Aston Villa v Manchester City Post-Match Thread

[andyh]

There have been those on here saying the protesters would have dragged the name of the club down and they would embarrass us.
Well, the club are doing that for us.
Again the media are taking the piss out of our anti football, lack of passion and lack of adventure.

The ginger twat is doing more damage to our reputation than ANY protest.

[Dave Summers]

Due to illness I couldn't make it today, so watched it quietly on my own and the worst thing is, I just couldn't get any passion for the game.   When you aren't at the game, you can take a little more detached view and see things for what they are.    Basically, we are totally and utterly boring to watch, from start to finish.   

I suspect it's a combination of players who have been there too long and are far too comfortable, a manager who as things stand, appears to be out of his depth and other players who just aren't up to it.

Like a few have said on here, Gary Neville and to a lesser extent Martyn Tyler, had it spot on.  We played for 0-0 and somehow hoped to nick a goal.   Where we differed from Everton and Sunderland is that we didn't have the energy they had.  I have felt all season that our players aren't fit enough, we don't press the opposition and we don't work hard enough.   Villa fans will forgive most things if you work hard, I don't think that too many of our players are fit enough to press and harry and snarl and tackle for 90 mins.

As for his interview, I didn't see it, but heard another one on WM.  I honestly can't believe he thought we didn't deserve to lose.   I have defended him all season and still, in a masochistic way, hope it comes right for him but he doesn't do himself any favours with unadulterated horse shit like that.

I believe and hope, we will get enough points from our next four games to stay up, but what happens after that is a frightening prospect.

[gabbyisgod]

Think people need to remember a few things before calling for the managers head after todays performance.

Firstly look at who we we're playing. Do you really think if went out attacked them we would of recieved anything other then a 4-0 roasting?

We actually nulified there attack very well, if it wasnt for another piece of poor defending from a set piece (no McLeish's fault) we would of earnt a decent point. Yes it may be 'boring' but when you have Aguero, Silva, Milner & Johnson running at you i would be inclined to play it safe!

Everton and Sunderland who both got a win against City played the same as we did today they managed to nick a goal and went onto win.

If we sit back like this against Wigan/Blackburn/Fulham/Bolton then i will have to agree with you however i will not moan if we do it against a team who's net spend is over £500 million on 5 years.

Its s good job you ain't a fucking football manager then.

Are you Alex Mcleish ?

Why because i wouldnt go and attack Man City?

maybe im just realistic and understand the only way we would of beat them with our current team is to nick a 1-0. Man U lost 6-1 to these when they attacked them.

Maybe its a good job you arent a football manager. As we are on the topic what would your plan be??

[gervilla]

One positive from the day, Warnock not setting foot on the pitch.
Carlos did a good job today .

[JUAN PABLO]

Marc Albrighton tweeting how we didn't deserve to lose.

Crikey.

I was thinking brainwashed , or AMC has banned all players twitter accounts and took over their passwords.

Marc should have come off at HT
McLeish must have them brainwashed. When Bent almost got an equaliser I was saying to my housemate it would be daylight robbery for us to get away with a point.

[PaulWinch again]

Those saying we more a less nullified Citeh's threat are missing the point. They never stepped out of third gear and the point is we are at home and we didn't try to win, if you can't see what's wrong with that I cannot understand why not.

[JUAN PABLO]

Despite not being impressed with the lineup or large portions of the performance performance, it could be argued that what ultimately settled the result is that their defender scored their chance from a corner and ours put it over the bar. Change any 1 of those scenarios and the result could have been different.

Simplistic view I know, but also true. Maybe that's what Alby and AM are focusing on?

that would have been covering the cracks or getting out of jail

[Rudy Can't Fail]

One positive from the day, Warnock not setting foot on the pitch.
Carlos did a good job today .

He certainly did. Collins looked a lot better too and despite what some have said on here, I really thought everybody put a shift in. I'd be more interested to hear what those that we at the game have to say about it but from TV, it certainly seemed that way.

