Comments for Aston Villa 1 Liverpool 2: It came down to quality at http://www.avfcblog.com , comment 1 to 68 out of 20 comments http://www.avfcblog.com Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:53:37 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/1865/70/#comment-8655 Bitterly disappointed last Saturday. Makeshift defence [tho' Gardner did very well], pedestrian midfield [Petrov awful, the rest one-paced with no-one to supply the killer ball or to get Pool's defence turning]; toothless attack [We won't get the best out of Carew until we put the high ball in front of him, otherwise its totally predictable and there is no-one to pick up his knock-downs. Gabby has been found out and should have been taken off. Young was at sea in the first half].Tactics all wrong and no different from last season.Bring back Berger-the only midfielder with genuine creativity [OK if you want to know I think Barry should play in the back four where he would be the country's No1-for all his endeavour he can't open a good defence up].Give Maloney a go 'in the hole' where he could do some real damage. Disasterous summer for strengthening the squad. Why does no-one want to come here? Has MON lost his allure? Are we not prepared to pay the wages? Is it back to Celtic for the bargain buys again? Dubious judgement on letting Davis and Ridgewell go. SB makes Ridgewell skipper at the Sty and he couldn't get a game for us. I'd like to think it was Bruce's judgement at fault but I'm not sure. All that being said and although we were second best throughout we might actually have won on Saturday! The first goal was unfortunate and another day Laurson would have missed comfortably!![OK then credit Kuyt with making his own luck]. The second was a result of Mike Riley being conned [if someone important falls over it must be a foul-pathetic refereeing, the first rule of getting out of jail is to 'buy' a free kick within shooting distance and Riley stood for it]. Big test of MON over the next 2 weeks [transfers and tactics]. - Saltleian Wed, 15 Aug 2007 16:57:50 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/1865/70/#comment-8359 I've gotta say I didn't agree with MONs team selection. I would have played Melberg on the Right and would have played Luke Moore (what's he got to do!!) instead of Gabby. We need a goal poacher and I don't think Gabby (yet) or Carew are it, I think Moore could be but he needs a decent run. That's just my opinion. Not sure why he would play people who were ill the night before!! Neither are so much better than the alternatives so I would have played others and had them on the Bench. Hopefully we'll get some signings. Steven Davis looked class yesterday (a mistake letting him go), Ridgewell - Jury still out, looked good at times and awful at others. Glad Spurs & West Ham lost, just wish Newcastle had. Anyways, not a great performance we just look too nervous, I think this team has the capability to easily be in the top 10 but they need to win to settle their nerves. Hopefully we'll take that at Newcastle (wipe the smirk off Shearer's face). Anyways, disapointing/nervous start but not the end of the world. - Ghosthunter Mon, 13 Aug 2007 09:37:53 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/1865/70/#comment-8348 The situation with Davies was said that Baggies rejected both Villa's and Spurs bid for him and then never told us what price would be 'acceptable' to them (personally £8mn. is £4mn. too much for a championship player) So basically they want to keep a player who is reluctant to play because they don't think £8mn. is acceptable! We got a £3.5mn offer from Levante for Mellberg and Ollie is twice as experienced and reliable as Davies, Tony Mowbray reeeeaally needs to check up on how to value players. - Dizzy Mugs Mon, 13 Aug 2007 09:20:22 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/1865/70/#comment-8346 I think Taylor is spot on about us being average. However lets be realistic in where the Villa are. The team starts with the regime. Ellis has gone and we have a new owner. For the first time in donkey year's we have a chance to become something more than average. However, it does take time to build a team. MON needs the space. Let's get real - the players that Man Utd, Liverpool, and Chelsea have purchased this