Dave Woodhall's Blog

GOOD GOOD GOODISON

18-09-2007

After that amazing win against Chelsea, Villa came back to reality on Sunday, losing to Man. City. Never mind, says Dave Woodhall, there's Everton to look forward to....a club who haven't (yet) given in to the McStadium syndrome.

Five or six games gone, and the top of the table is taking on a familiar look. The Usual Suspects are milling around the top of the table, with only Manchester City getting in amongst them.

Villa could have got a great result at the weekend had things gone differently. If a few players had performed better or John Carew had scored from one of the chances that fell to him.

If one of Kaspar Schmeichel's flaps had landed at the feet of a Villa player instead of always, instinctively, a City defender. But it didn't happen, we lost, and it's now on to the next match.

Everton are, like Manchester City, the sort of team Villa are going to be testing themselves against this season. Without spending to spend a fortune, David Moyes has put together a useful side with the sort of players a lot of supporters from other teams look at and think, "Why didn't we buy him?" Joleon Lescott and Tim Cahill, to name two, have shown that there's talent in the lower divisions. Just like Curtis Davies will.

I've always liked Everton. They're one of the few Premier League clubs that haven't embraced new-footie with its jesters hats, painted faces and sanitised atmosphere. Goodison is a proper ground.

It's got pubs, chippies and rosy-cheeked urchins offering to look after your car. That's why, restricted views or not, I'm disappointed that they plan to move to another soulless, out of town megabowl.

Everton are also a bit like the Villa in that they have a history stretching back to the Victorian era yet, except for a brief period, they've never really punched their weight. Then again they were a bit unlucky in that three of their league title wins coincided with the outbreak of two world wars and the European ban.

Everton at home are the sort of team Villa have to beat if we're going to make progress this season and although it's not going to be easy, there's enough quality in our team to get a result.