Paul Lambert has become Aston Villa's fourth manager in two years after walking out on Norwich City.

A Villa club statement read simply:

"The Board of Aston Villa are delighted to confirm that Paul Lambert has been appointed Villa manager."

Norwich prohibited Lambert from talking to Villa earlier this week and refused his resignation in light of not being allowed to discuss a move to Villa.

Paul Lambert is now the new manager of Aston Villa in a widely anticipated move. The Villans can now hope to return to the free flowing, attacking football of the Martin O'Neill and Gerard Houllier days. Under Alex McLeish, Villa was a one note defensive grinding machine playing anti-football.

Didier Drogba is reportedly moving closer toward making China the next stop on his career path.

The former Chelsea striker, who confirmed Tuesday that he was leaving the Blues after eight years and just delivering a UEFA Champions League title, has entered into negotiations with Shanghai Shenhua, according to the Chinese club that also employs his former Chelsea teammate, Nicolas Anelka, as a player/coach.

Barry Bannan stands out.

RJ Sepich is an ardent Aston Villa and USMNT Supporter. Sepich is the Sports Editor at The Pitt News, the daily student newspaper at the University of Pittsburgh. This is RJ's first piece for TSG.

Like many Aston Villa fans and players, Villa midfielder Barry Bannan was probably happy to see the end of a miserable season for the West Midlands side.

Santos Laguna was on the verge of a momentum-seizing victory in the first leg of the Mexican clausura final before a familiar foe struck for some late heroics.

Humberto Suazo scored on a stoppage time penalty kick following a foul from Felipe Baloy to cancel out Oribe Peralta's second-half goal and salvage a 1-1 draw for Monterrey at Estadio Tecnologico Thursday night.

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has confirmed that Liverpool have been given permission to discuss their managerial vacancy with Roberto Martinez.
The Reds took the decision to part with Anfield legend Kenny Dalglish on Wednesday.
He helped the club to Carling Cup glory in 2011/12, but paid the price for a disappointing eighth-place finish in the Premier League.

So much to discuss on this pod. Hiring and firing in the league. Natural or should we be shocked? Two managers who barely fulfil their role get cut from the team. Kenny Daglish and Alex McLeish. The Scottish population in ...
This is a content summary. Visit http://www.epltalk.com to read the entire article

What Are The Prospects For Aston Villa? - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Aston Villa on Monday sacked Alex McLeish. You can hardly blame them for sacking him. McLeish is so negative magnets in his presence never attract and only repel. He could fall on some tube tracks and not be electrocuted.

Ep.38 Noisy Neighbours by Off The Post on Mixcloud 10 months. 380 games. 1,066 goals. And yet Man City still waited until 5.52PM on the final day of the season to somehow re-hang the title race door back on its battered hinges and slam it in the face of a Manchester United team who thought [...]

2012/13 Pre-Season Schedules: Tottenham, Liverpool, Real Madrid and more - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Despite the 2011-12 season just drawing to a close and Euro 2012 and the Olympics on the horizon, a raft of leading European teams are planning their warm up games for next term. With an increase in popularity in the game across in North America, it has been the trend for pre-season friendlies to be played in the United States and Canada, and this summer it will be no different.

Despite the 2011-12 season just drawing to a close and Euro 2012 and the Olympics on the horizon, a raft of leading European teams are planning their warm up games for next term. With an increase in popularity in the game across in North America, it has been the trend for pre-season friendlies to be played in the United States and Canada, and this summer it will be no different.

By JOHN BOSCHINI

It looks like Mario Balotelli isn't going anywhere.

In a complete reversal from barely a month ago, Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini confirmed that the unpredictable Italian striker will return to the Etihad next season. Mancini had suggested Balotelli would be sold in the summer after being sent off against Arsenal in April, but rumors over a swap deal with AC Milan for Zlatan Ibrahimovic were quickly squashed and now Mancini says Balotelli is "101 percent certain to remain with the club.

