Chelsea v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[Dave Clark Five]

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.

So was I with a stonking hangover, probably only cost about a fiver to stand on that open sewer!

I did a pavement pizza outside Paddington Station that morning feeling as rough as could be.

[eric woolban woolban]

We're Aston Villa.

We've been down, but we certainly haven't been out.

UTV. It's amazing what a result can do.

Did anyone have a cheeky punt on us winning?

[GordonCowansisthegreatest]

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.

That sticking problem might not be so bad with Ireland playing.  With on up top the hardest thing is to stop the striker getting isolated.  With Ireland play he loves to burst beyond the midfield so he should give Bent an easy pass. 

Ireland did that loads today although he may have been filling the gap created by gabby drifting left. 

I would be tempted to play Bent up front and give Gabby a well earned rest, at least for the first hour against Swansea.

[Ian.]

I'm absolutely delighted with the result and performance today.

Today and the preceding performances against Stoke and Arsenal show to me that McLeish has finally managed to turn things around from earlier in the season. I don't know whether it's his message getting through to the players or whether he is changing his own ideas but he deserves immense credit for the much better standard of play and performance we've seen lately.

It's really encouraging to see us play like we did today with decent passing and movement. We've now came out of our shell much more against Arsenal and Chelsea than we did with Man Utd and Tottemham. Finally, it was good to see that we used the kids a bit more today as well. Hopefully, this is the first of many appearances from young Gary Gardner.

Totally agree, something has happened the last couple of weeks, a definite improvement in quality.

Well the poor fella was in charge of a shower of shit before us. He needs a bit of time to evaluate the situation here. He has not had long really. Also he is in a whole different situation to our last two managers as regards the finances at present.
I said he had balls to come here, and he had balls today with the changes on the pitch with 15 minutes to go while drawing 1-1. Fair play to AM.

[Mister E]

Well, I've been pretty disparaging about Ireland - the person - and am not his bigggest fan. However, watching the game today I'll happily concede that he's a very effective player when on song. The trick for McMinge will be to keep him in that mental state to deliver games like that consistently. That means playing him behind one or two front runners.

I'd like to apologise to anyone I've poked fun at on H&V about Ireland: I still think he's an ijiit but his footballing capabilities are potentially very explosive.

Petrov was awesome today and really well-supported by Clark.

It really does feel like a massive draught of enthusiasm and optimism has blown through here: we played really well against the Arse, did pretty well against Stoke and this result today was fully deserved.

The next game - as someone above said - is now critical to building on all of the good work.

[Chris Smith]

I think Bolton was the turning point, there was a confidence about them that day that we had rarely seen this season. There was a blip against Livepool but since then we're looking like a side transformed.

I feel a little vindicated for all the stick I was taking when arguing that 13 games was too little to judge the manager. Now we've got to keep it up and look forward to a more enjoyable 2012

[brian green]

I will tell you what has happened.   William McGregor looked down from Football Heaven and was so pleased with what he saw in the graveyard of St Mary's he arranged for a miracle that all the demons of negativity and nick-a-goal-and hope-it-is-enough be cast out of his countryman.  And I don't mean Barry Bannan.   

My ex plumber who ripped me off for a new five grand boiler and left us without heat last Christmas is a Chelsea fan.   I do hope he was watching that.

[Ryu]

We're Aston Villa.

We've been down, but we certainly haven't been out.

UTV. It's amazing what a result can do.

Did anyone have a cheeky punt on us winning?

I did.  My only regret is not putting more than £2.50 on at 11/1

[Risso]

Really pleased for Ireland today.  Hope this kick starts his Villa career and he gets back to being the player he was four years ago when he looked world class.  Whatever he stuck in that bong seems to have worked anyway!

[Phil from the upper holte]

I was going to say we were 11/1 I'm just happy,  happy new year to my Aston Villa brothers and sisters

[PaulTheVillan]

Chris Herd is going to struggle to get back in that side.

Haha. Never thought I'd be saying that!

Still buzzing.

Chuffed for Ireland & McLeish

[damon loves JT]

I would like to apply to be a supporter of Aston Villa Football Club.

Am I in the right place?

[PeterWithesShin]

I would like to apply to be a supporter of Aston Villa Football Club.

Am I in the right place?

Are you Tim Lovejoy?

[Legion]

I would like to apply to be a supporter of Aston Villa Football Club.

Am I in the right place?

You most certainly are.

[PaulTheVillan]

Oh, thanks Lampard for setting Ireland off for the final goal.