Written by Damian Monday, 30 November 2009 09:35
Martin O'Neill knows. He accepts we were lucky to get a point and while he'll gloss it over, with words like effort and determination and closing down, he is starting to look a little like a man who has run out of ideas, or to put it another way, only has one. I don't want it to be the case, but we are getting nothing new from him at the moment.
But we will get to the details later, for now, it is time to look at what people are saying and see if we haven't got something for Mr O'Neill to get his teeth into, not that he will take any notice or that any of us, not having played 15 years professional football at the top flight, know anything at all about football.
But before we get to the papers, a quick mention that we will be doing a match preview of the Pompey game later and does anyone know if there is free coach travel for this one?
What the Papers Say
James Corrigan, Independent
In this much-vaunted audition for one of the leading roles in the Premier League it is fair to say Tottenham most impressed the judges. The honours might have been even as the wannabes left the stage, but in terms of potential there had only been one outfit with the star quality. Top four, here they come.
Anna Kessel, Guardian
The goal came as the result of sustained pressure throughout the second half as one-way traffic pelted Brad Friedel's end and embarrassing stats flashed up on the scoreboard to underline the point. "You've only had two shots," sang the gleeful away fans, although in truth, with Tottenham firing 14 attempts at the home goal, they should have converted more and sealed the victory.
There are other papers but they all say the same. The Times also say 'there is a a pleasing simplicity to their football, their set-pieces are the best in the country'. Well, that is nice.
The Manager
Martin O'Neill, Club Site
I thought we played very well in the first half. We tried to close them down as quickly as we could, showed great energy and determination and got the goal. We deserved that at the break. As that half-time whistle blew I thought we were the better side.
The Players and Some Stats
Aston Villa (4-4-2): Friedel, Cuellar, Beye, Dunne, L Young, Milner, Petrov, Reo-Coker (Sidwell 71), A Young, Agbonlahor, Carew (Heskey 75). Subs not used: Guzan, Downing, Delph, Gardner, Clark.We had 13 shots in 90 minutes. One of those was a goal, nine were off target and three were blocked. Apart from the goal, their keeper didn't have a shot to save. Spurs had 25 shots and one of those was a goal. Seven were off target, eleven were blocked and six were saved.
Passing was also a little one sides. Spurs made 399 successful passes to our 173 but for all their passing they could only get one goal.
Man of the Match
Clear as day, this is Carlos Cueller. He picked up 64.8% of the vote and well, it was a true man of the match performance. If he plays like that every week, which I fancy he can if given a proper little run, then I believe he should start. He'll be going to South Africa with Spain next year, or he should be.
Final Analysis
I'm going to keep this blunt and to the point as we all know what happened on Saturday. Yes, we took a point and for that we have to be grateful and we are 6th, only one place behind where we were at this time last season, but the match was very much a match between two teams that are pretending to be serious contenders to the top four and while points were shared, I think most will see that we are not ready.
Spurs look ready and the true test will be if they manage to keep up this standard of football for the rest of the season. I fancy they might be able too and I fancy they'll take advantage of Liverpool slipping up.
We however are not ready. The standard of football we are playing isn't top four football and if we were to finish their this season, it is still more than possible, the rewards will be short lived as whatever fourth brings won't last very long, unless things change and that can also still happen. I hope it does.
Click here for the highlights
Set as favorite
Bookmark
Email this
Comments (147)
Subscribe to this comment's feed
JamieSpurs
said:
 |
... A very good piece. Honest opinion on a match that I'm still mystified we didn't win. If I could ask a quick question........... Now you have played Man City & Spurs, who in your honest assessment are the better team of the two? With City coming up in the next fortnight for Spurs I'd live to get an opinion from a side in the 'chasing pack' on City's strengths and weaknesses. Cheers & good luck for the rest of the season (not THAT much obviously!!) |
WinsforVilla
said:
 |
... Now I know nothing about football management but.... After 59 mins even I was calling for an additional central midfielder (I felt Gardner was the right man for the job) and would have pulled Carew. Then when Reo had to go I would have risked Downing or Delph. But I know nothing I'm afraid. |
Tjeiken
said:
 |
... everybody talkin about our passing, and yes its true, but aren't there anyone that thinks we will have downing or delph in for the type of passed barry made? and after christmas we will be a better playing team? i still have a lot of faith in downing! |
Damian
said:
 |
... JamieSpurs Spurs are a better team than Manchester City, but I put that down to your managers. Hughes isn't and was never going to see out the season and the owners need the manager in by January for him to make any impact this season and that is what they want. But like I've said, for footballing reasons, you should beat Man City. Tjeiken But we don't play that way - even with Barry last season, who many seem to think is the missing link this season, we didn't pass it about - we still played counter attacking, hit it long football. |
Tjeiken
said:
|
... Yes i know, but we got so much quicker forward, and with delph or down hitting those, we are automatically making ashley better, also milner, so i think this is the worst that we will see from villa this season |
yamonspur
said:
 |
... what a refreshingly honest piece of work! makes an enderly gentleman feel glad that he has always had a soft spot in his heart for the Villa. am glad to see Cuellar doing his stuff, and litting you have Mr Dunne wasn't the best bit of business Man City have ever done. All the best |
Martin Clabon
said:
 |
... I saw very little long passing from Villa on Staurday. There were far more long balls from Spurs - even if you take in to account the fact that Spurs played twice as many passes over all We are not a long ball team this season - our passing is very mixed but not effective. Reo's passing was terrible again - even when he connected it was with a backward or sideways pass that took us nowhere I really disagree with the idea that we pressed well also. Thought we defended brilliantly but very deep with the midfield not pushing up at all and hence inviting Spurs on to us. Thought Carlos was immense, have previously criticised him but great this weekend, still don't want him at fullback though as we can accomodate a CB who can not pass but not full backs. We have enough players who can't pass in midfield. Thought Beye was very good as well and Big Brad. Time for Delph, even if he is not quite ready he needs to develop in the 1st team and it would not be as if he would be replacing a player who scored or created any chances Would like to see Delph, Downing, Delf and Albrighton play midweek |
Yiddo
said:
 |
... You guys are being too hard on yourselves and MON, a strong defense is the most important component to a top 4 challenge and it seems like Villa are very well prepared in that sense. Everton didn't make 4th playing free-flowing football - you could make 4th with a series of 1-0s and then tempt a more creative midfielder with the promise of CL football, or maybe even find one this Jan. As it is it doesn't matter how much we win by, a 9-1 is worth as much as a 1-0 and our silly defensive mistakes will cost us this season. Liverpool still look the best bet when their injury situation eases, but the top half of the table are very close (barring Chelsea, who are running away with the league), so at least Spurs/Villa/Citeh should give it a good go to the very end. |
Chris Harper
said:
 |
... Morning all. Isn't it nice to have fans come on here (over past few days) and be genuinely nice people. Spurs fans are the best we've ever had on here I think. Good luck to Spurs, I think they currently have the best chance of breaking the top 4- They have a very good squad and can play good football. Harry is doing a great job there. We were outplayed all of the 2nd half and were lucky to get a point. When was the last time we were dominated so badly at home?? I don't think we can blame MON entirely, the players have to take some responsibility. We talk about hitting it long, but from my memory, most of the time it was Ashley that was punting it out. Anyway, I'm with the people who think the addition of Downing will be a massive boost, and also a change in the way we play. Its only a matter of time until Delph makes his impact too. 2 very capable players. Lastly, I listened to MON on that football forum yesterday and you can't help but love the guy. Talking about Carew he was hilarious. He should be a stand-up comedian. |
John Samuels
said:
 |
... Not bad, not bad. It was a good game that we bossed in the first half and should have lost in the second. A point gained against a good team who will be at the right end of the table come the end of the season. We played well first half, we closed the play down quickly and made it very difficult for them. We also had some very good spells of passing in the first half too. Too many times this season we have sat on a lead when we should have gone on and finished the game off. Had we scored just after the break it would have been game over, we just couldn't quite put them away. Petrov looks awesome every time he touches the ball and NRC was excellent. I wish we had a clone we could bring on instead of Sidwell. As for Carew I thought he played well and needs to be given a break. It is the same problem we have had all season. Keeping the ball in midfield and spreading play. We defend well, we are dangerous at set pieces and we have quality up front. Once again we just need a bit of tweaking and get Downing in the side somewhere. Not the end of the world, we had a bit of luck and nicked a point and it's points that count, not performances. Cuellar is looking very impressive and suddenly looks worth every penny of the £7m we paid for him. Collins is going to struggle to get back in here. Despite having two frist choice defenders missing and a fullback playing out of position we still looked mean as hell at the back. Beye handled Crouch excellently and I think not playing has made him think about his game a litlle more, he looked composed and committed. Luke Young and NRC pi**ed on Lennon all game and made him look one dimensional. Defoe (the best finisher in the league my ar*e) missed several easy chances and I think Spurs flattered to decieve. If Dowd had been standing closer to Dawson I think he would have given handball when they scored too. Not the end of the world, no problems we didn't already know about and I'm happy with a point. A win at Pompey would be nice and may get me believing that we might win the Carling Cup this season. If he did that I'd be happy to lety Mon have a couple more seasons without an argument. |
