Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Bournemouth

[barry'sboots]

25 minutes ago, chips'ngravy said:

There seem to be a lot of people attributing our defeat to bad luck. I don't see it that way. We made fundamental errors and got punished, then we failed to convert all but one of our numerous chances (and that was goal of the month contender). Realistically speaking, we probably won't create that many chances on a weekly basis so we need to be more clinical when they do come along. 

McGinn aside you probably wouldn't back anyone else to put the ball in the net given a clear opportunity. I guess it depends on how much you favour the system over ability. Trezeguet has looked a threat so far but El Ghazi hasn't. Perhaps he'll come good next game, I hope so, but Jota doesn't have the pace to play on the wing in the PL. So if El Ghazi continues to look a bit flat I'd rather have Hourihane in and shuffle things around than stick Jota on the wing for the sake of the system.

For what it's worth I have every faith in Smith to make the right decisions. It's a sharp learning curve for everyone, including him.

I'm with you.  I'd love us to try a diamond with yesterday's midfield + CH at "10" and Wes plus one of Trez or Davis.  This would clearly need Targett and Guilbert in the team to provide the width.  I think CH playing off Davis in particular could provide lots of goals (remember his hat trick a couple of seasons back against Norwich when that combination - not used since - was very good offensively).

[KenjiOgiwara]

1 hour ago, chips'ngravy said:

There seem to be a lot of people attributing our defeat to bad luck. I don't see it that way. We made fundamental errors and got punished, then we failed to convert all but one of our numerous chances (and that was goal of the month contender). Realistically speaking, we probably won't create that many chances on a weekly basis so we need to be more clinical when they do come along. 

McGinn aside you probably wouldn't back anyone else to put the ball in the net given a clear opportunity. I guess it depends on how much you favour the system over ability. Trezeguet has looked a threat so far but El Ghazi hasn't. Perhaps he'll come good next game, I hope so, but Jota doesn't have the pace to play on the wing in the PL. So if El Ghazi continues to look a bit flat I'd rather have Hourihane in and shuffle things around than stick Jota on the wing for the sake of the system.

For what it's worth I have every faith in Smith to make the right decisions. It's a sharp learning curve for everyone, including him.

I am not one for making excuses, but I think it's safe to say there's a strong argument about lady luck hasn't been with us the first two matches. There were probably about 10 refereeing decisions we didn't get that would have made a big impact on the game yesterday, including a red card. We also had a bunch of chances we didn't convert. Lot of it is due to poor finishing, but even poor finishers score goals with a bit of luck. 

We might have made errors and got punished because of it - I agree. But we also had very little luck. Unfortunately good teams tend to have the luck, so can only hope that turns for us. 

[TRO]

11 hours ago, bannedfromHandV said:

I would have liked to see Targett come on in the second half once we took control fully, Taylor is just so reluctant in attack.

 

Taylor is a player, i would like to play against.

He never had a bad game yesterday, but that in itself is a form of deception.....He has some flashes of good stuff, be he doesn't hunt the ball down, just stays cautious and comfortable in his own half....he ventures out on occasions and late in the second half took half an hour to read a  ball laid off for a cross.....He is indecisive and tentative, not a pre- requisite for this league.

We will not get up to the level we require to compete in this league with players like Taylor.

[KenjiOgiwara]

Thing about Taylor is that he tends to release the ball to his team mates just too early or too late. Or to the wrong movement. Just observe it next match he plays. You can see how our midfield just gets annoyed cause his passes always puts them under immidiate pressure. 

But when our midfield cuts inside all the time it gets difficult for Taylor. Us cutting inside is a tactical move that involves creating space for a wingback, but when Taylor is hopeless at going forward it's a **** if you do **** if you don't scenario. 

Edited August 18, 2019 by KenjiOgiwara

[Five Ken McNaughts]

Strangely, I think defeat yesterday could turn out to be a blessing in disguise, inasmuch as it offers a clear way out of the full-back conundrum. Yes, Elmo and Taylor have performed creditably after being given the nod, and I sympathise with the argument that they don't "deserve" to be dropped. HOWEVER, after two straight losses a manager has liberty to make systemic changes. It absolves Deano of all these "loyalty" complications (if, indeed, they existed). The Everton game now strikes me as the perfect opportunity to bring in the new boys at full-back with the minimum of fuss.

The next bit might be more controversial, but, for what it’s worth…

As well as starting Targett and Guilbert to improve our delivery and dynamism accordingly, I would restore the Guilbert / Jota partnership down the right that looked so promising in pre-season. Yes, Jota has certain limitations (outright pace and left-foot) but these are minimised in that very specific role as a pivot for Guilbert to sling-shot past him. In that instance, his impressive close-quarter skills and ability to play with his head up come to the fore. I thought the two of them had something really good going on.

