Roberto Di Matteo

[Villarocker]

I don't get this four strikers thing that people keep mentioning. On Sunday, the biggest criticism seemed to be that he should have put Jedinak on to shut up shop, when we had 5 attacking players on the pitch. We dominated that game with a starting front four of Grealish, Ayew, Kodjia & McCormack. Last night we started with a front 4 of Kodjia, Ayew,Gestede & McCormack. Who else could play left side attack in Grealish's absence? Amavi? Not a wide-left attack kind of player, for me. We should have been able to see out that game but drew because of individual errors.

[Daniel]

28 minutes ago, TrentVilla said:

Knowing Stan I find that extremely hard to believe.

I also think it's massively disrespectful to a guy who deserves and has earned immense respect and never treated the club or fans with anything less.

 

He said "he felt like it was taken away from him" when not offered a contract. Said Brad Guzan went mental when Stan told him he wasn't getting a contract. Stan also said he felt that the manager was scared that he would have more influence and that was the reason why he wasn't given a contract. Basically he was saying that he would have been given a contract out of sentimental value alone. Sure having someone like him around would have been nice, but it was obvious in pre-season that he had lost some ability to play at a high level and we really can't afford to carry players like that anymore.

Edited September 15, 2016 by Daniel

[Davkaus]

19 minutes ago, Daniel said:

we really can't afford to carry players like that anymore.

You can't say that, he had Leukemia don't you know. Some fans go proper Princess Diana when Petrov's involved. 

His interview was properly whiny, bordering on petulant IMO, and after what the club's done for him in the past I think he should keep his moaning to himself.

 

Edited September 15, 2016 by Davkaus

[Richard]

35 minutes ago, Wainy316 said:

Will be a shame if RMD doesn't work out just because I like the Ford Mondeo song.

Dr Tony went to Rome in a Ford Mondeo

Brought us back a P45 and sacked Robbie Di Matteo

[Davkaus]

45 minutes ago, TrentVilla said:

Knowing Stan I find that extremely hard to believe.

I also think it's massively disrespectful to a guy who deserves and has earned immense respect and never treated the club or fans with anything less.

Oh, so you haven't listened to it. Right then.

[TrentVilla]

1 minute ago, Davkaus said:

Oh, so you haven't listened to it. Right then.

No I haven't I made that perfectly obvious.

I will though, I somehow doubt I will feel any differently when I do about the rest of your post.

[Richard]

8 minutes ago, Davkaus said:

You can't say that, he had Leukemia don't you know. Some fans go proper Princess Diana when Petrov's involved. 

His interview was properly whiny, bordering on petulant IMO, and after what the club's done for him in the past I think he should keep his moaning to himself.

 

To be fair you could say that about any fan.  I know he was more than a fan but right now that's all he is.  Not sticking up for him or anything but we all ,  as fans,  have a go at the club.  Some of us do it daily.  He was asked a question and answered. Hey ho.

I do have sympathy for your first sentence though as someone who suggested in the summer we should not give him a contract

[BOF]

I still think it's too early to judge him, but he certainly has questions to answer.

If you thought the rebuild job, including all of the required gelling would be complete by half way through September then you are deluded and completely unrealistic.

It's not Di Matteo's fault that his strikers presently couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo.  If they had even one shooting boot on each we'd have battered a few sides already, we'd be further up the table and this conversation wouldn't be happening.  But yes yes we haven't battered a few sides and we're not further up the table.  It's not like the strikers haven't had the chances.  Blame the manager for that?  Good one.

The questions he does need to answer are around his ability to change the game.  Whether to close it down or to go again.  Regarding closing the game down, I think he has been hampered so far by his lack of choice in midfield.  Against Forest he had very little to bring on given that he started with his 2nd choice midfield.  Even against Brentford when trying to close it down, he brought off one of the 3 strikers and put on his only central midfielder.  Not a ridiculous decision by any stretch.  You could argue Baker might have been better, but by all accounts Brentford pack the midfield so maybe he made the right move but didn't have the right man to put in there.

I've no complaints with how he sets his teams up initially and I've no complaints with the instructions they're given.  Other than some early-season new-teammate jitters and individual errors we've shown that we're more than a match on the balance of play for everyone we've faced so far - other than perhaps last night where the opposition edged it.

There are still more league games left this season than you'd get in the entirety of a Premier League season, and we've gone through one of the biggest rebuilding jobs that I can remember other than maybe the first season of the Premier League.  We're already playing some lovely stuff and we've yet to have a fully fit squad to choose from.  Give them some more time.  They've started to click but it's not there yet.  Once it is, we'll be hard to stop and there's plenty of time left.

