Aston Villa v Reading Post-Match Thread

[mrfuse]

I know but the question doesn't make any sense regarding Percy's statement

I'm sorry you don't understand it but I can't put it any plainer than I already have.

Erh ...their was no vindication read Percys comments again is that plain enough for you?

[Pat McMahon]

Keeno,

I love your positivity and genuinely get what you are trying to say.

But we were at home against a very poor team and the last stats I saw ( well before full time) showed that we had 3 shots on target. We were nervy and inexperienced, but at the moment we are not creating any concerted pressure and don't look like scoring. The goal really was out of the blue. And long may this pleasant surprise continue!

I am hoping that this was a performance like those  we saw prior to Xmas 2003 which were followed by a wonderful resurgence leading to a top 6 finish.

[claret and blue blood]

Got back awhile ago been reading the post match comments, just a few observations, the best players tonight where all Lambert's signings, Benteke, Westwood Lowton and Guzan ! The fans particularly the Holte end stayed behind the team right through and you can feel the difference from the last two seasons .Ireland bannan and Westwood is our best midfield till we sign better ( a must ), It's an either/or re Weimann and Holman. Reading were absolute rubbish. Bent must have done something behind the scenes, how else can Albrighton and the young kid Bowery be on the bench ahead of him ? So nice to drive home after a win , only our third this year !

[mrfuse]

I feel sorry for Albrighton, I'm not sure whats gone wrong is it a confidence thing or is he trying too hard?

he has been terrible, I agree with the earlier comment about him going on loan although we have a thin squad as it is.

[Legion]

Not great, but three very welcome points. Ireland should start against QPR as he made a big difference when he came on. Bannan was poor. Don't know what's gone wrong with Albrighton. The Bent saga is inexplicable. Pleased with Westwood. Guzan was outstanding. Benteke holds the ball up so well. I think Weimann tries too hard sometimes. The nutter was not present. However, all I felt when we scored was relief. Not joy. Not ecstacy. Not exhilaration. Just relief.

[Louzie0]

Very pleased with the result.

Where is N'Zog?

[PeterWithesShin]

Very pleased with the result.

Where is N'Zog?

Injured

[PeterWithesShin]

There's no question that Christian Benteke was the star man with fans after the 1-0 win over Reading.

But it wasn't just his goal that singled him out for credit.

His stats back up the big man's influence in the game as a whole.

Benteke was No.1 for shots with six in total, four on target, two blocked and one goal.

He was also No.1 for attacking third passes, making twenty-six in total including fourteen successful.

He was No.1 for aerial duels, winning eleven out of nineteen attempted.

In other stats, Ashley Westwood, unsurprisingly, was No.1 for passes, making forty-six successful ones out of fifty-four attempted - a success rate of 86%.

Barry Bannan was No.2 with forty-four successful ones out of fifty-five attempted.

Brett Holman was No.2 for attacking third passes with fourteen successful ones out of twenty-six made.

Bannan was No.4 with thirteen of twenty attempted.

Westwood was No.1 for chances created while Bannan was No.2 and Holman was No.3.

Matt Lowton was No.1 for tackles, winning six out of six attempted, with Bannan No.2 with three out of three and Westwood No.3 with two out of four. Nathan Baker was No.4 with two out of two.

Lowton was No.1 for interceptions with six in total while Gabby Agbonlahor was No.3 with three and Holman was No.5 with two.

Ciaran Clark was No.1 for clearances with ten successful out of twenty-five.

Interestingly the No.1 pass combination during the game was Matt Lowton to Ashley Westwood with fifteen while No.3 was Ashley Westwood to Matt Lowton with thirteen.

Brad Guzan to Christian Benteke and Ashley Westwood to Barry Bannan were joint No.5 with twelve.

[ASHTONVILLA]

Pleased with the three points, even if it wasn't the best game. Thought we were the better team and deserved the three points, and was pleased with the number of chances we created (pity about the finishing).

I really like Benteke, he has all the makings of a proper Villa player, unlike Bent who has never really clicked with the club despite having a good goal record for us. Westwood looks like he will turn out to be a decent find too, as does Lowton. Baker played well in defence (rate him better than Clark), and Guzan continues to show why Given isn't getting a game.

Next game I'd like to see Ireland and N'Zogbia start.

[seanthevillan]

Firstly it was a poor performance - I'm sure everyone who either was there or watched it would agree - against a team who were there for the taking. We were static, passed erratically throughout and our decision-making was awful at times.

BUT you could tell straight away that the pressure/nerves were getting to the players, and I think this has a worse effect with our young team. Actually in light of this I thought Bannan was one of our better players - ok he makes some bad mistakes, gave the ball away, sometimes in bad areas as well etc, but at least he had the balls to demand the ball and try and make something happen.

