Luton Town v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[class-of-82]

I'm sure he has been mentioned but I can't be arsed to look but for me ayew, sooner we get rid the better just like at West Ham for no reason throws his elbow sent off and a mountain to climb
Same again last night stupid lunge on there defender could of been the same, just a pretty boy and that ain't what we need at the moment

[Clampy]

It just is not surprising, why any one and this includes RDM thinks that by picking these players the outcome is going to change I have no idea.
A few of us keep saying that until there is a clear out of this squad, nothing will change.

I know its early but I am beginning to have serious doubts about RDM.

This is not working.

RDM not working...after two games? I'm glad you don't come to the games on a regular basis with that attitude.

[Ivo Stas]

I’m coming in with a late game review as I missed the game last night and have only I’ve just downloaded and watched it this afternoon. Here are my player ratings:

Bunn: thought he did okay, certainly not at fault for the second or third goals. He made some good saves in amongst all the chaos in our box. Felt sorry for him as he is probably the only person at AVFC who would want more League Cup games. Having seen both him and Gollini now, it appears to me that Gollini is superior.

Okore: I’ve never really rated him, he has only looked good in comparison to other even worse options. Being so carefully placed into the corner, it was an own-goal that will long live in the memory. Hopefully he will only be providing backup to Elphick this season, although that may lead to him going on another strike. Can we sell him to Newcastle too?

Richards: passable at right back, had a bit of a nightmare again at centre-back although he wasn’t much helped by the midfield nor by Hutton or Okore either side of him. He seemed be forever lunging around trying to head the ball at waist height.

Baker: Unless you want to finger him, rather than Amavi, for allowing the Luton goal-scorer to run in between centre-back and left-back to score their equaliser, I thought he had an okay game. Having not yet read any post-match reports, I’m not sure why he was taken off at half-time.

Amavi: just pleased to see him back playing. Like Cissokho on Sunday, he struggled without help from Ayew/Grealish.

Gardner and Tshibola: I’m going to rate the two together because I think they had very similar games. Both sprayed some good passes about, both seemed to be completely overrun in midfield. Gardner put in the best cross of the game and Tshibola hit (outside of) post. When we played Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday, Bannan dropped back to cover their centre backs every time their fullbacks went forward. I couldn’t work out who was supposed to be protecting our back four (maybe it was more obvious in the stadium). As Sanchez has now gone off on loan, perhaps RDM could take a look at Lyden?

Green: he looks to be a winger who is good at crossing rather than one who is good at dribbling. However his best crosses came when Gestede wasn’t on the pitch (more on that later).

Grealish: he is obviously quality but I seem to recall a statistic that we lost every game in which he played last year. Well add two more to that ongoing total. We need to make more of all the free kicks he wins us around the box. He was also unlucky not to score...

McCormack: he looks a clever sort of player, making little darts here and there. It really highlights how bad Lerner left our squad that someone who has gone almost a whole career outside the top flight can look much better than almost all of our ex-Premier-League squad. Not sure why he went off, but our attack ceased to function when he did.

Ayew: I thought his goal was excellent, there were three defenders who were all favourites to clear the ball, yet Ayew showed great strength to hold them all off and finish very tidily. He disappeared in the second half once Gestede came on.

Subs

Hutton and Gestede: it turns out that bringing a poor player at half-time really highlights how rubbish they are. I assume the substitutions were made because RDM didn’t want to leave an early League Cup exit to chance. Hutton was just running here and there to no effect and immediately Luton were pouring down his flank. As for Gestede, I’ve noticed that all our good crosses occur when he isn’t playing and I don’t think this is coincidental. Basically attacks build down the centre before the ball goes out wide for crossing. With Gestede, nothing builds down the centre.

Final thoughts (1): It was an utter lower-league humiliation in which we were definitely second-best, yet oddly we did hit the woodwork four times...

Final thoughts (2): I’m not on twitter, so I get our good doctor’s tweets third-hand through the press but it can’t be long before the toys go out of the pram...

