Aston Villa v Norwich- Post Match Thread

[damon loves JT]

Benteke was really on his game yesterday.  When he's like that we look half decent as a team, when he isn't, well, you know exactly what we look like.  I didn't see the need for bringing him off and replacing him with Holt though.  We haven't got a game for 2 weeks so no need for saving energy of players.

Bit of showmanship. He gets an ovation that way, which he deserved and possibly needed.

[dave.woodhall]

Benteke was really on his game yesterday.  When he's like that we look half decent as a team, when he isn't, well, you know exactly what we look like.  I didn't see the need for bringing him off and replacing him with Holt though.  We haven't got a game for 2 weeks so no need for saving energy of players.

Bit of showmanship. He gets an ovation that way, which he deserved and possibly needed.

And the Norwich fans get the chance to applaud Grant Holt and piss off their owners.

[eastie]

A fan did go and have a go a Lambert after Lambert turned around and told a section of support behind the dug out to "fcuk off" after the third goal. The bloke did get escorted out, but was back in his seat about five minutes later, so he clearly wasn't chucked out.

The first 15 minutes were as bad as anything we've seen this season and I can't imagine too many fans were impressed.

A win is a win though, it's just amazing how fragile our confidence is.

Lambert told a section of our fans to fuck off after the third goal ? Charming .

[richtheholtender]

A fan did go and have a go a Lambert after Lambert turned around and told a section of support behind the dug out to "fcuk off" after the third goal. The bloke did get escorted out, but was back in his seat about five minutes later, so he clearly wasn't chucked out.

The first 15 minutes were as bad as anything we've seen this season and I can't imagine too many fans were impressed.

A win is a win though, it's just amazing how fragile our confidence is.

Lambert told a section of our fans to fuck off after the third goal ? Charming .


Must be learning from Culverhouse.

[fredm]

Benteke was really on his game yesterday.  When he's like that we look half decent as a team, when he isn't, well, you know exactly what we look like.  I didn't see the need for bringing him off and replacing him with Holt though.  We haven't got a game for 2 weeks so no need for saving energy of players.

Once he had put the first one away, it was as if the clock had been turned back to the end of last season.  He was wanting the ball, moving around to receive it and pull their defenders out of position, holding it up, laying it off, in fact showing what a top class player is in there. And the ball was sticking to him not bouncing off 3 yards as it has been doing over recent months. Let's hope this is the turning point and he can keep it up for the rest of the season.

Also agree about Robinson, 3 goals up with five minutes to go what is there to lose by giving the lad his debut in front of a happy Holte End?

[nodge]

More importantly, we've got some really tough games coming up and we're at our best when we play with a high tempo, if we can have 45 minutes in 1st gear then it's a sensible and professional thing to do.  I said right at the start of this thread the only thing that I'm disappointed with is, like PWS, I think he should've given Robinson a run out.

Bacuna's goal - lovely move and a couple of great passes but the best bit, for me, was his first touch, watching it live I knew he was going to score after that touch, he just opened it up perfectly.

The little pass by Gabby to Weimann between their two players was fantastic.

[Richard E]

That performance yesterday just makes it all the more gutting that Chelsea's win at Fulham has ruled out our late punt at the title!

[paul_e]

We scored every shot on target.

Second half was back to normal, I don't think we were that good at all

In the second half we were as good as we needed to be.

I missed this, we didn't score every shot on target, we scored 4 and had 4 shots on target but as 1 was an own goal and Gabby had a header straight at Ruddy the numbers are a bit misleading.

[Monty]

It was a horrible start and they were clearly rattled, but Benteke's performance and outrageous goal dragged us kicking and screaming back into the game. After that it went mad, perhaps our best twenty minute spell under Lambert, we were utterly dominant. The second half bitted up a little, and there's not much helping that because Norwich got very scrappy as well. Overall, though, I hope this is a turning point, and I'm much more optimistic than after the Liverpool game - I just hope it's not another false dawn.

[eastie]

@MatKendrick: War chest: Nathan Baker posts a selfie of his Tettey-inflicted wounds #avfc #ouch http://t.co/Fr3m4s1ZRY

[PeterWithesShin]

That has gotta hurt!

[MarkM]

@MatKendrick: War chest: Nathan Baker posts a selfie of his Tettey-inflicted wounds #avfc #ouch http://t.co/Fr3m4s1ZRY

I missread the Tettey bit and thought he had spilt tea on himself!

[damon loves JT]

I hope my missus doesn't see that picture. I will have to keep my vest on forever

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

What was that second half? Where was the fight from the Norwich team? We were so comfortable. The game was over at HT.

Benteke's first goal was truly incredible. I notice, though, that Agbonlahor chested it exactly like Benteke a few minutes earlier but didn't have the intelligence to try a shot. That's the difference.

Would've liked to see Robinson come on for a bit. Grant Holt can't control a ball, truly embarrassing.

If Lambert told the fans to fuck off, someone needs to have a word. The fans will always have a go but he needs to ignore it and get on with his job.

Good win but we need to build on this now. Stoke at home seems like a good opportunity.

[Chris Harte]

Delighted with the result, however I felt that it papered over the cracks. There was a great twenty minutes, but either side there were seventy of "FFS Villa" and "meh!"

The first goal came out of nothing because until that point I felt we hadn't threatened at all.

Ultimately, this Villa team is not worthy of the name. While that is in part Lambert's fault, you have to look at the cloth he has been given to cut. In this age of insane TV money and fans being told that their admission money is less-and-less an influence on club income (all clubs in the PL, that is), the desire to cut costs seems maddening. And for this reason the buck stops squarely with the "custodian" for me.