I’ll hold my hands up and admit I’ve had an extremely brief glance at some of the comments on here, made while the game was being played.
I don’t know why I did, but I did.
It’s something I normally specifically avoid, because I like to post my own opinion and then see what you think.
Anyway, it would appear that it doesn’t matter, as just as I was in a minority for the Sunderland game, it seems I’m going to be in the same minority tonight. The comments haven’t swayed me.
Cutting to the chase, I think we played pretty well.
No, I don’t think we were brilliant, but we were OK.
Why?
Mainly because of the entertainment value.
We played with a lot more width than we normally do and at times, stroked the ball around pretty well, mostly due to the increased space that the 4-4-2 gave us.
For me it was an absolute pleasure to watch us knocking the ball forward, as opposed to us constantly going sidewards and backwards, as we’ve been prone to do in most of our previous games.
Yes, you can complain that we still mostly went long to Benteke and even the fact that everything else went through Albrighton to try and put it on Benteke’s head (a tactic that struck me as just as one-dimensional as the long ball punt).
But it made for better viewing, in my opinion.
You can’t beat going wide and getting a ball in the box for me, even though I know it’s an old fashioned tactic.
I guess I struggle to get past Shankley’s comment about it being a simple game.
Of course, Cardiff obliged in making it an open game, as they went for it just as much as us and while on the face of it, they hit the woodwork twice, I never really worried about us conceding, which makes a change.
But then, even with Benteke winning everything in the air, I was never convinced we’d score either.
I thought both defences did well overall, with Ron Vlaar really starting to demonstrate his “concrete” nickname. I thought Baker did ok too, but I still have serious doubts about Bacuna as a defender.
The big disappointment for me, was Gabby.
As much as I like him, I thought he was shocking today. Whether that’s down to fitness or him carrying a knock or whatever, it just has to be said. His touch was poor and he was mostly totally invisible.
Not that I’m going to concentrate on negatives.
It’s another point towards whatever we need to keep us up, regardless of if you think it’s two dropped.
And it could have been worse, as I’m sure nobody would really have been massively surprised if we’d lost this one.
I’m sorry if you think I’m wrong, but that’s what we’re all about isn’t it?
Debate, that is.
As for the £20, I’ll probably roll it over to the next game.
id say absolutely spot on badger, there is little id want to add or take away from your analysis so I wont add any more.
I have just cut n pasted my last post on the end of the game thread because I don’t think there’s a lot I can add to that either.
defensively we were excellent and overall id say we were unlucky not to win it.
of course people will say ‘oh but we should be beating Cardiff ffs!’ but id say based on what? 2/3 PL players in gabby, guzan and vlarr(guzan and vlarr having only a season under their belts so far)and the rest of the team very young with an overall spend on the squad of less than 4 million per player, most recruited from the lower leagues of UK and Europe and a couple of academy prospects all of which have no more than a seasons PL experience each.
based on that what the hell makes people think we should be walking into Cardiff and taking a piss easy 3 pts from a team with a new manager fighting for their lives in what can be a very intense home stadium?
people think we should be winning these games based solely on the fact that we are
Aston Villa and nothing else. look at it objectively, wtf is there about our team that makes us think we should be beating Cardiff?
this is solely down to the direction the club is taking and that is solely down to Learner and co.
whether it will work or not is a matter up for debate.
Eeerily similar thoughts!
I think we’re going to be in a minority though.
Ah well, it’s all about opinions 🙂
And at the end of the day, what a stunning save from Marshall.
I thought that was guaranteed to go in.
And at least it got me jumping up in the air.
agreed mate, great intelligent shot from wiemann, it would’ve been so beautiful 🙁
I feel you’re right as well we will be in the minority.
i’ll respond to the abuse tomorrow 😉
night all and………….UTV!
exciting games with some good chances – thought we were certainly going to be up when Gabby got it just outside the box – pity he tried to control rather than just hit
Albrighton was a bright spark having some great runs
did anyone else really feel that this game highlighted the need for that number 10 player to link up the midfield with the forwards?
Second half we were exciting to watch, and should have bagged a few.
We’re not a relegation threatened side judging by that performance.
Fair play to Lambert for going with an attacking line up, we made a good game of it.
Played some good stuff especially in the second half, just wish we could kill off teams as bad as Cardiff… But our record against teams with new managers is awful therefore happy with the result and the way we played….. This is one of the strangest seasons in the Premierships history…
We now have a magical 28 points Ha Ha next three games IMO are the ones that will define wether or not we are relegated.As two of those we have no chance Norwich we should but if we only pick up one point from them can;t see us getting anywhere near 40 points.May as well resign ourselfes that relegation is a little more than a possibility this year.Very sad and dire times at VP. Decision Time it certainly is suspend contract talks with Lamberk until after those games.
