Aston Villa v Fulham Post-Match Thread

[PaulMcGrathsNo5Shirt]

Get in!! On our first half performance should have put us 2 or 3 up, but we could also have been 0-1 had Dempsey I think it was been half a yard sharper. They could also have nicked one in a similar move early in the 2nd half.

Gabby needs someone up with him who as he needs to be 1 on 1 with defenders, being the lone striker means he ends up outnumbered and lacking space to run into as his decision making isn't great.

Petrov's shooting was clearly a strategy used to try and make more efforts on goal, it wasn't great admittedly but I'd like to see Gardner given that opportunity between now and the end of the season. I'm pleased for Weimman, he's a goal scorer - a Jonny-on-the-spot type like Bent, but Weimman I think can link the play outside the box better than Bent. I hope he gets his opportunity in the coming weeks.

We won't go down, we need to give these kids a chance to shine for the remainder of the season, if it means upsetting some of the more established stars then so be it! They can be fucked off in the summer anyway.

[Toronto Villa]

Don't care a jot about the performance, but mightily relieved to have secured three points.

Very happy for Weimann, too - goal made by Bannan and Gardener, then finished by another academy product.

If we don't win again this season and scrap survival by a point or so, a goal made by our academy completely should be remembered well when funding it!

the academy will be the future of this club and there are some lovely players coming through. Credit to KM, Sid, Tony McAndrew and the other staff for their great work and there's still so much more to do. We need PL level kids and we've got a few now. Get rid the crap, bring in some talented players and the future does look a little brighter. This season has been one to forget but hopefully we can come out of this financially better off, and with "dare I say it" a plan for the next phase if our history. Only time will tell if that's the case.

We played well today and as much slating as McLeish has taken he should be commended for that. We should have won by many more against a solid and confident Fulham side.

[barrysleftfoot]

   Throughout the game i thought that Petrov played well on the halfway , but was very poor in the final 1/3rd.The driving /supporting midfielder you need to break down stubborn defences was lacking,Then GG comes on, moves foward, gets a quick shot away, and voila.

  We are not far off a good team, the subs made a difference, and apart from Gabby and Marc , i thought every one was at least an 8/10.Looking foward to the Bolton game now.

[ozzjim]

Very happy for Weimann, too - goal made by Bannan and Gardener, then finished by another academy product.

A goal made by all our three subs, including one in the 89th minute. *winky*

Repeat after three, "Alex McCleish is a tactical genius".

One..two..three..

Petrov came off with an injury, which ice was strapped too straight away.

Repeat after three, Alex McLeish is a jammy bastard.....


One, two.... three...

[eamonn]

We were about a minute away from this thread being full of moans and hand-wringing....it really is a thin line at times between success and failure isn't it?!

Villa winning. Without conceding. At home. Through an injury-time goal.
All very rare occurences.
Really delighted for all of us and for all the stick McLeish gets he deserved that as much as anyone.

[damon loves JT]

Weimann. Get the fuck in.

[eamonn]

We're safe now, you can put the kleenex away.

I think everyone got theirs out when the wee man bundled in the winner!

[Archie]

Correct, mates.
Without Richard Dunne three unbeaten games and two clean sheets in a row, the utility of this overpaid, avrage, player is under the eyes of everybody! 

[ktvillan]

I was preparing a post to say a decent footballing performance ruined by a blunt front end.  I said previously I feared we would have the cutting edge of a blancmange without Bent and it certainly looked that way for 91 minutes.  I have to agree with what Ozzjim was saying about Gabby in the match thread, for all his qualities he just doesn't have the anticipative movement to be a consistent threat. 

Very pleased for Weimann, when he came on against Liverpool at home he showed more movement in his 10-15 minutes than the rest of the team put together, and not one of his runs was picked out.  I'd like t see him given a bit longer, even a start.   

The defence had a couple of dodgy moments but on the whole looked pretty comfortable.  Collins seems happier playing alongside Carlos.  Hutton got forward well.

A badly needed win which should see off any lingering threat of the drop, but 4 home wins is still an atrocious record.

[Astral Weeks]

Weimann. Get the fuck in.

Quite so.

A much better performance all round today, except in the final third, as many have said already. Some of our midfield build-up play was really rather good. Let's hope McLeish draws the right conclusions.

Delighted for Andi Weimann, and I thought Ireland was really excellent today. Full of prompting and running in midfield, and also tackling back and helping the defence.

[pauliewalnuts]

Correct, mates.
Without Richard Dunne three unbeaten games and two clean sheets in a row, the utility of this overpaid, avrage, player is under the eyes of everybody! 

I don't think Dunne has been that bad this season, and I wouldn't point at him as the weak link amongst our defenders, but the last few matches, we have looked significantly tighter at the back.

I hope Cuellar signs a new contract.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Every single player today put a shift in, put their foot in, never hid from a tackle.
Special mention has to got to Carlos and Collins, they never gave the big Russian a chance.

[ozzjim]

Correct, mates.
Without Richard Dunne three unbeaten games and two clean sheets in a row, the utility of this overpaid, avrage, player is under the eyes of everybody! 

I don't think Dunne has been that bad this season, and I wouldn't point at him as the weak link amongst our defenders, but the last few matches, we have looked significantly tighter at the back.

I hope Cuellar signs a new contract.

I think it is an organisational thing. Dunne switches off and the rest look to him to lead them - without him they take responsibility for their own stuff.

[pauliewalnuts]

You could see by the reactions of the players how much tension was released by finally winning a home game, too. It didn't look like a fractious, divided squad.

[pauliewalnuts]

Oh, and that late goal was a nice "fuck you" to Fulham for that 93rd minute one at Craven Cottage last year.