Aston Villa have fired manager Alex McCleish after a disappointing 2011-12 English Premier League season. Villa, who have recently been a team finishing in the top half and contending for a Europa League spot struggled and nearly were relegated. The club released their following statement on the website about the decision.

Not really surprising the news coming from Villa with manager Alex McLeish being sacked following a very disappointing campaign for the Birmingham based side. McLeish had been locked in talks with the Villa board since this morning in what was seen as serious talks regarding his future with the club, and it appears as though these talks didn't amount to the future that McLeish had hoped for.

Alex McLeish has been sacked as manager of Aston Villa Football Club. "The club has been disappointed with this season's results, performances and the general message these have sent to our fans," said a club statement. "The board wishes to ...
This is a content summary. Visit http://www.

"I'm expecting the board to back me. I have no reason to think I won't be (Villa manager next season). We've got through a really tough season. I've won lots of trophies as a player and manager and I haven't turned into a bad manager overnight." Alex McLeish, Aston Villa manager, May 13, 2012 "Aston [.

Alex McLeish has been sacked as Aston Villa manager after just one season in charge of the Premier League club.

A vocal minority of Villa fans did not want McLeish, who used to manage bitter rivals Birmingham City, in the first place and they got their wish as today he was terminated "with immediate effect" because "the club has been disappointed with this season's results, performances and the general message these have sent to our fans.

By Chris Wright

The deed is done.

After 11 months of plop, it's now officially 'game over' for Alex McLeish at Aston Villa and if that news surprises you in any way then may we be the first to congratulate you on getting through your first week here on Earth unscathed.

There is something rather appropriate about the fact that the first post-season managerial casualty in the Premier League should have turned out to be Aston Villa's Alex McLeish. It was, after all, McLeish's arrival at Villa Park last summer that was one of the most perplexing seen anywhere in recent times, and has been one of the most bitterly opposed by supporters of the club at which the appointment was made.

The season from hell is finally over and Alex McLeish's Aston Villa career has, as expected, been terminated. His tenure has passed on. It's no more. It has ceased to be. Expired and gone to meet its maker. A stiff, bereft of life. It rests in peace. Its metabolic processes are now history.

The season from hell is finally over and Alex McLeish's Aston Villa career has, as expected, been terminated. His tenure has passed on. It's no more. It has ceased to be. Expired and gone to meet its maker. A stiff, bereft of life. It rests in peace. Its metabolic processes are now history.

By Alan Duffy

Norwich City 2-0 Aston Villa Premier League 20th May 2012

The Canaries finished off a fine first season back in the big time by beating the perennially dismal Aston Villa 2-0 at Carrow Road.

One of the surprise stars of the season, Grant Holt, netted the opener on eight minutes before Simeon Jackson doubled the home side's advantage midway through the first-half.

Liverpool are said to be lining up a bid for Aston Villa striker Darren Bent who is said to be nearing a full recovery from an ankle injury that has kept him sidelined for much of the second half of the current campaign. Kenny Dalglish is reportedly interested in the England international who still has hopes of making Roy Hodgson's Euro 2012 squad.

szólj hozzá: av1-1to

There was better news for the Gunners on Sunday after their infuriating draw against Norwich.

Two former Arsenal players exerted equal and opposing influences on Spurs performance against Villa. Ciaran Clark's shot deflected off William Gallas's head to balloon past Brad Friedel as Villa went ahead.

The season is nearly over and as we go into our penultimate game of the season the Champions League qualification spot is still up for grabs as is 3rd place! THFC1882 is pleased have Mike Hooley back to preview the game.

Following a very encouraging 4-1 victory on Wednesday night away at Bolton, which itself came hot on the heels of a home win against Wanderers' fellow Lancashire relegation candidates Blackburn, Spurs face a third team threatened with relegation on Sunday afternoon.

Aston Villa v Tottenham Preview: Big Clubs And Small Margins - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Aston Villa take on Tottenham on Sunday afternoon with two clubs separated by 28 points and fighting on opposite ends of the table, yet not too long ago they were both considered 'equal' footballing powers.

