Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Match Threads & Player Ratings => Topic started by: Legion on September 13, 2010, 06:39:25 AM
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Available Monday night.
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Houllier. FUCK the Fédération Française de Football. Fuck your notice! GET YOUR ARSE OVER TO BODYMOOR HEATH NOW!
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Un fucking believable
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Typical Villa. Snapping defeat from the jaws of victory.
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Every week i say it. and every week its true. if you play heskey you deserve to lose!
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I hate Football...Good night!
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That was so predictable, i stuck the 2 quid in my Ladbrokes account on stoke to win shortly before their first goal.
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Villa are like a car crash in slow motion at the moment. Luckily, they've destroyed my ability to give a fuck.
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You could see it happening. Why the hell were we giving away stupid free kicks at the end?
Positive: Downing had his best game in ages.
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Was that a team trying to impress their new manager? A plague on all of their fucking houses.
Typical Villa performance. Completely bottled it. 11 pairs of testicles to Villa Park please.
And to pre-empt the stokies turning up, fuck off you c***s.
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Masters of our own downfall. Comfortably the better side for 65 minutes then it was always going to pot.
I thought we'd lost at HT, I knew we'd not win. Was so obvious. There's no leadership out there.
The front four were brilliant. Dunne is out of weight, Warnock is poor and doesn't use the ball well enough. Petrov doesn't do enough.
Been banging on for weeks but Cuellar in for Warnock has to happen soon.
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God I hate last minute winners when they go against you.
What busts my chops about tonight is that you could sense it coming.
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I blame Heskey..
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I feel sick
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How utterly shite were we throughout the whole second half, absolute cack.
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We can all see we're capable of playing football when we want to. It's now up to Houllier to ensure we play it for longer periods of the game.
I can't believe we've lost that. I should, but I can't.
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Predictable pile of shit, as usual. I can't really get too pissed off about it though, because we've been very half-hearted about this season. A bit early to throw the towel in, but that's effectively what we've done. Poor show all round.
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So glad Kevin Mac hasn't got the gig for the season.
The same lack of balls and indecision that marked his predecessor, and I'd have said that if it remained 1-1.
We needed to change it second half as they gradually upped the tempo and gained confidence. They looked completely devoid of it up until then, but we just sat back and sat back. No changes, nowt. Just hoping we could limp through and escape the last 30 minutes.
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why did we take gabby off: nicely killing the game/ looking likely to win. Kevin M thanks and goodbye tatically inept again.
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said it all night long. feckin disgrace 84min need a goal heskey on. i thought mon had gone??? that Kmac is why you didn't get the job
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If you only turn up for 15 minutes what do you expect. We deserved nothing.
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Pennant really is a cheating little shit. Knicks the ball past petrov, kicks him and then throws himself to the ground to win a free kick which costs us a point. Little shit.
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4 fuckin seconds to go, will we never learn.
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K Mac is a useless tw$t. It's like the Maths teacher being in charge of the school football team. So angry.
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Shockingly inept. And against a team that had lost their first 3 games. Jeeze we are shit at getting the basic right.
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were nothing if not predictable....
last minute against Stoke, lets give away a stupid free kick so they can launch it into our box. Some of our players have shit for brains.
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Absolutely fucking pathetic. When you dally about and take your time over appointing a manger, and piss about this happens, you get fucking results like that. MacDonald doesn't have one iota about tactics, and he has the audacity to moan about not getting the job? Piss away off you cretin.
When was the last time Warnock had a good game for us? What is with him sliding into challenges like that? What was with Dunne giving away stupid freekicks near the end of the game?
Heskey on when we needed a goal? looool.
An absolute embarrassment.
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We just gave up on about 70 minutes, a collective running out of steam topped off with Heskey coming on. You just know it is going to go from worse to bloody awful when you see him trotting on. Stoke are awful which just makes it even worse to stomach....
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We did not make enough chances in the second half. Sloppy for their first and all over the place for their second. Pennant is a cheating cock but we should have been more than one up by half time. Downing was good and Ashley poor. Warnock keeps making errors and Petrov is just not a holder midfielder. Harry up Houllier we need organising and fast.
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I blame Heskey..
I wouldn't criticse Heskey for that game (and I know you probably weren't serious), but it makes you wonder what goes through a manager's mind at a time like that.
Is there anyone in the world apart from Kev and Martin who'd think that was a good idea? There's not a more depressing sight in football than watching that useless lumbering git waddle onto the pitch. Unless you support the opposition. I hope Houllier knows better.
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God knows what's happened to Warnock. He was fantastic for the first half of last season. I guess selling Shorey wasn't a good idea after all.
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Pennant really is a cheating little shit. Knicks the ball past petrov, kicks him and then throws himself to the ground to win a free kick which costs us a point. Little shit.
No, Petrov, being his usual sluggish self, brought him down because he's not quick enough and not good enough to tackle.
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Every week i say it. and every week its true. if you play heskey you deserve to lose!
It wasnt his fault......He didnt miss a header from 4 yards out when he was in front of the goals, he didnt give stupid free
kicks away in injury time
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never a foul at the end, but should have been out of sight by HT. Back 4 look dodgy at the mo.
Fuck off Stoke Bunny and keep to your own site ya Delilah singing freak.
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I thought from 20th-65th minute it was a brilliant performance.
There are a hell of alot of positives to take from that. Alot of simple errors which a genuine coach will fix.
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same old same old,collins distribution is appaling and harks back to the bad old mon days of hoofing for big fella up front.albbrighton looked dead on his feet with the positive being downings performance.
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What is the fucking point of Stylian Petrov ? The only time he got anywhere fucking near the ball all night, he gave away a free-kick. How much longer do we have to put up with this joker ?
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That was so predictable, i stuck the 2 quid in my Ladbrokes account on stoke to win shortly before their first goal.
Betting against your own team. For shame. At least we all know who to blame.
Dwight Yorke was doing the commentary on Sky this evening and while I don't agree with his pronunciation of threatening, I couldn't help but agree as time and again he pointed out both sides giving away unnecessary free-kicks. While I don't think Petrov did foul Pennant at the end (the view from behind suggests he didn't obstruct him let alone touch him), from the referee's position, it looks like just another stupid, pointless foul tackle from a silly situation.
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Yup.
We need a player who can score a goal regularly to see those types of games through.
As for Stoke. Route one, ugly football. Whoever said they'd added quality to their game was lying. All they've added is an extra rag to wipe the moisture from the ball for Rory fucking Delap to hurl another 40 yard throw into the area. Shocking.
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What price Ash's atrocious first half miss now? Puts that away, 2-0 game over.
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what about a sub on the 91st minute... cueller for albrigton, anything, just to waste time....Thats what Fergie and Wenger do..
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Fucking spineless. Shit ourselves all too often and can't deal with any kind of pressure, especially when we concede.
Lack of leadership on the field for me - no one who can hold on to the ball and slow things down.
I can see it being like this all the way through to xmas.
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Dreadful. Devoid of spirit again.Petrov simply woeful, and getting himself booked after the final whistle exemplifies the liability he is. Doing f*** all on the pitch, then damaging us off it is typical of his brainlesness.
Downing and Albrighton were OK, Heskey? why. Fed up.Football? stupid game.
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Does any other club give away as many late goals as we do? Gutted.
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1st half sound have been 3-0, 2nd half was a utter shambles, collins didnt win anything in that 2nd 45, then heskey with that clearance at the end, pissed off aint the word
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Fuck.....
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Pennant really is a cheating little shit. Knicks the ball past petrov, kicks him and then throws himself to the ground to win a free kick which costs us a point. Little shit.
No, Petrov, being his usual sluggish self, brought him down because he's not quick enough and not good enough to tackle.
Which would be a brilliant arguement if he'd made any contact with him, well done!
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Downing played well. Possibly even Coco and Gabby too.
The rest not so much. Warnock and Young have been bloody abject for a long time. Bloody hell I've really started to get fed up of Warnock and his inept positioning and stupid tackling.
Predictable as ever mind.
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Oh fucking pisiing shitters. I fucking love conceding two late goals to fucking stoke. Do you think we could arrange it so it happens every week? I'd fucking love to watch them dancing over fucking football graves every fucking week.
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Pennant was a cheating cnut at the end for the FK
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Abysmal 2nd half perfprmance and we got what we deserved nothing.
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We paid the price for conceding too much possession in the second half. I just cannot comprehend why Brad insists on lumping the ball up field when we only have little guys being marked big blokes. Same thin happened against Everton and it just gives the opposition another easy chance. Dumb.
We looked very good with the ball tonight and why we didn't pass the ball more in the second half is a complete mystery to me. We squandered those points tonight when a bit of intelligence would have stopped Stoke applying pressure.
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What was the point of bringing on fucking Heskey for the last few minutes? We needed a proper change ages before that MacDonald you prat. How long until the proper manager starts, KM has proved he's woefully short of being good enough.
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Pennant really is a cheating little shit. Knicks the ball past petrov, kicks him and then throws himself to the ground to win a free kick which costs us a point. Little shit.
And then took the free-kick 10 yards ahead of where it should have been. This is my major objection to the calls for goal-line technology. Would that have been any use this evening? Would it b*ll*cks? Would video referees? Maybe, but how many times are you going to allow referees (or managers) to review their decisions if so.
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I'm so glad my sons season starts at the weekend so I can start to enjoy watching football again and go back to only taking a passing interest in the goings on at Aston Villa.
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Some positives - NRC, downing, Albrighton and Ash all looked dangerous tonight, um that's it.
Jimbo back to a dodgy patch, great blocks, timely interceptions and got around but somehow I still feel a tittle bit cheated.
Is it just me or has Dunne been coasting a bit lately?
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It wasn't dreadful.
The result was dreadful, but there were plenty of positives to take from that. For long spells, we were well in charge, and playing well.
The problem was that, when it was glaringly clear that we needed to change things to stop the game starting to run away from us, Kevin Mac did absolutely nothing.
Pulis, on the other hand, used all his subs, and changed the way the game was going.
That was something we never seemed to do under MON, and it seems that KM is of the same ilk. Hopefully Houllier will not be like that.
Losing like that is going to hit us really, really hard. The club need to stop fucking about and pull out all the stops to get Houllier here asap. If we're paying him 8m over three years, then he is going to have to start earning it by extracting himself, ASAP.
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Go away Villa until 3pm on Saturday.
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Typical Villa - come on we all knew it was going to happen. Roll on Saturday! UTV
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Downing played well. Possibly even Coco and Gabby too.
The rest not so much. Warnock and Young have been bloody abject for a long time. Bloody hell I've really started to get fed up of Warnock and his inept positioning and stupid tackling.
Predictable as ever mind.
Pennant really is a cheating little shit. Knicks the ball past petrov, kicks him and then throws himself to the ground to win a free kick which costs us a point. Little shit.
No, Petrov, being his usual sluggish self, brought him down because he's not quick enough and not good enough to tackle.
Which would be a brilliant arguement if he'd made any contact with him, well done!
If he'd made contact with the ball at any other point during the game, I could forgive it. As usual, we were playing with ten men though.
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when we played along the ground ( for 20 mins) we looked great , why the fook we go back to hoofing again second half..They were all shit second half. albrighton was on the pitch too long...
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Worrying thing was when Stoke pressed us we looked like a relegation fodder team. Not able to get to grips with what was required and bullied into submission.
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We shouldn't get to down really. We played some good stuff. Ash's miss was they key. That and warnocks chip to heskey at the death instead of a little dink to gabby down the line. Probably would have won a throw and killed the game. Argh the great game eh. Fxxk
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I trust Houllier's award ceremony was suitably enjoyable tonight.
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We really need to use our subs better. Our players were dead on their feet at the end.
I can only guess that K-Mac did not want to disrupt the shape of the team by changing too much. In hindsight it was obviously a mistake.
It wasn't exactly an inspirational bench though was it...
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stevenjos
reserve
Posts: 208
Re: Stoke City v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread
« Reply #4 on: Today at 08:54:43 PM »
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Every week i say it. and every week its true. if you play heskey you deserve to lose!
Ridiculous statement.
The way people on this site base their views about 90 minutes of football on a small number of incidents is laughable too.
We weren't brilliant - but then who expected us to be? But overall we played well thought. Downing was the best player on the pitch by a mile. Young good in flashes. Albrighton great in the first half, weak in the second.
But that performance demonstrated we have lots of potential, I thought.
Stoke played pretty well I thought, but we were good too and it would have been a good win. Getting a second goals when we were on top would have killed it.
We played passing football at times that I thought was a step above much of what we've seen in a while
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After playing well in the 1st half, what the hell did Macdonald say to the players at half time?
Did he tell them to give away needless corners, fouls and throwins at every fuckin opportunity?
Did he tell Our CAPTAIN to show no courage, skill or leadership?
He better fuckin not come out and bemoan our luck or blame the ref. It was his and the idiots on the pitch that lost us this game.
What happened tonight was pathetic and grimly predictable. We have now lost two away games, both to incredibly poor teams. UNACCEPTABLE.
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Petrov is a joke of a captain and always has been. He is about as inspiring as a wet Sunday.
Dunne has started to make unnecessary errors that City fans have long pointed out. If he starts that bullshit he too can fuck off out the door. Hope someone puts Warnock in a bag and sends him off to the dump. Stupid little prick.
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As i said at breakfast
"The chance to go third and send a message out to the rest of the League - points to a defeat doesn`t it?
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So fecking predictable
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Albrighton did nothing second half. It was crying out for Ireland to replace him, but KM seemingly has the same lack of nous as O'Neill.
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It wasn't dreadful.
The result was dreadful, but there were plenty of positives to take from that. For long spells, we were well in charge, and playing well.
Until we fell asleep for 45 minutes. And lost to stoke, again. In the last minute. Again.
Being "in charge" against a shit team that does well to finish mid-table, before losing, isn't much of a positive, for me. I admire your optimism, but that was a shitfest, I'm afraid.
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We really need to use our subs better. Our players were dead on their feet at the end.
I can only guess that K-Mac did not want to disrupt the shape of the team by changing too much. In hindsight it was obviously a mistake.
It wasn't exactly an inspirational bench though was it...
Ireland on, Albrighton off, Ashley wide, Gabby on his own up front?
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We have gone from a proper boring defensive unit under Martin to a more attacking, shit defending team.
If only we had a goalscorer!
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Much better from downing but even ellis would have scored from the chance ash missed, very hard playing against Stoke and we conceded far too many set pieces, a draw would have been a fair result.
Does any other team concede as many late goals as us?
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Pennant really is a cheating little shit. Knicks the ball past petrov, kicks him and then throws himself to the ground to win a free kick which costs us a point. Little shit.
No, Petrov, being his usual sluggish self, brought him down because he's not quick enough and not good enough to tackle.
Petrov never touched Pennant. Pennant knocked the ball past Petrov, runs past him and falls over. Quite obvious on the replay. But from the refs angle it looks like a foul.
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I trust Houllier's award ceremony was suitably enjoyable tonight.
He won an award? Awesome, our manager has won an award. Maybe we can put it in the trophy cabinet, if he can get it through customs.
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Found myself feeling very angry at 1-1 for some reason. More so than usual. Think it might be this large dislike for Stoke I'm developing, our inability to keep possession and the complete lack of bottle we were showing away from home (again). So, as you can imagine, when they scored a last kick winner which had been largely created by the snide tactics of an ex-pikey scummer, I threw myself face first into the tele, attempting to bite away at all those who had spent the last 90 minutes wronging me.
Didn't work. Currently posting from A&E.
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Houllier should be fuckin sacked right now. Pulis' mother died and he still managed to make it to the game to change the result in their favour yet our tosser of a so called manager was at a pissin awards ceremony in France. Bullshit. Hang your heads in shame Messrs MacDonald, Lerner, Faulkner and Houllier.
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Warnock is shit.
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What is this awards ceremony thing?
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Stoke must absolutely love us.
Fancy, a soft touch for shite like that to roll us over and get their season started.
They didn't even wake up for the first 70 minutes but when they did we had our predictable response, do nowt.
3 late goals against us now.
The footballing gods must be saving up some really bad karma for them, hopefully a last minute goal from us that sends the beggars down.
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Pennant really is a cheating little shit. Knicks the ball past petrov, kicks him and then throws himself to the ground to win a free kick which costs us a point. Little shit.
No, Petrov, being his usual sluggish self, brought him down because he's not quick enough and not good enough to tackle.
Ridiculous comment. He clearly does not touch him.
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I think the Heskey change was more of a defensive substitution than an attacking one. It looked to me at the end he had an opportunity to hoof it clear but hadn't got the mobility to move 2 yards to do so.
I notice a few criticising Collins, I think that is a little unfair. It's hard to head the ball when you that big sack of cack Jones in front of you. Time and time again the referee punished Dunne and Collins for attacking the ball whilst Jones just stood there. I thought the ref was dreadful, especially when that little convict c**t Pennant rolled around at the end. All that said, we should have been 0-2 up by half time and had the game won.
