Ratings & Reactions: Southampton v Villa

[Smartin]

3 hours ago, MaVilla said:

wow.....Long literally scored with his d*ck.....

What a time to be a Villa fan

They don't call him Long for nothing.

My coat I will get...

[tomav84]

4 hours ago, TRO said:

I can, its happened too often.

How must most of the fans feel, going to that final after that debacle....its shocking.....what other club would do that to fantastic fans.

I suspect if we get a drubbing, a decision will be made on Dean.

We're going to get a drubbing. Not sure what scenario plays out where we don't. But no 'decision' is going to be made I assure you

[Mantis]

Not even remotely surprised. It's so depressingly predictable. More often than not we just don't turn up at all in these sorts of away games.

[TRO]

1 hour ago, smg said:

If this forum is representative of the clubs fan base we really are a croc of sh*t. Promoted through the play offs after finishing 5th in the championship with a number of loan players and a very small squad once you take out the oldies that helped gain promotion we had nothing going forward. Yes we spent a lot of money but we had to get players in quickly, it hasn’t proved to be a quick fix but there is talent there. Last time we bought a lot of new players the fans decided they were shit , ruined confidence and we eventually got relegated . A lot of these players are now playing regularly at high levels around Europe. Aston Villa well known club worldwide won loads in the past but currently rebuilding it takes time and without fan support will take longer, perhaps will never happen, too many fans expect instant success, ain’t going to happen..

is there a difference between fan and supporter ?

yes one goes to the games, the other just follows out of interest.

[maqroll]

Just read the post match comments from Smith. Pretty harsh words, hopefully they have the desired effect.

He said a few players will be dropped for the Cup final, any idea who?

 

[TRO]

1 minute ago, maqroll said:

Just read the post match comments from Smith. Pretty harsh words, hopefully they have the desired effect.

He said a few players will be dropped for the Cup final, any idea who?

 

No, because most of them was rancid.

[richp999]

4 hours ago, KHV said:

What if Sam got results?

I honestly don't know.

If it happened , and Sam came in, kept us up , then great - but then what ?

We'd back in a perpetual relegation fight with football we hated - and it wouldn't be long until we wanted him out. Then back to the start.

I may even prefer going down to that.  After being relegated it doesn't hold as much fear for me now - I enjoyed a couple of years in the championship ; at least we could look forward to winning most games, instead of losing them.

But then going down means Jack goes - along with maybe McGinn and a couple of others - and I don't want that either

Its too important financially to be in the Premier League ; even if we will probably never have a chance of winning it.

My ideal would be to send Dean Smith on a Holiday until July, bring Sam in until the end of the season, then bring Dean back.

We need another summer to get to the position where we can be more comfortably mid table - we were never going to do that in 1 summer window , not with the amount we needed to change.

[TheAuthority]

1 hour ago, maqroll said:

Just read the post match comments from Smith. Pretty harsh words, hopefully they have the desired effect.

He said a few players will be dropped for the Cup final, any idea who?

 

I think Elmo will come in for Guilbert and he'll play Mings and Engels at the back meaning there'll be 3 in midfield. DD can't play (which is probably why he missed out today) so who knows who he'll put in the middle. Maybe a surprise return of McGinn? Hourihane?

[spiezels]

Played the best 11 we had, they bottled it.

That wasn’t on smith, the players bottled that big time. Pathetic performance

[villalad21]

5 hours ago, richp999 said:

If it happened , and Sam came in, kept us up , then great - but then what ?

Sam managed Everton and took them to 8th.

They didn't decline after getting rid of him. Look at them now. 

[Lerner's Driver]

Didn't bother watching it yesterday and glad I didn't. It's always possible to be surprised in football, but you also get hunches based on recent form and the general vibe and you could just tell we were going to lose before we'd even kicked a ball. In some games Jack has been enough on his own to get us something, but it's clear the positives from each match are diminishing not increasing at the moment. As things stand, we are reliant on others being just as shit as we are, but even if that were to materialise, there would be no glory in it. I certainly won't cheer if we limp over the line in that way because we won't have deserved it through our own efforts. Hard to love a consistently disappointing team, it's just a waste of a Saturday afternoon.

