Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Manchester City

[MaVilla]

22 minutes ago, Newry_Villan said:

According to radio five live, our starting 3 midfielders made 4 tackles all afternoon.

That is shocking.

[Elton]

I want to win the semi final but can we just give them a walkover in the final and the EFL can post our runners up medals to us?

[Five Ken McNaughts]

1 hour ago, briny_ear said:

Think I heard the announcement that the crowd today was around 41,800. As we  went 0-6 down they were singing “Aston Villa FC, we’re by far the greatest the world has ever seen”.

I want every single one of those fans to write to me and explain their thinking. 

Come on, @briny_ear, you know the answer to this. It's sung from the heart, not the head. Hell, maybe we'll all be standing on an uncovered terrace and belting it out in the Evo-Stik Premier a few years from now. But who would ever change their team? Villa Till I Die... four simple, truthful words (sung by supporters of the greatest team the world has ever seen).

[TRO]

2 hours ago, BleedClaretAndBlue said:

Engels or Chester in for Hause please. Need pass to feet merchants

I don't think it matters, you can pick any formation or individual players and get little change......"You change the bowler, but don't change the bowling"

most of them are all the same.

The thing/ squad has a soft underbelly, there is a reluctance to get close or challenge ,only when its too late does a desperate tackle come in.....our ball control is weak and we pass as if the ball is lumpy, no smooth crisp delivery.

We stand off far too often and just wait for an opposition mistake rather than forcing one.

This team is worrying IMO.....I worry about what goes on at BMH

[TRO]

17 hours ago, Five Ken McNaughts said:

Come on, @briny_ear, you know the answer to this. It's sung from the heart, not the head. Hell, maybe we'll all be standing on an uncovered terrace and belting it out in the Evo-Stik Premier a few years from now. But who would ever change their team? Villa Till I Die... four simple, truthful words (sung by supporters of the greatest team the world has ever seen).

I get what you both mean.....The crowd has to stay defiant.... else where do the players get inspiration from?

The more goals that went in I was MORE determined to stay until the end....not less.

Ps and clapped them off....even though I was smarting.....call me two faced, but times like this you have to be......in the ground and on here is different......us the crowd have to stay with the team, its the only hope they have.

Edited January 13, 2020 by TRO

[Elton]

27 minutes ago, Newry_Villan said:

According to radio five live, our starting 3 midfielders made 4 tackles all afternoon.

It clearly wasn’t tactical for us to stand off them as Smith complained about this post match. But Smith must know Hourihane rarely tackles and he dropped the player most likely to in Nakamba. Gilbert also likes a tackle but he’s dropped for Elmo. 

This was the biggest disappointment today, yes we made individual errors but there was no intensity to win the ball back, tackle, block, the basics. 

[BleedClaretAndBlue]

We are a soft touch and have been for a very long time I agree. Those players out there today gave City far too much respect, they all looked like they felt lucky to be sharing the pitch with them. Bottom line is we have to turn a corner in these next batch of games or it really could all be over. Have to hope we get something resembling a striker through the door. We arent cut adrift, 6 pointers coming up again. I havent lost hope, City do that to most teams- especially ones who sit off and refuse to engage. That is the concern with today. Once the first goes in we just fold. Beating the sides around us which has been pretty much 50/50 this season is all that matters now.

[TRO]

2 hours ago, kiltorken said:

Soft defending killed us, trying to win the ball cleanly. Basics of defending, STOP THE ATTACK, TAKE THE  BALL OR THE MAN, don't let them waltz through. 

time and time and time again we have been saying this.....we are too soft and have been for too long.

On 75 minutes, I looked at the colour of their shorts, only Jack had any dirt on them and looked like he was in a battle.....Its shocking how we are so benevolent.

Its Deans job to fire them up.

Edited January 12, 2020 by TRO

[DJ_Villain]

Completely outclassed by a team that has been expensively assembled over the past decade, won many league titles and is riddled with world class players... Jesus, their bench is more expensive than our first team...

Not happy with the performances whatsoever, but if anyone honestly thought we were going to get anything out of this game, I want what they are smoking...

On to the next three games which it is imperative we win at least two... Otherwise, we are in the brown stuff and something has got to change...

[TRO]

2 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Horrible performance.  I didn't go today thankfully but I keep seeing that fans were leaving early.  I'm sure a lot of them would just be going for a pint and media making too much of it.  Can anyone that was there shed some light in.

