John

I think the striker can be found if as a club we are prepared to make the investment Fantram and I hope we are.

I actually do rate Stan Ferris. I think he is there to be more of a holding player than a creative one but he did put a couple of decent balls forward for me on Sunday. I also think Sled has hit the nail on the head with Ash and I trust he will be taking your tip and doing some work on improving the quality of his crosses and dead balls Sled as when he gets these right he is deadly.

These two dropped points may cost us a great deal when the points are added together in early May. Struggling West Ham have taken four points from us this season and must be wishing they could play us every week as those 4 points may well keep them up as might dropping 5 points against them keep us outside of the top 4!

This game was sandwiched between a two legged cup semi final that could see us at the new Wembley for the first time next month and so it was always likely that our players might have one eye on the midweek second leg. But this was also a game that if we had won it would have taken us level with Spurs and Manchester City who did and now still do occupy fourth and fifth place in the league as we remain in sixth two points behind them both. We really cannot afford to drop points in games such as this and still hold top 4 ambitions and we need to take advantage on weekends when they do drop points. We also cannot afford to have our minds focused too much on Wembley to the detriment of other competitions as a final appearance is worth little unless a club wins as we ourselves proved in 2000 and there can be no real guarantee of success at the end of next month against either Manchester club.

We now have a stronger squad than we had last year and are therefore in a better position to battle on three fronts although squad rotation is something that Martin will be reluctant to use too liberally given past reactions to this. Our target should not be a cup rather than top 4 but top 4 and two cups. Although this was our second game in three days given it was also only the second game most of our team will have had this year tiredness should not really have come into play and this must be seen as it was which was simply a below par performance.

West Ham were a well drilled, hard working side that closed us down at every opportunity. Their defence stood firm and they do have a couple of decent players at the back and in the middle. They also seemed to want the point more than we wanted the three and at times although offering little up front looked as likely as we did to break the deadlock. We really needed to follow our two cup wins with a league win to exorcise the two late 2009 league defeats against Arsenal and Liverpool from our player’s minds. But, we seemed short of ideas when it came to breaking them down and those opportunities we did create were spurned for the lack of a cutting edge. We are now goalless in our last three league games and our league challenge is therefore under an increasingly serious threat. We had the lion’s share of the possession today but failed to turn that into goals in the same way as we only had one goal to show at Blackburn from a game we dominated for long periods. Today we also had 16 corners but failed to threaten from the dead ball which has been in the past one of our main threats. So is this to prove a one off or does it herald the prospect of a potential slump in the league? Do our players really have the belief that they can end the season in the top 4 or is it the cup or cups they see as their most likely road to success?

For me, now is the time to strengthen from what is a position of strength. The club needs to make wise investment at a time when the introduction of a top striker could give us the impetus to carry on for the next four months fighting on three fronts. Such players do not come cheap but they do turn draws into wins and Randy has not been slow to show his faith in Martin with money in the past and with three goals in our sights I cannot see him breaking that habit now. The rewards are within our reach and we need to hit the last 4 months of this season running. A win in midweek and for me a signing or two would increase our prospects of making this a real season to remember.

My player ratings from a game that has left us temporarily too close for comfort to mid-table Liverpool and a club from the other side of the city whose name I cannot bring myself to mention are:

Brad Freidel – 6 – Seldom worked by West Ham today.

Carlos Cuellar – 7 – Solid defensively but Carlos is once again playing out of position this time through it would appear managerial choice rather than as cover for injury. Carlos fails to offer us the same link that Young does with our forward players and might feel he has done nothing to cause him to be pushed out wide in much the same way as Young would feel he is worth a start. But it would be hard to keep three fit central defenders happy without upsetting someone.

Richard Dunne – 7 – The best of our central defenders today and his will to keep a clean sheet demands the same from the defence as a whole.

James Collins – 6 – Solid enough at the back and got his head to three of our many corners but failed to trouble their keeper. Not quite at his best against his old team today but James did hit a ball that dropped to him on the edge of the box on the volley just a couple of feet wide on 57 minutes.

Stephen Warnock - 7 – Solid at the back and made some good contributions when we moved forward.

Stewart Downing – 7 – MOTM - Hit a good shot on the hour that Green was unable to hold after a good run that led to the ball winding up in their net for the only time. Good runs and work level throughout.

James Milner – 7 – Fed by Heskey and his shot from the edge of the box on 49 minutes went just wide. Another solid performance as we have come to expect.

Stiliyan Petrov - 6 – Hit a coupe of good forward balls and kept the midfield solid enough for much of the time.

Ashley Young – 7 – Hit a cheeky chip on 26 minutes that Green had to stretch to keep out. Ash is getting increasingly nearer to his best with each of his recent performances.

Emile Heskey – 6 – Replaced by Big John on 57 minutes and had worked pretty well up until then. I would find it surprising that Emile would have started this one if he is to be selected for the semi final second leg in midweek as there is some doubt that he has three games in a week in him as of now.

Gabby Agbonlahor – 5 – Had four opportunities to score and will be disappointed not to have put one of them away and to now be goalless from his last 5 games. Hit a good shot on the turn on 26 minutes that forced a save from Green but might have done better on 63 minutes when he fired a shot over the bar after Downing had found him inside the box after a good run. He was then presented with the ball on the edge of the box after Carew had dispossessed Green on 73 minutes but lacked the confidence to hit the ball first time on the run with Green in no man’s land and so the goal scoring opportunity was lost. Then on 91 minutes he had the golden opportunity to give us a late winner when Carew nodded the ball onto him and he raced past the last defender but instead of hitting the ball first time with the keeper to beat he took a desperately heavy touch that gave the keeper the opportunity to smother the ball. I can accept that he got into the positions to score but having done so an international striker would be expected to hit the net a minimum of once from four opportunities like these and so to win the game. Gabby cannot afford another lean run at this stage of the season with a World Cup place to play for at international level and with trophies and a top 4 spot to play for at club level.

