Aston Villa v West Ham Post-Match Thread

[SoccerHQ]

There are a lot worse than Bacuna. He's doing o.k out of position and is the sort we'll need next year, same as hutton.

[Toronto Villa]

Next two are both must win. We've got to stop having a poor 1st half.

It wasn't really a poor first half. Just a poor ending to an average first half. We had chances and with a proper striker we might have been a goal or two ahead.

[Cliftonville Villain]

We're too far gone boys. Cant speak for the rest of you but even though it  Im still so full of hope, and Villa always seem to pull it out (somehow), the table confirms it...We're gone. I remember the hopelessness of 86/87 and they were a better team. Randy you've presided over this fall..how could you have let it got to this after the promise...you have destroyed us. Oh, and O'Neil..you f**king prick.

[LukeJames]

Should have won that game, Garde unfortunately was far too negative, I dont understand why we stopped attacking after the penalty, we had them shitting it up until that point, looked scared of losing rather than going all out for the win, 6 minutes for Traore? Their goal was fucking pathetic, we'd already had a 2 warnings in the 5 minutes before with Hutton getting caught out if position!

[Lastfootstamper]

Deserved a win today but too many half chances went begging. At least I enjoyed the game which is some consolation. So much possession outside of their box second half, wish we would try shooting from there instead of gradually getting it to Hutton.

A few times today, I caught myself screaming not only "shoooooooot", but "fucking shoooooooot, one of you fucking shoot". In A4, such utterances should be kept to the volume of "under one's breath". This is what they're driving me to.

[joe_c]

231 days without a Premier League win at home.

Death to bullshit stats like this. I'm certainly not shedding any tears over our inability to win during June or July.

[Villa in Denmark]

I think Remie is doing his best with insufficient resources.
How any one could think that a bottom 4 team could lose its 4 best players and survive without replacing them.
We have 4 Prem class players Veretout, Ayew Okore and  maybe Gana.
Too little too late I am afraid.

Thought Okore was really poor in the second half, possibly playing his way out of the team in the process.

How so? I thought the entire back 4 had probably their most comfortable 45 minutes since Garde took over in the 2nd half.

I can remember 1 instance where he half slipped as he went to clear the ball into touch so it went backwards 5 yards instead of 20 yards down field before going into touch. Other than that on the whole his distribution was steady with a couple of really good passes thrown in.

[Salsa Party Animal]

I think once we pull back, we smell blood, and we didn't do enough to go for the kill Probably best performance for a while but still not good enough. I hope Remi Garde got 4 or 5 deals ready for next week.

[Steve R]

I am not sure what people want of Garde. He has taken a squad that was as dysfunctional as its league position suggested and in a few weeks has instilled belief, fight, organisation and a suggestion that it can actually play a bit of football.

We had 57% of possession and 15 sots at goal with 8 on target today. We are creating chances, but for whatever reason not putting them away. It has been frustrating in a few recent games that superior numbers have not been translated into maximum points, but that's the way it is when you are scratching a living at the shit end of the universe.

It is not over yet. We are improving and there is seeming intent to invest in the coming month. It may well be too late, but at least we have turned things around.

[ozzjim]

Their goal showed exactly why he has to be conservative though. Go more cavelier and lose possession and concede more. Garde is doing exactly what the vaunted Moyes, Allardyce or Pulis would try and do with this squad

[GarTomas]

Their goal showed exactly why he has to be conservative though. Go more cavelier and lose possession and concede more. Garde is doing exactly what the vaunted Moyes, Allardyce or Pulis would try and do with this squad

Never thought of if in that context but you are 100% right

[Clampy]

It's a game we should have won and had Gestede got a couple of his headers on target, we might have done. Not winning wasn't for the lack of trying though, they gave it a go and I thought we played pretty well. Last week was a point gained, but today felt like two points dropped. At least they haven't let their heads drop from going behind like earlier in the season. 

[LTA]

I notice Karen Brady has been mocking us on twitter about getting excited over winning a corner.

Not half as excited as you were about blagging a new stadium without having to pay for it Karen.

[Steve R]

Their goal showed exactly why he has to be conservative though. Go more cavelier and lose possession and concede more. Garde is doing exactly what the vaunted Moyes, Allardyce or Pulis would try and do with this squad

Totally agree regarding the risk in throwing the likes of Gil, Grealish or Adama in there. But I am not sure he is being all that conservative, just striking a very good balance. 15 shots at goal , 8 on target. Earlier this season we were going entire home games  without registering a single worthy effort.

[Villafirst]

We need Richards back quickly. Thought Okore snd Lescott did well, defence will be stronger when Richards returns. Needed Adama on much earlier - 10 minutes is a joke. Garde is too cautious when wins are a must against the likes of West Ham.

I don't agree. We'd be losing more with him back there.

I despair sometimes - how can the defence be weaker with Micah Richards at the back? Him, Okore and the improving Lescott would give the defence a solid look. They haven't played together at all yet.