Manchester United vs Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[SoccerHQ]

Stupid team selection tonight. Should have flooded the midfield and tried to nick a win. The lack of a naturally defensive midfielder is costing us a high proportion of the goals we concede, due to nobody ever tracking back runners and nobody sliding over to cover the space behind the full backs when they go forward. Our defensive organisation is fucking diabolical. Lambert's had a season to sort it out, for god's sake.

Don't expect it to change next year if we stay up, Lambert's norwich team were very gung-ho. Infact the way we're set up since xmas is what I expected from the start of the season but 1st half of the year was characterised by too many games where we barely had a shot at goal and we persisted too long with the likes of KEA and Holman who after bright starts soon faded.

[Holte132]

How about this from the Eurosport website:

"The second half was something of an exhibition, as United allowed Villa to test them defensively..."

Well, wasn't that kind of them!

[Irish villain]

Go and beat Sunderland boys. You owe us fans something.

Lambert needs to get them fired up, Benteke has blown a bit cold (as had Andi).

[devilla]

I've thought a lot about what I would say since the final whistle. From a pragmatic point of view, this result was always on the cards but there are several reasons why I'm actually quite pissed off with that result:

1. Offsides - 2 out of 3 "goals" being offside and Sky's casual dismissal of these facts in their analysis.
2. The odious one-sided commentary on sky. They were wetting themselves.
3. Giggs first half foul on Gabby after he goes in studs up. Bookable offence. What happens? Referee has a laugh with "Giggsy", no booking.

Still, I should have expected nothing less really.

We just need to match Wigan's results now and we'll be ok. On a positive note, I thought KEA did well when he came on and we looked quite threatening at times. With a better final ball and linesmen who knew the offside rule, we may have got something.

Bring on Sunderland.

[brontebilly]

Lowton beaten by a deep cross to the back post for the umpteenth time this season. We badly need at least one new centre half in the summer also even if it is the second division we are playing in.

Would be tempted to give Bent the start against Sunderland. Benteke and even Weimann se to have had a dip in form over the last few games

[damon loves JT]

After ten minutes I was running a cold sweat and convinced we would lose about 9-0.

A defeat of that magnitude would have relegated us, indirectly.

[curiousorange]

Lowton beaten by a deep cross to the back post for the umpteenth time this season. We badly need at least one new centre half in the summer also even if it is the second division we are playing in.

Would be tempted to give Bent the start against Sunderland. Benteke and even Weimann se to have had a dip in form over the last few games

That wouldn't be a bad shout. Di Canio is going to have them so wound up they'll come at us for 20 minutes or so, so it's not the time for gung-ho. Bent and Benteke in a standard, calm-down-lads 4-4-2.

[Lastfootstamper]

Are the people claiming tactical lunacy the same ones that were heartened pre-kick off by the attacking intent?

Not me, I think he got it wrong and I stand by that, but I always think it's wrong to start nzogbis in that role.  Whenever he starts him there we struggle to maintain possession, I still think we should be trying bannan or delph (and bring Sylla in deeper) there.  Whenever we've looked our most effective we've had a worker in that AM role (holman at times early in the season, and for reading/QPR sylla and bannan shared it).  With the way we play we're very susceptible to giving teams far too much time to play at the back.  With us then having a high line they just drop the ball in behind Lowton or Bennett and look a threat.  When we have a 'busier' player in there we don't give teams that much time to look up and pick those long cross field passes.  That's the main reason I see a good player for that role as a key signing for next year (if we stay up).

The number of players you mention here underlines the main problem with our midfield. KEA, from the sound of things, had possibly his best game for us. But there's no guarantee that that'd have been the case had he started. Westie and Delph are our two most consistent performers in there. Yet the list for a third name is almost endless; KEA, Bannan, Holman, Ireland, Sylla, N'Zogbia. None anywhere near consistent enough. I'm not looking for a world-beater, just one that's gonna show up, week in, week out. On paper, CNZ looks the most threatening, which is probably why he started. It's impossible to overstate just how massively we're missing Stan. Without wishing to heap too much pressure onto his shoulders, maybe GG is exactly who we need right now.

[SoccerHQ]

For those who think the BBC were biased tonight no wonder, was in Manchester on business last week, came back on the bus from the Trafford centre to Picaddily and didn't realise that the new BBC headerquarters is pratically across the road from Old Trafford!

[curiousorange]

For those who think the BBC were biased tonight no wonder, was in Manchester on business last week, came back on the bus from the Trafford centre to Picaddily and didn't realise that the new BBC headerquarters is pratically across the road from Old Trafford!

One thing that gets on my tits about the move to Salford is that every time they do a vox pop for TV or radio, the lazy-arses take two steps out the front of the building and quiz the first few Mancs they see.

[Simmons]

I thought we did alright actually. Always going to struggle after losing a couple of goals really early on but kept at it and unlucky not to get at least a goal back. If we were only halfway through the season I'd have no concerns whatsoever about staying up with the way we're playing but the worry is that we're just going to run out of winnable games.

Tonight just reinforced to me how much I fucking despise Manchester United and all their plastic, part-time, gloryhunting fans. Watching the game in a pub in Birmingham and there were still more of the fuckers there than Villa fans. I sincerely hope the Theatre of Prawns burns to the ground.

[Gareth]

Never thought we would get owt from this game particularly when it became a chance to win it on their own patch.

Tonight was the first time since we shored it up against West Ham that we reverted to not giving our full backs any cover....the night Bennett has to mark Valencia & Rafael on his tod.

Perversely I agreed with the team selection & thought we played ok, what seemed a bit stupid was with 2 holding midfielders why you would play a mad high defensive line, bearing mind we aren't exactly pacy at CB. 

Vlaar is comfortably the worst 'experienced' centre half I have seen in a Villa shirt since early 90's....forget God, Southgate, Ugo, Teale, Mellberg or Laursen....what we wouldn't give for a Ronny Johnsen or Colin Calderwood even bloody Zat would be an improvement, the only think concrete is his boots...its like watching the 3rd Caldwell brother.

If we haven't won next Monday i'll be proper worried....

Go again :-)

[eamonn]

For those who think the BBC were biased tonight no wonder, was in Manchester on business last week, came back on the bus from the Trafford centre to Picaddily and didn't realise that the new BBC headerquarters is pratically across the road from Old Trafford!

SoccerHQ, formerly Soccerlad, has fully grown-up It happened way too feckin' fast.

[eamonn]

After ten minutes I was running a cold sweat

Was that not just the Dulux weathershield that dripped onto your eyebrows?

[BC54 VFC]

Oh well.

At half time I thought we were up for a real drubbing and I think the way we stabalised and created one or two things was pleasing enough.

Just out classed really; the second goal was very good in fairness. I thought the defence got exposed and we needed an extra man in the middle.

Some bellend in their end had a framed picture of Van Persie; plastic, cockney twats. Also, anybody that buys a half and half scarf with another Premier League team is a wanker and should have their plastic, modern, following the brand neck wrung with it.

Embarrassingly, there were a few wearing them in the Villa section. Also, what the hell were some of the Villa fans doing taking pictures at the final whistle of the Man U players celebrating; plastic Brummies?