Ratings & Reactions: LCF: Villa v Man City

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As the video says We are Aston Villa. 

 

 

[TheStagMan]

11 hours ago, villalad21 said:

I'm not a troll. I just disagree with it being a good performance. Yeah we fought well, but that just won't cut it for me. That's the minimum expected. I didn't see any tactics or gameplan at all.

All we did when winning the ball back was aimlessly hoofing it away. Really Bruce esque

Is blocking and defending in your own half for the entire game really regarded as a good performance? Really?

Their keeper barely had any saves to make and we barely had the ball.

 good one!

Edited March 2, 2020 by TheStagMan

[villalad21]

25 minutes ago, TheStagMan said:

 good one!

Didn't expect anything less from the cult of yours.

Slating anyone with a different opinion.

I've already said I appreciated the fight and desire but disliked the performance. It was very Bruce esque. All we did was to defend. There was no game plan or tactic. Just defend and try to nick a goal.

[TRO]

10 hours ago, Zhan_Zhuang said:

Defensively we looked a little tighter with the four at the back.

Engels was good today and pity his header hit the bar.

Guilbert was also in fine form and looked after Sterling pretty well and loved how he tried to rattle him, seemed to work too.

Nakamba was my MOTM, his energy and reading of the game helped us get back into the match and make a contest of it second half.

Elmo also pretty decent, I'd play him for the run-in until McGinn is back.

Grealish didn't seem to show up today apart from one or two moments, pity.

Samatta lots of energy and a great finish. If we can get the ball to him more often you can see defenders are worried about him as he is direct.

Davis looked decent too when he came on.

I hope this a performance to build upon and we don't really need to be scared of anyone from here to he end of the season. 

 

I thought Engels was out of position, with Mings for their second goal, not dominant enough for me.

but unlucky at the other end, sure.

I think Samatta, with the right support, could be a fine player, for us, eel like and elusive, has a brain, for being in the right place and a fine header of the ball....really like him....but I think playing on his own, is too much and will blunt his edge.

Guilbert and Targett was caught out many times with crossfield balls and one which foden created they scored from.....I would replace both in time.

Edited March 2, 2020 by TRO

[TRO]

44 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

Didn't expect anything less from the cult of yours.

Slating anyone with a different opinion.

I've already said I appreciated the fight and desire but disliked the performance. It was very Bruce esque. All we did was to defend. There was no game plan or tactic. Just defend and try to nick a goal.

To render you a troll for speaking your mind, is well.............

you are entitled to your opinion and FWIW it has elements of truth to it.

Its very mixed on here as to who wants to accept reality.

We all want the team to do well.....but the shortfalls are still in evidence and it frustrates anyone with ambition to improve....whether its Man City or Southampton or Bournemouth....they are still there.

Its all ok, if we want to go down......but for those of us who want to stay up, they are important issues for the manager to address.....blimey, even the pundits who don't even have any interest in Villa can see it and point it out.....why should we be so seemingly blind to ignore it?

Edited March 2, 2020 by TRO

[Robtaylor200]

Read the whole thread this morning, pretty much we are all on the same page. No more comments from me about the match, I think it has all been said.

I know I bang on about this. But it concerns me again that some posters struggle to post their comments without having to slate the opinion of others. We are all passionate Villa fans or we wouldn't be on this forum. Can we stop and think will my post offend someone before posting and not retaliate to something we dont agree on by becoming personal

[WakefieldVillan]

27 minutes ago, TRO said:

I thought Engels was out of position, with Mings for their second goal, not dominant enough for me.

but unlucky at the other end, sure.

I think Samatta, with the right support, could be a fine player, for us, eel like and elusive, has a brain, for being in the right place and a fine header of the ball....really like him....but I think playing on his own, is too much and will blunt his edge.

Guilbert and Targett was caught out many times with crossfield balls and one which foden created they scored from.....I would replace both in time.

I think that was always going to be the case when we switched to 4 at the back though. Our game plan was to nullify the space in central areas which to a degree worked but City switched the play so well that it became extremely hard for both our full backs.