Petrov again done little after 65 minutes, i really do wonder about the fitness and concentration levels of our players.
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K-mac in charge for weekend..FFS
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HOW can we not know when our fucking new manager is due to start?! It beggars belief!
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Albrighton did nothing second half. It was crying out for Ireland to replace him, but KM seemingly has the same lack of nous as O'Neill.
Agreed. That would have been a good substitution. If nothing else it would have improved Ireland's match fitness and saved Albrighton's legs a bit.
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'kin hell. That's all I can muster.
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Houllier should be fuckin sacked right now. Pulis' mother died and he still managed to make it to the game to change the result in their favour yet our tosser of a so called manager was at a pissin awards ceremony in France. Bullshit. Hang your heads in shame Messrs MacDonald, Lerner, Faulkner and Houllier.
Houllier is doing the right thing, in fulfilling his contractual obligations. If anyone is to blame, it's the twats at AVFC who appointed a manager, seemingly with no idea as to when he can actually begin his job. You'd think this would have been discussed and agreed prior to anything being signed, never mind announced to the public. I've never heard of a club being involved in such a monumental failure to check even the most basic things. I can't imagine how the interview went. Maybe this is how they do things in the US.
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Warnock is shit.
Agree.
That said I seem to have developed a deep dislike of him. I'm seeing him everywhere. I was sure it was him who did the foul rather than Stan. I also could swear the kidney patient in The Inbetweeners is his spitting image.
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Houllier should be fuckin sacked right now. Pulis' mother died and he still managed to make it to the game to change the result in their favour yet our tosser of a so called manager was at a pissin awards ceremony in France. Bullshit. Hang your heads in shame Messrs MacDonald, Lerner, Faulkner and Houllier.
Houllier is doing the right thing, in fulfilling his contractual obligations. If anyone is to blame, it's the twats at AVFC who appointed a manager, seemingly with no idea as to when he can actually begin his job. You'd think this would have been discussed and agreed prior to anything being signed, never mind announced to the public. I've never heard of a club being involved in such a monumental failure to check even the most basic things. I can't imagine how the interview went. Maybe this is how they do things in the US.
I have to say, that with this Houllier delay, and the shirts delay, I do wonder what on earth is going on at the upper levels of the club.
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A tactically naive and leaderless second half performance.
Against a team with so many big men when we have so many small defenders why does our erstwhile Captain give away such dumb free kicks ? Under Mon it was just the same, no changes tired legs, so no subs, and when you finally decide to do something its Heskey for Gabby. Putting on the clubs cat would have been more constructive.
6 away points dropped with negative inane tactical errors from positions of superiority, did Mon really run off.
Another season where opportunities have been thrown away by negative indecisive leadership, heres hoping Ged is up to it.
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This is gonna be a long long season!
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We shouldn't get to down really. We played some good stuff. Ash's miss was they key. That and warnocks chip to heskey at the death instead of a little dink to gabby down the line. Probably would have won a throw and killed the game. Argh the great game eh. Fxxk
If he dinked to gabby it would have been a throw in as he was on the bench.
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Can't believe this twonk has another match in charge with us. Fuck off MacDonald.
Warnock = Stupid, rash challenges that mostly lead to freekicks. Also gets stranded and caught out of position time after time, and has to run back which he never does on time. Wouldn't be surprised if Houllier chops him. Wouldn't miss the prick.
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Lily-livered spineless fucking twats. Twats! Fucking TWATS!!!
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We played 3 wingers and no target man
i lost count of the times we could have crossed it but they had to try and play through Stoke
who had 8/9 behind the ball all the time
We get Emule on and never get into a crossing position again!
That snidey free kick at the end made me foam-total cheating rewarded by a naive ref
I knew we would throw away the chance to go 3rd-We have a mental problem
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We played some great stuff tonight and at half-time the only shock was that we weren't 2 or 3 ahead. However Villa being Villa you just knew that that was really going to matter. We played great composed football in the first half but it's as though the team doesn't believe in itself enough to keep it going and the rest just flows from that and is inevitable.
It was ever thus......
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Played well at times but looked dead on our feet at the end. Wasn't a free kick for their goal but we should have been out of sight by then.
Dunne looks totally unfit or injured. Didn't come up for corners and was nowhere near jones for his goal.
Plus side downing and rio played well.
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Thought we did ok for most of the game.
Even saw downing put a tackle in !
Robbed by an awful refereeing decision , compounded by the free kick being taken 12 yards further forward ( are we the only side that takes our free kicks from the right place now). They brought on Fuller and Pennant - we brought on Heskey.
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A stooke fan said to me today. We love playing Villa...Im gutted
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Can't believe this twonk has another match in charge with us. Fuck off MacDonald.
Warnock = Stupid, rash challenges that mostly lead to freekicks. Also gets stranded and caught out of position time after time, and has to run back which he never does on time. Wouldn't be surprised if Houllier chops him. Wouldn't miss the prick.
In fairness to MacDonald (and with the Heskey sub and the Newcastle game, I'm finding this difficult), once the players are out there in the second half, winning the game, if they collapse, they need to take the brunt of the blame. Especially conceding in the last minute again. As something that continues, regardless of the current manager, it points to the players having no focus, or simply not caring.
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We have to give credit to Tony Pulis, he makes tactical changes when needed, 2 seasons in a row he has made sub which have influenced the game.
Can anyone remember what Houllier what like tactically?
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Houllier should be fuckin sacked right now. Pulis' mother died and he still managed to make it to the game to change the result in their favour yet our tosser of a so called manager was at a pissin awards ceremony in France. Bullshit. Hang your heads in shame Messrs MacDonald, Lerner, Faulkner and Houllier.
Houllier is doing the right thing, in fulfilling his contractual obligations. If anyone is to blame, it's the twats at AVFC who appointed a manager, seemingly with no idea as to when he can actually begin his job. You'd think this would have been discussed and agreed prior to anything being signed, never mind announced to the public. I've never heard of a club being involved in such a monumental failure to check even the most basic things. I can't imagine how the interview went. Maybe this is how they do things in the US.
I have to say, that with this Houllier delay, and the shirts delay, I do wonder what on earth is going on at the upper levels of the club.
There will be a delay in getting your answer.
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Can't believe this twonk has another match in charge with us. Fuck off MacDonald.
Warnock = Stupid, rash challenges that mostly lead to freekicks. Also gets stranded and caught out of position time after time, and has to run back which he never does on time. Wouldn't be surprised if Houllier chops him. Wouldn't miss the prick.
In fairness to MacDonald (and with the Heskey sub and the Newcastle game, I'm finding this difficult), once the players are out there in the second half, winning the game, if they collapse, they need to take the brunt of the blame. Especially conceding in the last minute again. As something that continues, regardless of the current manager, it points to the players having no focus, or simply not caring.
To be honest, the Stoke come back was coming for a while.
Pulis used his subs. Kev didn't. Predictable result.
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Before the game I commented on how much better their bench was than ours. It has been proven to be the case. Other than a half fit Ireland what other options did we have? Theirs changed the game.
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Petrov never touched Pennant. Pennant knocked the ball past Petrov, runs past him and falls over. Quite obvious on the replay. But from the refs angle it looks like a foul.
I think that's right. It looked like a foul at first sight. Besides, we can't moan too much about the ref - he could easily have given them a pen in the first half. The point is if a free kick is given then we have to deal with it better. Particularly in the last fucking minute of injury time.
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Houllier should be fuckin sacked right now. Pulis' mother died and he still managed to make it to the game to change the result in their favour yet our tosser of a so called manager was at a pissin awards ceremony in France. Bullshit. Hang your heads in shame Messrs MacDonald, Lerner, Faulkner and Houllier.
Houllier is doing the right thing, in fulfilling his contractual obligations. If anyone is to blame, it's the twats at AVFC who appointed a manager, seemingly with no idea as to when he can actually begin his job. You'd think this would have been discussed and agreed prior to anything being signed, never mind announced to the public. I've never heard of a club being involved in such a monumental failure to check even the most basic things. I can't imagine how the interview went. Maybe this is how they do things in the US.
+1. Ditto. Damn straight. Etc...
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Houllier should be fuckin sacked right now. Pulis' mother died and he still managed to make it to the game to change the result in their favour yet our tosser of a so called manager was at a pissin awards ceremony in France. Bullshit. Hang your heads in shame Messrs MacDonald, Lerner, Faulkner and Houllier.
Houllier is doing the right thing, in fulfilling his contractual obligations. If anyone is to blame, it's the twats at AVFC who appointed a manager, seemingly with no idea as to when he can actually begin his job. You'd think this would have been discussed and agreed prior to anything being signed, never mind announced to the public. I've never heard of a club being involved in such a monumental failure to check even the most basic things. I can't imagine how the interview went. Maybe this is how they do things in the US.
I have to say, that with this Houllier delay, and the shirts delay, I do wonder what on earth is going on at the upper levels of the club.
Obviously not enough!
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We have to give credit to Tony Pulis, he makes tactical changes when needed, 2 seasons in a row he has made sub which have influenced the game.
Can anyone remember what Houllier what like tactically?
Tactical genius?
No.
But he does something. We do nowt.
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who shall i blame?
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Can't believe this twonk has another match in charge with us. Fuck off MacDonald.
Classy. Might be worth getting a large dose of your username methinks.
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Pulis used his subs yes. MacDonald brought on Heskey. Says it fucking all.
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Played well at times but didn't make the changes to combat Stoke for the last 20 mins.
If you bring on EH then we deserve our fate - what a clearance for their winner!
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Naive totally naive another tired team of players concede a late late goal.
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I agree with a lot you say paulie- randy is lucky to have escaped much criticism having seen some of the things that have happened since the summer began.
It seems frankly ridiculous that we gave houllier the job not knowing when he could take it.
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Also. Our "manager" was over in France attending an award ceremony.
Tony Pulis' mother died today, and he came back for the second half when they were down 1-0.
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We need a manager now, not next week, not next month but now. We just can't keep folding like that every time we concede.
RAL if your reading this do everything you can to get GH here pronto as this cannot go one - we are leaderless and it's going to cost us.
If you can't get GH here any sooner, may I ask what the feck you are doing appointing a Manager that isn't allowed to manage us yet. You had weeks to get someone in and then choose a bloke that can't leave his existing role yet. WTF!!
As for the performance, a little bit more nous and commitment, a real over my dead body attitude and we'd have won that game. Is it is, we have none of those qualities within the team at the moment so we lost.
The more i see of us the more I think the best we can hope for this season is win the mini league of West Midlands clubs and beat Blose - that's ambition isn't it - it's like we've turned in to them.
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Naive totally naive another tired team of players concede a late late goal.
Why on earth would they be tired?
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There is some amount of over-reaction going on here.
It was f**king annoying to lose in the last minute again at this wind-swept hole - and we should have changed things when we could to hold on to what we had. I believe KMac brought on Heskey to add some height at both ends when he should probably have brought on Cuellar to help defend.
After we weatherd their early attacks we took control of the game; we played the ball around well and NRC was a revelation - he actually passed the ball to his team-mates 99% of the time - although he dropped one for the equaliser. Ash should have got the second and almost certainly killed them off - but shit happens. Even after they equalised we had almost as many opportunities to score as they did.
The referee was a c**k in the 2nd half; he gave them nearly all the 50:50s and certainly penalised us for things that they got away with. And don't get me started on the free-kick that lead to the goal - not a free kick and just where the hell did they take it from???? No agruing that we should have dealt with it better but it would have been so much easier to defend if had been taken where it should have been.
We've played a lot worse away and won, so despite the depression at losing, the "doom and gloom mongers" are way off target.
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Albrighton did nothing second half. It was crying out for Ireland to replace him, but KM seemingly has the same lack of nous as O'Neill.
Agreed. That would have been a good substitution. If nothing else it would have improved Ireland's match fitness and saved Albrighton's legs a bit.
Agreed. Thought Gabby was pretty useless as well in the second half. Fucking sick to death of watching us trying to hold on in the second half of games. We were lucky against everton. Highly cheesed off again.
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On the bright side, if we can keep Houllier in his current job until February 1st, we can get away with the next transfer window without signing anyone, which will help, considering the lost revenue from the kit fiasco.
I'm not sure if I intend to parody the doomsday prophets, or if I've just become one.
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Firstly, I hate Stoke, horrible team, place & fans. I thought what football was played we played it. If Ash had put that header away they would have been out of it. Apart from Dunne and Albrighton (sorry I'm not convinced) I thought we played well, it's a fucking hard place to play. Disappointing & annoying yes but nothing to be ashamed of, unlike the performance at Newcastle.
Some of the comments on here are way, way off the mark.
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To have a pop at Kmac is unfair. Having been overlooked for the managers job, he could have told the club to stuff it, but he looked more comfortable and fired up than in any of the previous games.
The ref was conned by Pennant, but until a post match review is bought in, the ref takes the blame and the guilty party walks free. Whatever, we should have defended better but I didn't think the performance was bad and the players showed commitment.
But I would get used to the likes of Stoke and their like being our major rivals over the next few years.
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There were plenty of positives to take from the match.
We just quite desperately need leadership at the moment, and all we're getting is drift.
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Our inept ability to keep hold of the ball cost us today. Instead of a simple pass, we opt for a 40 yard hoof to a Stoke player which then resulted in more pressure or a silly foul.
I hope to god Houllier sorts this out.
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As soon as they equalised I just said "I'd take 1-1 right now".
You just sort of knew that was going to happen..... >:(
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I agree with a lot you say paulie- randy is lucky to have escaped much criticism having seen some of the things that have happened since the summer began.
It seems frankly ridiculous that we gave houllier the job not knowing when he could take it.
So we should give it Sven or Southgate because they are available now????
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There were plenty of positives to take from the match.
We just quite desperately need leadership at the moment, and all we're getting is drift.
Apart from the meandering wuss getting another injection of confidence I can't think of any positives.
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Can't believe this twonk has another match in charge with us. Fuck off MacDonald.
Warnock = Stupid, rash challenges that mostly lead to freekicks. Also gets stranded and caught out of position time after time, and has to run back which he never does on time. Wouldn't be surprised if Houllier chops him. Wouldn't miss the prick.
In fairness to MacDonald (and with the Heskey sub and the Newcastle game, I'm finding this difficult), once the players are out there in the second half, winning the game, if they collapse, they need to take the brunt of the blame. Especially conceding in the last minute again. As something that continues, regardless of the current manager, it points to the players having no focus, or simply not caring.
Two things he did wrong in the second half.
One
He decided that even though we ripped stoke to pieces down the wings and both wingers had the making of their fullbacks he decided that they should swap wings. They pretty much played that way all the second half. Albrighton couldn't get past Huth cause he wanted to come inside every time and Downing didn't have the pace against Collins.
Two
It was obvious from 60-70 minutes that unlike the first half, the Stoke players were up for it with Pullis return and changes. He should have subbed Albrighton, moved Ash to the wing where he could track back and brought Ireland on to give more energy in the midfield.
Instead his first reaction to the wrongness on the pitch was to bring on Heskey after they had scored and were in the ascendency. If he was only going to make one change at that time he should have brought on Cueller for Albrighton as at least we would have had more height in the box to fight off these balls in the air.
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Naive totally naive another tired team of players concede a late late goal.
Why on earth would they be tired?
You tell me I've no idea, perhaps its not tiredness, perhaps they just keep bottling it after 60 minutes.
One thing any opposition knows against Villa play until the 99th minute a goal will come
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Oh crap, you can't blame the ref, he gave the foul 'cos we were on the ropes and had been hacking for ten minutes. We packed in at 70 mins.
Be honest, we're playing with four wingers, all of whom do one clever thing every fifteen minutes AT BEST. Any half decent side is going to take us apart through the middle.
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There were plenty of positives to take from the match.
We just quite desperately need leadership at the moment, and all we're getting is drift.
\
Positives?
I can only assume you are refering to the new series of The Inbetweeners that starts tonight.
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But I would get used to the likes of Stoke and their like being our major rivals over the next few years.
That really is a depressing thought.
Fortunately, they can't play us every week and have looked cack in their other games.
I might stick a lazy £20 on them going down when the odds are better. Kenywne Jones is hardly a goal machine and not many sides will go there and defend as naively as we did tonight.
Richard Dunne needs to get rid of that spare tyre, it seems to be affecting his concentration and basic common sense too.
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There were plenty of positives to take from the match.
We just quite desperately need leadership at the moment, and all we're getting is drift.
Apart from the meandering wuss getting another injection of confidence I can't think of any positives.
We played very well for 45-50 minutes. We kept the ball, moved off it, passed excellently, and looked like the cultured side showing the proles how the game is meant to be played.
Unfortunately, their manager made a couple of substitutions that changed the game, and whilst it was running away from us, we changed nothing.
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So we should give it Sven or Southgate because they are available now????
