Ratings & Reactions: PO West Brom v Villa

[srsmithusa]

Roll on one more win

lots of strange things to analyze in that one, but that’s for another day.  For now, enjoy the win and get excited for the next one. 

[ferguson1]

Morning all, did we win?  I haven't moved from under the duvet yet and daren't look? 

[KenjiOgiwara]

7 hours ago, alreadyexists said:

Blimey, we did that the hard way. **** me.

There's no other way for this club. 

I couldn't (like always) stomach the penalties, but I think the Leeds will be a different kettle of fish (IF they beat Derby). Mostly cause Leeds won't sit back like albion did over two legs and we will get more space to do our thing. 

Green was poor. 

Thought subs came a bit late, but I will give a manager slack on that cause he probably saw penalties coming and knew what he was doing.

Hourihane was poor and Whelan should have started maybe? Hard to tell now.

Our defending at times was woeful.  If we do all of that stuff in a final we will get punished the hardest way. Steer and Zebe had some absolute bonkers stuff.

Taylor was his usual pointless self when attacking. It really looks like his brain shuts down while attacking. 

Bit disappointed in McGinn. Felt he didn't really grab the match by the neck as was needed. 

And whoever invented short corners can go **** themselves.

And my god our crossing is shite. 

Did Zebe and Mings get injured? Elmo? Just cramps? 

But whatever. We're in the final! 

Edited May 15, 2019 by KenjiOgiwara

[Robtaylor200]

Watched the game in the Irish bar in Prague. The only Villa fan in the pub. But they knew it. I take my hat off to Jed Steer. The goalie who wasn't good enough. 

[ciggiesnbeer]

2 minutes ago, Robtaylor200 said:

Watched the game in the Irish bar in Prague. The only Villa fan in the pub. But they knew it. I take my hat off to Jed Steer. The goalie who wasn't good enough. 

Delighted he has grabbed his opportunity. 

[alreadyexists]

Tony Moon! 

[Herman22]

Interesting to see how the game this evening goes. 

I would much prefer Derby in the final. We have beaten them home and away this season. Leeds are a different proposition but I wouldn’t fear them either. 

Mine thing is for sure, we need 11 players to turn up for the final. We won this tie with quite a few poor performances. Most notably Tammy, McGinn. Tuanzebe and Mings haven’t been great either. 

90 mins for the premier league. A phenomenal achievement from DS and his team. 

[omariqy]

Apart from their goal I thought we played really well in the first half. We controlled the ball and got in good positions. We just lacked the final ball. The second half was atrocious, the corners, Tammy was terrible at keeping hold of the ball and that free kick. I don't mind us taking risks at the back because that is how DS wants us to play but the passing was poor. Too lazy. We made them look better than they were. Once the man got sent off then it was always going to be difficult as they parked the bus. Nontheless Adomah and Davis should score. I couldn't understand why at least one of our CMs was not trying to get forward more. They spent far too much time passing it between themselves to get it wide and then to get it back. Full backs should have been overlapping to create space but just sat. It was bad game management. However, Baggies should have had 2 men sent off yesterday. I can't understand how they didn't. Plus a very close shout for a pen and a blatant push on Mings. Referee was very weak. 

In the end we prevailed and tbh although I was bricking it I knew we had at least 4 to 5 brilliant pen takers in Tammy, Adomah, Jedinak, Kodjia and Hourihane. I was shocked Adomah missed because it's probably the only thing he does well these days. I don't think I have ever seen him miss a pen. Steer was the hero and so glad he was. Treated very poorly by Bruce during his time and that was his redemption. 

