Aston Villa v Manchester United Match Thread

[JUAN PABLO]

We certainly got unlucky with Okore. Clark has stepped up and now looks absolutely way ahead of baker to me

We just need to grab a goal somehow and to get better shape to mask our poor quality in defence

Alby man of the match for us by a mile so far.

I suppose he could have got that inury any time

but I remember at the game , we gave the ball away ( think it was KEA )  and was put under pressure when Newcastle broke from it when he picked up the injury.

[Olof's Beard]

Westwood is one of the worst culprits for not tracking runners from deep which is a problem I pointed out during the good run was last year and one of the key reasons for our crap defensive record.  I am sick of watching players ghost in from deep to polish off crosses.  Westwood does have ability on the ball however.  KEA just gets in his way.  When he signed, he was supposed to be some sort of composed, metronomic midfield was he not?  Never seen it, never seen him offer anything of great worth and he needs replacing.

Westwood is probably not quite as good  this year as he was last but is getting criticised for the same things he was praised for last year.  Sylla is an absolute shadow of himself and is not providing anything.   It is in no way good enough in midfield now and with the forwards woefully out of form, our best two defenders out and Delph suspended, we look exactly how we did this time last year.  Which isn't very good.

[hilts_coolerking]

Just one point - do you think sacking Clarke is suddenly going to transform the Stripeyfilth?

Depends entirely on who they replace him with doesn't it?  If it's someone better, then it's possible.

[Axl Rose]

it's cringeworthy watching Westwood and KEA giving the ball back to each other...little one yard passes, looking so uncomfortable. They ruin pretty much every move we have going forward. I'd love it if both of them never played for Villa again.

Kea yes. Westwood no. I just don't see the criticism of him sometimes. What we lack with the way we play is a proper covering midfielder. But that's not the thing most people seem to criticise him for.

Petrov used to be a similar player, but at a higher level of course. Fans used to moan about him too until he got leukaemia and then at least a third of our fans suddenly forgot they'd ever criticised him and he became a playing legend

Hello again Matt-we seem to be having this discussion in recent games regarding Westwood:) What do you think his best role is? A covering midfielder? A playmaker? He just doesn't seem to have any redeeming qualities-no pace, never plays an incisive pass really, his set pieces lack any sort of penetration and he always seems to slow our attacks down (as for some reason, our players seem instructed to pass the ball to him at every opportunity). The most I see him do, attacking-wise is take a wayward 25-30 yard shot which, Baggies game aside, never tests the goalkeeper.

I'd love Westwood to prove me wrong, I thought he looked promising towards the end of last season. He's just so uninspiring. Anyway, second half to come, maybe he'll shut me up completely and score a hattrick

[steamer]

Turgid stuff.
We need faces and players in Jan, experienced ones who can defend and create.
How much longer can the poor fans at the game be expected to endure this run of results, I keep saying support Lambert but January could be big for him.

[supertom]

There's a thread on here where we are slagging off the Boggies for sacking their manager.

There are loads of posts on here suggesting we do the same.

Get a grip lads eh?

Its a weekly thing.

The post match thread is even more wrist slashingly over the top.

I'm unconvinced that he's as good as you seem to think he is.  I'm not (yet) in the 'sack him' camp but maybe you could explain why keeping Lambert is such a genius move.

I'm in the give him till summer and if we've scraped ourselves by again, look elsewhere. There's no point changing managers mid-season as there's no one good around, unless we're being particularly ambitious (which we wouldn't).

If we're around the 40 point mark again in May. Thanks but no thanks, fuck him off and try another approach. That is unless Lambert does something drastic and changes his buying mentality and does something significant with his tactics and training.

Some of the players out on the pitch should not be playing Premier League football. Some would be out of their depth in the Championship.

[PeterWithesShin]

Of course Baker isn't good enough to start week in week out. It's why he's 4th choice CB, how many clubs have a 4th choice who is good enough?

[Matt Collins]

We've been in relegation trouble three years running and have sold a shed load of players and wasted millions and millions more despite seemingly reducing our spend

I'm not happy with our form but the thought we should sack our manager when firmly ensconced in mid table is silly in my view.

My god that's a shocking pass by baker. Shocking. It was a terrible place to play it never mind the execution.

[JUAN PABLO]

Danny Baker on Twitter:

Whenever Villa face Man U they turn into Bob Dylan's backing band. "How do you want us to play, what speed & let us know when it's over."

nail on head

[curiousorange]

Maybe it's me finding ill where there is none, but there are so many players looking imitations of themselves compared to last season that there has to be some discord going on behind the scenes? The likes of Benteke, Lowton, Westwood and Weimann look like they hate the sight of a football, let alone their teammates.

[Dave Cooper please]

Just one point - do you think sacking Clarke is suddenly going to transform the Stripeyfilth?

Depends entirely on who they replace him with doesn't it?  If it's someone better, then it's possible.

Anyone out there, likely to come, who will do it for us?

[pooligan]

I don't care what anyone else says ,this clueless idiot in charge has got to go.Since he has been our manager every other premier manager with the same kind of record has been sacked

[PeterWithesShin]

Just one point - do you think sacking Clarke is suddenly going to transform the Stripeyfilth?

Depends entirely on who they replace him with doesn't it?  If it's someone better, then it's possible.

Anyone out there, likely to come, who will do it for us?

Steve Clarke! He'll get us playing like Barcelona.

[eric woolban woolban]

I don't care what anyone else says ,this clueless idiot in charge has got to go.Since he has been our manager every other premier manager with the same kind of record has been sacked

Is the correct answer.

[JUAN PABLO]

are grealish , carruthers and that robinson lad any worse than this lot.