Ratings and Reactions: Villa 0-2 Man City

[Neil]

All I heard in the first half was their fans.

 

Didn't hear a peep until 80 mins sitting in Holte lower, L1.  Normally I can hear the away fans quite well from here.

[srsmithusa]

Off topic but would anybody actually care if Manchester just disappeared from the map?

Both sets of fans are awful and they can **** off with their 2nd city shite.

The obliteration of an entire city of people, all with their own families and hopes and dreams would quite upset me actually.

Really? Even manchester? All they have is those hopes and dreams. Might be better off. Just sayin.

[Vive_La_Villa]

All I heard in the first half was their fans.

Didn't hear a peep until 80 mins sitting in Holte lower, L1. Normally I can hear the away fans quite well from here.

Fair enough mate but I was sitting opposite then and couldn't hear a peep from the holte. No point saying the away fans are only sing when they winning when our ground is silent.

As for the game. Yes they have players worth more than our squad but it doesn't excuse the fact we can't hold on to the ball for more than 5 passes. It's embarrassing.

[maqroll]

 

 

How can highly paid professional athletes supposedly be tired seven games into a season?

I noticed that too. Sissokho in particular looked like he was running through molasses for the last 20 minutes. 

[Woodytom]

Would have been delighted with 0-0 and we were well organised.

Nevertheless, bar silva and Aguero, I didn't think they were anything that special. (I appreciate they are of course).

But for poor finishing it could have been 5/6.

Tough games but we have got to better with the ball surely? For a premiership football side it's nothing short of abysmal to watch.

[Woodytom]

On the topic of fans. Thought both were equally poor in terms of noise.

[Woodytom]

I thought we played pretty well, Cleverly was really good in the first half, Hutton was excellent throughout and whilst both centre halves played well I thought Baker was outstanding. In the end I think we ran out of legs, once Delph and Cleverly tired, we were no longer able to create anything through the middle and the ball just kept coming back at us. City are relentless in that situation, patient, organised and precise.

Good the see Benteke back, and he looked ridiculously excited when he first came on - great to see.

There was an incident quite late on when Milner caught Hutton after the ball had gone on the corner of our box - from my seat (which is about as far away as you can get from the incident) it looked high, late and nasty - a red card offence - I presume I've not seen it well - can anyone enlighten me?

As for City, they'll win things, they're a very good side with very good players - but I'm always a little bit disappointed - if I had all of the money in the world, I'd make a football team that played like Brazil in 82, flair, magic, goals, insanity - City seem more like Germany 1990, there's just something very industrial about the way they methodically go about beating you. Ho hum - not my problem I suppose.

Anyways, I thought we were good and I'm looking forward to the rest of the season.

I respect your opinion but I don't agree with a word of this tbh.

Hutton was excellent throughout??? Defensively he wasn't bad but nothing outstanding. Going forward/final pass he was nothing short of diabolical IMO.

As for lacking creativity when Delph and Cleverley tired? We barely created anything all game. We've barely created anything all season. Hence our woeful shots on goal total.

Dreadful to watch, regardless of who we play. Newcastle (h) for example - we were awful.

Stats split ppl in terms of relevance but unless we address those possession/sot stats then we are in for another dire season that just so happened to get off to a good start.

You simply can't prolong unbeaten runs without the ball and I'm certainly not looking forward to another season of this tripe. It's cringeworthy.

[ThunderPower_14]

I feel like we're playing some really good football, we're just running the gauntlet with probably the toughest 4 or 5 games in a row any side will have this season.

 

I really hope despite the defeat our boys can keep their heads up and take this sort of effort into games against less expensive sides, because I think we can have a really good season if so.

[Woodytom]

I feel like we're playing some really good football

We must be watching a different team.

I would be interested in you highlighting more than 2/3 moments in the game that you would consider 'really good football'.

I would be interested to know how really good football gets you the lowest possession % and sot in the league.

Organised? Yep! Hardworking? Yep

Really good football?? No not seen that played by villa for years. Certainly not consistently.

[ThunderPower_14]

 

I feel like we're playing some really good football

We must be watching a different team.

I would be interested in you highlighting more than 2/3 moments in the game that you would consider 'really good football'.

I would be interested to know how really good football gets you the lowest possession % and sot in the league.

Organised? Yep! Hardworking? Yep

Really good football?? No not seen that played by villa for years. Certainly not consistently.

 

 

You can't be a good side with low possession and shot ratings if you are counter attacking.

 

Remember that we've also played the best 3 teams in the league in the last 3 games, including a couple of sides that outspend us by as much as we outspend League 2 sides.

 

I think with Benteke on his way back to full fitness, and Sanchez, Cleverly and Delph working their way into form and learning how each other play, we'll get better as the season goes on.

 

Organised and hardworking is a great basis for good football, and something we've definitely lacked over the last few years. We wont just automatically concede a goal at least like we have for the last couple of seasons.

[Woodytom]

I feel like we're playing some really good football

We must be watching a different team.

I would be interested in you highlighting more than 2/3 moments in the game that you would consider 'really good football'.

I would be interested to know how really good football gets you the lowest possession % and sot in the league.

Organised? Yep! Hardworking? Yep

Really good football?? No not seen that played by villa for years. Certainly not consistently.

