Wolverhampton Wanderers v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[Mazrim]

Our possession was as good in the first half as it was bad in the second half. Although that improved.
It's going to take a while to fully upgrade to passing and possession 2.0 but the first half (and 2nd half vs Blackburn) showed early signs of the new philosphy and that's encouraging.

[midnite]

Our possession was as good in the first half as it was bad in the second half. Although that improved.
It's going to take a while to fully upgrade to passing and possession 2.0 but the first half (and 2nd half vs Blackburn) showed early signs of the new philosphy and that's encouraging.

I've got visions of Sidwell bring strapped down on table, new software being installed but being rejected. Can not compute. No amount of control, alt, delete will allow a reboot, steam coming out his ears and his already strange looking face starting to melt away.

[Chris Smith]

I'm not so sure that the talk of improved tactical awareness is anything more than wishful thinking. They changed to 4-5-1 in the scond half and we struggled to cope, their full back pushed Albrighton back who all but disappeared. Scoring from a break away winner after resolute defensive work is a trademark of our last couple of seasons away performances. 

That said, I wouldn't expect any great improvement after such a short time in charge. It's going to be a case of evolution rather than revolution as I think Houllier has aknowledged himself.

[pauliewalnuts]

Our possession was as good in the first half as it was bad in the second half. Although that improved.
It's going to take a while to fully upgrade to passing and possession 2.0 but the first half (and 2nd half vs Blackburn) showed early signs of the new philosphy and that's encouraging.

I've got visions of Sidwell bring strapped down on table, new software being installed but being rejected. Can not compute. No amount of control, alt, delete will allow a reboot, steam coming out his ears and his already strange looking face starting to melt away.

I think we tried to upgrade his firmware shortly after we signed him.

Unfortunately, we did so without having plugged him into the mains, and halfway through his battery died, thus leaving us with a non functioning brick.

[Risso]

My main worry is our possession. It's shocking. That was our undoing against stoke last week

According to Sid, the new regime are working more on ball possession.
I suppose it will take time to undo the sub standard coaching that went with the previous manager.

Yep.    Hopefully they'll have a bonfire at Bodymoor with all the Charles Hughes coaching manuals, and throw on Robertson's stockpile of Lambert & Butler as well.

[Concrete John]

I don't think we played brilliantly, but we were good enough to deal with a Wolves side who were up for it and let the fact we have better players win us the game.  If I'm honest they deserved something from it, but couldn't care less that they didn't get it!

I was impressed with Houllier's use of subs, with one exception.  When he brought Gabby on they were chasing the winner, so his pace on the break would have been excellent, yet he played him in midfield rather than up top where we could exploit this more?  Why not switch Ash wide and go 4-4-2?  Can't really criticise it as we won, but it did seem strange to me.

I think what we've seen so far from Houllier's Villa has been promising.  It's a work in progress, but to be 5th when that is the case shows we've got some good players down there and this may not be the transitional/mid table season some are predicting.

Tougher tests to come, so it will be interesting to see where we are after the Spurs and Chelsea games.

[damon loves JT]

Our possession was as good in the first half as it was bad in the second half. Although that improved.
It's going to take a while to fully upgrade to passing and possession 2.0 but the first half (and 2nd half vs Blackburn) showed early signs of the new philosphy and that's encouraging.

I've got visions of Sidwell bring strapped down on table, new software being installed but being rejected. Can not compute. No amount of control, alt, delete will allow a reboot, steam coming out his ears and his already strange looking face starting to melt away.

`Have you tried turning him off and turning him on again?'

[midnite]

Our possession was as good in the first half as it was bad in the second half. Although that improved.
It's going to take a while to fully upgrade to passing and possession 2.0 but the first half (and 2nd half vs Blackburn) showed early signs of the new philosphy and that's encouraging.

I've got visions of Sidwell bring strapped down on table, new software being installed but being rejected. Can not compute. No amount of control, alt, delete will allow a reboot, steam coming out his ears and his already strange looking face starting to melt away.

I think we tried to upgrade his firmware shortly after we signed him.

Unfortunately, we did so without having plugged him into the mains, and halfway through his battery died, thus leaving us with a non functioning brick.

If he ever scores a goal and does the robot dance I think I'm going to piss myself LOL!!

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Excellent result, good use of substitutes by GH, well taken goal by Heskey. Cuellar immense.
We're 5th!

