Aston Villa vs Sunderland Post-Match Thread

[mr woo]

I expect we're going to see a mixed bag of opinions on this thread tonight andif so,  I can totally understand why.

On one hand, that was easily our best, most cohesive performance of the season so far. On the other we were playing a truly atrocious Sunderland who will be there or thereabouts in the relegation shake up come May.

No question we should have won, but as I said last week, I have no confidence in our defensive organisation at all. I just cannot see what many others see in 'our best defender ' Clark.

And if Gestede and Bacuna are premier league footballers I'll eat my headgear.

good to see Gil back, looked a little rusty but the little magic man's a class act. Why the hell Sherwood didn't bring another attacker on with 15 to go is a mystery. Possibly because it would've meant taking Westwood off which seems loathe to do these days, for some reason.


In conclusion, I'm encouraged and concerned in equal measures. Lescott will help I think, but if we don't get a striker in the next few days we really will struggle. It was THE most critical thing we needed to do after Benteke and early signs are, we've spunked 16million quid up the wall.

[Percy McCarthy]

Played well, clapped off. OP summed it up. Unlucky.

[Tuscans]

I thought we look a really good team in patches. There is much to able, we pay nice football work hard and the midfield is very decent, but we need a centre half and a striker by Tuesday desperately.

Don't you think Libor might be the one who could bag a few....if Tim gives him a chance?

[pauliewalnuts]

I guess August is just a month of throwaway games? 

In any of the last five years a few extra points in August would've changed the entire complexion of the campaign. We need to win when we are supposed to. We seem to have gelled if I'm honest. The midfield plays with great flow and continuity and the backs did well today except for Clark.

Today is a home match we had to win.

There are no "have to win" games in August.

At least not in football.

[passitsideways]

I guess August is just a month of throwaway games? 

In any of the last five years a few extra points in August would've changed the entire complexion of the campaign. We need to win when we are supposed to. We seem to have gelled if I'm honest. The midfield plays with great flow and continuity and the backs did well today except for Clark.

Today is a home match we had to win.

Right, because getting all those points last season sure set up the rest of our campaign.

[PaulWinch again]

I thought overall Amavi, Gueye, Sanchez and Sinclair did well. But we need to be a lot more clinical and Bacuna isn't good enough to play wing forward. Clark has got to be better as well.

[villadelph]

I guess August is just a month of throwaway games? 

In any of the last five years a few extra points in August would've changed the entire complexion of the campaign. We need to win when we are supposed to. We seem to have gelled if I'm honest. The midfield plays with great flow and continuity and the backs did well today except for Clark.

Today is a home match we had to win.

There are no "have to win" games in August.

At least not in football.

With all due respect I completely disagree, when 38 points is all you can count on.

[CT Villan]

A valiant attempt, but not really good enough against a weak team.

Sinclair, Gana and Richards were the stand-outs. Special mentions for Hutton, Westwood, Gil and Sanchez.

I wouldn't be upset if Bacuna didn't play another game for us this season, he can go and join Gabby watching from the stands. Clark needs to step it up too, let's hope Lescott is an upgrade.

Kozak should have replaced Gestede after 60mins.

[manic-road]

Disappointed that we didn't win, but it's a new team that will gel in time. Back above Chelsea in the league.

[asgpaul]

Gil should have come on sooner. Bacuna was horrific.

I thought we largely did okay until the final third. Their second goal was woeful from Clark. We've got to cut out the stupid errors.
Gestede had a game to forget, albeit he improved in the second half. I think he's too slow to be anything other than a potential impact player. Kozak is different in as much as he finds pockets of space in the box and is an instinctive finisher. Of the two my preference would be Libor, but much depends on how his legs hold up.

I think the game today was crying out for Grealish and Troare. We'd probably have mauled them with those two. Grealish just draws defenders to him and opens space for others, whilst Traore would have had a field day against their left back.

I do think there's some good signs though. Gana and Amavi look quality. Sanchez looks like he's up to the league now. We just need a bit of luck in being able to put out our strongest 11.

Another striker is an absolute must though. We need a target man who has some mobility.

This sums it up perfectly for me.

Whilst disappointed by todays result - I think its a vast improvement on recent seasons and overall I think we were unlucky today not to take all 3 pts.

Hoping we go get Charlie Austin now.

[Dave]

I guess August is just a month of throwaway games? 

In any of the last five years a few extra points in August would've changed the entire complexion of the campaign. We need to win when we are supposed to. We seem to have gelled if I'm honest. The midfield plays with great flow and continuity and the backs did well today except for Clark.

Today is a home match we had to win.

There are no "have to win" games in August.

At least not in football.

With all due respect I completely disagree, when 38 points is all you can count on.

"38 points is all you can count on"?

What does that even mean?

[Toronto Villa]

Grealish and Traore do things that none of our players can do. And we were missing that exact bit of magic today to finish Sunderland off.

[LTA]

No excuses.  Not beating Sunderland at home is totally unacceptable.  It says a lot that even with the amount of work done in the Summer that we are still well short.

This post brought to you in association with Hyperbole Today.

Sunderland are bloody awful.  If we want to be clear of trouble, we have to be taking maximum points from games like this.

[Matt Collins]

Blimey, after the eye-bleeding bollocks served up by McLeish and Lambert in recent seasons, I'm a bit surprised at the way people are laying into that performance. I thought it was OK!

Every post match Thread is the same for a few pages if we don't win. People can't see past the result. We were reasonable against a bad team and created loads of chances. The problems were at either end of the pitch. Gestede is an option but he isn't the man to lead the line all season.

[pauliewalnuts]

I guess August is just a month of throwaway games? 

In any of the last five years a few extra points in August would've changed the entire complexion of the campaign. We need to win when we are supposed to. We seem to have gelled if I'm honest. The midfield plays with great flow and continuity and the backs did well today except for Clark.

Today is a home match we had to win.

There are no "have to win" games in August.

At least not in football.

With all due respect I completely disagree, when 38 points is all you can count on.

So what is the upshot, then, of having drawn a match rather than won it with 34 league games left?

There must be some dreadful consequence with it being a must win game that we haven't won?

Don't want to single you out, and I am normally at the half empty rather than half full end of the scale myself, but some of the overreaction today is amongst the most nuts stuff I've seen on here in years

"Deep n trouble", " right in it ", " must win game".

In August? Sorry but that is hilarious