Aston Villa v Swansea City Post-Match Thread

[barrysleftfoot]

  We played exactly the same tactics as Swansea today, 1 up front, 2 wide players, and 2 holding midfielders.

  The difference was, they did'nt give us a goal, we gave them 2.


  The confidence attained in the result on sat, seemed to completely evapourate after the 1st goal, the mistakes increased,confidence diminished and the moaning louder.Teams don't have to play well to beat us at VP, we help them.The team is far too fragile at home.

 

[phantom limb]

The after-match bile that is normally directed at Hutton has been masking how poor a player Warnock is. At least Hutton tries, whereas Warnock just seems to be not bothered with his consistent incompetence. I hope Stevens is half decent because we need to replace Warnock asap.

All of the opposition teams know he's our weak link as well, right wingers around the country must rub their hands with glee when they see his name on the team sheet. I think Dyer is a good player from what I've seen of him, but he absolutely rinsed Warnock and it was just embarrassing. Perhaps Houllier had the right idea when he dropped him into the reserves for most of last season.

Fair play to Swansea, they absolutely did us and I've no complaints. I just hope that someone at boardroom level sat through this debacle and got as annoyed as I did.

Warnock was outstanding against Chelsea.

Players make mistakes but managers send the 11 out with instructions and motivational thoughts. McMinge screwed up today by playing tired players and by trying to play a game-style that doesn't suit us (slow build-up stuff is really not our bag). He should have kept the same formation as against Chelsea but freshened up the players by including Gardner and / or Bannan.

The biggest problem - I suspect - was attitudinal: and that's down to the manager and coaching staff.

He played well but Chelsea don't really play with any width, they're much more compact than most of the other teams in the league and Warnock didn't have anyone running at him directly like Dyer did today. Any half decent winger will normally turn him inside out.

I agree that McLeish should have freshened up the team though, even though we don't have much of a squad bringing in some fresher players would have helped. Again the problem with Warnock is that he hasn't had anyone really challenging him for his place, I think it's a waste playing Clark there as he's better of in central defence or in midfield and after that there isn't anyone else.

[Phil from the upper holte]

So swansea have spent millions more than us?

[PeterWithesShin]

Some people need to stop throwing their toys out the pram and acting like we're some sort of force these days who should be steam rolling teams like Swansea at home.

You're daft if you think we shouldn't have dismantled Swans today. Coming off a win at the Bridge Swansea should have been chopped liver.

This is exactly why there's so much negativity around Villa fans at the moment. Too many fans think we've got a better squad than we actually have. The reality is that we're in that group of teams from 7th-20th who are on course to finish exactly where our ability should see us finish. I honestly don't understand where some people think we should be? Challenging teams that have spent millions more than us?

Challenging teams at VP that have spent millions less than us would be a start.

[Clampy]

It's is so bloody frustrating. I feel for Eck in a way though. If he'd have made 4 or 5 changes and lost, he'd have been slaughtered. He makes one change and he's told he should have rested more and in hindsight maybe he should have. It's a tough one to call. I presume he was hoping the momentum from Saturday would have got them through. Either way, i'm hoping it's a one off after the upturn in recent form.

[villadelph]

Some people need to stop throwing their toys out the pram and acting like we're some sort of force these days who should be steam rolling teams like Swansea at home.

You're daft if you think we shouldn't have dismantled Swans today. Coming off a win at the Bridge Swansea should have been chopped liver.

This is exactly why there's so much negativity around Villa fans at the moment. Too many fans think we've got a better squad than we actually have. The reality is that we're in that group of teams from 7th-20th who are on course to finish exactly where our ability should see us finish. I honestly don't understand where some people think we should be? Challenging teams that have spent millions more than us?

I never say this, ever.. but absolutely terrible post.

It's not about the squad at hand, but the club. Aston Villa should never lose at home to a promoted side. Swansea played some excellent football today and deserved all the points, but for a large club like Aston Villa to roll over and serve up this dross is unacceptable. And to accept the fact that we are on the same level, or below, clubs like Swansea is absolutely absurd. Generalizing us in the group of "7th to 20th" is nonsense, the gap between clubs in 7th and 16th is miles, let alone Blackburn. Then to bring up the "Well, they spend millions" argument is ridiculous. Villa have spent tons on the current squad, whether they meet their transfer values is completely irrelevant.

You're voluntary acceptance of a pessimism is why there is so much negativity at the club. We're Aston Villa Football Club and we don't want to lose to clubs who have hardly ever established themselves in the history of the FA.

[Jockey Randall]

So swansea have spent millions more than us?

I think you've misunderstood. I'm talking about the table. At the end of the day it's how the league ends up that matters, not one off games. Over the course of the season you're going to get poor results like today and excellent results like Chelsea but our ability will see us finish where we deserve to finish, which I reckon this season will be 10th-12th and would represent a solid start under Big Eck.

