Aston Villa v Manchester City Post-Match Thread

[taylorsworkrate]

Nice to have Dunne and Collins back.  Both were immense as were the whole team defensively.

Great shift out of Albrighton and a perfect start for Bent.

Need to use the ball better at times but that will come.  3 points is massive and now we can start to look at the teams above rather than below.

[Banganappa]

Amazing stat on Match of The Day - Darren Bent only 23 touches in the entire game, plus 1 touch in the box = 1 goal!!

How many times have we squandered chances over the last couple of seasons - hopefully no more

[olaftab]

That miss by Fahy...oh dear!

[gervilla]

I reckon Clark might become our starting LB for the short term future. Not if he's strong enough to play in the middle just now but he could still bulk up.

Defence wise he is solid but as a left back he gives little going forward, much like Carlos. His distribution is better then Carlos but Walker is the more attacking type of full back that i think we need. Watching some 80s footage lately, for example the Euro Super Cup match v Barcelona ( Home Leg) the thing that struck me most was the attacking ability of the full backs and how much I'd love to see that in our team now. For me Walker has that. His goal v Sheff Utd was superb and his overlapping is a joy to watch ( so far). If we can find a left back that can do the same ( As Warnock is obviously not up to the job)I think we will be an awesome team going forward.

[gervilla]

That miss by Fahy...oh dear!

Yip. That was pretty spectacular all right. What was he , 1 or 2 yards out ? At least Emile managed to hit the bar v Sunderland.

[ozzjim]

Thought we were excellent at times in the first half with the ball, but second when the dogs of war were needed, our dogs were bigger, and more ginger than theirs. Collins was a beast, nay on mythical legend of a beast in the game today. Passion, heart, quality and just sheer will the epitomized everything we need from him. He and Dunne are both better when they are together. Houllier seems to have unlocked the magic potion that makes them play and long may it continue.

The team selection scared the shit out of me, but Young, Petrov, Albrighton and Gabby deserve all the credit in the world for theur closing, pressing and ball retention. Bent worked to give them space, and they worked to get him in, which in time it will click.

My one black spot. Our number 6 did a good impression of our old number 6 for 85 minutes, just without the quality the old one displayed in that role. Swanned about in the centre of midfield, failing to put a foot in too often, never getting close enough to be a nuisance and then gave the ball away continuously. Ponderous, slow. Frustrating. Either on the left or on the bench for me.

The system was spot on, and with another couple of quality midfield players centrally, it will click into place really nicely.

[jembob]

Amazing stat on Match of The Day - Darren Bent only 23 touches in the entire game, plus 1 touch in the box = 1 goal!!

How many times have we squandered chances over the last couple of seasons - hopefully no more

I was telling Mrs Jembob that over recent seasons, scores of chances like Bent's goal tonight have gone begging because we had nobody with the knack of being in the right place. I can't see any of Messrs Carew, Heskey or Agbonlahor taking a chance on Hart spilling Ash's  shot and being ready for the opportunity. I always held the view that we missed out when Bent went to Sunderland and tonight's goal shows why.

[Percy McCarthy]

I'm going to wear my Aston Villa shirt with 'Bent' on the back with pride!

Just don't wear it at Pride.

[Dave]

Carew had a goal ruled out v Newcastle on his debut.

He did, but Ashley Young did score on his debut in that same game.

Back to the matter in hand, that was great. Collins easily the best player on the pitch, Petrov had his best game of the season and Cuellar, Downing and Young were all impressive.

Bent did next to bugger all. Long may that continue.

[sfx412]

another amazing stat our shots on target compared to theirs. Get in there, some team soon is on for a thrashing when our shots go in

[Breezeblock]

My ringpiece is still going half-a-crown, tanner, half-a-crown, tanner, half-a-crown, tanner.  I thought Gabby was crap, I thought everyone else were brilliant and I thought Collins was awesome (why dont you play like that all the while you ginger sheep-shagging prat?)!

Looking forward to our annual sojurn to up Wigan and a couple of pints in the Pear Tree after the match on Tuesday.

[Archie]

Nice to have Dunne and Collins back.  Both were immense as were the whole team defensively.

Yessssssssss.
Agree.
Even if I nearly had an heart-attack in the last 15 minutes.
I hate when we go under pressure in the final part of the game, we should try and play the ball from the defence instead of belting it clear, but the team is improving, so I hope that we'll solve this problem too.   

[PeterWithesShin]

another amazing stat our shots on target compared to theirs. Get in there, some team soon is on for a thrashing when our shots go in

BBC site says us 8 them 14
Sky says us 7 them 2 (I can only assume Sky don't include blocked shots as being on target).

Either way, we'll be fine once we get a goalscorer in!

[Stu]

I was telling Mrs Jembob that over recent seasons, scores of chances like Bent's goal tonight have gone begging because we had nobody with the knack of being in the right place.

You old romantic, you

[Dave]

another amazing stat our shots on target compared to theirs. Get in there, some team soon is on for a thrashing when our shots go in

BBC site says us 8 them 14
Sky says us 7 them 2 (I can only assume Sky don't include blocked shots as being on target).

That must be it.

Friedel can't have had 14 touches of the ball in the entire match.