Substitutes:

John Carew – 6 - Replaced Emile on 57 minutes and bundled the ball over the line on the hour when Green was only able to parry Downing’s shot but the goal was ruled out as he had strayed offside.

Up the Villa!

John Lewis

A win from the first of our January trilogy of cup ties against Blackburn extinguished their hopes in the FA Cup and proved a welcome tonic to us on the back of two successive league defeats!

This was a game that showed there is sadly something missing from the glamour of the FA Cup (if only from the early rounds). It was understandable that both sides had one eye on next week’s semi final first leg, that both teams showed massive changes from their normal line ups and that some fans pockets could not stretch to paying for another home game that followed hard on the heals of our game with Liverpool. But, this game had the atmosphere of a friendly both on the field and off it at times (with the clear exception of Diouf whose two footed lunge from behind on Beye will produce an extended holiday period for him this month). But, it’s the result that counts in games like this and a 10 men Blackburn although they had more of the game in the second half than they should have done never really looked likely to come back from 2 goals down.

My player ratings from a game that has left four ties in this tournament from a potential second Wembley final in 2010 are:

Brad Guzan – 7 – Made his usual cup tie appearance and made another penalty save on the half hour that left David Dunn with a red face to match his blue nose. Blotted his copybook on 55 minutes when he spilled a corner on his goal line when under pressure from the unmarked scorer Kalinic.

Habib Beye – 6 – A solid first half performance but he had lapses of concentration in the second half that might have proved costly such as on 65 minutes when he was easily beaten in his own half and the Blackburn player ran half the length of the field and hit a shot just wide of the post.

James Collins – 7 – A solid enough display on those occasions he was tested.

Carlos Cuellar – 8 – MOTM – Another very good display. Scored our second on 37 minutes when he guided a nice cross from Ash into the corner of their net and was only inches over on 67 minutes with a good solid header.

Stephen Warnock - 6 – Might have produced a bit more coming forward to exploit the open spaces the sending off produced but steady enough at the back.

Ashley Young– 7 – A welcome return two of his crosses produced the first two of our goals. Might have done better on 20 minutes when clear and his shot hit the keeper’s legs but a good return after suspension.

Fabian Delph - 7 – Sprayed some good passes around and looked good in the 45 minutes he had available to make an impression.

Nigel Reo Coker – 7 – A silly pull back earned them a penalty on the half hour but was otherwise tenacious and a steadying influence in our midfield. Has again made a case for further games in our midfield and might have added a goal on 86 minutes when a good strike from the edge of the box forced a decent save.

Stewart Downing – 6 – Might have benefited from a game off today after his recent run of games and what had been a long injury break.

Nathan Delfouneso – 6 – Showed clear signs of the potential Martin sees in him particularly before he sustained that knock with some good strong runs and a sweetly taken header from Ashley’s precise cross on 12 minutes that produced our opening goal. Faded as the game wore on.

Emile Heskey – 6 – Again produced a good performance in the target man role.

Substitutes:

Steve Sidwell – 5 - Replaced Fabian at half time failed to make an impression on the second half.

John Carew – 6 – Replaced Nathan on 75 minutes and was felled for the penalty he scored on 90 minutes. I think everyone including their keeper expected the penalty to be blasted down the middle but Carew fooled us all by stroking the ball wide of the keeper to put the result belatedly beyond any possible doubt. Unable to get above the ball on 75 minutes when his header bounced off his head and over.

Up the Villa!

John Lewis

Sound points BOF & Lancs. I just did not think they posed the threat they usually do last night but all that changed on the 93rd minute and I agree that the first month of the year and particularly the next 2 games against Blackburn are vital for us. We do also lack that impact player who can change a game. We are a hard working side and are no easy touch but if Martin could find an impact player who would not unsettle the team spirit we have in January that might be the final costly piece in the jigsaw.

Two defeats in three days has taken us from fourth to sixth and from eight points clear of Liverpool to being just two points ahead of them. We now face a season defining month and must ensure that a second season of immense promise does not implode with a dismal run of results!

Neither side wanted to lose this one. That, the inclement weather and the resultant difficult playing surface last night made a draw the most likely result for most of the game. But, if there was to be a decisive killer goal then it always looked likely to come from a slip or error that the wintry conditions might play a crucial part in. That it came so late in injury time and at a time when we were the team pressing for the winner proved a bitter pill to swallow.

This was the worst Liverpool team I have seen turn up at Villa Park in the last 40 years although Souness’ side ran Rafa’s outfit quite close. That they took the points so late in the game as they so often do against us does not change that. Take Gerrard and Torres out of their side and they would be a mid table side at best. Put those two in our team and we would be a shoe in for Champions League football next season. But, when Torres has an opportunity he has the knack of finding the net and that was the difference between these two sides last night. I think we just about shaded the game through our strong finish and were very unlucky to have taken nothing from it but we failed to put one of our chances away and ultimately paid a heavy price for that.

My player ratings from a game that has left us on the verge of what could prove to be a mid season slump or on the verge of a Wembley appearance, another long cup run and a renewed top 4 challenge are:

Brad Freidel – 7 – Did well on 16 minutes when he touched a decent Gerrard effort over as he did when he clutched a Torres header on 35 minutes and when beating Torres to the ball on the edge of the box on 45 minutes. Had little chance with Torres’ clinical finish that found the gap between his outstretched leg and the far post.

