Aston Villa v Man City Match Thread

[Villan82]

Sky make a good point. Tyrone is our best header of a ball, why is he not more central to defending corners.

[GarTomas]

It’s there for the taking for me.

[Steve67]

One thing that they’ve just said on sky.  That second goal.  Tyrone isn’t marking anybody.  I don’t understand the coaching there at all.

This zonal marking crap.  Get Mings slightly deeper and tell him to attack everything.  Really poor from us.

[KRS]

We need to get the fuck out...we’ve had what, 2 or 3 shots and scored 1...so get at them. Stop standing off, close them down. Get into em...fuck em up!!!

[Chris_Jephcott]

I feel more optimistic about the 2nd half now.

I think it’ll be tough but it’s a free hit on them. One goal in it.

[Risso]

Foden is destroying Targett.

[itbrvilla]

Foden is destroying Targett.

His ball control is unreal. Been really impressed

[stevo_st]

We’ve had the same amount of shots on target as City that half, 2 each.

[SoccerHQ]

One thing that they’ve just said on sky.  That second goal.  Tyrone isn’t marking anybody.  I don’t understand the coaching there at all.

We tend to let him defend zonally so he can read the flight of the ball and head it away. It's worked quite a bit this season but has problems when he's nowhere near the cross.

[Ads]

We've hung on in there. Never a corner, but we should defend better. Targett ball watching.

I feel Davis for Elmo, as Stones is dire and we can use the long ball to make it stick. Make them.chase Samagoal into the channel.

Over 3/4s of the middle tier is Villa and City have sold about half their bit of it. Dire.

[Flamingo Lane]

Great stuff Samatta and AEG.  Tood advantage of a bit of crapness from Stones but sticking that away was quality.  It makes the decision to award the corner for their second even more galling, as we have taken advantage of their individual weakness, they have taken advantage not only of our individual weakness that was pretty much brought about by the ineptitude of the linesman.

Anyway, Samatta looks a proper good 'un, and I just love the way his instinct after scoring is to get on with the game, and not do the great 'look at me everyone'.  He could become a legend.

[Monty]

It's the width. We're defending as if we're expecting the fullbacks to overlap and they're just not, Foden in particular is absolutely killing us staying wide and we're getting sucked in over and over again.

[BoVillan esq]

First part of this second half we have to let Man City know we are in the game. prima donas this lot, leave a bit on em, get into them and then at them, John Terry style.

[hilts_coolerking]

I remember someone (Monty perhaps) saying a few years ago that we make so many terrific last-ditch blocks because our basic defending is terrible and I think that also applies to this team

[tomd2103]

From the top tier, you can see how difficult it has been and how good their movement is.  They are confident enough to play two at the back which allows them to push players forward and their movement and interplay is so good at times.

We need to be confident enough to just keep the ball at times as hitting hopeful balls up to Samatta is just giving it back to them and it starts again.

Thought before the game if there is only the odd goal in it by 70 minutes we will have a chance.  These first 15 minutes are crucial.