Aston Villa v Norwich City Post-Match Thread

[Witton Warrior]

I hope you're right. I don't like to be negative.

Not sure if it is "hope" Damon. I tend to be quite reflective and objective when the emotional side wears off.

I don't like negativity for it's own sake - let's get real.

I will look at our points tally at 10 games and multiply by 4 - under 40 we are in the shit ;-)

[Witton Warrior]

Risso is right, I would love to think that the good displays are The Real Villa and days like today and Southampton are the aberrations. But it could easily be the other way round. And unless we find three points to settle the players down, their confidence will start to go.

Today was not the usual though was it? The sending off changed everything. While I actually agree that "good" displays are few and far between I am coming round to the opinion that today was an aberration. Freezing one's balls off does give quite a negative slant to a day ;-)

I thought the performance was pretty wretched right up to the sending off, then got worse. So in that regard I think you're right :-)

Looked like two bad teams playing each other? Benteke was causing problems, the defence was stretched but Norwich had no more ideas than us and we had the occasional good passage of play.

It was not good by any stretch of the imagination. As I mentioned above we had no "luck" of the bounce either.

[PeterWithesShin]

Reminded me of the Albion game last season. Neither side playing well but we got our noses in front. Both games I felt we would score again and wrap the game up. Then we get a man sent off and it all goes a tad pear shaped.

[villan from luton]

We were shocking first half, with the exception of Benteke, the two centre halves and Guzan

[pauliewalnuts]

We were rubbish before the sending off, and rubbish after it.

The only positive is that Norwich - who largely played us off the park - were not good enough to take all three points.

Someone said the other day that there's not much wrong with this team that two wins wouldn't fix. I can see the truth in that, the problem is I can't even see us winning one game let alone two

We have won one of our last 19 league games and 3 of the last 28.

That's truly fucking awful.

[Witton Warrior]

Right, not long got back. Despite the sending off we were lacklustre to say the least. We didn't deserve to be ahead at half-time IMO. Lambert has again caused me concern about his tactical nous. I said at h/t that Bennett should have been subbed as he was getting killed and was on a yellow. Bringing Benteke off when we had 10 ten men? I'm not his biggest fan, but fair play to Gabby. Played well today. As did Guzan (obviously), Vlaar and Benteke. Also the players seemed really nervous in their play. They need a win from anywhere.

Got to agree with this 1874 apart from the being up at half-time - we had created as much as Norwich so it could have gone either way I reckon.

Gabby got a big groan at one point and then chased down a ball in the area and tried to pull it back - nobody busted a gut to get onto the penalty spot though - I still reckon there is a Villa man trying is damndest for the team.

Think we all agree the Bent sub was "diplomatic"?

The equaliser seemed to come from confusion in the defence as Guzan was pushing defenders into place? Thought the defence was pretty good against a poor team?

[1874]

We also are set up pretty negatively IMO. KEA, Delph and Holman are more defensive. Yes Holman is supposed to be an attacking player but he doesn't offer much in the final third. I didn't even notice he was on the pitch for large periods today. KEA was poor and invited pressure at times with poor balls. Delph wasn't much better but I thought he was the best out of the three. This is without doubt the worst Villa midfield I have seen. Albrighton as usual has a poor final ball and decision making. I'd have Ireland and Bannan for Holman and Albrighton next game. 

[PeterWithesShin]

Right, not long got back. Despite the sending off we were lacklustre to say the least. We didn't deserve to be ahead at half-time IMO. Lambert has again caused me concern about his tactical nous. I said at h/t that Bennett should have been subbed as he was getting killed and was on a yellow. Bringing Benteke off when we had 10 ten men? I'm not his biggest fan, but fair play to Gabby. Played well today. As did Guzan (obviously), Vlaar and Benteke. Also the players seemed really nervous in their play. They need a win from anywhere.

Got to agree with this 1874 apart from the being up at half-time - we had created as much as Norwich so it could have gone either way I reckon.

Gabby got a big groan at one point and then chased down a ball in the area and tried to pull it back - nobody busted a gut to get onto the penalty spot though - I still reckon there is a Villa man trying is damndest for the team.

Think we all agree the Bent sub was "diplomatic"?

The equaliser seemed to come from confusion in the defence as Guzan was pushing defenders into place? Thought the defence was pretty good against a poor team?

