Ratings and Reactions: Villa 0-4 Tottenham

[TRO]

To say there is an over reaction is absurd.

Irrespective of what team is being selected or what formation is being chosen....the fundermentals are woeful.

The simple fact of keeping the ball which has always been deemed as an essential part of a decent team by the great managers of the past....is alien to us.

We are dishing up low grade football particularly at home.

Edited September 24, 2013 by TRO

[Paul33]

Their reserves are better than ours ..... their reserves cost five times what ours cost and includes players who play or have played on the international scene so what's the big deal ?!!!!!

If we were serious about the game then we'd have played our strongest side but priority was to rest players and give fringe players game time.

We do miss creativity in midfield but there were decent shifts from the likes of Albrighton and even El-Ahmadi in the first half hour so not a total disaster ..... in fact, on that showing, I'd have Albrighton back in the first team squad immediately. He's too good to ship out on loan and looked significantly better than Tonev and Bacuna to name but two !!!

[Davkaus]

All the overreacters are leaving out the crucial bit of information that is we were playing with a B team too. Seven changes from the weekend.

Guess that ruins the narrative a bit.

LAMBERT OUT!!1!1!1!1!1!!1!-!

 

 

And almost all of them were Lambert's signings.

 

With a first team that barely avoided relegation, how does a full team of players that he's bought constitute our B team?

[Philosopher]

Remember. Spurs got to where they are now by buying cheap young players from the lower leagues and abroad. Some made it, like Bale and Walker, others were sold for a profit and replaced with better players from abroad. Villa needed a reset, and are doing now what spurs tried to do a few years earlier. UTV!!!

 Funny that the players you mention were signed for a combined 11.5, Bale 7m, and Walker 4.5. Only Kozak's fee was more than Walkers this summer, and under Lamber only 2 players have been signed for more than 4m.  We are actually spending a lot less then Spurs spent to get where they are now.  They were buying in the 4 - 10 million bracket, but still spent 16m on Bent and  12m on Berbertov.

[Isa]

The worst thing about it is that Spurs weren't even that good. Wouldn't have rated the majority of their players over 6/10.

Edited September 24, 2013 by Isa

[Bunnski]

 

All the overreacters are leaving out the crucial bit of information that is we were playing with a B team too. Seven changes from the weekend.

Guess that ruins the narrative a bit.

LAMBERT OUT!!1!1!1!1!1!!1!-!

 

 

And almost all of them were Lambert's signings.

 

With a first team that barely avoided relegation, how does a full team of players that he's bought constitute our B team?

 

I'm sure he would of liked to of been able to sign a B team of the quality of Spuds but unfortunately he is expected to do his business on peanuts. None of his signings are proven players. Can you figure it out yet or are you too busy burying the hatchet into Lambert.?

Edited September 24, 2013 by Bunnski

[PieFacE]

Fair play to anyone who attended that and stuck it out.

 

We're so shite at home. We have no philosophy or identity, no style of football to try and impose on the opposition. Away we're fantastic on the counter. But when the onus is on us, it's just so difficult. 

[chappy]

Got four pages in and fed up of reading standard overreactions. Yes I'm gutted we are out of the only competition we have a realistic chance of winning. But that's football and they had a better team out than us today. Positives... Albrighton (motm), Bennett, baker, helenius. Four nil flattered spurs. Wouldn't have taken Kozak off at ht.

[Isa]

Fair play to anyone who attended that and stuck it out.

 

We're so shite at home. We have no philosophy or identity, no style of football to try and impose on the opposition. Away we're fantastic on the counter. But when the onus is on us, it's just so difficult.

This.

[The Fun Factory]

Though I was not there tonight I don't think people are overreacting. I am always annoyed when Villa get knocked out of the cups, as it a another opportunity for success gone. As each year passes when will we see Villa ever win something? Could be decades. I thought we had a chance as it was spuds 3rd game in 6 days and clearly not  a priority to them. To get rolled over so limply yet again is poor. Still I suppose we should get used to it. Donny Rovers, Leceister city, QPR, and the Bradford shambles to name but a few. Deep sigh.

Edited September 24, 2013 by The Fun Factory

[Davkaus]

 

 

All the overreacters are leaving out the crucial bit of information that is we were playing with a B team too. Seven changes from the weekend.

Guess that ruins the narrative a bit.

LAMBERT OUT!!1!1!1!1!1!!1!-!

 

 

And almost all of them were Lambert's signings.

