Aston Villa v Manchester City Post-Match Thread

[kippaxvilla2]

I think they tried hard enough don't get me wrong, but they never, ever look like scoring (the first half header apart).  You can usually tell by the crowd noise if there is expectancy and there wasn't tonight.

[ktvillan]

The positives
Guzan – prevented a hammering

Delph – starting to look a decent player but still gets an unnecessary booking and now arguably our best midfielder misses our two most important games.

The not so positives

Lowton average verging on mediocre  Championship/League 1 player.  Quite why he’s rated so highly by some I’ll never know.  No pace, no ability to take a player on, no tricks, easily beaten.  Meh!

Westwood – as above

Bennett – several degrees worse than Lowton and Westwood.  The epitome of a fairy on a gob of lard.

Clark – utterly useless all season and capped it tonight by gifting City a totally avoidable goal which has cost us.  Possibly fouled but what the fuck was he thinking? Twat.

Baker – decent in the air but launching yourself into challenges like a missile from ten yards away is always going to result in yellow cards, unnecessary free kicks and most likely goals conceded.

Our “defending” is comically naïve at times, it’s like watching schoolboy football.

[Small Rodent]

Delph broke up play well. Westwood pretty anonymous. I didn't hate watching this game though. We were playing the best defence in the league and we've played worse.

Need someone to take responsibility up front and take a risk. Too many safe passes.

[pauliewalnuts]

I think they tried hard enough don't get me wrong, but they never, ever look like scoring (the first half header apart).  You can usually tell by the crowd noise if there is expectancy and there wasn't tonight.

The players just are not good enough, it is as simple as that.

Look at our squad, and have a think about how many other PL sides would covet them. Can you see the likes of Bennett, Clark, Delph et al getting into many other top flight sides?

Too many youth products and cheap lower leagues purchases. There's a difference between astute lower league purchases added to a squad with experience, and what we have, which really looks like a trolley dash around the third division.

Too many of them, too quickly.

[ktvillan]

I think they tried hard enough don't get me wrong, but they never, ever look like scoring (the first half header apart).  You can usually tell by the crowd noise if there is expectancy and there wasn't tonight.

The players just are not good enough, it is as simple as that.

Look at our squad, and have a think about how many other PL sides would covet them. Can you see the likes of Bennett, Clark, Delph et al getting into many other top flight sides?

Too many youth products and cheap lower leagues purchases. There's a difference between astute lower league purchases added to a squad with experience, and what we have, which really looks like a trolley dash around the third division.

Too many of them, too quickly.

The scary thing is that if we go down many of them will still be playing above their level.  Harsh on Delph btw, he's looked good recently and was excellent tonight apart from the booking.

[PaulWinch again]

I think they tried hard enough don't get me wrong, but they never, ever look like scoring (the first half header apart).  You can usually tell by the crowd noise if there is expectancy and there wasn't tonight.

The players just are not good enough, it is as simple as that.

Look at our squad, and have a think about how many other PL sides would covet them. Can you see the likes of Bennett, Clark, Delph et al getting into many other top flight sides?

Too many youth products and cheap lower leagues purchases. There's a difference between astute lower league purchases added to a squad with experience, and what we have, which really looks like a trolley dash around the third division.

Too many of them, too quickly.

Precisely. We needed to blend players in alongside experience. Lowton is a prime example, he should never ever have been ever present this year. He's too weak and naive. Our ownership's and management's approach to this season has been utterly suicidal.

[pauliewalnuts]

I think they tried hard enough don't get me wrong, but they never, ever look like scoring (the first half header apart).  You can usually tell by the crowd noise if there is expectancy and there wasn't tonight.

The players just are not good enough, it is as simple as that.

Look at our squad, and have a think about how many other PL sides would covet them. Can you see the likes of Bennett, Clark, Delph et al getting into many other top flight sides?

Too many youth products and cheap lower leagues purchases. There's a difference between astute lower league purchases added to a squad with experience, and what we have, which really looks like a trolley dash around the third division.

Too many of them, too quickly.

