Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[Mazrim]

Mazrim, I'd love to see that team. Can't see it happening though.

Aye, no chance whatsoever.

I urge anybody wanting to watch a Villa side play with some class, determination and flair to go down to Villa Park tonight.

[lukey27]

Mazrim, I'd love to see that team. Can't see it happening though.

Yep, I don't see any problems now with him rotating the full backs. Clark definitely deserves a chance.

My main issue with us away from home is that we seem so devoid of ideas. The way we played in the first halves at QPR, Everton and last night suggest we are trying to get the ball forward as quickly as possible, get flick ons, hold posession and build from there. Well guys, it ain't working.

In those three games I've mentioned we didn't keep the ball in the oppositions half for anywhere near enough time. And yet Mcleish keeps going on about retaining posession. It's a bit worrying with the fixtures coming up.

[SoccerHQ]

I know we can all be prone to hyperbole in the immediate aftermath of a game, but I can't remember a more gutless, hopeless performance.

Doncaster 2005 surely or loads more under O'dreary.

The painful truth is we're miles away from competiting with Spurs. I remember Richard Moore said this in 2006 and I ticked him off about it and low and behold we finished above them from 2007-09 but they've made the right managerial appointment, signed some great foreign players and kept hold of them.

Last night looking at the starting 11s, imo only Given and Gabby would challenge Friedel and Lennon for a place in their team, no one else comes close.

Huge gulf in quality and also confidence on the ball.

To me the state of our midfield is an embarrasment. 18 months ago, we had Downing- Petrov-Milner- Young as our midfield with someone like NRC as back up. What we have at the moment is an insult to compare to that midfield. Stan's had a good season but is starting to fade which you would expect at his age, Herd is still learning and might not be the long term answer, Hutton there was tactically buffoonery and I'm not even going to waste time commenting on Heskey.

Get used to this, we're going to be stuck in 9th,10th,11th all season, we're right back in the Gregory days.

[PaulTheVillan]

I know we can all be prone to hyperbole in the immediate aftermath of a game, but I can't remember a more gutless, hopeless performance.

Doncaster 2005 surely or loads more under O'dreary.

The painful truth is we're miles away from competiting with Spurs. I remember Richard Moore said this in 2006 and I ticked him off about it and low and behold we finished above them from 2007-09 but they've made the right managerial appointment, signed some great foreign players and kept hold of them.

Last night looking at the starting 11s, imo only Given and Gabby would challenge Friedel and Lennon for a place in their team, no one else comes close.

Huge gulf in quality and also confidence on the ball.

To me the state of our midfield is an embarrasment. 18 months ago, we had Downing- Petrov-Milner- Young as our midfield with someone like NRC as back up. What we have at the moment is an insult to compare to that midfield. Stan's had a good season but is starting to fade which you would expect at his age, Herd is still learning and might not be the long term answer, Hutton there was tactically buffoonery and I'm not even going to waste time commenting on Heskey.

Get used to this, we're going to be stuck in 9th,10th,11th all season, we're right back in the Gregory days.

Wasn't we almost top one Xmas under JG?

[Risso]

Mazrim, I'd love to see that team. Can't see it happening though.

Me too, Mazrim for manager!

Spurs seem to have realised that keeping the ball is better than constantly losing it and trying to win it back.  McLeish would probably think that a team with Van Der Vaart and Modric in it would be too lightweight and play Heskey instead of one of them.

[drisaac]

I know we can all be prone to hyperbole in the immediate aftermath of a game, but I can't remember a more gutless, hopeless performance.

Doncaster 2005 surely or loads more under O'dreary.

The painful truth is we're miles away from competiting with Spurs. I remember Richard Moore said this in 2006 and I ticked him off about it and low and behold we finished above them from 2007-09 but they've made the right managerial appointment, signed some great foreign players and kept hold of them.

Last night looking at the starting 11s, imo only Given and Gabby would challenge Friedel and Lennon for a place in their team, no one else comes close.

Huge gulf in quality and also confidence on the ball.

To me the state of our midfield is an embarrasment. 18 months ago, we had Downing- Petrov-Milner- Young as our midfield with someone like NRC as back up. What we have at the moment is an insult to compare to that midfield. Stan's had a good season but is starting to fade which you would expect at his age, Herd is still learning and might not be the long term answer, Hutton there was tactically buffoonery and I'm not even going to waste time commenting on Heskey.

Get used to this, we're going to be stuck in 9th,10th,11th all season, we're right back in the Gregory days.

Wasn't we almost top one Xmas under JG?

Not almost, we were top at Christmas in 98-99 , and then collapsed to finish 6th.

[oldtimernow]

I found it pretty galling to hear chants of "boring, boring Villa" and "hoof!" from Spurs fans last night. It wasn't particularly enjoyable when we heard it at QPR either.

