striker

1 hour ago, Leeroy said:

Look I’m sorry if my posts have offended you, I get very emotional about the Villa and this is a really important period while we try to clinch 4th place, I’m a rational guy but match day is different, if you don’t like it you don’t have to read. I was being silly about Martinez, I don’t think he faked illness, but it’s very very frustrating to have your best goalkeeper by a mile pull out just before kickoff when we’ve already got a load of players out as it is and it just seemed a bit off to say he was ‘ill’ given he was in the team initially. I also don’t think anything I’ve said about performances have been inaccurate, other than Forest and Man Utd at home and Sheffield Utd away, we’ve generally been recording lower XGs against our opponents and playing much worse than we did in the first half of the season. Even wolves who had kids in their starting 11 were the better side against us. We don’t look a top 4 side any more and injuries don’t help but don’t tell the whole story.

 

I never expected to win last night but to put out that team really hurt as I basically had no hope after that and I’ve now seen us get battered 4 times this season (Newcastle 5-1, Liverpool 3-0, Spurs 4-0, Man City 4-1). For context last season under Emery we didn’t lose a game by more than 2 goals. It has become a common thing for us to be torn apart by teams when things aren’t going for us and that soft underbelly is something I want eradicated next season.

 

As I said all will be forgotten about yesterday if we finish the season well. He clearly rested players yesterday so we could play them to win the more winnable games. He now has to follow through on that by winning the winnable games or his strategy has failed. We basically need to win 4 of our last 7 games to get 4th and Saturday is one of those games. 

Think the above post is a very honest summary of Villa’s present form in particular the second paragraph.

I too am alarmed at the drubbings suffered this season which are unbecoming of a fourth placed Premiership team. I’ve read some of the excuses like injuries and fatigue. While I have some sympathy for the first I do not believe you can use the second as most of the players used should have been reasonably fresh. You could also argue that City were under strength too resting two of their best players!

Arsenal demonstrated how to nullify City in the previous game so much so that a much lauded Foden looked ordinary.

Villa’s high line is an invitation to the better teams to hit through and over the top passes to break the offside trap. We’ve seen it time and time again even in pre-season against teams with pace!

Whilst I fully admit Villa were suffering from a spate of injuries last night I was frustrated to see Emery setting up Villa as he has done all season without adapting much to the opposition with no plan to nullify Foden.

Foden must love playing against Villa. For such a talented player to have the freedom of the park it’s no wonder he scored a hat trick last night.

It was naive in the extreme by Emery especially when the team was injury hit. He could have at least tried to smother City through the middle as Arteta did.
 

Arteta has learned the hard way against City in previous games against Pep so maybe Emery will now do the same next season at the Etihad rather than going toe to toe with a better team?

Just now, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

What's the talk about Martinez?

Thought he was starting?

Nope out sick. Olsen playing  

After watching the game against Arsenal I don’t think Villa have too much to fear. Fell asleep trying to watch a bore draw!

Villa have the pace to expose an injury hit Man City back line so I expect Villa to do exactly that!

After the first 25 minutes it was a very professional performance by Villa. At this point in the season performances don’t really matter but points do.

After the second goal injury hit Wolves didn’t have much upfront to trouble Villa so it was fairly comfortable. 
 

Tills MOTM for me. Did everything a McGinn would have done and to me now looks much fitter.

Defo a player there in Rogers while both Diaby and Zaniolo are improving at the business end of the season which is another big plus.

Much harder games to come though.

After a slow start decent 1st half by Villa. Tielemans has been very good in the McGinn role while Rogers has shown some nice touches but Villa need more from him.

Villa may need to score two more for the three points as Wolves and in particular Doyle look dangerous!

A very hard game but I fancy Villa taking all three points today.

Thought Konsa acquitted himself very well at RB but would have loved to see him play instead of Maguire at CB. Did himself no harm at all with his versatility though.

Watkins was ok but suffered from a total lack of service which leads me to England generally.

Maguire has no place in a modern pass and move international side and neither has Dunk. Konsa or someone like him is the way to go.

England didn’t create anything really all game. They have no playmaker to play through teams therefore rely on sideways movement to wide positions which is very predictable and easy to nullify.

This is concerning for the Euro’s and of course Maguire who really is an accident waiting to happen!

