Aston Villa v Fulham Post-Match Thread

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Still think a permanent partnership of Bent and Gabby up front is the way to go.
It weakens the midfield, but you can negate that by buying a quality central midfielder and stop playing with 2 out and out wingers.

Given

New right back - Fuck off Hutton
Cuellar
Clark or Collins
New left back - Fuck off Warnock

N,Zogbia
Herd
New midfielder
Ireland

Bent
Gabby

Obviously i'm pissing in the wind as we won't be buying a quality midfielder or a new right back.

[Dave Clark Five]

Bit harsh on Hutton.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Bit harsh on Hutton.

Really don't think he's good enough, but no matter, he'll be going nowhere.

[Mazrim]

Hutton has played O.K recently but I'd like to see Lichaj get some games there before going shopping.

I agree that a dominant box to box midfield general is absolutely essential to us in the summer.

[Greg N'Ash]

Still think a permanent partnership of Bent and Gabby up front is the way to go.
It weakens the midfield, but you can negate that by buying a quality central midfielder and stop playing with 2 out and out wingers.

Given

New right back - Fuck off Hutton
Cuellar
Clark or Collins
New left back - Fuck off Warnock

N,Zogbia
Herd
New midfielder
Ireland

Bent
Gabby

Obviously i'm pissing in the wind as we won't be buying a quality midfielder or a new right back.

spot on re the wingers. Been wanting us to jettison that for years but it seems written on stone tablets that Villa have to play with 2 wingers

[Percy McCarthy]

I'd love us to find a way to partner Gabby and Bent, maybe with a strong midfield we could find a way to exempt Bent from everywhere but the box where his strength is. But while we are playing one up front I'd go with Gabby. IMO it's no coincidence that the defence is better when Gabby plays centre-forward with his far superior hold-up play. Quite simply the ball spends a lot more time in the opposition half when Bent is not there giving possession away all the time, often when full-backs and midfielders are in advanced positions in anticipation of an attack building.

The incident in which Bent was injured summed it up for me. The ball was played up to him, he had to perform a simple glancing touch to Gabby bursting past him on the left, or Ireland bursting past on the right with his arms out imploring him to give him the ball. Bent didn't even attempt a pass, instead fluffing his control and falling over. I know the pitch was awful but he can do that on a bowling green. I don't think much of Gabby's technique, but it's streets ahead of Bent's. Which is surprising as Bent actually has excellent technique when getting a shot off. It's like he only comes alive in those moments.

Kt, I think it's over simplistic to say we will get better results just because one player in the team is an accomplished goalscorer. This assumption does not allow for the possibility that better possession and overall attacking play may lead to more goals for other players (including the replacement of course) and less goals conceded, a natural consequence of the kind of possession we enjoyed yesterday. 

[supertom]

Hutton's been okay of late. The last 3 games we've looked quite solid at the back, in no small part down to Carlos getting a run and building up some form.

Even Warnock hasn't been entirely abysmal. Saying that, given the option I'd still sell Warnock and Hutton given the chance. However, it can't think of too many fullbacks out there available, we could afford and would come to us, who'd do much better (than Hutton is now anyhow).

I'd like to see more of Weimann.

[Des Little]

What a difference a win makes.  Enough said!

[Witton Warrior]

[/quote]
 He also said 'Maybe now they see the merit in my substitutions' or words to that effect.
[/quote]

Well I willlet him have that one after all the grief we've given him! ;-)

[Toronto Villa]

Watched the game again last night, in full without the normal stresses that come with watching the game live, in the knowledge that at the end the sun reappears. We really did dominate Fulham. With the exception of about 10 minutes and a couple of chances, we enjoyed the best football, movement, won more 50-50 balls and completely dismantled them as offensive threat. They've scored a lot of goals recently, were very confident coming in, and some on here were convinced they were going to "crush" us (winky Ozz). We played very well, especially at the back. The biggest criticism is that our play in the final third was very poor and it really is where we miss Ash and Downing. N'Zogbia and Marco huffed and puffed but their command of their crosses left a lot to be deserved. Ireland was everywhere, and he has clearly reacted to McLeish by adding a defensive element to his game.

