Ok, a quick reflection on the game. I've got to say I was worried after the first half, when we dominated for 40 minutes but didn't hit the back of the net, especially as Villa remembered how to play football in the last 5 minutes. Second half was a real nail-biter. I've not got any complaints about the penalty, and I recon the ref did well to spot it tbh. But he really should have given us one for the first hand ball - the second shout was ball to hand for me. Most of the lads gave good performances, even Fitz (I was worried when I saw he was playing!) and I thought that Barton, SWP and Adel did pretty well coming up against a more organized defense than Wolves put out. But I am starting to get concerned about Bothroyd's confidence. I thought he had a solid game, I just think that he needs a goal soon and then they'll start flowing. Traore's red was silly (and deserved) but at the end of the day, if we had taken just one of the chances in the first half..... Oh, what might have been. Telling that the Beeb had Dunne as the man of the match, even though he put the ball into his own net.
Thought we deserved at least a point - can't agree with you about their penalty though, thought it was very soft. Hope Jay starts to find his shooting boots soon - maybe he should try wearing those cut-down Ugg boots! No complaints about the performance of any of the team though
At the end gotta be happy with the point which on the first half + amount of possession was definately deserved. Things to work work are creating more chances & making most of possession + set pieces were awful!
Very much agree with your sum up TORIH, we should have scored in the first half, from minute 40 we start lacking concentration and few players suddenly played out of there position and this continued in the second half. Appreciate the never given up mentality which lead to our deserved equalizer. Happy with the point though.
good point BlindFaith, we do need some real training on set pieces, sometimes that are the only chances you get in a match certainly against strong opponents.
Gary Neville and other commentator were saying they've been having extra practice at set-pieces during the week - doesn't seem to have paid off.
Our set-pieces have been awful for some time now. Maybe 3 years? Need to sort that out. On another note, I thought the Iceman was superb when he came on. Didn't put a foot wrong.
Agree Swords, thought he looked quite comfortable up there - maybe he can provide the answers for Bothroyds lack of goals - think Betty needs another forward to play off, as he's good at holding up the play but seems to have trouble getting into position for the final ball - could HH be the answer?
Agree Houston 2, for the most part anyway... but thought the fans had it right when towards the end they sang, 'one-nil to the referee...' because the boy was far too involved in both game and outcome. His earlier decisions were so harsh they compromised those that should've been made later on. The penalty against us never was - you see much worse shirt tugging than that every game in much more crucial positions and nothing happens. One of the two shouts for us should've been given but not the first one (which was hand ball alright) because Joey was fouling / obstructing Given. The second shout, the one diverting Smith's cross was hands 'cos if you look closely the defender with arms coming away from body to balance, actively fanned his hand towards the ball as it passed him. End of the day the team lost the style, purpose and momentum they've had since day one and just couldn't get the rub in the second half. Still battled well though, which suggested good character and spirit. Interesting that a number of last year's side stepped up to the mark adding some pretty solid backbone to the newbies. Hall, and subs Helguson and Smith each making significant contributions. (Couldn't believe it when HH replaced Derry - but it seemed to work so wtf!) Interesting too that we're stopping teams full of the likes of Given, Hutton, Dunne, Collins, Petrov, Ireland, Agbonlahor etc.. Despite our dip in performance today (evidenced by the number of passes that went behind the player), everything barring the referee says that should have been a Rangers win by the odd goal. Nevermind. Be interesting to see how we fare against the top clubs now... Star man for me today was Anton Ferdinand.
Gary Neville makes Richard Dunne man of the match and a minute later he scores an own goal - priceless! More seriously, I think Villa showed the rest of the premiership have woken up to us. They were defensive, organised, and aimed to get one breakaway goal through Agbonlahor. And the plan nearly worked. We're going to get this every game at LR now. And I'm not sure playing one up front at home is going to work - at least not Bothroyd.
Steelmonkey: Don't have access to video of the game - or if I do, I don't have the tech ability to put it on this machine so I followed on the BBC live text - Sam Lyons I think. He also called it a soft penalty. Still, while I know I should be happy for the point I am thinking about the two that got away
Spot on. We didnt get the bodies in the box today. And Bothroyd is in serious danger of becoming the latest in a long line of Championship strikers who don't make it at a higher level.
HH rolled on and did exactly what we know he can upset them a bit ..NW got us a point. Didn't like JB face when replaced by DJ he looked a bit dejected but put in a good shift but that shift was just about holding up ball which he scores high in my book ... Barton was quiet
That's gotta be about the worse penalty decision I ever seen - nobody apart from the referee seemed to understand why, and though you see a very slight touch in TV replays, I don't believe Abonxxxxx ever noticed it - he was asking for a corner! A frustrating game, which the equaliser only partly saved - we should have taken all the points. Woeful finishing.
Agree that Helga changed the game when he came on. In my opinion Bothroyd is never going to score a goal playing up front on his own as a hold up player, 4-5-1 at home, can't say I agree with that. Harsh penalty, slightest of tugs bought a big lump like Abonglahor brings him down, I don't think so! And yes that was hand ball on the line by Hutton. I read somewhere (may have been on here) that we are more suited to playing away from home. have to agree with that, so I fully expect us to win at Fulham next week. Happy with a point though.
It doesn't matter to me what Jonathan Pearce, Alan Shearer and Robbie Savage say, that was never a Villa penalty in a million years. No way. Absolute disgrace. I've seen it live and seen it 3 times on TV and it was never a pen. Ridiculous decision. Thank God for Dunne's equaliser, that's all I can say. 1 point is the very least we deserved. Should have started with DJ for me. I hope he starts against Fulham.
I agree. If that's a penalty then the game is doomed to become a non-contact sport. It nearly is already.
All said and done though, at least we're feeling aggrieved about only one point against Villa, not Peterborough. We've come a long way.
Agreed Taarabt/Gorrks, I was sitting in the school end, behind Agbon whats his name? And he was claiming a corner. Some good points made on this thread though, nice one houston.
