Ratings and reactions: Villa 3-1 Blackburn

[Mantis]

Gabby's goal was one of the best I've seen from him for a very long time. Surely that's got to be one of the favourites for goal of the month?

[RunRickyRun]

Great performance from Petrov and Delph in the middle of the park.

Wee Barry is fast developing into my favourite player, very good cameo from him today.

Second game in a row where we looked comfortable from set pieces

Anyone else spot our own Rantin Rob on MOTD?

[OutByEaster?]

Anyone else spot our own Rantin Rob on MOTD?

Graceful as a gazelle in super slo-mo for the Bent goal?

[Hanky]

Gabby's goal was one of the best I've seen from him for a very long time. Surely that's got to be one of the favourites for goal of the month?

No one from Man Utd scored it so probably not.

[Pelle]

Good performance, great result, and very good that our strikers all got one each. Can't take o much from this game as Blackburn were rather poor, but again you can only beat what's in front of you. And we did it well apart from the first 15 minutes or so of the 2nd half.

Match thread were comedy gold. I don't mind people being critical, but there were many who slated the line up before the game, too negative and all that. And 5 minutes into the game they were moaning about how bad we played. After five (5) minutes!! Then most of them were quite happy, I have to admit.

Petrov MOTM for me. Think he killed the myth about him never being able to pass the ball forward and always tiring after 60 minutes. Delph was good too, as was Gabby before he had to leave. Warnock looks like the player he was when he came to us. Bent is a striker. He's almost always at the right position at the right time. That goal was typical from him.

Over all a good performance. Hope we can build on this and gain some confidence. Also liked how 3 of our youngsters got the chance to show what they can do and develop themselves, even though it was due to injuries. At least AML wasn't afraid to bring them on. And Bannan was good, Clark was solid and I think Albrighton will be back to his best soon.

[Harry]

It was very nice to be at VP and see us win comfortably scoring 3 goals in the process. The attendance was poor at 32k which I guess is maybe 6k down on the opening fixture in the last couple of seasons. I just hope this is not some stupid knee jerk reaction by fans who think the club has let them down in some way.

As for season ticket holders I think pretty much everyone around me in the DE stand has renewed but interestingly there was a large empty area in the upper tier of the Holte.

As for the overall team performance I was very impressed. Blackburn are shite and will probably struggle this season but I thought Villa look better organised than they have done for a couple of seasons. Every player knew what he was supposed to doing and I thought the midfield was very tight with Delph outstanding, He may be slight but he is a tough nut and never shirks anything.

The defence was much much better. The goal has a lot to do with Albrighton's inability to defend, he will need to work on that aspect of his game, coupled with poor marking in the box but that was the only reach mistake I noticed.

I was also really pleased to see Clark, Bannan and Albrighton all get decent runs. Long gone are the days of MON's baffling substitutions and players playing out of position. Hopefully that bodes well for the future.

Final special mention for Gabby - best goal I have seen at VP for ages and a great first half performance. I hope the injury will not keep him out for the Wolves game.

[Alec]

Good win to get the home campaign off to the right start. A lot of points already covered so I'll try not to go over the same ground but a few points of interest struck me yesterday, both good and bad, that may indicate where we are going at present.

Firstly, the formation used in these first two league games seems to have surprised a lot of people and I think we've seen how it will potentially work to our advantage in different ways in the fixtures against Fulham and Blackburn. Petrov and Delph is a pairing Martin O'Neill tried with limited success and one that many of us would've said was too lightweight to work, but McLeish has essentially set them both up as defensive, 'quarterback' style midfielders. Positional discipline and a cautious approach to joining in attacks is something we know suits Petrov but judging from his two performances in the past week, I believe a lot of work has gone into Delph during pre-season and the way he can tailor his game to curb some of his more energetic tendencies. Both players are sitting in front of the back four and doing a pretty good job of protecting them centrally (most of the danger posed by Blackburn yesterday came from the flanks as a result), and their role when we go forward is to offer an outlet when wide players need to bring the ball inside and keep it moving. Delph is naturally a box-to-box runner and it is possible that we're losing a side to his play that may give him more opportunity to shine as an attacking force (which he is capable of being) but I feel the positional awareness gained from modifying his game is already making him a better player, and one who looks a good deal more comfortable on the Premier League stage. If you watch the game back, look carefully at the position Delph holds as Petrov goes forward before releasing Bent in the build-up to the opening goal, and note the starting positions both players take during the build-up to the second when Delph plays in Agbonlahor on the edge of the box. This isn't to say that he has suddenly transformed into an outstanding player, but for the first time since he arrived, he is starting to look like more than mere potential and could well develop into a key player for us not only this season but for a long time to come.

