Aston Villa vs Newcastle Post-Match Thread

[KevinGage]

Looked plenty good enough against Yanited and a whole host of other decent sides last season so -who knows- he might be just finding his way back after a longterm injury.

Maybe, but even in that game (against Manchester United) he made some pretty basic defensive errors.  The one on Saturday was schoolboy stuff and was exactly like the first goal at Luton.   

It's the risk you take, playing that sort of full-back/wing back.

Yedlin didn't look much cop defensively when we were running at him second half.  England international Kyle Walker -who has just signed a long-term contract for Champions of the Universe Tottingham- STILL looks suspect defensively at times.

We could look for a Steady Eddie Luke Young-type, I wouldn't be against that at all. But it changes the way you play.  Part of the reason you play an attacking wing-back is that you actually want the opposition to go at you at what they perceive to be a vulnerability. That draws them out and -if you're good enough- you can exploit the space. Or you back your wingback to be causing their flank enough problems and playing enough of the game in their half -removing most of the threat they possess.

[Monty]

Westwood is the Bartleby of our midfield. He doesn't do anything but we can't seem to get rid of him.

'Westwood, cover that runner from midfield!'

'I would prefer not to.'

[tomd2103]

Looked plenty good enough against Yanited and a whole host of other decent sides last season so -who knows- he might be just finding his way back after a longterm injury.

Maybe, but even in that game (against Manchester United) he made some pretty basic defensive errors.  The one on Saturday was schoolboy stuff and was exactly like the first goal at Luton.   

It's the risk you take, playing that sort of full-back/wing back.

Yedlin didn't look much cop defensively when we were running at him second half.  England international Kyle Walker -who has just signed a long-term contract for Champions of the Universe Tottingham- STILL looks suspect defensively at times.

We could look for a Steady Eddie Luke Young-type, I wouldn't be against that at all. But it changes the way you play.  Part of the reason you play an attacking wing-back is that you actually want the opposition to go at you at what they perceive to be a vulnerability. That draws them out and -if you're good enough- you can exploit the space. Or you back your wingback to be causing their flank enough problems and playing enough of the game in their half -removing most of the threat they possess.

I think the game has changed in respect of the full-back role and the emphasis now seems to be on what full-backs can do in attack rather than in defence.  My personal preference would be to have a solid back four with full-backs who are defensively sound first and foremost, but can also offer something going forward.  Saying that, you can only really have those type of full-backs if you have wide players playing ahead of them.  I would say De Laet (before he got injured) and Cissokho fall in to that camp, whereas Bacuna and Amavi would be more of the attacking type.

[Jimbo]

Westwood is the Bartleby of our midfield. He doesn't do anything but we can't seem to get rid of him.

'Westwood, cover that runner from midfield!'

'I would prefer not to.'

Clappy thing.

[mr underhill]

the ironic cheers around me when he went off on Saturday were deafening