Maybe the two substitutions that we made later on in the game wouldn’t have changed the result, but I felt the decision to bring on Grealish and Bacuna was wrong. For me, N’Zogbia offered a more attacking threat than any other Villa player, so I don’t know why Lambert took him off; maybe he thought he was tired? But I’d rather have a slightly fading N’Zobia than a super fit Bacuna; he was dreadful when he came on.
Grealish shouldn’t have been put on the pitch at all, especially at such a critical time in the match. Villa was hanging on for a draw, and with the intensity so high, I think he would’ve needed a lot more game experience in his bag to be expected to play to the level that was required of him, at that moment in time. Grealish will have his day but he needs to be managed right if he’s to find his potential.
Our defence deserved more than what they got! To be on the losing side will be a bitter pill for them to swallow, the management need to tell them that they were awesome, all of them! For me, Baker got my Man Of The Match, but all the starting 11 deserve praise for making a game of it for so long, even though Delph should’ve closed down Toure before he scored city’s first goal. Yes I hate losing, but I think we can hold our heads high, our performance and determination to compete was there for all to see. The spending power of the opposition is so much higher than ours, which might be the real difference for us not holding out for the entire 90. UTV
“…hate losing, but I think we can hold our heads high…”
Again? If this keeps on we’ll all be needing neck-braces after a season of supporting “Brave Little Villa But They Just Couldn’t Hold Out Until The End”. Will that fit on a scarf?
Totally agreed with you, Glenn. Spot on – without those 2 subs we stood a chance of a draw at least. For me there should have been one sub on 70 mins – Sanchez for Richardson – period.
the efforts there ,but the difference in class
Is huge. Tactically Lambert was wrong in taking. N,zog
off.until we get a toure in midfield,cleverly
Another average player. Need striker urgent
Gabby, awol again wingers Mr Lambert .this
30pr cent ball retention is woeful. Season ahead
Forecast GRIM,
A football journalist on the World Service last night said ‘Benteke was a wasted substitution as Lambert didn’t change Villa’s tactics to take account of the fact that Benteke was now on the pitch.’
Put more simply: our manager is stupid.
Can’t agree with that comment about Benteke. Villa were just not given much chance to get forward after he came on, and he looked as though he lacked match fitness. Getting him on for 30 minutes wasn’t a bad idea.
If Lambo had not used the subs he’d be criticised for not making them, for not giving Benteke game time. Sure he looked rusty he’s had six months out.
The two subs he brought on didn’t help us. Would Sanchez have helped us, probably not.
I also would of left zog on. And weiman should ov stayed on aswell only bcus he does chase and hurry defenders. We should of made one change , grealish for richardson!!
hindsight is a wonderful thing, I don’t believe the subs changed the game, city ,in the end overpowered us.
I do agree though, 30% possession week in week out is not going to win you many games, away from home fair enough, but at home we need to put the opposition on the back foot more, play higher up the pitch, the last few seasons home form proves we’re not doing something right !
Were these… “subs-because-changed-tactics-needed-it” ?
Subs for “injuries” – “”tiredness”- “dynamic manager hopes” ?
Jeez:-)
As Cameron Diaz says in ‘Gambit’ –“Wrong,Wrong,Wrong, Hoss!”
The World and Man City knew that CB would come on for a foray – hence Man City’s immediate sub.
The next 2 subs were utterly pointless, as they removed the “potential” links to CB whilst showing the ‘Manager’ to be a man with bravado.
Our love affair and “awe” about Roy K will slowly diminish, as we all come to realise that he is not a football intellectual, just a hard-case like Pearce, who can play bad-cop to Paul L’s ‘good-cop’.
You were right – wrong decisions about the subs !
Just need to educate the NZog on passing, especially if he has CB ahead of him, as he will. BUT DIDN’T
BECAUSE LAMBERT IS A THICKO, LIKE KEANE.
🙂
I actually thought it was Pellegrini’s change of Dzeko off for Fernando that turned the game from end to end to all Man City. Allowed Yaya Toure to move into a more advanced role where he’s at his best and gave Man City that extra man in midfield