Ratings & Reactions: Man City v Villa

[danceoftheshamen]

Most boringly obvious result ever.. Another incoming next week so buckle up and grit yer teeth. Was surprised it was only 3 - 0 to be quite honest as we give away so many chances in games. We are nowhere near competing with the like of City & Liverpoo at the moment.

As for VAR?... well it's clearly rigged... unsurprisingly

Or are we still supposed to swallow those "it all balances out over the season" type excuses.... which incidentally nobody actually ever checks.

So i'll start:

So far this season.......

VAR & Villa

Decisions for 0

Decisions against 8 (at least half of which have been shown to have been wrong decisions with others debatable at best)

That will take some turn around to "Balance out" already & we're only in October.

Edited October 26, 2019 by danceoftheshamen

[R.Bear]

This was essentially a throw away game and tbh just made it even more vital that we won the last two games. To stay up we need to win the games we're expected to win, anything from games like this would be a (delightful) bonus.

UTV

[Stockport_Villain]

Can’t say I expected anything else to be honest. Thought Davis was good when he came on. VAR really is against us at the moment. Honourable mention to Gilbert who I thought was very good marking the inform player in Europe currently. 

[TRO]

3 hours ago, sheepyvillian said:

I remember someone comparing Mings to McGrath. Not in a million years would our dear Paul have missed a header like that, and that's without a pair of knees. You don't switch off against a team with the kind of talent they possess. 

sadly, its been a few times now.

[TRO]

46 minutes ago, danceoftheshamen said:

Most boringly obvious result ever.. Another incoming next week so buckle up and grit yer teeth. Was surprised it was only 3 - 0 to be quite honest as we give away so many chances in games. We are nowhere near competing with the like of City & Liverpoo at the moment.

As for VAR?... well it's clearly rigged... unsurprisingly

Or are we still supposed to swallow those "it all balances out over the season" type excuses.... which incidentally nobody actually ever checks.

So i'll start:

So far this season.......

VAR & Villa

Decisions for 0

Decisions against 8 (at least half of which have been shown to have been wrong decisions with others debatable at best)

That will take some turn around to "Balance out" already & we're only in October.

I think that is the most gauling feature.....its not the score, its the predictability of it.

That's Spurs,Arsenal and Man city all held until half time and then we concede 3 in each game....so we get over the hardest bit and then, bam.

I ask, are we fit enough?.....do we fight enough?....do we stand off too much?.....do we yield space too easily?.....are we carrying some players?.......something is clearly lacking.

Edited October 26, 2019 by TRO

[Okonokos]

15 minutes ago, TRO said:

I think that is the most gauling feature.....its not the score, its the predictability of it.

That's Spurs,Arsenal and Man city all held until half time and then we concede 3 in each game....so we get over the hardest bit and then, bam.

I ask, are we fit enough?.....do we fight enough?....do we stand off too much?.....do we yield space too easily?.....are we carrying some players?.......something is clearly lacking.

Sometimes you're just playing against better players. It's really that simple sometimes. We are a work in progress and to be honest I'm happy we played well in at least 45 mins of all of those games.

[TRO]

5 minutes ago, Okonokos said:

Sometimes you're just playing against better players. It's really that simple sometimes. We are a work in progress and to be honest I'm happy we played well in at least 45 mins of all of those games.

I accept that, but the nature of my comment, is that do we accept that too easily as a team?  or more accurately certain players....IMO

did England today accept the All blacks are a better than them. today?.....every pundit said so.

was Vardy taking a break, when they were oodles of goals up.........No, The mentality is too grind,grind.grind, battle,battle ,battle, run.run.run and run some more......I am not saying we are a team that have no fight, but I think we are a team who easily recognise when the opposition are better, slightly different, but also slightly similar at the same time.

did Sheff Utd accept that Arsenal are better than them.......Southampton certainly accepted Leicester was better than them, in bucket loads.

I do understand sometimes there is nothing you can do over and above what you have done, I am not convinced that applies to us......I see in games, even ones that we win, some players look laboured in their thinking and subsequently their actions.

Jack can't do it all...He carries us at times, that's not right.

I am looking forward to the day we have no right to the win, but take it.......I will then know we are on the way back.

[KentVillan]

32 minutes ago, TRO said:

I think that is the most gauling feature.....its not the score, its the predictability of it.

