Aston Villa v Cardiff City Post-Match Thread

[dave.woodhall]

Would you care to down four or five before ou next game please?

I'd spend the entire game on the loo.  Just the one will have to do.

Yeah, but imagine the enormous satisfaction as we stick twelve up the likes of Arsenal.

Today? Well the first half was a non-event. We were frustrating for most of the game, but got the two goals.

On the positive side, Cardiff NEVER looked like extending our awful run of games at home without a clean sheet.

On a side note, I cannot remember a home game that wasn't a local derby that had so many and such a high profile police presence.

It seems the police had what I believe is referred to as intel. They certainly sent the coaches the pretty way back to the motorway.

[AV82EC]

Really please with that, scores on the doors

Guzan - 7 - would have been 7.5 but he nearly let Odiouswingie in in the 1st half
Bacuna - 8.5 - MOtM - superb all afternoon
Vlaar - 7.5 - very good really settled into this and showing his maturity
Baker - 6 - mistakes, ball watching and not good with the ball at his feet
Clark - 7 - did well at left back though distribution ropey at times
El Ahamdi - 3 - Ineffective, not strong enough and out of his depth, today marked his card for me that we need to get rid, no surprise we looked better when he went off 
Westwood - 7.5 - much much better, looking for the ball, better pressing and even had a shot and a couple of charges into the box.
Sylla - 7 - solid and unspectacular but put a shift in and helped with the much better overall pressing of opposition players
Tonev - 6.5 - pleasantly surprised with his contribution, pacey, direct but as usual atrocious shooting but good crossing
Kozak - 7.5 - constantly moving, sometimes looks a lump but always a threat and a nuisance, took his goal well
benteke - 7 - still getting back into it but it will come, some of his touches and movement today were exceptional.  I'm going to savour him this season

Lowton - 6 - very good when he came on and assist for Kozak
Bowery - not on long enough to mark

Lambert - 7 - quite why he persists with KEA I don't know but his substitution helped change the game, it was bit turgid at times but we kept going and we seem a much better team when we press the opposition, this was a much better effort in that department today.  He's got a few injured but he eventually got his resources ticking today.

Fans - 6.5 - not exactly loud but supported the team well for the last 20 minutes.

The opposition - desperately poor in the final third, did they actually have shot or Guzan have to make a save?

Overall, clean sheet, 3 points, goal drought over, onwards and upwards.

[tomd2103]

Would you care to down four or five before ou next game please?

I'd spend the entire game on the loo.  Just the one will have to do.

Yeah, but imagine the enormous satisfaction as we stick twelve up the likes of Arsenal.

Today? Well the first half was a non-event. We were frustrating for most of the game, but got the two goals.

On the positive side, Cardiff NEVER looked like extending our awful run of games at home without a clean sheet.

On a side note, I cannot remember a home game that wasn't a local derby that had so many and such a high profile police presence.

It seems the police had what I believe is referred to as intel. They certainly sent the coaches the pretty way back to the motorway.

And on the way in as well.  I passed a number of their coaches pulled over on the Walsall Road waiting for a police escort to the ground.  Can't recall seeing that before.

[Lastfootstamper]

I know that he made some mistakes but Tonev also put in some cracking crosses in the first half that neither Benteke or Kozak attacked.

I'm close enough to hear what Lambert is saying and he also admired Tonev's crossing.

I'm becoming concerned that the opposition tacticians have worked Benteke out. He doesn't seem to dominate in the air like last season and whenever he has the ball he's swarmed around.

Not in itself a bad thing. As was the case repeatedly today, he had three or four closing him down, we just need to learn to exploit the spaces this creates around him.

[tomd2103]

I know that he made some mistakes but Tonev also put in some cracking crosses in the first half that neither Benteke or Kozak attacked.

His defending in the second half worried me a little though.  He got caught twice trying to dribble out by our own box, but thankfully Cardiff didn't punish us. 

That said, he shows glimpses of true quality, but his attempted back heel in the first half was a bit comical!

