pete165

the worst of this is that mcleish isn't ripping us to pieces. he's saying we did better in the second half!

the worst football i've ever seen at villa park we've lost 5-0 and played much better

Kevin Keegan: 'The most disappointing performance by a home team that we've ever seen on ESPN'. Just in case those that didn't see the game think they're reading hyperbole.

it is worth noting that amidst the utter dross, our midfield of BANNAN HERD ALBRIGHTON JENAS isn't quite MILNER, BARRY, YOUNG, DOWNING The board have to take some blame for this kind of performance as well as the insipid manager.

MOTM for me was Yannick Djalo.

heskey falls over. typical. this is appalling the fans SHOULD boo.

I might start supporting Sunderland. At least they'll have some attacking now.

this has been the most gutless villa performance I've seen......since the Spurs game. Simply shocking. McLeish OUT. NOW.

This and the spurs game have to be the most demoralising performances I've seen by Villa in a long time. I'm appalled, embarrassed and there's just not one bit of pleasure from watching. If we had a go and a few shots and lost 4-0, I'd say United were just the better team. But this stuff, with one up front and, at times, none, lumping it forwards every time we have it, is just dross. The worst part of it is that we all knew it was coming when McLeish took the job. How the same board could want Martinez and Mcleish shows the trouble we're in - it just makes no sense that they could equate one with the other. What exactly IS Lerner's vision?

To set the context of this post, I'm one of those that has consistently pleaded for fans to back McLeish, realise our limitations as a squad, etc. However, having watched the Spurs game and the 1st half tonight, I've had enough. It is simply the worst Villa team I've seen in a long time. The most demoralising thing is the way we're not even attempting to attack. It's one long ball to the opposition after another. There were 5 or 6 moments in just one half of a villa player simply kicking the ball upfield with not a SINGLE player in the opposition half. That might happen on a rare occasion protecting a lead in the last minute. But in the first half of a game? It's shameful. Look through my posts and you'll see that I don't do hyperbole. McLeish's Villa are currently playing the most demoralising football that I've seen in 25 years supporting the club. It's truly sad. If there's a team in the league playing less football than us, I'll be amazed. We simply don't play ANY football anymore.

So looks like he's off to Sunderland. Would you have him back now? Yes or No?

because people need a scapegoat and if you're being managed by a bluenose it's always going to happen. If we were managed by a villa legend, you can guarantee people would be criticising lerner far more and blaming our performances on the squad, not the tactics.

i'm not sure about some of this. I didn't want McLeish and I would prefer another manager, BUT a)fixtures whatever they have been, we are in a position in the table where everyone but newcastle is a team that we SHOULD be below. b)anti-football or not, we haven't got beat very often c)the reason why our team aren't playing like they were a few years ago has more to do with the quality of our squad than the manager. Does anyone really think that Mcleish is so negative that a midfield of Young, Milner, Barry and Downing wouldn't get a kick under him? come on. McLeish may have not fancied Makoun and maybe bannan, albrighton etc should play more - BUT he doesn't really have the options that Martin O'Neill had.

------------------------------Given---------------------------------- --Herd-----------Cuellar-----------Dunne--------Warnock-------- ------------------------------Petrov----------------------------------- -------------------------Jenas----Bannan------------------------------ -------Nzogbia--------------Bent----------------Agbonlahor-------- Bench to include Heskey, Delph, Albrighton, Ireland, Hutton, etc.

parker will show us a lot about petrov tonight.

will be a back four, hutton in midfield on the right, heskey left. a flexible 442, trying to accomodate bale. problem is the message it sends out - not exactly a confident one and invites pressure.

We all know that Spurs have not just a better team, squad and manager than us, but one of the best in the league. At home and under the lights, they've shown that they can beat the very best in our league and in Europe, so it wouldn't be sensible to either hope for too much tonight or to criticise the team if we get a drubbing. On the other hand, we'll all be hoping that we hang on for dear life and play better than expected. You just never know what might happen in 90 minutes. Like most people, my head predicts a loss but I hope we play with a bit of spirit and you always have to dream... What I really will be annoyed at tonight is if, having clearly compared line-ups, quality of players and financial situation, people get on the team's back if the 'inevitable' happens. It's all too typical for people to predict a drubbing for logical reasons, then slate individuals and the manager when those predictions come to fruition.

great from gabby yet again. with him, bent and zog we look a MAJOR threat.

he's been involved in all the build up down the left gave it to gabby before he crossed to bent to score one-two with zog before our next most dangerous cross great header won before bent's other one-on-one even commentator commented on how much he'd been involved. you, my friend, are watching with an agenda.

great defending there by hutton. praise where due people

magnificent ball in from zog - heskey, zog, gabby and bent all looking good. zog free role from the looks of it

great goal by us - now looking more threatening. gabby is a legend

more brilliant play from Gabby and this time bent does finish it off

great play by gabby - nearly there from bent - just couldn't reach it

was gabby I thought