Aston Villa v Stoke City post match thread

[richard moore]

It was dire stuff but it seems like the Lambert Out brigade were almost hoping for something like this after the last two home games. And some of the biggest vitriol is coming from people who don't actually go to games.

What a load of utter bollocks.

Isn't it, many people may have predicted it but no one hoped for it. And there's a reason many predicted it. I'll start going to games when it becomes an enjoyable experience again. Strangely enough, that's my criteria for doing most things in life and particularly when it costs an arm and leg from where I live

[PaulWinch again]

@RonVlaar4: Awful game. Looking in the mirror, I wasn't good enough today, made to many wrong choices, needs to be better... Really disappointed. #utv

At least he's honest and can front up when he doesn't perform.

[Breezeblock]

Jesus arseraping Buddah but that was utter and absolute gash! I dont know what was worse - the pisstaking the Sturk players were doing on the pitch or the pisstaking their fans were giving us. And the absolute lowlight of this debacle? I cant even drown my sorrows 'cos i'm at work tomorrow - in Stafford! I hope for her sake that wench from the ticket office doesn't ring me up asking about renewing my season ticket 'cos i'm liable to go all "Mr. Angry" on her! 

[Richard E]

I'm beginning to wonder what Gabby brings to the table. 3 goals all season and not a lot else. Did bugger all again today.

[Stu]

"It was the first time the Potters had done a home and away double over their Midlands rivals since 1966."

Another record for Lambert.

[john2710]

Shambles, boys vs men, the players obviously spent the past week basking in the glory of the Chelsea win. One - nil up after 5 mins, job done. What followed was embarrassing. As pleased as they were with themselves last week, they should ashamed tonight.

Bacuna had an absolute nightmare, Baker not much better, Sylla is playing at 2 levels above his ability & it's frightening that he's as good as it gets for a midfield backup. It's also time we took our tinted glasses off with regard to Gabby.

What astounded me, but shouldn't have, was the decision to put Albrighton into the No:10 role, WTF? What was that expected to achieve against a team the size of Stoke?

We have the basis of a team that can play, if allowed, but very few teams will allow that. About 8 of the entire squad are good enough to play in the premiership week after week, the rest simply aren't good enough and like the manager that bought them, show no signs of improving.

Crowds of 30k will be the most they can expect next season.

[PaulWinch again]

I'm beginning to wonder what Gabby brings to the table. 3 goals all season and not a lot else. Did bugger all again today.

He was atrocious and his touch was amateur.

[saunders_heroes]

That was easily one of, if not, THE worst performance I've ever seen from us at Villa Park in all my years. It was astonishingly awful.
The squad aren't good enough. Too many lower league players out of their depth in the PL. I hope Lerner was watching because even someone as stupid as him could see we haven't the quality to compete in the PL.
This summer is huge - anymore cheap nobodies from the lower leagues and we may as well forget it. We need Lerner to open his wallet or bugger off, because he is failing us as a club.

[pauliewalnuts]

It was dire stuff but it seems like the Lambert Out brigade were almost hoping for something like this after the last two home games. And some of the biggest vitriol is coming from people who don't actually go to games. I can't defend today but let's at least see how the rest of the season plays out before we get all the knives out of the drawer for him.

There would be no point making any actual decision (the people who make them, meaningful decisions, I mean) now rather than in the summer, but really, the fact we've lost nine league games at home this season is such a damning statistic, it's hard to look beyond it.

At some point, we've got to stop setting these awful records. We heard about loads of them last season, this season seems very similar.

It's great when we get results like Chelsea and the Norwich one the week before, but it won't mean much if we continue following up a decent result with several weeks of awfulness. We'll see what happens these next few weeks, but too often the last two years it has been very, very poor.

The fact that last week's win was the first time we've won back to back home league games in almost four years is just astonishing. It's not Lambert's fault that we didn't manage it in the almost two years before he came here, but he has to take the blame for the last almost two seasons.

[adrenachrome]

Our players probably spent most of last week patting each other on the back for beating Chelsea. They heard the praise and read the  nice words in the print and social media. So they felt  no sweat Stoke at Villa park turn up and win. Amazingly the first 5 minutes proved them absolutely right. Rolled the ball about with immense ease, great movement, classy interchanges, Stoke players chasing shadows  and culminating in one of the best footballing goals we have scored this season. That was probably the worst thing that could have happened today. What followed was a lesson in professionalism. Lack of it on our part and plenty of it with Stoke. What we needed today was a reminder that you have to respect every team and play for 90mins in every game. If you don't you will get a thumping and  I am afraid we got what we deserved. Not going to mention any individuals because just as the same bunch of players were brilliant against Chelsea the same were absolutely shambolic today. They were all lethargic, inattentive, petulant and mostly disorderly. Clearly we can only play against teams that let us play. Put up against a determined functional teams like Stoke, West Ham, Palace etc and we have no answer.
Next week's performance is going to very different especially if manu play with a swagger and confidence based on their recent good results.

Good point, Olaftab. My first thought was "how do you explain the Norwich result, then?", but on reflection they sacrificed a holding midfielder to play Hoolahan.
I was certain that Sterk would do us today, as will Hull when they visit. 

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

You really wouldn't put it past this lot to win at Old Trafford then follow it up by being hammered at home by Fulham.

[ciggiesnbeer]

Happy to say I missed the game. Not really surprised we lost. We are an inconsistent team. Sounds like the players & Lambert are pretty disappointed as well. Oh well, onwards.

[paulcomben]

Happy to say I missed the game. Not really surprised we lost. We are an inconsistent team. Sounds like the players & Lambert are pretty disappointed as well. Oh well, onwards.

Oh well, onwards. The polite retired gentleman's We Go Again.

[ciggiesnbeer]

Happy to say I missed the game. Not really surprised we lost. We are an inconsistent team. Sounds like the players & Lambert are pretty disappointed as well. Oh well, onwards.

Oh well, onwards. The polite retired gentleman's We Go Again.

[eastie]

Paul Lambert on Potters defeat.





Paul Lambert admitted Villa were "second best" as they went down 4-1 to Stoke.

Lambert was frustrated as his side produced a lethargic performance which he said was "unlike us."

He said: "We made a great start.

"For 20 minutes we looked really good and scored a really good goal.

"The goals we lost were poor.

"The two lads - Andi Weimann and Karim El Ahmadi - coming off never helped us. But I still thought we were second best. Stoke deserved to beat us.

"That whole performance was very unlike us after the start.

"We looked lethargic and never really got going.

"We tried to get a goal back but it never materialised. It was a performance that wasn't like us.

"We never got going after that opening 20 minutes.

"We never defended well at all. The goals were poor. We were second best.

"What disappoints me isn't just the goals, it was the lack of energy. Sometimes that can happen, you can be a bit lethargic when you think your legs aren't taking you when you want to go. I understand that. We never got going.

"The confidence was really high as we approached the game. We usually have a lot of energy but we couldn't get going for some reason.

"We were up for the game. We started really well. You get the goal and that gets the crowd going. The conceded goals were poor.

"I can't be too critical. The players have done great these past few weeks but they didn't deserve anything today.

"You don't dwell on it now. You pick yourself and go again. That's the important thing. We have a young group but we will bounce back from it.

"You get knocked down but you get up and go for more. That's what we will do this week."

Lambert revealed that Weimann and El Ahmadi were withdrawn through injury.

He added: "Andi had a severe dead leg which he couldn't shake off.

"I will have to see how Karim is to see if he has a little thigh strain there.

"It never helped us because they have been playing very well for us. It upset us a little bit but it's still no excuse."