Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Match Threads & Player Ratings => Topic started by: Legion on March 04, 2013, 09:33:55 AM
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Available Monday night.
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Lack of creativity, nzogbia , weimann and gabby all poor - shocking goal conceded by clark being careless- delph was the best player by a distance - need to improve a great deal in the next 2 games or the game will be up- disappointing evening really where we have rarely looked remotely like scoring - time is running out - must do far far better !
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Bobbins.
Good night.
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Delph out for the next 2 games Great !
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WDODAGA
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Idiotic defending costs us again, but obviously that's the case. Bennett did ok, but none of the back four are good enough. Not enough creativity. Guzan top class, Delph was very good but gets a very harsh booking and now out of two key games.
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Depressing
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Load of rubbish. Benteke did well, Guzan kept us in it, Bennett had the odd good moment going forward. Far too many players just aren't good enough though, and I have no confidence that we'll do anything in the next two matches.
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If we don't get 6 points in next 2 games forget it
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Our best player tonight misses our most important games of the season....the next two.
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Fuck it, cant be disappointed because there was never any hope...
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Didn't really look like scoring but at least we kept the score down.
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Not great, not awful.
We've been much worse this season.
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Utter, Utter arse.
Guzan - MOTM 8
The Defence - 2. Special mention for Clark. Should be fined 2 weeks wages for attempting something miles above his skillset.
Delph - 6 ok in parts
Westwood - 5 Anonymous
Wiemann - 5 poor
Gabby - 5 looked up for it and then did his usual disappearing act
N.Zogbia - 3 - BACK TO HIS BEST
Benteke - 6. Probably the best of a bad lot up front.
SUBS: meh
Lambert - 2 just go ffs. You're patently out of your depth and staying to oversee this car crash will only make you long term unemployable. You can't motivate, you certainly can't drill a defence, what are you good at?
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I hate football.
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Started off better than usual, got steadily worse as the game progressed, and ended up as completely awful as we usually are.
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Lots of effort, little quality and the usual defensive clanger dropped. Topped off nicely with a mindless booking for our best player that sees him out of the next two, crucial games.
We are enjoying special times, aren't we.
Two things that will stand out for me are Lowton's marking at a City corner and his outrageously bad corner at the end. He's been pretty good this season at times but is going through a nightmarish run of form.
Clark isn't good enough and I'm not even surprised anymore.
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We just didn't look like scoring. The lack of confidence is really apparent. One shot on goal was it?
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Plenty of effort but no real quality and done of the defending at times is totally comical. The Delph booking at the end could really cost us. You could see he was losing his head with 15 mins to go and should have been taken off.
We should have had a penalty against Benteke though.
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Can't wait for the season to be over.
Either way.
Becoming cannon fodder for other teams really pisses me off.
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At least they'll be more games like this to come. Teams are not gonna have that much to play for soon so we could produce a few shock results and beat Fulham, Sunderland, Stoke etc. Shite performance anyway.
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Delph played well. He's no use sitting in the stands though....plonker
Lose to Reading and beat QPR. Me thinks this is going to the last game of the season.
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Lots of effort, inadequate quality, ref gave us nothing then took out Delph for the two huge upcoming matches.
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Could have played all night but never looked like scoring - but it was not a thrashing so now 'we go again' in the next 2 MUST WIN games!
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Fucking useless prick Clark. I never thought I would hear myself say the words, 'shit we are without Delph' who was the best player by a country mile. Gabby crap - how does he keep conning us every week. We have reached the moment in the season boys and girls - the Charlton 1987 moment. The next two games WILL determine our fate.
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Didn't really look like scoring but at least we kept the score down.
It comes to something that a 0-1 loss to City almost feels like a win and no doubt that's how Lambert will spin it.
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It was idiocy from the manager not to bring Delph off to protect him. We simply have to win the next two games, nothing else will do.
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We were playing a team that has lost only three this season. We took the game to them for periods of the match and did not deserve to lose.
At he end of it all Man City won with a debatable goal, and we should have had a penalty of our own.
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Would you start Bent against Reading assuming he's back?
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We pick ourselves up right about now and go again brother, right about now, we pick ourselves up right about now, we pick ourselves up and go again, pickpickpickpickpickpick right about now we pick ourselves up and go again, the funk so Villa.
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Delph out for the next 2 games Great !
When the commentators said that he would be banned for the games against Reading and QPR if got booked, I just knew he would get booked in the end. He got booked after 93 and a half minutes out of 94... Surely he must have known and yet... I am frustrated about this as he is actually playing good at the momemt.
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Would you start Bent against Reading assuming he's back?
Ian Danter said he's going to be out for weeks
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not as many clown moments as usual. One cost us the match however and another has led to a suspension.
I'm not going to get too upset about Delph, he's just one of the nicer turds
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Mancini is just on saying Aston Villa is a good team. Nice of you to lie on our behalf.
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We were playing a team that has lost only three this season. We took the game to them for periods of the match and did not deserve to lose.
At he end of it all Man City won with a debatable goal, and we should have had a penalty of our own.
Doesn't matter now though, we've given up too many points against much worse sides that we need points in games like this.
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Would you start Bent against Reading assuming he's back?
Yes but with knob head in charge he'll put Bowery in.
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Clark needs to sit. Whatever that means.
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Baker and Clark are both idiotic as well which doesn't help.
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Confused by the subs - we need a goal so our leader takes off a forward & brings on a untried midfielder, can someone explain that one?????
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Delph played well but what did he actually do in terms of creating assists? Not much. Overated.
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Physically and mentally too weak.
There was an incident in the 2nd half when Dzeko just shrugged off both Lowton and Clark far too easily, summed us up.
I was laughing when Westwood confronted Toure.....whats he going to do to stop him.Why have'nt we seen Silla?, as far as i'm concerned the only hope for us to stop up.If he is physically strong enough and ok as a footballer then he should be playing.
I feel sorry for Benteke, looked the only player we have up to their standard.We're going down, and the board and the manager are both to blame.Lowton, Clark, Westwood, Hawkins, Gabby, are nowhere near enough Prem quality.
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Mancini is just on saying Aston Villa is a good team. Nice of you to lie on our behalf.
he just said it again and said it was strange we were in the bottom. I think he's embarrassed about scoring 1 goal against us
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Confused by the subs - we need a goal so our leader takes off a forward & brings on a untried midfielder, can someone explain that one?????
the guy hasn't a scooby?
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I couldn't see us creating much and I was proved right, meh!
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Delph was brilliant, but picked up a pointless booking, ruling him out of the two biggest games we will have for years. Guzan fantastic also. As a unit, I felt the defense were decent overall. This was against the current Champions remember, with limitless funding.
A point was the best most of us thought we could get, and we were possibly a few decisions going our way away from getting one.
I'm adamant Clark was fouled. He shouldn't have been arsing about in that situation granted, but he was fouled and we should have had a free kick. Nastasic deliberately handled in the area, and we could have had a penalty.
Gutted not to get something
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We were playing a team that has lost only three this season. We took the game to them for periods of the match and did not deserve to lose.
At he end of it all Man City won with a debatable goal, and we should have had a penalty of our own.
Doesn't matter now though, we've given up too many points against much worse sides that we need points in games like this.
And we made a pretty good stab at getting something. Not successfully, but deserving better than some of the comments I've seem here.
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Our whole season is meh...
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We just didn't look like scoring. The lack of confidence is really apparent. One shot on goal was it?
!0 shots. 5 on target. According to the Beeb.
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Better than i thought. I thought we'd get thrashed
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I gave up my season ticket for the night and avoided the game on TV. I'm pleasantly surprised to check now and see it was only 0-1. All in all a very sorry state of affairs.
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We were playing a team that has lost only three this season. We took the game to them for periods of the match and did not deserve to lose.
At he end of it all Man City won with a debatable goal, and we should have had a penalty of our own.
Doesn't matter now though, we've given up too many points against much worse sides that we need points in games like this.
And we made a pretty good stab at getting something. Not successfully, but deserving better than some of the comments I've seem here.
Handing out praise after defeats is not going to do us any good now.
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We were playing a team that has lost only three this season. We took the game to them for periods of the match and did not deserve to lose.
At he end of it all Man City won with a debatable goal, and we should have had a penalty of our own.
Doesn't matter now though, we've given up too many points against much worse sides that we need points in games like this.
And we made a pretty good stab at getting something. Not successfully, but deserving better than some of the comments I've seem here.
I fully endorse this post.
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fuck off Clark, completely runied it. I'm positive we could of got a good draw tonight which would had lift us out the bottom 3 and would have given us confidence going into the weekend. Tonight I was more optimistic than others about getting a point. its not.about the next two games mattering the most (OK maybe it is now) because if things don't go how we want a bonus point tonight we've dropped to make up the difference in points that might be dropped in next two games is vital.
We looked ok tonight considering the opposition we were playing and it makes me feel at despair that we lost to such a cheap goal you can't even imagine.
If the performances are there then will the results come we need ffs.
We absolutely need to get a minimum of 4 points from next two games otherwise I feel it really could be it and cant bare to think about that. I keep telling myself we just need to better the results of wigan, reading and qpr but don't feel we're capable.
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5 wins in 38 league games according to the radio and we need 4 probably to stay up.....
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Delphs final pass always lets him down. Did anyone really expect a result for us out of this game? don't get upset anymore i'm over it, when we didn't buy a decent centre back and a good midfielder in January the writing was on the wall.Greta club, shit owner, shit C.E.O, and a manager that can't teach players how to defend.
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We just didn't look like scoring. The lack of confidence is really apparent. One shot on goal was it?
!0 shots. 5 on target. According to the Beeb.
One on target, according to opta
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We were playing a team that has lost only three this season. We took the game to them for periods of the match and did not deserve to lose.
At he end of it all Man City won with a debatable goal, and we should have had a penalty of our own.
Doesn't matter now though, we've given up too many points against much worse sides that we need points in games like this.
And we made a pretty good stab at getting something. Not successfully, but deserving better than some of the comments I've seem here.
Handing out praise after defeats is not going to do us any good now.
Nor is wailing about how shit everything is. In real terms, one is about as useful as the other.
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0 shots on target.Grasping at straws here, but was'nt Bentekes header cleared off the line?
Also penalty?....seen them given.
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letting a goal in just before half-time to faffing around is just unforgivable. Screams "going down" to me. Its what relegated-bound teams do. Fucking row z.
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Got what we expected, nothing.
In these games where you expect, and get, nothing, you at least want to see something that gives you hope for the matches where you have a hope of getting points.
You could argue tonight we did this, we did that yada yada but really, I saw absolutely nothing that suggests we are improving.
We are done for. The number of games left to show some sign of improvement is dwindling, and the turnaround just doesn't cone.
The club was relegated in January 31st, and we fully deserve it, we brought it on ourselves. The squad is pathetically weak, nowhere near good enough, and we did nothing to improve it.
Lerner and the clueless twelve year old he has left running the shop now he can't be fucked any more have sat by and watched the club go to shit and they're too stupid to realise it us happening.
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I think they tried hard enough don't get me wrong, but they never, ever look like scoring (the first half header apart). You can usually tell by the crowd noise if there is expectancy and there wasn't tonight.
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The positives
Guzan – prevented a hammering
Delph – starting to look a decent player but still gets an unnecessary booking and now arguably our best midfielder misses our two most important games.
The not so positives
Lowton average verging on mediocre Championship/League 1 player. Quite why he’s rated so highly by some I’ll never know. No pace, no ability to take a player on, no tricks, easily beaten. Meh!
Westwood – as above
Bennett – several degrees worse than Lowton and Westwood. The epitome of a fairy on a gob of lard.
