Ratings & Reactions: Sheff Utd v Villa

[maqroll]

We'll need to bag most of the points over the next 4 games. If the players keep moping around the pitch, the manager's position will need to be reassessed, IMO.

[Genie]

Raises more questions about just why Smith was given a long term deal at this stage.

Players don’t look at the races and some strange team selections that don’t seem to make sense to outsiders.

[WakefieldVillan]

16 minutes ago, Herman22 said:

Didn't get to watch today but not the result I had hoped for. 

Do we have to look at a change of formation? Maybe try to get a second striker on the pitch from the beginning? 

The next three games will define our season. 

I said pre-match we should have lined up differently and basically to match up with their formation but I knew it wouldn't happen. I am not saying it would definitely have got us a better result but for me lining up the way we did it was a banker home win and I'm shocked people are surprised by the result. This is one criticism I have with Deano is him not trying a different formation when things are currently not going to plan. I think we had the personnel to play 3-5-2 today and it may have served us better. I'd personally prefer us to try a 4-2-3-1 too. But ultimately I think the players (not the formation) need to take a look at themselves. I think a good win on Tuesday would lift the players and comes at a perfect time for me before Southampton's visit. Let's see where we are after that! 

For the record, talk of sacking the manager is downright embarrassing as are some of the posts on the match threads. At what point did people think this season wasn't going to be a struggle? Of course it was. Let's get behind the team or those fickle comments just get more and more accurate! 

UTV 

[VillaFaninLondon]

Smith is too stuck in his ways imo. Constantly plays 4-3-3 against every opposition. Never drops Wesley despite now not scoring for 9 games. Plays Grealish on the left every game despite him not being a winger. 

 

Next game we need to get 3 points, but the game midweek against Liverpool's 2nd team is a good opportunity to tweak the system. I'd like to see maybe three at the back because we cannot defend for toffee at the moment and it might make us harder to break down. Engels, Konsa and Hause. Targett and Guilbert as wing backs. Play Nakamba and Luiz as holding midfielders and drop McGinn. That will make us even more solid defensively hopefully. Play Grealish more central and try Trezeguet and AEG as the front players. We can't do much worse than we have been doing and if it goes well and we win we can take that into Southampton with confidence and a new system that might rebuild our season. That system will require the wing backs to bomb forward and create width, but with the two holding midfielders we have the cover there to allow that. 

 

He has to do something because quite frankly we look a third rate team at the moment and we need to find a way to start winning games. 

Edited December 14, 2019 by VillaFaninLondon

[Herman22]

13 minutes ago, WakefieldVillan said:

I said pre-match we should have lined up differently and basically to match up with their formation but I knew it wouldn't happen. I am not saying it would definitely have got us a better result but for me lining up the way we did it was a banker home win and I'm shocked people are surprised by the result. This is one criticism I have with Deano is him not trying a different formation when things are currently not going to plan. I think we had the personnel to play 3-5-2 today and it may have served us better. I'd personally prefer us to try a 4-2-3-1 too. But ultimately I think the players (not the formation) need to take a look at themselves. I think a good win on Tuesday would lift the players and comes at a perfect time for me before Southampton's visit. Let's see where we are after that! 

For the record, talk of sacking the manager is downright embarrassing as are some of the posts on the match threads. At what point did people think this season wasn't going to be a struggle? Of course it was. Let's get behind the team or those fickle comments just get more and more accurate! 

UTV 

I agree with you on the formations but I'd like to see us play a 4-4-2 diamond with a Marvelous, McGinn, Hourihane and Grealish in midfield. And Wes and Kodija up front.  

[DaveAV1]

40 minutes ago, GingerCollins29 said:

Nothing we should have feared about that sheff utd team. Difference was tactically and in attitude. Wilder brilliant. Not long left for smith i think

Whilst I agree that on paper they are no great shakes, the evidence that they are a team to be feared is the simple fact that they are 5th in the league. There seems to be an attitude that the teams to be feared are those that are considered to be traditionally top six or “big clubs” and teams like Sheffield United and even Leicester will surely be a pushover once they realise they’re playing the mighty Villa, who have just been promoted via the playoffs, have a relatively inexperienced squad that has been hurriedly assembled over one transfer window and a coach that is only in his 16th PL game. 

Yes we need to improve, because there will be no points for sympathy, but we also need to be realistic. It sounds like we were awful today and have indisputably been poor for the last few games, with too many key players not on form. But seasons are like that especially for teams in our position, knee jerk reactions won’t help. We can’t change the manager every time we go on a bad run, otherwise most teams with the exception of perhaps one or two would get through half a dozen managers a season. 