I didn’t catch the game but the reports on the albeit often biased Sky Sports said our defending was woeful, and the worse of two poor sides.
Bottom line is we were unable to beat a relegation certainty even with our ‘awesome’ away form.
This is shit.
We played ok in the second half Jeff, woke up happy and wrote a positive post… Then it all started coming back to me … We were awful in the 1st half they could have had a penalty and hit the woodwork twice and this is Cardiff…. The 40 point safety seems a long way off !
We were absolutely pathetic in the first half and lucky that Cardiff were not out of sight. We couldnt have complained if we were 2 or 3 down at the interval. What I saw were 11 very confused players who were not sure if we were supposed to be playing a passing game or hoof ball. Second half was a vast improvement…..please note Mr Lambert, we are much better playing a pass and move game…no more kick and rush please! We were the far better side in the second half. Two great saves and a Gabby fuck up prevented us from winning. Definetely a game of two contrasting halves. Villa fans amazing again. Didnt see any contribution of note from Bennett. Feel that we would have won had Andreas been on from the start.
Pass and move….pass and move…pass and move…pass and move…pass and move….
I feel Wiemann makes a better contribution as a sub, when he plays a full game he does not seem to respond as well. I feel Wiemann needs to be given something to aim for, whether it be a contract, bonuses or a place in the team. That is no criticism of player just an observation of his mind sethe needs to be aiming for something or he just does not play as well
We ripped them apart second half, although the game plan did get a bit predictable. Heroic defending on their part with the keeper making 2 world class saves and Gabby, well, god knows what he was doing with that sitter. First half we could have been a couple down but overall I don’t think they’d have argued if we had nicked it based on possession (who’d have thought it) and chances.
Imo, the back four were good, Albrighton, Benteke and Weimann played ok, Delph ok in the 2nd half. Gabby, Westwood and Bennett were crap.
A points better than zero and we have a Newcastle next who are slowly in decline.
Bring it on…!!! UTV
Turner was fantastic like the commentators said all centre backs played well, although baker was lucky not to have been sent off and given away a penalty
It’s no good being a team that performs in only 1 half,on another day we could of been ripped apart with the game well beyond us.lambert should give the half time talk before the game begins.maybe im putting my foot in it but i feel playing a shite team like cardiff should of been a 3pter for us,oh well a points better than fuckall.
To much companies from major players, we was lucky if they had scored first half wonder what the out come then, I cannot take it away from some of our players second half dammed good effort from the likes of Albrighton, but Gabbie, and Benteke was off par, we cannot afford to miss golden chances, Wiesman good thinking and deserved better, Delf I just don’t know, good things bad thing’s, as for Vlaar if it was not for their goalkeeper he was man of the match for me, Terry yes mate still worried we have to win game’s and soon.
Complacency, pissing checker.
Bill mate am not just worried but am shit scared that before i meet me maker all i am going to have to look forward to is seeing our beloved VILLA in a division lower that the old third division.Decisions need to be made at the highest level and it ain;t give Lamberk a new contract.
But on another day we could have taken our clearer chances with Cardiff defense having a mare and won 3-0.
I agree we should start like we did in the 2nd half but would we then do what Cardiff did, come out second half with nothing in the tank?
And as for Westwood and Delph……Notice the Cardiff midfield passes to Jones, most were TO HIS FEET. Rarely did he have to pick it out amongst the stars unlike Benteke!!!
Helenius how many more times are we to miss chances, its week after week, why don’t he put your names sake in Benteke has failed over the last few weeks to finish off games. It getting frustrating just to watch games now.
Didnt we score 4 in a game the other week?? Agree with Helenius but id replace with Gabby not Benteke
Helenius why the fuck carn’t we perform for the full 90mins?thats my problem with the team mate.it’s like it game after game.
Because we aren’t good enough.
I was disappointed with the result last night but not with the performance as a whole.
but we definintely do need toput a win on the board very soon, after Newcastle next game March sees us with 5 games 3 of which are man city(a), man utd(a) and Chelsea(h).
we need to be putting 3 pts on the board in the next 2 games no doubt.
I think it won’t be straight forward reaching the magic 40pts,it’s going to be a hard old slog grabbing what we can.yes we need a win asap to ease any pressure on us.
if we are willing to concede that our league position is false due to closeness of other teams points wise.
Then why are we still using a relegation safety benchmark from 3 seasons ago that doesn’t take into account the above closeness.
you can’t dismiss league position due to the close points tally but then use a higher points tally from a different season here me thinks.
