Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Match Threads & Player Ratings => Topic started by: Legion on December 25, 2010, 11:30:21 AM
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Available Sunday night.
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Sadly predictable. Only bright spots were I thought Delph did well considering how long he's been out. Also Pires actually did well in his cameo, shame he didn't smack Redknapp. Albrighton as well showed quality. But this simply isn't good enough.
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I thougt Eric was ok too, the rest useless to be honest
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Chasing the game with Collins as a target man. Not ideal
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Under MON we hoofed it up the pitch before awful crossing.
Now we pass it nicely up the pitch before awful crossing.
But we are totally toothless in the box. This doesnt bode well. The body language from GH at 0.2 is very concerning.
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It's no use playing well for the last 20 mins. We are in a scrap now like it or not.
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Houllier is a clown and at fault today I'm afraid. Giving them a goal head start with that team line up was always going to be suicidal. Hogg and Delph???? I hope he goes. But he won't. Man City and Chelsea next.
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I thought Lichaj, Delph and Albrighton did very well for us. As did Pires when he came on.
We didn't offer anything like enough against a team playing with ten men for an hour of the game, we are pitifully short of quality in the final third, and very fragile at the back.
We need to stick with Houllier, but there's no doubting recent results aren't anything like good enough, and he needs to get a run together, very quickly.
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So poor. If not for the young players, we'd be beyond hopeless. I think we're seeing the marked difference O Neill made. He got a lot out of some very limited players. Seems to me that Houllier isn't particular well regarded in the dressing room by certain sections.
The kids will always give it their all and relish game time, but some of the players, like Warnock and Collins look well off their best. Gabby looks a shadow of last season. In fact I'd go as far as to say that O Neill got the very best, and then some, out of a pretty limited player.
The squad aint right, the manager aint right. We need a change.
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So poor. If not for the young players, we'd be beyond hopeless. I think we're seeing the marked difference O Neill made. He got a lot out of some very limited players.
He also spent a significant amount of money buying those limited players in the first place, mind.
We're desperate for something up front, whcih we were last season and the season before, too, lest we forget.
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I think there's too much emotion now but with Lihij albrighton Hogg Delph Delfouneso Clark and Bannan we have a bright future.
Thats 7 players if 4 come good were in a good position.
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Outplayed by ten men at Villa Park. We have a fight on our hands to stay up. Look at out next few games.
I bet Spurs were licking their lips when they saw our midfield lineup of Downing, Hogg, Delph and Albrighton.
We need to start playing with more protection for our back four. Need to focus on being harder to beat because at the minute we are easy pickings for most teams.
A dreadful dreadful season so far. It's great to blood young players but we need points so badly right now that we need to focus on the reality of the fight we're up against.
As fans we need stop looking for excuses (media, MON, injuries etc) and start gearing up for a season when the team need us to help them battle for every point.
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Very poor - outclassed by 10 men and we lacked any class up front, fonz impressed when he came on but gabby really needs to buck up his ideas, for all his critics robbie keane would walk into our team and provide some much needed class up front- I'd like to see 2 strikers a midfielder and keeper arrive in January.
The transfer window is huge and this squad needs additions and fast - houllier today looked a bit tired and maybe the stress is getting to him- I think he can take us forward but maybe as a director of football with jol as coach, if the stress is affecting houllier.
A huge month lies ahead of our club and the decisions made will have a big effect on our future years!
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Funny how we see things differently. I though Albrighton had his poorest match for us
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Really disappointing performance in many ways. Not much to praise in my view - I suppose Lichaj did quite well, and Albrighton was decent enough.
Otherwise, a very poor show from Villa and enough to suggest, pretty strongly, that we might be in trouble. We simply don't look potent up front, and we're not too clever at the back. Midfield is hardly inspiring either.
I think (hope?) that two or three key signings will see us right; a striker, a centre-midfielder and a centre-back of the right quality will reinforce the spine of our team. I don't know who they should be, but let's hope M. Houllier has an idea!
So, very poor and with some worrying signs for the rest of the season. Should be fun.....
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Lichaj was good too. Fonz was lively without being a goal threat really. We are in a relegation battle no ifs or buts about it. An utter shambles late on, Collins up front and just hoofing. Zero imagination or guile. To many good solid EPL performers are playing terribly at the moment for it to be a coincidence. I really believe that a majority of the players have no faith in the manager and it is reflecting in their performances. A huge transformation of the playing staff next month is a massive risk, but that risk is too much to take with a manager who cant get anywhere close to the best out of the players at his disposal at present. Houllier must go. Awful team selection today. The side has zero gameplan from what I can see and if we dont get rid any player with a semblance of ambition will leave. Blaming MON, injuries or anything else is excuses really. We made an awful appointment and it is time to face reality before its too late.
Friedel 6
Lichaj 7
Cuellar 4
Collins 4
Warnock 4
Albrighton 6
Delph 7
Hogg 4
Downing 5
Gabby 5
heskey 5
Fonz 6
Pires 6
Petrov 6
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I didn't really think we played that badly, but we are simply not creative enough in the final third and Spurs soaked up most the pressure we put on them in the second half. Heskey certainly makes a difference to our team and it was a shame to see him go off.
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I think there's too much emotion now but with Lihij albrighton Hogg Delph Delfouneso Clark and Bannan we have a bright future.
Thats 7 players if 4 come good were in a good position.
Unless Man City come after them. Or any top half team for that matter.
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The central midfield selection was naive at best, the team performance utterly predictable and the next two games can be written off on that performance (and pretty much every other performance under Houllier this season)
Lichaj and Albrighton were the only bright spots for me along with the return of a fit again Delph but we look relegation material at the moment...
Merry Christmas One and All!
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Our first half cost us, second half we was good, looked a lot better and looked a team, futures bright and judge houllier in june when he's had time to buy and sell and he's had a season
Keep the faith, were Villa, anything can happen!
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Spurs defence are crap on the floor so we pump countless crosses in at head height.
All very predictable.
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So poor. If not for the young players, we'd be beyond hopeless. I think we're seeing the marked difference O Neill made. He got a lot out of some very limited players. Seems to me that Houllier isn't particular well regarded in the dressing room by certain sections.
The kids will always give it their all and relish game time, but some of the players, like Warnock and Collins look well off their best. Gabby looks a shadow of last season. In fact I'd go as far as to say that O Neill got the very best, and then some, out of a pretty limited player.
The squad aint right, the manager aint right. We need a change.
Hold on he spent a fortune on what you call limited players, you can't have it both ways. I just don't get this lets blame Houllier business, we were beaten by a technically supererior side last season we were getting beaten by skill. Oneill bought hoof players this guy is trying to turn us into a footballing side, yes we were beaten but all the players were Oneills.
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Have to say very disappointed with that performance.
Basic defending let us down for both goals tbh, Collins for the 1st, and either he or Cuellar should have bought a booking for the 2nd.
Lack of organization in the 2nd half, not enough width, did'nt keep the ball well enough, and did'nt look like creating anything.
Only positives, Licajh, had a reasonable game, as did Fonz when he come on.Delph was ok.
Disappointed in Gabby and Downing today.Albrighton, again our most dangerous player.
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Move Houllier upstairs maybe. I don't think he's a relegation scrap manager.....
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A gulf in class? Are Sperms that good or are we that bad? It was a good, frenetic game but ultimately the better side won.
I thought the team selection was poor. I'm not 100% against 4-4-2 but against better teams it NEVER works. That said, it wasn't anything like as bad as expected. We needed another man in midfield in both halves for me.
And those of you who complain about 4-5-1 and it's derivatives being negative think about this. What could we have lost by not playing the totally abysmal Agbonlahor? Another man in midfield would have stopped Spurs almost playing at will as they did. Hogg and Delph did their jobs BUT they lacked the assistance that they desperately needed.
Lichaj and Delfouneso were the two standout players for us. Lichaj had an excellent match and dealt well with Bale. Delfouneso was great, always harrying and punishing Sperms defenders. Pires was decent when he came on for me and Delph got better as the game wore on.
We desperately need to get points on the board and I don't really see where the number we need are coming from in the next few weeks. We are lucky that there are a number of really poor teams around.
As for the manager I'm starting to lose patience. I think he deserves until the end of the season but if we don't see green shoots by then once he has brought in his own players and got rid of the deadwood then he should be told thank you and good luck. He should not have carte blanche and an endless timetable but anything too soon is an overreaction.
I need a lie down. Fuck me I hate losing to Spurs.
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Sacking GH is risky but so is keeping him. So far I have seen very little input from him that he can turn it around
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I am usually an optimist. But I cannot help thinking we are similar to how Newcastle were 2 years ago...
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I see shades of Forest
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I can't believe how much spurs have overtaken us. In fact they are doing everything i hoped we would be doing since Randy took over.
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We gave them the advantage by playing an inexperienced central midfield, why play Delph and Hogg when NRC and Petrov are fit and available. Is Houllier just trying to be the antithesis of MON by playing as many players as possible.
Embarassing to watch us chasing the ball against a team down to 10 men.
Judging by Houlliers comments about Delph being like a new January signing, has the manager been told to play the kids. We were terrible and our goal was just a fluke, we got exactly what we deserved from that game.
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I think Gareth Bale's "best winger in the world" tag wasn't really justified on today's performance given that Lichaj handled him comfortably in one of his first games.
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So poor. If not for the young players, we'd be beyond hopeless. I think we're seeing the marked difference O Neill made. He got a lot out of some very limited players. Seems to me that Houllier isn't particular well regarded in the dressing room by certain sections.
but he also paid a Premium for those very limited players.
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Sack him and replace him with who? we will still have the same squad. Who is good enough to turn lead into gold?
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I can't believe how much spurs have overtaken us. In fact they are doing everything i hoped we would be doing since Randy took over.
That's what makes it so so painful. I was sure that'd be where we would be but look at us now.
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Judging by Houlliers comments about Delph being like a new January signing, has the manager been told to play the kids.
Doug would be proud of a quote like that!
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Poor with a capital P, we could easily have lost 4 or 5.
Why did NRC not start in the middle, this was not a game for Delph to make his come back.
