Aston Villa vs Stoke Post Match Thread

[PeterWithesShin]

And it deserves to be said again, what the fuck are Stoke doing singing that Pride of the Midlands shite? As for singing about empty seats, look in your end before trying that one. Northern twats.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

Some radical changes needed now.

Next week I'd go as follows.

Given in for Guzan

Okore in for Vlaar

Cleverley in for Sanchez

Weimann in for Gabby

Bacuna for Gil.

Fuck me this is desperate.

Only Okore for Vlaar I would consider from those.

Really? Sanchez, and Gil were appalling. Bacuna looked lively last week and looked capable of creating chances.

When you say Bacuna looked lively, he did one thing. Now, admittedly it resulted in a goal, but, realistically, how often is that going to happen?

[Risso]

I don't know how many corners we had, but half of them didn't get above waist high. Terrible technique. Players have no real fight or passion. What was Vlaar thinking? A right cock-up!

Vlaar has been rubbish for us.  Permanently crocked or making mistakes when in the team.  I trust that's the last we've seen of him after today.  Okore and Clark for the rest of the season please.

[silhillvilla]

We are running out of winnable games, we are getting cut adrift. What a shocking state of affairs the club is in.
After the 0-2 at hull last week I knew that was it .
We are BY FAR the worst team in the league and will finish 20th.

[Lastfootstamper]

Half-time team talk.
Gabby.
Weimann on the wing.
Movement up front.
Midfielders hitting the box.

So, have we changed manager or not? I'm confused.

[PeterWithesShin]

I don't know how many corners we had, but half of them didn't get above waist high. Terrible technique. Players have no real fight or passion. What was Vlaar thinking? A right cock-up!

Vlaar has been rubbish for us.  Permanently crocked or making mistakes when in the team.  I trust that's the last we've seen of him after today.  Okore and Clark for the rest of the season please.

As I said in the summer when people were going all Rita Hayworth that he was into his final year, I don't blame the club at all. Nothing special for us, when he does actually manage to make it on to the pitch. I won't be bothered when he leaves in a few months, and I hope he does.

[Rudy65]

Not a fan of the long ball but Benteke won everything today. The problem was that Gabby never anticipated anything.

If Gill had to go off today due to injury bacuna should have come on. Weimann's ability is questionable but his confidence is shot.

Cleverely was decent last week so I would have retained him

Set pieces were woeful. Never rated Delph as some on here and today was another poor performance.

Unfortunately we haven't got any players in the squad who could introduce and get a lift.

I think we are doomed because i don't see where the inspiration is coming from to change anything

[Lobsterboy]

Positives today - Clark and Sinclair, we scored, we so very nearly got a point that would have lifted us out of the bottom three

Negatives today - everything else

Supporting Villa has been an utterly joyless experience for some time now and I hope Tim Sherwood is able to do something about this very quickly or else we are down

[myf]

I'm thinking the statements about having a good squad are bullocks.  Very attacking line up today and still as turgid. Becoming resigned to it now

[curiousorange]

Vlaar used to our best defender, no question. He wouldn't be the only player to have a good World Cup and a shocking season after. But I'd certainly question his commitment and what that's done for his form.

[silhillvilla]

sanchez really needs to be left out, westwood is far better.

[VillaAlways]

Sherwood very honest said it was a Poor football match that neither team deserved to win.

[Leicester_Villian]

Went to Villa Park today full of hope and intact expectation and guess for 30 minutes was quite happy .....
However the problem will always be there when the spine of any team fails ....today Vlaar, Delph and Benteke were again very poor
yes there were others who were also poor but those three are possibly the name players who we need to rely on ...

Sherwood must wonder tonite what he has let himself in for ...... lets hope another week can put things right or at least start

Have to also say that thought the size of the crowd less than 32k was disappointing today ...I expected about 37k and I did not feel at anytime there was a buzz in the stadium - it was flat

All in all a really poor day ...makes me wonder why I spent 3 hours getting through to the ticket office this morning for the cup game

[hilts_coolerking]

Actually Hilts, my post really was about the long balls, which can happen in any formation. You appear to be having a different conversation to the one I'm having. I was talking about long balls, not formations, but apparently you're determined to change the subject while acting like you're not.

It's no good just saying unbelievably obvious platitudes 'Sherwood has to go with the method he most believes in and which he thinks will get us the most points' (well, gee, thanks professor) - what if he's wrong? I think he got it wrong today, in a few ways, most of which aren't the formation. It's not about 'aesthetic nirvana' (again, I like the implied ad hominem - it's beneath you, Hilts, it really is) it's about getting the football wrong on the pitch. Debate those points with me, if you want. Or we can just have a general discussion about 4-4-2, which I do actually think can work in some situations based on what I've seen. Not that that fits your straw man image of me and my views, I'm sure.

If I have an image your views it comes solely from what you post on here - often that is about tactics, particularly the shortcomings of 442 and your dislike of it.  If I said you were a big fan of 442 and agreed with Sherwood's use of it, that would be misrepresenting your views.  If I think your views on tactics are largely theoretical, in some cases way off the mark and of limited applicability to a relegation struggle, which I do, then I am entitled to say so.  There's nothing ad hominem about that: it's a genuinely held and, admittedly, forcefully expressed belief.  It's not a personal attack for goodness' sake:  I'm not saying 'Monty hates 442 because he's an idiot', I'm saying 'Monty's got a massive blind spot re 442 and I think he's wrong'.  If you think I'm being unfair then I would respectfully disagree.

And yes maybe Sherwood is wrong, maybe he did get it wrong today.  But as Mike Brearley said when journos questioned his tactics, "You never know, the alternative might have been still worse."  (I accept this may the one and only time Sherwood and Brearley are mentioned in the same paragraph.)  Which most of this season has been the case.  When I say Sherwood has to go with the method he most believes in it's because with 12 games to go and points desperately needed he'd be an idiot if he did anything else.  I hope and expect that he will tweak his tactics depending on the game but I'm not expecting him to trial a tactical method neither he nor the players are familiar with.  That really would be pissing in the wind. 

[hilts_coolerking]

Guzan used to have an excellent reputation for saving penalties. But I assume that's wholly based on Sunderland in the League Cup?

Bosnich, now he had an excellent reputation for saving penalties.  I rate Guzan, more than I rate Given, but he's showing the effects of a long and miserable season in which he's had to work bloody hard.  It's a shame he's having this dip right when we need him the most but he's one of the three or four players I have most confidence in.