Aston Villa v Newcastle United Post-Match Thread

[Chris Jameson]

Thought we looked quite solid but very unspectacular and liked what I saw Cissokho, Delph and Hutton were excellent, Agbonlahor did his usual Forrest Gump, he simply isn't good enough.

[pauliewalnuts]

We can see that we need to bring in a creative spark in the next week or so, and that goals are going to be at a premium until that happens and our two best strikers come back from injury. If that is the case then we need to keep things tight until those things happen.

That looks to me like what we've done so far this season. I have pretty much no doubt we'd have lost that match with last season's defence, so to have taken a point and looked defensively solid is a good place to be

There is no point with all that "yeah but Newcastle are shit" stuff either. They were who we were playing. Newcastle were also shit last season but they still beat us in this fixture.

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I didn't think we used the ball vey well in the second half, where as I thought our full backs did well in the first and we put a number of crosses into the box, looking half dangerous.

But I am glad that we still looked so solid. They had one good chance where Westwood was caught on the ball clearing it and Brad made a good save. If you're not going to win the game, make sure you don't lose it.

I thought he referee made some odd decisions and really fell for their diving and play acting. It didn't affect the result, but their number 20 was a right little wetter.

Still, we are without both our first and second choice strikers, while we still need a couple of attacking players to add more guile and spark. We look a hell of a lot tougher though. Sides are going to know they've played against us. Some real bruisers in there and even the likes of Richardson aren't mucking around.

Pleased with a point and taking more positives than negatives from it.

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I also want to point out how well Hutton played too. A fantastic bit of positional covering to deny Newcastles arch diver and he looked very good going forward too. Cissohko also played well. Hope it's nothing serious.

[Rudy65]

Good defensively, but same old, same old with our midfield and strikers. Little creativity in the former, no quality with the latter.

As before you cannot play Weimann out wide. Firstly he isnt a winger or good enough technically, but there is nothing in the middle when he gets the ball, as our midfield doesn't get forward quick enough.

I thought Zog and Richardson would be the wide players allowing Weimann to play more central.

Gabby was again poor.

I would like to see Grealish given more game time.

Overall, happy with a point and the Geordies has enough chances to win

[CJ]

Poor game made worse by some shocking refereeing decisions. Coloccini was class for them but Cabella is just a little tart - the way he went down holding his face in the first half was nothing short of embarrassing. Maybe N'Zogbia had accidentally caught his twatty haircut. Thought Cissokho and Richardson combined really well - any news of how bad Cissokho's injury was? Also thought Lambert got the substitutions wrong - taking N'Zogbia and Richardson off meant no real creativity or likelihood of crosses for Bent, and would have liked Grealish to get 15-20 minutes. Cissokho got man of the match but for me Delph impressed yet again and we really need to get him tied down. And we desperately need to get Benteke back - neither Gabby or weimann look even close to scoring any time soon

I may be wrong but when I looked across at the dugout during the 17th minute applause it looked like Pardew was the only one in the ground not clapping. I can't imagine he would be that disrespectful so maybe he just stopped before everyone else

[Morten]

Ooooh he's just said Ron won't be leaving that's for sure.

Brilliant news ! Was it a Sky Sport interview or where did you hear it ?

[Tom_Mc9?]

It was on BT Sport. He said Vlaar won't be leaving for as long as he (Lambert) is at the club.

[Fin Feds Dad]

Happy with the points on the board so far and the defence looking like a defence should

BUT

One up front at home is way too negative. When that one up front is Gabby - well, meh.
If wasn't working first half - surely at some point we should have pushed Wiemann up alongside him . Even when Wiemann was took off , Gabby dropped back to midfield and Bent was isolated up top.

Lambert does not look to win games - he looks not to lose - there is a huge difference.

[andyh]

Benteke can't come back quick enough. But at least we've rediscovered the lost art of defending.

No point having Benteke on the pitch if we can't get the ball into him.
We desperately need some guile and creativity.

That said, we do look nice and solid, and will certainly be much more difficult to beat than last year.

What has happened to Gabby ? He's almost like a caricature of himself, if that make sense.
It seems to me that there is a bloke who really is just cruising along not doing a fat lot, but continuing to get picked. He really needs a massive kick up the arse, but I'm not sure even that is enough now.

[old man villa fan]

I thought that Lambert was right to take N'Zogbia off as he was starting to tire and get frustrated.  On a yellow card, he could have ended up being sent off.  Bringing Sanchez on allowed him to move Delph further forward.  Taking Richardson off was to push another man (Bent) up front.  Unfortunately Cissokho was injured which meant Gabby had to drop wide an deeper to cover in front of Baker.

We are crying out for a good wide player and an inside forward type player.  We are relying a lot on Benteke coming back but he cannot do it all on his own.

I was not displeased with a point today as we are starting to get more confident at the back.  What we need to realise is that with that confidence you do not need to pull so many players back behind the ball.  Sanchez looks big and strong and should be able to start dictating play in front of the back four, allowing Delph and Westwood to push further forward, which will allow Gabby and Weimann to both push up on the last man.

[Mister E]

Agreed that the substitutions were fairly negative. Creativity has been an issue since Downing and Young left, and I can't see it changing any time soon, sadly.

I would've liked to see Cole or Grealish come on, but to be fair to Lambert, Newcastle were well on top and bringing on Sanchez gave us a bit more solidity.

Probably could've brought one of them on instead of Bent though.

Grealish should have come on instead of Bent - someone coming from deep in the last 20 might have made the breakthrough.
However 4 points from 2 games is okay.

[old man villa fan]

What has happened to Gabby ? He's almost like a caricature of himself, if that make sense.
It seems to me that there is a bloke who really is just cruising along not doing a fat lot, but continuing to get picked. He really needs a massive kick up the arse, but I'm not sure even that is enough now.

Owen made the point in the first half when a cross was put in with pace that Gabby should have gambled and gone for it.  I think that is the problem with him now, he is not putting everything in.  He is working hard in covering when we do not have the ball but he should be in the side to be a threat up front and score goals.  You have to be playing on the edge and anticipating things, getting across your player at the near post or dropping off in the area to create space.  He is not doing any of this.

[peter w]

All in all not great but enough. Newcastle ahd 3 opportunities when ther ball found itself to the far post but missed poorly each time. A better team could have given us a tonking. But, you can see it's still building bl;ocks at the moment. thought Richardson offered little and would have taken NZog off and put richardson out wide but Cole on to play on the hole. fair call for the sub though as Sanchez allowed Delpd to get further forward.

Cissokho certainly didn't appear to lack a first touch as mentioned earlier and I thought sanchez looked composed. Overall disappointed but it didn't have the same feel as last season as we did look like there could be something there. It'll probably be one of those where it falls into place by accident by a player getting injured and the pack being reorganised leading to something clicking.

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

It was on BT Sport. He said Vlaar won't be leaving for as long as he (Lambert) is at the club.

On TBAR that will be interpreted as a new manager coming in.