We looked ordinary, did'nt take any of our chances and at times looked rocky at the back. We definatley need a right back in january with pace!. Anyway nice to see Ian Taylor at the game! what a legend!

I thought Melly was one of the better performers, quite often saving someone else's skin. Carew was as frustrating as ever, but he needs to get some games under his belt perhaps, considering he's still not fully fit. He had a good mazy run at one point right to the heart of the box, and did nothing with it. It's so frustrating that we got in and around the City box at will, and yet couldn't find a goal. I didn't think City were any better, but scored, what more can you say. Why Bianchi didn't start baffles me, he's twice the player Mpenza is. I don't think we should worry about this defeat too much, since getting three points out of our last two matches is a decent return considering.

Good Result for Us Today. Aston Villa for once look like a Team with Pace. You under perfomed majorly Today and Even City were Poor. :'(

We looked ever so lazy and slow. NRC and Barry were unusually quiet and we sometimes lost concentration and then Man City opened us up. Zat Knight made some horrific errors, definetly enough to drop him for the next game. Young and Agbonlahor were pacey but unsucessful when they reached the Bi-line. Man City defended very well and whenever we opened a gap in their side, they immediately charged us down and closed that back up. Some poor shooting from Villa and definetly an awful performance from John Carew - he didn't look fit and generally jogged for the time he was on the pitch. Some of his touches were poor and he gave away the ball far too easily. Luke Moore got frustrated and wasted oppurtunities with his constant fouling. Major errors and lack of creation basically sums up Villa's game for today.

played rubbish, better win everton! or draw.

As I said on this message board last week, "City 1 Villa 0, enough said".

I dont like to slag off the big man but I really thought johnny carew looked sluggish today (apart from his one chance that hit luke) and his touch was aweful! I missed the build up to the game and heard during the match that he is injured? can anyone expand on that for me?

But, overall i dont think the result is anything to worry about, I suppose it was a bad day at the office in bad condidtions! We'll chew up the toffies next sunday and everything will be rosey again!

To Woodinho, Big John took a knock for Norway during the international period, which i thought was enough for him to miss this game. O'Neill didn't think so, and felt like he should risk him. When asked before the game if Carew was fit, he said, "He's fit enough to play to begin with" (roughly paraphrasing), which gave the indication from the off that he wasn't going to play the full match. I do wonder what O'Neill's thinking is by playing sluggish people who aren't fit. I can understand Carew is big and bullish, and occupies other defenders, but from O'Neill's decisions this season, it seems as though he can't drop Big John, and begs the question as to whether we have another game plan for when John isn't playing. Watching the last 15 minutes of todays game, it doesn't seem as though we do. Gabby doesn't do it for me up front. Maloney is too lightweight to play up front. Same can be said for Ashley Young probably. With Marlon being injured today, we certainly didn't have another viable option, which is worrying to me, as I think this proves we needed another top striker in the summer. Defoe's had a bust up at Tottenham, we should be sniffing.

Reo Coker and Carew were rubbish today i realy think if at half time he brought on Petrov and maloney (a bit of creativity and flair)then man city were there for the taking.Hopefully they get there chance(with Berger fit on the bench) against Everton on sat who will play counter attacking we will create much more.Its ok playing a counter attacking system against teams like Chelsea and Arsenal who will have a lot of the ball but against teams like man city who play with five midfielders home and away we need players who can do something a bit special and create something out of nothing or even SHOOT from outside of the 18 yard box against a dodgy keeper.Not slating the team just my opinion.

I thought we played well. Just couldn't finish same old story I guess.

I do like Carew but I do prefer Maloney.

roll on next match can't win em all!

To Bluechester - you not got a blog of your own? I do hope we never play with 5 midfielders and 1 striker at home...but then thats SGE all over isn't it?

Big Jon isn't fit, Barry looked tired, we'll pick it up again next week. Roll on the good times, we're getting there. Ps - Everton is on the Sunday....another non-3pm Sat again!

3 headers from close in . . . . got to score on those. need to put some pressure on with 20-30 foot blasters. Didn't see any of those--is that Maloney's game? If so, put him in. Control was good for the most part--but didn't turn it into anything.

Bit crap really, we looked OK but we just don't have that finishing quality - DeFoe would have given us that! Just to try and put a positive spin on it, did we have more people on International duty this week than Man City? My thinking is with more people away then the prep time and training may account for the result. Just to finish, Carew looked shit - he can't keep missing that many sitters and needs to pick up. Don't get me wrong we got the better end of the deal than Lyon did, but he needs to sort himself out or he'll go along with Malony and Petrov.

