Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Match Threads & Player Ratings => Topic started by: Legion on December 02, 2011, 05:10:40 PM
-
Available Saturday evening.
-
Drab, poor, uninspiring brand of football that is awful to watch ,negativity in the extreme-deeply depressing and very little to be positive about , without shay given we will sink like a stone.
Bad times ahead i fear!
-
I don't have the energy to be negative tonight, so I'll be as positive as I can.
We are completely inept in almost every way.
-
I don't have the energy to be negative tonight, so I'll be as positive as I can.
We are completely inept in almost every way.
This
-
Mcleish has to go. He picked more a less what I thought was the right side today and they were absolutely diabolical and couldn't do anything. Horrendous.
-
I don't have the energy to be negative tonight, so I'll be as positive as I can.
We are completely inept in almost every way.
That's way to positive.
We are completely inept in every way.
-
Drab, poor, uninspiring brand of football that is awful to watch ,negativity in the extreme-deeply depressing and very little to be positive about , without shay given we will sink like a stone.
Bad times ahead i fear!
Yep, lots of grounds near me I can go to in the Championship next year mind you. And much cheaper too. Used to live in the old second division when we used to take huge away followings...
-
MoTM: Heskey, just for that shot. Under little pressure and he tries the spectacular, but puts it out for a throw in, and somehow falls over.
He's like a turd that has sprouted legs and incomprehensibly achieved a full career in Premier League football. Unfortuantely he is also the epitome of the current Villa squad. A gaggle of useless twats lead by a blind bastard, who has no place at our club.
-
I don't have the energy to be negative tonight, so I'll be as positive as I can.
We are completely inept in almost every way.
^^
Off out for the night, 40 tomorrow!
-
Zzzz Zzzz Zzzz Zzzz Sporting Nytol
-
I don't have the energy to be negative tonight, so I'll be as positive as I can.
We are completely inept in almost every way.
This
Thirded. Bloody awful and there isn't a light at the end of the tunnel.
-
looking forward to see what positive spin the ginger twat puts on that unacceptable dross!
-
He picked a side that everyone wanted to see and we were so badly outclassed it was at times painful to watch - absolute dog shit
Given and Jenas both going off with bad injuries the icing on the cake; can't wait for next week...
-
Disappointing performance against a disappointing Man United team.
When I saw the team I expected a much more positive performance but what we got was the typical McLeish 'try not to lose by too many goals' negativity.
Our defence was poor for their goal and generally uninspiring to one's confidence during the game.
Midfield was pretty much anonymous. Bannan and Albrighton at least tried to do things later on but had little influence earlier on. Jenas did nothing.
Gabby is a rare shining light in our team. The only player in our side who has any heart and does not seem to have had his talent coached out of him.
Bent might as well not have been playing. A thing we are seeing quite regularly this season.
-
If Lerner had appointed Paul Tate with Karen Brady as assistant, he still would'nt have got it as wrong as he did by appointing Mcleish, a simply attrocious decision by a man who's knowledge of the game and our club is questionable to say the least.
-
I don't have the energy to be negative tonight, so I'll be as positive as I can.
We are completely inept in almost every way.
That's way to positive.
We are completely inept in every way.
I disagree because I'm not going to include Bent and Gabby in this. They are two very good forwards who are receiving no help at all. I also excuse Given. The rest very much including the management team are hideous beyond words.
-
I don't have the energy to be negative tonight, so I'll be as positive as I can.
We are completely inept in almost every way.
^^
Off out for the night, 40 tomorrow!
Happy Birthday!!
-
I don't have the energy to be negative tonight, so I'll be as positive as I can.
We are completely inept in almost every way.
^^
Off out for the night, 40 tomorrow!
Happy birthday Risso. I turned 39 today. Happy fucking birthday to both of us.
-
The sporting equivalent of watching paint dry. A squad of players so disjointed and so clearly poorly coached that they were incapable of stringing more than a couple of passes at a time together. A lone quality striker left like a boy lost whilst the players are camped miles behind him.
We are just horrible, horrible to watch.
-
AM is killing this club. His negative, bland football is simply an insult to all those who pay to watch. I can't stand seeing him on the touchline representing Aston Villa Football Club. At no stage in that game did we try and take control. I've seen some crap football over the years at Villa, but none as boring and almost impossible to watch as that under AM. The only surprise is that Man Utd only scored once. Truly shocking!
-
This is becoming the depressing norm now,we didnt expect McCleishs team to play like Barca,but at least i expected them to have fight and organization.
Just dont see what our game plan was or is,he's making an average team look really woeful,and he's gonna be here for a while.
-
I don't have the energy to be negative tonight, so I'll be as positive as I can.
We are completely inept in almost every way.
Truly the poorest attitude to games I have ever seen from a Villa team. There is no passion, no idea, no spark, not a fucking clue. McLeish has to go. He is more inept than any manager I have ever seen. Totally and utterly fucking gutless. The manager is wrong, the tactics are wrong and the whole atmosphere is rotten. Relegation could be a blessing come may, clear the decks, because there are very few players who are good enough in this squad, and the spine of the team is so poor it is rediculous.
Gabby - Play him up with Bent, give them a chance, he is not a left winger and is our biggest threat!!!
Dunne/ Collins - Please sell them both ASAP, they symbolise all that is rotten, buy a top right sided centre back or play Clark and Cuellar, they can't be worse.
Warnock - I would pay to never see him in a villa shirt again.
Hutton - no comment.
Heskey - Oh dear.
Jenas - clearly a good player in him somewhere, but stupidly injury prone and not a wide man, and seemed way too left today.
The rest are worth keeping and building on, but the spine, core, heartbeat of the side is all wrong. Getting the ball to Bent is a must, and we are totally clueless of how to achieve that.
-
That was absolute shite. We never looked threatening, we never looked comfortable in possesion, we were fucking woeful. I really don't care right now. A bunch of tossers on 40k a week coulnt be arsed today and its nothing new.
I was one of the few who defended the appointment of McLeish, but the last few weeks have been shite, we play shite football and were uninterested. I know it was against man u, I didn't expect to win but I expected some fight from us
Merry fucking christmas
-
I really do fear we are for the drop as I cannot see how AM can turn this boat around. Lets face it, he hasn’t exactly got a good track record of keeping teams up even when they have just won a cup. The club has hit rock bottom but Alex is still digging. ManU will not have an easier game for the next 100 years.
-
Well it wasn't a cricket score..more an open sore.
-
I've only just got back from the cinema, did we win?
-
I had a great time. I spent most of the match in bed with the missus.
-
Over a month and no goals or wins not to mention the last win was dubious to say the least!
-
Kevin Keegan spot on - most disappointing home display since ESPN have been covering football. Even Kevin Keegan, with all his tactical ineptness, can see how shocking the tactics are going forward.
-
I don't have the energy to be negative tonight, so I'll be as positive as I can.
We are completely inept in almost every way.
^^
Off out for the night, 40 tomorrow!
Happy birthday Risso. I turned 39 today. Happy fucking birthday to both of us.
Happy birthday to both of you.
-
Appointing a manager known for his dull uninspiring football that had just taken a club out of the premiership was a massive gamble....so he was told to slash the wage bill and keep us up?
There must be someone out there that can do that but play half decent attacking football....can't remember being so non plussed about a season.
Brave move Randy, it didn't work, be brave again and quickly...
-
Worst 45 minutes I've seen from a Villa team since the Spurs game. Pathetic. I thought the team was the best we could hope for but I never expected the players to come out without their balls. Second half an improvement but still poor and little belief.
Into December and we look like a team in a coma.
-
We are like a pub team. We would be better playing the reserve or youth team. At least they know how to pass to each other.
-
'Much better in second half', it was still fucking horrendous Mcleish. He's got to go.
-
I've only just got back from the cinema, did we win?
Forget the score and who won, if you'd have witnessed Fergie and his coaching staff waving like kids and laughing when the Man Utd goal went in you'd have seen just how little threat and how little we are taken seriously any more.
-
sigh...
-
Maybe opening a can of worms here but surely relegation would cost the club more than nixing the Ginger one and hiring Hiddink for the rest of the season?
-
McLeish is desperately trying to emphasise the positives. Be honest - it was shit.
-
'Much better in second half', it was still fucking horrendous Mcleish. He's got to go.
McLiesh has to go, in fact I'm so convinced of that fact, by Monday morning you'll be waking up to the fact that Villa will be looking for a new manager.
It can't go on like this.
-
Randy must be shitting himself. Surely after sitting through that he's realised it's not just a case of fans being fickle and unrealistic. He must, surely, have observed how utterly and completely devoid the team is of inspiration, motivation and confidence. All things that the manager is paid to sort out.
It might cost Randy to wield the axe now, but it will still be cheaper for him than relegation. I only hope he realises it. If not, someone needs to frigging tell him.
-
Before the game I was excited with the team selection, it looked positive and attractive. I thought to myself we will become open and have a good go at them.
How wrong was I? That game was dire, and a great indication of what we are becoming under AM. We offered nothing to United, we laid down and died. I am angry for the people who paid to watch that rubbish.
Why was McLeish clapping? Utter, utter moron.
AM out! His football is not welcome at this club.
-
I'm concerned to how much time Randy will let this dross continue.
At least we knew that Ellis would pull the trigger when needed.
-
Maybe opening a can of worms here but surely relegation would cost the club more than nixing the Ginger one and hiring Hiddink for the rest of the season?
More chance of Heskey winning the Golden Boot than Randy having the balls to replace McLeish this season...
-
Is the fact that I'm not livid about that performance (I'd written off the result anyway) a good sign or a bad sign? I'm worried that the lack of fury over Chris Herd being the only player to hit a shot goalwards for the first 60 minutes is an indication that I'm now used to it and more accepting of that sort of gutless showing.
And Heskey's 'shot' at the very end even raised a smile. I don't know if I have the energy to even complain about this sort of thing anymore.
-
Rue the day................
-
Let my season ticket go to waste and watched on TV, just couldn't face going through the motions as I knew what was coming. I remain convinced we'll be in the bottom three in January and nothing I saw today or last week makes me think any different.
We are absolutely awful, exactly as most of us expected under Mcleish. Clueless tactics and no adventure whatsoever. Waddle kept saying he needs to be judged on next season, well I hope to god we aren't the ones judging him then as I expect it will be against the likes of Watford and Derby.
Expect some irate crowds come late January. On a positive note I'm sure Randy Lerner is happy with the 10,000 Man United fans that turned up and a chance to hang out with Sir Alex.
-
I had a great time. I spent most of the match in bed with the missus.
At least you scored!
-
The negativity around the club is unbelievable atm.Does it come from the manager, or from the players.I have to say not many Villa players broke into a sweat tonight, and as against Spuds we surrendered again.
To be fair to McL he tried to change it and be positive, but Albrighton never worked, nor did Jenas, and Bannan only sparingly.Petrov and Heskey....whats the point, Dunne and Collins, yet again inept defending for the goal, and then Dunne tries to give another away.Whats worse is their distribution, or lack of it..........hoooooooof.
Why, when we are playing agaainst probably the strongese ariel defender in the Prem , do we get our goalie to bang it up at every opportunity.Warnock looks so vulnerable now as well.
Hutton was actually by far our best defender.
GH had the same problems, so is it worth getting another manager to have the same probs?
I just hope MON buys Warnock Dunne and Collins.Get Clark in as soon as poss, at the least.
Happy Birth day to both of you
-
We are going down. I am totally sure of it. 6 points off the relegation zone, and fucking Yakubu managed 4 against Swansea today.
-
Randy must be shitting himself. Surely after sitting through that he's realised it's not just a case of fans being fickle and unrealistic. He must, surely, have observed how utterly and completely devoid the team is of inspiration, motivation and confidence. All things that the manager is paid to sort out.
It might cost Randy to wield the axe now, but it will still be cheaper for him than relegation. I only hope he realises it. If not, someone needs to frigging tell him.
Talking about fickle, when McLiesh was losing it on the side line because of the fact we had lost possession twice in has many seconds and right in front of goal, didn't McLiesh give the 2 finger salute to the players.
Sure he did.
-
'Much better in second half', it was still fucking horrendous Mcleish. He's got to go.
McLiesh has to go, in fact I'm so convinced of that fact, by Monday morning you'll be waking up to the fact that Villa will be looking for a new manager.
It can't go on like this.
It won't happen. Randy and the board made HUGE rods for their own backs by insanely doubling the bumbling fools wages.
He'll be here till the end of the season come what may. I only wish I had the ability to not care about the villa, as they are a very painful team to watch currently.
-
I had a great time. I spent most of the match in bed with the missus.
At least you scored!
Wrong thread curious (conundrum thread if you please), u cant have put much effort in if you still have the energy to type!!
-
Let my season ticket go to waste and watched on TV, just couldn't face going through the motions as I knew what was coming. I remain convinced we'll be in the bottom three in January and nothing I saw today or last week makes me think any different.
We are absolutely awful, exactly as most of us expected under Mcleish. Clueless tactics and no adventure whatsoever. Waddle kept saying he needs to be judged on next season, well I hope to god we aren't the ones judging him then as I expect it will be against the likes of Watford and Derby.
Expect some irate crowds come late January. On a positive note I'm sure Randy Lerner is happy with the 10,000 Man United fans that turned up and a chance to hang out with Sir Alex.
Ah, thank you, Watford, that is another game I can get to next season. Brighton, Palace, Southampton (if not promoted), Millwall (eek!), Pompey, Charlton (if promoted), the list is growing!
-
Worst Villa team I've seen in my lifetime.
Yes, Man U are a better side than us, and we probably would expect to get nothing from todays match. I can accept the lack of creativity after losing Young, Downing, Milner et all in the last couple of seasons, but there is absolutely NO excuse for lack of bottle. Abysmal.... and we're getting progressively worse as McCleish instills his tactics in our players.