Luke Young – 6 – Another solid enough display.

Richard Dunne – 7 – First to a corner on 13 minutes which Reina’s hands flapped at and kept out but might have conceded a penalty on 38 minutes but for once referee Probert ruled in our favour. Steadied our defence on all but one occasion that this proved necessary.

Carlos Cuellar – 7 – Solid once again alongside Dunne in the heart of our defence.

Stephen Warnock - 6 – Did well to win the ball in injury time but then threaded it back towards Dunne whose slip ultimately proved so costly rather than sought row Z.

James Milner – 7 – I think we missed his presence in the centre of midfield as we did Ashley wide. Involved in most of our positives as he usually is.

Stiliyan Petrov - 6 – Worked hard to keep our central midfield competitive in conditions that made flowing football impossibility and a midfield battle the order of the day.

Nigel Reo Coker – 6 – Worked very hard and was influential in keeping our midfield a solid enough unit. Replaced by Albrighton on 71 minutes in a tactical move that was designed to see us get forward more in search of a late winner.

Stewart Downing – 6 – So unlucky on 29 minutes when his rasping close range effort hit Reina’s hopeful arm and was kept out.

John Carew – 7 – MOTM – Held the ball up well and was a handful for the Liverpool defence. Won the ball in the air on a frequent basis, produced a committed overall display and was only a couple of inches from winning the game for us on 69 minutes when his glancing header just went wide of the far post from a corner.

Gabby Agbonlahor – 6 – Quiet until late in the game when he began to run at the Liverpool defence and show what might have been. He ran clear on 69 minutes and was left with Reina to beat but hit his effort at him and the ball was pushed for a corner. Carragher was aware that Gabby had him beaten for pace but referee Probert allowed him to get away with the odd nudge or twenty that allowed him to come away with the ball more often than not from their challenges.

Substitutes:

Marc Albrighton – 6 - Replaced Reo on 72 minutes and made at best a limited impression during the time he had available to do so.

Steve Sidwell – Replaced Downing on 80 minutes not on long enough to earn a rating or to make a positive impression.

Up the Villa & a Happy New Year to all my readers!

John Lewis

75 points which will bring us 4th!

Its not always the best players that win titles but it is the best team over a season. In the past the likes of Forest in 77 and us in 80 would not have been favourites for the titles they won on day one of the season but they both did it through a team ethic and strong managers who moulded the team together they wanted which then went on to shock the more likely suspects.

It will be harder to do now but I think it might just happen if not this season then say within a season or two. This season I think fourth is a realistic aim. We may fail to secure that placing but I'm not prepared to give up on that yet and I don't think our players and management are either. A trophy would as has been suggested be a nice consolation but what we continue to see at B6 is ongoing improvement and that is what we all wanted and have been provided with to date.

71, 75, 77 (x3), 94 & 96 League Cups, 1982 European Cup, ESC 83, & 2000 FA Cup.

I'm told I also had a seat at the 57 final. My grandmother pushed my pram in front of the TV and I waved my rattle for 90 minutes (as you do)..

Nine points from three games in an 8 day period is Championship form. OK lets not get too carried away but as we enter the festive period we now look realistic Champions League contenders as we prepare for a 6 pointer against Arsenal and a home game against mid-table Liverpool!

This was the sort of game we would not have won at home last season and it was a game we did not having squandered a 2 goal advantage late in that game in a game on which our season turned. This result may prove just as important as all good sides have the ability to win games that they don’t really deserve to on the balance of play. The same Stoke outfit turned up yesterday and were determined to make it very difficult for us once more. They pushed up to give us no room to play in midfield and they did much to minimise our flow of crosses from wide positions. On balance they did not deserve to go home empty handed and they had a lot of the possession other than in the crucial last 10 minutes when it mattered most but you don’t always get what you deserve in football and a team who were prepared to match us for effort went home pointless possibly due to the fact that Beattie spent most of the time warming the bench after his recent reported naked scuffle with his boss rather than presenting the goal threat they clearly lacked. But enough of Soap Gate!

I think I can hear the Bee Gees singing “Tragedy” as I write with a tear in my eye thinking of the gloomy trip after the game for our Staffordshire neighbours. Tony Pulis may bemoan a refereeing decision that went against them but we have suffered the odd dubious decision against a big 4 outfit in the past. Other teams will have to accept that there is a new big 4 team on the block who will rightly expect to get the rub of the green that has been up until now been the exclusive preserve of the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool. So did Sidebe gain an unfair advantage when he went for the ball with Warnock that would have given them a first half lead? To quote Arsene, “I did not see it” but I’m glad referee Probert did and I respect his authority and back his decision 110%. To quote another boss from yesterday, as Rafa said yesterday the referee’s performance yesterday was “perfect”.

My player ratings from a game that has left us fourth, just 2 points behind Manchester United and 8 points clear of Liverpool are:

Brad Freidel – 6 – Very little to do but what he did he did with his usual competence.

Luke Young – 7 – A great block on 64 minutes to deny the tricky Tuncay an opportunity to equalise on 64 minutes. Spent less time moving forward than he usually does due to the pressure Stoke put us under but he was a rock at the back.

Richard Dunne – 7 – Solid as he always is. The selling of Richard may have proved the decision that cost Mark Hughes his job because they already had a better defender at their football club than the ones their millions brought in at great cost. But, their loss was our gain!

Carlos Cuellar – 8 – Another very good performance that threatens to leave James Collins sitting on the bench for much of the festive period and beyond unless Martin decides to try to rotate our three central defenders over the next five games we face within a 2-week period. Did very well with just over half an hour left to take the ball off Whitehead’s foot inside the box with a tackle that needed to be 110% right after Tuncay had played him in.

