Aston Villa (A) | PL | Post Match Thread

Some fucking whopping over reactions in this thread. Our players are all squad players, they don’t have a winning mentality, Pep needs to go…..ffs.

We won four titles on the trot. No other team is likely to do that ever. We are rebuilding but apparently we are not allowed to do that. Liverpool have spent a fortune and are stinking the gaff out, but yeah we have balls upped the transfers. What the fuck is this ‘immediate success’ shit.

Oh and Arse are now the best team in the World without having won a bean for centuries.

Some of you just listen to the commentators and pundits talk shit and take it as read! We lost a game against a team that is quality, and despite what the media say, the way Villa defended and celebrated at the end shows what a trophy we are - fuck this no one is scared of us any more. We got the first half wrong but still should have scored. Villa defended for their lives in the second half - good luck to them. Every team plays the low block against us - why? Because they think we’re average?

We lost, so what? That’s football. But to suddenly turn against the team because of that is not what you would expect from a fan. And if you really think we are average, crap, shit and Pep is the problem, then go to the bookies and put money against us, Pep to be sacked blah blah blah. As they say a fool and his money are easily separated.

Come on City.
 
alexmcity said:
Incredible negativity.

People have unrealistic expectations.

18 months ago we won 4 titles in a row for the first time in the history of English football. In comparison, Arsenal and Liverpool have won 5 PL titles combined. Pep has won 6 in 8 years.

After 23/24, many of the players were either too tired or oldish. So City have started a huge rebuild. Anyone expecting the team to be the best in the league within months after signing 11 new players is a fool. Ferguson needed 3 years to rebuild United between 2003 and 2006. Some United fans thought he was finished.

The idea that you just throw money at the best players and you win the title is silly. Look at Chelsea and now Liverpool. Liverpool won the title last season, spent 400+ millions on "the best players" and lost 4 from the first 9 games.

Anyone who thinks that a rebuild should last no more than 12 months is being naive. Arsenal are building a team for 5 years now and have won fuck all so far. It's very difficult to win and be the best, unless you are lucky like Liverpool last season, when the rivals got many injuries and nobody challenged them.
Click to expand...
No offence but that isnt the point today. It’s when a team is put out that doesnt give us a chance. Villa just got beat by a bunch of cloggers on Thursday yet we looked knackered and devoid of ideas. The starting lineup played right into their hands. It could never work. Now we may never get back to previous peaks, we probably won’t but at least give us a chance by playing a well balanced team that can match a physical but limited Villa side.
 
Blue2112 said:
Sat in Dublin airport having heard the flight is delayed so thought I'd write out how I currently feel. I caught the first half only and missed the second but this post is more about City in general than today. I find it incredulous that a 4 times champions winning team whom also won the Champions League, FA cup, Super cup and World cup innthe same period now less than two seasons later find themselves looking a shell of their former selves.

We've listened to Khaldoon tell us everything is in place to maintain that challenge. We've watched a new stand and hotel being built which all point to us aiming to maintain and stay at the top. We've seen the worlds no 1 striker sign a 10 year contract whilst breaking numerous records these past few seasons. We're delighted the greatest manager signed an extended contract. All this and plenty more whilst fighting a barrage of negative press surrounding the 115 charges. All the above should be pointing to a bright and great future with a fever pitch expectation of success and continued glorious football. So why does it feel we are currently a long way from that?

Last week v Everton and on many other occaison it's been a dire watch punctuated by the odd bit of genius usually from Haaland. Our style of football is a reflection of more recent signings and I'm now firmly of the opinion that we are carrying at least half a dozen players with a few more yet to prove themselves. We have bought poorly, we continually play players out of position and whether he will admit it or not Pep plays his favourites above others. Some of these players will have good games, they will show promise, they will perform as they should do, afterall they are premier league players. However I genuinely feel they will fail to perform at a standard required every week, to win trophies. They severley lack the strong mentality and the desire not to lose. We are far too nice. The push on Gvardiol today should have had us screaming for a penalty, instead we just played on as if it was nothing had happened in total contrast to Villas players falling over and claiming everyone a foul.

Nunes, Savinho, Doku, Bobb, Rico are simply not good enough to command a first team place. I actually don't think they're good enough for us period. I've seen enough. There are also a few others that have yet to fully impress they have the level required. We need to stop kidding ourselves, stop wanting it to come good, it will here and there but it won't ever like it did before with this current squad.