Clark – utterly useless all season and capped it tonight by gifting City a totally avoidable goal which has cost us. Possibly fouled but what the fuck was he thinking? Twat.
Baker – decent in the air but launching yourself into challenges like a missile from ten yards away is always going to result in yellow cards, unnecessary free kicks and most likely goals conceded.
Our “defending” is comically naďve at times, it’s like watching schoolboy football.
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Delph broke up play well. Westwood pretty anonymous. I didn't hate watching this game though. We were playing the best defence in the league and we've played worse.
Need someone to take responsibility up front and take a risk. Too many safe passes.
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I think they tried hard enough don't get me wrong, but they never, ever look like scoring (the first half header apart). You can usually tell by the crowd noise if there is expectancy and there wasn't tonight.
The players just are not good enough, it is as simple as that.
Look at our squad, and have a think about how many other PL sides would covet them. Can you see the likes of Bennett, Clark, Delph et al getting into many other top flight sides?
Too many youth products and cheap lower leagues purchases. There's a difference between astute lower league purchases added to a squad with experience, and what we have, which really looks like a trolley dash around the third division.
Too many of them, too quickly.
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I think they tried hard enough don't get me wrong, but they never, ever look like scoring (the first half header apart). You can usually tell by the crowd noise if there is expectancy and there wasn't tonight.
The players just are not good enough, it is as simple as that.
Look at our squad, and have a think about how many other PL sides would covet them. Can you see the likes of Bennett, Clark, Delph et al getting into many other top flight sides?
Too many youth products and cheap lower leagues purchases. There's a difference between astute lower league purchases added to a squad with experience, and what we have, which really looks like a trolley dash around the third division.
Too many of them, too quickly.
The scary thing is that if we go down many of them will still be playing above their level. Harsh on Delph btw, he's looked good recently and was excellent tonight apart from the booking.
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I think they tried hard enough don't get me wrong, but they never, ever look like scoring (the first half header apart). You can usually tell by the crowd noise if there is expectancy and there wasn't tonight.
The players just are not good enough, it is as simple as that.
Look at our squad, and have a think about how many other PL sides would covet them. Can you see the likes of Bennett, Clark, Delph et al getting into many other top flight sides?
Too many youth products and cheap lower leagues purchases. There's a difference between astute lower league purchases added to a squad with experience, and what we have, which really looks like a trolley dash around the third division.
Too many of them, too quickly.
Precisely. We needed to blend players in alongside experience. Lowton is a prime example, he should never ever have been ever present this year. He's too weak and naive. Our ownership's and management's approach to this season has been utterly suicidal.
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I think they tried hard enough don't get me wrong, but they never, ever look like scoring (the first half header apart). You can usually tell by the crowd noise if there is expectancy and there wasn't tonight.
The players just are not good enough, it is as simple as that.
Look at our squad, and have a think about how many other PL sides would covet them. Can you see the likes of Bennett, Clark, Delph et al getting into many other top flight sides?
Too many youth products and cheap lower leagues purchases. There's a difference between astute lower league purchases added to a squad with experience, and what we have, which really looks like a trolley dash around the third division.
Too many of them, too quickly.
The scary thing is that if we go down many of them will still be playing above their level.
I agree.
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looks like we're heading for at least 9 home defeats. is that worse than last year? Im just gutted we've got a game sat when Im out on the piss. bound to spoil the day
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I think they tried hard enough don't get me wrong, but they never, ever look like scoring (the first half header apart). You can usually tell by the crowd noise if there is expectancy and there wasn't tonight.
The players just are not good enough, it is as simple as that.
Look at our squad, and have a think about how many other PL sides would covet them. Can you see the likes of Bennett, Clark, Delph et al getting into many other top flight sides?
Too many youth products and cheap lower leagues purchases. There's a difference between astute lower league purchases added to a squad with experience, and what we have, which really looks like a trolley dash around the third division.
Too many of them, too quickly.
The scary thing is that if we go down many of them will still be playing above their level.
long term planning that. In four years time our defence will cleaning up the conference clean-sheet wise
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Would many high end Championship sides swap their back four for ours? I doubt it. We can talk about giving it a go, but if it wasn't for Guzan we'd have been battered. Also to lose 1-0 to that goal, perfectly sums up our problems this year.
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I think they tried hard enough don't get me wrong, but they never, ever look like scoring (the first half header apart). You can usually tell by the crowd noise if there is expectancy and there wasn't tonight.
The players just are not good enough, it is as simple as that.
Look at our squad, and have a think about how many other PL sides would covet them. Can you see the likes of Bennett, Clark, Delph et al getting into many other top flight sides?
Too many youth products and cheap lower leagues purchases. There's a difference between astute lower league purchases added to a squad with experience, and what we have, which really looks like a trolley dash around the third division.
Too many of them, too quickly.
The scary thing is that if we go down many of them will still be playing above their level.
I agree.
It's a nice soundbite, but which ones are you thinking of?
Most people seem to think that Lowton, Westwood and Baker have been respectable this season. Bennett was presumably pretty good in the Championship so I don't think that all of a sudden that it'll be beyond him. Delph's been our best player so far this calendar year. Clark's had some pretty hairy moments but again, not good enough for the Championship?
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I think they tried hard enough don't get me wrong, but they never, ever look like scoring (the first half header apart). You can usually tell by the crowd noise if there is expectancy and there wasn't tonight.
The players just are not good enough, it is as simple as that.
Look at our squad, and have a think about how many other PL sides would covet them. Can you see the likes of Bennett, Clark, Delph et al getting into many other top flight sides?
Too many youth products and cheap lower leagues purchases. There's a difference between astute lower league purchases added to a squad with experience, and what we have, which really looks like a trolley dash around the third division.
Too many of them, too quickly.
The scary thing is that if we go down many of them will still be playing above their level.
I agree.
So we'll go from a mediocre Premier League club to a mediocre Championship club? I don't think this was as bad as everyone is making it out to be. We had some pretty decent spells of possession and opened up City in the middle of the park with ease. We kept it simple and passed to open mates. We neutralized City better than most of the clubs in the Prem this year. We constantly complain about our midfield but today, given their tall task, I would say they did pretty well.
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Would many high end Championship sides swap their back four for ours? I doubt it. We can talk about giving it a go, but if it wasn't for Guzan we'd have been battered. Also to lose 1-0 to that goal, perfectly sums up our problems this year.
Aye. the goal was totally avoidable. Just fuckwittery that the manager doesn't seem to be able to stamp out
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Watching villa is becoming like getting up for work in the morning. Yawn, here we go again...
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Would many high end Championship sides swap their back four for ours? I doubt it. We can talk about giving it a go, but if it wasn't for Guzan we'd have been battered. Also to lose 1-0 to that goal, perfectly sums up our problems this year.
Aye. the goal was totally avoidable. Just fuckwittery that the manager doesn't seem to be able to stamp out
A Cruyff in stoppage time as the last defender against Man City, are you NUTS?!
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Would many high end Championship sides swap their back four for ours? I doubt it. We can talk about giving it a go, but if it wasn't for Guzan we'd have been battered. Also to lose 1-0 to that goal, perfectly sums up our problems this year.
Indeed, if they'd come and played like they can and stuck 5 past us you'd probably say ok that's what they are capable of. But despite them almost getting three, they were not that good, and Guzan plus some last ditch defending looked capable of keeping them at bay. The last thing you need in that situation is to gift them a goal. And that's why a walking cock-up like Clark should be nowhere near the first team.
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Didn't expect too much from the last two games. The next two are the money games.
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Am I dreaming or did Lambert just say Clark has been playing a really high standard this season?
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looks like we're heading for at least 9 home defeats. is that worse than last year? Im just gutted we've got a game sat when Im out on the piss. bound to spoil the day
Apparantly we have now conceded the same amount of goals as we did in the whole of last season.
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Shaun Teale doesn't mince his words does he?
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Most people seem to think that Lowton, Westwood and Baker have been respectable this season. Bennett was presumably pretty good in the Championship so I don't think that all of a sudden that it'll be beyond him. Delph's been our best player so far this calendar year. Clark's had some pretty hairy moments but again, not good enough for the Championship?
Lowton, Westwood, and Baker are all promising players, and have all had decent matches, our problem is that they're all starting matches togehter, week after week, when they're not ready to do so. They're going to struggle in the championship, let alone the top flight, if they're thrown in like that.
Clark is a decent footballer, but he's no centre half, in any division. Bennett looks fecking awful, like a child who has wandered onto the wrong pitch. I've no idea what he was like for Boro, but on what I have seen this season, I'd imagine he was no Ashley Cole.
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So 14 home games and weve scored 11 goals
Abysmal
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Would many high end Championship sides swap their back four for ours? I doubt it. We can talk about giving it a go, but if it wasn't for Guzan we'd have been battered. Also to lose 1-0 to that goal, perfectly sums up our problems this year.
Aye. the goal was totally avoidable. Just fuckwittery that the manager doesn't seem to be able to stamp out
A Cruyff in stoppage time as the last defender against Man City, are you NUTS?!
heh indeed. You couldn't make it up.
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Shaun Teale doesn't mince his words does he?
What's he said?
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Shaun Teale doesn't mince his words does he?
Where is he on ?
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Shaun Teale doesn't mince his words does he?
What's he said?
'Tha' fooooking useless.'
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Happy we didnt get thrashed. Honestly this Villa team, owner, manager have beaten the hope out of me. I am just numb. I genuinely enjoy watching a serie a game more than the premier league now, its just too painful to be reminded of how fast our decline has been.
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Twitter and facebook
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Most people seem to think that Lowton, Westwood and Baker have been respectable this season. Bennett was presumably pretty good in the Championship so I don't think that all of a sudden that it'll be beyond him. Delph's been our best player so far this calendar year. Clark's had some pretty hairy moments but again, not good enough for the Championship?
Lowton, Westwood, and Baker are all promising players, and have all had decent matches, our problem is that they're all starting matches togehter, week after week, when they're not ready to do so. They're going to struggle in the championship, let alone the top flight, if they're thrown in like that.
Clark is a decent footballer, but he's no centre half, in any division. Bennett looks fecking awful, like a child who has wandered onto the wrong pitch. I've no idea what he was like for Boro, but on what I have seen this season, I'd imagine he was no Ashley Cole.
Without being surrounded by enviable pros! How can you learn to play properly if you look to your left and right and you see two young mercenaries that haven't got a clue?
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Gary Neville spot on as usual.
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Most people seem to think that Lowton, Westwood and Baker have been respectable this season. Bennett was presumably pretty good in the Championship so I don't think that all of a sudden that it'll be beyond him. Delph's been our best player so far this calendar year. Clark's had some pretty hairy moments but again, not good enough for the Championship?
Lowton, Westwood, and Baker are all promising players, and have all had decent matches, our problem is that they're all starting matches togehter, week after week, when they're not ready to do so. They're going to struggle in the championship, let alone the top flight, if they're thrown in like that.
Clark is a decent footballer, but he's no centre half, in any division. Bennett looks fecking awful, like a child who has wandered onto the wrong pitch. I've no idea what he was like for Boro, but on what I have seen this season, I'd imagine he was no Ashley Cole.
Without being surrounded by enviable pros! How can you learn to play properly if you look to your left and right and you see two young mercenaries that haven't got a clue?
Ask the chairman or the manager.
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Gary Neville spot on as usual.
He's a great pundit
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Lowton, Westwood, and Baker are all promising players, and have all had decent matches, our problem is that they're all starting matches togehter, week after week, when they're not ready to do so. They're going to struggle in the championship, let alone the top flight, if they're thrown in like that.
That's fine, and I wouldn't disagree with that. But that's a world away from the Championship being a league above what they as individuals are capable of.
