Ratings and Reactions: Wigan 1-2 Villa

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

he was shit, it isnt up for discussion

Firstly just because it's your opinion doesn't mean it 'so' and it's also for me a load of bollocks as it has been for plenty of others who watched the game today.

[Willy_Evergo]

Thought Mkoun looked distinctly average to me. I thought he was to have this great engine - seemed to be walking half the time tonight. lots of 4 yard passes most seemed to go sideways.

MOTM Ashley Young - quite easily - looked like what he is - a class player - hope for a miracle and he stays.

Still think we build up to slowly - which wastes the paces of Gabby and Bent.

2 wins on the trott which gives us some breathing space.

Extraordinarily harsh on a player making his debut. Evra's debut for United was embarrassingly bad.

[kingysilvers]

Thought Mkoun looked distinctly average to me. I thought he was to have this great engine - seemed to be walking half the time tonight. lots of 4 yard passes most seemed to go sideways.

MOTM Ashley Young - quite easily - looked like what he is - a class player - hope for a miracle and he stays.

Still think we build up to slowly - which wastes the paces of Gabby and Bent.

2 wins on the trott which gives us some breathing space.

Sorry don't agree on Makoun... I thought he looked very tidy... very quick and decisive with his passing...doesnt need to run all over the place because he does what he does efficiently. It was his debut for god sake..... give him a chance! Bent made some great runs and would have been dissappointed alot of them weren't picked up. We should have been at least 3 up by half time. We had some very flowing moves at times.

This, and also sideways passing isn't a bad thing. It allows you to retain possession and wait for space to play a ball forward into instead of the aimless hoofing we resort to at times which just gives the ball away and leads to us being put under pressure again.

In fact it's just what we needed to take the pressure off towards the end of that match.

[chappy]

was a toss up between Ash and Bent for me. Went for Bent in the end because he did everything he needed to (except score, and he wouldve done had Downing squared to him in the first half), fantastic hold up play at the end and always in space ready for a pass early on.

We looked brilliant first twenty odd minutes, looked like we would score several.

Makoun had a good debut, glad he brought him off when he did though because he needs time to settle in to the english game.

NRC was fantastic tonight, he was everywhere.

Baker solid enough, he got beat a few times but so would Clark off of Nzogbia.

Dunne/Collins/Cuellar v good again, although Carlos gave the ball away a few time once they got their goal.

I voted Ash MOTM because he was really up for it and played very well. Similar to the WBA game he seems to thrive on being given the captains armband. Loved his goal celebration too, really hope he stays. He looks like he loves it with us.

Brilliant to get two wins on the bounce for the first time since Hull/SHA last season. Hope we can push on and get a result at Old Trafford next tues.

By the way I thought Downing was alright tonight, surely deserved to at least be included in the poll?!

[smetrov]

Thought Mkoun looked distinctly average to me. I thought he was to have this great engine - seemed to be walking half the time tonight. lots of 4 yard passes most seemed to go sideways.

MOTM Ashley Young - quite easily - looked like what he is - a class player - hope for a miracle and he stays.

Still think we build up to slowly - which wastes the paces of Gabby and Bent.

2 wins on the trott which gives us some breathing space.

Sorry don't agree on Makoun... I thought he looked very tidy... very quick and decisive with his passing...doesnt need to run all over the place because he does what he does efficiently. It was his debut for god sake..... give him a chance! Bent made some great runs and would have been dissappointed alot of them weren't picked up. We should have been at least 3 up by half time. We had some very flowing moves at times.

Just heard he was a defensive midfielder similar to Coker, with a good engine - didn't look that way tonight - looked a bit lightweight in the tackle - and the game seemed to pass him by.

Don't get we wrong Im not writing him off - its a tough call to come into the pace of the prem - mid season & hit the ground running - I just didn't think he particularly sparkled as much as some on here suggest.

[jonno_2004]

Thought Mkoun looked distinctly average to me. I thought he was to have this great engine - seemed to be walking half the time tonight. lots of 4 yard passes most seemed to go sideways.

MOTM Ashley Young - quite easily - looked like what he is - a class player - hope for a miracle and he stays.

Still think we build up to slowly - which wastes the paces of Gabby and Bent.

2 wins on the trott which gives us some breathing space.

Sorry don't agree on Makoun... I thought he looked very tidy... very quick and decisive with his passing...doesnt need to run all over the place because he does what he does efficiently. It was his debut for god sake..... give him a chance! Bent made some great runs and would have been dissappointed alot of them weren't picked up. We should have been at least 3 up by half time. We had some very flowing moves at times.

Just heard he was a defensive midfielder similar to Coker, with a good engine - didn't look that way tonight - looked a bit lightweight in the tackle - and the game seemed to pass him by.

Don't get we wrong Im not writing him off - its a tough call to come into the pace of the prem - mid season & hit the ground running - I just didn't think he particularly sparkled as much as some on here suggest.

Makoun started at least two goalscoring opportunities with neat balls forward splitting the midfield.

[Annoyman]

Going into this I was a bit worried it'd be like when O'Neill signed Young and Carew, we beat West Ham then went to Newcastle midweek and had this false dawn wake-up call where we lost easily. It took a while for that team to start playing to its potential and I think after the season we've had it's fair enough to concede a late goal to a massive deflection and then panic a bit.

Utd could go either way but hopefully after that they'll hit their stride etc and maybe rack up a couple of big wins at home to chip away at the GD in the last 1/3 of the season

The bottom 3 only have one game in hand over us in total and we can't go back into the relegation zone on Saturday whatever the result, which is good

[darrenm]

just asking, did you actually watch the game?

i read yor description and you make it sound like he played well, so from that i can only presume you di not in fact watch the game.

he was shit, it isnt up for discussion

I wasn't there. Watched on a stream. Really good quality though.