Steer - 10  - not much else to say

Elmo - 7 - decent again but needed to get beyond the winger more

Taylor - 7 - usual performance, awful going forward

Tuanzebe - 8 - Assured

Mings - 8.5 - excellent 

Green - 4 - occasion got to him. Did nothing

El Ghazi - 5 - did nothing as well. worked hard but no quality this time

McGinn - 8 - best midfielder but again final ball not there

Grealish - 7 - tried his best but came too deep for me, needed to get in the box more

Hourihane - 7 - assured but needed him to dictate more. Took the safe option too many times

Abraham - 6 - I thought he was really poor. I dont know if he was injured but he was not at the races. Gets a 6 for slotting the winning penalty

Subs

Adomah - 2 - awful

Jedinak - 10 - 1 touch 1 goal 1 ice cold stare

Kodjia - 5 - hardly had a touch of note

Davis - 4 - should score

DS - 5/10 - thought he got it wrong today with his subs and he should have clocked on that Adomah should have been on the left and pushed Elmo further up when they were down to 10 as Taylor had nothing going forward

Ref - 2/10 - red card saved him from getting a 1/10

[AVFCDAN]

I think you have to credit West Brom for most of our short comings in that match, they defended exactly how they set out to in fairness.

Grealish had a very quiet game but with 2 men on you at all times and 9 behind the ball anyone is going to struggle.

Hourihane quiet for the same reasons as Grealish really, I would go back to Whelan for the final definitely and use Hourihane late on if we need to.

Back 4  was fine for me, even all the playing out stuff, stick to your philosophy, we've all wanted this passing game for years and now we finally have it people are shouting for the ball to be hoofed aimlessly up the pitch again.

Abraham really did have a poor game and its funny how he can look every bit a 25 goal striker in one game and then bambi on ice in the next, again maybe you have to just credit West Broms defending here but he really did have a poor game, 

Taylor is frustrating but you don't swap him for Hause now in the final that would be madness, yes he gets nosebleed every time he crosses the half way line which blunts our attack horribly down that side but there's not many Andrew Robertsons knocking around unfortunately.

Edited May 15, 2019 by AVFCDAN

[AVFCDAN]

8 minutes ago, Herman22 said:

I would much prefer Derby in the final. We have beaten them home and away this season. Leeds are a different proposition but I wouldn’t fear them either. 

I definitely would fear Leeds but I've got this nagging feeling that if Derby do make it through we'll find a way to lose to them.

[wilko154]

Absolutely shattered today, got back from the game at 2am. What an epic night to be a Villa fan.

Poor for the majority of the game, we dictated play for large periods but couldn't break them down. How we didn't score in extra time I will never know. We need to be better in the final, but I am sure we will be. It's easy to forget that it was a semi final 2nd leg, away to a local rival in a fairly hostile atmosphere, we have seen how nervy derby games can be during the season let alone in a game with these stakes.

Abraham and Green didn't do enough for me last night. Green was wasteful in possession and sloppy with his crosses, we looked much more solid when Adomah came on. Nothing stuck up front with Abraham, but his work ethic and high pressing is always a danger.

Hourihane was fantastic, worked his balls off in the middle of the park with McGinn and Grealish on each side being shut out of the game once again. Mings was back to his best, I watched him for 5 minutes in the second half and he constantly bosses the back line pulling them up and down the pitch like a Sergeant Major. And Jed Steer, what a man, he's been brilliant since coming back and I'm so pleased for him after last night; everything he did in that shootout, from the mind games with the players, getting the crowd worked up and pulling off two magnificent saves, has seen us through to Wembley.

One for game and we are home. Up the Villa! 

[Davkaus]

9 hours ago, villarule123 said:

I thought this was a Dem post

I apologise for absolutely everything I posted last night. 

[thunderball]

Thought Tammy was shown up, he really didn’t impose himself or seize the moment. A decent Centre Forward should make space make thing happen around him if he is getting no space. 

He will learn, he is young, but it highlights his real transfer value.

[Demitri_C]

I have to say though we do have problems. Green/adomah poor so poor yesterday. Adomah wa setter than green but not great. Green was absolutely garbage yesterday just like Saturday. Think he won't make it here seems to have gone backwards. 

Taylor another problem. Anything pass the half way point and he gets us in so much trouble with poor passes and terrible crossing. I think hause needs to come in for the final tbh. 