[BigAl]

5 minutes ago, BOF said:

I still think it's too early to judge him, but he certainly has questions to answer.

If you thought the rebuild job, including all of the required gelling would be complete by half way through September then you are deluded and completely unrealistic.

It's not Di Matteo's fault that his strikers presently couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo.  If they had even one shooting boot on each we'd have battered a few sides already, we'd be further up the table and this conversation wouldn't be happening.  But yes yes we haven't battered a few sides and we're not further up the table.  It's not like the strikers haven't had the chances.  Blame the manager for that?  Good one.

The questions he does need to answer are around his ability to change the game.  Whether to close it down or to go again.  Regarding closing the game down, I think he has been hampered so far by his lack of choice in midfield.  Against Forest he had very little to bring on given that he started with his 2nd choice midfield.  Even against Brentford when trying to close it down, he brought off one of the 3 strikers and put on his only central midfielder.  Not a ridiculous decision by any stretch.  You could argue Baker might have been better, but by all accounts Brentford pack the midfield so maybe he made the right move but didn't have the right man to put in there.

I've no complaints with how he sets his teams up initially and I've no complaints with the instructions they're given.  Other than some early-season new-teammate jitters and individual errors we've shown that we're more than a match on the balance of play for everyone we've faced so far - other than perhaps last night where the opposition edged it.

There are still more league games left this season than you'd get in the entirety of a Premier League season, and we've gone through one of the biggest rebuilding jobs that I can remember other than maybe the first season of the Premier League.  We're already playing some lovely stuff and we've yet to have a fully fit squad to choose from.  Give them some more time.  They've started to click but it's not there yet.  Once it is, we'll be hard to stop and there's plenty of time left.

This post sums up perfectly the way I feel about the whole villa situation at the moment we are a work in progress have plenty of work to do RDM hadn't had enough time really to be judged even with 60 million spent ,I think our performances have been good with the odd exception and I think we will start getting results sooner rather than later 

[VillaCas]

1 hour ago, bobzy said:

- No, I really didn't make a judgment after the first game.  I'm amazed that people are making judgments now to be honest.  Do you actually think we've played badly this season, on the whole?

Yeah you did, you wouldn't be human if you didn't.  After the first game I thought "it's early days, but we saw a few promsing signs and a few worrying ones. Hopefully we can sort out the problems with more familiarity and a few additions" You will have had your own opinion or judgement after the first game.  What you're talking about is a difference of opinion of when it is correct to act on that judgement. Certainly for me not after one games or two or eight, as we are currently are, but should we get zero points from the next three games, for example (all other things being equal) I would be willing to act on my judgement then (after 11 games, you would be willing to wait 20 when I would argue it could be too late for this season)

Do I think we are playing badly? No but I don't think we are playing anywhere near well enough given a £60m investment. If we win the next game and one of the two after that then I will be happier and he earns a little more patience, but say for example we lose the next three then personally I would be happy for RDM to go

[Villarocker]

4 hours ago, Gary Thomas said:

People are pointing at our midfield or certain individuals, but that is not the problem for me. This team has shown on numerous occasions it can outplay most teams in this division for long periods. The main problem is not individuals, it is the strange tactics and overly defensive mindset we switch to once we get in front and have a chance of winning. This is RDM.  He needs to develop a more aggressive attack-minded identity where we go out with one thing in mind; to dominate the opposition from start to finish.  When we go 1-0 up we keep attacking until we get another goal and so on.  At no point is there a defensive switch, or a going into our shell - we kill the opposition off.  We are capable of doing that IMO and we just need to have the balls to do it.

No offence mate but didn't he do this on Sunday against Forest? We went a goal down so he took off a central midfielder and threw on a Striker, meaning we had three out-and-out strikers on the pitch with two wide attackers. Then, after the game, a lot of people criticised RDM for not replacing a forward with Jedinak and shutting up shop as soon as we took a 2-1 lead.

I like the fact we start with four attack-minded players and it should work as that kind of formation - whereby a team plays 4-3-3 with two holding CM's behind a diamond-shaped front four - is quite common in modern football. The biggest problem on Sunday was that we lacked a real defensive-minded midfielder to sit in front of the back four.

Against Brentford we had lost our balance in that Grealish was out and had to have a striker played out wide (albeit he scored from playing out wide) as a consequence, which coincided with losing another of our strikers who had to be replaced by a left back playing as the left-sided forward. It became disjointed for sure. Mind you, had De Last not got injured he could possibly have stuck Bacuna out wide right and had Kodjia wide left. But, maybe that's where RDM could take some flak, for not covering all bases in case of injury?

