Aston Villa (A) | PL | Post-Match Thread

[Fordyboy46]

Dickhead.

I'm being sarcastic, so why not bring him on then, it's not like he's played many minutes so far this season. If he doesn't start against Sevilla it will seem an even more strange decision

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

There is legitimate criticism, and then there is the arrogance that consists in believing that we should — indeed, have a divine right — to be winning every match. I want no part of that. Sure, we want to win every match. Being an adult involves knowing that you can't always get what you want.
Along with most neutral observers, we legitimately expected to win a match against a team in or around the relegation zone. It didn't happen, because that's football. And it's what disproves the silly comments by opposition supporters, which were flying around as recently as Wednesday evening at 9.30 p.m., that City are turning the EPL into something resembling the French league or the German one.
We actually could have lost that match yesterday. Think about that. What I will admit is irritating is that, over and over and over, the opposition score with one or at the most two shots on target. I don't understand this. We are almost never battered by other teams. We were only battered by Arsenal in the away game last season and I would have accepted a defeat. When we took the three points I felt, that's a team that wins championships.
By the way, we're six matches in out of thirty-eight, and we're sitting in second place. Our two most serious rivals of recent years are both stuttering, worse than us.
We need to improve, for sure. In the cold light of day, I'll take this situation. The real test comes next weekend. We need to beat Spurs, because beating top four or top six clubs is nearly always what finally determines the destination of the trophy.

 

[Phil1]

I'm being sarcastic, so why not bring him on then, it's not like he's played many minutes so far this season. If he doesn't start against Sevilla it will seem an even more strange decision

I don’t think you’re bright enough to be sarcastic.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

I thought both teams contributed to an entertaining game. We had our chances when 1 nil up to finish the game off and didn’t take them.

A bit like Palace and Newcastle at times, Villa have done their homework to close down Rodri’s passing options, so a fit Phillips might have helped us to keep control of the game (alongside Rodri) IMHO.

 

[Tolmie scores]

Bluemoon is a democracy and everyone is allowed to have a opinion regardless of

It wouldn’t be a different story though because if you took Haaland away we would adapt like we’ve always done and still find ways to score like we’ve always done.

The overreaction to this game is odd.
Bear in mind this is Peps best start to a season with us so far.

Always going to happen, plag with a trad CF and you sacrifice a lot of overlap options and runners from deep. We scored a shit load of goals that way. Be interesting to compare team talllies at end of season. I reckon not much different apart from having a 40 goal player

 

[Tolmie scores]

I thought both teams contributed to an entertaining game. We had our chances when 1 nil up to finish the game off and didn’t take them.

A bit like Palace and Newcastle at times, Villa have done their homework to close down Rodri’s passing options, so a fit Phillips might have helped us to keep control of the game (alongside Rodri) IMHO.

Fair play to Ashley Young. Quite a performance for someone who is 37.

He is a top prifessional. Never seems like a prima dona i know he's a rag and all that..but as a player he is still very good at what he does..and is capable of changing roles from attacjer in his youth to an out and out old fashioned FB ..well done to him

 

[waspish]

Villa supporters were doing cart wheels with that draw supposed it was like Us when we were the only team to beat Chelsea one season..

 

[Northerndave]

Not our finest, we looked sloppy at times and we were pulled back by a quality villa goal. I'll take the draw though.

Peps weird sub policy was back on show again.

Maybe the best thing to come out of this is to calm the BM wankers who were declaring this version of the squad as the best ever after getting giddy after the Palace/Florist games.

No team wins the title playing like we did last week all the time. These games and getting points from them are just as important.

 

[waspish]

Watching foden constantly pass backwards was beyond frustrating, Ashley Young had him on toast, can’t remember a good game from foden it’s been that long.
Walker can not pass so why is he been asked to, how can the management collectively think gundogan has 90 mins in his legs. Strange decisions today.

Every player who has played that position under pep does the exact same thing

 

[Bluearmy]

Pep's sysrem needs one touch only in central positions. Risky ball carrying centrally. As you have your full backs often level with play. Bombing on..lose the ball centrally you are fked. Messi is a freak of a player and rightly the exception to the rule

Dont disagree, but with a proper CF now do we need to tinker with it to some degree? Be interesting to see how it plays out over the coming months

 

[Paul1970]

Does Rodri need a rest, or some back up?

He does have back up but we played a stupid friendly and Phillips got injured .

