Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Liverpool

[Vive_La_Villa]

29 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

That one stings a bit.

I thought we were superb, I really did - we matched their intensity, their pace, the movement of the ball, their energy, right from the off and then maintained that almost until the finish. We thoroughly deserved our lead when it came. I thought we then defended it really, really well and if we'd managed to grab a second on the break, or we'd had the rub of the green with the ref then we could have taken all three points.

Three points would have been more than we deserved in fairness; Liverpool created tonnes of chances during the game and were always in it. Not getting one point at the end though is really harsh on us I thought.

Heaton was good - there was one save in the second half that he seemed to make with his face that was particularly impressive, both centre backs were really calm, assured and strong, Targett was decent and I thought Guilbert did really well for an hour on a dead leg. For me, three Villa players stood out - Marvellous Nakamba who I thought was brilliant, constantly snuffing out attacks and chasing things down and the two wide men, Trezeguet and El Ghazi who absolutely ran their socks off both in getting forward and in getting back.

Liverpools full backs are incredibly athletic and we needed that support from our wingers to try to cover them - the balance they have with those two bombing forward and Henderson dropping in to cover runners is really impressive. The front three didn't really spark although you could see the quality and Mane should have been sent off for one of the three or four fouls he committed after his well deserved booking for his dive. The two full backs though are very, very impressive. Oh and if Virgil Van Dijk is the best centre back in the world, I'm Billy Corkhill - he struggled today with Wesley's strength.

The referee got worse as the game went on and has ended up helping Liverpool over the line - it was interesting to see VAR booed and mocked both before the game when Elbow Shearer introduced it and then on every occasion that it was used, and even after those decisions went (correctly) in our favour, it was still roundly mocked by our fans - it's a time-wasting nonsense and fans see it.

Liverpool are a very good side and we've given them a scare in a game we deserved to get something out of - the atmosphere was excellent, the players gave it everything they had and there was much to suggest that we're not far off being a good side ourselves. 

I'm not sure how I expected to feel after a game I thought we'd lose - but I don't think "gutted but proud" was what I was expecting.

This one stings a bit - but we're definitely heading in the right direction.

 

 

 

Spot on. Our wingers didn’t track their full backs enough second half but if they had we would have more or less parked the bus. Then our fans would have moaned we went too negative (if we still didn’t get a result).. It’s fine margins.
 

 

 

 

[Vive_La_Villa]

I’d be interested to know out of all those that voted average or less for Smith rating were at the game today.

I have a feeling it’s one of those game you had to be there to appreciate how hard the players worked. Had I watched that game on tv i don’t think I would have been as impressed. 

[kiltorken]

What a performance from our boys made me proud to witness it. We'll dominate them soon enough. Liverpool shite fans 

[AVTuco]

29 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Kind of my point mate. Lambert and Bruce used to get us the wins in these types of games and look where that got us.  I’m surprised the team can be criticised after today’s performance, but that’s just me.

In a reaction thread, on the same evening, I would not take posts too seriously. It's good there is a place to venr, or cekebrate OTT without being judged. That was mine.

[roonst83]

3 hours ago, PaddytheVillan said:

Goes without saying but we missed Grealish. It didn't feel like we had anybody who could hold the ball and run with it, without losing it immediately.

Should've thrown Konsa on rather than Kodjia. But yes, another big 3 points dropped and another defeat.

Absolutely agree with this. Thought we were bringing Konsa on and was gutted to see Kodjia. 

[Vive_La_Villa]

8 minutes ago, AVTuco said:

In a reaction thread, on the same evening, I would not take posts too seriously. It's good there is a place to venr, or cekebrate OTT without being judged. That was mine.

Fair point. Sorry mate. 

[Zhan_Zhuang]

Going to echo some similar points but here goes...

Proud of the team today having watched most of the match and the atmosphere seemed great too.

El Ghazi and Trezeguet really impressed me and they both seemed to worry Liverplop going forward. 

Villa were close to beating one of Europe's best teams, there is much to be positive about.

Some of their better players didn't perform today and again that is a reflection on far Villa have come from within one year. 

McGinn needs wrapped in cotton wool this week in preparation for Wolves!

 

Edited November 2, 2019 by Zhan_Zhuang

[flashingqwerty]

2 hours ago, PieFacE said:

OMG. Is this a serious post? 

Did bringing Hourihane on weaken the side? Yes!

Did bringing on kodjia weaken the side? Yes

Has DS made similar poor decisions before? Hell yes

Has his ingame management improved since his arrival? I don't see any evidence that it has.

I'm not saying he hasnt been great for us, but can we really afford for his game management to cost us as many points as it already has?

[Xela]

Sadio Mane

Quote

Mane agreed with his team-mate’s sentiments and added: ‘Today was not our best performance but we deserved the three points. ‘It was a perfect delivery from the corner and in the end I was even a bit lucky the ball went in. ‘Aston Villa have been the team that pushed us harder so far, that’s why this is the best league in the world every single game can be like this one.’

When you consider we were, what, outside the top 10 in the Championship about 9 months ago? Huge strides forward! 

Plenty to be optimistic about. 

[rbcuk]

Gutted how we lost in the last minute, certainly deserved a point if not all 3

Anyone know how the fan is doing from the lower north?

[ozvillafan]

At halftime I said to myself: 1 goal won't be enough to win it....

... but maybe enough for a point. Shame about the corner at the death. It really was a nothing cross but a fantastic header.

