Aston Villa v Arsenal Post-Match Thread

[Ian.]

That last 25 minutes or so needs to be applied more consistently, it shows with a bit of confidence we can play. I have never know a team so reliant and void of confidence. I know everyone suffers from it but we do massively as a whole unit for some reason.

We do have a team capable at times to really play and scare the opposition and score goals. What I really don't get is when we have not got the ball we do not press and harass enough. You don't need to be extremely high on confidence just a will to win.

[sid1964]

i hope that everyone has not got neck ache this morning!

Benteke must wonder why on earth he stayed with us (apart from the money), I bet he needs a packet of neurofen after each game.
 We may as well have a Giraffe up front as we keep launching the ball so far up in the air, I reckon that we must launch long balls forward than any other team

It is bloody awful to watch....and I thought when Lambert came he was going to get us playing more passing football (bring back Big Ron at least his teams played the right way)

[Villafirst]

That's 7 defeats out of 11 matches at home. Only 8 home points out of 33. Shocking stats. Season tickets are such poor value - I won't renew for the championship next season.

[Archie]

We do have a team capable at times to really play.

Maybe, but with another manager.
To launch long balls from the keeper forward and from the right back in the air is not what I call to play football.

[UK Redsox]

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.

The system that they "worked on all week" had Villa hanging on by their figure nails even before the injury and goals. The system that actually worked was the one with Bacuna in a free role. He has far better vision and passing ability than Westwood.

[Hookeysmith]

Guzan  - Our most threatening forward player

Lowton - Good cross for goal

Baker - Always gets stuck in but made of glass

Clark - Thought he had a pretty decent game

Vlaar - My MOTM - whole team looks better when he plays - played last 10 minutes breathing out of his arse as expected

Luna - He has no positional sense whatsover - teams are now targetting him as he leaves so much space on our left side

Westwood - Once he got going his range of passing in 2nd half kicked in and he looked like the player we knew he was

Delph - fuck up for goal aside worked his nads off - 1st half chance would have been a lovely goal

EAH - I really do not know what he brings. Cannot head, poor vision, cannot tackle how the hell he sits in our midfield is beyond me. Ironic applause each time he is subbed must tell PL something?

Gabby - Thought he was a ghost most of the game, continues to run into blind alleys. There is a decent player in there just not sure if he or anyone else knows where he should play

Benteke - Until he scored he was the recent moaning, whinning not interested player we have worried about - once he scored the beast was back

Subs:

Bacuna - dont rate this guy, free kicks apart but he settled into the "hole" quite well and it confused Arsenal

Weinmann - high energy kept Arsenal on back foot for last 20 minutes

Overall

It does seem that with such a young team its all about confidence as evident when Beneteke scored. A few of them upped their games once we started to have a go at them. I think we all sometimes forget the collective ages and lack of experience at this level

Two other things that are not meant to be excuses but observations over last few weeks

1/ The standard of ref last night again was appalling - he allowed them everything and for Wiltshire to control the game
2/ Every miss kick of ours or deflection or miss control is seemingly punished where as it seems that the same for the opposition slips inches away from being advantagous for us by falling to one of their players or to safety

As for Grant Holt - oh dear

[Dave Clark Five]

The Vlaar tackle on Monreal at the Witton End was a corker.
We need more of that.

[sid1964]

Vlaar is quality, unfortunately he is another player, who I cannot see staying with us for next season!

[Chris Jameson]

I thought Arsenal were fairly poor and in Jack Wilshere they have a player who is rapidly becoming an easy one to hate, the fat arsed short legged overrated dick. The final 20 minutes reminded me of a lower league side in a cup tie, the continuous high balls into the box and very little signs of any skill but plenty of 'passion'. Is there a worse midfield than Villa's? I think every single one of ours would struggle to make it into most teams in the Premier League and El Ahmadi wouldn't make most Championship squads.

[Meanwood Villa]

I must confess I turned over at half time, only turning back when I heard we'd scored. A poor show I know but I'm so uninspired by this team I can barely bring myself to watch them.

[Richard E]

I thought Arsenal were fairly poor and in Jack Wilshere they have a player who is rapidly becoming an easy one to hate, the fat arsed short legged overrated dick. The final 20 minutes reminded me of a lower league side in a cup tie, the continuous high balls into the box and very little signs of any skill but plenty of 'passion'. Is there a worse midfield than Villa's? I think every single one of ours would struggle to make it into most teams in the Premier League and El Ahmadi wouldn't make most Championship squads.

What is it about Wilshere that people rave about him? I've never seen him do anything out of the ordinary.

[Witton Warrior]

That's 7 defeats out of 11 matches at home. Only 8 home points out of 33. Shocking stats. Season tickets are such poor value - I won't renew for the championship next season.

I won't renew unless we are in the Championship

[Charlie8182]

That's 7 defeats out of 11 matches at home. Only 8 home points out of 33. Shocking stats. Season tickets are such poor value - I won't renew for the championship next season.

I won't renew unless we are in the Championship

If we stay up I'm not sure I'll be renewing either, I've had one since the mid-80s but don't think I can shell out more good money and stomach another season like this (and the last 2 seasons) - is this 'project' really going to be any further forward and win more home games than I can count on one hand?

[PaulWinch again]

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.

But that's just it, people have been saying for months in order to successful long term you need to hassle the opposition and you also need possession of the ball. It seems to be only our manager that is unaware of this.

[Ads]

I thought we showed some fight in the second half.

The full backs got forward and Lowton stuck in two sublime crosses. We lacked that cutting edge that could have helped in midfield, as Arsenal began to start bottling it; hoiking the ball away, 10 men defending their own 18 yard line, players screaming to get out.

Delighted that Benteke scored and looked more of his old self, jumping into the opposition.

Midfield is still a major problem and you have to look at Lowton for being at fault for both goals. He started a chain reaction with the first and just didn't commit himself to making a challenge with the second.

But we gave it a go and the crowd responded. We need players in, but as I said at the game, some perspective; these are top of the league and spent more on one player than we have on 16 over three trasnfer windows. Some people joked that we wouldn't be playing the same game as Arsenal, well, those people are correct in one sense.