Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Reading

[Daniel]

A few players gave the ball away and put us under instant pressure, that frustrated the **** out of me.

We didn't really play well, but we won and i wouldn't give a **** if we won our next 3 games in the same manner.

We needed a win and we got it, that's all the matters right now. Tv pundits are always banging on about teams at the top "that's what makes you a good team, play shit and still get a win"

[Shillzz]

Westwood really was very good. I am a huge fan of Bannan so I take no joy from saying he wasn't very good tonight. After watching the game tonight I'd quite happily sink all the Bent money on a partner for Westwood. Bannan will always be useful in the right games, much like Weimann, but these were 2 areas that needed improving most tonight.

[Rodders]

Btw as bad as it was at times it was still infinity times better than the rubbish amc served up. We tried to win, nerves just got in the way

[EastEndVillan]

Steveo@10:28 (don't seem to be able to quote on this phone) got to disagree. He was no worse than anyone else. but I like the way he'll collect the ball off the back 4. He's confident, and always looking for an incisive pass. With the little experience that his got you are going to get miss placed passes, but there some thing there is

[spacemanscott]

Westwood really was very good. I am a huge fan of Bannan so I take no joy from saying he wasn't very good tonight. After watching the game tonight I'd quite happily sink all the Bent money on a partner for Westwood. Bannan will always be useful in the right games, much like Weimann, but these were 2 areas that needed improving most tonight.

Don't you think it was more a case of them having no proper support out wide? If there were players creating space, keeping possession and whipping in quality crosses from out there, I think the whole team performance would have seemed so much better.

I think Westwood has it a little easier because he can sit back without the pressure of having to push on. He also gave the ball away a few times tonight but still wasn't bad overall.

[troon_villan]

Created plenty of chances which is promising but i'll be **** if I know how we weren't 2 or 3 up by half-time! Thankfully the big man was allowed to get on with it by the ref and we got the precious 3 points. We'll be fine this season, no doubt about that!

7 academy players played a part tonight which is nice to see but it's been out of necessity for a couple of seasons now, 2 players of quality needed in January!

[CI]

Have to say Bannan was poor but what I like is he never hides from the ball. Good luck to the kid he always tries to get on the ball and pick a pass. He was having a blazing row with Benteke 2nd half basically after he really bollocked Benteke for trying that silly flick in the box.

[Shillzz]

Don't you think it was more a case of them having no proper support out wide? If there were players creating space, keeping possession and whipping in quality crosses from out there, I think the whole team performance would have seemed so much better.

I think Westwood has it a little easier because he can sit back without the pressure of having to push on. He also gave the ball away a few times tonight but still wasn't bad overall.

I was keeping a close eye on him and only saw him give it away unnecessarily 2/3 times. I take your point and actually agree with it, Gabby needs to make more runs down the line to work the channels. But Westwood rarely gave the ball away, and our best attacks started from him. Reminds me a lot of Joe Allen at Swansea last year. Bannan had an off day, but he did put a shift in, I'll give him that. Holman wasn't able to find space the way Ireland can, and this limited Bannan's options when he was on the ball.

[Stevo985]

Westwood: Passes attempted 64, passes completed 57 89%

Bannan: Passes attempted 69, passes completed 54 78%

[dAVe80]

Scrappy game, think the nerves got the better of some of the them, but Tekers did the business. 3 vital points, and the other game went our way too.

[Stevo985]

Steveo@10:28 (don't seem to be able to quote on this phone) got to disagree. He was no worse than anyone else. but I like the way he'll collect the ball off the back 4. He's confident, and always looking for an incisive pass. With the little experience that his got you are going to get miss placed passes, but there some thing there is

Always looking for an incisive pass is fine.

His problem tonight was he gave a lot of the passes when they weren't on. he needs to restrain himself when the pass is not on instead of just playing an overly ambitious lob forward to nobody.

Maybe I was a bit harsh on him. but he wasn't good tonight.

[R.Bear]

[ciggiesnbeer]

Any Aston Villa win is beautiful and so was this one. Nervey as hell.

Westwood looks aces. Ireland doing well.

I would be tempted to give Nzogbia another run replacing Gabby.

[flamingsombrero]

Understandably nervous display with a few glimmers of quality breaking through. Fantastic result though and another clean sheet. Will do wonders for our confidence and hopefully we will be able to express ourselves as a team more and more in the coming games.

Special mention for the centre-backs who apart from the odd moment coped well with Roberts. So often in that situation you see the experienced striker find the holes in the inexperienced defenders game. It may sound silly but Clark taking a booking for the team when Reading were potentially in on the counter was, for me, one of the most reassuring passages of play.

[PieFacE]

I'm a huge fan of Bannan but I thought he was poor tonight. But he's been excellent in the past 3 games. I thought Weimann was really poor today too. Could have threaded a ball through to Holman early on but totally **** it up, and also should have scored with his left foot but just had no composure at all. First half I thought we created a good amount of chances and should have been at least 1 up. We just didn't seem to have our passing game going today. But considering the effort we put in on Saturday it's no surprise there was a bit of a slump today.

**** happy with 3 points, I know that much!

[Richard]

Bannan was poor

[CI]

Where is Zog ? Is he injured ?

[villianusa]

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

Yes because that's how we would play against ever other team in the league.

[maqroll]

I would be tempted to give Nzogbia another run replacing Gabby.

I wouldn't. Gabby is just more of an all around threat than Zog. He gives defenders fits, and can supply a decent cross, as well as score goals (albeit in bunches). Zog is like a slower version of Ashley Young on one of Ashley Young's worst days.

[kurtsimonw]

Wasn't sure on the Westwood and Lowton signings, but I'm really liking them and they could be decent players for us. We were the better team today and deserved the win, but we weren't exactly amazing. 3 points and another 3 at the weekend please.

Benteke MotM. What a forward.