The scary thing is that if we go down many of them will still be playing above their level.

I agree.

[myf]

looks like we're heading for at least 9 home defeats. is that worse than last year? Im just gutted we've got a game sat when Im out on the piss. bound to spoil the day

[Greg N'Ash]

I think they tried hard enough don't get me wrong, but they never, ever look like scoring (the first half header apart).  You can usually tell by the crowd noise if there is expectancy and there wasn't tonight.

The players just are not good enough, it is as simple as that.

Look at our squad, and have a think about how many other PL sides would covet them. Can you see the likes of Bennett, Clark, Delph et al getting into many other top flight sides?

Too many youth products and cheap lower leagues purchases. There's a difference between astute lower league purchases added to a squad with experience, and what we have, which really looks like a trolley dash around the third division.

Too many of them, too quickly.

The scary thing is that if we go down many of them will still be playing above their level.

long term planning that. In four years time our defence will cleaning up the conference clean-sheet wise

[PaulWinch again]

Would many high end Championship sides swap their back four for ours? I doubt it. We can talk about giving it a go, but if it wasn't for Guzan we'd have been battered. Also to lose 1-0 to that goal, perfectly sums up our problems this year.

[Dave]

I think they tried hard enough don't get me wrong, but they never, ever look like scoring (the first half header apart).  You can usually tell by the crowd noise if there is expectancy and there wasn't tonight.

The players just are not good enough, it is as simple as that.

Look at our squad, and have a think about how many other PL sides would covet them. Can you see the likes of Bennett, Clark, Delph et al getting into many other top flight sides?

Too many youth products and cheap lower leagues purchases. There's a difference between astute lower league purchases added to a squad with experience, and what we have, which really looks like a trolley dash around the third division.

Too many of them, too quickly.

The scary thing is that if we go down many of them will still be playing above their level.

I agree.

It's a nice soundbite, but which ones are you thinking of?

Most people seem to think that Lowton, Westwood and Baker have been respectable this season. Bennett was presumably pretty good in the Championship so I don't think that all of a sudden that it'll be beyond him. Delph's been our best player so far this calendar year. Clark's had some pretty hairy moments but again, not good enough for the Championship?

[villadelph]

I think they tried hard enough don't get me wrong, but they never, ever look like scoring (the first half header apart).  You can usually tell by the crowd noise if there is expectancy and there wasn't tonight.

The players just are not good enough, it is as simple as that.

Look at our squad, and have a think about how many other PL sides would covet them. Can you see the likes of Bennett, Clark, Delph et al getting into many other top flight sides?

Too many youth products and cheap lower leagues purchases. There's a difference between astute lower league purchases added to a squad with experience, and what we have, which really looks like a trolley dash around the third division.

Too many of them, too quickly.

The scary thing is that if we go down many of them will still be playing above their level.

I agree.

So we'll go from a mediocre Premier League club to a mediocre Championship club? I don't think this was as bad as everyone is making it out to be. We had some pretty decent spells of possession and opened up City in the middle of the park with ease. We kept it simple and passed to open mates. We neutralized City better than most of the clubs in the Prem this year. We constantly complain about our midfield but today, given their tall task, I would say they did pretty well.

[Greg N'Ash]

Would many high end Championship sides swap their back four for ours? I doubt it. We can talk about giving it a go, but if it wasn't for Guzan we'd have been battered. Also to lose 1-0 to that goal, perfectly sums up our problems this year.

Aye. the goal was totally avoidable. Just fuckwittery that the manager doesn't seem to be able to stamp out

[ez]

Watching villa is becoming like getting up for work in the morning. Yawn, here we go again...

[villadelph]

Would many high end Championship sides swap their back four for ours? I doubt it. We can talk about giving it a go, but if it wasn't for Guzan we'd have been battered. Also to lose 1-0 to that goal, perfectly sums up our problems this year.

Aye. the goal was totally avoidable. Just fuckwittery that the manager doesn't seem to be able to stamp out

A Cruyff in stoppage time as the last defender against Man City, are you NUTS?!