Rapid Vienna 1 - 1 Aston Villa - Post Match Thread

[Namaste]

Proud of the team we put out yesterday and the overall performance was encouraging.

Albrighton was MOTM by far, Bannan also looked very assured and pacy. Also impressed with Lichaj who defended soundly.

Reo-Coker also had a strong display.

The defence was pretty average and based on that performance I'd say Davies is fifth choice centre-back after Dunne, Cuellar, Collins and Clark. Davies had poor positional sense, cost us the goal and very nearly another with conceding a stupid free-kick! I'd much rather see Clark ahead of him.

Apart from that Hogg seemed ok and the criticism is unfair in my opinion.

It's great to see these youth players coming through to the first team now and that's thanks to Kevin MacDonald.

UTV.

[Somniloquism]

Good result, alright performance with a understrengh team

my only negative is that Downing,

 in a game like that with a sprinkling of youth players and fringe players, and with the opposition as average as rapid, should be a absolute stand out player, head and shoulders above the rest,

showing a bit more quality than the rest, but he doesnt, he just looks as average as anyone else on the pitch,
not sure he's going to up his game this season yet, not sure he can to be honest

And the experieenced Warnock put in such a good show!

[kipeye]

I think the main factor from this game was the lack of communication-particularly between the defence and midfield. But then again what can you expect when they have not played a competitive game together.
Everyone of them will be better for that game and none should be judged on that performance.
Allbrighton is certainly a stand-out player and makes far more impact than Downing.

[PaulTheVillan]

Reo Coker had a good game in terms of effort and winning the ball back, but I don't think he should cross the halfway line. Sometimes going forward he looks awful. Looks like he's always about to fall over the ball.

[D.boy]

Bannans goal for those that hadn't seen it.
http://www.betscout.com/highlights/play/898887/7218

[BannedUserIAT]

WE can't argue that having a highly variable squad is nothing but a good thing. Yes, there'll be teething problems whilst the players get used to each other in a real match but the medium-term advantages are huge.

Kudos to K-Mac for doing it. I know he had some of those changes forced upon him but by no means all of them. With the current issues the club finds itself in, it's a brave move. But it's the correct move and it will pay off in time.

[pablopicasso_10]

personally, i am delighted that he is taking these "gambles"... they are unsefish gambles, as if they fail, then its he loses the chance of getting the job full time, but its great he is not afraid to make bold decisions...

some of them didnt work last night, but a lot did, and its exciting to know that we wont be predictable in our starting line up like we have been recently, and that in itself, keeps the opposition guessing...

pleased with the lads last night, it was a difficult game for the young lads, and most did well...

shame heskey and davies let them down with two eally shit performances....

[kipeye]

Speaking of K-Mac-at least he had the bottle and the decency to explain his selection beforehand and was fully prepared to take the flak if he got it wrong.
This is very different to what happened previously.

[Concrete John]

Speaking of K-Mac-at least he had the bottle and the decency to explain his selection beforehand and was fully prepared to take the flak if he got it wrong.
This is very different to what happened previously.

In fairness I think that's now club policy after Moscow.  MON said if he was ever going to do such a thing again he'd make it clear to the fans first so they could decide whether to travel or not.

[sfx412]

I still say choosing that side on top of previous sides put out by Mon in the same competition really asks do we want to play in it in the first place.
Seems to me especially from Km's after match comments he used it as an evaluation exercise on the kids.
Man City and Liverpool's team picks looked like they took it more seriously.
Maybe they just have bigger and better squads

[KevinGage]

Good result, alright performance with a understrengh team

my only negative is that Downing,

 in a game like that with a sprinkling of youth players and fringe players, and with the opposition as average as rapid, should be a absolute stand out player, head and shoulders above the rest,

showing a bit more quality than the rest, but he doesnt, he just looks as average as anyone else on the pitch,
not sure he's going to up his game this season yet, not sure he can to be honest

I thought Downing did OK yesterday.

He didn't grab the game by the scruff of the neck, but he's not that kind of player.

Some nice deliveries and sharp passing in dangerous areas.

[DrGonzo]

I still say choosing that side on top of previous sides put out by Mon in the same competition really asks do we want to play in it in the first place.
Seems to me especially from Km's after match comments he used it as an evaluation exercise on the kids.

Well if we are going to go out of this competition it would be better to blow up now rather than in the group stages when we have to play another 5 games.  This was maybe a way of looking at the depth of our squad to see if we can maintain a challenge in Europe and the PL and the domestic cups.

[cheltenhamlion]

I watched the game with no sound so had a different perspective to some.

Very bright start from Bannan and Albrighton. Downing was alright and I thought Heskey was too. Useful in terms of helping the young lads through.

Reo Coker had a good game.

A better side might have given us a pasting with how we defended but, as long as we stick a better team out next Thursday, we should be thorugh comfortably.

[richardhubbard]

Comments from certain players re Hogg, give him a chance he is a kid

He's 21 though, so not exactly a kid at this stage. I realise he had a bad injury a couple of years ago, but still......

Still what? he was making is first debut against a decent foreign team FFS.

Take day one of your job you had a blinder

[VillaAlways]

I still say choosing that side on top of previous sides put out by Mon in the same competition really asks do we want to play in it in the first place.
Seems to me especially from Km's after match comments he used it as an evaluation exercise on the kids.
Man City and Liverpool's team picks looked like they took it more seriously.
Maybe they just have bigger and better squads

I'd take our away result a million times over Liverpools.We hopefully should go through at home.It will be hard for them in the away leg