Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Match Threads & Player Ratings => Topic started by: Legion on December 04, 2013, 07:59:12 AM
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Available Wednesday 4.12.13 @9.40pm
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Nice
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fucking magic!!! How did we win that again?
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5 unbeaten. We really are shit ;)
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Wow - a real smash and grab raid - 3 excellent goals but Vlaar injury a worry - well done lads!
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Ray Houghton: "How have Villa won this?!?!?!?!?!?"
How indeed. We were embarrassingly bad and it's laughable we've won that match.
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Superb three points.......
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How the fcuk did we win that?!
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2nd on MOTD?
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Routine win :)
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Right well excellent result and a couple of super goals, good to see Delph getting some rewards. However we can't play like that an expect to win many games, we have to start retaining a lot more possession of the ball and hope that Vlaar is not badly injured. He is absolutely vital to our defence and KEA and Westwood need to start doing a lot more.
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Most incredulous smash and grab job I ever saw. Bonkers.
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Good result that sets us up nicely for the rest of the month.
Only saw second half and we score 2 good goals, but the play was 'industrial'.
I don't know what I expect these days, it's all a little confusing.
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Never in doubt...wonderful.
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How? Never mind! UTV!
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Blimey . Not pretty but a v good result.
UTV
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Was never in doubt ;)
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The biggest smash and grab I can remember seeing in a long time. Good economical use of the shots we had I suppose!
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Let's forget our many inadequacies and rock out with our kocks out! Christmas parties all over Brum this week just got that bit more merry *hiccup*. Cheers!
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You may now thank me!
In an attempt to bring us luck i'm going to follow the game on here only. So when we win, you can all thank me.
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I went out at 1-0. Saints equalised as I arrived at Merry Hell and then got back in the car as Fabbie D scored!!!!
Could they do this at home please so I can watch it.
Well done to the 2,000 happy souls coming home
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Score three away from home and you always deserve something from the game.
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We always win when we score first! We always win when we score first! We always win when we score first! #keepthefaith
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What happened to the defence? It's been 90 minutes since our last clean sheet.
Lambert oot!!
;D ;D
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Stand up all 11 superb.
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Paul Lambert vindicated, club moving in right direction, never in doubt etc etc
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Didn't see that coming but am I glad it did and what a winner. Still problems with the team though, I thought Bacuna was poor and although he scored, I don't see what Kuzak offers.
But Gabby's and Fabian's goals were superb.
Well done lads.
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Four points clear in the race to be Pride of the Midlands as well!
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What a fuckin result!!
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Score three away from home and you always deserve something from the game.
Not like last year's "3 for the draw" !
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Good god... I'm at a loss to explain that.
But I dont care.
I'm happy.
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Three points behind the champions now.
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Really good exciting second half. You know it's a good game when you get the goosebumps in the final minutes :)
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Monster performance from everyone. Gerrin.
Delph <3.
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I said I had a funny feeling we'd win this after Saturday's game. Know idea how, but the other team need to finish and we are obviously doing something right that the opposition cannot finish their moves. It might just be something as simple as the types of chances we're giving them or the angles we are allowing. In any case, I don't care. Massive win tonight. Really massive and three goals. Happy for Gabby that he got his first of the season, happy for Kozak for all the bollocks some people have said about him and delighted for Fab for a really top finish.
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Almost the perfect prediction as well.
This is Villa we're talking about. we'll win because we rarely do what common sense says we should do. Them 1 Us 3
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Ray Houghton is a berk.
Get in there Villa!!!!!!!!!!
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Gabby and Kuzak were very good.
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Fantastic result. One of the best three of the season. But two of those wins (Citeh and Saints) and you have to think 'how on earth did we win that'.
Really hope we can start to get the ball down and play better. 32% possession and 48% pass completion. Pretty shocking really.
Worried about Vlaar. Need him pretty desperately. Been our second best player this year after Delph.
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Don't they say good teams win when they don't play well? ;)
That Delph wonder goal was literally the only thing that could have won us the game, I'm still in shock. One thing we learned today was just how much we need Vlaar. I've heard his problem is not to do with his knee which is fortunate, he was sat on the bench and looked comfortable, looks like it's just a knock, possibly to his arm? If he doesn't make the Fulham game I'd say he should definitely make the Man United game, which we'll be counting on him for.
On to the beer! Brilliant result!
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That Kozak is useless. Can't head the ball............ Oh, hang on a minute ;D
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I knew those Southampton chancers were being over-hyped!
Get in Villa! A classic counter-attacking performance by all accounts.
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although he scored, I don't see what Kuzak offers.
Isn't scoring exactly what he's meant to offer as a striker?
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Never in doubt
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It's a big win and important as it gives us some security going into a heavy period of fixtures. We do need to address our issues though and we need to start retaining the ball much better and passing a lot lot better. We showed good character, let's hope Vlaar isn't too badly injured.
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Don't they say good teams win when they don't play well? ;)
That Delph wonder goal was literally the only thing that could have won us the game, I'm still in shock. One thing we learned today was just how much we need Vlaar. I've heard hisproblem is not to do with his knee which is fortunate, he's sat on the bench now and it looks like it's just a knock, possibly to his arm? If he doesn't make the Fulham game I'd say he should definitely make the Man United game, which we'll be counting on him for.
On to the beer! Brilliant result!
Commentator said it was a calf strain
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Man U lose, three points behind them in December. Crackers....My brithday tomorrow, thank you Villa.
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23% possession and only three shots on target. Lambert out!
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(http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dance_party.gif)
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Hope it is nothing serious with Vlaar. Have to say we don't half show some heart and balls at times.
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We did well Southampton unbeaten at home this season and with Vlaar going off I feared the worst!
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I'd just like to point out that I've only bet on the villa 3 times to win. Arsenal, man city and today. I reckon my actual name must be Meg.
Either that or bookies are giving us ridiculous odds just to win. No, no, my names Meg.
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Never in doubt
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a nice journey back on the free coaches!
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I believe in our two 3-2 wins this season we have had 7 shots on target.
It is such a weird season, Clark and Vlaar looks as good as any centre half in the league, we look toothless in attack in the main yet have won 5 games, 4 of which you might say we have been second best for a good part of the match.
We were so negative in the main tonight, three straight lines with the midfield and attack miles apart, full backs with nobody to pass to and very little composure yet we have scored three times.
I really hope Vlaar isn't out for long though.
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Almost the perfect prediction as well.
This is Villa we're talking about. we'll win because we rarely do what common sense says we should do. Them 1 Us 3
it's been confirmed many times Mr Shin that you and I are great
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Don't they say good teams win when they don't play well? ;)
That Delph wonder goal was literally the only thing that could have won us the game, I'm still in shock. One thing we learned today was just how much we need Vlaar. I've heard hisproblem is not to do with his knee which is fortunate, he's sat on the bench now and it looks like it's just a knock, possibly to his arm? If he doesn't make the Fulham game I'd say he should definitely make the Man United game, which we'll be counting on him for.
On to the beer! Brilliant result!
Commentator said it was a calf strain
That's still not too bad, better than it could have been with him.
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Not pretty, but a win is a win. Can't really complain at the results this season, the statistical improvement is huge. It'd be nice to see something a bit easier on the eye, but for the moment, if Lambert wants to focus on racking up the points, then who are we to argue?
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Ray Houghton: "How have Villa won this?!?!?!?!?!?"
How indeed. We were embarrassingly bad and it's laughable we've won that match.
No it's not. Scored 3 and were not down hearted by Southampton equalising twice. Great performance I say.
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Not entirely sure how we got away with that, who cares, points in the bank.
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I really hope Vlaar isn't out for long though.
We're in a bit of bother if he is.
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On an even more positive note I'm at home with 2 angry UTD fans arguing with each other...good night all around.
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Fantastic result. One of the best three of the season. But two of those wins (Citeh and Saints) and you have to think 'how on earth did we win that'.
Really hope we can start to get the ball down and play better. 32% possession and 48% pass completion. Pretty shocking really.
Worried about Vlaar. Need him pretty desperately. Been our second best player this year after Delph.
23% possession according to Auntie. God we are a weird team this year.
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In fucking credible
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Just imagine what we could have done if we'd have strung two passes together.
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Funny thing about the last 3 games is, we could easily have lost them. We've ridden our luck but all negatives aside, there's few teams who work as hard as we do. We had what, 3 shots on target and 3 goals? Southampton dominated most of the game, without looking brilliant. It worse virtually a repeat of the Man City game to be honest.
That said we've lost Vlaar and he's been key in our defence. He'll be missed.
Our luck will however run out if we continue to pass the ball so ineptly. Such utter, dire, woeful, wretched football. So many inexcusable errors, whether you're a 90 mill player, or an 800k punt from a lower league, there's no excuse for the poor passing and movement we've seen for 90% of our play today.
Libor I feel for. He'd been awful until his goal, but we just don't help him. We shouldn't have him chasing balls on the flanks, or with his back to goal trying to win hoofed long balls. He needs the ball up to feet and some support near him and he needs good service in the box. As we saw, put a good ball in and he's quite good in front of goal. I do like Libor though. He's a trier. He gets stick, but he was unlucky not to score the other week and he's already netted 3 times. He's done alright to be fair to him, all things considered. Play to his strengths and he'll be a solid player at this level.
For me Clark and Guzan were good. Delph was very good. Gabby worked hard, got a good goal.
Baker was a worry. Our fullbacks are poor. KEA and Westwood were poor again (though great ball from KEA for the second goal). Lowton wasn't great when he came on. Benteke still looks well off pace.
We can't keep playing like we are and expect to remain unbeaten, that's for sure. Our system didn't work again. We looked a bit clueless. No composure at all.
I do fancy us to beat Fulham though.
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We're not a very good football team but pull results out of somewhere lately. Hopefully they can keep that going and remember how to play at the same time. Vlaar injury is very very concerning.
But on the other hand, fuck you Le Tissier you massive wonky conked sickly bell end. That one was for you. You wurzel looking droopy eyed spunk trumpet. I'm having a nice single malt and pretending its your tears.
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5 unbeaten. We really are shit ;)
Yes total crap conceding two goals poor poor defence they are all shit and scoring very very lucky 3 goals. I am fed up with Lambert.
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Its the counter attack innit? Wahooooo!!!
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We're not a very good football team but pull results out of somewhere lately. Hopefully they can keep that going and remember how to play at the same time. Vlaar injury is very very concerning.
But on the other hand, fuck you Le Tissier you massive wonky conked sickly bell end. That one was for you. You wurzel looking droopy eyed spunk trumpet. I'm having a nice single malt and pretending its your tears.
Agreed at the moment we're showing character, but not a lot of technical ability(a couple of special goals apart). We really need to start playing better, but great result. Vlaar is vital to us now.
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We're not a very good football team but pull results out of somewhere lately. Hopefully they can keep that going and remember how to play at the same time. Vlaar injury is very very concerning.
But on the other hand, fuck you Le Tissier you massive wonky conked sickly bell end. That one was for you. You wurzel looking droopy eyed spunk trumpet. I'm having a nice single malt and pretending its your tears.
Hahaha, love it.
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Well you can't really complain when you win 3-2 away to Southampton, and now sit in 10th place on 19 points and a clear 9 points from the relegation zone. Can you?
Well yes you probably can, a great win, with some well taken goals, but it really was a very poor display in so so many ways. We had something like 22% possession and most of the game was an exhibition from us in formation running without the ball. And we really are a hoofball/longball team, but considering our midfield that really isn't a surprise.
It really reminded me of a game from the MoN era, and i suppose we are progressing in the sense that MoN took a lot more money than that to get us playing that badly and still get results. But we're getting points on the board and eking our way to hopeful midtable security and safety for another season, and maybe, just maybe, we might even begin to click and start playing some actual watchable football towards the end of the season to go with our results.
