Stoke City v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[barrysleftfoot]

 I think we have a weak squad, a lot of players who are average at best, apart from CB who would command a substantial transfer fee?Is it the worst team in 25 years?........can't be far off tbh, but in its defence it is a young , maturing squad, which could develop into a good team.

 Good management needed.

[LTA]

I purposely stopped off here last night just to allow people to let off steam.

However, it was awful again I'm afraid.  At the moment I can't see where the next goal is coming from, never mind next win.  Very worrying times and Palace is simply a must win game.

I'm clinging onto the fact that last season we tended to do the business in the "must-win" games (Reading, QPR, Sunderland, Norwich), but I certainly wouldn't put money on it at the moment.  There are far too many players who are either not up to the job, or just aren't performing to the standard we know they can.

There is simply no depth to the squad, and with a few injuries and suspensions, that is painfully exposed.

[Steve67]

More dreadful defending from Villa for both goals yesterday.  Why is that we tend to be the team everyone wants to play to get theirseason going?  Crystal Palace next and I really see nothing but a goalless draw.

[TelfordVilla]

[/quote]

Who has claimed to be an expert on all the leagues around Europe?

It was just a flippant, throwaway remark - don't take it all so seriously. It was because I often read comments on teams and players from around the world that I have never heard of, because I barely seem to find the time to keep up with The Premier league and couldn't tell you, without looking it up, who is top of the Championship. It just amazes me how people do it.

i dont even know who plays for most of the teams in the premier league. I am only interested in Villa. Everyone else is just an opposition player at an opposition club. I have never seen a champions league game (live nor on TV). I have no interest in International Football or football in general. I accept Villa as a club with a policy of spending as little as possible in the transfer market. A club who will stand or fall on their ability to raise young players through their youth teams supplemented by the purchase of young raw prospects from other clubs. This means that Villa will always have a sub standard quality of player trying to survive in a league of high earning 'star' players at cash rich (or heavily overdrawn) clubs. Never the less, Villa is the club that I was born to support and nothing will ever change that. It can be said that our full backs are not good enough, our midfielders have no vision or lack the ability to find a forward pass and our strikers are incompetent but if they are the only ones the club can afford then they will get my backing and support. Merry Christmas everybody with claret and blue blood in their veins.   

[supertom]

 I think we have a weak squad, a lot of players who are average at best, apart from CB who would command a substantial transfer fee?Is it the worst team in 25 years?........can't be far off tbh, but in its defence it is a young , maturing squad, which could develop into a good team.

 Good management needed.

Some of the players I'm not sure will ever be good enough. At the moment I have hopes for Kozak as a useful squad player. Okore looks good. Benteke is obviously very good. Vlaars an okay player too.
The others I'm just not sure. Bacuna looks incredibly awkward with a ball at his feet, unless it's a freekick on 25 yards. Luna is shocking, KEA is one of the worst players we've ever had, Tonev has a terrible touch, can't run with the ball. He can knock it past a fullback and chase it, but then the end product is poor 9/10. Bowery is bewildering.
Lowton and Westwood could make it in a year or two, but as squad players at best.

It's definitely the worst squad we've had since I've been watching (23). Better managers with better squads have flirted with relegation for us. I think we're asking for trouble at the moment. It won't happen next year, but without a drastic shift in emphasis, and Lambert to find another level himself, it's more likely we're heading to the Championship than finishing comfortably top half every season.

A lot has been said of Delphy, as being our best midfielder, but he's a very limited footballer. He wouldn't get into a single team in the top 8 at the moment. He'd barely make some benches. It's too much to expect him to run our midfield when he's a player who doesn't have a great touch or passing ability. Our benchmark needs to be buying players better than Delph in midfield. But I worry we're looking at more players like Westwood, who in 2-3 years might be reasonable. I don't think Westy will ever be a better player than Delph, but that's our level. Delph's our best midfielder and he's average.

[Dante Lavelli]

The stat about us now only being one point better off than the same stage last season has scared me to be honest. We need those two Christmas home games to go well or I think we will be back to last season with supporters and team lacking confidence and getting jittery.