 

With a first team that barely avoided relegation, how does a full team of players that he's bought constitute our B team?

 

I'm sure he would of liked to of been able to sign a B team of the quality of Spuds but unfortunately he is expected to do his business on peanuts. None of his signings are proven players. Can you figure it out yet or are you too busy burying the hatchet into Lambert.?

 

 

 

I'm not suggesting that our B team should cost as much as that of Spurs.

 

I'm saying that considering how poor our first team was last year, if we're going to consider Kozak, Tonev, Helenius and Bacuna reserves, he's pissed our money up the wall. We shouldn't be spending what little money we have on 'B Teamers' when our first team narrowly avoided relegation.

Edited September 24, 2013 by Davkaus

[MyFootballFacts]

Well both Villa and Spurs will play a lot better than that this season.

 

Having said that, I think Spurs deserved the win, although 4-0 was not really a true reflection of the game.

 

The best of luck for the rest of your season.

[turnbull]

Thought we were okay-ish 1st half, without creating much. Kozak's hold up play was good, his knock ons would have been more effective had Gabs or Andi been on the pitch. Then we conceded at the worst time. Started the 2nd half well considering the subs that were made and should have had a penalty, which if we'd have scored it, then who knows.They then went up the other end, won an iffy free kick and the rest is history In the end though, we were piss poor with only the odd positive popping to the surface.

Thought Albrighton, Bennett and Bacuna did ok, Tonev  was slightly better than at Norwich and Steer wasn't too bad, bar looking a bit laid back at times.

 

Still, onwards and upwards.

[Philosopher]

 

Fair play to anyone who attended that and stuck it out.

 

We're so shite at home. We have no philosophy or identity, no style of football to try and impose on the opposition. Away we're fantastic on the counter. But when the onus is on us, it's just so difficult.

This.

 

Thats because we are a counter attacking team, we sit back and look to hit teams on the break, when we have the ball we keep it deep so their is space in behind and look for the ball up to the target man or over the top to our wide strikers. Style and Philosophy is clear!  This is how we have to play as the strenght of our team is the pace and power we have in attack and the hardworking midfield.  We could play more compact which would make it easier to play pass and move, but that would negate the strengths of our two best forwards!

[pacbuddies]

We were finishing 6th while Spurs were midtable just a few years ago.

 

Now their reserves cost more than our first team. What the **** happened.

Randy Lerner.

[Philosopher]

 

 

 

All the overreacters are leaving out the crucial bit of information that is we were playing with a B team too. Seven changes from the weekend.

Guess that ruins the narrative a bit.

LAMBERT OUT!!1!1!1!1!1!!1!-!

 

 

And almost all of them were Lambert's signings.

 

With a first team that barely avoided relegation, how does a full team of players that he's bought constitute our B team?

 

I'm sure he would of liked to of been able to sign a B team of the quality of Spuds but unfortunately he is expected to do his business on peanuts. None of his signings are proven players. Can you figure it out yet or are you too busy burying the hatchet into Lambert.?

 

 

 

I'm not suggesting that our B team should cost as much as that of Spurs.

 

I'm saying that considering how poor our first team was last year, if we're going to consider Kozak, Tonev, Helenius and Bacuna reserves, he's pissed our money up the wall. We shouldn't be spending what little money we have on 'B Teamers' when our first team narrowly avoided relegation.

 

All of them have come from different leagues, even if they have the quality to be first teamers, they need to be given time to adapt to the unique demands of english football! So right now they are B teamers! Lamela cost spurs 30m but he is in their B team! Why because he is not ready for the demands of english football AT THE MOMENT!

[AVFCAM]

People will speak of over reactions.

I'm just bored of wasting my time watching something that isn't enjoyable. Put as positive a spin on it, it doesn't make a difference, there has probably been 5-10 times I've enjoyed watching Villa since MON left. The rest has just been awful.

I'm not saying we were better off then, we had a team full of overpaid, overpriced cloggers. We also didn't have Cit£h and Spuds spunking money everywhere too...I'm just saying, I'd love to go back to the days of singing for John Carew, as slow as he was. Our shit defence of Curtis Davis and Zat Knight, or even Collins and Dunne at the beginning of their spell. James Milner and Stan bossing the midfield (we still haven't ever replaced Milner)...just because I loved going to every game, even when we dropped a bolluck or lost games we had no way of losing.

We've never been the same since that 3-1 agains West Ham...Milner's last game.

