Everton v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[Fergal]

Like I said earlier, do people enjoy watching Villa desperately trying to hang on, hoofing the ball away and repelling wave after wave of attack? I don't I'd like to see us attack and play entertaining football. Everton should have comparative standing to us, but they are a long way ahead of us.

I fucking hate it and I have been digging out a lot of old villa games from my youth, including some supposedly poor villa sides, and we were NEVER this bad. Even go look up some of those games on youtube, even the 2-0 win against Chelsea in 2007 which was also a classic smash and grab, and we just look so much better than we do now. Yeah we were clinging on a bit but we made really good use of the ball when we had and our defence/spine looked strong, composed and determined in a way that ours doesn't today.

Our defence is one of our weakest elements (I'll come to it) yet we repeatedly play a style that invites pressure on it. That is the most bizarre thing about the Lambert era. If he wants to play that way he should have sorted out a better defence. Otherwise, in my view, you counter a weak defence by both protecting it and making good use of the ball ahead of it. Which brings me to my second point.

With MON we always had an incredible midfield. Petrov, Barry, Milner, Downing and yes NRC. They were players who, between them, were strong, physical,decent with the ball and dangerous going forward. Today you could drive a lorry through our midfield and we are so poor on the ball there that our goalkeeper/(manager?) think it best to bypass them and go route one to the forwards. Delph is a great player in the making, Westwood may well be eventually. KEA, in my view, isn't going to make it at this level while Bacuna is still trying to work out his best position.

Long story short, why didn't we sign a quality midfielder to go in and improve us. I genuinely think we would be such a better side with an experienced midfielder in the team.

Because Randy is done with us and is only bothered about getting out with the most amount of cash he can.  It looks like we are a safe bet to stay up so why waste money on players?

[Phil from the upper holte]

I don't think were a safe bet, were not that clear of relegation, couple of defeats were right back in it

[VillaAlways]

I don't think were a safe bet, were not that clear of relegation, couple of defeats were right back in it

We're right in it , make no mistake the next 2 games are massive.

[Mister E]

I thought it was the sort of performance we often saw from mid table opposition at VP when we were a top 6 side. Everton have a really good home record but we were organised and hard working. We scored a good goal and I thought we'd be good for a point until that free kick. It's not much fun to watch but it is what so many teams try to do that I am surprised it is causing such a fuss.

I take your point.
Given some of the away games we have, we are going to have to win the home games against the likes of Wet Spam. My concern is our inability to take the initiative and tactically to overturn resolutely defending oppo.

[oldtimernow]

Like I said earlier, do people enjoy watching Villa desperately trying to hang on, hoofing the ball away and repelling wave after wave of attack? I don't I'd like to see us attack and play entertaining football. Everton should have comparative standing to us, but they are a long way ahead of us.

I fucking hate it and I have been digging out a lot of old villa games from my youth, including some supposedly poor villa sides, and we were NEVER this bad. Even go look up some of those games on youtube, even the 2-0 win against Chelsea in 2007 which was also a classic smash and grab, and we just look so much better than we do now. Yeah we were clinging on a bit but we made really good use of the ball when we had and our defence/spine looked strong, composed and determined in a way that ours doesn't today.

Our defence is one of our weakest elements (I'll come to it) yet we repeatedly play a style that invites pressure on it. That is the most bizarre thing about the Lambert era. If he wants to play that way he should have sorted out a better defence. Otherwise, in my view, you counter a weak defence by both protecting it and making good use of the ball ahead of it. Which brings me to my second point.

With MON we always had an incredible midfield. Petrov, Barry, Milner, Downing and yes NRC. They were players who, between them, were strong, physical,decent with the ball and dangerous going forward. Today you could drive a lorry through our midfield and we are so poor on the ball there that our goalkeeper/(manager?) think it best to bypass them and go route one to the forwards. Delph is a great player in the making, Westwood may well be eventually. KEA, in my view, isn't going to make it at this level while Bacuna is still trying to work out his best position.

Long story short, why didn't we sign a quality midfielder to go in and improve us. I genuinely think we would be such a better side with an experienced midfielder in the team.

