Aston Villa v Manchester City Post-Match Thread

[old man villa fan]

Watching again on motd  dreadful defending for their goal. Our LB, RB and CH all leave station and decend on Barry and no one left to stop Lescott.

The amount of times I've heard something similar to this in the last few months. We must be aware of it by now, yet amazingly we don't seem to be working on improving this aspect of our game.

I have said it before, our central defenders are good in the air when the ball is coming straight at them but when the ball is put in from the side they haven't got any positional sense.  That is why they constantly lose the oposition players in the box or fail to cover the zone they should be covering.

I can see it so why can't an ex international centre half.  It is becoming a joke the number of goals we are conceding to unmarked players in and aroung the 6 yard line.

[Pete3206]

Heskey why?

Decide to have a go at 88 minutes why?

Rubbish.

[Greg N'Ash]

 If AM's made one mistake in the transfer market so far its spending 10m on a mediocre player like N'Zogbia when we should have thrown the entire lot at the defence.

[Somniloquism]

I can see why he set us up like he did and Heskey really put a shift in but after the encouraging signs over the last few weeks, I was hoping we'd play to our strengths rather than trying to nullify Man City's. Looking at Man City's record, if you can shut the up for the first 25 minutes, you're in with a chance. Today, despite a couple of near scares, I thought the defence looked the best it's looked for a long time, although it could be argued with Petrov and Gardner playing so deep, we had 6 across the back line.

Where we failed today, apart from Dunne going missing for the goal, was any real threat up front. As a few mentioned on the Match thread, we really should have introduced Ireland and N'Zogbia immediately after they scored and played to OUR strengths. In the end we were unlucky not to equalise, Carlos really should have buried that header and Bent his shot. Hart did very well but in a game with so few opportunities, he really needs to be more clinical.

Hopefully in the next four games we'll get back to playing to our strengths and if the players show the same level of commitment as they showed today and they'll need to, I really can see us picking up a few, long overdue wins.

That's more or less my take on things.

Apart from it was Collins marking Lescott who then decided to follow the ball instead and leave his man unmarked inside the 6 yard box. Dunne had kept with his man who had gone near post.

[taylorsworkrate]

If AM's made one mistake in the transfer market so far its spending 10m on a mediocre player like N'Zogbia when we should have thrown the entire lot at the defence.

Well he threw £4 million on Hutton, so I wouldn't trust him in that regard either.

[Greg N'Ash]

If AM's made one mistake in the transfer market so far its spending 10m on a mediocre player like N'Zogbia when we should have thrown the entire lot at the defence.

Well he threw £4 million on Hutton, so I wouldn't trust him in that regard either.

True, but 10m could have got us a decent centre half and a left back. I reckon we've had half a match out of N'Zogbia so far this season altogther, at most a match. And to think i said he turned it on once every 10 games

[Somniloquism]

Well I expect a back four of Hutton, Collins, Cueller and Warnock next game if Dunnes Collar bone is broken. Will Rays spinning head give odds on whose fault the next goals from Wigan will be?

[Greg N'Ash]

gotta look on the positive side and i don't think Dunne being out is particularly bad news. Hopefully someone will adjust and shine in there and we can fuck the big lummox off

[Irish villain]

McLeish's thoughts on the game from Pravda.

"Everton was good inspiration for us. We played very similar. Unfortunately for us we let one in and didn't get luck at the other end that Everton got on the night. "

He's putting it all down to bad luck.

He should stop digging. I think he's in personal crisis actually. Not what we need right now.

[Drummond]

If AM's made one mistake in the transfer market so far its spending 10m on a mediocre player like N'Zogbia when we should have thrown the entire lot at the defence.

HE bought Hutton and Given.

His focus, though, was trying to cover for the loss of Downing and Young, hence the N'Zogbia signing.

[old man villa fan]

McLeish's thoughts on the game from Pravda.

"Everton was good inspiration for us. We played very similar. Unfortunately for us we let one in and didn't get luck at the other end that Everton got on the night. "

He's putting it all down to bad luck.

He should stop digging. I think he's in personal crisis actually. Not what we need right now.

Up until now he has generally talked a good game but his post-match comments today are of a manager who has lost the plot.  He looks and sounds like the pressure has got to him.  If the next 4 matches do not go right for him, I can see him walking.

[Greg N'Ash]

If AM's made one mistake in the transfer market so far its spending 10m on a mediocre player like N'Zogbia when we should have thrown the entire lot at the defence.

HE bought Hutton and Given.

His focus, though, was trying to cover for the loss of Downing and Young, hence the N'Zogbia signing.

Said at the time N'Zogbia was massively overpriced. He was never a decent replacement for either of them whether that was in  ability or workrate as well in Young's case. Could have got someone abroad with the same or better potential for half what we paid, and thats our problem - we buy the foreign players after they've come to the UK and not have a punt before when they're cheap

[sg]

36% possession... at home.

[Irish villain]

McLeish's thoughts on the game from Pravda.

"Everton was good inspiration for us. We played very similar. Unfortunately for us we let one in and didn't get luck at the other end that Everton got on the night. "

He's putting it all down to bad luck.

He should stop digging. I think he's in personal crisis actually. Not what we need right now.

Up until now he has generally talked a good game but his post-match comments today are of a manager who has lost the plot.  He looks and sounds like the pressure has got to him.  If the next 4 matches do not go right for him, I can see him walking.

His media handling had also impressed me. As I have said, he always seemed composed and realistic. He usually comes across as a man I could see footballers having respect for.

Today was like some sort of meltdown by comparison. Like he has lost confidence and can't believe where we have been sucked down to.

[bertlambshank]

Their is no way McLeash will walk.