Final thoughts (3): on the download I was watching, with 10 minutes to go, the Russian commentator started listing Villa players from the 90s: “Dwight Yorke, Ian Taylor, Paul McGrath, Andy Townsend...”. I’m guessing he was doing a version of that famous 1980s Norwegian “Maggie Thatcher, Lord Beaverbrook, Sir Anthony Eden... your boys took a hell of a beating...” commentary.

[mike]

I’m coming in with a late game review as I missed the game last night and have only I’ve just downloaded and watched it this afternoon. Here are my player ratings:

Bunn: thought he did okay, certainly not at fault for the second or third goals. He made some good saves in amongst all the chaos in our box. Felt sorry for him as he is probably the only person at AVFC who would want more League Cup games. Having seen both him and Gollini now, it appears to me that Gollini is superior.

Okore: I’ve never really rated him, he has only looked good in comparison to other even worse options. Being so carefully placed into the corner, it was an own-goal that will long live in the memory. Hopefully he will only be providing backup to Elphick this season, although that may lead to him going on another strike. Can we sell him to Newcastle too?

Richards: passable at right back, had a bit of a nightmare again at centre-back although he wasn’t much helped by the midfield nor by Hutton or Okore either side of him. He seemed be forever lunging around trying to head the ball at waist height.

Baker: Unless you want to finger him, rather than Amavi, for allowing the Luton goal-scorer to run in between centre-back and left-back to score their equaliser, I thought he had an okay game. Having not yet read any post-match reports, I’m not sure why he was taken off at half-time.

Amavi: just pleased to see him back playing. Like Cissokho on Sunday, he struggled without help from Ayew/Grealish.

Gardner and Tshibola: I’m going to rate the two together because I think they had very similar games. Both sprayed some good passes about, both seemed to be completely overrun in midfield. Gardner put in the best cross of the game and Tshibola hit (outside of) post. When we played Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday, Bannan dropped back to cover their centre backs every time their fullbacks went forward. I couldn’t work out who was supposed to be protecting our back four (maybe it was more obvious in the stadium). As Sanchez has now gone off on loan, perhaps RDM could take a look at Lyden?

Green: he looks to be a winger who is good at crossing rather than one who is good at dribbling. However his best crosses came when Gestede wasn’t on the pitch (more on that later).

Grealish: he is obviously quality but I seem to recall a statistic that we lost every game in which he played last year. Well add two more to that ongoing total. We need to make more of all the free kicks he wins us around the box. He was also unlucky not to score...

McCormack: he looks a clever sort of player, making little darts here and there. It really highlights how bad Lerner left our squad that someone who has gone almost a whole career outside the top flight can look much better than almost all of our ex-Premier-League squad. Not sure why he went off, but our attack ceased to function when he did.

Ayew: I thought his goal was excellent, there were three defenders who were all favourites to clear the ball, yet Ayew showed great strength to hold them all off and finish very tidily. He disappeared in the second half once Gestede came on.

Subs

Hutton and Gestede: it turns out that bringing a poor player at half-time really highlights how rubbish they are. I assume the substitutions were made because RDM didn’t want to leave an early League Cup exit to chance. Hutton was just running here and there to no effect and immediately Luton were pouring down his flank. As for Gestede, I’ve noticed that all our good crosses occur when he isn’t playing and I don’t think this is coincidental. Basically attacks build down the centre before the ball goes out wide for crossing. With Gestede, nothing builds down the centre.

Final thoughts (1): It was an utter lower-league humiliation in which we were definitely second-best, yet oddly we did hit the woodwork four times...

Final thoughts (2): I’m not on twitter, so I get our good doctor’s tweets third-hand through the press but it can’t be long before the toys go out of the pram...

Final thoughts (3): on the download I was watching, with 10 minutes to go, the Russian commentator started listing Villa players from the 90s: “Dwight Yorke, Ian Taylor, Paul McGrath, Andy Townsend...”. I’m guessing he was doing a version of that famous 1980s Norwegian “Maggie Thatcher, Lord Beaverbrook, Sir Anthony Eden... your boys took a hell of a beating...” commentary.