Yes, its the earliest, I have seen some go, but the fans that stayed were defiant in voice and no boo's at the end TG.....we was well and truly spanked and the score didn't flatter city.....in many way it was a shocking performance, but sadly one I know is in us.

anyone who leans on this as a one off, is kidding themselves, we have seen similar traits from our players, playing lesser teams.

The fight in our team is so easily dissipated and drained....its a real worry IMO.

Edited January 12, 2020 by TRO

[terrytini]

2 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Horrible performance.  I didn't go today thankfully but I keep seeing that fans were leaving early.  I'm sure a lot of them would just be going for a pint and media making too much of it.  Can anyone that was there shed some light in.

Row 27 Upper Holte Seats approx 106-124 deserted before half time, 4 came back eventually. 
 

[TRO]

2 minutes ago, DJ_Villain said:

Completely outclassed by a team that has been expensively assembled over the past decade, won many league titles and is riddled with world class players... Jesus, their bench is more expensive than our first team...

Not happy with the performances whatsoever, but if anyone honestly thought we were going to get anything out of this game, I want what they are smoking...

On to the next three games which it is imperative we win at least two... Otherwise, we are in the brown stuff and something has got to change...

and you are right, not arguing but.

Arsenal, where we was leading only to fall back and Man Utd away......there squads cost Oodles too.....Liverpool, where we give a great account of ourselves, before the customary errors sneaked in.....their team is expensively assembled too.

No one is miffed by us losing, we all expected it, maybe a really spirited performance and the gods being with us may have sneaked a draw.....the sad fact is we were never in it and we ALLOWED city to be the team we know they are.....not even tiredness can be blamed 0-3 down after 27 minutes.

[terrytini]

51 minutes ago, Newry_Villan said:

According to radio five live, our starting 3 midfielders made 4 tackles all afternoon.

Ludicrous statistic. Who compiles these things ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was there the whole game, and only saw one..

[Danishlad]

51 minutes ago, Newry_Villan said:

According to radio five live, our starting 3 midfielders made 4 tackles all afternoon.

Does this suprise anyone. Luiz doesnt make any tackles, Hourihane is a complete passenger. Drinkwater hasnt played for ages. You can’t park the bus with these three and expect to win.

[Villastine]

I've backed DS all the way but today is all on him. 

Even if he is not in charge of transfers starting Drinkwater today is unforgivable. 

What did he expect? 

We have wasted our loans on 2 has beens. We needed to replace McGinn and Heaton ffs! 

Whoever is responsible for bringing in Reina and Drinkwater should be sacked.

Back to DS, tactically we were pitiful.

Nyland : thankless task today. I will have to re-watch on TV to be sure if he was as bad as he looked. 

The 3 clowns at the back trying to play like Beckenbauer. Absolute joke. Against Man City. They haven't earned the right. Mings deservedly loss his England spot today. Jokers. DS should have changed it immediately 

Our 2 wing backs were awful but not shocking. They have no pace. DS is deluded playing them in this formation against City. 

3 in midfield - non events, didn't lay a glove on City. Played in a flat 3. Too close to each other, awful decision tactically.

Drinkwater as expected was terrible but Hourihane fought hard for worst player on the pitch award. Who says they're not competitive!! 

Grealish - I'd imagine he's considering his options. I hope he hasn't lost faith in DS but must be getting close. He needs pace and skill around him. There is neither 

El Ghazi - frustrating as usual but had a thankless task today 

Subs: Trezeguet done himself proud today. Honest effort. Fair play to him. Others : meh

In short, unless DS is trying a Southampton "rock bottom" rehab style rebirth, today was a managerial disaster. 

I really want DS to be a success here but today really makes me me doubt if that's possible. 

Not solely down to tactics or the loss. We'll get over a hammering from City. 

But it's down to Drinkwater and Reina. 

We needed to replace 3 of our best players. The spine of our team and we've brought in 2 lads no where near match fitness. Basically 2 retired footballers. 

The board have let us and DS down. If we don't get decent replacements in we're down I'm afraid. 

 

[briny_ear]

30 minutes ago, Five Ken McNaughts said:

Come on, @briny_ear, you know the answer to this. It's sung from the heart, not the head. Hell, maybe we'll all be standing on an uncovered terrace and belting it out in the Evo-Stik Premier a few years from now. But who would ever change their team? Villa Till I Die... four simple, truthful words (sung by supporters of the greatest team the world has ever seen).