[Walmley_Villa]

One positive from the day, Warnock not setting foot on the pitch.
Carlos did a good job today .

Well Dunne is going to be out for a bit so Warnock will be back for Wigan. Can't believe McLeish talks up Ireland and CNZ and then benched them. Heskey Ffs! If he plays play him up front you clown. Albrighton is just too lightweight for me. Positives - the defence were ok and Gardner looked decent and hungry for the ball.
What I'd give for a Lambert or Brendan Rogers!

[SoccerHQ]

Why were Albrighton and Gardner picked over Ireland and N'Zogbia?
McLeish is his own worst enemy at times. It was truly awful to watch today. No excuses.

Ireland dosen't function that well in a 2 man midfield, he needs to play as the advanced midfielder in a 3 man central midfield. Gardner is more box-to-box or will be over time.

Suppose the feeling was Albrighton would help out Carlos more than track back, in the end Carlos had Adam Johnson in his pocket anyway. Albrighton was out muscled so much off the ball by De Jong and Zabaleta.

[olaftab]

Those saying we more a less nullified Citeh's threat are missing the point. They never stepped out of third gear and the point is we are at home and we didn't try to win, if you can't see what's wrong with that I cannot understand why not.

I don't buy this City didn't get out of third gear. We stopped them from doing so however we are  or were not good enough due to players/tactics to do any more than that. We were not any better against GIANTS  under MON. This goes against my natural instinct as I think we should not be afraid of anyone at home  but sadly we are.

[villadelph]

Those saying we more a less nullified Citeh's threat are missing the point. They never stepped out of third gear and the point is we are at home and we didn't try to win, if you can't see what's wrong with that I cannot understand why not.

I don't buy this City didn't get out of third gear. We stopped them from doing so however we are  or were not good enough due to players/tactics to do any more than that. We were not any better against GIANTS  under MON. This goes against my natural instinct as I think we should not be afraid of anyone at home  but sadly we are.

I'd argue City didn't even get out of second gear. They didn't have the drive or urgency to pull out all the stops today. We hardly troubled them enough to make them even consider defending.

[gabbyisgod]

Wait for it, in 2 weeks time its gonna be.."We can't compete with the Wigan's of this world".
Embarrassing lack of ambition today. I'm sure it's not the last time I'll say that this season.

Embarrassing lack of ambition today? Did you miss who the opposition was? Man U attacked these a few months back and got smashed 6-1.

Oh. that's okay then. We did the right thing then by passing the ball sideways and backwards until we lost it. Thankfully we only lost 1-0. How I must have misjudged that master tactician AMcL.

0-1 and 0-5 are the same result for us at the moment.

We didn't even try to score.

At no point did we try to win that game today.

The club woud benefit more from having a go and losing four or five than meekly surrendering and losing one nil.

Sorry, but anyone who thinks this is really about losing is totally missing the point.

So if we had held out for 0-0 or 1-0 win but played like that you would still be unhappy? Because if this isnt about loosing then surely you would?

Dont get me wrong i'd love to see attacking football down the Villa, playing teams of the park, however do you really think we could play Man City of the pitch?

[pauliewalnuts]

Play them off the pitch? No.

Have a go and try to win the game? Yes.

[andyh]

Those saying we more a less nullified Citeh's threat are missing the point. They never stepped out of third gear and the point is we are at home and we didn't try to win, if you can't see what's wrong with that I cannot understand why not.

I don't buy this City didn't get out of third gear. We stopped them from doing so however we are  or were not good enough due to players/tactics to do any more than that. We were not any better against GIANTS  under MON. This goes against my natural instinct as I think we should not be afraid of anyone at home  but sadly we are.

We gave Aresnal a game though ?
We lost, but we gave it a bloody good go, and the players we rightfully applauded from the pitch, even in defeat.
McLeish should have learned from that, he obviously has not.