Ratings and Reactions

[RunRickyRun]

KMac tried too much. Taking short goal kicks was never going to work as was playing 4 atacking midfielders at once.

Saying that, I would have taken 7 points from 5 games after O'Neill (et al) downed tools.

There's still a good side there with a strong defence and talented forwards. We just need a bit of organisation and coaching. Houlier and GMac should provide this.

[SoccerHQ]

Poor poor tactics in the second half.

Fuming he took Ireland off having not played him yet again in his best position, just off Gabby (who wasn't at his best).

I'd have taken off Albrighton who got marked out in the second half by Robinson, moved Young back out wide, played Ireland just off Gabby and brough NRC in.

Instead what we got was a midfield of Albirgton....Petrov...Young....Downing for the last 15 games.

Far too lightweight and Bolton took control of the game from then on.No good playing two upfront if you can't get possession of the ball to create chances.

[wedge]

Sat back, yet again and we saw the consequences, yet again...We go into panic mode at 1-0 up.

[Mantis]

It's looking more and more likely to me that we have over achieve the past few years, getting the results we havent quite deserved. Apart from West Ham we haven't played well for this season for a long period in the game.

Hopefully Houllier gives us this and certain players need a kick up the arse and to be realised when they need a bit of help next to them.

We didn't over achieve - K Mac is just a terrible manager.

[SoccerHQ]

When the season started, I was hoping for a top 8-10 finish. I still think we are on track for that finish, but we play very badly, and that is a big worry.

We're still comfortably on track for that as below the top 3, the league is extremely mediocre this season.

[Straggler]

The ref really did start the decline for us today. Knight might as well have handcuffed himself to Gabby, because he didn't let go of him all day. This allowed Bolton to stop us playing by foul means and the ref saw nothing wrong. It totally destroyed this as a game of football and made it really turgid stuff to watch. That said, we really needed to adjust to this and I'm sad to say it, but we needed our players to stop being so honest and riding the fouls and start hitting the deck.

I recall one challenge in our defense with Collins giving I think it was Davies the same shove in the back Knight had been doing to Gabby at every contest. The difference was that Davies flung himself to the ground and the ref gave the free kick. Gabby stood up to it all and tried to keep playing, Carew when his shirt got ripped in half, not only stayed up but shook off Knight and ran on to win the ball. With a ref so incompetent it was up to the players to take matters into their own hands and ref the game for him. If fouled fall down and grab the ball, don't wait for that pilllock of a ref to blow up.

Sounds like a job for Emile....

I don't know if it was my head or the players that dropped first due to the poor ref, but it had an impact, I for one have lost my voice from singing "you're not fit to referee". What we needed then was leadership on the field, someone to bring heads up and keep us in the game. There was none of that to be found and the substitutions left me baffled. To end up with Downing, Albrighton, Young and Petrov as our 4 in midfield in a game where we are loosing the physical battle is astonishing. I'm not a fan of NRC, but this was a game crying out for him to come in and step up to the scrap, yet we finish the game on the ropes with an unused substitution.

There are some good players here and a good coach will make a difference to the results we will see, but I think we can forget about this season and start building for next. I'd like to see us get enough points to avoid relegation then get the kids blooded so they can play a bigger part next season, in particular Delfonso and Delph when he returns.

I'm not pissed with Kmac though, he is a good man, I am however royally hacked off with MON who for my money is responsible in the main for the shit I had to watch today. If we ever play a team with MON in charge I'm going to get all Kevin Keegan about it.

[Straggler]

Oh and I had big Brad as my man of the match, he was critical for the point we won today. A big mention for Luke Young, so happy to have him back. Don't be too harsh on Gabby, his was an impossible task today with no protection at all from the clearing in the woods of a ref.

[PaulMcgrathsknees]

Bolton killed the game and the crowd.

Kevin Davies remains the most under-rated player in Premier league history. Bolton without him would have been relegated years ago. How such a shorty wins so much in the air I'll never know!

Downing was tireless today and one of the best players. Warnock was solid.

We played 4-1-4-1 today. It would have worked if Gabby had turned up. He was bloody awful. Should have been Carew for Gabby as we looked good all game until the cetre forward needed to make a run.

I like Gabby. It wasn't that he wasn't trying. He is just thick.

Knight should have gone in 1st half when Gabby beat him on the halfway line, yet Bolton won the free-kick?

Dean was appalling. 3 home games and 3 refs that have treated us like we are against the Redmancs at Old Trafford.

[Pilchard]

Richard Dunne was **** shit.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

By the way, I thought Zat Knight should of been sent off for the tackle on Young. Young's touch took him inside and past of Knight meaning he had a 1 on 1 with the goalkeeper. Knight took him out, he denied him a goalscoring opportunity no?

[parisvilla]

friedel - 7

l.young - 6

collins - 7

dunne - 3 (gave away a stonewall penno i thought, lucky that prat of a ref missed it)

warnock - 6

a.young- 7

ireland - 5 (seemed to just be getting into the game when hauled off. anonymous 1st half)

petrov - 6

albrighton - 5 (started well but felt he was going to produce more against that cuntflap Paul Robinson)

downing - 6

gab - 5

carew looked handy off the bench.

[paulanddonya]

Well it sums it up doesn't it.

A crap Bolton, without their goalkeeper and best defender - and who is man of the match...........Brad Friedal.

A truly shocking performance. Friedal , L Young, Ireland and Collins were the only ones I can give credit to.

I am just glad that muppet of a supposed management is now gone.

Houllier MUST see a few things.