That's Spurs,Arsenal and Man city all held until half time and then we concede 3 in each game....so we get over the hardest bit and then, bam.

I ask, are we fit enough?.....do we fight enough?....do we stand off too much?.....do we yield space too easily?.....are we carrying some players?.......something is clearly lacking.

The flaw is your assumption that the first half is the hardest bit. Most goals are scored in the second half. Against a quality side like City, they will try different things and work you out. They have every type of player in their squad, so they can throw the kitchen sink at you.

Nobody has managed a result at the Etihad in recent years without a lot of luck going their way.

The Spurs and Arsenal results were more galling, because we really did have a chance of getting points in both those games. Today's game doesn't bother me at all.

[TRO]

4 minutes ago, KentVillan said:

The flaw is your assumption that the first half is the hardest bit. Most goals are scored in the second half. Against a quality side like City, they will try different things and work you out. They have every type of player in their squad, so they can throw the kitchen sink at you.

Nobody has managed a result at the Etihad in recent years without a lot of luck going their way.

The Spurs and Arsenal results were more galling, because we really did have a chance of getting points in both those games. Today's game doesn't bother me at all.

Yes, I think it is.....In terms of your confidence growing after not conceding and having an insight as to how the opposition are functioning......of course if you are suggesting we are tiring, that raises a few more questions, to be dealt with.

Its like I have said in my posts this evening, its the predictability of the defeat, that's concerning for me. I am merely observing more than criticising, but we have some way to go to stay in games. imo

I have seen things in games when we have won, but its not the time to say or Pee on anyones chips, but we have periods in a game where we concede too easily.

Brighton and Bournemouth, we conceded poor goals and the one at Palace was poor too.....of course we are learning, but we as fans should be able to see the shortfalls.

For me, I think some of our players are clearly carrying the others and that is a concern.....and days like this , we simply can't get away with it.

 

 

[KentVillan]

2 minutes ago, TRO said:

Yes, I think it is.....In terms of your confidence growing after not conceding and having an insight as to how the opposition are functioning......of course if you are suggesting we are tiring, that raises a few more questions, to be dealt with.

 

 

I mean statistically it is very obviously not. More goals are scored / conceded in the second half. Against better opponents, the second half is statistically when they will put you to the sword.

And yes, I am suggesting like all football teams who have ever existed, we are tiring in the second half, due to the fact we have been running for an extra 45 mins.

"Having an insight as to how the opposition are functioning" is much more value to a team like Man City who can play in several different ways, and have amazing options off the bench, than it is to us.

[MaVilla]

5 minutes ago, TRO said:

Yes, I think it is.....In terms of your confidence growing after not conceding and having an insight as to how the opposition are functioning......of course if you are suggesting we are tiring, that raises a few more questions, to be dealt with.

Its like I have said in my posts this evening, its the predictability of the defeat, that's concerning for me. I am merely observing more than criticising, but we have some way to go to stay in games. imo

I have seen things in games when we have won, but its not the time to say or Pee on anyones chips, but we have periods in a game where we concede too easily.

Brighton and Bournemouth, we conceded poor goals and the one at Palace was poor too.....of course we are learning, but we as fans should be able to see the shortfalls.

For me, I think some of our players are clearly carrying the others and that is a concern.....and days like this , we simply can't get away with it.

 

 

Who do you think is being carried out of curiosity?

[sidcow]

We were hard pushed the whole game but still created some good chances, hit the post and arguably could have had a penno. 

We really conceded a couple of soft goals which is disappointing. 

We can hold our heads high though.  Three nil doesn't really tell the story, we were not being completely ripped to pieced

pieces and could indeed probably should have come away with a much narrower defeat possibly even a lucky draw. 

[TRO]

2 minutes ago, MaVilla said:

Who do you think is being carried out of curiosity?

I think its easier to say who is not.

But I honestly cannot see much lately from the following and some have just gone off the boil for me.

• Guilbert....lost his zest to tackle from when he first come
• Trez
• Wes
• El Ghazi
• Engels ( just doesn't look dominant for me)
• Mings ( has started to make mistakes) but generally love him
• SJM has had a few iffy games too lately

My biggest concern is Wes and the 2 wingers.....just not looking dangerous.

[Vive_La_Villa]

This time last season we were losing 1-0 to QPR. Today we just held our own against arguably the best team in the world.  
 

No complaints from me.