Kevin C
said:
 |
... Good article. Better shot at it than any of the papers. Spurs are getting better all the time now and I think they will improve further with a January adjustment. Villa will get better also with Downing comming in and it's bad news for the 'big four' as it will upset their cosy little arrangement over the last decade. Villa have made a better job playing the big four this season so far, but Spurs were unlucky when they played them, they had 3 good players missing. I think Villa and Spurs are going to make it uncomfortable for these teams in the second half of the season. |
hoopspur
said:
 |
... This is not critisism, just observation. Being at Villa Park on Saturday, it struck me that Villa's only method of attack in the first half was to play for corners and set pieces, which to be fair caused us problems for a while. In the second half Villa sat way too deep and tried to hit Gabby with long balls, when he was just bullied by our centre halfs. I did say on the way there that MON should not worry so much about stopping Spurs but concentrate on beating us. Too much respect nearly cost you all 3 points (which it should have!). |
paul mclafferty
said:
 |
... damian.... i really dont know what your on about when you start talking about the long pass system you say villa play with, because i think you are giving o'neill credit, i see villas style as hopeful punts. so i think if this is the style mon wants to play then maybe he should look at signing johnny wilkinson in the january transfer window. |
Car Frost
said:
 |
...MON should not worry so much about stopping Spurs but concentrate on beating us Spot on hoopspur .. I think thats exactly what happened.. |
Chris Harper
said:
|
...so i think if this is the style mon wants to play then maybe he should look at signing johnny wilkinson in the january transfer window. First of all...funny  Secondly, MON has spoke about how he wants the players to be comfortable on the ball and 'play' a bit more so I don't believe that its just his tactics. |
John Samuels
said:
|
...Too much respect nearly cost you all 3 points (which it should have!). Absolutley, we sat back and stopped trying for a second and let Spurs properly into the game. We've done it so many times this season and last, we really need to start killing games off. |
Martin Clabon
said:
|
... holte end paul, I agree our passing was poor but we did not play lots of long balls, Spurs played many more long balls than us, particularly Kranckar (spelling?) but did it effectively. JPA, I'm not getting your Petrov and Reo were immense theory, if this was the case why were we dominated by a pretty ordinary central midfield from Spurs (Huddlestone and Palacious is hardly Essien and Lampard), didn't press effectively or pass or create chances or retain the ball? CM remains by far our weakest area in my opinion |
Damian
said:
|
... holteend paul long ball is hopeful punting .. the very nature of a long ball is hopeful because the defenders get time to adjust, tie their laces and get ready for when the ball drops to them i watch real madrid v barcelona last night and one thing that stood out for me above eveyrhing was when barcelona had a free kick 30 yards out, the real madrid players, instead of looking at building a wall looked to pick up barcelona players because they knew barcelona were not going to put it into the box as they wanted to keep hold of the ball and yes, people could argue that we don't have the quality of players but with barcelona it is something that is taught from the under 8 side upwards - keep the ball! if we get a free kick anywhere near the half way line - we just hoof it into the box ... it is actually quite embarrassing sometimes |
Adrian Kilgallon
said:
 |
... That game on Saturday just showed everything that is wrong with MON in one game. Football wise we are dire to watch which is a direct result of his philosphy on the game. We are Leicester City only with a lot more money. Shockingly poor in possession and were given a lesson by a team who many on here were writing off in the summer as a team well below us. I was actually embarressed in the secong half by our inability to keep the ball for any amount of time. We looked like a championship side which had just been promoted the year before and not a team going for a top 4 finish after spending £130m. Tactically MON also showed how talented he is. Our CM could not keep the ball for more then 3 seconds in that second half so does he do the intelligent thing of taking the totally ineffective Carew off for an additional CM? No of course not. Why did he not bring Downing on to help us keep the ball? Surely that was the obvious subsitution to make? Is that not why we bought him and before you say he isn't fit if he was fit enough to come on againest Burnley last weekend and then play a full reserve game then he is fit enough to come on and play 35mins of PL football. Our defense was top notch and thank god as if we had the same defense as we had last season we would be in big trouble. But the thing is was anyone really that surprised with that performance? |
Mike Carter
said:
 |
... Damian I think you've hit the nail on the head as to why exactly O'Neill might not be able to take us any further. This style of play he desires just isn't going to get us where we want to be. |
Mike Carter
said:
|
... I tell you who I'm really beginning to admire in terms of managerial ability, is Owen Coyle. Watching Burnley play is quite the breath of fresh air compared to 99% of other promoted teams. He's very attack minded. Some might call it lunacy to attack with a team the strength of Burnley's, and while it might be, it's better than seeing them stick 11 men behind the ball in hope of a point if you ask me. |
paul mclafferty
said:
|
... ok lads lets say we finish fourth this season!.then i think we would be out of the cl by the end of august anyway, can you see us competing with the very best in europe when we cant make the europa league. lets forget about cl and europa and concentrate on the league cup.its the only thing that makes sense. or we could swap leagues with either celtic or rangers and win the spl. |
villarobin
said:
 |
... 'Yiddo' I totally agree that we are being too hard on ourselves. A solid defence is the basis of teams that win things simple as that, and we could get top 4 even if its by scraping 1 nil wins. We need to get top 4 first , then start thinking about fancy football. Cant believe it takes a Spurs fan to be optimistic about our team. Damian take note !!! |
Dave
said:
 |
... AK - I'm not surprised by the performance in the least - the football that we played on Saturday was bloody awful and it's been that way since last February. It was humiliating watching that 2nd half performance - he has bought good players but it seems clear that he has no idea how to utilise them why he didn't bring an extra midfielder on is beyond me it was so bloody obvious that we needed to change. |
Alan the yid
said:
 |
... I think you guys are being way too hard on MoN and your players. As Chelsea showed defensive qaulity can take you a long way when supported by two or three quality players. Your foundations are just as solid as spurs. We are just in reverse to you as we need the defensive organisation which in many senses is harder to achieve. The acid test for MoN is whether he is brave enough to attempt to sign such players (he has always shirked it in the past) and whether you can attract them. Although, Villa are a very stable club both on and off the pitch you do not carry the same amount of appeal as say spurs or city in attracting stars. You don't really get much press? Good luck for the rest of the season and a little warning that sometimes you should appreciate standing still is an achievement on it's own in the PL. Getting from 6th to 4th is not a small step. |
cockneyvillan
said:
 |
... The BURP We did change second half to 4-5-1 gabby was wide right mil-cocker-petrov and ash left so we still had three in the middle it wasnt that we just couldnt keep & pass the ball to take the sting out of the game! |
Adrian Kilgallon
said:
|
...We need to get top 4 first , then start thinking about fancy football. And how are you going to get top 4 if you can't pass the ball? It is a core skill of the game and one we are extemely poor at. And that is not just down to personel. It is down to coaching and direction from MON and his staff. |
John Samuels
said:
|
...JPA, I'm not getting your Petrov and Reo were immense theory, Petrov just looks so good on the ball, you can spot him a mile away as he has real class and ability. Reo Coker was excellent all first half too, we know he can't pass and he may go in Jan but he was all over Palacios and Huddlestone and I was sorry to see him go off. We really were on the ropes once he went off and Sidwell was simply invisible. It was more to do with the fact that in the second half we looked happy to just let them have the ball and stopped closing them down so quickly. We could have won that game had we kept up the work rate from the first half. ak, Football wise we are dire to watch which is a direct result of his philosphy on the game we were passing it around pretty well first half and again it was more to do with losing the drive we had first half and sitting too deep. The reason we beat Chelsea is we kept going and really took the game to them as well as dfefending excellently. We need to work harder and get the ball on the deck more, but a point against Spurs in their current form is a good point. Don't be sucked in by the media billing with all this contenders rubbish. We are still up there, we have a big game at Pompey and we aren't even halfway through the season yet. We looked a bit better on the ball at times, less long ball than usual and Cuellar was excellent. A point gained rather than two dropped and lets hope Spurs City is a draw next week. Sods law that Hull are suddenly racking up points now that we have to play them. |