The performances of Delph and Petrov, both impressive yesterday, enables McLeish to play with more flexibility than what we saw under O'Neill or Houllier last season, when we would often look very flat across the middle. When we go forward, we look like we are operating a 4-2-4 and when we are defending it quickly adjusts to 4-4-1-1 or 4-5-1, and I've been impressed by the willingness of Heskey to be the one player who has to constantly change his position whilst the game is in flux in order to make this work. One tends to think of Heskey as being at his most effective when used as atarget man with a Michael Owen or a Wayne Rooney spinning off him from deep, so I don't know how naturally this comes to him but from a positional standpoint, the intuitive sense he has shown in the opening two games of the season has been outstanding. When the opposition has the ball he becomes a third central midfielder and though it rarely looks elegant, his closing down combined with a few crudely cumbersome challenges have assisted in breaking up the play (and earning him a couple of slightly harsh bookings) and enabling Petrov and Delph to mop up and re-start attacks. When we are going forward, he is linking up well with Bent and Agbonlahor in particular (he favours the left side of the pitch for some reason), running on to the ball in the final third in some very dangerous positions, as evidenced by the team's second goal.

Unfortunately, this also exposes the limitations of his game of which we are all well aware, and though it worked yesterday I believe we have other options that may work better. His goal was well-taken, but he had a fantastic opportunity not long afterwards in which he received an excellent cut-back from Bent that he took in his stride on the edge of the area but overran it and squandered the chance to put the team three goals up. And whatever the footballing intelligence that he possesses that allows him to get into so many good positions, he lacks both the pace and agility to react quickly enough (an accusation that could be levelled against two or three of our players) that slows the play down just enough for the opposition defence to organise and react. When Barry Bannan came on for him in the second half, he showed great initiative in covering much of the same ground and compensating for his comparitive lack of power with the swiftness with which he can keep the play moving. Maybe we lose a little strength, but I can see players like Bent and N'Zogbia especially benefitting from Bannan's link play and the virtue of this formation is that Bannan does not look as slight with two sitting midfielders behind him. For much of the last twelve months, we've seen ample evidence that there is a lot of talent among our younger players and the concern has been how to integrate them without weakening the centre of the team. Delph and Bannan are not physically big (though both are maturing year on year) and struggle to hold their ground when used in a central pairing with any other midfielder, but McLeish's formation seems to have found a solution that his predecessors have struggled to see. What will be very interesting now is how willing he is to try out different permutations within a system that not only seems to suit us, but feels more continental in approach than anything we have seen since Brian Little introduced a sweeper in a three-man defence with wing-backs supplementing a midfield diamond.

And that there is perhaps the best news for Villa supporters having endured an uncertain year under Houllier in which the players never seemed comfortable whatever the result. The team looks balanced at the back where Stephen Warnock has slotted right back in and has rediscovered the form of two years ago. Like Luke Young, he is never going to play a massive role going forward (both are a far cry from Kyle Walker) but the central defenders seem a lot happier alongside them and they keep their shape without getting stretched or pulled out of position the way we often saw last term. And we look so much better defending set-pieces again, in stark contrast with our encounter with Blackburn at Ewood Park last season when we looked vulnerable to every corner and throw-in.

It's not perfect - far from it - but a good start for McLeish and one that should easily quell any concerns about our league security and give hope that we will ultimately be a lot closer to where we were under O'Neill as the season progresses. We look hard to beat, our passing and movement is yet to find any consistent fluidity and we're still lacking in the kind of technical nouse and genuine top quality in the final third when it comes to creating chances, but in Darren Bent we have a striker that only needs one half chance to score a goal - and that's something very few Villa managers have had in a generation. Truth be told, if Mr. Lerner was to sanction just one or two purchases before the transfer window closes then we could have a very good squad (not just a very good starting eleven - after all, we could afford to leave Jean II Makoun, Stephen Ireland, Marc Albrighton, Ciaran Clark as well as Bannan on the bench yesterday).

