Luton Town v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[stubbsyandy]

As long as Luton stood off us we looked OK. As soon as they put the pressure on & started to run at our defence we crumbled.

The decisions to make Richards captain, then bring on Hutton & move Richards to centre half was beyond belief. Within 30 secs of coming on Hutton stood still whilst a Luton player ran off him. For all their obvious faults they got no support from the rest of the team. A lot of the players in front of them went into hiding.

We need to start off by being hard to beat.

Exactly

[KevinGage]

Not even sure it is a confidence thing.

I think most of our players simply don't like or respect each other.

Which is understandable, as I don't like them very much either.

[sickbeggar]

The coaching staff really need to be drilling that team relentlessly from now on defending and keeping the ball. 2 games and we've already seen two horrendous comical  balls-ups like carbon copies from last season. It's not rocket science, you can be a shit defender and still hoof the fucker into row z. If you can't pass 10 yards  then pass 5yds

[Proposition Joe]

Purge them with sword and fire.

Playing Warhammer Dawn of War is a much better idea than watching Villa at the moment for sure.

[tomd2103]

I thought the half time changes were quite Timmy/Leicesteresque.  Bewildering.

yep. Baker was doing okay and with our defence you'd hope we'd be trying to build confidence. I think it stems from RDM realising the squad is full of shite and trying to find any player in any position who looks like he can do a job this season

Yet surprise, surprise, he got injured in the opposition box off one of our own corners and I presume that is why had went off at half-time. 

[Brend'Watkins]

Tonight has nothing to do with the garbage from the Lerner years that put on the shirt.  Each and everyone of them are better footballers than any Luton player.  Each and everyone of them once a goal goes in lack the desire, lose self belief, can't follow a game plan, can't play to the manager's instruction and lose fight.  We saw tonight that there isn't a leader among that bunch who when it goes a little bit wrong can pull the team together. Elphick can do it, we need another two like that.

[stubbsyandy]

It's absolutely imperative that we get at least one physically and mentally strong central midfield player. I would possibly looking at getting an experienced player from overseas for a year. Somebody with composure that can sit in front of the back four. We also need a solid right back (Gunter from Reading if we could get him). The fourth player needs to be a strong physical central striker. With those four players, our young players would have something to build around.

A Cambiasso...

[olaftab]

RDM why did you change the team tonight and filled it with absolute garbage?
FFS it's unbelievably annoying.

[tomd2103]

Not even sure it is a confidence thing.

I think most of our players simply don't like or respect each other.

Which is understandable, as I don't like them very much either.

Me neither.  There is a general unwillingness to put effort in which was reflected in the fact that we were consistently bottom of the ground covered stats. 

[AV89]

Tonight has nothing to do with the garbage from the Lerner years that put on the shirt.  Each and everyone of them are better footballers than any Luton player.  Each and everyone of them once a goal goes in lack the desire, lose self belief, can't follow a game plan, can't play to the manager's instruction and lose fight.  We saw tonight that there isn't a leader among that bunch who when it goes a little bit wrong can pull the team together. Elphick can do it, we need another two like that.

They might be better ability wise, but without heart and desire, its a waste of time.

[Villatillidie25]

So, on route home but thankfully not quite as far as some of you other angry fans. This will attempt to be an honest assessment of tonight but I suspect my apoplectic rage might get the better of me.

Bunn: he's a bit shit but wasn't at fault for anything tonight and actually made one decent save from a tight angle in the first half in front of us (not sure if it was going in though)

Amavi: part of me wants to give him the benefit of the doubt given how little football he has played and so I'll forgive him for not getting up and down the wing but his positional sense tonight was woeful. Why did he decide to step out just prior to their first, opening up the whole defence for a simple through ball?

Baker: he's not great but he throws himself about and actually looks like he gives a sh*t.   At the moment he's second best of a bad bunch so should start. Him going off (I assume as a result of the clash before our goal) cost us dearly.