chrisb
said:
 |
... We need to go back to 4-5-1 which can convert into a 4 2 4 when we are attacking. I like Carew but when he is playing the temptation to hoof it long is to great. Petrov and NRC as holding players with milner through the middle, Ash on the right and downing on the left with Gabby on his own might work... |
Rios.Jockstrap
said:
 |
...Now I know nothing about football management but.... You and the rest of the 35,000 are the same. I attend all the home games and have got to know quite a few people, many of them ardent MoN supporters. But after this latest performance, quite a few are getting doubts. Most are happy to give the gaffer time, and that time covers the Transfer window and Downings inclusion. Martin now has no excuses. Lets make now bones about the performance on Saturday. We set our selves out tpo get something from the game, with the main aim of not losing it. In other words, they were told to keep it tight and hold ont to what they have, even when Spurs equalised. Anybody at the game would agree with that assesment if they have ever played the game, or know something about how you set yourselves up. We did the same at the end of the Man city game aswell. So why is he happy with just a point? My theory is that at the start of the season, he looked at whom the top six were likely to be, and said that a point against these teams would be enough if we can get three points of the rest. Basicly, it makes sense. Nowever, we are not beating the rest, and some of our performances against them have been woeful to say the least. Top four? We are having a laugh if we think that at the moment. But three things can change that. 1. Downing 2. Two top notch players in January ( which wont happen) 3. Martin to start using the assets he has, in the right formation. If not, then peoples worries will grow as much as their frustration, with Martin becoming the fall guy. Over to you Martin |
Kevin C
said:
|
... You guys are giving MON a hard time. He is an intellegent manager and as 'Villa Chris' says is a bit of a commedian. But he will win things for you and you have to stand by him. He is a very very good manager and the likes of Man U and Arsenal will be watching his progress with interest, not to mention Tottenham. The reason you had to punt a long balls on saturday and defended so deep was because Tottenham closed you down and pushed you back but you defended like trojans and Spurs just could not break you down. Two good teams and two good managers. |
Adrian Kilgallon
said:
|
... To the spurs fans saying we are too tough on MON you don't have to watch this rubbish football every week. Our perfomance on Sat wasn't just a once off. This is how we have been playing since the start of last season really. JPA i don't what game you were watching on Sat. We never passed it around well. We were more effective in the first half due to spurs not getting their passing game going in the first half coupled with a great desire to be first to every breaking ball by our players. Nothing to do with passing. I think you should know me well enough by now to know i don't formulate my opinions based on anything anyone else has to say. I base them on what i see and what i have seen for a long time now. That game on saturday is a reality check for some and a true indicator of where we really are with this man in charge. He has too many flaws that hard work and his likeable personality can cover up for im afraid. |
Adrian Kilgallon
said:
|
...But he will win things for you and you have to stand by him. Do you honestly think any CL club would be interested in a manager who see's skill and passing as a luxury and not as a necessity. Hw do you think they would get on in the CL with MON in charge? Sometimes you need to watch a lot of a team to make a real assessment of a manager and MON is a perfect example. No way could a CL club afford to have such an outdated man in charge as they would be knocked of in the group stages. |
Martin Clabon
said:
|
... AK, I am also very keen we improve our passing game. But in the same way as I don't buy JPA's theory of a fully functioning Central Midfield I don't buy the idea that we would get thrashed every week in the Champs League. 4 out of the top 8 teams in the CL are English(usually) and generally (exceptions Liverpool away last season and most games against Man U) we give them a tough game and have beat 2 out of 2 so far this season. We have also done well against top European teams in Friendlies (admittedly Europa results have been mixed). So while I would expect us to struggle in some matches there are also some easier games we would win and we may suprise a few of the big teams as well. Plenty of room for improvement but we wouldn't get pummelled every week. |
John Samuels
said:
|
...JPA i don't what game you were watching on Sat. Ditto ak, There were quite a few moments when I actually thought 'we're knocking it around pretty well there' I kn ow I wear rose tinted glasses at times, but I really think you wear sh*t tinted ones yourself. |
Adrian Kilgallon
said:
|
...Spurs made 399 successful passes to our 173 JPA that is a stat. That is not opinion. You can wear whatever glasses you want but you that stat doesn't lie. |
John Samuels
said:
|
...But in the same way as I don't buy JPA's theory of a fully functioning Central Midfield I never said that. It was along the lines of Petrov being class (which he is) and NRC despite his short comings doing the Makelele role pretty well. We still lack a cutting edge at the top of midfield and our ball retention is p*ss at times, but I thought first half they were both pretty good. We know the shortcomings of the team and last week MoN came out and said we were going to address these things. It is naive to think this will happen overnight. We have two players in the squad who will almost certainly help address these issues over time and we need to give MoN a chance to get them in and playing. We were good first half and crap second half. Fair enough, we need to work on that. We were more effective in the first half due to spurs not getting their passing game going Not true, they didn't get it going because we didn't let them. If you give them time on the ball you get punished. MoN obviously noticed this and gave specific instructions to avoid them passing it throughus. We did this brilliantly firsy half, but the concentration and the legs went a bit towards the end and we got caught out. We played this way against Chelsea and won, I just thought we needed to keep going forward more and keep them in the middle of the pitch instead of invite them on. Of course they were gonna have a bit more of the ball as they were chasing a 1-0 lead virtually the whole match. |
Rod Bentley
said:
 |
... Passes Arsenal v Chelsea yesterday - 467, 17% unsuccessful, lost 3-0 Villa v Chelsea - 17 10 2009, 240, 30% unsuccessful, won 2-1 And you want what? Source: Guardian chalkboard |
Adrian Kilgallon
said:
|
... Headologist so our inability to keep thet ball had no effect on the outcome of the game? |
John Samuels
said:
|
... JPA that is a stat. That is not opinion. We drew and were the better team for the entire first half, so I don't see the relevance personally. Sure it would have been nice to knock it around a bit more. Headologist has just proved my point for me. Arsenal v Chelsea yesterday - 467, 17% unsuccessful, lost 3-0 |
DannyMackay
said:
 |
... I think watching Villa yesterday was a bit like watching Spurs a couple of years ago. Under Jol we put together a decent hard working but limited squad and got the best out of it. Then we tried to take the next step by bringing in a slightly higher class of player (Modric, Berbatov, Woodgate) but messed it all up by hiring a bad manager as well. Fortunately we got back on our feet quickly and hadn't really fallen as far as the Ramos seasons made it look. So it will be interesting to see if villa start to take similar steps and bring in a higher class of player to widen their options. The spanish lad you have was excellent and may be a first sign of that process. |
John Samuels
said:
|
...Headologist so our inability to keep thet ball had no effect on the outcome of the game? Not the point. You seem to think that because we had less completed passes we lost. We lost because we sat back and let them play. If they want to knock it around the back four for the sake of stats then let them. It's goals that count and they only got one. We needed to assert ourselves more in the second half and we were playing far too deep and isolated our one striker after going 4-5-1. We should have kept two up top and really gone for it and had we nicked a second goal earlier in th game before Spurs got Keane on the field we would have won I have no doubt. |
John Samuels
said:
|
...The spanish lad you have was excellent and may be a first sign of that process. He was marvellous wasn't he.  |
Adrian Kilgallon
said:
|
... JPA we drew because we left them play which i agree with. But we left them play as we couldn't keep the pressing up which we did in the first half as we were tired becuase we were chasing shadows because we couldn't keep the ball. It is all connected. All we needed to do was to get on the ball and take the sting out of that game the way other top teams would have but we are incapable of doing this. You cannot keep ignoring this flaw as a little minor thing. It is not. It is a major weakness. It is why we continue to drop points againest the lesser teams. The stats don't lie and if you look at the stats for passes completed for the entire season you will see the top tems have also got the top possession stats also. That is not a coincidence. |
ryan h
said:
 |