Sven now, or Houllier in November, maybe. It's tempting.
I'd rather we just, you know, bought out Houllier's contract, as other clubs seem able to do. Maybe we couldn't as we hadn't cut the wage budget. So maybe we shouldn't have announced things, until we at least had a firm idea of when he takes charge. As it happens, we went for the worst possible scenario, give him the job, and shout about it from the roof-tops, without knowing when he starts. It's a circus.
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Richard Dunne needs to get rid of that spare tyre, it seems to be affecting his concentration and basic common sense too.
It really is not on for a professional footballer like him to come back from the summer looking like he's spent the last three months in the pub all day.
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I think that you might find that Dunne has frequented a pub or two ;)
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If you only turn up for 15 minutes what do you expect. We deserved nothing.
Think thats about right Mark, anonymous until we scored, played well after that then were shit second half, I couldn't see them scoring though they lacked quality then as soon as the equiliser went in I knew they were gonna win.
No fight and we were 2nd best in Midfiled again!! What was the point in bringing Hesket on for Agbonlahor. Petrov's dyed his hair so I didn't know he was playing! Fucking awful. we lost half our games already!!!
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i thought for final 20 mins of the first half we played some great football, the type you would want to see week in and week out, preferably for longer than 20 mins a match though!
Thought dunnes position for 1st goal was piss poor, plus he looks like he is still carrying some timber, thought the game passed gabby by tbh, thought ash and albrighton played well, and reo probably had his best game in a villa shirt ive seen in a long time. It once again was clear with 10mins to go we needed to close the game down, flood the midfield, take off alrighton, ireland into midfield, ash back to the wing, see the game out.
Makes you wonder big time that if pulis can make it to the touchline, wtf is happening with us and houllier.
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Stoke should be banned from the Premier League.
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Richard Dunne needs to get rid of that spare tyre, it seems to be affecting his concentration and basic common sense too.
It really is not on for a professional footballer like him to come back from the summer looking like he's spent the last three months in the pub all day.
Another thing to blame the French for. If Ireland had gone to the world cup he wouldn't have spent 3 months drowning his sorrows/ celebrating the demise of France.
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Richard Dunne needs to get rid of that spare tyre, it seems to be affecting his concentration and basic common sense too.
It really is not on for a professional footballer like him to come back from the summer looking like he's spent the last three months in the pub all day.
Another thing to blame the French for. If Ireland had gone to the world cup he wouldn't have spent 3 months drowning his sorrows/ celebrating the demise of France.
Ha ha, very good point.
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Can't believe this twonk has another match in charge with us. Fuck off MacDonald.
Warnock = Stupid, rash challenges that mostly lead to freekicks. Also gets stranded and caught out of position time after time, and has to run back which he never does on time. Wouldn't be surprised if Houllier chops him. Wouldn't miss the prick.
In fairness to MacDonald (and with the Heskey sub and the Newcastle game, I'm finding this difficult), once the players are out there in the second half, winning the game, if they collapse, they need to take the brunt of the blame. Especially conceding in the last minute again. As something that continues, regardless of the current manager, it points to the players having no focus, or simply not caring.
Two things he did wrong in the second half.
One
He decided that even though we ripped stoke to pieces down the wings and both wingers had the making of their fullbacks he decided that they should swap wings. They pretty much played that way all the second half. Albrighton couldn't get past Huth cause he wanted to come inside every time and Downing didn't have the pace against Collins.
Two
It was obvious from 60-70 minutes that unlike the first half, the Stoke players were up for it with Pullis return and changes. He should have subbed Albrighton, moved Ash to the wing where he could track back and brought Ireland on to give more energy in the midfield.
Instead his first reaction to the wrongness on the pitch was to bring on Heskey after they had scored and were in the ascendency. If he was only going to make one change at that time he should have brought on Cueller for Albrighton as at least we would have had more height in the box to fight off these balls in the air.
I think Mac did that because Warnock was getting slaughtered on our left and thought Albrighton would supply better protection.
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Not sure what to say on reflection would of hope the lines man would of seen that it wasn't a foul on Pennant! It's the second time this season we've taken gabby off and lost the game doesn't it say something about Heskey! Better a tired Gabby than him!
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We played very well for 45-50 minutes. We kept the ball, moved off it, passed excellently, and looked like the cultured side showing the proles how the game is meant to be played.
Isn't this pretty much what we laughed at West Brom for last season? Playing pretty Arsenal-style football, but lacking the results to make it worthwhile? There's no point playing nice passes and moving the ball about with flair if you're going to get bent over by Stoke.
Maybe it'll all seem less awful in the morning.
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So we should give it Sven or Southgate because they are available now????
Sven now, or Houllier in November, maybe. It's tempting.
I'd rather we just, you know, bought out Houllier's contract, as other clubs seem able to do. Maybe we couldn't as we hadn't cut the wage budget. So maybe we shouldn't have announced things, until we at least had a firm idea of when he takes charge. As it happens, we went for the worst possible scenario, give him the job, and shout about it from the roof-tops, without knowing when he starts. It's a circus.
I agree, Eriksson would have been there tonight and i'm sure we'd have got a more committed performance and not a predicatble defeat once they equalized.
I almost wouldn't mind if we were waiting for the world's greatest ever football manager but we're waiting for Gerrard flippin Houllier for McGraths sake.
I have a lot of time for RAL and the General but this is a shambles right now.
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There were plenty of positives to take from the match.
We just quite desperately need leadership at the moment, and all we're getting is drift.
Positives? 15 minutes when we turned up, we looked great but otherwise we were second best. We lack leadership on the pitch more than anywhere else. The centre of midfield is still our weakness. No energy, no drive and no vision. Yes we need a manager, Kevin Mac fortunately won't be that man. He's way out of his depth. It was like O'Neill hasn't left. All effort and very little quality.
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If you only turn up for 15 minutes what do you expect. We deserved nothing.
Think thats about right Mark, anonymous until we scored, played well after that then were shit second half, I couldn't see them scoring though they lacked quality then as soon as the equiliser went in I knew they were gonna win.
No fight and we were 2nd best in Midfiled again!! What was the point in bringing Hesket on for Agbonlahor. Petrov's dyed his hair so I didn't know he was playing! Fucking awful. we lost half our games already!!!
Everytime we let in a goal at the moment. The team collapses. It doesn't matter how well we have or haven't played. Thank god West Ham or Everton didn't score otherwise it would have been 0 points even if we were leading them 3-0 at the time.
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Richard Dunne needs to get rid of that spare tyre, it seems to be affecting his concentration and basic common sense too.
It really is not on for a professional footballer like him to come back from the summer looking like he's spent the last three months in the pub all day.
He was in good nick last summer, as he was fired up to keep his place in the Citeh side. And then fired up - for a bit- to prove them wrong when he came here (almost under duress if you heard his interview at the time).
I'd be a wee bit concerned that now he might just have settled, thinks he 's not going to be going for the major honours anytime soon so he can just cruise.
Warnock is looking a shadow of the player we seen in the first half of last season too. I really don't know what's going on there.
Positives:
*Nice 15 minutes after the goal
*Good performance from NRC
*At no stage of the game were we outmuscled or bossed by their lot (see above)
*The black kit looks good
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We played very well for 45-50 minutes. We kept the ball, moved off it, passed excellently, and looked like the cultured side showing the proles how the game is meant to be played.
Isn't this pretty much what we laughed at West Brom for last season? Playing pretty Arsenal-style football, but lacking the results to make it worthwhile? There's no point playing nice passes and moving the ball about with flair if you're going to get bent over by Stoke.
Maybe it'll all seem less awful in the morning.
I agree, there is no point if ultimately you bend over and let them shaft you.
I'll still take the small positive from what we saw, though.
Ultimately, we need some leadership from the touchline, and we need some bollocks on the pitch. I'm getting more and more concerned about Petrov, who doesn't seem to be up to it much these days. Certainly, in the middle of the park, we can not afford to have a player who stops after 70 minutes.
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Ash is wasted in that role and much more effective out wide, I was impressed by downing as he showed some fight tonight as well,much better from him.
The lack of a striker in the transfer window will haunt us I'm afraid and with carew and heskey injury prone and hardly top quality I feel January will seem a ling way off- the miss by young was awful and just shows he's not the man for that role.
The team battled well and I thought we showed plenty of balls but in the end Stoke had so many set pieces they just had to score, much better than Newcastle though.
agree with many that warnock is hugely overrated and needs to get his act together fast- houllier sold heskey, warnock and Carew so maybe there is hope after all!
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Gutted as is everyone else.
Didnt buy new striker in summer.
Not got a 25 goal a season forward still.
Missed chances in front of goal
Were left in a shit timing of a situation by MON
The board were happy to spend weeks recruiting and not spend money
The board knew what squad we did/didnt have and where priorities were
Business plan for this year....stay top half until Jan
Buy couple of players in Jan but also let a couple go...try for 8th'ish
Tonight....Downing, NRC 1 of their better games. No one to convert old fashioned instinct type chances in 6 yard box
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Makes you wonder big time that if pulis can make it to the touchline, wtf is happening with us and houllier.
Although it doesn't look good, Pullis obviously came by choice. From a contractual point of view Houllier can't. I agree it is a shitty way of doing things and after the last 4 years comes as a big surprise. But then so was MON leaving just a week before the start of the season, and the shirts fiasco.
As you said, makes you wonder.
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The contract issues should have been sorted out weeks ago. We should have paid the appropriate compensation and moved on. But the Yanks, have shown again that they don't have a clue when it comes to this.
It may work like that in America, but not here in the UK. This summer has been a serious fucking disaster from start to finish, and it has even carried on into September. Fucking hell.
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Stoke should be banned from the Premier League.
For showing us how inept a lot of our players are? Then i think a few teams will have cause to be banned from the league come the end of the season.
It is absolutely no secret how Stoke play, yet we seemed all too happy to accommodate them in the second half.
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same shit different season why when were on sky do we concede so many late goals fucking sick of it now as is someone else I imagine ..........That was gutting they robbed us would of been delighted with even a point argghhhhhhhhhh ! >:(
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Makes you wonder big time that if pulis can make it to the touchline, wtf is happening with us and houllier.
Although it doesn't look good, Pullis obviously came by choice. From a contractual point of view Houllier can't. I agree it is a shitty way of doing things and after the last 4 years comes as a big surprise. But then so was MON leaving just a week before the start of the season, and the shirts fiasco.
If the club are convinced Houllier is the best choice, then they're in a pretty tough position. Do they announce Houllier is the manager, to stop us moaning about the time it's taking, or do they keep it quiet until they know when he will actually be taking over. It's not an easy decision, but I think they've got it wrong. Appointing Houllier and leaving MacDonald in charge, when we know he was another candidate, is a disaster. It undermines any authority he has with the squad.
I'd hope it'd motivate the players to make an impression before the new manager comes, but clearly that hasn't worked.
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Two things he did wrong in the second half.
One
He decided that even though we ripped stoke to pieces down the wings and both wingers had the making of their fullbacks he decided that they should swap wings. They pretty much played that way all the second half. Albrighton couldn't get past Huth cause he wanted to come inside every time and Downing didn't have the pace against Collins.
Two
It was obvious from 60-70 minutes that unlike the first half, the Stoke players were up for it with Pullis return and changes. He should have subbed Albrighton, moved Ash to the wing where he could track back and brought Ireland on to give more energy in the midfield.
I think Mac did that because Warnock was getting slaughtered on our left and thought Albrighton would supply better protection.
Well attack is the best form of defence as the 15 mins before half time showed. They had very little threat because the dangerous players were having to defend against us and couldn't attack.
Or he should have done point two earlier. Ok, If Ireland is injured still then he shouldn't have been on the bench. He could easily have put Beye in midfield, it would have offered some defensive protection and someone who can win things in the air when the ball was being played up there solidly from 60 odd mins.
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We played very well for 45-50 minutes. We kept the ball, moved off it, passed excellently, and looked like the cultured side showing the proles how the game is meant to be played.
Isn't this pretty much what we laughed at West Brom for last season? Playing pretty Arsenal-style football, but lacking the results to make it worthwhile? There's no point playing nice passes and moving the ball about with flair if you're going to get bent over by Stoke.
Maybe it'll all seem less awful in the morning.
Surely the time to play pretty football is when you are 3 -0 up!!
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The unfortunate thing is that, with Pulis turning up tonight after his mother had died, it casts the club's pissing around with Houllier and his previous appointments in stark relief.
They've asked for it, to be honest, though.
The press conference was badly handled. It was rank amateurism to have it come out, in drips and drabs, that he couldnt start today, he wouldn't be in the dugout for Bolton, he might be here for Wolves, but he couldn't guarantee that, he could be forced to work three months notice, and even then he might have to go back for the odd day.
And all this at a press conference to announce the appointment of a manager who hadn't actually signed a contract.
I think the board get a lot of unfair stick on certain issues, but it is hard to see the managerial appointment process as anything but a bit of a mess, and the worrying thing is it doesn't even seem to be over.
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The question re Houllier is do the Board know when he will be 100% in charge.
I'd suggest not.
The gamble to keep KM in charge is failing it hasn't worked.
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Richard Dunne needs to get rid of that spare tyre, it seems to be affecting his concentration and basic common sense too.
It really is not on for a professional footballer like him to come back from the summer looking like he's spent the last three months in the pub all day.
He's a fat fucking joke. Let's not beat around the bush here. We've got another 3 years of him on 55k a week. The sign's aren't good.
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Stoke should be banned from the Premier League.
For showing us how inept a lot of our players are? Then i think a few teams will have cause to be banned from the league come the end of the season.
It is absolutely no secret how Stoke play, yet we seemed all too happy to accommodate them in the second half.
Aye.
An alien beamed down from planet Zog could probably tell you how they're set up.
It's no secret, launch the ball into the box from throw-ins, try to get crosses into the box from out wide and maximise set pieces. A side packed with Huth, Faye, Collins, Jones and all the other blockheads is going to do very little else - and they did very little else tonight.
But some side with a consistent lack of awareness keeps on playing against Stoke each time like it's the first, fails to neutralise their (limited) threats, and throws in a rich assortment of unforced errors into the bargain.
Not Stoke's fault that we seem to possess such little cop on.
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I know Mon is taking a lot of the blame but at least he could motivate them, if he was manager would we have lost today? Im starting to wonder??
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Stoke should be banned from the Premier League.
For showing us how inept a lot of our players are? Then i think a few teams will have cause to be banned from the league come the end of the season.
It is absolutely no secret how Stoke play, yet we seemed all too happy to accommodate them in the second half.
They're a disgusting, cheating team with racist fans. Hopefully they're not allowed to be dirty and cheat in future which will mean only one thing for them - relegation.
Our players were not inept, we defended really well against the only thing they can do which is long throw ins and long balls into the box; a dive and cheating won the game for those BNP lovers.
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That was a million times better performance than the effort they put in against Newcastle but from some of the comments on here you'd think we lost 6-0 tonight.
We do, however, have an uncanny knack of being able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. But after watching the Villa for as long as I have it shouldn't come as any surprise.
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I know Mon is taking a lot of the blame but at least he could motivate them, if he was manager would we have lost today? Im starting to wonder??
No way would we have fallen foul of a late sucker punch against Stoke under MON.
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I know Mon is taking a lot of the blame but at least he could motivate them, if he was manager would we have lost today? Im starting to wonder??
So who was in charge last time we lost there in the last minute?
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Why did the twat of a ref give the cheating fuck Pennant a free kick.
Why Heskey coming on as sub.
Why can't Ash head the ball.
Why Heskey trying to defend.
Why did I say to myself that they looked nothing like a threat compared to Everton.
Why Heskey trying to kick a ball.
Dunne too overweight, Warnock not good enough, Friedal just has to be replaced.
We are a shambles at the moment, no manager, no replica kit, no signings, no idea.
I've got a lot of time for Randy, but he really must get a grip of the situation we are in and sort it out now.
Grrr.
On a plus note Downing is starting to look something like a Villa player.
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I know Mon is taking a lot of the blame but at least he could motivate them, if he was manager would we have lost today? Im starting to wonder??
So who was in charge last time we lost there in the last minute?
West Ham last year??
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Not long got back. Gutted. Should have been out of sight by half time. The usual onslaught in the last part of the game and we capitulated yet again. I'll post something more constructive later.
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same shit different season why when were on sky do we concede so many late goals fucking sick of it now as is someone else I imagine ....
Apparently that was the first away Monday night game we've lost since Enkelman's moment of madness (8 years on Friday if you want to mark the anniversary).
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The unfortunate thing is that, with Pulis turning up tonight after his mother had died, it casts the club's pissing around with Houllier and his previous appointments in stark relief.
They've asked for it, to be honest, though.
The press conference was badly handled. It was rank amateurism to have it come out, in drips and drabs, that he couldnt start today, he wouldn't be in the dugout for Bolton, he might be here for Wolves, but he couldn't guarantee that, he could be forced to work three months notice, and even then he might have to go back for the odd day.