On the left I would utilise Trezeguet’s versatility by bringing him across and playing him in front of Targett. That would also significantly strengthen our bench by adding El Ghazi to it (the traditional “pacey sub against tiring legs” role that is clearly not a good fit for Jota). Our crossing was poor against Bournemouth – Targett should improve that while also adding a left foot option at wide free-kicks to partially counter the loss of Hourihane.

There. That is my rather specific wish list. Just have to see what Friday brings.

 

[TRO]

16 hours ago, KenjiOgiwara said:

To be fair this goes for all our wingers. I lost count today watching Taylor getting the ball trying to play it wide and both Grealish and our winger cut inside so he had to pass it backwards 

These are the kind of things that some posters are struggling to see....when they say I don't know what some are expecting.

Basics.....If you are a winger, its your job to beat your man......If you are a full back its your job to stop the crosses.......If you don't, is it any wonder fans say, you haven't played well today.

I see this kind of stuff happening and some fans saying, he had a decent game really......I find that amazing.

[TRO]

17 hours ago, The Fun Factory said:

Some thought on a disappointing and sobering day at B6.

Disastrous  start which basically killed the game. What was Heaton thinking and Luiz was caught faffing with the ball. He did get better and his goal was class. Loved the response to the crowd.

McGinn and Mings were our best players again. Jack was poor and El Ghazi non existent. In fact our wing and full back play was no where near good enough to support young Wesley. 

Wesley looks like a decent prospect who I would have been happy to have on loan if we would still in the Championship. However I have serious concerns if he is to be our only choice holding the line for half a season. He does not look like a striker, more like a forward. I will be amazed if he gets double figures.  Our midfield will have to contribute or this is going to be a short return to the top flight.

We needed a result today as now there is pressure on for Friday. At the end of the day if you play nice neat football without scoring goals, and make mistakes at the back that is only going to result in one thing,

Oh well onto the next game.

If we are going to rely on goals from midfield, we need holding players like Luiz and Nakamba in the team......then jack and john can play the channels and link with Wes or whoever.....Jack and John are too deep.

I know Jack likes to get on the ball, but he has to realise he can't do everything, players must be able to do their own job......He needs to stop drifting and play a structured game where he can be found and not have to travel far to hurt the opposition.

Players like Harry Wilson and Mason Mount, score more goals than Jack, I think Jack is better......but ,if he wants to be the player we all think he is, he needs to hurt teams more with goals and to do that he needs to be in the right position on the field more often than not.

 

[TRO]

4 hours ago, chips'ngravy said:

There seem to be a lot of people attributing our defeat to bad luck. I don't see it that way. We made fundamental errors and got punished, then we failed to convert all but one of our numerous chances (and that was goal of the month contender). Realistically speaking, we probably won't create that many chances on a weekly basis so we need to be more clinical when they do come along. 

McGinn aside you probably wouldn't back anyone else to put the ball in the net given a clear opportunity. I guess it depends on how much you favour the system over ability. Trezeguet has looked a threat so far but El Ghazi hasn't. Perhaps he'll come good next game, I hope so, but Jota doesn't have the pace to play on the wing in the PL. So if El Ghazi continues to look a bit flat I'd rather have Hourihane in and shuffle things around than stick Jota on the wing for the sake of the system.

For what it's worth I have every faith in Smith to make the right decisions. It's a sharp learning curve for everyone, including him.

I can't stand Danny Murphy, but in his suming up during our highlights he was right......Bournemouth's high energy created those errors.....they were not unforced errors, they were forced errors and that is central to my concerns. We were being pressed when Dougie let Trez's pass go behind him and our positional play was put under question, because Doug obviously thought we had a man there.

I hear all the claims for time etc, etc etc.....and I agree......but I also think you have to compete in this league and as another poster quite rightly wrote, "this league is just as physical if not more than the Championship, its just the championship players are more clumsy"..spot on IMO.

This league they are streetwise and can easily out muscle you and quick with it......I never thought we was particularly prepared in the championship for physicality or sharp thinking opponents, so we better improve on this or we will be facing more errors.

[Jonsi77]

3 hours ago, TRO said:

Taylor is a player, i would like to play against.

He never had a bad game yesterday, but that in itself is a form of deception.....He has some flashes of good stuff, be he doesn't hunt the ball down, just stays cautious and comfortable in his own half....he ventures out on occasions and late in the second half took half an hour to read a  ball laid off for a cross.....He is indecisive and tentative, not a pre- requisite for this league.

We will not get up to the level we require to compete in this league with players like Taylor.