 

[El_george]

Grealish hasn't flourished there either because neither Jack nor Phil are natural wide wingers and making that use of them doesn't enable either of them to shine. They're both more effective playing more centrally and with more freedom, but clearly Pep wants that wide LW job done by someone in many matches and one or the other of them gets lumbered with it. That Phil is now getting criticised for exactly the same things Jack was criticised for last season (playing too safe, passing back) surely implies when they're playing like this it's as instructed. Stick either of them more centrally and you see a different player. If people don't like how they're used when Pep sticks them on the touchline, maybe criticise Pep, not the players following their coach's orders.

I don't think Grealish has played much in the last few matches or been on the bench. Does anyone know what's up and when he is expected back? - his stats weren't great last year and they are not going to improve whilst he doesn't play (plus I'm thinking about transferring him out of my fantasy football team.)

 

[stonerblue]

Com

Well well well we as fans have become united fans ,entitled wankers bluemoon has been going downhill steadily for a while,the amount of wums that are allowed to post, it's more quantity over quality,on bluemoon these days i suppose we were always going to attract the glory hunters and this place is full of them ,a draw away has every fucker calling every player shite and the usual wankers saying pep doesn't have a clue ,fucking shocking

pletely agree, and that's only after reading the motm thread.

 

[bornblueegg]

Bad day at the office move on

 

[Blue Llama]

I thought both teams contributed to an entertaining game. We had our chances when 1 nil up to finish the game off and didn’t take them.

A bit like Palace and Newcastle at times, Villa have done their homework to close down Rodri’s passing options, so a fit Phillips might have helped us to keep control of the game (alongside Rodri) IMHO.

Rodri's and the team's passing options were restricted from about the 70th minute when the midfielders stopped showing any energy to move into open positions to receive the ball. Leaving the CBs with few passing options and when they did find a pass it came back to them as there was no forward pass on.

 

[stonerblue]

Every player who has played that position under pep does the exact same thing

Yep. Very frustrating as the op said but he's doing what he's told to.

 

[SWPISHOME]

Every player who has played that position under pep does the exact same thing

Have to agree with this unfortunately. Foden has changed alot over the years and it's not for the better I must admit, He used to be a dynamic winger, A ball carrier that liked to have a go at the full back...All our wide men now do the same thing it constantly goes backwards, I'd like it of they were allowed express themselves now and again and have a go at the full backs.

Having said that, The days of a ball carriers is a dying breed. It's all possessed football now.

 

[KS55]

Always going to happen, plag with a trad CF and you sacrifice a lot of overlap options and runners from deep. We scored a shit load of goals that way. Be interesting to compare team talllies at end of season. I reckon not much different apart from having a 40 goal player

You’re right about the overlap options, but I’m sure I’m not alone in preferring a trad CF. Classic CF v CB battles, bullet headed goals, out balls swept wide, great crosses, etc. Feels like the English football I was brought up with.
Sean Goater is a legend partly because he was such a typical CF. Maybe not the most technically gifted, but never stopped making those runs, always at it.

 

[manchester blue]

I've only watched the highlights on the app but for me too many players going for glory. Kyle and Riyad going for goal when Haaland was, as usual, in so much space stood out. Pass to him rather than blasting the ball high or wide. That's why he is there. (And to make me money if he hits 35+ lol).

 

[blue whippet]

It was a very frustrating game, one we could see coming but at least we're unbeaten.

One thing I can never understand with us under Pep is that we rarely have 1 player who has a bad game, it's the whole team. It's as if the players just don't understand what they've been told to do. Surely the pre match talk should've been "play like you did against forest. Don't worry about the opposition".

The first half was poor and although we had the ball we didn't look like we'd win. I always felt we would be suckered with the usual "1 shot 1 goal". Pep HAS to figure this out as it's our only weak spot but we're as open to it now as we were 5 years ago.

Haaland showed brilliant anticipation to score and the move that led.up to it was superb. The cross from KdB was world class.

As for their goal, it was another example of the left back just not being aware of who is around him. Cancelo might be a good attacker but he is a useless defender - he doesn't bother defending to be honest and again better teams in Europe will exploit that. It's not like Villa pushed loads of players forward so why not just look who's around and close the space?

Strangely I think it might help the balance of the team with Walker getting a knock. He's a great defender and would be one of the first names on my teamsheet but if he is playing in midfield he's no Cancelo. Maybe we will move Cancelo to right back, Gomes to left and maybe bring in Phillips if he is fit to help shield the defence.

Overall a frustrating game but one I've seen plenty of times. These results give every team in the league hope and belief that a couple of fast counter attackers will cause us problems. Pep needs to understand that being vulnerable to the counter is THE single obstacle to us winning everything.

Overall one to forget.

Very much agree with it rarely being one player but the whole team being off. You can generally tell how the game will play out within the first 10 mins or so too. When we are ponderous in our thought and movement you know we are in for a long one.