Villa (a) Post Match Thread

[Rashid]

Last season we failed to make a title challenge because "Alonso and Agger were injured" - one can't get into the team and the other was surplus a few weeks ago. This season we were playing **** because "we didn't sign Barry, and Babel, Lucas and Mascherano are at the Olympics" - these are just some of the excuses I have heard these past few months.

The time for excuses will end sooner or later.

[Rashid]

Some fella (one of my mates) just rang me and said that Sammy Lee will have us be an attacking outfit sooner or later... errm.. the same Sammy Lee who coached LFC under GH and England under Erikson? I couldn't stop laughing.

[calvoboy]

1. We finished 5th in his first season, and having to win to qualify isn't "comfortably" especially when it had to be referred to Uefa.

2. What did Paisley say about last year?

3. Yossi better than Hyypia, Hamann, Owen, Gerrard, Berger, Carragher, et all? He isn't even better than Murphy.

4. Top of the league after 3 games? Well done.

5. £55m spent on wide players and not one fit to be a regular.

Is attackattackattack your alter-ego, or are you just sticking up for the WUM?

I agree with lots of the criticism, and if you look at the match thread I was one of the ones doing the criticising. I think our tactics were poor, and have been for all of our games so far this season. I also agree with you that we need to challenge until the end of the season or Rafa should go.

Having had a season ticket and had to sit through all of the football we've played over the last 12-13 years though, I think that it is a huge leap, and requires a very short memory, to think that things are anywhere near as bad as the end of the Houllier days. We are nowhere near that yet, and if we can get back to the better form of last year, then we will look back on this start as being one of our better ones, grinding out results despite playing boring crap football.

[Rashid]

Is attackattackattack your alter-ego, or are you just sticking up for the WUM?

I agree with lots of the criticism, and if you look at the match thread I was one of the ones doing the criticising. I think our tactics were poor, and have been for all of our games so far this season. I also agree with you that we need to challenge until the end of the season or Rafa should go.

Having had a season ticket and had to sit through all of the football we've played over the last 12-13 years though, I think that it is a huge leap, and requires a very short memory, to think that things are anywhere near as bad as the end of the Houllier days. We are nowhere near that yet, and if we can get back to the better form of last year, then we will look back on this start as being one of our better ones, grinding out results despite playing boring crap football.

I think since 1998 when we started on this "foreign tactician" approach - our football has been by in large ale house. Now I am getting older and maybe I miss our glory years but this brand of football has me distraught. Sorry.

[Slinky Skills]

It wasn't great but I do believe we'll click into gear soon. We passed it a lot better today and the movement was better off the ball. Mascherano and Dossena were excellent today I thought.

It will get better, one thing that is pissing me off is that we seem to be the masters of the slow game. For instance, we had a throw in in the second half on the right side 3/4 of the way up Villa's half. Skittles was right by it and I think it was Arbeloa that was near to him. He could and should have just thrown it to him and he could have whipped a cross in. Instead he dropped it for Arbeloa and we ended up playing right the way back to our defence, that's ****ing ludicrous especially coming from an attacking position.

It pisses me off and we seem to do it every ****ing match now.

[Slinky Skills]

didn't even bother to drag my sorry arse out of bed to watch this match at the pub. reason? because i've come to the conclusion its more entertaining to count the grains of rice in an average packet of uncle bens or pluck the pubes from my ball sack whilst receiting the lords prayer than watch the **** we're consistently being served up.

10 Seasons of negative football overseen by two grand chess masters of the foreign persuasion have finally taken their toll.

Its ****.

That is ****ing hilarious!

[Gazmo1]

I think since 1998 when we started on this "foreign tactician" approach - our football has been by in large ale house. Now I am getting older and maybe I miss our glory years but this brand of football has me distraught. Sorry.

Oi Pele, you need to stop referring to it as Ale House football, it is far from it. But not good enough for the this level.

[Leyton388]

Come on then guys and it is a big if Rafa was replaced which British manager would you go for?

I would go for Mark Hughes or Roy Keane (I know he is Irish) becuase i am hard pushed to think of anymore

[BobTheCharmer]

I think since 1998 when we started on this "foreign tactician" approach - our football has been by in large ale house. Now I am getting older and maybe I miss our glory years but this brand of football has me distraught. Sorry.

amen to that.

[Leyton388]

amen to that.

Agree. Evans had us playing fantastic football. His downfall was the lack of respect from the players and a weak defense. Had he signed a good back for we would have won the league years ago.

[JPK]

We are top of the league. It was a battle and we lacked a bit of magic and that is Gerrard. When Cesc is out Arsenal usually suck, Mancs have struggled without Ronaldo and Drogba is a big loss for Chelsea. We are in a great position and although we are playing bad you have to be positive. Rafa made some weird decisions today and personally I think their fullbacks are there for the taking and Babel should have tested them. Andy Gray ripped into us saying Villa have won 1 out of 34 against the big teams their and why were we so tentative. They spent **** loads again and are no pushovers and we wont be the only big team to drop points their this year.

Newcastle never win away at the big teams and took a point at OT this year.
Today was not the worst point when considering other results and when we get a settled front 4 consisting of Gerrard, Babel, Keane and Torres we will start firing.

[Rashid]

Come on then guys and it is a big if Rafa was replaced which British manager would you go for?

I would go for Mark Hughes or Roy Keane (I know he is Irish) becuase i am hard pushed to think of anymore

Why British Manager? It should go to someone who has a tarck record of success or has great potential, who can get teams to play good football too and who understands pressure.

Rijkaard, Hiddink, or even a punt on Bilic would do me....

[-V-]

Away to Villa, tough fixture. No Gerrard and Torres got injured early on. Clean sheet and a point. Went for a draw and got one.

Slightly dissapointed though, our substitutions were just plain wrong. Babel should have started to atleast came on. He could have been our match winner. Ngog isn't ready to be replacing Torres if we have Babel. Benayoun will never be good enough to win us a match, Babel is much the better option every time. We could have won if we tried late on in the game

[Hustler]

The simple fact is we are no better than Villa on todays performance...We did not have 1 shot on target. For the majority of the game we played square balls across the park as if we were 6 goals up. Keep football is suppose to be performed to defend a lead and not to consolidate a draw against a supposedly lower team!! Rafa is setting his team out as if we are battling relegation. Offensively we have no ideas.

The tide is turning on Rafa and when he loses the fans he will lose his job. In my opionion that is what the owners and Parry are waiting for.

[Rashid]

Went for a draw.

It is a disgrace for any LFC manager to do that against Aston Villa.