Ratings;

Given - 6/10 Not especially busy but organised the players in front of him well. That nagging groin strain is a worry as he is visibly uncomfortable kicking and often used his weaker foot for goal-kicks until James Collins took over those duties in the latter stages.

Young - 6/10 Solid as always and even got into some promising attacking positions in the first half. Picked up a knock and had to go off.

Collins - 7/10 Commanding in the air, read the game well - looking strong.

Dunne - 7/10 Much the same; looked comfortable throughtout. Pedersen got in front of him for the Blackburn goal but Hoillet's cross was so good it always favoured the attacker.

Warnock - 7/10 Very good again. Whatever went on last season, he looks settled and focused. At the end of the day, we are better with a recognised left-back in the role and he's the best one we have.

Petrov - 7/10 Excellent distribution, including some good forward passes. Key part in the opening goal.

Delph - 8/10 Industrious, composed, accomplished. Key part in the second goal.

N'Zogbia - 7/10 Flashes of brilliance and looking sharper than last week. Has slotted in very well and will hopefully continue to get better.

Heskey - 7/10 Formidable work-rate, constantly involved in the first half, a great asset to the team at the moment even if he's never really great to watch. Well-taken goal.

Agbonlahor - 8/10 Another benificiary of McLeish's formation and was the game's most influential player before getting injured and was replaced at half-time. In this formation, he's not really playing as a winger but a wide forward - maybe it's a subtle distinction but he looks a lot less isolated and is able to make a greater impact. Of the fifty goals he has now scored for Villa, I can't think of many better than his opener yesterday.

Bent - 7/10 Some neat link-up play and appeared a lot happier than the previous week at Fulham. That's probably going to be the way of things with this system where away games will demand a lot of thankless running with little reward and home games see him working a lot more closely with the other attacking players. Got one clear sight of goal - you know what that means.

Subs;

Albrighton - 5/10 Disappointing half and struggled to get into the game, whilst he was too easily beaten by Hoillet for the Blackburn goal. One good effort that went wide but one feels he has a lot of work to do to convince his new manager that he should be starting.

Clark - 6/10 Very comfortable at left-back to see out the game when Young went off injured (Warnock went to right-back).

Bannan - 7/10 Instantly busy and looking increasingly confident. I really think he could be a star in this formation if given a run of starts. Always hungry for the ball, rarely gives it away and a constant threat in and around the opposition penalty area. Good delivery from wide positions too.

The manager - 8/10 Couldn't really have asked for a better start, all things considered. I was slightly disappointed that he went with the same eleven as last week as I felt we needed more creativity with the onus on us to attack, but the formation can work for either type of occasion and will hopefully become more cohesive after another half dozen games. Still perhaps reluctant to take a chance on the younger players from the start and go with the experience of Heskey in what may be the most important position in this system (though he played well). Encouraging that he looked to the youngsters for all of his subs ahead of more experienced options though.

The attendance was disappointing. Whatever the collective dissatisfaction at McLeish's appointment, we are still Aston Villa and 32,000 is pitiful for an opening home fixture. I hope the board have taken note and realise how frustrated a lot of supporters are at having sold key players for big money that only a fraction has been re-invested, but if we are to remain a big club, the fans have a part to play. Those that turned up got behind McLeish and the players, and yes, there are the price rises, economic conditions etc etc etc. but the fact is that after having spent no money and are facing up to a far grimmer future than ourselves, Everton still brought in more than 35,000 for a less than enticing fixture against QPR. I have criticised our board for not puching at the Club's weight, but frankly, if we can't get more people in the ground than this perhaps we are misjudging our own status. There were plenty of deals available yesterday for those that couldn't afford season cards and no doubt it was those that stayed away that will be the first to moan when we lose, but whatever your feelings, it certainly doesn't do the larger image of the Club any good to see so many empty-seats. Maybe it's an indication of the spreading apathy amongst football supporters of all clubs outside the feted top four, but that's another conversation. Let's hope that this is as low as it gets this season.

