Manchester City v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[Toronto Villa]

One thing we've shown is that we aren't a million miles from being a decent side. Imagine this side without a neverending injury jinx, no relegation pressure and a decent chunk of confidence.

If we had Sherwood from the start of the season we are sitting at worst 10th or 11th and maybe even as high as 7th or 8th. No danger at all of going down.

[edgysatsuma89]

IMO you can debate about whether or not some of our players are good enough. The likes of Sanchez, Bacuna (not a fan as a defender), Zog (i'm no fan) etc people will disagree over. Except one man ... Richardson. He is shit. This might mean I'm a dick by being dismissive of someone who would back him but I just can't see any logical defense of his abilities. Not in a villa shirt anyway. I don't buy much of when he was a dm either, we were just generally defensive.

[brontebilly]

Cant fault the football we played. Gave City's slowcoaches the run around at times. Was great to see the likes of Bacuna, Delph, Grealish and even Nzogbia when he came on in full flight and driving forward with the ball. But the lack of professionalism shown for 2 of their 3 goals was predictably abysmal. The last goal was probably the worst of the lot. Vlaar, Benteke and Sanchez all drawn to the ball, leaving a number of City players behind them to score. The lack of leadership at such a crucial point was sickening. Not sure why Okore was one on the front post either, surely your centre halves should be in the thick of it. As much as the late penalty decision against us was horrible, Aguero should have had a certain penalty when Bacuna pulled him back earlier in the half. For all the good stuff with the ball, the goals we conceded were a disgrace. Thought Sherwood was very slow with his changes and playing four central midfielders was unnecessary. Was very worried when I saw Lowton coming on, injuries really hurting us at the moment.

City were well and truly there for the taking today, thats the real sickener. Some of their players didnt try a leg (Toure and Lampard to mention two). An aging slow side in need of serious surgery in the summer.

Guzan 3 - shouldnt play for us again this season. Big fan of Brad but his kicking is as bad as Bosnich at his worst. Today's clanger has been coming.
Bacuna 7 - Cafu esque going forward, Tofu esque defending and blatantly fouled Aguero for a peno that wasnt given. Some super stuff going forward though including one incredible ball in with his left.
Okore 7 - One of his better games in the second half of the season. The tackle on Silva in the box was very risky though and totally unnecessary.
Vlaar 6 - Solid enough, doesnt look fully fit imo and was very uneasy with the ball on his left foot. Will be worried if Okore/Vlaar is our centre back partnership for the rest of the season.
Rico 4 - car crash opening 15 mins, improved after that until his efforts in the wall that cost us the second goal. We will be shopping for another left back in the summer for sure.
Cleverley 6 - good to see him get his goal and didnt seem as happy playing further out to the right today. Still not sure about him really. Very passive in possession today
Westwood 4 - game totally passed him by and should have gone at half time
Delph 9 - took his time to get into the game but was by a mile the best player on the pitch imo. Super energy all game and great that he will be our captain for the next few years.
Sanchez 6 - thought he was very good in the first half. Predictably tired in the second. His passing can be a bit lazy at times and needs to put more zip into them. Still has dangerous brainfart moments but his physical power was invaluable at various time today. Shocking from him at the end.
Grealish 7 - Struggled to get into the game for the first 20 mins but showed his talent after that. City were set up perfectly for him to exploit today. Only real complaint with him is his inability to shoot when in good positions. Always seems to have time on the ball which is a great sign of talent.
Benteke 6 - physically dominated City but today showed the areas he needs to improve on if he wants to get to the very top. Some very very lazy offsides from him today and missed a sitter in the first half though was surely offside for it.

Nzogbia 7 - as always lost the ball while in good positions but made the second goal with a fine delivery and super pass into Benteke for the offside that wasnt. Nearly a good player as Lee Dixon put it in commentary.

[saunders_heroes]

Oh and I like fact that Sherwood is a bad loser.
We're not gonna go down if we play like that till the end of the season. Let's win all our remaining home games and end the season in style.

[Toronto Villa]

Next week is massive. Everton have nothing to play for now. We simply have to beat them at VP. Get three points, I'll be stunned if all the sides below us all do the same. We'll be close to home and dry. Nothing to be nervous about. Play like that we will win more than we lose.

[brontebilly]

Christ, Villa, where would you be if you could only defend?

Worth remembering, though, that even under Lambert we weren't defending too badly.

I guess part of it is the pay off of having more attacking threat from Richardson and Bacuna at full back, in that we're shakier defensively.

We need to find some balance between the two, but the same complacency keeps costing us. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather watch us now than under the idiot, but I can't wait until next season when we can look for some players who can stay awake for 90 minutes.

I'd agree with that.

Richardson, for example, strikes me as clearly not good enough. Although worth remembering we were without Clark who has had a good season.

Clark is probably the biggest loss of all. Very uneasy with the prospect of Vlaar finishing the season as our left sided centre back.

[steamer]

Tim said when asked if we were going to be relegated, "relegated, playing like that your having a laff" we will stay up and need to buy some defenders a little less mistake prone, then we will have a top 6 team.

[aj2k77]

What I'm gutted most about is we wasted so much of the season stuck with a dead man of a manager. If only we'd have taken the decision last summer we could have had a really exciting season. Let's hope lessons have been learned (again). Onwards and upwards hey.

[Malandro]

If it had ended at 2 nil I'd be ok. As it happens, I feel like I've been caught with a pug

[kippaxvilla2]

We know at least that if we beat Burnley they can't catch us.  I'm looking at the table and I think 36 will be enough.  I think QPR and Burnley are gone.  Sunderland play arse and Chelsea so if we got to 36 they would have to pick up 6 points from the other three games against Leicester Southampton and Everton can anyone see that?

Then again if my auntie had bollocks shed be my uncle.

[jwarry]

Stay up this season and I reckon this bloke could take us top 4. I have never felt so proud in defeat

[gervilla]

Bacuna should be dropped for that cowardly defending of the freekick. Pathetic!

Do you mean Richardson for their second?

Richardson was shit, but the replay shows Bacuna hiding behind Benteke when the ball was struck. Had he held is position it would have hit him. Poor when we're fighting for our lives. I want to see players prepared to take one for the team not duck out. Should be dropped.

He was hiding behind the rest of the wall by the time the free was taken. Pathetic and gutless defending.
Sanchez fell asleep and lost his man for their winner and I won't even go there on their first goal.

So disappointed we got nothing from the game after such a great performance going forward.

Out attack has the balls to keep us up but not sure if our defence has.

[ciggiesnbeer]

Great performance. Not Brads best day. Still we can and should take confidence from the way we played.

[john e]

It amazes me how we are passing the ball as a team better and our possession stats against Man City are really good when half the side seem to have no control of the ball at times,

Bacuna, Richardson, Sanchez, Nzogbia, Okore are all bloody frustrating when controlling and distributing the ball, yet as a team we are moving the ball around quite nicely, confusing or what

[CJ]

Didn't expect to win before the game but gutted to lose at the death. But for gifting them goals we would have taken all three points. Sherwood has got us playing with belief and energy, and regardless of how the season pans out, and whether we're sold or not, I hope he's here next season (as a minimum). We're not out of the woods yet, but if we stay up Sherwood with that group of players would be at least top half of the table. With a couple of shrewd signings we would be even better. Just need to get over the line and then we can start looking forward to the future with expectation rather than just hope.