Luton Town v Aston Villa Mega Monster Thread

[PeterWithesShin]

Benteke shouldn't have played in this game on so little training. A lot of these players ripped through Chelsea for 60 minutes only 3 months ago!

How many of them were on the pitch at the same time tonight though? That's why i'm not overly fussed. The only concern for me is that the Vlaar and Clark partnership still looks an accident waiting to happen.

[VILLA MOLE]

I remember going to see a friendly against Peterborough this time last year.  We won 2-0 and one of the goals especially was liquid football.  Twenty passes leading to a Holman scorcher if I remember correctly.  Didn't mean a damn once the season started.

did we really keep a clean sheet ?  what was it like ?

[ciggiesnbeer]

Just pre season. I aint too fussed but our defensive positioning could use some work.

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

Yes, it's only a friendly & we are building up fitness but mistakes by defenders were costing us over the latter half of the season. The 2nd goals on Saturday & tonight were caused by the same players, making the same mistakes. That has nothing to do with fitness & everything to do with them not being good enough.
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This. Many people were saying Vlaar was to busy looking out for the kids (Baker-Clarke) he is possibly worse than both of them. Priority is a solid CB to play with Okore. I cannot see how Clarke "earned" a new contract !! Oh ye I know its only a friendly. But this happened most of last season .....

[Dave]

I'll start worrying if we're this shit when we play Malaga.  Also, I seriously doubt Vlaar and Clark will play together again next season (it'll be Vlaar-Baker)

I expect it'll be Vlaar - Okore

[pauliewalnuts]

The thing about Clark is that he always struck me as a more than decent midfielder, but I have seen absolutely nothing that makes me think he can be a top flight central defender. Nothing.

[paulcomben]

I know a senior fella at Perform, from years ago through work.  I am going to email him some abuse and suggest that he spends the rest of the evening drafting P45s for his clownish employees.

I work with Perform video streams in my day to day job, and they are absolutely rock solid.

I pretty much guarantee you, it won't be their fault, it'll be Jack sitting on the laptop or something.

OK, but what we all deserved was a proper explanation quickly after Wycombe and offers of compensation. And again tonight, why should Jack W have to apologise for this repeated debacle, with no back-up support?

Classic! He responded that he did not know what I mean and was going on holiday for a fortnight. A least their customer care is consistently uncaring.

[supertom]

I'm very pleased about the quality coming through. We've got some very promising lads and they're nice and tidy on the ball too. I think we're breeding proper footballers. I also think in Lambert we now have the perfect man to utilise the academy to its fullest. I think less will fall by the wayside in the next 3-4 years. A lot of the O Neill generation have faltered a little and we now see the likes of BB and Fonz on their way out.

Donacien I like. He did quite well defensively. Positionally he wasn't fantastic but he's got the pace to make up for it and he's young so he'll learn. Maybe it's a year too early, but if we had to throw him in at right back in a cup or due to injuries I think he'd do quite well.

Johnson should be pushing Gardner close IMO. I also think both should be above KEA  in the pecking order.

[PeterWithesShin]

The thing about Clark is that he always struck me as a more than decent midfielder, but I have seen absolutely nothing that makes me think he can be a top flight central defender. Nothing.

This for me as well. I think he is a much better midfielder than he is a defender.

Mind, he might start playing better if his own fans can ever learn to spell his name right.

[villan from luton]

Just back from the game - very lethargic first half with massive exception being Delph. Benteke showed some great touches. Thought the duo of Herd and Baker were very poor. Quite impressed by the right back Doncien (sp). Second half looked more lively, some good link up play but no cutting edge. Grealish showed some promise, great close ball control. Vlaar looked poor, Robinson lost confidence after missing a good chance and at fault for second goal with bad touch. What went on near the end with stewards and cops going into the group towards back and to right of the goal?

[supertom]

The thing about Clark is that he always struck me as a more than decent midfielder, but I have seen absolutely nothing that makes me think he can be a top flight central defender. Nothing.

This for me as well. I think he is a much better midfielder than he is a defender.

I still don't think Clark could reasonably expect to be close to pushing our first choices in midfield. I think you'd have to play him as a defensive mid in the more conventional sense. We don't really play that. We have Westwood as the deep lying mid, but he's not what you'd call an anchorman by any stretch, more like our Pirlo.

I think in Clarks case he's kind of neither here nor there. I think he's frightening in defence. He'd adequately cover in midfield in games we want to be more defensive (which aint likely). I think Lambert will prefer players with more mobility in truth.
Johnson reminded me of Anderson. He looks pretty good. He's not quite ready to push the first choice 3 but I can see him making a few matchday squads.

[not3bad]

I'll start worrying if we're this shit when we play Malaga.

This

[saunders_heroes]

I think we need to sign at least one more defender. Vlaar has been just awful since he signed and it doesn't look like he's improved much. Clark shouldn't be in the team 

[Toronto Villa]

Didn't we batter inter Milan a few seasons back in pre-season? Didn't win the league that year from my recollection. Preseason doesn't prove anything either wway and though it's nice to win games right now staying healthy is imperative. It's a bit concerning all the little knocks we've picked up so hopefully those missing are more out of precaution than anything more serious.

[pauliewalnuts]

I think there's really only one thing to pay attention to this preseason, and it is the continuity of the central defensive shitness.

Nothing else I would really draw too much attention too. Don't really care too much - at this point - if we lose, but in defence, it looks spookily like the entirety of last season.

When a side hasn't kept a single clean sheet in 32 games - and that includes five preseason games - something is really not right.

We didn't win the league when we battered Inter Milan in pre-season, no. We did finish sixth and have a good year, though, so not really sure that's the best example, although i do take your point about preseason not meaning huge amounts.

I saw the Inter team coach drive straight into a wall outside the north stand before that game. That was ace.