Zat Knight is crap he might of scored against Chelsea but it was the only header he won all game. Today he played rubbish & with Laursen not having a good game he had no one making him look good. If MON didn't see how crap he was we'll struggle against Everton with him at the back. As for Coker he just kept backing off i can't remember him making a tackle.
Up front we couldn't hit a barn door i think it's time to drop Carew.
Finally not getting a right back in is already beginning to show.
On the bright side the best team lost, we should have won & had enough chances to win 2 matches.

PLAY BALL TO FEET, BALL TO FEET!! My coach would tell me!!!

MON tactic direct play to Carew in the air is not working for us...Carew would be more useful with the ball being played at his feet. We cut the midfield right out playing it long..Man City went into this game knowing they had to keep Gabby and Young quiet..And they did a good job..when your flanks cant be used to their strengths play carew on the 18 and play his feet.Hes good enough to hold the ball up and create space and pass to the outside men...That didnt happen once!!!

FRUSTRATING!!!!

Not a great game. City very strong in defence and managed to get the 3 points from one great goal. I think Bianci should start in place of Mpenza. Must admit I'm chuffed at being second and above the scum after 6 games. Most of the team haven't played together before so just wait til we gel. As for Villa you must be cheesed off after this game but you will bounce back. Like City you will be chasing a top 6 spot this season.And even though we won I am not happy with our formation...I would prefer 2 strikers at home but after last seasons nightmare beggars can't be choosers.

Hugely disappointing loss. City were there for the taking, but we played without any composure - Barry excepted, who, without having a flawless game, made some outstanding passes, and was the driving force of a performance that certainly didn't lack effort. Reo-Coker was surprisingly subdued, and I can't think why. Had he played his part, we would have been able to dominate the midfield, and City would have been staring down the barrel of a thumping defeat - provided Carew and Moore took some of the chances we would have surely made. What was encouraging was that there was real passion in the team - lack of effort was not why we lost today. We made a mid-table side look like relegation candidates, away from home, without playing well, and that's a sign of things to come, ie. picking up points on a regular basis on our travels. Bad day at the office, but the indication is that O'Neill won't allow too many of those, and so the future looks bright. One last thing; what we could really do with is a fit John Carew. Then we can work out whether he's going to be a useful part of the team. A half-fit JC does no-one any favours, and O'Neill needs to rectify that situation.

And a thought on Barry. Is anyone else getting frustrated by the media propagating the myth that Barry is an inferior player who just so happens to be good for the balance of the England team? England have lacked genuine craft/guile/creativity in midfield ever since Gascoigne was past his best - so that'll be at least 15 years. Without being the same type of player as Gascoigne, Barry provides that. His range of passing is superb, and his intelligence and composure are also something that English players lack. Gerrard is a very good player, with an abundance of pace and therefore power that Barry doesn't have. He can also offer a direct, albeit predominantly individual, attacking threat, and scores goals. But being able to get the whole team playing is not a strength. Needless to say, the likes of Lampard and Heargreaves don't offer this either, for all their other talents, and anyone else (eg. Carrick the joke) doesn't even enter into the discussion. Given a chance, the Barry/Gerrard partnership could really blossom, with Gerrard as Barry's legs, and Barry as Gerrard's brain. I'll leave it up to the individual to work out who's the senior partner in a partnership of that nature.

Frustraiting to lose to the manc's, we were the dominant team throughout the game, but just couldn't finish. i think in jan we need a new striker. we made man city look like school boys at times in the first half. but its the way it is, man city had the luck and we didn't, because to be honest with myself, the city goal was a bit lucky that it never hit the bar or went wide.

A quick word on Zat Knight for discussion. The guy's distribution yesterday was horrific, and he looked clumsy in defence. Who thinks he should be dropped in favour of Big Curt for the next game? Personally, i think so, if only to see a 9mil defender in action.

I'll hold fire with regards to questioning Zat Knight's quality and right to wear a Villa shirt, let's see what happens and hopefully MON will teach him (and Mellberg) how to pass the ball out of defence (for over 20/30k a week you would expect him to know how, wouldn't you). With regards to the irony towards Eriksson - a man as badly treated in England as respected anywhere else in the world - the answer to all those baffled souls that can see him now do what he's always done anywhere else (aside from the poisoned chalice that is England) is that the man knows his world football - that means travelling beyond West Bromwich or London in case the Villa scouts are reading. Up the Villa, someone please buy a copy of World Soccer for the Villa scouts.

I think that performance showed we need Barry at left wing and Young at right wing. Gabi simpy doesn't have good enough crossing to be a winger. Mellberg was pointless going up and making crosses, not one was decent. A right winger and a right back who can cross needed in January. Either that or some hardcore training for Melly and Gabi.

Football is about taking chances and we didn't! Fair play to Man City who had one clear cut chance and punished us! We're gonna have to be more clinical in front of goal! As the article header says : NOT MUCH ELSE TO SAY REALLY!

ps did anyone else notice that no sooner had JC gone off and SM come on that we started hitting long ball after long ball?
WHY ?

