the_eristic Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Very happy with the points and the performance overall, even if it wasn't the most seat-clinching, balls to the wall kind of game. I do wish MON would've subbed in a couple more players near the end, though. Ashley was looking a bit gimped in the last few minutes, so we could've pushed Shorey forward and brought on Warnock at LB, and maybe Delph for Petrov or Sidwell. Games we're winning comfortably are perfect opportunities to start working our new and/or inexperienced players into the side; we desperately need them to get time with the squad in league matches so we'll have reliable options in those games that might not be so comfortable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4Serious Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Very happy with the points and the performance overall, even if it wasn't the most seat-clinching, balls to the wall kind of game. I do wish MON would've subbed in a couple more players near the end, though. Ashley was looking a bit gimped in the last few minutes, so we could've pushed Shorey forward and brought on Warnock at LB, and maybe Delph for Petrov or Sidwell. Games we're winning comfortably are perfect opportunities to start working our new and/or inexperienced players into the side; we desperately need them to get time with the squad in league matches so we'll have reliable options in those games that might not be so comfortable. You say bring on subs, and I usually agree, but a 2-0 lead can change in a hurry (see: Stoke last year) and as far as I'm concerned we're still in the 'righting-the-ship, feeling our way into the season' stage. We need consistency. MON was right to be conservative today, in the future I want to see Delph given the last 20 minutes of games if we're either 2 up or 2 down. Screw it, just get Delph on the field! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted August 30, 2009 Moderator Share Posted August 30, 2009 Pretty nice goal by Gabby to put him level with such luminaries as one Dennis Mortimer & Dalian Atkinson on 36. One more and he joins Tony Daley & Bruce Rioch. On to ratings. Friedel - 5 - Totally redundant against an impotent Fulham side. Did nowt wrong cuz he did nowt. Beye - 6 - Still managed to go awol against an almost non-existent threat. Managed to pass back towards his goal and find a Fulham striker when under no pressure. This guy is just utter gash and I hope he loses his place immediately. Clark - 8 - Extra mark for it being a debut. Totally assured performance and not a foot wrong all day as I knew he would once given the chance. Continued on where he left off from the Peace Cup. The fact he had little to do must have meant this was truly the ideal debut. Cuéllar - 7 - Got through the most work of the defenders and is now the leader at the back at least until Citeh successfully manage to shove Dunne out the door. Shorey - 7 - Another good performance from the man newly motivated by new arrivals. Not a bad player now, but too little too late for his Villa career I feel. Milner - 7 - Typically hard-working back to front stuff from Milner. Petrov - 7 - The usual from Mr.Steady. I feel he should maybe add more to the attacking side though. NRC - 8 - Broke everything up and was here, there & everywhere. This guy is the key. Sidwell - 7 - Better in the defensive aspects so he added to the defensive solidity. I can't help but think he's there as more the attacking centre mid though. Could've scored early on. Young - 7 - A quiet but hard-working display from Ash. Agbonlahor - 8 - Great goal and even up to that he was running his legs off trying to make space. Played the loan man very well. Carew - 6 - Didn't do a whole lot for the 18 minutes he was on. The switch to 4-4-2 to accommodate him meant Fulham got more of the ball, we lost our shape and consequently the strikers got scraps from there onwards. MON - 7 - Thank God he kept to the 4-5-1 that beat Liverpool. We showed that it can also win games at home so you'd hope this is the shape for good.... What I don't like is that he went to 4-4-2 with the one substitution that he made. Fulham came slightly back into the game almost immediately and made some decent chances. To blame the late slump on tiredness rang hollow given that a] Fulham must've been more exhausted after Russia and b] our slump co-incided exactly with changing our shape. I hope he realised this and his 'tiredness' comment was just pulled out of thin air. So, 3 wins in a week and now we sit tight til the internationals come back unscathed. Then it's off to don some radiation suits and brave the sh1tsty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 What I don't like is that he went to 4-4-2 with the one substitution that he made. Did we? It looked to me like Milner moved into the middle and Gabby to the right. Infact, that is what happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chips'ngravy Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Great result, not so impressive performance. It was difficult to watch at times it was so dull. The biggest and most worrying problem for me is our midfield three. Whilst they do their job in shielding the defence more than adequately they offer very little going forward. Time again the ball went sideways or backwards as we laboured to build attacks. Of the three I'd probably replace Petrov as at least Sidwell offers a goal threat and NRC breaks up play. We need someone with the ability and confidence to make penetrating forward passes. Desperately missing Barry. He was the hub of the team today at Pompey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Zen Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 What I don't like is that he went to 4-4-2 with the one substitution that he made. Did we? It looked to me like Milner moved into the middle and Gabby to the right. Infact, that is what happened. That is indeed what happened. An OK move, imo. The only