Stephen Warnock - 6 – Not at his best yesterday and was beaten a few times which he will have been disappointed by. The burning question for me is was he being very clever when he went down under Sidebe’s challenge on 31 minutes in the knowledge that he had no chance of getting to the cross? The free-kick was given, their goal disallowed although many of us feared it would be given and our run of wins continued.

James Milner – 8 – MOTM - Our best midfield player by a distance yesterday and was involved in everything positive that we did.

Stiliyan Petrov - 6 – Not quite at his steadying and influential best. Stiliyan was unable to find the time on the ball or the room he usually does in the midfield against committed and industrious opponents. Hit a good shot on 15 minutes that Sorensen was only able to parry to Gabby whose shot he then saved with his feet.

Stewart Downing – 6 – Not quite as impressive as in recent games and may have found a third game in 8 days so soon after a long lay off hard to manage. Hit a well worked free kick a couple of feet wide on 40 minutes when Ashley had looked the likely taker of the free kick up until Stewart hit the ball.

Ashley Young – 7 – Our main wide threat yesterday. Hit a splendid cross for our winner on 61 minutes after Downing switched the ball to him out wide and Big John does not miss from there. Hit a good in swinging ball towards the near post on 33 minutes cross that Carew was not quite able to turn in under pressure from Higginbotham.

Emile Heskey – 6 – Replaced on 22 minutes due to injury. Made space well using his body strength to ensure that Downing’s skidding dead ball found its way to Dunne whose waist level header flew harmlessly over. Now looking a proper centre forward following a run in the side.

Gabby Agbonlahor – 6 – Might have had a couple of goals yesterday but worked hard and his all round play continues to stay at a level of what he had produced this time last season. Foiled by Sorensen’s feet when he latched onto that parry from Petrov’s effort on 15 minutes and then had a shot blocked by Higginbotham on 59 minutes.

Substitutes:

John Carew – 7 - Replaced Emile on 22 minutes. Chested down a ball from Young well on 53 minutes that he then hit his shot well over. Headed our winner when he connected with Ashley’s superb cross on 61 minutes but needs to watch those goal celebrations as the corner flag went into the lower Holte at some pace!

Steve Sidwell – 6 – Replaced Downing on 80 minutes. Might have settled our nerves on 87 minutes when Carew headed down to Gabby who found Steve with room on the edge of the box but his shot bent inches wide of the post. He had a second opportunity 2 minutes later when Milner found him in space from a corner but he hit his shot high and wide. Did some decent late defensive work on 92 minutes when he got a good block in and then moments later when he played the ball out of his own box and away from danger.

Up the Villa & a Happy Christmas to all my readers!

John Lewis

Another home win has taken us back above Liverpool into fifth, has left us level on points with fourth placed Spurs for a minimum of 24 hours and has kept us 5 points clear of the eighth placed team whose supporters must be having nose bleeds!

We were out of the trap quickly today and could have been four rather than two goals up within the first half hour if our early chances had been converted. We took the foot off the pedal a little in the second half but this was a result we needed to keep us in contention in the coming weeks and given Hull’s recent good run one that proved easier to secure than it might have been expected to. Hull’s recent resurgence has a clear link to Jimmy Bullard’s return to the side and although they were already behind when he went off on 18 minutes his absence minimised any chances they may have had of getting back into the game. The reception Villa fans gave Jimmy as he went off was a warm one and it showed we like his own fans hope his absence from football will be only a short one on this occasion.

It has been asked how Martin can accommodate Milner, Young and Downing in the same team. Today showed how. We seemed to be playing that bit further up the pitch and to be posing constant problems to a defence who were unable to try to nullify Ashley by putting two defenders on him because teams know now that if Ashley doesn’t get you James or Stewart will! On occasions our captain may need more support in the centre of the midfield such as from Reo next weekend for example but this formation is good to watch and as seven goals from two games shows it will win us games.

My player ratings from a game that produced 7 bookings but was far from the ill tempered bloodbath that this booking count suggests are:

Brad Freidel – 6 – A quiet day for Brad who was very rarely tested and could have done nothing with a Fagan shot that rattled the woodwork on the hour that could have brought Hull back into the game.

Luke Young – 7 – Might have had a goal in the first minute when Heskey put him through on goal but he hit the ball wide. Luke produced some solid defending, covered well when necessary and produced a threat to the Hull defence when moving forward and linking well with our wide men.

Richard Dunne – 8 – Solid at the back when tested but it was up front where he made his most significant mark today. Milner was given too much space on 13 minutes and found Richard unmarked in the box who drilled the ball past the keeper and into the net with a finish that any striker would be happy to claim as his own.

Carlos Cuellar – 7 – Another very solid performance and the more games he gets in the centre the harder he may prove to displace.

Stephen Warnock - 7 – Gets better with every game. Solid at the back and posing an increasing threat to defences as he gets forward more often and links so well with the players in front of him.

James Milner – 9 – MOTM – A must for the England squad and may well make the team itself if he can continue to produce this level of performance over the rest of the season. We know what to expect of James and we are very rarely disappointed. He set up our first goal, scored our second and looked the perfect fit for the more central role he had with us today. Oh and what a goal! Hull’s keeper Duke headed the ball out for a throw in on 28 minutes that substitute Sidwell caught and being aware of the situation fed to Gabby. He took a quick throw to James who took one touch before chipping the ball past the despairing keeper as he tried to get back into the goalmouth and over defender Gardner who was trying to cover in Duke’s absence.

