Ratings & Reactions

[dudley_villa]

Give KM a break please, He never missed any sitters or cheated!..

[CitizenBlue]

If you think the rest of you are pissed off I got told this morning that my tumour's still growing after this third different type of chemo so probably going to have to see if I can get on a clinical trial or something. Thought the footballmight cheer me up. No such luck.

Stay strong, friend. My uncle was in a similar situation about two years ago. His went into remission, and he and the docs couldn't identify why.

Anything can and does happen all the time. Good luck.

[maqroll]

We should have cleared it, but there shouldn't have been anything to clear. Robbed of a point and it's depressing.

The state of refereeing is quite simply embarassing. I can't say I've been happy with the officiating in any of the 4 games, so it's not just me being bitter as we've won 2 of the 4.

Well done to whoever went to such a horrible kick-off time/day, you did the club proud, sounded superb on the tellybox.

Eh, Collins handled the ball in the first half, and the ref turned a blind eye.

We lost the game fair and square, when we had it well in hand. Typical Villa collapse, and it's getting really **** hard to take.

[cbr600rr]

great post villaandloyal,i felt the same way about warnock,hes very poor in the air & this was highlighted again,your post summed him up,dunne has been getting worse & worse in every game,hes making basic mistakes game in game out,i love collins,he a rock in the defence for us,....so why do villa crumble so often? we carnt kill off a game! if we kept the ball stoke would not be winning free kick after free kick,we were the stronger team in the last 15mins of the 1st half & you just knew if we didnt score in our happy spell we would be in trouble in the second half,..what i find really hard to take is we have been beat againin the same manner,we havnt learnt from previous defeats in the same way.

[Mantis]

We lost the game fair and square

No we didn't. :?

[gilbertoAVFC]

VillaAndLoyal, good post, but right now things like selling-out at Stoke isn't really the greatest of our issues is it?

The most glaringly obvious thing last night was the lack of substitutions. I don't care what the score is, there is no way on earth that Stephen Ireland shouldn't have got on the pitch considering how over-run we were in the end. Marc Albrighton, as much as he is one for the future, is not ready to suddenly play every single game for 90 minutes.

Heskey for Gabby? Against Stoke? Putting on somebody who hasn't scored for nearly a year for someone who might actually test a slow, but aerially dominant Stoke side? Give me a break, if Gabby was so knackered why not put Ash up front and Ireland behind him - at least then we might actually cause them a scare! To think MacDonald was so different to MON.

We've got no left-back cover, so only the lord knows what we're going to do about Warnock. Luke Young at left-back? Think it might have to be, but can't see it happening personally.

On a positive note our home form is good (at least in the league), so that's something we can build on, but I think we're going back to that awful away form before MON came in.

[VillaAndLoyal]

VillaAndLoyal, good post, but right now things like selling-out at Stoke isn't really the greatest of our issues is it?

The most glaringly obvious thing last night was the lack of substitutions. I don't care what the score is, there is no way on earth that Stephen Ireland shouldn't have got on the pitch considering how over-run we were in the end. Marc Albrighton, as much as he is one for the future, is not ready to suddenly play every single game for 90 minutes.

Heskey for Gabby? Against Stoke? Putting on somebody who hasn't scored for nearly a year for someone who might actually test a slow, but aerially dominant Stoke side? Give me a break, if Gabby was so knackered why not put Ash up front and Ireland behind him - at least then we might actually cause them a scare! To think MacDonald was so different to MON.

We've got no left-back cover, so only the lord knows what we're going to do about Warnock. Luke Young at left-back? Think it might have to be, but can't see it happening personally.

On a positive note our home form is good (at least in the league), so that's something we can build on, but I think we're going back to that awful away form before MON came in.

No - you're right it's certainly not the biggest of our issues but equally it's the one factor we can actually do something about as fans. And to my mind, a club like Aston Villa not even coming close to selling out in a local derby with the tickets priced at £30 (when we charged them £46 at our place last season) and when we've not had a single game for 16 days is utterly laughable as already stated.

[villa_shere]

Still pissed off.

We look incompelte, I would put alot of this down to tactics. KMac should have known the make the sub, he is MON mark-II.

the next game couldnt come any sooner. We MUST win that as the games after are a lot harder than what we have faced already.

Only positive is the teams around us dropping points too.

[slowandlow]

I read eight pages of this thread and then finally got too annoyed at not reading one single mention of the superb Villa fans tonight who were an absolute credit to this club. I don't care if I get slated for saying this, and I know everyone seems to have a different reason under the sun for not attending matches, but I personally think it is PATHETIC, utterly pathetic, that Aston Villa Football Club cannot sell out 2,900 tickets for a reasonably priced away match not far up the road after a 16 day break without any football. It is quite simply laughable in my opinion.