I take my hat off to anyone who can download a 3 1 loss to Luton and actually watch it. You are truly a better fan than me!

[Chris Jameson]

Baker: Unless you want to finger him, rather than Amavi

Blimey, neither of them to be honest.

[fredm]

I know that people will say that it is money down the drain but I personally would tell certain players to empty their locker and depart from VP and Bodymoor Heath as they are no longer required to comply with their contract.  They can sit at home and receive their monthly cheque unless anyone wishes to take them on for whatever offerings by way of transfer or wages they wish to offer.  Then I would bring in some players, even perhaps from League 1 or 2, who would be prepared to run all day and give their all in an attempt to win the match.  They need not be on a massive salary but maybe have bonuses for points gained/league position etc.  These players would be supplemented by the younger players already at the club who have not yet been tainted by the overpaid prima donnas who have no desire to even attempt to break sweat to win matches.  We would probably not be challenging for promotion this year but if the fans were informed of the policy by way of a club statement and saw a team giving their all on the pitch, then I am sure they would get behind them and back them.  Eventually the club would hopefully be able to bring in/bring through players of sufficient ability to sustain a promotion challenge, and the foul taste of failure which pervades the club at present would have been washed away.

[edgysatsuma89]

Can I just say that it is a complete myth that Hutton 'tries his hardest'. It's complete bullshit. We have this view of him due to the nature of how he got back in to the team but that was a long time ago now. His desire is just as fucked as a lot of them are let alone being shit.

[russon]

Baker: Unless you want to finger him, rather than Amavi

Blimey, neither of them to be honest.

Baker's ring piece is the only part of him not tattooed (erm, I assume like). If it's as bearded as his chin you'd never see your finger again. But enough of fingering hapless defenders, as you were.

[Pat McMahon]

If Amavi was the best left back in Europe the season prior to us signing him I can only assume not many teams played with a left back.

He really wasn't the best left back in Europe in Europe in 2014-15 Chris. There was simply some hyperbole when we signed him

He was placed in the team of the season based on ratings throughout the season or some such nonsense. Some bloke called Messi scraped in to the side as well.

That rings a bell Chris. My pet peeve was that stat / ranking was quoted last year as fact. To my knowledge he has played for France under 21s but not the full team, so he wasn't even the best in France, never mind Europe! (Not having a pop at you by the way)

[myf]

Can I just say that it is a complete myth that Hutton 'tries his hardest'. It's complete bullshit. We have this view of him due to the nature of how he got back in to the team but that was a long time ago now. His desire is just as fucked as a lot of them are let alone being shit.

This. Never tracks back and slow as shite

[Tony Erdington]

Baker: Unless you want to finger him, rather than Amavi

Blimey, neither of them to be honest.

Baker's ring piece is the only part of him not tattooed (erm, I assume like). If it's as bearded as his chin you'd never see your finger again. But enough of fingering hapless defenders, as you were.

all this talk before the watershed, Mary whitehouse would turn in hope of getting some.

[Ivo Stas]

...

[Ivo Stas]

''Baker's ring piece is the only part of him not tattooed (erm, I assume like). If it's as bearded as his chin you'd never see your finger again. But enough of fingering hapless defenders, as you were.''

I suspect the whole team may get fingered for punishment by Dr X if they lose again this weekend...

[The Man With A Stick]

I got back off holiday late last night and there was a saddo Smethwick fan on our flight gleefully checking the Villa score on his phone before we'd even reached the terminal.

Utterly obsessed with us they are.

[WarszaVillan]

It just is not surprising, why any one and this includes RDM thinks that by picking these players the outcome is going to change I have no idea.
A few of us keep saying that until there is a clear out of this squad, nothing will change.

I know its early but I am beginning to have serious doubts about RDM.

This is not working.

RDM not working...after two games? I'm glad you don't come to the games on a regular basis with that attitude.

Charming