[wedge]

How did the moron ref decide that Gabby fouled Robinson in the first half?

[MMFy]

It was very nice to be at VP and see us win comfortably scoring 3 goals in the process. The attendance was poor at 32k which I guess is maybe 6k down on the opening fixture in the last couple of seasons. I just hope this is not some stupid knee jerk reaction by fans who think the club has let them down in some way.

I think it's just as likely it was because we were playing Blackburn who we have now played 11 times since 26th September 2009. People get bored of seeing us play and beat the same team all the time...

[Danwichmann]

It was very nice to be at VP and see us win comfortably scoring 3 goals in the process. The attendance was poor at 32k which I guess is maybe 6k down on the opening fixture in the last couple of seasons. I just hope this is not some stupid knee jerk reaction by fans who think the club has let them down in some way.

I think it's just as likely it was because we were playing Blackburn who we have now played 11 times since 26th September 2009. People get bored of seeing us play and beat the same team all the time...

Also got to bear in mind Blackburn only brought about 150 fans. Most clubs would bring a couple of thousand I guess, but Blackburn could have got every fan on 3 coaches.

[CI]

(both are a far cry from Kyle Walker)

Thank god for that, lots of hapless endeavour and leaving gaping holes at the back is not my idea of an Aston Villa full back

[sellbydate]

How did the moron ref decide that Gabby fouled Robinson in the first half?

how did blackburn not get any yellows during that game?

[ChrisNichollsToe]

I was expecting us to struggle breaking the 25,000 mark.

Last two weeks of the school holidays, when most people take the kids away, the economic plight a lot of us find ourselves in, the loss of faith in the people running the club, losing our two best players, alongside a multitude of lesser distractions. I think we did well getting that many in.

Hopefully, it bodes well.

[JulieB]

How did the moron ref decide that Gabby fouled Robinson in the first half?

how did blackburn not get any yellows during that game?

These are two burning questions, I think everyone of a Villa or neutral standing watching the game live, will be asking themselves!!

[CI]

Wonder how many of the £15 tickets added to the gate, 5k ??

Hope they do more of these offers, better than empty seats m'lord

[AstonMartin82]

Fantastic display in the first half yesterday, though it was slightly worrying how we went into panic mode with long ball clearances after Blackburn scored. Third goal came at just the right time to kill the game else I believe our midfield may of got overrun a little bit.

Very pleased with Agbonlahor. I'm his biggest critic, but yesterday was his best performance in a Villa shirt for a very long time.

Surprised at how many people rated Delph as MOTM. He played very well, but surely he is too weak for a central midfielder? He gets pushed around too easily.

Collins was my MOTM. Commanding performance just hope he keeps it up.

Let's not forget that this was a poor Blackburn side. They are relegation fodder... absolutely no doubt about it. If they were in the Championship this season they would still struggle. Their manager has to go - I'm still absolutely bemused why those chicken farmers got rid of the only manager in the world who would keep them in the Premiership whilst spending no money.

Also, as a last point, has anyone else ever noticed how Robinson is always at full stretch when attempting to save a shot yet the ball ends up in the middle of the goal? One of the most over-rated goalkeepers of all time IMO. At the match yesterday I thought Agbonlahors goal went right into the top corner. ON seeing it on Football First it wasn't right up there and I can't help thinking that perhaps Robinson could have got a couple of fingers to it. For the second goal he dived over the ball, and the third he was beaten at the near post. Slightly harsh criticism I know, but this is an average game for him.

About Gabby, did you see the very good post about the injuries he was carrying last season? I was also critical of him last season, but having read what he was playing through I am prepared to let it go. Seeing him playing like he did yesterday really brought it home that there is a good player in there and the reasons for his poor performance last season are valid.

I disagree totally about Delph being too slight for the mid. Granted he is physically small, but he plays like a much bigger player. His aggression, energy, speed and enthusiasm for getting the ball back more than makes up for what he lacks in bulk. We have a much better chance this season with him fit and playing.