And all this at a press conference to announce the appointment of a manager who hadn't actually signed a contract.
I think the board get a lot of unfair stick on certain issues, but it is hard to see the managerial appointment process as anything but a bit of a mess, and the worrying thing is it doesn't even seem to be over.
As I stated elswhere we would have been better off appointing Brian Rix
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Mon wasn't perfect, I wasn't even a fan of his but now he's gone were not lookin much better are we?
What did Warnock say, "were being told to go out and win rather than not lose" well when your 1-0 up, if you can't win then don't lose, Midfield was getting overrun everyone could see that!
Just feel really fucked off
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I know Mon is taking a lot of the blame but at least he could motivate them, if he was manager would we have lost today? Im starting to wonder??
Didn't Stoke score late goals when MON was in charge? Twice.
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Very, very predictable. We looked extremely comfortable for most of the game until the goal went in, then it was same old Villa, the other team simply wanted the points more than we did.
A lack of leadership both on and off the field that doesn't look like ending anytime soon.
Close down Etherington quickly and stop giving away silly fouls and throw ins and Stoke have fuck all, the fact our record against them is so poor is simply down to the fact that their desire for the result is greater than ours.
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Why did the twat of a ref give the cheating fuck Pennant a free kick.
Why Heskey coming on as sub.
Why can't Ash head the ball.
Why Heskey trying to defend.
Why did I say to myself that they looked nothing like a threat compared to Everton.
Why Heskey trying to kick a ball.
Dunne too overweight, Warnock not good enough, Friedal just has to be replaced.
We are a shambles at the moment, no manager, no replica kit, no signings, no idea.
I've got a lot of time for Randy, but he really must get a grip of the situation we are in and sort it out now.
Grrr.
On a plus note Downing is starting to look something like a Villa player.
Friedal did nothing wrong today (apart from some Goal kicks but that has been an issue at Villa since Bosnich was around) and without some of his saves we could have been well beaten. He had no chance we either goal.
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The unfortunate thing is that, with Pulis turning up tonight after his mother had died, it casts the club's pissing around with Houllier and his previous appointments in stark relief.
They've asked for it, to be honest, though.
The press conference was badly handled. It was rank amateurism to have it come out, in drips and drabs, that he couldnt start today, he wouldn't be in the dugout for Bolton, he might be here for Wolves, but he couldn't guarantee that, he could be forced to work three months notice, and even then he might have to go back for the odd day.
And all this at a press conference to announce the appointment of a manager who hadn't actually signed a contract.
I think the board get a lot of unfair stick on certain issues, but it is hard to see the managerial appointment process as anything but a bit of a mess, and the worrying thing is it doesn't even seem to be over.
The communication of the terms of his appointment were poorly presented. It did need explaining at the beginning of the press conference but to blame the board for that seems a bit harsh. They've got their man, they will have to wait but hopefully he'll be worth waiting for. Saying that, they employee our Head of Communication, whoever he is but realistically, given the time involved, it appeared he hasn't got a clue. Apart from a few prompter notes about our history and how wonderful the fans are, it was very amatuerish. It was like, here you are Gerard, a few key pointers about the club and the press are in there waiting for you.
A bit like the tactics during the last four years - a few notes scribbled on the bag of a fag packet from John Robertson. Houllier must be delighted, after watching tonight's performance, the fans will think he's a genius for getting us organised, when it's nothing more than any decent manager should know to to do.
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Stoke should be banned from the Premier League.
For showing us how inept a lot of our players are? Then i think a few teams will have cause to be banned from the league come the end of the season.
It is absolutely no secret how Stoke play, yet we seemed all too happy to accommodate them in the second half.
They're a disgusting, cheating team with racist fans. Hopefully they're not allowed to be dirty and cheat in future which will mean only one thing for them - relegation.
Our players were not inept, we defended really well against the only thing they can do which is long throw ins and long balls into the box; a dive and cheating won the game for those BNP lovers.
Bit harsh on their fans there. You can't prove any racism. Was there any racist chanting of our black players? No. They use what they have to win games. Delap's throws are a good weapon but they also have some talented players. They are a robust team but I wish we were that too. We have players in our team who can't put in a decent firm tackle. And besides when compared to Bolton, Wolves, Sunderland and numerous others they are not particularly dirty. Any cretin could tell you Stoke's game plan which we did nothing to defend.
They did show our ineptitude. We were poor in front of goal and we didn't defend well enough. Our manager or rather the bloke who is filling in made no effort to change things that even most of the people on this forum would have done.
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Why did the twat of a ref give the cheating fuck Pennant a free kick.
Why Heskey coming on as sub.
Why can't Ash head the ball.
Why Heskey trying to defend.
Why did I say to myself that they looked nothing like a threat compared to Everton.
Why Heskey trying to kick a ball.
Dunne too overweight, Warnock not good enough, Friedal just has to be replaced.
We are a shambles at the moment, no manager, no replica kit, no signings, no idea.
I've got a lot of time for Randy, but he really must get a grip of the situation we are in and sort it out now.
Grrr.
On a plus note Downing is starting to look something like a Villa player.
Total 101% agreement,----too frustrated,angry,disappointed to say anymore except why oh why was Heskey brought on after 88mins that to me signalled we had thrown the proverbial towel in!!!!!
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That was a million times better performance than the effort they put in against Newcastle but from some of the comments on here you'd think we lost 6-0 tonight.
We do, however, have an uncanny knack of being able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. But after watching the Villa for as long as I have it shouldn't come as any surprise.
The only surprise is we never learn. I think the reason for the anger tonight is the vast majority on here could see that Stoke were there for the taking. We missed out on 3 relatively easy points. Newcastle was another story.
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The whole kmac thing was a shambles- why let him go public that he wants tbe job in the 1st place, after the rapid defeat he should have been told not to apply , but now he's gone public and not got the job it leaves a nasty taste.
The entire manager process has been a farce in all honesty and amataurish , and it's imperative that houllier is on the bench on saturday - as for Gary macallister , a failed coach and manager at Coventry and Leeds - let's get someone better please!
Reo coker, luke and downing all played well tonight as did the central defence and brad , but please send ash back on the wing against Bolton.
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We are going to get taken to the cleaners in the last 20 minutes of every game as long as Ashley Young, Marc Albrighton and Stewart Downing are all on the pitch together. Now I'm all in favour of attacking football, but take one off and give them some extra holding support late on FFS...
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They had more fight and spirit than us second half. I can't believe after both games last season we have not learnt from it. Ok the managers gone but we still have the same players.
The sooner we have a leader and direction the better. We could all see what needed doing. Maybe KM thought we would get into rhythm like we did in the first half late on.
I'm not a fan of having Downing, Albrighton and Young in the first eleven. It just don't seem right to me, we will never have enough of the ball and with all three on we don't have enough strength to win it back.
Any one of those three should be coming off the bench. It would give us better options when we are chasing a game or just trying to change it tactically as well.
I can't see GH playin them three together, especially away from home.
What's happened to Warnock? There is a good player in him somewhere, we have seen it. If he keeps this up I would be tempted to put Luke Young there and drop Cueller back into right back.
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When Ivanhoe came on, the omens wern't good were they ?
Even Dwight Yorke had it right when he harped on about not giving needless free kicks away.
We are our own worst enemy sometimes as 3 points were for the taking - we just didn't take them.
I'm not going to spend my entire life blaming O'Runner for everything that goes wrong at Villa, but not being able to spend on a decent striker has severley limited our ability to score goals.
On a good note,Downing, can we have a lot of the same more please ?? ;)
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Indeed Mark.
The gaps and space available in the second half for us to exploit were so inviting. A good side would have just finished them off as they were begging to be put out of their misery.
But then we either collectively ran out of steam or decided what we have we hold, and the result was inevitable.
We've seen it too many times before.
It's the chance you take when you sit back and defend as we do. The Everton match could have produced a similar outcome, but fortune was with us that day.
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I thought Downing played better tonight. Took defenders on, linked up well with players around him and scores a great diving header at an angle.
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We held possession better than we would under previous regime and we look more comfortable in the final third. But we just go to sleep when we don't have games seen off. Very frustrating. GH needs to shake things up and find a leader on the pitch.
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I know Mon is taking a lot of the blame but at least he could motivate them, if he was manager would we have lost today? Im starting to wonder??
So who was in charge last time we lost there in the last minute?
West Ham last year??
And Blackburn away last year?
Am gutted that we lost, but like a few on here feel there were many positives too take from tonight. Last 25 mins first half I thought we knocked it around as well as we have done for a long time. So pleased for Reo, who had one of his very best games since he came, ditto Downing.
Curse of the commentator Yorke, who said he couldn't see Stoke scoring and to be honest neither could I. Can't recall too many saves from Friedel just collecting crosses and punching the ball away. Genuinly thought we would see it out and get that valuable away win and to me, we would have deserved it.
Am a lot more upbeat about the Villa than I was a week or so ago and yes, it's a pain in the arse that Houllier isn't here but if he is the manager that the board want, then I'm happy to wait the extra couple of games. We have a decent squad of players that just need a little leadership, which I'm sure GH will provide.
On a separate note, I do wonder what Ashley Young has done to upset Tom Ross. On the few occasions I listen to it, normally a 20 min spell on a Friday and after Villa games, he continually slates him and has said "we should sell him and buy a proper player". I think Ash must have told him to do one or something.
Chin up lads and girls, beat Bolton Saturday and all will be well again.
UTVuote]
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in fairness we beat you fair and square, you had your chances and never took them, and also that teletubby you have at the back needs to go. And if all you have is heskey to come on god help you.
we are stoke
You didn't really though did you? The free kick at the end, yes you should have had a penalty, but did you forget about the trip on our player in the box?
Suck the back of 'em. Horrid little club, who will certainly go down this year.
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in fairness we beat you fair and square, you had your chances and never took them, and also that teletubby you have at the back needs to go. And if all you have is heskey to come on god help you.
we are stoke
Lucid.
Fair play to your carer for letting you stay up this late.
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in fairness we beat you fair and square, you had your chances and never took them, and also that teletubby you have at the back needs to go. And if all you have is heskey to come on god help you.
we are stoke
Hello.
Bye.
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Don't worry everyone Gary Mcallister will sort things out just like he has at previous clubs at at his current club middlesborough. Were a fukin laughing stock from top to bottom. To think our new manager is having cheese and wine in another country while we are throwing away a win to a team who's only win at home since April was against hull.
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in fairness we beat you fair and square, you had your chances and never took them, and also that teletubby you have at the back needs to go. And if all you have is heskey to come on god help you.
we are stoke
Do not feed the troll.
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in fairness we beat you fair and square, you had your chances and never took them, and also that teletubby you have at the back needs to go. And if all you have is heskey to come on god help you.
we are stoke
Bye bye.
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I thought Downing played better tonight. Took defenders on, linked up well with players around him and scores a great diving header at an angle.
But even, presumably, full of confidence after his goal he didn't seem to want the ball in positions that would hurt them, technically he could be a very good player but I'm beginning to doubt that he will ever have the mental strength to be top class.
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Probably is important to keep a bit of perspective...the nature of hte defeat is going to make everything seem a lot worse.
I thought it was a solid enough performance up until the 70 min mark. Pulis made the changes that worked, Kev Mac did nothing to respond. How was Ireland not brought on for either NRC or Albrighton. People bang on about Petrov, but I couldnt believe how unfit NRC looked. It was him that just stopped when he had been tracking Etherington for his cross for the last goal.
It is depressing the quality that Stoke can bring on and then look at our bench.
Positives .....
All in all it was a fairly good defensive display...how many chances did they actually create? Friedel was brilliant at anything he had to do except his kicking wasnt great. I dont understand people being so eager to get rid of him. Is it just his age?
Downing was very good in the 1st half...went out of it a bit in the 2nd, maybe he could have been replaced also. Albrighton, once again showing he looks the real deal. Young and Gabby were great also.
I think we may take Petrov's range of passing and ball retention for granted.
6 ponts from 12, not great, not terrible...especially considering our Euro rivals (if we are still considering ourselves in the mix) have lost points.
It's not all doom and gloom, we were unlucky, was never a free against Pennant.
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in fairness we beat you fair and square, you had your chances and never took them, and also that teletubby you have at the back needs to go. And if all you have is heskey to come on god help you.
we are stoke
Do not feed the troll.
No, lets feed him.
Feed him to the facking pigs.
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in fairness we beat you fair and square, you had your chances and never took them, and also that teletubby you have at the back needs to go. And if all you have is heskey to come on god help you.
we are stoke
If it were two "bigger" teams playing tonight, the Pennant dive would be analysed again and again and would be the headline tomorrow.
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MON's departure timing is certainly bearing fruit. He basically caused chaos by upping sticks and taking his cronies with him. Inconsistent results in my opinion will continue like this for some time yet. Ierland and Cuellar should've come on after about 70 minutes. Why can't we bring the Fonz on instead of Heskey?
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I thought Downing played better tonight. Took defenders on, linked up well with players around him and scores a great diving header at an angle.
But even, presumably, full of confidence after his goal he didn't seem to want the ball in positions that would hurt them, technically he could be a very good player but I'm beginning to doubt that he will ever have the mental strength to be top class.
Funny because I saw him have another goal scoring chance and a run and cross that lead to the collins chance. Plus the interplay between him and Young that lead to the ball across the box a foot from the line and no deflection / finish to make it 2 on the stroke of half time. And before that he was the only one giving it a try with two (admittedly tame shots) at the stoke goal. He disappeared second half because Kmac decided to change the formation and swap wings and suddenly his only option was to come inside when he had the ball into a very congested centre. Albrighton disappeared at the same time on the other wing.
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Probably is important to keep a bit of perspective...the nature of hte defeat is going to make everything seem a lot worse.
I thought it was a solid enough performance up until the 70 min mark. Pulis made the changes that worked, Kev Mac did nothing to respond. How was Ireland not brought on for either NRC or Albrighton. People bang on about Petrov, but I couldnt believe how unfit NRC looked. It was him that just stopped when he had been tracking Etherington for his cross for the last goal.
It is depressing the quality that Stoke can bring on and then look at our bench.
Positives .....
All in all it was a fairly good defensive display...how many chances did they actually create? Friedel was brilliant at anything he had to do except his kicking wasnt great. I dont understand people being so eager to get rid of him. Is it just his age?
Downing was very good in the 1st half...went out of it a bit in the 2nd, maybe he could have been replaced also. Albrighton, once again showing he looks the real deal. Young and Gabby were great also.
I think we may take Petrov's range of passing and ball retention for granted.
6 ponts from 12, not great, not terrible...especially considering our Euro rivals (if we are still considering ourselves in the mix) have lost points.
It's not all doom and gloom, we were unlucky, was never a free against Pennant.
But we have also only won 2 out 6 games so far and are yet to play any "top" side. And the manner of our 3 defeats in league and cup are very worrying. either battered, or showing unbelievable naivety/ineptness. Neither of which can be easily rectified imo.
All the more frustrating as in glimpses we show what we can do in a positive way. But you can't play well for 15 mins, score only once and then expect to win. Or not very often anyway.
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Probably is important to keep a bit of perspective...the nature of hte defeat is going to make everything seem a lot worse.
I thought it was a solid enough performance up until the 70 min mark. Pulis made the changes that worked, Kev Mac did nothing to respond. How was Ireland not brought on for either NRC or Albrighton. People bang on about Petrov, but I couldnt believe how unfit NRC looked. It was him that just stopped when he had been tracking Etherington for his cross for the last goal.
It is depressing the quality that Stoke can bring on and then look at our bench.
Positives .....
All in all it was a fairly good defensive display...how many chances did they actually create? Friedel was brilliant at anything he had to do except his kicking wasnt great. I dont understand people being so eager to get rid of him. Is it just his age?
Downing was very good in the 1st half...went out of it a bit in the 2nd, maybe he could have been replaced also. Albrighton, once again showing he looks the real deal. Young and Gabby were great also.
I think we may take Petrov's range of passing and ball retention for granted.
6 ponts from 12, not great, not terrible...especially considering our Euro rivals (if we are still considering ourselves in the mix) have lost points.
It's not all doom and gloom, we were unlucky, was never a free against Pennant.
But we have also only won 2 out 6 games so far and are yet to play any "top" side. And the manner of our 3 defeats in league and cup are very worrying. either battered, or showing unbelievable naivety/ineptness. Neither of which can be easily rectified imo.
All the more frustrating as in glimpses we show what we can do in a positive way. But you can't play well for 15 mins, score only once and then expect to win. Or not very often anyway.
Yep you're right....trying really hard, too hard, to put a positive spin on things.
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I bet KevMac gave them the 'hairdryer' lol
Leadership please and fucking quick.