Taylor played 4 or 5 season in PL for swansea and was one of the best player in that team,always sollid. Starter in Wales for many years. I think many supporter have already decide that hes not good enough. Hes keeping 15 million pound player on the bench and for me he is better player.

[TRO]

2 minutes ago, Jonsi77 said:

Taylor played 4 or 5 season in PL for swansea and was one of the best player in that team,always sollid. Starter in Wales for many years. I think many supporter have already decide that hes not good enough. Hes keeping 15 million pound player on the bench and for me he is better player.

Thanks....we all have varied views.

[KenjiOgiwara]

Complete digression from the last few posts, but I thought we still lack steel in out midfield. McGinn is superb. Luiz did really well. Grealish was poor, but I still feel we lack that player that covers a lot of ground and gets 'into' them. I think Grealish is a superb footballer, but he really gets a free pass on here. I'd easily sub him for Marvelous and move Luiz into Grealish's role if I saw him being this poor again. 

Edited August 18, 2019 by KenjiOgiwara

[Jonsi77]

1 hour ago, TRO said:

Thanks....we all have varied views.

And some of us are closer to reality than others

[KenjiOgiwara]

57 minutes ago, Jonsi77 said:

And some of us are closer to reality than others

After you're fascination with Bjarnason I am not sure if I should take you seriously with that. 

[briny_ear]

No idea where people are getting the idea that Smith is selecting Elmo and Taylor out of “loyalty”. If he really is valuing that above form or suitability for  the style he wants to play, it doesn’t say much about him as a manager.

Naively I was assuming he selected players according to how well they showed in training and his well he thought they could deliver what he wanted on the pitch. Now I find it’s just an old pals act. Where does that idea even come from? Does it have any actual basis in reality?

[LakotaDakota]

19 hours ago, Brumerican said:

This season ? 2 Games ?   Guilbert has shown more in preseason than Elmo has in his entire career .

 

Yes playing ok in those three halves of friendly football against lower league shit if far more of an achievement  that a guy with 500+ professional games, nearly 200 of those in the premier league &  that over the course of his career as a right back has provided a goal or assist every 4 1/2 games.....

Elmo was directly involved (goal or assist) in 11% of our goals last season, without those goals Guilbert would have spent his pre-season preparing for life in the championship

 

[KenjiOgiwara]

19 minutes ago, briny_ear said:

No idea where people are getting the idea that Smith is selecting Elmo and Taylor out of “loyalty”. If he really is valuing that above form or suitability for  the style he wants to play, it doesn’t say much about him as a manager.

Naively I was assuming he selected players according to how well they showed in training and his well he thought they could deliver what he wanted on the pitch. Now I find it’s just an old pals act. Where does that idea even come from? Does it have any actual basis in reality?

I have no idea, but he literally signed Targett a few weeks ago for £ 14 million. If he is now saying Taylor is a better option, then I'd be inclined to say Deano has a really poor scouting team working for him. 

[Jonsi77]

40 minutes ago, KenjiOgiwara said:

After you're fascination with Bjarnason I am not sure if I should take you seriously with that. 

What fascination was that? That he could be good squad player for Villa? There are two serie a club which have offer him contract and they are both stronger than Villa.So i guess someone else agree with me.

[KenjiOgiwara]

7 minutes ago, Jonsi77 said:

What fascination was that? That he could be good squad player for Villa? There are two serie a club which have offer him contract and they are both stronger than Villa.So i guess someone else agree with me.

Just joking with you. But not sure the serie A bit is a strong argument. A serie A team also signed Tonev. 

[Brumerican]

1 hour ago, LakotaDakota said:

Yes playing ok in those three halves of friendly football against lower league shit if far more of an achievement  that a guy with 500+ professional games,

 

Exactly. I'd take talent over a back catalogue of mediocrity all day , every day.

We need wins now, not 5 years ago and I think Guilbert has a higher chance of creating opportunities than Elmo.

[newhavenhibby]

Difficult start of the season for you to take. In both games Villa played well for the vast majority of the matches , albeit a defensive mode at Spurs. Unfortunately in both games 10 minutes were the undoing of the side. Yesterday it was always going to be difficult having given a 2 goal start.

I am sure the management team will be stressing concentration for the whole 90 minutes as in the top league you cannot switch off for a moment. The team are still gelling so there are positives to be taken even though no points have been taken yet. Once the team gel together I am sure there are enough signs for the rest of the season. to give encouragement although there are no "easy" games in the Premier League.

The game is a lot about team confidence so a couple of good results should see that build and as fans who have been through an awful lot of good and bad times I know you will stick by the side and support them all the way. 

Heres hoping the luck goes with you in the next game and kickstarts the season.