Aston Villa vs Arsenal Post-Match Thread

[silhillvilla]

I expected us to lose, I didn't see the game so I can have no complaints. Let's just move on, go again.

[Witton Warrior]

They are hounding Pardew for all the wrong reasons because the owner is going no where - Pardew is doing the job asked of him - remind you of anyone close to home?

I know quite a few Newcastle fans, and think you'd struggle to find a single one of their lot who thinks Pardew is doing a decent job. The reasons they are hounding him is because of his prolonged run of truly dreadful results.

Don't forget, they've sold players, but they have also spent money, too. Their squad strength suggests they should be doing a lot better than they are.

If you are Mike Ashley, then you probably think your mate (i.e. AP, he's a gambling mate of Ashley's) is doing alright because that's all you want him to do, but fans are never going to see it like that.

I think over the last few years we have been a badly run club, but Newcastle make us look a model club, they're such a horrendous mess. They've now got to the point where they've banned a load of newspapers and other media from their home matches.

Then throw in some of the weird appointments they've made there - Dennis Wise, anyone? Joe Kinnear?

They really are a mess, no wonder their fans are upset.

The target of their ire should be the cock-walloper Ashley - that's why I said they are hounding him for the wrong reason - the main reason is he is a chippy, cocky, mouthy, squirming toad

The parallels with us don't go that deep as we are not a cash cow for Randy - Ashley uses NUFC to promote his business interests and make profits as a sort of entry-level club for players wanting to put themselves in the Premiership shop window.

Their performance after reaching 40 points last season was incredibly poor. They are suffering for that now as they don't seem to be bale gain any momentum.

Anyway enough of the Geordies even if it is good to laugh at others ;-)

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

We weren't beating Arsenal regularly when we were finishing top 6 under MON btw.

It's one game and there were expectional circumstances that went against us yesterday that made getting a result near impossible.

Edit: The sad reality atm is we will only compete regularly again at the top (or at least in the top 6) when we get new owners.

And even that is no guarantee, just more possibility than there is now.

Yeah, I realise yesterday was a weird one, but supertom's point was about accepting we can't beat the big spenders even if we had our full strength side (or at least that's how I interpreted it!).

I agree with your edit too.

Yesterday was the day when I think we would have beaten them if we'd started with the team we wanted to field.
That we capitulated so tamely is not characteristic of this squad this season.

If that team includes Benteke, then yeah, I would've been really confident. We're a different team with Benteke, he offers us many different options, and it allows Agbonlahor to go back to what I think is his best position on the left of the front 3. Can't wait for his return!

[Breezeblock]

Just a few observations:

Sanchez reminded me of Stan Petrov's last gave for us before that horrible diagnosis. He was a good two yards off the pace and obviously struggling. As was Weimann and Delph.

Tom Cleverley had a solid home debut. Looked tidy & composed. Gave the ball away unnecessarily a few times but nothing like as bad as KEA

I'm not a fan of Ciaran Clark by any stretch of the imagination but people blaming him for that "miss" is absurd. He did everything right - he headed down and back the way it came. Their keeper pulled off a magnificent save is all.  That being said he deserves all the pelters he gets for ball-watching instead of picking up Wellbeck for their second. That was criminal!

Was watching end of the QPR v Sturk match in the Doug Ellis concourse when three Arse fans appear, large as you fucking like in front of me wearing colours - two had home shirts & one an away.  First off how the actual fuck did they get through the turnstile? (I can answer this one - the girl operating it was reading a paper and was not paying a blind bit of attention).  Secondly the stewards stop them and say "you cant go up there like that - home fans only!" And then the stewards start asking Villa fans (me included) if they can borrow jackets for them to wear! I couldn't get my fucking hat on! "Throw the arrogant fuckers out!" I say but no, the ever acommodating villa fans duly hand over 3 jackets and off they trog up to the stands. I thought i'd entered Bizarro world!

[Matt Collins]

I see grealish didn't give the ball away once in the second half? Any cause for encouragement from his performance?

[Deano's Mullet]

Yes David Platt definitely didn't celebrate his goal at VP for Arse. Always some debate on how much stick he got in that game, I do recall some booing and remember the Match of the Day commentator that night mentioning it too.

sorry - wrong thread

[Lky]

Don't quite know what to make of Grealish 45 mins. We were under the cosh and he certainly didn't bust a gut to win possession. Ambled around a lot I thought when they had the ball. Could be described as lethargic. When he got the ball excellent; very quick feet, good movement and could beat a man through skill; not sure whether he is that quick ? When we were attacking (very few occasions) he didn't seem to know where to position himself - too deep for my liking - waiting for the backward pass; I always like attacking midfielders to hit the box - ala Lampard; I haven't seen that from a Villa player since Taylor. I got the impression he lacked game nouse; he's only 19 - hopefully this will come

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

Was watching end of the QPR v Sturk match in the Doug Ellis concourse when three Arse fans appear, large as you fucking like in front of me wearing colours - two had home shirts & one an away.  First off how the actual fuck did they get through the turnstile? (I can answer this one - the girl operating it was reading a paper and was not paying a blind bit of attention).  Secondly the stewards stop them and say "you cant go up there like that - home fans only!" And then the stewards start asking Villa fans (me included) if they can borrow jackets for them to wear! I couldn't get my fucking hat on! "Throw the arrogant fuckers out!" I say but no, the ever acommodating villa fans duly hand over 3 jackets and off they trog up to the stands. I thought i'd entered Bizarro world!

