Aston Villa vs Everton Post-Match Thread

[frank]

I think if N'Zogbia hadn't given the ball away two minutes into the second half, it might have been a lot different.

By the end of the game I was as depressed as the next man (DC5) and the second half really was dismal, with no creativity and not much desire either. But I thought we were still in with a chance before the 2nd goal and we'd had some good possession in the middle of the first half. The timing (3 minutes into the half) and the nature of the goal (bad and uncharacteristic mistake by Guzan) seemed to finish us off and we never competed after that. I'm not saying that we deserved to win or that we were the better side, but things might, just might have been different if we hadn't conceded at that moment and in that way.

[kippaxvilla2]

The clubs that really suffer in the premier league are those like us who have traditions of winning stuff from time to time but now find themselves priced out of competing or playing in the champions league.

You have the top four or five, then the teams just glad to be here - Hull, Swansea, Burnley, there are lots of these, then the likes of us, who in the past have been competitive but now find things like winning the league unthinkable.

Dare I mention the Everton example again.  It is true what you say, but it is possible to at least be competitive if you are well run club with a decent manager.  There are absolutely no excuses for us to be happy with 4th from bottom every year.  I think people would settle these days with what Chris is referring to above if it could be seen we were having a right good go at teams in the process, something we almost never do anymore.

[supertom]

The clubs that really suffer in the premier league are those like us who have traditions of winning stuff from time to time but now find themselves priced out of competing or playing in the champions league.

You have the top four or five, then the teams just glad to be here - Hull, Swansea, Burnley, there are lots of these, then the likes of us, who in the past have been competitive but now find things like winning the league unthinkable.

Dare I mention the Everton example again.  It is true what you say, but it is possible to at least be competitive if you are well run club with a decent manager.  There are absolutely no excuses for us to be happy with 4th from bottom every year.  I think people would settle these days with what Chris is referring to above if it could be seen we were having a right good go at teams in the process, something we almost never do anymore.

Absolutely. We should be making a good fist of it at least. We did so under O Neill. We didn't necessarily have to spend as unrealistically as we did. So much cash burned on the likes of Harewood, Heskey etc was needless, but our better signings like Milner, Young etc made us a good side, and shouldn't have been beyond the budget of a club our size. We could have spent 20-30 mill a window without wasting money on needless over priced seniors, as opposed to spending between 30-40 under O Neill. Cart blanche.
Everton have also pushed some of the big boys close over the years. They've had a 4th place finish and a few 5th placed. Last season they had their highest points haul in the Premiership and pushed it very close for a top 4 place. That's without having anything like the budget of the big four, but by having a consistent and sensible strategy for running their club.

We're a big club, with a big ground. We have no decent direct rival in our area. Spending 20-30 million each summer should be out of our budget. We're not as good as we were under O Neill. We've lost a lot of good players, but even since then we've still maintained a core of 3-4 very good players which give us an advantage over the bottom feeders, or clubs that come up from the Championship.

There's no way our squad has been shit enough that we were so close to going down for three seasons running (four if you count Houlliers season).

It's not good enough and it rests on Lerner, and also Lambert who's not doing nearly well enough with what's at his disposal.

[django]

Agree with all that Supertom, we should be doing better than we are and should be demanding more than we do, but their are plenty of reasons for the apathy that allows it to happen. The reasons why people who in previous eras would have made banners have stopped going are partly down to the way we're run and partly the way the game is run.

Being bad at cards is bad enough, being a bad player playing in a crooked casino is pointless.

[Pete3206]

The uneveness of the playing field with the top clubs shouldn't even be discussed here. The fact is that we were easily rolled over by a team that we should be able to compete with. My fear for next week is that it's the game that saves Harry Redknapp's job. 

[supertom]

Agree with all that Supertom, we should be doing better than we are and should be demanding more than we do, but their are plenty of reasons for the apathy that allows it to happen. The reasons why people who in previous eras would have made banners have stopped going are partly down to the way we're run and partly the way the game is run.

Being bad at cards is bad enough, being a bad player playing in a crooked casino is pointless.

