Aston Villa v Arsenal Post-Match Thread

[dekko]

That's your opinion, I have mine.  I haven't actually said he faked anything either by the way.  I know what I seen him do against Man U so it's been on my mind since then.  It's a shame for the lad really as I think he's been thrust into the top flight too soon for his development.  But the one thing that is a fact is that he is a particularly injury prone player.

Wait, hold on, is he injury prone or just pretending to be injured?

I must say, he must have really, really not wanted to play, what with having the medical staff in on this elaborate scam as well.

[Ads]

The bit where he faked being unconscious for a minute or so was my favourite. He had all the medical staff tricked, the big bottler.

[SoccerHQ]

Baker is very injury prone but that's more because he always tends to dive head first into challenges and clearences so picks up knocks. But yeah given it was down for about 5 minutes and there were plenty of paramedics down there I think it's fair to say they viewed it as potentially a serious injury aswell.

Brend is a great long term poster but strange thing to say.

[SoccerHQ]

In fairness there are 8 good teams in the league and the rest are scrappers who can occasioningly string a result together, us beating Man. City and Stoke being Chelsea, both 3-2 are examples of this. Half of a game where it all came together.

Maybe that's harsh on Swansea, they'd probably have 4-5 more points if they didn't have europe but the reality is they're below us.

It could be the sort of season where the 10th team finishes on something like 43 points, that could be us. Other some on here don't think we'll even get another point this season but really look at Fulham, Norwich, West Ham, Stoke, Palace, WBA, Hull, how many of those are even going to reach 40 points this season?

[Ads]

Stop using logic and reason SHQ.

[SoccerHQ]

O.k, our defence is far and away the worst in our history even though it's only actually the 10th worst in the premier league this season.

That better Ads?

[Ads]

I love it when you talk dirty.

[nigel]

The idea that Baker faked concussion to get off the pitch - by the way, when it was still 0-0 and Arsenal hadn't threatened much despite their possession - is astonishing, and frankly stupid. And I don't care if I insult anyone by saying that, because it is a really stupid, malicious, arseholish thing to say. Baker is many things, but a bottler and a coward he is not, and to question the validity of his concussion is just pathetic.

+1

[damon loves JT]

I seem to remember that if you have lost consciousness, you have to be substituted. Even if you don't want to go off.

[SoccerHQ]

Not on the coaching course Andre Vilas-Boas went on.

[damon loves JT]

Maybe it's Rugby I'm thinking of. But can you imagine the inquest if a player was knocked out, carried on and then collapsed with a brain injury?

[pauliewalnuts]

The obvious thing that lets this suggestion down is that, of all our defenders, Baker is usually the one throwing himself in, head first, to block the ball.

If he was really secretly a gigantic man-baby afraid of physical contact, he wouldn't be like that.

[Chris Smith]

My concise match report:

Good for a bit, crap for a bit then good for another bit.

[saunders_heroes]

Crap for 80 minutes, decent for the last 10.

[Hookeysmith]

Did anyone really think Baker was that hurt? 
I've lost count of the amount of times this player has had to go off for one reason or another.  He maybe incredibly unlucky or it might be that he just doesn't fancy it.  I think that's more likely the case.

Silly comment Bren'd. I expect better from you. He was hit full on head with a ball prob travelling at 70MPH.

And actuall;y only came round when back in the medical room in the tunnel

He was on oxygen when he left the pitch - it was a bad one