maqroll Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Massive point no matter how you look at it. Good to see some team spirit and passion, hopefully we can use this as a new starting point to better things, especially if we make a couple of good signings. UTV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 If we don't lose this I'll eat my cock.Shit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulanddonya Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Well what a surprise ! Very gutsy performance, still not great, but much improved. I was very annoyed Freidal got MotM as, to me, that says if it weren't for our goalie, it would have been a rout - which I feel is not right. To meHeskey shaded MotM - won everything, held the ball up and scored. However, one guy who hasn't got much of a mention ran him close in my eyes - NRC ! Thought he closed, tackled and won everyything, then played it simple - a huge difference with him in the side. How it effects the future - only the next three weeks will show us, but we really should be aiming for 9 our of 9 , and that should then cement us in the upper table. Fair result, good performance, great fighting spirit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chappy Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 **** yes. There's the fight that we were so badly lacking against Man City. If I had spent new year in London I wouldve been going to this game, and I wish I had done now. **** brilliant display. Dunne MOTM for me, imperious on his return, didnt think Id see him in a Villa shirt again to be honest. A few points: Their penalty was a massively soft decision. Would not have been a free kick outside of the box. Friedel was fantastic. Two sides of Albrighton, but what an awesome cross for the goal, lets keep him out of our half though please! Heskey was brilliant, still cant believe Im saying these words but he has showed it time and again this season. Cuellar at RB against good sides from now on please. He was great today. Clark could well bag us a few important goals, he gets in the right positions. Friedel 9 Dunne 9 Collins 7 Cuellar 8 Clark 8 Downing 7 Petrov 7 NRC 6.5 Gabby 6.5 Young 6.5 Heskey 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markavfc40 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Reminded me of the pre Houllier Villa of the last 3 or 4 years with a never say die attitude today and it was good to see. Friedel man of the match but they can all take some credit as they all gave their all. Special mention for Petrov, Ash and Heskey though who really put a great shift in. Cuellar also did well at right back and Dunne did OK on his return. Worrying that we have now conceded 37 goals this season and for the 5th time we have now conceded 3 or more. And Brad was man of the match so could have been worse. Good battling display though and hopefully more of the same to come and we can get away form a position we should never have been in given the players we have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa_chemist Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Just read the last 4 or 5 pages of the Chelsea forum match thread...made me http://forums.cfcnet.co.uk/index.php?/topic/49123-live-match-thread-chelsea-v-aston-villa/page__st__465 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AValon Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Better performance all round today and probably showed that the fighting spirit has'nt entirely deserted the team. Defensively we seemed stronger early on, but Collins did'nt have to make that challenge at all and Clark, despite his enthusiasm to get to everything, was always going to be done at left back. Second half we rode our luck a lot and too many times they tried to do the fancy, get-out-of-jail stuff again instead of doing the obvious and putting it in row Z. And why on earth did they all stand off as Chelsea came forward for their 3rd? But, all in all, the commitment and confidence was there in heaps and can only get better. Friedel and Heskey definitely shared the honours for me......superb saves by Brad and Emile held it up brilliantly (is it me or does he spend a lot more time ON his feet these days?). Anyway, for two old-timers, they certainly kept us in the game with their colossal effort. In conclusion: should have taken all 3 points, but when it looked lost the lads showed a great deal of character to get back in it. Maybe we can look back at this match as a corner turned? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodders Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 reading back through this thread now, a couple of comments I think: one: to an extent this does show how big the missing players were, petrov heskey and reo coker + some match fitness now made a difference! two: harsh to criticise GH for no subs early on imo, as it could potentially have disrupted the unit as it were, I know we were under pressure, but all the players seemed to know what they were doing and were they were. If we'd managed a break away 3rd at 2-1 up then subs would have been fine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBGB Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 We still look pretty ragged, but that was a battling performance that probably deserved all 3 points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slowandlow Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 deserved a point and we got it - a point i wasn't expecting beforehand hopefully it can act as turning point for the rest of the season, but will have to see how things are going after another couple of games Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srsmithusa Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Referee: I don't think any single decision he made was indefensible. Cumulatively, however, is a different thing. I think he started the match expecting Villa to play with fire and grit and fight for everything. For that reason he interpreted contact initiated by Villa as aggressive and physical. Then we got frustrated with it, and it became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Petrov: I know there are some that think he is key to our success. Others think he is a liability. I am somewhere in the middle. His combative play and safe possession are great. But even with double fitness training he still tires and becomes less a factor. He could score with a great shot from distance at Celtic. I