Aston Villa v QPR Post-Match Thread

[old man villa fan]

I don't get the "lucky" thing, either. "Luck" is a savable shot deflecting off a defender's heel into the net, the referee not spotting a backpass, or not noticing you move a free kick eight yards in from outside the edge of the box. None of these things happened in our favour. Poor finishing, top-drawer goalkeeping, both nothing to do with luck. As the final score of a match so often proves, on the day, we were just better than them where it mattered.

Would agree with that.

It is not very often that you get greater than 1:3 (goals:attempts on target) in a game.  However, yesterday was one such game with 5 goals from 13 attempts on target.  Not sure whether that was due to two teams at the wrong end of the table giving up 5 goals from weak defending and not creating many chances or not.  As others have said, you do not pay a goalkeeper to let in shots.  Guzan played well and the first save from Samba was outstanding but I would say it is going a bit far to say the others were world class.  Saying that, Guzan was far better than the QPR goalkeeeper and may have been the difference.

To say that they should have gone in 3 or 4 goals to nil is ridiculous as we did in fact score.  If Samba's first attempt had gone in, would they then have gone on to score the goal they did.  It is all ifs and maybes.  If we had scored in the first 15 minutes when we were well on top, the whole game could have changed.  If we had put away our chances in the first 15 minutes at Bradford, we could have gone in 3 goals up at halftime and history could have been different.  We did not and it hung like a dark cloud over the club for a month.

Harry's comments were either to try and keep confidence up for the players, deflect away from his own performance of not getting QPR any closer to safety from when he took over or just sour grapes.  Get over it Harry and retire at the end of the season before it all unravels in the Championship next season and QPR go the way of Portsmouth.  Must say, his face was a picture towards the end of the match.  I think he and QPR have had their chips and we have helped to piss on them!

[john e]

when i was a youngster playing cricket i stopped a certain 4 in the field, at tea our best batsmen at the time came over and said the fielding stop had the same efect as him scoring 4 runs, it made me feel great at the time and ever since i've always thought of fielding in that way

its reminds me of Guzan yesterday, those brilliant saves had the same effect as if Benteke or Wieman had scored, just as important and like the above posters have pointed out no luck involved at all, just brilliant goalkeeping

[peter w]

I think its harsh on Bennett to claim his misplaced pass caused the first goal. For a start it was on half way. Then Bannan or Westwood could have gone towards the ball. Bannan was closest but was too slow to react. Even then there was a lot to do for it to end up in the goal. After the shot Vlaar stopped running allowing Jenas to run past him and score. Bennett's pass shouldn't have ended up in the back of our net and the pass wasn't as bad as is being made out.

[olaftab]

It really irritates me how people add up chances and say 'we could have been x goals up'. If one goes in the game plays out differently and the other chances don't happen the same way. If Samba scores the header there is no corner and, therefore, no 2nd save to make. You can't have both goals in your tally of 'what might have happened'.

Yes exactly. Play that follows a goal is never the same as the play that follows a chance and consecutive chances in short space of time do not equate to goals. There is reason why goals are NOT scored and hitting woodwork or goal keeper saving is not bad luck.

[supertom]

Arry might bemoan being unlucky or that his side should have been elventy nil up at half time, or whatever. That's just typical of the man. He's got particular inability to show any grace toward the Villa these days, so even if we'd royally twatted them 3-0 and they'd barely registered a shot, he'd say it was a harsh score line.

Facts and figures count for shit though. The only relevant stat is the one in the top left of the TV/Computerscreen/stadium score screen. Aston Villa 3- QPR 2.

[pauliewalnuts]

I think its harsh on Bennett to claim his misplaced pass caused the first goal. For a start it was on half way. Then Bannan or Westwood could have gone towards the ball. Bannan was closest but was too slow to react. Even then there was a lot to do for it to end up in the goal. After the shot Vlaar stopped running allowing Jenas to run past him and score. Bennett's pass shouldn't have ended up in the back of our net and the pass wasn't as bad as is being made out.

I have to say, I agree with that, after watching it a few more times.

Like you said, there were several opportunities to recover from the mistake, and we didn't take any of them.

[pauliewalnuts]

Another thing I got from watching it is that QPR actually played very well.

There's no way that was an easy fixture.

[Chris Smith]

I think its harsh on Bennett to claim his misplaced pass caused the first goal. For a start it was on half way. Then Bannan or Westwood could have gone towards the ball. Bannan was closest but was too slow to react. Even then there was a lot to do for it to end up in the goal. After the shot Vlaar stopped running allowing Jenas to run past him and score. Bennett's pass shouldn't have ended up in the back of our net and the pass wasn't as bad as is being made out.

I agree that it was still preventable but it was a poor pass and giving the ball away in that situation often leads to trouble, Bannan even pointed back to where he should play it as he didn't want it where he was.

[old man villa fan]

I think its harsh on Bennett to claim his misplaced pass caused the first goal. For a start it was on half way. Then Bannan or Westwood could have gone towards the ball. Bannan was closest but was too slow to react. Even then there was a lot to do for it to end up in the goal. After the shot Vlaar stopped running allowing Jenas to run past him and score. Bennett's pass shouldn't have ended up in the back of our net and the pass wasn't as bad as is being made out.

I have to say, I agree with that, after watching it a few more times.

Like you said, there were several opportunities to recover from the mistake, and we didn't take any of them.

If you are going to play a quick passing game, all players have to be on their toes waiting for a pass.  Bannan wasn't and yet he was in the inside pass for Bennett if he could not play through the two forward channels.

[PeterWithe]

I was saying I'd be overjoyed to go in to the break only one down, to grab that goal out of our only attack strikes me as being more than a trifle fortunate, if you lot don't see that as luck then fair enough, I'm not complaining, we've had enough bad luck this year.

[dave shelley]

All the best for Tuesday Eastie.  Are you having SSN installed or uninstalled?   Whatever; here's hoping you have a quick recovery.

[Toronto Villa]

All the best for Tuesday Eastie.  Are you having SSN installed or uninstalled?   Whatever; here's hoping you have a quick recovery.

He's having it installed in his right eye socket Steve Austin style

[martin o`who??]

I'm so hungover I want to die. All it takes is beating QPR for me to be jumping around singing Benteke songs on Broad Street at 4am.

Good man.

[Chris Jameson]

My 9 year old son asked midway through the second half why every single corner of ours was played to the back post where Samba was able to clear? Apart from the fact we were bloody awful in the first half that was my only grumble about yesterday, oh and the fact I had to clean up after Billy was sick in the car.

I assume after being sick he was ok?

He was fine thanks, nothing like seeing your team win and your two favourite players scoring to perk you up! Think it was tiredness, excitement and overheating that did it, maybe that should be a lucky pre match routine!

[eastie]

All the best for Tuesday Eastie.  Are you having SSN installed or uninstalled?   Whatever; here's hoping you have a quick recovery.

Knee surgery on torn cartilage  sir, rest assured the sky dish is not a problem