Chapter 1: What were the highlights of Aston Villa's win against Newcastle?
Harahan to Grealish, Harahan, oh yes! Grealish comes over to join Harahan, but it will be the Irishman to take, can take effectively. Villa look across for an offside flag, it's not coming, El Ghazi's touch means that in double quick time, Villa double their lead.
Three straight defeats for Villa, I remember, going into this tonight, but they've beaten Newcastle by two goals. How important for them to stop the rot at this stage, Jamie?
It was, and I think Villa Park, it's early in it, but in terms of staying up, we always talk about your home form and picking points up.
home I think getting points on the road it's not a bonus you expect to pick certain points up but if you actually think of when they've produced the best performance I think of that Friday night early on the great atmosphere against Everton and certainly tonight and in both games certainly deserve to win and there has been a
fragility about Aston Villa certainly the last 10 minutes we saw the stats towards the end of that game will that just give them that extra bit of confidence they've got through with a clean sheet?
It will I mean Newcastle had moments didn't they but they were so erratic and clumsy at times in front of goal that composure which helped obviously Aston Villa but they've had three clean sheets this season all three of them have been in front of our cameras and They've got a couple of good defenders. I think ultimately, from Aston Villa's point of view, they play good football.
They're going to need to win games at home because away from home, it's always difficult in the Premier League. But I think the clean sheet is critical for them.
Pleased to say we can get a reaction right now from two of Villa's heroes tonight, Conor Horahan and Jack Grealish, waiting to speak to us. Congratulations, boys.
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Chapter 2: How did Conor Hourihane and Jack Grealish perform in the match?
Conor, first, sum up just how important that is for Villa tonight.
Yeah, obviously it's a massive win for us. We've come off the back of a few defeats, so we wanted to put on a performance tonight and get the win, and lucky enough we've done that. And Jack, congratulations on the assist.
I'll tell you that.
Did you realise that was actually an assist? Oh, no straight away.
He said it to me in the celebrations, actually.
Tell us a bit about the free kick strategy then, because that's what we were debating at half-time, whether it was part of the plan or something that you spotted, a little potential frailty there.
Yeah, no, it's not something that we really, that we spotted. I just think, you know, we all know the quality that Connor has from set pieces. You know, he's shown it tonight, even in his crossing. And yeah, the last minute of the set up for it, Connor said to me, where are you obviously wanting me? And I went there, yeah, and I've set it for him and got an assist.
Jack, as I said, we mentioned the goal and the set-up at half-time, but in terms of Aston Villa being back in the Premier League and you being a local player within that team, how important is it for you and obviously the club about staying up?
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Chapter 3: What does the victory mean for Aston Villa's season?
Yeah, it's massive. I think we've got a lot of pressure on our shoulders. Out of the three teams that come up, we all know everyone was speaking about it in the summer that we spent the most. I've heard you guys say it before on Friday Night Football about how much of a big club this is.
We always knew we had a bit of pressure on us, but we look at the players around us and I'm sure we can do that.
But when also, Conor, you look around your teammates and talking about yourself, someone who's played in every division of English football, do you think you have an extra hunger to succeed at this level?
Yeah, I think so, I think the squad obviously doesn't have too much Premier League experience, so I think when we all got to this level, we all had a point to prove, and we all want to stay up, and like Jack said, we've got a little bit of added pressure, because this is a massive football club, so the demand on us is high, but I think we're doing OK, it was important tonight to get a good result, like I said, because our results in the last few games haven't been great, but we're delighted with the win tonight, and I think the clean sheet as well, the defence and the keeper will be delighted with that.
Jack, which position do you enjoy playing the most? Do you prefer playing a little bit higher up because it gives you that little bit more freedom to get on the ball and move from there?
Truthfully, I don't think the manager would like me saying this, but I like playing as a number eight. I feel more involved there, but it's a team game. I'll play anywhere the manager asks. I think you've probably seen tonight, even though I'm classed as a left winger, when the manager first put me there, he said to me, he wants me to play as like...
I'm not on their level, but I like the Liverpool front three. They're more like free strikers instead of a left midfielder.
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Chapter 4: What challenges does Steve Bruce face at Newcastle?
Like you said, I have more freedom going forward. I'll try and let these guys do the defensive work. I'll play wherever the manager asks.
Connor, do you prefer Jack in that position, extra spot in the centre of midfield now? Yeah, I think so.
I think you got that one right, yeah. Wherever Jack floats to, I just fill in. Whatever Jack says goes. So, nah, listen, delighted to be back in the team tonight and delighted to have Jack back as well because he's key for us.
I think you've sent your manager a message as well, Conor, tonight, but with trips to Manchester United and Chelsea to come, you go into those with a bit more confidence now?