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Only Everton (7) are on a better unbeaten run than us (5) in the Premier League.
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That ain't the last goal we've seen from young Fabian. Now he's remembered he knows where the back of the net is, I reckon he'll start knocking em in on a regular basis. He needs to get into those positions more often. And he'll be going to Brazil next summer if Woy's got any sense.
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That ain't the last goal we've seen from young Fabian. Now he's remembered he knows where the back of the net is, I reckon he'll start knocking em in on a regular basis. He needs to get into those positions more often. And he'll be going to Brazil next summer if Woy's got any sense.
I hope so.
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Well you can't really complain when you win 3-2 away to Southampton, and now sit in 10th place on 19 points and a clear 9 points from the relegation zone. Can you?
No.
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Southampton's next 6 games:
Southampton v Man City (3)
Newcastle v Southampton (6)
Southampton v Tottenham (9)
Cardiff v Southampton (17)
Everton v Southampton (5)
Southampton v Chelsea (2)
Aston Villa's Next 6 Fixtures:
Fulham v Aston Villa (18)
Aston Villa v Man Utd (9)
Stoke v Aston Villa(16)
Aston Villa v Crystal Palace (19)
Aston Villa v Swansea (13)
Sunderland v Aston Villa (20)
We should be mile ahead those games! Southampton had a really easy start!
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SVC says we are 2nd in the away form league behind Arsenal.
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5 points off 6th place!
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I only caught the second half... 23% possession? and we won? I'll take it, but I don't like it...
KEA has all the tools, why can't he just assert himself on a game over a full 90 minutes? That cross was magnificent, but he was so laconic on the ball one second before that he almost lost it.
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What channel are the highlights on ?
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I like the way we toyed with them by pretending we were really shit - hoofing the ball, mis-placing passes, taking throw-ins straight to them etc - when in reality any time we wanted to we could stroll up the other end and score. We only needed to have 3 shots on target to win so that's all we took. That must be really annoying for them
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MANAGER REACTION - Southampton 2-3 Aston Villa
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert: "We were outstanding. The first goal from Gabriel Agbonlahor was world class, but the Fabian Delph strike was even better. The game is not just about Christian Benteke, he is just a young lad."
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Never been so glad to be so wrong!
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From the BBC
MANAGER REACTION - Southampton 2-3 Aston Villa
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert: "We were outstanding. The first goal from Gabriel Agbonlahor was world class, but the Fabian Delph strike was even better. The game is not just about Christian Benteke, he is just a young lad."
I don't think we were outstanding. But a great win, and as someone pointed out on the match thread, this win is revenge for all the luck they had at Villa Park last year.
Well done Villa
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It genuinely do not know what to make of that.
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What channel are the highlights on ?
MOTD on BBC1 10.35
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Well you can't really complain when you win 3-2 away to Southampton, and now sit in 10th place on 19 points and a clear 9 points from the relegation zone. Can you?
No.
Agreed.
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I like the way we toyed with them by pretending we were really shit - hoofing the ball, mis-placing passes, taking throw-ins straight to them etc - when in reality any time we wanted to we could stroll up the other end and score. We only needed to have 3 shots on target to win so that's all we took. That must be really annoying for them
I love this nice one - as an earlier poster said that was payback for VP last season
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If we could sort out our home form we'd be top 4 contenders.
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What channel are the highlights on ?
MOTD on BBC1 10.35
Lovely. I will stay up and illegally stream that through a site that cannot be mentioned. ;)
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We took 21 games to get to 19 points last season. We've done it in 14 this year, and with harder fixtures I think (still).
So it's definitely progress on last season as a whole. Just not pleasing on the eye for the most part and not living up to the bucaneering young side that I started to fall in love with again by the end of last season.
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So we don't really score from midfield do we? Should we get ahead of ourselves now that Delph, Westwood and KEA have all scored in the last 3 matches? KEA already has 2. Bacuna, who's really a mid also has 2.
More of the same please.
I hope that Gabby has a purple patch now too.
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Not entirely sure how we got away with that, who cares, points in the bank.
It's very simple we took our chances, they didn't.
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What channel are the highlights on ?
MOTD on BBC1 10.35
Lovely. I will stay up and illegally stream that through a site that cannot be mentioned. ;)
Download google chrome, install the "hola unblocker" extension, and you can just watch it on the iplayer.
I used that approach when we were in France on hollibobs this year.
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Marvellous result, Southampton are a good footballing side, to go there and score 3 is going something. I just cannot make head or tails of us, the performance was terrible again, the result amazing. Please overhaul the midfield completely in the next 2 windows. Vlaar had a good first half and I would have backed him to get his head on the 2 they scored.
Pleased to see Gabby getting back into form aswell, I though he did pretty well Saturday and this was more of the same, when he got the ball.
Lambert puzzles me, Lowton should never have been sent on into a central area.
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That results done us the world of good, if we want to push on for those champions league spots
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From the BBC
MANAGER REACTION - Southampton 2-3 Aston Villa
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert: "We were outstanding. The first goal from Gabriel Agbonlahor was world class, but the Fabian Delph strike was even better. The game is not just about Christian Benteke, he is just a young lad."
I don't think we were outstanding. But a great win, and as someone pointed out on the match thread, this win is revenge for all the luck they had at Villa Park last year.
Well done Villa
Plenty of heart and some great goals tonight. But we don't play football that's nice on the eye and we'll miss Vlaar if he's out long term (finger crossed he's not). It's mainly disjointed, long ball stuff lately that wont get us any higher than mid-table - good enough for now but can Lambert and the budget deliver something better?. Still waiting to see the team that swept past Arsenal a couple of months ago.
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Bit of payback for Lambert's dive & penalty in front of the Holte End last season.
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Daylight Robbery, but i don't care.....How does Baker read a game.....what a crazy free kick to give away in the 89th min.
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First on motd? Ah no, it will be the 'Moyes' game.
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If Vlaar is out for any length of time, we must buy cover in Jan - especially with Okore out for the season. If its his calf - he missed about 2 months last season?
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What channel are the highlights on ?
MOTD on BBC1 10.35
Lovely. I will stay up and illegally stream that through a site that cannot be mentioned. ;)
Download google chrome, install the "hola unblocker" extension, and you can just watch it on the iplayer.
I used that approach when we were in France on hollibobs this year.
Cheers paulie.
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Tweet from EPL Index @EPLIndex
#SFC 2 #AVFC 3 FT
Possession%: 77-23 |
Passes: 715-209 |
Accuracy%: 85-50 |
Final 3rd: 227-54 |
Accuracy%: 73-30 |
Shots: 21(9)-6(3)
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We took 21 games to get to 19 points last season. We've done it in 14 this year, and with harder fixtures I think (still).
So it's definitely progress on last season as a whole. Just not pleasing on the eye for the most part and not living up to the bucaneering young side that I started to fall in love with again by the end of last season.
As dire as our passing is I think the major mark of our side and our success so far has been how much effort we put in. I think you'd be hard pushed to find a harder working side. Granted we bring that on ourselves at times by persistently giving the ball away, but we never let conceding knock the wind out of us anymore. In previous years we'd have capitulated.
If we can find a little bit more quality and composure from somewhere, either confidence, training or a new face or two in Jan, we wouldn't be far off pushing the top 8.
Vlaar needs to be fit again soon though.
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Ray Houghton: "How have Villa won this?!"
Won by scoring more goals than them you ...( I wish he wasn't ex Villa)
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Tweet from EPL Index @EPLIndex
#SFC 2 #AVFC 3 FT
Possession%: 77-23 |
Passes: 715-209 |
Accuracy%: 85-50 |
Final 3rd: 227-54 |
Accuracy%: 73-30 |
Shots: 21(9)-6(3)
LOL 50% passing accuracy.
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The key match is ManU at home. Win that and we will go on an unholy rampage over the festive period and get into the top 4.
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Tweet from EPL Index @EPLIndex
#SFC 2 #AVFC 3 FT
Possession%: 77-23 |
Passes: 715-209 |
Accuracy%: 85-50 |
Final 3rd: 227-54 |
Accuracy%: 73-30 |
Shots: 21(9)-6(3)
First bold bit = important bit
However, those other stats, fucking hell.
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The key match is ManU at home. Win that and we will go on an unholy rampage over the festive period and get into the top 4.
I like your thinking ;)
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Ray Houghton really is a miserable ******. His commentary was incredibly down on us, right from the start.
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From the BBC
MANAGER REACTION - Southampton 2-3 Aston Villa
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert: "We were outstanding. The first goal from Gabriel Agbonlahor was world class, but the Fabian Delph strike was even better. The game is not just about Christian Benteke, he is just a young lad."
I don't think we were outstanding. But a great win, and as someone pointed out on the match thread, this win is revenge for all the luck they had at Villa Park last year.
Well done Villa
Blimey you are up early Nik? Well done and you deserve this win.
[/quote]
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The key match is ManU at home. Win that and we will go on an unholy rampage over the festive period and get into the top 4.
Those fuckers are there for the taking right now. It would be lovely payback to come back from 2-0 down, beat them 3-2 and send them into a downward spiral.
No sacking Moyes though, he's doing a great job.
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Tweet from EPL Index @EPLIndex
#SFC 2 #AVFC 3 FT
Possession%: 77-23 |
Passes: 715-209 |
Accuracy%: 85-50 |
Final 3rd: 227-54 |
Accuracy%: 73-30 |
Shots: 21(9)-6(3)
First bold bit = important bit
However, those other stats, fucking hell.
so we beat Tony Mowbray's Real Smethwick tonight? The night gets better and better
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An O'Neill-like how did we get anything out of this game. Three excellent goals and a performance from the ref that got the conclusion it deserved. As did Southampton. For all their skills they are an annoying bunch of cloggers. I wouldn't be at all disappointed to see them take their dodgy money and precious manager back to the Championship.
Lambert needs to sort out a midfield, and find a way of playing that stifles the opposition rather than provide them with inviting gaps.
I hope Vlaar is back soon. After Saturday's no-show it was good to see Benteke giving a fuck and for all the negative comments Kojak is nicking some handy goals.
Ray Houghton should have been stifled at birth, Or at the very least shortly after scoring against Inter.
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The key match is ManU at home. Win that and we will go on an unholy rampage over the festive period and get into the top 4.
I like your thinking ;)
We could easily win our next two I think. Fulham won't get a new man in time, and it'll take a while to recover from the mess Jol left.
Utd are there for the taking. We'll approach that like an away game I think. If we don't get at least a point off them, I'd be very disappointed.
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Fulham, Man U, Stoke, Palace, Swansea and Sunderland till New Year. We really do have a good chance of clocking up some points in the next couple of weeks.
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Albion five points off the drop zone radio wm.
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I like the way we toyed with them by pretending we were really shit - hoofing the ball, mis-placing passes, taking throw-ins straight to them etc - when in reality any time we wanted to we could stroll up the other end and score. We only needed to have 3 shots on target to win so that's all we took. That must be really annoying for them
That made me LOL
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Tweet from EPL Index @EPLIndex
#SFC 2 #AVFC 3 FT
Possession%: 77-23 |
Passes: 715-209 |
Accuracy%: 85-50 |
Final 3rd: 227-54 |
Accuracy%: 73-30 |
Shots: 21(9)-6(3)
First bold bit = important bit
However, those other stats, fucking hell.
It is incredible that a team can be so dominated on pretty much all stats, yet win the match.
That's sport I suppose
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Albion five points off the drop zone radio wm.
surely according to Radio WM, we are 9 points from being relegated and Albion are 12 points off a CL spot?
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Match of the Day running order has been released. BBC One/online at 2235 GMT.
Sunderland v Chelsea; Man Utd v Eve, Liverpool v Norwich; Southampton v Aston Villa, WBA v Man City; Arsenal v Hull; Crystal Palace v West Ham; Fulham v Spurs; Swansea v Newcastle; Stoke v Cardiff
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Benteke looked a bit more like his old self when he came on, he showed better physicality.
