The not quite so mighty-anymore Aston Villa vs Swansea Post Match Thread

[silhillvilla]

Any attendance info yet ?

[AlexAlexCropley]

That Weimann sub made me question Sherwood's tactical awareness.Bizarre and utterly wrong.A game loser in fact.

[silhillvilla]

Guess if all clear cut chances had gone in it would of ended about 2-4.
We were beaten fairly and squarely by the better side, sometimes you have to hold your hands up.
Yes the ref was poor but I don't think he affected the overall out outcome

[Clampy]

That Weimann sub made me question Sherwood's tactical awareness.Bizarre and utterly wrong.A game loser in fact.

I wouldn't say it cost us the game. Gil or Grealish would have been better perhaps though.

[Monty]

The Weimann sub was an error, I think, but bringing on Westwood was the right thing to do even if he didn't actually play well (you can't help that as a manager). Yes they got behind our high line a few times, but if we'd done a Lambert Mk I and sat everyone behind the ball, waiting for the chance to break,  Swansea could have had about 70% possession and we wouldn't have got out of our half and we'd be moaning that Sherwood was so negative. Sometimes you can have a perfectly good strategy and just lose to the better side, and I think that happened yesterday.

[dekko]

I think i'd have brought Gil on instead of Weimann, but I wouldn't say that bringing on a striker to replace the striker who went off because of injury is either 'bizarre' or 'utterly wrong'.

And a game loser?  You think the reason we lost that game was because Weimann was on the pitch for the last 20 minutes?

[Percy McCarthy]

Silhill: the attendance came up as 35500-odd on MOTD last night.

[Percy McCarthy]

Silhill: the attendance came up as 35500-odd on MOTD last night.

I don't know why but I've lost the 'quote' option on everyone's posts, apart from my own. Also I've lost the 'modify' option on my own posts.

[Mortimer's Bear]

That Weimann sub made me question Sherwood's tactical awareness.Bizarre and utterly wrong.A game loser in fact.

I questioned the Westwood substitution more, there's no doubt Charlie N'Zog should have stayed on he was our biggest attacking threat yesterday.

[ROBBO]

I think Westwood came on because Sherwood could see their midfield was well on top and he wanted to secure at least a point, i never see the point of Weimann to me he is out of his class in the premiership.

[olaftab]

Guess if all clear cut chances had gone in it would of ended about 2-4.
We were beaten fairly and squarely by the better side, sometimes you have to hold your hands up.
Yes the ref was poor but I don't think he affected the overall out outcome

Agreed they were better team but fairly and squarely does not apply to an 87th minute counter attack winner!

[PeterWithesShin]

Tim Sherwood spoke of his frustration as Villa went down 1-0 to Swansea.

Sherwood was downbeat at the result as Bafetimbi Gomis grabbed an 87th-minute winner for the visitors in a tight contest at Villa Park.

But the boss insisted the loss was a setback - and one his team would bounce back from.

On the defeat via a late concession, he said: "That's the second time it's happened now. It happened in my first game against Stoke - although that was a little bit later.

"It's disappointing to lose in that manner. I think we deserved a point. They were better than us in the first period. I thought after the break we looked the most likely to score.

"Losing so late makes it even more disappointing.

"There comes a point in the game when, if you look like not winning it, you make sure you don't lose it. That's twice it's happened now. We have to try and address that."

Sherwood accepted that Villa are in the basement battle but insisted that his side would fight hard from now until the end of the term to move away from trouble.

He continued: "We still know there's a lot of hard work still to be done.

"You win 4-0 last week and everyone is jumping up and down. But we knew there was still a lot of hard work to be done.

"It's a reality check, not for us, but perhaps people looking in from the outside.

"The lads are disappointed too.

"We are right in it. Every point is vital and we need to pick up as many as we can to keep ourselves safe.

"We want to do it as quickly as we possibly can but sometimes you get a kick and that's what happened to us today.

"It's a setback but we will pick ourselves."

Sherwood revealed that Villa's physiotherapists would assess Christian Benteke and Tom Cleverley.

Both players came off with injury concerns.

The boss also spoke of his frustration at the lack of defensive choices.

He added: "I would like a few more fit players.

"Hopefully this international break gives the physios the opportunity to work their magic on them."

[Nelly]

I thought Weimann did okay when he came on. He seemed to make the right runs, but at that point we weren't really getting the ball forwards very well. Delph chose to spank one towards the end when Weimann had peeled off and Gabby was also waiting for a through ball, so different choices may have brought a goal, who knows.

[Mortimer's Bear]

I thought Clark was superb again, player of the season in my opinion.

[supertom]

I don't think a draw would have been unfair. I felt the same in the defeats to Stoke and Newcastle. Swansea are a better side than us. That's clear to see. We tried to press them as we have done in the last few games with Sunderland and Brom, but what we saw yesterday was a side that had the technical ability to pass it through us. The quick passing and ball control were first class from them. But they have the ability to do it. Largely, we don't really.
We still threatened on the counter, and I actually enjoyed the game in as much as it was pretty open and both teams went for it.

We weren't great but I think it was less about us going about it particularly wrong, and more that they are just a better side full stop. They played quite well. That said, on another day we make better decisions and take a point or win it. Granted on another day entirely they twot us 3-0. We did improve in the second half.

As much as anything though, today showed that if we aspire to be a mid-table side like Swansea are, we need better players. Particularly in midfield. Delph's carrying the can himself most of the time and it's not fair.

I don't mind Swansea. They're a side with the potential to upset the apple cart. They're not far off. 2-3 good signings could do it. Benteke would have a field day in that side.

We're 3-4 players (maybe more) from being Swansea's current level. That is the reality.