We are being noticed,full respect to him on the below- Moving onto the opposition this weekend more specifically, he knew we'd be up against a tough side in Bristol City. 'It`s a team that likes to play football and a team that has a good start. If you look at the last few years, really, it`s been on the up. They got promotion two years ago and then stayed in the league. They are looking to improve. Looking at the last few games, they have been a very tough opponent. I think we have to look at Bristol City as a competitor for the promotion places. It`s going to be a big test again to see how far we have come.' He added. 'It would be great to keep that momentum going. It`s so important to build that up. Personally I think we are missing a couple of points that we have given away along the way. But it`s part of our process in that we are making a lot of changes and are trying to implement some principles of attacking and defending in our game. We have left a few points out there but it`s a long season and I am confident we will improve over time. The lads are training well and are committed on a daily basis.' As for an injury update he admitted a few players would be missing this weekend, but with the international break hopefully that would see them return to training and contention. 'Rudy Gestede came off in the last game. He has a little hamstrung stain. He won`t be available for Saturday. We hope that after the international break he should be fine. It`s the same with Aaron Tshibola. He has a groin injury but should be available after the international break too. And Joe (Bennett) has a problem with his calf but his situation is the same too. They are little injuries, nothing too big.' Read more: http://www.astonvilla.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=7521378#ixzz4IQpCHTI8
Kidology, for their own fans. Win and its a great victory over the rivals Lose and its not a disaster result, because City are a force and will account for quite a few this season. Reality says we are somewhere in the middle
Di Matteo is well aware that any Championship side can beat another. It's respect for your opponents and also a signal to his own team that anything less than 100% will only produce negative results.
Before the Newcastle game Benitez said City were a good footballing side led by a young manager. After he came clean - ‘a war of long balls, second balls, and things like this'. Think you can take what all managers say with a pinch of salt.
Redprintt is spot on, these ex Prem managers know what to say before the game, it's what they say after that counts!
its actually self preservation... with a bit of attempting to say we know what you might do so you don't do it thrown in. if you go for a walk in a medium grade scenario and the guide or someone says it is quite hard with this and that to encounter . you feel elated because you achieved it in the face of adversity, if you find it hard you then say wow just managed that..the info was spot on.. either way it is easy to explain off it goes nipples up !
I would imagine (hope) that any manager worth their salt at professional level would study the opposition tactics and lineups, danger from set pieces, key players and their weaknesses etc, so Benitez's comment about us changing formation was spot on, based on the very few games so far this season. Di Matteo's comment however are just polite waffle, nothing specific about us and the way we play. Cidered Abroad was spot on - it's a reminder to his players to give 100% and to the Villa fans not to take a win for granted (although the latter doesn't seem to have worked with them predicting a 4-0 romp!!)