[Breezeblock]

Good win mildly spoilt by the Cardiff dickhead who jumped the barrier up in P8 and promptly got his head seriously punched. I dont want to see that shit when at a match and my old man is way too fragile to suffer opposition morons.  Normally the old bill reinforce the stewards up in P8 when the opposition fans start getting lairy but there was no sign of them today which was surprising  seeing as most of West Midlands finest were at the game today.  Be interesting to see why there were not up helping the stewards police the fans today.

[ozzjim]

Just the fact he beat his man a few times pleased me! His decision making and crossing needs to improve.

[walsall villain]

Would you care to down four or five before ou next game please?

I'd spend the entire game on the loo.  Just the one will have to do.

Yeah, but imagine the enormous satisfaction as we stick twelve up the likes of Arsenal.

Today? Well the first half was a non-event. We were frustrating for most of the game, but got the two goals.

On the positive side, Cardiff NEVER looked like extending our awful run of games at home without a clean sheet.

On a side note, I cannot remember a home game that wasn't a local derby that had so many and such a high profile police presence.

It seems the police had what I believe is referred to as intel. They certainly sent the coaches the pretty way back to the motorway.

And on the way in as well.  I passed a number of their coaches pulled over on the Walsall Road waiting for a police escort to the ground.  Can't recall seeing that before.

I passed that too, strange. Must have been expecting a problem or two, all seemed quiet at the match thankfully.

[eastie]

Just the fact he beat his man a few times pleased me! His decision making and crossing needs to improve.

Yes it was encouraging to see him get in the crosses but too many were into the keepers hands - certainly potential there though and he offers something we lack.
He was very positive at times and nice to see.

[villajk]

Good win mildly spoilt by the Cardiff dickhead who jumped the barrier up in P8 and promptly got his head seriously punched. I dont want to see that shit when at a match and my old man is way too fragile to suffer opposition morons.  Normally the old bill reinforce the stewards up in P8 when the opposition fans start getting lairy but there was no sign of them today which was surprising  seeing as most of West Midlands finest were at the game today.  Be interesting to see why there were not up helping the stewards police the fans today.

As we were going out after the game we saw some Cardiff fans larging it to our fans in the upper section of P8.   May be it was because of that incident.  We've never seen any trouble there before.

[SoccerHQ]

Tonev is no wideman imo, he has pace and is direct but his crossing is awful. I prefer him more centrally.

Just played to see to get the win. I said on here pre match I'd have no complaints with an ugly 1 nil win and we got an ugly 2 nil win as it was a terrible match until Bacuna scored another excellent free kick.

How nice to play a terrible visiting team at home for once, Cardiff were garbage but will still stay up pretty comfortably I'd say looking at their other results so far this season.

[walsall villain]

Just the fact he beat his man a few times pleased me! His decision making and crossing needs to improve.

Yes it was encouraging to see him get in the crosses but too many were into the keepers hands - certainly potential there though and he offers something we lack.
He was very positive at times and nice to see.

You can see signs he has ability. Steep learning curve for him but like Bacuna, I think he will be very useful. I am still frustrated with El ahmadi, his tackling is so weak, rarely comes away with the ball when he should. I was expecting more from him by now. Scrappy old game today but the win was so important. Again we didn't dominate possession but on reflection cardiff never looked like scoring from open play so that's a positive.

[silhillvilla]

Just home from game, as an ex centre half, that was my sort of game, delighted. Clean sheet and a 2-0 win.
Was in P8, Cardiff fans were so sad and angry. Not nice to see a couple of them take a few slaps but there you go, act like twits away from home you will get a slap .

[eastie]

Kea is an odd one- started last season well and then faded badly and again started this season well and has faded badly - I thought he was totally ineffective today and we looked far better balanced when he departed.

[silhillvilla]

Did anyone else see that middle aged Cardiff fan who spent the entire game staring at P8. He certainly can't have seen much of the football. He was either a veteran hooligan or escaped from Rampton.