Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
Albion 4 Bristol City 1
Saturday 21st November 2009, 5:20PM GMT.
Albion are back on top of the Championship after another free-scoring show at the Hawthorns which left Bristol City dishevelled.
Two goals in each half took the Baggies total to 11 in the last three games and took Robert Di Matteo’s free-flowing team leapfrogging over Newcastle in their duel at the top.
The Baggies were in control from a blistering start to the game which saw Jerome Thomas open the scoring with a fierce, right-foot drive as he cut in from the left flank.
That was after three minutes and just nine minutes later some typical Albion play took them two in front – a wonderful Graham Dorrans pass dropping behind for Chris Brunt to control and take round Dean Gerken before scoring from an acute angle.
A furious start to the second half settled the match as a contest.
The visitors were sliced open twice in as many minutes with the unfortunate Louis Carey putting the ball into his own net on 46 minutes after Simon Cox had burst clear and squared the ball across the area.
Then came the finishing blow as Thomas picked out Cox with another wonderful pass for the striker to slide past a startled Gerken.
That Paul Hartley gave City a consolation goal with a mighty free-kick eight minutes from the end – and it needed something special to beat an excellent Scott Carson in this game – was a minor irritation for Albion.
They enjoyed a series of outstanding performances throughout the team – Brunt, Cox, Jara and Zuiverloon were all on top of their game and are once again pulling clear of the play-off contenders.
Joe Mattock was stretchered off before the break with a foot injury but it was later confirmed not to be as serious as first thought.
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OH ITS SUUUUCH A PERFECT DAAAAAY
Mick Mcarthy: Dont ask me how to beat Chelsea i ‘avent got a clue, tell you what tho ask that lad down the road, he knows a thing or too
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Bristol must have wondered what hit them. They were giving almost as good as they got…2-0.
Second half 4-0 and there was still a MATCH on. Bristol City will beat many teams in this Division. Carson made as many saves as Gerken and some were breathtaking. If anyone comes on here and criticises Carson again, they should be excommunicated. WE now have a team that plays football as good as anyone, defends stoutly, (Meite has even matched our hero Jonas at the back), probably found a poacher up front and I won’t insult you by pointing out it’s Cox, Lol. Man of the match? Any one of them, even our goalkeeper although the score suggests differently. I would suggest Roberto, as pragmatic as ever, “1-0 would give us the same three points”.
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I forgot to add that no one could have expected such a high quality match in appalling conditions. The pitch was superb. Bristol supporters were in fine voice too and what a turn out on a day fit only for ducks. I even stuffed my Express and Star down my trouser legs, Army fashion, to soak up the water! (Kept the crossword though).
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who scored fust us or chelsea reserves aye boing boing WEEM TOP OF THE LEAGUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
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i just bin on dingles page, wot was LW saying last week about um backing the manager,aye boing boing down
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i thought dingles did well they hung on for 4 mins aye boing boing
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Great performance. EVERY player was on top of their game. Bristol played a part in a cracking game but we were superb yesterday.
Where are all the snipers, doubters and negative posters……?
No team in the division could live with that performance. We could have scored 10 – Carson was great as well. Assured and pulled off a 2 or 3 cracking saves.
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Excellent performance, excellent result against a very good side in Bristol City. Confidence high with players still to come back. If we can open up a gap between us and 3rd place, that will stand us in good stead. UP THE BAGGIES!!!
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What a great game,a good win for us over a very good Bristol side….
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Walking up to the game listening to Tom Ross on my little radio, Tom was asking their various ex-player/summarisers, their views on the Henry hand ball incident.
Bomber owned up to scoring one against the Wolves forty years ago after handling the ball. He was followed by ex-Blues john McCarthy who answered ‘Well I think it’s cheating and it’s totally wrong, unless it’s against the Wolves of course.’
It made me chuckle.
On the game. I thought it was a superb team performance, including Luke Moore. I was very impressed by Simon Cox and Jerome Thomas’ work rate in coming back to defend as well as when attacking. Those currently not in the team will need to play well when they get a chance. FANTASTIC.
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Excellent result and even better that Hartley scored last as i had him at 16/1 last goalscorer!! Jara….what a find. Best midfielder down the Albion in a long time. Comfortable on the ball and not afraid to challenge!!
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Well worth the trip & walmost worth getting drenched for, the car heater worked it’s magic and I was well on the way to getting dried out as I drove thru Bristol. Great all round team performance, things are looking UP UP UP.
On the other hand thank’s Sky, I can only make weekend games due to work commitments. Other than Boxing Day (which I cannot make) the next Saturday home match is on 30th January. I have had to pass my season ticket on to a friend for the next 9weeks. Still I can always listen to the stutterer and the manic depressant on Albion World…. Thank’s SKY!