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Really pleased we have built up a gap between us and the bottom as nine of us can face another relegation battle. Just hope we can start dominating the play in the games to come as well as win!
Still we are only 3 points behind Man U and 4 clear of the 'pride of the midlands' who couldn't even get 23000 tonight.
4th on MOTD apparently
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(http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dance_party.gif)
Which one is you?
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What a beauty from Gabby!
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As lucky as we were tonight, our away form with only one defeat in seven games is not down to luck. Nobody can be that lucky. Ironically that defeat was probably our best performance.
There's a lot to improve on but there's also a lot that's right.
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Better but could do better and we can..Delph a surprise. C'mon da Villa!
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Benteke looked a bit more like his old self when he came on, he showed better physicality.
Should have had a penalty for me, they sandwiched him with no attempt to play the ball.
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Match of the Day running order has been released. BBC One/online at 2235 GMT.
Sunderland v Chelsea; Man Utd v Eve, Liverpool v Norwich; Southampton v Aston Villa, WBA v Man City; Arsenal v Hull; Crystal Palace v West Ham; Fulham v Spurs; Swansea v Newcastle; Stoke v Cardiff
Why is a routine home win for Liverpool on before our genuinely interesting game?
I get that Suarez is a great player, but surely the Linekar/Shearer wankfest could have waited a few minutes
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Tweet from EPL Index @EPLIndex
#SFC 2 #AVFC 3 FT
Possession%: 77-23 |
Passes: 715-209 |
Accuracy%: 85-50 |
Final 3rd: 227-54 |
Accuracy%: 73-30 |
Shots: 21(9)-6(3)
First bold bit = important bit
However, those other stats, fucking hell.
Amazin stats, just amazing, and yet we won. I am really pleased with the victory, but in a sense of us moving away from the buttom rather than looking up the table. We were lucky, but also scored 2 great goals. I really think the passing and movement is awful. Only Delph looks comfortable on the ball.
Kozak was bad when in posession and nearly cost a goal, where there were claims for a penalty. But he only got one cross in and he scored from it. The service to him has been bad all season, 23% posession does not make a striker like him look good. You could also see what the goal meant to him, he really wanted to share it with the fans. Great. When KEA lost the ball seconds before the goal, I really cursed him, because he had just been outmuscled yet again, but then he won it back and crossed it for a goal.
As Proposition Joe said, Luna is the worst throw-in taker I have ever seen. He really is terrible, he also gave them lots of time to cross for their two goals. I wanted Lowton to start, but his marking for the first goal was bad, at least you have to push and press if you can not win the header. Great goal by Delph, hard to believe this was his first (of many) Premier League goals. I hope Tonev was watching :-)
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Bit of payback for Lambert's dive & penalty in front of the Holte End last season.
It was Jay Rodriguez, never forget.
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On an even more positive note I'm at home with 2 angry UTD fans arguing with each other...good night all around.
I didn't think we allowed them in Shropshire??
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Here is one for you.
32 goals in 9 prem games tonight. Is that some sort of record ?
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Delph's goal was stunning - as good as any strike all season.
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We won despite starting without our star player who is off form, with our captain and best defender going off injured at half time, away against a team that was unbeaten at home.
I don't give a shit what the stats say, I'm still impressed.
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Delph's goal was stunning - as good as any strike all season.
Gabby's goal was superbly taken, too.
He sold the defender a brilliant dummy and clipped it past the keeper very well, after running half the length of the pitch. Highly impressive.
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Well done lads. How many goals had Southampton conceded at home before today?
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Here is one for you.
32 goals in 9 prem games tonight. Is that some sort of record ?
Boxing Day 1963 Dan. 10 First Division games, 66 goals.
Villa won 3-0.
Fulham beat Ipswich 10-1
Burley beat Man Utd 6-1
Impressive stuff!
UTV, especially Gabby, Libor and Fabian!
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Here is one for you.
32 goals in 9 prem games tonight. Is that some sort of record ?
Boxing Day 1963 Dan. 10 First Division games, 66 goals.
Villa won 3-0.
Fulham beat Ipswich 10-1
Burley beat Man Utd 6-1
Impressive stuff!
UTV, especially Gabby, Libor and Fabian!
I wish I had a pub quiz team to bring you into.
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Delph's goal was stunning - as good as any strike all season.
Bacuna wasn't all bad!
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Here is one for you.
32 goals in 9 prem games tonight. Is that some sort of record ?
Boxing Day 1963 Dan. 10 First Division games, 66 goals.
Villa won 3-0.
Fulham beat Ipswich 10-1
Burley beat Man Utd 6-1
Impressive stuff!
UTV, especially Gabby, Libor and Fabian!
I wish I had a pub quiz team to bring you into.
Fabulous with uncle Google to help, as well! Thanks.
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Delph's goal was stunning - as good as any strike all season.
And gabby's was class, so cool, often doesn't show that composure at villa park
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Well done lads. How many goals had Southampton conceded at home before today?
Two ;D.
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Here is one for you.
32 goals in 9 prem games tonight. Is that some sort of record ?
Boxing Day 1963 Dan. 10 First Division games, 66 goals.
Villa won 3-0.
Fulham beat Ipswich 10-1
Burley beat Man Utd 6-1
Impressive stuff!
UTV, especially Gabby, Libor and Fabian!
I wish I had a pub quiz team to bring you into.
Fabulous with uncle Google to help, as well! Thanks.
You bastard.
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First Division
Birmingham 4 - 0 Everton
Chelsea 4 - 0 Middlesbrough
Derby County 5 - 0 Blackpool
Grimsby Town 1 - 4 Huddersfield Town
Leicester City 3 - 8 Aston Villa
Liverpool 4 - 2 Newcastle United
Portsmouth 2 - 1 Sheffield United
Sheffield Wednesday 5 - 1 Blackburn Rovers
Sunderland 2 - 5 Manchester City
West Bromwich Albion 1 - 0 Arsenal
West Ham United 3 - 1 Bolton Wanderers
Second Division
Bradford City 9 - 1 Barnsley
Burnley 1 - 3 Southampton
Bury 2 - 1 Bristol City
Chesterfield 1 - 3 Stoke City
Leeds United 3 - 2 Swansea Town
Manchester United 0 - 2 Bradford Park Avenue
Millwall 4 - 3 Notts County
Nottingham Forest 3 - 2 Charlton Athletic
Port Vale 2 - 0 Plymouth Argyle
Preston North End 2 - 3 Oldham Athletic
Tottenham Hotspur 3 - 3 Wolverhampton W.
Third Division (North)
Accrington Stanley 3 - 0 Rochdale
Barrow 7 - 1 Walsall
Carlisle United 3 - 2 Hartlepool United
Darlington 0 - 6 Lincoln City
Gateshead 4 - 0 New Brighton
Halifax Town 2 - 2 Hull City
Rotherham United 2 - 0 Southport
Stockport County 1 - 0 Doncaster Rovers
Tranmere Rovers 2 - 2 York City
Wrexham 2 - 4 Crewe Alexandra
Third Division (South)
Bristol Rovers 4 - 1 Bournemouth
Cardiff City 5 - 0 Northampton Town
Clapton Orient 2 - 2 Watford
Coventry City 5 - 5 Fulham
Exeter City 4 - 1 Thames
Gillingham 4 - 0 Southend United
Luton Town 6 - 1 Reading
Norwich City 2 - 1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Queens Park Rangers 1 - 2 Brentford
Swindon Town 5 - 2 Mansfield Town
Torquay United 3 - 1 Crystal Palace
**
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Well done lads. How many goals had Southampton conceded at home before today?
To answer my own question, I think it is 2?
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Hmmm maybe I shouldn't copy and paste on my phone!
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Here is one for you.
32 goals in 9 prem games tonight. Is that some sort of record ?
Boxing Day 1963 Dan. 10 First Division games, 66 goals.
Villa won 3-0.
Fulham beat Ipswich 10-1
Burley beat Man Utd 6-1
Impressive stuff!
UTV, especially Gabby, Libor and Fabian!
I wish I had a pub quiz team to bring you into.
Fabulous with uncle Google to help, as well! Thanks.
You bastard.
Haha. But the one thing wrong is that was not the Prem in 1963. Sorry for the piss on bonfire type scenario mate.
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Here is one for you.
32 goals in 9 prem games tonight. Is that some sort of record ?
Boxing Day 1963 Dan. 10 First Division games, 66 goals.
Villa won 3-0.
Fulham beat Ipswich 10-1
Burley beat Man Utd 6-1
Impressive stuff!
UTV, especially Gabby, Libor and Fabian!
I wish I had a pub quiz team to bring you into.
Fabulous with uncle Google to help, as well! Thanks.
You bastard.
:) UTV Chipsticks!
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That's the type of goal that Delph used to score for Leeds
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Southampton put together over 500 successful passes and we put together 100.
Defend deep and play on the break is the right tactic. But I wonder if any other team has won this season with stats like that?
I wouldn't mind if it were a one off. But I just don't think football should be played like that regularly. It's a bit, well, Mcleish.
Still, we certainly came through some advertisity and scored some great goals by the sound of things
But where has that buccaneering villa side from the end of last season gone? The one that used to attack at will, pass it in triangles and made every match entertaining. I miss them!
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I know, Dan, but it was the top division at the time and (cough) I did remember it. (Well, my dad's reaction) Just not the scores.
Still, what's a mere Murdoch Łmillions manufactured technicality between fellow fans, mate?
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Well done lads. How many goals had Southampton conceded at home before today?
To answer my own question, I think it is 2?
Oh sorry I was about to answer that. Yes 2.
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Well done lads. How many goals had Southampton conceded at home before today?
To answer my own question, I think it is 2?
Oh sorry I was about to answer that. Yes 2.
Is the answer 2?
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But where has that buccaneering villa side from the end of last season gone? The one that used to attack at will, pass it in triangles and made every match entertaining. I miss them!
I thought this tight triangular passing was a trademark of a Lambert team. Last season his signings were picked by who he thought could play this way and I would have thought that policy would have continued when we bought last summer?
It must be a confidence thing surely? I hope anyway. We did just suddenly click last season so I keep hoping it will again. A result like tonight might just do it. I really can't believe Lambert philosophy on how to play football would change
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I know, Dan, but it was the top division at the time and (cough) I did remember it. (Well, my dad's reaction) Just not the scores.
Still, what's a mere Murdoch Łmillions manufactured technicality between fellow fans, mate?
That will do for me mate. Hope you have some good Chard at hand. I have had a bottle and half of a very cheeky number tonight. Local Lanza wine, 2.99 Euros a bottle !! Fine stuff.
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The difference between defensive and counter-attacking is almost entirely dependent on how many players you commit forward when you win the ball. That's pretty much it, and Lambert's nothing if not a bit reckless.
A classic example of why we're good away and poor at home. The emphasis on them to attack gave us space when we did commit forward, and it paid off. There's no problem with playing this kind of game - we just need to play more like Southampton when it's us at home.
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Southampton have been playing very good football, we haven't, I'd rather see a manager accept that and set us up to let them have the ball in front of us and catch them on the break than see us lose trying to play them at their own game.
We all know this team can play, we've all seen it, but it's not happening right now, given that I'm just happy to see us getting the points. As others have said, if you score 3 away from home you don't often get less than 3 points, if you do it whilst being pretty dire then you don't question it, just walk away with the points and be happy. Oh and houghton is full of shit, trying to suggest the Benteke one wasn't a penalty was poor, trying to suggest Forte won the ball for the yellow was pathetic, in real time you could see Benteke's foot was between the tackle and the ball, it was a clear foul and a definite booking.
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I think it's 2, but that's mainly guesswork on my part.
