Ratings and Reactions - villa 1-2 spurs

[juanpabloangel18]

Possession

Aston Villa 63% Tottenham 37%

Attempts on target

Aston Villa 15 Tottenham 8

Attempts off target

Aston Villa 11 Tottenham 5

Corners

Aston Villa 8 Tottenham 4

Fouls

Aston Villa 13 Tottenham 11

Stats from the BBC website. We really need someone who can put the ball in the back of the net.

How many chances did we create? Very few. I'm sorry, but in a game as open as that, with an extra man for 70 mins, we were piss poor.

[jacketspuds]

My issue, and so far it is something that has grated on me all season, is that we play well (like today) and often don't get what we deserve. However, when we play badly we always, and I mean always, get nothing. That to me is relegation form/luck.

Something needs to change and I do not want another PR interview with a club Exec saying Randy's commitment has not changed. January will tell us the truth. I can understand if Randy wants to pull back the spending but tell us. We are not kids. We can take the truth. Well, some of us can.

[OutByEaster?]

Possession

Aston Villa 63% Tottenham 37%

Attempts on target

Aston Villa 15 Tottenham 8

Attempts off target

Aston Villa 11 Tottenham 5

Corners

Aston Villa 8 Tottenham 4

Fouls

Aston Villa 13 Tottenham 11

Stats from the BBC website. We really need someone who can put the ball in the back of the net.

How many chances did we create? Very few. I'm sorry, but in a game as open as that, with an extra man for 70 mins, we were piss poor.

26. The answers in the question.

Of course actually putting one or two of the **** into the back of the net would help a fair bit.

[gilbertoAVFC]

Insightful comments there, dodgyknees.

People do over-react. We've just lost to a team with arguably the best midfield in the country with Hogg and a half-fit Delph and Petrov. They had ten men yes, but that did little to weaken their defence. We weren't great, but we really weren't that bad either. Houllier can't tell Gabby what to do when he's bearing down on goal from twelve yards out, yet it is all his fault. Much of it is, but the bloke can only do so much and if you don't take your chances, that's your fault.

[Mantis]

You looked like West Ham out there today. One of the most impotent displays against ten men I've seen in a while.

It'll be just our bloody luck that you'll put in a full shift against us at Eastlands after rolling over for Tottenham, probably take 2-3 points from us.

Did you even watch the game? We did the opposite of roll over. We tried and tried but we just can't score.

[Dodgyknees]

You looked like West Ham out there today. One of the most impotent displays against ten men I've seen in a while.

It'll be just our bloody luck that you'll put in a full shift against us at Eastlands after rolling over for Tottenham, probably take 2-3 points from us.

Did you even watch the game? We did the opposite of roll over. We tried and tried but we just can't score.

Didn't you know, Man City fans know everything now they have the oil? Complete tossers.

[cbr600rr]

very disapointed again,againwe look clueless in the final third,we played fairy football against 10 men,when is the villa going to roll up their sleaves & have a real go at a team! when is warnock going to put a shift in ? & downing? i didnt expect to beat spurs to be honest today,but against 10men ffs! have a clucking pop at them

[QuintonK6]

After this result and the pending 2 fixtures for the 1st time since the doom and gloom descended on VP I'm Worried VERY Worried !!

[Hanky]

Poor, poor performance.

Tactics were again terrible. The whole world could have told Houllier that Van der Vaart was going to play in the hole and needed picking up, you'd have thought he'd have learnt that from White Hart Lane.

We should have put Spurs under pressure in their half, but we let them play out every single time and didn't nick the ball once until Petrov started doing it in the second half, we looked brainless on the ball and absolutely no movement whatsoever. Can't really think of a MOTM, Lichaj was decent against Bale.

Oh and what Pires did at the end was a complete embarrassment to the club.

[Rob182]

I can't believe we haven't got anything out of that game - I thought we were the better side when it was eleven against eleven and I thought we were the better side when they went to ten.

We played some good stuff, moved it around and should have got more out of it - we need to start putting some of our chances away.

Lichaj was excellent, he had a couple of dodgy moments but his handling of Bale was as good as anyone has done all season, defensively he was absolutely top drawer - he should have scored twice as well.

Overall, I think that the midfield was promising, Delph looked a little off the pace but decent and Hogg did well until his booking, it's good to see Petrov back and I think Downing and Albrighton were very lively.

Agbonlahor should have scored a couple and he'll be disappointed, so much of what we do relies in him putting the ball into the back of the net. Delfouneso also looked bright and lively but needs an end product - we desperately need one of these two to get on a run of goals.

