Aston Villa (A) | PL | Post Match Thread

simon23 said:
who else could he have played there though?

Kova and Nico clearly were not fit enough....IM also not sure Kov adds or changes that performance (Nico did when he came on tbf)
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That midfield 3 was a joke. Kova/nico give us a half each maybe. Stones Maybe? Gvardiol? O'reilly? Anything but those 3 starting...

I know we had injuries that obviously didnt help, but those 3 with Savinho aswell, was so obvious what was coming!
 
Manc baggie said:
I agree, I thought the villa keeper was taking a long time with ball in hand & goal kicks, so started timing him on my phone like a proper sad bastard. He’s was regularly over 8 seconds with ball in hands & some of his goal kicks were 35/36/37 seconds. They took there time with throw ins too, all while the ref did nowt.
I thought City were poor today anyway & didn’t do enough to win the game, but it was a classic Oliver reffing performance where he influences the game by not giving decisions. The two handed push on Gvardiol in the box by Morgan Roger’s as an example. Some might argue that it would be a soft pen, but I have seen pens given for a lot less than that.
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Manc baggie said:
I agree, I thought the villa keeper was taking a long time with ball in hand & goal kicks, so started timing him on my phone like a proper sad bastard. He’s was regularly over 8 seconds with ball in hands & some of his goal kicks were 35/36/37 seconds. They took there time with throw ins too, all while the ref did nowt.
I thought City were poor today anyway & didn’t do enough to win the game, but it was a classic Oliver reffing performance where he influences the game by not giving decisions. The two handed push on Gvardiol in the box by Morgan Roger’s as an example. Some might argue that it would be a soft pen, but I have seen pens given for a lot less than that.
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I started counting as soon as he had the ball then threw himself to the ground. Sky every time thought that they would have long enough to cut to a replay so I never saw when he released the ball.
 
There were times yesterday when City were trying to win the ball back but it just didnt look right.
3 or 4 City players around the villa player with the ball, it reminded me of under 8's all around the ball.
Ive never noticed this before, it seemed totally disorganised. The City players were all around the villa player, but no one tried to tackle him ! A simple pass out and villa had 3 or 4 players unmarked.
It was the lack of organisational was a worry, the headless chicken style of trying to win the ball back looked terrible.

We need strength in the team,
 
Said it before and I've seen nothing to change my mind, but Oscar Bobb is nowhere near good enough and is still dining out on that goal at Newcastle. He looks a decent 5-a-side player, but nothing else. Sav should have been hooked at half-time and Kovacic not getting minutes is beyond ridiculous. Terrible day at the office for Pep.
 
burning blue soul said:
This isn't Peps first season, though. It's his tenth.
Your positive reasoning around our mediocrity doesn't change the fact that the team isn't in a good place.
Watching them these days I am waiting for the inevitable aimless floated cross, or an unforced misplaced pass. And if I'm expecting it, you can be damn sure the players are too.
Self belief is a massive part of any successful team, in any sport. We don't have it. There is no one except Erl who can drag the team up a level.
Positive vibes in a footy team are produced from the wingers. They create chaos, apply pressure, and out think their opponents to put us in dangerous moments with accurate delivery. Our wingers don't do that. None of them. This is our biggest problem right now, and I don't see it changing any time soon.
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It's not like we've had 10 seasons of shit though is it? We won the lot and then our cycle came to an end and we're at the start of building a new team. Take this year as similar to Peps first season and lower your expectations a little. Our wingers have been poor but you would expect Marmoush and Cherki to be the first choice in those positions and both haven't really got started yet this season due to injury. Give it time, we have lots of young players, it will get better as the season progresses and we are in a good spot financially next Summer to add the required star dust if needed, hopefully with no charges holding us back.

We're in markedly better shape at the moment than the Scousers and Chelsea who supposedly had world class transfer windows everyone should have been jealous of, and I'm pretty confident we'll end the season ahead of Sunderland, Bournemouth and the Rags.
 
Bluearmy said:
That midfield 3 was a joke. Kova/nico give us a half each maybe. Stones Maybe? Gvardiol? O'reilly? Anything but those 3 starting...