Clark is a decent footballer, but he's no centre half, in any division. Bennett looks fecking awful, like a child who has wandered onto the wrong pitch. I've no idea what he was like for Boro, but on what I have seen this season, I'd imagine he was no Ashley Cole.
But considering he's played at every level for England up to his current age group and stood out enough to warrant us to throw Ł3m or so at them, presumably he didn't look like well, like Joe Bennett looks like now.
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Gary Neville spot on as usual.
He's a great pundit
He is indeed, superb knowledge and insight.
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Lowton, Westwood, and Baker are all promising players, and have all had decent matches, our problem is that they're all starting matches togehter, week after week, when they're not ready to do so. They're going to struggle in the championship, let alone the top flight, if they're thrown in like that.
That's fine, and I wouldn't disagree with that. But that's a world away from the Championship being a league above what they as individuals are capable of.
Clark is a decent footballer, but he's no centre half, in any division. Bennett looks fecking awful, like a child who has wandered onto the wrong pitch. I've no idea what he was like for Boro, but on what I have seen this season, I'd imagine he was no Ashley Cole.
But considering he's played at every level for England and stood out enough to warrant us to throw Ł3m or so at them, presumably he didn't look like well, like Joe Bennett looks like now.
Well, I don't know, but on the basis of what I have seen so far, it looks like 3m pissed up the wall.
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I think they tried hard enough don't get me wrong, but they never, ever look like scoring (the first half header apart). You can usually tell by the crowd noise if there is expectancy and there wasn't tonight.
The players just are not good enough, it is as simple as that.
Look at our squad, and have a think about how many other PL sides would covet them. Can you see the likes of Bennett, Clark, Delph et al getting into many other top flight sides?
Too many youth products and cheap lower leagues purchases. There's a difference between astute lower league purchases added to a squad with experience, and what we have, which really looks like a trolley dash around the third division.
Too many of them, too quickly.
The scary thing is that if we go down many of them will still be playing above their level.
I agree.
It's a nice soundbite, but which ones are you thinking of?
Most people seem to think that Lowton, Westwood and Baker have been respectable this season. Bennett was presumably pretty good in the Championship so I don't think that all of a sudden that it'll be beyond him. Delph's been our best player so far this calendar year. Clark's had some pretty hairy moments but again, not good enough for the Championship?
Disagree with Bennett. The boro fans didn't rate him and thought Friend was a better prospect and couldn't wait to snatch our hands off for the money we offered. As for Lowton, Clark and Baker, they haven't been decent, theres a reason why we've already let in 53 goals in the League.
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I have always had the belief that we will stay up. If we keep playing like that we will win more than not," Paul Lambert concludes. Full quotes to come.
From PL tonight.
That is all well and dandy, but where are these matches that we win more often than we lose? And are they going to start soon, because we run out of chances in ten games time.
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Lambert must be expecting a run of 10 wins on the bounce then. Another pleasing display for the boring one, he can go to bed happy.
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I think they tried hard enough don't get me wrong, but they never, ever look like scoring (the first half header apart). You can usually tell by the crowd noise if there is expectancy and there wasn't tonight.
The players just are not good enough, it is as simple as that.
Look at our squad, and have a think about how many other PL sides would covet them. Can you see the likes of Bennett, Clark, Delph et al getting into many other top flight sides?
Too many youth products and cheap lower leagues purchases. There's a difference between astute lower league purchases added to a squad with experience, and what we have, which really looks like a trolley dash around the third division.
Too many of them, too quickly.
The scary thing is that if we go down many of them will still be playing above their level.
I agree.
It's a nice soundbite, but which ones are you thinking of?
Most people seem to think that Lowton, Westwood and Baker have been respectable this season. Bennett was presumably pretty good in the Championship so I don't think that all of a sudden that it'll be beyond him. Delph's been our best player so far this calendar year. Clark's had some pretty hairy moments but again, not good enough for the Championship?
On recent evidence Lowton, Westwood, Bennett and Clark. Possibly Baker. I've been mystified at the praise for Lowton and Westwood all season. Totally mediocre and I think they would struggle at a lower level on this form. Bennett looks like he would struggle at under 15 level. Clark is a truly dreadful, awful player. Baker = bull in a china shop.
Delph looks the part recently and I've always liked him. Shame about the (lack of) discipline.
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Thats the thing. I keep hearing about us improving so where are the results?
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10 more cup finals , well 9 forget ManUre away
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Anything less than 6 points from the next two games and I fear we will be dead and buried
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I have been saying for ages but we are physically and mentally too weak. Each of the back 4 was physically bullied at times tonight and in one comical moment at the beginning of the second half one of them - Dzeko ? - had both Lowton and Clark flailing around him on the edge of our box ( I think this was the chance to Tevez that was cleared off the line). We also had moments when each of them was dallying on the ball in silly areas. Throw in Holman, Westwood, KEA at times and we are just too lightweight.
We lack leaders and fighters and too many players were below par tonight, far too many to really trouble City. Great header by Benteke but other than that I don't think Hart was troubled. I am pretty certain he didn't have to make a single save. And at no point did I feel anybody on our side was capable of rallying the troops.
So often our forwards were caught on their heels too, waiting for the ball and not moving towards it.
This feels just like 1987 all over again.
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Can't believe Paul Lambert didn't stop Clark from making that fuck up. What a shit manager to have not prevented him from ballsing it up.
Not very good, but not very bad I thought.
It's all about Reading who I think we're better than and then QPR will be a more tricky fixture. I'm confident though.
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Anything less than 6 points from the next two games and I fear we will be dead and buried
That's what worries me.
Our next two games are against QPR and Reading. We need to win them both. I genuinely wouldn't back us to win either of them, let alone both.
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I wish there was a way we could just see the results for these last 10 games now, because I can't be arsed paying attention.
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In addition, I've slated Delph many, many times in here, but I have to say he's having his best season this season and played well today. Neve stopped. However, I wish someone would tell him to stop his lunatic, over-the-top tackles, but other than that, he's starting to change my mind. Keep it up lad!
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Well CBBB Clark has made so many balls ups this season that maybe Lambert could have got his coaches to work on improving his defending, or maybe he could have signed one or two better CBs in the January window. But hey he's only paid a few million to manage, so perhaps we shouldn't expect him to actually do that much.
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Well CBBB Clark has made so many balls ups this season that maybe Lambert could have got his coaches to work on improving his defending, or maybe he could have signed one or two better CBs in the January window.
Bingo.
I honestly can't even begin to imagine how anyone who had watched us play this season up to that point, could have got to January and not thought we urgently, urgently needed a bit of experience at centre back.
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4 points is a must from the next two. Six would be great but four is more realistic.
I don't think even three would be good enough as that would mean losing one of the games and letting in either Reading and QPR.
Was happy how we played tonight but Clark's error summed up why we're down there really. It could've been a foul but you don't get those decisions when you're battling relegation.
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Lambert is Comical Ali - standing on the top of the hotel, (the Holte), claiming we are winning the war on Premier League survival when down below, opposition players are firing a continuous loop of free shots on our goal.
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I just can't see how we'll stay up with this defence. Its like starting a goal down every game. Citeh weren't on top form but they still could have had 3 bar Brad. Seeing Lambchop refuses to play the DM he bought in January why doesn't he at least try something. Surely even holman or N'zogbia at the back is worth a try.
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Anything less than 6 points from the next two games and I fear we will be dead and buried
That's what worries me.
Our next two games are against QPR and Reading. We need to win them both. I genuinely wouldn't back us to win either of them, let alone both.
I disagree. Beat Reading and not lose to QPR wouldn't be the end of the world. QPR will be the tougher fixture.
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The club was relegated in January 31st, and we fully deserve it, we brought it on ourselves. The squad is pathetically weak, nowhere near good enough, and we did nothing to improve it.
I agree with this. The two players who were brought in in January make the occasional 80th minute substitute appearance between them - which suggests that they aren't capable of providing the impetus that was desperately needed. At the same time our defence continues to look like an accident waiting to happen.
I don't think we played too badly tonight, and could easily have got something out of the game with a bit of luck - the same story as at Arsenal. The goal goes down as a Clark error for me, and whilst that particular error isn't what will have relegated us, its one of the many errors that collectively will. I don't understand the licence given to supposed 'ball playing' centre backs. If they can't defend then they are a liability, regardless of how good there are on the ball. Other than being committed, I struggle to see what defensive attributes Clark has.
I didn't really expect us to get anything out of the game tonight, but we are going to have to get some unexpected points from somewhere or we are going down.
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Well CBBB Clark has made so many balls ups this season that maybe Lambert could have got his coaches to work on improving his defending, or maybe he could have signed one or two better CBs in the January window.
Bingo.
I honestly can't even begin to imagine how anyone who had watched us play this season up to that point, could have got to January and not thought we urgently, urgently needed a bit of experience at centre back.
Or give him the armband.. ???
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Lambert had the money for a centre half. He chose not to spend it.
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I actually think we will get heavily beaten at Reading. Our team has no substance.
It will be a repeat of Sept at St Mary's.
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I just can't see how we'll stay up with this defence. Its like starting a goal down every game. Citeh weren't on top form but they still could have had 3 bar Brad.
Yes, as with Arsenal in the last game, I think we were actually playing Citeh at a good time. They clearly weren't quite at it, and didn't have the urgency that you would expect of a team chasing the title - which suggests that they have pretty much given up. Even in these circumstances a combination of ineptitude and poor luck mean we conspire to get no points. This team doesn't seem to be capable of taking advantage of beneficial circumstances.
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Get real. We lost 1-0 to the current champions who have team that any one player is worth more than our team. Did we really think we would get anything out of it? As said next 2 games are huge the ones we MUST win. We did not look that bad.
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Anything less than 6 points from the next two games and I fear we will be dead and buried
That's what worries me.
Our next two games are against QPR and Reading. We need to win them both. I genuinely wouldn't back us to win either of them, let alone both.
I disagree. Beat Reading and not lose to QPR wouldn't be the end of the world. QPR will be the tougher fixture.
I see where your coming from but stand by my opinion on needing 6 points to stand any chance of avoiding the drop.
I believe that 37 points would see us staying up and winning the next two games is a big step to hitting that target.
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Get real. We lost 1-0 to the current champions who have team that any one player is worth more than our team. Did we really think we would get anything out of it? As said next 2 games are huge the ones we MUST win. We did not look that bad.
I guess Southampton must have gone out with that attitude a couple of weeks ago when the battered City. You are TSM and I claim my 5 pounds.
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I actually think we will get heavily beaten at Reading. Our team has no substance.
It will be a repeat of Sept at St Mary's.
I agree with this. No matter how much we want it to happen, it'll be as disappointing as ever. For all our effort we don't ever look like winning a game, let alone winning comfortably.
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I just can't see how we'll stay up with this defence. Its like starting a goal down every game. Citeh weren't on top form but they still could have had 3 bar Brad.
Yes, as with Arsenal in the last game, I think we were actually playing Citeh at a good time. They clearly weren't quite at it, and didn't have the urgency that you would expect of a team chasing the title - which suggests that they have pretty much given up. Even in these circumstances a combination of ineptitude and poor luck mean we conspire to get no points. This team doesn't seem to be capable of taking advantage of beneficial circumstances.
aye. we were perhaps unlucky with the penalty shout i think but it could have easily have been all over long before that
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We really are a masterclass in footballing suicide.
We started ok, then Man City started to get on top. Guzan keeps us in it and we should have got to half time 0-0.
Instead we sign our own death warrant and the 2nd half may as well not have existed.
Thank fuck the end is nigh the last 1.75 seasons have been dire... is there no cure for abysmalitis?
