Chelsea v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[paulcomben]

The whole game is on sky at 815 tonite.

Come on you beauties!

To be precise. 8.25 on Sky Sports 2. A prize to anyone who tells me successfully how I can persuade my wife to let me watch that on NYE party nite...?!

[Legion]

Links to goals

[Phil from the upper holte]

I thought we were gonna get stuffed, well done to all. Totally deserved let's keep it going

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

Wow Wow Wow !!! Petrov excellent - Ireland best game yet, Gabby great power and commitment, Clarke looks composed and ready to take over that position. Gardner will be our master stroke in 2012. Tonight i am gonna party like its 1999 !!!!! :-)))))

[Brend'Watkins]

Bent beating the badge after his goal.  He's going nowhere.

[Colhint]

Bent beating the badge after his goal.  He's going nowhere.

yeah I noticed that. Good innit

[olaftab]

Thank you Alex. Thank you boys. Tonight the party is on over on the west side of London for Claret and Blues

[Charlie8182]

I recall a headline many, many years back when I think we won 3-0 down there. Platty got on the scoresheet. The headline was "Blue murder at the bridge"

Love it

You mean 3-0 on new years day 1990?  I recall another headline being "Villa's Chelsea power show"!.

[Ian.]

Hey, fatty came on and for once didn't bloody score....fat bastard, ha ha!

[Richard]

massive, massive game now against Swansea. They're not very good on the road, and Villa Park should be buzzing after today. We must take advantage of the new momentum and good feeling. People left Villa Park generally happy and encouraged after Arsenal despite the result. Time to send Villa fans home with an even bigger smile now to start 2012 off right with a good win.

I agree. I think it may be a mistake to revert to 442 as well. Ireland has made that very difficult anyway. I'd play the same xi if we can, perhaps with Hutton for Collins?

If Petrov is injured, I think I'd probably play Gardner rather than Ireland deeper? Anyway, not one for decision now.

thing is Matt, if the team have confidence playing this way, we can play in a number of different systems. Horses for courses and all that, and it will mean different players being able to adapt to different situations. The key is, keep the ball on the deck, knock it about and play the ball to the players that can do the damage. We did that today.

True, but Ireland's movement was so good. He gave our midfielders an option that Bent doesn't give us. If we're going to retain Petrov and Clark as deeper holding midfielders, then I think we risk losing creativity in the middle of the park if we just stick BEnt and Gabby playing right up top.

No problem, Bent up front, Gabby wide for home games with NZog/Marc on the other flank. Ireland Petrov and Clark to always start with Delph Gardner Bannan as cover - Herd to cover full back.

[littlevillain]

Ireland was class today and also worked tremendously hard. He has finally showed us what he can do and deserves a run in the team.
In my opinion that starting team should remain in place for the swansea game, great stuff.

[The Laughing Policeman]

Useless shower of cnuts. I had them down for a draw and if they had I'd have been £1,016 better off!
Am I bovvered?
Keep it up lads.

[ktvillan]

AM must be given credit for revisiting his tactics and approach and deciding to go for it a bit more in the last few games.  Perhaps the leopard is capable of changing his spots after all. It shows that you can achieve something while playing a bit of decent football along the way.  He will win over many doubters if he continues in that vein.  Also credit for having the balls to introduce Gardner for his PL debut when the game was still in the balance.  It was almost a Fergusonesque type move.

Ireland, for me, is the most technically gifted player we have.  In the first half against Arsenal and today,  he showed that if he marries his obvious ability to a little application, he is one hell of a player, and a fantastic creative fulcrum.  Bannan can learn a lot from him. Long may he rehabilitation continue.

And for once we didn't concede from a set piece. Happy New Year everyone.

[paulcomben]

I recall a headline many, many years back when I think we won 3-0 down there. Platty got on the scoresheet. The headline was "Blue murder at the bridge"

Love it

You mean 3-0 on new years day 1990?  I recall another headline being "Villa's Chelsea power show"!.

Is it that long ago? I was at that game, on the big old open terrace.

[Matt Collins]

No problem, Bent up front, Gabby wide for home games with NZog/Marc on the other flank. Ireland Petrov and Clark to always start with Delph Gardner Bannan as cover - Herd to cover full back.

I tend to agree. But with Bent as a lone front man, we sometimes struggle to make the ball stick, probably more so away than at home. That's why we've actually sometimes looked better with heskey in the side.