OhioVilla Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 I would say keep Heskey on but drop Gabby. He has no creativity to be playing on the wing like that. And please, for the love of God, put Makoun on the pitch. His one touch passing alone would open the entire pitch to everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic_bouma Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 thank god for shay given first half i thought we were very good, lively and quite creative... god knows what happened in the 2nd half... Bent will be a frustrated man this season but lets just hope its the away games where he fails to get service.... im happy with a point and lets face it if we follow it up with more creative performance against blackburn and a victory this will be an even better point... i hope we drop heskey for marc or ireland against blackburn.... im sure McCleish will make changes...that was very much an away line up today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 I suppose we all better get used to 0-0 draws this season. In anyone other than Mcleish in charge Id have been pleased with a point, but knowing that Mcleish sees this kind of result as amazing just fills me with dread. We are shit...and unfortunately for the first time in the last 5 years, we are going to be shit to watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlyOne Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 The performance was awful. Stop saying it wasn't bad. Given was the saviour for this reason. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/14429736.stm 9 to 1 shots on target. That's diabolical. If that's going to be norm to expect, we're in shit street. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 An away point and a clean sheet. I'll take more of these, TBH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCU Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Pleased with the result, despite the many moaners I would have took a point going into the game. Getting a clean sheet aswell, aren't exactly used to them. Apart from that, what a dreadful game. N'Zogbia is unfit, Petrov still gives the ball away OR passes back and Heskey is still useless. I was hoping for AM to bring on Barry Bannan Or Ireland in the second half for a different attacking option, a bit more threat but no. Hope this isn't the start of a boring footballing season, that of which Blues had to put up with the past few years, scraping 1-0's, playing unattractive football but at the end of it all, getting relegated. I think today proves we're not fully fit yet nor full equipped. Balance the wage bill out, bring in 1 or 2 new more faces and try a different approach. Not all too keen on the formation, the attackers just roaming anywhere they fancy. Forgot to mention Shay Given. I feel so much more confident with him in goal, star man. UTV! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ender4 Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 hard to tell at this stage, was a boring match. if thats our worst this year, we'll have a great season. if thats our best this year, we'll have an awful season. i guess we'll know when we play Blackburn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steaknchips Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 I didnt see the point of Heskey TBH... What was his use? I would rather Bannan come on instead and at least try and provide more service to the great striker we have in Bent. Its the same with Gabby out wide, he has limited effect on providing for service into the key areas..Its important we get players into the team that are good on the ball and can create opportunities to utilise Bent. Will be hoping Bannan, Makoun, Albrighton all come into the team at home to Blackburn and inject some much needed life into our attacking play. I thought Delph had little support today, yet with Bannan tucked in there alongside him I think it could a nice little combination. Also need to see Both Albrighton and N'Zogbia involved at the same time on each wing, similar to Albrighton/Downing last season.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted August 13, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted August 13, 2011 Called a draw. Performance left a considerable amount to be desired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
privateer Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 The good news? We're in our highest league place this season. The bad news? It's the highest we're going to be this season and will last about another two hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyklip Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 That line-up will never allow us to be that attacking. It may look attacking on paper but all the front players are finishers not creators so they'll never get a good amount of chances. Yep, agreed. Not much else to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papillon Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Well it was a dull affair, which we deserved to lose counting shots and chances. I saw 2-3 sitters for them, maybe 1 for us given Heskey's two attempts combined. Riise should have scored early on and Zamora should have netted as well. 1 point and a clean sheet away from home is very decent, but the whole affair will continue this season. Most games will be very tight with many duels and no passing in them, hoofing to Darren Bent etc. It's gonna be a long, hard and mediocre season ahead! - Delph was decent, but lacks that final key asset to his game. Will maybe come with experience, I hope! - Petrov is exactly what we already know. Extremely limited player, especially going forward. - Gabby not really involved - Bent did not get any help at all, which is kind of what you get with that midfield. - Given with an insane save, kept us in the game, also exactly what I expected from him Perfect start! - Our defenders were decent, but Warnock sucks at passing, especially when delivering high hoofing ones... jesus christ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DotsandCrosses Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Saw a draw a mile off with two good defences