Aston Villa vs. Crystal Palace Post-Match Thread

[spangley1812]

From the Beeb

Aston Villa manager Remi Garde: "We suffered so much in the previous weeks and today we are very happy. Definitely the players showed pride and we deserved to win.

"We won only 1-0 but we created many good opportunities. We earned our luck by being very aggressive on the ball. We didn't sit back after we scored, we tried to score a second. We had a very good attitude.

"It was a nice feeling to feel the crowd behind the players, it's very important. We cannot be happy too long - we have to build on this one."

[Louzie0]

I really can't see us losing for the rest of the season now we are in this sort of form.

9 to go.
 

[exiled on the wirral!]

Just realised Villa have won for the first time since my 3rd Daughter was born...she is 4 months old!!

[ROBBO]

Getting into the players faces last weekend definitely brought a response from manager and players, that is the commitment we have been demanding from the players and should get each and every week. The forwards worked their bollocks off closing the opposition down quickly and forcing errors, the tackling was robust which helped the defence. Well done to Rene he called it exactly right and trusted the players on the pitch it would have been tempting to get fresh legs on but he showed faith in the eleven.

[curiousorange]

It's been nearly an hour and it hasn't sunk in yet. Twitter is ace at the moment, it's like swaggering half-cut into a party where everyone is glad to see you.

[PaulWinch again]

Thank you Villa I can sleep well tonight and I have a bit more faith in all of the squad after tonight. Relegation or not if they keep that up I'll be happy. Remi you are the man to turn us around.

[West Derby Villan]

Crazy but all the previous hurt disappears with a win, amazing

[Sexual Ealing]

I shall henceforth refer to the space between Wayne Hennesy's legs as The Miracle of Villa Park. And it shall be written that that The Miracle of Villa Park was when the greatest fightback of any fightback ever began.

[PeterWithesShin]

Fuck me it was cold. But ace. May only have 28K there tonight but at times the atmosphere in the Holte was right up there with the great games. Fucking get in!       

[not3bad]

Over the Moon but how the blue blazes was Gestede getting in ahead of Kozak?!

[Louzie0]

Fuck me it was cold. But ace. May only have 28K there tonight but at times the atmosphere in the Holte was right up there with the great games. Fucking get in!       

Thanks PWS

[PaulWinch again]

The reaction of Bunn at the end pretty much mirrored mine in my living room.

[mr woo]

Result apart - and a flukey winner - I can honestly say without doubt that is our best performance of the season. Simply for workrate and desire alone. If these players had been putting in this much effort in every game we'd be, maybe not mid table , but in a Paul Lambertesque zone of safety.

Something has evidently not been right in the dressing room for a while. Perhaps its taken the fans abuse, and public airing of it, to shake things up and make the players aware, at very close quarters, that lack of effort is simply unacceptable?

A few notes:

Crystal Palace are a decent side and their defensive organisation is an example to the likes of us.

Kozac was poor. Yet still looked 2x a better striker than Gestede, for intelligent movement and ball control alone.

Quite telling that our centre back pairing looked better without (and I'm not joking here) probably our best player being left out. He simply isn't a centre back.  I'd be very tempted to give him a try in Sanchez's role as DM. He can tackle, pass, drive, protect the defence and bully the opposition. I think he'd be ideal in that role IF he can adapt to it.

Short of that, fuck Hutton off and tell Richards to ignore his contract clause (alleged) and put him at right back. He owes us, his mistakes at CB have significantly contributed to our position. He seems like an honourable chap so I'm sure he'll oblige.

Gil was busy but needs to work a leetle bit harder.

Not over impressed by Bunn so far. Although he didnt have a lot to do tonight. GK a priority for next year.

Special mention:

Jordan Ayew - I slagged him off for the first month after his debut but since the Blues game he has been our player of the season by miles. Brilliant again tonight, he's quick, great touch, not afraid to shoot and his workrate is outstanding. If only we could have paired him up with Benteke. Theyd have scored close to 40 a season between them. One minor critisism - maybe he spends too much time outside the box to be a 'sniffer' type striker.


Any way , we won, too little too late and all that but I'm happy for once. Keep it up lads.

[Steve kirk]

Hearing my long suffering season ticket holder son on the phone walking away from VP was so brilliant, feeling so happy for him, for myself, for all of us.

[olaftab]

Yesssssssss!

Good morning. You deserved that. It was difficult to leave a warm house and make  our way to VP tonight with freezing rain but.... YES YES YES