I am now officially a neutral football fan until this bloody halfwit is out of our club. I point blank refuse to pay his wages, to watch him destroy our beloved club.
I don't even think I can bring myself to watch highlights on the telly! :(
-
Mcleish has to go. He picked more a less what I thought was the right side today and they were absolutely diabolical and couldn't do anything. Horrendous.
It`s true that today`s performance was like watching a horse die, but if that was the team you might have picked, Paul, and playing system(s) aside, how do you explain our hapless passing, tackling and heading.?
Is that the manager`s fault?
Norm.
-
Worst Villa team I've seen in my lifetime.
Yes, Man U are a better side than us, and we probably would expect to get nothing from todays match. I can accept the lack of creativity after losing Young, Downing, Milner et all in the last couple of seasons, but there is absolutely NO excuse for lack of bottle. Abysmal.... and we're getting progressively worse as McCleish instills his tactics in our players.
I am now officially a neutral football fan until this bloody halfwit is out of our club. I point blank refuse to pay his wages, to watch him destroy our beloved club.
I don't even think I can bring myself to watch highlights on the telly! :(
Highlights!!!!!! what are they?
-
Worst Villa team I've seen in my lifetime.
Yes, Man U are a better side than us, and we probably would expect to get nothing from todays match. I can accept the lack of creativity after losing Young, Downing, Milner et all in the last couple of seasons, but there is absolutely NO excuse for lack of bottle. Abysmal.... and we're getting progressively worse as McCleish instills his tactics in our players.
I am now officially a neutral football fan until this bloody halfwit is out of our club. I point blank refuse to pay his wages, to watch him destroy our beloved club.
I don't even think I can bring myself to watch highlights on the telly! :(
Highlights!!!!!! what are they?
Fair point! :(
-
I bet those "idiots" who took part in that "protest" in the summer feel silly now!
-
Scott Murray on the Guardian minute-by-minute: "That was possibly the worst game of football ever played. No blame attached to United, who did what they had to do, away from home. Villa, however, were nothing short of an ambition-free disgrace. Premier League football isn't cheap, and their fans deserve better entertainment than that. The home fans - the ones who could be bothered to stay until the end - boo their team off. To repeat a question from the first half: I wonder how long this Alex McLeish business will last?"
And that's a neutral. Says it all really.
-
I am sure eck is a nice man, kind to animals, deeply studious about footie, decent, honourable, honest........
I am sure eck has no bloody idea about how to inspire Villa against good teams....
I am sure it is time for eck to resign before its 3 relegations for him in 4 years.
-
Beaten by a poor man united side who didn't need to break stride. Another poor game in a depressing season. Oh well, sideways and downwards!
-
I think the fans need to start being very vocal about the manager next game onwards. It cannot go into Jan. We need a football man on the board to assist getting the next man in too.
-
I think the fans need to start being very vocal about the manager next game onwards. It cannot go into Jan. We need a football man on the board to assist getting the next man in too.
I always pinpointed Swansea at home in the new year that would be the turning point, with a tricky cup tie thereafter. I haven't changed my mind.
-
Ah, thank you, Watford, that is another game I can get to next season. Brighton, Palace, Southampton (if not promoted), Millwall (eek!), Pompey, Charlton (if promoted), the list is growing!
Bristol might be a good day out for you. Its a few years since we last visited Ashton Gate
-
Scott Murray on the Guardian minute-by-minute: "That was possibly the worst game of football ever played. No blame attached to United, who did what they had to do, away from home. Villa, however, were nothing short of an ambition-free disgrace. Premier League football isn't cheap, and their fans deserve better entertainment than that. The home fans - the ones who could be bothered to stay until the end - boo their team off. To repeat a question from the first half: I wonder how long this Alex McLeish business will last?"
And that's a neutral. Says it all really.
It is absolutely impossible to argue with any of that. It is 100% bang on the money.
There is absolutely no way anyone can possibly defend any aspect of that performance, or make any excuses.
-
I think the fans need to start being very vocal about the manager next game onwards. It cannot go into Jan. We need a football man on the board to assist getting the next man in too.
McCleish has been lucky not to get too much grief from the crowd,considering the last few perfromances,I dont think the ground will get too vocal,but we'll be lucky to get 29 thousand come Jan.
-
I think the fans need to start being very vocal about the manager next game onwards. It cannot go into Jan. We need a football man on the board to assist getting the next man in too.
Agreed, we also need a giant banner that says 'Randy - We told you so.'
-
We are going down. I am totally sure of it. 6 points off the relegation zone, and fucking Yakubu managed 4 against Swansea today.
I don't think relegation is an immediate threat. At the moment, Swansea, Wigan and Blackburn all seem to be even worse than us. The problem is that Wigan has successfully avoided relegation the last couple of seasons despite being mired among the bottom three for most of the season; Blackburn have some decent players, and a new manager could improve them. Whereas Big Eck's record in relegation battles are all too well-known.
-
I think the fans need to start being very vocal about the manager next game onwards. It cannot go into Jan. We need a football man on the board to assist getting the next man in too.
McCleish has been lucky not to get too much grief from the crowd,considering the last few perfromances,I dont think the ground will get too vocal,but we'll be lucky to get 29 thousand come Jan.
I also suspect that will happen. The fans will just stay away and we'll be playing to a half empty VP with an atmosphere like a morgue.
-
Scott Murray on the Guardian minute-by-minute: "That was possibly the worst game of football ever played. No blame attached to United, who did what they had to do, away from home. Villa, however, were nothing short of an ambition-free disgrace. Premier League football isn't cheap, and their fans deserve better entertainment than that. The home fans - the ones who could be bothered to stay until the end - boo their team off. To repeat a question from the first half: I wonder how long this Alex McLeish business will last?"
And that's a neutral. Says it all really.
It is absolutely impossible to argue with any of that. It is 100% bang on the money.
There is absolutely no way anyone can possibly defend any aspect of that performance, or make any excuses.
It was the same with Claridge and the 5 live team the other week at Spurs,they really seemed shocked at how poor and negative we were,the sad thing is,we the fans are starting to get use to it now.
-
Mcleish has to go. He picked more a less what I thought was the right side today and they were absolutely diabolical and couldn't do anything. Horrendous.
It`s true that today`s performance was like watching a horse die, but if that was the team you might have picked, Paul, and playing system(s) aside, how do you explain our hapless passing, tackling and heading.?
Is that the manager`s fault?
Norm.
I guess that he can't motivate the players, some of them have blame as well. However a better manager would sort it out.
-
I think the fans need to start being very vocal about the manager next game onwards. It cannot go into Jan. We need a football man on the board to assist getting the next man in too.
I agree. I expected the crowd to turn on Eck this evening big time after that shite. Strange how they have come to accept the slide into the championship.
-
Scott Murray on the Guardian minute-by-minute: "That was possibly the worst game of football ever played. No blame attached to United, who did what they had to do, away from home. Villa, however, were nothing short of an ambition-free disgrace. Premier League football isn't cheap, and their fans deserve better entertainment than that. The home fans - the ones who could be bothered to stay until the end - boo their team off. To repeat a question from the first half: I wonder how long this Alex McLeish business will last?"
And that's a neutral. Says it all really.
We are getting absolutely slated on Premier League TV and rightly so. I could forgive us if Spursaway was a one off but today confirmed it wasn't. Ferguson must love us, his players will be fresh for the CL game in the week, they never had to go out of second gear today.
-
We are going down. I am totally sure of it. 6 points off the relegation zone, and fucking Yakubu managed 4 against Swansea today.
I don't think relegation is an immediate threat. At the moment, Swansea, Wigan and Blackburn all seem to be even worse than us. The problem is that Wigan has successfully avoided relegation the last couple of seasons despite being mired among the bottom three for most of the season; Blackburn have some decent players, and a new manager could improve them. Whereas Big Eck's record in relegation battles are all too well-known.
I reckon it is nailed on with Eck in charge, where is the fight going to come from in April?
-
I said in the match thread that despite willing to give him every chance in the world to succeed that i had a feeling that it could be bad. I just had no idea that it could ever, ever be as bad as this. I honestly thought that given the talent at the club, and I still believe we have some very good players that AM would change what he is reputed to be. He simply hasn't and/or won't which is even more worrying.
I just want to know what he is trying to do. What goals does he set for the team and himself every game. Because i'llbe royally fucked if I know.
-
On the plus side, only six months of the season left!
Try seeing it like a prison sentence, it'll feel better.
-
Embarrassing at times against a very mediocre United side. Did we have a single worthwhile effort in the first half?
Second half a marginal improvement, but it would have been difficult not to improve.
Bent: Shows yet again that unless he scores he's pretty much a waste of a shirt.
Gabby: One of the few that looks like he cares. Our main threat so why the fuck did he seem to be playing left back at times? And when will we ever learn, pass to him when he can run at the defence, not when he has to stop and end up with his back to goal.
Bannan: Meh, usual Hollywood passes with most of them giving away possession.
Albrighton: Anyone remember when his brother playing for us last season, he used to go past players and whip in some great crosses. Wonder why we now play his brother who seems scared to do either, especially taking a player on.
Heskey: Two woeful attempts on goal, and yet his coming on led to our best spell of the game. Whether that reflects well on him or badly on us is a debate in itself.
Finally, fuck me how many day trippers were in the ground? I'm Upper Trinity and there were loads of Japanese, Italians etc and all seemed to be wearing those wanky half Villa half Manure scarves.
Most humiliating of all was the fact they were laughing at us in the first half. Hoof after hoof met with much merriment from our 1 game a year friends.
-
That was a complete and utter disgrace. To see that lump of shit at home is unforgivable. When I first heard the lineup I thought it was gonna be promising, but it was exactly the same rubbish against Spurs. We couldn't string passes well enough and would hoof it to nowhere. Sometimes when we had the ball our players wouldn't move. They'll stand guarded to defend a fucking 1-0 loss at home. Then we'll just sit back allowing Man Utd to have so many chances. What on earth has that useless manager done to our players? We have 0% tempo. That Man Utd side wasn't that good at all, yet they still won with ease.
Everyone around me didn't have a good word to say about McLeish. We was all hoping the wanker would have been sacked at half time, but we knew that was impossible with those 2 useless idiots who hired him.
That's me done with spending another penny at this club and I can tell by the atmosphere that there's alot more who's done burning our money away. We haven't scored for 3 games now despite the fact we have a good attacking force. We rarely get 3 shots on target.
We're well in the relegation battle. Don't be fooled by our position. We had more points with the same amount of games played last season and Houllier had a servere amount of injuries without a pre season. McLeish has had a chance to prove himself. He has had chances. Villa fans have been extremely patient (more so than myself), but no more. It's really gonna get ugly from now on I can tell you that by the vibe from Villa Park. Everyone looked outraged leaving. Never seen anything like it. And this is from someone who witnessed the 0-1 Sunderlad defeat earlier this year.
-
Scott Murray on the Guardian minute-by-minute: "That was possibly the worst game of football ever played. No blame attached to United, who did what they had to do, away from home. Villa, however, were nothing short of an ambition-free disgrace. Premier League football isn't cheap, and their fans deserve better entertainment than that. The home fans - the ones who could be bothered to stay until the end - boo their team off. To repeat a question from the first half: I wonder how long this Alex McLeish business will last?"
And that's a neutral. Says it all really.
We are getting absolutely slated on Premier League TV and rightly so. I could forgive us if Spursaway was a one off but today confirmed it wasn't. Ferguson must love us, his players will be fresh for the CL game in the week, they never had to go out of second gear today.
We deserved to be criticised for that level of performance. We are a club founded on the ethic of competition, we saw no competitiveness or desire to compete against them. AM should be ashamed for exploiting the fans.
I am sure Ferguson is pleased with our appointment and performance. But we must remember, it is only because he managed Birmingham City that there is discontent. Fucking moron.
-
At this time last year there were plenty of fans looking to give GH a chance. I don't see that now with this manager.
-
At this time last year there were plenty of fans looking to give GH a chance. I don't see that now with this manager.
Houllier deserved chances because he is a winner, he knew there was troublesome characters in this club, he played us a positive way, he had no pre season and was under one of the worst injury crisis this club has ever faced.
Our team last year was stripped to the bones, but the performance against Man Utd last year was 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000x better than the rubbish we saw tonight.
-
This manager, football, team, are making me indifferent to Villa. I expected nothing out of that game, got nothing, and I'm not even annoyed.
-
We are going down. I am totally sure of it. 6 points off the relegation zone, and fucking Yakubu managed 4 against Swansea today.
I don't think relegation is an immediate threat. At the moment, Swansea, Wigan and Blackburn all seem to be even worse than us. The problem is that Wigan has successfully avoided relegation the last couple of seasons despite being mired among the bottom three for most of the season; Blackburn have some decent players, and a new manager could improve them. Whereas Big Eck's record in relegation battles are all too well-known.
That fucker has the ability to take a team down a few short months after reaching the pinnacle in their history.
Be worried, because after waching that, and seeing what that C UNT and Lerner have done to our club, makes me want to weep.
-
Another gutless, ambition-free performance against the worst Man United side in years.
The second half was marginally more bearable than the first. The first half was like watching a constant loop of us defending corners in which we don't leave a single man up field, Collins hoofing it 40 yards up field and the ball coming back at us.
If it isn't the depressing negativity of it, it is the fact we look utterly clueless as to what we want to do.
Randy needs to wake up and stop deluding himself that there is a chance this will work. It will not. It was a bewildering appointment, and he has dropped a gigantic bollock here. Today was the first time I have felt real widespread anger in the crowd, and that is going to get worse.
Five points from the last seven games is not just relegation form, it is relegated by March form.
The club is sleepwalking towards disaster, alienating the fans while it does so, and the chairman is utterly fucking oblivious.
A shambles from top to bottom.
-
At this time last year there were plenty of fans looking to give GH a chance. I don't see that now with this manager.
