A vital win in which Saints seemed to do as much as they could to hand the game to Villa.

This was very much a game of two halves, a first half where Saints looked confident and strong and a second where we seemed unable to keep the ball or clear it properly resulting in increasing Villa pressure as they sensed blood and a fragile confidence, indeed one esteemed member of this site said to me when we met up after that if Villa had scored with even five minutes to go they would have won the game and he had a point.

To take the negatives first, Villa were indeed a poor side but what they did do was fight to the last whistle, whatever their problems are, fight and a willingness to chase everything isnt an issue and the longer the game went on the more we seemed to give the ball away and fail to clear it, in the second half this wasnt a sterling rearguard action with a solid defence holding firm, this was utter chaos with Villa putting the ball into our box and our defence failing to deal with it, our two central defenders barely won a header all game and their play on the ground was just as bad and I lost count the number of times they failed to deal with a ball and clear it effectively, Clyne at right back was so so at times including in the very last seconds of the game when he controlled the ball in his own penalty area, failed to clear and almost gave the game away, he could of course be excused to some degree as he is coming back from injury but Hooiveld and Yoshida can not have the same excuse, on the left though Luke Shaw was superb and even got forward a bit more than he has done in his career so far, he does need to add a decent cross to his armoury though.

In midfield Cork and Schneiderlin battled hard as they do, Jason Puncheon came alive when he got the ball, but sadly there is no end product to him, promising runs almost always seemed to come to nothing, in this game he treaded a fine line between being poor or being man of the match, I know that sounds a little contradictory but thats how I felt he played, when he had the ball he looked like he might do something explosive but didnt, when he didnt have the ball he looked like he wasnt working hard enough to get it back but Clyne got him out of a few accusing glances by winning the ball back at times.

Gaston Ramirez dissapeared in the second half, in the first he had been lively and shown a few promising touches, but in the second as Saint needed to work hard and dig in he didnt roll up his sleeves as hard as some of his teammates and the only surprise when he came off was that it wasnt ten minutes earlier, Nigel Adkins left this one a little late at a time when there were a few tired legs out there.

On the plus side, Artur Boruc was outstanding, not only did he make two or three outstanding saves when called upon, he dominated his six yard area, several times the ball pinged across our six yard box and just as you thought a Villa boot might get there, Boruc claimed the ball in a sea of flailing limbs, he caught everything with confidence and although I would prefer to see a keeper brought in in this transfer window, Boruc showed enough in this game to suggest that he might just be good enough if we dont buy in.

Luke Shaw was outstanding as I have said and was the only player in the back four who seemed able to clear the ball cleanly and not bring further pressure on us, but some seem to forget his tender age and the fact is that 17 year olds do not have the stamina that say a 20 year old would have, and in the final ten minutes he seemed to be feeling it, continually stretching his calves during breaks in play, but even when struggling to keep with the pace he looked a better act that his three co defenders.     

Rickie Lambert worked his socks off, however too many times he was a yard off the game, however as he dropped deeper in the second half he did work some good balls with Jay Rodriguez and although this wasnt Rickie's best game, he was still effective in the fact that he had end product.

Jay Rodriguez has struggled to establish himself at Saints, in my opinion mainly as to the fans he isnt Rickie Lambert, but in this game Jay added something up front that Rickie doesnt have and that is pace, he ran the channels, he chased down defenders and at a time when Villa were dominating the game he provided a constant threat and an outlet to relieve the pressure, with respect to Rickie if he had been the loan striker in that second half we would have been in trouble because he isnt mobile enough, but with Rodriguez doing all the running, it enabled Rickie to sit deeper and battle in other areas, Jay Rodriguez contribution to this game should not be overlooked he covered a lot of ground.

