Kwan

I thought he had another solid game. Stronger than I thought he'd be and has a very good positional sense. Rarely gets caught with his pants down like Hutton. Made a couple mistakes but isn't a bonehead like Warnock and rarely gets beaten or tricked one on one. He looked gassed near the end, but so did a lot of players. He's far less adventurous on the left though. I think he's more comfortable attacking with his preferred foot on the right.

Ahh, I suppose that explains that. Didn't see anything regarding his injury.

Is it an indictment on Albrighton that he can't get ahead of Warnock to play out wide or just McLeish lunacy again?

The sort of DM we've needed for a while. Mops up the mess and is surprisingly good at holding people off the ball. Not half bad in the air either. True, he's not going to cut you that incisive pass, but he's good at what he does and has room to improve.

Yes, a point is fair and all, but the team is just incredibly poor going forward. No gameplan, no style, no clue as to how to put the goal in the net. Just hoping for a second ball and then pouncing on it. It's horrendous. Warnock in the middle says it all for me. How do you have 3 fullbacks on the pitch at one time? The positions were there to be slotted within. I don't know. I like the point, but I think this is probably one of the more depressing performances I've watched.

Outside of the City game, I don't think Lichaj has been defensively worse than who he replaced. I'd give him a run in the side. If nothing else, he provides a legitimate threat on throw-ins in their area.

Same as everyone's said. I think Given's a good shot stopper, but I don't think I've ever seen him punch a ball out. I'd try to hold on to Guzan, but I really wouldn't look down at him to get regular chances.

Given - 4 Not a lot he could do about the goals but his command of the area is poor again. I won't say it directly leads to more goals off corners, but it doesn't help. Lichaj - 9 MOTM A bit biased because I'm American, but I thought he handled himself very well. Constantly on the back of Sturridge/Kalou and was rarely out of position and got forward well. Points for the throw and the goal of course. Baker - 2 Awful to be honest. Distribution was poor and at fault for 3 of the goals. Let Torres get in front of him to flick it on and then lost Ivanovic for both of the corner goals. Collins - 6.5 Did as best as he could and it was one of his better games to be honest. Distribution is still hit or miss, but defended as best as he could and points for the goal and being a threat on set pieces. Warnock - 6 Played decently, but his woeful crossing really hurts us when he gets in space sometimes. Didn't really have any defensive problems on his side, but to be expected. Gardner - 4.5 Anonymous to be honest. I think that's more to do with being played out wide than anything else, but really didn't play an killer balls or put in good tackles. It's hard to say whether that's from his position or just his play. Herd - 4 Always puts in a shift but showed his limitations with numerous poor first touches and questionable, at best, passes. Good for a DM, but not really needs to improve his passing if he wants to keep progressing. Ireland - 7 A class above when it comes to control and decision making. Asked a lot to play in the center of the park but put in a shift and is a surprisingly decent tackler for his size. Hope he stays with us. Bannan - 5.5 I love the little guy, but he's just not a wide player. Doesn't have the pace to threaten and can't take on his man either. His set pieces were at least dangerous though I thought he should have done better from the free kick at the end. Albrighton - 6 Points for the cross and finally delivering on his left foot. Thought he looked very dangerous when he came on and obviously points for the cross for Lichaj's goal. Weimann - 5.5 Tried hard and hard. Ran all day and at least better than Heskey to start a game. His first touch, though, left much to be desired and thought he could have done better when facing the goal. Also doesn't pose much of a threat in the box for crosses though that might have more to do with the delivery than anything. Agbonlahor - 5.5 Probably the same as Weimann. Ran all day, but just couldn't get into a good rhythm. Better when we scored some goals, but I'm just confused as to what he thinks he is now. The 'foul' on Terry near the end was the wrong call. Heskey - not enough time on, but controlled it well when hoofed up to him I guess. Overall, the first 75 minutes were rather insepid. I think it was more square pegs in round holes with Gardner and Bannan not being able to threaten out wide and so our movement in the box was static again. Herd and Ireland were a bit more overrun in the midfield and allowed Mata to swim all over the place. Still, it shows that even with a makeshift side like that, we can at least provide a decent result. It's better than starting oaf Heskey and just wishing for nothing. Against poorer sides, I would like to see a similar Villa side as I think they'll have more time on the ball and be able to threaten goal more. It's of course concerning that we just don't know how to attack in the final third.

Howard Webb I think.

Just woke up. Did we really trot the academy out there?

Shit, that's awful. Please get well Stan.

Petrov and Hutton out means we'll have a little bit of a change in the side. Lichaj will probably fill in for Hutton, but what pairing do we go with in the middle? Gardner/Herd sounds good. I don't think little Barry will get in the side. There's always the horrible chance that Heskey ends up playing midfield.

Whats the **** point? The minute I see Heskey, I knew we were just punting this game. The load of crap just waffles about, not closing down and not chasing and not even offering an outlet for hoofs. He could care less what was happening in the game. And for all the shit we've given Ireland, in the dying minutes of a horrible game, he sprinted back and made a great tackle to pause further embarassment. You know why? Because he actually gave a shit. So 10/10 and MOTM for caring. Alby tries hard but it's all in his head. Can't make a decision and his final ball has been atrocious for the longest time. I'm new to Villa and watch every game here from America but its difficult to stomach.

FFS Albrighton. Stop trying to be a hero and just play.

Why Heskey, whyyyyyy?

Just came all over my keyboard

Dunne and Collins might be more vocal (you have to make up for the intelligence somewhere) and thus communicate better. I don't really see Cuellar ever barking around orders.

I still don't think the majority of the blame should go to CC for the corner. Yes, Barry was his man and he lost him a bit, but if you watch the replay, Cuellar blocked off the area that was most dangerous for a goal. Barry wasn't going to score from that back post and so Cuellar rushed back to try to stop the ball back in. Yet, it was Collins who decided to throw intelligence out the window and simply sprint after the ball in the air even though it was an area where it was obviously going to get headed back across if a City player got to it, thus leaving Lescott unmarked. I place the majority of the blame on Collins in that situation and some of it on Cuellar. It's just common sense.

Thought he did brilliant for playing a position he's never played and oddly enough, he's the defender that looks most comfortable with the ball. He could have done better to prevent Barry from the header back across on their goal, but it was a good corner in his defense.

He may be a bit daft, but at least he has the balls to say what everyone's thinking on the team, "**** off Eck."

Thought he didn't do his best, but part of that comes from trying too hard I think. The kid's only 19 going up against one of the top midfields with a CM partner that's short on steam and legs. There's only so much ground he has to cover AND impact the game as a playmaker. It was heartening, at least, that when he got the ball he turned forward and tried to beat a man instead of taking the easy pass backwards. Hopefully his confidence going forward isn't shattered by the utterly negative tactics now employed at VP.

Thought Keane has been really shit so far. Taking extra touches and woeful passes everywhere. Heskey, predictably, has been more than terrible. He offers nothing but an excuse for Dumb and Dumber to hoof it up to him. Doesn't even look bothered to track back Kolarov, something that will bite us later if he's still in. Gardner, for all his nice touches, isn't showing for the ball enough. It once again leaves Dumb and Dumber with the ball. Thought Cuellar has been MOTM so far, not only defending but getting forward and giving a shit. Petrov has been trying but no one's around for him to pass the ball to.

Ashley Young looking on and thinking, "This dimwit would probably pick Heskey over me."

God, we are shit. City just keep the pressure high because they know everyone's extremely uncomfortable with the ball

The worse feeling in the world is waking up after being pissed and seeing heskey's name on the line up sheet. What's the point of waking up this early?