Swansea City v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[PeterWithesShin]

Stat time

Chris Herd, Ciaran Clark and Christian Benteke were the big names when it came to stats during the Swansea game.

Herd and Clark were exceptional at keeping the home side at bay - especially during a torrid twenty minute spell in the first half - and that's shown in the post-match figures.

Benteke's stats stack up very well too with the powerful forward proving to be a real presence up top for Villa during the ninety minutes.

Benteke was No.1 for shots with four in total, three on target and one goal. Andreas Weimann was No.3 with four in total, two on target and one goal.

Benteke was No.2 for chances created behind Pablo Hernandez.

Benteke was No.4 for take-ons, alongside Delph, with one successful out of two made.

Benteke was again No.1 for aerial duels with eleven won out of thirteen made. Clark was No.2 with ten won from thirteen made. Herd was No.3 with seven won out of nine made. Matt Lowton was No.5 with three won out of four made.

Joe Bennett was No.1 for tackles, with three successful out of five made. Ashley Westwood was No.2 with three successful out of four made. Marc Albrighton was No.3 with three successful out of three made.

Delph was No.1 for interceptions with six while Albrighton was No.3 with five alongside Clark.

Herd was No.1 for blocks with three, Delph was No.2 with two alongside Bennett and Westwood.

Clark was No.1 for clearances with eighteen successful out of twenty-six made. Herd was No.2 with nine successful out of twenty-two made. Lowton was No.3 with four successful out of fourteen made.

Brad Guzan to Benteke was Villa's No.1 pass combination with eleven. Our No.2 was Benteke to Weimann with eight alongside Westwood to Benteke with eight.

[PeterWithesShin]

Going to watch us on MOTD now, as I only listened on the radio so interested in seeing some of the match.

[mike]

Half of me thinks 'that's a good point', the other half thinks 'for f@ck's sake, you're an Aston Villa fan, a point against f@cking Swansea a good result???'

[Matt Collins]

The defending in the first half highlights was some of the most ridiculously disorganised I think I've ever seen from a top flight side. Very worrying. What on earth are they playing at?

[olaftab]

Having seen the MotD yes it was a good point. The chances they had in the first 25 minutes or so should have buried us but we recovered.
On Bennett penalty yes handball but outside the area. Great decision by the officials.
We do need Vlaar back  v Southampton.

[Somniloquism]

Having seen the MotD yes it was a good point. The chances they had in the first 25 minutes or so should have buried us but we recovered.
On Bennett penalty yes handball but outside the area. Great decision by the officials.
We do need Vlaar back  v Southampton.

When Dublin said the foot was inside the area so questioned was the arm, yet the replay showed both feet out the area on contact with the arm.

[olaftab]

This was a bit like the run out decisions in cricket. Players look well in but video calls them out.

[Brend'Watkins]

It wa only MOTD highlights I seen but on that evidence that opening half hour was a horror show I can't remember the like of in all my years following this team. 
We need quality players, lots of them and as quickly as possible.

[Matt Collins]

I agree - the team looked completely all over the place.

You wonder if the constant changing of formations and players is undermining the organisation of the side? I think German players are probably tactically educated enough to manage that. I don't think British players are (their twitter feeds don't suggest a great level of intelligence!)

[tomd2103]

I agree - the team looked completely all over the place.

You wonder if the constant changing of formations and players is undermining the organisation of the side? I think German players are probably tactically educated enough to manage that. I don't think British players are (their twitter feeds don't suggest a great level of intelligence!)

I think that is certainly the case when it comes to the defence.  I would personally like to see Guzan and a settled back four (consisting of Lowton, Vlaar, Dunne (or a new CB) and a defensively solid new LB) see out the rest of the season for us. 

[brontebilly]

brett holman was disgraceful for the cross before the goal. he runs around a lot and gives the impression of being a workhorse but I think he is actually more gutless than stephen ireland without the ball.

[thick_mike]

I'm trying to remind myself not to overreact. When we went a goal down it felt like te world was about to end. When we equalised I felt like we'd just won the cup or something.

It's bloody odd. Like manic depression by proxy.

When Benteke scored the penalty I thought "I'd take a point now". It's a sad state of affairs, I know, but it's a measure of where we're at.

[JUAN PABLO]

brett holman was disgraceful for the cross before the goal. he runs around a lot and gives the impression of being a workhorse but I think he is actually more gutless than stephen ireland without the ball.

he did it a few times in the game . Just get a bloody tackle in and stop fannying around.

[Duncan Shaw]

brett holman was disgraceful for the cross before the goal. he runs around a lot and gives the impression of being a workhorse but I think he is actually more gutless than stephen ireland without the ball.

he did it a few times in the game . Just get a bloody tackle in and stop fannying around.

Couldn't agree more, I think he's really poor and was abysmal against Spurs too when we needed someone to hold on to the ball up top.  He's got the first touch of a rapist.

I thought Brad should have done better with the equaliser, but given the saves he'd made earlier on in the game is still well in credit.

[Ron Manager]

Have we got a video?

Definite penalty for the handball by Bennett, so shit refs do work both ways.

In no way was it a definite penalty, watching the replays it was impossible to tell one way or the other. Ours wasn't a penalty either.

I was watching on a foreign stream (if Im allowed to say that) they showed it from a different angle to the BBC. It was a penalty. I agree with you ours was a bit doubtful. But both decisions were very welcome and we were the better team in the second half.