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Gosh, what a load of melodrama. We were okay, just not creative enough and one silly defensive error. Against Man City. I'm not slitting my wrists just yet. I know we're shit, everyone else does, but the fight is back and that might be enough to get us out of this hole.
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I just can't see how we'll stay up with this defence. Its like starting a goal down every game. Citeh weren't on top form but they still could have had 3 bar Brad.
Yes, as with Arsenal in the last game, I think we were actually playing Citeh at a good time. They clearly weren't quite at it, and didn't have the urgency that you would expect of a team chasing the title - which suggests that they have pretty much given up. Even in these circumstances a combination of ineptitude and poor luck mean we conspire to get no points. This team doesn't seem to be capable of taking advantage of beneficial circumstances.
aye. we were perhaps unlucky with the penalty shout i think but it could have easily have been all over long before that
It was a game when virtually nothing of note happened, and we still lost. That sums up Aston Villa 2012/13.
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Gosh, what a load of melodrama. We were okay, just not creative enough and one silly defensive error. Against Man City. I'm not slitting my wrists just yet. I know we're shit, everyone else does, but the fight is back and that might be enough to get us out of this hole.
Is it, though?
The fight, I mean?
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I think so. West Ham, good performance. Arsenal, not bad. Tonight, not bad. Since Newcastle second half, we haven't looked like a bottom three team to me.
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Rodwell's injury certainly helped Citeh because Dzeko was a more influential player for them putting more pressure on our backline.
It's nice to have that sort of option to call upon from the bench but you have to ask if their manager picked the wrong starting line up.
Management is so easy especially when you've got the spare cash to splash around.
Felt Dean certainly looked more kindly on them too. Missed the foul on Clark , the penalty on Benteke and was quick to flash the cards to the Villa boys whilst not punishing any of Citeh's players.
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I should add that I know people will think I'm papering over the cracks, but lots of people are saying we were shit tonight. I just don't see that.
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We are already staring into the abyss. We simply do not have the quality to survive IMO. Lambert managed to get two players in January who offer us nothing. I assume Cylla is very average and even worse than what we have. Dawkins maybe ok in the MLS but not the PL.
Also, why the hell didn't be take Delph off as he ALWAYS picks up a booking and we can't afford to have him missing for the next two. I'm going for a draw Saturday and defeat to QPR. Down bar the shouting.
Thanks Randy the Custodian for a nice pub and training ground, shame about the rest.
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Played well, we have turned the corner since HT against Newcastle.
We have 7 winnable games left. UTV,
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We have won 4 of our last 27 home games, picking up just 21 points, scoring 21 goals and conceding 39. Fickle my arse.
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I think so. West Ham, good performance. Arsenal, not bad. Tonight, not bad. Since Newcastle second half, we haven't looked like a bottom three team to me.
But you mention those four games, and we've taken a total of 3 points from 12 from them.
Not enough, not enough games left, and not enough momentum to suggest it is going to improve sufficiently. I understand what Lambert means when he said tonight "if we play like that, we will win more matches than we lose", but we really don't look like winning matches anything like enough.
Even against West Ham, a truly dreadful side, we managed to make it a torturous affair.
If we are going to not look a bottom three side, then we need to start winning games, and really quickly, because we're running out of time.
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I should add that I know people will think I'm papering over the cracks, but lots of people are saying we were shit tonight. I just don't see that.
Guzan kept the score line respectable at the end of the day. Still, our season depends largely on the next two games. Unfortunately I think Reading at least will beat us.
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We have won 4 of our last 27 home games, picking up just 21 points, scoring 21 goals and conceding 39. Fickle my arse.
That is pretty fucking shocking.
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I should add that I know people will think I'm papering over the cracks, but lots of people are saying we were shit tonight. I just don't see that.
We played ok in patches, the first half hour for example but its pointless if you turn to complete shit for 25 minutes every game.
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Midfield and defence not good enough right now. Simple as that. Sure, they're all capable of playing a good match. Just not the same one, and that's been our problem all season.
We didn't sign the experience we needed in the last two transfer windows, preferring to rely on Championship full-backs and faintly promising youth to deputise for Dunne and the quite blatantly injury-prone Vlaar, and there's a better than evens chance we will pay for it with relegation.
The club hierarchy have taken a massive gamble, and from where I'm sitting, it was akin to betting your annual pay packet on Sad Jim in the 3.30 at Chepstow.
The fucking dickheads.
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At the end of the day we played ok but it could easily have been 1-3 or 1-4.
We never really looked like scoring other than the off the line . City really cantered to a win.
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Played well, we have turned the corner since HT against Newcastle.
We have 7 winnable games left. UTV,
After years of wankers like O'Leary, Houllier and Mcleish trying to lower expectations it's finally happened if you think tonight was a good performance. The only good thing about it was the lack of another beating to ruin our already crap goal difference.
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I see where you're coming from, Paulie, but two of those games were against City and Arsenal. I think if we put that level of commitment in against teams in similar positions to us - who must also be down in the lower parts of the league for a reason - we have a better chance of getting points. I think we'll get all six - stranger things have happened.
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Delphs needless yellow means he will miss Reading and QPR .
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Harsh yellow. A poor night for the referee. Not biased, just crap.
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Delphs needless yellow means he will miss Reading and QPR .
Ironic as he's finally started to deliver
He's the most booked PL player though
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We have won 4 of our last 27 home games, picking up just 21 points, scoring 21 goals and conceding 39. Fickle my arse.
That is pretty fucking shocking.
Last 38 league games reads like this.
P38
W 5
D 14
L 19
G 32
A 71
PTS 29
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Why don't we see after the reading game? As it is we have just lost 2 games that any sane person would assume we were going to lose, without being embarrassed in either of them. I think a lot of people have been calling them winnable on very flimsy evidence. So what if Southampton beat city? They are still in the shit, plus we beat them as well, so what does it prove?
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We have won 4 of our last 27 home games, picking up just 21 points, scoring 21 goals and conceding 39. Fickle my arse.
That is pretty fucking shocking.
Last 38 league games reads like this.
P38
W 5
D 14
L 19
G 32
A 71
PTS 29
Our fans are beyond patient. We all deserve medals and t-shirts. What a depressing run that is.
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Why don't we see after the reading game? As it is we have just lost 2 games that any sane person would assume we were going to lose, without being embarrassed in either of them. I think a lot of people have been calling them winnable on very flimsy evidence. So what if Southampton beat city? They are still in the shit, plus we beat them as well, so what does it prove?
I haven't heard a single person call them winnable.
Southampton beat City, and are still in the shit, but not as much as we are.
When did we beat Southampton, by the way? I thought they'd taken six points from us.
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It was the game most of us wanted out the way and it was the result we all expected.
Roll on Reading.
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11 home goals
Reading have double that
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I'm not going to pan Clark too much.
He came through the ranks, and playing for the club does actually mean something to him, I think. Compare and contrast with some of the shitheads we've had wearing the shirt in recent years.
That said, he's clearly struggled for large parts of this season. He just seems too lightweight for a centre half, loses too many one on one duels with the forward. Not only this evening, but often. There is still a player in there somewhere (at midfield, for me) but we shouldn't be gambling our top flight status on continuing the experiment.
We clearly needed a CB in Jan. Everyone could see it, except the lemon in the boardroom and the lemon in the dugout. If RL had actually made enough funds available, via funds and wages - and Lambert didn't want to spend it, he should have been sacked for neglect.
We didn't necessarily need big darts spend on one either, Ł4/5 million would have got us a competent centre half from most leagues across the UK and Europe. Even a Colin Calderwood type short term deal would have done us the world of good, a senior pro who could have calmed things down and given out the bollockings as and when required.
Clark tries, bless him. But how can he dish out the bollockings when he's usually the one at fault.
City were there for the taking tonight, I reckon if they'd played any of the other 18 teams in the league, they wouldn't have got the three points with that performance. Thankfully (for them) they were playing us.
All well and good saying we didn't expect anything from the game, so it doesn't matter. But we're more than capable of coming up short in the games where we should collect points, so we need to grab them where we can.
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Reading are limited but have pace on the wings and Harte hits a good free kick into the box, we're not covered ourselves in glory all year against opposition with those attributes.
We need Teflon Ron out there, a knock and he's out for bleeding weeks again dear me.
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I am depressed tonight but agree that we probably will know more after our next two games.
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Why don't we see after the reading game? As it is we have just lost 2 games that any sane person would assume we were going to lose, without being embarrassed in either of them. I think a lot of people have been calling them winnable on very flimsy evidence. So what if Southampton beat city? They are still in the shit, plus we beat them as well, so what does it prove?
I haven't heard a single person call them winnable.
Southampton beat City, and are still in the shit, but not as much as we are.
When did we beat Southampton, by the way? I thought they'd taken six points from us.
I have, lots.
City not Southampton.
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Lambchop had the money for a CH. The powers that be are just as bemused as we were. That's why he won't be here if we go down
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Why don't we see after the reading game? As it is we have just lost 2 games that any sane person would assume we were going to lose, without being embarrassed in either of them. I think a lot of people have been calling them winnable on very flimsy evidence. So what if Southampton beat city? They are still in the shit, plus we beat them as well, so what does it prove?
I haven't heard a single person call them winnable.
Southampton beat City, and are still in the shit, but not as much as we are.
When did we beat Southampton, by the way? I thought they'd taken six points from us.
I have, lots.
City not Southampton.
You've heard lots of people call fixtures away at Arsenal and home to Man City "winnable"?
Really?
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We huffed and puffed but offered little.
If we don't start winning soon it will be too late.
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Just got back, no lack of endeavour but distinct lack of quality.
I thought Benteke was poor tonight, forever offside and couldn't pass the ball 5 yards!
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much as i want to be upbeat winning two games consecutively is probably beyond us
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Our report from tonight:
"Boy, has this story got old. There are only so many ways you can dress up a joke that wasn't really funny: some sitcoms spin it out for a decade, but I fear they have writers who've grown to love their main characters. Aston Villa fans by and large can't stand the sight of theirs...!
Read more: http://pickourteam.com/premierleague/aston-villa/fansverdict/04-03-2013/aston-villa-vs-manchester-city#ixzz2McFbvTJ9
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We have won 4 of our last 27 home games, picking up just 21 points, scoring 21 goals and conceding 39. Fickle my arse.
That is pretty fucking shocking.
Last 38 league games reads like this.
P38
W 5
D 14
L 19
G 32
A 71
PTS 29
The last 38 games count for fuck all, the next 10 count for everything. Our fight for survival starts on Saturday. I hope some of these players realise they are playing for their careers at this level too.
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1 shot on target at home again.It's not just at the back where we look like a Championship side.
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Thought we played well especially in the first half and the atmosphere was pretty good for a change. Thought if we could get to half time nil-nil we could go on to get at least a point. Then Clark had a senior moment and we never really looked like getting anything in the second half. Thought Delph had probably his best game for us so far, but other than that we lack the quality in midfield and defence to really push on. Too often when we got forward we ended up going right back to Guzan. Truth be told Guzan kept the score respectable with some superb saves including 2 he touched onto the post. Hart on the other hand had a pretty quiet night - except when we started chanting 'itchy scalp,m'lord' which he took in good spirit.
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Are you telling me you don't recall a single person on here posting stuff along the lines of arsenal and city being 'there for the taking'? Based variously on their inconsistent form, losses to shit teams, and our good performances (relatively) against better teams?
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Oh - and hats off to the 2 guys sat at the bottom of the Trinity dressed in full space suits and helmets holding a banner saying 'Benteke is out of this world'
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Did not deserve anything from the game - no idea in the final third and no options from the bench - how on earth were we ever going to create an equaliser with Dawkins Holman KEA and an out of sorts Gabby in that final ten minutes or so !? And why is it that we lump the ball forward to Benteke and no one is around for the knock down ?