1. Blackburn turned White Hart Lane into the Premier League equivalent of the Dignitas clinic. They just sat back and let Tottenham deliver a nasty dose of assisted relegation. Expect to see the symptoms develop over the next 7-10 days. 2. It was a great weekend for alleged racists to find the net. 3.

1. Blackburn turned White Hart Lane into the Premier League equivalent of the Dignitas clinic. They just sat back and let Tottenham deliver a nasty dose of assisted relegation. Expect to see the symptoms develop over the next 7-10 days. 2. It was a great weekend for alleged racists to find the net. 3.

By Andrew McGowan, writing from London

As Fernando Torres streaked implausibly through, tiptoed around Victor Valdes and rolled home to plunge a fervid Camp Nou into agonising self-doubt last night, a very different footballing psychodrama was playing out in the West Midlands.

By Andrew McGowan, writing from London

As Fernando Torres streaked implausibly through, tiptoed around Victor Valdes and rolled home to plunge a fervid Camp Nou into agonising self-doubt last night, a very different footballing psychodrama was playing out in the West Midlands.

By Alan Duffy

At first I thought it was just another dramatic, unfounded rumour, but judging by the growing number of reliable sources getting in on the act, it now does look as though Barca boss Pep Guardiola has decided to leave the Nou Camp.

By Alan Duffy

At first I thought it was just another dramatic, unfounded rumour, but judging by the growing number of reliable sources getting in on the act, it now does look as though Barca boss Pep Guardiola has decided to leave the Nou Camp.

Aston Villa: what if the problem is the club and not McLeish? - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

This Premier League season has been a memorable one, with the title race again going down to the wire and potentially being settled by a Manchester derby, the new arrivals Norwich and Swansea reminding everyone that the gap in class between the Premier League and the Championship actually isn't all that great, and the relegation battle is probably one of the tightest battles there has been in the Premier League since it's inception 20 years ago.

Aston Villa: what if the problem is the club and not McLeish? - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

This Premier League season has been a memorable one, with the title race again going down to the wire and potentially being settled by a Manchester derby, the new arrivals Norwich and Swansea reminding everyone that the gap in class between the Premier League and the Championship actually isn't all that great, and the relegation battle is probably one of the tightest battles there has been in the Premier League since it's inception 20 years ago.

Bolton Wanderers 2-1 victory over Aston Villa at Villa Park this week has handed Owen Coyle's side a Premier League lifeline whilst also ensuring that the Villa boss, Alex McLeish,will have a few sleepless nights over the next couple of weeks as his team become inexorably dragged into the relegation fight.

Bolton Wanderers 2-1 victory over Aston Villa at Villa Park this week has handed Owen Coyle's side a Premier League lifeline whilst also ensuring that the Villa boss, Alex McLeish,will have a few sleepless nights over the next couple of weeks as his team become inexorably dragged into the relegation fight.

The gloves came off at Villa Park last night. Leading by a goal and having dominated the match at half-time against Bolton Wanderers, Alex McLeish's team threw their lead away and now sit just three points above the relegation places with three matches of the Premier League season left to play. And with this defeat, the sullen cloud of dissatisfaction that has sat over Villa Park this season lifted, but what replaced it was a thunderstorm of noise and abuse.

The relegation battle took another turn last night as Bolton's come from behind win at Villa park, dragged Aston Villa firmly into the relegation battle.

Alex McLeish, whose hiring upset a lot of Villa fans initially, faced the full fury of angry Aston Villa fans last night after Bolton came from behind to win.

By Alan Duffy

Aston Villa 0-0 Sunderland Premier League 21st April 2012

It must be somewhat difficult to be a Villa fan these days. With an ex-Birmingham City manager imbuing your team with about as much pzazz as a Marillion album track, and a squad desperately in need of a major overhaul, there have been better times to support the Villans.

1. Ashley Young has taken QPR owner Tony Fernandes' suggestion seriously and is making a genuine effort to be Tom Daley's diving partner at London 2012. 2. Amid all the heightened security presence in the Falklands, the UK took its eyes off the ball and Norwich fell prey to some impressive Argentinian attacks on Saturday.