don't know why he can't do it here but it let's opponents lay off him in shooting range because he can only blast it high. I would like to see him take advantage of the space opponents give him in 25 yard range (or so) and deliver the incisive pass instead. I was especially bothered by his caution today. I thought the one card most well earned. Could easily have been red. I despise Malouda, but this foul was late, from behind, high, no chance at the ball. I don't much care for dirty players. And Petrov is not one... but that foul was dirty. Collins PK: The main reason I despise Malouda is that he is probably the best in the league at drawing contact and then collapsing in a heap of screaming pain to get the foul call. Collins went for the ball. Malouda played for the foul call (as he does more often than not). Malouda won that contest. Clark: Delighted with him. If you take his contribution out, we only score 1. He had some great intercepts, but if he will be consistent at left back he needs a bit of work. When you steer a player to the end line, you must then close the door on advancing to goal on the end line. At least twice he "bit" at a feint to go back up field and left the end line open. (on both occaisions I noted, the Chelsea ball was poor so it wasn't punished, but still worrying if we want him to be a more regular option there. Gabby: When he plays up front alone, he seems to always drift out to the left. I don't know if that's coached, or unconscious, or a personal preference.... but I guess it makes sense to just play him there... since he ends up there anyway. His work rate today was better than it has been in a very long time. Albrigthon: Some have put much of this result down to a return to the veterans (not counting Clark for some reason). His contribution to their third goal would give credibility to that view. His contribution to our third goal would show why I think that view is oversimplified. GH: My view is that like him or not, the club has committed to him for a relatively long-term. The best to do is support him. If he gets all the blame for the lack of fight and the discontent in the club then he deserves all the credit for this win. The team played with genuine passion and commitment. No divisions seemed apparent on the pitch. I wish this would silence his critics but it won't. It has become personal for some. On the negative side, I would have done the Alby for Gabby sooner. I would have also put Herd on for Petrov (as he was tiring). Lerner: Best video clip ever is his reaction to Clark's goal. Some complain that we should have done better against a Chelsea side that's been struggling. I think that should be balanced with the idea that they should even more expect to do better at home against a side that's struggling even more. It's a good day to be a Villa Fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Just read the last 4 or 5 pages of the Chelsea forum match thread...made me http://forums.cfcnet.co.uk/index.php?/topic/49123-live-match-thread-chelsea-v-aston-villa/page__st__465 I bloody love how it was Terry who scored the winner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark8691 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 At last some fight from the team! Good to see Warnock dropped (if indeed he was) 'There's only one Emile Heskey, one Emile Heskey, He used to be shite, then MON left Walking in a Heskey wonderland!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parisvilla Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 very proud tonight, particularly so that it was two academy boys combining to get us the result at the death. motm heskey but honourable mentions to friedel, dunne and clark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 2, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted January 2, 2011 Gabby: When he plays up front alone, he seems to always drift out to the left. I don't know if that's coached, or unconscious, or a personal preference.... but I guess it makes sense to just play him there... since he ends up there anyway. His work rate today was better than it has been in a very long time. He was played on the left today. Ash and Heskey were up front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bebbo75 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Just back from the game, what a difference 5 days makes! After City away which in my opinion bar Liverpool was the most gutless performance for years, a different Villa team turn up and make me proud again, well done lads Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaAndLoyal Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 After the Man City match I wondered 'why do I keep subjecting myself to this garbage'? Today is why. Rarely have I been as proud to be Villa as I was at full-time today when the whole team and manager came over to the SUPERB away support. That is what it's all about - that was the REAL Villa today - one that showed 110% comittment. Yes we perhaps should have won, but today is a very, very good day to be a Villa fan. Football is all about turning points, confidence and momentum - let's PRAY we use today as a catalyst. Chelsea FC - **** off. Plastic, flag-waving parasites! WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanky Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 If we don't lose this I'll eat my cock. From the match thread on around the second page. Well Mantis? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaAndLoyal Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 "SHIT FANS, SHIT BEER, SHIT FANS, SHIT BEER!" 8) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brumstopdogs Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Overall a very enjoyable match and a well deserved point. Good stuff Villa - that's more like it! Defensively good to see Cuellar at right back and pleased to see Clark play at left back. A proper defender unlike that clown Warnock. Good to see the experienced players back in the team in midfield and up front. As expected we looked a much better team. Albrighton needs to work on his defensive game (as we know) but going the other way can deliver fantastic balls. Definitely one for the future! Poor referee today - how Essien didn't get booked was a joke! Overall, a point is a good result and we need to follow that up with 3 vs Sunderland! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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