Manchester City v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[TaxDodger]

Has this thread involved the word 'predictable' yet?

[old man villa fan]

I'm usually a 'glass half-full' type of guy but if anybody thought at anytime during that game that we could get something out it, they were sadly mistaken.

Just because Man City failed to turn up for the first 20 minutes and Gabby forced an error from Lescott to get a chance shouldn't hide the fact that we were second best by a long way.

The first time we have played a decent side and the defence looked no better than last season's.  I am not just blaming the defenders as defence starts from the front.  The opposition always have the freedom of the park between the half way line and the edge of our penalty area.  I wouldn't mind so much if we were playing a very attacking game and leaving gaps but we are playing dull and lifeless football.

If we are not going to be top 4 contenders, then at least play some decent football that gives some excitement.  I never had much time for the 'West Ham way' when they were at their peak but I would willingly accept that way of playing for Villa now.  Oh for the times of Little, Gray and Deehan.

[Vanilla]

By the way, does anyone else recall the manager's quite worrying comments about playing Man City when he was a pundit for the Spain v Scotland match the other night? Think his expressions whilst talking about Silva et al had the word 'defeat' for today's game stamped all over it.

[SoccerHQ]

I predicted we would lose 4-1 in the pre match thread.

Really couldn't summon up much enthusiasm to watch this so went to Walsall PNE instead which was a decent game.

I think it's a case of just move on and hopefully get a response against Baggies next week.

Let's face it, we usually lose up there even in the days when City were crap and had no money.

Interested a few people saying things like we put in Clark and conceded 4. Well we conceded 4 with Cuellar and Collins at the back up there last season...

Whatever formation McLeish would've come up with today, we'd have lost imo.

[old man villa fan]

The problem with the latter of these is, who actually can we sell at a profit to generate funds in the future (apart from Bent and maybe Gabby)?

If you are forced to sell players to generate funds, you do not fill your squad with over paid ageing players, you develop young players either from within or from clubs lower down the league.  You keep the best if you can and move on the rest at a profit.

[OzVilla]

Sad but due to the game being killed by Sky and Scudamore, games against Man Utd, Chelsea and Citeh have to be endured in the hope that the inevitable defeat doesn't damage confidence too much for those other games of genuine importance. 

Today had the air of an FA cup tie when a lower divison side plays a top flight team, just without the away fans viewing it as a day out.

We did ok considering but today pretty much encapsulates why i'm losing interest in football more with every passing year.  As predicatable as an election in North Korea.

[ROBBO]

We don't have one player that would get into their team, everyone of their players would be an automatic start for us. It's terrible that all i'm hoping for is that Liverpool don't make the top four and we don't get relegated.

[Pete3206]

It doesn't help when the MOTD team refer to a petulant wanker like Balotelli as a 'character'

[Dan England]

Not for the first time in the last few months my love affair with football died a bit more today.

[Greg N'Ash]

I do wish people would stop hiding behind the money angle. we were piss poor as we've been a few times this season - so they've got the personnel to capitalise on our mistakes and bad play but when we were rolling in it not so long ago, i'm not sure the clubs with a fraction of our spend were claiming it was pointless turning up and we were killing football. Heart, discipline and concentation cost nowt.

[Stu]

I do wish people would stop hiding behind the money angle. we were piss poor as we've been a few times this season - so they've got the personnel to capitalise on our mistakes and bad play but when we were rolling in it not so long ago, i'm not sure the clubs with a fraction of our spend were claiming it was pointless turning up and we were killing football. Heart, discipline and concentation cost nowt.

And putting a side together that can contend costs £400,000,000, as seen today.

[BC54 VFC]

Highlight of the day was a pint costing only £1.92 at the Oyster Bar!

City really are the new Chelsea; arrogant supporters. What were their fans doing fighting stewards in the first half?; saw one get smacked four of five times, strange.

Decent meat and potato pie at half-time.

Couldn't even forget about the game this evening; went to a 40th Birthday Party at the Shrewsbury Town ground to be confronted by a mural of Joe Hart on the stairs leading up to the gents!!     

[Greg N'Ash]

I do wish people would stop hiding behind the money angle. we were piss poor as we've been a few times this season - so they've got the personnel to capitalise on our mistakes and bad play but when we were rolling in it not so long ago, i'm not sure the clubs with a fraction of our spend were claiming it was pointless turning up and we were killing football. Heart, discipline and concentation cost nowt.

And putting a side together that can contend costs £400,000,000, as seen today.

so that's the best we can play? I'm sorry Citeh may be a good side but we were complete arse. Bloody side assembled for 40 quid would would have caused us trouble today.

[phantom limb]

We weren't as shite today as when we played them last season. That's all I choose to remember of this game, now let us never speak of it again.

[Stu]

I do wish people would stop hiding behind the money angle. we were piss poor as we've been a few times this season - so they've got the personnel to capitalise on our mistakes and bad play but when we were rolling in it not so long ago, i'm not sure the clubs with a fraction of our spend were claiming it was pointless turning up and we were killing football. Heart, discipline and concentation cost nowt.

And putting a side together that can contend costs £400,000,000, as seen today.

so that's the best we can play? I'm sorry Citeh may be a good side but we were complete arse. Bloody side assembled for 40 quid would would have caused us trouble today.

Hyperbole cranked up to 11, Greg? I agree that the football is shite, but I'd be more concerned if we played like that against Albion next week than against Man City. It was an expected result, just move on from it.