Match Thread | Aston Villa vs. Man City (21/12/24)

[blueju]

I think we're actually playing reasonably well in the circumstances. The problem is we don't really look like scoring, whilst they look threatening every time they break. Never really thought we could win this one, but there are glimmers of hope though that might be slowly turning the corner once we get a few more players back. Grealish has been really bright on the left hand side.

We can’t get anyone back for long enough before they’re injured again.

 

[argyle]

‘Entitled’

Where my bingo pen

Well if you've been called it many times before....

 

[bert38]

From champions to dead team in a few months? Takes some doing that.

Yep but we are witnessing it

 

[ufo]

Target Cash.

You are a thief robinhood and claim my 5 bucks

 

[madloaf]

We are getting outmuscled by almost every team we play.

And outplayed and out thought.

 

[wolviedinho]

Here's my worry about that mate, the rags tried it and failed in fact it snowballed their problem. Chelsea spent a fortune and are doing a little better but as yet have won fuck all.

What appears to be missing is many of our players aren't turning up for whatever the reason, that has to be rectified before we make a mistake and swell our ranks with what might turn out to be panic buys.

Just IMO mate.

We can’t be afraid to buy new players.

These lot on the whole are done it seems.

Whats wrong with them? Injuries, fatigue, old?

It looks to me that they have checked out.

Get 2/3 in and move them on in the summer.

It’s not really panic buy is it? The problems are clear and have been accelerated by Rodri and injuries.

 

[decmancity]

You seem to be of the opinion that we have better options in the EDS than in the first team squad. And that Pep, who unlike you see them train everyday refuse to realise this. When the reality more likely is that the children in the youth team are significantly worse than our senior players.

Gundogan must look like Messi in training if thats anything to go on then.

 

[OldhamBlue94]

That goal went from Martinez to Duran in 3 passes. Straight through the middle of the pitch. Absolutely criminal to concede like that

 

[FromPollockToSilva]

its crying out for someone to make a run on the inside left whenever Grealish is on the ball. It’s on every time, but we've done about once the entire half.

Gündy physically can’t. Foden absolutely should though. Or move Bernardo over there to make that run and put someone else wide right

 

[balotelli's back pocket]

If I'm honest, when Gvardiol does that after 10 seconds I'm fully expecting us to get twatted. So 1-0 isn't too bad.

The decision making at the back is just horrendous. Tracking the wrong runs, leaving players totally unmarked.

Rico has done OK against Rogers 1v1. Grealish doing well, but in desperate need of some support down the left. Foden has to get involved more.

I'd get Doku on for Gundo and move Grealish inside. I'd think about Savinho for Bernardo and KDB for Foden before too long.

They've left us alive here.

 

[RayCTID]

Villa haven't had it all their own way despite their bright start. We have to be sharper in dealing with their counterattacks.

 

[Blue and true]

jack tracking back is excellent tbf

I agree. But highlighting a player's tracking back as excellent is a sign of how stark our drop off has been. If that's the one positive to take then we're in serious trouble.

 

[skillman]

Find it hard to believe Stones hasn’t been told to man mark that bloke he followed into midfield. He’s experienced enough to know not to do that.

I assume it was Kovacic’s fault ultimately

 

[willipp]

Seriously what the fuck is stones doing for their goal. We play so high we can’t have a CB charging 20 yards out of position to nick a ball of a central midfielder. Fucking suicide football.

 

[Fordyboy46]

Grealish the only one looking to make something happen. Gundo, Bernardo need to be hooked at half time, will they will they fuck

 

[Petetheblu]

Got to feel for Haaland, CB and a DM dropping back. He's basically the footballs equivalent of the Bermuda Triangle.

Needs support, someone who can take some responsibilities away from his young shoulders and score.

Gunny gets the ball going forwards and immediately looks to pass back.

Bernado wasted on the wings.

Is their no one from our youth who could play alongside Erl?

 

[Ric]

We only have 3 players out !!!!

Five technically (Rodri, Bobb, Dias, Ederson, Nunes) but I just mean back to full fitness/sharpness.

 

[1961_vintage]

10 fouls to 1 in their favour - they are either fouling us without a second thought or they are snapping into decent tackles.

We can’t match their physicality in the middle of the park and ultimately really struggles to deal with their transitions.

Far and away the biggest thing we need is energy and legs. And we’re needing to buy that type of player in.

I think the word is out that we can be bullied. Add to that the usual myopic twat refs and this is what you get.

 

[Alexia_Ko]

We only have 3 players out !!!!

It’s 4 actually but that doesn’t make a difference. Too many players have been awful and it’s because they’ve been overplayed because the board and Pep thought it would be a smart idea to go into another season with no recognised, backup 6 or 9 and with the average age of our squad 29+. Every issue stems from complacency and poor planning. On top of that we’ve got too many average/injury prone players.

 

[ninjamonkey]

Awful. Lots of possession to con the blind that we are playing well but we aren't, Villa are controlling this game comfortably without needing the ball.

Villa are deliberately closing ranks and giving an acre out wide to grealish because they don't see him as a threat and they're correct. he's had more of the ball than anybody, every single one of our attacks is forced to go through him and it's resulted in a grand total of 2 weak as piss efforts at goal. Get doku on the left at halftime, if they continue this plan of vacating the left, Doku can actually do something out there with that space and if they close off the space it will open up some space for others to do something, anything.

I expect no changes until they grab that inevitable easy second goal and then we chase it late and lose by even more.