Also he wasn't helped by the complete lack of movement from our front four (one thing you can say about Bannan is he does try to pass into space if he can, just Benteke apart the forwards never moved into any). Tonight was the first time I've seen Westwood in the flesh and I have to say I was disappointed by him, as I was by Lowton and Lichaj who barely offered the width we so clearly lacked throughout. Bannan and Benteke took responsibility, which for me gets them marginally higher marks in a poor set than the ones who didn't.

Credit to the defence, especially Guzan, but Clarke and Baker were unconvincing. I actually disagree with the posters saying Baker had a better match - he does all the basics well (and crowd-pleasing sliding challenges) but his positioning is suspect and he allows strikers to run the wrong side of him, this happened a few times in the match. Roberts did the job you would expect him to against two fairly inexperienced centre-backs (though Clarke is fast approaching the stage where he can't use this excuse), and in the end only had one half chance.

Still just glad to be back at Villa Park and see us win.

[Louzie0]

Think N'Zog on form could make a real difference to the attacking aspect of midfield, so I hope he's not long away.

[PeterWithesShin]

Think N'Zog on form could make a real difference to the attacking aspect of midfield, so I hope he's not long away.

FWIW he's down as no return date on Physio Room. We're joint top of the league there, for players injured.

[seanthevillan]

Interesting stats there, PeterWithesShin, I think they back up the case for Bannan not having the awful match some here and in the stadium would claim.

Have to say I was surprised, if not shocked, by the crowd's reaction to every misplaced pass/decision to turn and hold onto the ball etc.

[Louzie0]

That must be one of the most frustrating places to be for a professional sportsman.  Get well soon, Charles and all the other Villa players in the physio room.
Otherwise, don't lose heart, Albrighton and others mentioned negatively in dispatches.
Anybody can have a bad day at the office. Just do better next time.

[The Situation]

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.

But they didn't, and then throughout the second period the crowd began to get itchy, particularly where I was in the Trinity, and Nathan Baker began to put on his best James Collins impression. We started to go longer and more direct and the game became a lot scrappier, which was exactly what Reading wanted (who really were terrible). I think we, the fans, have to take some of the blame - it's a very young side out there, and getting angry at them isn't going to help whatsoever. If we want to have any hope of challenging higher up the table in the next 5 years a change in style is going to have to happen, and if that means we only put 1 past Reading instead of 3 then it's a sacrifice i'm willing to make. I mean, it's hardly the Scottish Manager's football. (I do agree that Albrighton was dreadful though-really not sure if he's got what it takes...)

So I don't think it was as bad a performance as people are making out - the second half became scrappy as we all began to get impatient, and if we'd taken one of the many chances we created earlier on in the game hopefully we wouldn't have HAD to resort to the Guzan ---> Benteke route. Westwood, Guzan, and Benteke top notch tonight. Bannan mercurial and frustrating as ever - but the Westwood-Bannan partnership in the CM looks to be really useful. Worrying from Albrighton, and Baker/Holman didn't have their best nights (although i'm fans of both). The Darren Bent affair is a debate for another time - although it's true that Benteke certainly offers more than Bent in a 1-striker formation, which I think we look most fluid in. We certainly have to get less impatient with them, and accept that nights like this re going to happen - it's a change for the better and it will take time (as we've said many times before). UTV

Some sense being spoken here with some good points made.

If anyone thinks we were dire tonight they must have forgotten about last 2 seasons pretty quick where we truly did witness some dire performances.

We did not play as well as we've shown we can but when going into the game in a pressure scenario where only a win will do its always going to be tough and it will show in the performance, especially when you're playing opposition in a similar situation.

We looked quite good opening 25-30 minutes passing it around with purpose but maybe faded a little towards the end of the half. They had a couple of close chances too and I could see the defense tonight didnt look as assured and confident with the absence of Vlaar probably showing. Roberts made our defense really work at times and although we won plenty of headers we were not so dominant when it came to dealing with the physicality of him.

It was frustrating at times and as the game went on it felt like I could only hope for a goal because I thought it would be a disappointing draw. Up stepped Benteke and that goal was a big relief.

We lacked the cutting edge and with that final ball with that extra bit of quality when needed wasnt quite there. I think expectations were that this should be an automatic win against Reading. Although I knew we absolutely needed to win I still knew it was going to be tough because all the pressure was on as was it for Reading but we were at home. It's also harder when playing in such a scenario, its not always going to go how you expect. We had enough opportunities tonight, we just didn't quite take the game by the rough of the neck when there was the chance too.

Like others I'm baffled with the exclusion with Bent. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought as the game went on that if someone was going to come off the bench and change the game around who could get us a goal it was Darren Bent. Fortunately Benteke stepped up when needed but that's beside the point because I would of had Bent on the field before that.

We had opportunities tonight but it wasnt an all round good performance from the team which we've seen in previous games against tougher opposition where we didn't win, but with the scenario we are in the win is that matters right now. I think its important to realize how the players were playing with added pressure and when you're playing with pressure it will show, especially when only a win will do.