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I know, Dan, but it was the top division at the time and (cough) I did remember it. (Well, my dad's reaction) Just not the scores.
Still, what's a mere Murdoch Łmillions manufactured technicality between fellow fans, mate?
Were all those goals snow related ?
It was a bad winter, maybe the keepers were frozen to the spot ;)
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Well done lads. How many goals had Southampton conceded at home before today?
To answer my own question, I think it is 2?
Oh sorry I was about to answer that. Yes 2.
Is the answer 2?
If you can bear with me I will go and check....
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Just seen Delph's goal. Christ that was a bit special!
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Here is one for you.
32 goals in 9 prem games tonight. Is that some sort of record ?
Boxing Day 1963 Dan. 10 First Division games, 66 goals.
Villa won 3-0.
Fulham beat Ipswich 10-1
Burley beat Man Utd 6-1
Impressive stuff!
UTV, especially Gabby, Libor and Fabian!
I wish I had a pub quiz team to bring you into.
Fabulous with uncle Google to help, as well! Thanks.
You bastard.
:) UTV Chipsticks!
Always ;)
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I know, Dan, but it was the top division at the time and (cough) I did remember it. (Well, my dad's reaction) Just not the scores.
Still, what's a mere Murdoch Łmillions manufactured technicality between fellow fans, mate?
Were all those goals snow related ?
It was a bad winter, maybe the keepers were frozen to the spot ;)
You know, I have a vague memory of the winter of 63 being incredibly bad, now that you mention it. :)
Didn't affect us though, my family were living in the tropics at the time.
We just listened to the World Service and thought, poor devils...
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We are 15-16 months in. We have 19 points from 14. United are 3 in front of us. We won a game through grit and determination tonight thankfully. In 2 years time we will be a much better side I am sure, but right now we need to get points on the board and grow as a side over that time.
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.....just checked and it's 2.
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Well done lads. How many goals had Southampton conceded at home before today?
If nobody else has got this, it's 2
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Next up on match of the day Southampton, who until tonight had only conceded 2 goals at home. Our man at saint Mary's, Guy Nobody.
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Before tonight Southampton had conceded less than 3 goals in 6 home games. Tonight they conceded more than 2 in 1 game.
I just thought I ought to publish some stats.
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Confirmed on MOTD 2 goals at home.
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nice thing about MOTD, 3 Villa goals and they can't possibly make it look more one-sided than it actually was.
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Now that we've established that Southampton have only let in 2 at home before tonight, could someone tell me why Barry didn't take the penalty?
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Not only did Gabby score he finished off a one on one! That'll do him good!
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Kozak knows how to celebrate!
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So four of our best five players last season (Lowton, Westwood, Benteke, Weimann) are all struggling for form and we're picking up points - I'll take that. Imagine how good we're going to be if and when they come good!
The fact that negativity is outweighing elation on here makes me a sad panda
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I know, Dan, but it was the top division at the time and (cough) I did remember it. (Well, my dad's reaction) Just not the scores.
Still, what's a mere Murdoch Łmillions manufactured technicality between fellow fans, mate?
Were all those goals snow related ?
It was a bad winter, maybe the keepers were frozen to the spot ;)
You know, I have a vague memory of the winter of 63 being incredibly bad, now that you mention it. :)
Didn't affect us though, my family were living in the tropics at the time.
We just listened to the World Service and thought, poor devils...
Wrong end of 1963. The bad winter was 62/63 after new year. Those results are 63/64.
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Albion five points off the drop zone radio wm.
surely according to Radio WM, we are 9 points from being relegated and Albion are 12 points off a CL spot?
*applause*
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So four of our best five players last season (Lowton, Westwood, Benteke, Weimann) are all struggling for form and we're picking up points - I'll take that. Imagine how good we're going to be if and when they come good!
The fact that negativity is outweighing elation on here makes me a sad panda
It's all well and good when we win with this style. It can be easily brushed under the carpet. When we lose or labour at home though, people get understandably irate.
VP season ticket holders should just spend their money on away games.
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I know, Dan, but it was the top division at the time and (cough) I did remember it. (Well, my dad's reaction) Just not the scores.
Still, what's a mere Murdoch Łmillions manufactured technicality between fellow fans, mate?
Were all those goals snow related ?
It was a bad winter, maybe the keepers were frozen to the spot ;)
You know, I have a vague memory of the winter of 63 being incredibly bad, now that you mention it. :)
Didn't affect us though, my family were living in the tropics at the time.
We just listened to the World Service and thought, poor devils...
Wrong end of 1963. The bad winter was 62/63 after new year. Those results are 63/64.
Maybe the snow lasted
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Delph's goal was like the one JPA scored against Chelsea in the league cup.
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Great result - but noticeable that when Vlaar went off the old defensive frailties return. Let's hope he returns soon.
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I could swear I saw Doug Ellis in the front row of the crowd celebrating with Kozak after his goal :-)
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Don't care how it was achieved, we needed the win.
Scrap that, an away win against the run of play is one of the best feelings a football fan can have.
Payback for that diving prick at VP in Jan.
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Just need Fulham to attack us in the same way and we will win there as well.
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I could swear I saw Doug Ellis in the front row of the crowd celebrating with Kozak after his goal :-)
You mean the bloke with the Deer Stalker hat on ? I thought the same thing. ;D
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I could swear I saw Doug Ellis in the front row of the crowd celebrating with Kozak after his goal :-)
You mean the bloke with the Deer Stalker hat on ? I thought the same thing. ;D
Ron. Nice bloke; big blues fan (small b) as well.
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He seemed to have rather impressive mutton chop whiskers also.
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That's for you Jay Rodriguez you cheat....
Might not have been pretty but much like visitors to VP we aren't there to make the home side look pretty or be fodder to their tactics we are there to win, however it be achieved...tonight (last night) we won, enjoy!!!
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You may now thank me!
In an attempt to bring us luck i'm going to follow the game on here only. So when we win, you can all thank me.
I did the same as it was my daughter's birthday. Only problem was I had to go and sit down for dinner with our guests with 5 minutes of the game to go. Only after dinner did I manage to get to see the final score. Delighted for my digestion that I never had to suffer watching the game. It all sounds very MON - great result - shite football. Right now I'll gladly take the 3 points.
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Just read through the whole match thread just to relive the thrill of that, only the second time in 8 years i have ever done that, the other was Man City at home. Rollercoaster of emotions, nothing quite like the excitement of a smash and grab!
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(http://www.clicksmilies.com/s1106/musik/music-smiley-018.gif)
(http://www.clicksmilies.com/s1106/musik/music-smiley-010.gif)
(http://www.clicksmilies.com/s1106/musik/music-smiley-011.gif)
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Playing poorly but picking up results. It might not be pretty but that is the mark of a solid side.
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Playing poorly but picking up results. It might not be pretty but that is the mark of a solid side.
I know we won't play this poorly for the rest of the season.
Passing as poorly and giving up possession as we did tonight isn't a strategy that will pay off long term, and I don't think Lambert wants us to play like that.
However, although we need strengthening, I think we are just in a poor spell. Given that, I'd much rather have a poor spell and get results like tonight than lose games.
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ratings, will go with
guzan 7 - solid as today. maybe could have come out and clobbered osvaldo for their second but thats being a bit harsh. played well
bacuna 4 - not too bad one on one with shaw but positionally a mess and gave the ball away constantly. at fault for second goal, beaten far too easily in the air.
vlaar 5 - didnt think he looked right in the first half, didnt get off the ground for a couple of corners. no surprise he had an injury
clark 7 - outstanding in the first half but not so after the break. to be fair to baker and himself, lowton spread panic in the defence when he came in
baker 6 - couple of great blocks, gave away a crazy freekick at the end. usual mixed bag
luna 3 - a charlatan. his effort at defending crosses is slightly hilarious, hands behind back, leaning all over the place and getting done constantly. and the throw-ins
westwood 4 - passenger tonight, hardly got a kick as we were totally overran in midfield
kea 5 - same as westwood although made the second goal out of nothing with a great cross
delph 7 - best of our midfielders which isnt saying much, extra points for the goal which was unreal
gabby 7 - great goal. super hold up play for the goal, something he should have done more of.
kozak 5 - scored but had a thankless task up front. still though benteke was an improvement at fielding the hoofs
benteke 7 - much better. touch not what it needs to be but a lot more physical and direct. good decision to drop him
lowton 3 - not a centre half but he looked like he had won a competition to play out there. terrible decision by lambert not to switch to 4 at the back
weimann 5 - havent been impressed with his attitude lately and the only kick he got was a hack on shaw that could have been a red. needs to get his act together, looks overweight
lambert 10 - genius lol
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Delph's shot was a thing of beauty. Just about unstoppable. It was also his fine, raking ball that set Gabby away for the first - another fantastic counter attacking goal. Delighted for Fabian, I've always thought there was a player there and now if he can add the odd goal to his game we will have one hell of a player.
I thought Kozak was naive/brave to hurdle into the part of the stand nearest the home supporters after he scored. I guess he couldn't contain himself. He didn't get booked for going into the fans did he?
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Warming to Kozak. He doesn't offer a lot of quality, but given service he'll put his head in. Embarrassingly shit performance as a whole, hope Vlaar is back soon and that Lowton never has to play CB ever again (and possibly right back if he doesn't gain some positional awareness). Delighted none-the-less.
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Clearly using Ali's tactic of rope-a-dope.
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What the hell was Ray Houghton watching tonight? Lowton clearly gets his foot on top of the ball, but Houghton sees it as clear penalty. Benteke sandwiched in the box, never a penalty apparently. Then Benteke taken down from behind by Fonte, not a foul. When did he lose his sight or become David Platt?
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Just got home - thankfully bus driver didn't take us on tour of Southampton toll bridges on way back.
Very solid performance - they did make a few chances in the second half - but we were the more composed team for most of the match - losing Vlaar unsettled our defense but apart from the goals we held out well.
Didn't do much attacking but "we only had 3 shots" was good to goad the home supporters with. Had we been given a penalty at 1-2 it would have been more comfortable especially if Benteke took it and scored, ref gave them some decisions that helped them back into game.
They were weakened by injury but so were we. Gabby still does not look 100% but still too fast for their slow defenders.
Not playing that well but picking up points - standing up for themselves in the 8 minutes added on - excellent!
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If we are going to play five at the back with 3 defensive mids, how come our fullbacks come in so fucking narrow?
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Just back. Elated!
Heating broken down, fu**in freezin, but happy as a pig in shit.
Come on you Villa boys!
UTV!
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Delph's shot was a thing of beauty. Just about unstoppable. It was also his fine, raking ball that set Gabby away for the first - another fantastic counter attacking goal. Delighted for Fabian, I've always thought there was a player there and now if he can add the odd goal to his game we will have one hell of a player.
I thought Kozak was naive/brave to hurdle into the part of the stand nearest the home supporters after he scored. I guess he couldn't contain himself. He didn't get booked for going into the fans did he?
No idea if he got booked.
Was having an orgiastic moment or three and jumping up and down hugging and kissing any fu**er.
Had a nice dance with one of their stewards as I was leaving.
Which was nice.
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There have been/will be plenty we deserve to win and don't so more than happy to take three points here.
"Embarrasing" performances where we win 3-2 I can take.
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heres the goals for anyone else like me who missed them. Stunners.
Must admit I thought we'd be tonked. Really don't know what to expect from the this team any more but I guess it makes nights like this a pleasure.
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Surely PL has to buy in Jan if Vlaar is out any length of time? What with Okore out all season that's our first choice CB pairing unavailable. Last season if you recall Vlaar was sidelined for about 2 months with a calf injury - hopefully it's not that serious.
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Just got home - thankfully bus driver didn't take us on tour of Southampton toll bridges on way back.