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MON's departure timing is certainly bearing fruit. He basically caused chaos by upping sticks and taking his cronies with him. Inconsistent results in my opinion will continue like this for some time yet. Ierland and Cuellar should've come on after about 70 minutes. Why can't we bring the Fonz on instead of Heskey?
We couldn't bring the Fonz on as for some Reason KMac doesn't like him. Whether he carried some "1st team player now" attitude back to some of the reserve games I don't know.
I agree with the first point on the timing of the departure but any other club of our stature would have had a permanent manager sorted by now. We could be another 2-3 weeks without one. We could easily still be on 6 points and out of the LC before he joins as the next three games are Bolton, Blackburn and Wolves. All teams with a fighting spirit and a physical/agricultural element to their game.
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But we have also only won 2 out 6 games so far and are yet to play any "top" side. And the manner of our 3 defeats in league and cup are very worrying. either battered, or showing unbelievable naivety/ineptness. Neither of which can be easily rectified imo.
It's a good point. We've haven't put in a wholly convincing performance since the opening day of the season. And that came against a side currently rooted to the foot of the table with zero points.
There were some positives to take from tonight's game but we look desperately in need of some leadership. Really desperate. It's all very well saying "It's worth waiting for the right man" but we don't even know how long we're supposed to wait.
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I thought Downing played better tonight. Took defenders on, linked up well with players around him and scores a great diving header at an angle.
But even, presumably, full of confidence after his goal he didn't seem to want the ball in positions that would hurt them, technically he could be a very good player but I'm beginning to doubt that he will ever have the mental strength to be top class.
Funny because I saw him have another goal scoring chance and a run and cross that lead to the collins chance. Plus the interplay between him and Young that lead to the ball across the box a foot from the line and no deflection / finish to make it 2 on the stroke of half time. And before that he was the only one giving it a try with two (admittedly tame shots) at the stoke goal. He disappeared second half because Kmac decided to change the formation and swap wings and suddenly his only option was to come inside when he had the ball into a very congested centre. Albrighton disappeared at the same time on the other wing.
His performance was symbolic of the team over the recent past, when we're on top he looks decent and looks like he could really press on become an important player but as soon as the pressure starts to build he melts.
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I bet KevMac gave them the 'hairdryer' lol
What, stood upright in the corner with a little old lady sitting in front having a blue rinse and reading knitting weekly.
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Poor quality game from two average teams to be honest. Although saying that it could quite easily have been 3-3.
If anyone doubted why RF10 is my lads' hero then they'll know after tonight. Our best player for the last 3 years and, criminally on the bench, he alone changed the game. Can't believe better teams than us have never bought him to be honest.
Really rate Allbrighton, he's a player. Quick, good feet, works hard but most of all intelligent. I'd take him over Wallcott now and he's miles ahead of Downing who (goal apart) hid all night. Young flattered to deceive and I thought Reo-Coker was as decent as anyone for you.
You pummelled as at 0-1 and the half time whistle couldn't come quick enough.
Vocal support from you lot was excellent, but pretty poor numbers (1400-ish out of 2900?). What's that about?
You looked solid, but I didn't see too much quality to be honest. Poor game which we maybe needed the points more than you and my nipper enjoye his first night match, despite often nodding off on my shoulder. Says it all.
Some tw@ nicked his rucksack too after the winner with his Stoke coat etc in. Tools.
Take care Villans. You know decent Stoke fans have a lot of time for you, a proper football club.
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Take care Villans. You know decent Stoke fans have a lot of time for you, a proper football club.
I also like any team which allows us to play to our strengths and gives season altering results when we are in a bit of bad form. Bolton is ours I believe.
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I've found a positive. I won my Guess The Crowd Cup tie!
That really has cheered me up!
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Take care Villans. You know decent Stoke fans have a lot of time for you, a proper football club.
I also like any team which allows us to play to our strengths and gives season altering results when we are in a bit of bad form. Bolton is ours I believe.
Is anyone else a bit worried they won't do their usual "defend 3/4 way up the pitch" routine this year?
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I’ve just got back and watched the Inbetweeners which has brightened my mood somewhat. Its hard to stay stern when there’s a bloke mincing round with a bollock hanging out his speedos.
But anyway.
I’m struggling to comprehend how we contrived to throw that away. Bar the first twenty minutes when Jones was finding a lot of room in behind, I thought we controlled it. Young’s miss was unbelievable (looks like Gabby’s new summer skill is exceptional crossing). I thought we should have reacted to their subs by taking off Albrighton who was tiring for me and brought on Ireland who likes to get around a bit.
Its the same old story really, profligacy in front of goal has cost us. Stoke go more direct later on and our marking disintegrates. Ridiculous.
Downing played well despite what the moaning twats next to me were saying- slating the guy before he’d even had a touch of ball and then you have the hypocrisy to celebrate? Fuck off. Never a free kick in a month of Sundays, diving Bluenosed c***, but then we should have had it won in the first 45 minutes and you’ve got to be able to deal with simple bloody marking.
Three times they’ve done us with the very last kick of the game. The new Leicester City.
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I wonder what's worse, living in Stoke or supporting Stoke?
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I wonder what's worse, living in Stoke or supporting Stoke?
I've said often that at times I'd happily have stayed at home rather than watch us play under MON, but I'd rather have a stay in hospital than watch Stoke play with any regularity.
Fair enough, they won, but Christ, what horrible, horrible dross to have to watch week in, week out.
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Bunny we had around 600 unsold tickets, which was very poor. No different to your lot though mind who didn't sell out at B6 either. Maybe something you could mention to those giving us stick on Oatcake?
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I wonder what's worse, living in Stoke or supporting Stoke?
I've said often that at times I'd happily have stayed at home rather than watch us play under MON, but I'd rather have a stay in hospital than watch Stoke play with any regularity.
Fair enough, they won, but Christ, what horrible, horrible dross to have to watch week in, week out.
Agree, it's such dire stuff - awful place, awful people, awfulness personified.
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What pisses me off the most about Stoke is that other clubs get absolutely fucking slaughtered for playing like that yet they're plucky little Stoke with their great fans and their doing ever so well to stay up.
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Take care Villans. You know decent Stoke fans have a lot of time for you, a proper football club.
I also like any team which allows us to play to our strengths and gives season altering results when we are in a bit of bad form. Bolton is ours I believe.
Is anyone else a bit worried they won't do their usual "defend 3/4 way up the pitch" routine this year?
Well Cahill normally gives us something but he is suspended this year. And Kevin Davies and Elmander will have a field day.
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I think Etherington is a fine player, the kind of player that I thought Downing was going to be, works hard, crosses the ball early and get around the pitch for a tackle or two.
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Just back and still fuming.
When Whelan hopelessly whacked the ball high into the Boothen in the first minute of injury time the game should've been dead and we should've been down the M6 with a decent point.
It wasn't because we can't hang onto the ball for two minutes in injury time hence giving away a stupid free kick (even though Pennant is a diving clearing in the woods).
Should've killed the game off before half time aswell, 1 nil is never enough particularly away from home and you could see that in the second half which Stoke totally dominated, did we even have a shot on goal in that period?
Stoke are the new Leicester/SHA in the early days for us, physical cnuts who we just struggle to cope with. cue regular injury time disasters. I would've tried to get Ireland on at some stage as Ashley Young was a waste of space in the second half imo.
Still will be back for more of the same torture at the Brit next season as when we finally win there it will be worth the 30 quid.
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And still Downing gets stick. Fucking unreal.
I still cannot get over just how bad the marking was for the two goals. What on Earth was Dunne doing ball watching instead of getting tight to his man?
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The big surprise for me today, along with all the others that is, is that we didn't play Cuéllar. I know Luke Young wasn't that bad today but I would have sacrificed him for Cuéllar because of Cuéllar's heading ability. There was an article on the homepage today where Laurson said:
"There are a lot of long balls and you need to win your battles in the air and on the ground too. It's important when you defend but also when you go up for corners or free-kicks.
"It's important you are not afraid and really, really up for it. Richard is up for it, James is up for it and Carlos is very much up for it too.
"Carlos has been really impressive with his headers. He can jump high and wins a lot in the air - a lot.
"When I watched Villa v Stoke last season, he was brilliant because he was up against some really big guys, as he will be again this evening.
"He seemed to win every header and we want that again. Physically he is very fit too.
"He has definitely proven he is up for it and a very, very good player for Villa.
Think that was spot on to be honest and his presence would have really helped us. Just wish MacDonald would have read that. We just never looked comfortable dealing with their set pieces and there were far too many times we just failed to clear our lines adequately. Two of those times led to the goals, it could have been more as well.
We did play some lovely football at times today though, but we're just far too lightweight in some departments to control the game for any length of time.
I hope Gerard was watching this.
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What pisses me off the most about Stoke is that other clubs get absolutely fucking slaughtered for playing like that yet they're plucky little Stoke with their great fans and their doing ever so well to stay up.
Stoke make Bolton look like Barcelona.
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What pisses me off the most about Stoke is that other clubs get absolutely fucking slaughtered for playing like that yet they're plucky little Stoke with their great fans and their doing ever so well to stay up.
Their style of football is no worse than we've had to endure for the last two years. Their priority was to stay in the league, now they've started to add a few more decent players as well, like Gudjonsen and dare I say it Pennant.
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Cueller should have been playing ahead of Dunne. He isn't even going up for corners anymore as it will be too tiring to waddle up and down the pitch and he struggles to get off the ground.
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Only managed the last 15 mins and evident again is our lack of not being able to keep the ball up field.
No, we must go back because some useless fucker in red and white is approaching. So, it's back to Warnock (I don't want it) so I'll give it to the player who's given it to me, here you are Rio. Rio, (I certainly don't want it) here you are Warnock ( Oh fuck he's given it back to me and this person barely resembling a footballer is still on my case) better give it to Brad.....Hoof
Unless we have players who are comfortable with the ball in any given situation we will not progress. It's been the same for the last 10 years. We lack technical ability and too often shit our pants when a level head is needed.
Hurry up Houlier and sort this shit out.
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What's the criteria for an EPL manager.....if that's the crap that is produced by VILLA...i'm staying at home and watching the Father Ted dvd box set again..and again..and again..and again..maybe forever.
Don't talk to me about closing out a game ..most of this shit could'nt close a door.
GLAD TO HAVE BEEN ALIVE ON THE 26TH MAY 1982...THE REST IS FORGOTTEN!
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Paulie, you weren't exactly Holland 74 either mate.
Ads, you might have returned 600, but that end was barely just over half full. Just suprised, that's all, as your away support has been right up there the last 2 years. Vocally very goo tonight, apart from that Yippee ay ey toon, which is pretty cringy tbh.
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What pisses me off the most about Stoke is that other clubs get absolutely fucking slaughtered for playing like that yet they're plucky little Stoke with their great fans and their doing ever so well to stay up.
Their style of football is no worse than we've had to endure for the last two years. Their priority was to stay in the league, now they've started to add a few more decent players as well, like Gudjonsen and dare I say it Pennant.
Neither of whom are good enough for Villa - we don't sign Pennant types and Gudjonsen = Robbie Keane who would eb seen as a retorgrade step signing at VP.
Perhaps we need to get real, there are players about, but MON was just as awful as awful can get in the transfer market.
Houllier, get in man FFS
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Paulie, you weren't exactly Holland 74 either mate.
Compared to you, we were.
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And Delilah isn't cringe worthy? How about booing when the opposition have the ball. That got pretty cringeworthy as well.
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What pisses me off the most about Stoke is that other clubs get absolutely fucking slaughtered for playing like that yet they're plucky little Stoke with their great fans and their doing ever so well to stay up.
What pisses me off is that, after years of losing to Wimbledon then Leicester, we still can't beat dross like that.
That said, taking Agbonlahor off was lunacy. Meant they could send as many defenders forward as they liked, sure enough one of the buggers scored.
One positive was an excellent performance from Downing. Hopefully he will keep it up.
I hope Petrov fulfils his threat to pack in international football, he looked knackered. I'm hoping it's because of the internationals... if it's not, I'm worried about him.
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Ads, you might have returned 600, but that end was barely just over half full. Just suprised, that's all, as your away support has been right up there the last 2 years. Vocally very goo tonight, apart from that Yippee ay ey toon, which is pretty cringy tbh.
I just find there to be some hypocrisy in you calling our numbers pathetic when you brought similar numbers to B6 on Saturday at 3pm.
Gabby went down the tunnel and some lucky fan is now the first owner of a Villa shirt from 10/11- I can only assume that his calves are still playing him up.
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Ads, you might have returned 600, but that end was barely just over half full. Just suprised, that's all, as your away support has been right up there the last 2 years. Vocally very goo tonight, apart from that Yippee ay ey toon, which is pretty cringy tbh.
I just find there to be some hypocrisy in you calling our numbers pathetic when you brought similar numbers to B6 on Saturday at 3pm.
Gabby went down the tunnel and some lucky fan is now the first owner of a Villa shirt from 10/11- I can only assume that his calves are still playing him up.
Stoke are Stoke and always will be Stoke.
We are Villa.
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MON's departure timing is certainly bearing fruit. He basically caused chaos by upping sticks and taking his cronies with him. Inconsistent results in my opinion will continue like this for some time yet. Ierland and Cuellar should've come on after about 70 minutes. Why can't we bring the Fonz on instead of Heskey?
Mac clearly dosen't rate the Fonz. Bizarre given our bench had two centre backs and an RB on it, surely you could've left one out and had another attacking option on there?!
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Its like I said, we’re doomed to a few seasons of unbelievable results up at The Britannia. They are the new Wimbledon and Leicester. It’s worth taking heart though to remember the score lines when we finally had rid of them as a bogey team.
Alas we’re doomed forever to be shit against Man City.
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ads, we took 2487 last year, got it right here in front of me in a Stoke programme from the end of the season . Disappointing we didn't sell out though.
For a club of your size I expected a lot more in terms of numbers that's all. As I stated on the Oatcake, you outsang us all night.
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Paulie, you weren't exactly Holland 74 either mate.
Ads, you might have returned 600, but that end was barely just over half full. Just suprised, that's all, as your away support has been right up there the last 2 years. Vocally very goo tonight, apart from that Yippee ay ey toon, which is pretty cringy tbh.
You sure on that? The last block by your fans was barely full but the rest was so I'd say 2 500k ish.
Oh and we aren't Yam yams for the second year running.
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nowhere near that figure mate, honestly. Two blocks totally unfilled and plenty of gaps.
Still thought your support was constant and very good.
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Sky Monday Night Soccer Sky Wankfest, the Inbetweeners (I Sky+ them- good start) and the lack of direction played apart. I don't know why the numbers were shit. We took more to Newcastle for a 1:30pm Sky game. Who knows, maybe folk remembered the thriller from last season and decided they'd rather pass kidney stones while having root canal treatment instead?
And endeavour to educate your Stoke compatriots on Oatcake as to what a Yam-Yam is. While Yam-Yams may follow us, we’re not Yam-Yams. Its not insulting, it just doesn't make any sense. We don’t even speak the same language for pitys sake!
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Who wants to spend £30 on watching their team with no proper manager, take on fucking Stoke City?
Firstly, you know exactly what you are getting with MacDonald. Secondly, you know exactly what Stoke are like hooooooooof - nutmeg, dirty challenges, tackles, dives, tripping players in the box when they don't have the ball. Diving at the end to win freekicks, and other down right scummy behaviour. Add to that their constant booing when other teams have the ball (ooooh, real hard lads there) and their absolute atrocious football.
No comparison - A chinese, few beers and early night with the missus sounds far better.
Hope the wankers go down this year. Another team to add to chalk up there with City. Wankers. I hope we are the ones to send them down.
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Who wants to spend £30 on watching their team with no proper manager, take on fucking Stoke City?
Firstly, you know exactly what you are getting with MacDonald. Secondly, you know exactly what Stoke are like hooooooooof - nutmeg, dirty challenges, tackles, dives, tripping players in the box when they don't have the ball. Diving at the end to win freekicks, and other down right scummy behaviour. Add to that their constant booing when other teams have the ball (ooooh, real hard lads there) and their absolute atrocious football.
No comparison - A chinese, few beers and early night with the missus sounds far better.
Hope the wankers go down this year. Another team to add to chalk up there with City. Wankers. I hope we are the ones to send them down.
you sound a little bitter. Perhaps spannering one off might help.
Oh, and the 30 minutes of Fuller on the pitch was way above what any other player on the pitch managed for the 90.
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Agreed. Why didn't they start him? That Walters is a nasty piece of work.
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Its like I said, we’re doomed to a few seasons of unbelievable results up at The Britannia. They are the new Wimbledon and Leicester. It’s worth taking heart though to remember the score lines when we finally had rid of them as a bogey team.
Alas we’re doomed forever to be shit against Man City.
While I don't generally have a problem with Stoke until they play us (quite enjoy them upseting and turning over half the premier league) must say I'm yearning for a victory over them at the Brit so will continue paying the 30 odd quid until it happens. Which it will.
