Ratings & Reactions: Villa v QPR

[onmeedson]

It was more of the same, when you need team players we have individuals and if grealish is missed so much it shows the folly of that so called squad.

[briny_ear]

22 minutes ago, Brumstopdogs said:

A much better performance today with 22 shots (double that of QPR) and an entertaing game.

Clearly we need to concede less if we're going to progress as a team but we have Taylor coming back, a new goalkeeper now available and hopefully we'll strengthen defensively in January.

All is not lost. UTV.

Only 5 on target though. That needs to be something they address in the post-mortem.

[pacbuddies]

9 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Nor do I. We should have won that.  It’s frustrating but it’s not a crisis. 

We must be in crisis. Delphino123 reckons we only have the 10th best squad in the league.

[Delphinho123]

10 minutes ago, pacbuddies said:

We must be in crisis. Delphino123 reckons we only have the 10th best squad in the league.

Come on now, I haven’t said that have I? 

I merely disagreed with your opinion that we have the best squad in the league. 

 

[pacbuddies]

4 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

Come on now, I haven’t said that have I? 

I merely disagreed with your opinion that we have the best squad in the league. 

 

Sorry, I must have misunderstood your 'We're 10th' comment in response to my request to name one better squad and I therefore concluded that you thought there were nine better squads than ours.

[il_serpente]

I thought we played better than at PNE for most of the game, besides reverting to hoofball late 2nd half

[Stockport_Villain]

First 20 mins very good, pressed the ball, should have had a penalty, McGinn hits the bar we score QPR hanging on. After that we ran out of steam. Hourihane and McGinn ran out of steam, Bjarnason very poor. Kodja has no idea what to do when he doesn’t have the ball, child like almost. Hutton isolated and woefully out of position on a number of occasions when Kodja offered no additional protection. We really do need a defensive midfield player who can sprint and pass for 90 minutes. Here’s hoping.

[A'Villan]

35 minutes ago, Rugeley Villa said:

Most results have not hurt our cause, but another disappointing result. We are not getting any better. 

 

3 minutes ago, onmeedson said:

It was more of the same, when you need team players we have individuals and if grealish is missed so much it shows the folly of that so called squad.

Progress and regression come and go, sometimes subtly and gradually, at other times, evidently and exponentially.

Plateaus make up the most part of any endeavour where a skill or craft is concerned and football is no exception.

For example, Barcelona won't win their first game of the season 1-0 and then continue in cumulative form to win their 38th game 38-0.

There are just so many variables which makes it difficult to assess in a short amount of time how something is developing.

Despite the results being disappointing at times and there being obvious need for change if we want to occupy a promotion place. I think Smith deserves patience.

Why does Smith deserve patience?

He has come in an almost instantaneously transformed a side struggling to impose itself on games into a side that can match it with the best teams and even beat them.

The run of games we have endured since Smith took over have not been easy. We've basically played the teams which will or should occupy the top half of the table.

I'd even say credit to him, I think we look a proper side, compared to the team that started this campaign, we can at least have promotion aspirations now.

 

 

 

[Delphinho123]

2 minutes ago, pacbuddies said:

Sorry, I must have misunderstood your 'We're 10th' comment in response to my request to name one better squad and I therefore concluded that you thought there were nine better squads than ours.

The point I was making is that we’re 10th because we don’t have the best squad in the league. I think with Grealish fit we could push for 5th/6th but currently, with our defense, I don’t think we’re anywhere near having the best squad in the league.

Hopefully a few new defensive additions in January will see us make a late push for the Playoffs.

I just can’t agree with the opinion that we have the best squad in the league when we are so so poor defensively. I don’t think any of the teams above us would choose any of our defenders over what they currently have.

Maybe I’m wrong. Anyway, UTV.

[Brumstopdogs]

Since our West Brom match QPR have beaten both Boro and Forest and were unbeaten in 4 coming to the match so they were always going to give us a game (they also beat us at their ground).

Over the balance of play I think we deserved to win today's game.

We're still well in the hunt for a play off place.

[Nigel]

Do you think the lot of us are on some Beadles about type programme?

Dress an actor up as a ref and just see just how much he can wind us up!

Well done sir!