Houllier deserved chances because he is a winner, he knew there was troublesome characters in this club, he played us a positive way, he had no pre season and was under one of the worst injury crisis this club has ever faced.
Our team last year was stripped to the bones, but the performance against Man Utd last year was 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000x better than the rubbish we saw tonight.
Correct. We are dying a slow and horrible death under AM.
-
Just back, awful what mindset does Mcleish set our team with not lose by more than 2 goals? That's the worst united team Ive seen for a while and were their for the taking.
I watched Newcastle give it a right go today against Chelsea and were very unlucky with injuries and decisions.
We were just dull and uninteresting
-
Oh, and a special shout out to the utter fucking morons booing Ashley Young. You deserve to be served up this shite.
-
Oh, and a special shout out to the utter fucking morons booing Ashley Young. You deserve to be served up this shite.
Paulie, you right mate, but we have bigger things to worry about.
-
Young got booed, heavily, after kicking Albrighton's legs out from behind. And rightly fucking so.
As for the football match - shit. McLeish needs to go. Heskey needs to go.
I'm happy to put money on Sunderland finishing above us. They have a manager, we have a useless inept tactical blackhole.
-
Sacking the manager may not solve the problem, in fact I'd go as far as to say it may create another. There is another position that needs to be reviewed as well.
-
At this time last year there were plenty of fans looking to give GH a chance. I don't see that now with this manager.
Houllier tried to play football. For long periods, he failed to make it happen, but he at least tried.
This is McLeish doing what McLeish does. He has no interest in playing football. Houllier had people prepared to stick with him because of that. McLeish will have no support whatsoever, and rightly so.
Our clueless board have made the most divisive, clealy doomed to fail appointment they possibly could have.
-
You say slow death but I predict a rapid implosion starting this month. Our team is full of the same dodgy players that Houllier, with all his nous and extensive football knowledge, knew had to leave for us to move forward. We haven't been down in the shit yet this season, but when we inevitably are does anyone think we can rely on the likes of Dunne, Collins, Warnock to up their game?
-
At this time last year there were plenty of fans looking to give GH a chance. I don't see that now with this manager.
GH made a lot of mistakes last season. Prime among them not hiring coaches that could handle the players, and trying to change things too quickly. Add to that the PR gaffes and Man City in the cup. However, as a manager, he was/is nowhere as clueless as Big Eck.
I'm usually reluctant to blame the manager, as there may be a number of reasons why the team isn't performing. But there have been too many matches this season where it has been blatantly impossible to see what the game plan is. It seems that McLeish is out of his depth.
-
This manager, football, team, are making me indifferent to Villa. I expected nothing out of that game, got nothing, and I'm not even annoyed.
Agree with you mostly however I will never feel indifferent towards the Villa. It's the present day players and manager that I am starting to despise.
-
I was actually trying to point out how desperate the current managers position is after such a short space of time.
GH still had supporters, it would appear AM has none.
-
Another gutless, ambition-free performance against the worst Man United side in years.
The second half was marginally more bearable than the first. The first half was like watching a constant loop of us defending corners in which we don't leave a single man up field, Collins hoofing it 40 yards up field and the ball coming back at us.
If it isn't the depressing negativity of it, it is the fact we look utterly clueless as to what we want to do.
Randy needs to wake up and stop deluding himself that there is a chance this will work. It will not. It was a bewildering appointment, and he has dropped a gigantic bollock here. Today was the first time I have felt real widespread anger in the crowd, and that is going to get worse.
Five points from the last seven games is not just relegation form, it is relegated by March form.
The club is sleepwalking towards disaster, alienating the fans while it does so, and the chairman is utterly fucking oblivious.
A shambles from top to bottom.
As usual Paulie spot on with that. I can't take that sort of performance, what on earth has Randy done. Mcleish seems like a decent man, but he is absolutely 100% certainly not the right man to manage Aston Villa on any level. He must go and Villa need a football man on the board to sort this mess out and get the right man in. He doesn't fucking need Premier League experience either, that is a load of bollocks and completely unnecessary.
-
We know we can't beat Manure, it has been that way for years. But, at home, we ALWAYS give them a game.
But today was embarrassing, and shameful. For the media and pundits to slag us off in the way they are doing shows the level we have plummetted to.
There is no defence for that performance, no positives to be taken.
We are in for a long, cold winter.
-
At least with GH you could tell that he was trying to change the way we played,the game against Utd at home last season is an example of this,with a depleated and young team we took the game to them and played them off the pitch for 80 mins.
Today was embarrassing and inept,the amount of times Collins launched it to no one makes me wanna gouge my eyes out,we completley by passed the midfield,didnt get Bannan or Jenas on the ball,Bent was about 50 yards from any support(not his fault)we got better when Heskey came on,not because of anything he really done,but because Gab got into better areas.
I couldnt watch the post match interviews as i dont wanna hear McCleishs crap and hate him anymore than i do now.
-
Oh, and a special shout out to the utter fucking morons booing Ashley Young. You deserve to be served up this shite.
Again correct, I was really unhappy about that.
-
At this time last year there were plenty of fans looking to give GH a chance. I don't see that now with this manager.
GH made a lot of mistakes last season. Prime among them not hiring coaches that could handle the players, and trying to change things too quickly. Add to that the PR gaffes and Man City in the cup. However, as a manager, he was/is nowhere as clueless as Big Eck.
I'm usually reluctant to blame the manager, as there may be a number of reasons why the team isn't performing. But there have been too many matches this season where it has been blatantly impossible to see what the game plan is. It seems that McLeish is out of his depth.
Not just you Eig, but Paulie, KG, myself and others have certainly not been the quickest to jump on managers' backs. We do give chances by and large and do look for the best and hold hope for the future. However, I cannot see an ounce of support for McLeish here. His reception was lukewarm at the very best, and it has dwindled from there with depressingly true justification.
I don't want to see managers fail, I don't want to see Villa fail, and if I think that the club is going down a road I think is the wrong one I desperately hope I'm wrong. However, on this occasion I just can't see any way forward for the club which includes that man at the helm.
-
This manager, football, team, are making me indifferent to Villa. I expected nothing out of that game, got nothing, and I'm not even annoyed.
Agree with you mostly however I will never feel indifferent towards the Villa. It's the present day players and manager that I am starting to despise.
It's not that I don't care (which I'm sure/I hope you aren't suggesting). But to get worked up about individual performances you have to at least harbour some hope about the outcome. I would have put my house on us losing today and playing crap football. We don't have the players, or the tactics, or the collective will, to do anything else.
-
I've normally got a lot of time for Mat Kendrick - he seems like a decent bloke from his Twitter feed and he does provide some interesting insights into the club. But looking back through his Twitter stream, he seems to have riled a lot of people with this comment:
@MatKendrick Villa booed off by some fans for being 1-0 down to the champions.
Well, what does he expect? People are paying £££s to watch a manager they didn't want set up a side that can't keep possession for more than three touches.
And what's all this 'the champions' stuff? Sounds like we should be grateful for losing to such an awesome outfit. And they're not awesome.
And we're not awesome. We're crap.
-
We know we can't beat Manure, it has been that way for years. But, at home, we ALWAYS give them a game.
But today was embarrassing, and shameful. For the media and pundits to slag us off in the way they are doing shows the level we have plummetted to.
There is no defence for that performance, no positives to be taken.
We are in for a long, cold winter.
Thats a good point you make about the media,when the Blues were poor under him,it went under the radar as its only the Blues,but we have certain standards at the Villa,and twice now in three games he has showed a pathetic way to set a team out to play.
Its a shame that I cant see Randy doing anything about it,apart from staying in the States more.
-
Some stats from ZonalMarking on twitter:
- Aston Villa now have second worst possession figure in the league. 41.7%, 0.3% ahead of Stoke
- Also second worst shots, and second worst shots on target (both also behind Stoke)
-
Shite -just shite. That's all.
-
We showed a bit of fight when heskey came on. We were over the halfway line for a lot of the play after he came on. Emile is not universally appreciated but my goodness I appreciate his effect on a team.
Not his fault that the forwards couldn't score. We had chances. He was part of the build-up to score, altho we didn't and that's not his fault as he was in the build-up not in the final shooting position. He is a superb team player.
I am not convinced that all of our players want to win. In the second half, on more than a few occasions when Brad |Guzan ended up with the ball and lined up for a big goal kick upfield, there were 5 or 6 players around him walking slowly in the general direction of attack. That's not an attack. That's apathy. Why are they even playing this match if they're not bothered what happens if the GK launches a ball upfield?
I saw (ESPN) AMc going spare in the dugout. If he was going spare because he saw the ambling rather than any purposeful movement then good on him.
Alex- My advice is, once you have identified the little liggers just shoot them, with non-fatal pellets of course, but enough to galvanise them into action, next match.
Otherwise I really liked the way the team played, especially Gabby.
-
Very poor and laughable at times. Heskey coming on was a highlight as it livened everybody up waiting for the comedy to begin.
This really could end up very badly.
Concerned of Walmley
-
Scott Murray on the Guardian minute-by-minute: "That was possibly the worst game of football ever played. No blame attached to United, who did what they had to do, away from home. Villa, however, were nothing short of an ambition-free disgrace. Premier League football isn't cheap, and their fans deserve better entertainment than that. The home fans - the ones who could be bothered to stay until the end - boo their team off. To repeat a question from the first half: I wonder how long this Alex McLeish business will last?"
And that's a neutral. Says it all really.
We are getting absolutely slated on Premier League TV and rightly so. I could forgive us if Spursaway was a one off but today confirmed it wasn't. Ferguson must love us, his players will be fresh for the CL game in the week, they never had to go out of second gear today.
We deserved to be criticised for that level of performance. We are a club founded on the ethic of competition, we saw no competitiveness or desire to compete against them. AM should be ashamed for exploiting the fans.
I am sure Ferguson is pleased with our appointment and performance. But we must remember, it is only because he managed Birmingham City that there is discontent. Fucking moron.
Fucking moron? Come again.
-
Tonight was dire. I'm surprised AM didn't throw a white towel on the pitch at half time and get it called off. I'm sure you'll hear the "it was manu ,we can't match them at the moment" arguement from the usual suspects but frankly they were pedestrian. hardly got into gear. The defence is crap, and they really should have been thrown out in the summer. Dunne was in the paper again today, telling how he didn't like the way his pals Warnock and Ireland were treated by GH. Well they were shit and so were you David - he can treat them/you anyway he felt fit as far as i'm concerned,. And as for claiming it was him who turned round the clubs form last season and not the management. Well, There's no GH to blame now David, and you're still shit. Heskey, that chance he fluffed - you'd have rather it had gone to an opposition player because there's more chance of an own goal than him putting it away. Totally inept. As for AM, well he's a dead man walking, hasn't got a chance with this squad of players and frankly he looks totally out of his depth.. I think the chickens from the last 3 years are on their way back and will come into roost about mid-Jan. Its gonna be messy.
-
Terrible first half, better second half. I don't understand why we won't mark, we won't close down and we won't tackle, for all of the negatives with McLeish's style of football, the one thing I expected him to sort out was workrate, it just wasn't there at all in the first half.
Then we do come to the tactics, I thought it was almost tactical genius as we were so utterly inept in the first half that it seemed to confuse United who seemed to forget it was a premier league game and lost their flow. We had a couple of half chances in the second half to sneak a point, from one of the worst home performances I've ever seen that would have been some result.
Why are we hoofing the ball to Bent? Why are the midfield so far away from Bent? That wasn't a negative lineup, but they made it look negative. Our passing is shocking, to be fair to McLeish this isn't his fault, but he should be making strides to sort it out, our ball retention is a disgrace, is there a worse passing side in the top two divisions?
-
This was the worst United team I have seen at VP for a few years however they faced possibly the most inept Villa team I have seen since DOL's last season. The match was rubbish and we were mostly pathetic.
I thought initially after hearing the team and the "new midfield" that Eck has accepted we would lose this game and decided to rest Petrov, Heskey and N'Zogbia. I am not sure if this selection was influenced by SAF's comments earler in the week?
However heard later that N'Zogbia had been left out for a club code of conduct violation reasons. That sounds ominous!
It's clear that our midfield can not function without Petrov. Herd was not effective today but that is OK however when Petrov came on we were a better team. Jenas's injury means that he is not the solution for that composed player we need.
We did not function as a team and possibly gave United the easiest ride thay have had here at VP for some time now. Last season was a draw and as far as I know we did not lose to them here under MON.
Eck is really turning us into a Bolton/Sunderland/Stoke stay in PL and job done type of team. It is very depressing.
-
When the Manchester fans sang "you support a load of shit" I couldn't really argue with them
-
I was speaking to a guy in the pub who reckons he knows the kit man..he reckons all the players are unhappy well its probably Bollocks but I'm unhappy. These clowns are a disgrace to the shirt. Mcleish is a disgrace. Did anyone see Dunne go mad saying to mcshit what do you want me to do. ??
I'm starting to hate bein a villa fan
-
Terrible first half, better second half. I don't understand why we won't mark, we won't close down and we won't tackle, for all of the negatives with McLeish's style of football, the one thing I expected him to sort out was workrate, it just wasn't there at all in the first half.
Then we do come to the tactics, I thought it was almost tactical genius as we were so utterly inept in the first half that it seemed to confuse United who seemed to forget it was a premier league game and lost their flow. We had a couple of half chances in the second half to sneak a point, from one of the worst home performances I've ever seen that would have been some result.
Why are we hoofing the ball to Bent? Why are the midfield so far away from Bent? That wasn't a negative lineup, but they made it look negative. Our passing is shocking, to be fair to McLeish this isn't his fault, but he should be making strides to sort it out, our ball retention is a disgrace, is there a worse passing side in the top two divisions?
This.