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Its like I said, we’re doomed to a few seasons of unbelievable results up at The Britannia. They are the new Wimbledon and Leicester. It’s worth taking heart though to remember the score lines when we finally had rid of them as a bogey team.
Alas we’re doomed forever to be shit against Man City.
While I don't generally have a problem with Stoke until they play us (quite enjoy them upseting and turning over half the premier league) must say I'm yearning for a victory over them at the Brit so will continue paying the 30 odd quid until it happens. Which it will.
Of course and it will happen in a true end of days bogey team style with either a 7-1 or 5-0 destruction.
Apart from Man City of course.
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Anybody who blames Heskey for this needs a reality check. The game was lost in the dugout, Petrov, Albrighton, Rio were all running on empty half way through the second half but KM in his wisdom or lack of did an MON. If we had appointed him manager i despair of where it would have ended. Gabby played some great
football in patches.
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Said ages ago we need a player that is a "dirty bastard" in midfield or something, to really get at the opposition.
Sick to the back teeth of everyone looking at us like little nice Aston Villa, and constantly we are getting shat on by controversial decisions - referees, players being tripped on purpose in the box, players diving.
Its time we started playing these twats at their own game. Said that on another forum and got some contrived, corporate bullshit about how we were going to do it the right way. Think the lad had been listening to Krulaks every word and hanging off it as if it was from the Messiah.
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Paulie, you weren't exactly Holland 74 either mate.
Compared to you, we were.
I'm not sure who dragged who down to the pub football level tonight. Two very poor teams. Let's say Stoke as we had a good 15 minute spell. (clutching at straws thingy)
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When you havent won and are looking for a result to kick start your season theres no better team to play than us, i remember the exact same thing happening last season against Westham were they scored the winner two weeks into injury team to get their first win of the season, also when was the last time we scored an injury time winner? Im seriously struggling to think off the top of my head
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Well, that was the away trip from hell.
Wasn't looking forward to it and it turned out just, if not worse, than I expected.
Hanley is a shit hole. The coach from there to the ground had some proper idiots on it who'd had more than a sniff of the barmaids apron.
The only food that seemed available in the ground was a mushy pie............yuk!
The coach from the ground back to the station for the Villa fans was filled with some equally obnoxious villa fans who had the same sniff of the barmaids apron as the stoke fans on the journey to the ground.
Plus points: pleasant couple of drinks in good company.
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When you havent won and are looking for a result to kick start your season theres no better team to play than us, i remember the exact same thing happening last season against Westham were they scored the winner two weeks into injury team to get their first win of the season, also when was the last time we scored an injury time winner? Im seriously struggling to think off the top of my head
Two weeks in injury time, Christ. Major Fergie time right there and he's no where to be seen. ;D
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Well, that was the away trip from hell.
Wasn't looking forward to it and it turned out just, if not worse, than I expected.
Hanley is a shit hole. The coach from there to the ground had some proper idiots on it who'd had more than a sniff of the barmaids apron.
The only food that seemed available in the ground was a mushy pie............yuk!
The coach from the ground back to the station for the Villa fans was filled with some equally obnoxious villa fans who had the same sniff of the barmaids apron as the stoke fans on the journey to the ground.
Plus points: pleasant couple of drinks in good company.
Villajk, my brother was telling me that they were coking up just before kick off while he was in the toilet. Pathetic.
The traffic getting in was horrendous.
Not good.
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I wouldn't be at all surprised Ads. I'm all for people going out there and enjoying themselves but to spoil it for others.........................
I don't remember the journey to the ground being so bad last season. It took us 40 minutes tonight on the bus from Hanley. Getting back wasn't too bad. They kept us waiting but once they let us go we had a police escort to the station.
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Ah, forgot to mention the game.
I thought we had a good 20 minutes or so spell at the end of the first half, some quite entertaining football.
Second half, spurred on by Pullis' return, Stoke seemed to take control. Once they scored their goal you just knew they were going to score another.
Anyway, onwards and upwards.
Has it been confirmed yet when Houllier takes up is managerial position?
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When you havent won and are looking for a result to kick start your season theres no better team to play than us, i remember the exact same thing happening last season against Westham were they scored the winner two weeks into injury team to get their first win of the season, also when was the last time we scored an injury time winner? Im seriously struggling to think off the top of my head
<bing bong> Legion to the Post match thread, Legion to the Post match thread </bing bong>
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when was the last time we scored an injury time winner? Im seriously struggling to think off the top of my head
<bing bong> Legion to the Post match thread, Legion to the Post match thread </bing bong>
Yeah, come on Legion, we need a bit of cheering up. I don't think I'll ever tire of you posting that clip.
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Just when I thought we were at least going to be a point...
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Just watched the game so I've read nothing of this thread (yet) but it's amazing how a game like this - even so early in the campaign - can completely change the outlook for the season ahead.
Had we won, we'd be up to 3rd, a potentially fantastic new manager coming in, a player like Stephen Ireland to make an impact off the bench, Albrighton lighting things up for us on the pitch, Gabby whipping in some excellent crosses and Petrov leading the line by example.
A last-kick-of-the-game winner against us and it changes everything:
That's now TWO potential relegation teams that have put us to the sword, we've no manager, no place for Ireland in the team, we have to rely upon a noob to give us some sort of movement and creativity, Gabby has to cross the ball cuz Downing can't do it and Ashley over-hit's everything and Petrov's our only central midfield player as NRC looks lost/unfit and we're below the noses in the table.
We had to deal with some big bruisers today. We are diametrically opposed sides and we played it the right way for most of the game. It's just so frustrating that some of our rotation play and excellent movement off the ball in the middle of the pitch isn't duplicated in the last third. It just seems to be the rule that, once we've got the ball on the wing, everyone piles in for the cross. Which is a shame because when we DO attack the goal from the flanks, rather than just swing it in, we look so so dangerous.
There might be a language that can portray my frustration, but English isn't it.
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Stoke are like a bad shit that won't flush. Shit kit, shit ground, shit players. How can you have Tuncay, Gudjohnson and Fuller on the bench and shite like that starting?
Fair enough they got the job done against us (again) and they'll probably push for top half, but I wouldn't want us 'playing' like that.
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same shit different season why when were on sky do we concede so many late goals fucking sick of it now as is someone else I imagine ....
Apparently that was the first away Monday night game we've lost since Enkelman's moment of madness (8 years on Friday if you want to mark the anniversary).
Not true - we lost to Newcastle on a Mon night two seasons ago (Nov '08) 2-0 when the octogenarian Oba-Oba Martins took us apart.
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I can't have been the only one appalled by some of the challenges Stoke got away with. The long balls and throws, fine, I can deal with - horrible anti-football but it's legal - but some of the 'tackles' were terrible. Who was the berk who got booked for the one on Albrighton towards the end of the first half? Three inches to his left and that guy's broken Marc's leg and he's out for a year. The result? Yellow card and no mention in any match report. There were many more as well. Disgraceful.
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Everyone knows how Stoke play.
Everyone knows that Stoke have a lot of big fellas.
Everyone knows that balls are going to be hoofed into the box from either long-balls or one-trick-Delap throws.
Everyone would have known that the kitchen sink was going to be thrown in our direction in the last 20 mins or so.
So, why not play a game of keep-the-ball - especially after going 1 up and especially when Pulis showed up? It was pretty obvious that the crowd get amped up an extra notch as did the players so something needed to be done.
Why not try to frustrate them and perhaps get one of their lot sent off?
Why have Downing and Albrighton swap wings? I get that Warnock was having issues and that Pussy-Downing offers next to no protection - congratulations though lad, on your first ever Villa tackle - but this actually caused more problems than it solved.
Why not make some changes to the central midfield when it was obvious they were out on their feet?
Why put Heskey on when you need a goal.
Each and every one of these questions has their answer in our dug-out.
Each and every one of these questions failed to bring an answer.
We were capable of winning. We were capable of doing a lot better than we did. That we failed lies at the feet of K-Mac. Very very poor today. Regardless of what goes on during mid-week training, regardless of what gets said before a match and at half time and regardless of kicking every ball and heading every header, it comes down to that 90 minutes and if your one and only idea is to being on Heskey, then you've no place in management at any level of the game.
Oh, one last thing, I think Petrov is coming on for some unwarranted criticism on here tonight. He was all over the middle part of the pitch and having to cover Albrighton who can tend to get himself out of position, cover Downing who can't defend, and be the outlet between the defence and the front 4. He had a lot to do and did it very well. Yes, he tired at 70 mins but we do have alternatives on the bench. If Ireland's only half fit, then he can still play half a game, no?
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After proving his growing number of detractors wrong with a fine performance against Everton, there were a couple of things in Friedel's game that made me start to doubt him again.
For the first goal just as the cross came in he was pointing at someone to pick-up a Stoke player but was clearly flat-footed at the wrong side of the goal and thus had no chance of keeping the ball out.
His fucking high punts up the field from every kick-out...who did he think on our team was going to win them? Maybe someone forgot to tell him Carew wasn't playing.
Lastly, but something that is starting to piss me off. Any time a shot comes in at face-height, he palms it straight back to the player. For fuck sake, get some purchase on the ball, if you can't catch it, punch/scoop it out of harms way. Do not flap at it and put it back where it came from. He did it for Noocassil's second goal and got away with it tonight.
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Oh and it's largely been ignored given the result but fuck me what a diving header from Downing that was. Not sure if I've ever seen a better one.
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Just got to look forward to the Bolton match if we get a win in that itll be 9 from 15.
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Nice to see the Stoke fans condoning diving.
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Why do we bother about football?
I will walk my dog instead when we will face godknowswho next. He (the dog, not god) barks at me alot recently. I must be a stranger to him. I need to build back that relationship.
Footballers? Fuck off.
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When you havent won and are looking for a result to kick start your season theres no better team to play than us, i remember the exact same thing happening last season against Westham were they scored the winner two weeks into injury team to get their first win of the season, also when was the last time we scored an injury time winner? Im seriously struggling to think off the top of my head
Try this:
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I think we deserved a point at least. Should have scored a couple more and were then kicked and cheated out of it. Pulis turned up and the ref gave them everything for the sympathy vote. Was a complete disgrace. And Jermaine Pennant comes back to England to show what we have been missing. A cheating ******.
Sorry but Villa did well most of the night. Collins struggled a bit, and Dunney still looks a bit short of fitness.
Reo Coker worked like a dog and did well, Petrov ok, but at 60 miins I would have had Ireland on for Albrighton to makea genuine 5 man midfield. Tactical deficiency cost us as much as anything. Hopefully Houllier can help with that.
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Oh and it's largely been ignored given the result but fuck me what a diving header from Downing that was. Not sure if I've ever seen a better one.
It was fantastic.
Although a small part of me wonders if he was trying to duck out of the way of the ball.
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I'm still scratching my head as to how we lost that.
I fucking hate Stoke and I hope they get relegated.
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Thank god keV mac didn't get the job or we would have been in real trouble!
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On the home page KMac talks about us playing "wonderful football" and "a pretty good performance" - does that not say it all ?
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And he also says "some of the training has been outstanding". I wonder what they trained.
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I console myself after that defeat by knowing that this morning I did not wake up in Stoke. However, what really worried me is the seeming lack of fitness from some of our player. Both Petrov and Dunne looked like they were going to keel over at some point. Its got to be a concern to the club about this level of fitness, especially with the new fangled Bodymoor opening.
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Indeed. I'me very surprised, and more than a little disappointed, about Dunne this season. I suspect he will need to somewhat improve when Houllier arrives, or he'll be replaced (quite comfortably) by Cuellar.
I also wouldn't be surprised (or too disappointed, either) to see Friedal replaced sooner rather than later, too. I know he pulls out some great stops occasionally, but he just doesn't seem quite as 'at the races' with crosses, kicking etc at the moment.
As others have alluded to, I honestly shudder to think where Kevin MacDonald would have taken us if appointed.
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Gabby looks over weight.
Why we tried to play anything in the air is just beyond me. They won so many headers.
NRC had a good game. His passing was good too. I feel we give the ball away too much and we're never first to the second ball.
What really starts to piss me off is Gabbys piss poor movement.
When we're on the break down the wings with Downing or Albrighton, he always slows down, goes behind the defender and towards the back post. Even Joachim had the brains to run infront of the defender and to the near post to get the ball into his feet.
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We need to get better at keeping the ball, its as simple as that for me. That 35-odd minute spell in the first half when we dominated was based purely on us keeping possession and keeping the passing on the deck - Stoke couldn't live with it. In the second half we gave away possession increasingly cheaply and withdrew deeper and deeper, inviting Stoke to launch long balls into the box - eventually they're going to get a break and so they did. Very very frustrating as the game was ours for the taking.
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Sorry but Villa did well most of the night. Collins struggled a bit, and Dunney still looks a bit short of fitness.
Reo Coker worked like a dog and did well, Petrov ok, but at 60 miins I would have had Ireland on for Albrighton to makea genuine 5 man midfield. Tactical deficiency cost us as much as anything. Hopefully Houllier can help with that.
After sleeping on it, I think this is a fairer reflection of the game last night, the thing that got me about the game is the amount of free-kicks that Stoke "won" you know when you are going to Stoke that it will be physical and bombardment of your 18 yard area.
Altogether over the whole match Villa deserved to win but if you do not take your chances then you ultimately pay.
Collins penalty ?.....probably, but what about the deliberate trip on Petrov in the box from a corner ?
Bring on the hoardes of Bolton.....well all 120 of them.
UTV
The Doc
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I don't think the ref could have given a penalty as the ball was not in play. he would have been obliged to send the player off though.
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Crap teams without a win all season look for us at home in their fixture list. A bit of balls from the oppo and we rarely cope with it and it's been the same for years.
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I don't think the ref could have given a penalty as the ball was not in play. he would have been obliged to send the player off though.
Oh right, but on the all seeing SKY coverage(Gray and the monkey man) they said it should and could of been a pen....
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I agree with Ozz and the Doc. There are people blaming Petrov, people blaming Dunne, people blaming Friedel, people blaming K Mac. The fact is that, by and large, 1-11 played well yesterday. Luke Young played excellently, NRC continues to prove me wrong (long may it continue), Downing had his best game for us yet, Albrighton clearly terrified them shitless and Gabby showed us why we missed him. Some of the criticism here is frankly wrong - apparently Petrov and Collins are our worst passers of the ball, according to some - and we just have to accept that what we did to Everton has happened to us.
Also, fucking Stoke. Fuck them. Some of the 'tackles', the elbowy antics on balls into the box which exceed even the likes of Everton, aided and abetted by weak refereeing - it all allows them to play the kind of anti-football which means England will never win the World Cup.
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I agree with Ozz and the Doc. There are people blaming Petrov, people blaming Dunne, people blaming Friedel, people blaming K Mac. The fact is that, by and large, 1-11 played well yesterday. Luke Young played excellently, NRC continues to prove me wrong (long may it continue), Downing had his best game for us yet, Albrighton clearly terrified them shitless and Gabby showed us why we missed him. Some of the criticism here is frankly wrong - apparently Petrov and Collins are our worst passers of the ball, according to some - and we just have to accept that what we did to Everton has happened to us.
Also, fucking Stoke. Fuck them. Some of the 'tackles', the elbowy antics on balls into the box which exceed even the likes of Everton, aided and abetted by weak refereeing - it all allows them to play the kind of anti-football which means England will never win the World Cup.
I agree with this. Bit of an OTT reaction from a lot on here. With the exception of Milner this is the same team which had a never say die attitude under MON and were usually able to cope with the "battling" sides. We've got a soft underbelly at the moment which comes from a lack of leadership on and off the field IMO.
Gerard needs to look at the captaincy and teach the players to kill teams off.
I'm feckin sick of hanging on to 1-0 leads.
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To think MON spunked all that money on his squad and Stokes bench looked better than ours. The only player we have that could turn a game on the bench is SI and he didnt even come on , If he aint fit , dont bloody bring him.
As soon as we started to play like Stoke, hoof hoof , then obviously Stoke would come out the better...
I am convinced MON was still managing us last night..
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pennant is a wan*y c**t. I hate the cheating bastard with a passion. I've even had the displeasure of meeting the twat and my opinion didn't change of him. Wish he would fuck off back to turkey or Spain or where ever the vile guy has reared his head from.
Couldn't believe the ref gave that free kick.
Ahhhh deep breath.
Had to get that off my chest.
Never known us give away so many free kicks in a game. It must be stokes game plan to play for fouls and launch balls into the area.
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Conceding with 20 seconds to go was obviously harsh, but we didn't do enough to win.
Can't wait for Houllier to start and get to grips with this team. We're still very much in O'Neill tactic mode - take the lead and then play in third gear, playing within ourselves, looking to close the game out. Never actually looked to win the game, put the result beyond doubt - other than that 10-min spell before half-time. Always risky playing this way, and it came back to bite us.
