Aston Villa (Home)

[Keith B]

Were we outstanding or was Villa terrible? Yes.

 

COYB!!

 

A little of both but credit to our boys; when you play a bad team you should beat them exactly like that.

 

I can't believe how good Deulofeu has been playing.He's so dangerous with the ball. Everytime he touches it the defense has reason to worry. Will Barca buy him back? I hope not, and them beating Real 4-0 probably says they don't need him. But man, what a player. What will we have when Baines gets back and we can attack from both sides? It is going to be exciting to watch!

 

Still flying high--can't wait for next week.

[Romey 1878]

First off, Villa. They are easily the worst side I have watched us face at Goodison this season. If there was a definition of shite in the dictionary it would be Aston Villa. I feel bad for suggesting we lacked creativity in the past because after watching them yesterday I now know what it's really like to lack creativity. There was not any point during that game when I was worried about them getting back into the game. The only time they had any prolonged period of possession was when we let them because we were having a little bit of a breather or when we had our sloppy period at the beginning of the second of the half. But, as soon as we wanted the ball back and put pressure on them it was ours again; either because we took it from them or because they're dog shit with the ball and gave it back to us gift-wrapped with a bow. I thought Sunderland were bad a few weeks ago but at least they looked like they had a few threats on the pitch - Johnson could create something, Defoe could get a goal out of scraps, Fletcher will put himself about - but Villa had absolutely nothing. If Garde doesn't change things there and quickly then they're as good as gone now.

 

You'd think after a 4-0 win I'd be waxing lyrical about the performance due to it being out of this world, but I didn't think we were outstanding. Don't read that as a complaint though, it's not at all, because I thought it was a thoroughly professional performance that I am extremely pleased with. We didn't need to push ourselves to get the job done yesterday and we didn't. We just went about our business methodically and dismantled Villa with a distinct lack of fuss. Don't get me wrong there were a few outstanding bits of play from us throughout the game, none more so than for our first and fourth goals. And those bits of play showed that if, by some miracle, Villa had managed to get themselves back in the game at any point that we were more than capable of going through a few more gears and killing them off.

 

We had a few players who put top drawer performances in - eg Barkley, Deulofeu, Lukaku - but I don't think any player out there for us put a bad performance in. It truly was a quality team performance, with everyone pulling their weight and doing what they had to do. I include the subs in that too because all three of them just slotted into the machine and the performance went on seamlessly.

 

It's game like this, where teams park the bus, that we've fell down in the past, so to come away from the game having dispatched them so easily is very pleasing. It looks like the players, and manager, may have finally cottoned on to how to deal with it. Hopefully now it means we'll stop dropping as many silly points in that situation in the future.

 

The only complaint I have about the game is how we started both halves. The first half we were just too slow and without purpose in our play. But once we got our heads in the game and moved the ball forwards more we carved them open and opened the scoring, and it was never in doubt from that point on. The second half we started it so sloppily. We'd let the three goal lead go to our heads I felt, and it was like they thought they didn't need to really play in the second half. It allowed Villa to gain a bit of confidence, and that was the only time during the game when they were ever really in it. And that was only because we weren't in it at that point! We eventually gave our heads a wobble though and retook control of the game though.

 

 

Howard - Barely had a thing to do all game but saved Mori's backside after a poor back-pass and dealt brilliantly with Richardson's shot that swerved very late.

 

 

Coleman - The perfect foil for Deulofeu all game long. Whether that was through making a run to create space for Deulofeu to burst into or being available to receive a pass from him, or to give it back to him in a better position than before. And his little dink into the box for Rom's first goal was just delightful.

 

Stones - He's a bit magnificent this lad isn't he? He just floated through this game like it was effortless for him. It probably was to be honest, because at no point during the game did he look like he was even trying. He was pinging balls out wide all game, and prancing out of defence with the ball time after time. Defence isn't my love in the game of football but I could watch him play all day long.

 

Mori - Other than that one moment when he badly under hit the back pass to Howard I thought he had a very solid game. There wasn't an awful lot for him to do in all honesty but he did what he needed to do.

 

Galloway - He was also very solid defensively. He had a bit more to do than the rest in that regard because, being a young lad, Villa obviously thought they'd get more joy down his side, but he dealt with it well. While he's not great going forward he did always make himself available for the ball, which is commendable.

 

 

Deulofeu - The boy was magic and I am ever so slightly (massively) in love with him. Where Villa are the definition of shite, our Geri is the definition of excitement. Every time he got the ball I was expecting something to happen. He had Richardson on toast all afternoon, he absolutely tore him apart. He had a hand in at least three of our goals (I can't remember if he was involved in all four), which just shows how influential he's becoming for us.

