Aston Villa v Stoke City Post-Match Thread

[itbrvilla]

Gabby has been toss for months. He should have been dropped, not handed the captaincy.

Zamora has been much better than him this season and even he's not had a particularly noticeable season.

[Somniloquism]

and there is no way that there were 30,100 in the ground.

I raised the point earlier that I think it includes ST holders, whether they turn up or not. So I would guess you could extrapolate the 10 or so ST holders who stayed away out of the 100 or so regulars on here and say we might have been another 2000 down on people in the stadium.

What was Stoke's allocation?

Fuck knows, although they used to fill it a few years ago. I will also acknowledge a shit time, shit weather and also a school holiday as reasons we probably had about 25,000 villa fans actually down there. (Although shit football probably accounts for most of it).

[Lobsterboy]

I wasn't able to watch the game but a great goal by Weimann seems to have been the highlight of a pretty turgid 90 minutes

Another point closer to safety and we've had much worse results v Stoke in recent years so not all doom and gloom

It was good to see Cuellar and N'Zogbia back on the bench too so hopefully we'll be able to put a stronger team out at Man Ure on Sunday

[ez]

Gabby has been toss for months. He should have been dropped, not handed the captaincy.

I can see our captain starting on the bench when Bent returns.

[UK Redsox]

Thirty Thousand or so listed. But does that mean we actually had less then that in the ground due to them counting ST holders who didn't actually turn up?

When we were discussing the attendance before the game I said that they'd not announce less that 30000 and guessed 30,027. No way were there over 30k there

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

and there is no way that there were 30,100 in the ground.

I raised the point earlier that I think it includes ST holders, whether they turn up or not. So I would guess you could extrapolate the 10 or so ST holders who stayed away out of the 100 or so regulars on here and say we might have been another 2000 down on people in the stadium.

What was Stoke's allocation?

Fuck knows, although they used to fill it a few years ago. I will also acknowledge a shit time, shit weather and also a school holiday as reasons we probably had about 25,000 villa fans actually down there. (Although shit football probably accounts for most of it).

Stoke fans had to pay £40 for their seats.

[paul_e]

Lichaj was toss. Warnock on right midfield for periods? WTF? He's shit at left back, so why put him there?

THought Ireland was good, always in space, but often over looked.

Gabby? Getting tired and bored of him.

Lichaj was toss?! Oh please, the kid was everywhere today. Went hard on every tackle and hardly lost the ball at the rate at which Bannan and Gabby were turning it over. He can stay.

I thought lichaj was very poor. Lots of bad touches, ponderous at the wrong time. I think Valencia might rip him a new one on Sunday!

Not a chance, he's too athletic. He doesn't look like a clumsy bum, like some of our 'choice' backs. He's a young, confident player that won't lose his head. A hard worker and a promising youngster.

He gets the nod for me every week.

I think a couple of times Lichaj was made to look bad by Warnock tracking his man back fairly deep and then just leaving them.  Happened with a pass from Bannan at one point as well.  Warnock started coming to meet the pass and then just stopped and it went between them.

When we have this many kids in the team the senior players all need to step up and be a much more positive influence, as it stands that isn't happening at all.

[barrysleftfoot]

   This time last year we had about the same amount of points with Walker, Young, Downing and Bent in the team.Now blame McL when its his fault, but to blame him at the moment, with the lack of choice, lack of players and lack of quality at his disposal is pathetic.We have no fit wide players atm, Bannan and Warnock offer nothing going foward, and neither do the FBs.That is why we are so narrow, and Ireland is ineffective.We desperately need N'Zog fit asap, and Gabby playing wide....he certainly can't play down the middle.

  I'm not bothered if McL stays or goes tbh, but i do think manty of us on here are getting into a herd like mentality of blaming McL for everything.Gabby through on goal when we are 1-0 up, and scores we win the game.The ref not conned into giving a free kick, we win the game, with 5 kids in the starting line up.We have the wekest team in the Prem atm in terms of options, so lets be a bit realistic.

