Aston Villa v Manchester City Post-Match Thread

[pauliewalnuts]

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?

Lowton, Westwood, and Baker are all promising players, and have all had decent matches, our problem is that they're all starting matches togehter, week after week, when they're not ready to do so. They're going to struggle in the championship, let alone the top flight, if they're thrown in like that.

Clark is a decent footballer, but he's no centre half, in any division. Bennett looks fecking awful, like a child who has wandered onto the wrong pitch. I've no idea what he was like for Boro, but on what I have seen this season, I'd imagine he was no Ashley Cole.

Without being surrounded by enviable pros! How can you learn to play properly if you look to your left and right and you see two young mercenaries that haven't got a clue?

Ask the chairman or the manager.

[VillaAlways]

Gary Neville spot on as usual.

He's a great pundit

[Dave]

Lowton, Westwood, and Baker are all promising players, and have all had decent matches, our problem is that they're all starting matches togehter, week after week, when they're not ready to do so. They're going to struggle in the championship, let alone the top flight, if they're thrown in like that.

That's fine, and I wouldn't disagree with that. But that's a world away from the Championship being a league above what they as individuals are capable of.

Clark is a decent footballer, but he's no centre half, in any division. Bennett looks fecking awful, like a child who has wandered onto the wrong pitch. I've no idea what he was like for Boro, but on what I have seen this season, I'd imagine he was no Ashley Cole.

But considering he's played at every level for England up to his current age group and stood out enough to warrant us to throw £3m or so at them, presumably he didn't look like well, like Joe Bennett looks like now.

[silhillvilla]

Gary Neville spot on as usual.

He's a great pundit

He is indeed, superb knowledge and insight.

[pauliewalnuts]

Lowton, Westwood, and Baker are all promising players, and have all had decent matches, our problem is that they're all starting matches togehter, week after week, when they're not ready to do so. They're going to struggle in the championship, let alone the top flight, if they're thrown in like that.

That's fine, and I wouldn't disagree with that. But that's a world away from the Championship being a league above what they as individuals are capable of.

Clark is a decent footballer, but he's no centre half, in any division. Bennett looks fecking awful, like a child who has wandered onto the wrong pitch. I've no idea what he was like for Boro, but on what I have seen this season, I'd imagine he was no Ashley Cole.

But considering he's played at every level for England and stood out enough to warrant us to throw £3m or so at them, presumably he didn't look like well, like Joe Bennett looks like now.

Well, I don't know, but on the basis of what I have seen so far, it looks like 3m pissed up the wall.

[aj2k77]

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?

Disagree with Bennett. The boro fans didn't rate him and thought Friend was a better prospect and couldn't wait to snatch our hands off for the money we offered. As for Lowton, Clark and Baker, they haven't been decent, theres a reason why we've already let in 53 goals in the League.

[pauliewalnuts]

I have always had the belief that we will stay up. If we keep playing like that we will win more than not," Paul Lambert concludes. Full quotes to come.

From PL tonight.

That is all well and dandy, but where are these matches that we win more often than we lose? And are they going to start soon, because we run out of chances in ten games time.

[aj2k77]

Lambert must be expecting a run of 10 wins on the bounce then. Another pleasing display for the boring one, he can go to bed happy.

[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.

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?

On recent evidence Lowton, Westwood, Bennett and Clark. Possibly Baker. I've been mystified at the praise for Lowton and Westwood all season.  Totally mediocre and I think they would struggle at a lower level on this form.  Bennett looks like he would struggle at under 15 level.  Clark is a truly dreadful, awful player.   Baker = bull in a china shop.

Delph looks the part recently and I've always liked him.  Shame about the (lack of) discipline.

[ez]

Thats the thing. I keep hearing about us improving so where are the results?

[silhillvilla]

10 more cup finals , well 9 forget ManUre away

[forzavilla]

Anything less than 6 points from the next two games and I fear we will be dead and buried

[Pat McMahon]

I have been saying for ages but we are physically and mentally too weak. Each of the back 4 was physically bullied at times tonight and in one comical moment at the beginning of the second half one of them - Dzeko ? - had both Lowton and Clark flailing around him on the edge of our box ( I think this was the chance to Tevez that was cleared off the line). We also had moments when each of them was dallying on the ball in silly areas. Throw in Holman, Westwood, KEA at times and we are just too lightweight.

We lack leaders and fighters and too many players were below par tonight, far too many to really trouble City. Great header by Benteke but other than that I don't think Hart was troubled. I am pretty certain he didn't have to make a single save. And at no point did I feel anybody on our side was capable of rallying the troops.

So often our forwards were caught on their heels too, waiting for the ball and not moving towards it.

This feels just like 1987 all over again.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

Can't believe Paul Lambert didn't stop Clark from making that fuck up. What a shit manager to have not prevented him from ballsing it up.

Not very good, but not very bad I thought.

It's all about Reading who I think we're better than and then QPR will be a more tricky fixture. I'm confident though.

[pauliewalnuts]

Anything less than 6 points from the next two games and I fear we will be dead and buried

That's what worries me.

Our next two games are against QPR and Reading. We need to win them both. I genuinely wouldn't back us to win either of them, let alone both.