thing I would have done differently was to let Delph and perhaps Warnock or Albrighton get a couple of minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 What I don't like is that he went to 4-4-2 with the one substitution that he made. You can relax. We didn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robojoel Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Great result, not so impressive performance. It was difficult to watch at times it was so dull. The biggest and most worrying problem for me is our midfield three. Whilst they do their job in shielding the defence more than adequately they offer very little going forward. Time again the ball went sideways or backwards as we laboured to build attacks. Of the three I'd probably replace Petrov as at least Sidwell offers a goal threat and NRC breaks up play. We need someone with the ability and confidence to make penetrating forward passes. Desperately missing Barry. He was the hub of the team today at Pompey. Absolutely Of the midfeild 3 which were today functional, something needs to give to allow a bit more drive and creativity going forward without losing anything defensively I think from the couple of games I have seen of him Delph will provide this. It all depends on how long he will take to 'settle' and 'mature', this could be anything from 2 weeks to 2 years, I am hoping for and believing in the former. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davies4England Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Sting- Hangeland... Did you see how deep Fulham were, they didn't come off the edge of their own box till the last 5 minutes, of course when we cross the ball in he'll head most things away, he's always gonna do that at his size. However on the ground, did he make a significant tackle or interception? I can't remember one. He was also often outmuscled by Gabby when holding the ball up. Then I look at the organisation of their back four, for a supposed captain and centre point of their defensive unit, him and his teammates were all over the place at times, and we didn't even cause any significant threat like you said due to the lack of creativity we have. For example our 2nd goal the Fulham line was all over the place. I seriously don't get how Hangeland gets all the plaudits when Fulham are always that negative, well I guess I answered my own question there, it plays into his hands as a defence that deep and with such protection from midfield, it doesn't need the organisation of a defence like ours when we push players forward, it's also very easy to head and block everything away at his size. You said he has no bids, maybe there is a reason why, there are several clubs in need of a CB yet no-one has even made an approch to Fulham about him Yes you can say his touted price tag may put potential suitors off, however clubs still make enquiries. There have been a few whispers that Arsene Wenger looked at him like MON but had the same doubts about him coming into a side that plays a completley different system to Fulham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted August 31, 2009 Moderator Share Posted August 31, 2009 It looked to me like Milner moved into the middle and Gabby to the right. Infact, that is what happened. You can relax. We didn't. I take it all back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OK_Villan Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Just finished watching. Brilliant, Calm, Commanding MOTM - Cuellar Sure, Fulham didn't do much to challenge, but it goes to show that if the midfield can keep pressure of the back line they can be brilliant. I much prefer this "boring" style to head down bulldozing that leads to counter attacks by the opposition. I actually was happy when we passed back rather than attacking because we really didn't need to attack. I like conservative play in any sport when it leads to wins. Gabby's goal was an absolute rocket and came just when he had made a mistake, and VP was singing for Carew. Well done, lad! I enjoyed this one just as much as the win at Anfield, and I am now more confident that the run of bad form is over and lessons have been learned. UP THE VILLA!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guus Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 What I don't like is that he went to 4-4-2 with the one substitution that he made. Did we? It looked to me like Milner moved into the middle and Gabby to the right. Infact, that is what happened. This was the only down side to yesterday. When I saw that Carew was coming on I thought that it would be a straight swap for Gabby. When NRC's number flashed up (which was disappointing as he had a good game) I naturally assumed that we were switching to 4-4-2. To keep the same formation and put Gabby on the right, which in effect weakened our midfield, was a strange decision indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drat01 Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Not pretty or flashy, just doing a job football, BUT probably what was needed on the day 4-5-1 worked well. Let's hope NRC isn't going to be the new Shorye in terms of always the first to be taken off. Cueller looked good next to a CH who can actually kick left footed. Friedel will probably never get an easier pay day All in all no real complaints about that one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_John_10 Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Very easy win, a comfortable performance and from the moment we took the lead we were never going to lose. I thought it was fair that NRC came off, he played well but he was the worst midfielder, i thought sidwell was excellent. I have given shorey some stick but he was very good and warnock may have to wait awhile. The formation makes us hard to break down but we lack something going forward and rely a lot on counter attacking, it worked well yesterday but i'm not sure it will work