Aston Villa vs Manchester United Post-Match thread

[OzVilla]

Watched the game today.

Defensively we'll be alright, I think we are way better than last season. Bit lightweight in midfield but with everyone settling in this will improve, especially with players coming back.

We need a poacher in he box though and hopefully we'll ditch Gabby, with Troare on board he's not our future anymore. Ideal signing for someone like Wolves.

[dorsetvillian]

While all the pundits on the radio were saying how great Friday night games are for the fans, I was experiencing one of the worst journeys to villa Park in nearly 40 years. Nearly 5.30 hours from my house. A journey we often do in 3. Unfortunately the game couldn't change my mood. Both teams were poor. I just hope the new players gel quickly.

[Dr_Fegg]

Give them time to gel and understand each others game & movement and there's a pretty decent team there.

Yes we need more up front, Rudy winning knock downs but no-one there to pick them up is an example of where we need to get understanding.

Lets see what were like once the others join in (grealish, gil and traore) and I reckon after 10 games we'll look a different team.

And gabby needs to be dropped for sure, offers nothing and seems to spend his life offside

[ktvillan]

I could give you a yawn inducing list of poor debutants at Villa from Johnny Dixon (flat feet) Peter McParland (can't dribble) Tony Hateley (Douglas Bader) Andy Gray (too short) Gerry Hitchens (too flash) to Christian Benteke (Bambi on ice) but I won't I refer you Allan Evans who got slated as a centre forward but became  a fantastic, full blooded Villa hero as a centre back. Talent will out.

I'm slightly too young to comment on most members of your yawn list but Andy Gray?  IIRC his debut was a 2-1 home league cup defeat to the glory hunters.  I was only about 16 but I remember being equally impressed and excited by his aggression and the trouble he gave the United back line that night.  Plus he scored our goal with a header.   

[silhillvilla]

Benteke also scored on his debut

[tomd2103]

Following on from the point about the match being hard to judge from the posts on here, some of the opinions of our players seem hugely split too. None more so than Bacuna. He seems to completely divide opinion.

The one player that most people seem to be unified in their opinions on is Gabby. Sounds like the main threat he once had-his pace- is on the wane and that's not something that will ever return. He's not the sharpest in terms of his intelligence, but he's a seasoned premier league campaigner and he would probably be in the side predominantly for his experience I reckon. With a team half full of new players, you need a bit of experience to hold things together. Gabby probably offers that and will probably keep being picked until someone else forces him out of the side.

Experience for the sake of experience is pointless. Gabby contributes absolutely nothing to the team.

Hopefully with Traore and Grealish now fit, he'll be cast aside

I thought we really missed a Grealish or Gil type player on Friday night.  We have got some decent attacking options now, but think we need a player who can get on the ball in the final third and link things up. 

[Clark W Griswold]

Down to the law of averages, they won't all do well but if 5 of the new outfield players do well, Guzan does well and say 3 from Sanchez, Westwood, Gill, Cole, Clark, Okore and Grealish show a marked improved contribution from last season, we could have 9 players performing well enough to keep us well away from the bottom. Add to that another couple in and I think Sherwood will gel us a half decent team.

[frank]

Looked to me that there wasn't anyone to aim for in the first half at least - several times a wide ball could have been crossed into the area but was delayed for want of a target man...

But after Gestede came on and we started aiming for him we were putting balls into the box too early and abandoning the build-up play, which had been pretty effective. It needs to be a combination of a good build-up and a decent cross. We also need someone other than Westwood to take free-kicks in dangerous areas.

[in exile]

I thought the mosaic looked good
(puts on dads old ARP helmet and hides under table)

[not3bad]

Was pretty much the ideal away game from Man Utd's point of view.  They got the goal and contained Villa during our 'lively spell'.

Villa will get better.

[Ron Manager]

I could give you a yawn inducing list of poor debutants at Villa from Johnny Dixon (flat feet) Peter McParland (can't dribble) Tony Hateley (Douglas Bader) Andy Gray (too short) Gerry Hitchens (too flash) to Christian Benteke (Bambi on ice) but I won't I refer you Allan Evans who got slated as a centre forward but became  a fantastic, full blooded Villa hero as a centre back. Talent will out.

I'm slightly too young to comment on most members of your yawn list but Andy Gray?  IIRC his debut was a 2-1 home league cup defeat to the glory hunters.  I was only about 16 but I remember being equally impressed and excited by his aggression and the trouble he gave the United back line that night.  Plus he scored our goal with a header.

I think Brian is trying to make a salient point. Surprised he didn't include Trefor Ford (not aggressive enough)

[KRS]

Dwight Yorke. Complete bell end.

That is all.

[OCD]

Dwight Yorke. Complete bell end.

That is all.

Yep. As a childhood hero of mine, he's a real disappointment.

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

I could give you a yawn inducing list of poor debutants at Villa from Johnny Dixon (flat feet) Peter McParland (can't dribble) Tony Hateley (Douglas Bader) Andy Gray (too short) Gerry Hitchens (too flash) to Christian Benteke (Bambi on ice) but I won't I refer you Allan Evans who got slated as a centre forward but became  a fantastic, full blooded Villa hero as a centre back. Talent will out.

I'm slightly too young to comment on most members of your yawn list but Andy Gray?  IIRC his debut was a 2-1 home league cup defeat to the glory hunters.  I was only about 16 but I remember being equally impressed and excited by his aggression and the trouble he gave the United back line that night.  Plus he scored our goal with a header.

I think Brian is trying to make a salient point. Surprised he didn't include Trefor Ford (not aggressive enough)

Didn't Ugo have a bit of a mare on his debut for us?

And on the other hand, the legend that is Simon Stainrod scored 4 goals on his debut.  Nigel Callaghan scored on his debut iirc.

[PeterWithesShin]

Ugo made his debut long before that Norwich game.