They were obviously both told to "tuck in" to help stop the threat of Aguero getting into the channels between Engels and Mings but then this left Sterling and Foden with lots of space on the flanks. To be fair I think Guilbert (2nd goal aside) had a decent game and I don't think Sterling made much of an impact on the game at all - I also enjoyed when Fred shoved the ball into Raheem's chest, it's not often our lads show that bit of "devilishness" and we need more of that. Targett on the other hand struggled to handle Foden, he got caught out on the goal and due to the nature of the game couldn't really get forward - In hindsight would Taylor have been a better option?! (Have I just said that out loud?! ) I don't know, I think he might have "left one on Foden" which might have stemmed the flow of his attacking.

I think a lot depends on which division we are in next season as to whether they are regular starters or not - I think both are very capable at a promotion chasing Championship standard but ideally squad players in the top flight.

 

[villalad21]

18 minutes ago, TRO said:

To render you a troll for speaking your mind, is well.............

you are entitled to your opinion and FWIW it has elements of truth to it.

Its very mixed on here as to who wants to accept reality.

We all want the team to do well.....but the shortfalls are still in evidence and it frustrates anyone with ambition to improve....whether its Man City or Southampton or Bournemouth....they are still there.

Its all ok, if we want to go down......but for those of us who want to stay up, they are important issues for the manager to address.....blimey, even the pundits who don't even have any interest in Villa can see it and point it out.....why should we be so seemingly blind to ignore it?

I was hinting more to the lack of game plan and tactics rather than the goals conceded.

We let Man City do exactly what they wanted on the day. We did some heroic defending and blocking at times but you need to see more of an attacking intent to beat a Guardiola side. Their defence is there to be got at and has been leaky all season, we didn't do enough, IMO.

Thinking of the goals. You're right. They were poor goals to concede, story of the season to be fair.

Read the other day that no other side in the league have conceded more from set pieces than us.

The 1st goal we are ball watching.

2nd goal we fail to track Rodri. One of their only physical threats.

It's school boy stuff. Again it's basics. I can appreciate the effort levels but we're still going down imo if we can't manage basic defending.

Edited March 2, 2020 by villalad21

[Phil Silvers]

Screwed again by poor officiating, still we should have handled their 2and goal better. Hated watching Targett tucked so close to Mings this making Foden look amazing, would love to see Jack with that much air time and space. 

The biggest thing for me as always is the knowledge that our passing is below par and opposition always know that, so they put us under immediate pressure so we often then make a bad pass, quick fix!!!! What our players do off the ball, ie giving our man in possession a simple option, it is unforgivable this far into the season, we are the worsed drilled team in the league and it's the reason we lose possession so often letting the opposition go again, and please stop the players trying to make worldy passes! 

We started too many attacking players yesterday imo.

Edited March 2, 2020 by Phil Silvers

[Okonokos]

3 minutes ago, Phil Silvers said:

Screwed again by poor officiating, still we should have handled their 2and goal better. Hated watching Targett tucked so close to Mings this making Foden look amazing, would love to see Jack with that much air time and space. 

The biggest thing for me as always is the knowledge that our passing is below par and opposition always know that, so they put us under immediate pressure so we often then make a bad pass, quick fix!!!! What our players do off the ball, ie giving our man in possession a simple option, it is unforgivable this far into the season, we are the worsed drilled team in the league and it's the reason we lose possession so often letting the opposition go again, and please stop the players trying to make worldy passes! 

We started too many attacking players yesterday imo.

Poor doesn't do it justice. They were woeful. Nobody can be that bad at their job...

[Phil Silvers]

15 minutes ago, Okonokos said:

Poor doesn't do it justice. They were woeful. Nobody can be that bad at their job...

And will only be worse next year, my guess is that every aspect of the many different situations that can require VAR will be made very vague so that on any given instance an argument can be made for a decision to go either way, thus being able to manipulate decisions easier to keep the elite where they are and being able to justify it.

[Okonokos]

13 minutes ago, Phil Silvers said:

And will only be worse next year, my guess is that every aspect of the many different situations that can require VAR will be made very vague so that on any given instance an argument can be made for a decision to go either way, thus being able to manipulate decisions easier to keep the elite where they are and being able to justify it.

It's so depressing isn't it?