Sorry to be negative, but after 4 years of crap, I'm really running out of emotions for this...

Praying I am made to look like a clearing in the woods when we demolish City (or even squeak a draw/1-0 out of it)

[OutByEaster?]

The positives, the thing that made me angry, what happened and the negatives - in that order.

 

Most of the positives were on the pitch - I thought Bennett had a really good game, Bacuna looked like a player with a future, KEA worked his socks off in the first half and the team gave it their all - quality wise, this was Championship against Premier league, but you can't knock some of ours for effort. Steer made a couple of good saves, Sylla, Vlaar,Baker and Lowton were solid enough and for the most part they gave it their all.

 

Just after half time, the decision not to award a penalty absolutely incensed me - there are two question that need an answer for a penalty to be awarded - was it in the box and was it a foul? Well, it was in the box, no doubt about that. For me, pulling shorts is a foul, same as pulling shirts - so the simple question was did he pull Helenius's shorts? If the answer to that is yes, then it's a penalty. Helenius's shorts ended up around his knees. Absolute balls up by a referee who was too amused by a player with his shorts pulled down to remember he was a referee. Don't get me wrong, Spurs would have gone on to win, but it would have made for a much more interesting evening - particularly as there's a pretty strong case for a red card.

 

What happened on the night in the end was that we ran out of steam - we worked like trojans in the first half and were a little unlucky to go in behind to the late goal - by the end we were knackered and a bigger, stronger, quicker, fitter Spurs squad looked like they could play all night. They were the better side throughout, but we kept ourselves in it and just needed the luck we didn't get to make a better fist of it.

 

For me, the worst thing about the evening was 22,750 - The 4,000 Spurs fans in their end sang "Your support is **** shite" and "Your ground's too big for you" and they were right on both counts - I'm sick of the excuses, there are two million people within range of our ground - the support we pull in is shit. I went on my own - I'm half responsible , this club needs us dragging people along with them, take a mate, someone you work with, your missus, your nan or your dog, we need to start getting people into the habit of backing their team - I bet the Royal was packed. I was embarrassed. This isn't a better fan claim, if you couldn't make it fair enough, there ought to be someone who can, the Geordies, the Mackems and the Scousers can pack em in, if this game had been at White Hart Lane it would've been full - where are our fans?

 

The Chairman needs to invest, a club within its means doesn't have the support to live in our division - but we've got to have something to offer a buyer and a ground with 17,000 Villa fans in it (there were Spurs fans everywhere) isn't going to encourage anyone.

 

We're got a good manager, and a smattering of good players, there's still a chance we can get this right, but I'm wondering if enough people care.

 

I'm annoyed. I may change my mind on some of this. It's not 4-0 that does it. It's not shit referees. It's not being mocked in an empty ground by the rest of the league, it's that they're right.

 

And I really really hate Jermaine Defoe.

[Isa]

Fair play to anyone who attended that and stuck it out.

 

We're so shite at home. We have no philosophy or identity, no style of football to try and impose on the opposition. Away we're fantastic on the counter. But when the onus is on us, it's just so difficult.

This.

Thats because we are a counter attacking team, we sit back and look to hit teams on the break, when we have the ball we keep it deep so their is space in behind and look for the ball up to the target man or over the top to our wide strikers. Style and Philosophy is clear!  This is how we have to play as the strenght of our team is the pace and power we have in attack and the hardworking midfield.  We could play more compact which would make it easier to play pass and move, but that would negate the strengths of our two best forwards!

Indeed. Which is generally ineffective at home as we saw under MON and we don't even counter-attack properly at home anyway. The team always seem totally confused in home games.

[AvfcTheObsession]

Given who was poorer last season than steer now?

Bent who isn't scoring goals for Fulham?

If you're gonna moan, at least moan about relevant things.

Onto to the match, I gave up in my seat when we didn't get the pen. Only one winner from there as the ref was practically their 12th man.

Bowery was woeful, tonev grew into it, liked super Marc and Bennett kept 32.2m lamela, silent. Presume he'll get the same treatment though.

Steer was an odd one. Thought he did well apart from the 3rd goal. Better keepers than him will do just as badly in a 1-on-1 for the 4th.

And where the hell has our Matty gone!?

 

Bent scored tonight, not his first for Fulham either.

 

And just because Given was poor when he played last season doesn't mean we can excuse Steer being poor when he plays this season.

Edited September 24, 2013 by AvfcTheObsession