Ratings and Reactions: Stoke 0-1 Villa

[heid3ster]

Hellz yeah.

[MCU]

Quality start.

 

2 key things - back 4 so much more solid. Really goes to show, despite the critics of Sendoros, Aly and even Hutton all of the back line were great today.

 

The other is the reaction after going 1 up. Usually we boot the **** up the field and resort to panic stations. Instead they kept it on the floor and remained calm.

 

Stoke is a hell of a tough place to get anything and we've took all 3 pts. Beautiful Villa... 

[smetrov]

Freakish?

 

No we had the better chances - in the 2nd half stoke didn't look like scoring until the 95th minute - Grealish set up Bacuna who should have made 0-2 

[KHV]

Our defense looks fantastic.  Add Okore and Sanchez into that..... extremely solid.

 

Love Cissoko... big, strong, solid and fast left back.  Big improvement! 

Think Okore may have his work cut out geting a game if Senderos performs like that regularly

[Villanun]

Genuinely surprised, genuinely happy. Started off very poorly, but we settled and took as much control as you'd hope from from the away team. Stoke never really looked particularly likely to score, although there were, as you'd expect, a couple of hairy moments and Guzan's distribution was poor. Weimann largely anonymous until the goal, but hopefully that'll inspire him to kick on and have an improved season. The new signings looked good, especially Cissokho, and Grealish was impressive when he came on - that's what a young and hungry player should look like. On the downside, Gabby was his usual hit-and-miss self and Nzogbia still doesn't know when to release a pass. Overall though, I'm happy with that.

 

tl;dr version - we were pretty good!

[powell91]

with sanchez in front of that back 4 we are gonna be like a brick wall

[snowychap]

Good three points.

A pleasant surprise.

 

Poor quality game, though.

Edited August 16, 2014 by snowychap

[tonitottakai]

This season's first:

 

[Ghost]

"Freakish" (for N'Zogbia)

 

Freudian Slip?

Edited August 16, 2014 by Ghost

[NoelVilla]

Very happy! Voted Senderos MOTM but there where many good performances. Only downside, Nzogbia can be very frustrating going forward. Look up!

Travelling fans put in a solid performance as well, sounded great all game. 

[KJT123]

Wasn't sure on Senderos before the match, but he was brilliant, along with the whole defence.

[Enda]

Mind you Stoke were poor at the back, and we didn't create much. Not to be negative after a good win, but we'll need to keep some perspective.

[Demitri_C]

this was a sensational professional performance. we looked like a brick wall in front of goal. 

 

hutton looks like a completely different player. he was superb, clean slate in my view and i have a new found respect for him for being in the cold and coming in putting a dispaly like that/. keep it up son!

 

cissokho really impressed me was excellent. my motm.

 

senderos looked good alongside vlaar. these two definitely look more solid than clark and baker at cb

 

also loved keano on sidelines. av it!!!!!!!!!!!!

[chappy]

Brilliant performance and a clean sheet to boot!! Played the game out really well too with our Jack and Bacuna (horrendous shot aside!).

Cissokho, Senderos, and Richardson all improved us.

Too early to open the title race thread?

[Designer1]

The word of the day is solid.

It hasn't been the word of the day for a long time.

Great start.

[troon_villan]

I love cracking this out

 

[abdulaziz1]

Yesss ! Lovely win ! Congrats everybody.

Sissokho and Hutton looks good .. Senderos and Vlaar look good partnership !

Overall good performances. with Benteke and Kozak back and Sanchez introduced I think we would be a good team hopefully. We were decent today. More than expected.

Very delighted I was jumping with my friend when the goal came.

[chappy]

Also a mention for Hutton, very impressive!

[KJT123]

Also we finished that game of expertly, super stuff. Delighted

[packoman]

Can't wait for Benteke/Kozak to come back.