Ratings and Reactions: West Brom 2-2 Villa

[The_Rev]

We look like a side destined to drop. Incapable of winning, terrible substitutions if they were tactical ones. Lambert has better claim Delph and N'Zogbia got injured or he will be slaughtered again.

[pacbuddies]

I really want Lambert to do well.

But he isn't

I really want Lambert to **** off. Pathetic second half performance. 2-0 and we **** it up.

[Borgs]

Spirited showing from the lads but once again, as happens at this level, punished by crucial mistakes. Could’ve been more clinical up front, but Albion were far more wasteful.

Positives:

- Return of Ron Vlaar. Lukaku very well marshalled.

- Charles N'Zogbia. Played well overall but still managed an horrendous overdribbling episode, which led to their first.

- Christian Benteke. Corner defence aside, of course.

- Fabian Delph. Excellent for the second straight match.

Negatives:

- Barry Bannan. Wrong options on the extremely rare occasions he got involved.

- Eric Lichaj. Not up to standard and particularly on the ball.

- Brad Guzan. Spilt the ball that led to their equaliser.

[pacbuddies]

Bret Holman is **** useless and I can't understand why Lambert persists with him.

[reykjavik]

How is our history performance last 10min of the game?

Leading 2-0 is good, but just get one point is greatly frustrating.

[switters]

Very disappointing to not close out from 2-0, but draw is a result we'd have taken beforehand.

Gave MOTM to Gabby. could be him or Zog who both put in great shifts. Zog substitution didn't make sense to me unless he was injured.

oh and Barry Bannan eats babies (just trying to fit in with the hate mob on the matchday thread).

[dickyhell]

We got a point which is more than i expected.

God we are so bloody fragile, you knew that if they scored in the second half we would not win.

[screwdriver]

bannan and holman offered nothing.

[smetrov]

Delph was injured thats why he subbed him. Thought Delph was playing really well as well.

Nzog - yes played really well but dithered twice when he had clear chances on goal.

Overall nothing new today - WBA were poor first half - Bentekke can score good goals - we can't defend when under pressure -, Vlaar or no Vlaar

it keeps our situation desparate rather than critical

[YLN]

lol, i said wed throw it away

LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

[Hanky]

Delph was injured before half time so I could understand that one. The N'Zogbia one was an absolute disgrace, we lost all attacking threat we had when he came off (if not injured obviously).

Second half was expected, that is how shit we have become.

Lowton was bloody awful, as was Bannan when he came on. Benteke and Gabby weren't in the game second half.

On the plus side we're out the bottom three, and would have taken a point before the game. Thought Joe Bennett had a good game as well. Good to see Vlaar back in action.

[cheltenham_villa]

everytime we concede a corner, it feels like a penalty.

[jon_c]

Injuries are killing us, we will only make shit subs when we have shit left on the bench.

[JB]

Typical Villa. Says it all that even when we went 2-0 up and were in the ascendency, I thought we'd lose (obviously I know we didn't, but it feels like it at the moment). Villa like to build us just so the inevitable kick in the balls will be all the more sickening.

[nobler]

Seemingly impossible to keep up any sort of shape and structure over two halves. It's fairly mystifying, I refuse to blame it all on lack of experience. That said, would have taken a draw beforehand. Signs again of the team we want to be in the first half. Fairly dynamic, pacey, quick on the counter.

So I think it was a good point and all round decent performance. You just can't help being pissed off at seeing how fragile we are and as soon as Baggies got the first it was absolutely inevitable that they would boss the game and get back level and would have won had the game gone on a few mins longer. Really, really tired of it.

Edited January 19, 2013 by nobler

[1974Centenary]

Not one player played a full 90 minutes no man of the match for me.Game was slipping away towards the end of the first half,and we had no idea what to do second half,so,lets just sit back and defend until they score.Christ!Did you see Vlaar crab across the six yard box to block the view of Guzan even more when they scored after halftime,if he had stood still it would have blocked half the goal off.

[Delphinho123]

Definately some positives to come from that match. The front three looked deadly at times.

Unfortunately you cant keep defending corners like we do and manage to get points from games. I'd have taken a point before the game but it's obviously the manner of the way we gained it that hurts.

Newcastle is a huge match for us. We really need the three points from that one.

All in all, not a bad game today. If we play like that every week we will probably stay up. Lerner is gambling with our future big time if he isn't willing to throw in a few $ for signings this January. Ideally a defender and a defensive midfielder but I honestly think just a strong, quality defensive midfielder may be enough to keep us up. Would have made a massive difference today for us anyway.

UTV

[kurtsimonw]

everytime we concede a corner, it feels like a penalty.

It feels that way. Though it was a definite free kick. It's bollocks that every week the referees are gifting the opposition a goal and theres no **** accountability. It's just "Oh well, shit happens" it's a joke. I'd have taken a point before the game, but that's a shocking point.

[dappadan]

Happy with that point to be honest as I didn't expect it and a decent performance. Maybe it feels worse for people because we were 2 up but let's not forget we played well to get 2 up.

Onwards and upwards (hopefully)

Up the Villa

[OhioVilla]

Taking out both our work rate and our skill from midfield really crippled us.

Lambert really mismanaged that one.