Ratings and Reactions: Newcastle 1-0 Villa

[Big_John_10]

Are the injuries a good enough excuse? Lambert signed the replacements as well remember.

[Ponky]

I agree Sylla was shocking. Bennett made a really ridiculous mistake giving the ball away but to be fair Remy should have killed it a few minutes earlier when Vlaar got caught out in an awful position.

 

Lambert is so frustrating because he simply does not react when Blind Freddy can see the game is slipping away.

 

Our front three were pretty dastardly today. Question: WTF is Gabby doing when Benteke is being double or triple teamed by opposition defenders?

[icouldtelltheworld]

What does Albrighton have to do to get on the pitch? I get that there's a case he's a good impact sub but if he'd started in place of Weimann today we'd have almost definitely scored in the first half. When we hadn't taken our chances in the first half it felt inevitable that we were going to crumble away in the second. I'm one of the ones in favour of giving Lambert time, but he has until Christmas now for me - if there's no improvement he needs to go.

Westwood, Baker and Bacuna all looked good today.

[darrenm]

Question: WTF is Gabby doing when Benteke is being double or triple teamed by opposition defenders?

 

Controlling the ball further than I can kick it.

[briny_ear]

That really was the worst match I have watched a for a long time. 

 

Thought our defence was OK in the first half but they weren't really tested because Newcastle's attacking play was very limited and desperately low on confidence.

 

Our forward line were almost universally useless throughout the match and Benteke - well, you just have to conclude we aren't going to see the Benteke of the latter half of last season again. He looks like he's given up caring.

 

Joe Bennet's defending for their goal was the worst I have ever seen and I sincerely hope never to see him in a Villa shirt again. Lambert, he's not up to it, why can't you see this?

 

Mind you, the whole defence was exposed once they started to play the wings and Vlaar could have gifted a goal to Remy in the 88th. Falling over in front of him was the final comedy caper that sealed the goal chance in the 93rd.

 

A very poor day all round and I don't feel inclined to nominate anyone as "man of the match". Maybe Cisse for letting us off so massively in the first half.

[Ulver]

Absolute garbage, tactics and performance

 

Mind numbingly bad.

 

Lambert, you are a grade A word removed. And not fit to manage a club at this level

[Jimzk5]

The comment from last page about the myth about us being better away from home

we play a very rigid 433, replying on the opposition attacking and bringing bodies forward, hitting them with pace one counter and exploiting the space, what Newcastle did today was always have 4 players staying back, even when they had a set piece, easily nullifying our threat, as the season goes on teams have become wise to this

Which is why Lambert should have made a change, the fact he didn't makes me think he went full McLeish and settled for a point

[briny_ear]

I missed the first half of this game, because I was watching the men's ice hockey final with my Canadian partner. She was understandably delighted, and had the whole family on the phone, everyone very jolly. Of course, because I'm a masochist, I couldn't wait to fire up a broken stream to watch the beloved Villa . . . and half an hour later, the mood is completely ruined, I'm totally miserable, it's yet another week I'm frankly embarrassed to be a Villa fan. 

 

To make a number of points based on the second half - the substitutions. Okay, Westwood was injured. But why not bring Albrighton on and put El Ahmadi into the centre? Why not have Lowton in the matchday squad so that Bacuna could be pushed up? Because Sylla is a dreadful footballer who hasn't had a good game for nearly a calendar year at this point. He's detritus, and just as much 'bomb squad' as Alan Hutton. Why Bennett? Was Bertrand really injured? And couldn't Clark have come on and Baker gone to left back? Because Bennett is as terrible a fullback as has a Premier League contract. One of the few things Lambert has done right since having this job was ditching him at the start of the season, and now lookee at this, the turd that won't flush is back costing us points again. 

 

Benteke is a lost cause. It's funny watching him play in the same game as Papiss Cisse, it's hard to tell who's had the more dramatic fall from grace. Probably Cisse, who might just never score again, but Benteke is lost. He won't be leaving in the summer, he shouldn't even be starting games next season. 

 

Awful, pitiful, infuriating, dismal. A win next week or Lambert out for me. My patience has expired. 

