Ratings & Reactions: Watford v Villa

[chappy]

Sat in the home end today. Didn’t talk to anybody around me but listened to conversations about our players from a different perspective - funnily enough Wesley didn’t come in for anything like the criticism he gets on here. 
 

We were poor but it wasn’t a 3-0 performance by Watford. 
 

Sacking Smith isn’t the answer. He needs to make some better decisions though. Jota and Lansbury shouldn’t have both started in the same game. Guilbert should’ve been back in today. Grealish must play through the middle, in my opinion all the time but especially while McGinn is out.

 

Wouldn’t have changed the result but not sure how their third goal wasn’t disallowed.

Burnley away next, hope Dyche has a big one on NYE.

[VillaFaninLondon]

33 minutes ago, skell said:

I get the point you are making but delph instead of nakamba, Cahill for Engels, anyone for wesley and it would have been so so different. The point you make about not being strong enough or technical enough is down to the signings not the coaching.

I completely accept that performances haven't been good enough and Smith of course bears responsibility but the question is could another.manger do better.  For me I would stick with Smith this season and next regardless. 

As much as I hate the way the PL has gone, I still think Villa should be a part of it and for that reason I no longer want Smith in charge. I don't believe he is a PL manager or ever will be, and if we want to not only survive but move forward in this league I know he is not going to be the man to achieve that.

 

Could another manager keep us up? I think yes. Our football would be drab possibly, we'd need to bring in some players in January (possibly loan to buys), but I think another manager could keep this squad of players up. I don't know for sure because it looks like the players are lost and have given up, but a new manager could give them the kick up the arse they need. We might actually have some kind of style of play with a new manager, at the moment I don't even know what our objective is. 

 

A few weeks ago after we beat Newcastle and drew with Man U we looked good enough for this league. Players were competing and showing fight, we still looked short of quality in areas and defensively we've been poor all season but at least going forward we were taking the game to teams. We've lost all that now and I can't see Smith getting it back - particularly when these were supposed to be the games we won. 

 

I just think a change of manager is our only hope, it might not work but virtually every other club in the league would have sacked Smith if they were playing like we are now.

[AVTuco]

This is going in many ways the same as it did with Sherwood.

He came in and saved us from relegation, took us to Wembley (yes, lost there) and had to buy a new team in the summer.

Difference is Sherwood had no funds and lost all of Benteke, Snake and Vlaar. Dean needed a whole team, but had huge funds.

End result looks the same.

Edited December 28, 2019 by AVTuco

[Mister_a]

Voted Kodj for MOTM, he was on the least amount of time.

Shambles. Can’t wait for Jack to come back from injury so we can get back to winning ways. Oh wait.......

 

[skell]

13 minutes ago, tinker said:

In isolation they could be good players and will leave us and probable flourish, the Premier league and Europe is littered with ex villa rejects who have turned out to be not so bad after all. But when they were all stuck in at the deep end under the pressure a club of villa's stature brings it normally end In poor performances. 

Douglas, Wes and Trez have promise but the Premier League is no place for promise, its either hard work and a strong heart or pure talent. How many of our players have any experience of Premier league football? 2

Yes. Agree completely. The first thing we should have done was buy a strong athletic nononsense ball winning midfielder and a similar big cente half with premier league experience

[tinker]

1 minute ago, skell said:

Yes. Agree completely. The first thing we should have done was buy a strong athletic nononsense ball winning midfielder and a similar big cente half with premier league experience

We not going to get premier League players like that in Jan, we need to look at the championship for players who offer those qualities . 

[skell]

7 minutes ago, VillaFaninLondon said:

As much as I hate the way the PL has gone, I still think Villa should be a part of it and for that reason I no longer want Smith in charge. I don't believe he is a PL manager or ever will be, and if we want to not only survive but move forward in this league I know he is not going to be the man to achieve that.

 

Could another manager keep us up? I think yes. Our football would be drab possibly, we'd need to bring in some players in January (possibly loan to buys), but I think another manager could keep this squad of players up. I don't know for sure because it looks like the players are lost and have given up, but a new manager could give them the kick up the arse they need. We might actually have some kind of style of play with a new manager, at the moment I don't even know what our objective is. 

 

A few weeks ago after we beat Newcastle and drew with Man U we looked good enough for this league. Players were competing and showing fight, we still looked short of quality in areas and defensively we've been poor all season but at least going forward we were taking the game to teams. We've lost all that now and I can't see Smith getting it back - particularly when these were supposed to be the games we won. 

 

I just think a change of manager is our only hope, it might not work but virtually every other club in the league would have sacked Smith if they were playing like we are now.

Fair points raised. Either way let's hope we see improved results and new signings  soon.

