Aston Villa v Leeds - Team/News/Reports/Ratings

[1964white]

Tell me what he's done that's been special then?

I'm not saying he hasn't played well, I just haven't seen anything outstanding from him.

BPF showed anticipation. athleticism & bravery when he came out of his box to head into the stands when he had a Villa forward running at speed for the same ball, he didn't look favourite to win it tbf

[Clive]

BPF showed anticipation. athleticism & bravery when he came out of his box to head into the stands when he had a Villa forward running at speed for the same ball, he didn't look favourite to win it tbf

But if he didn't get there and they scored, it would have been a mistake.

I'm sure Felix has done the same this season.

I'm pleased for him, he was thrown in at the deep end and he's done more than hold his head above water, but let's not get carried away.

[1964white]

Genuine question, is Kalvin Phillips on the pitch?

Sporting a new hair-cut

I wouldn't recommend his hairdresser

[1964white]

So do I, big style. For a young keeper, thrown in a few games ago, with a defence just out of nappys in front of him he did great.

Couldn't have worded it better 60's

Unsure what Clive expects when we have a midfielder playing RB, two kids who have played only three games between them & our 4th CB in front of BPF. When you think of Villa's attacking options such as
Snoddy, Elmohamady, Grealish, Grabban, Hogan, Kodjia & Adomah we defended well last night.

Our weaknesses were in midfield & upfront

[weasel]

BPF showed anticipation. athleticism & bravery when he came out of his box to head into the stands when he had a Villa forward running at speed for the same ball, he didn't look favourite to win it tbf

Was good to see that because, for me, it showed that his anticipation and reading of the game is improving. Any keeper can look good by making a few saves but to be a top class keeper you need to be able to read the game and get positioning right - contrast that to the goal he conceded v Wolves when he was in no mans land.

Still early doors with BPF but looked a lot better as an all-round keeper last night than in his earlier matches.

[1964white]

All our best attacking players were available tonight and we never looked like scoring.

That is because they are not very good Clive

[weasel]

However, at the end of the day we are a lot nearer Sunderland at the bottom, than Wolves at the top.

The thing is though that we have shown this season that we can at least compete with teams near the top. If you take the current top 6 and the matches when TC was manager then we had 20 minutes of domination v Wolves (scoring once and being well on top till RV got sent off), we dominated the match v Fulham apart from the opening 10 minutes and were unlucky to only draw, we comprehensively outclassed Middlesborough and would have won more comfortably but for a poor referee and we dominated and drew v Villa. Even though we were poor v both Cardiff and Millwall as their physical way of playing seemed to render us impotent we had good second halves v both those teams despite having 10 men.

Then if you look at the bottom 3 and again take the TC matches and we absolutely outclassed Sunderland (2-0), Burton (5-0) and PH's Barnsley 2-0.

It is only since PH took over that we have looked really bad v every sort of team. Under TC it was generally only the more physical sides that we really struggled again as we seemed to lose our composure on the ball - given time to really get used to the championship and I feel TC would have been able to come up with different tactics to counter this.

[1964white]

As my initial post, perhaps a brief introduction is only polite and in order......

(Well, my first game (age 9) at Elland Road was in 1973 against Liverpool, when we won 1-0. At the time we lived in a village called Dunnington, just outside York, but since then I've moved around quite a bit and since 1993 have lived in Cardiff - which I can tell you has been no great joy (from a footballing sense) since 2002 !!
'Muppet the Cat' is an unimaginative name I know, but she/our cat was sat by me when I had to think of a name.
Every photo I tried to download as an avatar was blocked as too many pixels, so I ended up with Smiley badge, maybe a good job as Muppet the Cat looks uncannily like 1964white's avatar).

Welcome to MOT Cat

Dunnington is not too far from us. We love York & black & white cats (well all cats) of course

I was at that Liverpool in the 1973/74. Mick Jones scoring the winning headed goal

[SG90]

It is only since PH took over that we have looked really bad v every sort of team. Under TC it was generally only the more physical sides that we really struggled again as we seemed to lose our composure on the ball - given time to really get used to the championship and I feel TC would have been able to come up with different tactics to counter this.

Something that is constantly ignored by the PH apologists. He has ruined Jansson, Cooper, Saiz, Alioski, Phillips, Dallas, Lasogga and Roofe from what TC did with them. He's just a poor manager, who's had nothing but excuses since day one.

