chappy

I have actually thought Thompson has been quite complimentary about us over the past couple of years on Gilette Soccer Saturdya.

Yes, one thing is certain, under MON we played very attractive football all the time.

:shock:

:shock: seconded

Why the shock? I still can't get over all the cracking play I've seen from Villa in the last couple of seasons. The 1-0 v Hull away the season before last. The 0-1 v Liverpool last season, the 0-3 at Arsenal, the 0-0 at Spurs, both games against Wolves...

Scintillating, spectacular and breathtakingly brilliant from first to last.

What a silly post... how about the Blackburn 6-4 game, the 1-3 at Anfield, the second half away at Reading, the 0-1 at Old Trafford... it's easy to make a point if you ignore the exceptions. Yeah sometimes we ground out dull nil nils, sometimes we didn't create chances...but we aren't Brazil and you shouldn't expect to be wildly entertained every time you go to a game.

I dont like all this DOF talk. Really really worries me. Not least because I bet on Houllier to become manager.

Me too.

I need to stop betting on this. Any one of Houllier (I'm trusting you thetrees!), Moyes or Klinsmann will cover my bets though.

Brilliant article.

It was after game 37

We don't even have left back cover FFS!

I think you'll find we have Beye :winkold:

I have a feeling it will be someone out of the blue.

So Moyes, McLeish, Moyes or Ancelotti?

beat me to it

Shortening the odds is likely to make people put money down, good tactic by the bookies. I have just put a couple of pounds on Moyes, probably wasting my money.

haha Pardew sacked by Soton

I have gone Ash MOTM, he was tireless. Collins close second, he was monumental today. What a win, can't believe we hung on. Great defending. Super goal too!

I think he has been very good in both games - put in some good challenges, made some nice passes and generally looked busy. We just need him playing higher up the pitch.

£10 programmes

watching the Villa, £133, effing priceless

You bought 5 programmes?!

My second demoralising trip in five days.

Guzan 2 - I was on the Holte so didn't get a proper view but didn't he have the ball in his hands just prior to their second goal? Not good enough.

Cuellar 6 - Did nothing wrong, should have been in the centre with Collins

Collins 7 - Tried hard, no mistakes

Davies 2 - Far too nervous, and what the **** was he playing at giving away that corner?

Beye 2 - Not good enough, really really not.

Young 7 - Worked very hard and apart from a few poor free kicks had a good game. Deserves better at the moment.

Petrov 4 - Almost as bad a penalty as Carew on sunday, didn't really notice him apart from that.

Reo Coker 5 - Worked hard and played some nice link up play

Ireland 7 - He looked very impressive, too deep again though esp second half

Gabby 8 - We miss him so much, very threatening whilst he was on

Heskey 7 - Was good tonight. Gets an extra point for the comedy factor in his goal.

Don't really know what to say about the game, didn't show them enough respect and were let down by defensive errors again just like at Newcastle. I don't want to see Davies or Beye in a villa shirt for a long time. Thought Ireland was very good tonight, he has looked promising in two defeats. Ash will be on his way in the summer if we have a poor season. Really hope Gabby recovers quickly and that taking him off was just a precaution. We need a manager, quickly.

Two things stood out (beyond the woefull performance) for me. Firstly, seeing half the Villa fans leg it from the away end after 65 mins. I don't know quite what to make of that, good or bad.

To be fair that was just terrible to watch. I watched our entire defeat to Chelsea last year and Pool the year before, but I had to switch this game off after it was 4-0. This was the worst performance i've seen by Villa and i hope to never have to see such a dreadful performance again.

Turning it off is slightly different to leaving the ground though. It was pretty demoralising being left in a half empty away end as the 6th goal went in. Fair enough it is up to people if they want to leave but for me it is important to stay until the very end.

Also, does anyone know why that ginger lad stripped?! What had he done that he didn't want to be recognised for?

Been back from Newcastle for a few hours now. Still not really sunk in what happened.

