Ratings and Reactions: Villa 0-1 Leyton Orient

[benireduk]

Bent was surprisingly good at winning aerial duels.

Seriously?!? I don't think he won more than 2/3 long balls.

Watching him reminded me how awful he is in the air. He just looks like he doesn't want to head it. He always gets under the ball and the defender has an easy header

Edited August 27, 2014 by benireduk

[Adam_]

Massively disappointing, tactics were poor, why keep trying to put crosses in against a big league 1 physical team? Someone just needed to go on a run in the final third and could of scored plenty, even Hutton kept skimming past their players time and time again.

Defending was pretty bad, they had a fair few good chances where a half decent striker would of scored.

Bent was just terrible all round.

People need to get their heads out of grealish ass lol. Yes he did a few good runs and little turns but he lost the ball so many times and is so so weak.

His marking/defending was awful and did about 10 dives today was doing my head in!

[OutByEaster?]

Crap. With two positives - Jack Grealish did enough to show that he's a player we can look forward to seeing again in a Villa shirt, and Darren Bent did enough to hopefully finally prove otherwise.

[DCJonah]

Losing to league 1 opposition improves our chances of staying up?

 

Something that is important to our survival this year is having the home fans not getting on the managers back early.  This loss has just heaped a lot of pressure on Sundays game for this to not happen.

 

I don't think this result it either a good thing or helps us.  I'm quite amazed people think it is and it does.

[The Fun Factory]

Baker, Hutton, Sanchez, and Grealish played well. Cole looked out of it within 15 minutes. Bent made some good runs but it just didn't happen for him. Westwood and Richardson were poor. the rest were okay. Not sure we were as bad as a loss to a L1 team looks but there is an obvious issue with putting the ball in the opponents goal... A loan for a striker with good ability to create their own chances would be ideal before getting our main two back.

 

There is a nice symmetry to Lambert's reign so far:

 

Year 1 - Terrible defence, good offence

Year 2 - Up and down defence, up and down offence

Year 3 - Good defence, terrible offence.

Yeah there is a nice symmetry to Lambert reign so far

Year 1- Shite side

Year 2- Shite side

Year 3- Still a bit early to say, but by all accounts, a Shite side

[villianusa]

Didn't see the game can't say who did well or not but the one problem that is constant is that we can't do anything when we have the ball.

 

Clean sheets mean you don't lose game, goals allow you to win and our team doesn't look like they can create too much.

 

Last year the goals conceded hid the fact somewhat that we were terrible in front of goal. With tighter defensive games this season so far the offense is going to be in the spotlight.

[PaulC]

Baker, Hutton, Sanchez, and Grealish played well. Cole looked out of it within 15 minutes. Bent made some good runs but it just didn't happen for him. Westwood and Richardson were poor. the rest were okay. Not sure we were as bad as a loss to a L1 team looks but there is an obvious issue with putting the ball in the opponents goal... A loan for a striker with good ability to create their own chances would be ideal before getting our main two back.

 

There is a nice symmetry to Lambert's reign so far:

 

Year 1 - Terrible defence, good offence

Year 2 - Up and down defence, up and down offence

Year 3 - Good defence, terrible offence.

 

Is it not a little early to write Year 3 - Good defence?

[StefanAVFC]

Just got back (thanks London Midland you useless tossers)

 

Frustrating really. Didn't get out of 1st gear and looked comfortable all game. Our midfield was far better and created chance after chance for either a shot or a cross and the delivery or finish was terrible. Feel sorry for Senderos who was on the end of everything and played really nice passes out of defence and Hutton who ran his socks off down the right but his final delivery was lacking.

 

I certainly don't think we were as bad as some are making out.

[Milfner]

Just got back (thanks London Midland you useless tossers)

 

Frustrating really. Didn't get out of 1st gear and looked comfortable all game. Our midfield was far better and created chance after chance for either a shot or a cross and the delivery or finish was terrible. Feel sorry for Senderos who was on the end of everything and played really nice passes out of defence and Hutton who ran his socks off down the right but his final delivery was lacking.

 

I certainly don't think we were as bad as some are making out.

 

Is the correct answer. We created plenty today, the final ball or finish was just slightly off. It was just one of them days I guess.

Edited August 27, 2014 by Milfner

[skarroki]

Just got back, I liked Bacuna, Grealish and Westwood. Defence for nearly the whole game did what was needed. However Weimann cannot make an impact and change a game, Bent I now hate again and Cole can stay out injured as far as I'm concerned. The antithesis of a creative midfielder. I can't remember who else played in midfield which shows the type of game they had

EDIT: it was Sanchez who did alright, I take that back

Also just to say that I'm gutted I've travelled for hours and paid £15 to limp out to a league 1 team but I don't really care that much. All about the league and FA Cup. Roll on Hull and 3 points please.

Edited August 27, 2014 by skarroki

[brendanvillatalk]

Well at least we created chances. Big improvement from Saturday. And the possession stats are an improvement too. For me this was a tolerable defeat because we actually looked like we could win it. The Newcastle game was so typical of last season in that we never looked like we could or would win it. We had a lot of chances that could have gone in on another day. Yes I am clutching at straws for something positive about a defeat to Leyton Orient.

[a m ole]

Massively disappointing, tactics were poor, why keep trying to put crosses in against a big league 1 physical team? Someone just needed to go on a run in the final third and could of scored plenty, even Hutton kept skimming past their players time and time again.