[Brumstopdogs]

Video highlights:

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/11596307/aston-villa-2-2-qpr

[HanoiVillan]

That was pants really. That's the first game I've been to since Smith took over, for one reason and another; I see little need to rush back. The only difference I can actually see between Bruce and Smith is that now we score more and concede more, the results don't seem to be much better (and are obviously much worse than this time last year). 4 games over Christmas, 5 points. That's abysmal. I'm not 'turning' or any of that nonsense, but I'm well past being impressed with 'it's all Bruce's fault' as an adequate explanation. 

I hope that Smith's team want good players, and get them over the January window, and if they don't, I hope they start taking seriously the possibility that if you concede at least two goals in nearly every single match, that it might be worth trying to alter the tactics slightly to protect the defenders. 

[BigAl]

Next month will be crucial as well as needing players in ,were playing Wigan Hull Ipswich and Reading really need to be getting 10/12 pts out of that we will know after the transfer window and those games if we will be contenting or not  massive month coming up .

[srsmithusa]

27 minutes ago, A'Villan said:

 

Progress and regression come and go, sometimes subtly and gradually, at other times, evidently and exponentially.

Plateaus make up the most part of any endeavour where a skill or craft is concerned and football is no exception.

For example, Barcelona won't win their first game of the season 1-0 and then continue in cumulative form to win their 38th game 38-0.

There are just so many variables which makes it difficult to assess in a short amount of time how something is developing.

Despite the results being disappointing at times and there being obvious need for change if we want to occupy a promotion place. I think Smith deserves patience.

Why does Smith deserve patience?

He has come in an almost instantaneously transformed a side struggling to impose itself on games into a side that can match it with the best teams and even beat them.

The run of games we have endured since Smith took over have not been easy. We've basically played the teams which will or should occupy the top half of the table.

I'd even say credit to him, I think we look a proper side, compared to the team that started this campaign, we can at least have promotion aspirations now.

 

 

 

I agree with that.  Smith has done very well.  He has shaped the roster he had into a team that can play some really lovely stuff at times.  However, he clearly has much more to address that he has not yet done effectively.  If Hutton is following the instruction he receives then he is being given the wrong instructions.  If our midfield and CB are being told to let delayed runners proceed unimpeded, they are being badly coached.  If they are doing these things despite clear instruction to the contrary then they need to be benched even if it means an U-19 kid being given a chance.  (But it wouldn't have to be that drastic.)

Smith did well getting Steer and Elphick back into the fold and into the match.  There was not a whole lot of trouble with them being on the wrong page as others in the team or each other.  I'm anxious to see what he does in January to address the next three most obvious issues.  LB is weak.  Midfield is late to react to delayed runs.  We misplace far too many passes.

[turvontour]

1 hour ago, TheStagMan said:

Horrible time wasting cheating bastards.

 

But we look devoid of ideas. We need an injection of something this window, bit i am not sure what.

The amount of time wasting they did in the first half was bizzare, let alone the second. Particularly given that they were only drawing. Ruined the game. Found it odd considering they were above us in the league.

Was hardly a surprise to see 11 mins of injury time for their supposed injuries.

[OutByEaster?]

Grrrrrr and also Aaaaaargh.

It's all very well adding eleven minutes at the end, but it doesn't really make much difference if you're still going to continue to allow the time wasting. That game lasted for 104 minutes and a good 70 of those were spent with their right back taking throw ins as slowly as he possibly could, from wherever he liked. 

We opened slowly but methodically built to the point where we put some pressure on them and then scored. Even in that opening twenty minutes though, there had already been some time wasting from their keeper and a succession of pull backs and fouls, none of which had tempted a card from the referee. We then went into a slightly lazy mode having scored and they pulled a wonder goal out of the bag. As soon as it went in, they pushed the time wasting and the fouls a little more until by half time, they were perfectly satisfied they understood the referee.

The keeper took the slightest of flicks from Kodjia, there was next to nothing in it - it took seven minutes for the physios to ask him if he was alright and comb his eyebrows a few times - in so far as I could see, there was no blood. There really ought to be some sort of rule with players that if an injury can't be treated in five minutes an enforced substitution has to take place, other than in the case of the most serious injures (Neck, spinal etc). The actions of their physio who came back onto the field of play to treat a keeper who had started the process of taking the free kick were a disgrace and I'd like to see him fined. 

The game then became a bit frantic through our frustrations and they scored on the break, our bench were incensed by the QPR tactics, our players were too and our discipline went a little. The two subs changed it and we deserved the equaliser, but it was hard getting anything going because of the cheating. The number two, as well as his two-minute-throw-in routine also went down on four separate occasions holding the back of his head - getting up just in time to avoid the physio having to come on in each case - I can only imagine he'd bumped it getting off the bus. I hope he bumps it again getting back on.