I thought he played alright, like a lot of other people commenting (read this thread). Like I said, he did lots right and lots wrong so it amounted to an OK performance.

[tommo]

Friedel 7- Quality first half save and dealt well with things

Cuellar 7- Excellent defensive work, strong in the challenge. Distribution poor in the 2nd half.

Dunne 7.5- Determined display.

Collins 8- Carried on from the weekend, although he showed N'Zogbia the line a little too easily once.

Baker 7.5- Good. More impressive than Clark in this position.

Reo Coker 6.5- Not one of his better games and was caught ball watching once or twice. A good shift however.

Makoun 6- After a bright start he dropped off the pace. Perhaps needs time to get up to speed. Looks quality on the ball.

Young 8*- Always looked a threat tonight. More direct.

Downing 7- Despite being wasteful, he made some useful runs in the second half.

Gabby 6.5- tried hard.

Bent 6.5- alright. Missed a couple of good chances early on.

Positivity running through the side now. A good performance.

[Shillzz]

Good reception for Jean when he came off?

[brummybloke]

he was shit, it isnt up for discussion

Firstly just because it's your opinion doesn't mean it 'so' and it's also for me a load of bollocks as it has been for plenty of others who watched the game today.

are you a mod? no is the answer. why not give your opinion on the game rather than comment on my post?

[darrenm]

Friedel 7- Quality first half save and dealt well with things

Cuellar 7- Excellent defensive work, strong in the challenge. Distribution poor in the 2nd half.

Dunne 7.5- Determined display.

Collins 8- Carried on from the weekend, although he showed N'Zogbia the line a little too easily once.

Baker 7.5- Good. More impressive than Clark in this position.

Reo Coker 6.5- Not one of his better games and was caught ball watching once or twice. A good shift however.

Makoun 6- After a bright start he dropped off the pace. Perhaps needs time to get up to speed. Looks quality on the ball.

Young 8*- Always looked a threat tonight. More direct.

Downing 7- Despite being wasteful, he made some useful runs in the second half.

Gabby 6.5- tried hard.

Bent 6.5- alright. Missed a couple of good chances early on.

Positivity running through the side now. A good performance.

this

[kidlewis]

Downing didn't play that great to be honest. heavy crossing, didn't make the best pass a lot of the time, but tracked back well. Out of the whole team I think he was our worst player tonight, but overall he gets a 6.5 out of 10 still.

Young and Bent did well. Cuellar and Coker were awesome.

[lmarsha_926]

Just saw Ash's pen and Bent is moving across the area in the same direction as the keeper is diving incase he saves it, talk about instinct.

[rc_villa1972]

thought the guys did well tonight.

very disappointed with Downing if I am honest. yes he runs, yes he tracks back but and its a big but, he doesn't tackle, doesn't put his foot in and some of his passes / shots were disappointing. Not the player he was at start of the season.

Think Gabby did ok but he isn't a winger imo.

Want to see Downing back on the left, Bent and young in the middle with Super Marc on the right.

Need to get Reo signed up on a contract but feel it is a little late (but how much would it cost to replace him?). he has come on leaps and bounds with GH and the other coaches.

Thought Baker looked poor but then again, by all accounts, he isn't a left back, he is still young and inexperienced in the prem so maybe I was expecting too much.

Overall a win against Man U next week and we will be on 31 points (level with the current 7th spot team)

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

he was shit, it isnt up for discussion

Firstly just because it's your opinion doesn't mean it 'so' and it's also for me a load of bollocks as it has been for plenty of others who watched the game today.

are you a mod? no is the answer. why not give your opinion on the game rather than comment on my post?

I did. I said your opinion was bollocks.

[Maradona10]

Just got back, we made a coasting victory hard for ourselves. But we hung on, Downing was shite, Bent should have added to his tally. But delighted we got 3 points.

[legov]

Just saw Ash's pen and Bent is moving across the area in the same direction as the keeper is diving incase he saves it, talk about instinct.

I know he's great but players do that all the time.

[beasley14]

he was shit, it isnt up for discussion

Firstly just because it's your opinion doesn't mean it 'so' and it's also for me a load of bollocks as it has been for plenty of others who watched the game today.

are you a mod? no is the answer. why not give your opinion on the game rather than comment on my post?

Because u said it wasnt up for discussion and it obviously is. He played the ball for the pen you know.

[brummybloke]

just asking, did you actually watch the game?

i read yor description and you make it sound like he played well, so from that i can only presume you di not in fact watch the game.

he was shit, it isnt up for discussion

I wasn't there. Watched on a stream. Really good quality though.

I thought he played alright, like a lot of other people commenting (read this thread). Like I said, he did lots right and lots wrong so it amounted to an OK performance.

i can understand how you came to your conclusion (some things right some things wrong = ok), however he was one of our best players until around christmas time so for me to see him doing what he did today was just plain horrid to watch.

unless he has been told to not go past a player and to not deliver a dangerous ball into the box, he isnt doing his job. those are the things he does best and he did neither tonight.

for some games early on in the season , he was our entire attacking threat when young started being all silly but now he is starting to go backwards in terms of ability.

when i saw your comments i presumed you were blindly giving out praise despite him playing shit, however i can as mentioned, see your reasoning.

when a player plays well i say it, when they play crap then i also say it, i dont have any 'favourites', they are all my favourites when the whistle goes.

( although childish though it is, i want bent to take the pens as it would give us more chance of having all the cocks who said we paid too much look even more stupid)