-
Just back. I'm almost lost for words. I was encouraged when the team was announced but all that happened was different names doing the same shit jobs following the same shit tactics. Manure didn't need to break sweat. First half it was everyone behind the ball so every time we cleared an attack it was hoofed away and came straight back. I thought with that midfield we might play it out from defence. I was wrong. Second half was better (how low have my expectations dropped?), but the miss from Heskey when Bent was free in the area to his left just summed it all up. Fall over and send the shot for a throw-in.
Pathetic, gutless, talentless shite - and this is all he knows to serve up
I've given McLeish the benefit of the doubt to take us through a transition season, but the football he serves up is just dross. With him in charge there's only one place we're going - the Championship. My patience has worn out. I want him gone from my club
-
Was in the lower holte next to some turd tourist who had to look at the scoreboard to see who the Villa players were,apart from watching heskey be motm !!!roll on Bolton next week lol..
-
It's not that I don't care (which I'm sure/I hope you aren't suggesting). But to get worked up about individual performances you have to at least harbour some hope about the outcome. I would have put my house on us losing today and playing crap football. We don't have the players, or the tactics, or the collective will, to do anything else.
No I would not suggest that. Hope is dying for me as well. Yes I also had an indifferent view about the match. I thought we would lose and hey presto our players and manager did nothing to prove me wrong and delight me.
-
Another gutless, ambition-free performance against the worst Man United side in years.
The second half was marginally more bearable than the first. The first half was like watching a constant loop of us defending corners in which we don't leave a single man up field, Collins hoofing it 40 yards up field and the ball coming back at us.
If it isn't the depressing negativity of it, it is the fact we look utterly clueless as to what we want to do.
Randy needs to wake up and stop deluding himself that there is a chance this will work. It will not. It was a bewildering appointment, and he has dropped a gigantic bollock here. Today was the first time I have felt real widespread anger in the crowd, and that is going to get worse.
Five points from the last seven games is not just relegation form, it is relegated by March form.
The club is sleepwalking towards disaster, alienating the fans while it does so, and the chairman is utterly fucking oblivious.
A shambles from top to bottom.
As usual Paulie spot on with that. I can't take that sort of performance, what on earth has Randy done. Mcleish seems like a decent man, but he is absolutely 100% certainly not the right man to manage Aston Villa on any level. He must go and Villa need a football man on the board to sort this mess out and get the right man in. He doesn't fucking need Premier League experience either, that is a load of bollocks and completely unnecessary.
Well quite.
How does pretty underwhelming Premier League experience in the form of two relegations trump that of a guy coming in with a degree of success from a foreign league? (A strong, competitive one, before anyone mentions Scotland).
To me, PL experience may be desirable, may be preferable even. But it shouldn't be essential. As the folly of this appointment has proved.
-
When the Manchester fans sang "you support a load of shit" I couldn't really argue with them
And they support a shit Man City.
One crumb of comfort is to know that finally those wankers are nowhere near good enough to the league and won't be for many years.
-
My biggest concern over AM right now is that as the season is progressing we are looking more and more inept and I can't see anything that indicates he or we can turn things round.
Our passing is still shit, as is our movement off the ball. We rarely shoot, our main tactic still seems to be, close you eyes, lump it forward and pray a miracle happens.
-
Terrible first half, better second half. I don't understand why we won't mark, we won't close down and we won't tackle, for all of the negatives with McLeish's style of football, the one thing I expected him to sort out was workrate, it just wasn't there at all in the first half.
Bingo. That really bothers me too. I seem to remember the blues being a lot more in your face than we are. I made a comment in the match thread about how when we don't have possession the only way we can get it back is through an opposition mistake, because we don't press, don't tackle and sit back.
It almost seems like we are set up to never intend to have the ball - only win it by luck then give it straight back anyway. Like some bizarre experiment - can a team stay in the Premier League if it never has the ball? I say almost, because AM does seem to get mighty pissed off when we give the ball away, but maybe that's part of the act!
-
Its a chore going to games currently.
A woeful appointment from an inept board.
-
My biggest concern over AM right now is that as the season is progressing we are looking more and more inept and I can't see anything that indicates he or we can turn things round.
Our passing is still shit, as is our movement off the ball. We rarely shoot, our main tactic still seems to be, close you eyes, lump it forward and pray a miracle happens.
Can't remember who said it (though think it may have been Einstein), but McLeish's football makes me think of that phrase that "the definition of an idiot is someone who tries the same thing in the same way over and over again, expecting a different result." That's our football 'strategy' at the moment, and it's terrible.
-
Highlights (http://www.101greatgoals.com/?gg_video=aston-villa-0-manchester-united-1)
-
Oh, and a special shout out to the utter fucking morons booing Ashley Young. You deserve to be served up this shite.
Agree entirely. Really hoped our fans would behave with a bit of class today and pay respect to a player who carried us in terms of creativity for the last four years. Shame.
-
Young got more support today than any Villa player.
-
'Heskey gave us a different dimension tactically, he has tremendous presence, he made his presence known. He was tremendous.'
'We were much better second half, we had a couple of little opertunities'
When they said they've got mcleish ready to be interviewed I was genuinely nearly sick. That stat about 52 wins in 70 vs ex players for ferguson is extremely telling, what a racket he's got going.
-
we either change manager or get ready for Derby, Forest, Leicester, this bloke will take us down, its revenge for sending agent Ridgewell to the noses, seriously Eck will relegate Villa, no doubts, its McNeill all over again.
-
I had a great time. I spent most of the match in bed with the missus.
At least you scored!
How ddo you know? - were you there?
-
Mcleish doing his nut on the sideline was driving me crazy. The players are delivering a performance based on what you do with them in training.
Since Randy came in we've had 1 year with a manager where pass and move was the key to training and he struggled because of the squad not accepting the change. This complete lack of footballing skill we're seeing now is the result of that complete lack of preparation. Bannan and Albrighton have looked good in fits and starts when they've been controlling the tempo, as soon as the ball goes to any of the 'senior' midfielders or defenders everything slows down and leads inevitably to a 50/50 hoof from Dunne or Collins.
All the talent we have in the reserves and youth is going to be completely wasted unless we can get a complete change in footballing philosophy in the 1st team. If we have to get rid of 5-6 players for that to happen then so be it. I could accept a relegation battle if the signs were there that we were moving forward (which was my opinion last year, I could see where GH wanted to take us and I was willing to take the pain short term for us to get there) but currently I just see a system that is setup to hit long balls to a target man and hope it falls nicely to a player around him.
The worst thing is, with gabby, bent, nzog, bannan, albrighton, ireland and the youngsters coming through the vast majority of our options aren't even suited to the game we're trying to play, that's what makes it all the more ridiculous.
-
Dunne was in the paper again today, telling how he didn't like the way his pals Warnock and Ireland were treated by GH. Well they were shit and so were you David - he can treat them/you anyway he felt fit as far as i'm concerned,. And as for claiming it was him who turned round the clubs form last season and not the management. Well, There's no GH to blame now David, and you're still shit.
When did we sign the fat midfielder?
-
'Heskey gave us a different dimension tactically, he has tremendous presence, he made his presence known. He was tremendous.'
'We were much better second half, we had a couple of little opertunities'
Did he really come out with that?? Boy,were fcuked if he did.
-
He might go this season, but it won't be after losing to a team like United.
Even if the performance was quite frankly embarrassing. Any neutral who didn't see the game (or the Tottingham one for that matter) will think that both results were about par.
Ultimately it won't be fans reactions that do for him, the board took little>no notice of the one issue supporters seemed to agree on in the summer- not wanting the bloke in the first place. But he WILL come under fire if we gob it against the lesser sides, or have a long winless run.
-
'Heskey gave us a different dimension tactically, he has tremendous presence, he made his presence known. He was tremendous.'
'We were much better second half, we had a couple of little opertunities'
Did he really come out with that?? Boy,were fcuked if he did.
-
We were described in the BBBC live website commentary as a "shameful shambles". Randy: it's time to wake up, smell the coffee and take a decision.
What manager out there would be able to make the right decisions about our mediocre back four and make the most of our talented youngsters? - please step forward.
Lee Clark of (Huddersfield)? Simon Grayson?
-
Taking 5 minutes to tie his lace then shoot to not even get a corner or goal kick and constantly falling over......
-
Oh, and a special shout out to the utter fucking morons booing Ashley Young. You deserve to be served up this shite.
Agree entirely. Really hoped our fans would behave with a bit of class today and pay respect to a player who carried us in terms of creativity for the last four years. Shame.
I did no such thing and I thought he got booed heavily after his pathetic tackle on Marc and that was well deserved. There were some mild boos before that and nothing wrong with that. Both of you gents need to pull out of his arse as soon as you can!
-
He has to go. We are going only one way. My one son won't go anymore and has a ST. What do I say to him to convince him to go. Still, as Randy says in the programme a conversation with Alex is engaging. Shame the players don't think the same!
So after all it was Doug that caught MoN. Well it won't have been Randy will it?
-
ah well at least I got one of those Villa Moments T-Shirts!
-
He has to go. We are going only one way. My one son won't go anymore and has a ST. What do I say to him to convince him to go. Still, as Randy says in the programme a conversation with Alex is engaging. Shame the players don't think the same!
So after all it was Doug that caught MoN. Well it won't have been Randy will it?
O'Neill only came because of Lerner.
-
Its very ugly.
McLeish only knows survival football.
-
I can't believe we didn't turn the game around when our genius manager pulled his Emile shaped Ace Card outta his sleeve. Oh my God, he put out a decent looking starting 11 but obviously instructed them not to string more than 3 passes together and under no circumstances threaten the opposition goal.
Please let there be some serious changes at our club soon , this is not good enough.
-
Desperately poor stuff again. It's not the losing, especially not to Man Utd, it's the dismal attitude, approach and application of the team. I honestly thought McLeish would change his approach with us, make the most of his big chance, but he isn't. It's awful, and getting worse. If I could see signs of change, of improvement, then OK. Tricky, but OK. As it is there is nothing. I just can't tell what he is trying to do.
For what it's worth, I think we're going to be in trouble come the end of the season unless we change the manager. And the defence. And a fair chunk of the midfield. But not Heskey. He was "tremendous".
-
Its very ugly.
McLeish only knows survival football.
Judging by his record of relegations, he doesn't even know that.
-
Anyone know what N'Zogbia's done. breach of club discipline i heard...tried to pass it in training?
-
He has to go. We are going only one way. My one son won't go anymore and has a ST. What do I say to him to convince him to go. Still, as Randy says in the programme a conversation with Alex is engaging. Shame the players don't think the same!
So after all it was Doug that caught MoN. Well it won't have been Randy will it?
O'Neill only came because of Lerner.
He certainly only came because Doug was going. The more important question, I think, was whether Lerner would have picked O'Neill if it was entirely his choice. Weren't the rumours that Klinnsman was his top target?
If the only two managerial appointments that Randy has solely been responsible for are anything to go by, we should be thankful that Doug was still here, because Randy asppears to know fuck all about recruiting a suitable manager.
Still, at least he turned up for his second game of the season.
-
Its very ugly.
McLeish only knows survival football.
He didn't survive 2 out of the last 3 seasons. All he knows is how to take teams down. He is doing a good job in this direction.
-
'Heskey gave us a different dimension tactically, he has tremendous presence, he made his presence known. He was tremendous.'
'We were much better second half, we had a couple of little opertunities'
Did he really come out with that?? Boy,were fcuked if he did.
It was the ESPN interview, the bbc one was a bit more hinged, as it were. If somebody else could corroborate it that would be helpful, like a witness to a murder I was traumatised and my memory may be fuzzy, but he was definitely complimentary of Heskey's 'presence'.
My thoughts exactly though. I didn't even hear the rest of the interview because I left the room shouting to nobody in anger and despair.
-
Anyone know what N'Zogbia's done. breach of club discipline i heard...tried to pass it in training?
I heard it was a lot more serious than that.
He tried passing it forward to a bloke wearing the same colour shirt as him.
-
The problem with Randy is that he had trouble with a character like Martin and wanted someone he could get on with. If i were able i would be a placard carrier next home game to get AM out. To all those who wanted Houllier out well you got your wish and this is what we've ended up with, a manager who has no plan and obviously no authority over the players. A performance that was a disgrace to the club and the shirt, Randy was there to see it.
-
Anyone know what N'Zogbia's done. breach of club discipline i heard...tried to pass it in training?
Chuckles. Failure to attend for some sort of test, I believe.
-
Difficult to know if this is an over reaction to another white flag performance, but as somebody who supported the AM appointment and expected him to be 'our Moyes' I think I was wrong. Nice guy, speaks / means well. He is never going to get us playing above our current level.
Utd are average this year. We didn't have a go. We surrendered again.
He's gotta go.
-
Anyone know what N'Zogbia's done. breach of club discipline i heard...tried to pass it in training?
I heard it was a lot more serious than that.
He tried passing it forward to a bloke wearing the same colour shirt as him.
There is no place for that at our club under the current regime. Insubordination of the highest order. Get rid.
-
We are absolutely dreadful at the minute, probably play the worst football in the premiership. I have been prepared to give mcleish a chance as he's inherited a squad that's been gutted by Lerner's cost cutting, but my god the last few games have been abysmal, pathetic shite - gutless, clueless, just useless.
Can he not see Bent isolated on his own up front does not work, how bad does hutton have to be to get dropped? dunne looks like he couldn't care less and sorry, although he may get stuck in, Herd is not a premiership midfielder - how many times a game does he lose possession?
I used to get nervous before a Villa game, now I'm getting apathetic.
Randy Lerner's strategy - take a team that flirted with relegation, sell its best players, don't replace them, flog half of the remaining squad, then appoint a manager who's been relegated twice. Genius
-
I don't have the energy to be negative tonight, so I'll be as positive as I can.
We are completely inept in almost every way.
^^
Off out for the night, 40 tomorrow!
Happy birthday Risso. I turned 39 today. Happy fucking birthday to both of us.
Happy birthday to 2 fellow Sagittarians.