So proud of the intensity shown by all the players, but we were knackered by the 85th minute so no real surprises with the result.

Trezeguet, El Ghazi and Nakamba were standouts.

[flashingqwerty]

2 hours ago, Lerner's Driver said:

 

 

In time you might be right, but at this particular moment your suggestion is utterly ridiculous. The guy is growing with the team and the club as a whole. Overall the progress is still very much on an upward curve, so for that reason alone getting rid is illogical.

Genuinely, what have you seen from DS to make you think HE is improving?

He is definitely improving the players, but for me, his style formation and tactics have been pretty the same.  He doesnt adapt when the opposition changes tactics.  He makes substitution too late for to have any significant impact and his subs are generally like for like replacements rather than any attempt to change the game.

I think as a coach, hes great at getting the best out of players, and improving them, but tactically hes rigid, non responsive and naieve, and i have seen that change

[Vive_La_Villa]

Why aren’t we doing the old fashioned boing when their players have the ball late on. It always works a treat. We need to help the players get over the line.
 

[flashingqwerty]

2 hours ago, MadridVilla said:

Dean Smith isn't responsible if someone doesn't track their man - the equaliser was because El Ghazi didn't follow Robertson, and the winner because Kodjia (I think) didn't follow Mane. There's only so much a manager can do.

El Ghazi should have taken off long before this error, he was clearly tiring rapidly.

Kodjia should never have been put on in the first place as his work rate sucks as does his tracking back.

Both goals avoidable if DS makes better 8n game decisions by subbing and bringing on the correct players.

[Vive_La_Villa]

7 minutes ago, flashingqwerty said:

Genuinely, what have you seen from DS to make you think HE is improving?

He is definitely improving the players, but for me, his style formation and tactics have been pretty the same.  He doesnt adapt when the opposition changes tactics.  He makes substitution too late for to have any significant impact and his subs are generally like for like replacements rather than any attempt to change the game.

I think as a coach, hes great at getting the best out of players, and improving them, but tactically hes rigid, non responsive and naieve, and i have seen that change

Do you want him sacked or are you just venting?

Edited November 2, 2019 by Vive_La_Villa

[flashingqwerty]

2 hours ago, VillaFaninLondon said:

I'm not sure how serious you're being, but while you may have a point that his game management needs to seriously improve (I agree with this), sacking him at this point would not be right. I don't know who could replace him but he deserves more respect than this given what he's done for us. He definitely needs to improve his ability to get the team to see out games and be fit enough to play for 90 mins, but he is held back somewhat by his lack of options on the bench. It's going to take two or three windows before we will feasibly have players to come off the bench and make a difference at this level. I'd also like to see us play a more possession-based game like he did with Brentford that we're yet to see here. We play the long ball too often, which is maybe forgiven a bit more against a top side like Liverpool but we even do it against teams like Brighton. We have a quality midfield and I'd like to see Luiz, Nakamba, McGinn, Grealish get the ball more and hold possession.

 

DS will not come under pressure for losing games like today and City. We do need to break the consecutive defeats I think by getting something at Wolves next week (three days after they play in the Europa League) and we have some massive games coming up in November and December against Newcastle, Sheff Utd, Southampton, Norwich and Watford which we should be looking to win. If we struggle to win those games and we're in the bottom 3 come the new year, then yes DS may need to be moved on, but I'm confident we won't be and we'll win the majority of those winnable games. 

 

So if we sit in 15th all season and DS continues to make the same errors every games, would you still back him?

[Sulberto21]

4 hours ago, terrytini said:

Some of the comments on here are frankly ridiculous.

Conceding second half goals to Liverpool, Man City, Spurs and Arsenal is commonplace to all Clubs. Additionally games against these sides will not define our season.

Against sides that matter, in the bottom half, we are doing fine and actually Won with a late winner, rather than lost, against Brighton.

Im proud of that showing against the European Champions and runaway League leaders.

I agree with Spurs ( fantastic against us,) City and Liverpool yes. But not Arsenal they are crap! They fluked that win against us. This is the worst Arsenal team I have ever seen. 

[NoelVilla]

3 hours ago, flashingqwerty said:

It pains me to say it, but its for this reason that i think DS needs to be moved on.

He has taken us as far as he can, and i respect his achievements, but his in game management is terrible and it happens nearly every game.

Wesley was a complete passenger all game, hourihane is not the man you bring on when youre under pressure and bringing on kodjia? I mean WTF? Talk about the least hard working player in the squad!  May have well not put anyone 9n, would have had the se effect.

For all the good DS has done to get us here and assemble this squad, his weaknesses are costing us nearly every game and its not getting better.

We should sack Dean Smith? What?

[Villan_of_oz]

13 minutes ago, flashingqwerty said:

So if we sit in 15th all season and DS continues to make the same errors every games, would you still back him?

Yes!

[tommytenjobs]

Disappointed in the end......but amazed Smith and the team got us as far as they did. Look at the two benches to see the difference between the sides. Gulf! Let alone the starting 11. We fought tooth and nail; in a few years we might just try to compete football wise, but for now I'm happy to see the emotional and physical fight. Please, some if you worrying and venting...remember the capitulation years. We've won more games already than our relegation year. We've got players who are limited but fighting. We've been in every game. We've got a team to be proud of and I left with my daughter shattered, stressed, disappointed...but proud. Didn't feel like that much between 2000 and 2018. UTV!!

Edited November 2, 2019 by tommytenjobs