Condimentalist Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Big three points, mixed performance. We looked better 442, that's for sure. Tonev wasn't in a position to shoot so often for a start. For the derby I'd go 442 I think, with Bacuna ahead of Lowton on the right and Gabby n for Tonev on the left. Hard to drop Kozak - he was much better than Benteke today. The kid needs a goal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gompedyret Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Switched on the match a moment before Bacuna's Belter. Good stuff, it's starting to become his trademark thingy. Not able to comment on the rest of the game, but one thing that was very uplifting was the Villa player's aggressiveness on the ball the last ten minutes, winning back the ball several times in decent positions. This is good defending as well as showing a clear hunger for more goals. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 (edited) Wahey. Edited November 9, 2013 by Mantis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villaguy Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Aside from the comedy goal attempt, Tonev got better and better. That was the worst thing about him today, apart from that goal attempt he was always offering himself in good positions and was very involved in the build up to the second goal. Lets not forget that Cardiff have had a few results this season and last weekends game will have had them in high spirits whilst we may have been a bit low ourselves so this is a great and important result Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Pretty poor performance on the whole. Two sides playing average football. And to have less possession than Cardiff at home is damning stuff. However, a moment of brilliance from Bacuna changed it in our favour. He was solid in his duties at RB as well. Leandro is MOTM for me. Shout outs to Vlaar, Clark and Baker as well. Got the clean sheet - solid effort. I hope the result doesn't paper over the performance for 90% of that game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Good to get a win, that's all. I enjoyed learning about everyone's lunch(/breakfast if in the US) as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daveyjohnus Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Good result. Overdue. Wouldn't be too worried about having the lesser share of possession in any game to be honest-it's not our thing really-the more of it we have the more likely we are to make blunders. I'd be happy if we created and took a few more chances with the possession we do have. Feels good being top half of the table for a change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cizzler Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 (edited) I wasn't happy with our lack of ideas first half but we really came out firing after the break. I reckon Lambert gave them hell. Also, I can't recall Cardiff having a real chance. They had a few set pieces? But overall our defence kept them really quiet. We look far more organised. Guzan 7 - Clean sheet but not really tested. Commanded his area well. Bacuna 9 MOTM - Looked really solid at right back. Then straight after being pushed into midfield played a cracking one-two, got fouled and curled a peach into the top corner. Vlaar 8 - Solid again from Ron. He's looked really good for a few games now. Calm distribution again, on the whole. Baker 6 - Almost gifted Cardiff a goal trying to shepherd the ball to Guzan. Notably worse technically than our other defenders. Clark 7 - Played well in an unfamiliar position. Got forward better than Baker has. He's a better player this season. El Ahmadi 5 - I want to rate him higher but he's such a limited player. He harassed well. That's all he really contributes. Sylla 5 - He played a bit better in the last 10/15 minutes. He also pressed well but his (and KEA's) lack of creativity is obvious and frustrating. Westwood 6 - Slightly better than the other two. Began to pass much more incisively later in the second half, he needs to continue this. Tonev 5 - His decision-making is atrocious and that slice into the upper tier instead of playing in Benteke was criminal. Good work for Kozak's goal though. He's quick and can beat a man... I hope our coaches can improve him. Kozak 7 - Good finish. Good header at the start of the second half too. I don't really like the partnership though. Benteke 7 - He didn't do a lot but he did nothing wrong and he didn't get much to work with at all. His fitness is coming back and his touch was the best on the pitch. Bowery should have played him in at the end twice. Lowton 7 - Refreshing cameo. Bacuna was solid defensively but i doubt he would have been on the opposition touch line to put it back across the face. Great assist. Needs to start the next game. I'd like to see a midfield three of Delph, Westwood and Bacuna next game. Hopefully Luna and Gabby come back too. We can push for top 10 if we keep our best players fit. Edited November 9, 2013 by Cizzler 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjw63 Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Still in Holte suite celebrating the win.To be honest it was a crap game between two crap teams until that free kick. Nice to see us beat this type of team though :-) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic_bouma Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 In the match thread I said lambert needed to come up with a game changing decision in the second half or I would begin to question his ability. Fair play to him he did. Putting Lowton on and pushing bacuna further up changed the game and Lowton provided the cross for the second goal. Well done lambert Unfortunately his team still serves up 80% shit football and he really needs to decide how he wants us to play co at the moment our football is all over the place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MackHaakon Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 (edited) Delighted with the win. Poor 1st half, confidence grew after the first goal. I completely agree with those suggesting dropping El Ahmadi, bringing Lowton back in at right back and starting to play Bacuna at CM. The Westwood/ El Ahmadi combo contributes very little in the final third, and we need to have some sort of attacking threat from the centre of midfield. And Vlaar is a fantastic defender. Edited November 9, 2013 by MackHaakon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 (edited) For some reason we always seem to do well in the fixture closest to Remembrance Day 2009: Villa 5-1 Bolton 2010: Villa 2-2 Man United 2011: Villa 3-2 Norwich 2012: Villa 2-3 Man United (not a great result but as good a mostly good performance) 2013: Villa 2-0 Cardiff Edited November 9, 2013 by Mantis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poitier Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Bacuna would have been my motm even without the free kick, he would have been my motm just for the free kick. Vlaar was good - again, and much better from Kozak, that was a neat finish from a difficult position with the ball slightly behind him. Tonev showed he has pace, some poor decision making/shooting/crossing, yet in some ways probably his best game for us. Although Bacuna has been very impressive at RB he deserves to get a run in midfield, both he and Delph can go past people so it might give us a bit more going forward. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtsimonw Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Poor first half, better second. Thought both scorers played well as did the defence mostly. Tonev did well I thought, shame nobody made any effort to get near post on his crosses. Lowton should've started and did well when he came on. I'll take any win at the moment though so wont complain too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chappy Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Incredible FK again from Leo. Matty Lowts needs to be in the team again. Kozak hopefully proved his (many) doubters wrong. Vlaar MOTM again. Happy days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danwichmann Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 We scored - twice! After 9 halfs without scoring i'm not asking for any more than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa_shere Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Scored and kept a clean aheet. Got to be happy about that. Gives the lads a boost going into the derby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ponky Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 To be fair to Benteke, here was surrounded by 4 Cardiff players every time he got near the ball. Until our other players start to exert more influence in matches sides will always try to stifle Benteke to keep him and therefore us from scoring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 To be fair to Benteke, here was surrounded by 4 Cardiff players every time he got near the ball. Until our other players start to exert more influence in matches sides will always try to stifle Benteke to keep him and therefore us from scoring. Yes and it allowed Kozak more space Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nnock1984 Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 WIn Goals Clean Sheet . . . . . and all of this at home!!!! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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