Another thing to consider is that we have had quite a bad run with players going missing thus far. Tshibola, Jedinak, Gollini, De Laet, McCormack and Adomah have all taken time out for one reason or another. That's 2/3 of our new signings. Maybe we are just down on our luck a bit and just need to turn the tide?

[Richard]

15 minutes ago, BOF said:

It's not Di Matteo's fault that his strikers presently couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo.  If they had even one shooting boot on each we'd have battered a few sides already, we'd be further up the table and this conversation wouldn't be happening.  But yes yes we haven't battered a few sides and we're not further up the table.  It's not like the strikers haven't had the chances.  Blame the manager for that?  Good one.

Sorry but that wasn't the case last night.  We had about two other chances other than the goal scored.  A gestede header in the first half from the right of the pitch and a cross from the left on about 75 minutes which flashed across goal and no one touched in.

We did not pepper their g9al ,  have chances cleared off the line or hit the woodwork last night.  The personnel were wrong and because of that the tactics were poor.  This is not about battering sides,  this is about picking the right players in the right positions to do a job.  Last night was 4-1-4 .  That will not guarantee goals it is kids stuff it really is and sign, IMO, of a manager who is struggling for tactics and does not have the ability to pick a side.  He had personnel at his disposal to pick a better side last night ,  he did not.  We did not win a game.  He has to face the flack i'm afraid

[BOF]

Just now, Richard said:

Sorry but that wasn't the case last night.  We had about two other chances other than the goal scored.  A gestede header in the first half from the right of the pitch and a cross from the left on about 75 minutes which flashed across goal and no one touched in.

We did not pepper their g9al ,  have chances cleared off the line or hit the woodwork last night.  The personnel were wrong and because of that the tactics were poor.  This is not about battering sides,  this is about picking the right players in the right positions to do a job.  Last night was 4-1-4 .  That will not guarantee goals it is kids stuff it really is and sign, IMO, of a manager who is struggling for tactics and does not have the ability to pick a side.  He had personnel at his disposal to pick a better side last night ,  he did not.  We did not win a game.  He has to face the flack i'm afraid

I mention later on in my post that last night is probably the one exception so far to us outplaying the opposition.  Every other game we have.

[VillaCas]

17 minutes ago, BOF said:

I still think it's too early to judge him, but he certainly has questions to answer.

If you thought the rebuild job, including all of the required gelling would be complete by half way through September then you are deluded and completely unrealistic.

It's not Di Matteo's fault that his strikers presently couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo.  If they had even one shooting boot on each we'd have battered a few sides already, we'd be further up the table and this conversation wouldn't be happening.  But yes yes we haven't battered a few sides and we're not further up the table.  It's not like the strikers haven't had the chances.  Blame the manager for that?  Good one.

The questions he does need to answer are around his ability to change the game.  Whether to close it down or to go again.  Regarding closing the game down, I think he has been hampered so far by his lack of choice in midfield.  Against Forest he had very little to bring on given that he started with his 2nd choice midfield.  Even against Brentford when trying to close it down, he brought off one of the 3 strikers and put on his only central midfielder.  Not a ridiculous decision by any stretch.  You could argue Baker might have been better, but by all accounts Brentford pack the midfield so maybe he made the right move but didn't have the right man to put in there.

I've no complaints with how he sets his teams up initially and I've no complaints with the instructions they're given.  Other than some early-season new-teammate jitters and individual errors we've shown that we're more than a match on the balance of play for everyone we've faced so far - other than perhaps last night where the opposition edged it.

There are still more league games left this season than you'd get in the entirety of a Premier League season, and we've gone through one of the biggest rebuilding jobs that I can remember other than maybe the first season of the Premier League.  We're already playing some lovely stuff and we've yet to have a fully fit squad to choose from.  Give them some more time.  They've started to click but it's not there yet.  Once it is, we'll be hard to stop and there's plenty of time left.

I think this is very fair and I'd like to think that we can improve quickly - however, my worry is that RDM did not spend wisely in the window and that the lack of midfield depth will really hurt us. My hope is that Adomah will come in a help the shape a little but my worry is that we cannot sustain four forwards throughout the whole match

A genuine question - if we were to be still on 7 points after 10 games would you still be advising patience??

[BOF]

1 minute ago, VillaCas said:

A genuine question - if we were to be still on 7 points after 10 games would you still be advising patience??

If we go now and lose 3 on the spin, and have a run of 2pts out of 18pts then I think the decision might be taken out of my hands (like it's in them at the moment ).  If that was to happen then yes I think I'd be much more concerned than I am right now.  But right now I'm OK.

