Ratings and Reactions: Villa 0-1 Leyton Orient

[darrenm]

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.

I was going to say about Given. Unfortunately he seems to be the constant in all these lower league defeats. That goal wouldn't have gone in last night if Guzan was in goal as he'd be out commanding the area, sniffing out the danger.

[andyh]

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

Errrr, I went.

It was shite.

[Stevo985]

 

 

I was going to say about Given. Unfortunately he seems to be the constant in all these lower league defeats. That goal wouldn't have gone in last night if Guzan was in goal as he'd be out commanding the area, sniffing out the danger.

 

Are you referring to the myth that Given was to blame for the Bradford defeat?

 

Because that's nonsense.

 

That being said, I did think he maybe could have come and claimed the cross that led to the goal last night, so I won't excuse him there.

[TOTTI-THE-GOD]

Been listening to football phone in's all week hearing fans whinging that Bent should be starting ahead of Gabby , they got there wish last night but dear god i wish they hadn't he was totally off the pace and clearly should of been replaced , we lacked pace last night big time no idea why Lambert decided to only make the one change .

Plus points were Grealish , Westwood , Hutton , Bacuna , Senderos and Sanchez .

Richardson isnt a left back , Baker has litteraly no composure what so ever , Cole has still got the brain just not the legs and Bent is just Bent if its not put on a plate for him from 6 yards out he's bloody useless .

I'm annoyed we went out last night , we did actually play some good stuff at times and Grealish is a kid with some serious talent , don't get me wrong he does make some silly choices and at times i thought he was trying a bit to hard to impress but some of his dribbling skills were fantastic and looked our best threat to get a goal or create something .

[CVByrne]

Read the Match report, we dominated the match, Bent wasted two 1on1's before they scored a sucker punch. 

 

Glad to read that, Bent is essentially 4th choice striker at the club behind Gabby, Kozak & Benteke. 

 

Also I hope we can pick up another attacking right sided player before the window shuts as we need another outlet. 

[darrenm]

 

 

I was going to say about Given. Unfortunately he seems to be the constant in all these lower league defeats. That goal wouldn't have gone in last night if Guzan was in goal as he'd be out commanding the area, sniffing out the danger.

 

Are you referring to the myth that Given was to blame for the Bradford defeat?

 

Because that's nonsense.

 

That being said, I did think he maybe could have come and claimed the cross that led to the goal last night, so I won't excuse him there.

 

I didn't know about that myth. I do remember thinking the same thing about Given after the Bradford defeat though. When you have a less than incredible defence, you need a keeper who comes out to claim a lot of stuff. Given doesn't. But he did produce an amazing save a few minutes earlier which perhaps Guzan wouldn't have.

 

But it's traditional to give your back up keeper a run in the cups. So I guess either our back up keeper needs replacing or we stop doing that. Or we keep conceding soft goals in the cups.

[villa89]

Probably for the best. We had no chance of winning this competition anyway and it means we'll have less games so we can concentrate on staying up. Again our appalling home form is appalling. Lambert must have the worst home record of any Villa manager ever.

[AVFCAM]

Do people forget about some of the most recent finalists of the cups? Wigan, Sunderland...or are we not even at their level anymore?!

[CVByrne]

Knocked out of the only cup competition that we could realistically progress in before the end of August!

And people are happy about this? People are happy the team lost to lower league opposition, again?

**** hell !

 

Read peoples posts. People are unhappy we lost but happy that we don't have these midweek distractions anymore. It's 100% league now until the new year. No changing the team for run outs in the League Cup. It's best team week in week out and some continuity now.

 

I think that's good. 

[CVByrne]

Do people forget about some of the most recent finalists of the cups? Wigan, Sunderland...or are we not even at their level anymore?!

 

All too well. I don't want to be Wigan. I'd rather stay in the Premier League thanks. 

[Zatman]

Seriously, since 2000, how many times have we gone out of cups to lower league opposition? 