But all that really matters in the end is that we came away with the three points, we won and we won ugly, but hopefully NIgel Adkins will be under no illusions that this was a great performance, this was one of those games you get every now and then when you get battered but inexplicably you come away with three points, Leeds last season for example, the worrying thing in my book is how we can look so confident and strong in one game and in the next start panicking or in this case strong in one half desperate in the next. We are still perhaps three good players in the right positions away from being a decent mid table side, sadly our problem is that we have put the icing on the cake before we have put in some of the layers and thats why ours is a fragile confidence.

Some will say Im being a little negative and that we won and they are right, but in these verdicts I try to tell it how it was and for those at Villa it was a long second half I can tell you, I went with around 6 or 7 others, some who come on this website and some who dont and to be honest I have written the match verdict as much from their opinions as my own, but to finish this was a great win, one that was very much needed given the results elsewhere, but it gives us breathing space and although we are still a long way from that finishing line, a couple of more wins will see us almost at the final bend.        

Photo: Action Images

saint22 added 11:35 - Jan 13 Pretty spot on really, Villa wre there for the taking and tbh we got lucky, albeit happily! Ramirez looks well short if what we need this season not to mention over priced! We still need those centre backs though as well as Jos & Yoshida did we can't risk another injury
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Whatsforpud added 11:40 - Jan 13 Nick, no mention of the penalty incident. The TV replays suggest that Rodriguez dived. If that is the case, it wasn't a great way to get three points. However, the defence managed to hold firm (somehow, from your account), which is a continuation of recent league performances.
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SaintNick added 11:45 - Jan 13 I didnt have a great view of the incident and I havent yet seen it on Tv thats something for later
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Rednose added 12:06 - Jan 13 Last night everybody kept on about diving here diving there, got so fed up with it I turned over! Glad eddie the eagle got through tho, but wont be the same without Caprice :-) Regarding the JRod incident, had a bit of an exchange of words with a guy on the daily Echo site before seeing match of the day and it confirmed what I thought. My view: Puncheon was taken out, guess no foul tho, Goalies are bullet proof, unless taking a little too long with a goal kick. JRod is a very intelligent player I think new knew he could make the touch to Rimerez but not control the ball as the defender and Villa in general were very committed in closing down and winning the ball, so pulled his leg. Yes he went down, but not theatrically and there was no appeal. What's more in getting up he seemed surprise at the decision and I'm sure he mouthed "I didn't dive". Aston Villa Fans will always be aggrieved, so would have I and have been this season, Pompy fans will always give a wind up, but shame on the motd presenters trying to make more of it than it was. There was just as much evidence to prove he was not playing for a pen, but I guess that's not conducive to a self opinionated talking point from the motd panel. No, all JRod was guilty of was moving his leg before the Villa player broke it. Positive thoughts for mid week I hope COYR.

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brady100 added 12:21 - Jan 13 Ramirez for me is only in the game for about 20 mins each game and must start showing more for what we paid for him. Much as Punch has improved immeasurably this season, again for me he only has one cumbersome speed, is a poor decision maker on the counter attack, lacks urgency and the cutting edge we require. I suggested Hooiveld should have started vs Villa, however I can see nothing short o fa cricket score if he and Fox play at Chelsea. His mobility is exceptionally poor for this level (hence the penalty count) and against clever players with a low center of gravity we will be in trouble. As for Fox...he simply can not defend!!

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Christine added 12:26 - Jan 13 Rednose added 12:06 - Jan 13 There was just as much evidence to prove he was not playing for a pen, but I guess that's not conducive to a self opinionated talking point from the motd panel. No, all JRod was guilty of was moving his leg before the Villa player broke it. Positive thoughts for mid week I hope COYR. A aimilarpANEL PICKED3
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Christine added 13:01 - Jan 13 Christine added 12:26 - Jan 13 Rednose added 12:06 - Jan 13 There was just as much evidence to prove he was not playing for a pen, but I guess that's not conducive to a self opinionated talking point from the motd panel. No, all JRod was guilty of was moving his leg before the Villa player broke it. Positive thoughts for mid week I hope COYR, A similar panel picked this up a few weeks back, so some of them do notice. The question that then needs answering? was it a penalty? I can only go back to when CMS did a bunny hop well clear of the player and subsequently got sent off. Telling the ref in no uncertain terms why would he do something so stupid. The referee could not fault the players own analysis and immediately sent him off. Well done to the defender for managing to get a foot the thickness of a rizla such the ref could see it come out the other side, but just who is any half wit going to believe?

