pete165

great goal by the lad. now need to see us keep WITH the team and get a couple back! come on villa!

dreadful start by us - could easily be behind. for anyone not watching, it's 4-4-2 with Heskey left, Zog right and Bent and Gabby up front.

Come on Villa. Come on Emile. With what some people have posted, I think if Heskey scores, you shouldn't be allowed to celebrate. And actually, with some of the drivel against McLeish, some of you shouldn't be allowed to support Aston Villa. Actually, I take that back; those people don't really 'support' anyway.

Emile Heskey isn't really a midfielder, true. And to be honest, with his niggling injuries and recent form, I can completely understand why others would want Bannan, Ireland, etc to play instead of him, especially as he can look cumbersome in comparison. However, some of the ridiculously hyperbolic comments on this threat are a bit embarrassing. Not only are they cliched, using Heskey as some sort of scapegoat for other problems in our team, but they show a complete lack of awareness of why countless professional football managers and countless professional players rate Heskey highly. To talk about him being out of position or out of form is fair enough. To talk about him as if he's a useless lump who has no qualities in a piss-taking fashion just makes some people look like idiots. Let's put it this way - I don't care what anyone says, someone with his career and over 60 caps for England deserves a hell of a not more respect that he is getting on here.

Jenas will be on the bench, not starting, I think. --------------------------------------GIVEN------------------------------------------------ --HUTTON-------------DUNNE-----------------COLLINS--------------WARNOCK------- ---------------------------------------HERD------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------PETROV-------BANNAN-------------------------------------- ----------ZOG-------------------------BENT---------------------GABBY------------------- Bench: GUZAN, CUELLAR, CLARK, IRELAND, DELPH, HESKEY, ALBRIGHTON, JENAS What a strong bench that is...

I'm happy for anyone to quote me on the following. Nzogbia will be a brilliant player for Aston Villa if people give him time. Those writing him off are not only mugs, but they'll be apologising and admitting they were wrong when May comes around.

Apart from the fact that Herd would've been marking Olsson for the header he scored, and that their corner and pressure in the second half were entirely due to us being overrun in midfield, where we were obviously too light with just Bannan and Petrov.

exactly. Those that criticise the manager, heskey, etc after today are quite simply morons.

The sending off and penalty were both ridiculously harsh. You might not believe in the manager or players, but to judge on today would be laughable. And in terms of 'ruining' your weekend, you need a bit more perspective. If Villa losing after a bad ref decision does that to you, you'd be better off not following football. There really are more important things in life.

I watched the whole game, like many others. The simple truth is we looked good until the ridiculous two decisions. The game turned on that, and if you criticise individuals, including the manager after that, you're an idiot. The same goes for the style of football - when you're man down, you lose men at set pieces, you have to play it long to create and you're not going to create.

Dunne handball - harsh, outside box. Herd stamp - even harsher. We are due a deflected flukey winner.

I would now put Heskey on for Bannan, I kid you not. Need Nzgogbia and Gabby wide on the break and you never know, we could sneak another goal.

not sure at all about that midfield. bannan and herd is a big call in a game like this I think. time for Zog to turn up and score a cracker

Let's just be clear about this. We're being well beaten by a team that have a completely different set of resources than us. While we've sold our best players, they've got hundreds of millions on the bench. We had a go, but aren't good enough Move on If you can't hack it, support City - they'll win most weeks.

I predict lots of Villa fans knowing in their hearts that we'll be well beaten like most teams that go to City, but despite knowing that, still creating at least 5 threads worth of vitriol against McLeish, Delph, etc when the inevitable happens.

-----------------------------GIVEN-------------------------------- ---HUTTON---------DUNNE-------COLLINS-------WARNOCK-- -------------------JENAS-------------PETROV-------------------- ----------------------------BANNAN------------------------------- --------NZGOBIA----------BENT-------------AGBONLAHOR----- Ireland and Delph on the bench.

By the way, if I'd been out for a year as a young player, I'd probably bottle a 50-50 with Joey Barton.

Thoughts: However bad the first half was, it is abundantly clear that McLeish didn't like the way were playing either and not only instructed them to play differently but managed to actually make it happen, which is very encouraging. In terms of the result, it was a fair one. On another day, we'd have conceded more than one with their penalty shouts and the free kicks on the edge of the box. Might have to give away less free kicks in those areas when we play at Man City! We were a bit lucky to get the goal but unlucky to concede, so fair enough overall.

Ray Wilkins has got it spot on. We're set up ok defensively, but haven't played any football. We've got good passers in the team (as Friedel corroborated) and are not playing to our strengths with the hoofball. Almost zero play through the midfield and no confidence to take the ball in tight areas. I think McLeish should watch Barca play in La Liga and realise that you can actually play the ball in the middle of the pitch! Wilkins said that we've hit it long despite having small players and he's absolutely right. I want someone to ask McLeish whether he's ashamed of that kind of football.

but we haven't. a team with Bent, N'Zogbia, Ireland, Dunne, Given, etc, should be able to at least give QPR a match. i could understand if it was one of the top 6 teams. Given and Dunne haven't done anything wrong today or any other game. Ireland hasn't played well for a long time and Bent isn't playing today either!

they've given us no space to settle in midfield and we're lucky to get in at 0-0 no attacking play at all really and completely dominated but still in with a chance of winning. the things is, we've lost all of our best players.

Am I the only one that's worried about Delph playing against Barton and Derry? Not in terms of his ability, but in terms of him not getting injured?!!!

Good team. No problems with it at all given the injuries. At least we're being positive.

So much negative drivel on here. It'll be a tough tough game away from home with them in top form, but we can do it!!!!! COME ON ASTON VILLA. PROVE THIS BUNCH OF MOANERS WRONG!!!!

Hutton needs games, Gabby knows where the net is and Nzogbia is going to be a real threat on the break against a defence like QPR who will be going forward with real momentum at home tomorrow. We should be playing: -------------------------------Given----------------------------------- ---Hutton-------------Dunne-------Collins--------------Warnock--- ------------------------Delph-------Petrov---------------------------- ------------------------------Jenas--------------------------------- ----Bannan------------------Gabby----------------------Nzogbia-----