nick76 Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 1 hour ago, doaflip said: I appreciate the progress that has been made, and credit to the coaching team for that, but in football I think it's important that you take the opportunities when they are presented to you. Take Sheffield United for example, they have a different level of ownership and different ambitions as a club but I don't for a minute think they would be in a relegation battle had they been able to continue their march for Europe last season. They're unlikely to get an opportunity like that ever again. My concern is that this season fizzles out because we struggle to win the matches we 'should' win and we finish 11th, 12th after a good start to the season. Expectations are then raised, fans come back and the wheels come off. It doesn't matter what happened last season, you're only as good as your last game. Not too long ago we had games in hand that if we won would take us to 4th. They're bottling it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 6 minutes ago, doaflip said: Still, a wee bit of a harsh response All of your post was fine, i nearly even liked it until the bottling part Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilS Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 1 hour ago, Jono62 said: Considering how Villa almost got relegated last year, this season was always going to be one of consolidation. I get worked up after a defeat, but forget about it fairly sharpish. We are 9th in the league with 39 points. Before the season started, I would have been happy if we weren't in relegation battle and we aren't. The start with 5 wins in the row seems to have altered expectations. We have to remember that this is Smith's second season in the Premier League and he is learning all the time. Same here. Like you, I get annoyed when we lose but then I remind myself how far we have come in such a short space of time. I also remind myself that maybe the covid outbreak we had has made more of an impact on the squad than we think. I cringe when I read some fans comments on the clubs or players official social media posts, it doesn't help the team or the player in the slightest. I think we need to remind ourselves how close we came to playing in the Championship again this season, and be patient as we are in a far better position than we were 2-3 years ago. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick76 Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 54 minutes ago, doaflip said: I'd say so, yeah. There's still time for that to change but Burnley, West Ham, Brighton, Leicester and now Sheffield Utd games we look a shadow of what we did earlier in the season. Like we've lost the courage and conviction we had. Even the Leeds and Southampton games we didn't really look the better, more confident teams in those matches. That's how I define bottling it anyway. Im not sure on the official definition. Edit: Looked up the term..maybe saying they are bottling it is harsh. My reasoning, granted, is largely due to frustration. Rarely does a team go through a season without some poor form, we are obviously going through ours now. Even Man City started the season poorly for them but have gone on an incredible run for the last ~20 games but people forget how the started. Liverpool have lost 5 home games on the trot, a year ago they looked invincible. It happens, we have quality but we are just going through some poor form at the moment but we’ll come out the other end. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vive_La_Villa Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, doaflip said: I appreciate the progress that has been made, and credit to the coaching team for that, but in football I think it's important that you take the opportunities when they are presented to you. Take Sheffield United for example, they have a different level of ownership and different ambitions as a club but I don't for a minute think they would be in a relegation battle had they been able to continue their march for Europe last season. They're unlikely to get an opportunity like that ever again. My concern is that this season fizzles out because we struggle to win the matches we 'should' win and we finish 11th, 12th after a good start to the season. Expectations are then raised, fans come back and the wheels come off. It doesn't matter what happened last season, you're only as good as your last game. Not too long ago we had games in hand that if we won would take us to 4th. They're bottling it. This is why I have to have breaks from Villa Talk. edit: that wasn’t a dig at you. Just the extremes in opinions from game to game really wind me up at times. Edited March 5, 2021 by Vive_La_Villa 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barry'sboots Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 Lot of reasons not to be too unhappy: Drop offs in form - everybody gets them We are ninth, competing with Spurs and Arsenal and ahead of Wolves and Leeds - everybody would have taken that at the start of the season The frustration for me is Smith's lack of flexibility. He has a way of playing - 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 which I get and he is shaping his squad so that we are better able to play that way - with cover for injuries etc - but we are not there yet and sometimes you need to try and do something different. We had a terrible run in the championship before Jack came back v Derby and we started the 10 game winning streak because Smith stuck with the 4-3-3 BUT we did not have the personnel to deliver it. We are doing the same now again. Poor run of form, again tying in with an injury to Jack, but we keep persisting with the same ideas and play (isn't that the definition of madness - keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result). I think he needs to shake it up a bit. I would personally love to see a diamond and Traore given a free role off Watkins and let's get Sanson on from the start and get some energy and dynamism back in the team. I want to see Kessler at RB and not Elmo - he has cost of 2 games now (at fault for the first Leicester goal and the Sheff Utd goal). We are not going down and have had a good season to date but I fear it may fizzle out and I would rather we try things and maybe look to the future a bit. Btw, I am also still massively frustrated that he let Freddie go in the summer as he is much better back up for Cash then Elmo - 3 goal involvements in 4/5 starts for Strasbourg. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow1988 Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 He's stopped three of the players going on international duty according to Ashley Preece. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 Wednesday was very frustrating but overall I'm quite content with where we are. We've looked really good for a lot of the season, although we'd also had patches of being a bit poor, which I guess is precisely what a mid-table team looks like. We've progressed massively since last season and this is literally the first time in 11 years we've been in the Premier League and NOT been in a relegation scrap. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vive_La_Villa Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 17 minutes ago, Mantis said: Wednesday was very frustrating but overall I'm quite content with where we are. We've looked really good for a lot of the season, although we'd also had patches of being a bit poor, which I guess is precisely what a mid-table team looks like. We've progressed massively since last season and this is literally the first time in 11 years we've been in the Premier League and NOT been in a relegation scrap. Spot on. It’s really frustrating to lose or not win a game. Especially when it’s against a team that’s the bottom of the league. But these things happen, we know games in this league can be decided by fine margins regardless of opposition. It doesn’t have to mean there’s some fundamental problem with our team or players every time we fail to win to game. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 22 minutes ago, Mantis said: Wednesday was very frustrating but overall I'm quite content with where we are. We've looked really good for a lot of the season, although we'd also had patches of being a bit poor, which I guess is precisely what a mid-table team looks like. We've progressed massively since last season and this is literally the first time in 11 years we've been in the Premier League and NOT been in a relegation scrap. Pretty sure it was United and not Wednesday 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 (edited) 9 hours ago, tinker said: Mmmm, I don't like to see my manager lose it in high pressure situations, it's the last thing I want to see tbh. My experience is that that type of reaction spreads through out my team and often makes situations worse. Don't get me wrong if we have experienced players who aren't pulling their weight then it may help but if we have inexperienced players who are struggling then it could (and in my experience does) make situations worse. I accept, its not set in tablets of stone either way.... I too don't like to see a manager " Lose It" but we are not talking about managers losing it, we are talking about managers passionate about their instructions and guidance and it not being followed.....One alternative is remaining studious, when the manager has no clue, and I have seen a few of them over the years......I am not suggesting Dean is by the way. I don't see the top managers "losing it " that is just petulance and frustration.....I am talking about passion and a clear understanding of what you want doing, if its being ignored, they deserve a broadside.....Its not a kindergarten, its elite football and they get highly paid to be prepared. However, I do think like all things moderation is key......too much of either style, can become tedious. Edited March 5, 2021 by TRO 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 7 hours ago, lexicon said: I'm happy enough to give him that time. I think we all are.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 Without crowds in grounds theres been a drop off from a lot of teams. The football has deteriorated. Only Man City have maintained a high level of football but they have they have the best squad. We said after the league cup knock-out. Our first 11 is good but the backups arent. We have had a drop-off in form from many of our first team and their replacements just arent at the same level. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 4 hours ago, Zatman said: All of your post was fine, i nearly even liked it until the bottling part did you think Guinness was losing out 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomaszk Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 3 hours ago, sparrow1988 said: He's stopped three of the players going on international duty according to Ashley Preece. Won't have been an easy conversation. Marvelous an international stalwart, Douglas currently in possession of an incredibly tough shirt to get hold of and Emi on the cusp of getting his first cap. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomav84 Posted March 5, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted March 5, 2021 14 minutes ago, Tomaszk said: Won't have been an easy conversation. Marvelous an international stalwart, Douglas currently in possession of an incredibly tough shirt to get hold of and Emi on the cusp of getting his first cap. meh easy enough i reckon. marv walks into his international side anyway, and emi doesn't get a look in and is clearly not fancied by argentina coaching staff. luiz is the only difficult one, he's just broken in, missed the last couple of games for his club, and might find himself down the pecking order if his replacement does well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 31 minutes ago, Tomaszk said: Won't have been an easy conversation. Marvelous an international stalwart, Douglas currently in possession of an incredibly tough shirt to get hold of and Emi on the cusp of getting his first cap. I dont think we will be the only team, I imagine the South American games will be played just with domestic players 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villaphan04 Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 On 18/02/2021 at 20:02, Villaphan04 said: Not sure if this link works for everyone but here's the interview. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenjiOgiwara Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 Really struggle finding anything to be criticising Deano for. I guess some will say subs, but the matches we've been crying for subs are often matches we've ended up winning as well, so it's easy to argue he got it right. I guess you can be cfiticising the decision to sign Barkley, but I think at the time it happened we would all have done it. There's been signings I thought we overpaid, like Ollie, but even that is looking the right decision at this point. We have managed to retain and build on our youth teams. Football has largely been very good, bar 3-4 matches. He told John Moss to go **** himself as well, which was outstanding. I really don't know what to be negative about. Maybe we should have signed another striker, but in the end we can't sign everything we want. Such a signing could have come at a cost of someone else. This is more a wish list scenario than something to be negative about. I guess the only thing that really bothers me is that we still can't hit a corner or a throw-in. Or score from either of them. But that's just AVFC. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashingqwerty Posted March 6, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted March 6, 2021 Quote from DS presser for Wolves: “The lads are in a good place because they know they played well against Leeds and Sheffield United.” What planet is he on if he thinks we've been playing well? The SU game in particular was a shit show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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