Rapid Vienna 1-1 Aston Villa - Reactions and ratings!

[GNeeUs]

1-1, Away from Home with a VERY young & INEXPERIENCED squad. Im delighted!!

Albrighton & Bannan were impressive. Heskey worked his socks off.

MOTM - Nigel Reo-Coker. I thought he was absolutly FANTASTIC. Played his role EXTREMELY well.

Maybe I was watching a different match but I DONT GET the NRC bashing? Do you expect him to dribble it around players and bang in 30 yard screamers every 10 mins? Get a grip!! He broke down play fantasticly well, his tackling was first class & he's actually IMPROVED his passing! Id personally have him playing with Ireland instead of Petrov. The combination of Reo-Coker/Ireland would work VERY well!

[Daholteend]

Albrighton to Bannan, GOAL!!!!!!!!!! for me that said enough.

Job Well done! K-Mac got a chance to get another game completed and see more of the youngsters, some of whom will be playing an important role this season while others will be loaned out or let go to further their careers elsewhere.

We got the all important away goal that destroyed us last season!

[Super-Villan]

MOTM - Nigel Reo-Coker. I thought he was absolutly FANTASTIC. Played his role EXTREMELY well.

Maybe I was watching a different match but I DONT GET the NRC bashing? Do you expect him to dribble it around players and bang in 30 yard screamers every 10 mins? Get a grip!! He broke down play fantasticly well, his tackling was first class & he's actually IMPROVED his passing! Id personally have him playing with Ireland instead of Petrov. The combination of Reo-Coker/Ireland would work VERY well!

No, quite the opposite. I expect him to keep it simple and pass the ball to a better placed team mate a few yards away rather than try and hit a 30 yard pass he's not capable of and lose posession. And I expect him not to run down blind alleys and lose the ball as well. His tackling and energy and breaking down play are fine, I agree. But if he can't do the other things well too I think he will always be a limited player and certainly not good enough to be a regular starter for us.

[Tomaszk]

Reo-Coker is a disaster of a footballer.

That is my sweeping statement for the evening.

Good night.

[villabromsgrove]

Heskey and NRC ran their arses off for Villa tonight and some of us think they're rubbish. Those of you dissing some of our team after they got a result for us in a cage of rabid, Rapid 1940's throwbacks should have a good look at yourselves.

[ChrisNichollsToe]

A draw and an away goal in Europe. We would have took that before the game, so putting aside some average defending, im quite happy!

[LondonLax]

NRC won posession loads of times, he's good at that. He also has a tendancy to hold the ball for way too long and run into a dead end losing it again.

It's when he wins the ball and plays simple passes that he is at his best. I think he thinks he is a lot better than he actually is though and trys to do more than he is capable of.

[tommo]

Guzan 7- Good saves, but at times seems to come half way and let the defence deal with it. Not good with Davies and Beye at cb.

Lichaj 5.5- did one or two nice things but his inexperience could have cost us at times.

Davies 5.5- improved in the second half but kept getting caught the wrong side of his man.

Beye 5.5- Couldn't really see why Clarke wasn't playing, and he was playing an extremely dangerous high line.

Warnock 6- wasn't getting near to the winger which kept putting our inexperienced defence under pressure.

Hogg 5- Looked a little lightweight and wasn't really in the game.

Reo Coker 7.5- unlucky to be booked and held the performance together with some good link up play and ball winning. Will be unlucky not to start against Newcastle.

Bannan 6.5- bright early on and a good goal.

Albrighton 8*- Again the best player on the pitch, with added intelligence. This kid will be good.

Downing 7- Looked bright with good passing in the 1st half.

Heskey 6.5- Ran around like a maniac but cut a lone figure later on in the game. It's safe to say he cannot play this role particularly well.

Overall very pleased with the result, although we could have conceded more. I never want to see that back 4 play again together!

Positives definitely Albrighton, NRC, and Downing looking more of a player after a decent pre season under his belt. There's potential with this youth, but you can tell one or two (Hogg, Lichaj) will have to really step up if they are to make the grade.

[barry'sboots]

Reo-Coker was awful. His passing all over the place. That and his decision making with the ball messed up numerous attacks and put us in trouble at the back too.

Totally disagree, NRC broke up play well and got forward on the right occasions. Being on a yellow card for so long I was worried but he kept disciplined and didn't do any rash challenges.

Spot on. I thought NRC had an excellent game, particularly given that he was alongside two kids in CM. He will obviously not do an Albie but his contribution and energy is invaluable. Looking forward to seeing him start on Sunday.

[Ponky]

Just as a bit of context. Man City played a virtual full strength team in Romania and scraped a 1-0 win. Liverpool played a near full-strength team against Trabzonspoor at Anfield and scraped a 1-0 win. We fielded a reserve team with only two players you would expect to see in a full strength villa team and came away with 1-1 draw.

I think it's a fantastic result. Next week we will undoubtedly have a bit more quality in the team and I would think it will be more than enough to progress.

