Swindon Town v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[PeterWithe]

I thought it was a pretty ropey performance and we made very hard work of it, we somehow managed to get ourselves in front and then we looked pretty confident although we were still gifting them chance after chance.

I'm grateful to Benteke for saving me another half hour of standing in the freezing cold.

Can't really understand the criticism of Ireland, he looked very composed and one of the few who looked clearly superior to their Swindon counterpart.

DiCanio is a child, does a player with his CV really need to do that kind of nonsense to receive the adoration of a housefull of lower league carrot crunchers? Most Villa on the way out were laughing at him.

Diversion on the M5 was no fun on the way back.

[damon loves JT]

A win is very welcome, and it makes a change to be able to take this competition seriously.

But the way we let them get back into the game does not fill me with confidence. Nor does the manager's response.

I hate to be negative but it doesn't feel as if we have turned a corner yet.

[Mister E]

The game pretty much turned out the way that you'd have expected: Swindon were aggressive, plucky and adventurous. We, as the top-flight side, had everything to lose.
Reminded me - particularly listening on the radio - of some of our exploits in the 1970's when we were a plucky cup team on the rise. I have no problem with the fact that we struggled.

However, we do need to raise our game for the EPL somewhat, and I'd be interested to know from people at the game how the 4-3-3 worked.

Also, I'm concerned about our CB injury situation.

[Nev]

I thought we'd turned a corner after Man City only to find a huge sweeping bend ahead of us, I think we are still on that bend.

Still, a win is a win and we're forever complaining that we don't score last minute winners and that it's always being done to us.

Yes, I'm looking at the positives. Very much so. For sure.

[richard moore]

Having got up yesterday morning at 4.30am to attend an assessment centre in London for a job in my company I essentially already have (nice and it didn't go very well either!), I was more grateful than most for Benteke's very late winner.The thought of getting home about 1am in the morning was filling me with dread. As Damon says, a win was very welcome after Fulham and Southampton away the last few weeks. Our fans were absolutely brilliant again though I do wish the phantom farter near me had stopped doing so. The Swindon fans were superb at the annointed time for the Petrov applause. As for the game, we collectively seemed to play well in passages of the game and then collectively be all at sea for periods. Bannan perhaps epitomised this more than anyone, looking like Xavi at times and then having a spell in the second half when he couldn't play a ball to a colleague 5 yards away. Lovely to go to a ground where you can get away quickly because there are only 14K there, even if it is in Swindon which really is the pits of a place. Again, as Damon says, I wouldn't get carried away, the number of times they put balls across the face of our goal was alarming and we had some real let offs - as did they on occasions to be fair. Drove home listening to the end of that truly remarkable game at Reading, life is certainly never dull if you are an Arsenal fan for sure!

[Simba]

Too right Tolambo!! Over the moon for the lad tonight, he's going to be a massive player for us this season & many more hopefully.
Let's hope our season began tonight, 3 points Saturday against the mackems will set us up nicely for Manure, let's have it!!!
UTV
What's Benteke's song anyway??

Onward Christian Benteke,
As Villa go to War,
With every Cross and centre,
He is gonna score.

(Onward Christian Soldiers obviously)

[richard moore]

It's 'Christian Benteke, he scores when he wants'....

[rutski]

i wish people would stop posting shit like so and so is rubbish and wont make the grade. These players are learning and need support. Young players make mistakes, sometimes costly ones but they learn from them and become better players for it. If you support them instead of slating them they learn much quicker. Supporters should support all our players because these are the only ones we will have. There will be no big spending in January it is no longer club policy to splash the cash. What we have is what we go with from now on.

what did you think of enda stevens performance telford. i will tell you what i thought, woeful, dire embarrasing. there. stick that review where you dont like it.

[eastie]

i wish people would stop posting shit like so and so is rubbish and wont make the grade. These players are learning and need support. Young players make mistakes, sometimes costly ones but they learn from them and become better players for it. If you support them instead of slating them they learn much quicker. Supporters should support all our players because these are the only ones we will have. There will be no big spending in January it is no longer club policy to splash the cash. What we have is what we go with from now on.

what did you think of enda stevens performance telford. i will tell you what i thought, woeful, dire embarrasing. there. stick that review where you dont like it.

Bennett  back in on sat but we really need clark to be fit too, baker will be out a few weeks I think.
Interesting game on sat with a lot at stake.

[PeterWithe]

I've seen Stevens a few times for the reserves so that performance didn't surprise me although to be fair he was up against their best player, the no10.

Still, needs must.

[ciggiesnbeer]

and I'd be interested to know from people at the game how the 4-3-3 worked.

I too would be interested in this, and how on earth we were playing with 4 strikers at the end. It sounds exciting?

[Mr Diggles]

Does anyone know what formation Villa played yesterday? The Telegraph report suggests a 4-2-3-1 which sounds a lot more dynamic that the weekend's 4-0-2, sorry, 4-4-2.

[PaulTheVillan]

Happy we won in 90 minutes.

Gabby especially needs to start producing in the league.

Bent can't have anything to moan about.

Sounds like Ireland had a good game.

More confident for the game on the weekend now.

Bent can't have anything to moan about.

[DrGonzo]

Just watched the highlights, Gabby's goal was lovely, he threatened to do that a couple of times on Saturday but the strike let him down, let's hope that reminds him where the net is.  The second Swindon goal was a cheeky wee scamp too.  Fingers crossed that Benteke can keep scoring more than he misses, I like the look of him tho'.

[MonsXI]

It's a win, we still have problems but we're in the quarters!

Di Canio is a self obsessed fascist prick!