Stoke City v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[Rudy Can't Fail]

That was a million times better performance than the effort they put in against Newcastle but from some of the comments on here you'd think we lost 6-0 tonight.

We do, however, have an uncanny knack of being able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. But after watching the Villa for as long as I have it shouldn't come as any surprise.

The only surprise is we never learn. I think the reason for the anger tonight is the vast majority on here could see that Stoke were there for the taking. We missed out on 3 relatively easy points. Newcastle was another story.

[eastie]

The whole kmac thing was a shambles- why let him go public that he wants tbe job in the 1st place, after the rapid defeat he should have been told not to apply , but now he's gone public and not got the job it leaves a nasty taste.

The entire manager process has been a farce in all honesty and amataurish , and it's imperative that houllier is on the bench on saturday - as for Gary macallister , a failed coach and manager at Coventry and Leeds - let's get someone better please!

Reo coker, luke and downing all played well tonight as did the central defence and brad , but please send ash back on the wing against Bolton.

[DaveD]

We are going to get taken to the cleaners in the last 20 minutes of every game as long as Ashley Young, Marc Albrighton and Stewart Downing are all on the pitch together. Now I'm all in favour of attacking football, but take one off and give them some extra holding support late on FFS...

[Ian.]

They had more fight and spirit than us second half. I can't believe after both games last season we have not learnt from it. Ok the managers gone but we still have the same players.
The sooner we have a leader and direction the better. We could all see what needed doing. Maybe KM thought we would get into rhythm like we did in the first half late on.

I'm not a fan of having Downing, Albrighton and Young in the first eleven.  It just don't seem right to me, we will never have enough of the ball and with all three on we don't have enough strength to win it back.
Any one of those three should be coming off the bench. It would give us better options when we are chasing a game or just trying to change it tactically as well.
I can't see GH playin them three together, especially away from home.
What's happened to Warnock? There is a good player in him somewhere, we have seen it. If he keeps this up I would be tempted to put Luke Young there and drop Cueller back into right back.

[TimTheVillain]

When Ivanhoe came on, the omens wern't good were they ?

Even Dwight Yorke had it right when he harped on about not giving needless free kicks away.

We are our own worst enemy sometimes as 3 points were for the taking - we just didn't take them.

I'm not going to spend my entire life blaming O'Runner for everything that goes wrong at Villa, but not being able to spend on a decent striker has severley limited our ability to score goals.

On a good note,Downing, can we have a lot of the same more please ?? 

[KevinGage]

Indeed Mark.

The gaps and space available in the second half for us to exploit were so inviting. A good side would have just finished them off as they were begging to be put out of their misery.

But then we either collectively ran out of steam or decided what we have we hold, and the result was inevitable.

We've seen it too many times before.

It's the chance you take when you sit back and defend as we do. The Everton match could have produced a similar outcome, but fortune was with us that day.

[The Situation]

I thought Downing played better tonight. Took defenders on, linked up well with players around him and scores a great diving header at an angle.

[Irish villain]

We held possession better than we would under previous regime and we look more comfortable in the final third. But we just go to sleep when we don't have games seen off. Very frustrating. GH needs to shake things up and find a leader on the pitch.

[Dave Summers]

I know Mon is taking a lot of the blame but at least he could motivate them, if he was manager would we have lost today? Im starting to wonder??

So who was in charge last time we lost there in the last minute?

West Ham last year??

And Blackburn away last year?

Am gutted that we lost, but like a few on here feel there were many positives too take from tonight.  Last 25 mins first half I thought we knocked it around as well as we have done for a long time.  So pleased for Reo, who had one of his very best games since he came, ditto Downing. 

Curse of the commentator Yorke, who said he couldn't see Stoke scoring and to be honest neither could I.  Can't recall too many saves from Friedel just collecting crosses and punching the ball away.  Genuinly thought we would see it out and get that valuable away win and to me, we would have deserved it.

Am a lot more upbeat about the Villa than I was a week or so ago and yes, it's a pain in the arse that Houllier isn't here but if he is the manager that the board want, then I'm happy to wait the extra couple of games.   We have a decent squad of players that just need a little leadership, which I'm sure GH will provide.

On a separate note, I do wonder what Ashley Young has done to upset Tom Ross.  On the few occasions I listen to it, normally a 20 min spell on a Friday and after Villa games, he continually slates him and has said "we should sell him and buy a proper player".  I think Ash must have told him to do one or something.

Chin up lads and girls, beat Bolton Saturday and all will be well again.

UTVuote]

[Reality]

in fairness we beat you fair and square, you had your chances and never took them, and also that teletubby you have at the back needs to go. And if all you have is heskey to come on god help you.

we are stoke

You didn't really though did you? The free kick at the end, yes you should have had a penalty, but did you forget about the trip on our player in the box?

Suck the back of 'em. Horrid little club, who will certainly go down this year.

[KevinGage]

in fairness we beat you fair and square, you had your chances and never took them, and also that teletubby you have at the back needs to go. And if all you have is heskey to come on god help you.

we are stoke

Lucid.

Fair play to your carer for letting you stay up this late.

[pauliewalnuts]

in fairness we beat you fair and square, you had your chances and never took them, and also that teletubby you have at the back needs to go. And if all you have is heskey to come on god help you.

we are stoke

Hello.

Bye.

[tarzansbrother]

Don't worry everyone Gary Mcallister will sort things out just like he has at previous clubs at at his current club middlesborough. Were a fukin laughing stock from top to bottom. To think our new manager is having cheese and wine in another country while we are throwing away a win to a team who's only win at home since April was against hull.

[PeterWithesShin]

in fairness we beat you fair and square, you had your chances and never took them, and also that teletubby you have at the back needs to go. And if all you have is heskey to come on god help you.

we are stoke

Do not feed the troll.

[Somniloquism]

in fairness we beat you fair and square, you had your chances and never took them, and also that teletubby you have at the back needs to go. And if all you have is heskey to come on god help you.

we are stoke

Bye bye.