Player Match Ratings: Mind the gap!

[John]

This game had offered us an opportunity to climb out of the bottom three. But we do not beat Stoke at home do we?

A third successive defeat at Villa Park against yesterday’s visitors has seen us go into the international break with just the two hapless North Eastern clubs keeping us off the bottom. We cannot rely on those two teams losing each week and at one point yesterday it seemed they might not.

A worrying four point gap has also now opened between Villa and the three teams who are now directly above us. Our much changed team needs to gel together quickly to stop it growing any wider.  

We chose to start the game with the creativity of both Grealish and Gil sitting on the bench. No doubt that decision was made to try to avoid defeat by attempting to match our visitor’s rugged midfield. But this was a game that we needed to be trying to win and it was Stoke we were playing not Barcelona!

This might well prove to have been a 6-pointer at the end of the season and you really have to beat the teams that are around you to stay up. I guess we also started with three central defenders to try to strengthen what has been a leaky back four. But playing five at the back left our midfield under pressure against a team that are strong in that area. Changing to a four at the back half way through the game also created the hole in the centre of our defence that led to their winner ten minutes after the re-start.  

Our first half performance yesterday was a passable interpretation of those grim ones that we had given against WBA and Small Heath recently. We again improved in the second half (it would have been difficult to have not done so) but we did not improve enough to ever really look like winning or drawing or scoring in this one.

Since winning on the first day of the season at newly promoted Bournemouth we have only beaten teams from the lower leagues in the cup. We could only manage a draw against Sunderland who are one of the two teams that have gathered fewer points than we have to date. We really need to start winning the odd game before 40 points begins to look a very big end of season point target if it does not already.

My player ratings from a game that has left us still on just four points and on a run of four successive defeats are:

Brad Guzan – 6 – So nearly became another keeper to be embarrassingly caught off his line by Adam whose 18^th minute effort from inside his own area was pushed away with one hand as Brad scrambled back from the edge of the box. Amautovic was nicely found by wing-back Johnson and ran into the gaping hole between Crespo and Richards before putting his shot into the net off the post and past Brad’s left hand for their 55^th minute winner. Other than that a quiet afternoon against visitors that I think would have happily settled for a point at 3pm.                                                

Alan Hutton – 5 – Surely Bacuna would have been the choice here had we been looking to play wing backs to get forward? Alan worked hard as he always does but he looked uncomfortable in this more forward role that exposed his difficulty in getting enough good crosses over. Alan was left for dead by Amautovic in the build up to their goal.                              

Jose Angel Crespo – 5 – Made his debut following injury and looked solid enough given this was his first full game. Jose was given the benefit of the doubt when it appeared he was at best an inch or two behind Amautovic when his 33^rd minute effort was ruled offside. 

Joleon Lescott – 4 – Joleon was substituted at half time as he was against Small Heath. He gave some cause for concern before he made way for Jack and did not seem particularly at-ease playing as part of a back three. He has not had the sort of solid start he would have hoped to have made with the club he supports and needs our support to try to get over what has been a surprisingly shaky start.     

Michah Richards – 7 – MOTM - Micah gave another solid defensive performance and must surely soon come into England consideration again given the strong start he has had with us. Got a vital block in on Diouf as he was about to pull the trigger inside the box on 4 minutes. Really should have done better when he was free at the far post on 56 minutes but headed Vertout’s cross wide. Gana played the ball back to Micah on 77 minutes who twice played one-twos with Ayew before going down inside the box the ball ran to Ayew and then to Veretout both of whom had their efforts blocked.                                

Jordan Amavi – 6 – Jordan’s pace got him out of trouble a couple of times. He posed a threat when getting forward and was solid enough in defence.                    

Jordan Veretout – 5 – Picked up the ball near the centre circle on 39 minutes ran between two opponents on his way and nearly did the same on the edge of the box before going down inside the box when possibly unfairly challenged by Cameron.  

Ashley Westwood - 6 – The best of our midfield performers for me yesterday.                  

Idrissa Gana – 5 – Became more effective as the game wore on after a slow start. Hit a shot from the edge of the box on 40 minutes which went harmlessly wide. He does get into some decent shooting positions but his shots are too often inaccurate.

Scott Sinclair – 4 – Has lost his earlier goal touch and can be much more effective than this.      

Rudy Gestede – 5 – Did not get the sort of service that he needs to get us goals. Made a good run to the edge of the box from just inside his own half but his shot was routinely gathered by Butland.                 

Substitutes:

Jack Grealish – 6 – His belated introduction at half time did not quite spark an upturn in performance of the magnitude that we needed to claim the points yesterday. He has had better games for us and has been more influential in games for us but we are without doubt a better team with him than without him.  

Carles Gil – 6 - Replaced Sinclair on 58 minutes. Ran at players and is a player that can create chances given the opportunity to do so. Made a difference when he came on giving Stoke some causes for concern as did Jack that were few and far between prior to their introduction.   

Jordan Ayew – Replaced Westwood on 75 minutes and was not on the field long enough to gather a rating but was on long enough to show he should have been. Gil found him nicely inside the box but his shot hit the side netting rather than the back of the net. No doubt had Gabby been fit a place would have been found for him. I think we need to start doing the same for Jordan because he offers us something we are lacking up front and threatens to make things happen.  

Stay up Villa!

John Lewis

 

Edited October 4, 2015 by John
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[meregreen]

Game of opinions, I thought Westwood was our worst performer in midfield. Agree with everything else though.

[John]

Game of opinions, I thought Westwood was our worst performer in midfield. Agree with everything else though.

Others improved during the game but for me he started well enough and maintained a reasonable performance level for the rest of the game. As you rightly say it is a game of opinions and as Meatloaf once almost said agreement on 12 out of 13 is not bad.   

[rjw63]

Game of opinions, I thought Westwood was our worst performer in midfield. Agree with everything else though.

I thought Gana was worse, but they were both shit. Sinclair was dire though.

[adw95]

Well written as always, other than the Gil and Ayew substitutions being switched.