Aston Villa (A) | PL | Post Match Thread

You’d be mad to write us off at this stage but christ we have work to do.

Some players really lacking in confidence at the minute - Alvarez and Gvardiol to name two. We’re not nasty enough either, Josko should be bringing Bailey down around half way as Doku should’ve done to Son on Sunday.

Walker is no captain and it seems to be effecting his performances. Ederson is the only one who can hold his head up after that tonight. It was a seriously bad performance.
 
Poor performance from everyone, bar probably Ederson who saved us from a more realistic scoreline. Villa looked liked a team who knew what they were doing, who could control a football and who had an idea and some energy. We were sloppy and all over the show.
We may be missing a few key players but we should not be quite so badly outplayed. we had two paltry Haaland shots on target and aside from that just didn't look like scoring. Irritating that the goal we conceded came from a deflection but we really cannot have any complaints about the result.
Difficult to see what Pep will do to change it as he seems dead set on playing a team full of centre backs, or close enough to it.
 
Villa are a very good side, but that doesn't make our performance tonight any less embarassing.

The worst we've played under Pep. We did one good thing in 98 minutes.

Physically and mentally weak. Squad might be the same size as last season, but with a noticeable decline in quality (and hunger).

Walker, Dias, Bernardo letting us down right now.

Taking Foden off was bizarre.

Kovacic and Nunes looking like a cheap backup and a panic buy respectively.

Gvardiol is being badly exposed playing out wide. Play him inside and put Ake on the left.

Time for another tactical tweak, because playing this system is suicidal when we're second to every ball.
 
Absolute garbage. Not one of the players comes out of that with any credit.

Started off with 4 CBs (2 of which seemed to be playing CM) and 2 FBs (one of which was playing midfield). So in effect 6 defenders. Our midfield seemed to be Stones/Akanji (or both), Lewis and Alvarez. None of which is actually a midfield player.

Our 2 most creative players stuck out wide where they couldn't receive the ball and a striker totally isolated. Totally stupid. Wasn't a a surprise that we didn't create much. Should have been fairly solid in defence you'd think with that line up but we weren't.

Spineless performance and one of the worst I've seen in recent years. Villa aren't a bad side but certainly aren't world beaters and they made us look very poor.

I know we have players out but this needs a rethink. We haven't been anywhere near our best for some while now. Trying to shoehorn Alvarez/Lewis/Akanji/whoever into CM just isn't working. Maybe time to go back to that more 'control' set up for now. We just look all over the place at the minute.

We were far better earlier on in the season with Kovacic next to Rodri in CM and let a combination of Bernardo/Foden/Doku/Grealish work behind Haaland.
 
Eccles Blue said:
Ok I’ll get some stick for this but….
The Boys in Blue never gave in. They fought to the end. It didn’t work tonight. Very bad day at the office unfortunately.
Thank you City, thank you lads. But the main thanks go to the fans who NEVER stopped singing and trying to encourage the players.
We’ll get stick from the biased media but we’ll be back to show ‘em all. :-)

Yes PIGMOL you were disgusting and diabolical but we’ll be back and we’ll show you you bunch of slimy Voldemorts!!!

We are though still: THE BEST TEAM IN THE LAND AND ALL THE WORLD.
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They never gave in as they never started. :-(
 
Been banging on about Alvarez all season. Not that he's a bad player but his inclusion in the starting line up leaves us short in midfield. Foden should be playing there imo. Have a funny feeling Pep will be too stubborn to change it. Stones miles off the pace, Lewis struggled, the defence looked shaky, Haaland fairly anonymous, Bernardo sloppy, substitutes not good enough. Apart from that, all was well.
 
2 shots the whole game. Lewis is so lightweight. The amount of times he was knocked off the ball or gave it away was ridiculous. Nunez was shite. McGinn and Bailey were great for them.
 
The only consolation and grain of hope is we were playing this bad in January last year and Pep found a pattern of play, tweaked the personnel and the rest is history.
 
Outplayed today and that is very rare. That was the best performance against us in a long time.

Missing key players and it showed. Stones looked like a guy who is not match sharp.

Foden and Alvarez were poor.

Pep probably didn’t get it right today. Lewis shouldn’t have played but I’m sure lots of people would have started him. He sand Alvarez should have been removed at a half time though.

City were dreadful attack wise. You have to take some chances and cross the fucking ball. Also, go long sometimes. The Vile weren’t afraid to do that and they have Ollie Watkins not Erling Haaland.

What really narks though is that I’m sure Eddie would have saved Bailey’s shot if Ruben had not deflected it.

Villa will now be awful when they play Arsenal.

City’s squad is too thin and the club really needs to get into the transfer market in January and make a couple of top quality signings.
 
We had key players out and some of our transfer business in the summer has been shown up to be poor. I think keeping Walker and seemingly promising that he will now start every week was a mistake. Nunes & Kovatic seem like bizarre signings. Not convinced by Gvardiol either.
 
abu13 said:
Pep has changed the shape to try and accomodate Alverez and Haaland, but it just doesnt work, both are exceptional players but we are giving them crumbs to work with.

Pick one and stick Foden in the hole behind them.
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Alvarez just isn't a 10.

There's no doubt he is dangerous player around the box and he's a good player but the amount of times he seems unaware of his surroundings and is caught dawling on the ball when he's playing in the hole and gets it taken off him frustrates me. he doesn't seem to able think quick enough to play in that position consistently well. He often wants a second more than you're ever going to get in that position
 
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