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I thought we should have played Gabby and Y`Zogbia.
Why oh why does Ciaran Clark think he's become Franco Baresi?
As a side note, the last time we scored a league goal from open play at Villa Park was Man.Utd in November. Rab.C.Lambert not only can't get us to defend he can't get us to score either.
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Didn't see the game tonight due to work reasons but just seen the highlights on Spanish TV.
There is no point in people repeating the same old same old here tonight. We know what we are are! Tonight we played the Champions and ran them close. A dubious goal was scored when the ref could easily have given us a free kick. A nailed on penalty when Benteke was fouled not given. Yes another defeat but....
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(https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/600071_595116920515870_278923002_n.jpg)
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Did not deserve anything from the game - no idea in the final third and no options from the bench - how on earth were we ever going to create an equaliser with Dawkins Holman KEA and an out of sorts Gabby in that final ten minutes or so !? And why is it that we lump the ball forward to Benteke and no one is around for the knock down ?
Benteke = great target man. Weimann = fantastic finisher. In a 4-4-2, could be as productive as Shaw and Withe. Instead, Weimann gets played on the wing and is expected to be a supply line to one man up top. I don't claim to be a tactical genius, but even I can see we're not getting the best out of these two by spanking flat balls over the top towards the six yard box, more in hope than expectation.
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Did not deserve anything from the game - no idea in the final third and no options from the bench - how on earth were we ever going to create an equaliser with Dawkins Holman KEA and an out of sorts Gabby in that final ten minutes or so !? And why is it that we lump the ball forward to Benteke and no one is around for the knock down ?
That's the problem with playing all four forwards at once. With Bent injured, there is fcuk all game turning options on the bench if your forwards starting are being marked out of the game.
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Becoming cannon fodder for other teams really pisses me off.
Losing 1-0 to the champion's is not cannon fodder.
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Pleased with the performace, and I was never that bothered about the result. Nobody particularly worried me and I just felt quite relaxed and laid back throughout the game.
QPR on the other hand, I will need two buckets - one for sweat and one for shit.
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(https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/600071_595116920515870_278923002_n.jpg)
Look at us Sky!!!! LOOOOOOOKKK!!!
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(https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/600071_595116920515870_278923002_n.jpg)
My old man reckoned Benteke's agent paid for them to do that. Not sure I buy it.
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(https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/600071_595116920515870_278923002_n.jpg)
L: Paul Faulkner
R: Randy Lerner
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Just remembered: aren't we traditionally piss-poor in March?
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(https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/600071_595116920515870_278923002_n.jpg)
Ready made cover for the next H&V
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Let's be honest...we did well to keep them out for practically the first half. Clarky's bollock drop gifted them the lead and in the second half they were playing in 4th gear with the handbrake on knowing full well we wouldn't bother them. A pat on the head if ever there was one.
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I thought it was a tight game all told. You can see where there extra quality was in the final third, but then what do you expect from a side that rivals some third world countries annual budget?
We were not sharp enough in that final third, yes they closed us down well and squeezed the space, but I thought we delayed the cross too often.
Ultimately it comes down to a really daft individual error that you just cannot account for at any level. Down stairs at half time it looked like he clipped Clark, but in any event he should not have been in that position.
I thought Benteke was offered zero protection and we should have had a penalty.
Delph will be a miss as he played very well. We look lile we have something about us these past few weeks. We should definitely have got a couple of points from these last two games and if you can take the effort and application over into the next few matches, then with poorer opposition and mpre space we will get more joy.
A lot closer than many people thought with Brad making one fantastic stop, Toure hitting the post and the lovely looking Tevez clearing one off the line.
Big games comimg up and I think we are looking fairly decent if still lacking at one or two moments. No bonus points to mark on the card this weekend, but we have at least closed the goal difference.
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God the lambchop interview........We've been playing well for a couple of months apparently, Guzan didn't have much to do.......Thought clark messed up and not a foul. Interviewed by some bint who obviously felt sorry for him.
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[/quote]
You've heard lots of people call fixtures away at Arsenal and home to Man City "winnable"?
Really?
[/quote]
Me too but they support Man U....
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Just remembered: aren't we traditionally piss-poor in March?
Very much so, it always ruins my smegging birthday.
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Big games comimg up and I think we are looking fairly decent if still lacking at one or two moments. No bonus points to mark on the card this weekend, but we have at least closed the goal difference.
If you're referring to the GD between us and Wigan, we're now -27 and they're -22 after their spanking by the Dippers. If that's not a cosmic hint that our destiny will be decided at the DW, I don't know what is.
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Just remembered: aren't we traditionally piss-poor in March?
Very much so, it always ruins my smegging birthday.
We are shit from August to May.
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Just remembered: aren't we traditionally piss-poor in March?
Very much so, it always ruins my smegging birthday.
Mine too: in the last few years I've seen losses to Sunderland, Wolves and a 5-0 drubbing at Klanfield on or in the weekend of my birthday.
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Just remembered: aren't we traditionally piss-poor in March?
Very much so, it always ruins my smegging birthday.
We are shit from August to May.
But before we were properly crap, we were always crap in March.
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Rubbish. They barely had to ease out of first gear to beat us. We're just far too easy to play against. I'll be amazed if we stay up. We are basically a shit football team at the moment and we're kidding ourselves if we think otherwise.
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Just remembered: aren't we traditionally piss-poor in March?
Very much so, it always ruins my smegging birthday.
And mine. This year my birthday is smack between Reading and QPR. It's either going to be a great birthday week, or a really really shit one.
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Rubbish. They barely had to ease out of first gear to beat us. We're just far too easy to play against. I'll be amazed if we stay up. We are basically a shit football team at the moment and we're kidding ourselves if we think otherwise.
Is the right answer
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"Clark has been excellent all season"
Wow, what a fuckin' plank.
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Yeah we are going to get battered at Reading. Obviously. They're in great form too, only the six goals they've conceded in two games.
Fuck me sideways.
(In response to some shite a few pages back where obviously we are as shit as shit can be, the worst its ever been, no positives from tonight and the forthcoming opposition, despite being wankier than us, are obviously worthy of talking up).
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Yeah City didn't have to try hard at all. Not one bit.
Get to fuck.
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God the lambchop interview........We've been playing well for a couple of months apparently, Guzan didn't have much to do.......Thought clark messed up and not a foul. Interviewed by some bint who obviously felt sorry for him.
Not like you to criticise the manager
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We were not sharp enough in that final third, yes they closed us down well and squeezed the space, but I thought we delayed the cross too often.
We have no genuine wide options at all. I thought Dawkins was awful when he came on and surely Carruthers must be a better option.
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"Clark has been excellent all season"
Wow, what a fuckin' plank.
He should have come out, called him a ****** instead and exclaimed that the best bit of him dripped down his mothers leg 24 years ago. What a plank.
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"Clark has been excellent all season"
Wow, what a fuckin' plank.
heh. the best bit is when she asks about clark's mistake. For a second he twitches a bit and his expression says "fecking knobhead" but he somehow manages not to actually say it.
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Just remembered: aren't we traditionally piss-poor in March?
Very much so, it always ruins my smegging birthday.
And mine. This year my birthday is smack between Reading and QPR. It's either going to be a great birthday week, or a really really shit one.
Oh god I'm sorry to hear that. Tonight's game was originally scheduled for my birthday so I was relieved when it got moved, thought it would take away the curse. Still went, still drank, still lost.
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I hit the grand old age of 42 when we play QPR. Just hoping and praying I get a 3 point present.
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(https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/600071_595116920515870_278923002_n.jpg)
L: Paul Faulkner
R: Randy Lerner
Yep. Pair of space cadets.
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It must have been ace sat behind them.
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I hit the grand old age of 42 when we play QPR. Just hoping and praying I get a 3 point present.
I think your best bet is doing 40mph in a 30
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All I keep hearing about the astronauts is that they were there because there's no atmosphere at Villa Park.
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we didn't concede from a corner or set piece. tho we tried.
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Fortunately, my birthday misses out a Villa fixture this year. It's San Marino v England instead.
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And why is it that we lump the ball forward to Benteke and no one is around for the knock down ?
Not sure you need the second part of the question! I wish they would stop the long balls to Benteke that essentially end in us giving the ball right back to the opposition. It is the essence of stupidity and a lack of imagination.
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I hit the grand old age of 42 when we play QPR. Just hoping and praying I get a 3 point present.
I think your best bet is doing 40mph in a 30
Ha! I got done for that a few years ago.
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I know confidence is low but I didn't half get frustrated when no one would have the minerals to just shoot. And the amount of times we dallied and failed to make the pass that was on which would have (possibly) created a decent chance.
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I know confidence is low but I didn't half get frustrated when no one would have the minerals to just shoot. And the amount of times we dallied and failed to make the pass that was on which would have (possibly) created a decent chance.
It annoys the tits off me that we don't shoot more often. Holman, Lowton, Benteke, Weimann, El-Ahmadi and N'Zogbia have all scored goals from outside the area this season. Surely one or more of them gets a yard of space from time to time to just have a speculative effort and aim it at the netted area between the white posts?
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Fortunately, my birthday misses out a Villa fixture this year. It's San Marino v England instead.
We rarely lose on my birthday thankfully (the exception was the horrendous Bolton home game last season). Nearest game to it this year is Sunderland.
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Apparently the astronauts are part of a Lynx promotional campaign.
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Apparently the astronauts are part of a Lynx promotional campaign.
I think that sort of thing stinks.
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I really thought we might get something from this game, and it was there for the taking.
Sadly for us, Delph looked like the only player on our side that had some kind of clue, and now he is out for the next 2 critical games.
I have never been a fan of Clark, but it will be very hard for him to recover from this:a long time since i have such vitriol directed towards a player about one incident. Played next to a experienced CB, he might have stood a chance.
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Oh dear:
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8241/8528361337_dc9cacf3c0_o.gif)
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11 goals at home all season ! Says it all really,we just are not good enough and are going down i am sorry to say.
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Rubbish. They barely had to ease out of first gear to beat us. We're just far too easy to play against. I'll be amazed if we stay up. We are basically a shit football team at the moment and we're kidding ourselves if we think otherwise.
Cant argue with that . I could not wait for the game to finish . We are so dull .
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I'm not sure what more Lambert can say about Clark publically without destroying any embers of confidence he might have left.
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This season will not be decided on the basis of defeat to City - it will, in all probability, be decided over the next two weeks, and we'll have learned very little from facing City and Arsenal how we're likely to do against Reading and QPR.
I thought that we played rather well, in the main. City weren't particularly inspired but they were solid as a rock and better sides than us will fail to break through them with performances like that. It really felt like a 0-0 in which they were the better side, except for the fact that we gifted them a thoroughly needless goal, which was frustrating in the extreme - especially for Clark, who did an awful lot right and slipped at the worst possible moment.
As for the players? Well, Guzan is a top-class keeper, and keeps proving this. I thought Lowton played as well as he has for months, while Clark will, as I've mentioned, be ruing the mistake which ruined his performance. Baker looked impetuous though, I thought, and Bennett is as whispy and half-hearted as that tufty excuse for a beard on his chin. Westwood looked a touch off the pace but was generally competent, and Delph was terrific until the most stupid yellow card I've seen in a while - ruling him out for our crucial pair of upcoming games and showing once again that he just has to mature. Up front, it just wasn't working for Weimann and Zog, and they didn't seem to have much spark. Gabby was a threat, though, and Benteke was a handful - although I'm wondering exactly how many of Mike Dean's relatives he must have killed or maimed to have got so many decisions go against him.
