Wrong, wrong, wrong. (AV 0 WA 2)

August 15, 2009 by Steve Orchard
Filed under: Aston Villa 

I genuinely don’t like criticising anything about Aston Villa as I’ve been a supporter for 35 years and things have generally been pretty good, on the whole, in the last three years or so. Today though, I am miserable because I think I have to criticise Martin O’Neill for this rather abject performance against Wigan Athletic. In fairness, I did say that Wigan would win comfortably in my last post, well, almost!!

I think MON got the team wrong today and I’m more convinced than ever that Petrov cannot play in a 4-4-2. Also, to throw Delph straight in, and leave both Sidwell and Reo-Coker on the bench wasn’t a clever idea. I am not the biggest fan of either of those players and think they’ll be replaced and I’m sure Delph will be a great player over the years to come but today he looked a little out of his depth. We should have gone solid and made sure that we got something out of the game. I feel it’s important NOT to lose your first game.

Losing Carew before the game didn’t help us but we can’t keep making excuses about a lack of squad depth and then do nothing, or very little about it. The transfer window closes in just over two weeks and Villa need at least 4 more players in my opinion.

Warnock would be a good start. Nicky Shorey just doesn’t cut it at this level for me. He’s too small and isn’t a first team player. We need two leaders in the middle at the back and I also still feel that we need a playmaker in the middle of the park. We’re not in Sneijder’s league and I can’t see that one happening. Probably more like Jenas!!

Who do we sign? I don’t know, that’s MON’s job, get on with it. The Villa fans paid their money and quite rightly boo’d at the end of the game. A really disappointing crowd of 35,000 would have swelled had MON have brought in some additional quality. The players we have got in are solid without being exciting and I just sense that the tide might be turning against MON a little. Another couple of defeats and things might starting getting a bit fruity.

I like the fact that MON doesn’t dress things up. He said that we were poor and were second best. He’s right, but now he needs to do something about it. I haven’t lost faith in him but I do question how slow he appears to be in the market. I love his honesty and his quirky manner but I want Villa to move forward again this season.

One defeat does not make a season and there’s no panic at Villa. There might be, amongst fans, if MON doesn’t pull a couple of more than solid transfers off.

Villa 0 Wigan 2. Wrong, just wrong.


Comments

6 Comments on Wrong, wrong, wrong. (AV 0 WA 2)

  1. Rapscallion on Sat, 15th Aug 2009 23:29

    2. MON got a lot of things wrong before the match even started.

    How can you go through pre season playing sidwell and Reo in midfield and than shaft them. How can you play 442 with a one inexperienced midfield player in Delph.

    You can’t!! 442 does not work for villa. Siddy and reo should have started alongside petrov. There was no engine in the engine room.

    The back 4?? LOL habib beye… Nuff said. I agree what you stated about shorey. And our prefered CB. Either davies needs to learn Spanish or carlos English. They were both ordinary..

    We don’t need anymore strikers… MON…hahahahahahaha are you kidding me.

    Bring them together MON or your going to lose them. The likes of siddy and reo would have relished playing against wigan in GB abscence. Instead you shoved them on the bench…

  2. Leigh on Sat, 15th Aug 2009 23:35

    3. Nicely put. I agree that it is important to make a solid start.
    Today was not good. I like the fact that Martin buys promising
    young players, but we need some real established players, especially
    at the back. Our defence has looked awful for some time.

    The priority has to be defenders and good ones, not young promising
    ones.

  3. Chris on Sun, 16th Aug 2009 9:05

    4. Everybody but MON can see that Petrov cannot play in 4-4-2. Look at the terrible results and performances over the last few months of last season after we switched to that formation (and he had Barry alongside him then!!)

    In the Peace cup we were awful for the first one and half games then as soon as Petrov gets injured we look a totally different side. In the freindly against Fiorentina we did not miss him. And then MON brings him straight back in against Wigan and we look a shambles again.

    Start Sidwell (or Delph) and Reo-Coker in the middle or switch to a 5 man midfield to accommodate Stan.

  4. Steve Orchard on Sun, 16th Aug 2009 10:10

    5. Playing Petrov at all, having been injured for a couple of weeks, is also a strange decision and means that he is officially the teachers pet. Now he’s been made captain, I can see him playing every week, oh joy!! We’ll struggle with this formation, with Petrov in there etc.

    Sell Sidwell and Re-Coker, bring in better quality, I don’t care. BUT JUST GET IT DONE!!!

  5. RLS on Sun, 16th Aug 2009 14:55

    6. Totally agree with Rapscallion

    To not play NRC or The Ninja today was criminal. Why play Petrov when he aint fully fit ? And where was Delph is a fantastic prospect, i dont feel it was right for him to start. Easing him in slowly is the better option imo.

    As for the defence, they looked like complete strangers. Shorey is too sloppy, and CC and CD need to get it together and fast. And as for Beye, why start someone who has not played in any pre season matches for us. It was unfair to him.

    AY was well marked, and needs to keep a cool head, and stop throwing himself to the floor. Should have scored, but Bramble did somethign right for a change.

    Heskey looked shit, and Gabby dint get a sniff.

    WAKE UP BOYS, THE SEASON HAS STARTED ALREADY !

  6. thevillan on Sun, 16th Aug 2009 20:12

    7. Couldn’t agree more with your post, the lack of transfer activity is not the only issue that needs resolving. The formation needs looking at needs some tinkering at make it more fluent & flexible.

    In terms of signings we need 2 quality centre backs one of which needs to be a leader of men, agree that Shorey needs replacing both full backs rarley got in wigans half yesterday and young was often up against 3 opponents.

    Formation wise I would play a 4 3 3 variation with a deep lying midfielder, a work horse and a creative player making up the 3, this would make it imperative that we get the right full backs to join in attack and give young and milner more creative freedom. That leaves big john up front.

    So back to the transfer market as well as 2 cb and a lb we need a dm and a cm, if we can get these players I would off load sidwell or nrc, shorey & Harewood.

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