Aston Villa vs Stoke Post Match Thread

[villadelph]

Dead ball delivery might be worst I have ever seen at this level.

[brian green]

When they get to BH tomorrow, I they are still stinging from the first proper bollocking they have had for four seasons. Then, if there is only one thing there is time to teach them to do before the end of the season, they must, repeat must, cross the ball better. It is absolutely elementary stuff but week after week, game after game the balls from wide, including corners and free kicks are consistently terrible. They are either put in from too deep, spooned in the air or scuffed in randomly and waist high (yes Weimann I am looking at you).
As someone has already said if good crosses are put into the box the goals will come.

[peter w]

I did wonder at the side that Sherwood put out yesterday and how much of it was a bow to, "See, I play attacking football". In a way he's become a victim of his own mantra. After talking all week about being positive he had to put out more attacking players rather than the same players but with more attacking intent. The problem with the team he picked is that it was slightly disjointed and rather than build on a winning performance chopped and changed too much. If we won then the team would have either clicked brilliantly or we would have scraped by but with question marks over the system. Sherwood has now created a situation where rather than keep a winning team together, and a settled team going into the last 12 games, he is now going to be chopping and changing, sending off aside, until he settles on hid favoured 11. Given the amount of time Sherwood has I thought yesterday the wrong team to send out. it showed a naivety that worried me.

[Matt Collins]

I didn't take anything of the game, but on the formation my basic impression of sherwood is that he likes a fairly standard 442

Ive never been a fan of that. But there is a chance it could be what we need. There's obviously a chance it won't work at all for all the reasons that most managers don't play like that nowadays

On gut instinct I think we're heading down. Not done yet though. There are some other pretty poor sides down there

[brian green]

I fully agree Peter. I could not believe the amount of changes he made to the winning Leicester game side, especially the dropping of Weimann for Gabby. He had a winning platform but he tinkered and must now tinker again but there is no time for chopping and changing.

[olaftab]

Did vlaar lose his man for the equaliser? Is it a 1 or 3 match ban? Horrendous performance for an experienced captain. Get okore back.

The stokies were acting like complete twats when they were let out. A horrible game for my littleuns' first

Clark as usual was out of position so Vlaar had moved forward to cover that Hutton was too slow in realising and picking up the attacker. Vlaar failed to cut out the cross and that was that. He is out for one as its non violent red based on two yellows.

[Dave]

I did wonder at the side that Sherwood put out yesterday and how much of it was a bow to, "See, I play attacking football". In a way he's become a victim of his own mantra. After talking all week about being positive he had to put out more attacking players rather than the same players but with more attacking intent.

Absolutely.

It's like that time that McLeish put out a team with Heskey, Gabby, N'Zogbia and Bent and claimed that he must be playing attacking football because of the number of random attacking players that he had thrown in the side.

[Matt Collins]

Was it a random set of players?

Wasn't it just a fairly logical selection of players if we were playing 442?

[Dave]

Was it a random set of players?

Wasn't it just a fairly logical selection of players if we were playing 442?

The McLeish games struck me as a random set of players. Heskey on the right wing? Ireland on the left-wing? That sort of stuff.

It was an example that "having a load of attackers in the side" isn't the same as "playing attacking football", just like yesterday.

[claret and blue blood]

It was working ok till Richardson got injured,most fans before the game would have picked that side with the exception of Weimann for Gabby.
Stoke play the way they play engrained in the culture of that horrible club.
Sherwood tried to combat that but we don't have the physicality ,that is just one of our short comings.We have plenty of others,not least a culture of accepting second best.

[Ads]

Disappointing to concede a similar goal as Leicester got in he dyig embers, right before half time. Disappointingly poor performances from Delph, Vlaar, Sanchez, Gil, Benteke, Agbonlahor, Weimann. You can carry that number of players. Disappointing set piece delivery, disappointing to squander first three points, then one, when virtually no pressure was exerted by an equally disappointing away side.

I think Sherwood made a mistake with selection. If he has learnt one thing, then I hope it's that Agbonlahor is finished and has absolutely nothing to contribute. He doesn't strike me as "we go again" type.

We're not adrift, but that's another missed opportunity. A point would have seen us out and stopped the rot. What was going through Vlaar's mind, who knows. I would rather not see him play for us again, as he is nothing but a consistent disappointment and has let us down through injury and error time and again.

We have another opportunity against Newcastle, who won't be brimming with confidence either; don't get beat, stop the rot and then follow it up at home. You'll find us 16th on the right hand side of your TV by doing that.

Sinclair looks promising, Gil needs to play central. Sanchez has fluffed his chance, time to see if either Cleverley or Westwood can earn one. Delph and Benteke need to be reminded of their God given qualities.

[Bad English]

Dead ball delivery might be worst I have ever seen at this level.

The "live" ball delivery is fairly excruciating too.

[passitsideways]

I think the personnel fit the formation in theory - Benteke as the target man, Gabby as the quick forward to get onto the loose balls, two natural wide players, our two best all-round midfielders (not saying much) in Delph and Sanchez. Just that we were physically and numerically outmatched in the middle, which forced us to go long, which then played straight into their hands.

Was disappointed that he didn't try and build off the things that worked against Leicester (acknowledging that Stoke are a comfortably better side). Westwood or Cleverley in there would have made it easier for us to move the ball forwards without having to punt it, would have limited the amount of time Ireland had on the ball, and probably would have swept up a few of those clearances made by Stoke which were resulting in their breaks.

[Bad English]

Gabby as the quick forward to get onto the loose balls

I have spotted your cunning "odd one out" sentence.

[Clark W Griswold]

Vlaar was less 'Jaap Stam' and more 'Jap's eye', but then again ive never got it with him in his Villa career. Three seasons in and a handful of good games for us. Nothing like the player that played at the world cup. You would think Van Gaal and Koeman would have the nouce to look at his premier league career and steer well clear. I wouldn't have him in our team with everyone fit and i hope he does fuck off in the summer.