Aston Villa 2-1 Fulham Post match thread

[Deano's Mullet]

MOM was neck and neck between Albert and Josh the spurs lad, Terry was excellent as well.

If you were a Fulham fan you’d think you should have got a draw but overall I thought we just shaded it, they had a lot of the ball and got in some great positions but we were sound defensively and held a great shape.

I cant mind anyone talking about the penno we should have had second half when their lad rugby tackled Kodja. Well done the Villa.

Apart from their goal and the Johnstone save, I honestly cant think of any other chances they had. On chances alone we deserved to win today. Like the fixture last season, shit loads of possession means nothing if you don't do anything with it.

[PeterWithe]

I thought they were the best side I’ve seen at VP this season, they were just missing a centre forward. I thought both of their full backs were excellent and the no 10who came on at the end.

I really expected them to equalise in the last 10 mins so well done us for holding out.

[tomd2103]

Just got back in after being at the game earlier and have to say I enjoyed that game today.  Fulham took some massive risks at time playing out from the back, but they were a threat going forward, so that was a good win really.  It's put us in the play off spots now, so hopefully we can kick on from here.

As for us, not massively different from many of the other home games this season really.  Still look more comfortable attacking on the break rather than building through the phases and again had to endure a nervy last ten minutes due to dropping a bit too deep.  Thought the defence was pretty solid today and Hutton did well playing out of position at left back.  I thought Hourihane, Adomah and Onomah had good games, whereas Whelan and Snodgrass were a bit off the pace.  Kodjia looked a bit sharper today, but still looks like he's got a bit of a way to go.

Just a quick note, but I still can't quite understand why Bruce brings everyone back to defend set pieces.  When we clear the ball, it just comes straight back because there is no one up there to challenge for it.  It ends up putting us under pressure, particularly towards the end of games.

It's been explained dozens of times on here but here goes again - the basic idea behind it is to deny space in the box.

It doesn't though because you have players outside the box, on the post etc.  Also, by having at least one player up, it means that at least two of their players need to stay back.  When Davis plays or if there is a big striker in a side, I can understand bringing them back as they can offer a presence, but there isn't really a need to bring every single player back (Adomah for example could stay up).  The bloke who sits next to me goes mad about it and I could see his point today.  When we were clearing the ball, it was just going straight back to them and allowing them to attack again and not allowing us to push out.

It does if everyone's in the box. And the attacking team leaves players back even when the defending team bring everyone back.

You only leave one player back if all the opposition players go back to defend a set piece.  In terms of what happens in the box, well it depends on what marking system is employed, as players will have different jobs depending on which system is used.  Not all of them will be in the box though.

It doesn't really bother me that much (unlike the bloke who sits next to me!) but I do think it can invite pressure and sometimes doesn't let the defensive team push up.   Like a number of games, we had a bit of a nervy ending to the game as we couldn't really get out.

[Marlon From Bearwood]

How many did Fulham bring, 100? That was pretty much what they used to bring him in their mid table prem days.

More than usual. They filled the bottom tier and had a handful upstairs too.

[SoccerHQ]

How many did Fulham bring, 100? That was pretty much what they used to bring him in their mid table prem days.

More than usual. They filled the bottom tier and had a handful upstairs too.

Blimey they most find the championship more fun or they bring the London tourists to away games now.

Go back just over 10 years and them and Charlton used to always bring very sparse away followings to Villa Park, North stand lower would be half empty.

[Deano's Mullet]

Yet they have the temerity to tell us that our ground is too big for us. Cheeky rascals.

[olaftab]

I also think I read that statistically, you're more likely to form an effective break by springing from the box than by keeping a man or two on the half way line

No idea if it's true

Yes the favoured tactics of good "on the break" teams is to pull everyone back and have two fast outlets at the edge of the box. By pulling everyone back you also encourage opposition to leave minimum cover around centre circle.

[PeterWithesShin]

This happening is the idea behind it

[tomd2103]

I also think I read that statistically, you're more likely to form an effective break by springing from the box than by keeping a man or two on the half way line

No idea if it's true

Yes the favoured tactics of good "on the break" teams is to pull everyone back and have two fast outlets at the edge of the box. By pulling everyone back you also encourage opposition to leave minimum cover around centre circle.

What about teams who tend to panic and usually just hoof the ball straight down the throat of the defender on the halfway line only for it to come straight back?  Anyway, I wasn't necessarily talking about attacking teams or scoring off opposition corners, more about relieving a bit of pressure and allowing the defence to push up.

The number one priority when defending set pieces is not to concede though and to be fair we've looked pretty solid defending them this season and did so again today. 

[ciggiesnbeer]

This happening is the idea behind it

I love that goal so much. That fact that Arsenal are such graceless losers makes it all the better

[PeterWithesShin]

"Spend some fackin' money"

[Toronto Villa]

Onamah allowed Whelan to have his best game for us. Whelan was being asked to do too much and Onamah in a 4-5-1 allows Whelan to be the clean up man as opposed to creator and clean up which he just doesn’t have the legs for.

[Matt Collins]

I thought they were the best side I’ve seen at VP this season, they were just missing a centre forward. I thought both of their full backs were excellent and the no 10who came on at the end.

I really expected them to equalise in the last 10 mins so well done us for holding out.

Good players. Cairney at 10. But the real star is gonna be the left back Sessegnon. He's still only 18 I think

[Ads]

Strong boy. He did well to grab and wrestle Kodjia to the ground for a stick on penalty.

[Richard E]

Apart from the last ten minutes when we invited them on to us I thought we were in their face and pressed them very well. Their possession game is all very well but they didn't actually create a fat lot and they take a lot of risks the way they play it around in their own final third.