Southampton (H): The post match thread

[SamTheMouse]

Kozak has been gone long enough I have applied my rose coloured filter to him. I reckon he would have thrived on todays kind of game.

It's a fair point. If Albrighton had had Kozak to aim at, the Southampton defence would have had a much tougher afternoon.

[Stu]

Kozak has been gone long enough I have applied my rose coloured filter to him. I reckon he would have thrived on todays kind of game.

We have dreadful luck with injuries. We're struggling to score, but when our two main strike threats are out with long term injuries then its hardly a surprise.

[Somniloquism]

Kozak has been gone long enough I have applied my rose coloured filter to him. I reckon he would have thrived on todays kind of game.

Why Rose coloured? He got 4 goals in 14 appearances and most of those were as Sub. I reckon that without that injury we would have got 2 strikers with scoring in double figures this season.

[curiousorange]

Shoot me down in flames if you will, but I'd like to have seen what Darren Bent could have done today. I don't think he's ever been any great shakes in the air but I think the Southampton defence might have had slightly more to think about. I genuinely think Benteke's general form has convinced most Villa fans that Bent has nothing to offer, which I disagree with.

[rob_bridge]

Shoot me down in flames if you will, but I'd like to have seen what Darren Bent could have done today. I don't think he's ever been any great shakes in the air but I think the Southampton defence might have had slightly more to think about. I genuinely think Benteke's general form has convinced most Villa fans that Bent has nothing to offer, which I disagree with.

He has been as ineffective as Gabby this season. His time has passed.

His goals in the calendar year of 2011 kept us up two seasons running. And I will be eternally grateful for that.

[nodge]

The best part about today was sitting across the aisle from Callum Robinson's dad and then when he came on he jumped around and cheered, hugged Callum's mum and then burst into tears.  He was still wiping his eyes 5 minutes later and he's a big lad, if you were sitting in the family stand in the Trinity you couldn't miss him.

[kippaxvilla2]

This is where I do not get the tactics at times.  He plays Albrighton on the wing - great.  Then he plays a small bloke up front.  It is the one game where I thought Holt should start for that reason alone.  He then brings Holt on and I cannot recall another Albrighton cross after that!

[papa lazarou]

I'd say two good midfielders in and suddenly the likes of Delph and especially Westwood will improve with the quality around them. Or one of them will be on the bench which will make our squad stronger that way.

Since Petrov's career was cut short we haven't had a ball-winning midfielder that can drive the team forward and contest the central area of the pitch. We never seem to "own" the midfield, even for decent parts of a game. Delph and Westwood need assistance to flourish. The number of 50:50 or 60:40 battles that we lose due to lack of physicality is infuriating. KEA is not premier standard I haven't seen anyone else that can stand in the middle of the park and positively influence a game. I know that they aren't easy to find but we have to find one (or two).

[Somniloquism]

Shoot me down in flames if you will, but I'd like to have seen what Darren Bent could have done today. I don't think he's ever been any great shakes in the air but I think the Southampton defence might have had slightly more to think about. I genuinely think Benteke's general form has convinced most Villa fans that Bent has nothing to offer, which I disagree with.

If Bent still had it, why is he not getting games with Fulham who are in more of danger then us.

[kippaxvilla2]

He couldn't be any worse than what we currently have. 

[curiousorange]

Shoot me down in flames if you will, but I'd like to have seen what Darren Bent could have done today. I don't think he's ever been any great shakes in the air but I think the Southampton defence might have had slightly more to think about. I genuinely think Benteke's general form has convinced most Villa fans that Bent has nothing to offer, which I disagree with.

If Bent still had it, why is he not getting games with Fulham who are in more of danger then us.

I'm not a psychologist, but I'd say the whole 'being unceremoniously dumped by a manager, overlooked in favour of a League One striker and then loaned to a team that's had three managers this season' may have shaken his confidence a tad.

[Somniloquism]

He couldn't be any worse than what we currently have. 

So we should have kept him here to be 5th choice striker? Did you predict that both our £7mil strikers would be injured and both Gabby and Weimann would decide to go massively backwards this season.

I'm not a psychologist, but I'd say the whole 'being unceremoniously dumped by a manager, overlooked in favour of a League One striker and then loaned to a team that's had three managers this season' may have shaken his confidence a tad.

So four managers have now decided he isn't good enough to be a starter anymore and unless you build your whole team around him, he doesn't offer enough, especially as his pace has gone after the last injury,

[SoccerHQ]

I've been thinking about how shit Southampton were as well. Yes, they had the possession, but they were dull, and they had about as much idea as we did going forward. I still think they like to go for punts into the area for Rickie Lambert to get on the end of.

They have been involved in many many exciting games this season and regularly thumped the bottom half.

I'd take their season no problem. It's what I was expecting from us.

[olaftab]

This is where I do not get the tactics at times.  He plays Albrighton on the wing - great.  Then he plays a small bloke up front.  It is the one game where I thought Holt should start for that reason alone.  He then brings Holt on and I cannot recall another Albrighton cross after that!

Lambert sat down with Shay and Gordon and said "shall I play Albrighton?" Yes boss said Sid. "OK shall I play Gabby?" Boss you have to play a Gabby - fans favourites said Shay. "OK what about Weemwaan?" Oh you have to play him boss as he is due a goal said Sid. "Very well and where do you think I should play Holt?" Bench Boss said Shay and Sid in unison. "Thank you boys you have been massive this week"

[curiousorange]

He couldn't be any worse than what we currently have. 

So we should have kept him here to be 5th choice striker? Did you predict that both our £7mil strikers would be injured and both Gabby and Weimann would decide to go massively backwards this season.

I'm not a psychologist, but I'd say the whole 'being unceremoniously dumped by a manager, overlooked in favour of a League One striker and then loaned to a team that's had three managers this season' may have shaken his confidence a tad.

So four managers have now decided he isn't good enough to be a starter anymore and unless you build your whole team around him, he doesn't offer enough, especially as his pace has gone after the last injury,

But how many managers are happy with Agbonlahor's contribution, which stands at almost bugger all right now? Or Weimann? I'm not denying Bent is not the player he was, but the man can score. It's up to him to modify his game if he's lost pace (I don't think that was necessarily his greatest asset anyway) but I genuinely believe there were a few half chances this season I'd have killed to have seen Bent on the end of.