Manchester Utd vs Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[Clark W Griswold]

There's a simple reason why Gabby & Weimann get picked week after week & that's because the alternatives don't exist. The same can be said for practically every position in the team.

We are a poor side that are too easy to play against & I don't see that improving any time soon.

They're decent players though most of the time. They're better in a standard formation with two up front and it would be good to have them battling each other to partner Benteke in that situation. With Guzan, Delph CM, Bacuna RM and a totally new team otherwise (with a couple of leaders), and decent cover on the bench from Westwood and Vlaar, we might have a chance next season. About £50-£60m needed i reckon.

[ez]

There's a simple reason why Gabby & Weimann get picked week after week & that's because the alternatives don't exist. The same can be said for practically every position in the team.

We are a poor side that are too easy to play against & I don't see that improving any time soon.

It shouldn't be like that though. Lambert's signed a lot of players.

[robbo1874]

I hate these plastic twats with a passion. Benteke wants shooting, how we didn't take at least a point against this one dimensional long ball shite. Benteke missed two sitters, nailed on absolute sitters. He also should have had a stick on penalty.

The defending left a lot to be desired, how Clark lost Rooney I have no idea.

I am raging. They are an awful long ball side, with that dirty c*** Fellani some how conspiring not to get sent off yet again.

I am really looking forward to Gerry whacking these pricks into the middle of next week. I have never known a score line flatter a side so much in all my days.

Big credit to our support, we kept right behind them. As for there's? There is a reason why I am steaming up the M602 without a care in the world; plastic fucking shite.

i share your pain mate and agree with most of what you say. 2 nailed on chances for bent eke and a decent third where he was stretching for it.

[supertom]

There's a simple reason why Gabby & Weimann get picked week after week & that's because the alternatives don't exist. The same can be said for practically every position in the team.

We are a poor side that are too easy to play against & I don't see that improving any time soon.

It shouldn't be like that though. Lambert's signed a lot of players.

He has, and if many of his young signings aren't cutting it, then why doesn't he look to our own young home grown players? Surely we're raising better than Tonev, Bowery, Sylla, etc.
Robinson has made the bench the last few games. He must be rated, so why not give him a go? Could he be any worse than some of our players? Unlikely.
Is he too young? No, we don't do "too young" anymore. If Messi wants to spunk on a napkin, I'd sooner put that on the pitch than Bowery or Sylla.

[danno]

Watched the game on BT with the sound off, as Owen doesn't try to hide his chubby for all things salford.

As for Villa, I want to think that on another day Benteke would have had a brace,
but honestly he does seem to miss his fair share.

Our defending is as haphazard as it was 18 months ago.
We actually seemed to defend worse today the more of the ball we had.

[fredm]

Front three were pathetic.

This. They cost us the game more than the defence. 1-0 up and every time the ball was played up to them they lost it. Man U get the goal back but are still indecisive and nervy. Going into the half time break the ball is played up to Gabby way in their half of the field. What happens? Fa bio takes it off him they break away and it's a penalty and 2-1 .
Then second half Benteke misses two sitters either of which would have given them nerves again before they get the third and it's game over.
Gabby and Weimanns work rate and ball retention were pathetic and Bentekes wasn't much better. On the few occasions we pressurised them at the back what did they do? Bang it long, either too far in front of Rooney etc or over the touch line out of play.

[robbo1874]

Watched the game on BT with the sound off, as Owen doesn't try to hide his chubby for all things salford.

As for Villa, I want to think that on another day Benteke would have had a brace,
but honestly he does seem to miss his fair share.

Our defending is as haphazard as it was 18 months ago.
We actually seemed to defend worse today the more of the ball we had.

they had waddle on the commentary here. He was fair , but absolutely pasted bent eke for his misses. Bit over the top I thought at the time, but right I think in the end.

[Ads]

Benteke cost us at least a point, he deserves shooting.

[PeterWithesShin]

Ashley Westwood's superb 13th-minute free-kick gave Villa hope of a rare Old Trafford victory but the outcome was ultimately all too familiar.