Overall, no shame in this, and we looked more like a mid-table side than relegation fodder. The trouble is we're in a dogfight, and it's all very well losing respectably to the champions of England when nobody expects anything from them, but they need to perform under the intense pressure of the last two weeks. Tonight and last week have taught us next to nothing about whether or not they will.
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I think so. West Ham, good performance. Arsenal, not bad. Tonight, not bad. Since Newcastle second half, we haven't looked like a bottom three team to me.
But our results have been.
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I think so. West Ham, good performance. Arsenal, not bad. Tonight, not bad. Since Newcastle second half, we haven't looked like a bottom three team to me.
But our results have been.
True but, luckily for us, the standard this season is so low that we still have a decent chance if we do well in the next two games.
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I think so. West Ham, good performance. Arsenal, not bad. Tonight, not bad. Since Newcastle second half, we haven't looked like a bottom three team to me.
But our results have been.
True but, luckily for us, the standard this season is so low that we still have a decent chance if we do well in the next two games.
I hope so, but I think the defence will let us down once again. I have nothing else to add really without saying the same as everyone else.
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I think so. West Ham, good performance. Arsenal, not bad. Tonight, not bad. Since Newcastle second half, we haven't looked like a bottom three team to me.
But our results have been.
He missed out the draw at Everton which was also highly credible. Ads' posts are refreshing cos most other feckers are being critical, miserable and have already thrown in the towel. I believe we are more than capable of staying up based on the last few games. I don't think the next two are "6 points or else we're gone" scenarios. 4 would be a decent return. Anything less leaves us with more work to do in the remaining games. But winning two or more from Stoke/Sunderland/Fulham/Norwich could be an easier task.
Clark is also getting a lot of pelters not wholly deserving. A costly error tonight but he's one of the many younger players who it's unfair to completely judge when they're surrounded by fellow inexperienced heads. Clark does have 60 or 70 odd-games under his belt but when that makes you the senior of the other three defenders around you it's not easy. He's a talented player and he'll go on to have a solid Premier League career, possibly in midfield.
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(https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/600071_595116920515870_278923002_n.jpg)
Ready made cover for the next H&V
Daft Punk's new album cover.
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Lambert by not strengthening the defence and midfield in January cinsigned us to relegation. Was all prepared to give the guy a break after the succession of managers we've had but he has all but lost me with that lack of action. I would be quite content to see someone else come in for the rest of the season because we are going down anyway, at least we might see wingers again. Guzan and Benteke thats what the total quality of the side adds up to and the new players from January seem well off the pace. They really remind me of Mercers Minors, plaudits for being a young side with lots of effort with rarely an end result.
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The biigest problem i saw last night - and take Clark's stupidity out of it - is that there was, and has been no, link between the centre of midfield and the forward(s). Betnteke is often feeding off scraps. One of Delph or Westwood had to break free to try and get into the box. Also, there were no times when we had the ball in the central areas where we looked to get it to Benteke's feet. We need to br braver to get results.
last night was a free game almost. not expected to win and with all other scores going our way anything positive would have been just that. But what we had was a lot of players runninga round a lot. great. But I could find 11 peoploe on here who would put teh effort in. What we need is a bit more quality. I think its there but the tactics either need to be changed or the players need to believe in what they're doing.
Tick tock Villa. 4 points minimum from the next two or we are down.
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(https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/600071_595116920515870_278923002_n.jpg)
Ready made cover for the next H&V
Daft Punk's new album cover.
Villa are out of this league
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Rubbish. They barely had to ease out of first gear to beat us. We're just far too easy to play against. I'll be amazed if we stay up. We are basically a shit football team at the moment and we're kidding ourselves if we think otherwise.
Is the right answer
Yes I saw the 11 deck chairs out there on the pitch that city players were lounging on....utter bollox spouted here my lord!
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Tevez scored the winner and denied a certain Villa goal, but Kolo Toure got Man of the Match, which probably shows that Villa did a bit more than fanny about.
Much as I like Benteke, playing to his head does become a percentage game.
What's the magic number of games when our players click and change from inexperienced to experienced?
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After 28 league games should just about do it.
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People need faith. The next two games remind me of the feeling after Christmas fans saying that the results that went before won't really matter as long as we beat X and Y. But we didn't beat them.
Once bitten, twice shy.
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Too many players didn't deliver last night , delph was the best player but the likes of lowton and westwood look tired - gabby and nzogbia were poor -we need everyone pulling their weight from here - one real attempt last night on target and the lack of creativity coupled with another poor defensive mistake for the goal are cause for concern.
It is time for players and management to stand up and be counted - we cannot afford to carry passengers. Delph will be a major loss!
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Rubbish. They barely had to ease out of first gear to beat us. We're just far too easy to play against. I'll be amazed if we stay up. We are basically a shit football team at the moment and we're kidding ourselves if we think otherwise.
Is the right answer
Yes I saw the 11 deck chairs out there on the pitch that city players were lounging on....utter bollox spouted here my lord!
Your the one talking bollocks.Was it the 'highlights' you saw was it?
That didn't take you very long then.
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This season will not be decided on the basis of defeat to City - it will, in all probability, be decided over the next two weeks, and we'll have learned very little from facing City and Arsenal how we're likely to do against Reading and QPR.
I thought that we played rather well, in the main. City weren't particularly inspired but they were solid as a rock and better sides than us will fail to break through them with performances like that. It really felt like a 0-0 in which they were the better side, except for the fact that we gifted them a thoroughly needless goal, which was frustrating in the extreme - especially for Clark, who did an awful lot right and slipped at the worst possible moment.
As for the players? Well, Guzan is a top-class keeper, and keeps proving this. I thought Lowton played as well as he has for months, while Clark will, as I've mentioned, be ruing the mistake which ruined his performance. Baker looked impetuous though, I thought, and Bennett is as whispy and half-hearted as that tufty excuse for a beard on his chin. Westwood looked a touch off the pace but was generally competent, and Delph was terrific until the most stupid yellow card I've seen in a while - ruling him out for our crucial pair of upcoming games and showing once again that he just has to mature. Up front, it just wasn't working for Weimann and Zog, and they didn't seem to have much spark. Gabby was a threat, though, and Benteke was a handful - although I'm wondering exactly how many of Mike Dean's relatives he must have killed or maimed to have got so many decisions go against him.
Overall, no shame in this, and we looked more like a mid-table side than relegation fodder. The trouble is we're in a dogfight, and it's all very well losing respectably to the champions of England when nobody expects anything from them, but they need to perform under the intense pressure of the last two weeks. Tonight and last week have taught us next to nothing about whether or not they will.
Pretty much my thoughts.
I'd add that Lowton needed to improve his first half performance, and did in the second.
Clark did well for most of the game but his mistake, playing on his weaker right side, was foolish to say the least.
Baker's distribution is shocking: why do we keep playing it back to him?
Delph was excellent - and the booking very harsh.
I was angered by N'Zog; once again, he went missing in action. And on a night when Weimann was not firing properly, leaving us light i nour support of Benteke.
We travelled down with a Citeh fan who - on the way back - expressed real surprise at our plight: he was complimentary about the way we played whilst admitting that his team was off the pace on the night.
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Thought we played OK, but it seemed to me if we would have scored then City would have raised there game and scored again.
But I think we are improving, the next 2 games are vital...
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Too many players didn't deliver last night , delph was the best player but the likes of lowton and westwood look tired - gabby and nzogbia were poor -we need everyone pulling their weight from here - one real attempt last night on target and the lack of creativity coupled with another poor defensive mistake for the goal are cause for concern.
It is time for players and management to stand up and be counted - we cannot afford to carry passengers. Delph will be a major loss!
Delph did play very well, it's a big concern and awful timing for us that he will miss the next two. I thought city defended very well, they always seemed to have more than enough players defending and read all our attempts to play through them. When we did get the ball out wide, the crosses were not good, mainly from the full backs. NZog didn't get going and Gabby tried but as is fatten the case at home, looked no threat. Need no less than 4 points from next two but I wouldn't bet on us getting them.
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Delph was very good last night , as was Guzan .There was just no quality from the rest of the team , we really needed Nzogbia and Gabby to step up but they were both awful last night .
If that had been a rocking St.marys at Soton or even a loftus road , those teams would have got a point .We seem to be breaking new dreadful records every week . No less than 6 points next two games or goodbye Villa.
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Oh, and whilst we continue to float in those corners and free kicks we will never score from them! Why can't the coaching staff get players to drive the ball in with a bit of pace?!
It is mad to give defences such an easy time on set pieces.
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Oh, and whilst we continue to float in those corners and free kicks we will never score from them! Why can't the coaching staff get players to drive the ball in with a bit of pace?!
It is mad to give defences such an easy time on set pieces.
That wound me up too last night!
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We looked quite dangerous from corners last night. Citeh made two very telling clearences.
Monbert, I said the exact same thing as you last night to a friend; we looked like a mid-table side. We competed well, made if difficult for Man CIty, restricted them to three chances, but despite having a fair bit of the ball, we didn't have the quality in the final third to move the game on and create more.
Its quite amazing though to think that we cannot earn a penalty when the linesman is staring at the most obvious handball you will ever see, yet a few short months ago a linesman in the same position somehow managed to see something that wasn't there. Its funny how these things never balance out for the clubs who aren't competing at the top.
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Oh, and whilst we continue to float in those corners and free kicks we will never score from them! Why can't the coaching staff get players to drive the ball in with a bit of pace?!
It is mad to give defences such an easy time on set pieces.
That wound me up too last night!
Me too - and the one near the end that Lowton just floated onto the top of Hart's net just about finished me off
Just saw some brief highlights on da beeb = thought Benteke had tried to buy a penalty but just saw replay for first time and thought it was pretty stonewall
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There's a reason we were poor in the final third, we were up against the best defence in the country. They've the most clean sheets and have only conceded 13 goals away from home all season. Have a look on Bluemoon, they're singing the praises of the two centre backs. Most on there also believe we should have had a penalty at the end. They're complaining about the poor performance but we have to take some credit for forcing them to make so many mistakes.
Gutted with Delph getting a yellow card, he once again showed he's finally turning into the player we all hoped he'd be. Is there any way we can appeal the decision?
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Zabeleta was particularly impressive. They were typified in the last ten minutes; every man behind the ball, with the space being strangled completely. If they had been as organised as that all season then they might be closer to Yanited.
And yes, if there were a God or Karma existed, we would have had a penalty, all things considered.
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It was a penalty .
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The ref was'nt interested in givng Benteke anything all night apart from a booking.
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From what I could see, he was booked for winning a header.
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The problem was it was only Benteke who was getting stuck into them up front. So they were easily able to mark him tight and then he started to get frustrated. Not enough movement off the ball from the other 3 attackers or getting around Benteke for the loose ball/flick on.
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The ref was'nt interested in givng Benteke anything all night apart from a booking.
agree , rarely got a decision . I saw a Man City player keep barging him and getting away with it.
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. Not enough movement off the ball from the other 3 attackers or getting around Benteke for the loose ball/flick on.
nail on head
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Benteke spent far too much of his time completely isolated.
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Oh and you can also see he's starting to get frustrated with the weakness of the rest of our team.
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Oh and you can also see he's starting to get frustrated with the weakness of the rest of our team.
Yes. Several players in the second half seemed keen to express their frustration at other colleagues. Holman and Weimann did so several times, in addition to Benteke.
This worried me as much as anything else: what team cohesion exists seems to be ebbing away, if those things are anything to go by.
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Holman's got a nerve having a go at anyone.