NRC was very good, Albrighton bright in patches. Downing's header was excellent. If Ireland was fit, he really should have featured for the last 25-30 mins. Stoke had some good options on the bench and used them; we didn't (again).
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Can't bring myself to comment!
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To think MON spunked all that money on his squad and Stokes bench looked better than ours. The only player we have that could turn a game on the bench is SI and he didnt even come on , If he aint fit , dont bloody bring him.
As soon as we started to play like Stoke, hoof hoof , then obviously Stoke would come out the better...
I am convinced MON was still managing us last night..
The main reason their bench was better than ours was because they went and signed a few players in the summer. We've had a swap - that's it.
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Never known us give away so many free kicks in a game. It must be stokes game plan to play for fouls and launch balls into the area.
and there you have it.
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I personally think we played really well in most parts. It was the addition of Fuller and their change of play from hoof to playing to the feel of Fuller and jones that changed the game. Dunne and Collins couldnt cope with their mpvement.
I also think Downing had by far his best game in a Villa shirt.
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Hello Stokie here,
Tough luck last night, I thought you deserved a draw as possibly we did too, you played much better with the ball but we did have some good chances in the first 15mins.
I thought Reo-coker, Albrighton (even though he give us the wanker sign LOL, but if you can't take it, don't give it, so good for him.) Young and Downing played very well also I wish Collins had signed for us not you.
I thought your fans were very good until we scored and still decent at 1-1 very loud and to be fair I was praying we scored to shut you up, but that is a complement to your away fans.
Reffing mistakes probably evened out, I thought is was a pen and Pennant went down easy. This is my biggest hatred of being in the Prem sportsmanship does us every week players like Crouch falling over every 2 mins winning free kicks it was a change to see us get one in our favour.
I'm just glad to have points on the board, as for Villa I sincerley hope you get into the top 6 (minimum) I really think you look very strong you may have not played great last night but you do look strong. You’ve again you have appointed a popular manager (like MOM) in Hollier and most neutrals will hope to see you crash the top 4 you may just fall short of that but I'm sure you'll be top 6.
I don't normally post on here close to a game in case you think I'm the usual gloating bellend but wanted to say good luck for the rest of the season bar 1 game obviously.
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Hello Stokie here,
Tough luck last night, I thought you deserved a draw as possibly we did too, you played much better with the ball but we did have some good chances in the first 15mins.
I thought Reo-coker, Albrighton (even though he give us the wanker sign LOL, but if you can't take it, don't give it, so good for him.) Young and Downing played very well also I wish Collins had signed for us not you.
I thought your fans were very good until we scored and still decent at 1-1 very loud and to be fair I was praying we scored to shut you up, but that is a complement to your away fans.
Reffing mistakes probably evened out, I thought is was a pen and Pennant went down easy. This is my biggest hatred of being in the Prem sportsmanship does us every week players like Crouch falling over every 2 mins winning free kicks it was a change to see us get one in our favour.
I'm just glad to have points on the board, as for Villa I sincerley hope you get into the top 6 (minimum) I really think you look very strong you may have not played great last night but you do look strong. You’ve again you have appointed a popular manager (like MOM) in Hollier and most neutrals will hope to see you crash the top 4 you may just fall short of that but I'm sure you'll be top 6.
I don't normally post on here close to a game in case you think I'm the usual gloating bellend but wanted to say good luck for the rest of the season bar 1 game obviously.
Cheers STM and good luck yourself.
UTV
The Doc
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Yeah, I thought a draw would have been a fair result but I am obviously not complaining.
You were a lot better on the ball than us, but then again, most teams are.
Cracking header from Downing but Pulis turning up gave everyone a lift and we never stopped going.
I reckon top 6 or 7 will be comfortable for you. If I were Houllier I’d spend big on a top striker in Jan.
All the best for the rest of the season.
WD
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we should have had that game dead an buried long before the piss poor defending for the conceded goals...
as for the referee, absolutely appalling... a free kick for pennant falling over thin air? disgraceful... we should have defended it better, but we shouldnt have had to defend it at all...
he did however, get the stoke "penalty" whinge correct... handball is intentionally handling the ball, collins, did no such thing... his arms were coming down his side after jumping for a header and the ball hit his arm... under the laws of the game, that is not a handball...
the blatant kick out on petrov in the box in the first half however, went unpunished... and then he gives the free kick for the winner for pennant getting tackled by the wind... disgraceful...
but, as i said, we should have had the game wrapped up long before they scored... we didnt, so thats that...
have to say, ricardo fuller is always excellent whenever i see him... holds up the ball, 'properly' bullys defenders (unlike the stoke defenders going in like steam trains to try and catch the man with or without the ball), plays his colleagues in, and generally looks like an excellent hold up striker... everything that the lazy fat useless donkey heskey doesnt do... i nearly cried when he came on... it really is like playing with 10 against 12, as his passes and flick ons are brilliant to the opposition... useless fat ******...
there were some good signs from the villa in terms of passing the ball about, keeping posession, etc, but piss poor defending has yet again, cost us...
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I'm still scratching my head as to how we lost that.
I fucking hate Stoke and I hope they get relegated.
Bit harsh.
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I'm still scratching my head as to how we lost that.
I fucking hate Stoke and I hope they get relegated.
Bit harsh.
agreed
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Can't wait for Houllier to start and get to grips with this team.
Lesson 1: How to close out a game.
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Can't wait for Houllier to start and get to grips with this team.
Lesson 1: How to close out a game.
Exactly right. There are two methods in my book: 'The Jose', where you defend as 11 in a very organised way in your own half, and 'The Spain' where you pass the ball around so that the opposition eventually lose all hope and want to kill themselves. I prefer the latter, it's less risky than inviting pressure, particularly as 'The Jose' only seems to work when you have Lucio, Cambiasso, Zanetti and co.
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I was livid last night, too angry to post on here, it's the same every season, we throw away a few wins by conceeding very late strikes, it's always against us that teams pull a result out of the fire. I can never relax when watching Villa until the whistle has gone and the team are on the bus, and the grounds men are patching the pitch. I am watching Villa long enough to have that dread feeling of inevitability in tight games in the last ten mins and extra time. Gerard has some serious work to do to cut that out of the club.
Petrov is a problem for us and has been for a few seasons, I'm not blaming him for the winner, it can happen anyone when a player cons the ref, Ash does it all the time. I just don't see what Stilian brings to the table, Reo Coker was everywhere last night and in my opinion is starting to make himself an indespensible member of the first team, Petrov does not, he is captain and that is all. MON was blinkered towards some players, hopefully Gerard can either get to him to improve him or take him out of the team. Our midfield looked okay, but we didn't get Gabby into any treatening positions last night. Stoke were there for the taking and we got done, three points and will probably be the difference at the end of the season, no doubt.
Downing had a good enough game, Albrighton looked good at times, Ash tried his best, the rest appart from ReoCoker, were not switched on for the whole game. Concentration is a big factor for us.
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I'm still scratching my head as to how we lost that.
I fucking hate Stoke and I hope they get relegated.
Bit harsh.
agreed
Agreed also, they should fucking go down two or three divisions the in bred wankers.
I'm only joking of course as I'm still kind of hurting. I say kind od because I'm more numb than anything, not in a shocked way but in a shrug of shoulders way.
A lot of things just aren't right ast the moment. Our best player by far is Ashley Young, who plays on the left-wing, so put him there. not rocket science. Yes, he had spells of being bright last night but in all honesty it was ordinary for the level we're trying to attain to.
A centre-midfield of NRC and Petrov? That's just asking for trouble. One player who cannot run with the ball and open up defences - although last night was one of his better games admittedly - and the other who cannot go any further forward than just in front of the back 4. Petrov very rarely gives the ball away but he is poor in trying to win it back.
What the F*** has happened to Warnock? He obviously doesn't like holidays in South Africa because he's come back a shadow of the player we saw for the majority of last season.
Dunne is looking slightly chunky but I though he, Collins, Luke Young, and Friedel were seemingly our only barriers to Stoke's balls into the box. All of them come out wiith some credit. Gabby did well but needs more minutes under his belt, and Kev Mac's pointless late substitution says it all as to why he didn't get the job. We needed to shore up the centre of midfield at 1-0 and didn't.
Finally, the board have got this wrong and are letting us down. We finally appoint a manager after the the transfer deadline so we cannot get anyone in, and then appoint a manager who cant start until God knows when. The board are costing us points in the league and have cost us a place in this season's Europa League.
Until things improve markedly this is how I see the board Boooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
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I'm still scratching my head as to how we lost that.
I fucking hate Stoke and I hope they get relegated.
Bit harsh.
agreed
Agreed also, they should fucking go down two or three divisions the in bred wankers.
I'm only joking of course as I'm still kind of hurting. I say kind od because I'm more numb than anything, not in a shocked way but in a shrug of shoulders way.
A lot of things just aren't right ast the moment. Our best player by far is Ashley young, who plays on the left-wing, so put him there. not rocket scisnce. yes, he had spells of being broght last night but in all honesty it was ordinary for the level we're trying to attain to.
A centre-midfield of NRC and Petrov? That's just asking for trouble. One player who cannot run with the ball and open up defences - although last night was one of his better games admittedly - and the other who cannot go any further forward than just in front of the back 4. Petrov very rarely gives the ball away but he is poor in trying to win it back.
What the F*** has happened to Warnock? He obviously doesn't like holidays in South Africa because he's come back a shadow of the player we saw for the majority of last season.
Dunne is looking slightly chunky but I though he, Collins, Luke Young, and Friedel were seemingly our only barriers to Stoke's balls into the box. All of them come out wiith some credit. Gabby did well but needs more minutes under his belt, and Kev Mac's pointless late substitution says it all as to why he didn't get the job. We needed to shore up the centre of midfield at 1-0 and didn't.
Finally, the board have got this wrong and are letting us down. We finally appoint a manager after the the transfer deadline so we cannot get anyone in, and then appoint a manager who cant start until God knows when. The board are costing us points in the league and have cost us a place in this season's Europa League.
Until things improve markedly this is how I see the board Boooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
Things can't be that bad.
You've still got Heskey ;-)
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Peter, agree on the centre midfield, NRC offered nothing, Petrov just wasn't in the game. I think Collins was poor, he missed a few last night and hoofed at every chance. IMO I'd like Cuellar back in there with Dunne.
End of the day if Ashley had have scored that sitter then it would have been a totally different outlook.
As for the board, they have not handled the new appointment well. I hear that he may not be totally free of the FF for a while yet???? Sorry if already mentioned....
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I'm still scratching my head as to how we lost that.
I fucking hate Stoke and I hope they get relegated.
Bit harsh.
I agree with him, you're a shite side who we struggle to beat. I do recognise it's sour grapes but I just hate knowing playing you is coming up and what we'll have to be subjected to.
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I'm still scratching my head as to how we lost that.
I fucking hate Stoke and I hope they get relegated.
Bit harsh.
I agree with him, you're a shite side who we struggle to beat. I do recognise it's sour grapes but I just hate knowing playing you is coming up and what we'll have to be subjected to.
We're obviously not shite, otherwise you'd be beating us consistently and comfortably.
Unless you are saying you are shyte?
And I think you are a decent side.
I'd go for a quality striker in Jan if I was Houllier.
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Alright, calm down chaps, the Stokies don't deserve abuse. I would say, though, that I was pretty appalled by some of the 'tackling' that they not only got away with, but which isn't mentioned anywhere in the media. It's not Stoke's fault, obviously, they're just playing the way they can to get results (and look at last night, it works sometimes), but that whole thing with talented players being allowed to be brutally hacked off the pitch is one of the major reasons England do rubbishly at major tournaments.
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Alright, calm down chaps, the Stokies don't deserve abuse. I would say, though, that I was pretty appalled by some of the 'tackling' that they not only got away with, but which isn't mentioned anywhere in the media. It's not Stoke's fault, obviously, they're just playing the way they can to get results (and look at last night, it works sometimes), but that whole thing with talented players being allowed to be brutally hacked off the pitch is one of the major reasons England do rubbishly at major tournaments.
Come on, we hardly kicked you off the park last night.
If you want to see a dirty team this season I suggest you watch Wolves play!!
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Total sour grapes. Stoke are doing what they have to do. We should have won it by half-time but we didn't 2nd half we were shite and Stoke were lifted when Pulis returned. The quicker the new manager gets it and stops attending dinner parties the better...
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Frustrating again! what really frustrates me is we always seem so empty in midfield going forward. Yeah RC was noticeable last night but Stan seem ‘missing’. Ash isn’t strong enough there, I know JC is favoured but I don’t think that is the answer.
On several occasions we had Gaby and the Tamworth terror on one side and Downing on the other side around the 18 yard box but NO-one in the centre or moving up from midfield and I can think of at least three sitters that just needed a poke in the net !! I also agree we looked knackered at 70 minutes, when the game was screaming for a change or, maybe even double sub, fresh legs and mind can make a difference, but do you take the captain off!! Yes. Poor fitness equals low concentration levels… Dunne is looking a bit ‘heavy’ I do hope the new broom sharpens this lot up!
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Alright, calm down chaps, the Stokies don't deserve abuse. I would say, though, that I was pretty appalled by some of the 'tackling' that they not only got away with, but which isn't mentioned anywhere in the media. It's not Stoke's fault, obviously, they're just playing the way they can to get results (and look at last night, it works sometimes), but that whole thing with talented players being allowed to be brutally hacked off the pitch is one of the major reasons England do rubbishly at major tournaments.
Come on, we hardly kicked you off the park last night.
If you want to see a dirty team this season I suggest you watch Wolves play!!
Wolves do indeed make you lot look like dandelions, but there were a few challenges last night which I thought were reckless bordering on nasty. The one Danny Collins got booked for on Albrighton was actually terrible - three inches to his left and he's caught Marc's standing leg, and at that velocity probably broken it. There were a few others which were way too high, far too reckless and even pointless, like Walters sliding in on Friedel's head. I'm not saying it's why we lost, but I really don't think it's acceptable. Our Collins also did one towards the end which wasn't given as a free kick because he 'got the ball', even though his studs were dangerously close to the Stoke player's kneecap. It's just not on.
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As soon as Pulis walked down the touchline at start of 2nd half you just knew the outcome-
I'm really concerned .............apart from beating an extremely poor West Ham we have
been outplayed or bullied in all the remaining matches -
The bottom line last night was that Stoke 'wanted it more' -it wasn't pretty to watch but
they played to their strengths and we didn't (come to think of it what are our strengths?)
Until the manager who we have supposedly appointed is running the show I can only
see performances and results like this becoming regular occurences-
Ps well done Stuart Downing - much improved performance now keep it going
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Alright, calm down chaps, the Stokies don't deserve abuse. I would say, though, that I was pretty appalled by some of the 'tackling' that they not only got away with, but which isn't mentioned anywhere in the media. It's not Stoke's fault, obviously, they're just playing the way they can to get results (and look at last night, it works sometimes), but that whole thing with talented players being allowed to be brutally hacked off the pitch is one of the major reasons England do rubbishly at major tournaments.
Come on, we hardly kicked you off the park last night.
If you want to see a dirty team this season I suggest you watch Wolves play!!
Wolves do indeed make you lot look like dandelions, but there were a few challenges last night which I thought were reckless bordering on nasty. The one Danny Collins got booked for on Albrighton was actually terrible - three inches to his left and he's caught Marc's standing leg, and at that velocity probably broken it. There were a few others which were way too high, far too reckless and even pointless, like Walters sliding in on Friedel's head. I'm not saying it's why we lost, but I really don't think it's acceptable. Our Collins also did one towards the end which wasn't given as a free kick because he 'got the ball', even though his studs were dangerously close to the Stoke player's kneecap. It's just not on.
Watch the Walters/Friedel one again.
Firstly, the ball was there to be won.
Secondly, Walters got his foot to the ball.
Thirdly, he did not go in with the intention to hurt him.
Watch the replay again, the chances of that challenge hurting Friedel were minimal.
There was nothing in it.
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I'm still scratching my head as to how we lost that.
I fucking hate Stoke and I hope they get relegated.
Bit harsh.
I agree with him, you're a shite side who we struggle to beat. I do recognise it's sour grapes but I just hate knowing playing you is coming up and what we'll have to be subjected to.
We're obviously not shite, otherwise you'd be beating us consistently and comfortably.
Unless you are saying you are shyte?
And I think you are a decent side.
I'd go for a quality striker in Jan if I was Houllier.
Can you tell those that make decisions, we've been saying it till we're hoarse mate.
Maybe advice from a Stoke fan will add something ?
Maybe not though, we haven't got a Manager in place yet !
Pullis made the difference last night - your players played their hearts out for him while ours forgot that a game isn't finished until the final whistle is blown and that giving needlsess fee kicks away to Stoke ( and thow ins in the last quarter) are just playing into their hands.