Where was Ash ? All these injuries seem too much of a coincidence, GH seems to have alienated the dressing room
I think his position is becoming untennable
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And the sad thing is despite the bad midfield selection we didn't suffer as badly for that as for our utterly dire play up front where we had no cutting edge. Delfouneso played well BUT he worked for no reason as we had no one to put it in the old onion bag.
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I think supertom is bang on.MON had a system and bought players to play in that system, and he got the structure of the team right.He tried to bring in VDV or Sneijder in apparently, and you can see what he was trying to do.
I can't quite work out what GH is trying to do tbh.Sometimes he plays 4-5-1, sometimes 4-4-2, and when he plays that, he plays 2 young inexperienced midfielders.
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We look like what we are - a team with a paper-thin squad of Prem quality players, supplemented by promising but unproven youth, who have sold their outstanding player the last two years and look like making it a hat-trick.
Think we've got enough to survive this year, but the trend is down, and more worryingly, the strategy since 2009 is indistinguishable from The Ellis years.
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How many times have people been quoted on here stating, that a new defender, striker and creative midfielder will make everything ok?
I can go back possibly 4 years? Nothing has changed...and probably never will !
We are just an un-ambitious club going nowhere fast. A brief flirtation with minor success then back to the sad reality very, very quickly.
We certainly need more than 3 players to make this team tick again.
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A Liverpool fan said to me that Houllier's thing is he doesn't support his players he always shirks responsibility.
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absolute garbage....our goal apart we were left with delfounso muffing a volley, petrov scuffing a shot and carlos 50p'ing two over the bar. We can't even get the basics right. Pires can't believe his last pay-day luck, Warnock wants putting down and Houlier too. Just hope there are 3 worse teams than us from here till May but right now only Wolves are worse than our shower. Happy Christmas.
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Move Houllier upstairs maybe. I don't think he's a relegation scrap manager.....
The suspicion remains that the board brought in Houllier to do the dirty work and drastically cut the wage bill while remaining competitive. Unfortunately we need someone imaginative at the helm to do this. Someone to get one last good season out of the aging players and looking to move them on for decent money in the summer. Are we really going to take on a relegation battle with kids and a few new signings? I see no imagination or man management from Houllier whatsoever. It is almost January and am I right in saying that neither Carew or Gabby have a single league goal yet? If we brought Jol in to give everyone a second chance Id be hugely confident of avoiding relegation and having a good season. Without the change being made I'm struggling to think there will be three sides worse than us come May.
I thought we were absolutely diabolical in the second half today. Good football my ass, it reminded me of Stoke without the passion and guts.
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I can't believe how much spurs have overtaken us. In fact they are doing everything i hoped we would be doing since Randy took over.
That's what makes it so so painful. I was sure that'd be where we would be but look at us now.
My mind still goes back to being 8 points clear of Arsenal. Painful is right.
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Well sack him then, Allardyce is availeable.
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I can't see our board doing anything drastic, however I've seen nothing in Houllier yet to sugest he is the man for this job. He seems well out of his depth to me.
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I'm sorry, but GH made some serious selection errors today.
He must be either very confident that we will not be drawn into a relegation battle, or just plain not bothered.
At this point in time, I cant fathom which?
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We're in big trouble I'm afraid.
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It looks more and more like we are gearing up for many more years of non investment and lack of ambition.
Villa have not spent money on a player in the whole of 2010, it looks like we will be shipping out all our experienced players, and bringing through the cheaper options, todays team selection proved it.
This January transfer window will tell a lot about our real ambitions, i'm no big fan of Houllier and will keep backing him, but the signs are not good.
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I can't believe how much spurs have overtaken us. In fact they are doing everything i hoped we would be doing since Randy took over.
We never have and in the forseeable future never will sign a player like Van Der Vaart. But that's what I too hoped for when Randy took over. Top class international players at the right age. Decent Bulgarians and Norwegens with a smattering of England fringe players are all very well, but they aren't going to push the club up to the level Spurs are now at.
The best we can hope for is that these promising youngsters come good, and he complements them with some decent young French players as well.
We do need a goalscorer so badly though, as we have for 2 years. And he might as well play me than Collins. I'd be cheaper. And Warnock isn't much better.
Same old thing today, appalling defense, no cutting edge up front but nice football in midfield.
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I can't believe how much spurs have overtaken us. In fact they are doing everything i hoped we would be doing since Randy took over.
This - tragically
Sorry GH never the man for this job, need to cut our losses on him - the playing staff clearly have no faith in him (as has been said MON got the very best out of mediocre players whatever we think of him - GH feels the way to motivate the staff is to call them twats via the press while wearing his favourite Anfield split crotch panties) - and frankly who of any quality would join us in Jan, so expect a few young French folk we've never heard of who'll make f all difference.
Realistically we will have to give him a window and a few more games - no improvement by end of Feb - get rid - get Jol in and then let him assess and then build his team in the summer - this has been a fucking disaster of a season - can't wait for it to end. Unfortunately buck stops with Randy - GH was a shocking choice, and it's proven to be so
As it's Christmas let's try this - There's no place like home, theres no place like home, theres no place like home......bollox - still in Warwick and we have still just lost to potatoe head -
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Well sack him then, Allardyce is availeable.
I would. I'm not fan of Fat Sam, but he'd get the players busting a gut and he'd pull us to mid-table. I'd trust him slightly more than Houllier in the transfer market too.
Long term we need a top quality manager, but right now, I worry about surviving. I don't trust Houllier to pull it round. What you can say about Allardyce is his style is enough like O Neills, that he'd get more out of this squad, and he's also quite good with youngsters too.
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Yes we are in trouble but who do you blame, the prick who left us a few days before the start of the season, or the massive injury list or the chairman and the board? no far easier to blame the manager.
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You need experienced heads in a relegation scrap, not kids
Sadly our experienced heads do not want to play for Houllier
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But Sam fucking Allardyce? If we are planning on spending fuck all money and bobbing along in lower midtable for evermore, then yes he is just the man. If you want anything else then Allardyce is not the man unless you are going for him until the end of the season making three managerial changes for the season which is not the way.
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Yes we are in trouble but who do you blame, the prick who left us a few days before the start of the season, or the massive injury list or the chairman and the board? no far easier to blame the manager.
If we had won every game since he came in then we would rightly be giving the praise to Houllier. The manager has to be responsible, he is paid to get results. Share the gain - share the pain. What is our record under Houllier played 12 won 2, that says it all.
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If we are to get shot of GH, then we should just appoint KMac, TMac and Sid to steady the ship and re-group the squad
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You need experienced heads in a relegation scrap, not kids
Sadly our experienced heads do not want to play for Houllier
Then they can go...they are professionals who play for Villa. They wanna show us what they are made of instead of whining in the press every 5 minutes....sadly they have shown us they don't have it in them so they can do one as far as I am concerned. It's all too esy to start blaming the manager for players piss poor attitudes towards the game...
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But Sam fucking Allardyce? If we are planning on spending fuck all money and bobbing along in lower midtable for evermore, then yes he is just the man.
Unfortunately, since the credit crunch hit Randy hard, I think that's *exactly* the plan.
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A gulf in class? Are Sperms that good or are we that bad? It was a good, frenetic game but ultimately the better side won.
I thought the team selection was poor. I'm not 100% against 4-4-2 but against better teams it NEVER works. That said, it wasn't anything like as bad as expected. We needed another man in midfield in both halves for me.
And those of you who complain about 4-5-1 and it's derivatives being negative think about this. What could we have lost by not playing the totally abysmal Agbonlahor? Another man in midfield would have stopped Spurs almost playing at will as they did. Hogg and Delph did their jobs BUT they lacked the assistance that they desperately needed.
Lichaj and Delfouneso were the two standout players for us. Lichaj had an excellent match and dealt well with Bale. Delfouneso was great, always harrying and punishing Sperms defenders. Pires was decent when he came on for me and Delph got better as the game wore on.
We desperately need to get points on the board and I don't really see where the number we need are coming from in the next few weeks. We are lucky that there are a number of really poor teams around.
As for the manager I'm starting to lose patience. I think he deserves until the end of the season but if we don't see green shoots by then once he has brought in his own players and got rid of the deadwood then he should be told thank you and good luck. He should not have carte blanche and an endless timetable but anything too soon is an overreaction.
I need a lie down. Fuck me I hate losing to Spurs.
I agree with all of that, Sandie.
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We got "outmuscled" in the box. Albrighton's dekes were really good - he is becoming my favourite Villa player (as is Bannan). I find that Downing takes too long to strike. He needs to work on his "one timers". Does anyone know what "Redclap" said to Pires to get Pires so pissed off?"
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Worryingly, i didn't think most players performed that badly. Unfortunately we are simply toothless. We are a team whose greatest strength probably lies in our ability to put crosses in from wide but who has no one in the middle trying to get on the end of them when they arrive.
What was worrying today was that, although we may have been out thought, possibly should have started with an extra player in midfield or whatever, we actually ended up with the extra player and saw a lot of the ball but still looked so poor in front of goal.
Gabby was poor and under par but otherwise those were the levels of performance that i would expect from those players. Ok, all able enough 6/10 type performers and performances but lacking any standout quality and not good enough collectively against anyone but the poorest teams.
GH is going to have to do a lot of good work in the transfer market and hope that any new arrivals hit the ground running because by the time they arrive i suspect the pressure of a survival battle will be crippling. I hope our current playing squad has more character than recent performances suggest.
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Where was Ashley Young today? never saw an injury report. lichaj played well, Delf looks as if he will be a player, once Heskey went off we were toothless up front. These next few weeks will tell us more about Lerners committment than anything else, he has had a lot of money come in and didn't have to spend a penny in the summer.
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How does this points tally at this stage of the season compare to other struggling campaigns?
In particular, 1990/91 1994/95 2002/03 and 2005/06.
I have a feeling that it's lower than all of them.
We might scratch out a few victories here and there against worse teams than us in the second part of the season, but I can't see us putting a sustained run of form together. Not with this current manager and this personnel. His dealings in Jan will need to be inspired to lift the gloom.