1. Ashley Young is one of the best left wingers in Europe.

2. Luke Moore is more use up front than Ashley Young

3. Petrov and Ireland cannot play in a 4 man midfield, it is one or the other

4. Petrov cannot last more than 55 minutes, which makes point 3 an obvious choice !.

5. I agree, Gabby could play that hold up player superbly. However, if he does, you need a goalscorer alongside him, as at the moment, te system is ruining Gabby !.

I honestly dont think there is a lot wrong. Put Ash on the wing, get Downing or Albrighton on the bench, get Reo Coker in midfield, put Carew up front until Jan. then try and get a goalscorer in - and I honestly think with a bit of imagination and tactical nouse from the guys on the bench - we can go far.

Wierd, I came out Villa Park , not disappointed, not fuming, just bloody happy it is over !.

Long live Sid and co. !

[rjw63]

**** off Bolton and take yer hod carrying striker and ginger word removed keeper with ye

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

Their ginger keeper was good. When I saw him in goal, I thought, 'he can't be too clever, Bolton back up and ginger' but he was a pretty solid keeper.

Such a gay hair cut though, if your ginger, just get a skinhead to limit damage.

[SoccerHQ]

I agree Young was through on goal but I think there was a covering defender just.

[Shillzz]

Upsettingly poor performance, but lets not forget the amount of similar games that we endured under Oneill's tenure.

My observations:

Warnock was brilliant, once again.

Young was the other good outfield player for us.

Zat Knight had a great game.

Gabby seems to have lost a lot of pace.

Referee needed shooting. Was Clearly upset at Ashleys prolonged moaning and that was reflected in his decision making, very obviously so.

Ireland, just seems to be missing the will to live, but I like him, and appreciated his little clap - off when he was substituted.

Brad - Thankyou.

Downing, whilst not worthy of an honourable mention continued to show signs of improvement.

We need to change our centre midfield, we have no graft in there. Wouldn't be at all against Sidwell being reintroduced into the team.

[iancharlie]

Well it sums it up doesn't it.

A crap Bolton, without their goalkeeper and best defender - and who is man of the match...........Brad Friedal.

A truly shocking performance. Friedal , L Young, Ireland and Collins were the only ones I can give credit to.

I am just glad that muppet of a supposed management is now gone.

Houllier MUST see a few things.

1. Ashley Young is one of the best left wingers in Europe.

2. Luke Moore is more use up front than Ashley Young

3. Petrov and Ireland cannot play in a 4 man midfield, it is one or the other

4. Petrov cannot last more than 55 minutes, which makes point 3 an obvious choice !.

5. I agree, Gabby could play that hold up player superbly. However, if he does, you need a goalscorer alongside him, as at the moment, te system is ruining Gabby !.

I honestly dont think there is a lot wrong. Put Ash on the wing, get Downing or Albrighton on the bench, get Reo Coker in midfield, put Carew up front until Jan. then try and get a goalscorer in - and I honestly think with a bit of imagination and tactical nouse from the guys on the bench - we can go far.

Wierd, I came out Villa Park , not disappointed, not fuming, just bloody happy it is over !.

Long live Sid and co. !

yes vive la revolution! think good houllier has seen us perform poorly in some respects and that NRC was missing should help him choose his XI and give him more inkling on who he needs in and who should be shipped out.

[Davies4England]

I am just glad that muppet of a supposed management is now gone.

Is that really needed? Maybe he shouldn't have bothered and left us with no-one in charge. Yet for doing the job under difficult circumstances that's the thanks he gets.

[gilbertoAVFC]

Friedel - made a couple of great saves.

Warnock - Best game he's had for us for a long time.

Dunne - WHAT IS GOING ON?

Collins - Okay, but didn't win as much as he should of. Kevin Davies was 'The Boy Who's The Thorn In Our Side' (to vaguely quote The Smiths).

Luke Young - Made one brilliant block, other than that fairly ordinary.

Albrighton - Still very confident and made a couple of great runs, still can't help but think he has a lot to learn still.

Petrov - made a couple of good tackles, not his usual self though, poor second half.

Ireland - Sidwell-esque first-half (not involved at all), a lot better second before he was taken off.

Downing - Improvement, contributed to our best moves, still a lack of end product - frustrating at times.

Young - Jekyll and Hyde.

Gabby - lost so much pace due to his bulking-up. Fear for his season because that was his main weapon by far. Movement not good enough today.

Cuellar - probably our best defender in the time he had. Carlos for Dunne?

Carew - Not in their box enough. Did okay though, few nice touches.

[carew_villa]

There was so many things that KMac did wrong today and it's so frustrating as Bolton were there for the taking if we wanted to.

First of all, why play an obviously injured Dunne? He was shit and always was going to be if he's injured, just rest him and it will not only help him get a rest, but it will mean that the team improves as well. Really not hard.

Dropping NRC? WTF is he thinking?

He was pivotal in all the good things that came out of the Stoke game yet we drop him?

playing Ireland in a 4-4-2.

Not subbing Albrighton or Petrov earlier than he did.

Not make Young target Steinsson, as Steinsson is **** shit!

Get Gabby to roam around the defence so that he's not constantly being man-handled by Knight.

The list could go on and on and it is no coincidence whatsoever that all the games NRC has played, we have either won or had a good performance and all of the games NRC hasn't played, we have either lost or played shit.

Hopefully this will help convince fans that NRC is crucial to Villa. And we also need to play him to convince him to agree to a new contract. We don't want him to leave on a free do we?