Bloody pain that was. At least it cheered up the moaner who couldn't understand why we left as early as 2pm then spent 30 mins at the beginning of each leg of the journey talking about the Albion.
A couple of top drawer interceptions by Clark kept us in the game plus their bloke seeming to clear off our line. Very pleasant night out with three pre-match pints of high quality, even if the taxi driver did another tour of Southampton's bridges.
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I'll stop banging the same drum after this. But apparently Ashley Westwood, our metronome, completed eleven passes last night. Eleven!
Steven Davis completed one hundred and eleven
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Just got home - thankfully bus driver didn't take us on tour of Southampton toll bridges on way back.
Bloody pain that was. At least it cheered up the moaner who couldn't understand why we left as early as 2pm then spent 30 mins at the beginning of each leg of the journey talking about the Albion.
A couple of top drawer interceptions by Clark kept us in the game plus their bloke seeming to clear off our line. Very pleasant night out with three pre-match pints of high quality, even if the taxi driver did another tour of Southampton's bridges.
If you know what you are doing, the toll bridge into Southampton is actually the quickest way to get to the ground and into the city. However, the layout of the city is quite confusing to the uninitiated
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I could swear I saw Doug Ellis in the front row of the crowd celebrating with Kozak after his goal :-)
Ha, that was funny, there seemed to be a walking stick being held in the air too!
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Stick your statistics up your arse. We won away 3-2.. For Christ sakes enjoy it.
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Just got home - thankfully bus driver didn't take us on tour of Southampton toll bridges on way back.
Bloody pain that was. At least it cheered up the moaner who couldn't understand why we left as early as 2pm then spent 30 mins at the beginning of each leg of the journey talking about the Albion.
A couple of top drawer interceptions by Clark kept us in the game plus their bloke seeming to clear off our line. Very pleasant night out with three pre-match pints of high quality, even if the taxi driver did another tour of Southampton's bridges.
If you know what you are doing, the toll bridge into Southampton is actually the quickest way to get to the ground and into the city. However, the layout of the city is quite confusing to the uninitiated
The problem was that the directions given to the coach drivers were wrong. Eight out of nine official coaches (not all in convoy, it should be added) went over the same toll bridge twice on the way there!
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Stick your statistics up your arse. We won away 3-2.. For Christ sakes enjoy it.
Amen
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I don't think there is anything really surprising about that 23% possession statistic. We are set-up to play on the counter anyway, but then if you add to that the fact that we were in the lead three times as well, which inevitably means that Southampton were going to have to come at us to get back into the game, then it's not surprising that they had most of the ball. We sat back and sucked them in. They fell for it.
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My old boss used to say "Its not what you've got, its what you do with it". Three shots on target, three goals, three points, Get In
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My old boss used to say "Its not what you've got, its what you do with it". Three shots on target, three goals, three points, Get In
Wasn't that The Fun Boy Three? Or maybe Bananarama?
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Touche. I didnt work for Banarama unfortunately, they were far better looking than my old boss. I think thats "Its not what you do, its the way that you do it" anyway!
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It was a great result, some very good goals (two beauties) and some resolute defending. And I'm definitely happy to be in the top half
But if we'd put in exactly the same performance otherwise and not scored with all three of our shots on goal, people would be moaning about the performance.
I think we played really well for 60 minutes against Everton and lost, and didn't play well last night. I think that's an entirely valid perspective.
Villa are pretty unlikely to win anything of note for the foreseeable future. So I'd like to enjoy watching us play. For the first time in several years I actually enjoyed watching our games at the back end of last season, even though it was often so tense. I just can't say the same at the moment
The stats aren't the point. They just illustrate that it's often quite painful watching this side at the moment. And of all the things I was expecting this season I didn't think that would be the case.
Hopefully we can start to improve on that.
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well done Villa, score more than them and you will win....
also that last 15 mins was heart pounding, 3-2 up and Everton winning....I had chucked a few quid on Palace(9/4) and Everton(17/4) winning and made some beer money for Fulham away on Sunday :)
UTV
The Doc
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At the weekend Southampton out passed Chelsea for 45 minutes so Mourinho switched to a more direct, or long ball, game and they won the game. I think Lambert picked up on that because they commit so many men to pressing high up the pitch they are vulnerable to direct counter attacking. I expect we will see more sides adopt that approach from now.
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Get in! Great result. That performance shows why we are good away and average at home, playing on the break the way we do.
I wish Gabriel would stop that ear cupping celebration to the opposition fans after he scores, looks petty - why do it???
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It was a great result, some very good goals (two beauties) and some resolute defending. And I'm definitely happy to be in the top half
But if we'd put in exactly the same performance otherwise and not scored with all three of our shots on goal, people would be moaning about the performance.
I think we played really well for 60 minutes against Everton and lost, and didn't play well last night. I think that's an entirely valid perspective.
Villa are pretty unlikely to win anything of note for the foreseeable future. So I'd like to enjoy watching us play. For the first time in several years I actually enjoyed watching our games at the back end of last season, even though it was often so tense. I just can't say the same at the moment
The stats aren't the point. They just illustrate that it's often quite painful watching this side at the moment. And of all the things I was expecting this season I didn't think that would be the case.
Hopefully we can start to improve on that.
Matt, I agree with you. It's always great to win - especially when its not expected but we shouldn't let it colour the facts.
We are hard to watch - we give the ball away constantly, players don't move to receive the ball, there is no composure - it's almost embarrassing how poor we look. By the law of averages you can't keep playing like that and expect to progress. I can't believe Lambert wants us to play like this but I'm not sure what his philosophy is at the moment.
Anyway, I'll enjoy the moment. It's much better than looking up the table than down.
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Just got home - thankfully bus driver didn't take us on tour of Southampton toll bridges on way back.
Bloody pain that was. At least it cheered up the moaner who couldn't understand why we left as early as 2pm then spent 30 mins at the beginning of each leg of the journey talking about the Albion.
A couple of top drawer interceptions by Clark kept us in the game plus their bloke seeming to clear off our line. Very pleasant night out with three pre-match pints of high quality, even if the taxi driver did another tour of Southampton's bridges.
If you know what you are doing, the toll bridge into Southampton is actually the quickest way to get to the ground and into the city. However, the layout of the city is quite confusing to the uninitiated
The problem was that the directions given to the coach drivers were wrong. Eight out of nine official coaches (not all in convoy, it should be added) went over the same toll bridge twice on the way there!
My first time visiting St Mary's (my last time was at the Dell) I thought they had moved to an edge of city greenfield site not even further into the cramped city centre. The coaches went past the ground but could not find the way in (simply missed the turn - not signed and no police) very frustrating see the ground but not being able to find a way through the maze of little streets and roadworks.
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Great win down there to a team that hasn't lost at home yet this season,a win is a win who cares about the rest
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I'm not big on pouring over the stats of an individual game. I'm more interested in stats like points compared to this time last season, points compared to the same fixtures last season and our recent clean sheets and unbeaten run. I watched it at ten on match choice without knowing the score. It's a good way to do things if you can handle going cold turkey from the score updates whilst the games are on. And if you win.
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Stick your statistics up your arse. We won away 3-2.. For Christ sakes enjoy it.
The most important stat in football is Goals scored and these stats are summed up below:
Southampton 2 Aston Villa 3.
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At the weekend Southampton out passed Chelsea for 45 minutes so Mourinho switched to a more direct, or long ball, game and they won the game. I think Lambert picked up on that because they commit so many men to pressing high up the pitch they are vulnerable to direct counter attacking. I expect we will see more sides adopt that approach from now.
Yes very good point.
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I'll stop banging the same drum after this. But apparently Ashley Westwood, our metronome, completed eleven passes last night. Eleven!
Steven Davis completed one hundred and eleven
A lot of that comes from how the two teams are set up to play? We know what we are at the moment however Southampton are not Barcelona. Tip-tapping all night can add up the pass score without any end product.
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I realised last night why I hate missing away games. Nowhere round by me were showing it, so we were forced to watch the Stripeyfilth's game whilst getting text's from a mate at the game.
It sounded like a proper smash and grab but those come along every so often. Two superb goals and another one from a midfielder, which is something we've been missing. Not many teams are going to score three at Southampton so let's enjoy it.
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At the weekend Southampton out passed Chelsea for 45 minutes so Mourinho switched to a more direct, or long ball, game and they won the game. I think Lambert picked up on that because they commit so many men to pressing high up the pitch they are vulnerable to direct counter attacking. I expect we will see more sides adopt that approach from now.
Yes very good point.
For once you could see Lambert had some sort of plan - and he knew if we could ride our luck defensively we could hit them on the break. Plan worked perfectly.
Nice bit of man management with Kozak and Benteke. Brave decision to take Kozak off when he had just scored but he was going to make that substitution anyway. Benteke still not playing great but when he came on there was more focus tham last weekend and he could/should have got a penalty.
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As my old boy has just said to me: "Thought it said something about Soton that for all their possession and passing, where it doesn't hurt the opposition, their 2 goals were from headers from old fashioned crosses.", which I think is a fair point as well.
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I thought we played quite poorly; recycled the ball way to often and then on three occassions showed genuine class and ripped them apart, before going back to giving the ball away.
And on the 250 mile journey back home I cannot recall a single mile where that fact bothered me.
First up, what a cracking away following for a week night. Well done all.
Southampton reminded me of us under O'Neill. People say they play good football and to an extent their neat and tidy in front of you, but ultimately they had one way of attacking; get it wide and sling it in the mixer. It didn't work when Vlaar was on the pitch, but did when little Lowton and Bacuna were targetted.
KEA did well for the second goal, but he epitomised a largely bypassed an anonymous midfield. We really needed somebody in there with pressence to win the ball and keep a calm head. If we could have done that, then given how high their full backs push on, I think we would have solved a lot of problems and been able to use Gabby wide to murder them in the space.
But whatever, we won and away from home, I am never, ever bothered about a performance.
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back at half 1 this morning just got out of bed and I still thinking how did we win that :-)
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From last season and through this, I have seen this team pass better as their confidence rises. We have had an opening set of fixtures which have been against teams who are more likely to back us into hoof mode. I believe that as our fixtures ease a little, and the team's confidence rises, we will see more of a passing game return.
The statistic that 50% of Southampton's possession was in their own half is interesting. There was a point in the match where I said 'They look like us' because it just seemed to be going backwards and forwards across the half way line without them seeming to have any clue how to get forward. A team can rack up a lot of possession and pass accuracy like this, when they can't work out how to attack!
On a more anecdotal/personal level, I know that when Saints equalised the first time, I was really drawn in by taunting from their fans, but when they equalised the second time, I stayed focussed on the game. This is because at the first equaliser I thought we would go on to lose it, but at the second equaliser, I really felt we would still win. I think this must be because we were playing better by then. The Villa's tails went up when they took it to 2-1, the self belief started to come into play, and they started to pass, and attack.
Weirdly, for all the talk of poor possession stats, & hoof ball, this was not a dull game. Tense yes, but a really exciting 90 minutes. People could argue that Southampton made it that way, but give us a game when we have 80% possession, spend half of it pissing about in our own half, and lose - then watch us moan about how we can't break teams down, or have no killer instinct.
On a side note, the lucky gloves still appear to be working, and last night I see I managed to bring back my lucky 'getting lost'. I remember a few years ago, Every time I got lost on the way to a game, we won. Randy broke my run by putting on that first set of free coaches for Chelsea & getting us straight there for a 6-0 hammering I think. Well, last night, as we sat in a convoy of coaches trying to make a 3 point turn to go back across the Itchin bridge, I thought that maybe we had gone full circle. Lucky gloves, & lucky getting lost are back!
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Nowhere round by me were showing it, so we were forced to watch the Stripeyfilth's game whilst getting text's from a mate at the game.
Twitter is your friend, follow Tayls, I was updated by his KOOZZZAAAAKKKK tweet, I don't know why but I sort of guessed we'd scored. wink.
