West Bromwich Albion v Aston Villa Post Match Thread

[SoccerHQ]

Richardson's sending off killed us, we struggle to win with 11 men so no chance with 10. 0-0 was the best we could hope for and in fairness we weren't far off claiming that. Albion got lucky, they're a poor team and could easily go down this season.

The disappointment yet again is we finally garner some momentum and well as ever follow that with a losing run as we'll lose to Man. United and probably then Swansea so it will be another disappointing xmas.

[Liam_Baggies]

Liam I thought your 27 was very good not seen him before and AR leaving out Berhino was a real surprise. I agree with Gabby/Benteke comment as I mentioned  in my post. What a shame we always discuss which team is more shit rather than more progressive!

Varela - the bloke who has spent all season nowhere near the starting eleven. I agree, he was good today.

I expected to see Berahino on the bench but was surprised to see Brown Ideye start.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

One of the basics kids are taught is not to play balls across your own box. Time and time again we did this today.

Why pass it when you can hoof it? And look at Spain & Barcelona, they've achieved nothing over the last few years playing that way if they want to keep the ball.

[pauliewalnuts]

Sanchez made more passes than anyone on the pitch today, and had the highest success rate - 91%.

I didn't see the game, but looking at the stats for it, and having seen the last couple of games, we seem to be passing the ball around a lot more than usual. I wonder how much of that is due to Clark and Okore playing, and both being comfortable on the ball, rather than giving it the hoof all the time.

I looked at my phone towards the end of the first half and it said we'd had 70% possession. We finished the game with 51% over the 90 minutes, which is interesting, given we had ten men for most of it, and Albion are supposed to be a passing team.

Possession alone means nothing, but it is encouraging to see that in the last few games we've done much more of it.

Nobody wants to see endless passes back and forth in our own half, but it does look like maybe we've stumbled upon some sort of understanding of the basics of the game.

[pelty]

Got to be honest and say we've been done by a better side today and a better run club. It's embarrassing what we've become, and to cap it all Gardner goes and gets the winner, he's loving it, laughing at us like the laughing stock we've become. It's no wonder we've 15000 empty seats every week, who would want to pay to go and watch those jokers turn up and do that, Richardson he must think he still plays for Sandwell.

Livid.

Lambert out. Lerner out. Krulak out.

UTV.

Piss off, wanker.

[PeterWithesShin]

Sanchez made more passes than anyone on the pitch today, and had the highest success rate - 91%.

I didn't see the game, but looking at the stats for it, and having seen the last couple of games, we seem to be passing the ball around a lot more than usual. I wonder how much of that is due to Clark and Okore playing, and both being comfortable on the ball, rather than giving it the hoof all the time.

I looked at my phone towards the end of the first half and it said we'd had 70% possession. We finished the game with 51% over the 90 minutes, which is interesting, given we had ten men for most of it, and Albion are supposed to be a passing team.

Possession alone means nothing, but it is encouraging to see that in the last few games we've done much more of it.

Nobody wants to see endless passes back and forth in our own half, but it does look like maybe we've stumbled upon some sort of understanding of the basics of the game.

We were passing it nicely up until Richardson got sent off. And carried for the rest of the first half. I think we finished the first half on 61%. We may still be lacking in the final third but the last couple of games has definitely seen us playing a different style.

[PeterWithesShin]

Got to be honest and say we've been done by a better side today and a better run club. It's embarrassing what we've become, and to cap it all Gardner goes and gets the winner, he's loving it, laughing at us like the laughing stock we've become. It's no wonder we've 15000 empty seats every week, who would want to pay to go and watch those jokers turn up and do that, Richardson he must think he still plays for Sandwell.

Livid.

Lambert out. Lerner out. Krulak out.

UTV.

Piss off, wanker.

I can see why you said that, but please take a breath Pelty.

[Lky]

Massively disappointing game between 2 poor sides. The 'premiership quality' was no where to be seen.
We had 10 men for 70 minutes so its hard to criticise Lambert and the team - taking this game into isolation which I believe the post match thread should be all about.
The attacking element of our team were absolutely woeful again though.
What bugs me especially with 10 men is to use set pieces to create chances. Wow they were shite.

