What a bloody roller coaster that was!
I’m totally elated, so am struggling for words, but I’ll give it a go.
Ok, the first half was basically shocking. There were far too many players who quite simply weren’t performing in my opinion, but even if we’d lost this game, I’d got it in my head that I wasn’t going to name them, as for me, it just isn’t the right time to be slating the players about a cup game.
Contrary to the commentary I was listening to (the Beeb), I thought the ref was awful from the off and he gave a bad decision against both sides in the first five minutes. Ok, keep the game flowing but when they’re not fouls, just get it right.
Getting to the point then and it’s more about Sherwood again.
There’s no doubt whatsoever from the overall game that he knows how to motivate the players in my opinion.
The fact is we were rubbish in the first half, but came out a different team and scored within five minutes. Surely this can’t be a coincidence, can it?
I could rattle on about how Sherwood made attacking subs and compare him to Lambert, who would have tried to hold the game, to no avail. But I won’t bother, as surely anyone can see it now.
More important than looking back on Lambert’s disastrous reign, is those two shocking sending off decisions.
Even more important is, what were those fans thinking, in invading the pitch before the game was over?
And even more important than that is if we can avoid the winner of the Man U-Arse game in the next round, we have a very serious chance of actually winning the FA cup!
Better without Benteke? Sorry to break away from the Stadium modifications story, but I thought I would throw a metaphorical spanner in.
Apart from Gabby who missed running on to Benteke’s knock-downs yesterday, and so was not as effective as he had been on Tuesday, I thought the rest of the team played better. There was more variety in the attack. Fully half the forward balls go to Tekkers when he is playing, which meant that Sinclair got little on Tuesday much more yesterday, Nzog has never been given as much ball as he got yesterday since he arrived. But, if Tekkers wasn’t missed in attack, he was missed when Villa were defending corners and free kicks. The number of tall and good headers Albion could assemble was greater than the number Villa could muster.
That’s it, you can now trash your chair and throw it at your keyboard.
OLL – yes and no from me. Definitely in the first half Villa didn’t seem to know what to do without a target man and was widely agreed by the fans around me. What was encouraging was the teams ability to change their style of play second half to reflect this which frankly we didn’t expect.
But can we afford to leave Benteke out of the team and i don’t think we can. What we showed in the second half was an ability to be adaptable and if you add Benteke into that mix it could just be irresistible.
Problem is BENTEKE can’t defend corners properly always loses his man. Benteke has done nothing for us this season and may and may as well stayed injured tbh as wouldn’t make much difference.
Well said on he can’t defend corners properly. Like up front under Lambert this season, at the back since he joined he doesn’t move and yes he’s good in the air, he never tracks his runner, ever.
I don’t Benteke’s absence (or not) had much to do with improved (second half performance) it’s having a manager who played at this level, knows what the premier league is about and what’s expected from the players and last but not least, has some sort a clue what he’s doing!
All this dross about Lambo and his CL medal, well the fella played one season in the Bundesliga playing a total of 44 games out of career total of 574, the other 534 were played in the SPL and have you ever watched it? Deary me it’s poor.
So Benteke in or Benteke out it’s TS that’s making the difference imo.
http://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2015/3/8/8170413/villa-wba-trouble-media-facup
Good article…spot on.
To compare what happened on Saturday to Hillsborough is disgusting and completely unacceptable – the media have gone completely over the top on the as if there’s hasn’t been a pitch invasion in the last 20 years. Complete and utter bo***cks and says all you need to know about media hyberbole.
Just papering over the cracks ! 😉
88
shows how dumb lambert was okore looks very good yes odd slip but still has played less than 25 games at this level, thats 33 games now 99 for combo of cole richardson sendross any one know how many games started subs games finished between them on about100 grand a week wages good value who ever signed off on that
Morning all. Now I’ve calmed down about so called pundits and balanced journalism 🙂 just wanted to pick up again on Oohah’s point about NZog’s performance Saturday. I see that TS has come out in praise of his attitude but it implies he was (is) short on fitness which might well explanation his substitution.
There was a lot of concentration on how TS would improve Benteke but It seems he has Gabby, NZog and Grealish firmly on his sights. If he can get Gabby and NZog playing consistently well and with Sinclair beginning to look like a very good signing then maybe OLL’s observations about Benteke’s role in the team has a lot of credence.
Once again, what does all this say about Lambert as manager, coach and motivator?
Sinclair looks like he’s getting his confidence back things are certainly going in the right direction bring on the mackems preliminary prediction 1-4 VILLA.I’m noticing our GD is now coming in line with teams around us good news imo.UTV
Morning Giddy – good news indeed; what a change from doom and gloom.
Sorry manners morning H60 I’ve a strong feeling negativity will be a thing of the past well let’s say here’s hoping MATE.onwards & most certainly upwards.UTV 😉
Here’s the link to my post yesterday about WBA fans trashing the food & beverage area in the North Stand
http://www.newsnow.co.uk/A/760823011?-11177:843
MATE I’m getting an article on Lewis kinsella???