[TRO]

25 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

This time last season we were losing 1-0 to QPR. Today we just held our own against arguably the best team in the world.  
 

No complaints from me.

season before we lost 1-3 at home to them, so I guess that is progress.

No complaints from me.....but when we win 1-5 away to Norwich, which was a great result.....we need to watch the game more carefully to know where we are really at.

We have a long way to go and I suspect Dean knows it.

 

[Vive_La_Villa]

7 minutes ago, TRO said:

season before we lost 1-3 at home to them, so I guess that is progress.

No complaints from me.....but when we win 1-5 away to Norwich, which was a great result.....we need to watch the game more carefully to know where we are really at.

We have a long way to go and I suspect Dean knows it.

 

I agree we have a long way to go but if the bench mark is Man City then so do another 18 teams in this league.

Edited October 26, 2019 by Vive_La_Villa

[MotoMkali]

49 minutes ago, TRO said:

I think its easier to say who is not.

But I honestly cannot see much lately from the following and some have just gone off the boil for me.

• Guilbert....lost his zest to tackle from when he first come
• Trez
• Wes
• El Ghazi
• Engels ( just doesn't look dominant for me)
• Mings ( has started to make mistakes) but generally love him
• SJM has had a few iffy games too lately

My biggest concern is Wes and the 2 wingers.....just not looking dangerous.

Disagree with guilbert. He has picked up 3 yellow cards already and clearly is worried about the imminent suspension. On top of that he was playing a top 5 winger in the world today and was quite a bit slower.

I also disagree with el ghazi. He is very dangerous and is the most threatening player we have imo. We should have brought him on for Wesley in my opinion. We needed someone who could score and Davis clearly isn't that player. If someone we have is to score in a game like that I would put my money on him or hourihane because they both can score from range and they both can finish despite the simple chances el ghazi has fluffed against Norwich and Brighton. 

Mcginn clearly tires after 55 minutes. Dean needs to sub him at 60 every game. Bring on hourihane or Luiz. This is when we concede our goals when mcginn can't defend and it is like we are playing with 10 men. Mcginn doesn't come off and that is my biggest issue this season. He is a good player but running as much as he does is very tiring and I would rather have a fresh layer for the last 20 minutes of a game than someone who struggles to walk up and down the pitch.

With Wes it is hard to say. I personally think we don't give him anything to work with. In the first half all the long balls to him he had to chase and was in crap position when it came down. What is the point in having a target man if you can't find the target. The balls are either really short really long or about 20 yards wide of him. It is honestly disgraceful that we can't find him. On the other hand he needs to strop less though I suspect that is a symptom of the shit service we give him.

Engels has had a rough couple of games since arsenal. He hasn't done anything really good defensively but hasn't made any mistakes. I would like for him to do more and probably take free kicks within our half but he hasn't done anything I can really fault him for.

I personally have a problem with Heaton. I think he has been generally very poor. He has made some alright save but I don't think he has made any that steer wouldn't have. I also think steer is more aggressive and better at deciding when to come for the ball which could have prevented goals against Burnley and Norwich. He also gave away a penalty against Bournemouth which steer would have made. He was supposed to be a much more vocal keeper than steer but I haven't seen any signs of that this season especially considering the mixup between mings and him today. Also sterling's goal Heaton should have saved that. It was clear what sterling was going to do and letting the ball go through your legs and underneath you as a keeper is a disgrace. 

[ozvillafan]

Never expected anything but a loss. There are plenty of positives, though:

- Wesley with his back to goal. He won more than I remember compared to other games. Each time he laid it off immediately - which looked like the game plan as Trez did this too - but usually meant a turnover. He's better off holding it. Something to work on.

- Our scrambling defense. Yes, the first 2 goals could have been stopped - but our last ditch defending was excellent. That goal line clearance from Mings is a good example

- Luiz in midfield. He's almost as comfortable with the ball at feet as Grealish. Got forward well and linked well. I only remember him turning over the ball once.

- Our work rate. We busted a gut and covered each other all game. Sure, most of it was in defense in our own half (as expected) but compare that to what Southampton dished out.

- The away crowd. My word - I could hear you over the masses during the broadcast all game even when we were down 3-0. Superb!

 

[zab6359]

That Gundogan is some player!! Fantastic.

Edited October 27, 2019 by zab6359

[turvontour]

Just a shame Villa have to be on the wrong end of these horse sh t errors again. Silva scored. He was offside.