Not long back from the game. Nowt new to say.
Went in the club shop beforehand. Amazed how long the queues were to buy Villa merchandise, given the current situation, though think there may have been 20% off everything.
-
It's going to be a winter of discontent.
-
Just got home. Very disheartening display all round. That was one of the poorest Man U sides we have seen for many years at Villa Park and we treated them like Barcelona.
The three moments which sum it all up for me were Collins shrugging his shoulders and flapping his arms about when he was included in a passing movement but chose to pass the ball back to Shay Given then the same player again included in a string of passes side footing the ball high in the air and straight on to the head of a Man U player then the cherry on the cake was Heskey with a clear shot on goal in the box putting the ball out for a throw in and managing to fall over in the process.
It is so massively infuriating because the problem is so obvious. We can all see it but the manager is blind to it. We have to pass the ball along the ground to one of our own players. We have to pass from defence through the midfield and feed Gabby and Darren Bent on the ground, in the channels. NOT over the midfield to non existent target men.
Collins, Warnock and Hutton are out of their depth in the premiership and Dunne is not a lot better.
-
Just got back afer a long drive, i wont be doing it again any time soon, it took 75 minutes for us to have an attempt on target. I have seen enough of Mcleish football to know that he hasnt got a clue. Its pretty obvious that standing back and watching teams play is not going to win football matches or provide any form of entertainment. Do they really think that people are going to pay good money to watch this crap?
-
I said to those around me today that if Heskey comes on I am going home - he did and I did !
Coming down for the Liverpool game as it is a birthday treat for junior - but as for the rest of the season ...I really can`t be arsed.
Earlier I thought some posters were being a little over the top in suggesting that the ginger one would take us down.
Now it looks quite conceivable.
I am beginning to despair of the running of our club ......it appears a shambles right now.
-
Apart from that shot at the end, I thought Heskey did well.
-
It's going to be a winter of discontent.
And spring, and summer.....
-
I'll try and keep this as concise as possible so will use the first three terms that enter my head.
Cat herding.
Turgid.
Shit sandwich.
-
I thought the mancs were very poor overall. I don't know if that was our general shiteness rubbing off on them or they just needed something to raise their game against that didn't materialise. One thing for sure, AM needs some money, even more so with Jenas and Given out.
-
Scott Murray on the Guardian minute-by-minute: "That was possibly the worst game of football ever played. No blame attached to United, who did what they had to do, away from home. Villa, however, were nothing short of an ambition-free disgrace. Premier League football isn't cheap, and their fans deserve better entertainment than that. The home fans - the ones who could be bothered to stay until the end - boo their team off. To repeat a question from the first half: I wonder how long this Alex McLeish business will last?"
And that's a neutral. Says it all really.
We are getting absolutely slated on Premier League TV and rightly so. I could forgive us if Spursaway was a one off but today confirmed it wasn't. Ferguson must love us, his players will be fresh for the CL game in the week, they never had to go out of second gear today.
That's why Fergie recommends his stooges to other clubs - he knows they haven't got the bottle to actually put up a fight against him. Was Randy really that naive to actually listen to him? It's unbelievable really.
-
It's been like recommending Harold Shipman to Good Hope Hospital so far..
-
Awful. Really fucking awful.
And you can't say we didn't warn you Randy.
-
Apart from that shot at the end, I thought Heskey did well.
So did I.
He did more in 30 minutes than Bent did in 100. Guess which one cost 5x as much the other, and which one gets slaughtered.
-
On the plus side Guzan has a bloody good kick on him, I think we have found our new centre half!
-
Apart from that shot at the end, I thought Heskey did well.
So did I.
He did more in 30 minutes than Bent did in 100. Guess which one cost 5x as much the other, and which one gets slaughtered.
Maybe, but pinching a line from Blackadder - Darren Bent in an Alex McLeish side is like a broken pencil.
-
The line-up McLeish picked tonight actually had me slightly optimistic before the match.
That was quickly remedied though. The tone was set straight from the kick off, when the ball was immediately passed back to Collins who promptly punted it into outer space.
Twat.
-
The fact I didn't renew my ST after 15 yrs becomes more justified with each game. That's all I can take at the moment, it's that shit!
-
Utterly dreadful and totally unenjoyable stuff.
-
Oh, and a special shout out to the utter fucking morons booing Ashley Young. You deserve to be served up this shite.
Agree entirely. Really hoped our fans would behave with a bit of class today and pay respect to a player who carried us in terms of creativity for the last four years. Shame.
I did no such thing and I thought he got booed heavily after his pathetic tackle on Marc and that was well deserved. There were some mild boos before that and nothing wrong with that. Both of you gents need to pull out of his arse as soon as you can!
So one tackle where he was attempting to win the ball back was more important than the 4 years he spent here? I hadn't noticed the noise level rise after that tackle, he got the same treatment from the first minute when he closed down Hutton when he was letting it run for a goal kick. It was never implied everyone was booing, but far more than I expected.
-
Today's performance was unacceptable on virtually every level. If the Chairman can't see that we have a serious problem then we are doomed.
At a time in the game when we should have been pressing for an equalizer, SAF felt that he could take off one of his central defenders and replace him with a 40 year old midfielder, such was the threat that we posed.
Just heard McLeish's interview on MOTD and apparently the second half was 'a different story'! I agree with that - first half we were timid and inept, second we were clueless and disorganised.
-
Apart from that shot at the end, I thought Heskey did well.
So did I.
He did more in 30 minutes than Bent did in 100. Guess which one cost 5x as much the other, and which one gets slaughtered.
Maybe, but pinching a line from Blackadder - Darren Bent in an Alex McLeish side is like a broken pencil.
Precisely. He needs the ball to his feet, not 10 foot above his head. Be better off selling him in January and getting re-inforcements elsewhere than watching his transfer value steadily drop
-
...thought we played alright towards the end of the second half.
When the fans got behind the team we started playing well, I was getting really pissed off with the people around me.
-
I'm sure the abuse Downing receives at Villa Park (if he plays) will put the occasional, quiet booing of Ashley Young into context.
-
I just feel... meh!
-
Just thought of another ground I can get to quite easily next season - Reading
When we were doing well, I always worried as to why the Cleveland Browns were so shit. It used to be there, this nagging thought in the back of my mind that I wanted to ignore but which wouldn't ever quite go away.
Now I know why it was there...
-
Just thought of another ground I can get to quite easily next season - Reading
When we were doing well, I always worried as to why the Cleveland Browns were so shit. It used to be there, this nagging thought in the back of my mind that I wanted to ignore but which wouldn't ever quite go away.
Now I know why it was there...
I wonder if there is precedent at the Browns for him choosing his own man for head coach, against fans wishes, and then sacking him halfway through a season when it was clear he'd made a mistake? We can but hope.
-
We could have Ineista and Messi in midfield and we would still look clueless. You can have the most creative players in the world but if the ball is constantly booted over their heads they haven't got a chance. Gabby and Albrighton looked like they could have given Smalling and Evra lots of problems but they never got the ball to have a go.
-
It's going to be a winter of discontent.
And spring, and summer.....
Springtime for Ginger and Birmingham
winter for Villa and fans
McLeish out
-
The thing that keeps occurring to me is that we are now the kind of side the rest of the country hates to watch and would be glad to see go down.
Humiliating.
-
Apart from that shot at the end, I thought Heskey did well.
So did I.
He did more in 30 minutes than Bent did in 100. Guess which one cost 5x as much the other, and which one gets slaughtered.
Maybe, but pinching a line from Blackadder - Darren Bent in an Alex McLeish side is like a broken pencil.
Precisely. He needs the ball to his feet, not 10 foot above his head. Be better off selling him in January and getting re-inforcements elsewhere than watching his transfer value steadily drop
Darren Bent is a very one dimensional footballer and we have no idea how to use his 1 ability. We dont create chances which makes his being on the pitch totaly redundant.
-
The players are not happy! Still happy to pick up their obscene pay cheques each month even after performing like that. No pride, no passion, no idea. I wont be setting foot in Villa Park for a long time.
Gabby and Bent are getting no service, Eck doesn't know who to play in what position and to what system. We are shockingly bad and I cant see it improving anytime soon.
As others have said I have a general "meh" feeling about Villa right now however the frustration is really gripping my shit.
-
McLeish played the team that all the whingers wanted. The players were spineless and played like they wanted the manager to be sacked. They should hang their heads in shame as should the clowns who wanted us to lose today.
-
The thing that keeps occurring to me is that we are now the kind of side the rest of the country hates to watch and would be glad to see go down.
Humiliating.
Very true. Working with fans of various NW teams over the years, everybody always used to quite like us. We weren't quite big enough to worry Man U and the rest of the top 4, and being top dog in the Midlands, we didn't really have any local rivalry to speak of. Now everybody just thinks we're shit, which we are.
-
McLeish played the team that all the whingers wanted. The players were spineless and played like they wanted the manager to be sacked. They should hang their heads in shame as should the clowns who wanted us to lose today.
The only people who wanted us to lose were Man U fans, and they got their wish which was inevitable. We were dire today, and the sad thing is that whether McLeish picks a team of lumpen cloggers, or goes for the players in the team who can pass the ball a bit, the end result is the same: shit football. He really is a horrible football manager. I'm ashamed that he's in charge to be honest.
-
The thing that keeps occurring to me is that we are now the kind of side the rest of the country hates to watch and would be glad to see go down.
Humiliating.
Very true. Working with fans of various NW teams over the years, everybody always used to quite like us. We weren't quite big enough to worry Man U and the rest of the top 4, and being top dog in the Midlands, we didn't really have any local rivalry to speak of. Now everybody just thinks we're shit, which we are.
Its excrutiating to see us walking like zombies towards the lower end of the league, we all know its happening and at some point there will be a call to arms just to stay in the PL.
-
He sends them out to play that way.
We are so unambitious we don't even leave a man up for corners. It is pathetic, his concern against anyone half decent always seems to be to play for a draw, then once we concede, play to keep the core down.
This isn't something tha has happened just here, this is what he does, this is his thing.
I like the bloke and couldn't give a stuff he managed that lot, but I hate his brand of dire football and his total lack of ambition.
He might have picked the team we wanted but what's be point if you get them to camp in their own half?
Five points from the last seven games, and a growing reputation as the most boring team in the league. Meanwhile the chairman is the other side of the Atlantic with his fingers in his ears, not listening.
-
Apart from that shot at the end, I thought Heskey did well.
So did I.
He did more in 30 minutes than Bent did in 100. Guess which one cost 5x as much the other, and which one gets slaughtered.
Maybe, but pinching a line from Blackadder - Darren Bent in an Alex McLeish side is like a broken pencil.
Precisely. He needs the ball to his feet, not 10 foot above his head. Be better off selling him in January and getting re-inforcements elsewhere than watching his transfer value steadily drop
Darren Bent is a very one dimensional footballer and we have no idea how to use his 1 ability. We dont create chances which makes his being on the pitch totaly redundant.
there was a goal Bent scored last season and for the life of me i can't remember who against, but it was yer typical strikers goal. passed to him on the floor, middle of the pitch, bent hanging off the shoulder of the defender and i just thought "yep, thats what we were missing all through MON's reign". And MON wouldn't have brought him because that sort of chance wasn't going to happen unless by a fluke. And its the same with AM. Bent is just pointless currently
-
The team we wanted would have put gabby up top with bent, not just in front of the left back. Pick the Barcelona team,send the em out the way we did tonight and its all over. Risso is right, I am ashamed of what we are right now.
-
I think I might be the only person in the world of this opinion, but I actually thought we weren't that bad in the second half. The first half was shocking but I thought we actually had a go in the second. I know United aren't as good as they have been in the past but they're still a very good side. It could be worse.
-
I think this is the first time I can remember when I've been embarrassed to be a Villa fan. I've always defending us when people have criticised us, but at the minute there is no defence.
-
Plus, under houllier with a far weaker side, we gave them a real fright last season. Recall Clark, hogg, bannan, albrighton etc all starting that day. Where is clark? He was better n centre mid than any of our current lot, a little like Jones for them.
-
I think this is the first time I can remember when I've been embarrassed to be a Villa fan. I've always defending us when people have criticised us, but at the minute there is no defence.
Have to say, you are right.
This is exactly the criticism his Blues side got last year, and exactly how their fans felt. He's making us a carbon copy of them.
-
I think this is the first time I can remember when I've been embarrassed to be a Villa fan. I've always defending us when people have criticised us, but at the minute there is no defence.
There isn't. And it's becoming evident we're becoming a bad team when we've got the BBC, Guardian etc slagging us off. But they're correct and I hope it makes Randy realise what a cock up he has made.
-
He is and as Ozz says, where is Clark? He has massive potential and he will want to leave soon, we are practically driving him away. I feel the same will apply to Gardner and other young players if we continue under Mcleish. He has a terrible record for blooding young players.
-
Like people have said before, it's embarrassing to be a Villa fan at the moment. Considering the fact we have a core of internationals and two highly rated strikers, McLeish should at least have the guts to get us out playing. I wouldn't mind losing 4-0 today if we'd shown some fight and tried to attack, but the game was over before it began, the 1-0 scoreline flatters us.
-
It's interesting how Paul Faulkner said we have a good academy, yet him and Lerner hired McLeish who has no qualities in blooding youngsters. How on earth did he pass the interview for that if you forget everything else for a second? It just defines all logic. Come on, someone tell me how? Another negative point about McLeish's appointment.
I just wish there was a way of getting Lerner or Faulkner to do a proper interview. Not that spoon fed interview the other day. A proper one where it would be a few different fans bringing up a compliation of legitmate points on why McLeish was the right choice. There's no way they would be able to answer them all properly. The whole thing is a farce.
-
I'm happy to put money on Sunderland finishing above us. They have a manager, we have a useless inept tactical blackhole.
