RR Ratings and Reactions: Villa - Man Utd

[CrackpotForeigner]

Aside from Westwood and a promising start from Gana I think we look really weak.

 

I don't know. As others have said, our three trickiest players were all out today. It's fairly likely that our three biggest chances of unlocking a defence this season are going to be Grealish, Gil and Traore.

 

On the other hand our midfield held its own today overall I thought. Add some creativity from that trio and we'll be winning games.

[jim]

We will finish 17th again with that mentality and standard

Cool story

[GNeeUs]

Anyone know why Joe Cole wasn't on the bench?

He would have been the perfect candidate for the last 20 mins to come on be creative and maybe set something up. He was brilliant during pre season.

[Vincenzo]

Referee was looking straight af the penalty incident. It was a penalty, even Gary Neville said it was a penalty! Can you imagine that t@@t referee not giving it to them at Old Trafford.

Thought we started brightly but ran out of steam in midfield especially Gana.

A draw would have been a fair result IMO

[caw2510]

Started both halves well. Lacked attacking impetus. Soft goal to concede.

Amavi was good. Gana started really well but faded. Ayew should've been taken off as all our moves seemed to break down with him later in the game. Westwood had a good game.

Dwight Yorke is pissing me off with all this "we" talk on sky.

Hopefully Gestede will be ready to start next week because the front three we started with weren't good enough.

One last word on the ref, thought he was weak... we definitely should've had a pen.

everytime i hear dwight yorke on sky i wish john gregory had a gun

[ozvillafan]

What pleases me is that our performances are only going to get better as they get used to each other.

 

1 thing stood out from that game: Ayew is too much like Gabby in playstyle and ability. They occupy the same sort of areas on the pitch, highlighted perfectly by a beautiful Amavi "whipped in" cross .....

 

... and both ran to the near post. I'd like to see one or the other in the side, not both. And that "one" should be Ayew.

[villafan306]

A pretty drab game overall.

 

Amavi looked very good and not out of his depth at all against a top 4 side.  Richards and Clark appear to have a good understanding with each other and for the most part looked solid.  We definitely need to either buy a right back or bring Hutton back in - Bacuna is not a defender and was out of position a lot.  

 

Midfield was a mixed bag.  Westwood had a great game and Gana had flashes of good and bad - he was at fault for the goal as he let Janujazi get away from him.  There were some good spots from him though and he was very busy.  Veretout was anonymous for most of the game.  It's early days to make any judgments though, it could purely be a lack of match fitness.

 

Sinclair had a couple of good moments and was probably the better of our forwards.  Ayew looked like a dog chasing a car - he didn't know what to do when he actually caught it (got the ball) - that shot he blazed over showed a lack of composure.  There is talent there, he just looks like he'll take a while to settle down.  Gabby worked hard as ever but not much to show for it really.

 

Overall a 1-0 loss to Man Utd is never the end of the world.  Everyone worked hard for the team, they just need more time together to learn each other's game. 

[PongRiddims]

All game there was a real lack of width whenever Amavi wasn't involved, Bacuna was pushing wide, picking the ball up and no one was showing for him down the line and he seemed too scared to run it himself. The three forwards were so narrow at times they played on top of each other, which very much limits any attacking option other than a long ball straight up the middle.

[Vive_La_Villa]

Man U were set up quite defensively. A lot of teams would have struggled to break them down let alone a team full of players getting used to each other and this league.

[DrUnKeNbUm]

I thought it was a decent enough performance taking into account a few things. We were playing Man U. 5 players making their second appearance for the club - they still havent gelled. The players arent fully fit for 90 mins- gueye and veretout were blowing out of their arses after 70 mins.

Once players get up to speed and the fitness levels improve we are going to be a very good team. We still have gil, grealish and gestede to come into the team as starters so from an attacking point of view I think we will be fine. Defensively we have looked solid enough and will only improve, plus veretout, gueye and Westwood gave much more protection to the back four than yhe midfield of last season. We kept Rooney so quiet his first touch in our box was in the 91st minute putting the ball out for a throw instead of a goal kick.

[AVTuco]

 

The result was as expected.

Our defense looks good, especially Amavi who was our best player, followed by Richards. Sanchez was quite good aswell, as was Guzan.

Gabby, Veretout were invisible.

Our worst player, especially on the second half, was Gana. He lost the ball every time, lost every battle. Ayew wasn't good either.

Again, we seem to have trouble going forward. Hopefully Adama solves this.