[thunderball]

5 hours ago, spiezels said:

Played the best 11 we had, they bottled it.

That wasn’t on smith, the players bottled that big time. Pathetic performance

100%. But it’s on Smith too, if he can’t instill a performance from his team he won’t make it as a manager here or anywhere.

Our team is set up wrong, we play a defensive 5 and a DM but we have the worst defence in the league. We concede too many shots, the worst in the league, despite our defensive set up bias. We have conceded more goals from inside the box than any other team. This says we are playing too advanced. That says to me our midfield isn’t working, but what have we done about it? Oh, and we also concede more goals from set pieces than any other side. Wheres the coaching? It was a poor performance but the fundamentals aren’t there and we are easy to play against so always on the back foot.

Smith changed from 4 at the back to a 5 and frankly we have shipped more goals in that formation after initially looking like it might work. But Smith has persisted with it. Mourinho doesn’t/rarely lets his full backs advance past the half way line, despite their ability on the ball, it makes you wonder if we should work with a solid, conservative back 4 and one extra in midfield to battle and retain possession in the middle of the park?

This is why I think Smith has to also line up for criticism.

[John]

Does anyone else have the feeling, that a lot of our players had one (or both) eyes on next weekend's cup final yesterday? Or is that just me looking for any sort of excuse, for why so many of them didn't turn up yesterday? After all, they had been as bad at Watford and Bournemouth, in earlier away games and we didn't have a cup final to play the following week, to give as a possible reason for those none performances. 

I'm sure they will be up for it at Wembley, but they really needed to be up for this cup final as well! We will not be playing Southampton in the final either, so we need to be up for it or we will be in for another uncomfortable, embarrassing and demoralising 90 minutes in North London next Saturday!   

Edited February 23, 2020 by John

[Robtaylor200]

Cold light of day. IMO (that means in my opinion) ITS NOT WORKING - IS IT? WE NEED TO CHANGE SOMETHING BEFORE ITS TOO LATE 

We did finish only fifth in the Championship BUT we spent £160m and were told that we were not building a team to just stay up, we were building a team to compete. and they had time together to gel. Wesley IMO a waste of a shirt, but still got the nod over Davis even when fit. - not scoring but carried on regardless

Jack played on the wing for lord knows how long, when every commentator shouts out that he is the best midfielder in the country when playing in the middle - not working but carried on regardless

Defence tip tapping at the back and not booting it out of play. Cant defend a corner  -  week after week nothing changes, The coaches are brought in by the manager, he employs them

I cant agree that all, our players are crap buys, stated so many times if they cant play the way Dean wants them to then play to the strengths they used to have before they came to Villa Park - but nothing bloody changes. 

We have 11 games left, I know against top teams but its still 11 games left and IMO we have players that can do better than they have. If motivated correctly (what ever that takes). I feel we need an old style manager to get us enough points to stay up. It may not be pretty, surely everyone can see that presently it isn't working. The dream is over , the love affair with Dean is over. The coaching staff have failed. Would we have given any other manager this much time. Another couple of games and it will be too late. Loved him or hated him Doug would have made changes weeks ago.

Thank you Dean for doing your best we love you. But your best is not good enough to keep us up

[rendelc]

20/1 to win next Sunday . 1/5 City . Let’s hope we get a corner .

[bielesibub]

2 minutes ago, rendelc said:

20/1 to win next Sunday . 1/5 City . Let’s hope we get a corner .

A corner! Wow, I love the positivity that you reckon we'll get that close to their goal line.

[rendelc]

Misplaced back pass 

[Robbie09]

9 hours ago, TheAuthority said:

I think Elmo will come in for Guilbert and he'll play Mings and Engels at the back meaning there'll be 3 in midfield. DD can't play (which is probably why he missed out today) so who knows who he'll put in the middle. Maybe a surprise return of McGinn? Hourihane?

