Sunderland v Aston Villa Match Thread

[Monty]

Well, it's been boring, but we've looked better than them. Just need to start gambling in the final third.

[PeterWithesShin]

Decent first half, shame no end product. Benteke, Bannan and Westwood have been very good.

[PaulWinch again]

Lichaj is a massive worry at left back he really is. However I like the midfield and Sunderland are there for the taking we really need to win this.

[Karl Bridges]

So does that drop us down the half time league?

I'm starting to really dislike Lichaj. He's a fucking idiot, it's like having Warnock back and kicking the ball away when he's as rash as he is will I feel be costly. Get rid in January.

[curiousorange]

Can't shake the feeling that they'll score from a terrible, mediocre attack.

[Yossarian]

I see the Blues are losing at home.

[PeterWithesShin]

Shots on target managed by Sunderland at home to, how can I put it, not the best Villa side i've ever seen, a grand total of zero. I don't miss the Pube Headed Judas one bit.

[hilts_coolerking]

Ireland's got all the ability but no brains, very little bottle and no urgency.  It's so frustrating watching him play.

[Rigadon]

2 teams low on confidence playing out a dour draw so far.  Benteke is the pick form our lot along with Westwood both of whom are having decent games.  We really do need to pick up a draw at least today.

[citizenDJ]

Well, that's better than we've been for a little while, and in 45 minutes Westwood and Bannan have shown that they should be strong favourites to be in the starting midfield each week. Benteke has been very good again, a real handful up front and winning most headers for us to follow up.

I think I am just about done with Ireland. I've been patient and acknowledged the obvious ability he has, or at least had, but he just isn;t delivering anything for us. His passing is wayward, his tackling is dogy and his workrate is hit-and-miss. An irritating player.

[sirlordbaltimore]

Hard hlaf to sum up for me.

For the first 20 minutes I thought we looked pretty good, but without looking like scoring. After that they came into it more and had a few half chances they thankfully failed to take. We also started leaving some pretty big gaps in midfield and down the right which a better team would exploit for sure

A bit more composure (especially from Ireland, who's been VERY slack with the ball) and a bit more urgency when we have the ball in their half and maybe we can nick a goal

[fredm]

Lichaj wants to calm down. He is getting too close to them and giving away unnecessary free kicks and now has got booked.  They will play on him next half and try and get him a second yellow.
I cannot make my mind up about Ireland, he just seems a few inches away from making the interception and his passes frequently just fail to reach their target.  If I had a suspicious mind I might wonder if it is intentional?

[Jimbo]

A familiar pattern is emerging in this match. We know we very, very rarely keep a clean sheet, but we don't really look like scoring. Of the two sides, Martin O'Neill's Sunderland look more likely to score, and I'm afraid that's what I think will happen.

[django]

Irelands been a bit casual in his passing, although he's made up for that with some sold tackling. Otherwise the midfields looked a lot better, not sure if we need someone to have the responsibility to get forward though. If it's Ireland he needs to push a bit further on, we've not really given their keeper anything to do.

When they come at us I think they will score every time, but overall I feel this is ours if we go for it.

[Monty]

Ireland's got all the ability but no brains, very little bottle and no urgency.  It's so frustrating watching him play.

Agreed. The only tackles he's attempted have been ones where he's gone flying in pretty recklessly. Definitely the weak link in the midfield on that evidence.