Comments for The Doc's Diagnosis: Villa vs Man City at http://www.avfcblog.com , comment 1 to 16 out of 16 comments http://www.avfcblog.com Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:53:10 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/2129/70/#comment-14036 SPOT ON WITH PETROV - I HATE BLUES Mon, 24 Dec 2007 11:39:04 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/2129/70/#comment-14035 I was disappointed with the slow start again on Saturday and yet another early goal lost but the performance after that was excellent - I dont agree with the rating of Reo Coker , he did lose possession a few times although he is 100% committed and has great fighting spirit . I think we will lose him thru suspension too much though - Carew was outstanding and Petrov is starting to shine ...Shaun Maloney needs to play more , the Villa fans so obviously rate and love him and I hope he stays because he can turn games for us...got a good feeling about Chelsea on Boxing Day...we always give them a game - TMG1982 Mon, 24 Dec 2007 10:57:59 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/2129/70/#comment-14033 This is the first villa game I attended for some time as im from Ireland but I have to disagree with some of your comments and ratings. For me Reo Hokey-Kokey man of match, best game in Villa shirt so far , only for him would have lost, remember Bouma's mistake but at the same time should have gave Gabby the ball early to win the game for us. My team ratings CARSON 6,Nothing to do for the rest of game after picking ball out of net . Goal not his fault BOUMA 6, For me gave the ball away far to much, too loose and could have attaked (supported)more. MELBERG 6 Good grafter to be fair but no way a RB KNIGHT 6 I feel is going to make a mistake every time he comes near the ball but was solid.... enough. LAURSEN. Best defender we have. Solid as a rock again saturday. New contract please.YOUNG 6 Not his best game Thought he could have crossed earlier on more than a couple of occasions.MALONEY 6 Serious potential in this lad. needs more games.BARRY 6 Not himself lately needs a break I think HOKEY-KOKEY 8 Best game in villa shirt , but still gives ball away cheaply. GABBY 5 Gone off boil needs break too. CAREW 8 Best game in long time. Great hold up play but needs to be more aware of players around him.PETROV 7 Lively when brought on could have been more dangerous with more playing ti me MON 7 Not alot he could have done really with linited attacking options - Villian 79 Mon, 24 Dec 2007 04:12:40 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/2129/70/#comment-14031 A good performance, but we should of finished Man City off. Like when we played them away, we lost due to a terrible last touch( appalling weather, but same for both sides)we should of beat them. So I see it as 5 points dropped against them, which would put us in their position in the table. Overall we are doing better than we expected and playing some really good football. I'm overseas but does anyone get to see Salifou in the reserves? The reports sound good. Lets start aplying that killer instincy boys and we would be even higher up in the league and will be able to attract better quality players come transfer time. Click on the link below for a Xmas message from the team http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1741781122 - Craig McDonald Mon, 24 Dec 2007 03:00:38 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/2129/70/#comment-14030 Well played Villa, after the first 20 mins you were by far the better side. Having said that, in the first 15 we tore you apart and I think our failure to do that afterwards was merely a lack of self belief, so don't get too cocky. City are, by and large quite a young side; the old hands are used to playing in a crap team and everyone needs to take on board that we are really pretty good. It's a confidence thing and we don't quite have it yet.Understandable if you look back to last season. Carew was awesome - a total handful for Dunny and Micah and for me it was a toss up between him, Reo Coker, Laureson and the superb Gareth Barry - what an engine - for man of the match. Gaby and Young will be immense talents once they learn to subjugate their egos to the needs of the team. After a dull few years I see hope everywhere that the supremacy of Chelski (media junkies NF nutters); Pool (just plain 'scousers' with all it entails) and Manure (what's more to say) will be curtailed. The Arse I can just about handle, thanks to Wenger who seems to be a human being, more than you can say for the Glaswegian nutter. I hope the contenders (Villa, City, Pompey, Everton, Spuds) don't fuck it up by needlessly dissing each other. We all know who the real enemies are. - Baron Baconface Taggart de Trafford Sun, 23 Dec 2007 22:45:12 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/2129/70/#comment-14029 Thing is with Moore seeming to burn his bridges, there isn't a natural replacement for Gabby. Harewood is more of a like for like replacement for Carew who has been playing well lately. Perhaps Maloney to play as a forward? - Thegreatdando Sun, 23 Dec 2007 21:47:08 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/2129/70/#comment-14028 Yes it was dissappointing yesterday, we should have won and thats the second time we have played Man City this season and left the game with less than we deserved. We really need a few quality players to push us on and we need some fresh legs in January. I thought the team played pretty well as a whole (from the highlights) and we just seemed abit tired and switched off (Reo Coker for example should have passed) Gabby is