Stiliyan Petrov - 8 – Pulled all the strings in our midfield today allowing Milner, Young and Downing to trouble their defence at will and moved the ball forward more often than he did backwards today.

Stewart Downing – 7 – This full game will have done yet more to shake off any cobwebs there may have been after what had been a long injury lay off. Stewart was only inches over on 41 minutes with a good shot from outside the box having been found by Petrov. He gives us a lot more options when moving forward and will get better with each game he plays as I suspect we will.

Ashley Young – 7 – Looks to be getting nearer to the Ashley we were enthralled by last season. Did well to eventually cool his head after Hunt’s provocation led to a booking on 50 minutes and then was brought down insider the box by raced onto a flick from Big John.

Emile Heskey – 7 – Another encouraging performance. Emile showed signs of what gives him an England shirt so often in a Villa shirt on this occasion, by holding the ball, bringing it under control and feeding others. Might have scored on 6 minutes to bring his recent goal tally to two from two games when Ashley played him in but he scuffed his shot wide of the post.

Gabby Agbonlahor – 6 – Showed some continued signs of improvement and had a hand in our second (as did Sidwell who might rightly claim a share in Gabby’s assist). But Gabby seemed to lack the cutting edge today as was exemplified when he ran towards the penalty area alongside a defender but then appeared to tread on the ball and lost what seemed a good opportunity to hit our third on 78 minutes.

Substitutes:

John Carew – Replaced Emile on 77 minutes. Not really on long enough to rate but was on long enough to score our third, having found Ashley before he was brought down and was then confident enough to demand the ball for the spot kick. Hit his penalty hard and straight down the middle but if he is to claim the job on more than an occasional basis he will need to vary his penalties as keepers will soon predict where the ball is going as can we. But, he does hit them very hard!

Up the Villa!

John Lewis

I demand a replay!

I think I will take the point we have Danwichmann. :winkold:

He didn't have a Spurs shirt on, by any stretch

I thought most of the 50/50 decisions and a fair few that were 40/60 went their way but I will hold my hands up I did not actually see that shirt & I have a history of being a bit demanding of refs.

Dawson was a shoulder only the blinkered would deny that

I agree it was not his hand Zatman but Dawson and the MOTD team all gave a clear indication that they may not have given the goal.

we were lucky with a point

Yes there was a large slice of luck Chelts but also good performances at the back that played a bigger part in us claiming a point.

I'm glad we are like minded on last night's game Jon & bickster.

I do not understand why people are surprised that they make errors...of course they do. Players and managers make errors all the time but expect the officials to be perfect

I just expect their errors all not to benefit the same team Ricardomeister. Sadly I think refs have become worse rather than better since they began being better rewarded for the job that they do and I think we can expect better than we got from the likes of Dowd and his assistants last night. These hand ball incidents and did the ball cross the line or not are things that are being got wrong too often. These are game changing decisions and for me last night's game and Ireland's defeat demonstrates these officials need help. Whether that is best from an extra official posted behind each goal line (who might also not see an incident clearly) or a video replay that would give the 4th official something to do is open for debate. I also think Dawson's reaction on MOTD was the reaction of a guilty man although these things are often not as clear cut as the 2 World Cup incidents that I mentioned they should be noticed more often than not and I think Spurs may have been given the benefit of the doubt twice last night.

It seemed to me there were potentially three hand balls by Spurs players last night rather than just one. One of them was spotted by the officials, one might have been ignored by them because it led to a goal for us anyway (if the officials are to be given the benefit of the doubt) but the third cost us the game!

Let me first say that on the balance of play Spurs deserved a point at the minimum from last night’s top 5 clash. But, you don’t always get what you deserve and had it not been for last night’s inept officials missing Dawson bringing the ball under control with his upper arm before hitting his equaliser then Harry’s boys may have left Villa Park pointless.

Our goal came shortly after Assou-Ekotto had blocked Carlos Cuellar’s header on the line with his chest or elbow or a combination of both. Would we have been given a penalty had Gabby not forced the ball home? I doubt it. On 73 minutes Defoe had the ball in the net but unusually the referee blew for a free kick for us having resisted the temptation to do so for 99% of the game and so the role Defoe’s hand had played in creating a goal scoring opportunity was recognised. But, just 3 minutes later neither referee Dowd nor his well positioned linesman questioned the part Dawson’s arm played in bringing the ball under control before he hit a sweet shot into the net for their equaliser. These may not have been such glaring and cynical hand balls as were those of Henri and Maradona before him. But, they demonstrate that officials can easily and all too often do get decisions wrong. But, those decisions that cost England and Ireland their World Cup were one isolated incident in a game where last night there were three. But, Dowd will not have worried about that as he boarded the team bus back to North London with his Spurs shirt in his travel bag rather than under his referee’s shirt as I’m sure more than once his ropey decisions were followed by his kissing a cockerel badge or were my eyes deceiving me in the same way as his so often did him?

But, enough already of hand balls and the incompetence of match officials. Spurs came to Villa Park on cloud 9 after their previous second half demolition of Wigan. Defoe looked full of goals again and their touch and flowing attacking football was at times reminiscent of what their North London neighbours can produce. We produced an early goal and then a splendid rearguard action began to look increasingly likely to produce a win as the game wore on and on. But, 13 minutes from time our dam burst following incessant Spurs pressure. What had for so long seemed an inevitable goal was merited by the pressure they put on us which had led to our back line being pressed back too deep and to the likes of Ashley Young spending most of the game in his own half rather than in that of our opponents. The shots on target figures said it all last night but for so long the statistic that really counts (goals scored) had us in the ascendancy until a third hand/arm intervention cost us dear.

