Ratings & Reactions: PO Villa v West Brom

[MrDuck]

Steer was brilliant. Taylor and Adomah were poor. Tammy looked rusty, and we were pretty rubbish overall until Hourihane came on. Baggies time-wasting from the start was infuriating.

 

Still, a draw next week sees us through, so I'm happy with that.

[villatillidie1980]

Frustrating first half, much better in the second. 

I thought WBA offered little in the way of attack but were solid at the back. 

VP was rocking once Connor banged that one in. 

On to Tuesday. UTV!!

[onmeedson]

Like everything today people only ask the simple questions, that is what lands you in the play offs and not automatic promotion. Thank god they had an inexperienced  manager who made the mistake of not taking gayle of 5 mins before his sending off as it was plain as day for the more astute and not just a meercat fan. 

[AVTuco]

That goal by Hourihane is so beautiful, total control shot. I can't stop re-watching it. Another one for our highlight reel this season, which was already mighty impressive.

[Mic09]

Anyone know of a link to extended highlights? Not just the 4 mins sky sports serves up?

[Herman22]

It’s funny how things and times change. This time last season we got to the playoff final playing a bit like Baggies did yesterday. We scored from a corner against Boro and then sat back and effectively soaked up pressure for a game and a half. 

The great difference is that we were the aggressors yesterday. There was only one team that wanted to win that’s game. Only one team that actually wanted to play football. 

I think a few key decisions went our way. I think the pen should be given but some refs wouldn’t have. I think Tammy could have given away a pen. I think the Gayle second yellow is a little harsh. But when the pen was given should Gibbs be getting a second yellow. 

I think they will have to come out an play on Tuesday night. I just hope that means a bit more space for Grealish and McGinn to play in. The next goal is critically important. Still confident we will do enough. 

[TRO]

1 hour ago, AVTuco said:

That goal by Hourihane is so beautiful, total control shot. I can't stop re-watching it. Another one for our highlight reel this season, which was already mighty impressive.

It was a peach.....but his overall play transformed us too.He got the whole team moving forward. Glen was playing balls around the pitch in front of our back four that was hurting no one.....We had lots of possession and playing nothing passes, that was deeming us predictable.

Conor, changed that.

I still think we allow ourselves to be closed down too easily.....We need to sign some players that help us with that.

[bobzy]

Strange game really - I thought we were lucky not to concede a penalty from Abraham’s push on Holgate(?) and I actually think Gayle’s second yellow is harsh (although, as a person, he deserved it). That could well be the crucial thing in this tie as, despite sitting so incredibly deep, I thought West Brom looked dangerous on the counter with Gayle. 

Conor’s strike was beautiful and he put a real shift in hassling their players. The covering tackle he made when Gayle and Murphy(?) were counter attacking summed his performance up - it was proper gritty stuff. 

It was a decent day that seemed for so long that it would be a poor day. Grealish sat way too deep and our passing was laboured in front of a back 6. El Ghazi looked lively and showed glimpses of why he’s become such a key player for us. We didn’t play that well but we’ve still picked up a win. Nice. 

[MickeyC_UTV]

1 hour ago, Mic09 said:

Anyone know of a link to extended highlights? Not just the 4 mins sky sports serves up?

just uploaded to youtube

 

 

[PieFacE]

1 hour ago, Herman22 said:

It’s funny how things and times change. This time last season we got to the playoff final playing a bit like Baggies did yesterday. We scored from a corner against Boro and then sat back and effectively soaked up pressure for a game and a half. 

The great difference is that we were the aggressors yesterday. There was only one team that wanted to win that’s game. Only one team that actually wanted to play football. 

I think a few key decisions went our way. I think the pen should be given but some refs wouldn’t have. I think Tammy could have given away a pen. I think the Gayle second yellow is a little harsh. But when the pen was given should Gibbs be getting a second yellow. 

I think they will have to come out an play on Tuesday night. I just hope that means a bit more space for Grealish and McGinn to play in. The next goal is critically important. Still confident we will do enough. 

I thought Gayle's very blatant block on Grealish was more of a yellow card then the challenge on Steer. Imo he should have been sent off earlier. 