Thankfully there are quite a few worse teams than us this year, and staying up might require a lower points total than previous seasons. But at the moment if feels like we're aimlessly drifting, with a manager not particularly bothered.
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We are shit under GH, he has fuck all idea and needs to leave now
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Something is really not very right. When we used to wonder about Mon's replacement the mention of Allardyce would've been hooted at. I think we are in for interesting things.
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Warnock is a huge weak link in the side. He got caught out again today with him being to narrow and way out of position, giving Hutton all the time in the world.
We're still in urgent need of a goal scorer and dominating central midfielder. Chalk up a left back as well.
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Where was Ashley Young today? never saw an injury report. lichaj played well, Delf looks as if he will be a player, once Heskey went off we were toothless up front. These next few weeks will tell us more about Lerners committment than anything else, he has had a lot of money come in and didn't have to spend a penny in the summer.
A Young was injured...Knee and Ankle problems according to the press all last week...
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I agree with django i didn't think any particular player played that badly it was a simply a lack of class. The Fonz is an enigma he can waltz past defenders yet he will never have the presence to be the key forward. I hope Houllier already has players lined up.
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I think we really missed Heskey after he went off. I thought he was playing well before hand. The 'penalty', winning the header to send Gabby one-on-one and his all round play.
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Depressing but what can he do? the squad is paper thin with us relying on kids. If there was some midfield general not being picked to come in for the kids perhaps you could point the finger but there's no-one. We desperately need someone in there now but hopefully petrov's return will steady things, hogg, well it was men versus boys
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We are shit under GH, he has fuck all idea and needs to leave now
so let's say you're Randy. Option 1 - You sack GH and bring in Allardyce. I don't think we are going down under Houllier, and I don't think we would under Allardyce so mission accomplished there. January rolls around and we give Big Sam 10-15m to spend on a bunch of lumpers to ensure we are playing PL football next year. By next August we have another 10-15m worth of additional lumpers, and low and behold we spend the next few years finishing between 8th and 12th every year with football from the dark ages.
Or , Option 2 - you give GH some time to get in the type of players that in the long run will massively benefit the club and play attractive football, even if it feels as though, right now, the sky is caving in?
I'm choosing option 2
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spurs fan told me after the game" Don't worry mate, you're too good to go down"
after dispatching a few insults his way and then calming down for a minute I started to remember the fantastics times I had following the villa in the old 2nd and third divisions and with a tremendous up and coming young team maybe it could be a great new era?
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No, it would be fucking disastrous.
But we're not going down anyway.
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there is no way that shower of shite can be blamed on a bloke who took over a few months back.
Until you ask why Delph and no Coker, because hes made it clear hes leaving ? The blokes first competitive game for 12 months is to start a game. Lunacy.
I appreciate we are desperate but Gabby starting, why ?
All that said yet again Ged puts out a much changed side again what hope have we until we put out the same or near the same team for several games.
None.
Wrong mentality and 2 demoralising defeats likely to come next. Time for RL to prove the media and many fans wrong.
If he doesn't Houllier could be managing a relegation side.
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Agree about Delfouenso ROBBO. Had a good game but, his neat turn in the box aside, didnt look like scoring. Summed it up when he could have had a shot on the volley from the edge of the box but tried to play it in for Gabby (?) instead. We seem to have ended up in a situation where all our striking options are the sort of player who might make things happen for a strike partner but none of which are the main striker themselves. Especially worrying when our midfield options are so lightweight that we are probably better off playing with only one striker anyway.
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Not good is it?
Houllier out.
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our youngsters are the future, brave decisition to play them, if we had have played NRC and Petrov theres no guarantee that the result would have been better, in fact i would doubt it would have been, bearing in mind Petrov did play the whole of the second half,
and why you would bring on a holding midfielder against 10 men is anyones guess. but as usual the people think the best players are the ones that didnt play
the strikers are all at best average and none are prolific, or even natural goalscorers, GH needs to bring someone in up front to make the difference
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If Petrov and NRC had started it still wouldn't alter Warnock being caught out week in and week out. People have blamed Collins for the first goal, but the danger arose from that Scouse tit being yet again, woefully out of position.
Tchoi battered him on the 11th too.
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I thought Lichaj, Delph and Albrighton did very well for us. As did Pires when he came on.
We didn't offer anything like enough against a team playing with ten men for an hour of the game, we are pitifully short of quality in the final third, and very fragile at the back.
We need to stick with Houllier, but there's no doubting recent results aren't anything like good enough, and he needs to get a run together, very quickly.
sums it up nicely. Lthough, I thought Carlos did okay to be fair.
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there is no way that shower of shite can be blamed on a bloke who took over a few months back.
Until you ask why Delph and no Coker, because hes made it clear hes leaving ? The blokes first competitive game for 12 months is to start a game. Lunacy.
I appreciate we are desperate but Gabby starting, why ?
All that said yet again Ged puts out a much changed side again what hope have we until we put out the same or near the same team for several games.
None.
Wrong mentality and 2 demoralising defeats likely to come next. Time for RL to prove the media and many fans wrong.
If he doesn't Houllier could be managing a relegation side.
What? No mention of the Anti-Christ? Shurely shome mishtake.
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Houllier just fills me with zero confidence
Not someone you'd want to be in the trenches with
Then again he is French....
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I have supported Villa through thick and thin since 1965. We have had four relegations in that time and this season has a depressingly familiar ring about it. There is always room for optimism with the young players and individual games/performances but come the end of December the table and results don’t lie. The facts have to be faced – WE ARE DOWN THERE. 4 of the next 5 games are against teams in the top 6 or 7 and the other one is Blues which as we all know only too well from history can be a lottery even when they are struggling and sometimes nearly down and out. We don’t have many injuries now although I know a few are probably nowhere near fully match fit. However, every team has it’s share of injuries and “ifs and buts” etc. January signings are going to be vital but rumours of any “match changing players” are thin on the ground. Just gotta hope we somehow pull it out the fire.
PS:- The kids have been a bonus but I guess we’ll flog any that show actual Premiership potential well before they mature. Cahill, Davis, Ridgewell zzzzzzzzz. I think only Gabby has stuck around long term in the last few years.
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Houllier is trying to see who is worth keeping, he has seen enough of the senior players to know what they're capable of but he wants to give the kids game time to see for himself. Lichaj has been good at right back he is a keep. I would think we've seen the last of Hogg he was given a chance but not up to it, we will see a massive turnover in January i suspect.
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We are shit under GH, he has fuck all idea and needs to leave now
so let's say you're Randy. Option 1 - You sack Allardyce. I don't think we are going down under Houllier, and I don't think we would under Allardyce so mission accomplished there. January rolls around and we give Big Sam 10-15m to spend on a bunch of lumpers to ensure we are playing PL football next year. By next August we have another 10-15m worth of additional lumpers, and low and behold we spend the next few years finishing between 8th and 12th every year with football from the dark ages.
Or , Option 2 - you give GH some time to get in the type of players that in the long run will massively benefit the club and play attractive football, even if it feels as though, right now, the sky is caving in?
I'm choosing option 2
Option 2 for me, too.
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Houllier just fills me with zero confidence
Not someone you'd want to be in the trenches with
Then again he is French....
good stuff. I'm glad we can finally turn French are cowards blasts. I was wondering how long it would take some people to go all in.
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A total shambles from selection to subs and tactics like a MON team on mogadom begining to think GH has noit got a clue
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I think the team selection was wrong and he should have corrected it after 15mins. Spuds have a stronger squad all round and in much better form. GH should have played a stronger midfield in Stan and NRC - more experienced.
However
By playing the kids they showed hunger, desire and commitment and really stood out amongst the seasoned first teamers. On another day we would have snatched a barely deserved point in injury time, so they werent that far off.
Also by playing the kids he was showing the other players that he will NOT hesistate to play them in their place should they step out of line or out of form.
Im pleased that Dunne and Ireland have been dropped but I wonder if A.Young would have made a difference with his hands on his hips and falling over if the wind changes. Gabby is playing poorly, Carew is nowhere so if Heskey stayed on Fonz would have come on for Gabby.
Its interesting that some posters feel that GH is the wrong one for the job but sacking him on the basis that he is not "vibing" with the players or they dont respond to his motivation or his methods is barmy. Its showing a player power (if true) that is bringing our club into disrepute. Players should respect the manager. Whether he chooses to chastise them in the press or behind closed doors is at his discretion - your playing shit end of. Improve or ship out.
Its sad to see how Spuds have progessed ahead of us in terms of squad, champions league qualification and their 'tilit' at the title. While we have again to restart our 4 year cycle.
Personally I want Fridel, Warnock, Dunne, Ireland, Carew, Beye, Sidwell, Petrov, Davis to be replaced in the next 2 windows and no more Pires level players coming in.
I hope he plays 6 in midfield against Man City or we are looking at conceding another 6 or 7 again. >:(
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We are shit under GH, he has fuck all idea and needs to leave now
so let's say you're Randy. Option 1 - You sack Allardyce. I don't think we are going down under Houllier, and I don't think we would under Allardyce so mission accomplished there. January rolls around and we give Big Sam 10-15m to spend on a bunch of lumpers to ensure we are playing PL football next year. By next August we have another 10-15m worth of additional lumpers, and low and behold we spend the next few years finishing between 8th and 12th every year with football from the dark ages.
Or , Option 2 - you give GH some time to get in the type of players that in the long run will massively benefit the club and play attractive football, even if it feels as though, right now, the sky is caving in?
I'm choosing option 2
Option 2 for me, too.
sorry, that first line should read You sack GH and bring in Allardyce I guess you figured that out though!
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Thought we lost our shape when Heskey went off. Just clueless upfront though, we get the ball in the middle and our attacking players are too slow to make any kind of movement. We're desperate at the moment.
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If Petrov and NRC had started it still wouldn't alter Warnock being caught out week in and week out. People have blamed Collins for the first goal, but the danger arose from that Scouse tit being yet again, woefully out of position.
Tchoi battered him on the 11th too.
