Stephen Warnock - loaned to Bolton Wanderers (reply #231)

[rutski]

I'd rather Baker play left back, he's more of a rounder hole for the round peg than Delph.

maybe, but apart from an early bath against wolves and another sub role you are just speculating as to his ability. so warnock makes an error on wed, not unlike the one against everton, there is also the stephen warnock that changed the game completely against wolves when he came on and took out their best player kightly and brilliant performance against chelsea.

[Merv]

I'd be looking at Stevens, Baker and maybe even Lichaj - who has played LB several times for USA - as left-back options before thinking about moving midfielders there.

But I also think it's wide of the mark to question Warnock's effort. He's working hard enough, but making some poor defensive decisions.

[Brend'Watkins]

Talent is nothing without hunger, workrate, desire and confidence. If Stephen got Ian Taylor's heart and desire he would be loved by us.

What he lacks is the confidence. It's well reported that he's the hardest trainer at Bodymoor Heath and I do wonder if his biggest fault is he's trying too hard. As Ad@m said above, apart from the o.g. he didn't do too much wrong.

You're forgetting the ridiculous attempt at a cross field pass that went straight to the opposition and consequently led to their opening goal.

So, other than being responsible for the two goals he was in fine form.  But to his credit, at least this week he didn't try to make out that his deficiencies were due to some bogus injury.   

there was alot of play after that, think it is unfair to take play back too far. The ball into swp's feet that was blocked luckly squirmed to cisse and it was a good hard first time finish. i cannot attribute too much blame at warnock for that!

Well I am.  If you make a crossfield pass as a full back with the team pushing forward you are instantly putting other defenders under extreme pressure if you fail to make an accurate pass.  I have know idea who he was intending to pass the ball to as it went straight to an unmarked opposition player.  It wasn't intercepted, or deflected but straight to one of theirs. 

[Neil Hawkes]

Well I am.  If you make a crossfield pass as a full back with the team pushing forward you are instantly putting other defenders under extreme pressure if you fail to make an accurate pass.  I have know idea who he was intending to pass the ball to as it went straight to an unmarked opposition player.  It wasn't intercepted, or deflected but straight to one of theirs. 

Maybe he (and half the rest of the team), is/are colourblind

[WarleyWonder]

As annoyed as I was at Warnock's calamitous blunder, I do actually feel sorry for the guy. There was no need for the booing aimed at him.

Well done. Boo one of our players. That's really going to help, isn't it? He hardly did it on purpose. Morons.

It's not the first time he has been at fault this season how many more times/points is he going to cost us? It's ok once a season but not as often as this. Warnock as well as Hutton have become a liability.

[Jimmy Smash]

Booing the team or individual players is never the way forward.

[WarleyWonder]

Booing the team or individual players is never the way forward.

No not in all cases I agree but as fans we all think about how much money they are getting paid it's human nature.If you make a mess at work you get a roasting.

[Rick_avfc]

Booing the team or individual players is never the way forward.

I think booing during the match is wrong however, after game, i think fans are entitled to let the team, manager and the board know how they feel about the performance of the game especially if it is anything like the game against Swansea.  At the end of the day, we are the paying customer and we are paying alot of money to see these high earners perform week in week out.  If we feel they have not pulled their weight during the game and have played way below the standards that warrant their salary then we have every right to boo them at the end of the game.

[not3bad]

Didn't Given go and put an arm round him straight after ?
Mind you, we dont know what he said to him.

"I had to pull out one of my best saves to keep you out last time but you were determined to put one past me weren't you son?  You f*cking useles piece of f*cking sh*t"*

*That is a purely hypothetical stament from Given

As for Hutton, will probably get shot down for this but has anyone given him any credit for setting up Bent for the first goal?