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The only real positives from last night were, we didn't get hammered, we didn't wilt away like we have in the past, Guzan and Delph. Unfortunately the latter was negated by Lambert not substituting him instead of Westwood and him picking up a yellow which will now keep him out of two critical games.
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We never gave City the need to come out of second gear. To me we looked as ineffective as most games this season up front.
I don't see enough positives to gain much optimism going into the next two.
6 points from the next two games will be massive. 0 points and we're fubar. The latter probably looks more likely.
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I hate slagging off ref's and blaming them for our own shortcomings, but that ref last night was totally in awe on Man City.
At one point he appeared to apologise to one of their players for giving US a free kick.
Definitely, one of those who favours the big boys !
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This second gear stuff is total bollocks. No side is ever comfortable at 1-0. There is a reason they had 11 men behind the ball at times yesterday.
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This second gear stuff is total bollocks. No side is ever comfortable at 1-0. There is a reason they had 11 men behind the ball at times yesterday.
Agreed, they worked very hard because they had to.
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which clown took that corner in injury time?
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which clown took that corner in injury time?
Lowton. Complete waste of our last potential chance. Not that we score from corners, mind.
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This second gear stuff is total bollocks. No side is ever comfortable at 1-0. There is a reason they had 11 men behind the ball at times yesterday.
Agreed, they worked very hard because they had to.
Totally agree. Often people confuse a team being solid at 1-0 with one being comfortable. City defended really well as a team yesterday, and had to work hard to do so.
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A respectable loss but one in which we never looked like scoring and we could have quite easily conceded more.
I agree with others that Delph has somehow turned into our best player (fair play to the lad) and missing him is a blow but there's no escaping the fact, on paper how many of our players would get into any other team in the league?
Apart from Guzan and the strikers?
How is a team made up of Championship quality players (they will hopefully improve in time) supposed to compete against a team made up of quality internationals?
Answer me that please Randy.
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which clown took that corner in injury time?
Lowton. Complete waste of our last potential chance. Not that we score from corners, mind.
He didn't want to take that, did he? He turned to his team-mates and none of them wanted to know.
I'll accept a professional footballer should be able to take a corner, but I got the impression something was up - either he'd just taken a knock or was exhausted or something.
Damned annoying to lose that game to such an error, BTW.
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...
Gutted with Delph getting a yellow card, he once again showed he's finally turning into the player we all hoped he'd be. Is there any way we can appeal the decision?
There is no appeal against yellows.
I didn't realise until this morning that the booking count was us 2 ManCity 0. We were the serial foulers in the match?
Two innocuous bookings have put key players out for what is for us two big games.
Would the same have happened to Rooney or Terry? Would Read's feet have touched the ground if he'd put Yaya Toure out for two games on the strength of a nothing handball 30 seconds from the end of a game?
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Two innocuous bookings have put key players out for what is for us two big games.
Who else is suspended?
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I have sympathy for Lowton, he started the season well but he should never been expected to play the entire year. His form has dropped off really badly now and he looks physically outmatched all the time. Problem is we have no viable alternative at right back and that's the ownership and manager's fault.
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I have sympathy for Lowton, he started the season well but he should never been expected to play the entire year. His form has dropped off really badly now and he looks physically outmatched all the time. Problem is we have no viable alternative at right back and that's the ownership and manager's fault.
This is the problem for the whole team its about bringing them through gradually and resting them at times not shoving them into must win relegation battles.
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There's too many players in that team who need a rest. Lowton, Clark, Bennett, Westwood, Weimann and it shows.
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There's too many players in that team who need a rest. Lowton, Clark, Bennett, Westwood, Weimann and it shows.
Completely agree, it's utter ridiculous how we've approached this season.
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How is a team made up of Championship quality players (they will hopefully improve in time) supposed to compete against a team made up of quality internationals?
Answer me that please Randy.
Spot on - like most of our games they reflect a cup tie where we are the minnow hoping to get a result and cause a shock.
On our set pieces we are awful and just give the ball away (in the case of throw-ins) or 'float' a corner in. I'm old school and would rather have a corner whipped in at pace and ask a few more questions - we lack imagination.
The big issue for me is that this team has still not learnt how to win a game - we usually score and then retreat like the Alamo to hold on. They have been drilled to keep possession of the ball which often means that the ball ends up going from the middle of the opposition half back to Guzan. All well and good if your winning but not so great when chasing the game.
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I hate slagging off ref's and blaming them for our own shortcomings, but that ref last night was totally in awe on Man City.
At one point he appeared to apologise to one of their players for giving US a free kick.
Definitely, one of those who favours the big boys !
I can't agree with that I thought the ref did okay. I haven't seen any replays but from my seat in the holte I didn't think it was a foul on Clark for the goal, I didn't think it was a penalty at the end and I thought he was pretty fair throughout.
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I hate slagging off ref's and blaming them for our own shortcomings, but that ref last night was totally in awe on Man City.
At one point he appeared to apologise to one of their players for giving US a free kick.
Definitely, one of those who favours the big boys !
I can't agree with that I thought the ref did okay. I haven't seen any replays but from my seat in the holte I didn't think it was a foul on Clark for the goal, I didn't think it was a penalty at the end and I thought he was pretty fair throughout.
Clark was 50/50, penalty was stonewall, nastisic took him out, worst thing is Benteke would've been clear on goal so it should've been a pen and probably a red card.
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There's a nine page thread on Bluemoon entitled 'Thank you, Mr Dean'. They love the blind bastard.
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There's a nine page thread on Bluemoon entitled 'Thank you, Mr Dean'. They love the blind bastard.
They're smug and annoying, but at least they admit the refs give them help, unlike Liverstool or Uniturd.
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Oh and you can also see he's starting to get frustrated with the weakness of the rest of our team.
There was a moment where he held off 4 players on the edge of their box, then laid the ball off to Lowton, who instantly blasted it at someone's shins without looking up. You can't really blame him.
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I hate slagging off ref's and blaming them for our own shortcomings, but that ref last night was totally in awe on Man City.
At one point he appeared to apologise to one of their players for giving US a free kick.
Definitely, one of those who favours the big boys !
I can't agree with that I thought the ref did okay. I haven't seen any replays but from my seat in the holte I didn't think it was a foul on Clark for the goal, I didn't think it was a penalty at the end and I thought he was pretty fair throughout.
I wasn't really referring to the big decisions, and to be honest, I don't even remember a big penalty shout.
What I meant was the ref's general demeanor and attitude to the players. I think they got more decisions than us and the ref definitely appeared more 'matey' with their players than ours.
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Well I was hoping that Villa would give me a lift on the last night of my hols in cape Verde but sadly not, however I do have a feeling we will be ok, the heavy beatings have stopped and going into the last ten games we're not cut adrift as I thought we might be, on another note holiday including weather was great, up the Villa
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As somebody posted previously, it says it all when a single goal defeat is considered a relief.
Positives - Delph - probably MOTM, if he adds more drive and inventiveness to his game he'd be a real asset.
Guzan- did everything asked of him.
Negatives - Lowton - looked every inch a League 1 player last night.
The ever-static forward line, who bar Wiemann on occasions, looked rooted to the spot time and again.
Lambert- for spunking the remainder of the loose change on a parks player (Dawkins) and a kid who'll take years to reach this level (Cilla) when we were crying out for an experienced centre half and centre mid. And I thought MON could be a stubborn prick at times, Lambert is at another level.
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As somebody posted previously, it says it all when a single goal defeat is considered a relief.
Positives - Delph - probably MOTM, if he adds more drive and inventiveness to his game he'd be a real asset.
Guzan- did everything asked of him.
Negatives - Lowton - looked every inch a League 1 player last night.
The ever-static forward line, who bar Wiemann on occasions, looked rooted to the spot time and again.
Lambert- for spunking the remainder of the loose change on a parks player (Dawkins) and a kid who'll take years to reach this level (Cilla) when we were crying out for an experienced centre half and centre mid. And I thought MON could be a stubborn prick at times, Lambert is at another level.
Sylla? - not sure we can fairly comment since he doesn't get risked!
I thought last night was a good opportunity to play him alongside Westie and Delph as part of a three-man central midfield.
He may now have to be thrown in agin' our two main relegation rivals to fill in for Delph (although it is more likely that the ineffectual KEA will be played).
Sylla's signing does seem to sum up the enigma that this season has been.
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I don't think Delph could have added more drive last night, he was like a whirling fucking dervish !!
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He was Andy, but what I really want from him is FORWARD drive. You know, the odd one-two or give and go on the edge of the opposition box.
For all his bluster, what did he do creatively? I don't mean that to sound critical but I think he has enough quality to be more of a attacking threat, that's all.
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Unfortunately when playing the likes of Utd and City etc, you're never, ever gonna get the rub of the green from the officials. It's a sad fact. It's been that way for decades now that the "big boys" seem to get most of the decisions.
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Let me start by admitting that City deserved the win this evening. I don't support either team but I feel very upset on behalf of Villa as, in my opinion, Mike Dean has just given the most one-sided refereeing performance that I've seen in a very long time. Villa have enough issues without having to contend with an apparently star-struck referee who has simply refused to award even as much as a free kick to the home team. Villa's play didn't warrant an equalizer but Dean seemed as though he was hell-bent to ensure that this didn't happen. Benteke was brought down in the box late on by Nastasic but unsurprisingly Mr Dean just wasn't interested. More evidence that the so called top-teams get the majority of the decisions?
Above comment left on Times website from a neutral!!
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I hate slagging off ref's and blaming them for our own shortcomings, but that ref last night was totally in awe on Man City.
At one point he appeared to apologise to one of their players for giving US a free kick.
Definitely, one of those who favours the big boys !
I can't agree with that I thought the ref did okay. I haven't seen any replays but from my seat in the holte I didn't think it was a foul on Clark for the goal, I didn't think it was a penalty at the end and I thought he was pretty fair throughout.
Dean was caught too far down the pitch towards the North Stand to see the Clark foul = poor positioning and he was again in the wrong position to see Nastasic clatter both of Bentekes legs across the kneecaps whilst managing to tap the ball with his hand at the same time, quite an example of masculine multi-tasking from Nastasic. Anyway forgiving the Ref, the lino was perfectly positioned to see the foul on Benteke, he would have been looking directly along the line so I don't understand why he didn't flag it.
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Two innocuous bookings have put key players out for what is for us two big games.
Who else is suspended?
Sky put a graphic up saying it was Benteke's fifth yellow of the season. I assume he will miss the next match.
Unless there is some kind of amnesty in place.
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Two innocuous bookings have put key players out for what is for us two big games.
Who else is suspended?
Sky put a graphic up saying it was Benteke's fifth yellow of the season. I assume he will miss the next match.
Unless there is some kind of amnesty in place.
But we are well past the point in the season where 5 bookings gets you a ban, its now at the point where you don't get a ban till you reach 10 I believe.
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Isn't Delph only on 9 yellows?
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No, hes got ten I think PWS
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I make it 6 in the league and 3 in the LC?
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We definately should have had a penalty and I thought that aside from the goal we looked a lot more solid and a lot less jittery at the back.
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I make it 6 in the league and 3 in the LC?
It was Delph's 10th according to SKY, and that's good news about Benteke
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Definitely 10 bookings. 6 in the league and then both Bradford games, Man City and Tranmere in the cup.
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Thought Gabby was indicative of the Villa display last night. He huffed and puffed and didn't get much change from an efficient Man City defense. Overall our lack of quality was exposed but if Ciaran Clark hadn't fucked up like he did we would have been well worth the point.
I've seen people say they can't see how we could beat Reading and QPR but to me that's silly because these two matches will be a world away from last night's opposition. Besides, have you forgotten West Ham and the victory we should have had over Everton?
