Lerner's Driver

I could be wrong, desperately want to be, but the sense of inevitable dread I am feeling at the likely outcome of this match is strongly encouraging me not to bother watching.

That instinct is a reflection of the drop off in performances we have seen over several months and not a comment on results, or what has been achieved so far. Does Emery have the nous to mastermind a turn around in our fortunes? Of course he does.

Can the players that are left, after injuries have taken their toll and fatigue is accounted for, do what he wants and do it to the level needed to maintain our trajectory? We'll find out very soon. We all hope they can, but it doesn't feel like it at the moment.

At our best, we were/are a finely tuned kit car, punching above our weight in relation to the established sports car brands. After losing a few key parts to wear and tear and replacing them with spares, suddenly, we don't look anything like the monster Unai first built.

Question is, does he have everything he needs to make us purr again, or have we just taken too many hits? Based purely on what we have been seeing, I'm erring towards the latter. You've done it before Unai, can you do it again?

1 hour ago, TRO said:

This team, don't like traffic.

The whole midfield, was tepid.

Absolutely spot on. How often when watching us do you feel we are going to win a 50-50 challenge and mount an attack? Personally, I don't ever think that. 

23 minutes ago, Mantis said:

I'm sure it'll retroactively become the received wisdom that actually we weren't great against Sheffield United and that we only smashed them becuase they're really poor, but we genuinely looked lively and full of zip in that game, and I don't really know why there was such a marked lack of application tonight. Even setting aside tactics and the quality of opposition, it was like watching two different teams. If we'd have played like that on Saturday we'd have lost or drawn at best.

I don't think you can set aside the quality of opposition, but it wasn't just that, they also, inexplicably, just let us play and we invariably dispatch the teams that do.

Bizarrely, they worked out how to nullify us in the game at Villa Park and then were wide open in their home game, so of course we steam-rollered them because they invited us to do it and we have better players.

In tonight's game, Chelsea looked up for it and were excellent. They harried us, wanted it more and did not let us play, so were miles better. It's not complicated. They did to us, what we did to Sheffield Utd, albeit on a lesser scale.

Name me one thing (anything), that is more typically Villa than encouraging you to believe and then disintegrating into irrelevance? 

Score first and we have a chance, but I would say another loss is much more likely. We are vulnerable against any aggressive, half decent team. In a word, we are timid.

Who thinks we are going to win against Utd and why, let's hear it...

Just now, foreveryoung said:

But they weren't even that good. No way have they turned that corner.

Custard bowl knobbers will be laughing there bollocks off!

They were excellent. Take your Villa goggles off. Wanted it more, kept possession, played quickly, made incisive passes and took their chances. We did none of that. Only one team in it.

Just now, Shirtman said:

So Diaby gets mom because he scuffs it in!

Yes because only because "no-one" is not an option.

Very very poor from Aston Villa.

Excellent from Chelsea.

Completely outplayed.

3 minutes ago, romavillan said:

Emery's football philosophy is not why we're losing tonight, it is why we've been brilliant for over a year.

So he takes the credit when we are good, but no flack when we are bad. Right.

1 minute ago, Dodgyknees said:

Was hoping it was a bit like tag or kiss chase. Gutted.

Makes sense.

Commentator...

"Let's hope this is not the start of a downturn"

Who would argue against it?

3 minutes ago, Dodgyknees said:

Is this a club? Can I join?

It's a solo sport, as you well know.

2 minutes ago, romavillan said:

We're top 4? Just had the best calendar year for absolutely **** forever?

Is it working now?

Just now, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

We start showing some impetus and all of a sudden it's not one way traffic 

Imagine if we did that from the beginning.

No, have to be patient and wait for a mistake.

1 minute ago, thunderball said:

Sheffield was last weekend?

Wank team. 

2 minutes ago, romavillan said:

Slow and patient, yes. Then the idea is to wait for an opening and then play quick.  People getting arsed about high lines and slowly knocking it around the back are on a hiding to nothing.

Is it working?

Just now, thunderball said:

Sheffield brought the fight and got walloped. Do you think Man City and Arsenal came to rollover? Did AZ Alkmaar allows to waltz in and destroy their unbeaten home run? That’s without even thinking about it.

Yes we’ve struggled of late with a small squad and injuries after showing league contender form for half a season, but your statement is simply untrue.

Obviously I mean "of late"! 

Just now, romavillan said:

It's how we play, we aren't going to go gung ho route one. Not now, not ever.

What is how we play, slow?

Boooooooooo

Just now, il_serpente said:

So slow and ponderous.   Do they realize we need to score several goals.

Been like this for weeks.

Just now, thunderball said:

What a load of nonsense?

You seem unsure. Do we fight well under pressure? Maybe you know better.

I'm going to say it again, any team that takes it to us, wins. Suck on that.

Just now, TreeVillan said:

I'd rather get bummed by rent boys 

Same thing.

Just now, GlobalVillan said:

Wtf

Are we trying?