The club have invested heavily both financially and in terms of philosophy   They’ve publicly stated that they want a playing style to run through all age levels and have a philosophy of buying players with potential to develop and offer the opportunity to, where appropriate, have value in the transfer market. It’s 14th December, less than two weeks ago we had just played very well at Old Trafford for the first time in years. At this moment I believe it’s highly unlikely that the board are suddenly going to rip all this up and start again. 

[Brumstopdogs]

Sheffield United have lost only 4 of their 17 league games this season and they have the third best defence (based on goals conceded) in the league.

It was always going to be difficult in the form we were in to get a decent result.

Also, we were without Mings and Hourihane while they were at full strength.

We'll need to be much better for sure in our next league match but all is not lost. We're still close to that point per game ratio and need to back the team again in the next one.

[maqroll]

39 minutes ago, Brumstopdogs said:

Quite beautiful

I KNEW somebody would post this!

[WakefieldVillan]

14 minutes ago, Herman22 said:

I agree with you on the formations but I'd like to see us play a 4-4-2 diamond with a Marvelous, McGinn, Hourihane and Grealish in midfield. And Wes and Kodija up front.  

I wouldn't have a problem with that either as it's usually the wide players that we have that are the most inconsistent (though currently the whole team are going through a dodgy spell). I think Smith has tried to keep the team as 'settled' as he can - which I get - but I think we need to mix it up a little from time to time. 

[MadridVilla]

In all honesty I think we are going to get relegated - it won't stop me supporting them every game, but the promotion bubble has definitely burst. We've already lost 10 games and it isn't even the halfway stage of the season. Carry on this way and we could be looking at 22-23 losses, which only leaves 15 games for points. Of those 15 we have played 7, won 3 and drawn 4 with 15 points. That leaves us with 8 other games to win or draw, and 25 points left to safety. If we win all 8 of those games (spoiler alert: we won't), we would get 24 points, finishing with 39 points and probably be safe. Any less than 8 wins and we would likely be relegated. My rough guess is we will finish on 33/34 points and go down.

It may only be back of an envelope maths but to me the writing is on the wall - we are not good enough. Unless we can turn these wins into draws and draws into wins we are toast.

[poitier]

As bad as we were, they needed a back heel and an overhead flick to beat us. We just can't compete with that sort of FIFA-type fantasy football.

[kiltorken]

Shocking today but let's not forget we've just witnessed the two worst performances of the season. Even top teams have shaky runs. It's not so long since we absolutely dominatrd Newcastle 

[ferguson1]

Work ethic won Sheffield the points today, simple as that.  We appear mentally shot at present and need a lift with a win on Tuesday, and then take it from there.  We could also do with a transfer lift in January, as could the players I reckon. 

For the first time this season I feel really downbeat, depressed even.  I’ve accepted defeats this season because in the main much better sides have beaten us, but I cannot accept that Sheffield are much better than us.  Perhaps I’m being harsh on them and the table doesn’t lie does it?  

Don’t really want to drill down on individual performances today because the team as a whole gave up today and as a team they are all culpable. 

Tuesday is a chance to have a go and gain some confidence going into some real important league games.  At present I’m down, the team are down and I fear for us.

[VillaFaninLondon]

17 minutes ago, MadridVilla said:

In all honesty I think we are going to get relegated - it won't stop me supporting them every game, but the promotion bubble has definitely burst. We've already lost 10 games and it isn't even the halfway stage of the season. Carry on this way and we could be looking at 22-23 losses, which only leaves 15 games for points. Of those 15 we have played 7, won 3 and drawn 4 with 15 points. That leaves us with 8 other games to win or draw, and 25 points left to safety. If we win all 8 of those games (spoiler alert: we won't), we would get 24 points, finishing with 39 points and probably be safe. Any less than 8 wins and we would likely be relegated. My rough guess is we will finish on 33/34 points and go down.

It may only be back of an envelope maths but to me the writing is on the wall - we are not good enough. Unless we can turn these wins into draws and draws into wins we are toast.

I agree things don't look great but it doesn't always work like that. I feel there is the quality there in our team (even the new signings who are being written off) but the system isn't working and we're being constantly exposed. 

 

Five years ago Leicester were rock bottom under Pearson and had 10 points from 18 games under Pearson. Most people thought they were going straight back to the Championship. But they ended up on 41 points and in 14th place and have since gone on to do win the league and are now challenging for the league again. They were also newly promoted that season. Players like Vardy and Mahrez didn't look good enough for the Prem, then boom, suddenly they were world beaters. 

 

Palace a couple of seasons back lost their first seven games, they ended up finishing well clear of relegation and midtable. 

 

Football is a a strange game and things can change very quickly. I think as fans we all assume things will go from bad to worse because this is Aston Villa and we have been a shambles for years. Maybe this season will be difficult - we sure as hell deserve some luck that's for sure. 

