Ponky

4 weeks ago I would have been pessimistic with this match but I think our form has turned around incredibly since the Spurs game and that 3-man attacking midfield is lethal.

However, I would play 4-5-1 in this one, with NRC alonside Petrov and Young, Milner & Downing pushing forward to support Gabby.

9-1 might be one of the worst things to have happened to Spurs this year. Nothing seems quite so easy now by comparison does it?

It's 4.15 am. How the hell am I supposed to get to sleep after that!

Highlights.

1. Villa win at OT with a superb performance from each player.

2. Fergies' chewing gum flying out of his mouth whilst screaming at the 4th official about 'only' 3 minutes time added

3. Rooney's yellow card for diving.

Lowlights:

1. Martin Atkinson. In a league of utter turds who pass for referees surely this man's performance was a turd's puke in a bowl of turd soup.

2. Warnock's injury. Hope it's not serious because I think he is not far off becoming our most valuable player.

And a special dedication to those Villa fans who faithfully trudge off to Old Trafford year in year out to support the boys - this one's for you!

Agree we need to attack - we have been a bit unlucky not get another 1 0r twp but we have had some luck up the other end. We need Milner to come out of his shell a little. Warnock playing with great heart.

If we are still in front at 75mins I would say sub Heskey for NRC and try to control midfield a little better.

All in all, I would be stoked to come away from that place with a point, no matter how many injuries they have.

send that goal by Cahill to Capello....what England can look forward to in the 2nd round of the WC....

*runs away*

Yes but what worries me is the above discussion about Everton and freak injuries. Cahill and his glass legs are all that really stand between us and World Cup oblivion :?

We need to take the same sort of approach Sunderland took against the glory hunters when they got a draw (should have won) a couple of months ago. They didn't sit back trying to defend like so many teams do when they do to Old Trafford because it doesn't work... they worked their socks off and were not afraid to have a real go at them playing attacking football and it paid off. It's vital we take that sort of approach because it's all or nothing when you play Man United at Man United but of course, it's still going to be very difficult but I'm hoping for a draw.

This is exactly what we did 2 seasons ago and we were on the end of a 4-0 thrashing!

What was Dunne even doing there for his goal?

Only saw fits and starts on the stream, but they didn't really look capable of penetrating our defence.

Seems like a bit of confidence is starting to creep into our attacking play.

Anything happening yet?

I think this was an extremely good analysis:

David Pleat's tactical report: Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur

Villa's determination at early corners gave them the initiative, but they lack a charismatic schemer to aid Stiliyan Petrov

Shape

Martin O'Neill was not fearful despite seeing Spurs rattle in nine against Wigan on the previous Sunday. He bravely went for dual strikers supported by two wingers in Ashley Young and James Milner. This was a 4-4-2 with England potential in both wide positions. The midfield graft would be shared between the energetic and back-in-favour Nigel Reo-Coker and the smoother Stiliyan Petrov. Shorn of Stephen Warnock and James Collins, his reshaped back four would need protection to ensure the dangerous Jermain Defoe was denied space between the home side's centre-backs and full-backs.

Tactics

Aston Villa's determination at early corners gave them the initiative and confidence to play. They crowded Heurelho Gomes well at the set-pieces, reminding themselves that they had scored 50% of their goals this season from such situations. Defensively, Villa closed quickly on Tottenham's suppliers, which made the service to Peter Crouch and Defoe spasmodic in the first half. Villa's midfield and front men forced Tottenham's defenders to pass inside and thus prevent a regular flow of supply to Aaron Lennon. Milner pushed up early on Vedran Corluka and angled himself to stop the outside pass. Jon Carew and Gabriel Agbonlahor followed across field. This forced Corluka to play inside or strike a hopeful ball long, neither of which tapped into Lennon's threat. From the back, Villa closed quickly while Tottenham, on the left, played into their hands, Niko Kranjcar comfortably coming inside on his right foot and Benoît Assou-Ekotto crossing from positions too deep.

Did it succeed?

Partially but then, in the first 15 minutes of the second half, Villa began to drop deeper. They still kept two up but they began to tire and the tempo of their early hustling of the first half could not be maintained. Tom Huddlestone and Wilson Palacios began to command the ball against immediate opponents Reo-Coker and Petrov, who were forced to guard areas closer to their back line. Spurs, confident and composed, suppressed Villa with their quicker passing and, consequently, Milner and Ashley Young were forced to help their full-backs rather than busy themselves as an attacking force. After 20 minutes of that second period, Villa needed to retake the centre and possibly substitute a tiring striker for a third midfield player to get hold of the game.

Strengths

Brad Friedel was a fine shot-stopper and Richard Dunne cajoled his defensive colleagues strongly while the rearranged full-back pairing battled gamely. Milner covered acres with his team-before-self work ethic. Consistently eager, his second-half performance was one of retrieving rather than creating. The spirit of the side was excellent, working to double up at every opportunity. Considering the rearranging that O'Neill had to make in his back four, the genial Irishman will have gratefully accepted this hard-earned point.