Warnock wasn't out of position for the first goal, he was exactly where a full back should be, it was a great ball by Modric, Hutton shanked the cross but Warnock or Collins could have cut the cross out.
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So focusing on a few good performances individually hides the fact that as a team we were totaly clueless
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We weren't that bad, Gabby did ok, he made the keeper work, but defensively we've been a shower of shit all season and whilst that carries on, we've got big problems, we are leaking goals.
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We are shit under GH, he has fuck all idea and needs to leave now
so let's say you're Randy. Option 1 - You sack Allardyce. I don't think we are going down under Houllier, and I don't think we would under Allardyce so mission accomplished there. January rolls around and we give Big Sam 10-15m to spend on a bunch of lumpers to ensure we are playing PL football next year. By next August we have another 10-15m worth of additional lumpers, and low and behold we spend the next few years finishing between 8th and 12th every year with football from the dark ages.
Or , Option 2 - you give GH some time to get in the type of players that in the long run will massively benefit the club and play attractive football, even if it feels as though, right now, the sky is caving in?
I'm choosing option 2
Option 2 for me, too.
Option 1. We bring in a new manager and stay up.
Option 2. We get relegated under Houllier.
Still want option 2?
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And who's this new manager going to be?
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And who's this new manager going to be?
The new scapegoat
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We won't be relegated under Houllier.
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And who's this new manager going to be?
I think he's going to be better than Houllier.
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Option 2 for me too. OK we are all pissed off, a quality striker and we would have won today.We have a great batch of youngsters coming through with Albrighton definately the stand out.Downing has started to prove a good buy at last and GH has the sense to drop Dunne. If we get 25M for Ash then thats good business IMO.
3 quality signings in January and we have a top 6 side again.
Give GH time, he will sort it.
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We are shit under GH, he has fuck all idea and needs to leave now
so let's say you're Randy. Option 1 - You sack Allardyce. I don't think we are going down under Houllier, and I don't think we would under Allardyce so mission accomplished there. January rolls around and we give Big Sam 10-15m to spend on a bunch of lumpers to ensure we are playing PL football next year. By next August we have another 10-15m worth of additional lumpers, and low and behold we spend the next few years finishing between 8th and 12th every year with football from the dark ages.
Or , Option 2 - you give GH some time to get in the type of players that in the long run will massively benefit the club and play attractive football, even if it feels as though, right now, the sky is caving in?
I'm choosing option 2
Option 2 for me, too.
Option 1. We bring in a new manager and stay up.
Option 2. We get relegated under Houllier.
Still want option 2?
in your anger you must have missed the bit where I said I am quite sure under GH we're not going down. What makes you think there's some miracle worker out there that beyond this season you'll be glad to say is manager of Aston Villa?
And before anyone suggests Martin Jol, do a bit of research and see where Spurs were when he was fired despite a full pre-season and a number of transfer windows behind him.
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We are shit under GH, he has fuck all idea and needs to leave now
so let's say you're Randy. Option 1 - You sack Allardyce. I don't think we are going down under Houllier, and I don't think we would under Allardyce so mission accomplished there. January rolls around and we give Big Sam 10-15m to spend on a bunch of lumpers to ensure we are playing PL football next year. By next August we have another 10-15m worth of additional lumpers, and low and behold we spend the next few years finishing between 8th and 12th every year with football from the dark ages.
Or , Option 2 - you give GH some time to get in the type of players that in the long run will massively benefit the club and play attractive football, even if it feels as though, right now, the sky is caving in?
I'm choosing option 2
Option 2 for me, too.
Option 1. We bring in a new manager and stay up.
Option 2. We get relegated under Houllier.
Still want option 2?
in your anger you must have missed the bit where I said I am quite sure under GH we're not going down. What makes you think there's some miracle worker out there that beyond this season you'll be glad to say is manager of Aston Villa?
And before anyone suggests Martin Jol, do a bit of research and see where Spurs were when he was fired despite a full pre-season and a number of transfer windows behind him.
Yes but my point is that there were two options in that post and I didn't agree that the things you pointed out in option 1 would happen but still it was that or option 2. We may not go down under Houllier but we certainly won't be top half and that for me is unacceptable. He is a terrible, terrible manager imo.
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And who's this new manager going to be?
I think he's going to be better than Houllier.
Look at Spurs after Jol, they appointed the wrong replacement in Ramos, realised their mistake, got rid, and are now reaping the rewards.
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And who's this new manager going to be?
I think he's going to be better than Houllier.
Look at Spurs after Jol, they appointed the wrong replacement in Ramos, realised their mistake, got rid, and are now reaping the rewards.
Lordy Lord if Risso and I agree about something then surely The Rapture cannot be far away.
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Spurs did exactly what Blues and Liverpool did against us. Sat back and let us have possession, knowing we have no idea as to how to break them down, then make the most of their possession.
We had a lot of possession around their box, in the attacking third if you like, but no one who was willing to take responsibilty, or the risk, of a shot or through ball. Instead we kept playing square, left to right, until we put a cross in, which was a waste of time as we had no height in the box.
That said, I thought Lichaj did well against Bale, Delph looked enthusistic and wanted the ball and Allbrighton was relatively quiet tonight.
A small group of fan's chanting MON's name after their second and also some chanting 'sheep shagger' at Bale. obviously overlooked the fact that our captain tonight was Welsh too. I despair sometimes.
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I was more pissed off at those who booed Pires when he came on to the pitch.
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Houllier's view (http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~2251941,00.html)
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I was more pissed off at those who booed Pires when he came on to the pitch.
I thought that was a mixture of Villa fans seeing Delph replaced and Spurs fans seeing a former Gooner on the pitch.
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Very disappointing and worrying. Starting Delph in his first game for the guts of a year, no matter how much potential he has, was a big risk. Pairing him with an even less-experienced midfielder Hogg, up against Modric, Palacios and Van Der Vaart was fucking naive. In fairness to Delph he did improve as the game went on, but he spent a lot of the first half still remembering how tough it is to play in this league.
Our defence continues to look on the verge of collapse every time a half-decent ball is played in. Defoe lost Collins three times in dangerous areas so we were lucky that he was very harshly sent-off. That period just before half-time when Spurs had a passing sequence that seemed to last for ages was embarassing really.
We did get more of a grip in the second half but Christ's chin, every time we have possession around the box there is zero movement, Delfouenso excepted. Delph can pick a pass but when he's fuck all to aim for it's very hard. This is an area where I really thought Houllier would improve. Maybe the young lads don't yet have the confidence to make the kind of runs they've been brought up to do at junior/Reserve level.
So this meant we had to resort to throwing the ball into the box. Without Heskey or Carew there was very little height we could aim at. Hence James feckin' Collins going up there. Cuellar did have a couple of chances with headers but nowt came of them.
We're trying lots of different combinations of players but after 3 months, even allowing for all the injuries, none of them seem to be succesful.
And jjav, was it you who said Esso Akotto was shite? Sorry lad, but he was class today. If either of our full backs had played as well we might have had a chance. Leehigh did get stuck in and played well against Bale but Warnock is not really good enough in this form.
The worrying thing is that we seem to be in as much of a mess as we were when O'Neill left. While injuries have hampered us, Houllier has brought fuck-all stability to the team.
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I was more pissed off at those who booed Pires when he came on to the pitch.
I thought that was a mixture of Villa fans seeing Delph replaced and Spurs fans seeing a former Gooner on the pitch.
From my seat on the Upper Holte, Delph got a collective round of applause as he left the field. The boos only started when Pires came on.
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Yes - it's worrying - but not totally unexpected.
O'Neill buggering off at the time to cause maximum damage, horrendous injury list and god awful attitude of some ''senior professionals'' at the club has led to this.
Spurs are a team playing with bags of confidence - we have absolutely zero.
Positives -Delph, Lichaj, Fonz
Negatives - selection , use of subs on bench, warnock (AGAIN ) and Gabby.
I expected to lose today - and expect to against man city and chelsea - the hard work starts on 3rd January 2011.
Keep the faith.
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And who's this new manager going to be?
I think he's going to be better than Houllier.
Look at Spurs after Jol, they appointed the wrong replacement in Ramos, realised their mistake, got rid, and are now reaping the rewards.
But they gave Ramos more than 3 months, and alowed him to buy players. We haven't even done that with GH. Additionally for Spurs, there had to be a Harry Redknapp out there. A Harry Redknapp that was ready jump ship yet again, and up to that point had done very little league wise with any of his former teams, and mortgaged the future at Pompey to win the FA Cup. A future they may never recover from.
I agree, Redknapp has been brilliant for Spurs allowing for a massive dose of hindsight. However, he had plenty of detractors when he was appointed. In fact there was a large percentage of the Spurs masses that wanted Jol back. Those who oppose GH may well be proved right, but this is a manager with a track record for building things and success and while it may not look so pretty now, there are few if any managers with same pedigree free and available to take over.
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This team is going no-where..and have been on a downward slide since that 2-2 home draw with stoke the season before last.We blew a massive mental advantage straight back to the Emirates and ever since we are producing some of poorest football seen at Villa park since the mid '80's.We all know what happened next..well i can smell that rat again,but hey, that last time down was also inspiring...it set the bar for the G.taylor era.His first comment on arrival was..we were a very sick club,but he set standards and everyone responded.It looks like the same road will have to be travelled again.Spurs bossed us tonight all over the park with 10 men..we have forwards who if they fell into a barrell of tits..they would come out sucking their thumbs.Midfield needs a hatchet man while defence needs major surgery.
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There was a mixture of things to be worried about today. Not just poor individual player performances but naive team selection and questionable tactics.
However, none of us can categorically say that we will or will not be relegated under Houllier - although it is distinct possibility. January is the key month - if by 31st we have not added positively to the squad and improved performances then Houllier must go before its is too late.
We can't now afford the luxury of saying that we are too big for the likes of Allardyce - frankly it looks like the best we can hope for is scrabbling around in the lower reaches of the Premier League hoping for the 40 point safety net each year. Our top 10 days are long gone under the current ownership.