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michaeljoycetf added 13:04 - Jan 13 An excellent 1st half where we played some of the best football this season and enjoyed 60/40 possession. playing 2 up front with Ramirez just behind is in my view our best formation, Puncheon and Clyne are developing a formidable partnership and threatened continually down the left. Credit to Villa, they began the 2nd half with an extra man up front to give their main striker some support, the consequence was to put increased pressure on our defence who coped admirally throughout, its true that we lived dangerously at times but thats football. this was an end to end contest with both sides giving their best. The 'Verdict' was negative and over critical. We can and should be proud of our teams performance and look upon it as something to continue building on. A good win away from home and a clean sheet should be enough to put a smile on all our faces The ONLY downside to this game was the injury to Luke Shaw, I understand that his knee was gashed, lets hope that its not too serious and that he recovers quickly.

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michaeljoycetf added 13:06 - Jan 13 oops, should read down the right
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StSaint added 14:43 - Jan 13 This all seems a bit gloomy. Considering we had Hooiveld at CB (who is a complete liability and unsettles the rest of the defence) with Yoshida for the first time, I thought it was a great result. Yes Villa missed a load of chances in the second half and our penalty was fortunate, though it is good to see our luck turning. Winning when not playing well is seen as a triumph for most teams, though there seem to be a lot of miserable saint fans on hear. At this point in the season I would much rather this outcome than us playing well and coming away with nothing. Will be nice for the nerves to have a game to nothing on Wednesday. Anything less than a drubbing will be a plus.

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Paul_Soton added 14:43 - Jan 13 Here's something no-one's mentioned. 4-4-2!!! That's 4 wins, 4 draws, 2 losses over the last 10 games. I'm very happy with that!!!
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WestEndBoy added 14:56 - Jan 13 If that was us on the receiving end of that dive yesterday nothing would be said.Its only because Villa are a so called 'big club'.We still would have got our 15 second match analysis on MOTD and SKY.Who cares how we won - If Adkins came out talking negative and blaming match officials every time we lost then he wouldnt be in a job now.Villa had enough chances to win that match any way.Think Paul Lambert would be best taking the Adkins approach and getting on with things.Also shame on Tony Cottee saying Shaw was faking the injury-No mention when he got stretchered off

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Bulgarian added 15:23 - Jan 13 We are not miserable fans - we are quite happy, incredibly happy indeed: it was an unbelievable win. But this does not negate the fact that our 2nd half performance was worrying to say the least. It was not only the defence and midfield - it was what we did going forward as well. There seems to be a worrying pattern: most of our frontmen (JRod, Punch, Guly, sometimes even SRL) don't seem to believe they could score while trying their luck from distance or having been gifted a goalscoring position by sloppy defenders. As a whole the team seems to lose his belief in its capability of winning, West Brom and Liverpool the most obvious examples with our 2nd half againts Villa yesterday. We must definitely build on our determination to finish off games we started well (the major responsibility for instilling this lies to NA). Shooting with more purpose could be crucial - Spider and Cork have tried to do that recently, but they lack the accuracy. We should also avoid the pretty front playing as if we dream of entering the 6 yard box before slotting home. Puncheon tries to break this pattern, but sadly his shots are generally quite week. Ramirez - let us all give this boy some more time. He is really a different type of player that reads the game differently than his colleagues, so he will demand more time to adapt to the English game. For him this will be make or break in England, but he clearly deserves this patience. In a way criticising him is somewhat similar to what Berbatov was receiving back at ManU: was he slow, selfish, unadequate, lost or it was his reading of the game that made many fans impatient and subsequently negative? Ramirez can develop into a unique attacking midfielder should we allow him to adapt to our style. Wednesday: Cork should definitely be CB (with Martin on the bench). Maybe Clyne should switch to LB if the dilemma is Fox of Richardson. We are more capable than the relegation battlers prediction reads, so now's the time to show it.