I Had the Displessure of watching villa yesterday put in a hugely lacklustre display. Most of our team went nowhere with there country's this week and still looked tired and worn out.

Reo-Coker was no where to be seen yesterday i can't remember him making one telling contribution at all.

As for Moore and Carew they were just dire in attack they didn't trouble for most parts of the game and when they did they shot well wide or moore fouled someone and would moan constantly about it.

Agbonlahor shouldn't be playing next week i don't think he deserves his place he's got poor control can't pass or cross he just runs even then he's just running in a straight line.

Zat Knight was just as bad as everyone else in that defence yesterday.

only player decent players for villa was barry young and carson.

It Clearly showed yesterday that we really lack down the Right side we need them positions sorted in january, Aswell as signing another midfielder and Striker is a big need i struggle to see where the goals will come from this season yesterday Villa were screaming out for a player that can score from half a chance or just take a pop from 30 yards. But there's still hope yet lol never give up 8)Come on VILLA

I thought it was a game of shots on target. Schmeichel looked like he would've conceded at least one.

They had 2 shots on target and 1 goal and I think if we had 2 shots on target we could've got 2 goals.

There wasn't much it in between the teams. Johnson's goal was awesome. Reo-Coker was the invisible man yesterday.

Sloppy goal to concede, Laurson fell over, NRC should have got the tackle in...

What was Knights lundging tackle all about in the 2nd half??? He was the last man and he commits himself to an "over the park" type "I cant be arsed" tackle letting the attacker in! I still think he can be a decent squad player but Curtis has gotta come in now surely....

Like MON said on the day he signed him "I've seen Zat play very well - and very badly" well in two games we have seen evidence of that!

NO WONDER WE LOST, OLOF HAS GOT NITTS, CHECK OUT HIS INTERVIEW ON VILLA WORLD! SCRATCH-ARAMA!

anyone else think barry had a brutal game?? Knocked off the ball three times in the second half(twice by young Johnson) and the only runs he made from deep ended up with him moving from touchline to touchline. Always maintained that we shuda signed Dica instead of Carew but hey the damage is done. We need creativity midfield and we aint gonna get it if the players we have now dont put in the effort. How much is Knight gettin paid to keep the ball between the touchlines, how many times did he make a bags of easy clearances?? Give the lad salifou a run, can't hurt anyway up d villa and heres hoping to a better performance next week.

What you on about we need a right back" its starting to show"?? OM didnt do anything wrong yesterday the goal we conceded came straight down the middle,Over-confidence may have played a big part.I feel the success Barry had with England went to his head and the win over Chelsea had every 1 else thinking we are better than we actualy are.My changes for the next match would be Davis for Knight and i would swap Moore for Maloney pushing gabby up front and playing Young on the right.MON has told us he wants competition for places, i feel these 2 havent done enough to keep their's hence the changes i would make

I'm taking comfort in the fact that alot of teams who'll be above us (maybe) will lose alot of key player to the african cup of nations.

Portsmouth Will lose, Kanu, Utaka, Benjani, Lauren, Muntari, Diop, & Traore.
Everton Will lose, Yakubu, Anichebe, Yobo, & Piennar.
Newcastle Will lose, Babayaro, Martins, Faye, & Geremi.

This Might be clutching at straws but i'm pretty sure The top three clubs will be looking at Chelsea's squad thinking they could drop a few points with the players they'll be missing. Villa should have a similar thinking if any of the above mentioned clubs are above us by that time in january.

Keep the faith foulks, everyone has a bad day at the office, i think there are positives to take out of the game. For one we outplayed a team who has spent big this year, without us even hitting 4th gear!

Yes we didn't play to your usual standard but we once our strikers get a goal they will soon get the confidence back and they will be going in from all angles!!!

Up the Villa-top 7 finish!

Woodinho you're spot on. It was playground defending for the goal.

NRC hasn't done enough for me and I think we've missed out on quality this summer.

Carew has got to be droped a striker is meant to score a goal at least every now and then i think harewood would do a exactly what carew is doing except harewood will score the odd goal here n there

I new this would happen with carew he was the same at valencia and lyon first few games he scores then for the rest of the season he dosnt score why have a striker like that?

for lyon it was summat like 5 goals in 52 games even tho half the games he was a sub but still u expect more goals than that for a striker

i have got a season ticket and i go to nearlly all the away matches. for a start it was a poor performance against man city but good win against everton and now big jon has banged one in this may give him the confindence he needs. its a good job we keept barry in the transfer window cuz if he went we wouldnt get another player like that at vill opark. i see gabbi play every week he never has a bad game in my eyes and alll u neeed is to give him time he is still young wat a star he will be in the future.

any way its looking up!!!!!! beat the blues 4-1