Half-season report card

[Ivo Stas]

Players half-season report grades:

Brad Guzan: one of the few to carry on his form of last season. A very dominant top-level keeper.

Nathan Baker: probably our fourth-choice centre back, looks suspect without Ron Vlaar alongside him. I still have hopes of him eventually developing into a Shaun Teale type defender.

Ron Vlaar: how we've missed him (and those clean sheets) recently. Looks every inch the Dutch international.

Ciaran Clark: a much-needed improvement from last season (remember Man City at home?) from probably our third-choice centre back. Was looking okay next to Ron Vlaar.

Antonio Luna: a real shame, after that goal away at Arsenal (which will live long in the memory), that he is fast becoming the new Joe Bennett. I'm struggling to remember our last good left-back (probably right-footed Luke Young).

Matthew Lowton: one of a few of the "young and hungry" to lose their appetite after signing a new contract. I'd still pick him every game because he puts a better ball into the box than anyone else.

Leandro Bacuna: someone tell me his best position please, I can't see him at right-back nor right-wing. Those two free-kicks might make him our best free-kick specialist of the whole Premier League era however.

Karim El Ahmadi: I suspect that he is giving his best for us, which is more than could be said for Ireland or Bannan who probably are both more talented. His two goals have been important but, as he is not one for the future, we really need a better central midfielder. (As an aside, would Brett Holman have given us a better option this season?)

Marc Albrighton: As I love to see a fan on the pitch, I'm pleased to see him back in the team. He tries hard so hopefully he can play himself into some good form.

Ashley Westwood: I'm hoping he will eventually do a Aaron Ramsey (or Jordan Henderson) for us, very much an inconsistent work in progress so far.

Fabian Delph: (last few games aside) one of our better players and part of a Guzan, Vlaar, Delph spine. His improvement in 2013 gives me hope for our other younger players.

Chris Herd: another utility player without an obvious position. I once saw him give a man-of-the-match performance at right-back against Everton, just before McLeish signed Alan Hutton. I'm not a great fan of him in defensive midfield nor at centre-back.
 
Yacouba Sylla: did a lot to save us from relegation last year (and looked really good against Chelsea in our last home game of last season) but has failed to kick on this season due mostly to an inability to pass the ball forward (or a great ability to give the ball away, depending on how you look at it).

Aleksandar Tonev: there is something comic about him, his shooting is pure slapstick, but there is also some raw talent there too. How he gets games ahead of the Helenius of pre-season I don't know.

Andreas Weimann: our most disappointing player. I really want him to do well, but I wouldn't start him at the moment.

Gabriel Agbonlahor: often excellent away from home (breaking into space), like the rest of our strikers he feeds on scraps at home. Will always have a special place in my heart though (and will no doubt come good when the chips are down in March again).

Christian Benteke: please, please, please come back to fitness and form soon. Really needs some good service (and, in my opinion, has missed Lowton's deep curling crosses since Bacuna took over at right-back).

Libor Kozak: I was surprised we spent £7 million on him and not a midfielder, but (as it turns out) we've need him this season and four goals is not a bad return so far. I like how he celebrates with the fans too.

Paul Lambert: I still believe but partly because I think changing yet another manager again so soon is madness and partly because a colleague is a Norwich fan who still raves about him. Much of what is wrong pre-dates him and I'm not going to panic West-Brom style after a few successive defeats but can we have the gung-ho approach that saved us last season back again please?

[N'Zimidy]

Guzan 8/10: One of the best around

Lowton 3/10: Shadow of his former self
Bacuna 4/10: Couple of fantastic free kicks. Nothing at all in open play.
Vlaar 8/10: Concrete
Clark 6/10: Whole lot better than last season.
Baker 2/10: Should never wear a Villa shirt again.
Luna 2/10: Can't defend for toffee. Can't actually attack either if you think about it.
Herd 6/10: He's not very good but he puts a shift in. Alright for 5th choice.

Delph 8/10: Really good earlier in the season. Now he has nobody to pass to. Mainly KEA's fault.
KEA 2/10: Scored some really important goals yet is a fucking calamity. Really shit 95% of the time.
Westwood 4/10: Doesn't really add anything these days. One decent performance against Baggies.
Sylla 2/10: Bought from French League 2 and looks like a French League 2 player. Crap.

Albrighton 5/10: Good worker. Fluffs his lines whenever he's within 40 yards of goal.
Weimann 1/10: Useless. Completely useless.
Tonev 2/10: He actually looked decent against Malaga. Since then terrible.
Gabby 6/10: Same old. Top class one week, average for about six.

Benteke 5/10: Clearly been struggling with injury. Was good in the first five games.
Kozak 5/10: Scored some good goals. His all round play is a bit crap but getting much better.

Lambert 0/10: Sack him.

[rob_bridge]

Guzan 8/10: One of the best around

Lowton 3/10: Shadow of his former self
Bacuna 4/10: Couple of fantastic free kicks. Nothing at all in open play.
Vlaar 8/10: Concrete
Clark 6/10: Whole lot better than last season.
Baker 2/10: Should never wear a Villa shirt again.
Luna 2/10: Can't defend for toffee. Can't actually attack either if you think about it.
Herd 6/10: He's not very good but he puts a shift in. Alright for 5th choice.

Delph 8/10: Really good earlier in the season. Now he has nobody to pass to. Mainly KEA's fault.
KEA 2/10: Scored some really important goals yet is a fucking calamity. Really shit 95% of the time.
Westwood 4/10: Doesn't really add anything these days. One decent performance against Baggies.
Sylla 2/10: Bought from French League 2 and looks like a French League 2 player. Crap.