My player ratings from a game of two halves neither of which we had the best of are:

Brad Freidel – 9 – An exceptional display. A good stop from a speculative effort from the edge of the box from Kranjcar on 3 minutes was followed 16 minutes later by a splendid save from a Defoe shot after the ball had found its way to him following a Huddlestone free-kick. Brad followed that up on 27 minutes when he tipped a dipping Defoe shot over the bar and on 49 minutes he again denied Kranjcar with another great save. He then made another good stop on 73 minutes before Defoe’s hand produced their disallowed goal.

Habib Beye – 7 – Did very well and for me this was his best game in a Villa shirt by some distance.

Richard Dunne – 8 – Another very solid display in the heart of our defence. Played the ball out of defence well and did much to keep the 9 goal attack of last week to one goal last night.

Carlos Cuellar – 9 – MOTM – Gave the sort of commanding performance in the centre of our defence that we have seen from Laursen in the past and more recently from Collins. This performance showed he really has what it takes and the trick is now to show this consistently starting next weekend because after this display he must surely retain his place whether Collins is fit or not. His near post header on 9 minutes from a Milner corner led to our goal and was only kept out by the elbow of Assou-Ekotto on the line before Gabby forced it in at the far post. He had a great surging run to change defence to attack on 51 minutes having previously on 20 minutes done so well to stretch his leg out and deflect what had seemed a certain goal from Dawson wide.

Luke Young - 7 – Back covering on the left rather than his preferred right side. Did a good job in keeping Lennon quiet and got forward to good effect particularly in the first half.

James Milner – 8 – Just like Alan Ball and the Duracell bunny he does not stop running does he?

Stiliyan Petrov - 7 – The steadying influence in our midfield produced a decent display but as a unit we failed to keep the ball in midfield and up front.

Nigel Reo Coker – 7 – Injured in a challenge in the third minute so did well to stay on and make a solid contribution until being replaced by Sidwell on 70 minutes.

Ashley Young – 6 – Did much of his work in his own half and shows only rare glimpses of the level of performance that he was showing so consistently at the same point last season.

John Carew – 7 – Replaced by Heskey on 75 minutes had worked hard up until then without being quite at his best.

Gabby Agbonlahor – 8 – A good display and showed tenacity in ensuring that the ball did wind up in the Spurs net on 9 minutes. He really is an improving forward and he is beginning to find the game to go with the goals that can see him in South Africa in the summer.

Substitutes:

Steve Sidwell – 5 - Replaced Reo on 70 minutes and will struggle on yesterday’s performance to keep him out of the side next weekend.

Emile Heskey – 7 - Replaced Big John on 75 minutes and looked very good and very keen to make a big impression. Might just have stolen it for us in injury time when his terrific header from an Ashley Young cross was nodded over the largely unemployed Gomes to finish only inches over the bar.

Up the Villa!

John Lewis

Martin seems to have fixed the problem we had at home last season but I agree that away from home the 4-5-1 line up does seem to be the best system we have available to utilise the squad we have to select from. We got results away from home last season when we played no better than we have done this season. We faded from a position of strength as the season wore on. I back Martin to do everything possible to turn our away form around (which at present includes too many inept first half performances but not too many defeats), to avoid the late season burn out that cost us so much last year and to give us a team that we can continue to be proud of.

What better manager have we had than Martin over the past 60 years? Ron Saunders, Big Ron, Graham Taylor or Joe Mercer? I think sometimes we don't recognise what he have until it is gone....

I wonder if they are having a similar monthly pole on Fergie or Wenger or even Rafa and Mark Hughes? :oops: We are lucky to have Martin and there are a lot of clubs that would have him at the drop of a hat.

He started very well villan-007 but fell away for me. I just think given the run of games he has had he should be nearing the level he produced at Reading for the whole 90 minutes and being more of a threat when he gets an opportunity although I accept he has to get in the positions to miss them.

Villa lit the blue touch paper we stood back and enjoyed the display but Megson might just find himself in danger of being the fall Guy after this one!

We bounced back from a dire midweek result to put our season back on track yesterday with a fine win in front of a healthy Villa Park crowd. Our home performances are so much more convincing than they were last season and Villa Park is in clear danger of becoming the fortress it will need to become if we are to maintain a top 6 placing.

Bolton may not have had their best of days yesterday. They are a workmanlike side under Megson who did keep them up but his appointment to replace Big Sam was not well received and no doubt the calls for his head will grow louder following this result. They have their place in the top flight and have kept it by being a battling side, it just seems that Martin’s side has developed the knack of beating them by a country mile at Villa Park.

Martin shuffled his pack in the absence of Petrov and Collins but the changes he made worked very well and showed the depth we now have in our squad. Reo’s appointment as skipper smacked of a Brian Clough type move. Have a heated argument with a player, reprimand him, leave him simmering on the fringes of the team then play him as captain to give him the opportunity to show his true worth and take out his frustration on our opponents. That was a master stroke!

Gary Cahill returned to Villa Park again yesterday as did Villa fan Zat Knight who may have enjoyed this five goal salvo less than he would have our last one against Small Heath as he found himself in the firing line this time. I thought Cahill looked pretty good yesterday (which is some achievement given that their defence leaked five goals) and although he will hold his hand up for our second he was a major threat on his forages up front and his effort which was deflected onto a post produced their goal. But, his three returns to Villa Park have been bitter sweet affairs with this 5 – 1 beating now being added to two earlier 4 -0 and 4 – 2 defeats. Long may his run continue!