That actually happened?

[Breezeblock]

Was watching end of the QPR v Sturk match in the Doug Ellis concourse when three Arse fans appear, large as you fucking like in front of me wearing colours - two had home shirts & one an away.  First off how the actual fuck did they get through the turnstile? (I can answer this one - the girl operating it was reading a paper and was not paying a blind bit of attention).  Secondly the stewards stop them and say "you cant go up there like that - home fans only!" And then the stewards start asking Villa fans (me included) if they can borrow jackets for them to wear! I couldn't get my fucking hat on! "Throw the arrogant fuckers out!" I say but no, the ever acommodating villa fans duly hand over 3 jackets and off they trog up to the stands. I thought i'd entered Bizarro world!

That actually happened?

I shit you not. It was the senior steward doing the asking flanked by two of his minions.

[Percy McCarthy]

Was watching end of the QPR v Sturk match in the Doug Ellis concourse when three Arse fans appear, large as you fucking like in front of me wearing colours - two had home shirts & one an away.  First off how the actual fuck did they get through the turnstile? (I can answer this one - the girl operating it was reading a paper and was not paying a blind bit of attention).  Secondly the stewards stop them and say "you cant go up there like that - home fans only!" And then the stewards start asking Villa fans (me included) if they can borrow jackets for them to wear! I couldn't get my fucking hat on! "Throw the arrogant fuckers out!" I say but no, the ever acommodating villa fans duly hand over 3 jackets and off they trog up to the stands. I thought i'd entered Bizarro world!

That actually happened?

I shit you not. It was the senior steward doing the asking flanked by two of his minions.

What a fucking joke.

[PhilGibson]

Due to living down south,  I had the miss fortune of travelling back on the train to London with 5 arsenal fans in my carriage,  we are apparently:

"The toilet brush of the premier league"
"A s**tty little club"
"The jews of the north"

Their arrogance was astounding,  I know arsenal fans are not all like that but it really left a sour taste in my mouth!

Would love us to go and beat them in the return fixture now.

Anyway it was all the virus fault 😉

[Exeter 77]

Arsenal fans have seemed to be a lot mouthier in recent years. Some on the train back to New Street were distinctly unimpressed when a Villa fan described them as 'Chelsea fans but without the trophies'.

[Matt Collins]

Was watching end of the QPR v Sturk match in the Doug Ellis concourse when three Arse fans appear, large as you fucking like in front of me wearing colours - two had home shirts & one an away.  First off how the actual fuck did they get through the turnstile? (I can answer this one - the girl operating it was reading a paper and was not paying a blind bit of attention).  Secondly the stewards stop them and say "you cant go up there like that - home fans only!" And then the stewards start asking Villa fans (me included) if they can borrow jackets for them to wear! I couldn't get my fucking hat on! "Throw the arrogant fuckers out!" I say but no, the ever acommodating villa fans duly hand over 3 jackets and off they trog up to the stands. I thought i'd entered Bizarro world!

That actually happened?

I shit you not. It was the senior steward doing the asking flanked by two of his minions.

What a fucking joke.

Three fans leant their jackets to random strangers at a football match?

[supertom]

I see grealish didn't give the ball away once in the second half? Any cause for encouragement from his performance?

Our best player yesterday I thought. We didn't give him enough of the ball, but when he did have it he looked incredibly composed and always seemed to know what he was going to do with it.
I'd start him against Chelsea and City. I don't think he'd be overawed in the slightest and he's probably one of the few midfielders we have who looks consistently composed on the ball. Everyone else yesterday treated the ball like it was a live grenade with the pin pulled out.

I don't think it's too soon for him. I think he's got talent to burn and if we allow him a bit of freedom to drift, he could well help us in keeping the ball better.

[saunders_heroes]

Arsenal fans have seemed to be a lot mouthier in recent years. Some on the train back to New Street were distinctly unimpressed when a Villa fan described them as 'Chelsea fans but without the trophies'.

I've never had a problem with arsenal fans in the past, but in recent years they've definitely become more gobby. I put it down to their lack of trophies and the frustration they get from the realisation they've been overtaken by the likes of Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea etc.