[silhillvilla]

We need a heat map. The hot zones will all be around our box as that's where we passed it about.
We've created very little today.

[PeterWithesShin]

Got to be honest and say we've been done by a better side today and a better run club. It's embarrassing what we've become, and to cap it all Gardner goes and gets the winner, he's loving it, laughing at us like the laughing stock we've become. It's no wonder we've 15000 empty seats every week, who would want to pay to go and watch those jokers turn up and do that, Richardson he must think he still plays for Sandwell.

Livid.

Lambert out. Lerner out. Krulak out.

UTV.

Are they fuck better. And so well run that every few months their fans want the manager/head coach out. So well run that they manage a massive 22K home fans for their big game at 3pm on a Saturday.

[silhillvilla]

Overall man of match for me was lescott. Benteke got very little change out of him.

[SoccerHQ]

Sanchez made more passes than anyone on the pitch today, and had the highest success rate - 91%.

I didn't see the game, but looking at the stats for it, and having seen the last couple of games, we seem to be passing the ball around a lot more than usual. I wonder how much of that is due to Clark and Okore playing, and both being comfortable on the ball, rather than giving it the hoof all the time.

I looked at my phone towards the end of the first half and it said we'd had 70% possession. We finished the game with 51% over the 90 minutes, which is interesting, given we had ten men for most of it, and Albion are supposed to be a passing team.

Possession alone means nothing, but it is encouraging to see that in the last few games we've done much more of it.

Nobody wants to see endless passes back and forth in our own half, but it does look like maybe we've stumbled upon some sort of understanding of the basics of the game.

WBA are just a dreadful team. I'm not just saying that because they beat us honestly. They got luck playing for so long v 10 men. When was the last time we played opposition one man down for so long?

If we can get those percentage stats up to those levels when we play mid table teams then that will be progress.

[barrysleftfoot]

 I thought it was 2 very similar teams.Not much threat from either team, a reluctance from both teams to commit, and take the game the opposition, a lack of quality in the final 1/3rd.

 Neither team will go down, but i expect us to be a lot better than that.Gabby, Weimann, NZog, and Cleverley all need replacing.

 Okores and Sanchez both very good again today, still both getting up to the speed of the Prem, but both look excellent purchases,CB having an off day was probably the difference between us getting something.

 Albion were actually better than i thought, but are far too reticent in the final 1/3rd

[olaftab]

Got to be honest and say we've been done by a better side today and a better run club. It's embarrassing what we've become, and to cap it all Gardner goes and gets the winner, he's loving it, laughing at us like the laughing stock we've become. It's no wonder we've 15000 empty seats every week, who would want to pay to go and watch those jokers turn up and do that, Richardson he must think he still plays for Sandwell.

Livid.

Lambert out. Lerner out. Krulak out.

UTV.

Are they fuck better. And so well run that every few months their fans want the manager/head coach out. So well run that they manage a massive 22K home fans for their big game at 3pm on a Saturday.

Watch out PWS trolls are about!

[saunders_heroes]

Got to be honest and say we've been done by a better side today and a better run club. It's embarrassing what we've become, and to cap it all Gardner goes and gets the winner, he's loving it, laughing at us like the laughing stock we've become. It's no wonder we've 15000 empty seats every week, who would want to pay to go and watch those jokers turn up and do that, Richardson he must think he still plays for Sandwell.

Livid.

Lambert out. Lerner out. Krulak out.

UTV.

Piss off, wanker.

What kind of reaction do you expect from Villa fans after what we've endured over the last 4 to 5 seasons? We've seen our best players flogged to the highest bidder and watched them replaced by lower league rubbish and the team has become perennial relegation strugglers. Now we're expected to another 3 to 5 seasons of the same garbage till we can look towards the dizzy heights of 8th.
This is not the dream we were sold back in '06, and to be frank it was better under Ellis. At least he bloody cared about the club.