West Bromwich Albion v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[saunders_heroes]

I'd have taken a draw beforehand but it's still a sickener to lose a 2 goal lead. Our appalling defence let us down again. It's now more important than ever that Lerner provides the cash to strengthen it. It's not acceptable for Aston Villa to have a defence as truly bad as this one. It has to be addressed.

[ciggiesnbeer]

I havent seen the game but I didnt dream we could get a point away at WBA. I am happy enough. Also out of the relegation zone.

PLEASE Lambert, Lerner Faulkner. Sign some god damn midfielders this week.

[Nastylee]

Get a grip some of the abuse is shocking. Good away point.

If we could win at home I'd be in agreement.

[PeterWithesShin]

I just worry about confidence. That's 4 points we've lost late in games recently. The second time we've blown a 2 goal lead this season. The mentality of players has got to start being affected as games move into the latter stages.

[pbavfckuwait]

Questions have to be asked when we say dont bring on the yank for Baker when he was injured but who else was coming off the bench, Delph is beginning to look like a player and picks up a knock, Holman I am sorry works hard at times, but should nowhere be near the bench, thats just maybe why Randy needs to get his cheque book out again, be coz if he does not we are down.

[Lamb_Stockmix]

Get a grip some of the abuse is shocking. Good away point.

Agreed. Still gutted though.

[pauliewalnuts]

People in forums are so fickle. Zog has been shit for us for nearly 2 seasons, he has 1 good game and people cry when he leaves the pitch and question the manager. A manager who over the last 2 years of his career has been nothing short of great.

That's not fickle at all.

I still back Lambert (just about) but shite though Zog has been for two years, he was excellent in the first half, they didn't know what to do with him.

Then we took him off, and look how the second half worked out.

[curiousorange]

Yet again, second half collapse. Sounded like a lot of long ball stuff too in that half, shaky clearances etc.

[mr woo]

You can blame Randy Lerner all you want, but he doesn't set  the team up to defend a 2-0 lead for 45 minutes. He wasn't in the dressing room to motivate and inject desire into them. He wasn't the one who could spot our shortcomings and correct them. He wasn't the one that made a couple of the oddest substitutions I've seen.


We are a soft, soft touch. And we will be relegated if nothing is done to correct that. It doesn't matter if we sign Messi, Sneijder or Yaya Bastard Toure. 

I wanted Lambert as manager this summer. I thought he'd be exactly what we needed. I'm sorry to say I've changed my mind, now I see him as Roberto Martinez-lite.

If I was Lerner, as far as I was concerned, Paul Lambert has one game to save his job.

[Banganappa]

Feels like a defeat but thankfully wasn't
Vlaar back a big plus
Benteke really great goal and good performance
Gabby really good game
We are absolutely desperate for a defensive midfielder
CNZ was a real threat
If CNZ was not injured, his substitution was madness
Guzan, apart from the mistake for the corner had a good game
Holman, Bannan and a few others not for this level
A really good first half but if we continue like this we will go down

[PeterWithesShin]

People in forums are so fickle. Zog has been shit for us for nearly 2 seasons, he has 1 good game and people cry when he leaves the pitch and question the manager. A manager who over the last 2 years of his career has been nothing short of great.

He's probably been our best player the last 4 games.

Not as good as today though. My point still stands in that his Villa career has hardly lived up to expectation.

It hasn't, but when a player is in form (and it's not like we have many we can say that about) and the opposition are worried about him it makes more sense to leave him on. To me it does anyway.

[Rigadon]

People in forums are so fickle. Zog has been shit for us for nearly 2 seasons, he has 1 good game and people cry when he leaves the pitch and question the manager. A manager who over the last 2 years of his career has been nothing short of great.

He's probably been our best player the last 4 games.

Not as good as today though. My point still stands in that his Villa career has hardly lived up to expectation.

No, he hasn't.  But today he was outstanding so why PL took him off is a mystery and after he did, we were shit.  People aren't being fickle, they're getting fucked off with watching a team who always concede a couple of couple of goals. 

[mattjpa]

Fuck settling for a point, we SHOULD have WON this game.

Positives

• Gabby back to his best
• THAT goal
• We appear to be seeing an in form Charles N'Zogbia for the first time in his Villa career
• The improved 1st half display - Confident, exciting, technically very good
• Bennett - Thought he played ok today. Made a couple of saving tackles, put some good crosses in. Just needs a bit of confidence which he should get playing alongside Ron

Negatives

• The lack of tactical nouse by Mr Lambert
• The introduction of Barry 'Hollywood' Bannan - Lacking in EVERY possible dept
• The introduction of Holman - Doing his best to impersonate one of the chickens from Chicken Run, running around the pitch, arms flailing everywhere
• Eric Lichaj - Bench at best - SHould not have come on as replacement for Baker
• Injury to Baker, who I think is our next best defender to Ron

...but, we pick ourselves up, we go again. Now I know how Bill fucking Murray feels! 'Sigh'

 

Bit harsh on Lichaj.

agreed.
Left on the coach,rather than the bench.

A fine example and typical idiotic comment. Why people feel the need to spout bollocks like this I have no idea. Lichaj had a good game today. surrounded by better players with more confidence Lichaj will be a good player for us. Yes, he has had a few bad games for us but crap like this after he has a decent game is infuriating

[pauliewalnuts]

I'd have taken a draw beforehand but it's still a sickener to lose a 2 goal lead. Our appalling defence let us down again. It's now more important than ever that Lerner provides the cash to strengthen it. It's not acceptable for Aston Villa to have a defence as truly bad as this one. It has to be addressed.

That's the thing.

A first half of considerable promise, but let down by the same feeble deficiencies we have had all season.

They have got to be put right because, despite the first half, we still don't ever look like winning games, and that will get us relegated. All the good work and improvements will count for nought, sadly.

[Legion]

Lichaj did fine. Who else could Lambert have brought on?