... THIS MAY BE CONTRAVERSIAL. . . . ASHLEY YOUNG IS OVERATED!!! from the everton away game this time last year to now, the kid has all but disappeared, our midfield is tottally poor now, barry made petrov look good, im not saying he is poor, because he aint, he is a quality player, but he and barry had a quality partnership, i want to see delph and downing with gabby, i want to keep the ball, i want to stop inviting pressure on our back line, we are a good team, but the balance is wrong at the moment please martin lets have some football played again, i dont know if its us making ashley young look a poorer player than he is or if he has dropped off his game,his set peices were poor at best on saturday |
John Samuels
said:
|
... ak, I agree, but we know this and we played quite well first half. What grinds my gears is the fact that we all know this, everyone gets hyped up because of all the media rubbish and believes we'll win and then when we don't is't all doom and gloom again. We did alright, we need to keep the ball more and we have Downing and Delph who may help us do that in time. CL will be a struggle this season, but it was always going to be. It's funny, if Spurs had our defence or we had Modric, and Palacios we'd probably finish top four. As it stands I don't think either will. Spurs are too inconsistent at the back and we aren't strong enough in CM. Patience ak, MoN has said what he wants to achieve and to address the passing situation. He has sorted every other issue we've had over the last three seasons and he will now sort this out. Funny how Cuellar wasn't deemed good enough at the beginning of the season by many on here. We have a much better squad than we give ourselves credit for and we aren't far away fron being awesome. |
Car Frost
said:
|
... AK - Damian is guilty of Cherrypicking, you can't place that sort of emphasis on such things ... Be aware of numbers taken out of context. This is called 'cherry-picking', an instance in which the analysis only concentrates on such data that supports a foregone conclusion and ignores everything else, we never look at tackles made, headers won and so on... just passes. Maybe if we took those into account we would find out why we are in the top 6 and not releagtion material as the passing stats would have us believe. The main problem with statistics is that people like favourable numbers to back up a theorie, ie we were crap because we didn't pass enough. Be wary of comparisons. Two things happening at the same time are not necessarily related, though statistics can be used to show that they are. |
John Samuels
said:
|
...JPA Knowing MoN, yes - for £30m  People forget he was instrumental in Rangers run to the UEFA cup final season before last and won SPL player of the year. A snip at £7m cheaper and imo better than Bassong. |
ryan h
said:
|
... sorry that was not very constructive and more of a rant than anything, just want a spark which i have not seen yet this year, last year we were dangerous even in defending we could break and score!! but, we used to break at pace, hitting gabby and ash out wide and keep the ball even if the move fizzled out, right now we are all fight and determination, these are not bad qualities at all but they need to be complimented by creativity and possetion!! saturday was like playing away from home, but knowing us we will squeeze past pompey and hammer hull 3-0 and we can all pretend that we are currently good enough for top 4. next summer will be massive for us, get me cardozo, moutihno and di maria for about 40m from benfica and sporting and see the differance 3 flair players make alongside all that huff n puff not slating oniel!!! just want to see us exiting again!! |
John Samuels
said:
|
...his set peices were poor at best on saturday don't agree, it was obvious Spurs had spotted this as a danger and were very organised whenver we put a cross in. Admittedly Ash wasn't great and a couple hit the first man, but Dawson came in and did very very well and deserved his goal too although it was hand ball. |
Mike Carter
said:
|
... At the moment I'd find it hard to argue Young being worth the price we originally paid for him to be honest. |
Rod Bentley
said:
|
... Anyone else suspect that Young A. is missing the the sort of ball that Barry did, and Downing and Delph could, provide? Any attack is going to look feeble if they are never given the ball. The mid field second half capitulation to Totters won't have gone unnoticed by MON (or Damien  ) |
John Samuels
said:
|
...At the moment I'd find it hard to argue Young being worth the price we originally paid for him to be honest. It'll come. Players have dips in form, but they don't become worse players. He still has it in his locker and he'll get it back. He is 24 and still developing as a player, his youth and inexperience aren't helping his current confidence problem, but he was still up and down that left hand side a lot and worked really really hard. The rest will come in time, he just needs faith in him, the same way MoN showed faith in Petrov and Cuellar. Did anyone else jump out of their seat and shout when Heskey got that little header in at the end? |
Andi
said:
 |
... Hello all not been around for a while and now that i have popped on it is clear why i havent all for debate and all that but when it takes a SPURS fan to be optimistic about our team and try to give our own fans something to think about its EMBARRASING, VERY EMBARRASING some of you should question yourself and how you, so called, support our club, THE VILLA BLOG "very proudley claret and blue" really are you really really ?? JOKE ! |
James Collins is the ginger Paolo Cesare Maldini
said:
 |
... Quick and to the point today. Totally outplayed and outclassed on Saturday. Especially in the 2nd half. Was watching with loads of Spurs fans and was embarrassed at times. How much longer can we play 4-4-2 and just try and catch teams on the break, even at home?? It's just not fair on the defence. Sort it out MON and play 4-2-3-1. Damian, is the villa game streamed at the usual tomorrow? |
Adrian Kilgallon
said:
|
... Chiefy in the last 6 games we have played 4 teams from the bottom 5, a newly promoted team and Spurs and we have managed 1 win. Man City haven't won in 7 games and yet if they win their game in hand will go above us. Liverpool are having one of their worst starts to a league in god knows how long and they are still ahead of us. Now surely even you can see that we have problems? Don't pay attention to Spurs fans whose opinion on our club comes from a few snipits on MOTD on saturday night. I really find it astonishing how you and a few others can blindly ignore some huge issues with the team. I'll wager tomorrow night we will once again struggle to keep the ball away to Pompy. It doesn't seem to matter what caliber of team we are playing againest as even Cardiff's b team came to Villa park and dominated our midfield. |
Steve Badger
said:
 |
... It's strange how we see things differently isn't it? I thought Petrov looked really good, NRC did ok and we were the better side in the first half. And we were trying to pass it around. As for the second half well, the less said the better. I'm just looking at the current form table. http://www.premierleague.com/page/FormGuide We're 13th with 7 points from the last 6 games. Of those games all were against what should be inferior oppostion, the exceptions being Everton and Spuds. Whatever the ins and outs, that's simply not good enough  We may be 5th, but our form is terrible. It needs to turn, as we're going to drop out of contention. I really hope this is just a bad run, but I suspect not. I hope Downing does make a difference. And then I look at our upcoming games  |
ryan h
said:
|
... chiefy i am normally the most vocal about the subject you have raised and agree this blog has a tendancy to be negative at times, but the essence of this site is for VILLA fans to express there opinions on the club, the team , the gaffer and the players. i dont think people are being negative right now, i think we are all concerned that we are not creating chances and the balance in the middle is wrong, which is why we cannot keep possetion |
Martin Clabon
said:
|
... JPA and AK, there is an element of violent agreement about all this althought the interpretations are different. We need to retain the ball and pass better, I think we all agree that although AK gives this higher weighting than JPA. To do that we need technically better players with (I think we agree) Central midfield being the most obvious area to improve (Reo and Sidders obviously but may be Stan as well). I am tending towards thinking that JC falls in to this category as well but in denial at mo. So the remaining outstanding questions are: - Can we improve central midfield by bringing in better passers and ball retainers either already in squad (Delph, Downing) or signing in Jan/ summer - If we do above, can we retain the bite in midfield and our effectiveness closing down/ defensively so as above not counterproductive - Should we bring in a technically better CF/ link man who can retain the ball/ pass/ create to replace JC (or go 5 in midfield) - Is it tactics/outlook rather than player quality causing the problem - If above is correct can MON change and does he want to (I think the answer is yes having listened to the BRMB Forum, it may have been PR but he was talking very much about finding and using technically better players and wanting to play attacking football). We must improve our passing and retention somehow if we are to progress. Even though people say results are the only thing that matter we do need to entertain, get a better feeling around Villa Park (although some people will never be happy) and attract the crowds which in turn helps attract the players but more improtantly there is a high correlation between ability to pass and retain the ball and chances created and goals scored (and defensive record and results) We have progressed but the next step is the most difficult yet |
Steve Badger
said:
|
... AK, Please stop posting the same things as me! That's weird. I'll wager tomorrow night we will once again struggle to keep the ball away to Pompy Believe it or not I was just thinking the same. I'm really not confident about this one. |
Andi
said:
|
