Raver50032

We have got 33 points this Calendar Year, from 38 games.

Today was our worst home defeat in the Premier League.

We need to win on Saturday.

Actually, didn't we get turned over for 5 at home by Blackburn and the Sutton/Shearer show?

There is a feeling isn't there that we are approaching a game (Wigan) with the same 'must win' pressure that we were feeling a few weeks ago prior to the win we 'fortuitously' stumbled upon against Reading. I'm going to throttle a rabbit today and start stroking it's foot in readiness for Saturday.

I have read all the reaction to yesterday's match and have started to digest it all. All I can say is that I felt embarrassed again after the performance last night. 12-0 over two games, to two London clubs and all in front of the live TV audience. I mean, what do I say when someone asks me if I have had a good Christmas. I'm at work this morning and I've really had to bite my tongue. People are laughing at us folks...

I was really hoping that following the Chelsea game, we'd be alright against Spurs - but look at the stats from that game. It really is embarrassing.

I'm with you Paul - I really am... but it's just not good enough right now. I feel sorry for your players as they will feel no-end of pressure this week up to that 'must win' game against Wigan.

It's a fickle game - the club made my birthday by winning at Anfield. Then it spoiled my Christmas.

Come on, we're better than this surely.

I have had my doubts about Delph for a long time - a walking yellow card really. The good news (for me) is, somebody else will have to be picked ahead of him against Wigan. To be clear, I have nothing against the lad, I just think that with his injuries, he has lost a great deal of ground on other players of his ilk across the football league. He just isn't good enough.

Yeah, I didn't come on here last night as I knew just how it would be - and looking back over the last few pages, I wasn't proven wrong.

8-0 stings - it **** hurts. It's downright embarrassing - but the law of averages suggests it will happen to everyone one day - yesterday it was our turn. C'est la vie.. Last season (ish) - didn't Arsenal (the mighty Arsenal) get fingered for 8 at Old Trafford? Didn't United themselves get hammered by 6 against City at the Trafford?

After our recent upturn - I am hopeful this is a blip. We have a couple of opportunities to put it right again now. Let's get behind the team and see what happens.

Jesus, 8-0 is bad... God... Facepalm... Blushing even... We'll get over it...

I thought it was "Like" a teddy bear?

I'm with you on this one... that's how I understood it. And I think it was most disrespectful of Gary Neville to state that this particular teddy bear bored him to death...

Happy Christmas folks - and if you don't do Christmas, happy Winterval etc...

Yeah I heard him say how Villa have always had players in their late 20's early 30's who were very "comfortable"... and he's definitely right about that. He also said Villa as a club bore him to death, but they've bored me to death a lot over the past few years!

So yeah I didn't really find what he said as being disrespectful, just quite honest. I thought he may have said something else other than that.

Yes, sorry, I didn't think it was very respectful for a 'professional' pundit to comment by saying that the club bored him to death. I'm all for freedom of speech - but pundits are supposed to be 'goody-goody.' That is quite a damaging thing to say about our club. But I guess winning everything so regularly kind of does that to you - I should imagine that any club is seen as boring by him, if they don't win trophies as often as United have done.

I'm still wary.

Bradford will be a tough nut to crack.

The advantage for us is the fact that this is a two-legged tie. The day we don't respect our opponents is when we'll be sitting on our arse in the centre-circle after 90 minutes, wondering what **** happened.

This all the way - I remember feeling that Tranmere was the dream draw in the 1994 Semi for us. That nearly went skywest didn't it... For once, in the second leg, we benefitted from a Shit Ref decision - I seem to think Bosnich was very lucky to still be on the pitch come the penalty shoot out.

Difficult to see, the future is...

January window, save us it can...

12th - nothing more, nothing less.

Well, whatever disrespectful things that Gary Neville has said about our club, I can't believe I am gong to have to listen to him and his horrible accent for the next 20 to 30 years as a pundit. I am hopeful he does a Richard Keys to spare me that fate...

Banana skin... for who? Bradford, or us?

Only joking of course...

Keep up the good work Paul... The stats suggested we got a battering before we went ahead, but we stayed solid. Which was nice. As their manager acknowledged, we could have been a few goals down early doors, but we weren't and we capitalised on it with some really sexy goals and tenacity.

I almost expected a man with a brolly to be waiting for Benteke when he scored his second of the game - it felt like 'half an Atkinson' goal to me... And that Benteke back heal for Weimann - maybe our goal of the season so far. .