Defending was pretty bad, they had a fair few good chances where a half decent striker would of scored.

Bent was just terrible all round.

People need to get their heads out of grealish ass lol. Yes he did a few good runs and little turns but he lost the ball so many times and is so so weak.

His marking/defending was awful and did about 10 dives today was doing my head in!

A technically good footballer that takes risks? He is exactly what we need playing his first 90 minutes of competitive first team football.

[StefanAVFC]

Our Jack was awesome. So direct. Loved it.

[AndyM3000]

Just got back (thanks London Midland you useless tossers)

Frustrating really. Didn't get out of 1st gear and looked comfortable all game. Our midfield was far better and created chance after chance for either a shot or a cross and the delivery or finish was terrible. Feel sorry for Senderos who was on the end of everything and played really nice passes out of defence and Hutton who ran his socks off down the right but his final delivery was lacking.

I certainly don't think we were as bad as some are making out.

Is the correct answer. We created plenty today, the final ball or finish was just slightly off. It was just one of them days I guess.

[villan_007]

Just want to say thanks to the lads who went for posting. Interesting to read your thoughts instead of the overreaction guff.

[SeanO]

Just want to say thanks to the lads who went for posting. Interesting to read your thoughts instead of the overreaction guff.

 

I wasn't there, didn't see the game only the result. So it's a massive well done to the lads then as we only lost by one goal to a lower league club at home. No idea why people would be frustrated?

 

Great to read your better fan post to cap it off another wonderful Lambert moment.

[Mantis]

We seem to really struggle against lower league teams. Not sure if it's because we can't break them down or if it's because Vlaar and Guzan don't usually play, or both. What I will say is that I think Given had something to do with it yet again. He made an excellent save from one of their corners but he just doesn't command his area like Guzan does. Obviously he isn't to blame for our inability to convert chances into goals but we just look so shaky at the back when he plays.

 

Just want to say thanks to the lads who went for posting. Interesting to read your thoughts instead of the overreaction guff.

I went (only just got back now) and I think some people have overreacted a bit. Not that I'm not angry, but it's certainly not a sackable offence IMO like some are making out. It's not like we're the only Premier League club that's gone out to lower-league opposition. These sorts of games are often difficult to the bigger teams and we've long struggled against direct teams.

 

The posts banging on about relegation on the basis of this game alone are a prime example. We could well be in a relegation battle this season or we may not, but I don't think this game has any effect on that whatsoever. We've comfortably won this fixture for the last 3 seasons running yet that didn't stop us from being threatened by relegation, so us losing tonight doesn't suddenly make relegation more likely than it might otherwise have been - Sunday's game against Hull will be a much better indicator.

 

All tonight's game tells us is things we already know - Baker and Given aren't good enough, Benteke and Kozak are by far our best strikers, we struggle to break inferior teams down at home and we can't deal with the long ball.

[LondonLax]

 

Why are people happy that we are out the cup?

 

Because it's a competition that there is a very slim chance we could win. Given the injuries we had last season and the slump we ended the season with the last thing I want is for us to be playing in the Capital One Cup this season.

 

I don't like to see Villa lose but I'm happy we're out of that cup at the first hurdle. Less games to play is a positive for our League performances imo. 

 

 

What is it exactly that Aston Villa are playing for season after season? We are not going to win the Premier League, we are not going to make it into the qualification positions for the European Cups and lets face it, we haven't won the FA cup since the 50s and don't look like changing that anytime soon.

 

The League Cup is realistically the only chance for our players and fans to taste some sort of glory, it is winnable for a club in our position and requires a relatively small number of extra games comparted with other cups.

 

We now have to wait another season to have a crack at winning something and it is especially galling that we were dumped out at home by a lower league side whilst playing first team players.

[Harry]

Did not go tonight and have not watched the game (and I doubt I ever will) but the result did not surprise me.

 

A few years ago I definitely would have gone but our recent performances against lower league opposition in the early rounds of cups are a massive disincentive and judging by the brave 18k who did go there are plenty who think the same as me. As a STH I will enjoy or more likely endure 19 games (depending on holidays) this season already so there is little incentive to pay for more mediocrity.

 

I actually don't think we have a bad squad and Lambert has tried to address some of the gaps we have over the summer. Time will tell if that's enough but I still think we could benefit from a couple of clever signings. The real trouble for me is I have very little faith in Lambert as a manager to do anything much beyond somehow secure premier league survival. The problem remains for me is that I just don't think he is a very good manager who is too often out smarted by the opposition manager.

 

Tonight should have been all about beating a poor lower league club and building on the confidence of a half decent start to our league campaign. Had we won we would have gone into Sunday's game with a great deal more confidence. Sadly and yet again that's not the case.

Edited August 28, 2014 by Harry

[Raver50032]

Whichever way you cut your arguement, there were more than enough players of reasonable quality with the ammunition to beat Leyton Orient - but they didn't.

 

It could be worse, we could be Manure fans... I mean, at least our failures are of no real surprise or no consequence, especially to the massed jizz-boys at Sky. No, no... at least our failures are not picked through and scrutinised to the finest detail for several days after by the media. We could have lost 4-0 to MK Dons...

 

The only bone picking, is here on VT.

Edited August 28, 2014 by Raver50032