And when Sunderland pitch up at VP, watch their team show determination, a will to not give up, and speed on the counter-attack. 'McLeish is like MON but without the money' has been said by a few people on this board, but really, we all know that is a load of bollocks. Not saying MON was perfect, but there is no way one of his Villa sides would ever be that negative, even if our home form under him was patchy.
-
yeah but think of the fun you can have if your sat near the dug-out when Sunderland play us. Everytime Collins launches a ball into earth orbit or a ball comes off the back of Ivanhoe's head, or Warnock gives a free kick away, you can shout at MON " Oi! you bought him"
-
I think this is the first time I can remember when I've been embarrassed to be a Villa fan. I've always defending us when people have criticised us, but at the minute there is no defence.
Have to say, you are right.
This is exactly the criticism his Blues side got last year, and exactly how their fans felt. He's making us a carbon copy of them.
As I said earlier in the thread, where I was sat in the Upper Trinity there was a lot of day trippers in their half Villa half Manure scarves nearby, many of them Japanese and Italian. It was obvious they were laughing at how we were playing and taking the piss as we hoofed it yet again or Bannan tried yet another Hollywood pass that went nowhere near a claret and blue shirt. It was fucking humiliating.
-
bannan was bad tonight i thought. stood out in fact.
-
I thought Herd was poor as well, not particularly picking on him but I'm not sure about him being a guaranteed starter.
-
I thought Herd was poor as well, not particularly picking on him but I'm not sure about him being a guaranteed starter.
I'm not overly sold on him full stop. He works reasonably hard, but his passing and technical ability looks nowhere near premier league standard (Fits in quite well at the moment in fairness).
-
I thought Herd was poor as well, not particularly picking on him but I'm not sure about him being a guaranteed starter.
I'm not overly sold on him full stop. He works reasonably hard, but his passing and technical ability looks nowhere near premier league standard (Fits in quite well at the moment in fairness).
I was watching the game with a friend and he did say other than athleticism he doesn't see what he brings to us.
-
He's a cheap NRC is the way I look at it. Runs around a lot and gets stuck in, but can't do much with the ball when he does win it. Maybe he will learn to be more composed on the ball as he gains experience but I can't see him being a long term top flight player if i'm honest.
-
Disgraceful performance and an embarrassment to the club! Right now we're an absolute shambles, clueless in leadership from top to bottom. I really fear for us, bright future my arse!!
-
Will be interesting in the next match how we line up, no Jenas, no Gardner we will probably either have
Herd Petrov
Marc Bannan Gabby
Bent
but I would quite like to try and have something different,
Guzan
Cuellar Dunne Collins Warnock
Herd Petrov
Bannan Fonz Gabby
Bent
Think Fonz would offer more than Heskey and if need be he can still use his head to do Emiles party trick 'The really shit, misplaced flick-on'
-
He sends them out to play that way.
We are so unambitious we don't even leave a man up for corners. It is pathetic, his concern against anyone half decent always seems to be to play for a draw, then once we concede, play to keep the core down.
This isn't something tha has happened just here, this is what he does, this is his thing.
I like the bloke and couldn't give a stuff he managed that lot, but I hate his brand of dire football and his total lack of ambition.
He might have picked the team we wanted but what's be point if you get them to camp in their own half?
Five points from the last seven games, and a growing reputation as the most boring team in the league. Meanwhile the chairman is the other side of the Atlantic with his fingers in his ears, not listening.
But does he send them out to play that way? This is what's bothering me tonight. He was going ape on the touchline in the first half - he didn't look like a man whose gameplan was being carried out perfectly. Don't get me wrong, I agree with everything else you say, his negativity is shocking and our football stinks the league out, but the team looked so disjointed to me that I wonder if the players are listening to him anyway.
Negative football doesn't equate with defeat - on the contrary it should make you harder to beat. However, like all tactics it only works if the players apply them. Same goes for fluent attacking football. The tactics or formation should have no impact on the commitment of the players in any case. I think it makes very little difference what approach McLeish takes if there's no unity in the side. They don't look like a team, they don't play as one, they don't fight for each other, they barely even pass to each other. No one has the confidence to try anything, no one wants to take the blame for it going wrong.
I'm speculating here, but are our senior players setting the right example, or is the rotten stench of mutiny drifting through the dressing room again? They do have form for it. One of them had a particularly angsty face on him tonight and looked like he was arguing with McLeish at one point (need a clue? He's a fat bastard. Oh, and he was captain! Fancy that!) I hope I'm wrong, but these arrogant half-arsed passionless performances look more than a case of poor tactics to me. If I'm right then McLeish is partly to blame, but he needs to show some backbone and kick the bad eggs out faster than they can say "Houllier was mean". They're a disgrace and their presence is damaging the club.
-
I've had enough.... tonight was beyond shit. I froze my tits off and missed the first 1.5 hours of a works xmas do for that. More fool me. I was prepared to give AM a chance. Well now i'm not. That was utterly piss poor. We'd be better off with no manager than what we have now. The most gagantic managerial appointment bollock has been dropped by the board, now have the guts to rectify it and get shot.
I've got another xmas do the night before the Liverpool game and frankly there is no chance i'll be bothering season ticket or not. Bollocks to it.
-
Worst of all is that the manager actually seemed to 'rest' Petrov and Heskey. I think this shows his 'we ain't gonna win this, so why bother' attitude we saw against Citeh and Spurs, and will see against Pool and Arse.
Playing Albrighton and Bannan from the start seems a warped 'Peter Principle' to quieten disgruntled fans who criticise the constant playing of Heskey.
-
I wouldn't criticise him for dropping Petrov and Heskey.
Most supporters wanted that-especially in the case of the latter. I do wonder whether the gushing praise for Ivanhoe post match was for somebody else's benefit though- maybe he bowed to pressure from the top to drop the useless oaf. Just wild speculation on my part.
-
Will be interesting in the next match how we line up, no Jenas, no Gardner we will probably either have
Herd Petrov
Marc Bannan Gabby
Bent
but I would quite like to try and have something different,
Guzan
Cuellar Dunne Collins Warnock
Herd Petrov
Bannan Fonz Gabby
Bent
Think Fonz would offer more than Heskey and if need be he can still use his head to do Emiles party trick 'The really shit, misplaced flick-on'
Defensive system or not, I'd be surprised if Marc or Bannan got another start soon. Neither of them impressed me at all today, and although you obviously don't write them off, its unfair if you don't give everyone a chance. Have a sneaky feeling Ireland will start next week.
-
Worst of all is that the manager actually seemed to 'rest' Petrov and Heskey. I think this shows his 'we ain't gonna win this, so why bother' attitude we saw against Citeh and Spurs, and will see against Pool and Arse.
Playing Albrighton and Bannan from the start seems a warped 'Peter Principle' to quieten disgruntled fans who criticise the constant playing of Heskey.
So what the hell do you want him to do?! The man simply can't win with the supporters. To even think that Villa turned over today is absolutely absurd. Herd and Jenas go off injured, who are you putting in against Manchester United, sure as hell not Stephen Ireland. Heskey and Petrov were the right call.
I'm sorry but your post is just absolute rubbish.
-
Worst of all is that the manager actually seemed to 'rest' Petrov and Heskey. I think this shows his 'we ain't gonna win this, so why bother' attitude we saw against Citeh and Spurs, and will see against Pool and Arse.
Playing Albrighton and Bannan from the start seems a warped 'Peter Principle' to quieten disgruntled fans who criticise the constant playing of Heskey.
So what the hell do you want him to do?! The man simply can't win with the supporters. To even think that Villa turned over today is absolutely absurd. Herd and Jenas go off injured, who are you putting in against Manchester United, sure as hell not Stephen Ireland. Heskey and Petrov were the right call.
I'm sorry but your post is just absolute rubbish.
The man cannot win with the 'supporters' because he is a manager that fails. He is a crap manager with a cv of boring football and relegation. He has already introduced us to the former, it seems only a matter of time before he gives us the latter. The fact that he put attacking, good players on to start reflects very poorly on his management as they stood ten yards away from Manure and refused to tackle for 90 minutes.
-
What yesterday was, in my view, was a defeat for Kevin MacDonald and his influence with AM.
I've always believed KMac and Sid were our secret weapon, experienced professionals that know how to play the game, modern football, not hoofing it, where we really dream to be. Even McLeish couldn't ignore them. GPS for what Randy wants but it goes from bad to worse.
What the fu*k is going on?
The only thing I can think is that there's a complete lack of leadership in the boardroom, with the management and in the team.
-
Just imagine what McLeish could do if he were backed!
-
Worst of all is that the manager actually seemed to 'rest' Petrov and Heskey. I think this shows his 'we ain't gonna win this, so why bother' attitude we saw against Citeh and Spurs, and will see against Pool and Arse.
Playing Albrighton and Bannan from the start seems a warped 'Peter Principle' to quieten disgruntled fans who criticise the constant playing of Heskey.
So what the hell do you want him to do?! The man simply can't win with the supporters. To even think that Villa turned over today is absolutely absurd. Herd and Jenas go off injured, who are you putting in against Manchester United, sure as hell not Stephen Ireland. Heskey and Petrov were the right call.
I'm sorry but your post is just absolute rubbish.
The man cannot win with the 'supporters' because he is a manager that fails. He is a crap manager with a cv of boring football and relegation. He has already introduced us to the former, it seems only a matter of time before he gives us the latter. The fact that he put attacking, good players on to start reflects very poorly on his management as they stood ten yards away from Manure and refused to tackle for 90 minutes.
McLeish can't go out there and do the work for them, end of. If you watched Albrighton's post match interview you will see that even he admits they did not follow the managers orders. Hence why McLeish was going absolutely nuts on the touchline. He said it himself that our goal today was to put a high line on United and pressure them with pace in their defensive third. Was that carried out? Absolutely not.
It didn't matter who was out there today. The simple fact is it was going to be hard to beat United, and even though most of us were expecting a thumping after they had been dumped out of the carling cup, we finished with a flattering scoreline.
It's not the defense, I can tell you that much. As disorganized as they may be at times they were throwing their bodies in front of every shot for the cause today. Alan Hutton, James Collins, Richard Dunne and Stephen Warnock were absolutely throwing everything they could in front of every United opportunity. Warnock and Collins played through injury for the Villa.
We have no ability to transition and hold on to the ball, that's not the managers fault.
-
Just imagine what McLeish could do if he were backed!
Backed where?
-
I'm happy to put money on Sunderland finishing above us. They have a manager, we have a useless inept tactical blackhole.
And when Sunderland pitch up at VP, watch their team show determination, a will to not give up, and speed on the counter-attack. 'McLeish is like MON but without the money' has been said by a few people on this board, but really, we all know that is a load of bollocks. Not saying MON was perfect, but there is no way one of his Villa sides would ever be that negative, even if our home form under him was patchy.
McLeish is like MON about as much as Heskey is like a footballer.
Lets face it we are fucked. We have a clueless manager and an owner who has lost the way.
-
I also think the smell of dressing room rebellion is with us again. The Usual Suspects got away with disruption last time and they seem to be at it again. It looks very much like player power at work to me when players are clearly doing their own thing and not following any kind of game plan.
-
Predictably it is the manager who gets the blame but it is the players who deserve the bulk of the criticism. We got the sort of team all of us wanted to see but they did not deliver. That's the third time we've played a top 4 side and each time we've struggled badly yet against the lesser lights we're far more confident and performances have been more encouraging.
We were better in the second half and should have made more of the pressure.
-
Devil's advocate - maybe it was the right team but the wrong game to decide to switch to the line-up. It might have been far more useful 2 months ago, but up against a team that even a shade or two lesser than previous incarnations is still well above our level, it was inevitable that confidence for our boys would be an issue. Some of them haven't played much football recently after all.
That said there was simply no passion, no real determined effort, and clearly no belief in the team, which is simply unacceptable. In this league those qualities are a pre-requisite for a Man City team or a Wigan one, and certainly a Villa team.
I think by the time we play in 2012 we will be firmly in the shit, and I can't see how this nice but tactically inept manager can inspire the team to fight or play their way out of trouble.
Why isn't Clark playing? If we are going to lose it will be best to blood him, but recall that he is the best ball-playing centre-back or defensive midfielder we have.
Aside from missing the social side with my friends, I am simply ecstatic that I haven't bought my season ticket this year. Time to spend with family instead will be far more worthwhile this season (or for however long McLeish (and may be even Lerner, dare I say it) is around.
-
I think Bannan and Albrighton should be somewhat excused, when you have such little possession and hoof it over their heads there is not much they can do.
The back 4 needs sorting, as do the central 2 in midfield, and passing lessons need to be had.
-
I think Bannan and Albrighton should be somewhat excused, when you have such little possession and hoof it over their heads there is not much they can do.
The back 4 needs sorting, as do the central 2 in midfield, and passing lessons need to be had.
That's not true though, Manu pressed us and forced us to go long quite often but they still had plenty of the ball and really did very little.
Albrighton was particularly poor and did nothing of any use in 90 minutes. Bannan's corners were very good but his passing was not up to his usual standard and he and Jenas didn't click.
-
The midfield selection looked an exciting blend of guile, energy and enthusiasm, until they started playing. Herd and Jenas were passengers.
Looking at that its very difficult to see what the game plan was other than hope that Man Utd had stayed on the team bus. For the second game running we've gone out very defensively and could easily been on the receiving end of an almighty hiding.
On the bright side Hutton had his best game for us and for some completely unfathomable reason we looked better when Heskey came on, despite his individual performance being particularly inept.
-
Trouble is I don't think, apart from Herd and Albrighton, who never had the ball in a position that a winger would really thrive on, the other in midfield, Gabby, Jenas and Bannan knew what their roles were. There was no team shape at all. And Bent was shown on ESPN after the game of tracking 100m plus at a time to close people down with no support at all. We are wasting him completely, and the manner and style of the performance was totally down to the set up, dictated by the manager.
