Aston Villa v Stoke City Post-Match Thread

[Clampy]

I thought Lichaj played well overall, but his distribution left a lot to be desired at times.

This.

Time and time again he just hoofed the ball at the earliest opportunity instead of putting his foot on it and looking up. I know he was playing on the opposite side to where he's used to, but it's something he's going to have to work on.

I was'nt disapointed at the draw, although the amount we've had this season maybe i've just become immune to it. Stoke were bloody awful, the officials were even worse and we did'nt create enough chances again.

Let's hope the teams below us all flop again this week, we need them too.

[AV82EC]

Teams like stoke and Wimbledon back in the day nullify the officials by the volume of offences. The ball comes across and there are so many simultaneous fouls, on both sides, they can't call all of them. So they end up not blowing the whistle at all.

Yep, and we all beat it eventually and got those wankers from Wimbledon relgated by not rising to it and continually playing football.  People think they've got to stand up to Stoke, to win the war, to fight for every ball.  Well several ball playing teams from across Europe have shown that keeping it and not letting them have it is very effective for completing nullyfying the bunch of cloggers they've got and in addition showing them up.

[PeterWithesShin]

Great match. English football at it's best. I love watching games against  Stoke.

Or in reality that was wank. I fucking hate Stoke and the way that tosser Pulis leaps and jumps around if someone so much as breathes on one his thugs while sending out a team that plays like that lot do. No wonder so few Stoke fans bothered making the short journey if it was to watch that shit. They make us look like Brazil 70. Maybe one day they will find themselves in a game officiated by a competent referee and get what they deserve.

Weimann looks quality, should be one of the first names on the sheet at the moment. Gabby shouldn't. Runs around a lot but fuck me he's out of form, how bad was that shot that went for a throw in? There would be lynch mobs if it had been Heskey.
Ireland makes us tick, but I really wish he'd get forward more. Too often he looked more like a holding midfielder with where he was on the pitch.
Bannan, for someone whose biggest asset is his supposed passing ability, he doesn't half give the ball away a lot. It was yet another shit pass from him that broke up our attack and ultimately led to their freekick.

[damon loves JT]

Andi Weimann could be this season's Marcus Allbäck.

[PeterWithesShin]

On the plus side, it was nice to grab a quick pint in the Bartons after the game.

[Lky]

Desperate match devoid of quality from both sides.
Seemed to have most of the possession first half but did nothing with it. 2nd half we were under the cosh and although Stoke didn't appear to be threatening you just knew they would score from one of their set pieces.

Given ok. He's not great off his line but rarely makes mistakes.
Hutton dreadful. Thought he had picked up recently but back to his worst.
Collins and Baker solid but I'm assuming Colllins lost Huth for the goal and he also lost him for Stoke's disallowed goal.
Lichaj -solid but distrubution poor. Not helped as he has no left foor playing at left back. Why ?
Warnock - anonymous
Bannan- no movement off the ball except backwards. For a perceived good passer of the ball he gives possession away ffar too much. Poor game.
Ireland- Obvoiusly splits oponion on here. I thought he was poor again. Not sure what his assets are. Gave possession away too much first half and anonymous second half. No he didn't create Weinmann's goal he played a simple 1 2 with a 2 yard pass.
Herd - got stuck in but no quality.
Weinmann - Great goal out of almost nothing. Always puts himself about. Not a lot else.
Gabby - anonymous (and very disappointing as we have seen Gabby do it)

Heskey had the best 5 minutes I've seen him have in a Villa shirt. Honestly !

[AV82EC]

Ireland makes us tick, but I really wish he'd get forward more. Too often he looked more like a holding midfielder with where he was on the pitch.

Thats what happens when you try to play 4-4-2 with no natural wide players.

[Legion]

Damage limitation from the manager perhaps?

[steffo]

One question....

Why doesn't the senior professional take the harder option. i.e. Hutton play left back and Lichaj and right back?

[jembob]

I thought that we played too deep for most of the game and invited Stoke on to us. They are a dreadful outfit and the team we put out today (under proper management) should have had enough to beat them comfortably. As it turned out we made hard work of it and predictably conceded from a set piece - clearly the management team don't bother watching MOTD or they may know about Huth's runs into the box at corners and free kicks.

I thought Ireland worked hard to be available and in my view he makes us tick. Weimann is a class apart at the moment - his work rate is great, movement excellent and today produced a finish of the highest standard. It's a shame that they didn't try more of the passing-to-each-other stuff as it worked for the goal. What really gets me though is just how brainless some of the play is - I know that Stoke worked hard to close us down quickly today, but drilling the ball at Gabby's head while he's being marked by some of the biggest defenders in the division is never going to yield much.

Most people seem to think that the game was turgid - surely Hutton's comedy moments are worth the entry fee alone. Referee Mike Dean is pushing the boundaries of ineptitude and today we witnessed officiating of the most dire standard. The icing on the case of course is to watch the buffoon of a manager celebrate a 1-1 draw at home.

[Legion]

Goals galore!

[hawkeye]

One question....

Why doesn't the senior professional take the harder option. i.e. Hutton play left back and Lichaj and right back? Because he is shocking in his rightfull position, he could be even worse at LB. The bloke is useless.

[Chris Harte]

I think today my frustration with things has reaching boiling point.

I've missed two home PL games all season - Norwich and Fulham - so I've not seen us win in the flesh since the start of October. I've been a VP regular for 28 years and I've never known anything like this in all that time.

[AV82EC]

Damage limitation from the manager perhaps?

Maybe but if he'd set the team up differently rather than 4-4-2 and shoehorning players into roles they don't like then it might have been different.  Without a doubt what little decent football we have played this season has been played in a 4-2-3-1.  Solid in the middle but with a creative player in the role behind the forward.  In ensuring that Hutton plays at right back and we have two strikers, we've moved Lichaj across to the left, Warnock forwards to left midfield, Bannan at Right midfield and Ireland has to ensure we have a midfield two so is limited in how much he can support the attack.  Gabby has been worse than usless with his back to goal this season so we'd be as well to play Heskey up there if we're laying 4-4-2(!!).  And as I've just postulated the view that heskey should potentially be in the team currently, its obviously time for bed.

On a final point todays team should have been

         Given

Lichaj Collins Baker Warnock

          Herd Gardner

Bannan   Ireland   Agbonlahor

             Weimann

[damon loves JT]

Chris, even those pandas from Edinburgh Zoo get their rocks off once a year.