... i do not ignore the problems we have and i am frustrated as the next man but surely at time like this it is better to take stock batten down the hatches and wait and see what MON does in January to sort it out ??? if he doesnt sort it out then we have grounds to cause a massive riot, anti MON march or whatever else you want to do but when we are weeks away from aa window and have some important must win games coming up should we not be rallying around the team and manager ????? lets support them if he balls's it up then ship him out but give him a chance, some say he has had a chance and look where we are because of it if players cant follow instructions or do their jobs for 45 or 90mins is it MON fault ?? I am not blindly optimistic but i beleive in supporting the team through thick and thin until such time as a change will effective the here and now not the whens and ifs. Things arent that bad and we can still finish 4th a win against Man Utd and i beat things will be different |
rocky marciano
said:
 |
... if things carry on the way they are badger thats where i think we`ll finish,13th. we could go out of the cup and lose to hull and the usual mon lovers would still find excuses for him.at least we`re 3 points ahead of stoke |
Paul Theiss
said:
 |
... Juan Pablo Angel Did anyone else jump out of their seat and shout when Heskey got that little header in at the end? Yes, I did. |
Adrian Kilgallon
said:
|
... Chiefy thats fair enough but i get the feeling that after Jan and things are still the same the call will be give MON this summer to sort it out as everyone knows there are never any good players available in Jan. There will always be excuses made. This problem as i see it has been here since day one and if anything it has actully been getting worse over the last 2 yaers. Even with Barry we were piss poor on the ball in my opinion. Like i said before this is not just about getting better players in, MON needs to realise that he and his coaching staff are major contributors to this failing. Maybe he should be looking for a new number 2? |
ryan h
said:
|
... why would any one see that mon deserves to have an anti march against him??? even if he is not the man to take us to the next step, the job he has done in turning us around deserves respect!! |
Andi
said:
|
... EMULE EMULE IS ON FIRE is it me or is Heskey looking hungry for it again ?? Carew is having one of his shall i or sharnt i turn up spells give EMULE the nod |
Paul Theiss
said:
|
... What a surprise. Everyone on this blog is whining about Saturday's game. Only the Spurs' fans are happy, and they earned no more ponts than we did. I've said it in earlier posts, but I'll say it again: We played Spurs of the pitch in the first half; Spurs played off on the pitch in the second half. Yet, for some reason, everyone remembers only the second half. |
Adrian Kilgallon
said:
|
... Badger this is getting spooky alright.  Watched the Pompy Utd game on TV sat. They are a far better team then their position shows. They can pass it. I fear for us if they play their first team. |
Martin Clabon
said:
|
... Emille looked really good in preseason, lean and mean and even scored goals so I was really disappointed when he was not at his best once season started. It was nearly a fantastic goal at end yesterday, there's nothing better than sneaking a win at the death. My prediction is if Emille scores a couple of goals in next 3 games and JC doesn't do much Emille will suddenly be a hero and everyone will be saying get rid of JC. |
Steve Badger
said:
|
... rocky5 ... if things carry on the way they are badger thats where i think we`ll finish,13th. we could go out of the cup and lose to hull and the usual mon lovers would still find excuses for him.at least we`re 3 points ahead of stoke Nah, we're not that bad mate. I just keep coming back to what's changed since our dynamic displays of last season? And I can't put my finger on it. Remember when we looked a serious threat everytime we attacked? |
kiddervilla
said:
 |
... ak just got to say i agree with you on what your saying is true, the first half was brill the second dire good job we have a defence , but having said that am getting a bit concerned the way we play some times, mon came out and said he wanted more concistaincy was he talking about himself our the players, the second half cocker gets injured he leaves him on against one of the fastest playing sides ive seen this season, a midfield that cant pass a ball, a forward line that knows the ball is going to be huffed up to them , carew must be getting really p/o just heading the ball for aggie to run on to when we all know they can play on the ground , secondly playing 442 away when we all know 451 works better for us away from home, mon said we need to turn the draws in to wins but who makes the decisions burnley away out played, blackburn another loss to be concistant every one as to know what they are doing and that starts with the man at the top, |
Geoff
said:
 |
... Fox Soccer Channel actually showed the game Saturday, which was nice. However, I was very disturbed by the terrible performance in the second half. They play FAR too passively for a team that boasts one of the most talented starting lineups in the Premier League. That passive approach leads players like Ashley Young, Garbiel Agbonlahor, James Milner, John Carew, and Stuart Downing - all attacking players, in a defensive passive mood most of the game. There is NO reason for those guys to loaf around out there with that level of talent. They HAVE the talent, they HAVE the creative attacking players - but theyre just. standing. around. out there. I dont get it. Agbonlahor seems more suited to be a Central Forward feeding balls into a striker, because he has to work at finishing and he really doesnt. As soon as someone gets close to him he loses the ball and throws his hands up complaining to the referee. I dont know Id pick him for the World Cup team if he continues to coast around like that. Get the ball, make a move, and let it go on goal. Same with Ashley Young. Immense talent, and like Gabby he would start on any of the big 3 teams, but he just has the wrong attitude out there. If the Manager wont do it, and I doubt he will be sacked anytime soon, then they need to bring in a VETERAN player who can show the younger guys how to act like a professional. A true leader. Nothing against Petrov, but I think that Carlos Cuellar should be the Captain until a natural leader is brought in here in January. Miguel is a seasoned pro, he'd help out there. Then you can add flair and talent by raiding Standard Liege for Jovanovic and DeFour. Then turn around and unload Sidwell, Beye, NRC, and maybe Bouma. Heskey actually plays more positive football than some of the players that start ahead of him, but I cannot see him staying with a place in the World Cup squad slipping away every time he is left out of the lineup. Short of adding players like that, I cant see them holding on and finishing 4th. They can compete for the 5th spot, and get back in the Europa League. But thats not really progress anymore. They need to spend the money NOW to boost the squad for a stretch run. |
Andi
said:
|
... AK-27 -- this is going to be new to all of you as i have never come out and said anything like this. If i thought things would change i would throw MON now but it wont so i dont say it i like MON and what he has done for us but his tatics, football style and subs leave me confussed and he is no match for Fergie, Ancelotti, Rafa or Wenger and on that basis i dont want him managing Villa because i want to compete with the best which means we need the best or the next best and unfortunatly we dont have either. Now i dont bang on about it because i want the team to do well and i dont think by me banging on about how bad this that or the other is is going to make much difference but i beleive if i am positive positivty breeds confidence aand positivity. MON has had time to fill Barry's boots and didnt Laursen's boots and left it late, we have kids on the bench who beat some decent sides in that peace cup but yet they arent getting a look in we paid 9million for delp but yet he plays sidwell ??? MON is walking a thin rope and i hope for his sake he sorts our problems out in jan or i can picture the fans turning and that not pretty or good for the club |
Martin Clabon
said:
|
... Villain-from-Texas, I admire your enthusiasm but I'm not sure we played Spurs off the park in 1st half. This may sound daft but the one thing we have got going for us is that we are up there competing and yet we have very obvious areas where we can and I believe will improve. So if we can overcoem these areas of challenge without losing the positives we already have then suddenly we will look like a real team Easier said than done, we will see |
Andi
said:
|
... I respect MON for what he has done but that wont get us into the top 4 i want to respect him for what he is doing !!! |
Martin Clabon
said:
|
... Geoff, Downing was so passive it was untrue, I didn't see him move from the bench once |
Steve Badger
said:
|
...My prediction is if Emille scores a couple of goals in next 3 games and JC doesn't do much Emille will suddenly be a hero and everyone will be saying get rid of JC. You're always going to get that. At the end of the day if a player is merely doing his job, there's no reason to moan is there? Contrary to what most people are saying, I thought JC actully did ok first half. Some good flick ons etc. And I'd still think he's better than Heskey even if he did get a couple. And yes, Heskey does look more up for it, I agree. It's amazing how different a player looks when he actually goes for a goal. |
Adrian Kilgallon
said:
|
... Sid i think we need like you say a technically gifted striker as well as a play maker. No point having someone in the CM pulling the strings if you don't have at least one up top who is capable of linking up well with him. Thats why you will see Arsenal(as they already have) fall away now becasue of the loss of Van Persie. Fabregas will not have anyone near as good as him to link up with and right now we have nobooy in our side that can do anything like they can. We need players who can play one touch football and Gabby/Carew/Heskey , whatever combo do not have the ability to do that. You can afford one up top but not 2 in my opinion who lack skill and vision. Also is the day of playing with 2 out and out wingers gone? Especially 2 that hug the line like ours do. I think this is a factor why we can't keep the ball as well as others do. |
Benny
said:
 |