-
Totally agree ozjim, i could not believe that we were closing down and stopping 3 yards from the player instead of getting a foot in thats almost sunday league type tactics. The set up is all wrong.
-
What happened with N'Zogbia? Must've been serious to drop him in favour of Albrighton. It's such a shame but that kid has seriously lost his way.
-
Trouble is I don't think, apart from Herd and Albrighton, who never had the ball in a position that a winger would really thrive on, the other in midfield, Gabby, Jenas and Bannan knew what their roles were. There was no team shape at all. And Bent was shown on ESPN after the game of tracking 100m plus at a time to close people down with no support at all. We are wasting him completely, and the manner and style of the performance was totally down to the set up, dictated by the manager.
I agree with that Ozzjim. I cannot work out what the team is even trying to do, as it looks like a mess. Directionless and devoid of purpose, and that comes from the manager.
As for Bent, he is woefully misused now. If he wanted to leave in January I wouldn't blame him in the slightest.
-
Predictably it is the manager who gets the blame but it is the players who deserve the bulk of the criticism. We got the sort of team all of us wanted to see but they did not deliver. That's the third time we've played a top 4 side and each time we've struggled badly yet against the lesser lights we're far more confident and performances have been more encouraging.
We were better in the second half and should have made more of the pressure.
Yeah, because the performances against Swansea, West Brom and Wolves were fantastic.
-
Totally agree ozjim, i could not believe that we were closing down and stopping 3 yards from the player instead of getting a foot in thats almost sunday league type tactics. The set up is all wrong.
It's pretty obvious that was a reaction to last week where we picked up 3 early bookigs due to people putting a foot in so being conscious of that they go too far the other way. That's why think we improved after half time when the manager had got into them.
-
Predictably it is the manager who gets the blame but it is the players who deserve the bulk of the criticism. We got the sort of team all of us wanted to see but they did not deliver. That's the third time we've played a top 4 side and each time we've struggled badly yet against the lesser lights we're far more confident and performances have been more encouraging.
We were better in the second half and should have made more of the pressure.
because the performances against Swansea, West Brom and Wolves were fantastic.
Yes, that's exactly what I said.
We're not fantastic but neither are we always shit but I guess most of you aren't interested in a sensible discussion.
-
When our defenders are hitting 60 yard passes to Bent to challenge for we aren't going to get very far. When Heskey came on (actually playing up front as opposed to midfield general) he actually won a few balls in the air, we even realised that if you get within 10 yards of him you might get the ball too. It wasn't pretty, but it was more effective than the previous 70-odd minutes of hoof ball.
Pity he didn't pass to Bent in the last minute.
-
Predictably it is the manager who gets the blame but it is the players who deserve the bulk of the criticism. We got the sort of team all of us wanted to see but they did not deliver. That's the third time we've played a top 4 side and each time we've struggled badly yet against the lesser lights we're far more confident and performances have been more encouraging.
We were better in the second half and should have made more of the pressure.
because the performances against Swansea, West Brom and Wolves were fantastic.
Yes, that's exactly what I said.
We're not fantastic but neither are we always shit but I guess most of you aren't interested in a sensible discussion.
The only decent performances we've had this season was against a very shit Blackburn and Wigan side. Other than that we've been average to poor and the "entertainment" on offer has been null and void.
-
Predictably it is the manager who gets the blame but it is the players who deserve the bulk of the criticism. We got the sort of team all of us wanted to see but they did not deliver. That's the third time we've played a top 4 side and each time we've struggled badly yet against the lesser lights we're far more confident and performances have been more encouraging.
We were better in the second half and should have made more of the pressure.
because the performances against Swansea, West Brom and Wolves were fantastic.
Yes, that's exactly what I said.
We're not fantastic but neither are we always shit but I guess most of you aren't interested in a sensible discussion.
Chris, your all-too-easy-to-parody defending of managers is admirable, but I just don't see where you're going with this one. This manager is genuinely rubbish, his tactics nauseatingly poor and neanderthal, his motivational skills seem lacking severely, his supposed ability to organise a defence is being exposed as a myth. We're surrendering before we've got on the pitch, not just against United and Spurs, but in our entire mentality for this season. We're happy with turgid, bare-minimum struggle, and it needn't be the case. It's thoroughly depressing.
-
Shite yesterday. I don't know if it is lazy rebellious players, or crap management, or both, but that was no fun at all.
I will do the Liverpool game just to boo Downing but I am buggered if I am freezing my bollocks off at the Arsenal game. Nor will I be going to Swansea.
-
Predictably it is the manager who gets the blame but it is the players who deserve the bulk of the criticism. We got the sort of team all of us wanted to see but they did not deliver. That's the third time we've played a top 4 side and each time we've struggled badly yet against the lesser lights we're far more confident and performances have been more encouraging.
We were better in the second half and should have made more of the pressure.
because the performances against Swansea, West Brom and Wolves were fantastic.
Yes, that's exactly what I said.
We're not fantastic but neither are we always shit but I guess most of you aren't interested in a sensible discussion.
The football is nearly always dreadful to watch. I also get the impression that McLeish hasn't the first clue of who to play, and what formation to try. Of course it's to be expected that a new manager tries a few things, but he just seems to be lurching from one inept performance to another. We're getting exactly the sort of shite performances that 99% of people expected from McLeish, and I just hope we stay out of the relegation battle, because he's shown he's not the man to inspire those around him.
-
Totally agree ozjim, i could not believe that we were closing down and stopping 3 yards from the player instead of getting a foot in thats almost sunday league type tactics. The set up is all wrong.
It's pretty obvious that was a reaction to last week where we picked up 3 early bookigs due to people putting a foot in so being conscious of that they go too far the other way. That's why think we improved after half time when the manager had got into them.
Which seemed a reaction from when we didn't get anywhere near to spurs to foul them! It does seem a bit haphazard.
listening to WM on the way back from the game most callers agreed with the majority of us although one guy said when they cross the white line its down t the players and its players that are causing the problem not McLeish but i disagree I think the Manager has far more influence.
United have a very poor central midfield currently and can be bossed in that area but we have a manager that's content on keeping the goals scored against us to below 2
-
What happened with N'Zogbia? Must've been serious to drop him in favour of Albrighton. It's such a shame but that kid has seriously lost his way.
Dropped for breaching some club rules, he missed some routine treatment in the week
-
I don't have the energy to be negative tonight, so I'll be as positive as I can.
We are completely inept in almost every way.
That's way to positive.
We are completely inept in every way.
I disagree because I'm not going to include Bent and Gabby in this. They are two very good forwards who are receiving no help at all. I also excuse Given. The rest very much including the management team are hideous beyond words.
I agree.
-
It's getting embarrassing now. Slightly better second half, especially after Heskey, for all his faults, came on. I'm not sure how much of that was (a rather below par looking) Man Yoo realising how easy it was, and saving themselves for CL midweek. But we still never really looked like bothering them unduly.
For all his faults you can't compare this with GH. Just think back to the equivalent game last season where despite the comeback you could feel proud that we'd had a go, played some very decent football and should have beaten them. AM makes MON's coaching style look like Guardiola's by comparison.
Blame the players all you like, and there are some prize arseholes in that squad, but it's AM's job to coach, drill and prepare them and if they can't or won't follow his orders, he isn't doing his job. And they don't choose the tactics. Bent may as well take an armchair and a paper out with him for all the service he gets.
I just hope RL considers some of the comments from neutrals, reporters, pundits etc. after this and the Spurs game, and even at half time against QPR. They have no vested interest or emotional attachment to the club but seem genuinely appalled at what Villa have become and the brand of anti-football we are serving up all too often. You fucked up big time Randy, now sort it out before it's too late.
The fact that there may be three worse teams than us this season seems our best hope for consolation at the moment.
-
Just imagine what McLeish could do if he were backed!
backed up to Scotland!
-
I thought Herd was poor as well, not particularly picking on him but I'm not sure about him being a guaranteed starter.
Yesterday, as I posted on my return from VP, he was ineffective. It's the first poor performance I have seen from him and the first time he played without Petrov also in the centre. So may be there is a clue there for Eck.
-
On the bright side Hutton had his best game for us and for some completely unfathomable reason we looked better when Heskey came on, despite his individual performance being particularly inept.
Because we then had someone playing in the number 10 position who we could play the ball into, which increased the attacking options. Why he didn't bring on Ireland instead of Heskey, I don't know.
His ineptitude made him better than Darren Bent, whose contribution of absolutely nothing at all never reached inept.
-
What happened with N'Zogbia? Must've been serious to drop him in favour of Albrighton. It's such a shame but that kid has seriously lost his way.
Dropped for breaching some club rules, he missed some routine treatment in the week
Thanks.
-
I don't understand this "Bent contributes nothing" rant. All Bent does is score goals and for him to do that his coach and team mates need to provide him with chances. Bent is only useful to a team that dominates and therefore needs a finisher. He is not a "single" striker upfront who can hold the ball up bring other players into play etc etc. For Bent to be effective we need an effective team and system behind him. This current team and the Coach are a long way off that.
It was almost laughable that when we were down to 10 and leading against WBA our manager kept Bent on the pitch. I will never understand the logic of that.
-
We've gone the last 3 games without scoring, which is a worry but we were better in the second half apparantley, so that's ok then.
I'm sorry, but we really do look a piss poor team.
-
Herd played without Petrov last week, and he was ok last week.
Is it McL that is the problem, or the players?
I do agree a lot with ozzjim, the lack of passing, the reliance on the long ball, the goalie constantly hoofing the ball up to a non-existant CF, the lack of pressure on the ball, the lack of movement off the ball, the lack of footballing defenders who can pass a ball, the lack of an attacking midfielder getting in the box to support Bent, Gabby.......these are all McL faults.
However, most of us was happy with that team when announced before the game, so what happened?
Albrighton failed to deliver again.Seems to have gone backwards to me, does'nt hold the ball well enough, can't beat a man, needs to learn how to use his fantastic cross better.Jenas did'nt look fit, would'nt put too much reliance on him tbh, Bannan, could be a very good footballer, needs more movement around him.There was one move in the second half, when we moved the ball around very well with first time passes, with Hutton playing a good ball down the line to Albrighton, who put a good cross into Heskey on the back post,so it shows we can do it.
We have the basis of a good attacking team,has McL got the managerial ability to broing the best out of it, on recent evidence we have to say no, what i would say is please no more Heskey, Petrov, Collins, and get replacements for Dunne and Warnock asap.
-
Disgraceful performance and an embarrassment to the club! Right now we're an absolute shambles, clueless in leadership from top to bottom. I really fear for us, bright future my arse!!
Can't disagree.
ManUre were there for the beating and we rolled over as usual, this time due to lack of quality, ability and I am getting the vibes, poor management.
-
Absolutely dismal, but who expected anything different.
However, in my opinion the biggest game of the season, so far, is next week. We will be in a better position to judge after that performance/result.
How bad is it when we now look down the table instead of up.
-
And there won't be goals at Villa Park this Christmas Time
The Greatest Gift Blues gave us was their bo--sssss
Where no one ever scores and they play for nil nil draws
Do They know it's Christmas Time at all....
-
The last three performances have been pathetic.
We're an O'Neill side but at a lower tempo and without the pace on the counter.
-
Absolutely dismal, but who expected anything different.
However, in my opinion the biggest game of the season, so far, is next week. We will be in a better position to judge after that performance/result.
How bad is it when we now look down the table instead of up.
I've spent most of my Villa life looking down the table, even when we were good. Such is the uncertainty of following the claret and blue and knowing we are always on the edge of buggering things up...
-
.... desperate and collective shrug of the shoulders by Villa fans all game.
We all knew what was going to happen, and for once I don't think a hyperactive Holte End could have changed anything.
Pass me another prozac darling.
-
Awful. I liked the team AM had picked, too; thought the midfield trio was good. How they managed to get so outplayed by Carrick and Jones (I rate both though) was puzzling. We barely saw the ball, barely used it. The players look like they're performing with shackles on.
We seem to be sitting back for the first half of games, hoping to nick something late on with a set-piece. It's not going to work.
Two further thoughts:
I hope he persists with Albrighton, at least using him off the bench for 30 mins or so. First start in a long time, up against Patrice Evra. Not easy.
N'Zogbia. Apparently missed a treatment session. How serious is that? We can't be shooting ourselves in the foot like this.
-
It was'nt negative football last night, it was lack of ability.
The faliure of footballing midfielders to hold onto the ball, the failure of defenders to pass the ball to Villa players, the failure of attackers to hold the ball up, the failure to beat a man, mark a man, move off the ball.Lack of ability.
Is that the managers fault, partly, but not wholly.
Some of them players should'nt pick up their wage packet this weel tbh.
-
Highlights (http://www.101greatgoals.com/?gg_video=aston-villa-0-manchester-united-1)
Ha ha!
No, I'm not clicking on that, it'll be porn or one of them videos where it's all quiet and suddenly a monster jumps out to scare the shit out of you.
There were no highlights.
-
Even Keegan and Barnes had a dig at us.
-
Why are all 11 players in the box when we defend corners ?? We kick it away and get it back straigth away because we have no one to put pressure on the defenders. Gabby should be up front as a threat with his pace.
PS: I have just seen Heskey´s attempt again that went for a throm in. Embarrassing. Maybe he was tired...
-
I'm watching ITV's FA cup programme. Andy Townsend and Gareth Southgate are on it. Get your boots out lads, we need you.
-
That's the poorest Man U side I've seen for a while. Even so it didn't need to get out of 3rd gear such was our inability to put any pressure on them anywhere. That's how bad we have become.
I was prepared to give AM time and a chance to build something up until last night. It's clear that the players aren't doing what they're meant to be doing for what ever reason and that has to be down to him. There are no signs of improvement, there seems to be no plan, we are rapidly going backwards. I would like to think that the board are lining up a replacement now but then I get to thinking they haven't got a clue where to start or the faintest idea about what is needed to take us forward.