[GingerCollins29]

44 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said:

Whilst I agree that on paper they are no great shakes, the evidence that they are a team to be feared is the simple fact that they are 5th in the league. There seems to be an attitude that the teams to be feared are those that are considered to be traditionally top six or “big clubs” and teams like Sheffield United and even Leicester will surely be a pushover once they realise they’re playing the mighty Villa, who have just been promoted via the playoffs, have a relatively inexperienced squad that has been hurriedly assembled over one transfer window and a coach that is only in his 16th PL game. 

Yes we need to improve, because there will be no points for sympathy, but we also need to be realistic. It sounds like we were awful today and have indisputably been poor for the last few games, with too many key players not on form. But seasons are like that especially for teams in our position, knee jerk reactions won’t help. We can’t change the manager every time we go on a bad run, otherwise most teams with the exception of perhaps one or two would get through half a dozen managers a season. 

The club have invested heavily both financially and in terms of philosophy   They’ve publicly stated that they want a playing style to run through all age levels and have a philosophy of buying players with potential to develop and offer the opportunity to, where appropriate, have value in the transfer market. It’s 14th December, less than two weeks ago we had just played very well at Old Trafford for the first time in years. At this moment I believe it’s highly unlikely that the board are suddenly going to rip all this up and start again. 

I agree they are good  which their position proves. That is solely down to Wilder. If our summer business was Mousset, Fleck, Baldock and McBurnie you'd be underehelmed.

I hate saying it, but the blame is starting to pile up at Dean's door.

[thunderball]

Going through a difficult period.

We have lost our composure and look disjointed and unfamiliar in midfield, we have no last 3rd plan and goals are not happening which wasn’t a problem before this last few games.

Nakamba defensive set up seems to ruin us at present, despite having a midfield 5 and possible overload as Wes sits so deep, we look terrible and like we are 3 players short??

Desperately need pace and forward options, and Smith needs to think about changing his approach, on evidence we are not a possession team and can’t counter attack either. We need to think very hard about how we tackle the second half of the season as we seem to be regressing. 
 

Worryingly the period of poor/self-destruct by Watford, West Ham, Newcastle, Southampton, Norwich and the Brighton, Bournemouth, Palace wobble seems to be behind them and we are having ours.

 

 

[VillaFaninLondon]

1 minute ago, GingerCollins29 said:

I agree they are good  which their position proves. That is solely down to Wilder. If our summer business was Mousset, Fleck, Baldock and McBurnie you'd be underehelmed.

I hate saying it, but the blame is starting to pile up at Dean's door.

And everyone keeps saying we need proven PL quality. None of those players there for Sheffield had any experience playing in the Prem, except for a couple of substitute appearances from Mousset and McBurnie. Barely any of their players have played in the top flight and if you looked at their players before the season started you'd think they were dead certs for relegation. In fact most had them finishing 20th.

 

The simple fact is we should be doing better and that comes down to the management. 

[GingerCollins29]

4 minutes ago, VillaFaninLondon said:

And everyone keeps saying we need proven PL quality. None of those players there for Sheffield had any experience playing in the Prem, except for a couple of substitute appearances from Mousset and McBurnie. Barely any of their players have played in the top flight and if you looked at their players before the season started you'd think they were dead certs for relegation. In fact most had them finishing 20th.

 

The simple fact is we should be doing better and that comes down to the management. 

100% this - i think i have taken off the claret n blue tinted glasses and i'm startinv to worry about Smith's ability to be flexible tactically

[MadridVilla]

27 minutes ago, VillaFaninLondon said:

I agree things don't look great but it doesn't always work like that. I feel there is the quality there in our team (even the new signings who are being written off) but the system isn't working and we're being constantly exposed. 

 

Five years ago Leicester were rock bottom under Pearson and had 10 points from 18 games under Pearson. Most people thought they were going straight back to the Championship. But they ended up on 41 points and in 14th place and have since gone on to do win the league and are now challenging for the league again. They were also newly promoted that season. Players like Vardy and Mahrez didn't look good enough for the Prem, then boom, suddenly they were world beaters. 

 

Palace a couple of seasons back lost their first seven games, they ended up finishing well clear of relegation and midtable. 

 

Football is a a strange game and things can change very quickly. I think as fans we all assume things will go from bad to worse because this is Aston Villa and we have been a shambles for years. Maybe this season will be difficult - we sure as hell deserve some luck that's for sure. 

I agree with you - and I really do hope things pick up in the rest of the season. I think the point I was trying to make was that things NEED to improve, otherwise we are on track to relegation. I think they can because we have dropped points in so many games that even if we stem that flow in just a few games our form will improve, but at the moment based on current form we will go down.

We absolutely have to get behind the team over the next 3/4 games because they could be the difference between survival and relegation.

[smg]

Put this on the match thread applies just as much here ‘ some right bollox being spouted on here’