Friday Links: Something Happen, Please.

There seem to be two stories out there about Aston Villa this week. The first is that they are likely to sign Charles N'Zogbia, and the second is that they are in Hong Kong. When I asked for fewer transfer rumors, I did not want an end to all interesting things to read about Villa. Below, please find those few things that did manage to be interesting in a terrible week for news.

• Shay Given is doing a lot of talking about trying to make up for the time he lost last year at Manchester City. The latest example comes from The Independent, and it gives a good taste of what is driving the new keeper. Regardless of the motivation, what we've seen in the first two matches has been excellent and I think we can all look forward to a season of panicking for reasons other than who is manning the net. 
• In your obligatory N'Zogbia news, he apparently did show up for his physical. Important!
• Apparently Stiliyan Petrov will be not only maintaining the captains armband but also playing a larger role in the team this year. As part of a central midfield tandem with Jean Makoun, I can't see this being bad. I hope Alex McLeish tells him to take a shot the first time he touches the ball every game though, just so he can get it out of his system. 
• And finally, I enjoyed this piece from commentor Jason Chalifour over at Aston Villa Life. In it, he talks about what we can realistically expect from Aston Villa this year. The site they have over there is a pretty good read, so give it a bookmark while you're looking.