WBA v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[saunders_heroes]

Losing to those bitter bastards was unthinkable and I don't care how poor we were in the first half, because in the second half we took the game to them and showed balls of steel to get back level. Also what a fantastic goal from Westwood!
Well done, Villa!

[Pat McMahon]

All the negative comments are obvious and mostly true. Poor formation, players out of position etc.

But I thought Westwood was getting unwarranted stick throughout the game. Even in the first half he was the only one getting the ball down and playing. Granted he was outmuscled but presumably sylla and kea were meant to be doing that job for him. In the second half I thought he was excellent. He's coming back into form for me.

How people can suggest he was one of our worst players is beyond me. Worse than baker, Clark, bacuna, sylla and Tonev? Absolutely no chance.

I also thought kozak was not too bad.

The 3412 we switched to was an interesting one. Some seemed to think we were playing like that to begin with me bacuna!

You seem to have been watching the same game as me

And me! At least Westwood tried to play the ball on the ground. Vlaar apart the rest of them were woeful for the first half. Relieved with a point but at 2-2 I reckon we could have gone on to win it - which would have been a wonderful robbery!

A French mate watched the game with me tonight and at half time he just said to me "why are they so scared of the ball?"

Am gutted that it is now 6 games without beating them. For most of my life we have completely dominated them but they have grown a pair in the last few seasons.

[dave.woodhall]

Anyone who reckons we got battered and were lucky, have a look at the stats and in particular the first half ones.

[Matt Collins]

http://fourfourtwo.com/statszone/share.aspx?i=0Ms9x

West woods performance. 88% pass completion, several interceptions and a goal. That'll do for me. Not been great this season but if we can get him and Lowton playing well we will start to improve our form.

[PeterWithesShin]

Amazes me how only Albion chances seem to count as could have been goals. Must have imagined the Myhill saves and us hitting the crossbar.

[ciggiesnbeer]

Anyone who reckons we got battered and were lucky, have a look at the stats and in particular the first half ones.

Indeed. I would argue they got lucky with their first half chances and we got unlucky with ours.

Still our midfield is a concern. We really were weak there the whole game.

[Tom_Mc9?]

lost a bit of faith in the manager tonight if i'm honest,
 he wasn't pro active enough earlier on, the fact his subs are being lauded as inspired is just nonsense, at least one or two should have been on a lot earlier, and the likes of Sylla and Tonev should never have made the half time whistle

I can't see how this is the case.  Look at our results compared to last season, look at how we are getting points from losing positions. We are improving, no doubt about it. Not all of our performances will be convincing and not all of our signings will be perfect, but we're showing signs of progress. I think come the end of the season, we will be in a lot healthier position than last season.

[PeterWithesShin]

49% possession away from home against Brazil 1970.

Shots: Us 15 them 11
On target: Us 7 them 4

Yeah we were real lucky and got battered. 

[Matt Collins]

Much as the result Papered over some cracks, we did start with half a team out. Arguably three of our first choice back four, including both left backs, Delph, and two of our front three plus an out of sorts benteke.

Still could really do with beating Sunderland though. Hopefully we can start some of those who came on today

[PeterWithesShin]

Amusingly as well, they couldn't pull 25,000 for their cup final.

[mr woo]

Lambert got out of jail tonight though, I mean I've always supported him and backed him even through the shitness of last season
but when you pick a line up that from the off is bloody rubbish, then at half time think the best thing you can do is send the same lot out again, its pretty piss poor in my view

we could have easily been out of the game by half time had WBA took there chances that sausage bloke missed the sitter of the season, so why wait when its obvious something has to change

lost a bit of faith in the manager tonight if i'm honest,
 he wasn't pro active enough earlier on, the fact his subs are being lauded as inspired is just nonsense, at least one or two should have been on a lot earlier, and the likes of Sylla and Tonev should never have made the half time whistle

While I know exactly where you're coming from, I think you still have to appreciate the balancing act of management means you can't always be as mercenary as you'd like when it comes to making certain decisions.

[pauliewalnuts]

lost a bit of faith in the manager tonight if i'm honest,
 he wasn't pro active enough earlier on, the fact his subs are being lauded as inspired is just nonsense, at least one or two should have been on a lot earlier, and the likes of Sylla and Tonev should never have made the half time whistle

I can't see how this is the case.  Look at our results compared to last season, look at how we are getting points from losing positions. We are improving, no doubt about it. Not all of our performances will be convincing and not all of our signings will be perfect, but we're showing signs of progress. I think come the end of the season, we will be in a lot healthier position than last season.

I was thinking about this after the match.

I think it's misleading to think too much about the sort of side we are this season (so far) and how we were last season.

Last season, we were defensively abject. This season - despite the evidence of earlier this evening - we are much improved at the back. To counter that, we've not been as good going forward as we were for much of last season.

I also wonder if we're comparing how we are this season not with "last season" but with "the last couple of months of last season". We improved a lot towards the end, but that doesn't mean the first, dreadful, two thirds of that season didn't happen or that the weaknesses have all gone away yet.

This season we seem to have been either really excellent or really shit, with next to nothing in between. In a couple of matches we've seen this in the same game - Man City at home and this evening, for example.

I think we're going to have to put it with that for a lot longer.

[silhillvilla]

Is Lambert an idiot or a genius? Answers on an Irn Bru beer mat

[ChicagoLion]

All the negative comments are obvious and mostly true. Poor formation, players out of position etc.

But I thought Westwood was getting unwarranted stick throughout the game. Even in the first half he was the only one getting the ball down and playing. Granted he was outmuscled but presumably sylla and kea were meant to be doing that job for him. In the second half I thought he was excellent. He's coming back into form for me.

How people can suggest he was one of our worst players is beyond me. Worse than baker, Clark, bacuna, sylla and Tonev? Absolutely no chance.

I also thought Kozak was not too bad.

The 3412 we switched to was an interesting one. Some seemed to think we were playing like that to begin with me bacuna!

Agree about Westwood and there were some pretty awful performances out there of all those you mention

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Incredibly naive team selection and strange tactics from Lambert, but I'm glad he had the guts to finally make the necessary changes. Until the subs we were utterly dire. I think the enthusiasm of Gabby, and his understanding of what a derby match really means, helped to galvanise us in the second half. I'm thankful for the draw, and full credit to the players for pulling it back. But the complacent attitude prior to the fight back still worries the hell out of me.

As it should, James. Tonight's result will no doubt paper over the cracks of what is a tactically clueless manager. At times it was embarrassing. Still, he lives to live another day and let's pray he starts to learn a few basics, passing would be a great place to start. Tonight he gets no credit from me, we drew despite him, not because of him.

Our squad is very limited and he shouldn't pretend otherwise.