Aston Villa v Bradford City Post-Match Thread

[ciggiesnbeer]

G'day (well not really!)

My first post here, as I have always thought that being geographically separate, I struggle to have anything meaningful to add, with the plethora of good opinions, and otherwise.  Anyhow, I don't think I need to go on about the result, because the performance was self-evident.  What I would like to hear opinions on are the expectations of PL clubs with regard to the players - who cost and are paid - orders of magnitude above lower division opposition, yet are unable to perform at the required level.  Our team seems to be full of these passengers, and today I picked on "Pykrete Ron" (unfortunately seemed to bit a bit wooden today!), but he is not alone!

I have been a Villa supporter all of my life.  I was born in Brum, but emigrated out to Australia in '85.  I even have a picture of myself in '82 with the cup.

Here in Australia, to support teams like Villa, or other also-rans in the PL takes some commitment.  The local coverage is full of the usual suspects, but we do get good coverage for all of our games.

I haven't missed a match on TV for about 5 years, and despite Doug, despite the MON spendfest and the McLeish experiment, this is the worst Villa side that I have seen.

I'm not going to even bother rating individuals.........except one - Ron Vlaar.

Ron Vlaar may show the ridiculous amounts of money that very ordinary PL players (within our team and others) are transferred for and paid.

Forgive my recollection of the goal, as I was seething, but here is how I see it.

Ron Vlaar, supposedly one of the better Dutch defenders, capped by his country 14 times (forgive me if I am wrong in my figures, but it is really the sentiment I am getting at) and cost us 7 million.  The Bradford player who scored, whose name somebody else may add was bought for 7 thousand and his last employer was the Co-Op.

So my question is about the expectation of return when a player who cost 1000 times his opponent is made to look like a pub player.  I am also aware that he is coming back from injury - moot point - you are supposed to be a professional with a value a thousand times greater than your opponent who embarrassed you and embarrassed this club and it's supporters.

Damian

Welcome! One bit of bad news, if we get relegated, no more TV coverage of each game, at least here in the states. It will be a big blow to ex pats like us

[Immune_Jam]

G'day (well not really!)

My first post here, as I have always thought that being geographically separate, I struggle to have anything meaningful to add, with the plethora of good opinions, and otherwise.  Anyhow, I don't think I need to go on about the result, because the performance was self-evident.  What I would like to hear opinions on are the expectations of PL clubs with regard to the players - who cost and are paid - orders of magnitude above lower division opposition, yet are unable to perform at the required level.  Our team seems to be full of these passengers, and today I picked on "Pykrete Ron" (unfortunately seemed to bit a bit wooden today!), but he is not alone!

I have been a Villa supporter all of my life.  I was born in Brum, but emigrated out to Australia in '85.  I even have a picture of myself in '82 with the cup.

Here in Australia, to support teams like Villa, or other also-rans in the PL takes some commitment.  The local coverage is full of the usual suspects, but we do get good coverage for all of our games.

I haven't missed a match on TV for about 5 years, and despite Doug, despite the MON spendfest and the McLeish experiment, this is the worst Villa side that I have seen.

I'm not going to even bother rating individuals.........except one - Ron Vlaar.

Ron Vlaar may show the ridiculous amounts of money that very ordinary PL players (within our team and others) are transferred for and paid.

Forgive my recollection of the goal, as I was seething, but here is how I see it.

Ron Vlaar, supposedly one of the better Dutch defenders, capped by his country 14 times (forgive me if I am wrong in my figures, but it is really the sentiment I am getting at) and cost us 7 million.  The Bradford player who scored, whose name somebody else may add was bought for 7 thousand and his last employer was the Co-Op.

So my question is about the expectation of return when a player who cost 1000 times his opponent is made to look like a pub player.  I am also aware that he is coming back from injury - moot point - you are supposed to be a professional with a value a thousand times greater than your opponent who embarrassed you and embarrassed this club and it's supporters.