We've certainly been beaten down in the last three years. I dunno it almost feels like the passion and energy that was given in letting Randy know how displeased we'd become with McLeish isn't quite there any more. In addition there's just a defeated sense that Randy is hardly ever a round to here the fans voicing their opinions anymore. That McLeish season seemed to eat away all of Randy's interest.

I hope next time Randy appears at Villa park and if we're still bobbins, that the fans make it as clear as day we don't want this anymore.

[saunders_heroes]

The uneveness of the playing field with the top clubs shouldn't even be discussed here. The fact is that we were easily rolled over by a team that we should be able to compete with. My fear for next week is that it's the game that saves Harry Redknapp's job. 

Agreed. The fans aren't stupid, we know we can't compete in the top 4 but that's not we're complaining about. It's the fact that we can't even compete for the top 6, or the top 8, or even the top bloody half. The decline of the club over the last 5 years is an absolute disgrace. Our expectations have been lowered so much that we're now just resigned to being content with staying in the Premier League. This is not acceptable for Aston Villa.

[django]

I think it was starting to build last season, if anything the fact that we know he wants to sell makes any protest even more pointless. He's already go t the message.

As it happens, I think we'll be alright this season, stay up I mean.

[silhillvilla]

The fact that we sell out more or less every away game and our home attendances are what they are speaks volumes.

It's mainly the hardcore diehards who go away though so can't really draw a comparison. I looked at the CiŁy gate - 32k of which 3k plus was CiŁy ! So only 29k villa max. That's a worry.

[olaftab]

The uneveness of the playing field with the top clubs shouldn't even be discussed here. The fact is that we were easily rolled over by a team that we should be able to compete with. My fear for next week is that it's the game that saves Harry Redknapp's job. 

Yes that's it for me. We can discuss money or the lack of it till cows come home but the sad fact is that we have have lost 4 games without causing any concern to the opposition whatsoever. We turn up play exactly like teams know we will play, work us out quite easily and after that it's just a matter of time before they score. Once they score it's up to them how many. A really pathetic state of affairs.

Been watching QPR today and they are playing well so not sure if we will get anything there next week.

[django]

The uneveness of the playing field with the top clubs shouldn't even be discussed here. The fact is that we were easily rolled over by a team that we should be able to compete with. My fear for next week is that it's the game that saves Harry Redknapp's job. 

Agreed. The fans aren't stupid, we know we can't compete in the top 4 but that's not we're complaining about. It's the fact that we can't even compete for the top 6, or the top 8, or even the top bloody half. The decline of the club over the last 5 years is an absolute disgrace. Our expectations have been lowered so much that we're now just resigned to being content with staying in the Premier League. This is not acceptable for Aston Villa.

True, there is no reason why yesterday should have been so one sided, but I'm not surprised when on entering the pitch Everton have a plan, not just for the game, but what they want to achieve. We don't.

[silhillvilla]

What struck me watching the brief highlights on MOTD was the amount of time and space we gave the Everton players. See the one Baines corner he plays it short (20 yard pass) to a team mate in space who leisurely rolls it back to Baines to swing it in. All this without a villa player within 5 yards.
These are the basics you teach young kids.
Truly woeful.

[WBAKev]

Just can't see where the goals are coming from.

[DB]

Just can't see where the goals are coming from.

I can....the opposition

[Rudy Can't Fail]

As has been mentioned, the Scottish Cafu for Villa's best player. However, I doubt that he's got any voice left now after all the shouting he had to do at Zog to get him to make even a token effort at tracking back with Baines.

As soon as I saw the team sheet I knew we'd be playing with ten men. With such a fine line in the PL between success and failure you really need eleven men fighting every ball, 100% effort. N'Zogbia neither delivers in attack or defensively. At least Andi will track back. The sooner we get rid the better but right now he shouldn't be anywhere near the first team.

Right now I'm more interested in what CEO Fox will have to say to Randy in defence of the dropping attendances. Fox will look at the numbers and realise we are in decline and it would be negligent of him not to address the issue with Lerner. It should be a very interesting conversation. I have a feeling Fox won't be here for long.