Whoops I’ll try again
http://www.newsnow.co.uk/A/762258126?-11177:843
Try this link Giddy
What fucking wankers ‘Durs eh fieyer’ dumb fucks probably that was the highlight of there evening.I hope the evidence is passed on to the FA
H60 Just had a look at the video. The brainlessness is incredible even for Baggie’s fans.
Only thing that about it that cheers me up is that its Monday morning and they’ve all have woken up to realise that they’ve still lost to the great and wonderful Villa not once but twice.
Bring on Sunderland. I actually got the score bang on for the cup game so I’m going to look in my crystal ball again and I can confirm that its going to be 0-4 to the Villa 🙂
UTV
Morning all, same here Giddy getting the same, Okore, panel still out on him with me, excellent defender in tight situation but getting back seems to lack pace, could be match fitness its a wait and see to me, but don’t read me wrong good defender, yes Hitch took the kids to school with a spring in my step’s, all the 9 year olds was talking about the game, where’s Nath lads? is he band or what? not heard his take on the game lately, when do we know who we have is it today the draw?.
I was wondering that, he got he’s marching orders about the same time as me but I thought it was just for the night.
Nath if you’re out there come back we miss you.
DITTO where are you my Manchurian mucker???
Soz mancunian fucking spell checker.
Fuck me Giddy that would have upset him mate, you almost called him a Chink.
😀
It was only the one night. He’s obviously got the hump.
Hi Bill, one thing about Okore is he’s quick for a big man and gets back fast which helps him to cover his positional mistakes. He’s made a few good last ditch tackles over the last couple of games. Would like to see him go forward a little more than he does as he appears to have good ball skills.
Yes he has, but couple of times he seems to be beaten on the turn, it could be me I expect perfection, but hey the team has competition now in places, nice to be a Villa boy.
were ball number 4 21.30 after the manu arse game
Cheers Billy Boots, whose channel they on?
bbc 19.30
We are ball 4 ….or the one kicked into touch due to the stupid reporting….
Reposted the video link above if anyone interested
I was interested – replied above
Thanks Pat – what a rabble!
thing is its nothing we haven’t done at various local clubs i don’t think its anything to do with kick off times when you have a mob with peer pressure,exuberance anger, joy . you don’t need substances to get you high. even our own Stanley victor knows how a fire extinguisher works
Interesting to see Gardner is still excelling at Notts Forrest scoring what is apparently a cracking long range goal. A fan favourite over there from what I hear. Hopefully TS bring him back to villa and get him playing to his potential for us.
Test .
Really think we should all take a step back for a moment.
Great that we have beaten the Baggies twice, BUT, TS and the team still have a lot of work to do. On another day, WBA could have been 3-0 up before half time. Behrinho, Ideye and Lescott all had superb chances, another day it would have been 3 conceded.
I see 4-0 predictions, 4-1 etc for the Sunderland game, but I think the game will be won by just one goal.
Things are going in the right direction though, the biggest problem for Villa over recent months is the cloud hanging over them has gone. Nobody is talking about our lack of goals anymore and there is real optimism about the place. And dare I say it, we are having a little luck recently which hasn’t been there all season.
We are still not out of the woods yet lads, still got a lot of work to do, but things are looking up and I’m becoming less dead by the day!
Lets just not forget the position we are in!
UTV!
Agree we’ve rode our luck but still think we will stay up though we shouldn’t be in this position in the first place but that’s another story.
@DVF I have to admit that you’re just being realistic (and you’re probably spot on with regard to the score) but let us dream for a while.
A double win over the baggies would have been just that only a few weeks ago when Lambert was in charge, If the change hadn’t been made Pulis would have been beaming and bullshitting into the cameras after two solid wins and we’d have never heard the last of it from the Baggies fans.
With TS anything is possible so I’m going for Sunderland 0 – Aston Villa 4 (but I’d be delighted with a scrappy 0-1 win too!)
Yeah, point taken Pat!
I’m on cloud 9 but I dare not dream. Because our beloved Villa usually manage to turn those dreams into nightmares lol!
And don’t we know it! I don’t even want to think his long it is since we won three on the trot so I’m going to box safe and go for a draw which statistically for Sunderland this season seems right.
Sorry Giddy, still optimistic but being cautiously realistic …… Agh sod it 0-2 Villa 🙂
1-4 VILLA keep the faith MATE your slacking 😀
Sunderland game is a big game. To me it is a must win game along with the home games to QPR and Burnley. If we win those three games we should be as good as safe with a couple of draws in a few of the other fixtures. But these teams are capable of a turn in fortune just as much as us. Feeling a lot more positivity with TS in charge but won’t rest easy till we are mathematically safe which might not be till after the Burnley game. Long way to go yet but it does feel like it might just be enjoyable along the way.
Know exactly where you’re at. Its where I’ve been all season.
However I’ve decided to allow myself to dream. After the couple of years we’ve had we deserve it.
UTV and InTimbo we Trust 🙂
Just wandered how much the BBC had to pay the F A for scheduling a derby game at 5.30 on a Saturday.
The F A should charge themselves.
Every man and his dog expected some trouble.