WBA v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[Phil from the upper holte]

Our best 11 is  just about OK, shows the signings of Kozak and Tonev were poor decisions.

And if Kozak had scored instead of hitting the bar what would you have said then ? Just a question .

That was great technique and he was unlucky

[SoccerHQ]

Any news from Ads who I believe was in the Villa Rose Tavern before the game? It seems a couple of StripeyFilth went in there and started throwing bottles at the Villa fans before being nicked by two coppers who also happened to be in there.

Hope he's okay and just suffering a hangover.

Was there also trouble down my the Metro pre-game ?

Quite a few police cars and riot vans went tearing down in that direction about an hour before the game

Even though this game is generally a lot calmer than SHA, it's just asking for trouble to put it on a monday night.

[Concrete John]

I would flip it. How many of the west brom team would get into our side?

Olsson? Maybe. None of their attackers are as good as ours (including shane long). Their midfielders are solid but nothing beyond KEA level players imho.

Mulumbu, Morrisson, Long, Brunt. All would walk into our team.

Brunt wouldn't. I like Morrison but he hasn't actually been a regular for them. Long and particularly Mulumbu are excellent players for a mid table team.Our bench was slightly skewed by the injuries as the three that came on would normally be starting so it was stronger than usual. WBA had plenty of options on there bench so yes their squad is probably a year more advance than ours.

Two players I've always liked, epsecially Shane Long.  Where he'd fit in our team though is a different matter.  Certainly not ahead of Benteke in the centre, so I'd guess he'd take Andi's place on the right.

[cheltenhamlion]

Well I am happy at the comeback and understand why the game changing subs didnt start the match. Need to follow it up with a win on Saturday.

As an aside, I was talking to a regular Stripey goer from work yesterday. I predicted a draw. He predicted a comfortable win for them.

He reasoned that they have to look to beat teams like us at home if they are to progress.

More tellingly, he commented that for all they had a good season in finishing eighth last year, he was still disappointed with it.

This was on the basis that it is rare they will go into two games with us when they are favourites and they needed to take advantage of that. Not beating us took the gloss off the season for him.

I havent bothered to seek him out for his views on last as he will be suicidal this morning.

[walsall villain]

I really don;'t get this desire to see Herd back in the side?

I'd bring back Lowton and play bacuna in midfield.

The only reason I want Herdy back is to offer some mobility in midfield and someone who can get stuck in. I'd sit him in front of the back four to mop up and allow Westwood and Delph further forward. Sylla is struggling and honestly, when Herd broke in under Houllier, and for a spell under McLeish he played well. In fact he's had better runs of form than KEA ever has to be fair to him.

It's either that or I'd play Bacuna in Sylla's position. Whatever we do, we've got to get KEA and Westwood separated. They can't play together.

It would have been totally disrespectful to Albion to play Herd last night. Didn't one of their players nearly die from a life threatening injury after he assaulted them a couple of years ago?

Yes he did, it was touch and go for about 2 seconds whether he would pull through.

[eastie]

Long is out of contract at the end of season - on his display last night he has  done himself a favour .

[SoccerHQ]

Herd is still this season's Lichaj. Someone who'll pop up on the bench when we have some injuries as he can cover centre half, RB and DM. He won't be here much longer, technically not good enough for what Lambert wants from us now.

[danlanza]

I thought Kozak was better last night.

Me to.Getting a bit tired of him being slated when he has only just started playing for us. Oh, Benteke needs to liven up, a shadow of last seasons player at the moment.

[Damo70]

Someone said we should have been five goals down at half time. They had one shot on target in the second half so from that I'm guessing some people would say 6-0 would have been the fair result.

And still we didn't manage to achieve the impossible and make Steve Clarke look even more miserable than usual.

[Pete3206]

No Albion fans on here this morning?

[Damo70]

I really don;'t get this desire to see Herd back in the side?

I'd bring back Lowton and play bacuna in midfield.

The only reason I want Herdy back is to offer some mobility in midfield and someone who can get stuck in. I'd sit him in front of the back four to mop up and allow Westwood and Delph further forward. Sylla is struggling and honestly, when Herd broke in under Houllier, and for a spell under McLeish he played well. In fact he's had better runs of form than KEA ever has to be fair to him.

It's either that or I'd play Bacuna in Sylla's position. Whatever we do, we've got to get KEA and Westwood separated. They can't play together.

It would have been totally disrespectful to Albion to play Herd last night. Didn't one of their players nearly die from a life threatening injury after he assaulted them a couple of years ago?

Yes he did, it was touch and go for about 2 seconds whether he would pull through.

I believe at one point Roy Hodgson had written the eulogy for the next home game's programme.

[dave.woodhall]

Wasn't it Herd who got sent off and Hutton who ended Shane Long's career until their next match?

[Damo70]

It was hard to tell with all the violence, blood and guts going on.

Whatever the result last night, Albion are still the model example of how to run a football club. You would never find them letting their top striker and best manager for thirty years go into the final season of their contract.

[Marlon From Bearwood]

Any news from Ads who I believe was in the Villa Rose Tavern before the game? It seems a couple of StripeyFilth went in there and started throwing bottles at the Villa fans before being nicked by two coppers who also happened to be in there.

Hope he's okay and just suffering a hangover.

I was in there at the time, and heard it more than saw it, due to being sat around the corner and there being so many people in the way. From what I can tell the Albion fans had a go at smashing the window (bright sparks eh?) and were unsuccessful so a couple came in the door and exchanged bottles and glasses with the Villa fans inside. There just happened to be 2 coppers in the pub at the time so within seconds the bar was shut (just as my mate was getting served!) and the riot wagons were outside surrounding the Villa fans who were by then outside. We didn't fancied being held up by the police so slipped out the side and moved onto the Church Inn which was very quiet. We passed a group of lads on the way who may well have been the Albion lot.

There was also punches thrown at the station after. We were on one platform waiting for the train to Snow Hill and the platform opposite had Villa fans waiting for the train to Stourbridge. The police then let the Albion fans onto that platform (having previously held them back) and some scuffles broke out. One bloke who I think was a Villa fan, was on the floor for some time being assisted by police but seemed ok eventually.

[Dave Cooper please]

I mean I'd have started 2 out of 3 of the subs who came on. I'd rather see them start and play 60-70 minutes, rather than coming on at 55 (when the game looked gone, but thankfully wasn't).

Starting those three would (in my opinion) have been a mistake, it was obvious, in a local derby and WBA's Cup Final, that they were going to come at us hard from the start. I reckon we would have ended up with one or two of them crocked and certainly all three of them having to come off at some point leaving us to play out the game with the XI we actually started with. And there was no guarantee that we wouldn't have gone a goal or two down anyway, Baker is a goal against waiting to happen so far this season, and you can't legislate for an average striker suddenly becoming van Basten for ten minutes.

 We need more strength in depth, we need more experience, those are things you can throw at Lambert and Lerner's transfer policies, but as a one-off game, given the injuries we had, I think Plumbutt got it right.