Wayne Rooney equalised with a 20th-minute header and put United ahead with a penalty on the stroke of half-time.

And after Christian Benteke had missed a glorious chance to level things up just after half-time, Juan Mata effectively put the issue beyond doubt with a third goal for the home side in the 57th minute.

Sub Javier Hernandez completed the scoring in stoppage time to inflict Villa's second consecutive 4-1 defeat.

Despite a plane hovering overhead with a banner calling for his departure, David Moyes was given a standing ovation by home supporters as he took the unusual step of making his way down the touchline before the teams emerged from the tunnel before kick-off.

If that was a bold statement of intent by the United manager, though, both sides started in tentative fashion, with chances in short supply at either end before Villa opened the scoring.

Benteke won possession before slipping a pass to Gabby Agbonlahor, who accelerated through the middle before being brought down by Rafael just outside the penalty area.

Westwood curled the free-kick right-footed over United's defensive wall, and although David De Gea made a despairing dive, the keeper could only help the ball into the corner of the net.

Ciaran Clark then ventured forward to head over from Marc Albrighton's free-kick before Brad Guzan was called into action for the first time.

It was a painful experience for the Villa keeper, who needed treatment after being caught by Rooney as he dived to collect Ashley Young's cross.

Guzan's nest task, unfortunately, was to collect the ball from the net after Rooney met Shinji Kagawa's delicate chip with a close-range glancing header which went in off the inside of a post.

Boosted by their equaliser, United threatened again a couple of minutes later, Clark blocking a Rooney shot just side the box before Ron Vlaar made a timely clearance to avert another menacing situation.

Although the game went flat for a while, Villa supporters were delighted when Vlaar displayed his creative flair following a 37th-minute corner which had been partially cleared.

The skipper turned past Marouane Fellaini on the left before delivering a fine cross which Rooney, of all people, cleared with a diving header.

Benteke had a shot charged down following another promising move.

But in the 45th minute, Villa found themselves behind, Rooney despatching his spot kick past Guzan after Leandro Bacuna had brought down Juan Mata as the Spaniard lined up a shot.

Four minutes after the break, the visitors should have been level, Westwood finding Benteke unmarked at the far post with a superbly measured centre.

The striker brought the ball under control but then miskicked completely, and as he lined up a second attempt sub Michael Carrick closed him down at the expense of a corner.

Benteke did considerably better a few minutes later, climbing above home skipper Nemanja Vidic to head just over from Albrighton's cross.

But in the 57th minute, United increased their lead when Mata fired home from eight yards after Fellaini's pass had fortuitously fallen into his path off Vlaar's heel.

As United continued to press, Guzan held a low shot from sub Adnan Januzaj and then produced an even better save to push away Rooney's drive.

Villa responded with a forceful run and shot over the bar from sub Aleksandar Tonev, who also curled a fine 84th-minute effort only narrowly wide.

In stoppage time, Hernandez added number four from close range following a Januzaj cross from the left.

[Toronto Villa]

If Benteke angles for a move away this summer he'll be well served to look back on some of his misses this season and advise himself he needs plenty of seasoning and improvement. No big club is offering our asking price for him at the moment.

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

Benteke had a bad day but at least he was getting into goalscoring positions. Were Agbonlahor and Weimann even on the pitch?

What was Clark doing for the first? Bacuna for the second? The lot of them for the third and fourth? We need to buy better defenders. These ones just aren't up to it.

[Legion]

Goals

[Marton]

Normally we like to treat ailing teams with poor confidence with a quick points injection at VP...but Dr Lambert evidently makes house calls too!

[Dribbler]

Generally we didn't play too badly, but let down by some poor defending and finishing.
Nice freekick by Westwood.
Gabby lost the ball twice and we were then 2-1 down, and he didn't really seem to do much after that.
Benteke had 3 great opportunities including the header and should have had 3 goals. It was also probably a penalty when he was taken down by Vidic.
Albrighton created some great chances and really adds to our attacking threat.

[JUAN PABLO]

same Villa . one step forward  and then 8 goals back