Aston Villa 0-3 Swansea City Post Match Thread

[Steve67]

What a load of shit.  Roll on the summer when half this squad fucks off back to their own club or contracts finish.  Smith, who is not above criticism, has a shitload of work to do.  Today was embarrassing, passionless, typical Villa can't be bothered crap.  8 years of shit and it still looks as bad as ever.

[brentastonb6]

And good to see the magic of the cup alive and well at Villa Park....a crowd of 37,000+ announced as 30,000.

I thought the same, at least as many as at the QPR game especially with Swansea bring more supporters.

[Legion]

Holds the midfield? Jesus Christ.

He does. He holds it back and slows it down.

[olaftab]

Whelan makes himself available for a pass, holds the midfield shape and does exactly what he’s told to do, that’s why he plays, and has done under most managers he’s played for.

Yes he does all of that but just about 2 minutes later than he should do.

[PeterWithe]

I didn’t say he did it quick enough or to a high enough standard, just that those were the reasons DS, and others picked him, continually. He hasn’t got the legs to do what is asked of him in this system.

I did however, feel he was one of our better players against both Leeds and Preston.

[andyh]

I’m a bit disappointed with the Whelan hate in on here, I am obviously in the minority but I thought he did his job well. I would go as far as to say that apart from McGinn, he was the only fucker who showed any professionalism today.

[DB]

43 years old, today for me is lowest point of being a Villain. Maybe it's the whiskey talking, but mid table Championship and losing 0-3 at home in the cup...

[adrenachrome]

43 years old, today for me is lowest point of being a Villain. Maybe it's the whiskey talking, but mid table Championship and losing 0-3 at home in the cup...

Yes. There's whiskey in the jar but that was abysmal beyond description. Cluster fucking shambles. New exodus record established.

Ghastly.

[Ads]

If it was Whelan's job to constantly stand off the Swansea midfield, plod aimlessly behind them, close them only after they'd passed the ball and take a full rotation of the earth to pass it, then yes, he was excellent.

If it was to be a defensive midfielder and to move the game on so we could transition wide quickly, then no, he was beyond fucking useless.

[adrenachrome]

If it was Whelan's job to constantly stand off the Swansea midfield, plod aimlessly behind them, close them only after they'd passed the ball and take a full rotation of the earth to pass it, then yes, he was excellent.

If it was to be a defensive midfielder and to move the game on so we could transition wide quickly, then no, he was beyond fucking useless.

I've seen more life in a bottle of pop, but what can you you expect if you constantly play an ageing player manifestly shagged out after a long squawk.

[Pvb1968]

Whelan is shit and slow, tends to be a bit of a draw back in the championship or any other league for that matter.

[Matt Collins]

I think he's been one of our better players in some of our recent games. But thats in the context of games where we've  not played well and where his inclusion has meant we're unable to play the style that we had been implementing succcesfully

But it is a tricky one for Smith given the state of our defence. Hourihane doesn't offer much protection and bjarnason looks off it at the moment

I've said elsewhere I'd bring lansbury in for whelan next game. But there is an obvious risk that the midfield is even more sieve like as a result

[MillerBall]

With regard to the comments on the size of the crowd I would assume that because this is the FA Cup and the attendance revenue is split between Villa, Swansea and the FA that Villa would have to pay a sum of money for each Season Ticket holder that attended the game. It was free for our ST holders but the club would certainly have to a pay a fee to Swansea and the FA. It looks like a lot of ST holders did not come. In the Lower Holte around me there were a lot of mutterings about the accuracy of the announced attendance but there were probably empty seats that we could not easily see. Unlike League games when ST holders who do not come are still included in the figures  this would not be the case yesterday.
A truly awful game and we have to fear for the future if we were ever to rely on that line up to get us promotion.

[chrisw1]

Lansburys passing was a breath of fresh air, but a couple of his non-challenges highlights why I'd be concerned if we were relying on him as a DM.  With that said, he certainly deserves a shot after his cameo yesterday.

[Ads]

He's not a defensive player. He needs to be more advanced with McGinn.