What absolute bollocks!! Get a life. It’s only a football skip for **** sake!!!

Definitely think there’s a player in there so I hope Villa persist with him either to give Watkins a rest or replace him when injured.

Certainly not playing together!

A very good point away to a bogey team for Villa particularly without McGinn or Kamara in the engine room.

Bonus that Zaniolo scored which will do his confidence no harm at all.

The international break has come at exactly the right time for Villa. Some players treading in mud over last few games hence Emery’s selection today while giving time for injuries to heal.

Tough draw that. Will Konsa be back for the quarter? When is Kamara due back?

Watkins injury is a cut/opening on the knee stated by Bailey post match. So not muscular which is good.

Much, much better second half after Emery got into them.

Bonus that both Duran and Diaby scored. Won’t do their confidence any harm at all.

Gave Torres MOTM as he was immaculate. Back to his best!

Duran could and should have had a hat trick after coming on!

Better from Villa.

Well I’m going to be kind and say that was decidedly average from both sides.

Thought Villa would up the tempo after scoring and go for a second. Instead they sat on the lead.

Concerning about Watkins but hopefully he’ll be ok for the West Ham game?

To add I wasn’t too sure about Duran’s body language after going down?

That was needed. Hopefully settle more now?

Haven’t troubled their keeper yet.

Need to score the first goal or that soft underbelly may show itself again?

I saw enough of Ajax in the first game to shed any over confidence for the return.

With Brobbey they could quite easily get the first goal.

Chelsea and Spurs with their nippy forwards have already exposed Villa’s lack of pace/physicality in the centre.

I’d urge caution for Thursday night as Ajax have nothing to loose and it’s exactly the type of fixture Villa have been found wanting in the past!

7 hours ago, The_Steve said:

Go back and watch the penalty shout - Van de Ven cleaned Ollie out. He wasn’t the same after. 

Watkins hardly got a touch even from the start of the game so to me it made no difference to his performance.

8 hours ago, TRO said:

couldn't muster a run to close down the lively Son, as he pulled the trigger....its all so very sad.

He must have our fixture marked down on his happy calendar, each year.

Currant midfield has no pace or physicality. One reason why the top teams love playing against Villa TRO!

If FFP is going to be adjusted in the summer which looks likely then the bulk of the budget must be spent on restructuring midfield!

26 minutes ago, TRO said:

 

We have some serious thinking to do, with the nature of our team and the make up of its approach.....We simply cannot be masking over poor performances by quoting the season, every time.

 

This all day long. Sick to death of hearing it particularly from the manager. He mentioned top 7 yesterday again. If that’s the target then he’s going to hit the 7th place bullseye if recent performances continue.

Luiz looked completely **** yesterday. Should be rested but Villa have no quality cover in central midfield which is now biting in the arse!

12 hours ago, The_Steve said:

Thank god Ollie wasn’t injured despite the attempts of the Tottenham defence today. 

Hard to imagine any Spurs defence trying to injure a player and yesterday they didn’t. They just had Watkins in their pocket all game.

2 minutes ago, Herman22 said:

The more I see of the McGinn red card the more it’s clear the ref has been influenced by the spurs players and the bench. He clearly going to give a yellow card but then starts talking to someone and changes his mind. 

We have some of the worst and weakest refs in the world. As soon as any pressure came on he folded! And we all know the next steps. All his mates, the former refs who are paid by TV channels to say nothing will say he was right. A lovely protection racket they have set up. 

Complete and utter nonsense. After any Villa defeat the conspiracy theorists come out on here to spin their rubbish.

It’s either that or a massive chip on the shoulder blaming the ref for a poor performance by the players!

I've watched the McGinn tackle and it gets worse with every viewing. The only positive I can say about it is that Roy Keane would be proud of it. McGinn lost the head completely as he and the rest of the team were being dominated in such an important game.

If any of the Spurs players had tackled McGinn like that those on here denying it was a red would be screaming for the Spurs player to be shown the guillotine!

Get real people and grow up!

2 minutes ago, paul514 said:

I said the same about January and was repeatedly told we didn’t need another DCM because of Tim and we didn’t need another right back because of Konsa

Villa needed 3 quality players in January and didn’t do it. Whether that was due to FFP I don’t know but Villa could have spent in Jan and not invested in the summer.