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DJI added 16:04 - Jan 13 Personally I am chuffed with the away win and 3pts more to help us climb up the league, especially with two very tough games in the next 8 days. I thought our 1st half performance was excellent and was really pleased to see J-Rod playing up top. I think he is a real prospect and feel he brings something extra with his pace, movement and harassing defenders; we don't get that from Rickie. In away games where we going to play a lone striker, I would always start with Jay to help us defend from the front. Rickie holds the ball up well but is winning less battles in the air these days with his back to goal. As for the penalty; well lady luck smiled on us yesterday for a change. Sadly the Media have branded Jay a cheat for diving and "conning' the referee (Olly Holt's words). This despite Jay looking surprised at the decision, not calling for it and saying clearly he didn't dive. In the same day, Mata falls easily at Stoke and no column inches or TV punditry is dedicated to it? I think it scandalous that Jay is getting the stick due to lazy journalism and hope The Club make a strong, public defence of him. As an aside; in the away end, why was your mate dressed as a French onion seller yesterday Nick?

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SaintNick added 18:08 - Jan 13 They werent with me yesterday so i have no idea why they were dressed up
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Scummer added 18:20 - Jan 13 A very important 3 points and a clean sheet, although that was more down to Villa's profligacy n front of goal than anything else. What drives me nuts is that the only criteria applied to penalty decisions in the media is "was there contact"? If a player slows down in the area and a defender touches the back of them then they are "entitled" to go down. If a player slides to block a shot and they leave their leg hanging until it makes contact, then they go down and immediately turn to the ref. Apparently that is clever play. Playing for a foul and conning the ref is gamesmanship, or what most of us call cheating. The attempted tackle on Jay Rod missed the ball. The defenders foot ended up about five inches past where his ankle was. It was mistimed and reckless (like some others in the game) and JRod seemed more intent on avoiding injury than conning the ref. He looked horrified when the players started accusing him of diving. Perhaps he is a better actor than I realise, but I really think that there was no intent on his part.

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WestEndBoy added 18:42 - Jan 13 No one in the media is mentioning the fact that the keeper Guzan chopped down Puncheon.Halsey could of easily given it for that.Although there was no contact both challenges were reckless and clumsy especially as JRod was going away from goal.
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stmichael added 21:39 - Jan 13 There does not need to be contact for a free kick to be given. If a player has to avoid a lunge then he has been impeded. At the very least that lunge was obstruction and obstruction in the box is a penalty. He took evasive action and it was necessary to do so. Without the evasive action he would have been fouled. Yesterday we had to battle against a very committed wounded Villa side. To say they are a poor side is disrespectful and lazy. There are no poor sides in this division and no easy 3 points especially away from home. It was the proverbial 6 pointer and we had to battle. Like Stoke they had nothing to lose 2nd half and at this stage of our development it was always going to be backs to the wall. We won because all 11 players put a great shift in. Very very happy.

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davepid added 21:45 - Jan 13 I thought we played quite well and deserved our 3 points .If another team cant slot away their chances then too bad. I thought there were positives to all our players ,except maybe Hoo and Ramirez,summed up with a bit more grit and determiantion than in earlier games this season. Although I know Puncheon somehow lets himself down with the final touch he showed some examparly maturity by trying to slow the game down towards the end. I think Boroc's performance deserved more praise :the best keeper performance this season ,I would suggest. And we got three points. We didn't do that against Stoke or Swansea . We won it messy- style rather than Messi -style, but who cares.