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If Petrov and NRC had started it still wouldn't alter Warnock being caught out week in and week out. People have blamed Collins for the first goal, but the danger arose from that Scouse tit being yet again, woefully out of position.
Tchoi battered him on the 11th too.
Warnock wasn't out of position for the first goal, he was exactly where a full back should be, it was a great ball by Modric, Hutton shanked the cross but Warnock or Collins could have cut the cross out.
Was he bollocks. He was far too narrow. By the time he'd got over to Hutton, the cross had already come in.
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We need to give Houllier time but his team selection today was incredibly bizarre. He's hardly played 4-4-2 since he's been at the club and yet decided to play it today against their midfield with a limited rookie and a kid who hasn't played competitively for 9 months in the centre.
The two full backs positionally weren't great [Deja vu with Warnock i'm afraid], but I'm really concerned about the rumblings behind the scenes and our propensity to concede silly goals, that combined with a lack of real clear cut chances is a big worry. This is reminding me of Graham Taylor's full season back in charge and January is now massive for the club.
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We should bear in mind Spurs were very very good today especially after the red card. VDV is top class and now has 4 goals against us. All the more reason he should have had someone like NRC man marking him.
Strange selection although I think Hogg did okay and can't see why he is being written off by some. The kids may be the future but I'd prefer that future to be in the PL and right now we need our experienced players (those who GH hasn't alienated yet or who still give a toss) in there making us hard to beat.
Delfounso shows more movement in 10 minutes than Gabby does in a whole match. Gabby's a good instinctive finisher but that's about it.
We looked okay until Heskey went off. I also think the red card didn't help as it meant they sat back and we are much better breaking quickly than trying to break someone down.
Starting to have some serious doubts about GH and hoping he can pull out some decent signings in Jan..
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For me.
Lichaj is our new right back.
Delfouneso looked really good, real skill an quality.
Gabby was really trying but was crowded out.
The rest were shit, Houllier should have known Ekotto is a quality full back, Downing's composure was suited too him whereas Albrighton could have got at hutton, see our goal. But Houllier left it too late switching them.
The worst thing was we stood off every single spurs player, we were scared to death of them and they were confident on the ball.
The future is bright, but the present ain't half pitch black!
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Our top 10 days are long gone under the current ownership.
Are you for real?
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I was more pissed off at those who booed Pires when he came on to the pitch.
I thought that was a mixture of Villa fans seeing Delph replaced and Spurs fans seeing a former Gooner on the pitch.
The booing was all from Spurs fans.
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How is fonz being seen as a plus today?
I like the lad but he doesn't look like he can hit a barn door in all fairness!
I like Hogg but we've dropped him into a really unfair position too soon
Lichaj deserves credit for a good game today
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Our top 10 days are long gone under the current ownership.
Are you for real?
If you mean do I live in the real world then yes!
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How is fonz being seen as a plus today?
I like the lad but he doesn't look like he can hit a barn door in all fairness!
I like Hogg but we've dropped him into a really unfair position too soon
Lichaj deserves credit for a good game today
I'm sorry mate but Delfouneso was a massive plus today.
He was our only player who could dribble with the ball past someone today, the only thing he didn't do was score against a solid spurs side, yes they had 10 men but they still played as a team and crowded out our front men.
Delfouneso is going to be a top player!
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I am ready to accept that we may not qualify for Europe this year through our League position. :(
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Our top 10 days are long gone under the current ownership.
Are you for real?
If you mean do I live in the real world then yes!
The 'real world' being a place where Randy Lerner can be criticised for not spending?
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I really hope fonz makes it
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I really hope fonz makes it
I'm not sure about him, but the big plus in the past couple of weeks has been Lichaj so who knows?
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Lichaj was very good today and showed a good turn of pace as well. As I said earlier I was impressed by Delph, because he has been out a long time and he showed an eye for a pass that a lot of our players lack.
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The fonz is a better finisher than most that we have, but he needs a Heskey not a Gabby to play off. Gabby is fine on his own like against United, but ask him to play with someone alongside him up top and he never looks comfortable.
Delph needs games, and the only way to get them is to play. He did ok for me first game back. These 3 games are more or less bonus points if we get any with the confidence we have not got and the players coming back from injury, and had we got the Heskey pen today may have gone differently. It didn't, VDV was supreme and Spurs for me will always be crooked for the way they got him for 10 million less than he was about to sign for Bayern for!
They are though, 5 years down the line of serious investment in young players with potential; if it is our model for the next 5 then it is the way to go. It is a bumpy road but it is the only way without the riches of City.
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Our top 10 days are long gone under the current ownership.
Are you for real?
If you mean do I live in the real world then yes!
The 'real world' being a place where Randy Lerner can be criticised for not spending?
I'm not criticising - he has spent (largely wasted by MON) and now he can't - not his fault, just the way things are.
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Our top 10 days are long gone under the current ownership.
Are you for real?
If you mean do I live in the real world then yes!
The 'real world' being a place where Randy Lerner can be criticised for not spending?
I'm not criticising - he has spent (largely wasted by MON) and now he can't - not his fault, just the way things are.
That's fair enough, but there's no way we're limited to finishing outside the top ten.
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I'm not criticising - he has spent (largely wasted by MON) and now he can't - not his fault, just the way things are.
Based on?
Was our lack of spending in Summer down to MoN's procrastinating or lack of energy for the job OR is it down to what you claim? Does anybody outside of Villa truly know? All it is based on is hearsay and guesswork. If we fail to spend on players in January (which we desperately need) then I'll agree. Now, I'm not so sure and based on the evidence I don't think anyone outside the Villa is.
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Someone answer me this - who was the last better signing than Van Der Vaart?
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Look, time for the board to man up and realise they've made a mistake with Houllier. This team lacks passion under him, and the senior players look like they don't want to play for him - which is why he sticks with impressionable youngsters, who'd work hard even if I was the manager. The team reminds me of GT mk2, DOL teams etc. There has been no "new manager bounce", no surge in energy, just a collapsing defence which had previously been one of the best in the league, repeated media stories about squad infighting and upset, team tactics and selection that look plain strange when you're trying to balance the ship (tonight being rime example of that by playing a 19yr old relative rookie who's been out for 9 months as a starter against a team pushing hard in the champions league), and supporters clearly unhappy after a really short space of time.
Its all very well arguing that it was his team that won the champions league at Liverpool (even though he wasn't managing them) but if you want to play that analogy, he's now managing a team that finished 6th two seasons running, with two recent Wembley appearances and he's guiding them into a relegation dogfight. There is little point in allowing him to spend what little money the club clearly doesn't have to spend this January (hence the repeated rhetoric at the moment about how much Lerner has invested - its so cynical to harp on about what you've done so far, when you know you're about to pull the rug from underneath and stop doing the same level of investment), because our resources are scarce and need to be spent wisely (you know the money from the sale of milner and young - which will net us about £25m profit and allow £10m to be spent on transfer fees). Sack now, get Jol in and get us going again. Otherwise, we will most definetely be in those clubs facing a relegation fight.
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Someone answer me this - who was the last better signing than Van Der Vaart?
The hateful shit needs a good kicking though. That's the second time he's ran over to us giving it large.
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The fonz is a better finisher than most that we have, but he needs a Heskey not a Gabby to play off.
I think Delfouneso would do well as the second striker "in the hole" where Ash has been trying to play with mixed results. I'd like to see him paired with Heskey at some stage. His movement is really good, way better than Gabby's, and I think he and Heskey could link up well.
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Someone answer me this - who was the last better signing than Van Der Vaart?
Van der Vaart - the most annoying person in the world?
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We played well. Stats of 10 on target and 10 shots off target is very good. We were beaten by pure class, the class, that we don't posses. VDV was the main difference. There is no one more precise and clincal than him at the moment in the PL. The sending off for Spurs was not much help to us as they were 1-0 up and if you have to lose a player through a red card than a forward is least damaging.
Rene's selection was a bit confusing. I can not see any good reason as to why NRC did not play and why we did not adjust the team either straight after the Defoe red card or atleast at half time.
We need to hold our nerve now.
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We won't be relegated under Houllier.
I think we'll JUST be okay.
But thats only because there are so many atrocious teams in the league. We are very close to being one of them.
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League Table - 2 years ago
1 Liverpool 19 12 6 1 30 12 6 4 0 16 6 6 2 1 14 6 +18 42
2 Chelsea 19 12 5 2 38 7 4 4 2 17 6 8 1 0 21 1 +31 41
3 Manchester United 17 10 5 2 28 10 6 1 0 19 4 4 4 2 9 6 +18 35
4 Aston Villa 19 10 5 4 32 22 4 5 1 16 11 6 0 3 16 11 +10 35
5 Arsenal 19 9 5 5 32 23 5 2 2 16 11 4 3 3 16 12 +9 32
6 Everton 19 8 5 6 24 25 1 4 4 9 15 7 1 2 15 10 -1 29
7 Hull City 19 7 6 6 28 36 3 2 4 10 19 4 4 2 18 17 -8 27
8 Fulham 18 6 7 5 16 12 6 2 1 14 6 0 5 4 2 6 +4 25
9 Wigan Athletic 18 7 4 7 23 21 5 2 3 11 10 2 2 4 12 11 +2 25
10 Bolton Wanderers 19 7 2 10 22 27 3 2 4 8 10 4 0 6 14 17 -5 23
11 Portsmouth 19 6 5 8 21 32 4 2 4 14 17 2 3 4 7 15 -11 23
12 Newcastle United 19 5 7 7 25 27 4 3 2 15 12 1 4 5 10 15 -2 22
13 West Ham United 19 6 4 9 22 27 3 1 5 11 14 3 3 4 11 13 -5 22
14 Sunderland 19 6 4 9 21 26 3 2 5 11 13 3 2 4 10 13 -5 22
15 Manchester City 19 6 3 10 36 28 5 0 5 24 11 1 3 5 12 17 +8 21
16 Tottenham Hotspur 19 5 5 9 20 23 3 3 4 7 7 2 2 5 13 16 -3 20
17 Middlesbrough 19 5 5 9 17 28 3 3 4 9 14 2 2 5 8 14 -11 20
18 Stoke City 19 5 5 9 17 31 5 2 3 12 11 0 3 6 5 20 -14 20
19 Blackburn Rovers 19 4 5 10 20 34 2 2 5 8 15 2 3 5 12 19 -14 17
20 West Bromwich Albion 19 4 3 12 14 35 3 2 4 11 16 1 1 8 3 19 -21 15
I won't remind people of the league table today.