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3 points is all that matters.
And we have earned it.
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At the weekend Southampton out passed Chelsea for 45 minutes so Mourinho switched to a more direct, or long ball, game and they won the game. I think Lambert picked up on that because they commit so many men to pressing high up the pitch they are vulnerable to direct counter attacking. I expect we will see more sides adopt that approach from now.
Yes very good point.
For once you could see Lambert had some sort of plan - and he knew if we could ride our luck defensively we could hit them on the break. Plan worked perfectly.
Nice bit of man management with Kozak and Benteke. Brave decision to take Kozak off when he had just scored but he was going to make that substitution anyway. Benteke still not playing great but when he came on there was more focus tham last weekend and he could/should have got a penalty.
Kozak was already set to come off. Old negative nelly Houghton made a point about what would have happen if the ball had gone out for a throw when KEA was chasing it. Kozak would have gone off, Benteke on and we wouldn't have scored that goal.
It was absolutely perfect timing from KEA (to actually appear in the game) and Libor to stick one away.
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From last season and through this, I have seen this team pass better as their confidence rises. We have had an opening set of fixtures which have been against teams who are more likely to back us into hoof mode. I believe that as our fixtures ease a little, and the team's confidence rises, we will see more of a passing game return.
The statistic that 50% of Southampton's possession was in their own half is interesting. There was a point in the match where I said 'They look like us' because it just seemed to be going backwards and forwards across the half way line without them seeming to have any clue how to get forward. A team can rack up a lot of possession and pass accuracy like this, when they can't work out how to attack!
On a more anecdotal/personal level, I know that when Saints equalised the first time, I was really drawn in by taunting from their fans, but when they equalised the second time, I stayed focussed on the game. This is because at the first equaliser I thought we would go on to lose it, but at the second equaliser, I really felt we would still win. I think this must be because we were playing better by then. The Villa's tails went up when they took it to 2-1, the self belief started to come into play, and they started to pass, and attack.
Weirdly, for all the talk of poor possession stats, & hoof ball, this was not a dull game. Tense yes, but a really exciting 90 minutes. People could argue that Southampton made it that way, but give us a game when we have 80% possession, spend half of it pissing about in our own half, and lose - then watch us moan about how we can't break teams down, or have no killer instinct.
On a side note, the lucky gloves still appear to be working, and last night I see I managed to bring back my lucky 'getting lost'. I remember a few years ago, Every time I got lost on the way to a game, we won. Randy broke my run by putting on that first set of free coaches for Chelsea & getting us straight there for a 6-0 hammering I think. Well, last night, as we sat in a convoy of coaches trying to make a 3 point turn to go back across the Itchin bridge, I thought that maybe we had gone full circle. Lucky gloves, & lucky getting lost are back!
I really enjoyed reading this post, thank you.
Interesting, thought provoking and humorous!
In fact, as a retired gentleman (well, retired anyway) I thoroughly enjoy and value h&v. Thank you, everyone.
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I realised last night why I hate missing away games. Nowhere round by me were showing it, so we were forced to watch the Stripeyfilth's game whilst getting text's from a mate at the game.
It sounded like a proper smash and grab but those come along every so often. Two superb goals and another one from a midfielder, which is something we've been missing. Not many teams are going to score three at Southampton so let's enjoy it.
Unlike you not to go mate?
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I realised last night why I hate missing away games. Nowhere round by me were showing it, so we were forced to watch the Stripeyfilth's game whilst getting text's from a mate at the game.
It sounded like a proper smash and grab but those come along every so often. Two superb goals and another one from a midfielder, which is something we've been missing. Not many teams are going to score three at Southampton so let's enjoy it.
Unlike you not to go mate?
I know. Our normal mode of transport wasn't running a coach and I didn't really fancy official. Besides got Fulham, Stoke and Sunderland coming up so I thought i'd save some cash. What a game to miss though.
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Sometimes you have to be thankful for small mercies.Or small midfielders.Southampton may have been very pleasing on the eye but to win games you have to put the ball in the net more than your opponents.
And that we did.
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I'm well pleased with the win I didn't think we would get anything out of this game but I'm glad I was proved wrong well done Villa.
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It was a great result, some very good goals (two beauties) and some resolute defending. And I'm definitely happy to be in the top half
But if we'd put in exactly the same performance otherwise and not scored with all three of our shots on goal, people would be moaning about the performance.
I think we played really well for 60 minutes against Everton and lost, and didn't play well last night. I think that's an entirely valid perspective.
Villa are pretty unlikely to win anything of note for the foreseeable future. So I'd like to enjoy watching us play. For the first time in several years I actually enjoyed watching our games at the back end of last season, even though it was often so tense. I just can't say the same at the moment
The stats aren't the point. They just illustrate that it's often quite painful watching this side at the moment. And of all the things I was expecting this season I didn't think that would be the case.
Hopefully we can start to improve on that.
No offence Matt but I hope this prediction is as wayward as your previous doom and gloom forecasts. Lighten up old chum.
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As my old boy has just said to me: "Thought it said something about Soton that for all their possession and passing, where it doesn't hurt the opposition, their 2 goals were from headers from old fashioned crosses.", which I think is a fair point as well.
I was reading a Southampton forum after the match last night, and a number of them made the point that, although they are clearly good at keeping hold of the ball, they still massively rely on one way to score - the ball to the far post, headed back across - as per the first goal last night.
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I'll stop banging the same drum after this. But apparently Ashley Westwood, our metronome, completed eleven passes last night. Eleven!
Steven Davis completed one hundred and eleven
Ashley Westwood got one win bonus last night. Steven Davies got none.
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Does anyone not think that possibly the tactics last night involved having less possession than them? Without the guile in midfield that we lack, breaking down a team with their defensive record would have been very hard for us. So hitting them on the break was our best bet. And the recent defensive strength we've shown meant the manager could have some confidence in letting them come on to us and then breaking quickly.
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As my old boy has just said to me: "Thought it said something about Soton that for all their possession and passing, where it doesn't hurt the opposition, their 2 goals were from headers from old fashioned crosses.", which I think is a fair point as well.
I was reading a Southampton forum after the match last night, and a number of them made the point that, although they are clearly good at keeping hold of the ball, they still massively rely on one way to score - the ball to the far post, headed back across - as per the first goal last night.
Its a good point and Because we lost Ron we were susceptible to those balls in the 2nd half.
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will Vlaar be back for Sunday?
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Sometimes you just have to say well done lads, a win is a win.
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Does anyone not think that possibly the tactics last night involved having less possession than them? Without the guile in midfield that we lack, breaking down a team with their defensive record would have been very hard for us. So hitting them on the break was our best bet. And the recent defensive strength we've shown meant the manager could have some confidence in letting them come on to us and then breaking quickly.
I've said something similar on another thread. We played to our strengths which is quick counter attacking football. It may not be pretty but at least there is a clear plan there. It was almost as if we were happy to concede possession with a long punt upfield and bring them onto us. I'm hoping long term we start to see progress in terms of adapting to different styles of play though, we're playing some top class 'away' style football at present, we really need to improve on our game when we have to make the running.
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I genuinely didn't think the game last night was as lop-sided as the stats make out, I thought it was pretty even. The 50% possession in their own half stat mentioned earlier kind of confirms my view. It was interesting to hear the home fans yelping "HOOF!" any time the defence made an old fashioned clearance, reminded me a little of the blue and white Brazil team that passed their way so eye catchingly to relegation a few seasons back.
As my dad says about golf, you have to have the bad shot to appreciate the good one and I've seen far too many games when we've been on the receiving end of a sucker punch to not enjoy it when we are dishing it out. I'll doubtless regret saying this but I'm actually looking forward to the Man Utd game next weekend...
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As my dad says about golf, you have to have the bad shot to appreciate the good one and I've seen far too many games when we've been on the receiving end of a sucker punch to not enjoy it when we are dishing it out. I'll doubtless regret saying this but I'm actually looking forward to the Man Utd game next weekend...
(http://www.pigskinbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/jaguars-fan-gif.gif)
Thinking about it, how many times have we seen Man United perform poorly in terms of being under the cosh, only for them to hit on the counter attack and win.
I think the answer is several hundred, at least.
It's the sign of a good side to be able to get something from matches when you're under the cosh. I just wish we could improve on the other part, too. Still, plenty of time for that, and I am glad we're having this conversation with us being in the top half of the table rather than at the arse end.
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we went, we drank, we conquered!!
we played to our strengths last night, as someonr said earlier I think Lambert learnt from the Chelsea game on Sunday how to beat Southampton. Don't try and out pass them in midfield, hit 'em long and fast.
we were exposed when Vlaar went off, Lowton looked like he's been allowed to play with the big boys at centre back, so I'd be worried if Vlaar is injured for long.
I thought Gabby is getting back to fitness and Benteke looked more like his old self when he came on. Great reward for Delph for all his hard work this season.
my hangover is just wearing off.............
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I bet those pricks shouting "hoof" last night wished they had 3 points in the bag when they woke up thris morning. Ignorant oiks. Must have really pissed them off watching this unsophisticated team from Birimingham roll in, score 2 tremendous goals and a third that they should appreciate because it seemingly all they do.
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I bet those pricks shouting "hoof" last night wished they had 3 points in the bag when they woke up thris morning. Ignorant oiks. Must have really pissed them off watching this unsophisticated team from Birimingham roll in, score 2 tremendous goals and a third that they should appreciate because it seemingly all they do.
Give this a read, it'll annoy you - "some teams trying to play the right way, others stuck in the past". Exactly like Albion the last time they went down.
http://metro.co.uk/2013/12/05/southampton-defence-must-learn-to-deal-with-long-ball-teams-after-criminal-result-against-villans-4216288/
Southampton defence must learn to deal with long-ball teams after criminal result against Villans
I’m not quite sure what I witnessed in the game between Southampton and Aston Villa. It is extremely rare that you will see a team completely dominate and outclass their opponents and lose 2-3.
It was a combination of strange defending against Villa’s punts up field and Saints not being clinical enough in front of goal. Villa didn’t have the same issue – they had three chances, and scored all three.
For anyone who didn’t see it, here some statistics that might give you an idea of the balance of play.
Southampton had 77 per cent of the possession, Steve Davis playing in the Saints midfield completed 112 passes, Aston Villa (yes, the entire team) completed 104. This was a one-sided affair in every sense of the word… except one – the one that counts.
It was an embarrassing defeat for Saints and, unlike the previous two against Arsenal and Chelsea, this one was down to poor team selection and tactical mistakes.
Bringing in Maya Yoshida to play at centre half when Jose Fonte was fit was bizarre and the Japanese international had a nightmare with Villa’s long ball game – his mistake for the visitors’ opener inexcusable.
Saints haven’t learned the lessons from last year when facing sides who go direct. Perhaps Mauricio Pochettino was as surprised as I was to see just how direct Paul Lambert would go.
There was no attempt to play football from Villa, Gabby Agbonlahor hung off the back of Saints’ back four waiting for the inevitable ball over the top. It was ugly but effective, and Saints weren’t prepared for it.
Whenever I see a team play that way I always wonder how their fans feel about it. Of course if you asked them now they wouldn’t care because they won, but what if they had lost (as they should have) playing like that? I’m not sure I could stomach it.
Saints need to learn how to deal with it though, as despite some clubs trying to play football the right way it seems impossible to shake off the old ways for some. Saints also need to learn to punish teams with their dominance. Villa should have been dead and buried before half-time, but yet again Saints insistence on walking the ball into the net was found wanting.
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As my old boy has just said to me: "Thought it said something about Soton that for all their possession and passing, where it doesn't hurt the opposition, their 2 goals were from headers from old fashioned crosses.", which I think is a fair point as well.