I'd probably go for adomah instead of green for the final as bad as he has been. Hopefully he decides to bloody turn up for that game as he has mostly been shit for the last twelve months. 

The left side is going to be a problem in the final esp If its leeds.we might need mcginn or conor to drift over at parts. 

[Demitri_C]

4 minutes ago, thunderball said:

Thought Tammy was shown up, he really didn’t impose himself or seize the moment. A decent Centre Forward should make space make thing happen around him if he is getting no space. 

He will learn, he is young, but it highlights his real transfer value.

Yeah I thought Tammy was poor as well. He was being beaten for near enough every ball. You can see his limitations at times and I don't think he will be good enough for chelsea

[Straggler]

I'm not sure why there is such a lot of credit given to West Brom for their "strong defensive display".  The tactic was to foul as early and as often and as hard as they could manage and hope that the ref doesn't give early yellow cards.  The fact that the ref was totally complicit and allowed them to body check and kick their way through the game and only gave out the one red late in the game is not the result of a strong defense it is the result of a weak ref.  Every pass had to be rushed because every Villa player new that if a West Brom player got near them they were getting kicked up in the air or pulled to the ground and there is a better than average chance the ref will give nothing therefore the chance of losing the ball in a dangerous situation goes up.  If West Brom had been promoted this season they would have been worse than Cardiff.  West Brom are an awful team and they got more than they deserved over the two legs, I'm glad to see the back of them and the Prem has no idea what a favor we have done them by taking out a team that no fan is going to want to pay to see play.  The world has moved on from set pieces and long throws, they got everything their ambition merited.

[foreveryoung]

Not to give at least a yellow for that stamp on McGinn off Brunt when the ref was right in front summed up for me how the ref would play it. Brunt could have jumped out of that,  blatant card for me, an to give nothing, well, this is why things should change an stop making refs untouchable

 

[AvfcRigo82]

2 hours ago, KenjiOgiwara said:

There's no other way for this club. 

I couldn't (like always) stomach the penalties, but I think the Leeds will be a different kettle of fish (IF they beat Derby). Mostly cause Leeds won't sit back like albion did over two legs and we will get more space to do our thing. 

Green was poor. 

Thought subs came a bit late, but I will give a manager slack on that cause he probably saw penalties coming and knew what he was doing.

Hourihane was poor and Whelan should have started maybe? Hard to tell now.

Our defending at times was woeful.  If we do all of that stuff in a final we will get punished the hardest way. Steer and Zebe had some absolute bonkers stuff.

Taylor was his usual pointless self when attacking. It really looks like his brain shuts down while attacking. 

Bit disappointed in McGinn. Felt he didn't really grab the match by the neck as was needed. 

And whoever invented short corners can go **** themselves.

And my god our crossing is shite. 

Did Zebe and Mings get injured? Elmo? Just cramps? 

You enjoyed the game then?  

[AvfcRigo82]

10 minutes ago, foreveryoung said:

Not to give at least a yellow for that stamp on McGinn off Brunt when the ref was right in front summed up for me how the ref would play it. Brunt could have jumped out of that,  blatant card for me, an to give nothing, well, this is why things should change an stop making refs untouchable

 

I came into this game expecting more of those shenanigans from WBA tbh.

The refs and officials in this league are so piss poor and have been for the most of thid season again. Fair play to McGinn for keeping his head on both occasions against Bhris word removed!

Dirty Baggie b******s! It was one tough test even before penalties. The atmosphere from the get go was noisy and it actually felt like we we're playing at some European stadium! - Well done lads. It was ugly, we never got going, but we dug deep and we're in the final!

One game to go and I don't care who we get, bring them on!!   

 

Edited May 15, 2019 by AvfcRigo82

[villa89]

What WBA have shown when they've played us is that we can be bullied physically in games. Leeds know this too and if we play them in the final we better be up for the physical challenge and cynical fouling that will come our way.