Albrighton 5/10: Good worker. Fluffs his lines whenever he's within 40 yards of goal.
Weimann 1/10: Useless. Completely useless.
Tonev 2/10: He actually looked decent against Malaga. Since then terrible.
Gabby 6/10: Same old. Top class one week, average for about six.

Benteke 5/10: Clearly been struggling with injury. Was good in the first five games.
Kozak 5/10: Scored some good goals. His all round play is a bit crap but getting much better.

Lambert 0/10: Sack him.

I'd give Sylla and Kozak one more and Delph and Herd one less. Other than that can't disagree.

[paulcomben]

On the left back point: Wilfred Bouma. I witnessed his knee buckling in that pre season game yet failed to appreciate that it would take the team 5 years and counting to recover from it.

[LTA]

Guzan  8/10   A top class keeper

Lowton    5/10 Gone backwards this season
Vlaar       8/10  no coincidence that our defending has gone to pot since he got injured.  Our best centre-back and the only leader on the books.
Clark      7/10   Has improved this year, but needs Vlaar alongside him.
Baker     4/10   Gives everything and puts his body on the line, but often out of position and makes too many rash challenges.
Luna       3/10   Looks a bog-standard cheap player who isn't good enough.
Herd       4/10   Same as Baker
Bacuna   3/10   Good free taker.   Can't do anything else though.

KEA         3/10   Looked good in pre-season before last year, but like Luna, not good enough for this league.
Delph      1/10   Awful first touch, gets too many bookings.  Average Championship player at best.
Westy    4/10    Do like him, but needs an experienced player alongside him.
Sylla        2/10   Really liked him last season, but hasn't been up-to that standard this season.
Albrighton 6/10 Probably the only player in the squad who can make things happen, but needs to do it more often.
Tonev      4/10  You don't need to shoot time you get the ball.

Gabby      5/10  Can look brilliant, but often flatters to deceive.
Wiemann 2/10  The biggest disappointment of the season so far for me.  Seems more interesting in talking himself into a yellow card than contributing anything.
Benteke   4/10  Started like a train, but hasn't looked the same since he came back from injury (whether its fitness or him sulking we don't know)
Kozak      5/10   Think he has improved since we signed him, although we'd have been better off bolstering the middle of the park than getting another striker.

Lambert   3/10   Told us it wouldn't be a quick fix, but 18 months in the same mistakes being made, poor substitutions and tactics.  Needs to sort it and quickly

[N'Zimidy]

Considering Delph was our best player for about 8 matches in a row earlier in the season I think 1/10 is a bit extreme. 

[LTA]

Sorry, but don't see the big fuss over Delph when he misses so many games through suspension.

[PaulWinch again]

Good enough to start regularly in the top flight - Guzan, Benteke, Delph and Vlaar. Other than that none of them look consistently good enough to be playing and that's our problem. The board needs a change of thinking.

[aj2k77]

Guzan 7
Lowton 3
Luna 2
Baker 2
Clark 6
Vlaar 8
Herd 3
El Ahamadi 2
Delph 6
Bacuna 4
Weimann 2
Tonev 1
Agbonlahor 4
Benteke 4
Kozak 5

[richtheholtender]

Guzan 7 Feel for him. Has continued his progression from last year and becoming a real leader.
Lowton 2 Simply hasn't played enough. I think Villa fans sometimes judge players too quickly that haven't played much.
Luna 3 Sure he will be better next season.
Baker 2 Just doesn't concentrate on whats happening.
Clark 6 Better than last year, but he needs a leader next to him to shine.
Vlaar 7 Very good, and he is more like what I consider to be a Aston Villa centre back.
Herd 1 Never rated him, doubt I ever will. We rarely win with him in the team,
El Ahamadi 1 As above with Herd. Don't see what he offers.
Delph 7 Does everything well rather than being a specialist in a particular field.
Bacuna 2 Could never understand how he got MOTM against Liverpool. Constantly gave the ball away.
Weimann 2 Strikes me as having an immature attitude. Good potential though.
Tonev 2 Needs a run of games. Not a few sub appearances or 3 games, I think he needs a run of about 8.
Agbonlahor 3 Gets away with it a fair bit. During his development, he was never rested or dropped when he needed to be. He just played every minute.
Benteke 3 Sort the injury, and then judge. He won't get this "big money move" unless he sorts it out though.
Kozak 5 Again, I think he will be better next season.

[sirlordbaltimore]

2/10

[taylorsworkrate]

Sorry, but don't see the big fuss over Delph when he misses so many games through suspension.

I don't quite rate Delph as highly as some (when being talked about as an international), but to say he's been our worst player when there has been a pacific ocean of shite all around him is quite frankly a ridiculous statement. Also, I think he's only missed one game through suspension this season.

Him, Guzan, Vlaar, Okore and Benteke (when on form) are the only players I would be sad to see leave from the current squad. The rest can fuck off

[pauliewalnuts]

Good enough to start regularly in the top flight - Guzan, Benteke, Delph and Vlaar.

Add Gabby and I'd agree.

The rest have all been varying shades of shit.

I wonder, did Lambert actually watch Luna play before we signed him? I'm not singling him out, he's just the first off the top of the head, what about Tonev? Or Bowery?

[taylorsworkrate]

Good enough to start regularly in the top flight - Guzan, Benteke, Delph and Vlaar.

Add Gabby and I'd agree.

The rest have all been varying shades of shit.

I wonder, did Lambert actually watch Luna play before we signed him? I'm not singling him out, he's just the first off the top of the head, what about Tonev? Or Bowery?

That's what I meant by saying he probably finds potential signings by randomly searching Football Manager.

[pauliewalnuts]

Very good - Guzan, Vlaar
Good - Delph
Good but not with enough frequency - Gabby
Nothing like good enough - everyone else.