Avfc96 Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Guzan- 7 Yet another clean sheet for him, but Cardiff didn't really test him all afternoon. Bacuna - 9 He along with Guzan has been our most consistent performer this season and he was superb again today. Very good defensively and that free kick, well that was just spectacular. Vlaar- 8 He looks a totally different player to last season. Composed when distributing the ball and lead the line well. Clark- 7 Solid defensively today and didn't really do much wrong. Baker- 6 Solid from him today and credit has to go to him as well as the rest of the back line for keeping their 3rd clean sheet in 5 games. I do think his distrubtion compared to the rest of the defence is somewhat lacking though. KEA- 5 Started of the season well but I personally don't think he is good enough. His tackling is the positive from today. Sylla- 5 Looks nothing like the player that came in last season and helped reinvigorate our season last year. His pass distribution is something that needs to be worked upon Asap. Westwood- 6 Made some good forward passes but he was the best of a below par midfield today. Tonev- 5 His decision making is really something that needs to be worked upon along with his general technique. Instead of playing Benteke in, he decided to take the shot on and that was criminal. However, towards the end of the game he did show glimpses that there is some talent there and too his credit he was always looking for the ball. Kozak- 6 I personally thought he was better than he had been previously but I still don't think he is generally that good. However, he managed to get himself his second goal for us and he also killed the game off today much to the relief of many Villa fans. Hopefully he can go on a run now and prove me wrong. Benteke- 6 Quiet today but he was crowded out by the Cardiff defence. I'm sure that once he gets a goal he will get back up and running again and be scoring for fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morpheus Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Take three points all day long but the performance was dreadful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rovers13 Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Take three points all day long but the performance was dreadful. Eh missing several important players Cardiff created absolutely nothing at all. If anyone was going to win it was going to be Villa, and that's what happened. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboyangel Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Have to agree with Rovers13 No Agbonlahor, Weimann, Delph, Luna etc etc - take the win, take the positives and take the points! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post The_Steve Posted November 9, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted November 9, 2013 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praisedmambo Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Take three points all day long but the performance was dreadful. You're very melodramatic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshVilla Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Only managed to catch the first half. Very strange game. I think we started very well, then it all went very flat. By the sounds of it, the second half seemed similar. We still managed to grab the 3 points though, which is massive considering that we're by no means firing on all cylinders. Good to end the goal and home clean sheet droughts and a nice way to finish before this short break. Hopefully we'll have a full strength squad by the time we play the baggies so we can get a nice little streak going. Well done lads, UTV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimzk5 Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 (edited) Just got back, the only way we were going to break the dead lock was with a set piece, Cardiff were very well driled and doubled up on benteke so even if kozak did win a knock on there was no one go him to head to too. Bacuna was outstanding, effort, workrate, tackling was briliant from a player signed fir just a million quid. Westwood was largely absent but our midfield was bypassed toay by guzan and the back four hoofing halls up the pitch. Lambert did a good tactical switch putting bacuna in the middle, 30 seconds later he surges forward and smashes in the resulting free kick Edited November 9, 2013 by Jimzk5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVTuco Posted November 9, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted November 9, 2013 (edited) Bacuna's goal was so important to us in this game, and possibly even longer term. A 0-0 would have put us in a difficult spot in forthcoming games. The pressure to score would have grown a lot. So, he's undoubtably MotM for me. Vlaar and Clark played very well again, Baker made some errors. All in all, our defense looks real good now. So good, that we can afford to move Bacuna to midfield and get Lowton back to RB. He made a difference today and should be a starter next game. Westwood was our best midfielder, the only one with half-decent play forward. I am slightly worried about Benteke. He is very frustrated. He needs to score so badly. Great result from a very important game. Thanks Leandro! Edited November 9, 2013 by AVTuco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coda Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Bacuna really fooled the GK with this one. I don't know if it's his body shape when approaching the ball but it caused the GK to move to his right. MOTM for making the difference today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wedge Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Thought Leandro Bacuna was our best player even before that free-kick. Sylla and Vlaar were also superb. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R.Bear Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Now I have finished celebrating, I can be honest about that game. We were god-awful. As bad as we have been in any game in the last year. Nothing but hoofing for 75 minutes. Abject stuff. Cardiff are one of the worst PL teams I've ever seen and we struggled to beat them. Yes Kozak nearly scored early second half and Benteke could have done better a few times but it was a terrible performance. A moment of magic won us the game. I dont why we have regressed in terms of the football we play but its awful to watch. Excellent result though so we're happy but the underlying problems are plentiful and getting worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wedge Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 The booing at HT wound me up so much, our home crowd are a disgrace at times. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giro Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Top draw free kick that was Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smetrov Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 injuries ? - Delph aside, I wouldn't rush to many of those guys back - Weiman couldn't hit a cows ass with a banjo - Gabby isn't it great form either. Today Guzan - 8 - assured handling Bacuna - 9 MOTM - Still gives the ball away to much - but won us the game no doubt Vlaar - 8 - solid Baker -7 couple of slips but good enough Clark - 6 - Adequate KEA - 4 - poor in every sense, slow to react, to easily beaten to the ball Westwood - 7 - good interceptions - needs to get up and down more for me Sylla - 5 - anomyous tbh Tonez 7.5 - it didn't always work out for him, but at least he tried to be creative, and looked like a proper winger - he even put some crosses in - much to be done - But I was encouraged today Kozak 7.5 - very hard working - could have had 3 today Benteke 6 - doesn't look fully fit to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R.I.C.O. Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Woohoo! Get in there! To be fair a win was expected but it really looked like we'd stumble to another draw. Bacuna should take all set pieces from now on. That goal gave everyone a lift and it was nice to see Kozak seal it, that should do wonders for his confidence. Didnt think Cardiff showed much, they were well organised but they could find that their lack of firepower hurts them later in the season. Now onto the next game... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgyknees Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Feel so relieved right now, the lack of wins and goals has been such a worry. Weekends have been a right bloody chore... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smetrov Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Now I have finished celebrating, I can be honest about that game. We were god-awful. As bad as we have been in any game in the last year. Nothing but hoofing for 75 minutes. Abject stuff. Cardiff are one of the worst PL teams I've ever seen and we struggled to beat them. Yes Kozak nearly scored early second half and Benteke could have done better a few times but it was a terrible performance. A moment of magic won us the game. I dont why we have regressed in terms of the football we play but its awful to watch. Excellent result though so we're happy but the underlying problems are plentiful and getting worse. I kind of agree - but that formation does, I believe give us something to build on - Steady Defence, Tonev wide, and Kozak as a battering ram. I beleive that has more mileage than Gabby, Weimann, Benteke - in that narrow formation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villaguy Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Big praise to Lawro who managed to get a perfect prediction, how often does that football genius do that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimzk5 Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Now I have finished celebrating, I can be honest about that game. We were god-awful. As bad as we have been in any game in the last year. Nothing but hoofing for 75 minutes. Abject stuff. Cardiff are one of the worst PL teams I've ever seen and we struggled to beat them. Yes Kozak nearly scored early second half and Benteke could have done better a few times but it was a terrible performance. A moment of magic won us the game. I dont why we have regressed in terms of the football we play but its awful to watch. Excellent result though so we're happy but the underlying problems are plentiful and getting worse. I kind of agree - but that formation does, I believe give us something to build on - Steady Defence, Tonev wide, and Kozak as a battering ram. I beleive that has more mileage than Gabby, Weimann, Benteke - in that narrow formation. The problem was tonev whipped in two good crosses in the first half that needed someone running to the near post, the anticipation was non existent when it comes to attacking crosses Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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