Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur Post-Match Thread

[taylorsworkrate]

I come to terms long time ago that we just don't have the quality of players anymore. 70% of the squad is average, 20% are above average and the final 10% is world class. Lambert is also tactically inept.

I think its a bit generous to suggest there's no one in the squad below average.

Also Benteke isn't 10% of the squad

Benteke and Guzan are the stand out players  for me , way ahead of the rest.

I was counting the above two.

I think Guzan's a good keeper. Not world class though.

I'd say there's a few who are well below average. Baker, KEA, Albrighton, Kozak (From what he's shown so far) to name some examples

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I cannot believe we have just lost our eighth game in a row. Fucking garbage. Oh hang on.

No way were Spurs two goals better than us. They were as wasteful in possession as we were and created as little as we did.

The two goals were soft, yet again! Why Baker didn't drop in for a simple nod away? What was Westwood doing for their second?

I think Westwood has been anonymous all season and he was equally poor today as he was against Hull. Sylla has got to start against Everton.

Time for Bennett to come back in I think. I know Townsend is a handful, but positionally he worries me.

Delph as good as ever, trying too hard at times. Gabby still not quite fit. Benteke should have burried his header from six yards.

What does Vertonghen have to do to get penalised at Villa Park? Andi though is another in the Westwood and Lowton bracket who just hasn't cut it so far this season. Time for him to join Lowton on the bench.

Everton up next is certainly winnable, but much like the start we have had, another difficult opponent.

[pauliewalnuts]

It's not so much whether we have or don't have players who could be called world class (although, really? World class?), it's how many players we have who are just not very impressive.

One or two players in during the summer, players who were better than those we have - and that doesn't have to mean spending 30m on a player, there are lots of intermediate points between the class of player we have and those players - are what i think would have improved us considerably.

Instead, I suspect we're going to have another up and down season. That's not necessarily bad, it isn't boring, it keeps you on your toes etc etc, but will we be, come the end of the season, much better off than last year?

I'm not convinced. That is not to say I've lost belief in Lambert, I haven't, i like lots of things about him. it's more that I am unconvinced of his ability to turn a bunch of cheap signings into something significantly better than what we already had.

[McGraths Dry Cleaning]

We're better than last season but quite a way off where most of us would like to see us particularly at VP. We need to move on from survival to something better but we were poor today and Spurs didn't have to try too hard.

Couple of seasons ago at VP one of the chants from the other fans at a game (QPR/Fulham?) was "You're not famous anymore" which is clearly gramatically incorrect but I get what they meant. I lived in London for nearly 25 years and that is the general view of Villa from most football supporters I know down there. A sleeping lion no doubt but sleeping nonetheless.

[levico]

Poor tactics by PL IMO. He said in the Mail that he was planning nothing special to cope with Townsend and he paid the penalty.

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I also want to add that I hope that Spurs prick gets the book thrown at him, in the literal sense as well, when he roles up bright and ealry at the Mags tomorrow morning.

Classless fucking shite Tottenham. Always have been.

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There were so many more players worthy of getting lamped by Delph than Townsend. Phil Dowd for one.

[TonyD]

Spurs aren't that good and we aren't that bad.

[Monty]

I know that every defeat is Armageddon, but I thought that was a perfectly honourable defeat. The McLeish comparisons are demented: we pressed them from the first minute to the last, never became defeatist and were never uncompetitive.

Good things: Luna may have had a poor game against a terrific player in terrific form, but was actually really bright in attack; Delph faded late on and gave a few loose passes away, but dribbled like he was made of rubber for most of the game; Kozak has a brain in his head to make up for his other deficiencies, but Benteke just being on the pitch seemed to invigorate the players; Weimann and Gabby were direct and threatening (apart from their shooting), and Tonev had his best time in a Villa shirt so far. Oh, and we might just have the best keeper in the league.

Less good things: we clearly miss both Clark and Okore, and Baker wasn't great; KEA was a real nuisance in the first half but became somewhat listless, and Westwood had a somewhat anonymous game (Sylla was a bit sloppy when he came on); Bacuna's positioning was fairly nonexistent, though his energy and powerful dribbling were admirable; Weimann especially can't really shoot.