[The Laughing Policeman]

In my 57 years of going to Villa Park I only ever booed one player. And he was a left back, good enough to be in the England squad and a good  defender for The Villa. Then in 1977 he appeared to suffer from a loss of form, forwards were going past him as if he wasn't there, couldn't get tackles in, his passing was abysmal and we all got on his back booing every mistimed tackle or misplaced pass. Thirty Five years on and I still feel ashamed when I think about that time.
The players name was John Robson and in 1978 he had to retire because he was suffering with the onset of Multiple Sclerosis.
We didn't know this when we booed him, all we saw was a footballer who apparently had gone from being a good player to being crap in a short space of time and we all thought that he just didn't give a toss any more.
I'm not saying that Warnock is suffering from any illness, but you don't go from being good enough for the England squad to being a rubbish player in two short years without something being wrong somewhere. Hopefully AM and his staff can help him sort out whatever is wrong with him be it a lack of confidence or something else.
Those of you who booed him on Wednesday should pause and think that footballers like the rest of us have things going on that now and again affect the way we do our jobs.

[lovejoy]

Problem is those booing on wednesday are probably not the sort of people to stop and think at all. Modern generation wants everything here and now!

[Concrete John]

As for Hutton, will probably get shot down for this but has anyone given him any credit for setting up Bent for the first goal?

Probably not as for some once a player is shit then that's it!

I'm unsure what I'd do about our fullbacks in the summer. 

I think both can be better than we've seen, but how long do we allow them to find form?  We've probably got Warnock on a very good wage that others won't match, so bringing in a new LB just means another expensive reserve not getting a game.  Hutton had his best game at home to Arsenal with Cuellar next to him, so maybe some of his poorer form is down to Collins?

I guess it depends on what funds AM has to play with.  So a good kitty and he'll look to replace them, a medium kitty and he'll go after ust one and if it's tight look to work with them and/or promote Stevens and Lichaj.   

[Merv]

It is a tricky one, John. Essentially, I like both Hutton and Warnock. I thought Hutton was a decent signing for us, solid and strong going forward, good age still. He's had some rough games but I believe he's improving. Yes, I gave him credit for his part in the goal, both on a different thread and in my ESPN blog. I thought it was a great assist.

I think Warnock is a good footballer and quite why his form has nosedived so much, I don't know. I keep hoping he'll get back to his best... but will he?

What I do is that it'll be nice not to go into a summer looking for new full-backs again, whether it's because we're happy with Hutton and Warnock, or we're going to use Lichaj, Baker, Stevens in those positions.

[Big Dick Edwards]

In my 57 years of going to Villa Park I only ever booed one player. And he was a left back, good enough to be in the England squad and a good  defender for The Villa. Then in 1977 he appeared to suffer from a loss of form, forwards were going past him as if he wasn't there, couldn't get tackles in, his passing was abysmal and we all got on his back booing every mistimed tackle or misplaced pass. Thirty Five years on and I still feel ashamed when I think about that time.
The players name was John Robson and in 1978 he had to retire because he was suffering with the onset of Multiple Sclerosis.
We didn't know this when we booed him, all we saw was a footballer who apparently had gone from being a good player to being crap in a short space of time and we all thought that he just didn't give a toss any more.
I'm not saying that Warnock is suffering from any illness, but you don't go from being good enough for the England squad to being a rubbish player in two short years without something being wrong somewhere. Hopefully AM and his staff can help him sort out whatever is wrong with him be it a lack of confidence or something else.
Those of you who booed him on Wednesday should pause and think that footballers like the rest of us have things going on that now and again affect the way we do our jobs.

Well said mate.

[Louzie0]

Can't think what it would be like in my job (forget the £thousands) if everything I said and everything I did, minute by minute, was greeted by cheers or boos from hundreds of thousands of people.

I was watching the match on sunday with arsenal fans; 'because' - on another thread. 
I was noticing excellent plays and passes.  Stephen W made a large number of the passes I cheered. He is a superb player.

He deserves to be playing his position.  It doesn't mean he will always get everything right.  He's just very good!