They were vile throughout, fouls, pushing and the worst time wasting I think I've ever seen. How the number two goes home without a booking is utterly beyond me. The man who knows would be our referee; Mr Linington - it's not a name I've seen before and I would assume on this performance, not a name I'll see again - he never had any sort of control over this game at all, from the opening moments he was managed and controlled by QPR. A referee of any sort of ability whips out a couple of cards immediately after half time for time wasting and we get a game of football. He's awful and I hope he has lovely 2019 in whichever other profession he decides to take up;  refereeing ain't for you James.

For us, I thought the key thing (and it was really noticeable) was how tired our middle two looked - McGinn's attitude gets him through games, he's still trying to McGinn along, but the legs have lost some snap, Hourihane looks knackered - both are ghosts of the players we had a month ago. Bjarnason was our best midfielder on the day, simply through not looking like he'd run the London marathon as a warm up. We miss Grealish that's obvious, but I think what's perhaps been overlooked is that we really miss Lansbury - he'd be perfect to have given each of these two a rest over the Christmas period.

Elphick improved the defence, we look like a team with two centrebacks, it's not perfect but it's better - Bree looked good for long periods and then would occasionally spoil it with a bad pass, I'd persist with him. Hutton was poor today - the touch wasn't there. Jed Steer didn't do anything of note, but he also doesn't make me feel afraid.

Adomah looked good for an hour I thought. Kodjia looked dangerous to a point, but then got every single decision he made wrong. Take him on again when the cross is there, cross to an empty box, shoot when there's a man unmarked in a better position. I remain completely unconvinced by Jimmy the winger. The two that came on looked full of life and ideas and running and I thought if either team deserved to win on the balance of play it was us, but then I also thought that if either team deserved to win on the basis of karma, or the principles of the game, or sporting principles, it was definitely us.

Best player on the pitch was Abraham - he was strong against the barrel-on-legs 37 of theirs, he was excellent at holding the ball and linking play, he called their keeper a couple of names that he thoroughly deserved and he scored two opportunist goals. He's got ability, an excellent attitude to the work and character that's evident in the way he approaches games and the way he interacts with a crowd. He came and thanked everybody at the end and gave the Holte End a couple of little waves - I'm hoping that's just because he's a good lad rather than because he's off - we'd be poorer without him, there are times where I wonder if Chelsea are poorer without him. He's a class act.

So, yeah - another draw - one we've been unlucky not to get something from - one that's been earned by a team playing anti-football and a compliant, weak referee. I took my eleven year old nephew - he wants his Sunday team to have a game tomorrow so that he can kick someone. I know how he feels.

We'll have better days, better referees, better results. We could do with a bit of a rest, but there's not too much fundamentally wrong with this side. QPR on the other hand need to have a good look at themselves and ask what it is they want to be - it's a point they can be ashamed of.

 

[The Fun Factory]

Abysmal  team performance rescued by a couple of good bits of individual skill. Midfield poor again today. Yet again points thrown away. Get back to 2-2 with over 20 minutes to play and we just end up hoofing into the box with no approach play- which resulted in the second. Baffling. If you are going to do that then bring Davis on.  Tammy is too good for this division- but say this quietly or our season will be over. 

I am fed up of reading Villa with 'entertaining draw' being mentioned. Give me 90 minutes of shite and a 1-0 win over that please.

[Demitri_C]

In all my years of football I've never seen such ridiculous time eating from a side. The ref was pathetic letting them get away with shite like this.

[VillaChris]

19 minutes ago, turvontour said:

The amount of time wasting they did in the first half was bizzare, let alone the second. Particularly given that they were only drawing. Ruined the game. Found it odd considering they were above us in the league.

Was hardly a surprise to see 11 mins of injury time for their supposed injuries.

I was surprised by all the time wasting as QPR are on a very decent run and obviously won at this ground last season.

If they'd been braved and pushed a few more men forward (or even actually attempted a cross in the box instead of running towards corner flag) they could've easily done a Leeds particularly with Eze (lad will be in premier league next season no danger) giving our defence all sorts of bother.

I predicted 2-2 pre match so no surprise. We are mediocre without Grealish influence, simple as that. Heaven forbid Tammy gets recalled....