Aston Villa v West Ham Post-Match Thread

[Gareth]

Now it's finished I can say; JWP was awful for them. Allowed us to completely overrun their midfield.

Antonio in the first half he’d get into a great position, cut inside, then balloon the ball out of play or back to us every time.

Don't the JWP hype - type of game he should be looking to be key influencer. Set piece and flat pitch bully. Never understood what he was going to bring other than that. Kamara and Luiz are superior

Have always said it, his set pieces are world class, no doubt but there is a reason he left bottom half (& relegated) team and moved to West Ham…if he had the ability to truly influence games the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and even us would have been all over him at the fee….he ended up trading a nonentity club for another nonentity club.

[AV82EC]

I’ve always thought Antonio was over rated and yesterday proved it, he was absolute mince.

[PaulWinch again]

In fairness to him his midfield colleagues left him massively exposed yesterday. He’s done pretty well for them this season, he just came up against a really strong midfield yesterday.

[Risso]

I’ve always thought Antonio was over rated and yesterday proved it, he was absolute mince.

I like him, seems a nice person and he's made the most of the talent he has. He's also getting on for 34, so it's probably about time they upgraded him.

[LeeB]

We're clearly so much better coached now in every way, but I sat there yesterday and it struck me just how much better the touch of every player is now, balls are smashed into feet at pace but taken with ease.

This time last year Watkins couldn't trap a bag of spuds and he wasn't alone. I reckon the individual work that's been spoken about by some of the players in terms of body positioning is the key for the rapid improvement.

And also Watkins goal, I thought back to the Fulham debacle last season and one of the few times we had the ball in the first half McGinn had the ball in a similar postion to where he was Saturday when he played in Watkins, but the ball went about 10 yards behind Watkins into the stand, and it summed everything up about that point in time.

[john e]

We have better players than West Ham, especially in midfield and obviously they’ve got Antonio upfront who is absolutely woeful whereas we’ve got Watkins, but they do have some decent players

But I’ll tell you something the main difference is managers, that’s where the gulf in class lies
If they had Emery for the last two years as manager and we had Moyes, with the same set of players they would be playing like us and we will be playing like them

Moyes is a typical British manager, we know all about them we’ve had enough over the years ourselves whereas Unai Emery is a football genius
Simple as that

[AV82EC]

I’ve always thought Antonio was over rated and yesterday proved it, he was absolute mince.

I like him, seems a nice person and he's made the most of the talent he has. He's also getting on for 34, so it's probably about time they upgraded him.

I’m sure he’s a lovely bloke but I’ve just never been convinced about this conversion from winger to striker later in his career. He’s made a fist of it to be fair in West Ham’s most successful period for decades but you’re right they do need an upgrade as hes starting to look all of those 34 years.

[LeeB]

We have better players than West Ham, especially in midfield and obviously they’ve got Antonio upfront who is absolutely woeful whereas we’ve got Watkins, but they do have some decent players

But I’ll tell you something the main difference is managers, that’s where the gulf in class lies
If they had Emery for the last two years as manager and we had Moyes, with the same set of players they would be playing like us and we will be playing like them

Moyes is a typical British manager, we know all about them we’ve had enough over the years ourselves whereas Unai Emery is a football genius
Simple as that

I think we have better players because they are playing to their potential under this manager. West Ham have got some really good players and a decent squad. I reckon if you wound back 12 months and swapped the two managers over yesterdays result would more or less be reveresed and they'd look like they had much better players than us.

[Dante Lavelli]

I’ve always thought Antonio was over rated and yesterday proved it, he was absolute mince.

I like him, seems a nice person and he's made the most of the talent he has. He's also getting on for 34, so it's probably about time they upgraded him.

They’ve tried with Scamacca and Haller (possibly cornet from Watford?).  Both those strikers cost around £40m but either didn’t suit Moyes’ tactics or PL football.  Every time Antonio plays it must be a reminder of the money they’ve wasted, so a double whammy for the fans.  …and not Antonio’s fault. 

[The Edge]

I agree with Rigadon's comment the player we are missing most through injury is Ramsey

Ramsey in the form he was last season would take us up another notch in my opinion.  Digne has done pretty well so far this season, but I think Moreno would add something extra as well.

I agree about Ramsey but who would you drop?

[LeeB]

I agree with Rigadon's comment the player we are missing most through injury is Ramsey

Ramsey in the form he was last season would take us up another notch in my opinion.  Digne has done pretty well so far this season, but I think Moreno would add something extra as well.

I agree about Ramsey but who would you drop?

Zaniolo and Digne come out if Ramsey and Moreno are fit.

I watched the highlights of last seasons Newcastle game the other night, my god those two absolutely terrorised Trippier, fair play he's done well to come back from it.

[PeterWithe]

I agree with Rigadon's comment the player we are missing most through injury is Ramsey

Ramsey in the form he was last season would take us up another notch in my opinion.  Digne has done pretty well so far this season, but I think Moreno would add something extra as well.

I agree about Ramsey but who would you drop?

Zaniola

[teamvillage]

Just a bit of praise here

Praise but Hargreaves was talking out of his fucking arse.

Some of his comments were good, however we bought Luiz and Martinez before Emery showed up Owen. He has improved them since though.

I turned off when he said Ramsey could be a 'top 4' player.  He's right, but just not in the way he thinks. 

I get why some of us like being under the radar, but I'm equally sensitive to shit like this in the Guardian's match report:

"Unai Emery can celebrate his first anniversary in charge of Aston Villa on Tuesday safe in the knowledge that he has turned his team into contenders to be considered among the best of the rest."

I think it's clear that we're already more than that. 

Depends what's included with 'the rest' really. If they mean Abu Dhabi FC and then 19 others, then maybe!

[LeeB]

Another thing, we've won all of these games at home now, can anyone remember being under any sustained pressure at the end hanging on for the points?

[Bad English]

Currently having a walk around the fine city of Bergerac and it's full of cockney-sounding English people. I have my Aston Villa woolly hat on and my Villa golf brolly to hand.