This time last year we were just about to lose 8-0 v chelsea, which arguably kick started our slump through to about March.  Therefore that stat isn't *that* bad when put in the context of what happened last season.  I'm confident we will not become quite that bad this season, but also doubt we'll have a run like we did in april/may last season.

[olaftab]

That team yesterday, ability wise, is the worst I have seen since we were last relegated and I have been going since 71. Truly awful.

I agree with you Nick and I started in exactly the same season as you

I think we need to form a 71ers  starters club. It's all of us who started watching the Villa rise from the depth of the third division. 

[Pat McMahon]

That team yesterday, ability wise, is the worst I have seen since we were last relegated and I have been going since 71. Truly awful.

I agree with you Nick and I started in exactly the same season as you

I think we need to form a 71ers  starters club. It's all of us who started watching the Villa rise from the depth of the third division. 

Typical of you glory hunters Aftab. I was a few years ahead of you and suffered the demise to the third division. We resent you youngsters jumping on the bandwagon to success.

[paul_e]

It's also why a lot of our best players consistently end up looking to move to Spain.

But they don't do they, they go to Barcelona or Real, other teams in Spain end up getting shit like Hutton on loan.

[rob_bridge]

I think this a much weaker team/  squad than that in 1987. They were a bunch underperforming cretins 'managed' by person who did not give a shit despite his achievements in the game. It is a weaker first 11 than in Dolly's last season. I don't think it is as good an as Taylor's team that got promoted.

Example - similar sized club Everton who are the worst of the best / best of the rest. Who would get into their first 11 from ours? Guzan probably our best player is about as good as their keeper though Howard is USA number one - you could argue either way. I prefer Guzan but both are good. Delph maybe on his 2013 form. Who else? None. In fact there aren't many who would get into their squad. Vlaar, Gabby and CB - if the lights get switched on.

We have a poor team capable of smash and grab raids every so often coupled with one good performance is 6 on average, except it is normally 2 good performances, 10 not so good ones. We have minimal on field leadership and lack any sort of creativity.

Sorry to be a merchant of doom especially as off field we seem to have improved markedly in the last 18 months but I don't see anything other than another relegation scrap. 0 points from the last 3 games even we would have expected at least 2. Next 2 games are huge and I hope I am eating humble pie re relegation scrap come this time next week

[oldhill_avfc]

50 years ive been going to villa park i see one real problem the feckin owner tight fisted yankee twat came here with great intentions but words mean jack

What does £300 million mean then?

Not rich enough to compete with the Arabs.

Not smart enough to compete with Hill-Wood, Levy or even Kenwright.

All in all - a sad waste of a wealthy man's inherited money.

[Fergal]

50 years ive been going to villa park i see one real problem the feckin owner tight fisted yankee twat came here with great intentions but words mean jack

What does £300 million mean then?

Not rich enough to compete with the Arabs.

Not smart enough to compete with Hill-Wood, Levy or even Kenwright.

All in all - a sad waste of a wealthy man's inherited money.

Wasted by that pube headed one dimensional twat anyway. 
Good amount of money wasted by someone most of us thought wold do the job...

[dave.woodhall]

50 years ive been going to villa park i see one real problem the feckin owner tight fisted yankee twat came here with great intentions but words mean jack

What does £300 million mean then?

Not rich enough to compete with the Arabs.

Not smart enough to compete with Hill-Wood, Levy or even Kenwright.

All in all - a sad waste of a wealthy man's inherited money.

Wasted by that pube headed one dimensional twat anyway. 
Good amount of money wasted by someone most of us thought wold do the job...

There was a good point made last night - it's not the capital outlay that's the problem, it's the wages. We are still paying out more than is coming in, and that can't continue. No matter what the club (with two exceptions), you can't keep running up losses year after year and expecting the Bank of Owner to bale you out every summer, like over-indulgent parents with their student child. 

[eastie]

Are Bent and Hutton both in their final year of contract ?
I think given still has a couple of years to go., not sure on nzogbia either?

[aj2k77]

Are Bent and Hutton both in their final year of contract ?
I think given still has a couple of years to go., not sure on nzogbia either?

2016 Nzogbia's massive deal is up. Another who got a 5 year contract.