Gibbs could have easily got a second yellow for the penalty too. 

[Daweii]

21 minutes ago, PieFacE said:

I thought Gayle's very blatant block on Grealish was more of a yellow card then the challenge on Steer. Imo he should have been sent off earlier. 

Gibbs could have easily got a second yellow for the penalty too. 

I think Gayle's block is what got him a yellow for the challenge on Steer. Gayle had been warned by the ref for several things up until that point and the block was likely his final warning. So regardless of how each challenge ranks he did the latter likely after receiving his final warning by the ref.  

[Robtaylor200]

I still cant get my head around it. A couple of months ago we down and out. If somebody then had said

"Never mind, if you win your next 10 out 12 you might get in the pay offs"  I would have thought they were on drugs

Now I even have my train ticket booked for London

[mjmooney]

My Albion mate is still whingeing and bitching about it. 

It's great. 

[WakefieldVillan]

Fantastic result in the end and the Gayle sending off could be key to us going through. Hourihane changed the game when he came on and should have started (IMO), I don't think Whelan is needed against a team like West Brom who were always going to sit in and look to counter. If it's Leeds in the final then that's a different game totally and Whelan may be the right pick but that's for another time (hopefully)!

We are a better footballing team than West Brom, though they played well for 60 minutes and coped with our attacks quite easily I thought, we just need to play on the front foot at the Hawthorns and take the game to them. I feel confident..

Also Adomah should never start another game for us, yes he offers a little more defensively BUT and it's a big but, his legs have gone, he cant beat a man, his crossing his poor and but for one terrific run of games where he scored for fun his finishing is pretty poor too, give me Kodjia or Green any day of the week! 

[PieFacE]

Had a look at a WBA forum about the game yesterday and wow, how deluded? They seem to tell they were robbed by the referee. They think theres a chance Grealish might get suspended for diving in what was a blatant penalty. They think that Gayle was hard done by. Lol. 

[TheStagMan]

11 minutes ago, PieFacE said:

Had a look at a WBA forum about the game yesterday and wow, how deluded? They seem to tell they were robbed by the referee. They think theres a chance Grealish might get suspended for diving in what was a blatant penalty. They think that Gayle was hard done by. Lol. 

I hope you had a shower afterwards!

[rjw63]

1 hour ago, PieFacE said:

Had a look at a WBA forum about the game yesterday and wow, how deluded? They seem to tell they were robbed by the referee. They think theres a chance Grealish might get suspended for diving in what was a blatant penalty. They think that Gayle was hard done by. Lol. 

Small Heath Lite

[chappy]

Great day. Hourihane turned it around when I had started to feel things just were gonna go our way. My MOTM for the impact he had coming on.

Felt the full backs played well. No real complaints with Tuanzebe and Mings but they did get a bit of a runaround by Gayle - very glad he’ll be missing the second leg! His red card felt like a culmination to me - that second yellow looks a tad harsh on the slow motion replay but real time I was sure he had to get a booking for it and I think the ref was just so pissed off with his antics throughout that he had to go.

Bit of a quiet day for McGinn and Jack but they were victims of a decent defensive performance, as was Tammy. El-Ghazi had a good game. Think I’d start Kodj over Adomah. Shouldn’t forget Jed either, he’s been a revelation since returning from Charlton!

Excited about Tuesday, think the way it is set up suits us, can’t wait!

[The_Rev]

4 hours ago, PieFacE said:

Had a look at a WBA forum about the game yesterday and wow, how deluded? They seem to tell they were robbed by the referee. They think theres a chance Grealish might get suspended for diving in what was a blatant penalty. They think that Gayle was hard done by. Lol. 

People see what they want to see. I was at work this morning and the Ollybuyiun fans had teamed up with the Bluenoses so that somehow Villa only won because Grealish is a diving bastard who falls over if someone so much as farts near him. They genuinely believe it too. 

[Davkaus]

Blues, albion, and Leeds fans seem to have joined forces in some sort of scumbag entente, and they're united in their outrage about the efl conspiracy to get us promoted.