The True Villan

[DonVilla]

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17 June 2011​

McLeish appointed as new Villa manager
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Ex-Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish has been appointed as the new manager of Aston Villa, following Gerard Houllier’s retirement from management due to heart concerns.
This can only be described as a huge shock to the devoted Villa fans, due to the mutual hatred between the two Midlands clubs.

18 June 2011​

Fans protest at Villa Park
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Thousands of Aston Villa fans gathered at Villa Park yesterday to protest against the appointment of former Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish.
The fans have many concerns regarding McLeish’s managerial ability, after seeing him relegate Birmingham City twice in three seasons, as well as the “anti-football” tactics which he employs.
Many of the Villa faithful have vowed never to attend matches whilst McLeish is in charge of their beloved team.

20 June 2011​

Villa sack McLeish in shock move
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In a surprise twist, Aston Villa chairman, Randy Lerner, has sacked Alex McLeish as manager having only been appointed three days ago.
Mr Lerner stated that the protests by the fans of Aston Villa made him realise the love that the fans have for the club and that he could not risk upsetting the fans to such an extent.
Mr Lerner issued a statement to the fans of Aston Villa promising that he would fulfill their wishes of employing “a true Villan” as the next manager.

27 June 2011​

Have Villa got their True Villan
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Rumours are spreading around Birmingham of an unknown young man who has been seen around Villa Park with Chairman Randy Lerner, is this the manager all the fans have wished for?

 

[DonVilla]

View attachment 21539729 June 2011​

Ex Bafana Bafana star takes over at Villa
Aston Villa have appointed 26 year old South African manager Donovan Gaffney as their new manager.
Mr Gaffney made 29 international appearances for Bafana Bafana, scoring 10 goals in the process before a recurring ankle injury forced him to retire. He began his managerial career coaching youth teams, starting from under 6’s and working his way up, before leading FC AK to the Vodacom League title in 2009/2010. Mr Gaffney then decided to move to the UK to further his managerial career, but found a job more difficult to come by than in his home country.
The Villa fans are no doubt sceptical about this appointment, however they did get what they asked for, a true Villa fan to manage their team, and the fans seem willing to give the new manager a chance to prove his worth.

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Exclusive interview with Donovan Gaffney

Interviewer “Mr Gaffney, you sit here as manager of the team you support. This must be an incredible moment for you?”
“I am absolutely delighted to manage the club I have supported since I was just a child, however I must confess that I am rather nervous as well.”
Interviewer “Have you had a chance to meet with the staff at the club?”
“I have had a meeting with the current backroom staff, and I have informed them that I will be bringing in some of my own staff over the next couple of days. One name I have in mind is Villa legend Martin Laursen.”
Interviewer “What are your initial opinions of the Villa players?”
“The players have a great attitude and are a very determined bunch. I am relatively happy with the players I have at my disposal, though I do think there are a couple of players who are surplus to requirements or who just do not fit in with the team’s style of play. I will definitely be looking at bringing some of the youth players through, as there is a lot of potential in this team.”
Interviewer “Can you tell us about your transfer policy?”
“Yes. In my first meeting with the Chairman, Randy Lerner, he told me to keep a watchful eye on the club finances, therefore I will be looking at bringing in mostly free transfers and younger players to build for the future.”
Interviewer “Have you and the directors set any objectives for the coming season?”
“We have. My first aim is to re-stabilise the club and to finish in the top half of the table, however we will definitely be pushing for a European spot.”

 

[DonVilla]

Guys, any thoughts/advice on my story?
I will be posting monthly updates this afternoon. Seeing as I am already in January the first few updates will come thick and fast.

 

[DonVilla]

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5 July 2011
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Villa sign Uruguyuan International Diogo

Aston Villa completed the signing of Carlos Diogo on a free transfer yesterday, after the Uruguyuan was released by former club Zaragoza.
Diogo looks likely to play second fiddle to Alan Hutton who was signed from Tottenham earlier in the summer.

31 July 2011
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Villa in good shape during pre-season

Aston Villa have looked like the real deal during pre-season, winning all 7 of their freindly matches. This includes victories over European teams such as Olympique De Marseille, VfB Stuttgart and OGC Nice. Villa have scored a grand total of 27 goals, conceding only 3 times.

 

[DonVilla]

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6 August 2011
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Villa pre-season round-up

Aston Villa played their final pre-season warm up match yesterday, which saw them dissapointingly draw 2-2 with Granada. Prior to this Villa had won all 8 of their friendly matches.

9 August 2011
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Villa complete Diarra transfer

Mahamadou Diarra completed his transfer to Aston Villa yesterday. He becomes Donovan Gaffney's second signing of the season, both of which were free transfers.
Diarra comes with a wealth of experience, having been capped 65 times for Mali.


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11 August 2011
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Pre-season interview with Donovan Gaffney

Interviewer "Mr Gaffney, are you pleased with your pre-season preparations?"
"Absolutely, we managed some very good wins against strong opposition and I am pleased with the players response to my tactics"

Interviewer "Are you looking to add more players to your squad?"
"I don't think it is necessary, we brought in two international players with lots of experience, and I am very happy with my signings. However, I would still like to see a couple of players transfer out of the club."

Interviewer "Your first match of the season looks to be a difficult prospect. What approach will you be taking to this game?"
"It is indeed, Manchester City are a world class team and I definitely think they will be challenging for the title this season. My players know what I want from them, to go into the game with belief and determination, and I am sure they will deliver."


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14 August 2011
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Surprise result in Manchester

Aston Villa shocked the fans at The City of Manchester Stadium after a well deserved 2-2 draw with Manchester City.
Darren Bent opened the scoring from the penalty spot after he was brought down by Darijo Srna. Sergio Aguero then scored in first-half injury time, which was followed by an Edin Dzeko goal on 59 minutes. Villa fought back and scored just minutes later as a corner by Charles N'Zogbia was headed in by Richard Dunne.

30 August 2011
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Villa August update

After a bright start to the season with a draw on the opening day against Man City, Villa went on to lose their second game of the season 2-1 against Spurs at White Hart Lane. Sandwiched in-between the two league games was a 3-1 victory for Villa against Southend United.
Donovan Gaffney was pleased with his teams displays this month, stating that they could not have had a more difficult start to the season.

 

[DonVilla]

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30 September 2011
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Villa September update

Aston Villa started the month with 3 good wins against Newcastle, Blackburn and QPR, however they then lost to Tottenham, for the second time in a matter of weeks, in the third round of the League Cup and then went on to lose to Liverpool in their next fixture.
Although Donovan Gaffney's side has not had the best of times against the bigger teams thus far, he did state that he is pleased with the teams attitude and their fighting spirit.