Aston Villa v Manchester United Post-Match Thread

[mrfuse]

Totally agree ozjim, i could not believe that we were closing down and stopping 3 yards from the player instead of getting a foot in thats almost sunday league type tactics. The set up is all wrong.

It's pretty obvious that was a reaction to last week where we picked up 3 early bookigs due to people putting a foot in so being conscious of that they go too far the other way. That's why think we improved after half time when the manager had got into them.

Which seemed a reaction from when we didn't get anywhere near to spurs to foul them! It does seem a bit haphazard.
listening to WM on the way back from the game most callers agreed with the majority of us although one guy said when they cross the white line its down t the players and its players that are causing the problem not McLeish but i disagree I think the Manager has far more influence.
United have a very poor central midfield currently and can be bossed in that area but we have a manager that's content on keeping the goals scored against us to below 2

[PaulTheVillan]

What happened with N'Zogbia?  Must've been serious to drop him in favour of Albrighton.  It's such a shame but that kid has seriously lost his way.

Dropped for breaching some club rules, he missed some routine treatment in the week

[darren woolley]

I don't have the energy to be negative tonight, so I'll be as positive as I can.

We are completely inept in almost every way.

That's way to positive.

We are completely inept in every way.

I disagree because I'm not going to include Bent and Gabby in this. They are two very good forwards who are receiving no help at all. I also excuse Given. The rest very much including the management team are hideous beyond words.

I agree.

[ktvillan]

It's getting embarrassing now.  Slightly better second half, especially after Heskey, for all his faults, came on.  I'm not sure how much of that was (a rather below par looking) Man Yoo realising how easy it was, and saving themselves for CL midweek.  But we still never really looked like bothering them unduly.

For all his faults you can't compare this with GH.  Just think back to the equivalent game last season where despite the comeback you could feel proud that we'd had a go, played some very decent football and should have beaten them.  AM makes MON's coaching style look like Guardiola's by comparison.

Blame the players all you like, and there are some prize arseholes in that squad, but it's AM's job to coach, drill and prepare them and if they can't or won't follow his orders, he isn't doing his job.  And they don't choose the tactics.  Bent may as well take an armchair and a paper out with him for all the service he gets.

I just hope RL considers some of the comments from neutrals, reporters, pundits etc. after this and the Spurs game, and even at half time against QPR.  They have no vested interest or emotional attachment to the club but seem genuinely appalled at what Villa have become and the brand of anti-football we are serving up all too often.  You fucked up big time Randy, now sort it out before it's too late.

The fact that there may be three worse teams than us this season seems our best hope for consolation at the moment.

[olaftab]

Just imagine what McLeish could do if he were backed!

backed up to Scotland!

[olaftab]

I thought Herd was poor as well, not particularly picking on him but I'm not sure about him being a guaranteed starter.

Yesterday, as I posted on my return from VP, he was ineffective. It's the first poor performance I have seen from him and the first time he played without Petrov also in the centre. So may be there is a clue there for Eck.

[drisaac]

On the bright side Hutton had his best game for us and for some completely unfathomable reason we looked better when Heskey came on, despite his individual performance being particularly inept.

Because we then had someone playing in the number 10 position who we could play the ball into, which increased the attacking options.  Why he didn't bring on Ireland instead of Heskey, I don't know.

His ineptitude made him better than Darren Bent, whose contribution of absolutely nothing at all never reached inept.

[Rigadon]

What happened with N'Zogbia?  Must've been serious to drop him in favour of Albrighton.  It's such a shame but that kid has seriously lost his way.

Dropped for breaching some club rules, he missed some routine treatment in the week

Thanks.   

[olaftab]

I don't understand this "Bent contributes nothing" rant.  All Bent does is score goals and for him to do that his  coach and team mates need to provide him with chances. Bent is only useful to a team that dominates and therefore needs a finisher. He is not a "single" striker upfront who can  hold the ball up bring other players into play etc etc. For Bent to be effective we need an effective team and system behind him. This current team and the Coach are a long way off that.

It was almost laughable that when we were down to 10 and leading against WBA our manager kept Bent on the pitch. I will never understand the logic of that.

[Clampy]

We've gone the last 3 games without scoring, which is a worry but we were better in the second half apparantley, so that's ok then.

I'm sorry, but we really do look a piss poor team.

[barrysleftfoot]

  Herd played without Petrov last week, and he was ok last week.

  Is it McL that is the problem, or the players?

  I do agree a lot with ozzjim, the lack of passing, the reliance on the long ball, the goalie constantly hoofing the ball up to a non-existant CF, the lack of pressure on the ball, the lack of movement off the ball, the lack of footballing defenders who can pass a ball, the lack of an attacking midfielder getting in the box to support Bent, Gabby.......these are all McL faults.

  However, most of us was happy with that team when announced before the game, so what happened?
  Albrighton failed to deliver again.Seems to have gone backwards to me, does'nt hold the ball well enough, can't beat a man, needs to learn how to use his fantastic cross better.Jenas did'nt look fit, would'nt put too much reliance on him tbh, Bannan, could be a very good footballer, needs more movement around him.There was one move in the second half, when we moved the ball around very well with first time passes, with Hutton playing a good ball down the line to Albrighton, who put a good cross into Heskey on the back post,so it shows we can do it.

  We have the basis of a good attacking team,has McL got the managerial ability to broing the best out of it, on recent evidence we have to say no, what i would say is please no more Heskey, Petrov, Collins, and get replacements for Dunne and Warnock asap.

[TimTheVillain]

Disgraceful performance and an embarrassment  to the club! Right now we're an absolute shambles, clueless in leadership from top to bottom. I really fear for us, bright future my arse!!

Can't disagree.

ManUre were there for the beating and we rolled over as usual, this time due to lack of quality, ability and I am getting the vibes, poor management.

[philthebar]

Absolutely dismal, but who expected anything different.

However, in my opinion the biggest game of the season, so far, is next week.  We will be in a better position to judge after that performance/result. 

How bad is it when we now look down the table instead of up.

[kippaxvilla2]

And there won't be goals at Villa Park this Christmas Time
The Greatest Gift Blues gave us was their bo--sssss
Where no one ever scores and they play for nil nil draws
Do They know it's Christmas Time at all....

[JJ-AV]

The last three performances have been pathetic.

We're an O'Neill side but at a lower tempo and without the pace on the counter.