All we need now is for Dirty Leeds to knock Chelsea out of the Cup and we have a lot to be optimistic about in the New Year... Assuming the world doesn't end this Friday.

Up the Villa - made my Birthday weekend...

I watched the Tanmere Semi on my very poor picture quality portable (no TV license either then - big risk) while at Uni. A real nail biter of the highest order and the atmosphere came across very well on the TV.

The 1994 final I watched with my family back home, and with a United supporting friend of my brother's - I was so nervous for us during that game. We were in poor form at the time and we were playing the favourites for the treble and all the jazz that goes with them etc. I didn't really feel relaxed until Kanchelskis got sent off and we scored the penalty - that was THE moment. Atkinson's goal was surreal - I couldn't believe it...

I was at the 1996 final (that cup run made me go £5 overdrawn in my final year at Uni as I attended all Villa Park matches in that competition) - almost the perfect Wembley performance. I saw Savo's shot and knew it was in when it left his foot - I had a lovely view of it. I was so pleased for Taylor when he netted - one of my favourite Villa moments. Roy of the Rovers stuff etc. The icing was Yorke's goal, I used to love my Yorkie Bar. I will never forgive that smarmy, smug little bastard for his goal celebration at the Holte End when he returned in the FA Cup while playing for Blackburn. On the train home from Wembley (out of St Pancras as I was going back to Uni with my mates), I heard people singing 'Super Tom.' I thought it was Villa fans singing about Tommy Johnson, but instead, as I was joining in, I realised it was Leeds fans sining about porky-boy Thomas Brolin. I was lucky to get away with my teeth to be honest, though I did get quite a lot of spittle all down me. The one reason I was truly glad to see Leeds slide to League 1. I like Leeds, it's the fans that are poisonous.

I was at the Blackburn semi second leg in 2010 - party football. The final was great up until that 'Dowd' moment - I knew then, even going a goal ahead with that penalty that we were probably going to get fingered. But at least we were in the final... and we only lost to United. It wasn't a brilliant game and the day out will last longer in my memory than the match.

I was under the impression that Wills was a Villa fan as he had pulled our name out of a hat while at School... Still, he's one of us, as is Tory Boy Cameron - no reason to vote Tory though. Robbing bastards.

Not sure what he is saying to the lads before these cup games but that is now 14 goals in 4 cup games.

We had 17 shots tonight and 13 on target and dominated possession. More of the same in the league and we'll be laughing.

Apparently at full time he went on to the pitch and shook all the Norwich players hands. Lambert is a class act and I am so pleased we now have him. He did a remarkable job at Norwich and given time and some decent backing will do very well here.

Tezz - post above this - well said, I fully concur...

Mark - interesting stats you post from last night's match at Norwich. It seemed to be a goal fest, and so it turned out to be late doors. I recall after the Stoke game though that we had similar statistics in terms of chances/chances on target/possession, yet VillaTalk is full of doom and gloom again about that game. It was a dreary nil-nil...

We seem to be getting the possession - but consistently creating and pocketing the chances is where we seem to struggle. I have lost count of how many games we are unbeaten now - if that's not a green shoot of positivity, then there is something amiss. Even the really nice gentleman who referred to me quite disrespectfully as 'fella' somewhere else on this forum would struggle to disagree.

Keep going Paul...

Full of optimism - 3 games on the spin without a defeat. One lucky win, and two plucky draws against opposition and at venues where a point is always good no matter where we are in the league.

Stoke will be a tough match, but at least we are at home. Let's hope some sort of crowd actually turns up to cheer us on.

When you go to games you must wear a blindfold and sit faceing the stand. That's a load of rubbish right there fella.

Anyone who thinks it's as bad as last season......well words fail me.

I missed your response in amongst the other tit-for-tat exhanges on that page. I suggest you read my comments again and then come back and have another go. But I will make it simple for you so that you understand...

Firstly, let me be clear... I do not suggest that this season is as bad as last season... I concede that I did compare last night's match with any number of equally dire home displays from last season. To be crystal for you and anyone else, in view of the opposition last night, and the fact that Lambert had all of his non defensive squad available (excluding N'Zogbia, who would've been unlikely to start anyway), we posed very little attacking threat and never really managed to break down a poor, poor side who conceded 3 to Wigan just a a few days earlier. We got lucky courtesy of some 'stray leg defending' and super Christian.

Apart from the result, it was rubbish. I would have been better served with a blinfold as you so 'eloquently' put it. Hopefully, it was just a blip given the promise of prior performances this season.