A good proportion of people who post on here have the benefit of television replays and the toning down of the microphones but for those of you who were there - you will know when I say that the Villa end was positively jumping at quite a few times during that game. Superb support from those who were there - it's just a huge shame there weren't more of us. Before anyone says I'm breaking any rules, I have not singled out anyone in particular and I am not saying I am a better fan than you, I am simply stating my humble opinion as a Villa fan that I think we have a woeful fanbase considering the supposed statue of the club and our location geographically in the country's Second city. It's almost like O'Neill took 6,000 fans with him when he left? We seem to have an awful lot of fans who very rarely or never go to the games. Hundreds of empty seats for a local derby does NOT look good and it certainly doesn't help provide the team with that 12th man. Luckily those that were there did a pretty damn good job of that themselves.

There were eight players in that team tonight who didn't deserve to be on the losing side. Warnock is a complete liability - always dives into tackles, always loses out in the air, and always seems to slip at the crucial moment. Friedel did make a couple of fine saves, granted, but in particular in the first half he was completely woeful. Every clearance went out of play or to a Stoke shirt - for someone of that experience he often doesn't show it - and let's not blame the wind shall we. Richard Dunne... jesus wept... he looked like he had been downing pints of Guiness in Temple Bar all day, was he drunk? Seriously. He had an absolute nightmare of a game, and it's not been the first time in the last few months either.

Special mentions go to Collins and Young at the back, Collins in particular who was an absolute rock and won everything. Downing after his goal was a different player - confidence is seriously under-rated in this League, it did him the world of good. And I also thought Ashley was class second half and for the end of the first - if only he could finish. Gabby and Reo-Coker also had very good games imo.

As for the result, yes we lost and we unquestionably got our tactics wrong with the Heskey/Gabby switch. And yes, it was daylight robbery that we didn't even get a point when we looked to be cruising at one point. Painful isn't the word. And yes, despite what I may think about some sections of our own support - I am still so **** glad I don't support Stoke City. What a vile little football club with the biggest myth going about their so-called famous atmosphere.

A combination of Stoke's bully-boy tactics, our inability to finish the game off, and Lee Probert lost us that game. That is all there is to it. Two of those factors are hard to manipulate - but we had our chances, glorious chances which we did not take. And in this league you almost always get punished for it.

100% agreed mate, our away support was good for noise but pathetic in terms of numbers, its like going back 7 or 8 seasons.

Don't know why Downing and Albrighton were switched for pretty much the whole of the second half when both were killing there full backs on their proper wings for the last 10 mins of the first half - should have left it as it was, Collins certainly couldnt deal with Albrighton whereas Huth was able to rag-doll him about

and Stoke's fans are falling into the same trap as a number of other clubs before them (including blues to be fair) where they were loud when they first got promoted but poor in subsequent seasons once they became established in the top flight (that said they were loud at the end - to be expected i suppose)

[Maradona10]

I've said it before Pulis comes on with the high and mighty within football, about playing fair! Andy Gray counted the lines, the dive was 3 lines away from the halfwayline, the free kick was taken on the 7th line, those lines equate to 3yards they took the free kick 12 yards away from where it was supposed to be, that is just shocking! Fair enough 2 or 3 yards but 12 **** yards! If this was any of the top 4 more of an issue would have been made of it! Young, Petrov and the CB's complained where it was, I know we should have cleared it but referees like this need to be punished! As for Pennant remember the noise over Eduardo, I'm coming round to the notion that English players can dive and nothing will be reported!

[BigCarew]

I read eight pages of this thread and then finally got too annoyed at not reading one single mention of the superb Villa fans tonight who were an absolute credit to this club. I don't care if I get slated for saying this, and I know everyone seems to have a different reason under the sun for not attending matches, but I personally think it is PATHETIC, utterly pathetic, that Aston Villa Football Club cannot sell out 2,900 tickets for a reasonably priced away match not far up the road after a 16 day break without any football. It is quite simply laughable in my opinion.

A good proportion of people who post on here have the benefit of television replays and the toning down of the microphones but for those of you who were there - you will know when I say that the Villa end was positively jumping at quite a few times during that game. Superb support from those who were there - it's just a huge shame there weren't more of us. Before anyone says I'm breaking any rules, I have not singled out anyone in particular and I am not saying I am a better fan than you, I am simply stating my humble opinion as a Villa fan that I think we have a woeful fanbase considering the supposed statue of the club and our location geographically in the country's Second city. It's almost like O'Neill took 6,000 fans with him when he left? We seem to have an awful lot of fans who very rarely or never go to the games. Hundreds of empty seats for a local derby does NOT look good and it certainly doesn't help provide the team with that 12th man. Luckily those that were there did a pretty damn good job of that themselves.