Damian

Welcome! One bit of bad news, if we get relegated, no more TV coverage of each game, at least here in the states. It will be a big blow to ex pats like us

Thanks for the welcome!  I think that we get a couple of Championship games a week here on Setanta, plus Eurosport carries AVTV, which I haven't been able to watch - who wants to see a replay of us getting turned over?

I may only be able to watch them every couple of weeks or maybe every month.  Might be a blessing in disguise ATM!

Damian

[kippaxvilla2]

I fear the following quote (paraphrasing) is in order.  'It smells all wrong, really like it is on its way down.  And once the rot sets in, clubs as big as this can really slide a long way down.'

[mattjpa]

They asked us to pack villa out, we did. They asked us to get behind the team and be the 12th man, we did. We asked them to keep their heads, give it 100% and beat a team from 4 divisions below them and they gave up after 50mins.

We need to get together as fans, work out how we get our club back and go on the attack. Whether its Lerner, Faulkner or lambert we need to instigate change or  this indecisive twat will just fly back to America, Faulkner will bury his head in the sand and lambert will just go again until we hit the championship. We are down now anyway IMO, we can't make this any worse

[Mortimer's Bear]

Just got up for work with the vague hope that last night was some sort of awful nightmare, turned the tv on just in time to see the highlights.

Fuck it

[Nev]

Just got up for work with the vague hope that last night was some sort of awful nightmare, turned the tv on just in time to see the highlights.

Fuck it

At least the manager feels like we do, he said so last night.

Add fuckin liar to the list of charges.

[willywombat]

Just got up for work with the vague hope that last night was some sort of awful nightmare, turned the tv on just in time to see the highlights.

Fuck it

At least the manager feels like we do, he said so last night.

Add fuckin liar to the list of charges.

I don't think he's a liar at all, I'm sure it does hurt. I do think he's out of his depth though

[Nev]

Just got up for work with the vague hope that last night was some sort of awful nightmare, turned the tv on just in time to see the highlights.

Fuck it

At least the manager feels like we do, he said so last night.

Add fuckin liar to the list of charges.

I don't think he's a liar at all, I'm sure it does hurt. I do think he's out of his depth though

I'm sure it hurts him, but it doesn't hurt him as much as it hurts us and for him to say that is adding insult to injury

[villa `cross the mersey]

Total Embarrassment - end of !

[pooligan]

Going on his results ,Lambert would be gone by now at any other club.He seems on a par with Billy McNeil ,totally clueless and taking us down .

[richard moore]

I would imagine in training at Bodymoor Heath we look good at defending corners. If Bannan is delivering the corner they'll go sailing over the danger area anyway.

Gallows Humour at its finest. Well done Sir, best laugh I've had all night.

Yes indeed. And for a bit of variation today guys, lets practise defending Fabian Delph's overhit crosses or Holman's underhit passes...

[LeeB]

We can talk tactics, how the manager sets us up, our lack of width etc.

But I am struggling to recall seeing as side as brittle as us. As soon as something goes against us all shape to the team goes out the window, and collectively they just hit the panic button.

I've seen it so many times this season it's a joke.

[VillaAlways]

We can talk tactics, how the manager sets us up, our lack of width etc.

But I am struggling to recall seeing as side as brittle as us. As soon as something goes against us all shape to the team goes out the window, and collectively they just hit the panic button.

I've seen it so many times this season it's a joke.

And who do you think is largely responsible for that?

[LeeB]

We can talk tactics, how the manager sets us up, our lack of width etc.

But I am struggling to recall seeing as side as brittle as us. As soon as something goes against us all shape to the team goes out the window, and collectively they just hit the panic button.

I've seen it so many times this season it's a joke.

And who do you think is largely responsible for that?

The players themselves.

They're all men, and however old they are they've been playing the game long enough to understand the basics of football.

The problem is too many of them are lacking, and too many of our academy products seem to be talented but cosseted and ultimately sterile players.

[NiiLamptey]

I think all those that played yesterday should be fined a months wages and the money donated to the bradford players!