Oh yes... one final thing, the word 'faceing' is the only thing that seems to have failed you. I'm not normally one for such grammatical nazism, but hey, you want to try being a keyboard warrior, so can I...

Good grief - there are a handful of people on this site who's only joy in life is slagging off the team and manager and winding up the rest of the forum

We weren't at our best last night but we certainly weren't "dog shit" either. It was a must-win game, a nervous atmosphere, coming hot on the heels of a tiring run of games and with an injury hit squad of our youngest ever players

Last season everyone was baying for youngsters to be given a chance - now that we have done that people are moaning that they are inconsistent - of course they are!! that's the natural course of gaining experience - some good games, some poor games, some average games. We had a mix of those last night - I thought Stevens (until his injury), Lowton (in particular), Baker and Clark all had decent games and a clean sheet proved that.

Midfield was a little more mixed - they had performed well in the last few games, closing down teams and winning the ball but last night offered a different challenge. They had to unlock a team trying to close us down. For much of the time the main responsibility for this fell to Bannan, who struggled a little at times. Westwood looked a little nervous and Weimann a little weary. Gabby and Holman worked hard but needed a bit more help from CM - PL will work on all this during the rest of the week and the young team will learn and improve.

I thought Benteke was again exactly what you would wish from a front man and despite all the clamour for his inclusion, I just could not see Bent fulfilling the same role. I'm guessing that Bent's exit from VP is signed and sealed and avioding injury is the main reason he is not making the bench - I can't imagine any other reason why he would'nt be there

Ireland did very well when he came on, finding space in a tiring Reading midfield (maybe a very smart move from Lambert!) - Ireland's craft is what was missing but I worry that he has the work rate to put alongside that to be a regualr starter (don't start up the whole work rate / quality debate because I understand we need a balance of both)

I don't care if S'ton beat Norwich tonight - that will keep Norwich involved at the bottom of the table. I can see us winning away on Saturday with Ron back and against a team that will be a little more open to the counter attack.

By the time the transfer window opens I expect us to be in a much more comfortable position and to finish the season well up the table. Controvesially, I would be very happy for PL to continue to try and unearth a few more lower league gems and overseas bargains. I expect our new chief scout will have a list of suitable names ready.

Fair enough, you watched a different game from me and you have your opinion.

Kindly do not bracket me with the handful of negative dissenters on this forum. I am an advocate of Mr Lambert and the big plan he has. Last night was dire viewing, for whatever reason. It's not my joy in life to be negative about Aston Villa - I told last night how I saw it and how the people around me saw it too. We were lucky last night, which is great. January cannot come soon enough - I agree entirely with your last sentence, just not your first (in my particular case anyway).

For me, this is all about the club being too embarrassed to acknowledge that their prized asset is approaching an appearance clause in the deal.

Performance in training or not, Bent not even being on the bench against a club like Reading is an indicator that he is on the fast route out of the club. Any bad press about Bent allegedly leaving the ground and being coaxed back to sit in the stand for the cameras was totally papered over by our manager. Good PR by the club. Saves them a lot of face.

Part of me can't wait until January, then we can start building again.

While it certainly was not the best Villa performance I have seen in my lifetime, it surely was not as diabolical as some people want to make it seem. I mean did you fall asleep through all of last season, that was diabolical. We played with a defense whose average age was just over 20, have midfielders/strikers still getting seasoned and were playing in a very hostile home environment against a team who could not afford to lose. 3 points is all that matters tonite. Job done!

Fair do LSV... 2011/12 is a scar forever on my memory. Last night's performance was every bit as bad as last season. Stark contrast to what we have seen them do this season and know they are capable of. We got lucky last night, nothing more. If anyone is positive about last night's performance, they are lying to themselves. It wasn't just shit, it was dog shit.

One of few who actually turned up, I left the ground with us having won the match. But so poor was the performance, it left me feeling as though we had actually lost.

The result is what matters yes, and brilliant (I guess) to get second successive clean sheet from such a young team. But ignore that performance at your (the royal your) peril. QPR will be a different kettle completely. These youngsters need to man-up and get wise. On recent showing, this is a performance blip... I prey that is all it is. Better oppo, and we would have been lanced in the eye last night.

Yes, a very nervy night indeed... and on balance, a lucky win. Sometimes you need a bit of luck according to Tom Ross.

The weak link last night was a poor performance from Bannan, very below par and looked frustrated and out of sorts with himself judging by his wayward passing and body language. Actually, from the Holte End, I had a better game than little Baz last night...