It's not the fact they were chanting it that was most galling, it was the fact it was true.

and the Ole's too....can't think of a season when we've had that done to us so many times

[Cjamesk]

I think our shirt sponsor should be Dignitas after that inept perfromance last night.

It was not only boring and painfull to watch but heart breaking to see the gulf between us and Spurs now, something has to change and fast.

[pauliewalnuts]

Spurs seem to have realised that keeping the ball is better than constantly losing it and trying to win it back.  McLeish would probably think that a team with Van Der Vaart and Modric in it would be too lightweight and play Heskey instead of one of them.

Last night we didn't even seem to be particularly bothered about trying to win it back.

[midnite]

Mazrim, great shout on the team for Sunday!! If only Am had the balls to actually do it

[kippaxvilla2]

The people who are saying first time I've doubted him...where have you been? Worse than I expected??

That's a fair point.  The best I can say about McLeish is that he hasn't been quite as bad I expected, but still pretty hopeless.  It's turning out pretty much as I expected.  Lots of draws, getting battered by the big teams and picking up the odd win here and there against the worst teams in the league to make sure we don't quite go down. 

The people who are saying first time I've doubted him...where have you been? Worse than I expected??

That's a fair point.  The best I can say about McLeish is that he hasn't been quite as bad I expected, but still pretty hopeless.  It's turning out pretty much as I expected.  Lots of draws, getting battered by the big teams and picking up the odd win here and there against the worst teams in the league to make sure we don't quite go down. 

I won't accept that.  We trawled through 24 other candidates to get to the right one you know.

[Vanilla]

Spurs seem to have realised that keeping the ball is better than constantly losing it and trying to win it back.  McLeish would probably think that a team with Van Der Vaart and Modric in it would be too lightweight and play Heskey instead of one of them.

Last night we didn't even seem to be particularly bothered about trying to win it back.

With a full back as a winger, I think our intention for the game was pretty clear. Once they scored, the game plan went out the window.

According to the Daily Mirror, this was our worst shots on target ratio for 6 seasons.

If the manager is setting out not to win these games, as least do a MM at Wolves and rest players.

[Hookeysmith]

Given - cant really be blamed for anything but must wonder what he has done by coming here

Carlos - PLease put him at centre half instead of the lump that is Collins

Collins - you useless C**T just fuck off

Dunne - At least he tried more than can be said for most

Warnock - got skinned by Lennon a few times but not sure what else he did wrong - not being very good is not his fault

Herd - worked his guts out

Petrov - i actually thought he was not playing as i never heard his name or saw him for most of the game

Hutton - Fuck me i have never seen suck a useless waste of human skin (and thats at RB) in midfield just what the fuck was you thinking AM?

Heskey - what can be said what has not already been said- just fuck off you useless lump

Gabby - only one who liked like it was hurting - he must be so frustrated and if he leaves then that will be it for me

Bent - i know he needs service and he is great at tap ins etc - but his contribution to the game we may as well play with 10 men

Manager - when i saw the team i was gobsmacked - i could not believe how shite it was - he may as well as gone into Spurs dressing room and say "Look lads we will give you the points just dont take the piss with the score"
I agree with a post above  - Ekotto (sp) should have been the basis of AM's team talk to fire them up - not to tell them how to act and play

Cowardly, bottless turgid shit

Team for Sunday:

                             Given
Hutton      Carlos       Dunne       Clark
 
                           Herd

Gabby      Jenas            Petrov                NZogbia

                           Bent

So you say that about Hutton, but then pick him in your team for Sunday..?!?!

I agree with what you said about him, and wouldn't want him anywhere near the first team again. Time for Herd (preferably), or Carlos to come in at RB.
If Jenas, Bannan and Clark (as a minimum) don't come in for Sunday for Hutton, Heskey and Collins it will be pretty depressing.

I only have Hutton there due to the fact i like Herd in the middle and with the right mix around him see him as an excellent Defensive CM
If Lichaj was fit he would be in before Hutton in a heart beat

[PaulWinch again]

It annoys me that I have a Southampton fan mate who is shouting from the roof tops about them. I went to a game with him and they actually played really good stuff. He has been banging on about they would beat Villa, and I've been saying forget it and they are in a different league. Scary thing is they probably would beat us.

[brontebilly]

We were an embarrassment last night. From going with the likes of Young and Downing out wide to Hutton and Heskey says it all for the mindset of McLeish.

He is exactly the wrong manager we need in charge of the club right now. We have a host of attacking midfield options and he plays a crap forward and a crap defender in there. That's just the inspiration the likes of Gardner, Albrighton, Delph, Nzogbia, Bannan and Ireland are looking for. Bent and Gabby must be looking for a way out and who could blame them.

Collins needs dropping too. His lack of awareness is startling. Clark in.

Ah fuck it. McLeish out. Villa fans will turn their back on the club every week he stays on. I'd prefer to get relegated than finish 14th playing that gutless brand of football every week.