Swansea City v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[Chris Smith]

Why isn't BB an automatic starter?

Can you really not think of a single reason why he might not be an automatic starter this week?

[taylorsworkrate]

It is a fair arguement Chris and well defended. However, it is not about today in isolaton is it.

It is about how we are playing after a third of the season and how we think we might fair as we go forward. Are we improving? Are we a scare to at least half of the Division? Or are we defensive minded but defensively niieve?

Are you honestly positive about how we play and how we might finish the season in comparison with our competitors of not so long ago. Spuds? For example.

Are you proud of how we play or embarassed.......

I'm realistic.

We're in a different place to Spurs at the moment, it's an overused word but we're in transition. So I'll take each game as it comes, in the last 3 that's a good performance against Norwich, poor (apparently) against Spurs and decent today. Overall only three defeats in 13 is also decent, as is being 8th in the table.

That is true of course Chris.  Two of them against 2 of the top 5 teams in the league.

However, on the other hand only 3 wins in 13, two of them against 19th and 20th, the other at home to a promoted side is poor. 

I don't think we were decent today.  I thought both teams were poor (although there were mitigating factors).

[Nirog72]

Delph will be fine. He would benefit from better players around him and the structure they are playing at the moment seems to be confusing or uncomfortable for quite a few of them. I think he'd be better on the left side of midfield than a lot of our other options there as well.

We are at a point in our season when we don't look like we'll be competing for anything and most of the good football is coming from our younger players. We therefore have to give Bannan more game time (when he plays deep even Collins stops hoofing it and gives it to him) and we need to stick with players like Delph. He is at least as good as the alternatives. It would be nice to see Clark in the team as well (as a ball playing centre back) but as we got a clean sheet today that won't happen.

I'm not going to say anything (else!) about the manager. He is here and we are stuck with him. I just hope he sees the obvious in time to improve the season for all of us.

Oh, and if Delfouneso is going to get splinters on his backside every week please send him on loan again so he can at least try and demonstrate his potential.

[Chris Smith]

Over 43% predicted a defeat on the pre match thread, why aren't those people reacting more positively to us doing better than they expected?

[Mister E]

I notice Stephen Ireland isn't even making the bench these days

I admire your pursuit of the positives.

[Nirog72]

Chris - Yes Bannan has had a 'busy' week but if he's on the bench he is presumably mentally and physically fit to play. He certainly looked it.

[Simba]

I predicted a draw. Not happy though am I. Simply because I would and never should, be happy to predict a draw against Swansea. For Aston Villa.

But now I do, and did.

[dave.woodhall]

I predicted a draw. Not happy though am I. Simply because I would and never should, be happy to predict a draw against Swansea. For Aston Villa.

But now I do, and did.

You're one of us old arses - can you not remember an entire list of clubs we should 'always beat' but never do?

[taylorsworkrate]

Chris - Yes Bannan has had a 'busy' week but if he's on the bench he is presumably mentally and physically fit to play. He certainly looked it.

Agreed.  If you're mentally and physically fit enough to be on the bench then you are also to start.  If he wasn't then he shouldn't have been in the squad.

[Chris Smith]

Chris - Yes Bannan has had a 'busy' week but if he's on the bench he is presumably mentally and physically fit to play. He certainly looked it.

Yes but would it have been the right thing to do? What message does it send to other youngsters if in the week you appear in court you get picked to start in the first team?

I say that as a big fan of Bannan.

[Chipsticks]

Great result, plus Albrighton was on the bench, which is promising as he has been stuck in the reserves in recent weeks.

Quit Yer' whinin'.

[Iago]

That performance was woeful and a huge let down, fortunately Swansea matched us.

We have serious issues with ball retention; it was amusing to see McLeish irate when Heskey and Hutton lost the ball, what did AM expect when he chose that side?

Bannan and Jenas should have started, we became much more controlled and positive when they had come on. I hold no hope that AM will pick a different team against United. I despise AM's management.

[Iago]

Over 43% predicted a defeat on the pre match thread, why aren't those people reacting more positively to us doing better than they expected?

Is that a joke?

[Nirog72]

Chris, I think that's a very valid point but I absolutely don't think that's why we did it. He wouldn't have been on the bench if we were sending a message - in fact, unless I've missed it, aside from not selecting him for a couple of games the club has said very little about it at all.

[PaulWinch again]

I did think N'Zogbia was better today.