Aston Villa v Hereford post match thread

[Hookeysmith]

Thought the game was enjoyable but frustrating at times as i like most thought it would have been a goal fest and an exhibition match - what is needed in games like this is an early goal to open them up because even the shittest professional teams can stack 10 men behind the ball and make it difficult to create space.

Guzan - never been convinced with him - one serious cross he had all night and chose to punch - AM went mental at him for it

Lichaj - strange to see him at LB but performed well and got forward well - nice to see how excited he was at scoring

Dunne - almost perfect display - true pro and looks the part

Clark - oh boy have we got a cracker in him - tough, good on the ball excellent in the air - only negative was that he should have put his headed chance away

Herd - nice and tidy - did not venture forward much but did not let us down - do notice that he runs in a very strange, almost camp way?

Makoun - nice touches but equally as many wayward passes - never seems happy and feel that he would jump at chance to be gone

Ireland - at times he is just too clever for some of our players - great energy and wanted the ball all the time - bit of luck / better finishing could have had hat trick

Bannan - he is the scottish Zidane - cocky, super fit, loads of bottle and always want the ball - absolutely love him and he deserves a decent run in first team - but in the position that best suits him NOT ON WING

N'Zogbia - busy but very ineffective - did he do any training over the summer as he looks so intermittant at times - hopefully he can live up to expectation as not seen much yet

Bent - as we know if he dont score then effectively you are playing with 10 men for most of the game - worked hard but expected to get a few which disappointed when he did not net

Albrighton - really want him to shine but it just is not happening for him - lots of ball last night and end product (either beating his man or crossing) was pretty poor. Little bit better when swapped to RH where he cut in a bit more. Really hope he find his form or he is another one "that could have been"

Wienmann - really like his direct style - needs to be bench option certainly

Fonz - a little raw still but cannot argue with scoring record

Overall almost like a pre season game - but the result was all that mattered

To end on a very positive note - 8 changes from win on sat and even though the opposition was poor we ended the game with 7 players that are under 21 and most came through our own acadamy

The future may still be bright

[UK Redsox]

So Ireland tonight was, fantastic, excellent, good and disappointing. 

Has anybody got anything else to add to further confuse me?

I'd say that that just about sums up Ireland tonight. He was all of those things during the game. The first 20 minutes he made Ray Wilkins look like an attacking passer, then he pulled off an incredible spin move which lead into an impressive period.

[UK Redsox]

I was going to do a player-by-player analysis but seeing as I basically agree with Hookeysmith, I won't bother.

As mentioned above, I wasn't quite as impressed with Ireland. Makoun's passes tend to be lofted and lacking pace. He doesn't seem to "ping" the ball around, which gives the defence time to read the pass.

Although Fonz scored, I'd still put Weimann ahead of him at the moment.

An interesting cameo from Beye. One good cross, one excellent run (however, please remember that we've seen Ulysses do those as well) and a couple of moments of terrible control which reminded me why he rarely plays.

[PaulWinch again]

I was getting text updates in the pub last night, just relieved we're through really. That's all that matters, along with a win on Saturday.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

When is the draw confirming Blackburn at home anyway?

Blackburn have to overcome Sheffield Wednesday at home tonight.
Then we are paired with them when the draw is made this Saturday. Live on Soccer Saturday so probably just while we are playing Wolves.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

First half we showed some really good play. Good possession and good movement and were unlucky not to go in winning.

Second half was a bit different, with the nerves coming in as the game went on and we hadn't scored.

Barry Bannan was brilliant. He always looked to recieve the ball, played some great passes, had a couple of shots and generally looked like he wants to, and can be, a part of the first team. Of all the players, he must be closest to playing in the first team (personally, I'd like to see him instead of Heskey from the team that played against Blackburn).

We seemed to go backwards a little when Bannan was placed on the wing - why did he do that? Seemed a little strange.

Makoun lacks confidence and I'm not sure he'll be at Villa for very long.

Still not sure about Ireland. It'd be interesting to see how he plays with the better players.

[cheltenhamlion]

We won

[TaxDodger]

Looks like I won my bet with my bluenose mate that we'd get more for this game than they did for a 3.00 kick off on a Saturday at home to Coventry.

[PaulTheVillan]

Looks like I won my bet with my bluenose mate that we'd get more for this game than they did for a 3.00 kick off on a Saturday at home to Coventry.

I said something very similar to my bluenose mate last week.

Love it.

[QBVILLA]

So Ireland tonight was, fantastic, excellent, good and disappointing. 

Has anybody got anything else to add to further confuse me?

In patches he showed that he's got tremendous ability in others he looked disinterested.As for the rest of them i hope N'Zogbia isn't match fit yet as he didn't do a great deal at all.Makoun, well on that display we won't miss him if he goes.Albrighton struggled but to his credit he didn't hide kept looking to receive the ball and improved as the game went on.Bannan was IMO man of the match, class act.

[PaulTheVillan]

NZogbia isn't match fit IMO. He's not had a real pre-season.

[SteveD]

Ireland looked like a talented player who's hardly kicked a ball in two years. The positive was he got through 90 minutes and was still pushing forward at the end - and looked better after McLeish made his changes. Lichaj was a real positive and I'd prefer Wienmann on that showing, ahead of the Fonz as back-up. Makoun looks like he did when Houllier bought him - does pretty work, in fringe areas, of little consquence, unsuited to the Premier, not what we needed then in a relegation fight and unlikely to be what we need now.

[pedro25]

Ireland didn't do enough for me to force his way into Saturday's team, but did do enough for me to think he can be useful in certain games this season.  Bannan looks a shade beter overall than Ireland right now for the creative role, let's get him in instead of Heskey please and have emile as back up to Bent and Gabby.

[cdbearsfan]

Nobody did enough to force their way in for Saturday as we won't change a winning team. Unless Heskey, Gabby or Young are injured in which case I would shove in Bannan or Lichaj.

[Hookeysmith]

I agree we do not make wholesale changes to a winning side

If there are injuries then like for like players in and out. AS much as i would like to see either Bannan or Ireland in for heskey we cannot argue that at Fulham Emile put in a very hardworking shift and against Blackburn he scored - there is no reason to drop him yet

What the like of Bannan / Ireland have to do is when they get their chance they have to change the game and we have to win - then they keep the place

thats how it should be in a team