Aston Villa v Newcastle United Post-Match Thread

[Dave]

The thing is Dave we should be able to get more out of the resources that are available, start with a formation that suits the players we have and start playing players that are fit on form and want to play.

I can't really see what else we can do. Sticking Clarke into central midfield would be useful as an alternative to Petrov and Delph but I'm not sure where else we can go. We just don't the personnel in that position anymore.

We're playing our best strikers in their best positions. We have four attacking midfielders and are using them all pretty much as we should. We always have a good amount of attacking options on the pitch and they all change positions regularly.

Our back five picks itself and all of them are playing anywhere between competently and very well.

With the players we have available, I'm not really sure what else we are supposed to do.

[manic-road]

Shame stan got injured and had to come off we missed him, N'ZZZZZZZZZZOGBIA had a shocker, if he did manage to get round the full back his pass or cross was very disapointing.
Got what i expected, with Downing and Young gone, our supply to Bent has dried up. It's a good job Gabby knows where the back of the net is at the moment.

[Summers]

Doom and gloom in here.

Given is absolutely fantastic. What a keeper. Agile as a cat. Much, much better than Spurs Brad.
The defence looked solid. Dunne is looking back to his best, and I rate Collins incredibly highly. I think he's brilliant. Warnock looks like he cares this season, and is performing well. I don't understand the Hutton negativity, he's still settling in and getting up to full fitness, but he defended well and got forward well today.
Midfield is an issue. Delph looks lost. We need Jenas fit and in the side in his place, we'd look much better in midfield then. Petrov is trying his best this season and he's doing well again. Bannan is, quite simply, sublime. He needs to be starting every game from now on, we'll play better with him in the side. N'Zogbia isn't fit, and it's obvious. He's looked good in flashes, but he needs to wake up a little bit.
No negatives to say about Gabby, he's playing his heart out this season. Is Bent injured? Looks off the pace and should be doing better. We need him fit and flying.

The subs today.. Albrighton is a good option from the bench. Needs more time on days like today when N'Zog isn't doing the business. Ireland looked good when he came on, another one I don't understand the negative comments about. He looked interested and tried to have a go.

We're not playing brilliantly by any means, but we're doing okay. The midfield with Jenas in will be stronger, and if N'Zogbia and Bent can get themselves better involved then we'll be doing a lot better going forward.

[Legion]

Doom and gloom in here.

Given is absolutely fantastic. What a keeper. Agile as a cat. Much, much better than Spurs Brad.
The defence looked solid. Dunne is looking back to his best, and I rate Collins incredibly highly. I think he's brilliant. Warnock looks like he cares this season, and is performing well. I don't understand the Hutton negativity, he's still settling in and getting up to full fitness, but he defended well and got forward well today.
Midfield is an issue. Delph looks lost. We need Jenas fit and in the side in his place, we'd look much better in midfield then. Petrov is trying his best this season and he's doing well again. Bannan is, quite simply, sublime. He needs to be starting every game from now on, we'll play better with him in the side. N'Zogbia isn't fit, and it's obvious. He's looked good in flashes, but he needs to wake up a little bit.
No negatives to say about Gabby, he's playing his heart out this season. Is Bent injured? Looks off the pace and should be doing better. We need him fit and flying.

The subs today.. Albrighton is a good option from the bench. Needs more time on days like today when N'Zog isn't doing the business. Ireland looked good when he came on, another one I don't understand the negative comments about. He looked interested and tried to have a go.

We're not playing brilliantly by any means, but we're doing okay. The midfield with Jenas in will be stronger, and if N'Zogbia and Bent can get themselves better involved then we'll be doing a lot better going forward.

Well said.

[Tony]

Thought we were poor in many areas but we still should have scored three, Newcastle are quite tidy, our passing is shocking, this isn't new but the new manager needs to sort this out, how the hell can we have so many players who can't pass the ball five yards to a team mate, they should be embarrassed about this.