[UK Redsox]

A few thoughts from a mind numbed by 90 minutes of dire football.

Alan Hutton was the third best Right Back in the starting eleven and the fourth best in the squad. Horrendous in attack and in defence.

Chris Herd took a battering in midfield but did very well.

Gabby needs to be dropped but there's no one else to use.

When Zog came on, it was clear why he doesn't play much, He's just not very good.

Baker continues to impress me.

Bannan is still just a headless-chicken. Runs around madly and then fires an over-ambitious pass with a success rate that makes Collins look like Beckham.

[tarzansbrother]

Terrible weather, terrible football, terrible opposition, terrible manager. Hutton not only terrible but one of the worst footballers I have ever witnessed. Renew my season ticket? You must be fukin joking. Hang your head in shame Mr Lerner where ever you are.

[AV82EC]

Well wonderful.  Got there 20 minutes late after forgetting it was Bank Hols and the M6 would be a nightmare.  Must admit I nearly turned around at Stafford.  However we arrived to watch a fairly turgid 1st half enlivened by the Weimann goal.  Second half was just an exercise in how to raise your blood pressure and I thought I did alright to last until the 76th minute before losing it entirely.  A combination of Stoke, Tiny Penis, Mike Dean and our complete and utter inability to pass the ball to one another and the utter cluelessness of McLeish not knowing how to chnage the game and get more impetus into our attack meant I spent the last 15 minutes swearing loudly at everything.

Given - Shotstopper, yes.  All round Goalkeeper, no. - 6
Hutton - and I thought Cuellars distribution was bad, why is Lichaj moved to make way for this clown - 4
Collins - gave everything but for a bloke his size still getting outmuscled and not winning headers - 6.5
Baker - showed his inexperience several times in the 2nd half but manning up - 6.5
Lichaj - played well if a bit impetuous - 6.5
Bannan - ran around to good effect but out of position, was doing OK until he got subbed - 6.5
Herd - gave everything for the cause, but has the subtlety of a charging rhino - 6.5
Ireland - i felt he ran the game first half, never overly hurried and a lovely weighted ball for Weimanns opener, got stuck in second half - 7
Warnock - seemed to me to be filling a space rather than contributing anything majorly worthwhile - 6
Weimann - MOM - ran his balls off and an exquisite goal - 7
Agbonlahor - oh dear, out of sorts, out of form, not awake, reactive not proactive, not a captains performance - 4

Gardner - out of position until moved central when he looked more comfortable - 5
NZogbia - Not enough time
Heskey - not enough time

McLeish - 1 - clueless.  I realise he's got some injury issues currently but to continue playing players out of position and expecting anything other than what we got today is utter clueless negativity.  It was crying out to change it to 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 in the second half and go for the jugular and 3 points but natural caution and handing the impetus to the opposition took over again and we end up with a point.  I've given him a chance but he's got to go at the end of the season.

I can't quite imagine what another season of what I've witnessed in this one is going to do to my sanity but I suppose thats what its all about.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Terrible weather, terrible football, terrible opposition, terrible manager. Hutton not only terrible but one of the worst footballers I have ever witnessed. Renew my season ticket? You must be fukin joking. Hang your head in shame Mr Lerner where ever you are.

So, whose fault was the weather ? Lerner, Mcleish or Hutton ?

[Legion]

O'Neill.

[SoccerHQ]

SHITE.

Two crap teams playing out a game to the inevitable conclusion. Can't be bothered to be too upset about it any more.

Same for me.

And I completely expected that to be the standard of the game today.

[PeterWithe]

Utter garbage, what was it, one shot on target all game? There are undiscovered pygmys in the amazon who clould tell you that we needed a few to block Huths run on the ball but defensive guru McLeish didn't see it.

Just go Alex you boring, sterile, clueless ******.