[john2710]

You just knew we would lose after winning at Chelsea. Only Villa could do that.

Defensive mistakes cost us today, you just can't give any team 2 goals as easily as we did. Quite why we gave Swansea so much room in the first half is beyond me, Eck could not have watched them beforehand because we just sat back and never closed them down.  I don't know what formation we played out there but it lacked any sort of cohesion.

The only plus points were Ireland for 60 minutes, N'Zogbia & Dunne.  However, why Ireland is being lauded by some on the basis on 1 good game in 18 months is beyond me. 

Two games in 48 hours is too much to expect at this level.

Today Clarke looked like a centre half playing in midfield.

[hawkeye]

Just got back, the game was over once Warnock gave them the goal.One of the best passing sides I have seen with no bite up front, they didnt need it we awarded them the goals.
With Bent it is like playing with 10 men, his lack of movement made it very easy for them as did our pedestian build up play and lack of tecnique, every Swansea player did thier job, marked harrased and when on the ball passed it.
Mcliesh got the starting line up wrong thier was no need to change a winning team but you can not legislate for the stupid mistakes we continue to make and the poster above who pointed out that we are useless at corners is spot on.

[Villanation]

Some people need to stop throwing their toys out the pram and acting like we're some sort of force these days who should be steam rolling teams like Swansea at home.

You're daft if you think we shouldn't have dismantled Swans today. Coming off a win at the Bridge Swansea should have been chopped liver.

This is exactly why there's so much negativity around Villa fans at the moment. Too many fans think we've got a better squad than we actually have. The reality is that we're in that group of teams from 7th-20th who are on course to finish exactly where our ability should see us finish. I honestly don't understand where some people think we should be? Challenging teams that have spent millions more than us?

Villa have basically got a very decent squad, certainly a better team of players then the likes of Swansea, look at it this way, Chelsea have a super rich squad of bristling talent, so what is the common denominator it was is going wrong at Chelsea and what is going wrong at Villa, comes down to one thing and one thing only.

Mates of mine are Chelsea fans, they can't understand how Abramovich not normally known for his patience is being so tolerant of what they describe as a utterly clueless example of a manager, the same could easily said for AM.

[timeoutbigbar]

Warnock...whoops!

Will they ever learn that there is a right time to play football at the back, and then there are times when you just twat it away. Feels like more often than not we hoof it when it could be played and play it when it needs to be hoofed.

The worrying part for me was that even after that cock up and the later one involving Guzan, they still kept doing the same things over and over again.

[villadelph]

So swansea have spent millions more than us?

I think you've misunderstood. I'm talking about the table. At the end of the day it's how the league ends up that matters, not one off games. Over the course of the season you're going to get poor results like today and excellent results like Chelsea but our ability will see us finish where we deserve to finish, which I reckon this season will be 10th-12th and would represent a solid start under Big Eck.

The games of today shape the table of tomorrow. To brush this game off as a "one off" is daft, we already gave them a point in the away fixture and we gifted them 3 points today.

[brian green]

Exactly correct OMVF.  It is all down to coaching, both the coaching they get and their willingness to be coached.   Time and time again they play the lazy option.   The ball bobs from head to head in the middle of the park and the brave thing is to let it drop to feet and place an accurate pass.   How many time do you see a Villa player take the lazy option of keeping the ball in the air and losing possession.   Add to this our lack of movement off the ball to give men in possession a target and you get the shambles of a game we saw today.

There was one instance when Carlos Cuellar had the ball close to the Swansea corner flag and not one single Villa player moved to take his pass.   He is a defender he is not going to dribble round the full back.   He did well to get into that position but all it earned was yet another wasted corner.

[Villanation]

So swansea have spent millions more than us?

I think you've misunderstood. I'm talking about the table. At the end of the day it's how the league ends up that matters, not one off games. Over the course of the season you're going to get poor results like today and excellent results like Chelsea but our ability will see us finish where we deserve to finish, which I reckon this season will be 10th-12th and would represent a solid start under Big Eck.

The games of today shape the table of tomorrow. To brush this game off as a "one off" is daft, we already gave them a point in the away fixture and we gifted them 3 points today.

Spot on, business end of the season, it just gets harder, those points today will cost us dearly, there are 2 teams below us in Sunderland and Fulham that I firmly believe will finish above us, another 2 that are real contenders to pip us if they get a good run or spend in Jan, so that puts us right in the mix, fact is Robbie Savage may just be right touting Villa as the surprise package.

[barrysleftfoot]

   If you are going to play football from the back, then have defenders who can do it, and more importantly defenders who have pace, so that they have the confidence to play from the back.

  Swansea played well today, but we let them, and to be honest, they did'nt look that dangerous.