Given, Dunne and Collins were fantastic, Gabby had a great game too, Bannan did ok, N'Zogbia was a complete and utter waste of space, Ireland looked decent when he came on, actually showed the others how to make simple passes.

[hawkeye]

The thing is Dave we should be able to get more out of the resources that are available, start with a formation that suits the players we have and start playing players that are fit on form and want to play.

I can't really see what else we can do. Sticking Clarke into central midfield would be useful as an alternative to Petrov and Delph but I'm not sure where else we can go. We just don't the personnel in that position anymore.

We're playing our best strikers in their best positions. We have four attacking midfielders and are using them all pretty much as we should. We always have a good amount of attacking options on the pitch and they all change positions regularly.

Our back five picks itself and all of them are playing anywhere between competently and very well.

With the players we have available, I'm not really sure what else we are supposed to do.

Dave good points, I think that the issue is central midfield and Nzog and Bent not performing, although Ireland almost had Bent through within 5 mins of being on the pitch. 4-4-2 did not help.

[Dave]

I think that the issue is central midfield

I agree completely.

I think that if we'd been playing this season with Tioté and Cabaye instead of Delph and Petrov we'd have won all five of our games.

Edit - and I say that as a fan of both Delph and Petrov. It's just that neither should be expected to play every game as part of a midfield two (for different reasons)

[hawkeye]

I think that the issue is central midfield

I agree completely.

I think that if we'd been playing this season with Tioté and Cabaye instead of Delph and Petrov we'd have won all five of our games.

Edit - and I say that as a fan of both Delph and Petrov. It's just that neither should be expected to play every game as part of a midfield two (for different reasons)

Dead right so i think we have to play a midfield 3.

[godzvilla]

Why are these Post match pages so soul-destroyingly depressing ? , every week its the same and the funny thing is the views of most of the gloom and doom merchants on here are contrary to those reported in the Press .  Being much closer to Vladivostok ( literally ) than Villa Park I can only rely on the early Sunday Morning Sports Pages for my match analysis , Thank God , because if I had to rely on some of the masochistic misanthropes whose vitriolic bile litters these pages I might seriously re-consider my alliegence to the Club I,ve loved and supported for so many years .
From what I,ve already read this morning ( 10 hours ahead ) BOTH sides contributed to a very entertaining game , Shay made 3 outstanding saves but Villa created ( and albeit wasted ) the more clear cut opportunities , general opinion seems to be that an ' entertaining ' NOT ' boring , draw was a fair result .....but then I am reading the views of unbiased professionals and not the myopic views of those who obviously have another agenda and have had since A.M arrived at Villa Park .         Give the Manager  and his new  team a reasonable chance ( Christ ...we,re unbeaten in 7 games !! ) maybe even try , heaven forbid , a little positivity .......then make up your minds , anything but is wholly unjust , talk about punishing someone prior to the crime ! .
Despairingly................................................Godzvilla !

[cheltenhamlion]

It was pretty shite.

[Legion]

Just a little...

[hawkeye]

Dunno where you are coming from Godzilla, some pretty balanced stuff on here, well the last 4 pages anyway, the anti Mcleish statements are not that prevelant. I am guessing about 1000 people out of 30,000 booed at full time. It was not that bad but it was not that great either.

[Greg N'Ash]

Pretty awful performance, but this is the way we're going. Defence looks better but its at the expense of everything else. I'd like to know what AM'S long term aim's are because it seems we're here to just make up the numbers. Having to hold on at home against Newcastle, dearie me.....

[kippaxvilla2]

I would just describe the place, manager, the team as solid, predictable, steady, but nothing is going to happen this season to get  us on the edge of our seats.  The midfield definitely needs sorting out, because Bent is now being completely starved of supply.  It's absolutely typical of Villa who have spent years looking for a 20 goal a season striker and now have one, have no one who is able to supply decent balls into him.

[PaulMcGrathsNo5Shirt]

Respect due to those who paid to watch more dire, boring, negative, clueless, and some cases (Delph & N'Zogbia) inept football.