The Throstles v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[JJ-AV]

We're so close to being a quality side its frustrating. We lack a bit of steel, defensive stability and we're still not clinical enough.

If we can add a quality leader at the back and in midfield, and replace Ashley with someone who can get 7-8 from open play, we'll be a top six side again.

Not disrespect to Clark, but had Dunne stayed on we'd have atleast a point, I reckon.

[BannedUserIAT]

The problems:
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Allowing AY to take every free kick. And a lack of alternative.
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Oh, I dunno. Blindfolding Friedel, spinning him around a dozen times and then getting him to try a back-heel with his left foot seems a better alternative to me.

[lordmcgrath5]

Agree totally. I feel absolutely no attachment to the current set up at all - neither the management team or most of the players. It is quite a while since I have felt so detached and lacking in passion about my beloved club...

Know what you mean about feeling detached from the management just now. I felt pretty apathetic about the game today - a strange sentiment.

[Dante Lavelli]

It seemed to get worse when Pirès came on.

hmmm the possession went from 57% (on my ESPN stream) to 67% (on the BBC) in the period from the substitution to their goal.  I hate to not be hysterical like a lot of you guys but the substitution wasn't *that* illogical. 

Of course our possession went up. Pires and Petrov passed the ball sideways for a sum total of 427 miles. And all that for a gain of about 5 yards before losing the ball.

Possession wasn't the issue...getting the ball into an area where we could hurt West Brom was.
Pires wasn't the man to do that. Not today, not any other day.

i thought we had them on the rack until we bought Pires on, the momentum changed immmediately. It was a fkin ridiculous decision, just plain stupid.

I agreed.  They were on the rack, hence bringing on a more attacking player who is more likely to be able to pick a killer pass that NRC.  Again its not what I would have done but it wasn't as stupid/negligent as some are making out.

He gambled.  He lost.  Simple as that.

[TheSandman]

I agreed.  They were on the rack, hence bringing on a more attacking player who is more likely to be able to pick a killer pass that NRC.  Again its not what I would have done but it wasn't as stupid/negligent as some are making out.

He gambled.  He lost.  Simple as that.

In theory I do too. I'd have no complaints if he brought on Delph or Bannan (if he'd made the bench). But he brought on Pires.

[Dante Lavelli]

I agreed.  They were on the rack, hence bringing on a more attacking player who is more likely to be able to pick a killer pass that NRC.  Again its not what I would have done but it wasn't as stupid/negligent as some are making out.

He gambled.  He lost.  Simple as that.

In theory I do too. I'd have no complaints if he brought on Delph or Bannan (if he'd made the bench). But he brought on Pires.

Exactly Bentman.  The mistake was arguably not having Bannan on the bench or not trusting Delph enough, the logic behind the change was pretty sound.

[midnite]

We're so close to being a quality side its frustrating. We lack a bit of steel, defensive stability and we're still not clinical enough.

Hit the nail right on the head. That's the massively frustrating thing with our team this season. We know we're better than this. But we're just not

[WikiVilla]

We got lots of good ball time in and around their box but there was never a killer ball.
Very frustrating

[cheltenhamlion]

Petrov and Pires are quite similar. Had it been him for Pires I could see it. But to change the only midfielder with balls we have, for Pires, against their midfield cloggers, makes no sense to me at all. If NRC was coming off, it had to be for Delph.

[BannedUserIAT]

I agreed.  They were on the rack, hence bringing on a more attacking player who is more likely to be able to pick a killer pass that NRC.  Again its not what I would have done but it wasn't as stupid/negligent as some are making out.

He gambled.  He lost.  Simple as that.

In theory I do too. I'd have no complaints if he brought on Delph or Bannan (if he'd made the bench). But he brought on Pires.

Exactly Bentman.  The mistake was arguably not having Bannan on the bench or not trusting Delph enough, the logic behind the change was pretty sound.

I still don't agree. NRC had what was for him, a decent passing game. He had forward momentum. Petrov doesn't. We needed to keep the game deep in West Brom's half. Having the crab brothers was only ever going to allow the Stripey's to put pressure on our midfield. NRC should have stayed. ANYONE but Pires should have come on. Even the reserve keeper. At least he could have punted the ball up field.

[Legion]

He's as mad as a bottle of cake

[BannedUserIAT]

We stuck in a lot of offensive players with skill, pace and guile but we couldn't break down West Brom and then we got done with a sucker punch, which was a series of mistakes.

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Maybe that's why he went with Pires...to give some balance to our over-weight in "skill, pace and guile".

[Percy McCarthy]

We're so close to being a quality side its frustrating. We lack a bit of steel, defensive stability and we're still not clinical enough.

If we can add a quality leader at the back and in midfield, and replace Ashley with someone who can get 7-8 from open play, we'll be a top six side again.

Not disrespect to Clark, but had Dunne stayed on we'd have atleast a point, I reckon.

This is why we need a new manager. Despite being in the job eight months, we are further away from being a good side under Houllier than we would be under a new boss. Virtually every manager in the league could make a solid defence out of Dunne, Collins, Cuellar, Luke Young, Warnock, Beye and Clarke. Same goes for making a good attack out of Ash, Bent, Gabby, Downing, Albrighton and Heskey. If a new bloke can sort out centre-mid, hopefully while making the most of Makoun, Gardner and Delph, we'll be sorted. It is remarkably similar to the situation inherited by DOL - good players who didn't perform for the previous boss. He only needed two players (bought from a relegated club) to return us to the top six side we were under Gregory. Could even be that we need similar players now as we did then - a keeper and a midfield battler.

[Fin Feds Dad]

Pure unadulterated shit from a clueless set of spineless wankers lead by a clueless clown of a manager.

Absolutely bang on the money

[Toronto Villa]

I really can't get my head around people blaming Houllier for today's result.

Neither can I but you know they've been lying dormant for the past couple of weeks itching to give it another go. He wasn't at the game but somehow he caused our defeat. I find that kind of thinking borderline mental.

So a manager takes over a moderately successful business and turns it into a shambles. He goes on the sick, leaving the assistant he appointed in charge, and surprise surprise, the business continues to be a shambles. Who do you blame then?

so what business would you compare football to? When did managing football players or changing tactics in sport, versus people in an or factory become similar occupations?

I'm not here to tell you the garden is rosy. Far from it. I consider this a difficult period in the plan. But I'm certainly not about to claim the sky is falling in either which was absolutely guaranteed to be the position for some as soon as we lost a game.