Aston Villa v Cardiff City Post-Match Thread

[Mister E]

Very comfortable on reflection and the win was routine.

We saw three different formations today and credit to Lambert for making the tactical switch to get the excellent Bacuna higher up the pitch. It was a truly effortless bit of quality and the difference it made to us psychologically was huge.

The play suddenly had a lot more emphasis and tempo, helped in part with Bacuna and Tonev really stretchimg them and the second goal seemed to always be coming. The first goal also seemed to help us remember that we were playing a very limited outfit who had come for a draw.

I thought we actually started quite brightly creating some efforts on goal, while Tonev stuck two excellent balls in that nobody attacked. Kozak was unlucky not to score after the break too.

It was quite tense, the booing a disgrace and the game became what Cardiff had hoped; a real scrappy affair.

Three well deserved points today without a proper left back, our best midfielder and Gabby.

Just returned home - and this, Ads, is a good summary of what I saw today, and I particualrly liked the greater pressing up the field (KEA did this well).
Kazak showed far more than previously - his link-up play and general awareness were excellent: instead of lumping it to him, we used his strengths and it worked.
Westie played really well in that deeper role.
Bacuna - a Midfielder - is a rising star (as I said after the Liverpool game ...).

[ciggiesnbeer]

At some stage we'd have to get used to Benteke not being there, he seems intent to give us a taster now. Gone in January?

I see no evidence of this at all. He bust a gut, got angry when he didnt score or get chances, was annoyed when he was marked. Played superbly off the ball and showed his quality with several layoffs.

I see a player committed to Villa and I am happy with that.

[Ads]

I would like to see Gabby and Bacuna off Benteke against the Stripey Filth. We need all our best attacking players going forwards. Lowton is good enough, we all know this, time he remembers this too.

[richardhubbard]

Great result.  I have now seen enough of Tonev.  The lad is useless.  The chance at the end of the first half when he could of played Benteke in for a 1 on 1 and decided to shoot from 25 yards says enough for me.

I like the look of him.

Direct, pacy and we need midfielders who actually want to shoot.  When (not if) he scores, I'm pretty certain it will be spectacular.   

He's raw, and wasn't outstanding today.  But there's enough to work with there longterm.

It isn't as if he's 18 though, he is 23/24, only a year or two from his prime.  You'd think after about 6 years if senior football he'd have developed better instincts.

Hitzlsperger scored great long range goals, and I'd guess he hit the target more too.  That didn't make him a good player, he was distinctly average.

Is that the hits that won a number of caps for Germany

[CJ]

Oh - and another half-time highlight - the guy in the Lower Holte who proposed to his girlfriend to the predictable choruses of 'you don't know what you're doing'...She accepted

[Ads]

Tonev is far from useless. He played well again, put in some dangerous cross that we failed to attack, tracked back and worked hard, stretched Cardiff wide and looks more than useful.

He did try and murder the ball with his shot. He is symptomatic of Bacuna against Liverpool in that he is trying too hard at times with certain elements of his game.

As for the booing; it is a disgrace, achieves nothing and best left for the opposition to boo our players.

[Monty]

I agree that it was terrible to boo our players today. Considering their youth and inexperience they'll respond to encouragement from the crowd, and worrying about the reaction to any mistakes will make things worse. Also, these are not the days of Dullins, Ireland and Warnock - these players really are on our side, and it's our job to be on theirs.

[Toronto Villa]

That's if money was the reason why we didn't sign the player. Could have been something else.

That's also a possibility. Let's say it's Kiyotake, for instance - he said he didn't want to come to England, so maybe he wants to give it another year in Germany before moving.

There was the story about Kozak that Lambert had inquired about him several months before he could actually get him. The club waited, acted with class and signed him in the end. Could be the same about other players.

[Monty]

That's if money was the reason why we didn't sign the player. Could have been something else.

That's also a possibility. Let's say it's Kiyotake, for instance - he said he didn't want to come to England, so maybe he wants to give it another year in Germany before moving.

There was the story about Kozak that Lambert had inquired about him several months before he could actually get him. The club waited, acted with class and signed him in the end. Could be the same about other players.

It sounds about right for our way of doing business.

[eastie]

That's if money was the reason why we didn't sign the player. Could have been something else.

That's also a possibility. Let's say it's Kiyotake, for instance - he said he didn't want to come to England, so maybe he wants to give it another year in Germany before moving.

There was the story about Kozak that Lambert had inquired about him several months before he could actually get him. The club waited, acted with class and signed him in the end. Could be the same about other players.

I would hope that lambert has a creative midfielder lined up - quite possibly this may be the case and for whatever reason the deal could not be done last summer .

[ciggiesnbeer]

By the way, who was taking our corners from the left? Was it Tonev? They were better than our usual ones.

[adrenachrome]

Tonev is far from useless. He played well again, put in some dangerous cross that we failed to attack, tracked back and worked hard, stretched Cardiff wide and looks more than useful.

He did try and murder the ball with his shot. He is symptomatic of Bacuna against Liverpool in that he is trying too hard at times with certain elements of his game.

As for the booing; it is a disgrace, achieves nothing and best left for the opposition to boo our players.

Agreed, although the phrase "that we failed to attack" could be more accurately replaced by "but there was no fucker in the box". 

The booing was a bit strange in that we did start quite brightly, but I think a lot of fans got the hump from the impression that we were set up to counter attack at home against inferior opposition.  On one level this is absurd, since our formation loudly announced "we will let you have the midfield and the wings; have at it if you dare". On the other hand, looking down on the pitch from the upper Witton Lane on the half way line, one could not help but notice that, for much of the game, we had 8 players behind the ball when they attacked, and when we attacked, we still had 8 players behind the ball.

Agree with the general sentiment that Vlaar and Bacuna looked good, and Tonev and Kozak promising.

[N'ZMAV]

Bloody hell Cardiff were crap.

[VinnieChase84]

Really think going forward to our best midfield is Sylla holding with Delph and Bacuna the two In front of him. Gabby and
One other either side of Benteke

[steffo]

Sometimes (and not for the first time) formations just happen. I thought Westwood Silla and El H were just too much of the same in a narrow midfield. If you want to play narrow you need a playmaker. In the first half all our shots at goal were +20 yards which is fine if you have Frank Lampard.

After the hour Lowton was brought on freeing Bacuna. All of a sudden we had balance. Two central midfielders and two midfilders who can go wide. It's easier to shoot and score from 15 yards when the ball wider angles.

Give width a chance!