Aston Villa v Swansea City Post-Match Thread

[Steve R]

I can't remember seeing a top flight side give up possession deep in their own half as often as Swansea did today. We turned what should have been their strength into a weakness. Excellent stuff. They are a good side that have been playing well. We made them look toothless and ordinary.

We look a completely different team all of a sudden, and it is good to watch. There's still plenty more to do, but what a refeshing change from the crass football we have had to put up with for so many years.

We finally semed to have made it into the 21st century.

It's amazing how quickly all the new signings seem to have settled in. We used six relative newcomers today, with two making debut. You wouldn't have known it.

[tomd2103]

Hey Robbie Savage!

Stick that in yer pipe and smoke it!

Toolbag.

Don't even need to bother with him.

Shows how far we have sunk over the past couple of years that we have come on his radar.

He is trying to make up for leaving the noses (which was the higlhight of his career) by rubbising Villa.   Please don't rise to him.  He'll look stupid enough by the end of the season.
 

[Steve R]

Just watched football first.

First mention of Lowton and 'good enough to push into the England setup'.

Admittedly it was Dave Bassett, who possibly has an axe to grind. But he (Lowton) does show promise of becoming a very good player.

[Tom_Mc9?]

Now I've had some time to think about it, my favourite thing about yesterday is the fact once we had scored one, we tried to score another. I don't remember doing that last year.

[damon loves JT]

A 2-0 home win, with a goal in each half. Struggling to remember the last one of those

[johnny from donny]

steve, did you lose count of the number of times bassett said "the keeper didn't cover himself in glory" like i did?

[damon loves JT]

I once saw Bassett wandering around Croydon having a row with his missus. Had the orangest face I've ever seen outside Cash in the Attic

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Yesterday's game was the first in a long, long time when i've been absorbed in the game totally from start to finish.
A far cry from last season's clockwatching and dying to get back to the pub for a drink.

Couldn't have picked a better one to take my son to for his first game.

[damon loves JT]

My oldest boy went. I think it's the first time he's seen us win. He must have been wondering why we all bother. But now he knows

[PeterWithe]

Very enjoyable, Holman summed up the team as a whole, the quality might not quite be there but the effort, tenacity and will to win was first class.

Well done to PL, he appears to have bought back hope.

[Monty]

One thing not mentioned much here: I thought Bent played well. He was dropping back to join in moves and dropping wide to provide options and stretch the opposition. He worked hard, closed down, joined in the 'hunting in packs' pressing which is the key feature of our game now, and actually a lot of his touches were very good, very assured and much more confident. For the first time in ages, when he got the ball he seemed to have his head up, looking for options. If Lambert can keep getting those performances out of Bent when he starts scoring, we've got a hell of a forward on our hands.

[mrfuse]

Pretty much sums up MOTD pundits where when Alan & Alan are talking about Liverpool's midfield of Gerrard and Allen.. they say Allen is frustrating because he plays it about simply whereas Gerrard has the right idea because he always plays it forward. The game has evolved and most of the pundits haven't. Dinosaur managers are being left behind, as are dinosaur pundits now.

Despite all the media bashing everyone likes to do,  I thought that was a valid point.  I'm the first to be shouting at the villa play it simple keep the ball but if there's a forward pass clearly on like in Allen's case play it, dont pass side ways just for the sake of it.

Hansen said he was always taught look forward first for the pass if its not on play it sideways, nothing wrong with that and I wouldn't class that as Dinosaur football or tactics.
I'm not sticking up for all media pundits, but I hate the attitude of bashing everyone for the sake of it.

[Salsa Party Animal]

Excellent

I been to work, then football as I arrived at Villa Park at 2.52pm and is delighted with the view as it is almost half way and in middle of trinty road lower. The game was a joy to watch and the team is completely different Villa I am used to. I love the new striker Benteke as he is very powerful. I think he will be our Dider Drogba eventually If Agbonlahor need a role model to follow watch him carefully. Think we will have a very very dangerous front pair in Bent and Benteke (The commentators will have nightmares )

I like the new Spanish Midfielder No 9 for Swansea. He impressed me.

I think we need to find a new Ashley Young/James Milner for winger role. As Charles is not suitable.

Did you get your ticket off Viagogo? I sold mine as I couldn't make the match and thats where I sit.

Yup Row 11 Trinty Road Lower about seat 165 (ish). I decided if I use Viagogo I could save money.

[OCD]

Bent will thrive in the new set-up given time. It's good seeing Vlaar get the captain's arm band though as it gives lambert to change his forward options around and allows Bent to focus on scoring goals.

[Shrek]

One thing not mentioned much here: I thought Bent played well. He was dropping back to join in moves and dropping wide to provide options and stretch the opposition. He worked hard, closed down, joined in the 'hunting in packs' pressing which is the key feature of our game now, and actually a lot of his touches were very good, very assured and much more confident. For the first time in ages, when he got the ball he seemed to have his head up, looking for options. If Lambert can keep getting those performances out of Bent when he starts scoring, we've got a hell of a forward on our hands.

I don't know what game you were watching? Bent did the occasional run down the channel, but was lazy when it came to closing down, Holman chased down 3 players from our own half back to their keeper, he ran passed Bent in the process.??
Another occasion we lost possession and Weimann ran back and closed down while bent just casually strolled back from an offside position.

He was better in some instances, like aerial he won a lot of balls and he when he did run the channel was more composed than usual.

But he has a lot of work to do to improve or he will be dropped by Lambert.

The main thing though, is I can see improvement in everyone and I think it's only a matter of time before Bent gets back into form, because if we keep up performances like that and get Bent scoring, we will finish top 10 no problem.