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Lost the game in the first have when Ashley realised that he had to head the ball, from that moment you knew what was coming. Petrov can fuck off to wherever o'neill heads to next, he's had one decent season so far, his passing abilty ranged from collins to dunne. Pennant is a cheating little shit - but we blame ourselves for a fearful display...
Might sound like sour grapes but anyone that went dissapointed with the stoke support? Built up before the game to be this intimidating amazing atmosphere place, barely sang all game, veryy dissapointed!
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I'm still scratching my head as to how we lost that.
I fucking hate Stoke and I hope they get relegated.
Bit harsh.
I agree with him, you're a shite side who we struggle to beat. I do recognise it's sour grapes but I just hate knowing playing you is coming up and what we'll have to be subjected to.
We're obviously not shite, otherwise you'd be beating us consistently and comfortably.
Unless you are saying you are shyte?
And I think you are a decent side.
I'd go for a quality striker in Jan if I was Houllier.
Can you tell those that make decisions, we've been saying it till we're hoarse mate.
Maybe advice from a Stoke fan will add something ?
Maybe not though, we haven't got a Manager in place yet !
Pullis made the difference last night - your players played their hearts out for him while ours forgot that a game isn't finished until the final whistle is blown and that giving needlsess fee kicks away to Stoke ( and thow ins in the last quarter) are just playing into their hands.
Ha ha :-)
Gabby is a very decent player, as is Carew. Heskey is a bit crap though.
I think Kenwyne Jones or Riccy Fuller would thrive off your service.
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I've no problem with Stoke at all. They're a decent side, building up a good squad there. I really like Shawcross, and I've rated Etherington for a while now. Like a few on here, when I saw Fuller coming on, my heart sank. He really did give our defenders a tough time - he's a biggish guy but it's his footwork and movement that causes the problems.
But let's just clarify: Reo-Coker offers 'nothing' in the centre of midfield? Really? Let's see.... with a winger each side of him (Albrighton and Downing), what do you think his role in the side might be? A free, attacking one? Or a role based on winning tackles, doing the hard work? He had a good game last night. And, despite his job, he was still the player breaking forward towards the end - busting a gut to close down Sorenson (made the tackle, ball rebounded over the bar) and unlucky with a late shot that was well placed but deflected wide, could have been the winner.
For me, he's been one of our better/best players so far this season and is one of the guys really out to prove he's got a future at the club. Let's not be knocking him.
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Lost the game in the first have when Ashley realised that he had to head the ball, from that moment you knew what was coming. Petrov can fuck off to wherever o'neill heads to next, he's had one decent season so far, his passing abilty ranged from collins to dunne. Pennant is a cheating little shit - but we blame ourselves for a fearful display...
Might sound like sour grapes but anyone that went dissapointed with the stoke support? Built up before the game to be this intimidating amazing atmosphere place, barely sang all game, veryy dissapointed!
It has dropped off since the first season in The Prem.
We still make a fair ole' noise at times but no where near as consistently as 2 years ago.
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Lost the game in the first have when Ashley realised that he had to head the ball, from that moment you knew what was coming. Petrov can fuck off to wherever o'neill heads to next, he's had one decent season so far, his passing abilty ranged from collins to dunne. Pennant is a cheating little shit - but we blame ourselves for a fearful display...
Might sound like sour grapes but anyone that went dissapointed with the stoke support? Built up before the game to be this intimidating amazing atmosphere place, barely sang all game, veryy dissapointed!
It has dropped off since the first season in The Prem.
We still make a fair ole' noise at times but no where near as consistently as 2 years ago.
It was one of the reasons to go, follow villa first but really wanted that one intimidating place to go to, when the whole ground sung Delilah it was bloody loud, but only happened twice and thats all you could really hear. What a bastard to get in too, gridlocked mway, no pubs for away fans and i diddnt really like the ground, lacked character i think :/. Ill go again next time - hope its better atmo and result! lol
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There was a lot of stupid play that from our defence which put us under pressure from freekicks. If kebwyne Jones has his back to the goal 20 yards from the penalty area, there is no need to go piling in to the back of him to win the ball.
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Lost the game in the first have when Ashley realised that he had to head the ball, from that moment you knew what was coming. Petrov can fuck off to wherever o'neill heads to next, he's had one decent season so far, his passing abilty ranged from collins to dunne. Pennant is a cheating little shit - but we blame ourselves for a fearful display...
Might sound like sour grapes but anyone that went dissapointed with the stoke support? Built up before the game to be this intimidating amazing atmosphere place, barely sang all game, veryy dissapointed!
It has dropped off since the first season in The Prem.
We still make a fair ole' noise at times but no where near as consistently as 2 years ago.
It was one of the reasons to go, follow villa first but really wanted that one intimidating place to go to, when the whole ground sung Delilah it was bloody loud, but only happened twice and thats all you could really hear. What a bastard to get in too, gridlocked mway, no pubs for away fans and i diddnt really like the ground, lacked character i think :/. Ill go again next time - hope its better atmo and result! lol
Last night wasn't great but I didn't really expect it too. Monday night football is always a bit flat. I don't know if that is reflected throughout The Prem but it is certainly true at The Brit.
I expect it to be much louder and a better atmosphere on Saturday.
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Really couldn't care less if is better on Saturday and I really couldn't care less how you do then, or for the rest of the season. Stay up, go down, whatever. You're just another club.
What's a pain in the arse is that you're here now. This is our funeral and no time for you to give us the Reverend Lovejoy pat on the back saying, 'there, there'.
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Well that was a bit hard to take. Oh well.
No problem with their fans but Stoke are a horrible football team and gifting them their first points of the season is a bit annoying considering it should have been all over at half time.
Frustratingly predictable.
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Really couldn't care less if is better on Saturday and I really couldn't care less how you do then, or for the rest of the season. Stay up, go down, whatever. You're just another club.
What's a pain in the arse is that you're here now. This is our funeral and no time for you to give us the Reverend Lovejoy pat on the back saying, 'there, there'.
Fair play.
Adios.
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Lost the game in the first have when Ashley realised that he had to head the ball, from that moment you knew what was coming. Petrov can fuck off to wherever o'neill heads to next, he's had one decent season so far, his passing abilty ranged from collins to dunne. Pennant is a cheating little shit - but we blame ourselves for a fearful display...
Might sound like sour grapes but anyone that went dissapointed with the stoke support? Built up before the game to be this intimidating amazing atmosphere place, barely sang all game, veryy dissapointed!
It has dropped off since the first season in The Prem.
We still make a fair ole' noise at times but no where near as consistently as 2 years ago.
It was one of the reasons to go, follow villa first but really wanted that one intimidating place to go to, when the whole ground sung Delilah it was bloody loud, but only happened twice and thats all you could really hear. What a bastard to get in too, gridlocked mway, no pubs for away fans and i diddnt really like the ground, lacked character i think :/. Ill go again next time - hope its better atmo and result! lol
Last night wasn't great but I didn't really expect it too. Monday night football is always a bit flat. I don't know if that is reflected throughout The Prem but it is certainly true at The Brit.
I expect it to be much louder and a better atmosphere on Saturday.
Wasnt just Stoke fans, Villa were loud when they sang but wasnt enough, but yeah monday isnt the best time for a game. Is it always full of idiots shouting over the fence at the away fans after the game when fans are locked in?
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Well that was a bit hard to take. Oh well.
No problem with their fans but Stoke are a horrible football team and gifting them their first points of the season is a bit annoying considering it should have been all over at half time.
Frustratingly predictable.
The most annoying thing is the way we lost. If a team with top 6 aims loses to a long ball team it can only be their own fault, because long ball is a strategy with just about the most obvious ways to combat it, and yet we couldn't do that. Pretty depressing.
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Peter, agree on the centre midfield, NRC offered nothing, Petrov just wasn't in the game. I think Collins was poor, he missed a few last night and hoofed at every chance. IMO I'd like Cuellar back in there with Dunne.
NRC offered nothing ??
I just don't believe you saw the same game as most people.
Petrov was fine until the second half, but then so was Albrighton, Young and Downing. Coker remained our best player throughout, and if you can't see it, its a real pity as a Villa fan.
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I'm still scratching my head as to how we lost that.
I fucking hate Stoke and I hope they get relegated.
Bit harsh.
I agree with him, you're a shite side who we struggle to beat. I do recognise it's sour grapes but I just hate knowing playing you is coming up and what we'll have to be subjected to.
We're obviously not shite, otherwise you'd be beating us consistently and comfortably.
Unless you are saying you are shyte?
And I think you are a decent side.
I'd go for a quality striker in Jan if I was Houllier.
The major difference last night in the forward line.
We don't have strikers that are consistent at the club to that kind of level imo. Even if "The Messiah" had stayed, I still wouldn't have trusted him to get anyone in. He didn't really do it in the 4 years he was here.
Just shows that relative Premiership Newbies in Stoke have a forward line that can boast Jones, Fuller and even Gudjohnsen. We on the other hand only had Heskey.
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Woeful concentration and marking made the difference last night. Along with some real profligacy in front of goal and a cheating Bluenosed c*** who wants to fuck off back to Wormwood the horrible little ball bag.
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when was the last time we scored an injury time winner? Im seriously struggling to think off the top of my head
<bing bong> Legion to the Post match thread, Legion to the Post match thread </bing bong>
Yeah, come on Legion, we need a bit of cheering up. I don't think I'll ever tire of you posting that clip.
how could I possibly forget, two things running through my head now, firstly the joy that goal still brings me and secondly that means we've gone two years without scoring an injury time winner
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We had more than enough chances to win last night.
We have a toothless attack, a collander like midfield who can't keep the ball and a defence constantly under unnecessary pressure.
Once we stopped attacking Stoke, conceding goals was inevitable.
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On the home page KMac talks about us playing "wonderful football" and "a pretty good performance" - does that not say it all ?
Something he picked up from O'Neill, no doubt. As was his little jig when we scored. I half expected KM to full off a face mask to reveal he is actually MON. The performance last night was very typical of MON's teams, lot's of effort and very little else.
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We're definitely struggling up top. Gabby isn't fit. Heskey is next to useless, and Big John is often either injured or off form.
We're seriously lacking in solid midfield options too. It's got to the point that we really, really, need Sidwell back. Delph can't get fit soon enough either.
Something about playing Albrighton, Young and Downing doesn't work. We seem too lightweight. Christ, add Ireland into that mix, with only Petrov to guard the rear, and that's a woefully soft midfield.
I just think under Kmac we've not looked very well organised defensively. Stoke cut through us too easily yesterday, but their final ball was often shite. Against a better side we might have got a tonking.
We just seem like a rudderless ship right now. The sooner Houllier comes in and addresses certain issues, as best he can, with what he has, the better!
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Let's put it right by beating Bolton which we usually do (although Coyle will produce something better than Megson has in the last few seasons).
All we can do is win the next game just like Everton after the Barcodes and Vienna disasters.
We could got a battling point last night and then had a frustrating home draw on saturday. Beat Bolton and we'll get an extra point.
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NRC offered nothing
Rubbish. Did you see Villa's goal? Who was the main player in the build up? It was NRC. How can you say he offered nothing?
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Peter, agree on the centre midfield, NRC offered nothing, Petrov just wasn't in the game. I think Collins was poor, he missed a few last night and hoofed at every chance. IMO I'd like Cuellar back in there with Dunne.
NRC offered nothing ??
I just don't believe you saw the same game as most people.
Petrov was fine until the second half, but then so was Albrighton, Young and Downing. Coker remained our best player throughout, and if you can't see it, its a real pity as a Villa fan.
Says it all when a relatively average player like NRC can be described as being our best player. it also says it all that anyone can get so excited by him being our best player on the night. That, as a Villa fan, is what I find to be the real thrust of my pity.
I have to say I thought Fuller was the catalyst for them turning the screw on us and not Puluis. It was comfortable until he came on.
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Who bought Fuller, who came to the ground and put him on, who built the team ethic that means they never give up.
Pulis.
Who bought the Villa squad, who rarely gave Coker a chance, whose 4 seasons with the team built the teams ethic that allows them to continually collapse under pressure in the last 15 minutes.
Who left the club with 5 days to go and thus generated the present angst.
O'Neill.
Now that says it all.
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We played some decent football in the first hour but with the same old inability to make the most of it. It was glaringly obvious that our major priority this summer was to sign a striker. Even accounting for O'Neill walking we had a month to sort it out and instead just twiddled our thumbs, seemingly managing the wage bill beeing seen as more important .
Defenisvely we've sacrificed the solidity of last season in order to play Luke Young. Once again, away from home it hasn't worked and we've been undone by a direct, physical side. There's a lot to be said for including him in some games but I said on the pre match thread that we'd lose if we didn't pick the right side, which proved to be the case. I'm not trying to blame it all on him but other than the two centre halves we were a very small team last night and we needed additional physical presence.
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With the benefit of hindsight I'd have played him last night.
But I'd have played him instead of Dunne rather than Luke.
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same shit different season why when were on sky do we concede so many late goals fucking sick of it now as is someone else I imagine ....
Apparently that was the first away Monday night game we've lost since Enkelman's moment of madness (8 years on Friday if you want to mark the anniversary).
I expect it was a Sky stat and they don't count when Setanta or ESPN showed us.
Not true - we lost to Newcastle on a Mon night two seasons ago (Nov '08) 2-0 when the octogenarian Oba-Oba Martins took us apart.
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Who bought Fuller, who came to the ground and put him on, who built the team ethic that means they never give up.
Pulis.
Pulis melodramatics seal Stoke’s win over Villa (http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/68623,sport,football,tony-pulis-melodramatics-seal-stoke-city-win-over-aston-villa?)
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Who bought Fuller, who came to the ground and put him on, who built the team ethic that means they never give up.
Pulis.
Pulis melodramatics seal Stoke’s win over Villa (http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/68623,sport,football,tony-pulis-melodramatics-seal-stoke-city-win-over-aston-villa?)
Taken from the linked article:
"Pulis's arrival added intelligent leadership as well as passion, and his two substitutions, Ricardo Fuller and Jermaine Pennant, both played a part when Kenwyne Jones headed in Stoke's equalising goal ten minutes after half time."
Whilst I agree about the effect Pulis and his substitutions had, they might try and get their timings right!
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Calmed down now.
First 20 mins of first half, we was desperate, could'nt get hold of the ball, and when we did gave it away too cheapley.
Second half of the 1st half, and we played the way we should of for the whole game, passed the ball well, kept possession, good movement, created chances, got Albrighton and Downing in the game.Looked not far off a good team.
Second half, for me never got going, did'nt keep the ball well enough, did'nt pick up the tempo.We are a much better footballing team than Stoke but failed to control the game.
For me the sad facts are that we need 2 better central midfoielders, Albrighton needs a rest, although he played very well in the 1st half, Ireland needs to come in as Gabby needs better support.Be interesting to see how Hou tinkers with this team, they seemed a bit fragile, and lacking belief at times last night, the situation with KMac dioes'nt help, but 2 away games against 2 teams likely to finish in the bottom half is not good enough.
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NRC plays with his heart on his sleeve, with plenty of effort, and running.But his touch, and control is awful, he always gets into a tackle when he receives the ball because his touch is so poor, and then he need 2 or 3 touches before moving it on.
We need a better all round midfielder than NRC and Petrov, Delph is hopefully one, and MONS supposed targets of Jenas or Parker would have added greatly to our midfield, hopefully Hou will know 2 young Frenchman coming through.
What summed up NRC to me last night was that chance with 5 mins to go, when with all the goal to aim at, he hit the defender.Not good enough.
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Just seen replay of 'that' free kick (difficult to see whether he dived or not at the ground) and he definitely dived.
Cheating bastard.
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Oooh look! (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/STOKE-CITY-VS-ASTON-VILLA-FC-DVD-13-09-2010-/130431740466?pt=UK_CDsDVDs_DVDs_DVDs_GL&hash=item1e5e566a32)
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Don't know if it's been mentioned or even noticed, but Heskey should have piled in to that tackle leading to the second goal. He went in half hearted and the ball broke to Etherington. Anyone worth their salt would have ensured that ball was 50 yards up the pitch.
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He would only have missed the ball, ploughed into his man and conceded a penalty with the same end-result.
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Dust has settled a little for me now.
Stoke are a dirty team and the referee was very lenient.
Should have really been two or three to Villa at HT and it was a definite penalty.
Albrighton, Reo-Coker and Downing played well for me. Worried a little about Friedel as I thought he was slow to react to their first goal; in contrast did anyone see Pepe Reina against SHA who made some great saves because he threw himself around to save them. I just don't see Brad having the agility anymore :(
Not really much to add although it was a pity we wilted in the last ten minutes, but I guess we are in a bit of disarray at the moment.
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I'm sure we won't be the only top 6 side to lose there this season.The place is a nightmare.Disappointing but looking at the pre match thread what we all expected