Ratings and Reactions: Villa - Sunderland

[bose]

Criticised in the early parts of the season for lack of passing and lack possession , criticised now for too much passing and too much possession

 

I think the general criticism is that we are most of the time rather shit in attack. It's just different approaches of shitness.

[Villanun]

Toothless before the sending off, wasteful afterwards. We didn't seriously look like scoring until the last few minutes. Some of the control and passing in this match was appalling, and Weimann continues to be a waste of a shirt. Sanchez played magnificently, and Grealish did more in the few minutes he was on than most other players did in the whole match, but that's about it as far as positives go.

 

I'm genuinely angry with our attacking players. Benteke can berate the other players all he likes, but he cost us chance after chance by refusing to make an attacking run or even try to get away from the players marking him.  Nzogbia did okay but still keeps running into blind alleys. Off-the-ball movement was terrible, and nobody ever seems to want to make a run in behind the opposition defenders, which means that we can pass the ball around as much as we want but defenders know they don't have to do anything as we never try to pass it forward.

 

As for Delph... well, he made a couple of good attacking runs but wasn't at his best and while I'm not convinced that the red card was a stonewall decision for the referee, it's certainly the kind of challenge that would be more likely to be a red for us than for certain other clubs.

[Ghost]

Sanchez MOTM by an absolute country mile. Grealish and Bacuna need to start the next game.

[westholmevillan]

Sanchez outstanding. Great purchase by Lambert. To be fair whenever Lambert as payed over the 4 million mark for a player, he's got it right!

Weimann was shocking today, especially in the final third. He needs a rest. How many more times do we have to say that Grealish MUST start?

Awful tackle by Delph. Red card was the correct decision IMO.

Grealish and Bacuna must start against Palace!

[PhilGibson]

Our lowest goals scored in a season is 32 according to the oracle that is wikipedia. 1971 - 72

 

We need some 2nd half of the season to even get to that level. A potential further record for good old Paul.

[VillanousOne]

---- Guzan -----

 

Hutton --- Okore --- Vlaar --- Cissokho

 

Zog --- Bacuna --- Sanchez --- Grealish

 

Gabby -- Benteke

 

 

won't happen as Lambert needs at least 9 central defensive midfielders

[supernova26]

Can't remember Sanchez giving the ball away at all, he's one cool customer that guy. But we ain't no good at this possession football without a creative midfielder.  

[KSV]

It was red.. was a bit of a stamp challenge.

 

I will echo everyones thoughts. Sanchez was amazing. Grealish and Bacuna have to start. They just run at players and are dangerous.

 

Wiemann wasnt at his best but he still makes good runs.. better than Nzogbia imo. Thankfully Gabby is back next match.

 

Cleverley is shit and i hope we dont sign him permanently. How he played for England is beyond me

[osmark86]

Criticised in the early parts of the season for lack of passing and lack possession , criticised now for too much passing and too much possession

 

I hope no one wants us to revert to the hoofballing days of olde. the criticism lies in the lack of attacking creativity while we have the ball in our possession. I think starting Grealish might just add to that.

[ismail-villa]

Sanchez is so calm on the ball. I love him.

[hoaxn]

I thought there'd be a bit more outrage about Pantilimon drop kicking Benteke in the stomach with no eyes for the ball in a clear goal scoring opportunity.

[westholmevillan]

Toothless before the sending off, wasteful afterwards. We didn't seriously look like scoring until the last few minutes. Some of the control and passing in this match was appalling, and Weimann continues to be a waste of a shirt. Sanchez played magnificently, and Grealish did more in the few minutes he was on than most other players did in the whole match, but that's about it as far as positives go.

 

I'm genuinely angry with our attacking players. Benteke can berate the other players all he likes, but he cost us chance after chance by refusing to make an attacking run or even try to get away from the players marking him.  Nzogbia did okay but still keeps running into blind alleys. Off-the-ball movement was terrible, and nobody ever seems to want to make a run in behind the opposition defenders, which means that we can pass the ball around as much as we want but defenders know they don't have to do anything as we never try to pass it forward.

 

As for Delph... well, he made a couple of good attacking runs but wasn't at his best and while I'm not convinced that the red card was a stonewall decision for the referee, it's certainly the kind of challenge that would be more likely to be a red for us than for certain other clubs.

Cant defend the Delph tackle.....over the top with studs showing = no brainer!