close season would not have come to the Villa. Even if we had paid more on the transfer fees and more on salaries for those same players - they still would not have come. Look at what the ex - Wigan manager said last year. He could not "buy" players into the club because they were Wigan. Now, the Villa have more pulling power than Wigan but the same principle applies when you look at the Torres of this world - until we get into Europe - forget that class of player. This brings me nicely onto Harewood. He chose the Villa and not Wigan. He would have played for Wigan at number 9 on Saturday but he is was on the Villa bench. MON will continue to bring in players who should produce more quality in the team or strengthen the squad. This next "batch" of players should produce a plave in Europe. Then the next "batch" should take us on again. It is progression and it will take time. Remember also the Everton's and the Newcastle's are doing exactly the same thing. Taylor talks about a decade - I can talk about 3 decades. This is the best opportunity the Villa have had since winning the League and the European Cup. Let's give MON and RL a chance. UTV - Holte1970 Mon, 13 Aug 2007 09:11:36 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/1865/70/#comment-8343 WHAT THE HELL WAS MON TALKING ABOUT, 'WE'RE A YOUNG TEAM (FAIR ENOUGH), WE NEED TO STRENGTHEN, AND WE NEED TO DO IT SOON' IT'S HE'S BLOODY FAULT WE HAVEN'T STRENGHTEND HE'S MESSED ABOUT SINCE MAY AND WE ARE WORSE OFF NOW THAN WE WERE AT THE END OF LAST SEASON. HE'S THE PROBLEM AT THE MOMENT, HE'S THE REASON WE HAD A YOUNG MIDFIELDER AT RIGHT BACK, IT'S TOUGH ENOUGH FOR ANY KID TO COME INTO THE PREM PLAYING IN HIS STRONGEST POSITION, BUT NO, OUR ILLUSTIOUS MANAGER DECIDES TO MAKE HIM A VERY VUNERABLE RIGHT BACK. I'M NOT BLAMING C.G, I THOUGHT HE HAD A GOOD GAME, BUT I THINK HE'D BE BETTER PLAYING IN THE CENTRE OF MIDFIELD IN PLACE OF 'SILLYSTAN' PETROV, WHOSE PASSING IS WOEFULL AT BEST, NOT TO MENTION IT TAKES HIM LONGER TO TURN ROUND THAN THE No6 BUS, AND THIS IS OUR PLAYMAKER, WHERE WAS BERGER? THE SORT OF CLASS PLAYER THAT NEEDS TO FACE THE TOP TEAMS, I THINK MON WOULD PLAY PETROV IF HE TURNED UP WITH LEG IRONS, HE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND QUICK. GB DID OK, BUT HE IS BETTER WIDE LEFT, AGAIN, TOO SLOW FOR A CENTRE MIDFIELDER. ANOTHER PROBLEM FOR ME, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WONT AGREE, BUT ABGONLAHOR HAS MAJOR LIMITATIONS, YES HE'S VERY QUICK, BUT SO IS LINFORD CHRISTIE, UNFORTUNATLET FOR US HE HAS THE SAME AMOUNT OF SKILL AS LINFORD. HIS 1ST TOUCH IS TERRIBLE, HIS READING OF THE GAME IS NON-EXISTANT, HE HAS NO SKILL OR TRICKERY, HE'S JUST QUICK, IN FACT IF HE HADN'T GOT THAT PACE I DOUBT THAT HE WOULD BE A PREM FOOTBALLER, CHAMPIONSHIP AT BEST. SURLEY LUKE MOORE IS THE BEST OPTION ALONGSIDE BIG JOHN. HE OOZES CLASS, HIS MOVEMENT HURTS TEAMS & GIVES US BETTER ATTACKING OPTIONS, HE'S ALMOST AS QUICK AS G.A BUT HIS SUPERIOR FOOTBALLING BRAIN MAKES HIM QUICKER AND ON TOP OF ALL THAT HE'LL CONVERT MORE CHANCES, SO C'MON O'NIEL GIVE HIM THE STARTING ROLL HE DESERVES, OR HE'LL BE ANOTHER ONE THAT WILL BE LOOKING TO PLY HIS TALENTS AT ANOTHER CLUB. ON THE POSITIVE SIDE I THOUGHT TAYLOR WAS SUPERB ON SATURDAY, APART FROM A COUPLE OF CROSSES, HE DIDN'T DESERVE TO BE ON THE LOSINS SIDE. I AM NOW LOOKING FOR MON'S NEW SIGNINGS THIS WEEK, OR WILL IT BE THE WEEK AFTER, OR JANUARY OR NEXT SUMMER WHO KNOWS, I DON'T AND I DON'T THINK HE DOES, BECAUSE IF HE DID THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN HERE ALREADY. - woodyo Mon, 13 Aug 2007 08:55:40 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/1865/70/#comment-8342 Spot on Mick, spot on! - Woodinho Mon, 13 Aug 2007 08:53:02 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/1865/70/#comment-8336 People, I'm not sure this whole "Villa are not good enough" concept is yet clear to a few on here. The unhappiness comes as a result of promises (yet) not kept, 18 days from the closing of the transfer market we still have a total of 9 players who have left and 3 as new signings. One of which is probably not going to contribute in a decisive manner to the alleged Villa revival - and the other being a loan. Yeah, Liverpool were better than us - Liverpool have more quality etc.: you almost