Aston Villa 0 v Stoke 1 Post-Match Thread

[TopDeck113]

Let's hope that for the second time this century the answer to the question will be "Stoke".

[Goldie.7]

That team selection tonight screamed out "we couldn't give a shit about the league cup".

It was the same as last weeks.

Did Bristol knock out a strong Wolves side? The selection was piss poor and naive.

[SaddVillan]

That was a team made up of 2nd division quality players, performing accordingly.

The passing was inept and, for the most part inaccurate
Little or no movement off the ball or support for the man on the ball.

Taxi for:
Lansbury
AEG
Taylor.

Nakamba, Hause, Davis and Fred were barely adequate.

[deanl123]

I don't think Dean Smith will be too disappointed. Didn't put out a team to win, and not including any quality on the bench showed his lack of interest in the competition. For me though, I worry that at some stage we are going to look to one or two of those players to come into the side as injuries and suspensions happen, and denting their confidence like that doesn't help.

[Lastfootstamper]

May that be the last game for AEG for Villa... jaysus

I held out some high hopes for him after promotion. Pace, strength, trickery, confidence, eye for goal, a player ready for a bigger stage. Hugely disappointing to say the least.

[PeterWithesShin]

Half the Stoke team were kids, I don't blame DS for picking that starting 11, those players should be putting in a much better performance than they did. The blame, for me, is mainly on the players.

[Ivo Stas]

Ivo's full-time verdict

Steer - perhaps it's still an aura of penalty saves at West Brom about him, but he always looks compentent to me. Amazing how many dodgy keepers we have signed ahead of him (in particular that lad on load from Spain)

Gilbert - a couple of weeks ago, I was like "do we really need Matty Cash"..? Answer: YES
Elmohamady - normally 7/10 but dropped down to 6.5/10 for a miscontrol into touch near the end
Hause - I sometimes suspect he passes the ball to the opposition because he knows his strengths are defending out of possession
Taylor - not the worst offender for backwards passes tonight but still does his level best to thwart us attacking down the left. At one point the commentator started rhapsodising about Taylor's attacking process whilst declaring Gilbert a defender-only full-back...

Nakamba - at least he has some urgency about his play. Not sure why he was playing further ahead of Lansbury second half.
Lansbury - not only does he only pass backwards but he has to do so in the fashion of a golfer chipping out of a bunker. Please God don't let him reappear in the FA Cup 3rd round.
Ramsey - faded in the second half, still showed much more invention than Lansbury

El Ghazi - drives me potty, so much talent so little urgency. Can we fit him with a shock collar so that Dean can zap him when he takes a second and then third unnecessary touch. Did a Grealish by coming far too deep near the end. Still capable of putting in an inviting cross on occassion, one right at the death to the back post was begging to be headed in.
Davis - really disappointed with him tonight. He no longer seems like that player who had the barnstormer on his full debut against Norwich. Watching him you can understand why they say "the first yard is in your head". We must get another striker in before deadline day because the other option is...
Traore - ...who apparently the French fans weren't distraught to see leave. You know you have signed a good player when the Brentford, Forest or Arsenal fans are gutted to see their man leave. Trezeguet improved without playing tonight.

Subs
Konza - not really troubled by Stoke who were happy to defend
Watkins - quick to force the Stoke keeper into a save, starved of service afterwards.
Jota - I would have played him instead of Lansbury (with Nakamba pushed back). At least he tries to pass forwards.

Overall: anyone think we should have played a stronger team tonight seeing as Liverpool will beat us anyhow? I am desperate to see Jack win something with the Villa (particularly to validate his contract extension) and now we only have the FA Cup to dream of this season. (Also it sticks in my throat that Small Heath have won "our trophy" more recently than us.)

Final thoughts: wish I had sought out that Romanian stream rather than forking out £10 of my hard-earned cash.

[cdbearsfan]

And there's me thinking that playing like that was behind us.

Why? Does any team play well every game? Didn't Man City just concede five at home? Didn't Bayern Munich just lose to a village team? Nobody plays well every match. The season so far suggests we have already made massive strides on last season and I don't think we need to abandon all hope after one poor performance against a well organised team.

[Clampy]

That team selection tonight screamed out "we couldn't give a shit about the league cup".

It was the same as last weeks.

Did Bristol knock out a strong Wolves side? The selection was piss poor and naive.

We also play Liverpool in three days time. Every team makes changes in the League Cup. The line up was fine, the performance wasn't.

[richtheholtender]

Rubbish to a man but fortunately most of those players will get very little PL time all being well.

It annoys me that I'm not more annoyed by going out of the cup though

You say that but Davis, Elmo and Taylor nearly always make up the bench. Don’t ask me either

[darren woolley]

Not very good tonight disappointed.

[Clampy]

And there's me thinking that playing like that was behind us.

Why? Does any team play well every game? Didn't Man City just concede five at home? Didn't Bayern Munich just lose to a village team? Nobody plays well every match. The season so far suggests we have already made massive strides on last season and I don't think we need to abandon all hope after one poor performance against a well organised team.

Spot on.

[ASHTONVILLA]

AEG getting stick but was our best player 2nd half, whilst Traore was very poor.

Steer, AEG, Nakamba and Elmo all did OK. The rest not very good.

Smith gets 1 out of 10, he basically decided he didn't want to be in the competition.

[brontebilly]

Lansbury is a disgrace, he doesn't even look fit.

Agreed, I can't stomach watching him. Just bin him off, has stolen a living from the club since the day he arrived. Dropping back into the quarter back position tonight, hoofing balls nowhere and walking around the pitch. And he was even worse against Burton!

Hause, Davis, Elmo, Taylor, Jota, AEG....all championship level players.

[pauliewalnuts]

That team selection tonight screamed out "we couldn't give a shit about the league cup".

It was the same as last weeks.

Did Bristol knock out a strong Wolves side? The selection was piss poor and naive.

We also play Liverpool in three days time. Every team makes changes in the League Cup. The line up was fine, the performance wasn't.

I'd agree with that.

Nothing wrong with the selection, it should have been easily enough.

I can live with being out of the league cup, but really, although our first XI might be getting better, on the evidence of that showing, we are still relatively fucked if we pick up injuries and have to rely on any of these chumps.