Aston Villa v West Ham United Post-Match Thread

[PeterWithesShin]

Didn't notice Guzan's reaction at the time after our second goal, but saw it just on MOTD2 and loved it.

He did it after both goals. And the final whistle. I've said a couple of times he went more mental those times than some of the people around me. I love little Brad.

[silhillvilla]

Guzan = Villa Legend Material 

[Loxton01]

Huge Huge Win

I think we will need 38 points to stay up so 14 more to go.

From today I think for the first time in a long time the ball dropped for us. The drops in the boxes fell to our men which was great to see and hopefully can be a turning point for our season!!

In terms of performance was good at times scrappy at others but we got the win and that was the most important

Positives/Negatives/Observations

Baker instead of Bennett - added rigidity in the back four - Positive
Delph - is becoming more assured in the middle of the park which is a real bonus - Positive
NZogbia - looks much better in the free role supporting benteke - Positive

Bowery - totally out of his depth im afraid as an attacking force - Negative


Observations

Bannan/Ireland - must not get in the team for the rest of the season
Bent - fair play to the guy for continuing to celebrate etc.

We have two weeks till Arsenal away..... chance for Lambert to get the team working on shape, set pieces movement etc.

I think we will be going to wigan last day needing something but today has given a little bit of hope

[Irish villain]

Landed in Dublin at 9.35pm, got to my car, 35 minute drive so was in just in time to see the MOTD2 Highlights.

Nice to see they focussed on the Villa fans, the noise after the second goal was incredible. The sense of relief throughout Villa Park was palpable.

Here' hoping we build on this result....Three wins  and three draws before we get to Wigan away? Can we do it?

[Summers]

[richtheholtender]

Landed in Dublin at 9.35pm, got to my car, 35 minute drive so was in just in time to see the MOTD2 Highlights.

Nice to see they focussed on the Villa fans, the noise after the second goal was incredible. The sense of relief throughout Villa Park was palpable.

Here' hoping we build on this result....Three wins  and three draws before we get to Wigan away? Can we do it?

Would prefer 4 wins 2 draws

[damon loves JT]

Here's to you, Tuscans.

Holte Enders In The Sky....

[Mortimer's Bear]

Concrete Rob

[PeterWithesShin]

Allardyce really is a bitter twat. I also want to know how he managed to steal one of those statues from Easter Island and replace his own head with it.

[Lastfootstamper]

Allardyce really is a bitter twat. I also want to know how he managed to steal one of those statues from Easter Island and replace his own head with it.

There's been plenty of spammers on various radio stations today who heard his post-match comments, and wondered themselves if he'd watched the same game that they had

[richard moore]

Has anyone tried not caring. It lasts about 40 seconds before I start thinking about the bloody Villa again. It is like a sad addiction that has very few highs, and a lot of lows!

I tried for the Newcastle match as I was too ill to go I decided to ignore the match and watch a film. I managed most of the first half but by HT the film was off, radio was on and I was a fixture in the match thread. I reckon it would be easier to kick a crack habit than the Villa.

I tried today when sitting down to watch the rugby with the second half going so badly. Within a few seconds, we had scored and I was back addicted. Rugby off, radio full on and ended up watching England beat Ireland about an hour later. Gloryhunter, what me?!!

[Mazrim]

I said in the pre match thread I thought a team that some may consider safe may be dragged down into it.
That team could be West Ham, because they are truly shite.

[curiousorange]

My match report here:

"It's been a long time since Aston Villa made me happy enough to want to hug strangers in the street, but it's amazing what three points can do to a man. Luckily, I live on a fairly quiet street, so I'm not offering this as a police statement. But it's fair to say Monday morning will be a lot easier for those of a proper claret and blue persuasion.

Read more: http://pickourteam.com/premierleague/aston-villa/fansverdict/10-02-2013/aston-villa-vs-west-ham-united#ixzz2KXhaAzGD"

[KevinGage]

Sorry.  That was simply a terrible game between two very very poor teams.  We will be lucky to play against a team as bad as WHU in what remains of the season. 

Good job we've still got QPR, Reading and Wigwam to play then, isn't it?  I'd say they're all worse than West Ham, possibly Martin O'Neill's Sunderland too.

We played with a degree of conviction today, particularly first half.  We dominated possession and (weirdly)  defended with composure in that opening period, and that meant we weren't having to play catch up and chase the game - as per Wigan and Soton at home.

Praise too for Baker at LB -and for Lambert for having the balls to drop Bennett.   Nathan might have his limitations as a fullback, and against a better calibre of opponent he might struggle.  But he did the basics well, didn't over elaborate in his own final third (as Bennett frustratingly does so often) and there wasn't a dirty great big gap down our left hand side  everytime the opposition hit us on the counter.

If we can grind out another win by Mid March, I'd be reasonably confident that we could find the two victories we're likely to need in the remaining two months of the season.  I don't think we're good enough to win many more than that, but confidence is a funny thing.

[Greg N'Ash]

I said in the pre match thread I thought a team that some may consider safe may be dragged down into it.
That team could be West Ham, because they are truly shite.

They were, but playing devil's advocate, on the bbc site they had more possession, shots on goal, and shots on target. Lies, damm lies, and statistics certainly but we were far better against everton imo. I think we should just view this game as a stand alone and not read too much negative or positive into it personally. Saw someone describe this game and the two team's records beforehand as the "resistable force verses the moveable object" and that sums its up for me.