Isn't Holman usually the player who closes down the short corner? With him off no one seemed to take his place. It almost seemed as though they only knew Norwich had taken the corner because of the noise from the Villa fans.

[Witton Warrior]

We were rubbish before the sending off, and rubbish after it.

The only positive is that Norwich - who largely played us off the park - were not good enough to take all three points.

Someone said the other day that there's not much wrong with this team that two wins wouldn't fix. I can see the truth in that, the problem is I can't even see us winning one game let alone two

We have won one of our last 19 league games and 3 of the last 28.

That's truly fucking awful.

Hi Paulie

I thought both teams were rubbish and have to politely disagree about being "played off the park" - Norwich had possesion but were as shite with the ball as we were. Grant Holt is a cheating big lump and than fuck we didn't sign him!

I absolutely agree about where the wins will come from and that this is the worst run I can rememeber

[Witton Warrior]

We also are set up pretty negatively IMO. KEA, Delph and Holman are more defensive. Yes Holman is supposed to be an attacking player but he doesn't offer much in the final third. I didn't even notice he was on the pitch for large periods today. KEA was poor and invited pressure at times with poor balls. Delph wasn't much better but I thought he was the best out of the three. This is without doubt the worst Villa midfield I have seen. Albrighton as usual has a poor final ball and decision making. I'd have Ireland and Bannan for Holman and Albrighton next game. 

Holman was half the player we have seen for the first 45 minutes, there were far too many "man on!!!" moments todya

[Witton Warrior]

Isn't Holman usually the player who closes down the short corner? With him off no one seemed to take his place. It almost seemed as though they only knew Norwich had taken the corner because of the noise from the Villa fans.
[/quote]

The corner was weird! Brad was sorting out the defence and seemed to be pushing two defenders as the ball came in?

[kippaxvilla2]

I haven't read this thread in its entirety but is there anyone else other than Paul Lambert that thinks that the side put out today benefited more for the absence from its starting line up of Bent, Ireland and NZogbia....it beggars belief.  The team is crying out for experience blended amongst the youth.  The last time we made this bad a start we went down under a Scotsman.

Big thanks to Guzan, Vlaar and to a lesser extent Herd given the position he was asked to play.  Joe Bennett completely naive with both fouls.   

To put our position into context.

If you take the traditional 40 points as the minimum to survive, we need another 11 wins and a draw.  Which means we have only 17 more games to take fuck all from.  12 of the remaining games are against the top 4, Liverpool, Everton and Spuds. 

You usually find your level after 12 games.  That's three more games - by which time we will have played Citeh, United and the Arse.

People, we are in a monummental struggle for survival.

[jeowje]

We were rubbish before the sending off, and rubbish after it.

The only positive is that Norwich - who largely played us off the park - were not good enough to take all three points.

This.

[jeowje]

um, this! (outside blue box)

[1874]

Right, not long got back. Despite the sending off we were lacklustre to say the least. We didn't deserve to be ahead at half-time IMO. Lambert has again caused me concern about his tactical nous. I said at h/t that Bennett should have been subbed as he was getting killed and was on a yellow. Bringing Benteke off when we had 10 ten men? I'm not his biggest fan, but fair play to Gabby. Played well today. As did Guzan (obviously), Vlaar and Benteke. Also the players seemed really nervous in their play. They need a win from anywhere.

Got to agree with this 1874 apart from the being up at half-time - we had created as much as Norwich so it could have gone either way I reckon.

Gabby got a big groan at one point and then chased down a ball in the area and tried to pull it back - nobody busted a gut to get onto the penalty spot though - I still reckon there is a Villa man trying is damndest for the team.

Think we all agree the Bent sub was "diplomatic"?

The equaliser seemed to come from confusion in the defence as Guzan was pushing defenders into place? Thought the defence was pretty good against a poor team?

I thought Norwich dictated play better in the first half and had more sustained periods of pressure then we did. So they will have felt they shouldn't have been behind at half time. I thought our centre backs were good. The lack of co-ordination between Lowton and Vlaar was exposed at times but that was to be expected. I thought Lowton did himself justice in the CB role. Especially in the second half, made some great blocks. Our best summer signing for sure (other then Brad). Herd wasn't great but I'll let him off because he hasn't had much game time recently and he did do some good things. Lichaj was much more solid then Bennett and you know he won't do anything stupid.