seem resigned to accept that certain clubs are always going to be superior. Then you have the "Benitez got it right tactically" brigade. No he bloody didn`t. He won the game thanks to a free-kick and an own goal. The concept you never-say-die optimists need to start absorbing a little is that expectations at this club have changed - no one expected Eto'o or Sneijder (who incidentally's on his way to Madrid today) to sign this summer but many - understandably - expected MON to have at least a few more players in place at this stage, to have managed to find a right back in 3 months of search, to have managed to pinpoint a keeper who could come in as permanent number 1 - not a loan signing - and perhaps also a central defender and a few more. MON in that aspect has failed and disappointed, because the time was there aplenty and the money is allegedly there too. I like MON, I think he's a great guy, an excellent motivator and a decent manager: but I like AVFC more and I expected better things. Liverpool could afford to leave people like Mascherano home for the Villa game, we had a midfielder at right back and - on MON admission - 2 players (Carew & Laursen) playing despite being ill on the eve of the game. That is the defining difference between the 2 clubs, not Benitez tactical know how. Better squads, better players, better scouts and background staff. Better ambition too, by the look of it. Things may turn around and MON will finally sign those 3 (at least) players we still need but at this stage - as things stand - Lerner and MON have a lot to prove to the fans, because this squad is not good enough, because they had months to identify targets and because - I repeat - VILLA NEED QUALITY BRITISH AND EUROPEAN SCOUTS. Please put that child-like optimism aside for a moment and look at things in the cold light of the day, "average" and "enough" are not the Villa key words anymore. - Mick Mon, 13 Aug 2007 08:37:58 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/1865/70/#comment-8333 taglor and aston villan - agree with your comments but lets all calm down a bit... im dissapointed as anyone that we didnt get players like elano, martin petrov, smithy etc etc but there are 3 weeks to go, lets judge o'neil when window is closed. Agree with previous poster - we had too much of a "target man" focus, when against Inter we just bloody well played football! Ashley young and gabby need to be either side of carew in a 4-3-3 changing to 4-5-1. Young looked lost in his floating role and we were always exposed on the wings. Why did MON change things from Inter Milan??? On a positive note Gardner looked good at right-back even tho he was always targeted and I believe he could be moulded into the role as a decent utility man back up. We are close to being a good side - I believe that - Jacko33 Mon, 13 Aug 2007 08:20:36 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/1865/70/#comment-8332 lots of expectation is almost always certain to end in disappointment whether it came in the fifth game or the first. laverpool were better than us but they still relied on one of our players to put them ahead and then an absolute piece of genius from stevie g to put us away. if we struggle against the likes w.ham, city, blackburn then id be worried but not against the finalists of the c. league - tuffy85 Mon, 13 Aug 2007 07:39:07 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/1865/70/#comment-8331 The difference was quality. We can't buy the quality eg GERRARD the big teams have for obvious reasons at the moment. I'm glad BABEL didn't start for POOL otherwise the scoreline may have been wider. I thought NRC, BARRY and GARDNER showed real commitment. We allowed them to counter too easily without pressuring them. I still believe MON is right in biding his time until he can buy the best quality, even if that takes all year. I'd rather finish 16th but left with the squad I want to progress the team. This season is going to be very experimental until MON has completed his squad. - Villavon Mon, 13 Aug 2007 07:17:10 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/1865/70/#comment-8330 Not the end of the world to lose to Liverpool. There were positives - Taylor did well, GB was class as ever, CG showed he is maturing and JC showed touches. What struck me having