Manchester City v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[London Villan]

With the last few performances he had got a lot more support in what he was trying to do. Tonight has well and truly fcuked that up big time.

Disgusted and baffled. He can go and surrender somewhere else now.

[Chris Smith]

Chris I like footy is houiller your new David o shitty? Your be defending Gaddafi next

Richard, you're not a totally stupid man so try reading what I have posted. I'm not here to defend him I am trying to explain that I can understand why he though he was making the right choices.

[pauliewalnuts]

Chris I like footy is houiller your new David o shitty? Your be defending Gaddafi next

Come off it, Richard, that's a bit unfair.

He's pointing out that he can see why GH did it - so can I, for what it's worth, in fact, I don't thnk anyone on here doesn't understand what he was thinking. We're just disappointed he did it.

[richardhubbard]

2m a year for decisions like that he is good enough to run RBS

[bvb]

i sat n watched it for 90 mins i saw us second to evry ball and tevez was on the bench , it was boys v men , we couldnt string passes together gabby was woefull hesky needs shootin, i dont know how we can fix this without breaking up an otherwise excellent team and whats more gh  is only part of the peoblem we got over priced over rated player underperforming, young should have gone last summer he's not right for the job

[richardhubbard]

I want to know where are improving because draws against fulham and blackpool tell me something else and in first half against Blackburn we were average and man city at home we won having one shot.

[richardhubbard]

paulie I don't get why he did it, 3games in 3 weeks WTF! total lack of respect by the wanker

[villa `cross the mersey]

We already have Collins, Cuellar, Baker, Makoun and Young unavailable for the weekend, a couple more injuries or suspensions tonight and we'd be in deep shit.

Like I said it isn't what I want to see but surely everyone can see why a manager worried about relegation, and we're still a long way from being safe, might take a more cautious approach. I'm not asking anyone to like it, I'm just saying that I can understand his thinking.

Perhaps a letter to Mr Clattenberg would have sufficed - "Dear Sir, my boys are feeling a little bit sensitive and don`t want to hurt them selves - perhaps they can be excused games today as they want to keep their gym kit nice and clean for sports day on Saturday" yours sincerely , Coco

Utter boll****- my love of the beautiful game took another knock tonight. 

Are you and Richard having a competition as to who can say that they're falling out of love with football the most times over the course of the season? It's a bogus argument, it was only ever the "beautiful game" in some marketing man's imagination.

I have loved the game for almost 50 years as a player, supporter and fairly recently as a junior football coach - I don`t need a marketing man to tell me what I think about the game. Money and greed is killing the game that many of my vintage have had as a outlet for most of their life. 

[PeterWithesShin]

Chris I like footy is houiller your new David o shitty? Your be defending Gaddafi next

Come off it, Richard, that's a bit unfair.

He's pointing out that he can see why GH did it - so can I, for what it's worth, in fact, I don't thnk anyone on here doesn't understand what he was thinking. We're just disappointed he did it.

I have to be honest and say I CAN'T see why he did it. A couple of changes sure, Heskey up front with Bent cuptied makes sense. Giving Bannan a game makes sense. But all those changes? We have probably one of the easiest run ins of any club in the league. So I just cannot see why we'd feel the need to give up on the FA Cup.

[pauliewalnuts]

i sat n watched it for 90 mins i saw us second to evry ball and tevez was on the bench , it was boys v men , we couldnt string passes together gabby was woefull hesky needs shootin, i dont know how we can fix this without breaking up an otherwise excellent team and whats more gh  is only part of the peoblem we got over priced over rated player underperforming, young should have gone last summer he's not right for the job

You've won something a couple of days ago, but you're on here with your badly written nonsense, having a right old giggle.

I've just banned you, so you won't be able to reply to this.

[pauliewalnuts]

Chris I like footy is houiller your new David o shitty? Your be defending Gaddafi next

Come off it, Richard, that's a bit unfair.

He's pointing out that he can see why GH did it - so can I, for what it's worth, in fact, I don't thnk anyone on here doesn't understand what he was thinking. We're just disappointed he did it.

I have to be honest and say I CAN'T see why he did it. A couple of changes sure, Heskey up front with Bent cuptied makes sense. Giving Bannan a game makes sense. But all those changes? We have probably one of the easiest run ins of any club in the league. So I just cannot see why we'd feel the need to give up on the FA Cup.

I mean I can see what he was doing - placing more importance on the league.

He totally fucked it up in terms of the scale he did it with, but that's a different argument.

[Pete3206]

As I walked into the pub tonight, I was astounded by the look on Villa fan's faces as they talked about the team selection. Then, the text messages started. All in shock over the decisions made by our manager.

Why Houllier? Fucking why?

A humiliating surrender by the cheese monkey.

[SteveD]

Having read his post-match excuses, "mea culpa" obviously does not translate into French. Arrogance and inepitude is a dangerous combination. We weren't ruthless in front of goal because you picked players who created absolutely nothing. Citeh won the game in 2nd gear and so could afford to give Friedel little to do.

[Chris Smith]

When you say killing it, VCTM,what do you mean? From where I am standing I don't think it has ever been more popular. Crowds are far higher than when I first started watching and it is now a truly global game. It has clearly changed but  I think reports of it's demise are greatly exaggerated.

There are lt.'s of things to do with football in general and the Villa in particular that I am nostalgic for but that's just me and I accept that many others prefer things as they are now.

[ozzjim]

Honestly I am amazed. Man City are a team we invariably lose at away from home, and often in an abject gutless manner, no matter who we put on the pitch. Their team had a world and european cup winner who was sensation IMO at times, a 30 million forward, a 20 million left back, the England keeper, a man they signed from being a starter at Barca etc etc... these are a class above putting Walker Downing and Young into the side that started (that is about all that would have been different) and getting a win.

Our biggest non performers were probably Gabby, Petrov and Heskey. I just think people are throwing toys out of the pram at the first thing GH does that upsets them following his tough start, but not seeing the bigger picture that Delph had to start at left back as there was no alternative in reality, Clark had to play centre half and if you are telling me that the first team players further forward would have prevented their team, with their delivery scoring against our defence you are on more drugs than many are accusing GH of being on tonight! We lost to a better team. It would have happened whatever side we had put out, fact is he chose to rest a few or save them the mental scarring of being battered by city. Oh and got 90 minutes out of Delph and Bannan looking like good players. Next season will be different. He is just assembling the tools and working out what the ones he has are capable of at the moment. Give him some time rather than jumping about with pants on fire. Struggling in 2 years time sack him, but no side prospers from cutting their manager after 6 months, especially one that looks capable of bringing good players to the club!