Ratings and Reactions: Liverpool 0-1 Villa

[Wes]

Whole team played excellently. Brilliantly disciplined performance.

 

Gave MoM to Baker because he blocked a cross for a certain goal but whole team played great.

 

I think we're going to cause serious problems when Benteke or Kozak are back. Only thing we were missing was an outlet to hold up the ball from Guzan's long balls when he couldn't give it to the full backs. Agbonlahor tried but couldn't compete aerially but still did his job dilligently.

 

Keane is the signing of the summer. He and Lambert working well together.

[smetrov]

Thought Senderos was MOTM - snuffed out £60m worth of talent in that first half - errrr how much was he again....

[heid3ster]

[Davkaus]

Really surprised by Baker. I always thought he was the weak link the partnership with Clark, but today showed what he can do when he's got an experienced head next to him. Really good to see. He shouldn't be playing much with Vlaar/Okore fit, but I'll be a lot more confident if he has to be used.

[The_Steve]

Fantastic rearguard. Liverpool rarely threatened until they hit the post. We sat back and played to our strengths.

 

MOTM are either Senderos or Cleverley. Broke up play and frustrated Liverpool immensely.

 

Lambert got it spot on.

[R.Bear]

I love this team!!

[hogso]

Definietly another case of 'we wouldn't of held on for that last season'. Progress.

[OhioVilla]

Fantastic performance from everyone in the side.

 

Tactics...not sure I like the park the bus mentality, but with 3 points, I guess I'm ok with it.

 

Baker was just...incredible today. Vlaar and Senderos must be rubbing off on him to cut out the moron plays.

[smetrov]

Sort of this really...

 

I have genuinely just done that !!!!! - at 51 years of age I should know better .....but I hate Liverpool with such a passion.....

[DeepDish]

The difference when you have more experienced players on the pitch. And even the young ones (Baker) looks experienced when the rest of the team are experienced and full of confidence.

[Villanun]

Just a thought: perhaps this is how Baker plays when he hasn't got a head injury...

[Ginko]

If someone had said before the season started that we'd be playing games with Baker and Senderos as our CB pairing and they'd keep a clean sheet and play well we'd have called them insane.

 

Fair play to Baker today. I'm definitely not one of his biggest fans but credit where it's due, he was bloody good.

[NeilS]

I would just like to point out my mystic meg skills in the pre match thread. Look towards the last few pages. I said Gabby would celebrate his new contract with the winner.

[Spoony]

[bose]

Senderos MOTM for me, frustrated Balotelli and was very solid overall. Baker did very well as well and showed us that we know **** all.

 

Fantastic start to the season!

[HanoiVillan]

Classic Lambert smash and grab, but I'm absolutely delighted. An incredibly solid defensive performance. As is now standard, I left Hutton and Guzan on the bench for my FPL team, which more or less ensured we'd get a clean sheet! Seriously though, an incredibly resolute performance. 

 

A positive worth highlighting - Nathan Baker. A very solid performance. I know he's been poor at times in his time here, but some of the stick this lad gets - and you only need to check the pre-match thread to see about 5 pages of it in a row - is totally over-the-top. Nobody's saying he's gonna go down as an all-time great, but when I've said on here in the past that he has potential, that he puts in good performances at times, that's what I mean. A very commanding effort, he didn't look out of place at all. 

 

A minor negative - Senderos kicking Balotelli. I hate to piss on chips here, but he really is lucky he didn't get sent off for that, and it was so needless. What's more, it spoiled an excellent performance otherwise. We have to hope there's no retrospective punishment now. 

[ThunderPower_14]

There are so many **** smug Liverpool supporters in Australia, they are the team that are most satisfying to knock off without a doubt.

 

Off to the "Title race" thread

[AVFCAM]

We needed a big result in this poor run, so to start by winning is a huge boost.

Fair play to Baker, he played incredibly well, buts lets not start getting carried away, he's got to show a lot more of that before you can forget his calamitous games last season. This however was an excellent way to start silencing the critics!

[maqroll]

Don't get so excited about one game. Teams win some games in this league, and they lose some too. Sometimes they draw. Just because the announcer is praising Villa, doesn't mean we are that good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just kidding, YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Incredible team win, best Villa midfield performance in a long time, disciplined and mature, and absolutely oppressive defending. Team spirit is sky high, and to think our two best players weren't even on the bench. 

 

2nd place, roll on Villa!

[smetrov]

Problem with Baker he can't play like that week in \ week out - to come in for the odd game always thought he could do a job for us...