Okore: dear oh dear. Considering he was so highly rated across Europe before he came, injury and abysmal management/training has destroyed any chance of him being a decent professional footballer. His own goal was bewildering. We all assumed he had kicked it into a striker because what happened just didn't make sense.

Richards: if this "player" ever puts on a villa shirt again I'm not sure I'll be able to contain myself. He was shocking at right back for the first half but, thankfully was out the way there. His positional sense is non existent. Stick him in the middle in the second half and it's a disaster waiting to happen. At fault  following rushing  in for at least two of the goals. What was that attempted header before okore's own goal!? To name him captain was a dreadful decision. He's clearly a bad egg with a shocking professional attitude. Couple that with no ability and you have a winning combination.

Gardner: sadly just not good enough. He can't pass the ball crisply, protect the back line, break forward at pace - he literally offers nothing but, worst of all is his positional sense. He is, without fail, always the wrong side of the ball. Bar Richards, probably the worst player on the pitch.

Tshibola: offers very little protection to the back four, maybe because he has nobody next to him to guide him. He looks like he might be ok but the more we keep playing this poorly, the quicker it will stifle his growth. He goes walkabout far too often as well and so can probably only play in a 3 at the moment.

Grealish: I'm a fan of him but he offered very little tonight in all honesty. He didn't support Amavi in his first game back and provided next to nothing going forward. Having said that, he was one of the few who continued to try in the final 20. One not to give up on yet because we've seen he can be a good player.

Green: looks like he might be decent but needs to bulk up and toughen up. Certainly not ready for the rigours of league football but one for the future hopefully. If we can ever get glass traore fit, it might be worth considering a loan move for him.

Ayew: he huffed and puffed most of the night but he's a bit infuriating to be honest. I'm still not sure of his best position but it is probably off the left. Given our current plight though I'm not sure we can afford him there.  Someone earlier mentioned getting rid of him. Maybe if we weren't so desperate for some quality in the side. But we are and beggars can't be choosers. At least he seems to give a sh*t.

McCormack: clearly not fit yet but looks like he'll be as useful off the pitch as on it. He's clearly a leader and alongside Elphick needs to be the sort of characters we bring in. Worrying if he doesn't get up to speed quickly though.

Gestede: nice bloke just completely rubbish at his job. I swear he's not even good in the air. Unless he's attacking a cross he doesn't win anything in the air. He can't hold the ball up. Literally what is the point in a target man that can't do those things.

Hutton: gets a lot of flack, a lot of it just. Tonight was one of those days. He's far from brilliant but at least he seems to have a degree of desire. Sadly one to shelve under the not good enough pile.

RDM: poor captain choice, shocking subs (although I suspect Baker was injured and mccormack was always only going to play 45 so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt). Worryingly though, he seemed to do little to change the course of the game. At least try and wrangle some control back in the midfield. Hate to say it but Westwood might have made a difference in a 3 man midfield.

Overall, tonight was abysmal, lower than Bradford because at least then, I felt like we were still the better dire. Tonight we were battered from the moment we scored. Our mental fragility literally knows no bounds and this has to stop ASAP or even those who we are beginning to pin our hopes on will fall foul of the same ailment.
A dark day for all villa vans.

[Small Rodent]

Roberto Di Matteo let's see how you earn your bruschetta from now on.

I think that was funny but some knob will play his racist card now.

No.
You are the knob for thinking it....yes you did...

[Pat McMahon]

You owe Ian Holloway an apology Mr Xia.  Your comments about him were disgusting and on that evidence his prediction was right.  This team is an utter disgrace to the shirt.

Please fuck off.

Luckily I missed the game, and thus that familiar descent into disbelief & anger,  but are we allowed to have a pop at other posters like this?

[Ads]

He was a Stripey ******. Fuck him, he's not darkening this corner of the Web again.

It's all asphixiwanks over Pulis for him now.

[dl9]

Flippin eck that hurt

Thought I'd developed Rhino skin (to how shite we are) over these last 5 or so years but clearly not......