Yeah, definitely. Like I said, it was key for us tonight to get a result. We've got a couple of tough games coming up, like you said, United, Chelsea and Leicester on the horizon, so we'll go into them games with a bit of confidence.
Well done, boys. Great to speak to you both.
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Chapter 5: How do Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher analyze Villa's performance?
Cheers. Very interesting. He's got that swagger, hasn't he, Jack Grealish, about him? He's got...
Very few players have got it. It feels like when he lets the ball, it feels like the game in some way stops. Everyone's just waiting to see what he's going to do. Defenders are scared to really engage. They're just waiting for a clever pass or a body movement. And he's brilliant the way he lets the ball come across his body. He's different from a lot of players. I'm talking about the top players.
He just mentioned the Liverpool front three. And about playing in that position, he's a different player to them. But you think of City's front three and Liverpool's, a lot of it's about pace and making runs in behind.
Chapter 6: What are the implications of this match for Newcastle's future?
And even the top players in the Premier League at those two clubs, some of them don't have what he's got. And the way he sort of, you mentioned before, about actually running the game. And every time the ball comes to him, it's not a case of, is he going to keep the ball? It's what clever pass is he going to make? And sometimes I feel like the opposition don't want to...
actually take the ball off him. It's just, just make sure he plays it simple. Because he's got, he's got class, really. And you look at him, he always, when I was a kid growing up, I always remember something my dad said, you know, you start watching football, good players always have time on the ball.
And that's, every time I look at Jack Grealish, it feels like he's just got extra half a second from anyone else. And that's, you know, probably the biggest compliment I can give him. Do you agree with that?
Yeah, I mean, I enjoyed watching him tonight. I think it's, It's one of those things, and it'd be interesting to see what Dean Smith says when we interview him in terms of his position and why he's playing and where he is.
Chapter 7: How do both teams compare in terms of squad depth and performance?
But I suspect it's because he wants... He doesn't want him in defensive areas, he doesn't want him too deep in the game, he wants to release him and free him up. Sometimes the player doesn't always know what's best for him. There have been occasions in the past where we've seen players pushed into a sort of wide area so that they can become a little bit more free.
If you ask every single player of this type of talent, they want to be number 10, they want to be free. They don't necessarily always want to be chasing back and essentially, if you like, doing the sort of scruffy part of the job. But what he's got to make sure of is his career develops. He doesn't fall in between positions. He doesn't be someone who says, where do you play him?
There are quite a few players who end up in a situation where, well, do I play him as a... He's got to play in a three. Can't play him in a two in midfield. Can't play him on a wide in a four. Then you can't play him in a wide in the three. And all of a sudden, before you know it, you haven't got that position to be able to hone down and say, that's what I am.
Now, I think it's been getting a lot easier in football because I think teams are more fluid, there's more rotation.
Chapter 8: What are the key moments from the weekend's Premier League action?
But that's the only thing I would say. And his manager's probably playing him there at the moment to just get him higher up the pitch where he can impact the game.
Let's find out. Dean Smith is waiting to speak to us. Dean, I hope you've heard some of that conversation. We were just talking with Jack Grealish about his best position. He's had a big influence on the game in the front three in the last five games now. But why do you prefer him there rather than as an eight?
He can play both, if I'm honest. He's been productive when he's played higher up the pitch for us. He draws fouls from people. People don't want to tackle him. It's quite funny he does that an awful lot in training as well.
Do you think that's where his future is then?
No, because there's times when I will play him as an eight, because he makes long, busting runs from there. Him and John McGinn complement each other really well. I think Jack's got a really good relationship with Conor Hurrian, so when he does have a little bit of a drift, then Conor just sticks in that little hole behind where Jack's left.
Dean, we're over a third of the way through now the Premier League season. The international break is out the way. How do you see the Premier League in terms of where Villa can fit into that? You think of the quality you've come up against. Do you actually believe now that there is enough quality within this Villa side that staying up won't be a problem, but you're confident that can happen?
I mean, it's a really tough league, obviously. We've just gone through a period where we've played Manchester City and Liverpool at home, and we were competitive in both games. It's a tough league. You only have to look at the table now, and I think from fifth down, there's only Burnley that have won five games. Everybody else has won fours and threes, and it's so tight from five down.
So what you've got to be able to do is put little runs of results together. It'd be tough to beat, and probably the most pleasing thing about tonight was the clean sheet as well, because we haven't had too many of them this season, and they're the ones that will get you the results.
Dean, it's been tough away from home for you, other than the obvious that it's always more difficult to pick up points away from home. Is there anything that you're looking at now in terms of the away games that you've got coming up that you're going to change from how you play in the games at Villa Park?
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