There were eight players in that team tonight who didn't deserve to be on the losing side. Warnock is a complete liability - always dives into tackles, always loses out in the air, and always seems to slip at the crucial moment. Friedel did make a couple of fine saves, granted, but in particular in the first half he was completely woeful. Every clearance went out of play or to a Stoke shirt - for someone of that experience he often doesn't show it - and let's not blame the wind shall we. Richard Dunne... jesus wept... he looked like he had been downing pints of Guiness in Temple Bar all day, was he drunk? Seriously. He had an absolute nightmare of a game, and it's not been the first time in the last few months either.

Special mentions go to Collins and Young at the back, Collins in particular who was an absolute rock and won everything. Downing after his goal was a different player - confidence is seriously under-rated in this League, it did him the world of good. And I also thought Ashley was class second half and for the end of the first - if only he could finish. Gabby and Reo-Coker also had very good games imo.

As for the result, yes we lost and we unquestionably got our tactics wrong with the Heskey/Gabby switch. And yes, it was daylight robbery that we didn't even get a point when we looked to be cruising at one point. Painful isn't the word. And yes, despite what I may think about some sections of our own support - I am still so **** glad I don't support Stoke City. What a vile little football club with the biggest myth going about their so-called famous atmosphere.

A combination of Stoke's bully-boy tactics, our inability to finish the game off, and Lee Probert lost us that game. That is all there is to it. Two of those factors are hard to manipulate - but we had our chances, glorious chances which we did not take. And in this league you almost always get punished for it.

Give that man a medal! great post, follow villa through thick and thin

[kidlewis]

yet again we proved we only last 75 minutes.

Why is it so nervous being a villa fan? we never looked like closing out a 1-0 lead against Stoke and it was proved again yesterday.

I thought they might have learned from last year.

Someone (I hope Houllier) can give these guys a bit more foresight that we shouldn't play any different in the latter parts of the game. All we did after 75 minutes was just hoon the ball back to Stoke and try and re group. We are awesome at defending set pieces but only so many. They just kept throwing, crossing the ball in until they got lucky, and the last goal was very lucky.

[fastzombies]

if i was ever in doubt about KMac last night confirmed it.

surely he could see we needed some fresh legs, and then eventually brought heskey on.

please let GH be able to see these things and bring some new strikers (we have'nt had a good one since yorke)in as we're going nowhere with what we got.

[claret75]

If you think the rest of you are pissed off I got told this morning that my tumour's still growing after this third different type of chemo so probably going to have to see if I can get on a clinical trial or something. Thought the footballmight cheer me up. No such luck.

Try and stay positive Paddy.

[TOTTI-THE-GOD]

We should have cleared it, but there shouldn't have been anything to clear. Robbed of a point and it's depressing.

The state of refereeing is quite simply embarassing. I can't say I've been happy with the officiating in any of the 4 games, so it's not just me being bitter as we've won 2 of the 4.

Well done to whoever went to such a horrible kick-off time/day, you did the club proud, sounded superb on the tellybox.

Eh, Collins handled the ball in the first half, and the ref turned a blind eye.

We lost the game fair and square, when we had it well in hand. Typical Villa collapse, and it's getting really **** hard to take.

Errm you also failed to point out the pretty blatent penalty we should of had in the first half also .

[MCU]

I read eight pages of this thread and then finally got too annoyed at not reading one single mention of the superb Villa fans tonight who were an absolute credit to this club. I don't care if I get slated for saying this, and I know everyone seems to have a different reason under the sun for not attending matches, but I personally think it is PATHETIC, utterly pathetic, that Aston Villa Football Club cannot sell out 2,900 tickets for a reasonably priced away match not far up the road after a 16 day break without any football. It is quite simply laughable in my opinion.

A good proportion of people who post on here have the benefit of television replays and the toning down of the microphones but for those of you who were there - you will know when I say that the Villa end was positively jumping at quite a few times during that game. Superb support from those who were there - it's just a huge shame there weren't more of us. Before anyone says I'm breaking any rules, I have not singled out anyone in particular and I am not saying I am a better fan than you, I am simply stating my humble opinion as a Villa fan that I think we have a woeful fanbase considering the supposed statue of the club and our location geographically in the country's Second city. It's almost like O'Neill took 6,000 fans with him when he left? We seem to have an awful lot of fans who very rarely or never go to the games. Hundreds of empty seats for a local derby does NOT look good and it certainly doesn't help provide the team with that 12th man. Luckily those that were there did a pretty damn good job of that themselves.

There were eight players in that team tonight who didn't deserve to be on the losing side. Warnock is a complete liability - always dives into tackles, always loses out in the air, and always seems to slip at the crucial moment. Friedel did make a couple of fine saves, granted, but in particular in the first half he was completely woeful. Every clearance went out of play or to a Stoke shirt - for someone of that experience he often doesn't show it - and let's not blame the wind shall we. Richard Dunne... jesus wept... he looked like he had been downing pints of Guiness in Temple Bar all day, was he drunk? Seriously. He had an absolute nightmare of a game, and it's not been the first time in the last few months either.

