Aston Villa v WBA Post Match Thread

[Sexual Ealing]

Gayle is one of those players that is too good for Division 2 but is shit with the odd spike into mediocre in the top flight.

Maybe so but if Deano wanted him, I would trust him.

For every Guy Wittingham and Jermaine Beckford, there is a Jordan Ayew, Bosco Balaban or a Milan Baros.

I'd wager that Gayle's conversion rate is better than Abraham's who is also yet to prove himself in the PL.

If (and it is obviously a big if) we do get back to where we belong this season, we need to be realistic in who we are going to attract.  Signing Benteke was the exception rather than the norm and for every Benteke.....................

I'm struggling with your 'for every x there is a y' equation. You seem to be saying that for every x there is an x?

Signings from foreign leagues fail as often as those signed from lower leagues. For every Akinbiyi there is a Altidore.  Or something

Ah, we've 'gone foreign'. Thanks Danno.

[PeterWithesShin]

Gayle is yet to prove himself in the Premier League as well.

[danno]

Gayle was there best player yesterday and caused us problems, but he's 29.  How much better is he realistically going to get? I doubt he'll play much in the premier league wherever he ends up.

[KRS]

I've never liked Gayle as a player or a person whether playing for Palace, Newcastle or the Baggies. I wouldn't like it at all if we signed him...he's the type of player that will end up playing for Blose one day. We can do better than that little shit ******.

Does anyone have any links to coverage or clips of the crowd singing FTA or when the players walked out with the large flag? There was a very short clip of the players walking out in the EFL highlights but they didn't show it as part of the coverage.

[Brassneck]

Gayle is yet to prove himself in the Premier League as well.

Agree - Both Tammy & Gayle are unproven in the PL.

I accept that there's a reason why Gayle has been around as long as he has but has not secured regular PL football.

My feeling is that under Deano, a big striker is not essential.  Hogan is 5'10 and Maupay doesn't look much taller.  For many sides, a target man is key but not for all teams.  I'm not saying that Gayle would be my first choice (and quite honestly, I don't know who I'd ideally like us to go for if we managed to get promotion).  My point is that if Deano felt that Gayle could do a job for us in the PL, I would be comfortable with that.

[andyh]

He looks like the Mel B character on Bo Selecta.

Fucking bravo. That has really made me laugh hilts, and you are 100% correct.

[KRS]

Everything that needs to be said about this game has been said already, but I do wonder how the game would have panned out without that mistake from Whelan (and you can't blame Jack for the give and go pass). They set up as 541 but retreated and parked their bus so deep that it soon became 631 or 640 at times with two walls of well organised players for us to break down...throw in the spoiling tactics and it was a really hard challenge for our players to find space, gaps and create any threat on goal. It wasn't helped by Jack, SJM and Mings not being up to their usual standard, however we always seem to struggle to break down teams that come to spoil games at Villa Park...but that wonder strike and penalty were well deserved. I would have liked to see us push harder for a third, so we still have a lot of hard work to do on Tuesday. The better team won and football justice was done. UTV!!!

[adrenachrome]

They were well organised and stuck to their game plan but our relentless pressure told in the end.

They definitely stifled Jack by putting a very capable man-marker on him.

[robbo1874]

I was kept in rapt amusement at Madrid airport earlier by SHA.

The winner, in my arrogant opinion:

"One thing to remember and cause you to feel warm inside - we will never be like them. Never have that repugnant sense of self worth and slimy arrogance.

I’m really proud to be Blues and love our passion, good humour and self deprecation. What is football about - is it about being loved by Sky and drooled over by sanctimonious tw@ts in a TV studio? I don’t want Andy Hinchcliffe or Don Goodman to like my club. I honestly couldn’t care what any media brainwashed ex-pro thinks. It’s all unconscious bias that they don’t even know they have.

That feeling of goosebumps when we are belting out KRO at some random away ground is worth so much more to me than them lot failing.

Even if they go up - they will still be Vile fans - that deep sense of insecurity and arrogance will be with them for life. They will never win the league again and that will always cause them to have huge existential angst and deeply embedded shame.

Don’t let them get you down - I’m off for a walk with the dog with a big smile on my face. Always proud to be a Blues fan."

I chuckled for ages at the sentence in bold.

how can you be insecure and arrogant at the same time? I can see how delusion and idiocy go hand in hand though.

robbo that's a bit harsh. SE is neither insecure nor arrogant.

I never said he was-i was referring to the bloser that he had quoted!

[Legion]

Which is (or at least should have been) blatantly obvious.

[Risso]

I thought it was a joke.

[darren woolley]

I'm so glad we beat the Tesco Bags the second half was better than the first they came with a game plan stick men behind the ball and defend for there lives they will have to come out and play at the Hawthorns on Tuesday but if we can play like we did in the second half I reckon we will get the result we need. FTA

[Lastfootstamper]

Everything that needs to be said about this game has been said already, but I do wonder how the game would have panned out without that mistake from Whelan (and you can't blame Jack for the give and go pass). They set up as 541 but retreated and parked their bus so deep that it soon became 631 or 640 at times with two walls of well organised players for us to break down...throw in the spoiling tactics and it was a really hard challenge for our players to find space, gaps and create any threat on goal. It wasn't helped by Jack, SJM and Mings not being up to their usual standard, however we always seem to struggle to break down teams that come to spoil games at Villa Park...but that wonder strike and penalty were well deserved. I would have liked to see us push harder for a third, so we still have a lot of hard work to do on Tuesday. The better team won and football justice was done. UTV!!!

Looking from on high, the moment they went to six at the back was incredible. It was so well executed, so straight, with almost military spacings that I couldn't help but think they must practice that a lot. The fucking dull ******.

[chrisw1]

Yes them starting the second half in a 6-4 formation was incredible.  Like watching a Pulis wet dream.

[dcdavecollett]

Superb strike from Conor -quite unstoppable; it hit the inside of the net rather than the back.