... On the passing thing...... we have mainly english players. In spain and many other european countries, they don't start playing 11 a side on full sized pitches until they are quite old....18 maybe...here, we go straight to a full sized pitch where youngsters have no option but to play kick and rush.......that's why England don't play the same way that Holland or Spain do. |
Paul Theiss
said:
|
... SidCowanslovechild: Villain-from-Texas, I admire your enthusiasm but I'm not sure we played Spurs off the park in 1st half. I realize that mine is an unpopular opinion, but I do think we caused Spurs all sorts of problems in the first half. When the whistle went, we had been far the better team. Indeed, I watched with a Liverpool fan, and he was rather impressed by our performance in the first. The second half was another story, of course. We were absolutely dire, and Spurs were an absolute terror. The game lasts for two halves, not one. But let's not be so despondent that we lose site of what was a pretty good performance in the first half. |
Rios.Jockstrap
said:
|
...Anyone else suspect that Young A. is missing the the sort of ball that Barry did, and Downing and Delph could, provide? Ashley needs to be brought inside. Its not so much him, but the fact that people have got us weighed up. He was so deep at times on Saturday, he had no chance of doing anything with the Ball. We need Downing in the side quickly, and next to Petrov/Delph/NRC, with Milner rightside. If Ashley is our now our key attacking player, then we need him in areas of the field where he is not so easily marked, and if he is, then it makes romm for Gabby down the centre or from wide positions. Downing is the Key, so lets hope that Martin realises what we need to do, and that the lads fitness holds out. Nice to see some constructive chat from spuds fans btw. |
Martin Clabon
said:
|
... Geoff, if you don't mind me saying so you come across as very USA and it shows up in some of your comments. Heskey is a Cente Forward who rarely scores goals, are you suprsied he doesn't get piacked Gabi works his ass off, as hard as anyone in the team with possible exception of Milner and has arguably been our player of the season this year. You have ot watch him live to see the amount of running he does off the ball, the reason he lost the ball so much on Saturday was there was non one within 30 yds of him at times and hence stranded. Ash also works very hard Beye did very well against Spurs and poor old Bouma's been injured for 18 months so a bit hard to blame him |
Martin Clabon
said:
|
... Villan from Texas, I agree we did well enough in 1st half - just that we didn't play them off the park. Like the positivity though |
Andi
said:
|
... taken from a footballing website comparing the problems at Everton to others in the league and this is their take on Villas : Ashley Young Only growing as a player in terms of his disappointment. Aston Villa Dismal, bland, and second rate. |
Geoff
said:
|
... I meant in general. When Sidwell came in Saturday instead of Downning I flipped! And, he IS passively sitting on the bench! Id be up and pacing around back and forth if I were him. |
Forest Hill Villan
said:
 |
... Thanks JPA for your comment (13) and subsequent posts. These reflect a realistic view of Villa's performance, rather than the hysterical rants elsewhere on the blog. It comes to something when Spurs fans come on here (not for the first time) to say that the criticsm from Villa fans of their own team has been wildly overdone. Chiefy's post (59) hits the nail on the head |
Adrian Kilgallon
said:
|
...Downing is the Key, so lets hope that Martin realises what we need to do, and that the lads fitness holds out I hope we play him on the left and not in the centre. I really think Young has been found out as a limited winger. Before i get shot for this i think Young can become a far better player elsewhere like as a striker who drops back. As a winger he just doesn't have the ability to beat his man(be that one or 2 he rarely gets in behind his man). He doesn't have vision or guile on the ball and now currently his delivery's from play leave a lot to be desired what are you left with? You are left with a quick player who is good from set pices and thats about it. And he is generally regarded as our best player. I just don't see anything that special he does on the ball for a player rated so highly and for whom the whole game plan is built around. I really think he is not a viticm of our CM's failing but is actually part of the problem in a way. Put Downing out there and hopefully he can start to make thing s tick. Put Young playing up top with Gabby and Pertov and NRC in the CM and that could work. Young would have more space to operate in the centre and his pace could be far more effective in there driving at teams from that position. I think most would see this as the easiest solution right now expect for the one man who can make the call. |
Geoff
said:
|
... Im not blaming the players. I need to see more positive attitude out of them, theyre good players. Its the manager (of any sports team) who has to get his players to perform up to their potential. Heskey is much more suited in the CF role, yes I noticed that right away. There are certain times though where Id start him over Carew, with Agbonlahor Striking and Heskey sitting in behind him. Carew can be amazing sometimes, but sometimes he just drifts around out there. The major weakness of the team is still the Sidwell/NRC platoon. They are totally ineffective against good (and bad) teams. Bouma probbaly cant be sold, but hes in his walking year though so itd be nice to get something for him. But injured guys usually stay put. |
James Collins is the ginger Paolo Cesare Maldini
said:
|
... Another sign that MON is tactically inept was the 2nd half on Saturday. Why when we were well and truly under the cosh and couldn't get hold of the ball at all, didn't re revert to 5 in midfield to try and win that battle? Just take off the pointless Carew and bring on Delph to battle away with Sidwell and Petrov. Why can't he see these things?? Bloke is a great motivator and has an infectious personality but as a tactician he hasn't got a clue. |
robb david
said:
 |
... It is becoming painfully clear that o'neill is not a top 4 manager, hard work and graft makes you a decent premiership side. Attacking flair and ball retention make you a champions league side. O'neill has had plenty of time to get a team that plays the way he wants, every player we use o'neill has brought in, or brought through the system, it is his side with his tactics. It is clear those tactics will never get us a champions league space. I vote for change, i vote for flair and creativity, i vote for a young manager, to come in and get us playing some flowing attacking football. R |
jimyid
said:
 |
... I think although villa were a bit negative after the opening goal there isnt another team in the league that could take that amount of pressure and only concede 1 goal.(maybe chelsea). And quite frankly if we dont get 4th i want you too. Youve got a good side maybe a couple of signings and it will be great. Good Luck Villa |
John Samuels
said:
|
... cheers jimyid, I think you're right about our defence and it seems to be our saving grace at the mo. I bet you wish you had Cuellar or Dunne at Spurs. Spurs were good and you'll do well this year, I just wonder about your injury problems and inconsistency at the back. We seem to have opposite problems at the mo: you are good away and are great going forward but a little dodgy at the back and we are better at home good at the back but a bit bereft of ideas going forward. it's a fonny old game isn't it. |
Martin Clabon
said:
|
... Spurs fans have been so polite for the last few days which is odd as last year they were really off. Maybe being near the top of the league has put them in a better mood, or maybe we just aren't winding them up so much |
John Samuels
said:
|
...Another sign that MON is tactically inept was the 2nd half on Saturday. Why when we were well and truly under the cosh and couldn't get hold of the ball at all, didn't re revert to 5 in midfield to try and win that battle? We did. I think that was the problem, we went five across the middle but were far too negative and whoever went forward was so isolated we may as well have played with nine. We should have been more posititve and fought more. |
Simon
said:
 |
... We got a draw and did not play that well 2nd half, so in the words if Windsor Davies " Oh dear, how sad, never mind," Now we have Pompey so lets move on and get behind the Villa  |
richie
said:
 |
... I expected this type of analysis, but I'm not sure I agree completely. I do agree that we were lucky to get a point. I do agree that Spurs look to be a better side. We lack some creativity, and that's true...but I haven't seen Ash or Carew look anywhere near as menacing as they did the last two seasons. Maybe it is up to MON to get them back to being themselves, but his signings have helped us move forward. I think this league as a whole is getting more competitive, and I wish we could improve. The comments above about tactics are on the mark but don't really address the whole issue. Good teams are built from the back, right? Friedel and Guzan are some of the best keepers in the league, without a doubt. MON seems to have brought in the right people to replace the likes of Laursen and Mellberg. I loved watching Warnock, but Beye was fantastic filling in for him after he was feeling ill. Cuellar was a star for the first time in a while. I thought we showed resilience, I thought our defense refused to be broken down. I think Tottenham would have had a harder time if we took more shots. They shot a lot from outside the box, and we couldn't put one on target. 100% of the shots not taken don't hit the back of the net and don't make it on the board. I think we have a talented midfield who can make some great plays but we need to get that hunger and desire back to those who can put some shots on target. |
doubledown9
said:
 |
