Chelsea v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[Colhint]

just read a few other teams forums about the game. from RAWK they are cheesed off with the pen not being given and comparing it to an incident with Agger when it was given, anyway this made me laugh

The Terry and Agger handballs were clearly very different. In one case it hit the player's outstretched arm from a set piece, and in the other case it hit the player's outstretched arm from a set piece.

[pauliewalnuts]

We were unlucky but played well and the players will take a lot of positives and confidence from the game.

Agreed.

I think our confidence should be every bit as high as it would have been if we'd won / drawn.

[jembob]

Just watched the highlights again from both Arse and Chelsea game. We seem to be picking up a lot of yellow cards, but I like the fact that our team are now getting in the face of the opposition and the refs. It's been too long since any Villa player has actively intimidated the officials and it's well overdue. I loved seeing Brad getting a yellow card after the game last night for having a go at the useless ref.

I want to see us win, play good football and not roll over for anybody. The signs in the first few games are most promising.

[peter w]

If we had have got the right decisions last night it would have been 3 penalties, two sendings-off, and a disallowed goal away against two of the Sky 4 in two games. We would have used up 25 years of good luck if that had have happened.

[eastie]

By Barrie White | 22/08/13  daily mirror football app.

"Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert has laughed any suggestions of a fall-out with Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho despite a series of heated arguments on the Stamford Bridge touchline during his side's defeat.

Branislav Ivanovic controversially gave the Blues all three points moments after he was booked by referee Kevin Friend for appearing to strike Villa goalscorer Christian Benteke, who equalised Antonio Luna's own goal to give Chelsea a 2-1 win .

But Scot Lambert, 44 , who Mourinho accused of complaining with every decision , praised the returning Chelsea manager and insisted there was no problem between the two, dismissing the exchanges as 'banter'.

"I think there has been a lot made of me and Jose in the technical area. There was the odd little thing, but there was a lot of banter between us," said Lambert.

"It is the same. The two of us were shouting at referees and officials and everything.

"I'm not going to go there and lie down, and neither is Jose.

"A lot has been made of me moaning - he does his fair share as well, just to let you know.

"It is not a problem. We had a bit of banter between us and I saw him afterwards. I like him and he is a brilliant football manager. There was never a problem."

However, Lambert insisted referee Kevin Friend's decision to not point to the penalty spot after John Terry to handle Gabriel Agbonlahor's header with his arm, would have been different had it been Chelsea.

The former Norwich boss admitted he spoke to the Leicester-based ref after the game, and complained he shouldn't have had to speak to him because it was such a clear penalty.

Lambert said: "I spoke to Kevin afterwards, and obviously what is said in there stays in there. But I didn't need to speak to him really.

"It was a clear handball - it''s a stone-waller, a clear penalty. I don't care what anyone says, that is a penalty.

"Gabby has won the header and it has hit John's hand. I'm pretty sure if it had been down the other end, it would have been given. "

[Ron Manager]

Just watched the highlights again from both Arse and Chelsea game. We seem to be picking up a lot of yellow cards, but I like the fact that our team are now getting in the face of the opposition and the refs. It's been too long since any Villa player has actively intimidated the officials and it's well overdue. I loved seeing Brad getting a yellow card after the game last night for having a go at the useless ref.

I want to see us win, play good football and not roll over for anybody. The signs in the first few games are most promising.

You loved 'seeing Brad getting a yellow card for having a go at the useless ref'......Christ!

[FatSam]

Alistair Bruce Ball on Radio Five Live this morning very positive about us. Compared us to last season and felt there was real promise, not least because of our ability to restrict Chelsea to virtually no shots on goal all match. Analysed the whole Ivanovic forearm smash and felt it was thoroughly premeditated; to paraphrase from memory - 'he looked at the ball then looked at Benteke and cynically through his arm at B's head and neck, definite sending off'. Not so sure about the penalty decision but said there was a clear handball in there. Felt that Mourinho was unfair when he described Villa's strategy as simply 'lumping the ball up to Benteke'. Even my wife was impressed, seeing as she only ever seems to hear bad news about the Villa.

That is pretty much my take on it. At the game I didn't have a clear view of either the elbow or the handball. Having watched replays today, I'm of the view that the elbow was premeditated and should have been a sending off, but that whilst handballs have been given for similar incidents, I wouldn't have necessarily expected it to be given. If Terry's hand had made contact with the ball from the original cross rather than the rebound it would have been a stonewall penalty.

Anyway, whatever they might say today with the benefit of the result, we scared the shit out of them last night.

[Ger Regan]

Haven't seen any of the match yet but from what I've heard we played very well indeed and were very unlucky not to get at least a point. Even though we've lost I still feel very positive about this season, and I certainly didn't feel this way just a week ago.
Good stuff, Villa, lets keep it up and stuff the scousers on Saturday!

I'm surprised this post has gone without comment to be honest. Fair play s_h, genuinely, enjoy the ride!

[Ron Manager]

It wasnt an elbow it was a forearm smash worthy of Mick McManus at his finest. The TV showed Ivanovic meant it but I dont think Friend was in the right position to see it clearly. He should have received a straight red.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Just watched the highlights again from both Arse and Chelsea game. We seem to be picking up a lot of yellow cards, but I like the fact that our team are now getting in the face of the opposition and the refs. It's been too long since any Villa player has actively intimidated the officials and it's well overdue. I loved seeing Brad getting a yellow card after the game last night for having a go at the useless ref.

I want to see us win, play good football and not roll over for anybody. The signs in the first few games are most promising.

Agreed.
But refs will book players for the kind of offences we are committing because it is an easy thing to do.
Refs like Friend last night are afraid of giving "big" decisions - he apparently misses a clear handball that would have led to a penalty and he books a player who commits a sending off offence.
This is the same ref who made us take a free kick TWICE deep in our own half because the ball wasn't in the right place, but minutes later ignores Ivanovic creeping 15 yards up the line to take a throw in.
The inconsistency is incredible and confuses players, managers and supporters.
I hate to think that we're going to be losing players for yellows given for minor taps and tackles.

[Tuco Salamanca]

It wasnt an elbow it was a forearm smash worthy of Mick McManus at his finest. The TV showed Ivanovic meant it but I dont think Friend was in the right position to see it clearly. He should have received a straight red.

Agree that from the ref's POV it wasn't that obvious. It also had nothing on Benteke's effort on Azpilicueta last season (which he got away with).

Handball was the ref bottling it though. We might have gotten that earlier in the game. He chickened out because it was so late on I reckon.

[pauliewalnuts]

Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert has laughed any suggestions of a fall-out with Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho despite a series of heated arguments on the Stamford Bridge touchline during his side's defeat.
*snip*

Can you post a link to the article when you post articles, please? Helps people know where it's from.

Also, if poss, stick the whole thing in quote tags.

[Yossarian]

Am I to assume that Friend will be reffing Yeovil verses Derby this weekend?

[Toronto Villa]

The handball was much more egregious than the elbow. It was an unbelieveable and scandalous decision to ignore the very obvious. The elbow is quickly diminished as a storyline if the handball is given and the game is drawn. Two kicks in the nuts is really hard to take, and especially when complete neutrals with no agenda see it the same way. It's one thing if the decisions were marginal and we are looking through biased eyes. Something very different when everyone, even the very few sane Chelsea fans see that we were done by the ref.

[usav]

Am I to assume that Friend will be reffing Yeovil verses Derby this weekend?

A good point.  Aren't they supposed to be independently assessed after every game?

Whatever the case, his performance should not go unpunished.   He missed the two biggest decisions of the game.