Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Reading

[limpid]

Your ratings and reactions please.

Keep it respectful even if you know everyone else is wrong.

This thread will unlock after the game. A man of the match poll will be added later.

[LondonLax]

Thank **** for that!

A dire game but I think Benteke was the difference between the two teams. That fondue guy missed a hand full and Benteke put one of his away. And from a corner if you can believe it!

We have too many players who are not premier league standard, the squad needs a lot of work in January.

[Milfner]

Bad performance, good win.

[GNeeUs]

Im normally the first to credit the team, even when we lose HOWEVER that was a horrific Villa performance.

No composure, terrible passing, lots of hoofs, lack of closing down. Where was the Arsenal & Man U performances?

Bannan had a shocker which was a shame. Scrappy.

Nevertheless the lads should be delighted with another clean sheet and the 3 points, it is what we needed. Mission done in terms of goal. Performance needs improved dramatically!!

[Demitri_C]

poor performance all round i thought but i dont care as we got 3 points thanks to benteke.

other than him, holman and westwood everyone else was not great. fortunately reading were worse than us if we played a better side we esaily could have lost today. ireland shown when he came on no idea why he was on bench

holman for me was motm great performance from him.

weimann had a complete stinker, and i thought bannan was worst player on pitch. he looked doepy clueless and was wating how many passes?

[EastEndVillan]

Down the pub, having a fag out back, managed to rip a filling out, low and behold we score! Don't think I can d aford the dentistry bill to support villa through the entire season.

Honourable shout outs to Guzan, Baker, Westwood and benteke

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

A win is better than sex.

[Shillzz]

Westwood is the best player in our team.

Ireland needs to start.

Bannan just had a slightly off day but wasn't terrible.

I'm going home, night all.

[jonno_2004]

Passed well at times, badly at others. Scrappy game, as these ones always will be. Impressed with how we started the game. But more importantly we got the result - which at the end of the day is all that matters. I maybe enjoy it a bit more when we supposedly play badly, we deserve a few of those.

[smetrov]

Im normally the first to credit the team, even when we lose HOWEVER that was a horrific Villa performance.

No composure, terrible passing, lots of hoofs, lack of closing down. Where was the Arsenal & Man U performances?

Bannan had a shocker which was a shame. Scrappy.

Nevertheless the lads should be delighted with another clean sheet and the 3 points, it is what we needed. Mission done in terms of goal. Performance needs improved dramatically!!

Agree it was a win on the law of averages. The one glimmer for me was I was very impressed with Guzan's handling - that catch under pressure at the end .....phew

I think Lambert has abandon project 'young and hungry' - we need some experienced pros in Jan. That team won't win many more games

[NurembergVillan]

It was clear that we were a different side when Ireland came on. We have nobody else who can find space and pick a pass like he can.

[coda]

Delighted with the three points. Hopefully our team of foetuses will take more confidence in to the next game now.

I want to see Ireland starting as he has the experience our side (average age of 23) needs. Sub him after 60 minutes if necessary.

[err1]

Guzan 9 - no complaints, great performance

Lowton 6 - defensively good, but had alot of bad touches

Clark 7 - struggled against roberts, but overall helped us keep a clean sheet

Baker 8 - aggressive and solid

Stevens x - not enough time on the field

Westwood 8 - kept the ball well, i like him alot

Bannan 7 - few stupid mistakes, but should always start in my opinion

Holman 6 - good engine, but lacked creativity and calmness

Weimann 6 - i don't think he is suited to winger position

Benteke 8 - average performance, super important goal

Gabby 7 - worked his socks off, but hadn't chance to play enough with the ball

Lichaj 7 - solid

Ireland 8 - great passes and creativity

Albrighton 6 - hasn't still found his confidence and doesn't make the right decisions, but his energy was very much needed

[Jimzk5]

I hate typing it but **** that win papers over the cracks. We were woeful from minute 1. Didn't deserve to win BUT that may just be the fluke we need to get the confidence up and kick on. Tekkers and Lowton were good, baker and Clarke ok, midfield absolutely sank until Ireland cone on, albrighton oh dear.

[rbcuk]

Ireland has to start the next game, looked a different team when he came on, Albrighton shocking as usual, Wish bannan would try and stop his hollywood passing, which hardly comes off....

[Morpheus]

Important three points but on that performance we would have lost against any other Premiership team. Just dreadful.

[Stevo985]

Awful performance, but a massive win.

We got a bit lucky that Reading were even worse than us.

Some ratings

Guzan - 7 - Not really much to do, but commanded his area well. Couple of smart stops with his feet.

Lowton - 7 - ok

Clark - 6 - not bad but gets too tight

Baker - 6 - looked terrified first half. Better second half when he'd calmed down.

Stevens - 5 - poor. Unfortunate with injury

Westwood - 8 - class again

Bannan - 4 - awful

Holman - 6 - plenty of energy again, but he doesn't have much quality to be brutally honest

Weimann - 5 not his best game

Agbonlahor - 6 - lively

Benteke - 8 - MOTM took his goal well. Fed utter dross all night but still looked good. Love him

I don't knwo why Ireland isn't a certain starter. no-one else can play there, and he's a different class on the ball than most of our players. I don't rate Ireland that highly, but he HAS to play until we get someone better. Takes the pressure off Bannan too who looked terrible when he was supposed to be the one making stuff happen.

Not a good night. Hopefully we turnup against QPR or we'll get beat..

[sonic_bouma]

Guzan 8 - a couple of crucial saves and great takes in the air under pressure, needs to learn to release it quicker though to start attacks

Lowton 8 - very solid, reads the game so well, no idea what that flick was near the end when he should have been keeping possession, continues to impress though

Clark - 7 - a couple of silly fouls but handled a tough Roberts very well, won lots in the air

Baker - 7 - dodgy at times, a few scewed clearances but has been out for a while and was solid enough

Lichaj - 6 - nothing bad nothing good really either

Westwood - 7 - not as good as last game but kept the ball well, needs someone better than Bannan next to him

Bannan - 3 - utter gash tonight, hollywood balls didnt come off, bottled challenges, looked like a lost child out there

Holman - 6 - the usual Holman performance, energy 100 quality 0.

Weimann - 5 - awful decision making, bad touch, poor passing, scratch this one off Andy, your better than that performance

Gabby - 6 - worked hard but didnt run the channels enough for me, Reading were there for the taking and i was expecting more from him

Benteke - 8 - would Bent have scored that? No is the answer. Defenders cant handle him, worth his place in the team, won us the game simple as that

all in all it was a shit performance but the 3 points were the most important thing

i shat myself when i saw our defence line up but they proved me wrong tonight, although Reading were crap

Saturday is going to be another ridiculously tough game

[maqroll]

Unconvincing win, we'll get pummeled by better sides playing like that. Benteke saved Lambert from having to explain his Bent omission, which is turning into a complete farce, given how few goals we've scored this season.

That said, it was 3 vital points at home against our relegation rivals. Huge win.

[spacemanscott]

Despite vociferous criticism of Bannan by some, I thought he was one of our best players. Good distribution, neat touches and some excellent tackling far outweighed a couple of dodgy passes. Benteke also proving yet again that he is top quality.

I think our major problem tonight was poor service from wide positions. Holman, Weiman, Lowton and Lichaj all failed to offer any threat from the wings.

The defence as a whole was also poor, failing to hold a strong shape and keep posession. I don't think Clark, Baker or Lichaj are good enough to help us challenge the upper echelons of the table, at least not yet (don't think Lichaj ever will be, unfortunately). Lowton is better but still needs has to add a bit more quality all round.