... ron rabbit We all want fluid football, but by voting for a new young manager, just who would you suggest? Mr Jose? because he has always chosen to play the beautiful game hasn't he? Martinez? Wigan try to look good but its not going too well for them at the minute is it? Southgate? Ahem??!! To advocate change at this stage of the season is ridiculous. As for your assumption that a young manager would automatically play flowing football, it's laughable. The managers of the current top 4 clubs have a combined age of nearly 240 years Statistical pedantry aside.... FAO EVERYONE The team is not as poor as some on this site would have you believe. Yes it would have been nice for us to dominate Spurs, but they are bang in form and we got a point. Look what happened to Arsenal yesterday against a Chelsea team in top form FFS. I understand the frustration with some of MON's decisions, I for one would have played 5 across the middle all day, however, If we had and still drawn MON would get slaughtered for either; showing Spurs too much respect and inviting them to attack or not being adventurous enough at home (its never win-win with you guys always loose-loose) I also have a feeling NRC would not have started had Warnock been fit, with NRC coming on second half. Its all well and good saying change it, change the manager, the way we play, but MON knows the game and will see that we do not hold onto the ball enough. The key is CM, we know this, MON knows this; and in case you hadn't noticed MON has been searching for a CM since the day he took over (Petrov). The trouble is these players of the quality we need are not easy to come by. The Bullards etal. of this world are big fish in small ponds. Look at Sidwell, was awesome for Reading, is a satchel of thomas the tank for both Chelsea and Villa. You may say "he spent £12 mil on yet another winger in SD, that could have bought a CM" for all we know it has in one, if not all of AY, JM & SD" and anyway SD was a brilliant signing. We have effectively a new signing, who already knows the team really well coming to full fitness at the start of the Christmas Rush. I do not see a stumbling block? As for bringing him on against Spurs, do you really think a battle like that is a good idea for a player who has only 95 odd mins of football under his belt since last May??? You either get him fit and he stays fit or you rush him and he stays injured, Liverpool anyone???? I suspect we would have gone with Carew for a MF if NRC had not got injured (or NRC for Carew, with Sidwell starting had MON not thought he needed extra cover for Beye). Anyway lets face it, Gabby was playing in MF for most of the second half anyway, so we were playing 451. "Fabian Delph" I hear you cry "8 million" I hear you moan. He IS a ball playing passer, I have said it countless times but I have seen him play a lot more than most on here (I go to a lot of Leeds games with my Brother in Law, incidentally we should buy Beckford and loan him back) he is quality, but will need time on the pitch. Why not play him? I hear you grumble; MON will not risk him after the slating he got against Wigan unless we have a comfortable cushion of goals (see Bolton game for proof). Yes we all have a moan after a bad performance, but did you really expect to dominate Spurs the way they have been playing, and I suspect some of you, myself included, had a sinking feeling when you saw the make shift back 4 before the game. Last season we would have lost, simple as. We are 6th while not playing very well, Everton are not playing very well and are 16th GET SOME F-ING PERSPECTIVE PEOPLE. |
Ammar
said:
 |
...We did. I think that was the problem, we went five across the middle but were far too negative and whoever went forward was so isolated we may as well have played with nine. We should have been more posititve and fought more. Weather we played five across or 4 up front makes no difference if you don't have the ball. Oh well Pompey here we come. |
Steve Badger
said:
|
...Spurs fans have been so polite for the last few days which is odd as last year they were really off. Maybe being near the top of the league has put them in a better mood, or maybe we just aren't winding them up so much I suspect much of that is down to Damian not letting the "banter" through. Perhaps you can confirm Damian? Whatever, it makes for a much better read imo. |
villa
said:
 |
... sturridge or vagner love are the solution upfront. defour and michael johnson are the solution in midfield. gardner and reo out. this still gives delph a chance. petrov sid delph johnson defour |
Geoff
said:
|
... Thats the problem a lot of people have on here. Its easy to say "sack the manager." But thats not likely to happen as long as they keep finishing in the Top 6. It is more realistic to expect them to add to the squad and improve it. The manager also needs to adapt his style to make the next leap. If he cant they WILL eventually have a season where they finish worse than this, and if they do - thats when you sack him - when he fails to show consistency or improvement. Until then, I wouldnt waste my time on it because it wont happen unless they tank the season really bad. The best way to prevent that is to ADD to the squad. |
Martin Clabon
said:
|
... Badger, and there was me thinking we were just one big footballing family, oh well, nearly Christmas |
Geoff
said:
|
... Is Vagner Love really attainable? FIFA has him rated at 20M - but thats dollars, which are worth toilet paper right now because well, its just paper with no gold or metal backing. Id love for them to swoop in a grab him. He WOULD be the perfect guy for Gabby to link up with. Have there been any real media links between us and Vagner Love? |
villa
said:
|
... geoff there does not have to be any media links. he scored two good strikers goals against us last season in uefa cup. shorley oneill saw them. |
Steve Badger
said:
|
... Did anyone catch David Pleat's opinion of the Villa on Saturday? I'm not a fan of the bloke, but think he's spot on here; http://www.guardian.co.uk/foot...avid-pleat |
rocky marciano
said:
|
... thats a good article badger, weren`t we all saying we need a midfield `schemer` in the summer |
robb david
said:
|
... Without a new manager the team will never play good football, o'neill likes long balls up to a target man, that will never change, and as such we are stuck watching bull shit football untill he goes. We have creative players that can pass the ball, our front line will consist of downing, milner, young, three excellent passers of the ball, petrov is a wonderfull passer of the ball, collins is a ball playing centre back, warnock is a great crosser and passer. If o'neill was a carpenter, he would have assembled a selection of brilliant tools, (young, milner, downing, warnock, etc) at the cutting edge of carpentry, he would have put them in an amazing tool box (villa park), they would all be polished and perfectly placed. He would then proceed to buy some crap ikea furniture (our style of football) and bash it together using rusty nails (sidwell) and an old battered lump hammer (hesky). He could be building fine modern furniture, but we end up with 1970s old book case, functional but boring. We need a manager that will at least attempt to construct some fine furniture. |
Greg Hill
said:
 |
... Yep, even David Pleat got it right in his Guardian Tactical report today: Milner and Ashley Young were forced to help their fullbacks rather than busy themselves as an attacking force. After 20 minutes of that second period, Villa needed to retake the centre and possibly substitute a tiring striker for a third midfield player to get hold of the game. So why can’t MON get to grips with even this basic stuff??!! ak I really think Young has been found out as a limited winger. I usually agree with most of your points so coming from you this really worries me. He’s impossible to judge because of the team’s poverty in midfield. Whenever he gets the ball I think what the **** can he do from there? He must be completely fed up. So in summary Ash, who is for me, along with Jimmy, ‘fist name on the team sheet’ gets it in the neck? We really have to make a distinction between what’s good and what’s not. Our midfield can’t supply any meaningful chances. People on this site were telling me in the summer they would but they are not. This poor midfield has had NO additions since last year’s team which went 14 games earning relegation points (even WITH Barry). Moreover, I don’t completely buy the defence thing. I watched Ash closely yesterday. He had no decent balls played to him and was constantly working his butt off in defence. Judge the guy when he gets slipped in with quality. The debacle of yesterday is that: 1. Mon hasn’t bought the personnel for the big midfield problem. Fans have been saying on here he has ‘done the defence first’. Well can’t these things run in parallel?!! 2. Mon’s tactics yesterday was a one off sackable offence. He HAD to bring on another central midfield player. Carew off and Gardner Delph Downing - just ANYBODY would have helped. Pleat’s Guardian tactical report was spot on. And went on to say: ”Crucially, in midfield, Villa needed a charismatic schemer to aid Petrov. This side lacks a player to unlock doors, command the ball and set their pacy forwards running in on goal: a Cesc Fabregasor Stephen Ireland. Twas, is, and will be: ever thus. |
Mike Carter
said:
|
... Don't know if it's been mentioned yet or not, but we have an incredibley tough schedule coming up after the Hull game: Man Utd A Sunderland A Stoke H Arsenal A Liverpool H If we don't buck our ideas up, we might be clinging on to the top half of the table come the new year. |
robb david
said:
|
... Cm is an issue for villa but are reo coker and petrov, outclassed by palacious and huddlestone? of the four i would take palacious and petrov. The point being i think we have the players to play some decent football, I dont think we have a manager who wants to play good football. There are plenty of managers who could get this team playing good flowing football, unfortunatly for us o'neill is not one of them. |
doubledown9
said:
|
... Random French footy site is reporting we are looking at this chap: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF9N1AcZem8 Nimani be his name, its the second goal on the video. Cool finish, but he doent appear to be prolific. |
Rattus NorVillicus
said:
 |
...ronrabbit said: Indeed......... or not. I really don't know what to think anymore. Reading through all the comments on this blog I find myself agreeing with them all. First I read a positive post and think 'yes, you're right' then the same for a negative one. I just don't get it. |
Ammar
said:
|
