It was 2 goals at the end of each half that was the undoing for Villa today, and a few other little things too, and if we’re to go down into the Championship, you can thank Lerner for not acting sooner in getting rid of the last manager, as the damage was already done before Sherwood came to the Villa. But we are where we are, and I’ll try not to harp on about it every time we have a bad result.
But I do believe that we still have a chance of staying up, and I think that Scott Sinclair is the key to our survival. Considering how long he’s been out of first team football, Sinclair was head and shoulders above most of the Villa players today. Sinclair scored a brilliantly headed goal, and if we were to get another, then it looked like it was only going to come from his head or boot.
Villa need to stick with Benteke all the way to the end of the season, as there is no one else worthy to play centre forward for the Villa. The big man didn’t have his best game today, but if we continue to try to give him the right service, then hopefully he’ll find his goal scoring touch pretty quick. We need Christian, because you can forget about Weimann and Gabby to bang in the goals for Villa, they’re just not up to it.
In fact, Gabby shouldn’t be in the starting line up of any remaining match this season; he just hasn’t been doing anything to justify his place in the side lately. We all know he isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, and yes he’s one of us, but most of his performances this season have proved that a place on the bench is at best all he deserves. I don’t like having to say this, but he just doesn’t have any football nous.
I was hoping that Sherwood was going to sub Sanchez early on in the second half; I know that the manager feels that our midfield is a little on the small side, but it was quite evident to me, that Sanchez needed to be taken off and replaced with either Westwood or Cleverly, who might have added a little bite to our midfield. Sanchez looked as if he was tiring early on in the second half, and already having one yellow card too his name, I thought he looked like the prime suspect for acquiring a second, but that was left to someone else as it disastrously turned out for Villa.
If only we could have hung on for a point, but it wouldn’t have been right, the tale always seems to have a nasty twist at the end for the Villa, like it doesn’t for other football teams. But now we’ve got that hoodoo out-of-the-way, let‘s hope that we start to pick up some results, starting next week at Newcastle. UTV
It was a distressing sight seeing the team revert to hoof and hope tactics. I am not at all sure that the players have the intelligence or skill to play football going forward. Sinclair had a very good game and provided the only bright spot of the afternoon but there was little else to be cheerful about. Sanchez who I believe is probably the most gifted player we have appeared to be a yard too slow for the premiership and was caught in possession a number of times and in the end his late arrival at tackles put him in danger of seeing red. Ron Vlaar is usually a steadying influence but his positional play for the first Stoke goal and his wild challenge for the penalty just about summed up our day. We will need more than enthusiasm to get us out of this.
Looking at the group of teams around us and its clear to see that its a matter of 12 ‘more’ points to survive, maybe 10 and that would include our last match to Burnley (not a prospect to look forward to with Villa’s track record of ‘must win attitude’). I can’t see any of the other 3 teams around us getting more than 9 points from their remaining games but Burnley do have the last game against Villa and I sense that it will go to the wire with the possibility of Villa relagated on goal difference!
Asked regards the team I thought Sherwood would select and I have to say I was shocked in his selection. Prior to seeing the teamsheet I made comment to saying that I would definitely not play Sanchez. Reason,for this game he would be far to slow, not have the room or time for creativity and be out muscled. Gill would have been another that I would deem to lightweight for Stoke. Gabby wouldn’t have started this match either, simply because Stoke were never going to play a high line, we were not looking to catch Stoke on breakaways but did need to play the ball into front positions for our forwards to move into and play off each other. I would have started with Westwood as our deadball man and also through his creativity and speed to back track ( to use Tims words a “no brainer). Westwood also offers the grit and determination without the risk of giving needless free kicks away. I would also have definitely started Bacuna, no doubt. Up front would have been Weimnan playing off Benteke. Why Villa managers seem insistent on playing Weiman as a winger is beyond me. So, that’s what I expected, a battling midfield and width to supply our front men, funny enough, same as the Leicester game! That we won! My only other change would be in the form of captain, it’s got to be Delph. Most teams are better suited to a midfield captain and over the years it proved a success at Villa, also, I’ve never heard Vlar give instruction. We desperately need a leader, with desire, and commitment to the club.
For me it’s obvious. Lerner has screwed up every single managerial appointment he’s made and every single one has had us in relegation scrap, not just Lambert like the short-memoried of us seem to think.
Until the bloke leaves, every manager we have will be a failure due to lack of funds. He played a masterstroke telling us he was selling up to get us off his back, he isn’t going anywhere!
I just hope we can scrape a way to stay up, even though in my heart I feel Lerner has already done the damage.