Spurs are club that are no bigger than us - many might suggest they or Everton are the most similar clubs in terms of stature, but in this time look how they've developed. We've simply gone backwards and today we got battered by them playing the majority of the game with a man more at home.
I'm all for giving the kids games, and i'm more than happy for Houllier to ship out some of the overpaid and overated tossers like Ireland, Carew, Sidwell, Dunne and Warnock but we look like a team with no leadership or organisation either on or off the pitch. Houllier doesn't instill me with a great deal of confidence, I hope that in January he'll be able to bring in some experienced, hungry players that want to help Aston Villa move forward. I appreciate it is hard in January, but I fear that if this is left until the summer we'll be planning trips to Ipswich and Preston.
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I've just got back. Lichaj was our best player tonight. If anyone is pinning their hopes on Fabian Delph, they may be disappointed.
We look like a team without a leader. A few of them look like they don't really fancy it.
Oh, and my son still hasn't seen us win a competitive game.
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I was more pissed off at those who booed Pires when he came on to the pitch.
I thought that was a mixture of Villa fans seeing Delph replaced and Spurs fans seeing a former Gooner on the pitch.
I don't know, I was standing next to a couple. Unless Pires does something brilliant soon he will just become a stick with which to beat tha G-Dogg
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How is fonz being seen as a plus today?
I like the lad but he doesn't look like he can hit a barn door in all fairness!
I like Hogg but we've dropped him into a really unfair position too soon
Lichaj deserves credit for a good game today
I'm sorry mate but Delfouneso was a massive plus today.
He was our only player who could dribble with the ball past someone today, the only thing he didn't do was score against a solid spurs side, yes they had 10 men but they still played as a team and crowded out our front men.
Delfouneso is going to be a top player!
Funny how people see things differently. I don't see him becoming a top player. At the moment I can only see him drifting away and signing for tye Albion in a few years time for £3 / 4m.
I really do hope i'm wrong.
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Again just got back. Impressed by Lichaj and Delph on his first game back. Worried by the following:
1. The original midfield selection
2. Lack of forward focus once Heskey went off
3. How easy Heskey gets injured
4. Inability to score from free headers or even get them on target
5. Inability to score from a half chance
6. Inability to score
7. Who can GH buy that will make an immediate impact, as most foreign players need months to adjust to the English game
8. Lack of gritting on minor roads around Salisbury (sorry just feel like moaning!)
Dorset Villa
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League Table - 2 years ago...
In the other four teams in that top eight who are currently lower than they were then, you have three of the four managers who would have been the most popular choices to replace O'Neill. This appointing a new manager lark is a piece of piss.
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How is fonz being seen as a plus today?
I like the lad but he doesn't look like he can hit a barn door in all fairness!
I like Hogg but we've dropped him into a really unfair position too soon
Lichaj deserves credit for a good game today
I'm sorry mate but Delfouneso was a massive plus today.
He was our only player who could dribble with the ball past someone today, the only thing he didn't do was score against a solid spurs side, yes they had 10 men but they still played as a team and crowded out our front men.
Delfouneso is going to be a top player!
Funny how people see things differently. I don't see him becoming a top player. At the moment I can only see him drifting away and signing for tye Albion in a few years time for £3 / 4m.
I really do hope i'm wrong.
Delph is class potentially a great player. All he needs is application and good mentoring.
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We did OK today, when our first choice players are back and into the groove, we'll be fine. When I looked a the team-sheet today, I saw one team with quality in every area and the other with kids with potential - they are doing there best but can you expect Hogg to out do Modric, you saw that pass to Hutton for the 1st. The 2nd was a great finish from a world class player (if we'd had been as clinical as them we would have won. Yes, we've slipped behind them but with injuries and a new manager it's a time to take what we can..... I'll judge GH when he has his team.
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Time to stop blaming O'Neill in every match thread. It seems to me that the current manager hasn't got a clue and Villa are falling fast.
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Time to stop blaming O'Neill in every match thread. It seems to me that the current manager hasn't got a clue and Villa are falling fast.
The time to stop blaming O'Neilll is when nothing's his fault. That's a long way off.
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Time to stop blaming O'Neill in every match thread. It seems to me that the current manager hasn't got a clue and Villa are falling fast.
The time to stop blaming O'Neilll is when nothing's his fault. That's a long way off.
Looking on the bright side, you'll have an extra 4 games to sell fanzines next season. There's something to thank MON for.
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If Petrov and NRC had started it still wouldn't alter Warnock being caught out week in and week out. People have blamed Collins for the first goal, but the danger arose from that Scouse tit being yet again, woefully out of position.
Tchoi battered him on the 11th too.
I think Collins was in the lavatory having a shit when the first one went in. Seriously though, I have just watched the Motd analysis and the bloke should never play for us again. Of all the shit centre backs we've had over the last 5 years or so, he is the worst. I would also take Warnock out and play Lichaj/Cuellar/Clarke/L Young, or better still make a couple of signings to come straight in.
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Time to stop blaming O'Neill in every match thread. It seems to me that the current manager hasn't got a clue and Villa are falling fast.
The time to stop blaming O'Neilll is when nothing's his fault. That's a long way off.
Looking on the bright side, you'll have an extra 4 games to sell fanzines next season. There's something to thank MON for.
Gosh, that was hilarious. How much do you want to bet on it?
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No, for the first goal Collins was desperately trying to get across to cover for warnock who had been done for speed.
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Don't think people are gonna stop blaming O'Neill anytime soon. I found an old paper the other day from after we had won 2-0 at Blackburn. I think we were third in the league having won 10 out of 13 away games. And he was getting slaughtered on here by some even then.
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Who can GH buy that will make an immediate impact, as most foreign players need months to adjust to the English game
Van Der Vaart Seemed to get the hang of it fairly quick
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He didn’t deserve it then. After shitting on us from a great height, he now does. You have to put things in context and that means you have to factor O’Neill into the analysis.
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Time to stop blaming O'Neill in every match thread. It seems to me that the current manager hasn't got a clue and Villa are falling fast.
The time to stop blaming O'Neilll is when nothing's his fault. That's a long way off.
Looking on the bright side, you'll have an extra 4 games to sell fanzines next season. There's something to thank MON for.
Gosh, that was hilarious. How much do you want to bet on it?
Christ, lighten up you miserable sod.
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Christ, lighten up you miserable sod.
Shan't and you can't make me.
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Suprised noones mentioned how awful Warnock was today! Replacement/back up for competition for his place is needed in January.
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Christ, lighten up you miserable sod.
Shan't and you can't make me.
Git. ;)
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Christ, lighten up you miserable sod.
Shan't and you can't make me.
Git. ;)
I got called a lot worse by the Spurs fan who kindly gave me £4.50.
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for buying H & V program LOL ?
Villa had attacked a lot and tried hard but they didn't have the intelligent or class to make our possession pay and our shooting / header is poor. Gomes of Spurs had an easy day in the office.
One player make my blood boil is Stephen Warnock. I want him replaced asap. Let hope GH have 3 or 4 players waiting to join by the weekend. I do think Delph selection is weird. I would thought we will give him 3 or 4 substitute appearances before a starting role. I would let GH bring in quality young players and clean out the overpaid primal donnas. then in the summer we can decide if GH need moving upstairs or not.
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We are shit under GH, he has fuck all idea and needs to leave now
so let's say you're Randy. Option 1 - You sack GH and bring in Allardyce. I don't think we are going down under Houllier, and I don't think we would under Allardyce so mission accomplished there. January rolls around and we give Big Sam 10-15m to spend on a bunch of lumpers to ensure we are playing PL football next year. By next August we have another 10-15m worth of additional lumpers, and low and behold we spend the next few years finishing between 8th and 12th every year with football from the dark ages.
Or , Option 2 - you give GH some time to get in the type of players that in the long run will massively benefit the club and play attractive football, even if it feels as though, right now, the sky is caving in?
I'm choosing option 2
They are more options than Fat Sam, I just dont think GH has the ablity to sort this out. Remember this team took us to 6th , now we heading towards bottom 3 by time transfer window opens
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Having seen motd I don't think you can blame Warnock for their first. He was dragged across by our two centre halves who were also too far over. It was their full back who put the cross in. I'd argue that Downing wasn't doing his job in tracking him.
Admittedly Warnock has been off form but some people seem to be blaming him for everything, especially the idiot who sits in front of me and hasn't got a fucking clue what he's rattling on about.
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Apart from Warnock being a walking/hobbling disaster area, Downing having the heart of a hamster and Carlos Cuellar being, as the perceptive wit behind me put it the only spanish professional footballer with no ball control, our biggest, most telling, most damaging fault is lack of snap in front of goal. All of Gabby's original goal hunger and fire has been burned out of him by O'Neill, Nathan is a bag of nerves every time he steps out in front of a full house and seems to think he should try to play like his idol Thierry Henry with little clever dinks and lay offs and flicks when what he should be doing at every opportunity is testing the goalkeeper.
We were shagged yesterday when Heskey went off because we had two slimly built strikers without a shred of confidence between them trying to take on a defence of brick shithouses.
Houllier gambled big time yesterday starting with the midfield line up he chose. We only looked likely to trouble them when Petrov and wash my mouth out for saying it Pires were brought on. Delph I fear is another player like Curtis Davies who O"Neill plunged a huge amount of money on and who we seem obliged to use to try get some pay back for a massive and reckless outlay. He will go back to Leeds for half of what we paid for him.
If we do not sign a ready made goal scorer in January and take the soft option of either signing nobody or a seven foot tall greek kid the crowd give the bird the first time he does an Ian Ormondroyd relegation is a very real threat.