[Phil Silvers]

8 minutes ago, Okonokos said:

It's so depressing isn't it?

Hate it, unless things change we have seen the last of any club being able to win any anything. Was so looking forward to seeing where NWSE could take us but its sinking in that the best they can do is to make us the best club outside the top 4/5. The quicker they form an elite European league the better unless changes are made.

[Johnnyp]

I thought Neville's performance yesterday was the most shocking. He's fuelling social media hysteria with some of the nonsense he's let spout. Yesterday, with Guilbert. Oh "He's snapped " No he didn't you fkn lemon. He pushed the ball into his chest. Keane trying to catch Sherarer by the throat..That's snapping!! He also tried to claim Targett left one in on Aguero with the shot that hit the side netting.

[flashingqwerty]

14 hours ago, romavillan said:

So for Smith to have done ok today, we should have kept a clean sheet against Man City and won the cup as a minimum? Otherwise Smith out? 

Knackers.

Putting words in my mouth much?

Please show me, oh wise one, where i mention the result at all, let alone keeping a clean sheet or winning.

Putting a fullback who is poor in the air at best, on the oppositions most dangerous aerial threat is bonkers, if you disagree thats fine, but lets not pretend i said we should have kept a clean sheet or won, because thats a fantasy you created in your own head.

Game after game we make basic defensive errors.  We put small players against tall ones and it results in goals from set peices.  I am sure the players arent choosing who they mark, so, ultimately, it comes down to poor coaching.  The same issues were present last year too, but you can get away with it down there.

DS and his team are simply too naieve to make it at this level and need to move on.

[flashingqwerty]

14 hours ago, kidlewis said:

It’s why VAR    IS utterly shit.

cricket absolutely destroyed VAR with DRS and even that has flaws.

it’s like saying the third umpire doesn’t check for boundaries partially or wholly stopped by fielders because it isn’t a key decision. 
 

the process has been rolled out by idiots, I could do a better job. 

So many posters putting words in my mouth that i just didn't say...

What you may want VAR to do, and what VAR has been sanctioned to do are not the same thing.

As it stands, VAR is there to check major events, as i previously stated.  I agree it could be used for more, but thats not reality, so the point is moot.

My reply stands, as those are the grounds under which VAR is allowed to operate now, dreaming of fantasy scenarios where it could something else is just that - a fantasy, and bears no relevance to the point i made.

[Genie]

Seeing videos again of some Villa fans fighting amongst themselves at Wembley. Absolute disgrace that before the game the club had to remind fans to behave, again. 

[AVFCDAN]

Thought switching back to a 4 at the back made us more solid, stick with that now Dean.

Other observations are that Targett is not a left back and probably never will be. Stick him left midfield and have Taylor behind him. He's good going forward but the bloke can't defend for toffee.

Samatta looks a player and would probably tear up the championship (good signs for next year). I feel sorry for him at the moment basically running around all game looking for a sniff of a ball or some incisive midfield play.

Trez who I thought looked ok early season basically offers nothing in particular apart from some willing running (I expected more of a 10 million pound player to be honest).

Hourihane still doing his best invisible man impression, it baffles me how often he comes on or starts a game and just doesn't even register an impact in the game.

McGinn sorely missed.

 

[delboy54]

Good report in the guardian about the match report. Says a lot about the future of football and clubs outside the top 6 sky teams....

[villalad21]

1 hour ago, flashingqwerty said:

Putting words in my mouth much?

Please show me, oh wise one, where i mention the result at all, let alone keeping a clean sheet or winning.

Putting a fullback who is poor in the air at best, on the oppositions most dangerous aerial threat is bonkers, if you disagree thats fine, but lets not pretend i said we should have kept a clean sheet or won, because thats a fantasy you created in your own head.

Game after game we make basic defensive errors.  We put small players against tall ones and it results in goals from set peices.  I am sure the players arent choosing who they mark, so, ultimately, it comes down to poor coaching.  The same issues were present last year too, but you can get away with it down there.

DS and his team are simply too naieve to make it at this level and need to move on.

For me it's the defensive woes.

52 goals conceded in 27 games isn't acceptable and the fact that he's been suspect defensively at Walsall and Brentford makes it hard for me to believe in the man.