and two excellent keepers. Good points and bad points, but the result is a decent one considering we were away against a solid team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alec Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Good, solid start in a difficult fixture against a team with superior match sharpness. The formation won't work week in, week out but I think you could see where it may benefit us during away games such as this. Defensively, we looked well-organised with Given in outstanding form and the back four all looking comfortable. Unlike last season, everyone seemed to know what their job was and we rarely looked troubled from set-pieces - where time and time again last term we were often woefully naive. Problems arise when we cross the halfway line with little dynamism, movement or creativity. Where both Heskey and Agbonlahor offered both the two central midfielders and the full-backs plenty of protection, they could provide little more than muscle going forward and that isn't going to create many opportunities except through forcing errors on the opposition's part. We can perhaps afford to play one of them in such a role, but not both - and especially at home, so I hope McLeish makes at least one change next week against Blackburn. Ratings; Formation - 4-2-3-1 (at times alternating to 4-4-1-1) Given - 9/10 Faultless performance; great instincts, assured handling, a beacon of confidence. Young - 6/10 Solid at the back, offered little going forward. Collins - 7/10 Generally strong, but for a few too many overly ambitious long passes that went straight out of play Dunne - 8/10 Back to his best. Good in the air, strong in the tackle, looked focussed at all times. Warnock - 7/10 Slotted back in nicely and much more like his form of two seasons ago. A few good probing runs forward as well. Petrov - 7/10 Calming influence, you know what you're going to get as always. One very good effort from range in the first half but largely unwilling to take responsibility for driving the team forward. Delph - 7/10 Very promising 90 minutes from a player who really needs to prove he can establish himself this season. Looking more physically mature and often displaying excellent technique on the ball, could prove to be a high point if he continues to improve. N'Zogbia - 6/10 Patchy first start for the Club. One very good cross should have been headed in by Collins but otherwise looked leggy and yet to forge an understanding with the other attacking players. Heskey - 6/10 Can't fault his workrate today and linked up the most closely with Bent but with the best will in the world he isn't the man who is going to make chances. Easy to underestimate the defensive work he does though. Agbonlahor - 6/10 Drifted out of the game for large periods and, much like Heskey, was more effective in his own half than the opposition's. Where to play him is one of McLeish's biggest problems. There's no evidence so far to suggest he can link up with Bent in a partnership and his pace and tireless running is mostly wasted out wide. Bent - 6/10 One chance, one goal - sadly but correctly ruled out for offside. Otherwise no service and would've benefitted from the introduction of either Bannan or Ireland in the second half who could perhaps have been able to utilise his runs off the last defender's shoulder. Sub; Albrighton (for N'Zogbia) - 6/10 Unable to make a telling impact but actually seemed to give us greater balance in the latter stages. I'd have taken a point beforehand and despite the scrappy nature of the match, Villa fans should be satisfied if not exactly inspired with the performance. There will be far greater expectation for the next two matches, both at home, when McLeish will have to deliver more than the kind of robust organisation we saw this afternoon. But if he can take the team away to difficult venues such as this and come away with something more often than not this season, then that's a sound basis for improvement over the much-discussed weaknesses continuously exhibited on the road during the last campaign. A point gained. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaAlex Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Just to add I thought Heskey did pretty well in an odd position though. Won plenty of headers and was involved a lot (from the limited amount I saw). Agreed but because he missed a few half chances people will always moan. He held the ball up well, won us a few freekicks and made some excellent runs that Bent would have been proud of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gringo Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 A committed bunch of chaps trying hard. Which is an improvement on the majority of last season, so onwards and upwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallam Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 I suppose we all better get used to 0-0 draws this season. In anyone other than Mcleish in charge Id have been pleased with a point, but knowing that Mcleish sees this kind of result as amazing just fills me with dread. We are shit...and unfortunately for the first time in the last 5 years, we are going to be shit to watch. Yes you were shit and against Coventry as well &&& off back in your hole bluenose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted August 13, 2011 VT Supporter Share Posted August 13, 2011 Good report Alec! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallam Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 The performance was awful. Stop saying it wasn't bad. Given was the saviour for this reason. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/14429736.stm 9 to 1 shots on target. That's diabolical. If that's going to be norm to expect, we're in shit street. Get a life Bluenose and go and support your own team, a point at Fulham is excellent they have being playing for a month idiot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milfner Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 Good point, that. And for the love of God, please bring in Makoun for Petrov. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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