[Clive]

That is because they are not very good Clive

How have we scored any goals then?

41 in 30 under Christiansen.

13 in 13 under Heckingbottom.

I don't know why but I get the impression that they're better than the manager is making them look, and it doesn't help when he doesn't play them all at the same time.

[1964white]

Can you criticize Pennington for the goal and not praise him for that goal saving tackle ?

It was a great tackle & I have to say it was Pennington's best game for Leeds

Problem is Penn is like Captain Chaos, there's always a mistake in him

Hope we don't sign him on that one decent game. We can do better !

[1964white]

How have we scored any goals then?

41 in 30 under Christiansen.

13 in 13 under Heckingbottom.

I don't know why but I get the impression that they're better than the manager is making them look, and it doesn't help when he doesn't play them all at the same time.

Championship

10 goals - Lassoga
10 goals - Roofe
01 goals - Ekuban
01 goals - Grot

Only 22 goals out of the 54 our strikers have netted

The top eleven clubs have scored more goals than us

We haven't got a goalscorer in the top 15 championship goalscorer table

Ex-players Mo Barrow & Matt Smith have scored ten goals with Billy Sharp netting 12 goals all probably on a quarter of Lassoga's salary

Grabban has scored six goals since signing for Villa in January, Mitrovic has scored ten goals in eleven games since Fulham signed him in the January window. Look where Fulham & Villa are now

Over to you Clive ?

[Clive]

Championship

10 goals - Lassoga
10 goals - Roofe
01 goals - Ekuban
01 goals - Grot

Only 22 goals out of the 54 our strikers have netted

The top eleven clubs have scored more goals than us

We haven't got a goalscorer in the top 15 championship goalscorer table

Ex-players Mo Barrow & Matt Smith have scored ten goals with Billy Sharp netting 12 goals all probably on a quarter of Lassoga's salary

Grabban has scored six goals since signing for Villa in January, Mitrovic has scored ten goals in eleven games since Fulham signed him in the January window. Look where Fulham & Villa are now

Over to you Clive ?

I said attacking players not strikers.

We usually play with one up top, if you combine Lasogga and Roofe's goals that's 20. No one would be complaining about a striker who had 20 goals.

[1964white]

Was good to see that because, for me, it showed that his anticipation and reading of the game is improving. Any keeper can look good by making a few saves but to be a top class keeper you need to be able to read the game and get positioning right - contrast that to the goal he conceded v Wolves when he was in no mans land.

Still early doors with BPF but looked a lot better as an all-round keeper last night than in his earlier matches.

BPF's confidence is growing with every game Weasel

He got a standing ovation from the Leeds fans when he was one of the last players to leave the pitch as he handed his gloves to a young fan

Snoddy also received great applause too

[1964white]

I said attacking players not strikers.

We usually play with one up top, if you combine Lasogga and Roofe's goals that's 20. No one would be complaining about a striker who had 20 goals.

20 goals from our main strikers is average & not good enough if you want success. 2 goals from our back-up forwards is feeble !

[Gandalf]

Snoddy also received great applause too.

He shouldn't have. Two blatant dives could have made it a lot worse for us. Good job he didn't have his shooting boots on, and young Pearce had him in his back pocket.

[1964white]

He shouldn't have. Two blatant dives could have made it a lot worse for us. Good job he didn't have his shooting boots on, and young Pearce had him in his back pocket.

That's how bad & frustrating it's got for our travelling fans

I saw one of the blatant dives & I half expected Snoddy to score one of those free-kicks

Pearce did a superb job on Snoddy, so pleased for young Tom

[Clive]

20 goals from our main strikers is average & not good enough if you want success. 2 goals from our back-up forwards is feeble !

Heckingbottom is the one who keeps playing Ekuban.

Grot has hardly played, he's only had one start and he keeps getting played out wide.

My point is that Heckingbottom hasn't been getting the best out of our attacking players, the stats you're using to say they're no good can also be used to say Heckingbottom hasn't been getting the best out of them, so we're gonna go round in circles here.

Of course we need better players, but it's pointless getting them if we still have a manager who can't get the best out of them or plays worse players ahead of them.

[1964white]

No!!!
It was saved by a world class goalie

It was more or less straight at their keeper, you'd expect most goalies to save it. All the same Alioski's strike was a decent effort & probably our best moment

[hector]

but the bugger still missed