looking very tired to me, ive said it a few times on this blog about previous games and we really need another striker who will push him and also who we can rely on when Gabby is tired. There are a few positives from the game, Man City were made to look average and it proves we can compete with the best. Carew looked really good. He was strong, powerful and skillful, he looked every bit the player we thought we were getting from Lyon. He seems to have finally settled in and doing the buisness for us. I think he will continue to score for us throughout the season now. - the_flabster Sun, 23 Dec 2007 21:27:21 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/2129/70/#comment-14027 the december slump has to end if this season is to mean anythin. chelsea away next. :'( - Paresh Sun, 23 Dec 2007 21:14:54 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/2129/70/#comment-14026 Oh dear, Smylhr has become so disillusioned with life at Villa Park that he's gone insane :D - Dizzy Mugs Sun, 23 Dec 2007 20:04:48 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/2129/70/#comment-14025 I LOVE BCFC - smylhr Sun, 23 Dec 2007 19:50:25 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/2129/70/#comment-14024 Villa should have comfortably won that match. We're starting to draw games we should win, the same problem we had last year. We really need to be more clinical in the final third. I was a little put off by all the arguing between the villa ranks, not only were Young and Gabby sharing exchanges, but also Laursen and Bouma. I dunno if this was purely through frustration, who knows. I just feel we really should have won that match and be sitting in higher in the table now. - AndyHC Sun, 23 Dec 2007 19:40:40 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/2129/70/#comment-14023 Who does the best transfer window business in January. I honestly think that lots of Villa fans are thinking the there are going to be amazing signings in the up and coming transfer window, but I also think those fans are going to be disapointed come Jan 31st. Not because of a lack of trying, I just do not think the players that we want will be available. - Thegreatdando Sun, 23 Dec 2007 17:54:50 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/2129/70/#comment-14021 I barely saw any of the game so i got no opinion on Stan being man of the match, but i'm sure his performance will be scrutinized by fans unwilling to accept Stan is a quality player. I agree with you about 4-5-1, Barry sometimes has too many jobs to take care of, Reo-Coker leaves him stranded and Young and Petrov are too far wide to cover for him. With Young and Gabi as attacking wingers, and Petrov-Barry-ReoCoker in the middle, i think we'll work better at our quick counterattacks. - Dizzy Mugs Sun, 23 Dec 2007 13:41:24 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/2129/70/#comment-14017 Do you think we wait to see what's going to happen sometimes instead of asserting our own game? It was like their goal kick started us into life. While I agree with the difference Petrov made, I think he was given a platform to perform because of the work from the rest of the team. I know your not saying the rest of the team did not work but I think this shows where we are at the moment. O'Neill obviously knows who or what ype of player he would like but has already warned us we might not get them. If he pays well over the odds for players that don't quite work he can't really come out in the press later and say that but we'll have reason to criticize. He can't win really, but I suppose the top 4 have to take the same risk with money, but then, the players will go to them. Vicious circle. Perhaps Curtis Davis and Salifou are ready to show us what they can do over the break. Hope so. We are getting there - let the good times roll!!!!! - legend Sun, 23 Dec 2007 11:41:43 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/2129/70/#comment-14016 Well done another great piece. Villa have fashioned themselves into a decent top 8 outfit. Better finishing and a wee bit of luck would see us as a top 6 side. Good effort by all the team yesterday. Lets hope we can stay clear of injuries! Lets also remember the deals for Carson and Curtis Davis are still to be finalized and are likely to amount to around £16 - £18 million! So we should not expect too much activity. Crouch and a right back for me is all we need at this stage. - Lloydy Sun, 23 Dec 2007 10:47:07 +0100 http://www.avfcblog.com/content/view/2129/70/#comment-14015 Totally agree with you Doc! but perhaps the petrov rating is a bit ott! I think Reo-coker was excellent and give him more time under O'Neill and he will become a England regular. I think there is a bit too much negativity around at the moment and perhaps people aren't looking at the bright side of things at the moment. Look at the improvement we have made from last season! last year we were renound for being the draw specalists and yesterday was the first draw at Villa park! we are only two weeks 10 days away from Jan and look at the position we are in with the team we have at the minute, young, inexperience, shallow in depth. We are in touching distance of the top four and we have a mega rich chairman who is not afraid to put his hand in his pocket! ok O'Neill has been at bit hesitant to splah the cash but I think he is coming to terms that he has the money to spend which was'nt avaliable at Leicester and Celtic and that he also has to pay for quality! I believe there will be some good signings in January and I think we will suprise everyone in 2008! UTV!!!!!!!!!!! - Northern Villan Sun, 23 Dec 2007 09:48:11 +0100