Aston Villa v Fulham Post-Match Thread

[Walmley_Villa]

Thank McGrath for that. Great for Weimann, proper poacher goal. Overall we just about deserved it and the feeling of utter relief when it went in was shared between fans and players. Nice moment.

My last game for a long while so glad to go out on a win. I'll miss B6.

Good luck Matt. A decent way to bow out.

Ireland was the best player on the pitch by a country mile.

[Villanation]

Can't over-emphasise what a good finisher I think Bent is. His first goal at Arsenal last season, and his one this year, were right out of the top drawer. Obviously I really rate Gabby too. Had to give the pre-amble because I'm now going to say that regardless of their different strengths, Gabby makes us a better team who get more points. As a Villa fan, that's all that matters to me.

Sometimes you have to except the inevitable, today for large parts of the game ( first 15mins Fulham barely touched the ball, all over them pressing them back) we kinda  looked like the Villa of a few season back, Gabby is not an out and out striker, but leave him to wonder at the front and he ties up defenders puts loads of work in, allows players like Ireland to work the forward midfield positions, he pushes back the back 4 allowing players like Petrov to have one shot after another in advanced positions and he makes the teams shape look good, then he will move straight out to the wing and play wide often leaving his marker thinking "where the hell is he now" and again leaving other players like Cuellor to come in unmarked.

Darren Bent, good striker but we don't look half the team when he's out there and we don't have the shape, that's because IMO, players go on auto thinking they have to pump the long ball, old style football into Bent, Bent in turn needs something like 3 opportunities to have one crack on goal, often caught off-side, and how often has he converted this season from that, and that's because Villa are not that kind of team, that is why Bent is being starved, we see this all the time Carrol is suffering fron the same thing and so is Torres, fitting into a different style of play and sometimes it don't work, even for the best. IMO now that the side have gone back to Gabby up front we will be far more menacing, once the team has settled and got back into that style will suit us better, I would expect us take all 3 from Bolton and we should start to see Gabby getting the goals again and with a bit of luck get back to where he was a couple of seasons ago when he was terrorizing the best defenses in the Premiership. 

[Brian Taylor]

A 1-0 win. can't wait to see the McL interview on MotD..he thinks draws are positive results what's he gonna say when we actually did get a positive result?

[Dan England]

I didn't understand wht N'Zogbia was subbed and Weimann came on.
I didn't understand why he replaced Herd with Bannan. Herd after all was our best player.
I didn't understand why Gardner was brought on with 1 minute to go.

Than Bannan found the ball on the right steadied him self turned twisted and found Gardner who took 1 step to his left and sent a cracking shot but straight at the keeper who failed to hold and and Weimann pounced and scored.

I didn't understand why those 3 were on the pitch but than again I am not a football manager paid £2M a year.

CN'Z was the logical choice to go off for Weimann. Keep MA on right Gabby to the left, where he seems to play better & Weimann centre. It worked, so 'He did know what he was doing' after all.
It's Herds 2nd game after a long time out, I felt he was looking tired when he came off. Incidently, CH was my MotM.
Gardner was bought on to fire that shot in, simple, a substitution masterstroke if you ask me :-)

I fairness you would be right if Gabby had gone to the left, but Ireland did. Petrov was done by 60 mins. The players that came on were right but the time and personnel for were wrong.

[woody4866]

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..

I tried, really I did
I just couldnt bring myself to do it
Still, 3 points thats all that matters - lets have the post mortem at the end of the season and sack the c*nt then

[MarkM]

Anyone else see Ireland's reaction when Weimann told him he had to go on the wing?

He pointed at himself and mouthed "me?" and then looked well pissed off.

[Breezeblock]

There's something so mundanely satisfying while at the same time infuriating about coming home from a game, knowing that everyone who left 5 minutes from the end to 'beat the rush' has missed the winning and only goal.

Serves the bastards right.

This!  I hope the fuckers walking up Witton Lane and hearing the cheer miss  MOTD tonight.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Thought we played some great stuff at times today. Kept thinking that a few of those chances in the first would have buried by Bent, but would we have played so openly with him there? Gabby disappointing, Ireland excellent, Cuellar and Collins looked solid at the back. Expected Collins to be intimidated by that blond giant bloke but he wasn't and won the vast majority of balls in the air against him. Herd good til tired, Stan flagging too soon, Warnock ok and Hutton had a "good" game. Albrighton poor and should have gone off instead of Zog. Given had very little to do. Jol must be nuts for implying they were hard done by. Has he seen the stats?
Great to see the kids combining for the goal. Gardner should be a regular starter.
Ireland/Cuellar MOM imo.

[Toronto Villa]

How was the big Russian lad? There's talk about us making a permanent move for him in the summer.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Forgot to add: that's the first bit of "luck" we've had this season. Makes a big change for us to get a late goal and not the other fu**ers!
Definitely NOT inspired substitution by the manager!

[charleeco7]

Thought we played well at times and Herd was man of the match for me. I can see him being the replacement for petrov, who for me just slows the game down too much. Gabby ran his socks off today but was left stranded on his own and too many occasions.

Still don't think nzogbia is a winger though, doesn't try to beat his man or put a cross in.

Can't beat the feeling of a last minute winner though.

[Lky]

The win was so important today.
I thought Hutton had a good  game and seems to be improving all the time.
Cuellar also continues to play well and his distrubution in this run of games has far surpassed what I thought he was capable of.
I'm obvoiusly in the minority reading this post thinking Albrighton was mom and Ireland was poor.
Albrighton continues to deliver several excellent crosses during almost every game. Nobody else in the team does that. He is always a threat.
Ireland is a nothing player in a nowhere position. He doesn't play upfront or midfield. A poor man's Tommy Johnson. He doesn't score or create or defend. What does he do and don't tell me other players are not on his wavelength as you are kidding yourselves.
UTV !

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

How was the big Russian lad? There's talk about us making a permanent move for him in the summer.

As in my earlier post, I expected him to torment our "frail" defence. He didn't. Thought Collins did a great job on him, aided by Carlos.

[adrenachrome]

There's something so mundanely satisfying while at the same time infuriating about coming home from a game, knowing that everyone who left 5 minutes from the end to 'beat the rush' has missed the winning and only goal.

Serves the bastards right.

This!  I hope the fuckers walking up Witton Lane and hearing the cheer miss  MOTD tonight.

Yeah, they are much worse than several thousand  "fuckers" that didn't bother to go.

[Toronto Villa]

How was the big Russian lad? There's talk about us making a permanent move for him in the summer.

As in my earlier post, I expected him to torment our "frail" defence. He didn't. Thought Collins did a great job on him, aided by Carlos.

He's looked frightening innthe games since coming to Fulham. I'll take it as a good day for our boys rather him being found out.