Aston Villa v Reading Post-Match Thread

[Percy McCarthy]

For weeks now, some have been saying that, despite some bad results, performances have been decent, only to be met by a torrent of righteous anger from critics who say that performances don't mean shit - results and our position in the league are all that matter.

Well, those critics have certainly changed their tune tonight - we got the result and they're all on about the fucking performance!

[OCD]

13 points down, 27 to go.

Also, a goal from a corner and we had gone close on a few corners before that. Funny that the goal was Westwood's first corner.

[hawkeye]

I reckon the performance was poor, but I think that P.L. is doing what he can with young, inexperienced (and probably also overrated) players.
I think the starting XI was correct. Weimann had done very well with Man Utd. why shouldn't he do the same with Reading?
Plus, Bent can't play in Lambert's system (4-2-3-1) because Lambert obviously choose Benteke as a central forward, and he hasn' the charateristics to run up and down the flanks like Weimann and Gabby do, working and sacrificing themselves for the team.
Banann and Westwood were the best of te midfield with Arsenal, so why should they be dropped for Steven "Luck of consistency" Ireland?
El Ahmadi was awful and was rightly  dropped for Holman.

Archie i agree, great post mate

[Lobsterboy]

A massive three points in the context of our season; the performance was pretty average but a win is a win

Benteke is a real handful and Ireland looked lively when he came on but we do not look a good side

Really pleased with the win though so no point dwelling on our shortcomings this evening; let's enjoy the win and look forward to smashing QPR

[hilts_coolerking]

For weeks now, some have been saying that, despite some bad results, performances have been decent, only to be met by a torrent of righteous anger from critics who say that performances don't mean shit - results and our position in the league are all that matter.

Well, those critics have certainly changed their tune tonight - we got the result and they're all on about the fucking performance!

So these people who've been saying we've been getting bad results despite good performances have been vindicated tonight - when the exact opposite happened - how exactly?

[Karl Bridges]

For weeks now, some have been saying that, despite some bad results, performances have been decent, only to be met by a torrent of righteous anger from critics who say that performances don't mean shit - results and our position in the league are all that matter.

Well, those critics have certainly changed their tune tonight - we got the result and they're all on about the fucking performance!

That's a nail being firmly fucking smacked on it's head.

[mrfuse]

For weeks now, some have been saying that, despite some bad results, performances have been decent, only to be met by a torrent of righteous anger from critics who say that performances don't mean shit - results and our position in the league are all that matter.

Well, those critics have certainly changed their tune tonight - we got the result and they're all on about the fucking performance!

Agreed we've come off the back of 3 games without a win, one where we lost 5-0, dropped into the bottom 3, with everyone including the players knowing its a must win game Id bite your hand off for that game tonight.

[mrfuse]

For weeks now, some have been saying that, despite some bad results, performances have been decent, only to be met by a torrent of righteous anger from critics who say that performances don't mean shit - results and our position in the league are all that matter.

Well, those critics have certainly changed their tune tonight - we got the result and they're all on about the fucking performance!

So these people who've been saying we've been getting bad results despite good performances have been vindicated tonight - when the exact opposite happened - how exactly?

I dont even know what point your trying to make?

[silhillvilla]

For weeks now, some have been saying that, despite some bad results, performances have been decent, only to be met by a torrent of righteous anger from critics who say that performances don't mean shit - results and our position in the league are all that matter.

Well, those critics have certainly changed their tune tonight - we got the result and they're all on about the fucking performance!

Spot on mate, we got 3 points without playing well, so what, I'm over the moon.

[ozzjim]

For weeks now, some have been saying that, despite some bad results, performances have been decent, only to be met by a torrent of righteous anger from critics who say that performances don't mean shit - results and our position in the league are all that matter.

Well, those critics have certainly changed their tune tonight - we got the result and they're all on about the fucking performance!

Too true. The match thread comment was the frustration that although the performance was poor, we were still getting forward, and were, in the large part creating enough good chances to score, but it descended into the usual snore fest that the owner is not interested (no proof of that anywhere) we are all shite and might as well shoot ourselves in the head now before the chance has gone, or that will be a failure too. A few kept their perspective in fairness. And Fergal, you deserved the goal, and the MOM award, although I have already given it to Benteke, so you might have to wrestle him for it. And he has not been fed tonight.

The performance was not really more than I expected. Jittery in front of an expectant Villa Park, missing the captain, not real leader in the side as Gabby for all he is is not a leader, and it showed. Their more experienced players made it difficult for us, but we kept a clean sheet despite losing another defender and having to have 2 players on their wrong foot at the back.

Bannan is taking pelters, but after a very poor first half was much better second, Westwood gave it away 2-3 times early on which showed how nervy it was I thought, but did pretty well by the end. Holman I thought justified the shirt on Saturday so would have been in over Ireland anyhow, and did well first half, our brightest player.

Benteke was hit and miss as they cleverly bought a big bugger into the side to try and negate his threat. Clark and Baker also went long far too much, again a sign of nerves more than anything.

The delivery from corners was much better than normal IMO, both halves we had 2-3 chances from them that we could easily have scored from before the goal.

Weimann is the worry for me in the side, he brings a genuine goal threat, because he drifts in from wide and finds pockets in the box, but he needs to finish the chances he gets because his all round game is nowhere near good enough to warrant a place. Albrighton unfortunately needs to go on loan for 12 months to really sort his confidence and form out before getting another shot. Calling him a ****** for a poor cross is harsh though IMO.

In Jan we need an experience quality central midfielder, who can sit deep with Westwood or Bannan, a wide forward, as I agree with others that NZogbia is made for the Weimann role if he can find form, and he has got much more pedigree than the other options there, an experienced centre half cover if Dunne is not going to get fit and a couple more attacking options to challenge from the bench.

We won tonight though. Not happened much this year and we got the job done.

[hilts_coolerking]

I dont even know what point your trying to make?

I'm asking a question.

[ktvillan]

I don't understand where the "we weren't creating chances" argument is coming from at all. Our problem is consistently putting them away (and the shocking reaction of the crowd at times tonight, esp in the 2nd half). In the 1st we played some OK stuff - Westwood and Bannan excellent, and there were at least three great chances that should have resulted in goals - Weimann's panicky shot over the bar, Benteke's poor effort after Holman's excellent run and pull-back, and Baker's header into the ground off a Bannan corner. All three of those came from fairly young and inexperienced players, and the "Pro-Bent argument" certainly holds weight here. If one of those had gone in then it would hopefully have resulted in a less nervier second half.

I don't think we created that many clear chances tonight, certainly not enough against a team as poor as Reading.  And we've hardly been carving them out for fun in other games.  That said Benteke and Weimann both missed very presentable chances an Bent may well have done better with both.

[Mister E]

It was all about the result tonight - particularly with the added pressure slef-applied by PL re Bent.
I enjoyed alll the goal-chance creation in the first half against a very poor opposition; pity the finishing did not match it.

Second half was tedious but ultimately rewarding.

I thought Baker was outstanding today; had to be to cover for an uncharacteristically jitttery Clark.

[Percy McCarthy]

I didn't say anything about anyone being vindicated. I just find it amusing that those who had been saying performances don't mean shit have suddenly gone apoplectic about our performance.

[olaftab]

QPR highlights v Mackems show that THEY USE THE WINGS AND GET CROSSES IN! FFS Lambert, why don't we?!

And  it was 0-0...FFS I am glad we don't do that!