Aston Villa v Cardiff City Post-Match Thread

[eastie]

Striker's tend to be frustrated when they're not scoring. I know his team-mates aren't particularly helping him at the moment but it might have been different had he scored the penalty against Everton.

Vlaar has been good. He's obviously adapted to the Premier League now. I also thought Clark played very well even though he was playing out of position. I wasn't too impressed with Baker. Obviously he's not comfortable with the ball at his feet but he's also very reactionary, he doesn't tend to see the danger before in advance the way the better defenders do.

To be honest 2 clean sheets without luna suggests maybe it might be worth staying the same back 4 at the Albion - i like luna but he has been destroyed a couple of times this season by Ben Arfa and townsend.

[Matt Collins]

It was definitely 3-5-2 in the second half with Tonev as a wingback - fairly insane, but straight 4-4-2 it weren't as Sylla, Westwood and KEA (later Bacuna) clearly crammed the centre. We lacked creativity but we never stopped going and Bacuna is starting to look a real player.

Just had a look on opta and it looked like 4 at the back still. Tonev left but nobody really on the right until Lowton came on.

If we can get Delph, Luna, gabby and perhaps Weimann back for the baggies I reckon we can beat them

Performances have at times been disappointing, but given our fixture list to now and our injuries if definitely have taken 10th at this point. A rest to get some players back and then some very winnable games up to Xmas.

Remember we really haven't had any of the weakest teams in the league so far: palace, Fulham, Sunderland, or even the likes of Stoke or Swansea who look very beatable. Ok we've had Norwich, but they're actually very good at home. And we beat them.

Results wise I'm pretty happy. And the benefit of keeping clean sheets is that you can nick a game like we did today and  could have at west ham.

No shouting from the rooftops but good result today

[exigo]

I enjoyed watching the first Bend It Like Bacuna a few weeks ago, but Bend It Like Bacuna II is even better. Looking forward to the third one.

[eastie]

I enjoyed watching the first Bend It Like Bacuna a few weeks ago, but Bend It Like Bacuna II is even better. Looking forward to the third one.

Yes its excellent to have someone who can score goals like that from free kicks - a potent threat.

[Monty]

It was definitely 3-5-2 in the second half with Tonev as a wingback - fairly insane, but straight 4-4-2 it weren't as Sylla, Westwood and KEA (later Bacuna) clearly crammed the centre. We lacked creativity but we never stopped going and Bacuna is starting to look a real player.

Just had a look on opta and it looked like 4 at the back still. Tonev left but nobody really on the right until Lowton came on.

I think that is down more to the fact that they targeted our left hand side because Tonev was there. All things being equal it would have been a back three with wingbacks.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Take the win, needed the 3 points. But overall a very poor performance.

Absolutely. Thank goodness Cardiff, like West Ham, never played with a striker. Saying that, I won't take anything away from Vlaar who is slowly starting to convince me he's a more than decent centre half. Bacuna also deserves credit, he's full of confidence and seems to grow with every game. I couldn't believe he was going to try and shoot from the freekick, I thought he was too far out. Amazing shot.

Lambert's tactics, or lack of, are still a massive concern. I've no idea what he's trying to do. As I mentioned on the Match Thread, we look disjointed and rushed which is not good enough, especially at home against a newly promoted, average team even with Gabby and Delph missing. Hopefully both will be back for the Baggies game we'll be a lot stronger and today's win will give the lads some much needed confidence.

Today was a massive three points and much deserved for our long suffering fans at Villa Park. Once again they were superb and more than played their part.

[taylorsworkrate]

I enjoyed watching the first Bend It Like Bacuna a few weeks ago, but Bend It Like Bacuna II is even better. Looking forward to the third one.

Yes its excellent to have someone who can score goals like that from free kicks - a potent threat.

I think we should sack the idea of him playing at right back now. He looks our most dangerous player going forward besides Benteke.

[Karl Bridges]

If Kozak is the answer then I'm really not sure what the question is.

Sorry my old mucka but that is utter cobblers.

Kozak definitely shows promise, he's aware of what's going on around him and looks to bring people into play.

He could have had more goals today and for a first start alongside Benteke I thought he did well.

 More games together and I think we'll have a decent partnership there.

[KevinGage]

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.



Things are slowly coming together now, is that 4 clean sheets in the last 6 games?  And we're adding goals. We might not have been on top form today up until the goal, but the Beeb had us down for 17 shots, with 6 on target.  We start getting those kind of numbers on a regular basis, and we'll win far more than we lose at home. Even if we don't always look like Brazil 1970 in the process.

[eastie]

At least our home form is looking better - I had us to beat Cardiff and Draw with everton, newcastle and spurs , with defeat to city which iwould have left us on 6 points  so at this stage we are where i thought we might be , just the results have been different - to be going into the break in 10th place having played most of the top 7 already is very respectable - now we need to build on that in the next few matches which are very much winnable.

[Matt C]

Important and most welcome result that jump starts the season again.

Smart substitution from Lambert too.

[saunders_heroes]

Welcome win despite it being quite awful before we scored. As soon as Bacuna scored his screamer we looked a different team and we looked full of confidence and endeavour.
More of this please, Villa!

[Ads]

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.

[taylorsworkrate]

The booing at half time was not a disgrace, you may disagree with it as it can be counterproductive, as I do, but its an entirely understandable reaction to 4 and a half games without a goal and continual poor home performances.

[Toronto Villa]

If Kozak is the answer then I'm really not sure what the question is.

Sorry my old mucka but that is utter cobblers.

Kozak definitely shows promise, he's aware of what's going on around him and looks to bring people into play.

He could have had more goals today and for a first start alongside Benteke I thought he did well.

 More games together and I think we'll have a decent partnership there.

I agree entirely. This is their first start together and they'll need time to establish an understanding. Understand space and where each likes to receive the ball or channels they want to run into. It will also take a little time for other players to adapt to them. I like Kozak. I think we need to provide him with a quite specific supply route but that's for Lambert to figure out. No worries about Benteke. He'll bag one and then others will follow.