all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PB Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 You say bring on subs, and I usually agree, but a 2-0 lead can change in a hurry (see: Stoke last year)! Stoke last year was arguably caused, at least partly by lack of tactical changes when ahead, as were several other poor results during that horrible run. our midfield ran out steam, they got back into the game - see Rapid Vienna just the other day for a further example So I was pleased to see us changing things around yesterday, even though it was only a little bit, at 2-0 up as its something we really need to do more of. Hopefully now that o'Neill has seen that the sky doesnt necessarily fall in when you do it he'll be a little more adventurous next time this situation occurs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PB Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 I have given shorey some stick but he was very good and warnock may have to wait awhile. Dont think so, strong indications that Shorey is off to Pompey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablopicasso Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 we were much better and i was pleased with the performance.. we closed them down, played posession football and passed the ball on the deck... that suits us better.. as does the 4-5-1 / 4-3-3 formation, as the extra man in midfield in midfield allow reo-coker and sidwell to harrass the opposition, and support the attack, while still offering protection to the back line... and if they lose it, then petrov is there to clean up.. suits us much better... gabby seems to suit the lone role too, especially with his new bulky frame... his pace scares the crap out of defenders, and when he runs wide, he creates space for the likes of sidwell and reo-coker to come through the middle... his lack of brains actually helps im here, as his pace and forest gump like running do the damage, and he doesnt have to read his striker partner... he worked really hard yesterday too... thought nicky shorey was superb... looked good on the ball, put through some lovely passes, and generally looked like a proper player... best i have seen him in a villa shirt... maybe a bit of competition can do him the world of good... stand out player for me yesterday though, was ciaran clark... a 19 year old kid thrown in at the deep end, and he looked like he had been there all his life... composed on the ball, brave in the tackle and header, and most importantly for me, aware of everything around him... liked his left foot too... a superb debut from the young kid... most exciting thing for me, is he isnt the best defensive prospect at the club! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboyangel Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 we were much better and i was pleased with the performance.. we closed them down, played posession football and passed the ball on the deck... that suits us better.. as does the 4-5-1 / 4-3-3 formation, as the extra man in midfield in midfield allow reo-coker and sidwell to harrass the opposition, and support the attack, while still offering protection to the back line... and if they lose it, then petrov is there to clean up.. suits us much better... gabby seems to suit the lone role too, especially with his new bulky frame... his pace scares the crap out of defenders, and when he runs wide, he creates space for the likes of sidwell and reo-coker to come through the middle... his lack of brains actually helps im here, as his pace and forest gump like running do the damage, and he doesnt have to read his striker partner... he worked really hard yesterday too... thought nicky shorey was superb... looked good on the ball, put through some lovely passes, and generally looked like a proper player... best i have seen him in a villa shirt... maybe a bit of competition can do him the world of good... stand out player for me yesterday though, was ciaran clark... a 19 year old kid thrown in at the deep end, and he looked like he had been there all his life... composed on the ball, brave in the tackle and header, and most importantly for me, aware of everything around him... liked his left foot too... a superb debut from the young kid... most exciting thing for me, is he isnt the best defensive prospect at the club! I take it you mean Baker??? (agree with your thoughts on the match - a very controlled performance by us!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runetune Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Not pretty, but effective and the sort of game where the team simply didn't have to be in top gear to win - which is fine by me. After a pretty hectic week, having a game of this sort and not full out tempo isn't such a bad thing imo. Overall, I thought the team as a whole looked solid and comfortable. No shots on target from Fulham helped, and some good defending from the midfield and defenders had a part to play in that - as well as some woeful play by Fulham. A great debut from Clark, and once again Cuellar is really starting to show he is good enough. Really pleased to see Gabby getting his goal, and thought he worked exceptionally well again both up front, and also on the right wing when Carew came on. This could well have been a difficult match for us, and to be honest I'm surprised that Fulham were so toothless in pretty well all areas of the pitch - but take nothing away from our game and tactics - we did the job and got the 3 points and right now, that's all I care about! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablopicasso Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 most exciting thing for me, is he isnt the best defensive prospect at the club! I take it you mean Baker??? (agree with your thoughts on the match - a very controlled performance by us!) yea, baker... his potential really excites me... even more so than clark... and clark has a lot of potential.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts