switters

Thought we played okay, given the conditions and how little time we had to recover from Arsenal...there certainly didn't seem to be big difference in fitness between the sides in 2nd half, even though they had an extra day and a far easier fixture. Also felt the ref didn't help matters by giving nothing to Agbonlahor or Carew all game. The ball wouldn't stick enough up front, but when fouls aren't given it helps shape momentum.

As for individuals, thought Agbonlahor did well trying to lead the line, and almost fashioned a goal. Milner looks a bit tired, and things aren't coming off for him that were a week or so ago. Defence was solid all through until that messy fluke of a breakthrough which led to the goal.

The ending was obviously crushing, and could be a big moment in the season for both clubs. Need some joy in the cups now to lift mood. Been a horrible Christmas results-wise.

Got a bit of luck here and there, and never looked wholly convincing (the last 20 mins were painful), but ground out the result which is crucial. Defence is excellent at the minute. Cuellar is showing why he cost £9m and I thought L.Young was MOTM.

Three games in a week - three wins and nothing conceded. Could not have had a better set-up for the big Xmas fixtures.

Delightful result. Backs up the win at Man Utd and gives us a chance to make it 4 (well, 5 inc cup) wins on the trot at the weekend.

Not a bad performer amongst them.

Milner was obviously great, but I'll give MOTM to Heskey who's really starting to prove his worth.

Especially nice to have points in the bag with Spurs and Man City playing each other tomorrow, and Arsenal with a potentially tough fixture at Burnley

I love James Milner

Great result - well done Guzan! Starting to think we have the best #2 in the league.

Only slight downer is probably could have done without Milner, Gabby, Young, Petrov all playing 120 mins. But Everton are quite depleted at the minute so should be going into that game with confidence.

Here's hoping for Blackburn/Portsmouth at home in the quarters

Guzan

Beye/Young-Cuellar-Clark-Shorey

Milner-ReoCoker-Gardner-Delph

Agbonlahor-Heskey

and hopefully rest Gabby and Milner for Fonz and Albrighton in the 2nd half.

I think Clark earned himself another start with his performance when called on in the league.

We gotta show some faith in fringe players in games like this. Need to give people like Petrov, Young a rest. People aren't going to want to see us resting key players in league games, so if not now, when exactly do they get rested/rotated?

We are not **** without NRC.

We are **** with a low-energy centre midfield of Sidwell and Petrov against Man City's trio of Barry De Jong and SWP.

For SWP we've got Milner. Barry is no more high energy than Sidwell, and De Jong will be occupied helping out their iffy defence against Gabby, Carew and Young. Think positive

Quick quiz:

If Gabby scores today, he'll have scored in five consecutive games. Who was the last Villa player to do this and when?

Hmmmm.

My initial guess would be big Dion, but I think I'm wrong.

I thought it was Dion too, that was four consecutive games though. :oops:

Didn't Hendrie have an amazing purple patch one time?

Diouf tends to play wide, I think it'll be more a 4231

Grella-Nzonzi

Diouf-Dunn-Pedersen

Di Santo

442 kinda makes sense, as I can imagine the midfields will be getting by-passed a lot in this game.

Not great, but it's about getting the results - and we got the result

Defence did well considering how new it was. Dunne-Collins looked good & solid, winning nearly everything in the air and playing safe, sensible. Only criticism, though understandable, was them and Cuellar hoofing it over the midfield pretty much every time.

Dull game, we didn't create much - they also had few real chances (I think Carsley's long-ranger was about their closest effort) - but the change worked and we punished them as they tired.

3 wins in a row - good response to the Wigan game

Cuellar at RB, Dunne + Collins CB, Warnock LB

Not too pleased with that, if that's how we play.

I can only suppose he's done it for the added height, but I really thought he'd want to leave Cuellar CB for continuity, but if not then let Beye continue to settle in the team. Cuellar's never looked particularly comfortable at RB

Gotta be Mellberg. A fixture in the side for much of the decade.

Was the one vote for Steve Watson genuine, or someone being playful

Gotta be Delaney.

By my reckoning, first choice has gone:

00-01 James

01-02 Schmeichel

02-03 Enckelman

03-07 Sorensen

07-08 Carson

08-Present Friedel

Really only Sorensen had much more than a season as first choice this decade, so by that reckoning he deserves it. So I'll forgive him his big mistakes & give him the nob...but it's more by default than him being particularly great.

Good result. Fulham were poor - lucky to hit them straight after a trip to Siberia (more or less )

Controlled the game well, and they had no real chances. The early goal was important, otherwise that might have turned into a frustrating 0-0, as we didn't create much either.

Good strike by Gabby, should hopefully increase his confidence.

The team selected was the right one and it worked. Only slight quibble (and it is a minor one) is I thought we could've given Delph and Albrighton runs out in the last 20 mins, for Young/Agbonlahor, to give them a few more minutes in the league

So Fulham missing Murphy, Davies, Johnson & Zamora.

We really should be able to dominate the midfield looking at the lineups. But they will sit back and work hard, think we need to score early or this might be a frustrating one.

Heskey to score tonight, I reckon. Go team!

Assuming no Young, how about:

Milner-Sidwell-ReoCoker-Delph

Agbonlahor-Heskey

can switch between 442 and 433 with Heskey working the left wing and Milner joining the attack as necessary. The other midfielders would have plenty of energy and could get forward too

All three goals vs Pool were from set-pieces and our best attacks were all quick counter-attacks (this is also how we got the pen and the fk for the first).

The problem here is that Vienna will not be pushing forward anywhere near as much as Liverpool. We'll probably have the same weakness we always have at home in creating our own attacks rather than counter-attacking.

I'd be very surprised if it isn't Heskey-Agbonlahor up front. Agbonlahor by himself will be too easy to nullify if they defend deep and don't commit players forward.

I'd be tempted to make two changes: give Guzan another run out and put in Delph for Sidwell or Petrov, as he'll be fresher and perhaps more likely to get forward and score.

I guess there may be slight question over Young as he went off with a knock. Albrighton the obvious replacement if he's struggling.

Reckon O'Neill will go back to Heskey-Agbonlahor as we're chasing the game.

Will Davies even be fit? Came off injured yesterday didn't he?

Assuming Davies injured and Carew fit:

------------Friedel

Beye-Cuellar-Clark-Shorey

-Petrov-ReoCoker-Sidwell

Milner-----Carew------Young

If no Carew I'd go with Heskey - if they're still without Skrtel and Agger, they might be playing Ayala CB again - I have more faith in Heskey or Carew giving a rookie defender a tough time than Gabby.

Agree with whoever said we should stick Coker in a marking job on Gerrard. Sidwell and Petrov being in there too should mean we're not totally over-run as last time we went there. Negative tactics, but we could really do without another 5-0 right now!

We also need A.Young to have a good game, to keep Johnson occupied - he was looking good going forward vs Stoke & him and Kuyt could get a lot of joy out of Shorey

Almost replica of 2nd Wigan goal. Beye dragged inside leaving LW unmarked to shoot.

Friedel 5. Poor for the 2nd, and looked shaky at moments. Brad 2 may start vs Vienna, and if he plays well, could keep the spot.

Beye 6. Not sure who was at fault for 2, but I think he got dragged inside and no-one covered Koumas. Otherwise okay.

Cuellar 5.5 Slightly better than Davies but iffy.

Davies 5. Very iffy at times.

Shorey 4. Please replace.

Milner 7. Best player in 1st half, faded when put out of position in 2nd

Petrov 5. Over-run

Delph 5. See Petrov

Young 5. Wasteful, one of his worst performances.

Agbonlahor 5. No supply

Heskey 5. Didn't make the ball stick up front enough.

Sidwell 6. Added a bit and got into good positions. Should've scored header.

Albrighton 6.5. Quite positive, but game was lost when he came on. Still, promising league debut.

Delfouneso -. Didn't have much time.

Other points. O'Neill needed to sort out the midfield at half time but didn't. We were over-run there and never addressed it. Also wish he'd stop doing the substitutions where he takes off a full back, but then just makes a midfielder play there. Milner was best attacking threat, but ended up having to cover RB. Should've taken Gabby off for Albrighton, and Young would've pushed up, with Milner and Marc on the wings.

Utterly depressing, obviously. Crushes all pre-season optimism and we really need to bounce back quick in the first games in Europe. Liverpool away is not the ideal league fixture to follow this!

Bet anything that Delph will be booked by half time

Wish I'd actually bet...it was as near a certain as there is

Shit first half, but the season ain't over yet. Just need a goal to settle down and we can win this. I'd ponder Reo-Coker for Delph to shore up middle, and we really don't want the kid to get sent off on debut.