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ItchenNorth added 13:11 - Jan 14 I thought we played well. We controlled the game for 70mins and during this time I was never really worried about what Villa had to offer. Yes Boruc made one great save down to his right but he commanded his box superbly throughout. We don’t need to go looking for another keeper imo; we have other priorities directly in front of him. For me the only time Villa came into the game was when their fans finally made some noise in reaction to Luke Shaw going down. Frustration finally getting the better of them and the players reacted for one final push and put us under pressure in the last 20mins. Apart from that Villa were very poor. I spent the day with two Villa Park regulars and they are really worried about their team and they certainly wouldn't agree with your statement ‘whatever their problems are, fight and a willingness to chase everything isnt an issue’. From what I've seen I’d tend to agree. Boruc, Shaw and Schneiderlin were excellent. In the end a great 3 points and solid a performance.

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TimSaint added 16:32 - Jan 14 I had a slightly different perspective on the game...... so read on !! By the time my mates could decide whether or not they wanted to go, we had sold out - so I went up to the game with 2 Villa mates - yes there are 2 Villa fans in Basingstoke !! We were sat in the North Stand Lower, to the right of the Saints fans. I had a very similar view to Saints fans in the lower tier and paid just £20 for the ticket. The Villa fans were not too optimistic before the match and this showed in the first half, as well as the 2nd - with some leaving at half time and many more, with 15-20 mins remaining. After the game, they were all saying that they would not have scored if they were playing all night !!! I kind of felt this too, but of course, the last 10 mins took an eternity to pass :o) Having only 32,500 at Villa Park probably made it a little easier for Saints. Boruc - good performance, commanded the box, caught everything for once, but a bit out of position at times, especially had some of the benteke efforts actually been on target. Clyne - did very well on 1st game back - and was particularly strong. Cleared most things well enough and linked up well with Punch. Shaw - good solid performance - even had a shot from a tight angle, but may have been better off pulling it back. He got a knock in 2nd half, which was probably why he kept stretching. Hoover - Did well for a (now) squad player, but was always going to be difficult for him against 6ft 6in Benteke. Clean sheet so no complaints. Yoshi - won some good headers and made some good clearances - some good distribution as well. Morgan - lots of running and good play - needs to work on his shooting, but otherwise solid. Cork - needs to shoot when the opportunity presents itself, gave the ball away a few times, but then creates as well - so I guess you have to try these things. Punch - according to some villa fans when he was substituted, he was our best player. Acres of space of the right - not direct enough and should shoot earlier - but unluckily hit the post. Ramirez - Good in 1st half, but poor and afraid to get stuck in. Perhaps this was down to the "assalt tackle" on him in the first half and lots of other fouls. JROD - My MOM - tireless running in the channels and chasing down lost causes. Had a couple of decent chances as well - but lacked killer instinct, or the final pass. Performance only bettered by the Newcastle home game. SRL - A quieter game from our Rickie, but he put in a shift and always had 2 men on him, which gave JRod a bit more room to exploit the villa back line with his pace. Was always going to put the pen to the right, after the almost saved effort at Fulham. Subs - Fox, SdR, Davis All hands to the pumps - clear the lines !! SdR could have run the ball down the wing more - giving the defence time to re-group - but for some reason, always stopped and passed back or inside. Anyway - a massive 3 points for us and hopefully we can push on from here, especially with the signing of a new defender and winger. Not expecting anything from Wednesday, so hopeful of a good performance and 3 points in a week's time.

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scummerlou added 09:31 - Jan 15 A massive 3 pts in the battle to stay up, and as has been mentioned, it might have been an "ugly" 3 pts, but that is sometimes needed. The win was achieved with a 4-4-2 formation, which we seem happy playing. I feel that we brought players in the summer to suit that style and then changed to the new "modern" EPL formations, which didnt suit us. Another good show from Shaw, who seems to be getting forward a bit more in recent weeks, just need to work on his delivery. Also a better show from Boruc....although still not sure he is the answer for our GK situation, but just may have enough about him to keep us up. Would like to see us go defensive up at Chelski, pack out the midfield and make us V hard to breakdown, and look to play on the break.... COYR

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