Borgs

Can we please stop leaving David Silva acres of space? He's the first person our defensive midfielders/defenders should be monitoring and marking.

I don't know what Clark thought he could do there. He wasn't fouled either. 

Exactly. Was he working space for a backpass he should've played the first time? Maybe he was going to Cruyff turn and pirouette all the way to a one-on-one with Joe Hart. Shame for the spectator Dzeko dispossessed him - denied us something akin to Maradona's second goal in '86. What about the commentary... "you've got to feel sorry for Ciaran Clark!" Excuse me?!

Pleased with the football. Definitely could've been more clinical but the Arse deserved it ever so slightly.

On course for a last day tilt at survival. Having just looked at them, Wigan have such an hellish run of fixtures it wouldn't surprise me if Villa start match 38 from in front.

Totally agree with that sub. Won't be surprised if Dawkins scoots away on the counter to create at least one chance.

They've got a real diamond in Szczęsny.

Credit to N'Zogbia for the square header to Weimann.

FFS, what is Zog's pass completion rate... 5%?! I'll be less than impressed if he's not the first one subbed. Even Ireland would've been more effective so far.

Entertaining football... reminds me a bit of the Norwich @ Arsenal (3-3) match last season. We've not exhibited quite the quality in the top third though.

That's really bad refereeing, giving Lowton a card for that challenge.

We're gone. 100%. The other teams are running away from us now. We need a few wins just to get close to them again, but we won't even win 1. We have already been relegated.

Interesting. Could you tell me who won the league, the cups and who went down with us? And did you enjoy the Champions' League final? Scratch that last one... of course you didn't.

Southampton may get dragged back in

Apart from its relationship to Villa's fortunes I'm keen for this outcome.

Yes he did say form looks good. But he meant the way we are playing...not our actual form. His interviews are a waste of time to be honest...he's terrible at them, not that it's a main concern for me.

Agree that the play itself is what translates as form. And, as you imply, all sports interviews are a waste of time; filler for the media machine, nothing more. Generally speaking, there are few things more banal or inane than a BBC interview of a football player/manager.

Who the **** is voting for Bennett as MOTM!!!???

Set up the goal, put in another cross that was a tap in if anyone had moved, made excellent runs... He still made a lot of mistakes and played badly, but that's a given for any player who played; we got outplayed by a League Two side but there's still a poll. Nobody had a good 90 minutes.

He set up their goal when beaten as favourite to a ball on his flank, which led to the corner. Considering that was the goal that put us out, I'd say he's a bit short of MOTM territory. Sure, he did some good things, too. Charles N'Zogbia did not play badly and therefore got my vote. The fact he made no notable mistakes, that his contributions apart from a crude challenge were positive, distinguishes him from Joe Bennett when it comes to the aforementioned insignificant poll.

Bereft of ideas and quality. I thought Lambert was mistaken in not pushing the fullbacks on in behind them to cross the ball, then compounded it by packing the middle with strikers to chase it.

Good luck to them, though. Hope they win it.

Hurrah for route one football. Not.

who said conceding a corner was like losing a penalty....................

Quite a few scallywags over the past several weeks.

Anyway, can we please exploit the width now please? That skidding Bennett cross was what, the third time we've hit one in from in behind them? Why isn't this going on all game? Lowton in particular has been culpable, as has been mentioned quite a bit. They've cluttered up the middle, as they should.

We've one of the greatest aerial threats in the game and we've knocked over bugger-all crosses from in behind their fullbacks, despite being virtually invited to do so all half.

LOWTON run and cross the **** ball you prick for **** sake you are the out ball you have 1 person to run around, that is it, 1 person and you are then completely through use your **** head son

lol you're being unbelievably harsh on him.

He's 100% spot on. Lowton's seemingly on an individual crusade to abolish our width on the right. He refuses to hug the line or take the free passage they're continually giving him down the right, with and without the ball.

Lowton realises he's right-footed, right? Then why does he keep cutting in?

WTF is with Lowton's reluctance to take it to the byline?! They're giving him miles out there. Take it, FFS!

Brad Guzan - 6 Made a few decent saves none of the goals were his fault.

I'd like to add i was angry with Guzan for not holding that ball and conceding the corner...

What he said. Guzan shat himself with Lukaku bearing down on him and spilt what was a regulation gather. He got there comfortably first and should've held it. You only needed to see his reaction after conceding the second.

why do people still care? when will our fans realise that no one other us will ever care about the 19th minute applause

Quite a number of opposing teams' fans have joined in. And the applause takes place in the twentieth minute - a fact that has stumped just about every commentator bar Martin Tyler.

Oh how I wish Lichaj had buried that chance in the first half...

... or, as John Gregory pointed out, squared it to Benteke for a tap-in. Lichaj had every right to shoot but, still, had a superior option.

Spirited showing from the lads but once again, as happens at this level, punished by crucial mistakes. Could’ve been more clinical up front, but Albion were far more wasteful.

Positives:

- Return of Ron Vlaar. Lukaku very well marshalled.

- Charles N'Zogbia. Played well overall but still managed an horrendous overdribbling episode, which led to their first.

- Christian Benteke. Corner defence aside, of course.

- Fabian Delph. Excellent for the second straight match.

Negatives:

- Barry Bannan. Wrong options on the extremely rare occasions he got involved.

- Eric Lichaj. Not up to standard and particularly on the ball.

- Brad Guzan. Spilt the ball that led to their equaliser.

In before the hundred calls to sack Lambert.... a committee of Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola could not get this collection of inexperienced and frankly not good enough players to win.

I've not been a Villa fan (quite) long enough to follow a second-tier club, so for novelty's sake I'm already looking forward to next season. Cheer up, everyone.

Edit: Something about the match then. Very pleased with the second half, but we'll go down with this backline. Vlaar is much missed but, really, our fullbacks weren't up to scratch today. Puncheon had a field day.

I agree. I'm not saying that Lambert isn't a good player. I'm just saying that playing well against us should not be the yardstick to judge player ability.

Absolutely. Which is why I judged him on his ability to keep and advance possession independently.

Weimann's a bit of a lunatic, isn't he.

benetesky has been so shit since liverpool game

Agreed. He's got some improving to do on this form.

That doesn't make Rickie Lambert good though. Nakhi Wells tore us apart last week.

That is a good point, but Ricky has exhibited an impressive array of passes that neither Wells nor Benteke could dream of producing.