Aston Villa v Bolton Wanderers Match Thread

[Nelly]

Crikey. Lots to work on there.

[Monty]

Not convincing. A decent spell of possession before half-time showed them what we really should have been doing at 1-0. God knows why we keep lumping it downfield, losing the ball and inviting more pressure AT HOME. You'd think we were at the Bernabeu.

[MattW]

Good stuff elsewhere...

1545: GOAL Everton 0-1 Newcastle (Ben Arfa)

1545: GOAL Tottenham 0-1 Wolves (Fletcher)

[supertom]

Ugly again. We miss Milner a hell of a lot too. He did so much donkey work in the middle to make up for Stan's inability to run, and he had quality to go with it. Trying to replace him directly with Ireland does us, nor Ireland himself, any favours at all.

Ash is struggling to impact the game. Get him on the wings FFS, and keep him there!

Houllier looked like he wanted to catch the first Eurostar back to Paris.

This is hard watching.

[Dante Lavelli]

Not remotely advocating we should touch him with a ten foot pole, but Kevin Davies is a good player, and a pain in the bloody arse. Take him over Heskey anyday.

Yep - he's a good player, but again signing him would somewhat dictate a style of play that I don't want at Villa.

[Russ aka Big Nose]

The first one was never a pen - he had lost possession, hence no claim.

What does that have to do with it?  Warnock stuck out a leg and brought the guy down.  Foul, in the area = penalty.

If it was a bad and intentional foul, but otherwise no chance a pen is going to given if a player loses possession and then there is contact. If you can find an example of when that has happened, I will find a hat and eat it.

Anyway we need to be in their box - then it is no issue.

[MattW]

Houllier looks shell-shocked-in a Gallic shrug way.

No he doesn't.

[Somniloquism]

I think we are seeing the downside of having Ireland rather then Milner. Milner can play well in most positions in the park. Ireland can play really well in one position (AM) but is pretty much a liability anywhere else. Him and the money would would definitely have been the better deal if we used the money but until Jan and until we change the system to suit him we had the worst of the deal.

[eastie]

still prefer ash out wide and psh ireland up bringing on reo coker for either downing or albrighton , id like to see cuellar for dunne too but doubt kmac will  make those changes.

[hilts_coolerking]

If it was a bad and intentional foul, but otherwise no chance a pen is going to given if a player loses possession and then there is contact. If you can find an example of when that has happened, I will find a hat and eat it.

It was intentional - Warnock stuck his left leg out to bring the guy down.  Possession is irrelevant.  You don't have to be in possession to get a pen for handball for instance, or for shirt tugging as a corner comes in.

[Dante Lavelli]

Good coming forward but as I accidentally posted on the pre match thread, this formation is suicidal from a defensive point of view, the gaps between the defence and midfield are frightening and allow Bolton midfielders to just build up a head of steam in twenty yards of pace.  If Kevin Mac wants to know why he didn't get the job, is because of team selections like this.  He needs to have the balls to leave one of the attacking midfielders out, Albrighton would be most likely but he's been lively again, although lacking in end product.

This formation is also counter productive from an attacking point of view as it means Ireland cannot play his preferred role of floating between the midfield and attack.

I just don't get how managers can make such rookie errors. 

[Irish villain]

We need to have a bit more solidity in midfield. Albrighton, Ireland, Ash, Downing on the park together makes for exciting footy but that's no use when the other team has the ball.

[Somniloquism]

This formation is also counter productive from an attacking point of view as it means Ireland cannot play his preferred role of floating between the midfield and attack.

I just don't get how managers can make such rookie errors.

Because he is a Rookie manager.

[Rigadon]

Bolton started to press our defenders further up the pitch which means 1 in 3 times we had to play it long - absolutely perfect for 6ft 5 defenders against Gabby and Young..  They weren't doing that in the first 20 minutes which made it easier for us to play it about. 

We need to vary our play a bit more and show a bit more composure when attacking their full backs.  It's all a bit rushed and confidence is certainly an issue at the back - a better side would be a couple of goals ahead of us by now.  I'd worry if we go a goal behind heads would well and truly drop. 

Next 45 mins will be an interesting gauge of our character.

[Scott Nielsen]

Houllier looks shell-shocked-in a Gallic shrug way.

What? Unimpressed, yes, hardly shell-shocked.