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Comedy defending combined with a lack of a goalscorer done us again. Thought Lichaj played well as did Heskey until Gormless crippled him (how that was not a penalty is unfathomable). Warnock miles out of position for their first and i'm sure our entire defence were playing musical statues for their second. Surprise consolation goal from Albrighton who I thought was lively without being spectacular and I thought Gabby was working well with Heskey but didn't have a clue how to wotk with the Fonz. We looked like we couldn't score in a brothel and we are in desperate need of a goal poacher. Oh, and a new left back.
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We are shit under GH, he has fuck all idea and needs to leave now
so let's say you're Randy. Option 1 - You sack GH and bring in Allardyce. I don't think we are going down under Houllier, and I don't think we would under Allardyce so mission accomplished there. January rolls around and we give Big Sam 10-15m to spend on a bunch of lumpers to ensure we are playing PL football next year. By next August we have another 10-15m worth of additional lumpers, and low and behold we spend the next few years finishing between 8th and 12th every year with football from the dark ages.
Or , Option 2 - you give GH some time to get in the type of players that in the long run will massively benefit the club and play attractive football, even if it feels as though, right now, the sky is caving in?
I'm choosing option 2
They are more options than Fat Sam, I just dont think GH has the ablity to sort this out. Remember this team took us to 6th , now we heading towards bottom 3 by time transfer window opens
People are unbelievable, this is not the bloody team that finished 6th,
We are missing our best player in Milner,
We have lots of players injured,
We are not a settled side, the football was shit under Martin, where we played the same team the same way against every single team and never made a substitute.
I for one am excited about how all our young players are getting a chance, yes we are a taking a few steps back, but I'm sure we will be taking more than a few forward by next season.
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We just can't break a defence down.
If we'd had Modric and (say) Crouch in our side last night, we'd have won - we lack a truly creative player and a true goalscorer.
Clearly, these two aren't future Villa players, but that's what we need above anything else.
It would be worth spending £30 million on two players to get that right.
Warnock is shyte also and consistently so, but that can wait til next season.
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I've just got back. Lichaj was our best player tonight. If anyone is pinning their hopes on Fabian Delph, they may be disappointed.
We look like a team without a leader. A few of them look like they don't really fancy it.
Oh, and my son still hasn't seen us win a competitive game.
Bit harsh Damon, I thought he grew into the game and he has been out for a long time. He does have the ability to find a pass which lots of our players don't.
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My wife just summed it up at the breakfast table when I was bemoaning the fall from from grace of our beloved football team: It's all Martin O'Leary's fault she said - and she wasn't joking.
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Having seen motd I don't think you can blame Warnock for their first. He was dragged across by our two centre halves who were also too far over. It was their full back who put the cross in. I'd argue that Downing wasn't doing his job in tracking him.
Admittedly Warnock has been off form but some people seem to be blaming him for everything, especially the idiot who sits in front of me and hasn't got a fucking clue what he's rattling on about.
Warnock is piss poor, but Collins is worse than piss poor. They both need to go, Collins more urgently. Just watch Collins positioning for the first goal, it was indeed his fault. It was nearly as bad as his defending for the Blues winner recently. I have no problem with Collins personally, as he gives his all, but he is absolutely woeful as a player.
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How has Warnock got so bad?!? We paid 8 million for him, we all thought when he first arrived that he was a bloody good player but now? Jesus Christ.
Is it possible to be 'not in form' for a year and a half...When do you stop being classed as 'not in form' and start being classed as shit?
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We seem utterly incapable of producing a clean sheet, until we can sort that out, we're deeply in the shit.
Houllier reckons we deserved a draw yesterday. Totally delusional.
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Albrighton was way off the pace, and Downing had one of his disappearing games. Warnock and Collins - at fault for both goals.
Positives? - Lichaj, Delph, Delfourneso.
I don't think we were particularly outclassed, in general; just lacking the killer punch. Heskey (2), GA (2) and Cuellar (2) all had headed chances that should at least have worked the keeper.
We're in a dog-fight now: this Villa squad could well go down. Out matchday teams need to be picked for defensive durability not for the cause of pretty passing. GH has to understand why we're leaking soft goals and then deal with it.
End of.
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Apart from Warnock being a walking/hobbling disaster area, Downing having the heart of a hamster and Carlos Cuellar being, as the perceptive wit behind me put it the only spanish professional footballer with no ball control, our biggest, most telling, most damaging fault is lack of snap in front of goal. All of Gabby's original goal hunger and fire has been burned out of him by O'Neill, Nathan is a bag of nerves every time he steps out in front of a full house and seems to think he should try to play like his idol Thierry Henry with little clever dinks and lay offs and flicks when what he should be doing at every opportunity is testing the goalkeeper.
We were shagged yesterday when Heskey went off because we had two slimly built strikers without a shred of confidence between them trying to take on a defence of brick shithouses.
Houllier gambled big time yesterday starting with the midfield line up he chose. We only looked likely to trouble them when Petrov and wash my mouth out for saying it Pires were brought on. Delph I fear is another player like Curtis Davies who O"Neill plunged a huge amount of money on and who we seem obliged to use to try get some pay back for a massive and reckless outlay. He will go back to Leeds for half of what we paid for him.
If we do not sign a ready made goal scorer in January and take the soft option of either signing nobody or a seven foot tall greek kid the crowd give the bird the first time he does an Ian Ormondroyd relegation is a very real threat.
A bit harsh on Delfouneso. I thought he did pretty well yesterday - accepting that Heskey had been much more effective - and his movement and desire for the ball were encouraging.
We are a team low on confidence, and we're out of the habit of winning; so it's not surprising that we're strugling in front of goal.
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I approve of the fact that we're passing the ball instead of just hoofing it upfield in the general direction of Heskey or Carew, but at the moment we don't have a player capable of making the crucial, defence-splitting pass against a team defending in numbers. There were glimpses of this ability from Delph last night, but Pires, who might have been expected to fill this role, has been a big disappointment. Two players who do have vision are Clark and Bannan, but their all-round play probably doesn't justify a place in the starting XI at the moment, and I think that most would agree that NRC, despite all his good qualities, often ruins a promising position with a poor final pass. I hope that a dynamic, creative central midfielder is very high on GH's shopping list.
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Watched Utd on motd. The number of through balls they play for their forwards is high. We don't even try to do that, which baffles me, considering Gabby's pace. I'll overlook the one he missed last night.
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Gabby had a great chance when he was through one on one and couldn't finish.
Very Vassell like...
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The fonz is a better finisher than most that we have, but he needs a Heskey not a Gabby to play off. Gabby is fine on his own like against United, but ask him to play with someone alongside him up top and he never looks comfortable.
Delph needs games, and the only way to get them is to play. He did ok for me first game back. These 3 games are more or less bonus points if we get any with the confidence we have not got and the players coming back from injury, and had we got the Heskey pen today may have gone differently. It didn't, VDV was supreme and Spurs for me will always be crooked for the way they got him for 10 million less than he was about to sign for Bayern for!
They are though, 5 years down the line of serious investment in young players with potential; if it is our model for the next 5 then it is the way to go. It is a bumpy road but it is the only way without the riches of City.
Said that about Fonz in the pre-match thread. Really think he is better suited as the second striker and would like to see him have some game time alongside Emile to see how he develops. As I said then - what were Emile and little Micky like at the other place?
Was surprised with our starting pair in midfield - didn't think it did either of them any favours. If he was going to start with Delph surely an experienced head (NRC or Petrov) alongside him would have been better. If he wanted to play Hogg then one of those two would have helped us out defensively as well. If we are going to play with two wingers (Albrighton/Downing or even Ash) then I think we need two in the centre who can hold things together.
Also haven't seen anyone comment on Gabby's shot straight at the keeper when he was put through by Emile? Would Defoe have missed it?
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If Petrov and NRC had started it still wouldn't alter Warnock being caught out week in and week out. People have blamed Collins for the first goal, but the danger arose from that Scouse tit being yet again, woefully out of position.
Tchoi battered him on the 11th too.
Warnock wasn't out of position for the first goal, he was exactly where a full back should be, it was a great ball by Modric, Hutton shanked the cross but Warnock or Collins could have cut the cross out.
Warnock wasn't out of position??
Are you still drunk??
How far away from his man was he?
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Agree Gabby had a great chance but how often does he score when he's through 1 on 1 with the keeper? Hate to say it but I expected him to miss and we didn't really offer much up front once Heskey went off.
Before the game when the teams went up on the screen I couldn't believe the midfield selection - several people have pointed to Hogg's inexperience but let's not forget Delph had only had 8 PL games (not all even 90 minutes) before last night. Crazy selection against that Spurs midfield expecially when we had Stan and NRC on the bench. The one thing I felt was really highlighted last night is how much we missed Ash - i think he would have had a field day against their defence and we would have probably got at least a point.
The table doesn't look at all good now. IF we'd played Wigan and IF we'd beat them we'd be around 9th now and it wouldn't look as bad. But I really fear we're getting dragged into the mire given our next couple of games. And I'm not convinced that Houllier is the man for that fight.
Another thing pissed me off - the traffic on Aston Hall Rd again. Haven't parked in that area all season, but took that choice as KE School was shut. Sat outside Astra engineering for 45 minutes then they started letting traffic down the other way - thought they'd agreed with the council to control that? Took an hour to get to J6 just to round off a miserable evening.
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I just hope that all of the things going on or not going on at our club do not tarnish Sid, was more than supprised to see Delph starting ahead of NRC, the future is bright but I am a little worried about the present. So many underperforming players who get (dont earn) more in a week than most of our fans earn in a year.
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That was extremely annoying and infuriating.
Making that shower look like world beaters when in truth, any team woulve beaten us with such pathetic defending.
Lichaj did alright but we need a new defence on that and recent showing.
I cant believe what's happened to Warnock and Collins.
LOTS of work to do. We really need some transfer wizardry to pull us out of this fucking mess. Nothing less will do.
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Some people are saying we need a bit of luck but if you look at the games we have won under GH we did have luck, Wolves, WBA, and Blackpool could easily have been lost or drawn. Everton battered us to but we got a result. Its just a good job there are some shite teams in the PL this year and stupid chicken farm owners.