[terrytini]

Still signs of improvement for me. Seems crazy people are already bemoaning a better style when the previous one didn't bring goals anyway !

I think the more footballing style will help with goals so its maybe unfair to include the 'pre-change' period of los scoring.

Yes it was a fairly ordinary performance but that's what you get from a lot of sides, a lot of the time.

I thought we were watchable and, after the sending off in particular, played OK.

No complaints.

Sanchez terrific.

[Spoony]

Guzan - 8 did all he needed to do and made a brilliant save at the end to deny Gomez

Vlaar - 8 a rock, really put himself out there today. Should be banned from shooting, however.

Cissokho - 6 did ok but had a couple of dodgy crosses

Clark - 7 did fine

Hutton - 6 ok

Delph - 4 was awful before he was sent off. The ref could have booked him but it was a reckless, studs up challenge and these days if you give the ref the option to send you off, he will. Cost us 3 points.

Sánchez - 9 MOTD great game. Looks so confident and composed on the ball and he is one of our few players capable of a dangerous pass

Cleverley - 5 don't really remember his name being mentioned

Weimann - 2 awful, awful, awful footballer. Has absolutely no composure, makes weird runs, can't cross, can't head, can't control, can't pass, can't shoot, offers absolutely nothing and has to go

Benteke - 4 didn't make the right runs, slow, sulky, whimped out at the end when he could have got us the win. Useless

N'Zogbia - 5 meh

 

Bacuna - 8 made such a difference when he came on. Good runs and great crosses, one of which nearly won us the game

Okore - 6 did what he had to do

Grealish - 9 incredible energy, lifted the whole team and the crowd. Even seemed to lift Sunderland! Great attacking runs, dangerous balls across the box that Benteke couldn't be arsed with and then even tracked back to put in a shift in defence when needed. Only not MOTD cos Sanchez was a beast

[Ponky]

Criticised in the early parts of the season for lack of passing and lack possession , criticised now for too much passing and too much possession

 

I think there's plenty in favour of this new approach. It does require a bit of creativity in the team and curses that Joe Cole is injured (but hardly surprising); I much prefer the frustration of not being able to score over letting the opposition have the ball and inviting them to try and score.

 

Lambert took a pretty big gamble in the 67th minute making an attacking change bringing in Grealish for Cleverley and I'm glad it didn't backfire.

 

Benteke was quite disappointing today but I guess this is the problem when the ref allows the opposition defenders to use him as a mannequin to drape their shirts on.

Edited December 28, 2014 by Ponky

[osmark86]

Still signs of improvement for me. Seems crazy people are already bemoaning a better style when the previous one didn't bring goals anyway !

I think the more footballing style will help with goals so its maybe unfair to include the 'pre-change' period of los scoring.

Yes it was a fairly ordinary performance but that's what you get from a lot of sides, a lot of the time.

I thought we were watchable and, after the sending off in particular, played OK.

No complaints.

Sanchez terrific.

 

I will complain about Weimann though. ^^

[Villanun]

 

As for Delph... well, he made a couple of good attacking runs but wasn't at his best and while I'm not convinced that the red card was a stonewall decision for the referee, it's certainly the kind of challenge that would be more likely to be a red for us than for certain other clubs.

Cant defend the Delph tackle.....over the top with studs showing = no brainer!

 

 

The reason I'm not sure it was a definite sending off is that I've seen so many similar challenges that didn't result in a sending off. I'm certainly not trying to defend Delph - he didn't have to give the ref a decision to make. Rather, I'm being critical of the lack of consistency from referees. If there's been an edict to be more harsh on one-footed "stamping" challenges this season then I wish the FA would let all the refs know.

Edited December 28, 2014 by Villanun

[villianusa]

Didn't look like scoring with 11, nor with 10. the same problems exist there.

 

Delph was a red, lunged in and stamped down on the players ankle. If Richardson's was, his certainly was.

 

More worried about losing Sanchez than Benteke right now. Another poor performance from the big guy, excellent from Sanchez.

[This Could Be Rotterdam]

I don't know how anyone can argue that wasn't a red. If someone made that challenge on our players we'd be calling for their heads. It was a needless and reckless challenge and he deserves the ban.

[chrisp65]

Nevermind, goalfest coming up on Thursday.

 

If you were the new Crystal Palace Manager, who would you want to play to buy time to steady the ship?