[Made In Aston]

The players are good enough for this league but not sure I can say the same about Smith. His lack of tactical flexibility, including a plan B and the over rotation of the defence (particularly at CB) has caused this slump. We were going toe to toe with the likes of  Liverpool and Arsenal earlier in the season, so I know we have it in us to perform. Need to freshen up the coaching staff with a change of direction and leadership. 

[skell]

1 minute ago, tinker said:

We not going to get premier League players like that in Jan, we need to look at the championship for players who offer those qualities . 

Maybe , but now is also the time to replace wesley and offer an alternative to Trez and elghazi. Either way it wont be easy. I honestly think were a good winger and striker away from being a top half side. Fingers crossed

[Awol]

41 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

He cost us today. 

Sorry but compared to what? He was our best outfield player by a country mile & ran himself daft, especially in the 2nd half when Smith allowed him to actually play centrally. 

[skell]

3 minutes ago, tinker said:

We not going to get premier League players like that in Jan, we need to look at the championship for players who offer those qualities . 

 

2 minutes ago, Made In Aston said:

The players are good enough for this league but not sure I can say the same about Smith. His lack of tactical flexibility, including a plan B and the over rotation of the defence (particularly at CB) has caused this slump. We were going toe to toe with the likes of  Liverpool and Arsenal earlier in the season, so I know we have it in us to perform. Need to freshen up the coaching staff with a change of direction and leadership. 

I just think we need to go back to basics. Wingers with jack in the middle as we did at the start of the season. Hopefully a couple of january additions . Although in response to your post haven't most CB changes been made because of injury and a need for a right and left foot combination

[Graham t]

This team is in 'free fall'. We are awful all over the pitch and some players are not trying. Can anyone see this team getting another point anywhere, I can't. We have just played the the 3 worst teams in the league and only got a very lucky 3 points off Norwich. Not only that we are now getting hammered not just losing by the odd goal. I thought he could do the job but I was wrong, he can't.

[AVTuco]

34 minutes ago, Mister_a said:

Voted Kodj for MOTM, he was on the least amount of time.

Shambles. Can’t wait for Jack to come back from injury so we can get back to winning ways. Oh wait.......

 

Me too!

[terrytini]

0/10

[stewiek2]

A team lacking leadership. Lacking fight. Lacking a spine. Lacking quality in wide positions. Lacking any sort of decent leadership. Strip Jack of the armband, bring Chester back into a back three. Jack's petulance in the Norwich and this game shows he isn't ready or mature enough for the armband. Trezeguet, Wesley and El Ghazi aren't prem quality. Smith isn't savvy enough at the moment. We need some brutes in the side. We need to go 3-5-2. Brian Little came in, saw we weren't strong enough to go 4 at the back so went with wingbacks and it worked. This squad is too week for the system Smith is playing. It is lacking leadership, captaincy, movement, a spine, and above all fight and a set of balls.

[Vive_La_Villa]

57 minutes ago, Awol said:

Sorry but compared to what? He was our best outfield player by a country mile & ran himself daft, especially in the 2nd half when Smith allowed him to actually play centrally. 

Compared to not losing it and getting hit on the break. Jack is head and shoulders our best player but every time he lost it today we conceded a chance.  

[striker]

3 hours ago, dutchavfc1982 said:

Oh dear ! Do we stick or twist with Smith . Stick I fear we may go down but come back up . Twist the fate may be the same . We can gamble 60 million cause Jack and McGinn will bring that in .

With all due respect Grealish in today's market would be worth between fifty and sixty million alone while McGinn's worth would be closer to thirty million when fit again.

Concerning today didn't see the game but under the circumstances it is a horrid result which will be hard to explain to the owners.

I also don't understand having one of the best CBs as defensive coach how Villa concede so readily.

Since the loss of Mings and Grealish being moved into a wide role Villa have been absolute turd with no cohesion in their play. You can't blame the manager for Ming's injury but to move your best player out of position, stubbornly keep playing a striker who isn't up to it while abandoning your footballing philosophy is leaving yourself wide open for the sack.

 

[Xela]

To quote Blackadder... we're in the stickiest situation since sticky the stick insect got stuck on a sticky bun.

 

[ozvillafan]

I can't work out if this is the lowest point in our season.....

.... or if that is yet to come.

We lacked so many basics:

• Composure
• Ball control
• Movement
• Awareness
• Physicality
• Desire/Desperation
• Leadership

Dean has a lot of work to do. I live in hope but it's hope for hopes sake at the moment.

Kodjia MOTM - not because he was good but because he was on the pitch the least.

[villalad21]

Powderpuff manager and you get a powderpuff team.

Nice guys finish last.