Back from the Game - Villa

[gonesy]

I read McDermott's thinking that his role in part was to stop Petrov/ pin him back, as he clearly pulls the strings feeding Young, Downing and Milner and popping up with the odd goal.

Worked first half.

I believe McDermott is the most tactically astute manager we have had, bar none. Never once have I felt he hasn't read how to play the opposition, nor when and how to change things in a game. I never had that confidence with Pardew (Hughes up-front ) or Coppell (one-way to play).

But surely you did with Brendan "Baby Mourinho" Rodgers in charge

[Ian Royal]

Just watched the highlights.

1st goal - Bertrand sucked inside as the midfielders aren't tight on the spare man, leaving Young free on the back post with Church failing to spot him and cover.

2nd goal - Bertrand lets Downing put in a cross too easily, Mills misjudges the flight and Griffin allows Carew to barge past him and leap for the ball unchallenged.

3rd goal - Griffin stands off his man and is too slow getting to the overlapping Warnock (possibly the fault of the covering midfielder who you could argue should have followed Warnock, not stay with Young and send Griff after him).Then Ivar totally loses his man, letting him get in an almost unchallenged strike. Feel Fed could have done better.

4th goal - desperately shit lunge from Ivar gives away a soft, but definite penalty.

Disappointing really. None of the defenders come out of that blameless, though Mills and Fed seem to have done the least wrong. Really losing faith in Ivar quite majorly now.

[PEARCEY]

Just watched the highlights.

1st goal - Bertrand sucked inside as the midfielders aren't tight on the spare man, leaving Young free on the back post with Church failing to spot him and cover.

2nd goal - Bertrand lets Downing put in a cross too easily, Mills misjudges the flight and Griffin allows Carew to barge past him and leap for the ball unchallenged.

3rd goal - Griffin stands off his man and is too slow getting to the overlapping Warnock (possibly the fault of the covering midfielder who you could argue should have followed Warnock, not stay with Young and send Griff after him).Then Ivar totally loses his man, letting him get in an almost unchallenged strike. Feel Fed could have done better.

4th goal - desperately shit lunge from Ivar gives away a soft, but definite penalty.

Disappointing really. None of the defenders come out of that blameless, though Mills and Fed seem to have done the least wrong. Really losing faith in Ivar quite majorly now.

This sums up what I was saying to some fans at the game during half-time. In the first-half we allowed Villa to get too many crosses in too easily. We didn't pay for it. We didn't learn from that and did pay for it in the second-half.

[Lower West]

Disappointing really. None of the defenders come out of that blameless, though Mills and Fed seem to have done the least wrong. Really losing faith in Ivar quite majorly now.

This sums up what I was saying to some fans at the game during half-time. In the first-half we allowed Villa to get too many crosses in too easily. We didn't pay for it. We didn't learn from that and did pay for it in the second-half.

An inexperienced team learnt a lot from Sundays game. It also exposed the weakest links in the team.

Thats why we are where we are in the Championship table. Villa could have turned it on at any time and caused us problems.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Thats why we are where we are in the Championship table. Villa could have turned it on at any time and caused us problems.

Actually they couldn't, or they have done so in the first half rather than being totally outplayed.

We're no match for champions league chasing team that's fired up and confident, as they were after their first goal, but we are now capable of playing at a level rather higher than our league position suggests.

[Hoop Blah]

Jeezy Christ!

My postwas a sarcastic suggestion that Howard was totally ineffective after half time. Not that that was when he was subbed.

Even if Hoop Blah is a total arse half the time I expect at least some level of intelligence from him to be able to recognise that.

moron.

I just presumed you had trouble adjusting from 'watching' the game with your eyes instead of your ears!!!

...I guess you didn't pick up on my sarcastic tone either btw!

[Nick Shorey my Lord!]

Just watched the highlights.

1st goal - Bertrand sucked inside as the midfielders aren't tight on the spare man, leaving Young free on the back post with Church failing to spot him and cover.

2nd goal - Bertrand lets Downing put in a cross too easily, Mills misjudges the flight and Griffin allows Carew to barge past him and leap for the ball unchallenged.

3rd goal - Griffin stands off his man and is too slow getting to the overlapping Warnock (possibly the fault of the covering midfielder who you could argue should have followed Warnock, not stay with Young and send Griff after him).Then Ivar totally loses his man, letting him get in an almost unchallenged strike. Feel Fed could have done better.

4th goal - desperately shit lunge from Ivar gives away a soft, but definite penalty.

Disappointing really. None of the defenders come out of that blameless, though Mills and Fed seem to have done the least wrong. Really losing faith in Ivar quite majorly now.

Essentially it highlighted how badly we missed AK; his composure would have been a real benefit to us. But hey-ho, we move on, tonight is the big one.