 

McCarthy - I thought he really stood out yesterday. He was much more involved attacking-wise than we usually see him - he gave the ball to Deulofeu to fire into the box for Barkley's first goal. All game he was bombing forward getting involved, and I think if we gave him that freedom more often he'd be an even more important player for us. I was impressed with his off the ball defensive work too - he was harrying players left, right and centre and was the biggest reason behind us being able to get the ball back so quickly and easily throughout the game. His high energy performance was so impressive because he'd just come off playing two very important and tough international games. You wouldn't have known it though.

 

Barry - Quietly efficient. He did nothing spectacular in the game but just did exactly what he was there to do with no fuss whatsoever. He really made us tick - get the ball, give the ball to someone who can do something with it. Next! That's the Barry that was here during his loan season, and having that Gareth Barry back is one of the biggest reasons why we're performing much better this season.

 

Kone - He really deserved a goal for his efforts yesterday. I thought he put in an immense shift that has probably gone unnoticed by many. He was all over the place to get the ball, brushing people off, winning headers, holding the ball up. Barkley's second goal typified the graft of Kone and he owes that goal to Arouna - other players would've just let the keeper have it but he fought for it and the ball eventually came loose for Barkley to hammer it home. He's not the most elegant player, but he uses what he's got to great effect. I also thought he did a much better job of helping Galloway out as well.

 

 

Barkley - You could fill a page with superlatives about Ross when he plays like he did yesterday. He was fantastic, he really was. Involved in everything, floating around the pitch so he was hard to mark, having good anticipation and getting himself into excellent positions and then being clinical if an opportunity dropped to him. We're used to him getting spectacular goals but these were two opportunistic goals, which are the ones that are more likely to come along so that's pleasing. Not content with grabbing a couple of goals he also assisted Lukaku's second goal. The deftness of that pass still has me drooling now. The ball is fired at him and first time he pings it into Rom's path and it's got the perfect amount of power and pace on it so Rom doesn't even have to break stride. Absolute class, you can't teach that. Seeing him playing with a smile on his face was lovely to see, he definitely enjoyed playing yesterday. He's now on 5 goals and four assists for the season, already a huge improvement on last season and there are still plenty of games for him to get more of both. My MOTM.

 

 

Lukaku - He really is showing just how important he is to us lately, and yesterday was no different. He used his strength well (it's hugely improved, he must be working on it) and shielded the ball as much as he could (he didn't always pull it off). But the really impressive aspect of his game was his link-up play. He works so well with Barkley, Deulofeu and Kone. Whenever one of them gets the ball they look for each other instantly. There's no selfishness or greed with them, they work for each other and are pleased for each other when one of them achieves something. You can't buy that, it's priceless. His two goals were excellent, but for different reasons. Rom is often guilty of standing still after an opportunity has gone but for his first goal he was tackled in the box and the ball broke away from him, he picked himself straight back up and got himself into the perfect position to nod the ball home. That makes it sound simple but that header was anything but; it was behind him and he really needed to do a lot with it. The second goal was just pure Rom the finisher - put the ball in his path by the oppositions goal and he'll more often than not put it away. 11 goals for the season and I have no doubt there are plenty more to come. There's no reason why he can't go for consecutive seasons of scoring 20 goals (or more) after the start he's had.

[Blue 250]

Looked really good yesterday.

 

Absolutely gutted that Sky have moved the Palace game to Monday night as I had paid for a ticket on Stub Hub and non refundable train tickets to and from Kent for the Saturday.

 

Twats ! It would have been my first trip to Goodison in years and I was well excited !

 

 

 

 

Don't talk to me about trains!

 

Just got back from Liverpool, first train was cancelled, (stayed Sat night) various links were slow, late etc.We were on the wrong end of the train at Nottingham (or so they told about 100 of us, I think THEY got it wrong!) problems with some of the trains apparently were the points(one friggin cold day and it all grinds to a halt ).........oh well the train fare was 0nly £260 return for me and my son !!

 

The game on the other hand was excellent, well the result was.......Villa were the worst team I've ever seen at Goodison, how did they hold City to a draw?.

 

We are starting to click, don't spoil it Mr Martinez by getting cocky and trying to get some extra passing in, go for the throat a bit more often, that's what hurts opponents and we have the players to do it.

[barryj]

Surprised there's only 3 pages of comments on a match thread where we won 4-0! Must be a new record