Well I think it sends a wrong message to the team to sing how great you think they are. I was singing a slightly different song.

[TRO]

51 minutes ago, Robtaylor200 said:

Just got home to Telford - one of the ones that stayed until the end - Ended up having a good laugh up the Holte when were 6 down and when we scored

I am not a football expert or tactician. But as I saw it. City did not have to do anything extra special, because our players game them so much time on the ball. They passed through our midfield and through our defence. We stood back to see what they were going to do with the ball, we did not try to take it from them until they were in our penalty area. The only time we got the ball was when one of them made a bad pass or we intercepted it. I think we hardly made a tackle. On the other hand they tackled us every where when we had the ball. We were not given a second they were right on top of us. Each timer Jack had the ball he had up to 5 players on him. If we had a striker on he still wouldn't have seen the ball 

IMO standing back, watching, not tackling is not anything to do with skill IMO its about character. The team seems to have lost its character and was happy to go through the motions. Change needed to motivate them into getting stuck in. IMO change needed at the top, to get this team playing

I hung on to every word in that post......a million times spot on.....I wish Dean Smith would read it.

I just don't see what we are learning for week to week.

Ps I stayed too out of sheer defiance.

[Kiwivillan]

34 minutes ago, MaVilla said:

That is shocking.

It's not really. Pick random team on weekend Leicester midfield 5 made 7. Nakamba made 4 vs Leicester in cup but people slated him

[Kiwivillan]

3 minutes ago, Villastine said:

I've backed DS all the way but today is all on him. 

Even if he is not in charge of transfers starting Drinkwater today is unforgivable. 

What did he expect? 

We have wasted our loans on 2 has beens. We needed to replace McGinn and Heaton ffs! 

Whoever is responsible for bringing in Reina and Drinkwater should be sacked.

Back to DS, tactically we were pitiful.

Nyland : thankless task today. I will have to re-watch on TV to be sure if he was as bad as he looked. 

The 3 clowns at the back trying to play like Beckenbauer. Absolute joke. Against Man City. They haven't earned the right. Mings deservedly loss his England spot today. Jokers. DS should have changed it immediately 

Our 2 wing backs were awful but not shocking. They have no pace. DS is deluded playing them in this formation against City. 

3 in midfield - non events, didn't lay a glove on City. Played in a flat 3. Too close to each other, awful decision tactically.

Drinkwater as expected was terrible but Hourihane fought hard for worst player on the pitch award. Who says they're not competitive!! 

Grealish - I'd imagine he's considering his options. I hope he hasn't lost faith in DS but must be getting close. He needs pace and skill around him. There is neither 

El Ghazi - frustrating as usual but had a thankless task today 

Subs: Trezeguet done himself proud today. Honest effort. Fair play to him. Others : meh

In short, unless DS is trying a Southampton "rock bottom" rehab style rebirth, today was a managerial disaster. 

I really want DS to be a success here but today really makes me me doubt if that's possible. 

Not solely down to tactics or the loss. We'll get over a hammering from City. 

But it's down to Drinkwater and Reina. 

We needed to replace 3 of our best players. The spine of our team and we've brought in 2 lads no where near match fitness. Basically 2 retired footballers. 

The board have let us and DS down. If we don't get decent replacements in we're down I'm afraid. 

 

Yeah it's so **** easy to buy quality in January. 

[terrytini]

2 hours ago, briny_ear said:

Think I heard the announcement that the crowd today was around 41,800. As we  went 0-6 down they were singing “Aston Villa FC, we’re by far the greatest the world has ever seen”.

I want every single one of those fans to write to me and explain their thinking. 

Well I was one, so, since you asked, I’ll have a stab at explaining....About 10 around me were also, and I’m going to bet their answer will be the same.

1: Ive sung that song along with others for years. It hasn’t been literally true since the 19th Century, but it’s a good supportive song.

2 : And when I go to watch football, one part of it is enjoying us winning. Another part is enjoying singing. I don’t do the latter only because of the former. In fact, after a morgue like 20 minutes I’d say we collectively decided that we might aswell have a good sing song, otherwise the day was nothing.

3 : last, but not least, it’s not just about today. We want the players to feel we are behind them, that if they do the business we are ready and waiting to do our bit.

4: and it’s partly to mock the City fans who, in spite of all ( or because of all ?) their success, seemed bored, and largely silent.

...thars about the size of it, for me.