Apologies for the delay on this one, I haven’t had much chance to look at the data and ESPN have introduced significant changes to their match graphics which have made things difficult for me. They say a picture paints a thousand words, this will be graphically heavy I feel.
Firstly, the old cliché about a game of two halves couldn’t be more apt, could it? Villa were woeful during the first half. The opening gambit with Clark moving the
A breathless second half, with a vastly more energised Villa performance, was not enough to prevent Arsenal leaving Villa Park with the spoils, the two unanswered goals during the first period being the difference at the final whistle.
Goals from Arshavin and Nasri during the final 6 minutes of the half capped an irresistible display from Arsenal, Ashley Young’s half-volley over the bar the only reply. Villa threatened to make a fist of things when Ciaran Clark got
One of the great things about football (sometimes) is the variety of opinions, some more valid than others. Fans are particularly vociferous in expressing those opinions after a loss. I’ve read them all. Take your pick of the players not playing yesterday; that’s why we lost. We missed Albrighton. We missed Collins. We missed a big man in the middle. Downing should play on the left. Ireland is rubbish.
If only it were that
I joked on Twitter after the game that I just couldn’t be bothered writing this, making me the Stephen Ireland of the blogosphere. Sometimes things are funny because they’re true, sometimes they’re not funny for precisely the same reason. I’m not laughing much right now.
I didn’t get chance to do a preview post yesterday, but I figured having played Blackburn so many times last season we all ought to have a good idea what we’d be in for.
I’ve taken my sweet time with this one on purpose. I generally have a pretty good idea what the headline numbers look like by the final whistle and I know the more technical statistics almost immediately after the game has finished these days. If taken in isolation, these stats wouldn’t make encouraging reading, but that only serves to prove why we should take time look at these things as a whole and recognise that nothing can be “proven”
Wow! What can you say about that? I’m still trying to catch my breath.
Honestly, when I saw the teamsheets confirm the early whisper that Ciaran Clark was out, replaced by Jonathon Hogg, and Ireland too would be missing, Chris Herd and Shane Lowry taking their places on the bench, I feared a mauling. Especially when I saw that Utd weren’t as weakened as I hoped.
In fairness, it was a slightly timid start, not unexpectedly, and Utd opened up
I’m a little short on time right now, so I’m just going to dump the numbers and run. One thing I just want to draw your attention to is the possession. I had a conversation with someone on Twitter recently who felt that our share of possession under Houllier has been less than in the past. I’m not convinced that is the case, in fact, while it’s too early to say really, it look extremely similar to
It might not have quite been the Thrilla at the Villa I expected during the opening 45 minutes, but it sparked into life during a great 2nd half with no shortage of drama, James Collins heading in a last minute, emphatic winner when it looked like three points had once again been thrown away with minutes to go against a Blackpool that featured 10 changes.
In truth, there could have been considerably more goals if Marlon Harewood had finished several 1st
Fulham weren’t anything close to spectacular, yet the stats show that their point wasn’t undeserved, contrary to what a lot of Villa fans felt at the final whistle, which begs the question of why we should find much to be encouraged by.
Well, four academy graduates in the side and all did well, Bannan’s superb pass and Albrighton’s take down and shot set those two apart. The chalkboards will reveal exactly why Houllier didn’t want the ball in the air