I was reading a Southampton forum after the match last night, and a number of them made the point that, although they are clearly good at keeping hold of the ball, they still massively rely on one way to score - the ball to the far post, headed back across - as per the first goal last night.
And the second. Wasn't that Lambert heading it back across?
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I bet those pricks shouting "hoof" last night wished they had 3 points in the bag when they woke up thris morning. Ignorant oiks. Must have really pissed them off watching this unsophisticated team from Birimingham roll in, score 2 tremendous goals and a third that they should appreciate because it seemingly all they do.
wankers shouting hoof....like they are such a sophisticated side on the pitch 73 % possession and 50 of it in their half....I did not see much of that in the 2nd half v Chelsea.....ignorant oiks indeed....oh and thanks for the 3 points !
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What a shame. Barcelona South have now lost three straight. One against a team that does everything better than them, and two against teams that figured out you need to stick the ball in the net to win games. I said last night when I think someone stuck up the stats, that being the new Real Smethwick means fuck all if you're losing games.
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Excellent stuff. It amuses me far more than annoys me. I'd like to know what was "right" about the outrageous penalty and subsequent justification of it following their win at Villa Park last season.
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My thoughts/observations
Both Strikers who started scored. Brilliant
We were never behind in the game, we led three times. I don't think you can call that 'smash and grab' regardless of possession statistics. I consider 'smash and grab' to be scoring with your only chance of the game after being battered by the opposition all game.
After the third, we showed a tough attitude and dug deep to keep the lead and see the win out. fantastic stuff from a young side.
Benteke improved us when he came on, more like his old self.
I know Kozak scored, but for me he was anonymous all game. 3 in 6 starts can't be sniffed at though, maybe I'm just blind to his abilities.
Vlaar is going to be a real miss, which is something I never envisaged saying after not being impressed last season. I also thought Clark looked good alongside him and has done for a few games. They are starting to look a good pairing and may just be better than the sum of their parts
Be nice if Delph keeps his shooting boots on, great goal
Gabby is our talisman.
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Of all of the players I was happiest for Gabby. He's still my favourite Villa player because he's living my dream. He never wants to leave the club, local lad and responsible for some of my best Villa memories especially in local derbies. I'm glad he's scored his first of the season.
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Agreed with Gabby, but Guzan is right up there. look at his reaction every time a goal goes in at either end, or at full time. i love that passion.
what happened at the end of the game by the way? was it osvaldo trying to start something with our whole team or something? couldnt really work it out.
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Just got home - thankfully bus driver didn't take us on tour of Southampton toll bridges on way back.
Bloody pain that was. At least it cheered up the moaner who couldn't understand why we left as early as 2pm then spent 30 mins at the beginning of each leg of the journey talking about the Albion.
A couple of top drawer interceptions by Clark kept us in the game plus their bloke seeming to clear off our line. Very pleasant night out with three pre-match pints of high quality, even if the taxi driver did another tour of Southampton's bridges.
If you know what you are doing, the toll bridge into Southampton is actually the quickest way to get to the ground and into the city. However, the layout of the city is quite confusing to the uninitiated
The problem was that the directions given to the coach drivers were wrong. Eight out of nine official coaches (not all in convoy, it should be added) went over the same toll bridge twice on the way there!
It was absurd that it took our coach well over an hour from the outksirts to park up. The driver didn't seem to use the signs on the road and then my nephew had to guide him in on his phone Satnav after a a huge detour!
As for the game, a great win, some good pacy breaks and a couple of really good goals, although we did ride our luck at times. Without Vlaar in defence, we looked so susceptible to crosses, and the full-backs didn't seem to be in good positions to prevent the crosses either.
Also, defending with arms clasped behind ones back (and occasionally ducking out of the way) isn't necessarily the most mobile or effective way to prevent across coming in.
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I bet those pricks shouting "hoof" last night wished they had 3 points in the bag when they woke up thris morning. Ignorant oiks. Must have really pissed them off watching this unsophisticated team from Birimingham roll in, score 2 tremendous goals and a third that they should appreciate because it seemingly all they do.
Give this a read, it'll annoy you - "some teams trying to play the right way, others stuck in the past". Exactly like Albion the last time they went down.
http://metro.co.uk/2013/12/05/southampton-defence-must-learn-to-deal-with-long-ball-teams-after-criminal-result-against-villans-4216288/
This bit made me laugh:-
In the build-up to this game I compared it to a boxing match between a stylish youngster and an old-school slogger. There was plenty of style from the youngster – but the slogger won on points.
I'd like to see the average age of that Saints side compared to ours!
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4 shots on target, 3 goals, not much possession, and 3 points. Smash and grab, thank you very much! :-)
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Southampton had much of their possession in their own half because we actually played with discipline and didn't go chasing it. They couldn't do any damage in their own half so we let them get on with it.
When we needed to score, we did (we did after all take the lead 3 times) so all this claptrap about possession proves nothing except that we were far more efficient with ours. the other point of note is that the goals weren't flukes, they were all decent finishes.
We scored more there last night than everyone else put together this season. In addition, it was great to see goals from the strikers and Delph too. It's a very satisfying win.
Why some people insist on being negative and pessimistic after a win that puts us closer to Europe than the relegation places, having played all of the Top 8 teams is beyond me.
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Another weird thing (soz if already posted) is we have scored three away from home against the current best two defences -Arse and Saints.
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Southampton had much of their possession in their own half because we actually played with discipline and didn't go chasing it. They couldn't do any damage in their own half so we let them get on with it.
When we needed to score, we did (we did after all take the lead 3 times) so all this claptrap about possession proves nothing except that we were far more efficient with ours. the other point of note is that the goals weren't flukes, they were all decent finishes.
We scored more there last night than everyone else put together this season. In addition, it was great to see goals from the strikers and Delph too. It's a very satisfying win.
Why some people insist on being negative and pessimistic after a win that puts us closer to Europe than the relegation places, having played all of the Top 8 teams is beyond me.
I don't see why people should be criticised for pointing out that the football we played was dire. I am as pleased as anyone with any win and the sooner we get to 40 points the better, but if we had lost that game the forum would have been full of criticism for a lack of movement, hoofing it to a striker who wants it to his feet, no composure, the manager losing his way etc etc.
There was plenty of criticism on Saturday when we only drew. Some even calling for Lambert to go. It's all very fine margins.
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It was a really good result but not a particularly good performance.
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I bet those pricks shouting "hoof" last night wished they had 3 points in the bag when they woke up thris morning. Ignorant oiks. Must have really pissed them off watching this unsophisticated team from Birimingham roll in, score 2 tremendous goals and a third that they should appreciate because it seemingly all they do.
Give this a read, it'll annoy you - "some teams trying to play the right way, others stuck in the past". Exactly like Albion the last time they went down.
http://metro.co.uk/2013/12/05/southampton-defence-must-learn-to-deal-with-long-ball-teams-after-criminal-result-against-villans-4216288/
Southampton defence must learn to deal with long-ball teams after criminal result against Villans
I’m not quite sure what I witnessed in the game between Southampton and Aston Villa. It is extremely rare that you will see a team completely dominate and outclass their opponents and lose 2-3.
It was a combination of strange defending against Villa’s punts up field and Saints not being clinical enough in front of goal. Villa didn’t have the same issue – they had three chances, and scored all three.
For anyone who didn’t see it, here some statistics that might give you an idea of the balance of play.
Southampton had 77 per cent of the possession, Steve Davis playing in the Saints midfield completed 112 passes, Aston Villa (yes, the entire team) completed 104. This was a one-sided affair in every sense of the word… except one – the one that counts.
It was an embarrassing defeat for Saints and, unlike the previous two against Arsenal and Chelsea, this one was down to poor team selection and tactical mistakes.
Bringing in Maya Yoshida to play at centre half when Jose Fonte was fit was bizarre and the Japanese international had a nightmare with Villa’s long ball game – his mistake for the visitors’ opener inexcusable.
Saints haven’t learned the lessons from last year when facing sides who go direct. Perhaps Mauricio Pochettino was as surprised as I was to see just how direct Paul Lambert would go.
There was no attempt to play football from Villa, Gabby Agbonlahor hung off the back of Saints’ back four waiting for the inevitable ball over the top. It was ugly but effective, and Saints weren’t prepared for it.
Whenever I see a team play that way I always wonder how their fans feel about it. Of course if you asked them now they wouldn’t care because they won, but what if they had lost (as they should have) playing like that? I’m not sure I could stomach it.
Saints need to learn how to deal with it though, as despite some clubs trying to play football the right way it seems impossible to shake off the old ways for some. Saints also need to learn to punish teams with their dominance. Villa should have been dead and buried before half-time, but yet again Saints insistence on walking the ball into the net was found wanting.
He does sound rather bitter. I liked the bit where he claimed Southampton "play the game the right way" and sneering at long ball football then a little later on moans about the very same team being guilty of trying to walk the ball into the net. :-)
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4 shots on target, 3 goals, not much possession, and 3 points. Smash and grab, thank you very much! :-)
Indeed , give me points over performances anyday - although of course both would be nice.
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Long ball when two of our goalscorers picked up the ball in midfield. How does that work?
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In the dark days of last season I commented to a friend that we had no backbone. Well I don't think you can say that about us now. The football this year has been awful at times but you can't knock the improvement in accumulating points. The way we're going we'll be well clear of danger which we'd have taken at the end of last season so well done Lambert and the lads. Keep up the good work.
Southampton had only conceded 2 at home before last night. Who knew?
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Long ball when two of our goalscorers picked up the ball in midfield. How does that work?
I think it's called "sour grapes".
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Long ball when two of our goalscorers picked up the ball in midfield. How does that work?
I think it's called "sour grapes".
I get the distinct impression that a few people are pissed off that they haven't got a Big Team In Trouble to gloat about this season and that we were their favoured choice.
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Long ball when two of our goalscorers picked up the ball in midfield. How does that work?
I think it's called "sour grapes".
I get the distinct impression that a few people are pissed off that they haven't got a Big Team In Trouble to gloat about this season and that we were their favoured choice.
Don't you think direct football has been unfairly demonised over the years? I've always enjoyed seeing a direct team with a winger or two and a big centre forward getting on the end of crosses. It seems these days that if you're not making about 79 passes before reaching the opposition's box then you're clearly killing the beautiful game of football with "the long ball".
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Luckily for Southampton we only had 25% of possession otherwise it could have been a real shoeing
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Long ball when two of our goalscorers picked up the ball in midfield. How does that work?
I think it's called "sour grapes".
I get the distinct impression that a few people are pissed off that they haven't got a Big Team In Trouble to gloat about this season and that we were their favoured choice.
Don't you think direct football has been unfairly demonised over the years? I've always enjoyed seeing a direct team with a winger or two and a big centre forward getting on the end of crosses. It seems these days that if you're not making about 79 passes before reaching the opposition's box then you're clearly killing the beautiful game of football with "the long ball".
Absolutely. I think people have been spoilt on a diet of Barcelona in recent years where they have just about everything along with the best player on the planet. For all their artistry Arsenal have won fuck all for ages. Nobody dared criticise Chelsea when they were winning everything and had the best centre forward in the world playing up front for them. Also a manager that would intentionally kill games as a spectacle to get wins. Man City have a mix of playing styles as have Man U. There was a stat a couple of seasons back that Spurs were more long ball than us with Carew, but you'd never dream of slating Harry as a long ball team.
There is a ton of hypocrisy about playing styles. It's louder when the tiki-taka pretenders get done by a team that wins the game through being clinical and using a different style. A bit like us yesterday. I enjoy watching Barcelona, but as attractive as Swansea or Southampton are they're not Barcelona. The better sides with versatility will find a way to win. We found a way to win last night which while not as pretty to watch was effective. I'd like us to keep the ball more and pass it better, but right now, in our position of development give me substance over style.
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There is no "right" way to play.
