West Bromwich Albion v Aston Villa Post Match Thread

[Boz]

.....and Pat Murphy has never sounded so happy. Why has he got such a bug up his arse about our club?

He's been anti Villa for years, I don't know why, though some have said he was never welcome at VP even in Ellis' time. He;s just a knobber.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

As disappointed as I was yesterday ultimately was, the overall positive is the desire to play a lot more possession football. Up until the sending off we had the ball close to 60% of the time. Now, I'll temper that by the fact we really didn't create anything so clearly that is an area for improvement and development. However directionally this is a lot better in terms of style of play.

I am guessing that this what Lambert was getting at when he talked about a slight change to the way we played. It might take a while for all of them to be fully comfortable with a more patient approach but, despite what the 'get it forward' brigade say, it surely has to be the way to go if we want to progress.

"Slight change" may be understatement of the century but you're right in that it will take time. I think fans will support it providing it leads to chances being created and hopefully goals. What we don't want is to be like Arsenal when they try to walk the ball into the net. It has to be a combination of tactics throughout the match, so I'm not holding my breathe on that one.

It was good to see yesterday at least Delph wasn't scared to have a go from distance. I'd also like to see us getting more crosses into the box. Our wide players, with the possible exception of Hutton, seem so reluctant to put an early ball in, preferring to pass it back where it then gets sent to the middle and we go again.

As somebody on here said yesterday, we're very good at beating ourselves, the opposition as poor as they are, just need to be patient. As this season is once again proving, we're our worst own enemy.

[villa `cross the mersey]

As disappointed as I was yesterday ultimately was, the overall positive is the desire to play a lot more possession football. Up until the sending off we had the ball close to 60% of the time. Now, I'll temper that by the fact we really didn't create anything so clearly that is an area for improvement and development. However directionally this is a lot better in terms of style of play.

I am guessing that this what Lambert was getting at when he talked about a slight change to the way we played. It might take a while for all of them to be fully comfortable with a more patient approach but, despite what the 'get it forward' brigade say, it surely has to be the way to go if we want to progress.

Such a pity we may end up playing it in the Championship - I must be "old school" - for me the time to play stylish football is when the" game is in the bag"-  I wonder what most fans crave - winning ugly or playing "stylish possession" football and losing or drawing?
Right now we need to start scoring at least two goals per game to even stand a chance of winning- I don`t think we have the players to play the "patient way"  .  Playing from the back is all well and good but the way we are doing it right now just adds too much pressure as the full backs are being pressed back into our own 18 yard area. I dont care how its done but lets get to 40 points and then "turn on the style button". 

[Mister E]

We were lucky against Leicester when their player was sent off. His red card has been overturned.

do you really think, at that stage, that it made any difference? They had a good go and still did not break through.

[JUAN PABLO]

No efforts on goal when we were the better team doesn't really say that much though does it?

Especially when they are woeful

I don't know if we would have won with 11 men but we wouldn't have lost .

[Toronto Villa]

Learning to play with the ball and keep it gives us a better chance of being successful than constantly giving it to the opposition for large chunks of a game. I would much rather we played this way and improved steadily than keep losing by never having given ourselves a chance at all.

[silhillvilla]

If he'd started Delph and Grealish or Weimann in lieu of nzogbia and Richardson we'd have taken the points IMHO . It was a statement of lack of intent to go for a win that team he picked.

[PeterWithesShin]

If he'd started Delph and Grealish or Weimann in lieu of nzogbia and Richardson we'd have taken the points IMHO . It was a statement of lack of intent to go for a win that team he picked.

I wouldn't have started Delph after 2 months out. Lambert said post-match that he didn't want to give him more than 20-25 mins but the red card forced his hand. Zog I agree with you, for all the stick he (deservedly at times) gets, Andi has at least scored or assisted a bunch of times this season. And at some stage we have to to give Jack a start to see how he handles it.

[silhillvilla]

Delph looked fresh as a daisy when he came on and more mobile than anyone else on the pitch. He's been training for the last 2 weeks . Personally i would have just played him from the off.

[Chris Smith]

Delph looked fresh as a daisy when he came on and more mobile than anyone else on the pitch. He's been training for the last 2 weeks . Personally i would have just played him from the off.

Is that because you have been closely monitoring his fitness and taken advice from the medical staff?

[Risso]

.....and Pat Murphy has never sounded so happy. Why has he got such a bug up his arse about our club?

He's been anti Villa for years, I don't know why, though some have said he was never welcome at VP even in Ellis' time. He;s just a knobber.

He always seemed a huge fan of Martin O'Neill, so if they're friendly, he could still resent us for that.

[pauliewalnuts]

.....and Pat Murphy has never sounded so happy. Why has he got such a bug up his arse about our club?

He's been anti Villa for years, I don't know why, though some have said he was never welcome at VP even in Ellis' time. He;s just a knobber.

He always seemed a huge fan of Martin O'Neill, so if they're friendly, he could still resent us for that.

The thing Pat Murphy has clearly never come to terms with is that Randy Lerner came here and refused (pretty much) to ever talk to the press. One interview in eight years, and to a national newspaper (at least that I can think of).

I happen to think he's right on that, Randy does have a role in a large cultural institution that means a lot to a lot of people, I understand how he can be seen as having a duty to communicate.

The difference is, I can see why he doesn't, Pat Murphy can't and has allowed it to taint his reporting for ages. In his defence, it affects his job, I guess.

[Legion]

I also think there was a brief TV interview.

[Nastylee]

Delph was never going to start after his absence. I also think N'Zogbia is being given a bit of rough treatment. I don't think he is nearly as abd as some make out and think it's more the case of he is occupying the spot some want Grealish to be in. If we have learned anything over the years it's:

A) We're quick to right players off as shit (Hutton, Routledge, etc, etc)

B) Our academy products are often not as good as we think (Davis, Moore x 2, etc, etc)

[old man villa fan]

I also think N'Zogbia is being given a bit of rough treatment. I don't think he is nearly as abd as some make out and think it's more the case of he is occupying the spot some want Grealish to be in.

I am not sure with N'Zogbia whether he is just unfit or he is not interested.  He is currently a passenger and the idea of Lambert's to try and play him into form has not worked.  We need somebody else in the side that is going to give more.