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I hate slagging off ref's and blaming them for our own shortcomings, but that ref last night was totally in awe on Man City.
At one point he appeared to apologise to one of their players for giving US a free kick.
Definitely, one of those who favours the big boys !
I can't agree with that I thought the ref did okay. I haven't seen any replays but from my seat in the holte I didn't think it was a foul on Clark for the goal, I didn't think it was a penalty at the end and I thought he was pretty fair throughout.
My thoughts too Mortimer. I love having a pop at refs but couldn't do so with any gusto last night. I think Clark had already slipped by the time Dzeko made contact and I never even appealed for a penalty.
The initial error was avoidable, but I actually thought Clark was more at fault for retreating to the line for their goal (well played to him for having the desire to get back) rather than pushing out and reducing Tevez' angle, giving him the whole goal to aim at.
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I've seen the penalty claim back since and it was definatley a foul. The linesman would have been in a great position to see it.
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Unfortunately when playing the likes of Utd and City etc, you're never, ever gonna get the rub of the green from the officials. It's a sad fact. It's been that way for decades now that the "big boys" seem to get most of the decisions.
Put it this way, if that had been Man U playing at OT with Rio instead of Clark and Wayne instead of Benteke, what decisions do you think would have been given?
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It appears that some on here have developed a real deep we are shit and Clark is rubbish mentality that they are not able to distinguish right from wrong. As Clark turned with the ball Dzeko got there too late and tripped him making him fall over. In any other case it would have been foul except the wanker of ref who probably thought Villa defender City forward that can't be a foul and treated us like crap. Amazing thing is posters on here also go with well Clark is shit so it must be his fault!
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I thought we were OK. Save a silly individual error we would have got a point. There's been some moderate improvement in performances recently and while I accept it could hardly have got much worse, it gives me hope.
It's all about the next two games - win them and we're suddenly in a very different position while losing them isn't worth thinking about.
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Unfortunately when playing the likes of Utd and City etc, you're never, ever gonna get the rub of the green from the officials. It's a sad fact. It's been that way for decades now that the "big boys" seem to get most of the decisions.
Put it this way, if that had been Man U playing at OT with Rio instead of Clark and Wayne instead of Benteke, what decisions do you think would have been given?
Without question it would have been a foul in the first instance and a pen in the second. That is of course unless Mancini outbid Ferguson for the refs favour.
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It appears that some on here have developed a real deep we are shit and Clark is rubbish mentality that they are not able to distinguish right from wrong. As Clark turned with the ball Dzeko got there too late and tripped him making him fall over. In any other case it would have been foul except the wanker of ref who probably thought Villa defender City forward that can't be a foul and treated us like crap. Amazing thing is posters on here also go with well Clark is shit so it must be his fault!
Sorry posters don't fall into line with what you think.I will write what you want to hear next time.I am so sorry.
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It appears that some on here have developed a real deep we are shit and Clark is rubbish mentality that they are not able to distinguish right from wrong. As Clark turned with the ball Dzeko got there too late and tripped him making him fall over. In any other case it would have been foul except the wanker of ref who probably thought Villa defender City forward that can't be a foul and treated us like crap. Amazing thing is posters on here also go with well Clark is shit so it must be his fault!
Sorry posters don't fall into line with what you think.I will write what you want to hear next time.I am so sorry.
Aftab might also like to take the matter up with Lambert who also criticised Clark:
"The goal is a mistake,” he said.
“I wouldn’t have minded if someone had put one in the top corner with a bit of skill. But it’s a mistake by us."
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It appears that some on here have developed a real deep we are shit and Clark is rubbish mentality that they are not able to distinguish right from wrong. As Clark turned with the ball Dzeko got there too late and tripped him making him fall over. In any other case it would have been foul except the wanker of ref who probably thought Villa defender City forward that can't be a foul and treated us like crap. Amazing thing is posters on here also go with well Clark is shit so it must be his fault!
Sorry posters don't fall into line with what you think.I will write what you want to hear next time.I am so sorry.
Aftab might also like to take the matter up with Lambert who also criticised Clark:
"The goal is a mistake,” he said.
“I wouldn’t have minded if someone had put one in the top corner with a bit of skill. But it’s a mistake by us."
Dont be too hard on him,he only watched the highlights.What would people who saw the whole game know.
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Unfortunately when playing the likes of Utd and City etc, you're never, ever gonna get the rub of the green from the officials. It's a sad fact. It's been that way for decades now that the "big boys" seem to get most of the decisions.
Put it this way, if that had been Man U playing at OT with Rio instead of Clark and Wayne instead of Benteke, what decisions do you think would have been given?
Without question it would have been a foul in the first instance and a pen in the second. That is of course unless Mancini outbid Ferguson for the refs favour.
The cynic in me wonders why a foul was given on grandad in the manure game at VP earlier in the season. That was less of a "foul" than the challenge on Clark last night.
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Of course it was clarks fault , he should have cleared the ball instead of dwelling on it -lambert said he didn't think there was any foul either- Clark once again was careless and we cannot afford to keep gifting goals.
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It appears that some on here have developed a real deep we are shit and Clark is rubbish mentality that they are not able to distinguish right from wrong. As Clark turned with the ball Dzeko got there too late and tripped him making him fall over. In any other case it would have been foul except the wanker of ref who probably thought Villa defender City forward that can't be a foul and treated us like crap. Amazing thing is posters on here also go with well Clark is shit so it must be his fault!
Sorry posters don't fall into line with what you think.I will write what you want to hear next time.I am so sorry.
Aftab might also like to take the matter up with Lambert who also criticised Clark:
"The goal is a mistake,” he said.
“I wouldn’t have minded if someone had put one in the top corner with a bit of skill. But it’s a mistake by us."
Dont be too hard on him,he only watched the highlights.What would people who saw the whole game know.
Can we wind it in a bit please chaps, especially with the intimated better fan than yow line.
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Clearly Clark should not have got himself into a situation where that sort of thing can happen however I maintain that Dzeko got there late and his intervention resulted in Clark stumbling. The ref should have blown for a foul.
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I was at the match and I thought Clark played okay to be honest aside from his error that lead to the goal.
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What I have found puzzling is the way our players let refs get away with such decisions.
Had it been Rio or Vidic etc they would have been right in the face of the ref attempting to change his opinion whilst our lot throw their hands in the air and say nothing. Like it or not they seem to regularly get the benefit of doubt for the top sides...maybe not this time but maybe next time because a ref wont want to face that every time they come to a dodgy decision.
Couldn't understand the booking for Benteke either and the linesman should have seen the penalty too.
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It appears that some on here have developed a real deep we are shit and Clark is rubbish mentality that they are not able to distinguish right from wrong. As Clark turned with the ball Dzeko got there too late and tripped him making him fall over. In any other case it would have been foul except the wanker of ref who probably thought Villa defender City forward that can't be a foul and treated us like crap. Amazing thing is posters on here also go with well Clark is shit so it must be his fault!
Sorry posters don't fall into line with what you think.I will write what you want to hear next time.I am so sorry.
Aftab might also like to take the matter up with Lambert who also criticised Clark:
"The goal is a mistake,” he said.
“I wouldn’t have minded if someone had put one in the top corner with a bit of skill. But it’s a mistake by us."
Dont be too hard on him,he only watched the highlights.What would people who saw the whole game know.
Can we wind it in a bit please chaps, especially with the intimated better fan than yow line.
That wasn't intimated at all,but posters have have been told they are talking bollocks and are wankers.Having a go at the wrong person PWS I'm afraid.
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Clearly Clark should not have got himself into a situation where that sort of thing can happen however I maintain that Dzeko got there late and his intervention resulted in Clark stumbling. The ref should have blown for a foul.
Clark was already on the way down before any contact from the forward.
He should not have put himself in that position, pissing around as last man with an attacker breathing down his neck,that's his major failing here.
That said, I like Clark, its not his fault he has been badly let down by his management who have failed to give him the support (literally) or the rest that he so badly needs.
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That how I see it - Clark was fouled but shouldn't have been pissing around with the ball in that position anyway, hence lambert's comments.
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That wasn't intimated at all,but posters have have been told they are talking bollocks and are wankers.Having a go at the wrong person PWS I'm afraid.
Where have posters been called wankers?
And my interpretation is it was the intention to use "only watched the highlights" as a dig, which is why used it twice on the same poster.
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No I used it because he said people were talking bollocks,for daring to have a go about the team last night,but admitted he had seen only highlights.I you think that's me saying that I am a better fan than him,that's up to you.
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So where have posters been called wankers?
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I have re read his post and I got the wankers thing wrong.i must take this opportunity to say sorry to aftab for that.
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That wasn't intimated at all,but posters have have been told they are talking bollocks and are wankers.Having a go at the wrong person PWS I'm afraid.
Sorry where exactly did I call other posters wankers?
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That wasn't intimated at all,but posters have have been told they are talking bollocks and are wankers.Having a go at the wrong person PWS I'm afraid.
Sorry where exactly did I call other posters wankers?
Read the post above.
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See the post above aftab, and thanks bert.
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The astronauts photo even made Deadspin, with some classic American text accompanying it
http://deadspin.com/5988601/it-takes-a-space-cadet-to-be-an-aston-villa-supporter-these-days
These are dark days at Villa Park. The Claret and Blue helped found the Premiership 20 years ago, but find themselves in danger of being relegated for the first time unless they can climb out of the EPL basement. Facing the defending champs is never going to inspire much confidence, though, and while Villa put forth a decent performance yesterday against Man City, they still dropped the match 1-0. For two decades, it wasn't rocket science to keep this squad in the Premiership; now, it looks like they're headed for splashdown.
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That wasn't intimated at all,but posters have have been told they are talking bollocks and are wankers.Having a go at the wrong person PWS I'm afraid.
Sorry where exactly did I call other posters wankers?
Read the post above.
I said the wanker ref not posters. Read it again please or show me the evidence to the contrary?
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That wasn't intimated at all,but posters have have been told they are talking bollocks and are wankers.Having a go at the wrong person PWS I'm afraid.
Sorry where exactly did I call other posters wankers?
Read the post above.
I said the wanker ref not posters. Read it again please or show me the evidence to the contrary?
Try reading ALL of the posts again would be my advice........
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He has apologised to you and admitted he made a mistake.
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Sorry again aftab.Now back to the footie.
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Thanks and I am sorry for causing any disharmony in the forum. We all love our club and that's the most important thing. Lets go for full support for Saturday and three points.
And yes I reacted without reading Berts previous post and I apologise for that again.
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Group hug!
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Group hug!
Leave my balls alone, you pervert.
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You paid me to touch them.
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Yes, but I did not expect my testicles to be included.
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Just trying to ensure repeat custom. I've got to get my curry money from somewhere.
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Group hug!
It's a kleenex moment
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Group hug!
It's a kleenex moment
I'm not that desperate for curry money!
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City were half arsed but looked far more likely to add to their lead than us equalising. I didn't think we were that bad but the trio of Weimann, Nzogbia and Gabby are better away from home. Benteke was excellent and Delph again was good in midfield. Bennett was ok and Guzan was solid again. The rest tried hard but aren't good enough. Westwood and Lowton are being painfully exposed lately. Holman and Kea surprisingly were ok when they came on. Delph is a big loss for the next couple of games. Maybe Clark should be brought in next to Kea if Vlaar is fit. Just see nothing about us to suggest we are going to stay up regardless of what players are available.
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God the lambchop interview........We've been playing well for a couple of months apparently, Guzan didn't have much to do.......Thought clark messed up and not a foul. Interviewed by some bint who obviously felt sorry for him.
That 'bint' was Shrewsbury's very own Juliette Ferrington. ;)