My player ratings from a game that I thought the poppy on our shirts and on our opponent’s ones demonstrated an appropriate mark of respect are:

Brad Freidel - 7 – Dealt well and with a minimum of fuss with what Bolton were able to produce yesterday.

Luke Young – 8 – Welcome back Luke! Showed what we have been missing this season and he will surely take some shifting now. Linked well with Milner and gave us the overlap option that we have been missing. Solid at the back and a threat when moving forward which he demonstrated on 50 minutes when he won the ball near the edge of the box and hit a well struck shot that forced a save from Jaaskelainen.

Richard Dunne – 7 – Got forward regularly but was well marshalled by Cahill at dead ball situations and found Davies a handful as do most defenders. Unlucky with a good block that deflected Cahill’s otherwise goal bound effort onto the post only for the deflection to fall kindly into Elmander’s path for their 44th minute goal.

Carlos Cuellar – 8 – Looked very comfortable on his return to his best position which is undoubtedly the centre of our defence. Carlos hit a shot from the first of our 7 corners in the first 30 minutes that Jaaskelainen kept out 3 minutes into the game. He was then in the right place at the right time 4 minutes later to clear a Davies effort that had Brad beaten. Carlos then rounded off a splendid display by scoring our fifth and his first goal in a Villa shirt on 75 minutes when he nodded on a Milner cross into the back of their net and past the keeper.

Stephen Warnock - 7 – Another good solid display.

James Milner – 8 – Failed to convert a second penalty on 71 minutes when Jaaskelainen pushed his penalty out but tucked away the rebound off a post after Sidwell had hit it when Jaaskelainen’s save had fallen invitingly into his path.

Steve Sidwell – 6 – Did not maintain the level of performance he produced in the first half during the second and had his blushes spared on 71 minutes when Milner got his goal after Steve had somehow hit a post rather than score when faced with an open goal after Jaaskelainen’s penalty stop landed at his feet.

Nigel Reo Coker – 7 – A captain’s performance. Kept things ticking in the middle and encouraged those around him both verbally and by his own example. We are a stronger team with him in it.

Ashley Young – 7 – As Madonna says it only takes 4 minutes and we were a goal up in that time after Milner had crossed for Carew whose header was pushed out only for Ashley to pounce on the rebound and hit the ball into the roof of the net and past Jaaskelainen with a good finish. Might have had a second late into stoppage time when his well hit free kick was only kept out by a good save by Jaaskelainen who was kept very busy all day and whose display kept our score in single figures. Much better dead ball delivery than of late and whipped in some testing corners. Two goals in two games may well boost his confidence to the levels that will produce the Ashley we know is there and waiting to come out.

John Carew – 9 – MOTM – His header led to our first goal, his tenacity and squared ball for Gabby produced our second and on 52 minutes he got his name on the scoreboard himself when he turned inside the box did well to stay upright and put the ball past Jaaskelainen for our third and decisive goal which restored our two goal advantage. But, Big John was not prepared to settle for that and it was he who was brought down inside the box to claim the penalty that ultimately produced our fourth goal.

Gabby Agbonlahor – 7 – Another encouraging display from Gabby and another goal. Ashley Young did well to keep the ball in play on 42 minutes and then found Big John with an overhead kick that Carew did not at first get under control, but Cahill spurned the opportunity to clear the danger with a hoof out of play and was caught in possession by Carew who then left him trailing squared the ball nicely to Gabby who took a touch to tee himself up before nutmegging both a defender and the keeper with his shot that provided us with a two goal cushion for two first half minutes.

Substitutes:

Nathan Delfouneso – Replaced Milner on 81 minutes. Not on long enough to rate.

Fabian Delph – Replaced Reo on 85 minutes in a double substitution with the game well won and was another who was not on long enough to earn a rating.

Craig Gardner – Replaced Sidwell on 85 minutes and managed to get himself booked within 2 minutes without having touched the ball. Not on long enough to earn a rating but might have earner himself a sending off had he had more time on the field.

Up the Villa!

John Lewis

So, as I say, a nice modern ground

Where was it played then?? Did you get a fortune cookie at half time? Nice report Scott.

Thanks for the report and I particularly enjoyed your summing up of Ashley's contribution:

Like the post office, his delivery is off at the moment

This like the Blackburn game only more so was an away game that we could have taken all 3 points from. I had hoped we would hold on and to be honest they did not look like scoring from open play and it took a rash challenge from Sidwell to get them back into a game we would surely have otherwise closed out. We need to win these games and players needed to match the performances they produced against the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea on a wet early afternoon kick off in Wolverhampton.

We do defend a little deeper than I am comfortable with as well TRO but it seems to be working :winkold: & it was their defending errors that contributed to our two goals from set pieces and we might have had another if that penalty had been given.

I'm sure we would all like to see moves such as Gabby's headed cross near half time that Big John voleyed over or Young's cross for Milner that he put into Big John's path on 72 minutes produce goals that would leave the Chelsea manager needing to look for another reason to be negative about our win. But, I'm happy enough for the lions share of our goals to come from well worked set pieces its part of the game and they count for goals in the same way one as one that comes from a 12 pass move would.

Some uniform high marks there John. Not like you at all

Brad was very near an 8 Fantram which given he held his hand up for their goal shows how good his performance was after that. I agree we had some very good performances yesterday and near enough half of the team were in the running for MOTM.

15 in 3 minutes I wonder what the average score is for NFL players? :winkold:

Chelsea fans chanted “You’re worse than Birmingham” when they were one up but those words stuck in their throats as they trooped out of the ground pointless at the end of a second successive terrifically entertaining game at Villa Park!

