Bolton Wanderers v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[avfcpg]

Can't quite get my head around how we played so well going forward, should have won by 4 or 5 and end up with fuck all....again. Young Downing Bent chances, any one of those and it would have been game over...Should be used to it by now I suppose.

Get Bent on pens please...Young was due a miss, he's simply not a penalty taker, just twats it, and not very well at that most of the time...

[BedsVillain]

Absolutely great game from both teams, really exciting to watch.
We were the better team on the day and were punished for not taking our chances.
I think we saw the frustrations that Spuds fans talked about in Bent today, yes he will score goals, but he's going to miss a shed load in the process!

Walker looked a proper player again, I really hope he kicks up a fuss in the summer and forces a move our way.
NRC is still showing he's worthy of a new contract, thought he and Delph worked really well.

Didn't deserve to lose, shouldn't have lost, we even had the officials on our side. Except for their goal aat the end!!

We are not one of the three worst teams in this league!

[Deano's Mullet]

One step forward, two steps back. You just knew we'd pay for not scoring the penalty. The season cant end soon enough.

[brontebilly]

Thought we played really well actually. Baker lost Cahill badly for two goals and Walker needed to be a lot stronger for their third. Friedel gave his defence not much help today I felt. Some excellent performances - Reo Coker, Young, Albrighton in particular. Downing also and Bent played well while Delph improved in the second half. Petrov was a waste of a subsitution.

The complete lack of height in the team will always be exploited by other teams at set pieces. We should have scored more than two plus Wheater should have been sent off for two yellows. How did Downing miss that chance either but no points which is hard to believe given the performance where I thought we were the better side.

Friedel 4
Walker 7
Young 7
Clark 7
Baker 4
Albrighton 8
Reo Coker 8
Delph 6
Downing 7
Young 8
Bent 7

both subs were crap. Gabby looks fat and Petrov cant run. Would like to see us keep Reo Coker to be honest. Delph and himself have the makings of a good partnership. We lacked a ruthlessness today but couldnt fault the football.

[PhilGibson]

We just are not clinical enough to bury a game, and we have a really soft centre when it comes to shooting ourselves in the foot.
Defensively we have been making these mistakes all season so you cannot blame the young and inexperienced defence we had out there today.

We are playing well going forward but as for our set pieces conceded this season, it is truly abysmal and one of the key reasons we are were we are in the league.

Points lost from winning positions tells you that our concentration levels are not up to scratch, as you learn to kill games off, and at the moment we just cannot do it. Passing football is great and pleasing on the eye, but we really need to secure survival and quickly because we are now only 3 points from the relegation zone again, with blues having two games in hand. I dont think we will go down but it aint going to be a walk in the park, unless we can shut up shop at the back.

How many clean sheets have we had this season?

[Chris Smith]

We played well for large parts of the match and but for sloppy finishing we'd have been 4 or 5 up. The problem is you always know that we're liable to concede and the makeshift back 4 we had out today made it even more likely. My son said to me earlier when we were talking about the injuries that it would need to be 4-3 if we were going to win.

The other night people were saying that we had no chance of being relegated and I argued that our defensive frailties meant it was still a possibility and today underlined that. We've got enough going forward to trouble most teams but while we're such a soft touch at the back it is going to remain a worry.

[Colhint]

I thought we played well. No way did we deserve to lose. The defence was iffy but given their experience, on the whole played ok. 3 goals from set pieces is not good though. As an attacking force we looked very good. We should have been 3 or 4 up though.

[pauliewalnuts]

We got what we deserved

That is just plain stupid, did you see the game because I did.  We absolutely murdered that Bolton team on possession and chances created.  A missed penalty at the crucial time in the game was the turning point.  We did not "get what we deserved" because an easy victory is what we deserved based on the clear chances we created in both halves.

It isn't just about creating chances, though, it is about defending, and unless you defend, you get fuck all.

Losing that match was criminal, but it was far from a rare occurrence this season. To lead twice but throw it away and end up with nothing, almost entirely due to shite defending is just pathetic.

[TonyD]

People blaming Houllier for the result today are fecking clueless or just too wrapped in their emotion to know better. We had the chances, when leading, to put the game firmly to bed. We didn't which then invites pressure on a very young and shaky defence, which to top it culminates in us missing a penalty. Stomping feet at the manager is simply futile, and the players need to take a bit of flak, Friedel as the experienced man does nothing to inspire in goal, while Young insisted on taking the pen when Bent and Reo Coker tried to dissuade him.

Might take a week or so away from the site, as the hysterics will start now about GH and be so boring.

I am fecking clueless.

[Ian.]

Sounds like I missed a corker!

[jonc73]

If we won today GH could have had a little satisfaction in his decision in the FA Cup (which I think was disgusting). We lost though.

I can see under Houllier we will play decent football and lose....and endless 'we are almost there/we were unlucky' press conferences.  It would be nice if the captain had scored the penalty too.

We may have enough up front to trouble teams, but we aren't clinical enough. Downing and Bent missed three sitters today

[mr-villa]

We got what we deserved

That is just plain stupid, did you see the game because I did.  We absolutely murdered that Bolton team on possession and chances created.  A missed penalty at the crucial time in the game was the turning point.  We did not "get what we deserved" because an easy victory is what we deserved based on the clear chances we created in both halves.

jesus wept


this is what is wrong with us

this shite

we had loads of chances

BOLTON 3 VILLA 2

stick your fucken chances up your fucken hole

Yeah shit like you mate who supposedly support the club

[TimTheVillain]

Gobsmacked by everything Villa at the moment.

Clusseau you really are incompetent.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Gutless and pathetic.

We threw away the FA Cup for that.

I honestly think we'll be relegated, no team can afford to continually ship the goals that we do.

[themossman]

This is how we will be relegated. Houllier unfalteringly pleased with himself for giving us attractive football, but getting done by shit teams with more bottle because we can't do the easy stuff at either end.