If you just play the tippy tappy stuff all the time and expect to win, like any other tactical approach, now and again someone will clock what you are doing and plan to counter it - it doesn't mean it's wrong - it's called planning.
As soon as the team was announced last night another tactical genius and myself said the same - we're gonna try to soak up their pressure and go on the break.
Which we did - very well!
If we had tried to out-pass them would we have been cricised for being naive?
I like to think Mr Lambert & the team went with a plan...and it worked.
If Southampton fans don't like it they can f**k off and rely on kidding refs into giving shitty penalties. Is that the right way to play?
Twunts!
And as fellow genius Dave points out, at least 2 of our goals did not come from hoof ball.
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Luckily for Southampton we only had 25% of possession otherwise it could have been a real shoeing
quite. They and some of these other teams upset at us stealing points also should be happy Benteke thinks he is Gary Penrice right now. Once the hypnotist snaps his fingers and says "when you wake up, you'll remember nothing of the past 8 games, you'll feel relaxed and you'll be Benteke again" watch out.
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Long ball when two of our goalscorers picked up the ball in midfield. How does that work?
I think it's called "sour grapes".
I get the distinct impression that a few people are pissed off that they haven't got a Big Team In Trouble to gloat about this season and that we were their favoured choice.
West Barcelona Albion ?
;)
UTV
the Doc
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I remember Sir Graham saying of his time at Watford "We had two great wingers and a six foot four centre forward. What did they expect? Nobody said a word when we were going through the divisions, it was only when we were going to Highbury and Anfield and getting results that we started to get criticised."
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The problem occurs when a team hoofs it aimlessly up the field and it doesn't result in a goal. We've been guilty of that far too often this season, but I'll be more than happy to sit through many more games like last night as long as we have a plan B (e.g. passing the ball) when it's not yielding results.
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Long ball when two of our goalscorers picked up the ball in midfield. How does that work?
Long ball when two of our goalscorers picked up the ball in midfield. How does that work?
I think it's called "sour grapes".
Or it proves the pont we are a much better side when we play to feet.
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Ground is ok and nice n spacious to get a beer in a kind of weird sanitized identi-kit stadium sort of way. Felt like we were gong to a concert at the O2 rather than a football game. As much as I whine and moan about what tiny shit-holes Loftus Road, Upton Park, Craven Cottage and the like are, at least it feels real. The game was very tense and I thought at 1-1 we were going to struggle and the Villa fans went unusually quiet as the pressure built. Then from 2-1 up I never really thought we were going to lose, weird feeling to have but I could get used to it! Credit to the players because the performance definitely wasn't vintage but they stuck at it like hell and if you get 3 points for sticking to a game plan even when you aren't getting a touch of the ball. Great train journey back to Waterloo, big up the First Class Villa crew!
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Dear Southamptonelona,
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YYE_ctguB40/T1uscQUo9II/AAAAAAAAKWk/uC9QDDAMHwA/s400/simpsons-haha.gif)
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Southampton had much of their possession in their own half because we actually played with discipline and didn't go chasing it. They couldn't do any damage in their own half so we let them get on with it.
When we needed to score, we did (we did after all take the lead 3 times) so all this claptrap about possession proves nothing except that we were far more efficient with ours. the other point of note is that the goals weren't flukes, they were all decent finishes.
We scored more there last night than everyone else put together this season. In addition, it was great to see goals from the strikers and Delph too. It's a very satisfying win.
Why some people insist on being negative and pessimistic after a win that puts us closer to Europe than the relegation places, having played all of the Top 8 teams is beyond me.
I don't see why people should be criticised for pointing out that the football we played was dire. I am as pleased as anyone with any win and the sooner we get to 40 points the better, but if we had lost that game the forum would have been full of criticism for a lack of movement, hoofing it to a striker who wants it to his feet, no composure, the manager losing his way etc etc.
There was plenty of criticism on Saturday when we only drew. Some even calling for Lambert to go. It's all very fine margins.
1. The football we played was effective, we won the match against a team that's flying high and in the Top 8.
2. Why are you focusing on us getting to 40 points? That's my point, you're being pessimistic.
3. 'If' is a very big word. In case you hadn't noticed, we didn't lose. Do you ever say 'if we'd won'?
4. They were wrong, Lambert is building something. It's not pretty all the time but results are improving, we've young side that are learning and why we'd get rid of a young manager who is being relatively successful (given the starting point, budget and expectation), at this point eludes me.
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If we hadn't scored three goals away from home against a side unbeaten at home and with only two goals conceded, we wouldn't have won.
Lambert out!
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I fully back Lambert but myself and everyone I know are of the opinion that we are a long ball team and I don't know how people can say anything different. I also noted that with all Southampton's good play, every time they tried to pass if through us we defended it brilliantly. The only thing they could do that was effective was nock it wide and cross it high into the box, anything on the floor was cleared with very little threat.
I was slating Kozak the whole game. He didn't win any of our long ball passes, he can't run with the ball, can't take it past people but my friend simple said if we whip it in the box for him he will score... 5 mins later cross and goal. Kozak is no Benteke, he is a different player and Lambert should not try to play his as such. He would probably suite a play style with wingers much more.
Our defence don't seem to have a very good understanding with Guzan, so many time our back 3 would assume he is coming for something when he wasn't and so many time Guzan was expecting them to clear only to have to make a very late decision to act.
Can anyone elaborate on the Guzan handball? I thought he handled it, everyone around me did but as I have not heard it mentioned so it must have been the angle of my view and my bad eye sight.
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There is no "right" way to play.
If you just play the tippy tappy stuff all the time and expect to win, like any other tactical approach, now and again someone will clock what you are doing and plan to counter it - it doesn't mean it's wrong - it's called planning.
As soon as the team was announced last night another tactical genius and myself said the same - we're gonna try to soak up their pressure and go on the break.
Which we did - very well!
If we had tried to out-pass them would we have been cricised for being naive?
I like to think Mr Lambert & the team went with a plan...and it worked.
If Southampton fans don't like it they can f**k off and rely on kidding refs into giving shitty penalties. Is that the right way to play?
Twunts!
And as fellow genius Dave points out, at least 2 of our goals did not come from hoof ball.
....and both of theirs came from high balls lobbed into the box. Something they did the entire game.
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My boiler had broken down when I got home at 1.45 this morning.
2 Wolves supporting engineers popped in today and fixed it.
Inevitably the chat turned to football. They were glowing in their praise for the way Villa is run now we've stopped spending millions on average players a la MON, and can see that that PL is doing something that looks like a plan that has started to work after a tricky first year. They were admittedly envious, and I know it's all relative, but couldn't help feeling a sense of pride in the way we are going about things even if there are some tough times to endure, and that these "neutral" fans were very complimentary about my club/team.
House now toasty warm again and the glow that came with last night's amazing win continues.
Looking forward to Sunday and a good day out at Fulham.
UTV!
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Southampton had much of their possession in their own half because we actually played with discipline and didn't go chasing it. They couldn't do any damage in their own half so we let them get on with it.
When we needed to score, we did (we did after all take the lead 3 times) so all this claptrap about possession proves nothing except that we were far more efficient with ours. the other point of note is that the goals weren't flukes, they were all decent finishes.
We scored more there last night than everyone else put together this season. In addition, it was great to see goals from the strikers and Delph too. It's a very satisfying win.
Why some people insist on being negative and pessimistic after a win that puts us closer to Europe than the relegation places, having played all of the Top 8 teams is beyond me.
I don't see why people should be criticised for pointing out that the football we played was dire. I am as pleased as anyone with any win and the sooner we get to 40 points the better, but if we had lost that game the forum would have been full of criticism for a lack of movement, hoofing it to a striker who wants it to his feet, no composure, the manager losing his way etc etc.
There was plenty of criticism on Saturday when we only drew. Some even calling for Lambert to go. It's all very fine margins.
1. The football we played was effective, we won the match against a team that's flying high and in the Top 8.
2. Why are you focusing on us getting to 40 points? That's my point, you're being pessimistic.
3. 'If' is a very big word. In case you hadn't noticed, we didn't lose. Do you ever say 'if we'd won'?
4. They were wrong, Lambert is building something. It's not pretty all the time but results are improving, we've young side that are learning and why we'd get rid of a young manager who is being relatively successful (given the starting point, budget and expectation), at this point eludes me.
1. It was effective against Hull, West Ham, Cardiff and Sunderland - still hard to watch.
2. No, but its the objective of every side from half way down and we are no different these days (in my opinion)
3. I'm pointing out that the playing style doesn't matter when we win but is seen as the reason why we lose when we get beaten or fail to win (Sunderland being the latest example).
4. Not arguing his merits at all.
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My boiler had broken down when I got home at 1.45 this morning.
2 Wolves supporting engineers popped in today and fixed it.
Inevitably the chat turned to football. They were glowing in their praise for the way Villa is run now we've stopped spending millions on average players a la MON, and can see that that PL is doing something that looks like a plan that has started to work after a tricky first year. They were admittedly envious, and I know it's all relative, but couldn't help feeling a sense of pride in the way we are going about things even if there are some tough times to endure, and that these "neutral" fans were very complimentary about my club/team.
House now toasty warm again and the glow that came with last night's amazing win continues.
Looking forward to Sunday and a good day out at Fulham.
UTV!
Great post Frank. Think we have got to start appreciating we have a club with a plan and a vision. Wolves and the scum and several other teams were never in that position and look where they are now ......
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(http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3674483/Delph1a.gif)
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(http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3674483/Delph1a.gif)
HOOOOOF!!!
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He has a foot like a traction engine.
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Back of the net!
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(http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3674483/Delph1a.gif)
And another!
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TWAT! That was liquid football.
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Poor keeping ;)
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(http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3674483/Delph1a.gif)
And another!
Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yessssssssss! THAT.............was a goal!
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Long ball when two of our goalscorers picked up the ball in midfield. How does that work?
I think it's called "sour grapes".
I get the distinct impression that a few people are pissed off that they haven't got a Big Team In Trouble to gloat about this season and that we were their favoured choice.
I believe they're called Manchester United.
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Anyone got a link to all the goals? Haven't seen the first two again yet due to the late return home!
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Long ball when two of our goalscorers picked up the ball in midfield. How does that work?
I think it's called "sour grapes".
I get the distinct impression that a few people are pissed off that they haven't got a Big Team In Trouble to gloat about this season and that we were their favoured choice.
West Barcelona Albion ?
;)
UTV
the Doc
He said a big club:-D
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(http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3674483/Delph1a.gif)
Fabian Delph.....You are football.....
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(http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3674483/Delph1a.gif)
And another!
Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yessssssssss! THAT.............was a goal!
TWAT!!
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He must have a foot like a traction engine
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That was liquid football.
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Just trying his luck according to Robbie Fowler, yet Suarez's first vs Norwich was world class.
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FuggoffFattyFowler
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When does a cross become a long ball? How far from the byline does the player have to be, or how long does the ball have to travel for the stattos to call a cross a long ball?
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Superb stuff
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When does a cross become a long ball? How far from the byline does the player have to be, or how long does the ball have to travel for the stattos to call a cross a long ball?
Ask Southampton. Barcelona South's only method of attack is slinging in deep crosses for their front men to nod across, so they probably know.
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Anyone got a link to all the goals? Haven't seen the first two again yet due to the late return home!
MOTD on BBC iplayer?
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Just trying his luck according to Robbie Fowler, yet Suarez's first vs Norwich was world class.
I noticed that - a load of bollocks. Comparable goals.
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Delph's goal WAS a long ball...from when it left his foot to when it rifled into the top corner.
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I don't really understand being called negative because of pointing out the way we played which was dire, giving the ball back to the opposition is not good.
I am totally shocked and elated that we won. I hope we start to play better but I will take winning over playing well and getting beat any day.
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I'm still jumping up and down.
UTV!!!!