Carew, Bouma, and Donny Rovers

By: Chris | January 21st, 2009

Greetings, Villans.

Villa news has been bubbling along for the last couple of days – I think it’s time for a quick update.

Doncaster progress to face Villa

Firstly, Doncaster Rovers hosted Cheltenham Town in their FA Cup 3rd Round replay last night and it sounds like they absolutely demolished them. Rovers won 3-0 to set up a tasty tie against Aston Villa at the Keepmoat this Saturday in the 4th Round.

Last time I saw Doncaster skipper Brian Stock in the flesh he was stuffing his face in the Castle Lane Pizza Hut in Bournemouth on a Friday night. Last night, he popped up with a brace to set his side up with another visit from Villa, albeit a very different Villa from the side humiliated by Rovers in 2005.

I hated David O’Leary for two of his three years in charge, but the nature of the defeat at Doncaster brought the realisation of what a nasty pug-nosed boil the man is to most sensible Villa supporters.

I’m in two minds about this one. On the one hand, I’m delighted for Donny. I’m a massive fan of Sean O’Driscoll, having grown up in Bournemouth and been coached by him on several occasions. I also enjoyed watching the likes of Stock, James Hayter (brilliant striker), John Spicer and ex-Villa man James O’Connor at Dean Court.

They’re good lads and they deserve big ties like this. I’m also perversely pleased to have drawn Doncaster again. It’s a bit of a ghost that needs exorcising.

That said, lightning often strikes twice in football. We must approach this match with the seriousness it deserves.

Injury boost

Whispers of John Carew’s improving fitness have been confirmed with Martin O’Neill revealing that the big Norwegian has returned to full training.

It’s fantastic news for Villa – despite being successful in Carew’s absence, we’re a different proposition altogether with him in the side. Although we tend to play a longer game, he provides a little bit of guile and increases our aerial threat.

The best news of the week though is the return to full training of cult hero and monster full back Wilfred Bouma. Freddie’s been out since picking up a nasty (it’s the only time I’ve turned away from a pitch in disgust) injury against Odense in July.

In an ideal world, Freddie would step back in at left back, allowing Luke Young to switch to the right, with Martin Laursen in the middle alongside Curtis Davies. That’s pretty damn solid. Welcome back Freddie!