We clearly need players to properly challenge/replace a number of players, and hopefully that will come in the summer. But this was a good win, and one more against Bolton and we can start thinking about next season and consign this one to history and hopefully learn from the experience.

[Dave Cooper please]

Text exchange with a Bagie at work last night:

Him: Villa goal deffo offside.

Me: What you on about, just seen MOTD, Weimann easily onside when the shot went in from Gardner.

Him: But he looked well offside so the lino should have given it.

Me: ??

[luke25]

Text exchange with a Bagie at work last night:

Him: Villa goal deffo offside.

Me: What you on about, just seen MOTD, Weimann easily onside when the shot went in from Gardner.

Him: But he looked well offside so the lino should have given it.

Me: ??

It aaaaaay faaaaaair

[Villanation]

I'd love us to find a way to partner Gabby and Bent, maybe with a strong midfield we could find a way to exempt Bent from everywhere but the box where his strength is. But while we are playing one up front I'd go with Gabby. IMO it's no coincidence that the defence is better when Gabby plays centre-forward with his far superior hold-up play. Quite simply the ball spends a lot more time in the opposition half when Bent is not there giving possession away all the time, often when full-backs and midfielders are in advanced positions in anticipation of an attack building.

The incident in which Bent was injured summed it up for me. The ball was played up to him, he had to perform a simple glancing touch to Gabby bursting past him on the left, or Ireland bursting past on the right with his arms out imploring him to give him the ball. Bent didn't even attempt a pass, instead fluffing his control and falling over. I know the pitch was awful but he can do that on a bowling green. I don't think much of Gabby's technique, but it's streets ahead of Bent's. Which is surprising as Bent actually has excellent technique when getting a shot off. It's like he only comes alive in those moments.

Kt, I think it's over simplistic to say we will get better results just because one player in the team is an accomplished goalscorer. This assumption does not allow for the possibility that better possession and overall attacking play may lead to more goals for other players (including the replacement of course) and less goals conceded, a natural consequence of the kind of possession we enjoyed yesterday.

Again I agree with most of this, Gabby has a massive influence on the side, its only because he gets on with his job and says nothing that he's not lauded for it, I feel sure if he was heading up Arsenal or Chelsea front line and with the kind of service he would get there, we would eating Agbonlahor for breakfast dinner and tea, and I have no doubt he could step up to that level IMO.

Gabby is a pain in the anal area, he must be a real thorn in the side for defenders because you simply can't afford to give him any space, so allowing him that couple of yards defenders sit deeper, therefore there midfield sits deeper and there attack are somewhat adrift, end result the opposition is pushed back, pressure of our midfield and our defence and allowing our more advanced players to get further forward and have a go.

The very obvious difference with Bent is Old Style center forward, back line moves up, pushing Bent back to the half way line for any counter, line steps forward and Benty more often than not gets caught off side, meanwhile Gabby's shoved out wide and ineffective on the whole. So unless we can afford to have Bent sitting in the keepers area waiting for that crucial cross or long ball, and that is where Bent in the right team comes way into his own then the Villa side IMO looks far more balanced with Gabby up top.

I look at it this way, that's where Gabby was season after season, sometimes with Carew, a lot on his ownsome, utterly consistent, getting his goals and wreaking havoc on some of the best defence's in the Premeirship and Europe (for a while), he did a great job there, why fix something that isn't broken, just because a manager can't see the obvious. Bent's a great player, but if the club had 20ml to spend we had/have other much more urgent area's to fill IMO.

Personally Gabby influence on the side under MON which he obviously realised was massive, and he went a long way to enhancing the playing ability of players like Young and Downing, who I don't think are quite the impact yet that they where for Villa, certainly Downing isn't.   

[Mazrim]

Text exchange with a Bagie at work last night:

Him: Villa goal deffo offside.

Me: What you on about, just seen MOTD, Weimann easily onside when the shot went in from Gardner.

Him: But he looked well offside so the lino should have given it.

Me: ??

They are all imbeciles.

[achilles]

Thought the game was rubbish and Fulham are garbage but we won!