Shame I had to listen to some of the commentary on WM by Tom 'It's a ding dong derby, i've spunked in my pants' Ross.
His cretinous co-commentator, Pat somebody, was highly irritating too.

That'll be European Cup winner Pat Heard.

Couldn't give a monkey's, his commentating was arse.

And to think, we all used to slate Doug for his supposed attitude to our past.

What on earth are you on about, I was refering to his commentary skills, which are poor.

I'm on about the fact you called him cretinous Pat somebody, or do you not think that is disrespectful to a member of our European Cup winning squad?

No I don't think it's disrepectful, his commentary was so bad that it made him sound like a cretin.
It matters not one jot that he was a member of the 82 squad.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

My main worry is our possession. It's shocking. That was our undoing against stoke last week

According to Sid, the new regime are working more on ball possession.
I suppose it will take time to undo the sub standard coaching that went with the previous manager.

Yep.    Hopefully they'll have a bonfire at Bodymoor with all the Charles Hughes coaching manuals, and throw on Robertson's stockpile of Lambert & Butler as well.

Surely the players will miss Robertson's cries of 'Get it in the mixer!'

[pablopicasso_10]

we were marginally the better side in the first half, and wolves were comfortably the better side in the second half...

one of the things that changed the game was elokobi coming on and his pace and strength helping to push marc albrighton back.. first half he was getting much forward joy and was an outlet for us alongside young, second half, he was dealt with comfortably by elokobi and we then sat deeper and deeper and wolves kept coming at us... saw an interview with elokobi recently, and he came across as a genuinely nice fella... been through some tough times, so its great to see him play with a smile on his face...

not to mention the lack of mobility and fitness of one of our central midfielders... captain my arse...

their goal was a poor one to concede, but was coming at that stage... jarvis had played well all game, as he always does when i see him, and it was a very dangerous cross that could have gone in off any of the players in the box, so i understand why friedel left it, to an extent...

think warnock was lucky to stay on the pitch for the second foul that was worthy of a yellow, however, from how i understand it, wolves and their fans have been defending those sorts of challenges from their own players, so they cant have it both ways...

it was nice to see petrov taken off... for too long he has dissappeared after 60+ minutes, yet still played and then the opposition have waltzed straight through the middle... his lack of pace, mobility and fitness have cost us, and looked like they might yesterday too, but fair play to houllier, he saw this and changed things around, and the change, for the second time in a week, worked again as sidwell, as shit as he is, does put pressure on the midfield, even if it is simply with poor tackling and being blinded by his ginga-ness... i look forward to seeing who houllier brings in to replace petrov, as i think that with the way he plays, he wont last long under houllier... and then in the future we have the potential of both fabian delph and gary gardner to look forward to... and as he proved at liverpool, if they are good enough, then they will play...

heskey played well.. again, for the second time in a week... however, one swallow does not maketh a summer, and he has a LOT of work to do before he convinces me he is anything other than the shit we have seen for god knows how long... feels like an eternity... fair play to him though, he has played well over the last two matches...

overall, i think the scoreline flattered us and wolves could feel hard done by, but if one team takes their chances, and the other doesnt, then thats the game of football... we have been on the other end of that many times, so il take it when its positive for us... for the start of the season we have had, after o'neill cowardly ran away, and the mess we were in, playing poorly for most of the season, to be sat in 5th spot, 2 points off 2nd place is absolutely fantastic... some tough games coming up though, so big tests in the near future...

[PaulTheVillan]

I might get Heskey on my new Villa shirt.

Oh yeah, they're not out yet.

[PeterWithe]

He'll be crap again by the time they come out.

[damon loves JT]

No I don't think it's disrepectful, his commentary was so bad that it made him sound like a cretin.
It matters not one jot that he was a member of the 82 squad.

 
And Pat Heard saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.

 

[pauliewalnuts]

I think what we've seen so far from Houllier's Villa has been promising.  It's a work in progress, but to be 5th when that is the case shows we've got some good players down there and this may not be the transitional/mid table season some are predicting.

I think we need to not get too carried away.

There are clearly some deficiencies in the squad, and we're going to find it hard when we pick up more injuries. It is going to take a fair while for GH to get us playing the way he wants, so this season will be very much transitional, I think.

Good start, though.