But most of all, we need a creative midfielder of the type of which Spurs have a surplus. No Eriksen, no Lamela, ten minutes of Dembele and that's totally fine by them. They're a much better side than us but we were never out of the game despite their superiority. We're a safe, up-and-down middling team who are generally more entertaining than we need to be, and that's all fine by me.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Pretty much a standard Villa Park performance there (so pretty bad).

That said, I think we would've got something if Benteke had started, but it was probably sensible not to risk him for the whole game.

If he was fit enough to play most of the second half, why not play him from the start? We battled well first half but showed no real goal threat.
I feel sorry for Kozak, the hoofs up front to him, no support and he's expected to hold up the ball. Pointless.

Weimann has been poor all season, yes he gives his all but he'll never reach his potential if he's stuck out on the wing all day. It's not as if he's fast. He once moved inside and narrowly missed the target from our best move of the first half.

Gabby had a tough one against probably the only player in the league faster than him in Walker, so tried to cut inside when possible. Only problem was, there were no options for him from our midfield, Kozak was surrounded and Weimann was signing autographs by the touchline.

Our midfield battled well and tried to close down everything but their passing is still poor and offered nothing to the attack.

Luna had a tough day defensively but then when we play so narrow we invite teams with acres of space to use the wings.

Vlaar had a decent game by his standards but the central defence are so easily torn apart. You could see the panic set in leading up to the first goal, we were all over the shop and Spurs had three players in and around the six yard box. Shocking defending.

Whoever suggested Tonev should be considered for the next game needs reminding that apart from running well with the ball, he does absolutely nothing with it except shoot, always off target. Maybe come April he'll force a goalkeeper into a save as his shooting is improving, today's efforts were a good few yards in from the corner flag. I guess that counts as an improvement.

Benteke I really worry about. He must be thinking WTF am I doing here. I really hope he doesn't lose interest otherwise we really will be in the brown stuff.

Lambert needs to face up to the fact his tactics are very limiting and he needs to find another way for us to play.  I predicted a scoreless draw at Hull and a 2-0 defeat today. Not rocket science, just a very predictable Aston Villa side.

Apart from a few rare glimpses of quality, you're right, it was another typical Villa Park performance.

[SoccerHQ]

God we are so depressing and predictable to watch at Villa Park, no idea if the play is infront of us.

In fairness the performance wasn't that bad today, I didn't think there was anything in the first half and didn't think Spurs were that great but it just shows why we don't win many home games at all.

Was thinking on the way back to the car right back to the Spurs home game on boxing day. I think we've played 15 league games in that period and we've incredibly conceded the first goal in 10 of those games.

It stands to reason if you keep falling behind in home games you'll find it very difficult to engineer winning positions unless you get a quick response.

Of course there are freak second halves like Man. City and Sunderland you get from time to time but generally our home games just are the same endless narrative, we start off at a snail pace which allows the opposition to settle in and pass the ball around, we go a goal down, there's a rally at the start of the second half which leaves you wondering why we can't start the game like that and we'll then concede a second against the run of play which kills the game off.

We need to see much better against Everton which will be another tough home game. No Kozak please, I'd put Sylla in the middle as I think we need more energy and drive in the centre and I'm not sure how much longer we can preserve with playing both Gabby and Weimann both at home, Tonev looked quite lively in his cameo so I'd be tempted to throw him in as a wildcard against Everton.

[NiiLamptey]

I must have watched a different game... Never expected to win then as the game went on felt we could nick it...

didn't take our chances but thought Delph, bacuna, vlaar, Westwood and guzan all played well
Gabby, wiemann, baker. El ahmadi all did ok
Only one for me was Kodak, can't see him cutting it

But we gave good account of ourselves and I'm positive about the season!

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There is a very good article in H&V which sums up where we are; not good enough to compete consistently with the top six, but capable of dishing out a walloping when needed and nobody will be shocked when we finish 10th.

[bertlambshank]

I can't remember their keeper making a save.

[Monty]

I can't remember their keeper making a save.

I think it was one save for him, which was Tonev's shot straight at him. And Westwood's free kick in the first half. Not a whole lot really.