Alec Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 No point rating individuals or discussing the continuing tactical ineptitude and bizarre team selection. It was another of what are fast becoming a trademark in McLeish's management of the Club - the 'non-performance'. It's when you send out the team with no intention of trying to win the game and focus entirely on limiting the opposition to as few goals as possible. The opposition, quick to realise this, barely bother themselves to get out of second gear, doing the minimal amount required to take the points. The match descends into an abject routine of going through the motions until the referee puts everyone watching out of their misery. See also the matches against Man City (a), Man Utd (h), Spurs (a), Liverpool (h) so far this season for further examples. This is, simply put, the most cowardly way to play football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacbuddies Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 2. at 1-0 down with only a few minutes to go why, why, why did McLeish bring on a centre half to replace Richard Dunne? We had to attack, we had nothing to lose so he should have brought on an attacking player yet the fool went like for like and stuck with a 4 man defence!! I think he wanted the extra height in there to do what Dunne was doing in attacking crosses in the box. You are taking the piss right? Extra height, if that's the case why the hell did he play Baker at centre half. He might as well have stuck him up front. We didn't need 4 defenders when we were 1-0 down with injury time to play. Don't make lame excuses for him. He is quite capable of doing that himself. I managed football teams for 13 years and I would not have done what he did. It was absolutely ridiculous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lp_villa830 Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 2. at 1-0 down with only a few minutes to go why, why, why did McLeish bring on a centre half to replace Richard Dunne? We had to attack, we had nothing to lose so he should have brought on an attacking player yet the fool went like for like and stuck with a 4 man defence!! I think he wanted the extra height in there to do what Dunne was doing in attacking crosses in the box. You are taking the piss right? Extra height, if that's the case why the hell did he play Baker at centre half. He might as well have stuck him up front. We didn't need 4 defenders when we were 1-0 down with injury time to play. Don't make lame excuses for him. He is quite capable of doing that himself. I managed football teams for 13 years and I would not have done what he did. It was absolutely ridiculous. Did not say i agreed with it. You asked why he did it and that was the only conclusion i can think of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrytini Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 No point rating individuals or discussing the continuing tactical ineptitude and bizarre team selection. It was another of what are fast becoming a trademark in McLeish's management of the Club - the 'non-performance'. It's when you send out the team with no intention of trying to win the game and focus entirely on limiting the opposition to as few goals as possible. The opposition, quick to realise this, barely bother themselves to get out of second gear, doing the minimal amount required to take the points. The match descends into an abject routine of going through the motions until the referee puts everyone watching out of their misery. See also the matches against Man City (a), Man Utd (h), Spurs (a), Liverpool (h) so far this season for further examples. This is, simply put, the most cowardly way to play football. Says it all for me - except throw a load of other games in aswell, we only alter this approach when behind generally. it IS cowardly, dull, and humiliatingly defeatist. We aren't Wigan for gods sake - we do actually have some talent, as is shown when they are given the chance. So not only is it all the above, it is unneeded and counterproductive. If, as some say, City MIGHT have ripped us apart, so they also may not have done. how about the reverse happened. One thing is for sure , under Mcleish we will NEVER know what we could do with proper attacking intent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chappy Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 On the bus home. So angry about so much. I took a mate with me who doesn't support villa and it was embarassing that I made him stand through that. The tactics were so shit its unreal. I don't give a shit if mcleish has fallen out with Ireland and Nzogbia, they have been two of our best players of late (especially Ireland) get them in the team! Heskey on the wing beggars belief. Bent must be so frustrated. Waste of Keane in his last game at vp for us. The two of them might as well not be there, sitting back like we did invites so much pressure against team like city. Voted Hutton motm as he did nothing wrong. Carlos did well at a new position for him too. The rest (Gardner aside who tried) were clueless today I'm afraid to say. Getting sick of this and it will be a minimum of four months between home wins. I saw the protest march before which was cringeworthy but I do agree with them,we need mcleish out of our club. Also the fans around me are starting to really piss me off. One kept shouting you're shit every time Gardner got the ball. There's such an air of negativity around vp I hate it. Also who the **** was booing Milner,you can **** off for a start in my opinion. Can't make the Wigan game but I'll be at Blackburn and. I can't wait to be at a match away from all the negativity of vp. One more thing, the City fans were terrible, if I was top of the league I would be fucjking buzzing but they looked like they couldn't care less, noise at all. Also, what a save from Hart at the end which prevented what wouldve been the steal of the century. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacbuddies Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 It really says something when the sponsors man of the match is a centre half who has hardly played all season playing out of position at left back (for the first time I think). Doesn't say much for the rest of the players or how they were set up to play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harris21 Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 Setting out not to lose is a sure way to lose... why the hell can't AM see this? He should be getting the players to fear no one, to go out and win EVERY game! If we do not pick up points from our next 4 games then the 'moaning' he has received so far will be like a whisper compared to the hurricane of discontent that will be aimed his way. I was against the protests for today but if we do not put in performances/results in our next 4 games then my misses will be needing to buy new bed sheets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmarsha_926 Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 Interesting stat comparison to Sunderland and Everton who