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Inexplicably and more frequently, we are one of those shite teams.
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Our last clean sheet was against the Noses on 31st October. Since then we've played 9 and conceded 18, so an average of 2 per game. Until we do something about that all the pretty passing in the world will count for nothing.
I'm giving the manager the benefit of the doubt but he needs to show that he's at least trying to address the issue.
We weren't that bad yesterday but there was an inevitability about it all.
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Spurs did exactly what Blues and Liverpool did against us. Sat back and let us have possession, knowing we have no idea as to how to break them down, then make the most of their possession.
We had a lot of possession around their box, in the attacking third if you like, but no one who was willing to take responsibilty, or the risk, of a shot or through ball. Instead we kept playing square, left to right, until we put a cross in, which was a waste of time as we had no height in the box.
Absolutely. The Spurs centre halves must have thought it was Christmas, we made their lives so easy. Nobody was willing to have a shot and we're still failing to get players into the oppostion box. What chance did Gabby have when surrounded by four or five defenders? We defended their lead superbly, getting plenty of bodies behind the ball.
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Our last clean sheet was against the Noses on 31st October. Since then we've played 9 and conceded 18, so an average of 2 per game. Until we do something about that all the pretty passing in the world will count for nothing.
I'm giving the manager the benefit of the doubt but he needs to show that he's at least trying to address the issue.
We weren't that bad yesterday but there was an inevitability about it all.
Getting a novelty trebuchet and launching Warnock and Dunne into the next county would be a good start.
I actually think one of the issues has been the younger lads lacking discipline in the middle. I think NRC, who should start given the options available, would shield the back four better than Clarke, Bannan et al.
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I think the majority of us would have been surprised to see Delph on the bench yesterday, never mind starting the game. I was stunned to be honest, and even more stunned to see Hogg alongside him. Whilst in fairness Delph had a good game considering how long he's been out, it would have been much better for an old head like NRC to be alongside him. Two 19 year olds against their midfield was a bit unwise.
Pires did'nt do a fat lot wrong when he came on, but Bannan would have been a better choice. As for Warnock, he's fast becoming one of the worst left backs i've seen down there. Lichaj on the other hand looked good. Ok, Bale got by him a few times which was to be expected, but he did a half decent job on him overall.
Chris summed it up really though, it was all a bit inevitable. I'll be at Man City tomorrow and to be honest, it could be a bit messy.
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Felt sorry for Hogg when he was called up for that first foul when he took ball first then the man, he was always a few yards off the pace after that.
Couldn't see the point in bringing Pires on especially with Bannan on the bench to offer a few more forward passes.
I don't get what Houllier is trying to do, more passing ? But then when the chips are down stick the centre half up front.
His team selection tomorrow will make interesting reading now we are getting a few more back, I just hope the likes of Bannan don't get bombed out completely.
We need a lot more from Gabby that's for certain.
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Now that I've calmed down and slept on it and thought it all through I can honestly say I feel an awful lot worse today than I did last night.
Where is the next win coming from? Who can we sign in January that can help us stay up? Can these players show the recquired survival skills needed to stay up?
I'm worried as hell.
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How many games did we win under Martin O Neill by soaking up pressure, breaking and nicking a goal here or there? Quite a lot. I remember the 4-5-1 period in late 08 (?) when we went on that great run of results. Gab up top on his own, and balanced CM (even Sidwell played his part). The funny thing was, we never actually controlled a game, or played particularly well, but we absolutely robbed a few teams. We countered effectively (infamous Everton game, Hull, and a really deserved spanking dished out at the Emirates), and we looked dangerous, and we had some sort of a cutting edge, and took the chances we had.
It's how we should be playing now but don't. It's how Houllier set his Liverpool side up to play.
All this possession play in the middle is well and good, but we're only "trying" to do it. We don't really have the quality of players to do it well enough. Nor do we have a creative spark in the final third who makes something out of nothing, like Merson could. We may keep the ball better but you look at the stats in most games, and I think on the whole, the opposition probably still get the lions share of possession. Spurs had 60-40 in their favour first half. We improved 2nd half when the 10 men factor took it's toll (not that we created much). It's not working, it's cumbersome, and we've not the defence to keep the opposition out of our net.
Spurs 2nd goal was pretty much prime example of O Neills style at it's best, with an added dash of technical ability.
I'd absolutely love to have Modric and VDV in our side. What a pair of class players, especially VDV, who is far too good to be a Spurs player.
I've yet to see us genuinely control a match under Houllier. We've had a couple of games where we played well, like Utd, but mostly, we've looked clueless and results have reflected that. Our wins, as mentioned, were all actually quite fortunate. The Blackburn game summed it up for me quite frighteningly. A piss poor side had it very easy against us. We had more possession and played it around fairly well in the middle third (who fucking cares?) but we created almost nothing, and in the end they were well worthy of their 2-0 win, and could have had more. With all due respect, last season, that probably wouldn't have happened.
I for one also don't see where the next win will come from. It's worrying. We need an inspirational signing to really pull us up by the scruff of the neck. Someone mercurial who wants a chance to shine at this level. Ash has always flitted with being this but always fallen short, and it now looks like he's gonna leave. We miss Milner so much. That barnstorming sort of player in a key area, who gave us a 7-8/10 every week. Scored goals, made goals.
I have no problems with the kids. I take great pride in seeing them step up and largely, out perform their senior counterparts. Frankly some of O Neills oldies should be fucking ashamed by their form, and their effort.
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Agree with all of that apart from VDV being too good for Spurs. He's gone to an ambitious club.
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Still havent fully calmed down. Agree on Lihaj fantastic game and one to keep.
Also feel a little sorry for Warnock (bear with me), any villa RB has someone in front of them prepared to get involved and put either a tackle or a challenge in and warnock has downing - great on his day and very pretty left foot but ask him to dig in and what do you get.....
He went hiding again yesterday, anyone see when he tried to "tackle" sideways on in the first half, unbelieveably shite. Also notice how he goes missing in big games and takes up positions where he knows he wont get a pass, or points for it to go somewhere else.
Flat track bully no more. If we're going to play him it can only be in a 5 man midfield with a licence to roam and put NRC back in to shore up the defence.
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Not quite sure why Warnock got the blame for the 1st goal, it was Downings man who crossed the ball, and Collins yet again failed to defend the near post properly.
Why was he so far in front of the near post, why was Cuellar left with 2 men to mark.
Collins keeps making mistakes at the moment, and is a liability, drop him.
Considering who he was marking, i did'nt think that Warnock had a bad game yday, but i suppose he is the latest scapegoat.
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Exactly right BLF.
The chap in front of me blames Warnock for everything. I think he's just heard the flack he gets and jumped on the bandwagon.
Downing let the full back go yesterday. Warnock had the player he was marking (bollocks was he too narrow - the player he had picked up was the immediate danger) and then had to try to get out to Hutton when it was played to him.
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The really worrying thing was that was Warnock's best game for a while - and he still made one or two absolutely terrible errors, mainly positional. Lichaj showed how a proper defensive full-back positions himself in relation to an out-and-out winger, whereas Warnock, rather like a batsman who doesn't know where his off-stump is, doesn't seem to know how close to be to the touchline in any given situation. At his age, that's tragically not good enough.
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Did anyone notice the little wink exchange between Stan and Arry just as Stan was about to come on
WTF ?!
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The really worrying thing was that was Warnock's best game for a while - and he still made one or two absolutely terrible errors, mainly positional. Lichaj showed how a proper defensive full-back positions himself in relation to an out-and-out winger, whereas Warnock, rather like a batsman who doesn't know where his off-stump is, doesn't seem to know how close to be to the touchline in any given situation. At his age, that's tragically not good enough.
True to some extent. The other problem Warnock has is that a lot of people who criticise him obviously don't understand the full back position. I refer back to the chap who sits byme. When the ball is coming down our right hand side, and their left winger is hugging the touchline, he wants Warnock right out there with him.
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late post about the game... but i'm just getting annoyed losing games from poor defensive errors when the opposition haven't played better than us. We should of got a result yesterday of somesort, apart from their 2 goals they did zilch going foward and was actually surprised how well our defence was containing their attack. Once again it was another cock-up by Collins for the first goal... just sell him, he's crap.
Lichaj (sp?) played really well against the ''world class'' Bale lmao. Bale = overhyped
Albrighton did well... would of liked to see him run more at their shaky defence
Gabby tried hard, just wasn't getting any support
Delph very good and wasn't afraid to put a tackle in despite it being his first game back from injury. Was impressed.
Pires should slapped that odious, horrible candleface criminal.
Spurs didn't play very well... title contenders my arse. They won't finish 4th and they'll get embarrassed by Milan. Horrible club, horrible fans, overhyped players and a revolting manager.
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Funny how we see things differently. I though Albrighton had his poorest match for us
Yeah I thought that too, his crossing was mainly off apart from obviously the goal.
Downing to me was our best player yet again, thought he got a lot of decent ball into the box that none of our forwards anticipated.
The selection was very naive, Spurs are one of the worst teams to play 4-4-2 against as their midfield 5 is superb imo and has a bit of everything imo, Lennon and Bale with raw pace, Modric with great guile and ability and obviously VDV.
It was too much for Hogg, NRC should've been in there to help out.
I seem to be in the minority but I thought we offered more in the first half, Albrighton could've easily scored in the first minute and poor finish from Gabby just before the first goal. Also think we had a decent penality shout when Gomes clattered Heskey.
Second half attacking wise I thought we were abysmal. Countless times there were no urgency in our attacks so by the time we got the ball to the penalty area Spurs had everyone back.
I've written the next two away games off, the Sunderland game is massive, must win.
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Redknapp won the tactical battle. He kept Lennon and Bale pushed on to keep our FB's back and stopped us using the man advantage on the overlap. We just didn't have the guile to create anything through the middle and when we did get crosses in the Spurs CBs were excellent.
When the game need to be taken by the scruff of the neck we had no-one to do it, we badly missed Ashley Young.