Special mentions go to Collins and Young at the back, Collins in particular who was an absolute rock and won everything. Downing after his goal was a different player - confidence is seriously under-rated in this League, it did him the world of good. And I also thought Ashley was class second half and for the end of the first - if only he could finish. Gabby and Reo-Coker also had very good games imo.

As for the result, yes we lost and we unquestionably got our tactics wrong with the Heskey/Gabby switch. And yes, it was daylight robbery that we didn't even get a point when we looked to be cruising at one point. Painful isn't the word. And yes, despite what I may think about some sections of our own support - I am still so **** glad I don't support Stoke City. What a vile little football club with the biggest myth going about their so-called famous atmosphere.

A combination of Stoke's bully-boy tactics, our inability to finish the game off, and Lee Probert lost us that game. That is all there is to it. Two of those factors are hard to manipulate - but we had our chances, glorious chances which we did not take. And in this league you almost always get punished for it.

Great post and I echo every word of it. I had a great time last night regardless of the loss and it was such a bummer we couldn't sell out. As I stated in the ticket thread we still persist in singing 'sh

it support' and 'empty seats' but can't sell out 5 minutes up the road!

Anyway we were bouncing last night and having a great sing song, I hope it was heard loud enough on tele!

Regarding the game, I thought Downing had a much better game last night and Albrighton too apart from the size of him he was getting muscled off a little easy. First touch and crossing was immaculate though. Gabby didn't do much either so I'm guessing he's still a bit rusty.

Biggest credit goes to the defence though and especially James Collins. He threw himself into every shot and tackle.

Gutted today.

[claret75]

For people saying we were cheated out of it...we weren't. They could've had a pen with the Collins hand ball, though it would've been harsh, did the ref cheat us as well? Petrov made a really rash challenge and although Pennant dived, he only dived because of the manner of the tackle. Petrov's fault.

Also, we didn't play at all well, we had a very good last 15, 20 minutes just before half time and barring the odd moment here and there, that was it. I haven't seen the stats, but I wouldn't mind betting chances and possession were about even, we might have done enough to sneak a draw and that's it.

We've got the players to still do well this season, but without a manager we're average, thank f*** GH is about to step in and sort a few things out, IMO.

[Pricey_1984]

lay off kevin mac for a start off, hes in a difficult position.

if we held out for a draw or win no one would be mentioning the players getting knackered, they didnt look knackered at all at 1-0 or 1-1 and so they shouldnt be when its only the 4th game of the season and there've (most of em) have just had a 14 day break.

Heskey was brought on probably because gabby hasn't played much football so far this season so he would of been feeling it at the end.

anyway its the morning after the night before and im still gutted, it wasn't a free kick and the free kick was taken about 10 yards further than it should of be and when your playing a non footballing side like stoke its advantage for them with all the high balls the put in the box that the free kick is closer.

thought we played well and we didnt deserve that. Ashley young was my MOTM been really impressed with him playing in the hole this season and also what impressed me last night is seeing him put the foot on the ball and use his strength a bit more to hold it up and bring other people into play instead of going down to easily looking for the foul. Hope he keeps this up.

on to the next 1 anyway.

UTV

[SafeHands]

I posted in the match thread just after the game started that our side wasn't strong enough against Stoke. As it turned out that worry sadly came true.

Even with Coker in there we simply are not yet strong enough through the middle of our team. We desperatley need a new keeper, a new monster of a centreback, two new central midfielders who are not afraid to but the boot in, yet can retain the ball and a striker who would not have missed the chances presented against Stoke.

I'll say again i thought in parts we played well last night but January can't come soon enough for us to allow GH to bring in a few players and strengthen where it is so obviously needed.

[lexicon]

I didn't watch the game as I am not in the country but I don't understand why KM is getting crucified for subbing Gabby for Hesky with 5 minutes to go with Stoke just equalising! Surely they were just going to lump everything into the box and obviously Heskey helps a great deal when defending corners etc? Also, I'm guessing, KM may have thought Heskeydog could hold the ball up a little more, although we know that isn't really true.

You didn't see the game, so you can't see what a **** idiotic substitution it was. Albrighton did zilch second half, and we were crying out for somebody like Ireland to come on so we could put Young back on the wing, and exert a bit of pressure back on them. I don't think that useless lump Heskey got within 30 yards of the ball when he came on. Utterly, utterly inept from KM.

Wrong. Ireland would not have made any difference at all in the second half because we were completely bypassing the midfield from the back. Every time Friedel got it he was just smashing it upfield and giving it back to them - Ireland would have made it even easier with his sauntering around the pitch.