Not so sure about driving a lorry through our midfield......more like a tuk-tuk

[Chris Smith]

If Lerner wants to sell surely he will find it easier to do, and at the same time get a better price, if the club are doing well?

Like the rest of you I have no insight into his intentions but the idea that if he did it would equate with running us down makes little sense.

[Chris Smith]

I thought it was the sort of performance we often saw from mid table opposition at VP when we were a top 6 side. Everton have a really good home record but we were organised and hard working. We scored a good goal and I thought we'd be good for a point until that free kick. It's not much fun to watch but it is what so many teams try to do that I am surprised it is causing such a fuss.

I take your point.
Given some of the away games we have, we are going to have to win the home games against the likes of Wet Spam. My concern is our inability to take the initiative and tactically to overturn resolutely defending oppo.

Yes, that is the big problem for us. We need Gabby back pronto, if he stays fit our front three should have enough to see us through those games.

[Mister E]

I thought it was the sort of performance we often saw from mid table opposition at VP when we were a top 6 side. Everton have a really good home record but we were organised and hard working. We scored a good goal and I thought we'd be good for a point until that free kick. It's not much fun to watch but it is what so many teams try to do that I am surprised it is causing such a fuss.

I take your point.
Given some of the away games we have, we are going to have to win the home games against the likes of Wet Spam. My concern is our inability to take the initiative and tactically to overturn resolutely defending oppo.

Yes, that is the big problem for us. We need Gabby back pronto, if he stays fit our front three should have enough to see us through those games.

The other bit of it is that if we want to play such an overtly-defensive approach away from home, the ball retention and midfield effectiveness has to be a whole better ... Obviously.

[PeterWithe]

So Vlaar goes off, we suddenly start to look shaky and then deservedly concede another, well, who could have predicted that?

As for possession stats, we were no threat to them whatsoever for 3/4 of the game, how could we be?

[aj2k77]

Does anyone enjoy watching how we play football? If we aren't competing to win anything and we aren't entertaining, what is the point?

[Ozzjim]

I thought it was the sort of performance we often saw from mid table opposition at VP when we were a top 6 side. Everton have a really good home record but we were organised and hard working. We scored a good goal and I thought we'd be good for a point until that free kick. It's not much fun to watch but it is what so many teams try to do that I am surprised it is causing such a fuss.

I take your point.
Given some of the away games we have, we are going to have to win the home games against the likes of Wet Spam. My concern is our inability to take the initiative and tactically to overturn resolutely defending oppo.

Yes, that is the big problem for us. We need Gabby back pronto, if he stays fit our front three should have enough to see us through those games.

I am responding to this one, but agree with all 3 of your above posts. Talking sense Chris.

[aj2k77]

I don't think were a safe bet, were not that clear of relegation, couple of defeats were right back in it

Correct, since when has a 5 point gap been so big it's uncatchable
. Stoke went from relegation zone to 'midtable' in 90 minutes yesterday

[Des Little]

Does anyone enjoy watching how we play football? If we aren't competing to win anything and we aren't entertaining, what is the point?

This. No one can enjoy 90 minutes plus of backs to the wall football. It's torture.

[Clampy]

I thought it was the sort of performance we often saw from mid table opposition at VP when we were a top 6 side. Everton have a really good home record but we were organised and hard working. We scored a good goal and I thought we'd be good for a point until that free kick. It's not much fun to watch but it is what so many teams try to do that I am surprised it is causing such a fuss.

Got to respectfully disagree Chris. Up at Anfield two weeks ago we closed down and harried their midfield, forcing them into mistakes. Gerrard commented on it himself. We did it once yesterday, which led to our goal. The rest of the game panned out with ten men behind the ball defending our lead. We didn't go to Liverpool with tactics like that, why should yesterday have been any different?

[olaftab]

I don't think were a safe bet, were not that clear of relegation, couple of defeats were right back in it

Correct, since when has a 5 point gap been so big it's uncatchable
. Stoke went from relegation zone to 'midtable' in 90 minutes yesterday

Two things.
If Stoke are mid table that we are much more firmer mid table.
If we lose a couple of games does that mean that all 10 teams below us will win a couple of games at the same time to send us plunging towards the relegation zone?