...Indeed......... or not. The positives . Good defence. . Good wide players . Good work ethic . Generally improved Squad all be it at a cost of 130 million. The Negatives . Poor passing . Rubbish Centre midfield no flair or creativity what so ever. . Negative football. ( Always play on the counter even when at home) . One Dimensional (No plan B) . Poor player selection . Poor tactical sense . Poor use of subs through a game. . Hot prospects not given a oppoturnity to florish. Now take your pick . |
Steve Badger
said:
|
... vivavilla, I alluded to it at the end of post #63. We really need to get our arses in gear. Pancho, Reading through all the comments on this blog I find myself agreeing with them all. First I read a positive post and think 'yes, you're right' then the same for a negative one. That's exactly how I feel. Very strange. Part of me thinks we're doing fine, but part of me thinks we're shite. I suspect this the result of being very close to us being very good (if you can see my logic). |
Rattus NorVillicus
said:
|
...Badger said: Yes, I know what you mean. Every match I think this will be the one where MON's plan will be revealed to us, and we will look a really good side. It never quite happens but I still believe it is just about to in the next match, in this case against Portsmouth. |
villa
said:
|
... all this talk about a central mid player, but give names. defour, johnson even vandarvart maybe. he never plays. |
bob afvc
said:
 |
... 4th year in charge for MON - Harry the Twitch has had 2 years, Granted , he's probably had more money than MON and the added bonus of the draw of the capital But would I just like to see us play the game as the Spuds played against us I don't know how much more we can take from a team that has undoubted quality, but play under the direction of a manager that appears to be losing his way If your happy and content with what you saw at Villa Park yesterday then you will not be happy with these comments, but just consider what will we achieve this year playing this type of football |
Adrian Kilgallon
said:
|
... Was watching the blackpool game there. Bannan came on for the last 10mins. My god he is tiny. He looks like a child playing football. But evry time he got the ball he looked like a very good player. Was very confident and why we haven't been using him is beyond me. Very impressed with him tonight and as it wasn't an easy game to come into. Took an excllent corner as well that nearly won it for them. |
Steve Badger
said:
|
...all this talk about a central mid player, but give names. defour, johnson even vandarvart maybe. he never plays Why? What's the point? It hacks me off that people keep throwing them in, tbh. Who of us saw Collins coming, for instance? MON will sign (or not) the players he wants, simple. For now, he has my utmost trust, as he's the man. If you really want me to chuck names in, how about a certain CR7 and Messi? Ah, sorry mate I've just got the hump when it comes to this sort of thing. Press speculation pisses me off, let alone us fans guessing. |
Ammar
said:
|
...all this talk about a central mid player, but give names. defour, johnson even vandarvart maybe. he never plays This does beg the question it was fairly obvious to all that when Barry left in the summer that we needed a creative midfielder. Defour was linked to us on many occasions and was even open to a move to us. Did we get him or even bid for him hell no...If we could not get him when we had the whole of the summer i reckon we have almost no chance in January. Only one who could possibly come to us in January that may be a O'neil type of player maybe Johnson but he may have to much baggage for O'neils liking. |
sean
said:
 |
... what is it with these spurs fans who keep posting on this site? yeah they played well and all that, passed the ball, but they didn't win and for the money they've spent over the last few years i think you'd expect that. i think they need a bit of a reality check, as much as they are playing well, we are only 14 games into the season and we played poor. get a grip cockney's you haven't achived anything yet...they just want to post on a the villa blog- just to be affiliated in some way with a big club. |
keith
said:
 |
... the midfield need to play midfield not defense, there is no out balll but the punt upfield and careew and gabby are not like mick channon who could hold the ball and wait for others. the midfielders need to have faith in the defenders |
Steve Badger
said:
|
... villa said: criste badger, i just wanted to see who people wanted. I know. I did apologise if you read. But the same names keep cropping up. Defour, VDV (no comment), Jovanovic etc Yawn. But fwiw, Johnson is shite as a defender. It's been done to death mate. Again, apologies if I've offended you. |
Ammar
said:
|
...But fwiw, Johnson is shite as a defender. Most likely but then again he i guess he would be bought in as a creative midfielder so defending would not be top of the attribute list. |
richie
said:
|
... i agree that a nice creative midfielder or a lethal striker would be awesome. would like to see MON get away from the all English policy for the sake of diversifying Villa's game. i love that he fields a young English squad, but Champions League sides build character by adapting to how people play all over Europe. Chelsea under Ancoletti look amazing, and now have a distinctly Italian look, which seems to be productive to say the least, no? It's hard to see a big name coming for a "reasonable" price to play long ball football and end up 6th in the table. I don't know where I'm going with this. I posted after seeing Van der Vaart's name come up. Love watching him play back in the day and just can't see a move to AVFC happening. Love Villa though, hoping to see things take flight soon. And admittedly--looking at MoneyChester CityBags, it's not like big names make a fluid team. |
Steve Badger
said:
|
... I don't know what the answer is mate and that's what's hacking me off. We're as close now as we've been since we last won the league, imo. Of that I'm utterly convinced. I include BFR's team in that too, as we have really good depth. But we're also so short at the same time. |
grow up
said:
 |
... MON told them to defend at half time. It's the only explanation. They scored once...? It was an experiment... and it's the only logical explanation for the way we played. Beye and King Cuella were out of this world. What L Young did went un noticed, but blimy... MON is building and totally doing our heads in, but if you have the balls to go all out defence against a side who'd scored 9 the week before our defence needs biggin' up. They are inspirational. We let them come at us for 45 min. They scored one. Football isn't about stats. It's about passion and loving the Villa. UTV |
grow up
said:
|
... Thanks for not letting me have my say. I'm legsofbremner, the dynamo with the tash. |
Brandon Clements
said:
 |
... First off, I want to say thanks to the Spurs fans that showed up here. Good conversation, and would probably be better over a few pints Second: realize that mine is an unpopular opinion, but I do think we caused Spurs all sorts of problems in the first half. When the whistle went, we had been far the better team. Indeed, I watched with a Liverpool fan, and he was rather impressed by our performance in the first. The second half was another story, of course. We were absolutely dire, and Spurs were an absolute terror. Agreed. We did really well in the first half with high-up pressure on the Spurs midfield and back line. There's a good reason Palacios (a defensive midfielder that's rated highly by pretty much everyone) was a non factor, and while this ain't going to be popular, but Ashley and Luke Young taking out Lennon really stopped the wing play of Spurs as well. The latter is also thankless work, and the fact that Lennon (who was a holy terror the week before against Wigan) had only one real good cross the entire game is a testiment to their work. What I don't like is this weird-ass psudo cattanachio that MON is playing. Frankly, that's embarassing that we're playing that type of craven football, and I don't like it at all. |
Mark
said:
 |
... You're getting predictably boring Damian. One thing's for sure, MON has forgotten more than you'll ever know about football. Should we get Barry Fry in? |
Rattus NorVillicus
said:
|
...ARVillan said: Translation Please |
Adrian Kilgallon
said:
|
...We're as close now as we've been since we last won the league, imo. Really? I can think of a few teams in the last 20 years that would easily take this team. BFR's team would destroy this lot. Nowhere near the same quality in this squad right now. That team was better in every department and was far more pleasing to the eye as well. |
Brandon Clements
said:
|
... PV, sorry for the misspelling. My Italian is pretty lousy. Catenaccio is what I was meaning. |
Write comment
Latest Aston Villa Wallpaper
Follow Us
More Posts
- New kit coming and Laursen on Gabby
- Milner back, Webcam staying and we are drawing a line
- The sun is shining, time to cash in on James Milner
- James Milner wants to be Citeh’s Habib Beye
- Peterborough video and Aiden McGeady rumour quashed
- Keane in talks, Petrov talking McGeady, warning for Milner from Downing and fantasy football time
- Sell to buy might not be so bad, new rumours, some news and a new kit
- New kit, Gabby talks the talk and Ashton and Bentley
- Pre-season, speculation, Martin O'Neill and Steve Froggatt
- Someone is in trouble: Aston Villa show interest in South Korea international Cho Yong-hyung
Lucozade Sport on Facebook
Lucozade Sport loves Football as much as we do. They’ve been fuelling Aston Villa players for over 15 years and using this expertise to support amateur Footballers across the country. Visit their Facebook page for expert advice, video clips and Football chat. 
Login
Latest AVFC Blog Tweets
AVFC Blog
avfcblog
- follow:
- updates:2942
- followers:496
Loading...
Last 4 tweets in past 30 days from avfcblog:
People talking about '@avfcblog':
Leaving Comments
Only registered users can post comments without the need for it to be approved. Registration is free and takes two minutes so if you want your comments to show up straight away click here to register.
Get your online avatar
This blog is Gravatar friendly. That basically means, if you use Gravatar and leave a comment, as long as it's the same email address you registered at both sites, we'll show your avatar. It's a cool little site, we like it. Register here! The Internet is Changing
Featured on Aston Villa Central