watched several games over the weekend was how many new boys did well. Martin Petrov, Elano, Bianchi, Kapo, Pizarro, not to mention our own (once) Steven Davis. None of these guys would have cost us a crazy pile of money (nothing for SD and Pizarro) and it seems to me MONs much discussed style of buying only what he knows well has its limits. True, one or two of these guys wouldn't have considered Villa and also true that some may yet go on to be rejects by season's end but I'd be happy to hear us linked with one or two pedigree names outside of the British leagues once in a while. Prices are reasonable and it may be worth a punt on a couple - assuming there's any left on offer now that the season has started. A further point - I like to see all the young British talent at Villa but it has its dangers too. England U21 (and full squad too perhaps) games in particular are going to add to the fixture load for a thin squad. Those extra new faces are urgently needed . . . - stevewhk Mon, 13 Aug 2007 05:05:45 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/1865/70/#comment-8329 i dont know what else everyone expected with the piss poor job MON has done.. who on earth would sign just 2 players get rid f loads and have a shit defense and no real quality that we were wall prommised. im surprised we didnt get hammered - Top_6_Villa Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:36:17 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/1865/70/#comment-8327 Mapka, nothing personal, please come back on this forum after 31st August and apologise for being fickle ;D - Nigel-not-Reo Sun, 12 Aug 2007 22:39:15 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/1865/70/#comment-8326 I know he was only on briefly, but I thought Babel was brilliant. Cut us up like a hot knife through butter. Ag well, first gane jitters out of system, Europe here we come.... - Daanie Sun, 12 Aug 2007 21:09:54 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/1865/70/#comment-8325 mick yh, but i'm goin to skegness so it ain't exactly europe!!!! come it was 1 game, the seasons early!!! - griffiths Sun, 12 Aug 2007 21:04:02 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/1865/70/#comment-8324 why does everyone think we are gonna struggle after losing the first game of the season to Liverpool, a top european club? They werent particulalry better than us, Benitez just got it tactically perfect, no need to slit te wrists just yet boys. - Ayersy Sun, 12 Aug 2007 20:46:58 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/1865/70/#comment-8323 Griffiths: "Europe here we come"? Are you off on holiday then? - Mick Sun, 12 Aug 2007 19:49:30 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/1865/70/#comment-8322 Hear Hear - taglor Sun, 12 Aug 2007 19:37:17 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/1865/70/#comment-8321 Ayersy, "NRC was very good"???? okay then mate so was Petrov then! ;) Also no need to call people little names ("girls") like we are back in the playground just people have a different opinion to yours, thats what this forum is for! As paying season ticket holders we are entitled to say whatever we like, and the general feeling is that we would have had a better chance against Liverpool with healthy players and a natural right back... which all boils down to the fact that MON has struggled and got his priorities wrong in the transfer market this summer! Simple! - Woodinho Sun, 12 Aug 2007 19:17:52 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/1865/70/#comment-8320 We were playing Liverpool, and we werent expected to win. Im pretty sure most of the teams in the premiership wont come anywhere near as close as we did to gettin something out of Liverpool. The decision for the freekick was awful, whatever anyone says. Petrov actually kicked the ball away before Gerrard ran into his leg. If anything it was a late challenge by Gerrard on Petrov. Poor referee. Non of us are blind to whats going on people we are just trying to be a bit more positive. You girls coming on here saying how shit we were n how MON has screwed up isnt going to solve anything. Benitez just got his tactics perfect, defended deep and got men behind the ball, completely smothered our pace in attack. NRC was very good. - Ayersy Sun, 12 Aug 2007 18:20:17 +0100