Millwall v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[brian green]

Thankfully back to the topic.

I don't know what the stats show but I always feel a bit more comfortable against corners and set pieces with Guzan in goal.   Shittu's goal last night was again a clear free header.   The law of averages says that if the keeper comes for the ball sometimes he will get it or punch it or deflect it and at least on those occasions the free header on our goal will be denied.   On the occasions the goalkeeper misses it and a header goes towards our goal there should be defenders on our line able to block it.  If none of those things are effective we concede a goal but we are conceding goals anyway so we have nothing to lose.

We have two sorts of defensive ineptitude blighting our play at the moment.   We have the ineptitude brought about by the inexperience at the top level of players like Bennett, Westwood, Lowton, Clark, Baker, Herd, Lichaj, Stephens, Bowery and Bannan.   Yes, several of them have played a good number of Premiership games but none of them has played in a solid, well organized defence with the likes of Mellberg, Laursen, Bouma or Cahill in it.   They were thrown into TSM relegation dog fights and it ruined them.

The other form of ineptitude which we see from Villa is the ineptitude of casualness.   As well as the rookie players we have several who know better, have played better but do not consider that they have any responsibility to the club to play at their best levels.   In this category I place Given, Bent and Ireland, all three of whom came to Villa not for playing reasons but financial ones.   All three live in an incompetence comfort zone underpinned by the attitude of "well if the Villa will pay me that much every week I will not say No."   On the cusp of sinking into that category I would place N'Zogbia and, with a very heavy heart, Gabby.   I think Given, Bent and Ireland are all lost causes but I think Zog and Gabby are not completely beyond redemption.

So who does that leave who is not either naive or complacent.   Perhaps Benteke (with sorry lapses) Vlaar, Delph, Guzan and Weimann.

That leaves Holman who cannot pass or tackle and KEA who has become Ireland's back up in the how to hide for ninety minutes role.

I reckon we have no more than six or seven players to trust to try to get us back up next season.

[VinnieChase84]

How long is Herd out for?
Dunne needs to come in for Clark and play alongside Ron.
Herd needs to come into a midfield 3 alongside Westwood and Delph (kea when he's back)
Benteke needs to go out wide of a 3, bring Bent in the middle and nzogbia out left.
Moving Benteke out wide will draw defenders out, leaving space to bent to chase through balls and flick one from Benteke

[danlanza]

Thankfully back to the topic.

I don't know what the stats show but I always feel a bit more comfortable against corners and set pieces with Guzan in goal.   Shittu's goal last night was again a clear free header.   The law of averages says that if the keeper comes for the ball sometimes he will get it or punch it or deflect it and at least on those occasions the free header on our goal will be denied.   On the occasions the goalkeeper misses it and a header goes towards our goal there should be defenders on our line able to block it.  If none of those things are effective we concede a goal but we are conceding goals anyway so we have nothing to lose.

We have two sorts of defensive ineptitude blighting our play at the moment.   We have the ineptitude brought about by the inexperience at the top level of players like Bennett, Westwood, Lowton, Clark, Baker, Herd, Lichaj, Stephens, Bowery and Bannan.   Yes, several of them have played a good number of Premiership games but none of them has played in a solid, well organized defence with the likes of Mellberg, Laursen, Bouma or Cahill in it.   They were thrown into TSM relegation dog fights and it ruined them.

The other form of ineptitude which we see from Villa is the ineptitude of casualness.   As well as the rookie players we have several who know better, have played better but do not consider that they have any responsibility to the club to play at their best levels.   In this category I place Given, Bent and Ireland, all three of whom came to Villa not for playing reasons but financial ones.   All three live in an incompetence comfort zone underpinned by the attitude of "well if the Villa will pay me that much every week I will not say No."   On the cusp of sinking into that category I would place N'Zogbia and, with a very heavy heart, Gabby.   I think Given, Bent and Ireland are all lost causes but I think Zog and Gabby are not completely beyond redemption.

So who does that leave who is not either naive or complacent.   Perhaps Benteke (with sorry lapses) Vlaar, Delph, Guzan and Weimann.

That leaves Holman who cannot pass or tackle and KEA who has become Ireland's back up in the how to hide for ninety minutes role.

I reckon we have no more than six or seven players to trust to try to get us back up next season.

Spot on again Brian, six or seven at best. A sorry state we are in.

[danno]

Regarding the two forms of defensive ineptitude, I find the former infinitely more forgiveable than the latter.

[Small Rodent]

I was say in the stand opposite the Villa end.

The Millwall fans around me seemed quite "normal". No racism from them and they booed their fellow fans for throwing bottles on the pitch.

They seemed to have it in for Weimann for some reason. Strange, because I thought Millwall fans would have an affinity with Austrians...

[russon]

Herd needs to come into a midfield 3 alongside Westwood and Delph (kea when he's back)

Forgive me Vinnie if I don't cartwheel around the living room at this prospect. Herd's pretty ordinary and that's being kind while KEA's crap, Westwood adequate and Delph progressing slowly from crap to average. We need to buy.

[Des Little]

Who'd like a bet that KEA comes back from the African Nations injured?

[Malandro]

Who'd like a bet that KEA comes back from the African Nations injured?

or that he doesn't come back

[VinnieChase84]

Herd needs to come into a midfield 3 alongside Westwood and Delph (kea when he's back)

Forgive me Vinnie if I don't cartwheel around the living room at this prospect. Herd's pretty ordinary and that's being kind while KEA's crap, Westwood adequate and Delph progressing slowly from crap to average. We need to buy.

I'm not overly pleased that this is only one of our options! Sad state of affairs. However we need more steal in the middle and unfortunately Herd is our only option.

[danlanza]

Who'd like a bet that KEA comes back from the African Nations injured?

or that he doesn't come back

Has he been kidnapped by Algerians ?

[mal]

Can you think of a worst midfield in the time you have been watching - I am 44 by the way to put the timeline in context ??

I'm 53 and no I can't

2002-3 Hassan Kachloul -     Mark Kinsella - Øyvind Leonhardsen (worst player I have ever seen in a Villa shirt) -      Joey Gudjonsson -     Thomas Hitzlsperger makes a pretty awful 5. To be fair though we still had Barry/Taylor/Hendrie/Whittingham  too.

[brian green]

The reason for the Millwall fans to have it in for Weimann was because he is not quite a Witemann.

As for KEA every time I hear the ACN commentary of a Morocco game I hear "Aston Villa's Al Ahmadi has lost the ball".   I reckon he is another sight unseen purchase based on video footage.

[saunders_heroes]

Can you think of a worst midfield in the time you have been watching - I am 44 by the way to put the timeline in context ??

I'm 53 and no I can't

2002-3 Hassan Kachloul -     Mark Kinsella - Øyvind Leonhardsen (worst player I have ever seen in a Villa shirt) -      Joey Gudjonsson -     Thomas Hitzlsperger makes a pretty awful 5. To be fair though we still had Barry/Taylor/Hendrie/Whittingham  too.

All the above are better than what we've got now.

[Des Little]

Who'd like a bet that KEA comes back from the African Nations injured?

or that he doesn't come back

Has he been kidnapped by Algerians ?

Would anyone know?

[brian green]

The worst midfield I can recall is the one which had Barry Hole in it.   Perhaps some other old timer can add the others.    Was one Phil Woosnam?   I think his awfulness came later.   Ron Wylie was crap also.