I strongly disagree with your assessment of Gana. It amuses me how people can read the game so differently, and I guess that's part of the beauty of the game. But for me, Gana was head and shoulders our best player.

Now, I broach this subject delicately, but are you sure you weren't mistaking Gana for Ayew?

 

I was thinking the same thing the guy was getting in good positions and making some good link up play definitely one of our best players today.

Haha, could see this coming after reading a couple other reactions, but it is what it is. I'm glad you guys thought he was good.

To me, Gana was the player who made most mistakes. I don't recall him from the first half so maybe that's what seta us apart. Maybe he was good in the first, and not so good in the second half?

Anyway, Gana was at fault for their goal in my opinion, for not tracking his man. And his passing in the second half was atrocious.

For the record, I think he is a good lively player. I'd start him next game for sure. But yesterday, I remember thinking he made more mistakes than Sanchez.

[S-Platt]

It's a work in progress it is frustrating and will be for a while. You can see the potential and the players missing that will take people on thus creating space will improve us immensely. My only concern is a player to finish it off up top we really need a clever forward. As highlighted elsewhere when the 2 playing are making the same runs to the near post its screaming out for intelligence. Ade would be a good fit and teach Ayew a thing or 2 about how to time your runs and where to run.

[nnock1984]

On the whole it was a decent performance! We kept them very quiet. We can't play that front 3 together again, but hopefully when we get another striker and Gil, grealish, gestede, and Traore are back/up to speed, we'll be looking much better in the final third!

I'm not overly sold on 4-3-3, and would prefer to see 4-4-2 diamond or 4-2-3-1. If he does persist with this formation he needs another creative centre mid as veretout looks like he could take a while to settle.

[dakid007]

Ref done us over. Man U are a team of boring over priced foulers & gabby is the weakest link

[foreveryoung]

Don't ever want to hear this, Man U have a more expensive team than us how could we ever beat them. Next time at Old Trafford, next time.....

[Arj Guy]

Man Utd were there for the taking tonight. But ultimately we didn't test the keeper anywhere near enough. Hopefully that will improve when Adama, Gil and Grealish are available. MOTM Amavi, also thought Gana had a decent game although he was at fault for the goal. Ayew was poor and nearly cost us a goal, Gabby was shite as per usual. Sanchez looked good when he came on and deserves to start next match imo.

Also when should we have had a

penalty?

Edited August 15, 2015 by Arj Guy

[Neil]

That amavi was a class above, flying past people...just a shame it seemed like all his good bursts ended with ayew.

[CrackpotForeigner]

To me, Gana was the player who made most mistakes. I don't recall him from the first half so maybe that's what seta us apart. Maybe he was good in the first, and not so good in the second half?

Anyway, Gana was at fault for their goal in my opinion, for not tracking his man. And his passing in the second half was atrocious.

For the record, I think he is a good lively player. I'd start him next game for sure. But yesterday, I remember thinking he made more mistakes than Sanchez.

 

 

I agree. He's obviously a good player, but it wasn't a brilliant performance, and not tracking the runners isn't really okay, as hopefully he realised immediately.

[dont_do_it_doug.]

Atmosphere was flat as a pancake yesterday. It wasn't easy when some of us were stuck on the hottest train ever for 30 minutes (one lad almost passed out, I'm surprised nobody didn't) and were 10 minutes late for KO as a result.

With all the transport issues I'm disgusted that the game wasn't delayed. Can't upset the broadcasters eh... Joke.

Edited August 15, 2015 by dont_do_it_doug.

[Harry]

 

Overall. We have an obvious lack of quality in midfield, and massive problems in the final third. Ayew looks like a striker being played out of position. Gabby looked totally out of his depth. Veretout and Gana dont look match fit. Veretout looks like he might need a while to adjust to the pace of it all. Amavi on the other hand looks like a real gem.

 

You honestly think its the midfield that's lacking quality?

 

The only missing link for me was someone to link the midfield and the strikers, for me that will come from grealish when he is match fit again. We pretty much contained Man U today and that's only their second game playing together. Amavi looks like he will bomb down the left all day, if him and Gestede can develop an understanding that's going to be a constant goal threat.

 

What worries me is Gabby playing every game as a striker when we know hes a 5-10 goal a season player and Ayew who at the moment looks out of his depth.

 

Your are right the midfield has definite quality, they just need some time together.

 

As for Gabby I doubt he would get 5 the way he is playing these days, he is living on his past which was not that great in reality.