[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Always great to beat Villa - especially for the first time in over three years - but it's not good to see your team huffing and puffing for most of the match to score against ten men, then nearly pressing the self-destruct button after. I hope the confidence from this win will give us a boost and lead to better things, but the lack of creativity (even with Varela in the side, who's a real handful) is still pretty shocking.

Still, for tonight I'll sit back and enjoy the moment. SOTV!

[Worldclassalbion]

Mixed feelings about this one.

So pleased that we didn't lose to the Villa BUT,

it means AI stays as coach for a bit longer.

Silver I agree with you on this.......can you imagine what a manager who likes to attack could do with our squad. Plodded through to a win today. Happy Varela and Ideye played and actually a decent substitution for a change and an attacking one, Bera for Dozza BUT I still don't like AI and I want him gone asap.

[WBA-Josh]

It may not have been the best performance but we got the win at least. We defended well and did fine going forward but we lacked quality in the final third for most of the match which is down to the players making the wrong decisions or being slack in possession. AI made the right substitution which worked with Berahino on for Dorrans and finally, Brown and Varela weren't at their very best today but they still lack some match sharpness and form which will come with more starts and minutes on the pitch.

For QPR next week, I would look at keeping the same 4-3-3 formation to cope with QPR's narrow 4-4-2 with only 1 change being made. That is Mulumbu in for Dorrans to add more bite in the midfield against Barton, Sandro and Fer.

[BaggieMan]

Great and needed result today and we totally dominated the Vile second half. The problem is in the penalty area where we created few chances. Both Ideye and Varela should have had one but it was more of a 90 min performance in my opinion. If AI can't see what a difference having pace and width on the left wing made, he needs shooting. Both Varela and Ideye need games to improve their sharpness but did well particularly Varela.

Great atmosphere and support from both the Brummie and the Smethwick. So nice to beat the Vile.

[betterthanbaird]

Up the Albion.

[Slick_Footwork]

As much as I do agree with giving Ideye a chance, I struggle to come up with any logical
argument for him starting in front of Saido.

Saido has good touch, two footed, makes great runs.

To be honest, I have no idea why he was dropped. In his last game against Arsenal he hit the
bar and was unlucky not to be one on one when the linesman called him wrongly off side after
a great run arced run.

From what I've seen of Ideye so far he has little in the way of pace, the touch of a rapist and
nothing in the way of movement. When a decent cross came his way, he didn't even have the
strikers instinct to put his head on the ball and flung a wayward right foot at it.

The guy obviously has some pedigree, but he has to be introduced from the bench if starting
him means dropping Saido. It was no shock that Saido had a hand in the goal after coming on.
Can't help thinking that if he had started, we wouldn't look so impotent going forward. He certainly
wouldn't be scared to shoot with his left foot like Ideye was when he was put through in the
first half.

[bomberbrown1968]

At last, and I know we weren't great today, but there were some positives for the first time in a few games.

I can only echo what's been said before, what a difference a bit of width and a bit of pace make.

My positives today were Varela who looks a real handful and made a mug of Hutton a couple of times, there was an air of expectancy when he got the ball today, which we haven't sensed for a long time and have missed, I think we may have a proper winger for the first time in a few years.

Thought Sess had a good game today as well, given a bit more freedom today and didn't try to do one trick too many or beat one man too many as he's prone to do.

McAuley looks like he's never been away and the right/left combination with Lescott looks the business, Benteke had a couple of snap shots and half chances but wasn't able to get in behind or in between our central pair.

My near run for MOM was Widsom, knocked by quite a few on here, mainly because they want to see Gamboa in but IMO it shouldn't be at Wisdoms expense, defended well, linked up well with Sess and never gives the ball away.

But MOM for me today was Mozza, I thought he was superb, everything good seemed to go through him, admitted they were a man short in midfield but it always seemed to be Mozza who found and exploited the space there was, whether it was in front of the back four or linking up with the front men, I lost count of the number of times he picked the ball up in the middle, found a yard for himself and set us on down the flanks left or right  

As much as I want Irvine out , I never WANT us to lose and even more so against the Villa, so 3 points today buys Irvine some more time and another chance to learn and prove me wrong, gives us a platform to go on from next week and lets me enjoy Saturday night a bit more than I have for the last 6 weeks   .

[betterthanbaird]

Agree that Saido deserves a start more than Ideye but I'll do a much longer post when the Arsenal game is finished.

[DanTheSmethwickMan]

As much as I do agree with giving Ideye a chance, I struggle to come up with any logical
argument for him starting in front of Saido.

Saido has good touch, two footed, makes great runs.

To be honest, I have no idea why he was dropped. In his last game against Arsenal he hit the
bar and was unlucky not to be one on one when the linesman called him wrongly off side after
a great run arced run.

From what I've seen of Ideye so far he has little in the way of pace, the touch of a rapist and
nothing in the way of movement. When a decent cross came his way, he didn't even have the
strikers instinct to put his head on the ball and flung a wayward right foot at it.

The guy obviously has some pedigree, but he has to be introduced from the bench if starting
him means dropping Saido. It was no shock that Saido had a hand in the goal after coming on.
Can't help thinking that if he had started, we wouldn't look so impotent going forward. He certainly
wouldn't be scared to shoot with his left foot like Ideye was when he was put through in the
first half.

Thought Ideye's movement today was superb. He always looks to get in behind and I think a partnership of him and Anichebe could work wonders.

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

As much as I do agree with giving Ideye a chance, I struggle to come up with any logical
argument for him starting in front of Saido.

I wonder whether Saido just needs to get his head screwed on again at the moment following the England call-up and alleged drink-drive incident. It could be that he's having a bit of pressure taken off his shoulders.