rbcuk Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 Just now, Tomaszk said: What would you like him to say? Do you think if he said "We simply must get a striker, we're desperate" the price of any deals might go up? I think it’s more the we’ll cope part which more than likely means we ain’t even got anyone lined up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danishlad Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 13 minutes ago, foreveryoung said: Just watched on MOT how we set up and how we were defending, looked like 532. The 5 at the back for the goals looked like they had no idea what they were supposed to be doing. 5311 i think. Didn’t look like scoring, did we? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avfc1982am Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 City were excellent and no we cannot expect to compete in reality with the quality they possess unless you catch them on a bad day. That being said, Smith got what he deserved today playing a flat 5 at the back and 2 DMs. Utter madness playing like that, especially at home. I don't care who we play. We should not be capitulating before a balls been kicked which is what we did. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omariqy Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 Smith has made a lot of mistakes this season and I love the guy but today was bad again. I was expecting a loss but a bit more fight. Guilbert was one of our best players and dropped. Hourihane can only play agains the likes of Norwich and Newcastle. He hides too much. Drinkwater first game back in a long time and here you go mate, mark the best player in the PL. 2 attackers only and no Trez who has bundles of energy. No Nakamba who yes is bad at passing but is our only midfielder who can tackle. Very poor today. Never mind the lack of strategy or in game cohesion today. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KentVillan Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 Not sure what to make of this game in terms of what it says about DS. I don't understand some of his selections - Hourihane seemed a strange fit for this match, and while there are concerns about Trez + Nakamba's technical quality, they would have brought a much better pressing intensity than some of the players who started. We were always going to spend most of the game chasing the ball, so I think we could have picked an 11 more oriented towards that kind of game. BUT... 2 of the first 3 goals were just terrible goalkeeping by our 3rd (now 4th) choice keeper, and by the time City were 3-0 up, the game felt dead and buried - people were walking out of the ground (not a fan of this approach to supporting a team - yes, it's your right as a paying supporter, but you spoil the atmosphere for others around you). I'm not sure what Smith could realistically have done to avoid this or turn it around with the players at his disposal. We had a tough cup fixture on Wednesday, and unlike City, we don't have the squad depth to rotate in most positions. So a lot of these players (I make it 7 of the starting 11?) would have been feeling that. I'd have liked Smith to have done a lot better today - some kind of clever plan specifically designed for City, rather than one of his off-the-shelf, come-and-f**k-me line ups. But really with Nyland in goal we'd have been talking the difference between a respectable defeat and the hard sodomising we took today. And we'd still have been in the relegation zone. Willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, and hope we have Reina + a new striker in place for the Brighton and Watford games, as well as a match fit Drinkwater, and please god please no Neil Taylor. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrytini Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 29 minutes ago, foreveryoung said: Just watched on MOT how we set up and how we were defending, looked like 532. The 5 at the back for the goals looked like they had no idea what they were supposed to be doing. Did we fail, unroadworthy? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughable Chimp Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 26 minutes ago, Tomaszk said: What would you like him to say? Do you think if he said "We simply must get a striker, we're desperate" the price of any deals might go up? I find it hard to believe that any club that has a striker that we want and they may sell to us would fall for shit like this tbh. Its like, the oldest trick in the book. You don't need in depth knowledge of Villa's state right now to know we are in desperate need of a striker, and anything the manager says in public can be safely thrown out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam2003 Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 6 minutes ago, Laughable Chimp said: I find it hard to believe that any club that has a striker that we want and they may sell to us would fall for shit like this tbh. Its like, the oldest trick in the book. You don't need in depth knowledge of Villa's state right now to know we are in desperate need of a striker, and anything the manager says in public can be safely thrown out. But then conversely why do we need to hear him say it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughable Chimp Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 (edited) 2 minutes ago, Adam2003 said: But then conversely why do we need to hear him say it? Why do we need to hear the manager say anything really? Its just so that the fans can have an idea of the manager's thoughts. Not necessary, but would be nice as a fan. Edited January 12, 2020 by Laughable Chimp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwivillan Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 34 minutes ago, omariqy said: Guilbert was one of our best players and dropped Protected for winnable games. Brilliant thinking from Smith 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philosopher Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 For me our lack of pace in midfield, our wastefulness out wide and the lack experience are our main weaknesses. Throw in the lack of a threatening striker and we were always there for the taking. We are tailor made for man city. Smith should revert to 4.3.3 with Guilbert and hause as fullbacks, play a higher defensive line to squeeze the space in midfield and nullify the lack of pace issue in midfield and play two holding players make us harder to play through. Put Grealish in the middle where he can properly run the game. We need our wingers to stop easily giving away possession and finally we MUST sign a quality striker. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazrim Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 1 hour ago, DCJonah said: There was a clear plan against burnley and leicester. Think its harsh to focus on this one, where with no striker, back up full backs and a weak midfield we are up against an absolute power house of a club No I agree. Rather than say I never see a plan, I should have been clearer and said it happens too often. Especially in the last 2 months. There are excuses for some of it. Im not denying that. And I'm not getting on Smiths back. Today he got a few things wrong, but he isn't working with much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMcKenna Posted January 13, 2020 VT Supporter Share Posted January 13, 2020 Disgusted with how Smith set up us today! Disgusted with the gutless team performance and most of the so called players! Disgusted with the fans who ****** off! Immensely proud of those of who stayed till the bitter end and raised the roof in the 2nd half! Smith, all the players and the owners will all be gone one day but supporters ‘support’ their club through thick and thin! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomaszk Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 13 minutes ago, MikeMcKenna said: Disgusted with how Smith set up us today! Disgusted with the gutless team performance and most of the so called players! Disgusted with the fans who ****** off! Immensely proud of those of who stayed till the bitter end and raised the roof in the 2nd half! Smith, all the players and the owners will all be gone one day but supporters ‘support’ their club through thick and thin! 352 is the way to go for me, but I don't know what that was today, right mess. I don't think Smith knows what to do with anything beyond 433 sadly. However, you can play any formation you want and you'll lose with those effort levels....just unacceptable. Miracle if we stay up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMcKenna Posted January 13, 2020 VT Supporter Share Posted January 13, 2020 3 minutes ago, Tomaszk said: 352 is the way to go for me, but I don't know what that was today, right mess. I don't think Smith knows what to do with anything beyond 433 sadly. However, you can play any formation you want and you'll lose with those effort levels....just unacceptable. Miracle if we stay up. Like most I expected a loss, but 1-6 is humiliating and made worse by the fact that there was no fight. It was telling that there was only 1 minute extra time for each half. It was almost as if the players were told NOT to get stuck in. I remain hopeful but this **** is draining. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepyvillian Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 He's never going to put the young lad on in a game like that. The game was lost in a matter of minutes, in a game such as that, substitutes are an exercise in futility. If we haven't got a forward by the weekend, fingers crossed we have, then he may be tempted to try the young lad. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hawk Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 2 hours ago, Tomaszk said: 352 is the way to go for me, but I don't know what that was today, right mess. I don't think Smith knows what to do with anything beyond 433 sadly. However, you can play any formation you want and you'll lose with those effort levels....just unacceptable. Miracle if we stay up. It was the same formation that got us results the past few weeks, except we were up against a totally dominant Man City that had us completely pegged back all game which made it look a shambles. Smith can’t win on here, if he plays 4-3-3 I don’t think the result changes and it’s still “what a shocking formation choice, why not play 3 5 2 that’s been working so well”. We were utterly outclassed against Man City and I don’t think there’s a lot that could have been done here at a managerial level that would change that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwivillan Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 34 minutes ago, The Hawk said: Smith can’t win on here, if he plays 4-3-3 I don’t think the result changes and it’s still “what a shocking formation choice, why not play 3 5 2 that’s been working so well”. Same with Drinkwater. Everywhere I look after Leicester game he has to start then after the game it's all why did Drinkwater start, terrible decision by Smith. Fickle AF but that's football fans in general Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-R Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 People saying the drink water selection was mad, I'm inclined to think the other way and say it was very smart. If you as a boss have watched the opponent your about to face surgically destroy man Utd before us, then you know from the state were in that this game wasn't happening either way. You may as well used this time, a game that we was never going to win to get any new signings ready for the winnable games to come. Now I've calmed down abit, I'm sure that is what I would of done with drink water or any new signings we'd of made in time for the city game, in hope they are ready for the other games we can snatch a win at. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-R Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 3 hours ago, MikeMcKenna said: Disgusted with how Smith set up us today! Disgusted with the gutless team performance and most of the so called players! Disgusted with the fans who ****** off! Immensely proud of those of who stayed till the bitter end and raised the roof in the 2nd half! Smith, all the players and the owners will all be gone one day but supporters ‘support’ their club through thick and thin! Supporters will be gone one day to mate, we dont live for ever, a new bunch of supporters replace us, the generations to come, we ain't F****** immortals lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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