Neither a late start to this early kick off, nor having a strong penalty claim turned down with the greatest of ease by a substitute referee who was clearly no friend of ours and who refereed as if he had been plucked straight off the Chelsea team bus or going a goal down minutes later could deny us the victor’s spoils yesterday.

This was a game that in the past we would not have won. We have shown too much respect for the likes of Chelsea before (although Villa Park rarely for a top 4 side has not been a particularly happy hunting ground other than last season for them) and going a goal down has rarely led to much for us in the past against the SKY 4. But, Martin has developed a real football team that will play for each other. We have a defence that moves forward as a unit. We have a defence that will not buckle under pressure and a team that works hard and then works harder still.

Martin’s transfer window signings Richard Dunne and James Collins are proper defenders and you get the feeling that we really have a defence that is capable of holding onto a lead now as well as supplying the goals to win games as they did today. We pose a threat at set pieces that we have not since Martin Laursen last played in our shirt. We show a thirst to win balls that are played into our box that we have also not shown since Martin last appeared for us. It may have taken two players to replace him but I think Martin may just have done the trick.

Chelsea will be there at the title shake up. They are a very good team, they move the ball well. They are usually solid at the back and pose a serious threat up front. But, fortress Villa Park as it will become if we can show the same level of performance against the likes of Bolton, Spurs, Hull and Stoke when they come calling between now and Christmas is not a place where the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and I trust now Manchester United can now turn up expecting to take points. There was not a lot to choose between the two teams yesterday. Neither team could afford to drop points. I just think Chelsea would have been more satisfied with a point than we would have been and for me that shows real progress and true ambition.

My player ratings from a game that showed we can look the likes of Chelsea in the eye as we did Liverpool at Anfield without flinching are:

Brad Freidel - 7 – Made up for that rare slip on 14 minutes when a speculative Drogba shot took a wicked bounce over him and into the net with a string of top drawer saves afterwards. Just got to a clever Deco chip on 35 minutes to push it past the post and denied the same player on 57 minutes when his legs got in the way of a 57th minute shot. Brad punched out a goal bound shot from Malouda on 59 minutes and saved with his legs again on 73 minutes when Anelka was left with just him to beat and an equaliser had looked on.

Carlos Cuellar – 7 – No nonsense defending from Carlos yesterday. At the hint of danger the ball was put into the stand unceremoniously and he made a couple of well timed tackles. A strong defensive display against a difficult opponent in Malouda.

Richard Dunne – 8 – That’s two goals in two games for our latest Irish hero. Young whipped in a lethal corner on 31 minutes which Lampard could only nod on (for an assist), Richard duly lost his marker Carvalho and his diving determined header found the net at the near post for our well merited equaliser. Richard found no difficulty in celebrating this one and might have had a second after the break but could not quite direct that one.

James Collins – 8 – MOTM – Alongside Richard Dunne he forms a formidable central defensive partnership. They did so well together to nullify the not insignificant threat that Drogba and Anelka’s partnership presents. Not content with another fine defensive display he then turned up with the winner and his first goal in a Villa claret & blue shirt when on 51 minutes he was left unmarked on the edge of the six yard box and his firm header left Terry bouncing up and down on the line like a frustrated schoolboy. Made a tremendous block on 40 minutes when Drogba seemed to have been left with just Freidel to beat.

Stephen Warnock - 7 – Looking better each week which will be a concern to Bouma as he continues his recovery and to Shorey who was perhaps on form unlucky to lose his place. But, we have one of the best left backs in the league playing for us now and he will prove very, very hard to shift from our starting line up.

James Milner – 8 – Another top notch display from James. Box to box, all action a threat up front and a barrier to their progress in his own half.

Steve Sidwell – 7 – Had a point to prove to those who had labelled him a “Chelsea reject” yesterday and he could walk off the field with head high having made his point.

Stiliyan Petrov – 8 – Added some impressive forward movement to his usual role of holding together our midfield and gave a most impressive display.

Ashley Young – 7 – Took the corners that led to the goals and found Milner well on 72 minutes, James then put the ball across for Carew who was not quite able to apply the necessary touch. Still not at his best moving forward and he seems to miss the link he had with Barry that led to much of our attacking football going down his wing. But he did a lot of good work tracking back when Chelsea looked to get back into the game.

John Carew – 7 – Worked himself to a standstill up until he was replaced on 81 minutes to another ovation from the stands. Worked hard up front and relished the challenge that coming up against Terry provided. Dropped back to form a midfield five when they had possession as the game wore on.

Gabby Agbonlahor – 7 – Found by a good early ball inside the box on 10 minutes and was clearly brought down as he was about to pull the trigger by Bosingwa. But, this was one set piece the referee made sure we had no opportunity to convert. Gabby hit a purple patch near the end of the first half. He hit a terrific cross on 44 minutes which proved just too high for Sidwell, he then powered a tremendous header from the edge of the box having won a challenge that referee Friend adjudged a foul and that Carew volleyed over. Ashley Cole was then booked having brought Gabby down when his pace had took him past him and on the stroke of half time he raced onto a ball that ran clear but Cech had sensed the danger and reached the ball first. Looked every inch an England striker during that spell.

Substitutes:

Emile Heskey – Replaced the tiring Big John on 82 minutes and looked livelier than of late when coming off the bench I loved the way he shielded the ball in the corner as the game neared its conclusion. Not on long enough to rate.

Up the Villa!

John Lewis

I see where you are coming from AVFCin Spain but he was on for 28 minutes + 5 minutes injury time so he had time to merit a rating I just did not think he did enough to merit something below 6. I agree with what you have said about his performances for us the good ones have been rare and he needs to up his club form and get the fans behind him with some hard working displays.