2012-2013 (25 games) 23pts Final 36
2011-2012 (25 games) 22pts final 36pts
2010-2011 (25 games)27 pts final 39pts
for 18th place w Brom to get to 40 points based on the form they have displayed so far this season, they would have win more games then have in 25 games so far in their remaining 13 or so.
Tall order.
I think the safety mark this year is more realistic 38 pts
but 18th could be as low as 33 – 35 pts
Give me wingers & balls into the big target man Benteke all day long.I love wing play.I also love a passing game to.We had chances in that game to score 2 or 3.Think Villa needs to concentrate on passing,ball retention and clinical finishing main let downs in a lot of games this season.We have 11 days to practice until St James’s park and w owe them 1.Good post badger well put on the money.I think we played better 2nd half but only started well in the 1st.UTV
Thought we played well in the second half but still see this as 2 points dropped. If we want to get to 40 points assuming that as safety we need 12 points from 12 games. Since we will lose a number of those we may need 3 wins with 3 draws. With each game it gets harder to see where those wins will come from. If we only win 2 we need 6 draws. Whilst we have had the odd surprise this season I don’t really expect much from the games against Chelsea, Man City, Tottenham and Man Utd. It’s easy to see us struggling to reach that total. Of course it may not need that many points but I don’t fancy having to take our chances with a lower points total.
Like I said, that looks like 2 points dropped for me.
i think 1st half your 4getting Cardiff mark this game themselves as a must win. so first half they threw the kitchen sink at villa, also Guzan saved the post shot and the bar one was a lucky shot deflected.
Cardiff tried but failed as villa took over they looked pretty good. yeah i get it, we should av won. not cos were aston villa but cos we were the better side. bad decisions in final third , crosses when should av shot , then there was shots when cut backs or passes 2 better placed ppl.
i thought b4 game the team looked balanced, it turned out that. bennet may not have had a good game but he did ok . sometimes gabby or weimann plays that role they go wondering inside.aving players out there gives options. westwood and delph rarely passed back or sidways cos u had benteke wanting the ball 2 hold up. gabby over the top and bennet was always offering left, albrighton right.
If Cardiff were even an inch more clinical they would have been out of sight by half time.
Funny that one good half brings so much positivity out of the fans Our expectations are slowly being lowered to the standard Lerner wants.
We’re a second rate team with second rate players and a second rate manager.
lmao i think if villa had won every game they played this season ~ we would be top 🙂
🙂 🙂 🙂
If we had been just as clinical it had been 3-2 us
We’re lucky they were just as shit as us Helenius, probably a little bit shitter, but only a bit
Agree we always have one good half and one bad half. Gud half is usually second half so that is fresh in the memory of most fans and they think Wev played well
spot on ohhah
Ooha Im with you on that one mate.
gee who would av thought reducing wages would av lead to poorer quality of football players. i mean 18 months is far enough time,2 turn unwanted players from lower leagues in2 world class players. inconsistency is down to experience, the fact sometimes opposition earn the rite 2 play more than us.
also all villa fans are suffering but some aren’t understanding we had a total make~over and you don’t just turn in2 a top team throwing together consistant performances. b4 last nites game we were 3 points ahead of last years total. so progress is being made albeit not as fast as most of u require
Since I deplore the SAF attitude I am quite prepared to credit the Oppos where it is due. Turner was even better than Vlaar (because he had more work to do) in denying every Villa player on a through ball the time to pick his spot. Marshall produced 2 great saves, and the second was the best I have seen this season. Villa were unlucky to find a basement team with 2 players who had that brilliant a game, imo we deserved to win it.
Poor Gabby got caught in a dither: it needed a right foot shot, which he can produce, as soon as the ball reached him to finish what was a perfect pass from Benteke setting him clear. which brings me to “How to beat a packed defence” for Badger’s erudition.
You may have heard Mulensteen say we knew “ManU would send in crosses and that makes defending easier” to explain Fulham’s draw at Old Trafford. This is the first thing to note – the obvious tactic against a team defending its area with 2 banks of 4 is not to send wingers round the side – though many pundits will tell you it is. What you need is two forwards playing with their backs to goal and the critical point is they should both position themselves between the centre half and the full back, nobody should be between the two centre halves. If the two strikers push out on the shoulders of the full backs the central defenders follow leaving a big gap right down the middle. Think now of yesterdays game. Between the centre half and the full back is where Benteke was – and he was able to send Gabby clear with a pass right down the middle.
Great pictures on BT sport BTW if you do not have it.