You can't be a good side with low possession and shot ratings if you are counter attacking.

Remember that we've also played the best 3 teams in the league in the last 3 games, including a couple of sides that outspend us by as much as we outspend League 2 sides.

I think with Benteke on his way back to full fitness, and Sanchez, Cleverly and Delph working their way into form and learning how each other play, we'll get better as the season goes on.

Organised and hardworking is a great basis for good football, and something we've definitely lacked over the last few years. We wont just automatically concede a goal at least like we have for the last couple of seasons.

I agree with a lot of this but it hardly supports your initial comment that we are playing really good football.

[ThunderPower_14]

 

 

 

I feel like we're playing some really good football

We must be watching a different team.

I would be interested in you highlighting more than 2/3 moments in the game that you would consider 'really good football'.

I would be interested to know how really good football gets you the lowest possession % and sot in the league.

Organised? Yep! Hardworking? Yep

Really good football?? No not seen that played by villa for years. Certainly not consistently.

You can't be a good side with low possession and shot ratings if you are counter attacking.

Remember that we've also played the best 3 teams in the league in the last 3 games, including a couple of sides that outspend us by as much as we outspend League 2 sides.

I think with Benteke on his way back to full fitness, and Sanchez, Cleverly and Delph working their way into form and learning how each other play, we'll get better as the season goes on.

Organised and hardworking is a great basis for good football, and something we've definitely lacked over the last few years. We wont just automatically concede a goal at least like we have for the last couple of seasons.

I agree with a lot of this but it hardly supports your initial comment that we are playing really good football.

 

 

Maybe the phrase "really good football" shows how far my standards have fallen then.

 

Really good in relation to most of the last 5 years.

[Woodytom]

That's understandable as it has been awful for a while now.

Makes you wonder what the approach is on the training ground.

I've found myself a couple of times watching, something happens and I suddenly think, that's it, we've clicked. The weimann goal at anfield for example. Then it's just back to utter shite.

It's like we epitomise everything that's wrong this country's approach to coaching football in terms of keeping possession. So many similarities to the national side. Players that are predominantly English/coached for years in England that are absolutely clueless and terrified when they have the ball.

[ThunderPower_14]

That's understandable as it has been awful for a while now.

Makes you wonder what the approach is on the training ground.

I've found myself a couple of times watching, something happens and I suddenly think, that's it, we've clicked. The weimann goal at anfield for example. Then it's just back to utter shite.

It's like we epitomise everything that's wrong this country's approach to coaching football in terms of keeping possession. So many similarities to the national side. Players that are predominantly English/coached for years in England that are absolutely clueless and terrified when they have the ball.

 

We've played counter attacking football since we had MON and that style can be effective, but not if your defence is leakier than Jennifer Lawrence's iCloud security settings.

 

We finally seem to have a side that knows how to defend, can stay organised, and isn't prone to horrible mistakes that gift goals to the opposition.

 

Now that we've sorted that out, i'd expect we'll expand a bit going forward, especially with Benteke back.

[Vive_La_Villa]

Until the players can learn how to pass and start to understand that when we get the ball we don't have to instantly attack we will be battling relegation.

[Jimzk5]

Actually really pissed off with the result, after doing a decent job of shutting them out for 80 minutes, to let Toure, who has been shite so far this season pick the ball up and head towards goal and we just stand off and let him pick his spot, fair ****, it was a superb finish but Christ, put your foot in there and try and stop him.

Called It in the match thread that toure would get his season going against us mind

[rjw63]

Actually really pissed off with the result, after doing a decent job of shutting them out for 80 minutes, to let Toure, who has been shite so far this season pick the ball up and head towards goal and we just stand off and let him pick his spot, fair ****, it was a superb finish but Christ, put your foot in there and try and stop him.

Called It in the match thread that toure would get his season going against us mind

You did indeed, and I relayed that to my Dad just before kick off. Typical Villa ending someone's poor run

[AVFCDAN]

Biggest shock was Lampard not scoring!

 

Not much to say really, outclassed for 3 games straight now, not surprising in the least but disappointing for sure, football has become far too predictable for my liking.

 

No goals for 3 straight games is a worry or me, hopefully that picks up because we will end up in trouble later in the season if we cant score.

[Harry]

Actually really pissed off with the result, after doing a decent job of shutting them out for 80 minutes, to let Toure, who has been shite so far this season pick the ball up and head towards goal and we just stand off and let him pick his spot, fair ****, it was a superb finish but Christ, put your foot in there and try and stop him.

Called It in the match thread that toure would get his season going against us mind

Totally agree with that. Toure was shite all game but then he picks up the ball and launches this speculative run and we just back off him FFS. Mind you thats the consequence of defending way too deep.

[Woody1000]

I knew we should have put a bid in for Toure and Aguero!

God I hate anyone elses fans.

Fixed

Nope.

I hate their fans because I didn't hear them until they scored. They're champions and they didn't sing a word.

They're plastic fans supporting a plastic club. Problem? Throw money at it.

This really irked me as well. They were loud for the 8 mins plus injury time, giving it out to the fans in the North Stand.

They just come across like a bunch of spoiled children at times.