I know we had injuries that obviously didnt help, but those 3 with Savinho aswell, was so obvious what was coming!
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Stones was pushing into midfield...he struggled. Gvardiol was very sloppy in the first half. Nico did give us nearly a half.

Kova ain't a 6
 
waspish said:
Hard to get through the players defending in pen area!
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Shots from distance are always as good an answer as anything .... it only takes one of them to hit someone and deflect past an unsighted goalkeeper , as Casemiro proved in their game against Brighton at OldTrafford!
 
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Eccles Blue said:
MANCHESTER CITY THE BEST TEAM IN THE LAND AND ALL THE WORLD!!

Someone said it’s the first time we’ve lost since August so it ain’t the end of the world!! ;-)

Come on City. Come on John Boy. :-)
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As Pep says though...its not the result that matters...its the performances....and they aren't good regardless of the results
 
Kippax Street 1880 said:
It's not like we've had 10 seasons of shit though is it? We won the lot and then our cycle came to an end and we're at the start of building a new team. Take this year as similar to Peps first season and lower your expectations a little. Our wingers have been poor but you would expect Marmoush and Cherki to be the first choice in those positions and both haven't really got started yet this season due to injury. Give it time, we have lots of young players, it will get better as the season progresses and we are in a good spot financially next Summer to add the required star dust if needed, hopefully with no charges holding us back.

We're in markedly better shape at the moment than the Scousers and Chelsea who supposedly had world class transfer windows everyone should have been jealous of, and I'm pretty confident we'll end the season ahead of Sunderland, Bournemouth and the Rags.
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I think we are starting from a lower base than Pep’s first season. We had prime Silva and De Bruyne in the creativity department and Sane/Sterling out wide. Their equivalents are no where near their level at the moment.

We need to stop buying project players who might have potential in a few seasons and get back to what we used to do. Signing proven Premier League and Champions League players.
 
burning blue soul said:
This isn't Peps first season, though. It's his tenth.
Your positive reasoning around our mediocrity doesn't change the fact that the team isn't in a good place.
Watching them these days I am waiting for the inevitable aimless floated cross, or an unforced misplaced pass. And if I'm expecting it, you can be damn sure the players are too.
Self belief is a massive part of any successful team, in any sport. We don't have it. There is no one except Erl who can drag the team up a level.
Positive vibes in a footy team are produced from the wingers. They create chaos, apply pressure, and out think their opponents to put us in dangerous moments with accurate delivery. Our wingers don't do that. None of them. This is our biggest problem right now, and I don't see it changing any time soon.
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I wonder if our coaching is at a poor level nowadays as well. You look back to when Arteta and Maresca were here and how well we were playing, and Pep's old mates he had at Bayern were highly thought of.
You look now at the level of our players in matches and nobody besides Erling looks to be improving
 
blueju said:
Does anyone else think blocking shots with hands firmly tucked behind their backs severely diminishes our centre halves ability to defend properly? Once they’ve committed to a body shape they’re unable to adjust to the slightest ball movement or feint by the attacker. Reduced risk of conceding handball or stay mobile?
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Yes.

I remember many years ago seeing Gordon Strachan interviewed on MOTD after whoever he had been managing (probably Coventry) had just been done over by a controversial decision after someone’s arms had been away from their body. He put his arms firmly and dead straight by his side and said “what are yae supposed tae do? Ya cannae play like that - yae’ll look like a penguin.” His point being that players needed their arms free to be able to balance and move properly.

We seem to be so determined not to give a penalty away that our defenders seem to have being coached to do almost exactly this their arms semi-fixed behind their backs when defending..

It’s most noticeable when they need to change direction quickly. Dias in particular is a big culprit and the goal yesterday was a case in point. I’ve just watched the goal back again; as Cash shoots, Dias actually turns away from the shot and tries a half-hearted attempt to block it by sticking his arse out, which is never going to work. I’ve seen him do this a few times. Compare that to their lad who took one for the team, full in the face, near the end.

I’m not an expert and maybe their reflexes aren’t fast enough to change their body position anyway but it just seems logical that if your arms are not rigidly fixed like that, you’d be able to shift your weight quicker and react to a change of direction that little bit faster. If it results in the occasional handball, so be it.
 
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