Fred was awful yesterday but I’d play him ahead of Elmo. He’s had more good performances than bad so he keeps his place for me. 

[TRO]

2 hours ago, Robtaylor200 said:

Cold light of day. IMO (that means in my opinion) ITS NOT WORKING - IS IT? WE NEED TO CHANGE SOMETHING BEFORE ITS TOO LATE 

We did finish only fifth in the Championship BUT we spent £160m and were told that we were not building a team to just stay up, we were building a team to compete. and they had time together to gel. Wesley IMO a waste of a shirt, but still got the nod over Davis even when fit. - not scoring but carried on regardless

Jack played on the wing for lord knows how long, when every commentator shouts out that he is the best midfielder in the country when playing in the middle - not working but carried on regardless

Defence tip tapping at the back and not booting it out of play. Cant defend a corner  -  week after week nothing changes, The coaches are brought in by the manager, he employs them

I cant agree that all, our players are crap buys, stated so many times if they cant play the way Dean wants them to then play to the strengths they used to have before they came to Villa Park - but nothing bloody changes. 

We have 11 games left, I know against top teams but its still 11 games left and IMO we have players that can do better than they have. If motivated correctly (what ever that takes). I feel we need an old style manager to get us enough points to stay up. It may not be pretty, surely everyone can see that presently it isn't working. The dream is over , the love affair with Dean is over. The coaching staff have failed. Would we have given any other manager this much time. Another couple of games and it will be too late. Loved him or hated him Doug would have made changes weeks ago.

Thank you Dean for doing your best we love you. But your best is not good enough to keep us up

A sad but Honest rendition of the situation....one of your best Rob, in terms of an honest and to the point ,assessment.......and I know it hurts writing it.

However, We know we have to be positive and in the ground we all are......I won't say the crowd need to get behind the lads, for the run in.....because they have done that all season, Home and away....I am proud of the fans....our fans have fight in them( in the right manner) I hope we can get it on to the pitch in the next run of home games.

Sunday Supplement, did a focus on us this morning and the pertinent bits were discussed like the 52 goals against being the hangmans noose.. They all said we are an attractive team to watch, with an element of criminal defending....but we can't keep relying on Jack to survive.

as was suggested , I hope Dean puts away the carrot and brings out the stick, because some of those performances are beyond the pale.

Edited February 23, 2020 by TRO

[Graham t]

2 hours ago, Robtaylor200 said:

Cold light of day. IMO (that means in my opinion) ITS NOT WORKING - IS IT? WE NEED TO CHANGE SOMETHING BEFORE ITS TOO LATE 

We did finish only fifth in the Championship BUT we spent £160m and were told that we were not building a team to just stay up, we were building a team to compete. and they had time together to gel. Wesley IMO a waste of a shirt, but still got the nod over Davis even when fit. - not scoring but carried on regardless

Jack played on the wing for lord knows how long, when every commentator shouts out that he is the best midfielder in the country when playing in the middle - not working but carried on regardless

Defence tip tapping at the back and not booting it out of play. Cant defend a corner  -  week after week nothing changes, The coaches are brought in by the manager, he employs them

I cant agree that all, our players are crap buys, stated so many times if they cant play the way Dean wants them to then play to the strengths they used to have before they came to Villa Park - but nothing bloody changes. 

We have 11 games left, I know against top teams but its still 11 games left and IMO we have players that can do better than they have. If motivated correctly (what ever that takes). I feel we need an old style manager to get us enough points to stay up. It may not be pretty, surely everyone can see that presently it isn't working. The dream is over , the love affair with Dean is over. The coaching staff have failed. Would we have given any other manager this much time. Another couple of games and it will be too late. Loved him or hated him Doug would have made changes weeks ago.

Thank you Dean for doing your best we love you. But your best is not good enough to keep us up

Absolutely spot on. Thanking you for putting it far better than I could,

Regards,

VLD.