I thought Albrighton's introduction was one of the most ineffective substitutions I have seen in recent memory - if the boy has ability, he needs to start showing it and stop dining off 'That Match' against United two years ago. Presently, he is nowhere near good enough for the Premier League.

There was no tempo from the start and it was more like watching a chess match than a footballing tussle of any urgency. Maybe, an end of season 'nothing match.' Itself, this was strange given the stakes at risk to both clubs. Very dull football, every bit as bad as 12 months ago.

Anyhow, a moment of magic from Benteke secured a very much needed win. And where was the crowd? 28000 was our lowest PL attendance for 6 years. Come on, let's be having you.

Last season we got beat at Villa Park by Arsenal, but we amazingly gave them a good game and I went away from the game feeling positive and almost as though we had actually won the game. Last night however, is the first time I have left the ground after a win, but feeling as though we had been beaten. The paradox of football continues.

I really think Villa will smash somebody soon - however... (No Richard Keys... not that kind of smash...)

As the match draws closer and my nerves start jangling, my sore head is telling me that we will start like a house on fire, peppering their goal with chances... We will nick a goal around the 25 minute mark and half time appears. I then have a hunch we will start to tire and fade in the second half, leaving us with our almost trademark late goal concession to finish 1-1. Hope I am wrong.

Benteke (if selected) will win everything in the air - but will we be able to capitalise?

Well, the club have won twice at home the best part of 12 months. Even with the summer break, that is dogshit.

Richard, you talk a lot of sense for pretty much the whole time and I fully respect your opinions. That said, I can't help feeling that the longer it goes on without consistent point collection by Villa, the harder and harder it becomes because of the pressure. Whilst not 'catastrophic' - a failure to win against second from bottom Reading would be a very big dent in our endeavours to stay in this division. We can't afford to take unrepairable damage into the veritable unknown quantity of the January transfer window and leave ourselves with too much to do. With that in mind, I do not believe we can be blazé about there being still 24 games to go after Tuesday.

The team is improving, it really is - but we have got to start getting those points on the board, particularly against our closest rivals like Reading, and the now the 'fearsome' QPR with their RedKnob factor and all the car-window-down-interview rhetoric that goes with him.

We must beat Reading, or I cannot really see where we will actually pick up the results to match our improving performances.

C'mon Villa... sooner or later you are going to meter out a stuffing...

What with the constant hero worship of Redknapp - he's nothing special. We will smash QPR

Is anyone able to confirm the last time we actually beat a Harry Redknapp team? I certainly believe that MON was never able to... And Spuds have been a different league to us since 2010 for sure.

All,

to draw a line under this thread (lock it now) - I have received the following reply from 'Tom' at Villa Park...

--

Your email of 12^th November has been forwarded to me, and I would also like to reiterate the Club’s apologies as mentioned in our 13^th November reply to you. I tried to reach you on your mobile this morning but was unable to leave a voice message.

With specific regard to your complaint, there does appear to have been a lapse in our pre-match restroom checks/quality control procedures over the past two matches – and we have since brought this to the attention of our cleaning contractor. Please be assured the Club has always prided itself on maintaining a very clean venue (despite its years!) – and this will remain as a top priority moving forward.

Again, thank you for bringing this to our attention. If you have any further thoughts or concerns and would like to speak over the phone, please don’t hesitate to let me know.

Very best regards,

Tom

--

Yay...

I don't read the sun on principle alone...

How they have the 'neck' to campaign as the 'people's paper' and be a 'family friendly' paper, crusading against the most topical 'scumbag of the month,' and then having a Page 3 model every day with her tits out, and once famously including an advertisement for thongs designed for preteens. Yes... do your homework folks. When England played Germany in Euro 1996, they had a front page with a WW2 helmet on the front - likening the football match to war... WTF? No need for it.

It's just 'kiss and tell sleeze journalism' - all the while pretending to be above the law. They just have their snouts in the trough.

Like any other sensationalist red top.

Back on topic, the Red Top has got a reaction from us all. It made us consider 'The Sun.' For now, he is a great player for US, as in Aston Villa. While he continues to produce, then he deserves a place in the team. He doesn't appear to have said 'Villa are bobbins and I think the club, it's fans and in fact the whole country is a bag of dead cats...' Lost in translation by an arrogant, probably London based Arsenal supporting journalist - with his snout in the trough. Nothing else to report, so let's have a dig at little old Aston Villa.

He will be too good for us. That much is clear...

I think my glass is a little fuller...