Ratings:

Friedel 2 - possibly the worst I've seen him for us, thought he should have done better in the build up to their second goal, instead of parrying it out to whoever headed it in

L Young 4 - covered well and made few mistakes

Dunne 2 - made a few good challenges but also so many uncharacteristic mistakes. Shocking attempted clearance for their third goal

Clark 5 - thought he was the best of the defence, especially given his inexperience

Warnock 1 - largely absent, and gave the ball away too much. Very poor.

Albrighton 3 - showed naiveity (sp?) today I felt, but at least tried hard

Ireland 5 - promising given his rustiness, played a few nice passes and put in a lovely crunching challenge on Smith. Was sat FAR too deep though (although that's probably what he was told to do)

Petrov 1 - barely noticed him, not what we needed from our captain

Downing 4 - he has bore the brunt of a lot of the criticism on here but I thought he was one of our better players today

A Young 4 - kept trying but also moaned far too much and was caught offside far too often

Carew 1 - worst I've seen him. Shockin penalty too.

Heskey 2 - right wing?! When he was pushed up he still disappointed, not a player to bring on at 4-0 down (I know that isn't his fault)

NRC 1 - poor, dispossesed far too easily. However I would have liked to see him on for Marc (who looked weary) at half time.

Beye - thought it was a bad move bringing him on with five mins left, just to get booed.

I would also like to say that I wasn't impressed with their fans, I thought they were supposed to have a good atmosphere up there?! Far too many Villa fans left early for my liking, but I guess based on the second half performance fair enough, one of the worst performances I have seen (not as bad as Doncaster though, as some have suggested).

Only plus point was that they were selling their pies for a quid after the final whistle!

All in all, a shit day. But I think we will come back from this, remember the gritty win away at Bolton a week after the Chelsea debacle? Collins and Cuellar will give us a lot more discipline when they return.

3-1 sounds like it could happen.

Won't be easy for us there but I am pretty confident, excited for Ireland's debut.

Setting off from sheff now, should be a good day.

the odds on Klinsmann have halved again across the board

got this text too, snapped up a couple of tickets for the lower holte. great offer.

bit of a dull game and we didnt do much BUT we got the away goal which is what is important. a very professional job from our second string.

ITV4 had crap coverage. the RV fans seemed to be absolute rocket polishers...especially throwing stuff at Weimann when he was being carried off.

Nobody really stood out for me, though Albrighton had another good game. I missed the bloody goal cos the first pub i went to watch it in werent showing it so had to go to a different one, got there just after we scored.

Watched this in a pub in york, was there for the weekend and walking passed a pub and my girlfriend pointed out they were advertising the villa game at 3pm, couldnt believe my luck! So glad I witnessed it too because we were **** amazing. What a response to the past week or so!

Albrighton was MOTM for me, brilliant. Downing looked so much hungrier than last season, excited for what he can bring us this season. Milner put in an awesome professional performance, didn't milk his goal and his ovation was pretty emotional. It's a shame he is leaving, but I'm glad the crowd got behind him yesterday. Clark played superbly in defence too. Ash Young was brilliant, really like him in the free role. Carew... well what can I say, would have been an embarassing scoreline if he had been wearing his scoring boots! Thought he played brilliantly apart from his finishing though.

Bring on Vienna and I can't wait for my trip to Newcastle next sunday now. Obviously it isn't a time to get carried away but I am so happy at the response the boys have shown to the last week or so.

Albrighton MOTM for me. Great performances from Downing, Ash, Milner and Clark too. If Carew had had his scoring boots on we would have been in dreamland (and with bets i had on I wouldve been a fair whack richer, couldn't believe it when he fluffed that header!!).

for anybody thinking of getting the train it may be cheaper to break up your journey. return from sheffield would have cost me pushing £50 but by going to york and then changing (even though the same train goes through to newcastle) i have got a return for £20.

I've gone 3-1 Villa on my super6, I think we are going to play really well. Strangely optimistic given what has happened in recent weeks.

edit: wrong thread sorry