Aston Villa v Norwich City Post-Match Thread

[olaftab]

Improving? He was awful yesterday, didn't do anything,when he had the ball he just got his head down and lost it. If that's an improvement I shudder to think what he was like before.

How many times have you seen him play live to make that call? I have been very disappointed with N'Zogbia so far this season. I have seen him in all home games and two away fixtures and yes he has been terrible but yesterday I thought it was his best game, albeit with no end product, for us.  So I think he is improving.

[Irish villain]

And Jenas had a swagger in that midfield that we've missed for some time.

If that promise is fulfilled, we might actually be in for a decent season.

Not to pick on you, these are my sentiments too. But speaking from my own stand-point, one weak I think we're comfortable top 8, the next that we'll be fighting relegation! We have a lot of potential, let's hope we fulfil it as there will be plenty of others sniffing around the top half.

[UsualSuspect]

Norwich looked shoddy defensively, and it seemed to take us a while to realise this. However, to be honest, we didn't look fantastic off the ball either, and the game, as I predicted, could really have gone either way, but our superior forwards made the difference. If it weren't for Gabby in particular we'd be absolutely nowhere, and we needed this win considering the run of games we have coming up.

Quite a good summary Monty

A good win, good for morale with 2 tough away games coming up and then nightmare December

[Merv]

His biggest problem is that he is replacing Ashley Young who even on a bad day almost always created chances.

Maybe a few Young doubters are beginning to realise what he gave to the side. We could always just ping the ball his way, and Young would do something with it - N'Zogbia's not the same type of player. But I agree, the last two games, he's looked brighter. I'd like to see a third midfielder brought into the side, which might then allow N'Zogbia to ease off his defensive duties a tad and concentrate on working the final third.

[N'ZMAV]

Terrible first half hour though.

[N'ZMAV]

Herd was excellent. He gives Petrov a bit more license to get forward and dictate the play a bit. Which, he did well. Gabby was first class. He gave Norwich all sort of problems, playing either on the left or through the middle.

[Brend'Watkins]

His biggest problem is that he is replacing Ashley Young who even on a bad day almost always created chances.

Maybe a few Young doubters are beginning to realise what he gave to the side. We could always just ping the ball his way, and Young would do something with it - N'Zogbia's not the same type of player. But I agree, the last two games, he's looked brighter. I'd like to see a third midfielder brought into the side, which might then allow N'Zogbia to ease off his defensive duties a tad and concentrate on working the final third.

I liked Ashley Young and what he did for us.  But one thing I have noticed since his departure is that Gabby has blossomed.  I think that has happened in part due to Young's absence from the side.  We look stronger as an attacking force.  Maybe it's because Gabby has been given more responsibility which he is relishing.

[Simon Ward]

Told you it would be "squeeky bum time" near the end. Good match though and a decent attendance.

[N'ZMAV]

N'Zogbia was trying too hard. If he keeps things simple he will do well.

[LeeB]

N'Zogbia was trying too hard. If he keeps things simple he will do well.

Absolutely.

[Concrete John]

Probably the best we've played attacking wise this season, but we still look woeful at the back.  I'm not sure why though, as I think both fullbacks are improving and the CBs should be a good pairing, plus we were much tighter at the start of the season.  For me it seems to be a lack of organisation/communication, which is pretty much the one thing we thought AM would bring us.

Gabby was excellent and Bent showed that with service he'll score.  Herd seems to be improving game by game.  N'Zogbia, like the fullbacks, is playing himself into some sort of form - needs a goal to settle in fully, though.  Although far to early to draw any meaningful conclusions, I thought Jenas did well when he came on.

If we can start getting the defence right, we might turn out to be a much better side than a lot of us thought!

[Irish villain]

Looking at the fixtures, we'll be doing well to have gained six points on where we are now by 1 January 2012. Arsenal, Liverpool, Man U and Chelsea all to play.

I would f*****g love it if we, somehow, whipped Liverpool though.

[Sleeuwenhoek]

Don't actually think we were woeful at the back v Norwich, not saying we haven't been before though. Their first was an unstoppable free kick and their second was when Hutton was out of the game and Ireland, having only just come on, made a pretty piss poor attempt at stopping the cross coming in. First 20 minutes weren't great but after that thought the defence was OK

[CJ]

I personally thought Hutton got fouled in the lead up to their second but MOTD didn't really show it clearly

[Concrete John]

Don't actually think we were woeful at the back v Norwich, not saying we haven't been before though. Their first was an unstoppable free kick and their second was when Hutton was out of the game and Ireland, having only just come on, made a pretty piss poor attempt at stopping the cross coming in. First 20 minutes weren't great but after that thought the defence was OK

Each to their own, but I thought it was a soft free kick to give away and we did that quite a few times, thereby inviting pressure on us.  They cut us open too easily early on and although I agree about the Hutton/cross thing, we still ended up with a man unmarked on the back post.

I was shitting myself everytime they came near our box in the last 10 minutes.