And what I find most baffling of all is that Pep must have had a say in these players.
Click to expand...
5 years ago we would not have these players in our squad. The charges are the root cause imo.
I have no idea if we are guilty or even of what.? But it matters, it matters to players who may have been signed and it matters to the board who may be hamstrung. It has stunted our growth, maybe put a stop to it altogether. Once it is resolved we can rise again. The result of the hearing will dictate our future.
 
Scaring Europe to Death said:
What can I say that hasn't already been said?

Probably City's worst performance at Villa Park since my previous visit in 23/24 (I'm sure this used to be our lucky ground)

When did a City player last win a 50-50 tackle?

9/38 played so when do we stop using "early days" as mitigation?
Click to expand...

Yep apart from Rodri Gonzales and probably O’Reily no one knows how to tackle and win the ball pep uses the press to make the opponents lose the ball! The problem with that now a lot of teams can pass through a good press now they all good on the ball and don’t panic like for the first 6/8 years under Pep! Silva after match said our press wasn’t good enough we were late at pressing for me it isn’t that it’s what I just said teams are far far better at beating the press now in premier!
 
GaudinoMotors said:
I can easily predict how Savinho is likely to play.
Click to expand...
I get that but young players, particularly wingers are so difficult to predict. I remember Peter Barnes being unplayable on his day for defenders and unplayable on his off days for everyone else. Savihno is clearly talented, will he fulfill his potential? What knows but he won’t if he doesn’t play.
 
Just got back

Baffling midfield selection today and so it proved as they played through it at will until pep changed it on the hour

As so often happens you knew what was coming after 15 minutes when we’d failed to score despite our dominance

There was a worrying lack of fight, battle and creativity today. Looked lethargic and like they thought they just had to turn up to collect the points. It looked like we’d played on Thursday not them.
 
Roachy said:
Rice-good but not exceptional. Bellingham- no thanks all round. Wirtz- let's wait and see.
Click to expand...
Agree about Wirtz, too early to say, but he looked electric on the rare occasions I saw him play for Bayer and Pep could obviously have got a lot more out of him than Slot.

Rice gets in our team in front of Gonzalez, Kova, Reindeer, Nunes (as a CM). It was a false economy refusing to stump up the fee needed to sign him.

Bellingham is just what we need and what we’ve needed for a good couple of years now, he’d be perfect for us
 
chedlee said:
I get that but young players, particularly wingers are so difficult to predict. I remember Peter Barnes being unplayable on his day for defenders and unplayable on his off days for everyone else. Savihno is clearly talented, will he fulfill his potential? What knows but he won’t if he doesn’t play.
Click to expand...
Would rather important matches weren't his testing ground. Not that it's much of a test when he flops so regularly.
 
Norbert D said:
No offence but that isnt the point today. It’s when a team is put out that doesnt give us a chance. Villa just got beat by a bunch of cloggers on Thursday yet we looked knackered and devoid of ideas. The starting lineup played right into their hands. It could never work. Now we may never get back to previous peaks, we probably won’t but at least give us a chance by playing a well balanced team that can match a physical but limited Villa side.
Click to expand...

Villa played many squad players in Europe. We were without a proper DM which is an absolutely crucial position in a Pep team.

I'm not saying that was the best first XI or tactics. For me Pep shouldn't have tinkered with the defence and tried to make room for Stones. If he wanted Stones at DM, play him there and move Foden on the wing instead of Bobb/Savinho. Without Rodri or a mini Rodri like Gonzalez, we suck in CM. So, I wasn't happy with Pep's ideas today, but mistakes happen.

What I'm pointing out are the unrealistic expectations that City should be as good as Arsenal right after the summer. Well, we can't be as good as them without Rodri. He's a phenomenal player, one of the best DMs in history. When/if he regains form, we'll compete for the title. It's not too late. Nobody has expected Liverpool to lose 4 consecutive games in the league. Arsenal may draw 4 games in a row at some point, it's far from impossible.
 
Last edited:
MaineRoadMemories said:
Whilst both Sterling and Mahrez were infuriating at times, the amount they contributed to the attack compared to our wide players nowadays is ridiculous.

It’s easy to forget just how often they turned half-chances into goals or assists when the margins were tight, and often in the last 10 mins of the match.
Click to expand...
I think the lack of goals output from our wide players and the powder puff physicality of the majority of our midfield is alarming and means we will most likely be a top 4 side rather than a title winning one.
 
We’ve bought too many lightweights recently, just as power and pace are now becoming more important in this league.

We could do with a couple of proper units in midfield (Rodri coming back will help).

We also need some real full backs that can actually tackle or block crosses. Gvardiol is a centre back, that’s his only position and one he’s great at, but he’s shite at left back.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Unread Posts

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top