 

its quite bad. Doncaster was still the worst of it all, was a bad one at Burnley and Sheffield United as well under O'Leary

 

then their was the most bizarre game of all when Wycombe battered us and we somehow won 8-3

[Woodytom]

.

 

Been listening to football phone in's all week hearing fans whinging that Bent should be starting ahead of Gabby , they got there wish last night but dear god i wish they hadn't he was totally off the pace and clearly should of been replaced , we lacked pace last night big time no idea why Lambert decided to only make the one change .

Plus points were Grealish , Westwood , Hutton , Bacuna , Senderos and Sanchez .

Richardson isnt a left back , Baker has litteraly no composure what so ever , Cole has still got the brain just not the legs and Bent is just Bent if its not put on a plate for him from 6 yards out he's bloody useless .

I'm annoyed we went out last night , we did actually play some good stuff at times and Grealish is a kid with some serious talent , don't get me wrong he does make some silly choices and at times i thought he was trying a bit to hard to impress but some of his dribbling skills were fantastic and looked our best threat to get a goal or create something .

 

I would argue that if all them were plus points, we would not have lost 0-1 at home to Leyton Orient. 

Edited August 28, 2014 by Woodytom

[adw95]

 

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?

 

 

Sorry, based on early season...

[The_Steve]

On the way back. Difficult to know what we could have done better to win that. We tried to break them down and had some really good chances in the 2nd half which would have gone in any other day.

I probably would have brought Gabby on for Bent because he was pretty anonymous, and we could have done with Delph's drive rather than Westwood (who was actually quite good).

Anyone can score a random goal against anyone so you can't say we lost because of the goal, it was really all about us not taking chances. Bent and Bacuna were the most guilty of being wasteful.

Finally, I hate the old crowd trends of shouting 'shoot' every time someone has a shooting opportunity, which puts them off and stops them shooting, and the moaning when we try to keep possession by going backwards. I know it's nothing new and every club's fans do it but it winds me up.

Anyway, they came, parked the bus, got lucky not to concede and got lucky to grab one at the end. Proper smash and grab.

 

Woah, an informed opinion from somebody at the game. Thanks.

[chappy]

Would've had sheff utd at home ha

[samjp26]

Barry Bannan came and watched

[Zatman]

Barry Bannan came and watched

 

was Con sitting behind him?

[F-87]

Disappointed, but remaining positive. Let's not fall apart just yet.

 

Looking forward to Hull on Sunday

[Mantis]

 

 

I was going to say about Given. Unfortunately he seems to be the constant in all these lower league defeats. That goal wouldn't have gone in last night if Guzan was in goal as he'd be out commanding the area, sniffing out the danger.

 

Are you referring to the myth that Given was to blame for the Bradford defeat?

 

Because that's nonsense.

 

That being said, I did think he maybe could have come and claimed the cross that led to the goal last night, so I won't excuse him there.

 

 

I don't think anyone blames Given solely for the Bradford defeat but I definitely think he was one of the main culprits. If you look at the 4 defeats we've had to lower league opposition in the cups under Lambert Given has featured in all of them bar Sheffield United. It doesn't help that he didn't have Vlaar in front of him on any of those occasions but most of the goals we conceded in those games have come from corners or high balls into the box which he just can't deal with - he's incredibly poor at commanding his area despite being a good shot stopper.

[briny_ear]

Only saw the highlights where it looked as if we pressed a lot but were clueless when it came to putting the ball in the net. Then fell to a late soft goal.

 

Now...why does that sound spookily familiar?

 

We know from last season that Lambert sees cup competitions as a distraction so I imagine he is privately happy at this result. He has a dreadful cup record in recent years (2012-3's semi-final apart, and that ended pretty dreadfully) and I guess he maybe doesn't get cup-style football so fails to prepare his teams properly.

 

I don't really get the posts on here expressing relief or gladness that we are out of the cup. Can't really be happy that we lost a game to a lower league side (who were playing their reserve side, by the way, just in case anyone wants to wheel out that excuse).