I fear we're in for a very difficult period in our history unless some decisive action is taken.
-
We've gone the last 3 games without scoring, which is a worry but we were better in the second half apparantley, so that's ok then.
I'm sorry, but we really do look a piss poor team.
That's the thing, the "better in the second half" thing is utterly meaningless, given that the first half was so unwatchably bad.
It was exactly the sort of performance (yet again) that most of us foresaw when we appointed McLeish.
-
The fact we are going backwards at a rate of knots is worrying - we aren't just bad but getting worse game on game.
We appear almost ghost-like as teams just waltz around us.
Fading from the scene with scarece a whimper...
-
We've gone the last 3 games without scoring, which is a worry but we were better in the second half apparantley, so that's ok then.
I'm sorry, but we really do look a piss poor team.
That's the thing, the "better in the second half" thing is utterly meaningless, given that the first half was so unwatchably bad.
It was exactly the sort of performance (yet again) that most of us foresaw when we appointed McLeish.
It's exactly the kind of performance I expected, but I'd been trying to convince myself with better players he could do more.
Yesterday was the third time I've been this season, a birthday present off my brother, and before half time we were both walking back down Trinity Rd.
I can count on one hand the number of times I've left before the final whistle in the last 25 years, but that was just fucking shit, and bravo to Kevin Keegan and John Barnes for telling it like it is.
I've seen poor teams, and poor players, but the utterly aimless shite I've witnessed this season is just stirring up horrible memories of Billy McNeill.
-
I guess in our determination to condemn our own, quite rightly, did most of you realise how crap Ash was yesterday? Even when he took corners I sat there expecting our man at near post to clear or for the ball to sail over the entire gathering and I was not disappointed!
-
I'd like to see the stats for attempts at goal under both Houllier and now McLeish. I'm sure it's lamentable. It makes whinges about MON's direct "style" laughable. At least it was fast, counter-attacking football, while there was a better hit-rate at set-pieces. Now there are nosebleeds if we cross the halfway line and no tempo. I thought the team we put out yesterday was good enough on paper as an attacking force, but we were appalling at keeping the ball and Bent is currently a very under-used luxury item with the quality of service he gets.
-
We've gone the last 3 games without scoring, which is a worry but we were better in the second half apparantley, so that's ok then.
I'm sorry, but we really do look a piss poor team.
That's the thing, the "better in the second half" thing is utterly meaningless, given that the first half was so unwatchably bad.
It was exactly the sort of performance (yet again) that most of us foresaw when we appointed McLeish.
Paulie, you're spending too much time with Risso, everything is now "totally", "absolutely" or "utterly".
*wink*
-
It is hard to fully convey the horror of our football this season, Chris.
Much easier with pictures, mind.
(http://johnbriner.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/the-scream.jpeg)
-
Only saw the 'highlights' on MOTD but i'm beyond laughing at Heskey these days. His pathetic attempt that went for a throw in made me quite angry, how the fuck he has played 500 top flight games as well as however many Internationals is an absolute mystery.
-
That's a munsch better way of putting it paulie.
-
(http://www.pinakothek.de/sites/default/files/imagecache/thumb_lightbox_light/gemaelde/original/8658_780-h.jpg)
-
Sea's a bit choppy at Canet-Plage Darren
-
We've gone the last 3 games without scoring, which is a worry but we were better in the second half apparantley, so that's ok then.
I'm sorry, but we really do look a piss poor team.
That's the thing, the "better in the second half" thing is utterly meaningless, given that the first half was so unwatchably bad.
It was exactly the sort of performance (yet again) that most of us foresaw when we appointed McLeish.
Paulie, you're spending too much time with Risso, everything is now "totally", "absolutely" or "utterly".
*wink*
I totally, absolutely and utterly refute that.
-
Only saw the 'highlights' on MOTD but i'm beyond laughing at Heskey these days. His pathetic attempt that went for a throw in made me quite angry, how the fuck he has played 500 top flight games as well as however many Internationals is an absolute mystery.
Just makes you wonder how bad the rest were.
Look, we've sold our best 3 players in the last 2 years. Not one of our players last night would have got into the Man U team with perhaps the exception of Given. Young on the night looked an average Man U player.
None of that is AMs fault. The difference between Man U, City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and the rest of the PL is massive. We were totally outplayed in midfield by a much better team. The defence did a reasonable job keeping it to 1 - 0. That is to AMs credit.
To those of you who want to blame AM for everything and in particular for losing 1 - 0 to Man U, I say get a life and get real.
-
(http://www.artandperception.com/v01/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/gericault-raft_of_the_medusa.jpg)
-
It was a strange game. I've accepted that we're not going to have a good season and that against the better teams we're going to defend deep and hope for either 0-0 draw or really jammy 1-0 win. I don't know how we can expect any more really, we've stripped most of the talent out of the club, I still think though that we're better than what we're seeing, we could and should have had a proper go at them yesterday,like us they're not the team they used to be.
-
(http://www.artandperception.com/v01/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/gericault-raft_of_the_medusa.jpg)
That scenario isn't as bad as it looks, were't they rescued?
-
The lengths some people will go to for some duty frees.
-
(http://www.artandperception.com/v01/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/gericault-raft_of_the_medusa.jpg)
That scenario isn't as bad as it looks, were't they rescued?
I'm an optimist.
-
The lengths some people will go to for some duty frees.
Ironically if my history lessons serve me right, weren't they they survivors of a French shipwreck! It's all Houllier's fault.
-
Look, we've sold our best 3 players in the last 2 years. Not one of our players last night would have got into the Man U team with perhaps the exception of Given. Young on the night looked an average Man U player.
None of that is AMs fault. The difference between Man U, City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and the rest of the PL is massive. We were totally outplayed in midfield by a much better team. The defence did a reasonable job keeping it to 1 - 0. That is to AMs credit.
To those of you who want to blame AM for everything and in particular for losing 1 - 0 to Man U, I say get a life and get real.
What? Are you real?
Take this time last year. We had Young and Downing v Man U at home they have been replaced by N'Zogiba and Bent.
Yes, N'Zogiba didn't play - ask the manager why. Also on the subject of the 'manager' I had the pleasure of talking to the former, Sunderland, Villa, Albion, Blues and current Blackpool striker recently. - to quote.. "he is defensive and likes to keep it narrow, you are in a for a long hard season".
No shit.
-
(http://cdn4.wn.com/pd/94/68/a54cb1142ecb1c47d3973ac8ddc2_grande.jpg)
-
(http://www.seawater.no/blog/images/IMG2011_8134.jpg)
-
Read this on the Guardian coverage of the match.
That was possibly the worst game of football ever played. No blame attached to United, who did what they had to do, away from home. Villa, however, were nothing short of an ambition-free disgrace. Premier League football isn't cheap, and their fans deserve better entertainment than that. The home fans - the ones who could be bothered to stay until the end - boo their team off. To repeat a question from the first half: I wonder how long this Alex McLeish business will last?
-
Read this on the Guardian coverage of the match.
That was possibly the worst game of football ever played. No blame attached to United, who did what they had to do, away from home. Villa, however, were nothing short of an ambition-free disgrace. Premier League football isn't cheap, and their fans deserve better entertainment than that. The home fans - the ones who could be bothered to stay until the end - boo their team off. To repeat a question from the first half: I wonder how long this Alex McLeish business will last?
Sums it up for me.
-
Read this on the Guardian coverage of the match.
That was possibly the worst game of football ever played. No blame attached to United, who did what they had to do, away from home. Villa, however, were nothing short of an ambition-free disgrace. Premier League football isn't cheap, and their fans deserve better entertainment than that. The home fans - the ones who could be bothered to stay until the end - boo their team off. To repeat a question from the first half: I wonder how long this Alex McLeish business will last?
How embarrasing and how true, sad times.
-
Look, we've sold our best 3 players in the last 2 years. Not one of our players last night would have got into the Man U team with perhaps the exception of Given. Young on the night looked an average Man U player.
None of that is AMs fault. The difference between Man U, City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and the rest of the PL is massive. We were totally outplayed in midfield by a much better team. The defence did a reasonable job keeping it to 1 - 0. That is to AMs credit.
To those of you who want to blame AM for everything and in particular for losing 1 - 0 to Man U, I say get a life and get real.
What? Are you real?
Take this time last year. We had Young and Downing v Man U at home they have been replaced by N'Zogiba and Bent.
Yes, N'Zogiba didn't play - ask the manager why. Also on the subject of the 'manager' I had the pleasure of talking to the former, Sunderland, Villa, Albion, Blues and current Blackpool striker recently. - to quote.. "he is defensive and likes to keep it narrow, you are in a for a long hard season".
No shit.
N'Zogbia apparently didn't play because of a 'breach of discipline', according to the club.
We played with two wide players. Last season no player in the PL. put in more crosses than Downing. N'Zogbia is hardly an adequate replacement for either of them.
I agree we are in a mess but to suggest the players we have are as good as last year or that it's all AMs fault just isn't right.
-
The players don't want to play for Mcleish!
I'm getting sick of excuses from him, one week he says we can't defend and we give sloppy goals away, then he says we can't pass and keep the ball, what will he say next?
Hello! Mcleish YOU are the manager so if we can't pass and defend that's down to you!
Its as bad now as under O'leary! shockingly bad!
-
May have missed it, but is there any news on Shay Given's injury?
-
May have missed it, but is there any news on Shay Given's injury?
This is all i've seen so far.
Villa wait an anxious check on the fitness of keeper Shay Given (suspected hamstring) and midfielder Jermaine Jenas (Achilles) who were both stretchered off.
McLeish said: 'With Shay, it may be a grade one hamstring injury, which is the smallest tear.
'It can be three or four weeks. A hamstring at any stage is never an overnight job. Let's hope it's not too severe.
'It might even be Monday before we can scan Jermaine's Achilles and then the doctor will have to give us his assessment. Injuries are putting pressure on the squad.'
-
My mom's addicted to Strictly Come Dancing and has called me tonight to let me know Robbie Savage is no longer in the competition. Which has reminded me that my highlight of yesterday's game was receiving a text from a friend updating me on his view that Robbie Savage was a prat on SCD.
Which means for me news about a television show that I don't watch was more interesting than what was on offer at Villa Park.
-
Only saw the 'highlights' on MOTD but i'm beyond laughing at Heskey these days. His pathetic attempt that went for a throw in made me quite angry, how the fuck he has played 500 top flight games as well as however many Internationals is an absolute mystery.
Just makes you wonder how bad the rest were.
Look, we've sold our best 3 players in the last 2 years. Not one of our players last night would have got into the Man U team with perhaps the exception of Given. Young on the night looked an average Man U player.
None of that is AMs fault. The difference between Man U, City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and the rest of the PL is massive. We were totally outplayed in midfield by a much better team. The defence did a reasonable job keeping it to 1 - 0. That is to AMs credit.
To those of you who want to blame AM for everything and in particular for losing 1 - 0 to Man U, I say get a life and get real.
The problem is that I think we have had enough time to see how this manager sets the team up and his tactical incompetence. Stand back on the edge of the penalty area, dont press the ball or close space and when we do get the ball boot it up the pitch. I dont blame Mcliesh for the lack of players that are available, but his approach and the seeming lack of any direction or passion is surely down to him.
-
I think it might be more complex than that.
Individually the Man U players were technically superior to any of our lot, which is why they play for Man U. They put every 1st ball to one of theirs. Our back 4 just tried to head the ball as far away as possible. Then they pinged it round the midfield and had Bannan Herd and Jenas running every which way.
Heskey and Petrov came on, brought some experience and fresh legs and we started to get into the game. Our starting midfield 3 didn't stand a chance really.
-
It was one of the dullest games of football. What annoyed me nearly as much as the diabolical performance on the pitch was the mindless booing of Ashley young. What does a player have to do at villa park to earn respect of its fans. I was embarrassed by the booing.
The other thing that got me worried is that Americans never normally get British sarcastic humour. So I'm scared that when Heskey came on to massive applause and chanting of his name like a villa hero, randy is going to take it seriously and sanction a contract extention thinking it'll be one move to help get the fans back onside. And maybe think that idiotic attempt on goal that resulted in a throw is was just a one off.
Chants of shit support m'lord I found quite funny too since in essence united brought and extra 7000 fans to the ground compared to what we normally have down at VP this season.
-
The players don't want to play for McLeish.
Seemingly true. It's a pity they don't have a look at their contracts. Piss poor players thrive in situations like this. Where is their pride?
-
The players do not want to play this way or for the manager, the amount of times he was shouting at senior pro's for them to look confused by him was unreal. At least 2 times Dunne came over for instructions and left shaking his head
I too wanted AM to do well but all i get is my Blues mates telling em change the kit and its like watching them for the last 3 years - and to think we used to take the piss out of them for their style of play
I am never one to ask for the axe to fall but if we dont then we are in big trouble. My mates tell me that whilst every week they complained about his anti football and lack of bottle they slowly picked up a point here and narrow defeat (by scoreline rather than unlucky defeat as they were outplayed in most games) there but the slide was set and he could not stop it. His insistance to play the way he does ulitmately meant they went down.
MON was accused quite rightly of having no plan B - this guy does not have a plan A
He has got to go now and we need to eat some humbe pie and go get Mark Hughes
-
Read this on the Guardian coverage of the match.
That was possibly the worst game of football ever played. No blame attached to United, who did what they had to do, away from home. Villa, however, were nothing short of an ambition-free disgrace. Premier League football isn't cheap, and their fans deserve better entertainment than that. The home fans - the ones who could be bothered to stay until the end - boo their team off. To repeat a question from the first half: I wonder how long this Alex McLeish business will last?
That's one of the comments I had in mind when I expressed the hope that RL was reading some of the media comments a couple of pages ago. It's as damning as it is true, and it's far from being an isolated case. Hopefully the penny will drop with Lerner eventually.