Southampton v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[PeterWithe]

Difficult to take many positives from yesterdays performance, we were poor in both halves, not just the second. It seems like there may be no middle ground for us this year, we are going to be very good or very bad. We play with a lightweight, seemingly creative midfield but they don't create enough chances to justify playing all 3 of them with 2 strikers.

On another note I don't think I've been to a major city with so few pubs as Soton. Yesterday also reminded me that an awful lot of football fans are complete mouthy bellends.

[olaftab]

Having slept on it I still can't reconcile the performance in the context of "new players, new coach etc etc" and say this was expected and it will take time to  fix our problems.  Yes we have had problems last two seasons but not anything like capitulation in the hands of  very mediocre opposition. However I can understand the brave new world approach being adopted by Lambert and the fact that it's going to be a roller coaster. We will get  very good surprises and some shocking results. Yesterday has been filed in the latter category.

[olaftab]

Yesterday also reminded me that an awful lot of football fans are complete mouthy bellends.

And we have our fair share to be ashamed of....

[Dante Lavelli]

I hate it when Villa lose, and lose badly.  It makes coming on H&V so much less worthwhile/fun.
There’s so much less to read.  Even the off topic is quiet.

[Dante Lavelli]

Having slept on it I still can't reconcile the performance in the context of "new players, new coach etc etc" and say this was expected and it will take time to  fix our problems.  Yes we have had problems last two seasons but not anything like capitulation in the hands of  very mediocre opposition. However I can understand the brave new world approach being adopted by Lambert and the fact that it's going to be a roller coaster. We will get  very good surprises and some shocking results. Yesterday has been filed in the latter category.

That’s a fair point aftab and you may well be right.  However if the choice is to give Lambert the benefit of the doubt or to categorically file the team as shit then, I’d prefer to choose the more positive option as the fans collectively play a big part on the moral of the team and how they approach matches.  That may prove to be a naive approach in the long run but I want the club and the fans to still approach this season with positivity as there is a chance that the club can be revitalised.

[Irish villain]

I remember Alan Hansen describing us as 'long suffering fans' who have 'stuck with the club through a lot of bad times' on the night of the League Cup victory over Blackburn in January 2010. We deserved our day in the sun was is argument as Villa Park went absolutely mental.

Did any of us in our ecstasy that nigh ever think in our wildest dreams that we would face three whole years of transition after that night and two flirtations with relegation? 

We have certainly suffered. This time we have got to stick with the manager and team though. On the evidence of yesterday, they will need all the support they can get.

[JUAN PABLO]

Strange. We looked like we had them under control until they scored. Then the wheels well and truly fell off.

Lichaj certainly had a few Warnock moments today.

spot on .

The first goal for them gave them a lift but until then ( Lichaj losing the ball for the first goal ) I could not see them scoring.

I thought Ireland was our best player first half and linked up great with the front two.  Must have been injured .

Just got to move on and let PL give out those bollocking.

[Karl Bridges]

Agreed. For example, how does a player fracture his arm at halftime? I didn't see any first half incident when Ireland might have done it and he's not exactly the type to play through the pain barrier.

I fractured my arm playing football, it was a normal sliding tackle and my arm touched the floor in much the way it had hundreds of times before when making a tackle, I didn't really react to it. Finished the match went home and carried on as normal. Went to A&E about 7 hours after the incident with a searing throbbing pain in my arm and found out it was fractured. Got plastered up for about 4 weeks. So it's not like it needs to be an obvious snap.

[Clark W Griswold]

Yep, me too. I would probably have Baker ahead of Clarke at centre back until Dunne gets back

Typical Clark CB performance really. He looked really good first half when there was only a bit of pressure, he looked composed and cleared the ball well when he had to. The moment the waves of attack started second half he fell apart, as did the rest of the defence. It's been like this for over 2 years now with various personnel. And Dunne is shit too i'm afraid. I really do still worry about our CB options. I still think Clark might be better left back, certainly while he's still learning, but frankly anyone would be an improvement on Lichaj.

[peter w]

You edited it and still ballsed it up....

[Clark W Griswold]

You edited it and still ballsed it up....

Yeah, i'm trying to do it on an ipad, its a right faff i can tell you. Sort of given up now.

[silhillvilla]

Yesterday also reminded me that an awful lot of football fans are complete mouthy bellends.

And we have our fair share to be ashamed of....

We do, the meat heads who were trying to kick off with Southampton families and children round by the coaches after the game were shameful . Every club has an element of nob heads

[Clark W Griswold]

You edited it and still ballsed it up....

There you go......

Happy now?

(Although i still lost Robbo's original quote)

 

[Ron Manager]

Its just one game. We may have expected to win but we didnt. What we didnt expect was the lack of fight in the second half which was extremely dissapointing.

Apart from Ireland in the first half and to a much lesser extent Bannan (again in the first half) we were very poor.

Eric Lihaj who is a right back cannot play left back. I know Luke Young could but he was an experienced proffesional at the top level. Lihaj is not.

Even if we lose against West Brom I hope they all put in a decent shift to make up for yesterday.

If Ireland has got a hairline fracture of the arm or wrist he might be able to play with a plaster cast on.

Bruce Rioch did against Oldham (I think) and scored with one of his trademark rockets!

[PeterWithe]

Has anyone seen much of Westwood for Crewe? I cant say I've seen anything from him to suggest he's ready to play at the top level yet.