Tottenham did what good away teams do; soaked up pressure and then scored off a couple of clinical breaks. Of course they were a bunch of arseholes too, Van Der Vaart has gone straight to the top of my list of footballing tits and their keeper is an embarrassment of a man. Their manager too showed his class, trying to get into a row with Pires late on.

Overall, I don't think there's anything to be ashamed of in that performances, we were the better side against a team that some people think can win the title. (and they're in with a chance if they can hold on to Martin Atkinson)

If we'd got either of the two penalties we should have had in the first half it might have been a different story, but we don't need much more than a bit of sharpness in front of goal to make us a good side.

The radio was full of doom and gloom, Houllier out, rank bad performances, all of that stuff - today I think it's misplaced.

Well said.

I thought Delph did well. A lot of creative passing (but he still is wreckless in the tackle!) I was disappointed when he was taken off, I suppose it could have been precautionary.

Although, I wish Houllier had brought on Bannan instead of Pires!

Delfouneso looked a lot better than he has in recent first team games.

Overall I thought we played well at times, at other times we were frustrating with sideways and backwards passing.

...

...

Oh, and the ref was terrible, as was the lino who gave them a goalkick when it was a blatant corner (they then scored 2 minutes later).

[Hanky]

You looked like West Ham out there today. One of the most impotent displays against ten men I've seen in a while.

It'll be just our bloody luck that you'll put in a full shift against us at Eastlands after rolling over for Tottenham, probably take 2-3 points from us.

Did you even watch the game? We did the opposite of roll over. We tried and tried but we just can't score.

Well Citizen Blue is pretty spot on there. Was abject second half.

[juanpabloangel18]

Possession

Aston Villa 63% Tottenham 37%

Attempts on target

Aston Villa 15 Tottenham 8

Attempts off target

Aston Villa 11 Tottenham 5

Corners

Aston Villa 8 Tottenham 4

Fouls

Aston Villa 13 Tottenham 11

Stats from the BBC website. We really need someone who can put the ball in the back of the net.

How many chances did we create? Very few. I'm sorry, but in a game as open as that, with an extra man for 70 mins, we were piss poor.

26. The answers in the question.

Of course actually putting one or two of the **** into the back of the net would help a fair bit.

yeah apologies, you're right mate, we had 26 chances in that match. (?)

Spurs deserved to win, no question. Soaked up our pressure no problem, good on the counter.

These kind of 'positive silver lining' reactions to the really poor stuff we're being served up week after week are contributing to the growing sentiment of us being a small-time feeder club.

[CitizenBlue]

You looked like West Ham out there today. One of the most impotent displays against ten men I've seen in a while.

It'll be just our bloody luck that you'll put in a full shift against us at Eastlands after rolling over for Tottenham, probably take 2-3 points from us.

Did you even watch the game? We did the opposite of roll over. We tried and tried but we just can't score.

I did. The first goal was shocking defending. The second a pure mental lapse of not getting back and not marking. How can 11 men get broken against by 10 and leave men unmarked? That means that no one's picking up the man on the ball OR the second guy! You started trying before a lucky cross that confused Gomez, but that was past the **** 80th minute.

[darrenm]

I can't believe we haven't got anything out of that game - I thought we were the better side when it was eleven against eleven and I thought we were the better side when they went to ten.

We played some good stuff, moved it around and should have got more out of it - we need to start putting some of our chances away.

Lichaj was excellent, he had a couple of dodgy moments but his handling of Bale was as good as anyone has done all season, defensively he was absolutely top drawer - he should have scored twice as well.

Overall, I think that the midfield was promising, Delph looked a little off the pace but decent and Hogg did well until his booking, it's good to see Petrov back and I think Downing and Albrighton were very lively.

Agbonlahor should have scored a couple and he'll be disappointed, so much of what we do relies in him putting the ball into the back of the net. Delfouneso also looked bright and lively but needs an end product - we desperately need one of these two to get on a run of goals.

Tottenham did what good away teams do; soaked up pressure and then scored off a couple of clinical breaks. Of course they were a bunch of arseholes too, Van Der Vaart has gone straight to the top of my list of footballing tits and their keeper is an embarrassment of a man. Their manager too showed his class, trying to get into a row with Pires late on.

Overall, I don't think there's anything to be ashamed of in that performances, we were the better side against a team that some people think can win the title. (and they're in with a chance if they can hold on to Martin Atkinson)

If we'd got either of the two penalties we should have had in the first half it might have been a different story, but we don't need much more than a bit of sharpness in front of goal to make us a good side.

The radio was full of doom and gloom, Houllier out, rank bad performances, all of that stuff - today I think it's misplaced.