Weaknesses

They dropped too deep as they tired and the front men could not sustain their early pressing game. Carew, starved of service, does not vary his play to get involved when the midfield needs help while Ashley Young retreated into his shell, lacking the bounce and verve to attack defenders although he worked like a Trojan. Crucially, in midfield, Villa need a charismatic schemer to aid Petrov. This side lacks a player to unlock doors, command the ball and set their pacy forwards running in on goal: a Cesc Fábregas or Stephen Ireland might do the trick. In the meantime, Villa are making the best of their current resources.

Exactly as predicted. Playing next to a leader like Dunne he was superb.

Interesting and I agree with you but would also say Carlos took a big step forward the day he played alongside Clark - ie in a leadership role.

I hope for him that he gets a chance to show the Spain selectors what he can do in a friendly or something before the World Cup.

He is a good player but what will give collins the heads up in the team ahead of him will be that he does not hoof it as Collins likes to play it out of defence which leaves us less vulnerable

I agree with that on the whole but there is one caveat to that I would add in that it remains to be seen how Collins would deal with a striker like Defoe.

So far Collins has excelled for us against the likes of Drogba but we are yet to see if he can handle the smaller more mobile threat of a striker like Defoe who could cause him problems with his movement.

I rather suspect that Ceullar is better equiped to deal with this kind of opponent and so like you right say with Collins in regards ability on the ball has a distinct advantage.

One thing is for sure its nice to have decent options in that position so we can potentiallu (when fit) pick players best suited to dealing with the opposition we are facing.

I agree with this. He took Tevez to the cleaners at OT last season and has given Torres very little when he has played on him.

He is probably our third best CB in the air but probably the best on the ground and probably the best tackler of all of them.

1-1 was fair. We created a lot of opportunities but didn't really turn them into chances. Spurs had plenty of opportunities but couldn't crack our defence.

The ref gave Spurs everything he refused to give us & the Defoe handball was the only real benefit of the doubt he gave us all night.

I have no problem with the Dawson goal but I reckon Assou-Ekoto cleared the ball off the line with his arm just before Gabby scored and a red card there might have changed things (although we'd have missed the penalty!)

0-0 or 1-1 for me.

It's like "Candyman". Stand in front of a mirror and say "Spurs are Shit" three times and Glaston will appear behind you and stab you to death with a huge rebuttal.

**Hopes for a Gareth Bale start**

How quickly do you reckon 'Arry would jump off the Spurs wagon if offered Liverpool?

To be honest, I fully expect Defoe to shoot three past us next week. They are on a roll, and we are as inconsistent as ever.

Tott 9-1 Wigan

Tott 2-0 Sunderland

Arse 3-0 Tott

Tott 2-0 Everton

Tott 0-1 Stoke

Ports 1-2 Tott

Not exactly consistent or one a roll really.

Make no mistake, Tottenham are a very good attacking team and can put teams to the sword seemingly with ease, one thing we fail to do time and again. But some of those goals Wigan conceded were laughable.

Spurs defence is mentally and physically brittle - something we can exploit if we are good enough to take our chances.

This isn't really true. For most of the season so far Wooodgate and Dawson have been injured. King and Bassong have also been injured for about half our games.

That's effectively what I mean by physically brittle though. Trip over a blade of grass and Woodgate's out for 6 weeks.

To be honest, I fully expect Defoe to shoot three past us next week. They are on a roll, and we are as inconsistent as ever.

Tott 9-1 Wigan

Tott 2-0 Sunderland

Arse 3-0 Tott

Tott 2-0 Everton

Tott 0-1 Stoke

Ports 1-2 Tott

Not exactly consistent or one a roll really.

Make no mistake, Tottenham are a very good attacking team and can put teams to the sword seemingly with ease, one thing we fail to do time and again. But some of those goals Wigan conceded were laughable.

Spurs defence is mentally and physically brittle - something we can exploit if we are good enough to take our chances.

We need to combat their midfield, I think 4-5-1 possibly for this one.

Could not agree more.

We need to approach this match like we did the Chelsea and Citeh games. Anything less will not do. Luckily, I can't make this game - like I missed the Bolton game - so we'll probably win. :winkold:

We played 4-4-2 against Citeh and Chelsea...

I would suggest that if we had a 'shots off target' count Sidwell's name would be right up there. He gets plenty of looks on goal but his finishing is woeful at the moment.

Crap streams this afternoon, so I couldn't work out what position Downing played.

Any clues to MON's plans for the team when Downing is 100%?

They kind of looked all over the place but I think Downing mostly stayed left and Milner Young & Gabby kind of swapped in and out of each other's positions. Then Milner was up front for a bit, Young in middle and Gabby out wide right, before Milner went to RB.

I have to say this season when Gabby has gone out to the right wing he has impressed me with how much he has improved in that position.

Milner went to right-back when Heskey came on.

I think we were by far the superior team in the second half, no coincidence Burnley were also more threatening with gale force winds behind them.

We deserved a point in the sense that we created more than enough half-chances and one or two clear chances before Heskey scored.

Friedel was probably our best. Warnock, Cuellar and probably Gabby looked the only ones really up for it today.

By God you have some shit weather in England!!!

Does the fact that our boys train in a heated, undercover training ground put us at a disadvantage in conditions like that?

Too many players with their heads not in the game.

**** awful officiating. Worse than WWE refs.