About Robinson I thought much the same thing at the game. The first goal was a tough one to keep out, but I thought Emile rather scuffed his shot and was surprised that Robinson didn't keep it out. Bent struck his shot well, but it was chest height and almost straight at him. Again a better keeper would have got something on it, I'm just glad Robinson is not a better keeper.

I'm not talking about the Gabby from last season. It was a total write off for him... I've never been convinced by him from his first season. He never appears to have the ball under control when dribbling and as is well disputed on this site, lacks a football brain. However that said, he does offer an outlet due to his pace, but he will never play for a top team.

I'm still open minded about Delph. He's only ever played 16 games for us so it's too small a period to make any conclusions, but if you put him up against Man City's midfield I think he will simply be out muscled. Lots of potential there though, but I think a few work outs in the gym will be extremely beneficial...

[AstonMartin82]

Fantastic display in the first half yesterday, though it was slightly worrying how we went into panic mode with long ball clearances after Blackburn scored. Third goal came at just the right time to kill the game else I believe our midfield may of got overrun a little bit.

Very pleased with Agbonlahor. I'm his biggest critic, but yesterday was his best performance in a Villa shirt for a very long time.

Surprised at how many people rated Delph as MOTM. He played very well, but surely he is too weak for a central midfielder? He gets pushed around too easily.

Collins was my MOTM. Commanding performance just hope he keeps it up.

Let's not forget that this was a poor Blackburn side. They are relegation fodder... absolutely no doubt about it. If they were in the Championship this season they would still struggle. Their manager has to go - I'm still absolutely bemused why those chicken farmers got rid of the only manager in the world who would keep them in the Premiership whilst spending no money.

Also, as a last point, has anyone else ever noticed how Robinson is always at full stretch when attempting to save a shot yet the ball ends up in the middle of the goal? One of the most over-rated goalkeepers of all time IMO. At the match yesterday I thought Agbonlahors goal went right into the top corner. ON seeing it on Football First it wasn't right up there and I can't help thinking that perhaps Robinson could have got a couple of fingers to it. For the second goal he dived over the ball, and the third he was beaten at the near post. Slightly harsh criticism I know, but this is an average game for him.

About Gabby, did you see the very good post about the injuries he was carrying last season? I was also critical of him last season, but having read what he was playing through I am prepared to let it go. Seeing him playing like he did yesterday really brought it home that there is a good player in there and the reasons for his poor performance last season are valid.

I disagree totally about Delph being too slight for the mid. Granted he is physically small, but he plays like a much bigger player. His aggression, energy, speed and enthusiasm for getting the ball back more than makes up for what he lacks in bulk. We have a much better chance this season with him fit and playing.

About Robinson I thought much the same thing at the game. The first goal was a tough one to keep out, but I thought Emile rather scuffed his shot and was surprised that Robinson didn't keep it out. Bent struck his shot well, but it was chest height and almost straight at him. Again a better keeper would have got something on it, I'm just glad Robinson is not a better keeper.

I'm not talking about the Gabby from last season. It was a total write off for him... I've never been convinced by him from his first season. He never appears to have the ball under control when dribbling and as is well disputed on this site, lacks a football brain. However that said, he does offer an outlet due to his pace, but he will never play for a top team.

I'm still open minded about Delph. He's only ever played 16 games for us so it's too small a period to make any conclusions, but if you put him up against Man City's midfield I think he will simply be out muscled. Lots of potential there though, but I think a few work outs in the gym will be extremely beneficial...

[hogso]

Thought it would be 3-0 before the game, so wasn't too far off. Still work to do, and Blackburn were very poor in the first half, but happy with the performance, 3 points, and especially Gabbys goal

[spiezels]

Just wanted to say a big well done to the Brigada lads.

Ground was pretty quiet the whole game bar the times we scored and no songs really caught on a went round the stadium, even "On the piss my lord" struggled but the lads from Brigada were literally singing from start to finish non stop.

Well done lads.

[wedge]

Just wanted to say a big well done to the Brigada lads.

Ground was pretty quiet the whole game bar the times we scored and no songs really caught on a went round the stadium, even "On the piss my lord" struggled but the lads from Brigada were literally singing from start to finish non stop.

Well done lads.

This. Their banners are class-A as well.