t change anything for the world.”

Prediction:
Villa's injury woes not withstanding, this is a home game we simply have to win, if only for the fans' morale if nothing else. We predict a tense afternoon and a narrow Villa victory.

Villa U21s 6 Newcastle 2 as it was tweeted

West Ham v Villa as it was tweeted...