:notworthy:

[Brumstopdogs]

Further proof to me that Houllier has to go! He can take G Mac with him as well.

One look at the starting line up and it was clear Hogg should never have started.

Curtis Davies, Stephen Ireland, Richard Dunne, John Carew - all decent players that, partly due to our manager's inability, aren't performing at their highest level or aren't even being considered!

I really don't know know what the Board are waiting for. The majority of fans do not want Houllier in charge. You can tell that from the atmosphere this season. The belief has gone.

As for player ratings:

Friedel 6/10 One good save from Defoe

Lichaj 7.5/10 Did well to keep Bale quiet

Collins 5/10 Donkey

Cuellar 6/10 Few dodgy moments

Warnock 5/10 The missing man

Hogg 2/10 Shouldn't be starting for us in the premier league

Delph 5/10 His failure to close down VDV led to the 2nd goal. Good to see him back though!

Downing 5/10 Poor - has to get involved more

Albrighton 6/10 Scored - not as good as normal though

Heksey 4/10 Wimp. Again off injured!

Gabby 5/10 Has to do more, has to move more.

Overall, not good enough against 10 men, Houllier should be sacked and we're going to lose our next 2 matches.

Happy New Year :winkold:

[Mantis]

You looked like West Ham out there today. One of the most impotent displays against ten men I've seen in a while.

It'll be just our bloody luck that you'll put in a full shift against us at Eastlands after rolling over for Tottenham, probably take 2-3 points from us.

Did you even watch the game? We did the opposite of roll over. We tried and tried but we just can't score.

Well Citizen Blue is pretty spot on there. Was abject second half.

Abject at trying to score but we didn't roll over. Unless rolling over means not being good at scoring.

[darrenm]

I did. The first goal was shocking defending. The second a pure mental lapse of not getting back and not marking. How can 11 men get broken against by 10 and leave men unmarked? That means that no one's picking up the man on the ball OR the second guy! You started trying before a lucky cross that confused Gomez, but that was past the **** 80th minute.

Completely disagree with everything you've said there.

The 2nd goal was a counter-attacking breakaway goal. They get scored all the time and are the biggest risk of pushing men forward trying to get a goal back. The ball is moved with pace up the field, before the other team have chance to get men back, hence you can't have it as simple as 11 against 10. It's pretty simple stuff really.

The lucky cross that confused Gomez is also a standard type of goal that occurs when a cross is put into a very dangerous area where the goalkeeper has to try to decide if someone is going to get a touch or not, lots of times they go in, and is an obvious consequence of putting the ball into that area. That's why lots of teams play with reverse wingers. Blackburn scored one against us the other week in exactly the same way, they're almost undefendable.

If you seriously believe what you've put above, then I'd suggest you haven't been watching football for very long and should probably learn a bit more about how the game works before posting.

[CitizenBlue]

You looked like West Ham out there today. One of the most impotent displays against ten men I've seen in a while.

It'll be just our bloody luck that you'll put in a full shift against us at Eastlands after rolling over for Tottenham, probably take 2-3 points from us.

Did you even watch the game? We did the opposite of roll over. We tried and tried but we just can't score.

Well Citizen Blue is pretty spot on there. Was abject second half.

Abject at trying to score but we didn't roll over. Unless rolling over means not being good at scoring.

You had a man advantage. That was the reason the lack of effort did not look more apparent.

Of course you will pound away at a goal when the other team is a man down. This would have been 0-4 with 11 men.

It's like once Tottenham went down a man, the Villa players thought they were entitled to half-ass it. How many 50-50 balls did Villa lose despite having one more man? Shocking.

[Brumstopdogs]

Tottenham's 2nd goal was down to bad marking. If you look at a replay we had more players back but just ball watching rather than staying close to the few Spurs players forward.

Shocking.

Houllier out now please!

[o'lbs]

absolutley disgusting result. FRENCHMAN OUT.

Playing Hogg and Delph together was an absolute joke. Delph's only just started training after being out for a year and he wants him to come in a boss the midfield against the likes of modric and Van der vart? Crazy when Reo Coker was on the bench.

Hogg got booked early on and then drifted out of the match.

and suddenly frenchman aborts his 4-5-1 and goes with 4-4-2?

The guy has had a lobotomy!

ten man spurs were always comfortable. there was a period of the game just before the half time whistle when spurs had possession for at least 15 minutes just knocking it short little one-two's and Villa stood off and let them.

I was disgusted.

We're going down like divine brown.

Only big Sam can save us.

SCUM FRENCHMAN OUT!