McLeish holding out for a goalscoring hero

[adrenachrome]

Still reckon Zog will rifle one in.

That is nailed on I would have thought, but will he score a goal in the remaining two games?

[eamonn]

We really have been let down by our strikers this season, whilst much of this might be down to the way they have been coached and our tactics, they have missed some gilt edged chances and if they had taken some of these, we wouldn't be in the position we are in.

Gabby stands out as a partularly to blame, he didn't seem to like playing with Bent that much, but when the opportunity arose for him when Bent was injured, he hasn't taken it. Just not good enough and he has been one of the the biggest let downs of this season IMO.

As for Heskey, never really expected much from him in terms of scoring, but it would be great if he could sign off his Villa career with a winning goal or two.

I think him and N'Zogbia should have given us a lot more this season.  That may be a tactical as you say, but AM seemed to want to set us up as a 4-3-3 with them wide of Bent.  On paper that looks pretty tasty, but simply hasn't worked.

Shit defending is the other reason we are where we are.

For this kind of 4-3-3 to work effectively you need the full backs providing width going forward.  We don't allow that so we end up becoming very narrow, which forces crosses to be played from the corner of the box, which means you need to be very accurate to not go long, hit the keeper or play it behind the attacker.  Better overlapping from the fullbacks would mean crosses coming flat across the box, whereby you can hit them flatter between the GK and defenders and allow more wiggle room in the quality and a lot more chance of an OG.  This is albrighton's problem currently, he's very good at whipping them from near the corner flag so they shape away from the keeper but he can't get into the positions to do that at the minute.

On top of that we seem insistent on the idea of becoming a 5 without the ball, with the change simply being to pull the wingers deeper.  As all our pace is on the wings (when it's gabby and nzog there) this completely nullifies our ability to counter-attack, it also means we're often still 1-1 defensively.  what should happen is that we move the 'spare' man to the ball, so you always have a flat 4 but then you have a free person who closes the ball.  so they attack down our left, clark steps across to fill left midfield, herd, ireland and nzog fill the rest of the midfield and gabby harries the ball.  They move is central, gabby filters back, as does clark, freeing ireland to close the ball.  This means we can use those wide players to close the full backs down quickly and the striker to close down the central defenders, taking away most of their space in behind.

Nice coaching. Any chance you can email this to Peter Grant?

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Lets really enter into the fun side of it ...

A Heskey hatrick, left foot from outside of the box, right foot from inside the box, and just to keep it in perspective one to ricochet in off his arse as he lies on the floor (again) inside the 6 yard box.

Just hope to god they are all in the "other" end.

UTV. 

I love this!

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

This proves what a master tactician AM is.
He's already planning on us scoring just the ONE goal!

[James]

This proves what a master tactician AM is.
He's already planning on us scoring just the ONE goal!

Well, that's an improvement on most of the season, maybe he's coming round to our way of thinking? <slowly>

[Matt Collins]

I also think our most important game could come from stoke. Huth or crouch v qpr hopefully

I think we will score 1 more this season, and I fancy it tone heskey, gabby or CNZ, the much derided trio (rightfully)

Would love Gardner to get the crucial goal.

[The Left Side]

Anyone to score please, just one more before the end of the season.

[danlanza]

We cannot score for toffee!Just shows how much we miss D.Bent!

[Des Little]

Any chance of Bent coming back in time for Norwich?

[joe_c]

Where have all the Angels gone and where are all the Bents?
Where's the streetwise goalpoacher to find the back of the net?
Isn't there a striker with power and skill and speed?
Late at night I toss and turn and I dream of what I need...

[Mazrim]

Another zero
I’m holding out for a draw because a point is alright
I've gotta be strong
Cos I'm gonna be sacked
And I'm not coming back in July
Another zero
I’m holding on for a nil-nil cos a point is alright
We've gotta be sure
If we cross the halfway
That theres still 7 men on our line.

[Toronto Villa]

did McLeish have Bonnie Tyler playing in the background when he said this?

[N'ZMAV]

Wonder if Gabby will ever score again....

[Mister E]

We really have been let down by our strikers this season, whilst much of this might be down to the way they have been coached and our tactics, they have missed some gilt edged chances and if they had taken some of these, we wouldn't be in the position we are in.

Gabby stands out as a partularly to blame, he didn't seem to like playing with Bent that much, but when the opportunity arose for him when Bent was injured, he hasn't taken it. Just not good enough and he has been one of the the biggest let downs of this season IMO.

As for Heskey, never really expected much from him in terms of scoring, but it would be great if he could sign off his Villa career with a winning goal or two.

I think him and N'Zogbia should have given us a lot more this season.  That may be a tactical as you say, but AM seemed to want to set us up as a 4-3-3 with them wide of Bent.  On paper that looks pretty tasty, but simply hasn't worked.

Shit defending is the other reason we are where we are.

For this kind of 4-3-3 to work effectively you need the full backs providing width going forward.  We don't allow that so we end up becoming very narrow, which forces crosses to be played from the corner of the box, which means you need to be very accurate to not go long, hit the keeper or play it behind the attacker.  Better overlapping from the fullbacks would mean crosses coming flat across the box, whereby you can hit them flatter between the GK and defenders and allow more wiggle room in the quality and a lot more chance of an OG.  This is albrighton's problem currently, he's very good at whipping them from near the corner flag so they shape away from the keeper but he can't get into the positions to do that at the minute.

On top of that we seem insistent on the idea of becoming a 5 without the ball, with the change simply being to pull the wingers deeper.  As all our pace is on the wings (when it's gabby and nzog there) this completely nullifies our ability to counter-attack, it also means we're often still 1-1 defensively.  what should happen is that we move the 'spare' man to the ball, so you always have a flat 4 but then you have a free person who closes the ball.  so they attack down our left, clark steps across to fill left midfield, herd, ireland and nzog fill the rest of the midfield and gabby harries the ball.  They move is central, gabby filters back, as does clark, freeing ireland to close the ball.  This means we can use those wide players to close the full backs down quickly and the striker to close down the central defenders, taking away most of their space in behind.

You're right in some respects, Paul, but to say Hutton is not an overlapping FB is contentious; that's the bit he actually does quite well, IMO.
Your overall point about the wingers is right, though, and was a problem with the way MON set up as well: we conceded late and often when the wingers (along with the other players who'd played at least 89 games during the season) were knackered.

[Salsa Party Animal]

It will be King Carlos Cuellar who will score that goal to enable to win a game.