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While Rupert spends his weekends counting money.
THANKS SKY ! My sympathies Dorset.
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whos that good looking bloke sitting with those two young girls on pic 7 of the match action pics,aye boing boing HUNK
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i think Carson is a cert for the world cup he`s defo in front of kirkland anyway,aye boing boing ENGLANDS NO1
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Best bit of business in the summer has got to be bringing in Jerome Thomas?! he just keeps getting better and better! Baggiiiieesssssss!!
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130 post on dingles page,not one off shadrag,unless of course he`s posted under a diffrent name,nahhhhhh he wouldent do that wud he,aye boing boing we still love you shadrag
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17 Sir Terry.
Just been over there and it seems Shadrag is like buses, nothing for hours then two come at the same time, contradicting himself of course.
PS 14 Are you the one with the hood.
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Good Morning my Sandwell friends. As you are all so interested in what I am doing then I thought I would enlighten you. Firstly well done on beating Bristol City. We were up against slightly more quality in Chelsea who are 5 points clear at the top of the premiership. A 4-0 defeat but at the end of the game I couldnt hear the Chelsea fans the wolves fans were singing so loudly. Two defeats against the 2 best sides in the league means very little. We have already got results with Stoke (away), Everton (away) and Villa (home) which many clubs will fail to do, we can compete with the best of the rest and we will still be there come May but will Albion?
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I think Mancbaggie is smack on when he asks where all the doubters have gone we have no divine right for success but the coaching staff are bringing it to us. I think RDM deserves great credit for the improvement he has made to the team. How about a song for him to the tune of the Walls Cornetto advert [ O Sole a Mio ] – ” Just one Matteo give it to me delicious football from Italy ” . I see the comments about the Wolves but dont blame McCarthy or the players. If you don’t buy quality and experience for the Premier League you go back down again. We should know.
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19. Laughin …
I agree with you, that Chelsea have slightly more quality than Bristol City.
I also agree, that your season will not be decided by losses, nor indeed wins, whilst playing the big guns.
Good that you have already gotten wins against a few clubs that others might not beat too.
However, I’m sure you will agree with me, that it is the next 30 points, rather than the last 10, that will decide your season.
Finally, I do agree with you, that Wolves will still be there come May, though Albion won’t …
… We have to wait until August!
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19 shadrag if thats about singing at the end then why did stan collymore ask on talksport saturday night why the away section was empty with 20 mins to go,aye boing boing
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18,one at front next to my daughter wringing wet aye boing boing
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22. Terry, the away was full and we all had our shoes off, we were getting behind our boys. I seen your pic you were sat with the two young ladies and alot of empty seats?!
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24,i hope you aint started throwing your shoes at mick,i suppose watchin people fetching there shoes off is better than watching chelsea reserves battering ya aye boing boing
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24 shadrag,empty seats lol you got to let kids in free next wik in a local derby thats without the 40 quid bring a friend offer aye boing boing
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Good point Mancbaggie:
“Where are all the snipers, doubters and negative posters……?” Well…a couple are still doing it on boing boing site. I can’t understand this negativity – I’ve liked everything about RDM’s approach from the start.
He’s cool he’s clever and he’s realistic.
What do we want- TM moaning about missed chances and trying to work out how to defend [ see Celtic saturday ] or an improving defence,
a tougher midfield and goals galore. And give Cox time for gods sake – his jink in to avoid offside before scoring shows goal poacher intelligence. If the moaners go on like this RDM will be off to another club sooner rather than later… remember how pissed off he looked a couple of weeks ago at all the carping [ Ashworths comments about looking for managers didn't help either ]. I did a round trip of 250 miles and a shedload of money to see us lose to Palace, but I blamed the players not the manager, and my faith is coming good.
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19 heard it said by one respected reporter he had never witnessed such a gulf in quality in the prem as he saw at Stamford bridge on Saturday and playing a second string Chelsea team at that!
Our game against Bristol thought was impressive especially as they play some quality football.Brunt should be singled out for his goal what a consummate piece of skill
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Fantastic display, fantastic result.
Let’s not get carried away, but keep doing what we’re doing for as long as possible please and thank you!!
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27
Hi Dad!
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19. laffinwulf. How did you do at home against West Ham, Hull & Portsmouth?.
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London Baggie
Hello son….time you were in bed
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Yer but i got the GF coming round to help me practise my latin verbs aye boing boing ;)
Nice to see what the legendary Sir Terry looks like, you sir are truly a legend
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