[paul34]

great result from basically a reserve team,the kids that stepped in didnt let us down what was some of you expecting?and as for nrc well if he could pass he would be the first name on my team sheet every week he runs for 90 mins breaks up play tackles as hard as any villa player but then trys to play a tasty pass which very rarely comes off which makes most villa fans frustrated.taking all that into consideration i'd have given him motm because he was in there with some young lads and he maybe had to do a bit more than he normally would he'd certainly play for me sunday against the barcodes because theve got a few dirty(word removed)in the middle of the park and i think we will need him

UTV

[DiegoD]

I think this game showed we desperately need 1 if not 2 more CMs. Including Delph we have 3 that would have no problem starting, Hogg doesn't look ready and Osbourne is Pants. If I was KM i would make that his number 1 priority because if we lose Coker or Petrov before Delph i fit we will struggle.

[JulieB]

I think this game showed we desperately need 1 if not 2 more CMs. Including Delph we have 3 that would have no problem starting, Hogg doesn't look ready and Osbourne is Pants. If I was KM i would make that his number 1 priority because if we lose Coker or Petrov before Delph i fit we will struggle.

We have Stephen Ireland as well & he is definitely a CM, it's just he wasn't signed in time to play.

Overall I thought we did fine. It can't have been easy for the youngsters making their debuts in that hostile atmosphere and players like Davis & Beye looked rusty & not used to playing together. However I thought 2nd half Lichaj, Hogg & the defence started to get to grips with RV better.

NRC was a plus. Heskey worked his socks off & Downing seems to have really stepped it up a notch this season. Albrighton looked a class Act. Great to see Bannan get on the score sheet as well.

Overall very decent result, in difficult intimidating circumstances.

Well done Team B - you didnt' let us down!

[cheltenham_villa]

we definately went there to do a job and we did it. Thought the defence was a bit disorganised but they had never played together. Curtis looks like hes been hitting the weights but thought him and Lichaj did well. NRC had a cracking game and thought Heskey did well, a shame in the second half that the rest of the team we so far away from him. He resorted to bringing the ball down and running towards our half to find a pass. All in all the result we wanted, got the draw, got the away goal and rested some key players. Shame about the injury to Weimann.

[wiggyrichard]

Got result concidering the team fielded.

Albrighton, Bannan and Reo Coker were impressive.

Hogg and Lichej looked way way out of their depth.

Warnock was sloppy and never got out of second gear, as was Davies, Downing and Beye.

Heskey was poor.

Highlight of the match was Guzan flattening the striker and obviously the well worked goal.

Return leg at Villa park with be a different story, we should breeze through as long as we dont concede.

Rapid Vienna fans = clearing in the woods

[TOTTI-THE-GOD]

Just as a bit of context. Man City played a virtual full strength team in Romania and scraped a 1-0 win. Liverpool played a near full-strength team against Trabzonspoor at Anfield and scraped a 1-0 win. We fielded a reserve team with only two players you would expect to see in a full strength villa team and came away with 1-1 draw.

I think it's a fantastic result. Next week we will undoubtedly have a bit more quality in the team and I would think it will be more than enough to progress.

Spot on sir , i am reading the wank fest about liverpool winning and Man City winning , its like hold on a sec they were playing there full strength teams and only just scraped wins . We've made 8 changes and managed a 1-1 at one of the most hostile stadiums were ever likely to play at .

Well done lads you did what was asked of you and we cant ask for anymore than that .

[Pricey_1984]

It really bugs me, seeing people before kick off being so angry with the team we play and saying

and I expect our European campaign to end before it's started again,

and during the match after they scored 1-1:

second will come

And yet we manage a good away result, thus achieving a lot better than this person have been expected. Then you should expect some happiness.

No **** way. Then it is:

Out played and out thought.

my thoughts exactly, some people are never happy on here.

Im extremley proud of the lads this morning for that battling performance and a good result.

Did some people really expect us to play a weakened side and still batter a good rapid vienna side?

[Woodytom]

I was quite impressed. I thought Lichej was havin an absolute nightmare but came back strong. Thought Hogg was good. Bannan and Albrighton both promising.

The way they stood strong in the second half really pleased me. Not much goal threat so wel need maybe Gabby and Young back for 2nd leg but overall it was a good performance and good result.

However, if Curtis Davies is going to come out whinging about not getting a fair crack then hes going to have to play better than that. I thought he was poor.

And we need another goalkeeper!!!

[markeefc]

I can't understand the negative comments. It was our second competitive game of the season played by mainly a side that didn't participate significantly in the first. Most of the side I don't think had started more than one first team game.

They were playing away against a strong mid tier European side and despite some iffy moments game away with a scoring draw which puts us in a good position going into the second leg, where we will more than likely have two or three regular first teamers in the side and will hopefully progress into the group stages.

I though Hogg, Lichaj et el whilst not putting in outstanding performances that could be raved about, didn't do a lot wrong and although RV had a lot of pressure, how many times did they hit the target.

The one area of concern is re Guzan and the way he deals with the set piece ball knocked in towards his 6 yd area. He clearly has a weakness there which has been picked up on by other teams and if you look at the goals he has conceded they have in the main been from that type of situation. Something for the Coaching team to work on??

[Woodytom]

I can't understand the negative comments.

Its Villa Talk

Were not top of the league

We havent battered teams in europe 86-0 with our reserve side

We havenet bought anyone who's name sounds like he could be half decent - but within a couple of games wed realise hed actually be a bag of shite

What on earth is there to be positive about?