beat City in recent games Sunderland 1-0 Man City Possession - Sunderland 41%-59% Man City Shots - Sunderland 8-25 Man City On Target - Sunderland 5-11 Man City Everton 1-0 Man City Possession - Everton 43%-57% Man City Shots - Everton 9-17 Man City On Target - Everton 4-11 Man City Aston Villa 0-1 Man City Possession - Aston Villa 43%-57% Man City Shots - Aston Villa 9-17 Man City On Target - Aston Villa 5-10 Man City Everton, Villa and Sunderlnd all had similar possession and similar shots on goal, yet 2 of them won. The difference was the players in our squad are not that good at playing that type of football. The tactics where almost right, we just needed to attack more. You are not going to beat City by going gun ho, Everton and Sunderland proved that. You have a point if we set up and play like that against Wigan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AValon Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 McLeish seems determined to prove that HIS way is the right way. It is'nt. Setting your team out to contain a side brimming with natural match-winning talent is a recipe for disaster. Hoping for a breakaway goal, when as the home team you should be at least taking the game to them, is tantamount to holding your hands up in surrender. But this is how we have become and is also how most teams and their supporters perceive us......and it hurts. I'm struggling to find any positives from todays game and if there really was more to Ireland and N'Zogbias benching than is claimed, then that is totally unforgiveable. The very fact that the momentum changed when they came on goes to prove that he got it wrong. Think we'll struggle now, although I still don't see us going down. The problems off the pitch, though, are only going to get worse.....at least until someone wakes up and makes wholesale changes at management level. Its time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cicottrell Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 interesting how lots of media/commentators were surprised with how much city celebrated the goal, given there was still half an hour left. Thats because they knew one goal would be enough. We never had any intention of scoring. City knew that, as did Man U, Liverpool, Spurs and even Swansea. In terms of performance we should have lost all those games 10-0. But why would the opposition waste energy battering us when they can jog about in 2nd gear and still win. We are so unimportant to them. 3 points, minimum effort and if we're lucky, the kit will still be clean enough for the next game without a wash. Dull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hogso Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 Well, I got a free foam hand and the streaker was the single most hilarious moment I have ever experienced at VP thus far. The cartwheels hahahahahahahahaaaaa.... oh yeh we lost, nevermind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reykjavik Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 Clueless Manager? What can we say about Lerner? Soccernet.com Please refer to the posting guidelines about linking to other sites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom_avfc Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 For the guy who said who the **** was booing Milner, why shouldn't people boo him? I'd argue there's more reason to boo Milner than to boo Barry. I wouldn't boo Milner myself but I can understand why people would. On the other hand Barry served our club admirably for many years and finally got his chance to go and play for a club who could match his ambition. Milner gave us a year and then **** off and now is considered some hero. For me Gareth Barry is a far more influential figure in Villa's history than Milner. In fact you could put Ashley Young (who also got booed) ahead of Milner also. I don't buy this Milner hype. Good player yes definitely but used us as a stepping stone definitely. At least Young had the decency to give us a few years of top quality stuff. Aside from that, the sooner McLeish is out the better. Hoping we can beat one of Wigan or Blackburn as we'll be really in the shit if we don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaAndLoyal Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 Man City will not pick up an easier three points all season - they didn't need to get out of second gear to beat us. Another pathetic performance. And yet still people try and defend this god awful anti football? Admittedly, not many, but how anyone can find positives in our predicament at the moment is completely beyond me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 Slightly OT - Adam Johnson should be nowhere near the England squad in the summer, really poor again today, he's a motd player Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PriceyDownunder Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 Also slightly OT: I'm sure I saw Joe Hart hand his shirt to someone in the Holte after the match. Anyone confirm? Is so, nice gesture... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milfner Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 Yeah he did. Great bloke, great keeper. Saved them losing two points today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMAICAN-VILLAN Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 People need to stop making excuses, i used to be against protests, but now i actually feel its time for the banners to come out...shit.....can we have some vuveleza too, its just absolute trash. Everyone is starting to see what the board either couldnt, or did but chose to ignore, it was a shit appointment and we are getting shit results for it. We actually have great attacking talent. I was pleased with Carlos today, very good on him. I've given up, its a sad state of affairs. I can't wait to see the looks on Newcastle fans faces when we drop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMAICAN-VILLAN Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 People need to stop making excuses, i used to be against protests, but now i actually feel its time for the banners to come out...shit.....can we have some vuveleza too, its just absolute trash. Everyone is starting to see what the board either couldnt, or did but chose to ignore, it was a shit appointment and we are getting shit results for it. We actually have great attacking talent. I was pleased with Carlos today, very good on him. I've given up, its a sad state of affairs. I can't wait to see the looks on Newcastle fans faces when we drop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidlewis Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 you know what on reflection we lost a point due to a brilliant save. we should have attacked more agreed, but lets be honest if Bent scored that goal it would have been 1-1 and McLeish' plan would have worked a treat. A la Sunderland and Everton weeks before. It shows in the last throws of the game City are not as composed as United are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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