[Nabby]

3 minutes ago, VillaCas said:

I think this is very fair and I'd like to think that we can improve quickly - however, my worry is that RDM did not spend wisely in the window and that the lack of midfield depth will really hurt us. My hope is that Adomah will come in a help the shape a little but my worry is that we cannot sustain four forwards throughout the whole match

A genuine question - if we were to be still on 7 points after 10 games would you still be advising patience??

This is my worry , Unless Tshibola can get and stay fit the 3 current CM's are not going to be good enough and leaves you overloading with attackers but compromising them by asking them to perform defensive duties deep in our own half

[LakotaDakota]

I keep seeing people say we have invested 60 million, This isn't exactly the case is it, sure we have spent the money but we haven't really done a newcastle and added to what was already there have we. ours is pretty much a completely new team/squad which makes a huge difference. Of the starting 11 last night only 4 were villa players 2 months ago and changing the team every week/game realy isn't going to help them play with any sort of consistency.

I don't agree with some of the tactics/selections (especially the continued complete lack of attacking options on the bench to change anything)  but that is a different matter entirely and we really should be beating the likes of brentford, bristol city regardless

[VillaCas]

2 minutes ago, BOF said:

If we go now and lose 3 on the spin, and have a run of 2pts out of 18pts then I think the decision might be taken out of my hands (like it's in them at the moment ).  If that was to happen then yes I think I'd be much more concerned than I am right now.  But right now I'm OK.

Yes, I understand - I'm a little further along the spectrum from "OK" than you are at the moment and need to see us get a 4 points bare minimum from the next three to keep a lid on things.

I think my judgement is a little coloured by the fact that I didn't rate RDM at all before he came here and am I guess waiting for him to fail rather than waiting for him to succeed. I had lots of patience with Lambert and Garde because of the resources at their disposal. Given the resources made available to RDM I expect more than trailing Burton for example by two points at this stage.

A couple of wins and patience will return but I think we are all wary given our recent history of disaster

[Gary Thomas]

52 minutes ago, villarocker said:

No offence mate but didn't he do this on Sunday against Forest? We went a goal down so he took off a central midfielder and threw on a Striker, meaning we had three out-and-out strikers on the pitch with two wide attackers. Then, after the game, a lot of people criticised RDM for not replacing a forward with Jedinak and shutting up shop as soon as we took a 2-1 lead.

I like the fact we start with four attack-minded players and it should work as that kind of formation - whereby a team plays 4-3-3 with two holding CM's behind a diamond-shaped front four - is quite common in modern football. The biggest problem on Sunday was that we lacked a real defensive-minded midfielder to sit in front of the back four.

Against Brentford we had lost our balance in that Grealish was out and had to have a striker played out wide (albeit he scored from playing out wide) as a consequence, which coincided with losing another of our strikers who had to be replaced by a left back playing as the left-sided forward. It became disjointed for sure. Mind you, had De Last not got injured he could possibly have stuck Bacuna out wide right and had Kodjia wide left. But, maybe that's where RDM could take some flak, for not covering all bases in case of injury?

Another thing to consider is that we have had quite a bad run with players going missing thus far. Tshibola, Jedinak, Gollini, De Laet, McCormack and Adomah have all taken time out for one reason or another. That's 2/3 of our new signings. Maybe we are just down on our luck a bit and just need to turn the tide?

 

 

I agree with what your saying.  I am just tired of seeing us play so deep after we score. Maybe I am being naive, but it seems to me we start off decent, we have a clear structure and shape and we do OK - sometimes more than OK. The other team creates little we create a lot.  Then we score and the whole team drops deeper and deeper as the game goes on. We stop pressing up the pitch and we invite pressure.  That is the issue for me. No problem bringing on a defensive-minded midfielder to give some extra protection, but I want us to keep the same basic shape and stay on the front foot.  If we are playing our normal possession game, on the front foot with players in the right positions, I think we would concede less.  We might still concede a few on the break (Forest) but I think we would nullify a lot of the threat and we would be much less disjointed.  If we keep inviting pressure will concede eventually.

Edited September 15, 2016 by Gary Thomas

[rubberman]

I'm still OK with RDM.  Yes - it really hurts to keep throwing away points in the last few minutes.  Really hurts.  And that's probably why some people are referring to the draws as losses.  We've had a couple of poor games, but mostly we've looked pretty good, though don't have the points to show for it.  That is to be expected for a team in transition.

It may be 'ifs and buts', but without those last minute goals we would be top 4.  We are so close, minutes away actually, from being really competitive.  I understand the anger and frustration, and obviously results do need to improve, but calling for RDM's head now is crazy.  If things don't look rosier my the end of the month I'll start to get more concerned.