Aston Villa v Arsenal Post-Match Thread

[pooligan]

Your were right Villa Kicks,he has just said exactly what you said he would !

[spangley1812]

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert: "Nathan Baker was concussed, he took a blow to the side of his head. That was dangerous and it rocked us a bit, we had worked all week on the system but thankfully he's a lot better. He throws himself into things, that's what he does.

"Second half we were excellent, we looked great and a real threat. We were lifted by the goal, it's not easy playing Arsenal, they are title contenders but everybody can see we gave them a game.

"You have to give us credit. We came into it but we might have snuck a draw."

Paul Lambert was also asked if he had any interest in signing Wigan striker Grant Holt - who he worked with at Norwich - and he smiled and said 'we'll see', calling Holt 'a proper man'.

[levico]

PL is so predictable. I knew when Baker went off that he would use that as an excuse if things went wrong. We'll they did and he did.

Still we go again.

Anybody else getting really bored with all this?

[Ross]

Fucking hell. 33 yr old holt from Wigan where he's scored twice this season.  I'm going to cry.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

On the whole, we were shit.

We were lucky Arsenal didn't really bother in the second half so avoided a hammering.

The Benteke goal brought about some momentum and with some luck an equaliser may have happened.

Arsenal demonstrated they are the best team in the league when they play. They make it look so easy. Imagine watching that every week?!?!?

[WestleyArmsAV]

PL is so predictable. I knew when Baker went off that he would use that as an excuse if things went wrong. We'll they did and he did.

Still we go again.

Anybody else getting really bored with all this?

Not really no.

I will be going again on Saturday to Anfield.

Still better off points wise, goal difference and clean sheets than last season.  After some key injuries too I will wait for the remainding 4 months of football to judge what progression is.

UTV

[PaulWinch again]

If we had stuck with 5 at the back we would have lost and had nothing to show. Lambert has to learn from this we need to press teams high up the pitch and assert ourselves. That will help with our problems at home.

[Dribbler]

PL is so predictable. I knew when Baker went off that he would use that as an excuse if things went wrong. We'll they did and he did.

Still we go again.

Anybody else getting really bored with all this?

Not really no.

I will be going again on Saturday to Anfield.

Still better off points wise, goal difference and clean sheets than last season.  After some key injuries too I will wait for the remainding 4 months of football to judge what progression is.

UTV

You are Paul Faulkner and i claim my £5!

[pauliewalnuts]

PL is so predictable. I knew when Baker went off that he would use that as an excuse if things went wrong. We'll they did and he did.

He said two things that made me raise an eyebrow.

One was that Baker has done really well for us this season, which is a pretty remarkable assertion. The other was that we were the better team "in the second half", by which i take it he was referring to the last 15-20 minutes.

I know it's difficult to have to find something positive to say, but Christ, he pushes it to an extreme sometimes.

[WestleyArmsAV]

PL is so predictable. I knew when Baker went off that he would use that as an excuse if things went wrong. We'll they did and he did.

Still we go again.

Anybody else getting really bored with all this?

Not really no.

I will be going again on Saturday to Anfield.

Still better off points wise, goal difference and clean sheets than last season.  After some key injuries too I will wait for the remainding 4 months of football to judge what progression is.

UTV

You are Paul Faulkner and i claim my £5!

I have already claimed my tenner on who you are.

[richtheholtender]

I just dont like losing. Decent 10 mins at the end.

SPEND SOME FUCKING MONEY LERNER!

Rumour has it Grant Holt is on his way.

[pauliewalnuts]

From the last twenty minutes:

- we started to harry them and press for the ball when we didn't have it. First time in ages, and look what happened. It created the chance for Lowton to cross for the goal, and we looked much better for it.

- we started holding the ball better when we did have it, FINALLY. That must be to do with confidence.

Doing it for 20 minutes once every now and then isn't anything like good enough, though. Lambert has got to get us doing that on a much, much more frequent basis.

[LTA]

Possibly the equivilant of the home game with Newcastle last season.  Garbage first half, but showed a bit more endeavour and fight in the second.  We need to produce that sort of performance over the last 10-15 minutes for the rest of the season.  As bad as we are, there are some rank awful sides down there with us.

Have to say I think tonight showed me why Arsenal won't win the league.  A Man City or a Liverpool would have really hurt us after going 2 up.  Arsenal in contrast took their foot off the gas and pissed about, and a better, more confident side would have nicked something.

[rougegorge]

Pressing and upping the tempo for 20 minutes at home does not constitute an 'excellent' performance. At least Benteke switched himself on in the second half, though it was mostly route one stuff. If we do ever end up playing well at home, Lambert won't know what to say as he's used all his hyperboles to praise poor football.

[dekko]

PL is so predictable. I knew when Baker went off that he would use that as an excuse if things went wrong. We'll they did and he did.

He said two things that made me raise an eyebrow.

One was that Baker has done really well for us this season, which is a pretty remarkable assertion. The other was that we were the better team "in the second half", by which i take it he was referring to the last 15-20 minutes.

I know it's difficult to have to find something positive to say, but Christ, he pushes it to an extreme sometimes.

He never criticises his players in public.  It can be annoying but thats how it is.

As for his comments on the performance - this team is entirely reliant on confidence.  Play without confidence (eg the first 60 minutes) and they play terribly.  Play with confidence, and they do quite well (the last 30 minutes).  Publicly slating his team is not going to do any good at all, he'll have done plenty of that at half time.