Aston Villa vs Sunderland Post-Match Thread

[brian green]

The only reason we have Charles N'Zogbia is because TSM got knocked back for him at Small Heath and was determined to spend some of Randy's money to prove a point.   He has certainly proved it to me.   Whelan saw him coming.

[barrysleftfoot]

 I always said that 10 years ago i would have made Gabby wear an earpiece so he could be told where to be, when to run, where to go.

 I sometimes wonder whether he has ever been coached.

[brian green]

I would have made him wear a codpiece.

[Mister E]

N'Zog has always been gash. I won't be moved on that regardless of any future surprises.
Weimann is a better player than you'd believe currently. He is a finisher and has played well working off Benteke. Currently He seems to be playing in weird roles, to instructions that don't seem to make sense.
However, I can appreciate that he is stretching our patience right now.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

I suspect that Lambert thinks he can convert both Gabby and Weimann into midfield players.

In the Lambert-future they will all be midfield players!

Even Guzan!

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Benteke was appalling today, surly, off the pace, ineffective.

He wasn't really helped by having two sometimes three defenders marking him. His worst crime today was for the Grealish cross where he tried his usual trick of bropping back to the penalty spot to receive the ball in space. This time there was no space, just lots of defenders.

As for Zog bashing, I can think of a really simple solution to stop it. I just wish Lambert could too.

[john2710]

Top performance from Sanchez, defence was OK, plus Grealish & Baccuna offer something rarely seen at Villa Park these days a goal threat.

N'Zogbia is a complete waste & Weimann is not much better. Weimann never looks to be in control or ready to receive the ball, does plenty of running but little else.

Without Benteke there is zero goal threat. Whilst there's much wrong with us under Lambert's tenure the fact that he went into the season knowing that Benteke / Kozak were injured & that Gabby / Weimann offer little or no threat whatsoever, is criminal. Yet he did nothing to rectify this situation or was his answer Joe Cole? I'd love to know who Lambert thinks will score the goals to get us to a comfortable position?

Delph's red card was borderline, at the time it looked like he deliberately stamped or left his foot in an act of petulance. It won't be rescinded anyway.

[Walmley_Villa]

I have to say CNZ was appalling as he usually is. Looks like he is playing football for the first time. Offers absolutely nothing and is a complete waste of space. Both Bacuna and Grealish did more more in their cameos than CNZ has for the past few years.
Very impressed with Sanchez but Benteke was easily marshalled by an experienced pair of centre halves.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Zog has been given more than enough opportunities, I think.
He's consistently poor, gives possession away too easily and runs up blind alleys...so many promising moves break down because he somehow loses the ball.

Was there anything he did today that Grealish couldn't do?

I'd start Grealish v Palace with a view to replacing him in the last 30 mins if he's f**ked.
Bring a revitalised Gabby on - BOOM!
imho that's two big problems for the opposition to have to deal with and that's what we need to do - make it difficult for the opposition from trying to stop us from scoring goals!

[ChicagoLion]

Gabby plays too deep.He seems to think hes a creative midfielder rather than playing on the shoulder of the last defender, where he should be.

Yep, that another thing I don't understand, when he plays Gabby and Benteke up front he does it he wrong way, Benteke is much more suited to playing in the hole and Gabby as you say off the shoulder and to run the channels.

[Steve kirk]

Well I was just glad we got a point, another defeat would have destroyed me, first game for me since Hull, the three weak links imo were Nzogbia Weimann and Cleverley, the Wigan Charlie has long gone, his pace and power has deserted him maybe due to that injury, Weimann is not premiership quality and Cleverley offers very little and is very weak in the tackle, lovely cameos from Jack and Bacuna, 14th or 15th will be our final position, another draw looming against Palace, exciting times.

[silhillvilla]

I suspect we will draw v palace and win at Leicester which won't be too bad. Hoping we beat Blackpool and have a little cup run.
Weimann is being played out of position so I want to defend him.
He's a goal poacher and should be played up top.

[Matt Collins]

Guzan had a free kick that was right on the 18 yard line. He actually passed it backwards to Okore who was standing inside his own box.
The ball didn't clear our half and we were then put under pressure within seconds.

That's called footballing progress apparently

This happened once or twice but overall I like the possession play. It has to be better than inviting pressure

The main problem continues to be that we lack creative players to speed the game up in the final third. WEIMANN wasawful today and nzogbia pretty bad. Cleverley too though I feel a bit sorry for him marooned on the left

GREALISH was a real threat and bacuna did well too. I'd definitely put them in for any of the three I mention above, though gabby and richardson are back too

V depressing atmosphere too.

[Ron Manager]

I suspect we will draw v palace and win at Leicester which won't be too bad. Hoping we beat Blackpool and have a little cup run.
Weimann is being played out of position so I want to defend him.
He's a goal poacher and should be played up top.

of Ben Nevis!

[class-of-82]

Just got in from yet another 350 mile round trip and after 349 miles I stil can't fathom why we have to try and play the ball about at the back the way we did in the first half.
Yet again we go down to 10 men and we start to play the way we should do from the start.
What bacuna has to do to get a start is beyond me and grealish and benteke should be our starting two up front.
Thought Clark and Sanchez improve with every game