Blimey, did you and your partner watch the men's curling final together? 

[chappy]

I've been sat in this pub in Newcastle city centre before. It was august 2010 and I 'd just watched us lose six nil with a lanky greasy haired clearing in the woods scoring a hat trick. Today I think I feel worse. The inevitability of their goal was soul destroying. It was like we were begging them to score.

KEA and Westwood were our best player first half, along with vlaar. Second half nobody gets my vote because we were absolutely dire. What the **** is going on with Benteke? He was so bad today, in fact all our attackers were. Also I wonder if lambert didn't bring albrighton on put of defiance because the fans were singing his name, not saying that's the case but it would be worrying if so in a game that was crying out for him.

Norwich has become a must win game.

[jjaacckk91]

that game was awful.

newcastle were awful.

we were awfullest.

we need points against norwich.

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

Gutted I missed this. Sounds like a classic.

[OutByEaster?]

I don't think Sylla is good enough, I don't think he'll go on to make his career in the Premier league. I don't recall him doing anything wrong today though.

[The Fun Factory]

Another point dropped. It was coming in the second half and Newcastle should have taken the lead earlier, but when it gets to 91 mins you hope your side can hold on. We couldn't. First half we were okay and it all fell apart when Westwood went off. 

 

The cold hard facts is that yet again we are averaging around a point again for the 3rd season in the row. Today sums up our season. Yes we are a more solid unit from last year (but so is jelly) but where has the exciting counter attacking play gone? Our chances to goals ratio must be the worse in the league. Never clinical enough.  27 goals in 27 games is awful. Benteke was there on the pitch in body but not sure where the mind was. Did nothing. And Gabby and Weimann have to start scoring goals, no matter how much they may love the Villa and no matter how much they run around in matches. We are now not getting enough points on the round on winnable games and our home form is comically bad. I would say Norwich is a must win but It will be a shite 1-1 match with us looking nervously at the relegation zone until may. 

[villadude]

How much longer is Lambert going to get, awful clueless manager.

Also Benteke, when is this waste of space going to be dropped or subbed off at the very least, he looks shite week in week out, I pray nobody passes him the ball because you just know he's going to lose it.

Lambert and Lerner need to **** off from our club quick time.

[The Fun Factory]

Random thoughts on the match:

 

The match was summed up when Benteke stormed forward against two defenders, with Weimann and Gabby free either side of him, and he just puts it straight into the feet of one of the defenders.

 

We pressed brilliantly, especially first half, but without a goal we were always gonna run ourselves into the ground and eventually we tired enough to let them lay siege to our goal.

 

Subs were crap. I have to assume Westwood was taken off due to injury, because otherwise massive mistake by Lambert.

 

Great performance first half but, like against Cardiff, I didn't think we had the composure to put away chances if one had fallen to us.

 

KEA, Westwood, Bacuna, Vlaar (except for a couple of almost massive mistakes), Baker, Guzan all great today.

 

Not getting any luck either, on top of everything.

Yes we did. They probably should have had a penalty and hit the post. Even with that luck we managed to throw away a point.

[briny_ear]

Definitely a penalty!

[Dodgyknees]

I don't think Sylla is good enough, I don't think he'll go on to make his career in the Premier league. I don't recall him doing anything wrong today though.

Three or four passes went astray, leading to pressure.

[Stevo985]

Hate football. **** off.

Very brief thoughts. First half we were actually decent, pressed very well. Gabby and Westwood were excellent.

But I said at half time we can only play for half a game so we'd lose. Lo and behold we lose.

I'm beginning to hate everything about villa games. Its miserable.

[Electric Avenue]

The most annoying thing, I knew he'd bring Bennett on and he did and he **** it up for the goal. This is what you get when you sign crap like Bennett

[Danwichmann]

I don't think Sylla is good enough, I don't think he'll go on to make his career in the Premier league. I don't recall him doing anything wrong today though.

 

He just looks like he needs a run of games to me. He looked decent enough last season so no need to write him off. Another player that would benefit from a loan spell. I think players like him are probably missing the reserve league.