Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Wolves

[chips'ngravy]

11 minutes ago, WakefieldVillan said:

Never looked like scoring but could have quite easily got a point. 

Thought we were ok first half (without creating) but ultimately they were simply too good for us.

To be honest not annoyed with Smith for today, we play with that line up against Sheff U and Newcastle and I think we would be 4 points better off.

We are where we are, Wolves are where they are, miles ahead of us. Liverpool and Man U next, not looking good. 

Luiz MOTM. 

I guess we all see the game differently but I'm struggling to see how you think we could have easily got a point. Didn't trouble their keeper the whole match and our strikers were a world away from looking like a goal threat. Wolves played well within themselves. 

Likewise, given the above...how does that convince you we would've beaten Sheff Utd and Newcastle? We created nothing.

[VillaFaninLondon]

Other than Smith, which we've talked about, it is quite horrible looking at our team sheet. Hause, Hourihane, Nyland all being selected and they didn't even look great in the Championship. Davis is a handful but again barely started for us in the Championship. Targett, Taylor and Konsa all try but shouldn't really be starting games for us at this level. 

 

Wolves have been playing since July, they rarely rotate, and always have key players fit like Jota, Jimenez, Jonny, Doherty, Neves. Even Moutinho at 33 years old plays pretty much every game. Boly their only player who has been out for any period this season. We always pick up injuries, no idea where Guilbert and Engels have been, McGinn has missed 3 months, Heaton and Wesley, Mings was out for a while too. 

 

We not only need changes at the top but something needs to change in our coaching so that we play a consistent team each game and stop avoiding injuries all the time. I suspect that's why our fitness levels during games are so bad too.

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

2 minutes ago, Robtaylor200 said:

We are both older fans on here. I agree I have never seen such lack of interest by a Villa team. We have been crap before and relegated many times. But never gave up without a fight. Please get a manager, any manager, that will make them try. Can you imaging if this was Fergie's team 

Mate this is always laughable.

But call Sherwood a blagger all we want, at least he inspired fight and passion.

For what he lacked in "Ability" he made up for with sheer willpower and attitude, and a willingness to throw the sink.

Edited June 27, 2020 by JAMAICAN-VILLAN

[Vancvillan]

15 minutes ago, AvfcRigo82 said:

We love it really.

I think we gave a good go of it and it was only a respectable 1-0.

Luiz is the star man for keeping Traore under control.

But it was only a respectable 1-0 because Wolves never got out of second gear. If they'd have needed the goals it would have been a cricket score.

[Skruff]

1 minute ago, sne said:

Tactical masterclass from Nuno and Wolves.

Yes they have far better players than us but they are also so much better drilled. No matter where on the pitch Villa players were always outnumbered.

Wolves didn't get out of second gear, and they didn't need to. They just moved as a unit and preserved energy. Took their opportunities when they needed it and will be reasonably fresh for the Arsenal game.

We didn't look like a team fighting for survival, but it wasn't the worst we've looked this season either.

Didn't watch the match. But my general impression is that our pressing has been poor for as long as Smith has been here. I'm yet to see that we press organised as a unit thru a whole match.  There's usually one to three players pressing, but it's unsynchronized, so they don't lock off the passion options quick enough. At the same time the rest of the team are way too slow to cover the ground/players in the space that opens up It's like we're trying play with a deep block  at the same time as the front players are pressing. It doesn't seem like the players are instructed or trained on where and how to initiate press. Feels like they waste energy chasing shadows. 

 

 

[knoppy1987]

Impressed by Luiz - head and shoulders above anybody else in terms of team and individual play. I thought McGinn had some good moments cutting back in from the right when he came on and I really could not fault Keinan Davis' effort today. 

Smith appears and speaks like a beaten man whenever I see him. Clearly lacking in any confidence and that cannot be impressionable for the players and those around him. Whether the buck stops at Smith or the initial recruitment, I really do not think we can just keep on replenishing the squad, and we have to start seeking some sort of continuity. I'd like to see somebody else try and get something different out of what we have which will now likely be in the Championship barring some extremely good fortune and/or an unimaginable improvement in results. 

[sne]

22 minutes ago, VillaCas said:

Maybe. Hard to disentangle what is ability and what is application. NES is a better manager than Smith but I doubt if roles were reversed he could get a tune out of our bunch

We have a very, very poor squad, especially going forward. 

I thought Smith did an amazing job last season but the squad overhaul required, even if it had been very well done which I wasn’t, was always going to make it an uphill struggle

Victim of his own success - If we’d missed promotion and were now riding high in the Championship everyone would be singing his praises

For me, from the off, 17th place was always going to be the target. This is exactly what I thought this season would feel like - the higher your starting expectations the more disgruntled you’ll be feeling!

I hoped for 15th but expected something between 16th to 19th.

It's the manner of how we are ending up where we are that is the biggest gripe for me. We look clueless and is out smarted on a weekly basis.

 

Edited June 27, 2020 by sne
Typo

[tinker]

We looked better than we have since lockdown ended but we lacked the final early ball. Yet again set pieces were hopeless, why cant we work on this in training and devise 4 or 5 systems to work from these positions were the players know whats expected of them and who's taking the free kicks from the various sides and angles. Its embarrassing.

[Demitri_C]

Said to sack him back in feb and has come back to cost us staying up. Two strikers and he still manges to not take risks. He really has turned into mcleish with his negative tactics. Was setup to keep us at 0-0.smith out

[Sulberto21]

3 minutes ago, VillaCas said:

Maybe. Hard to disentangle what is ability and what is application. NES is a better manager than Smith but I doubt if roles were reversed he could get a tune out of our bunch

We have a very, very poor squad, especially going forward. 

I thought Smith did an amazing job last season but the squad overhaul required, even if it had been very well done which I wasn’t, was always going to make it an uphill struggle

Victim of his own success - If we’d missed promotion and were now riding high in the Championship everyone would be singing his praises

For me, from the off, 17th place was always going to be the target. This is exactly what I thought this season would feel like - the higher your starting expectations the more disgruntled you’ll be feeling!

I disagree. The strength and fitness of the Wolves players compared to us and most other teams compared to us is superior.  So if Nuno was our manager our players would be stronger and fitter at least.

17th is fine but most fans are disgruntled with the lack of improvement in some areas during the season and also the effort. 

[PaulC]

3 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Mate this is always laughable.

But call Sherwood a blagger all we want, at least he inspired fight and passion.

For what he lacked in "Ability" he made up for with sheer willpower and attitude, and a willingness to throw the sink.

Yes Tim Sherwood got us going and had a method which worked. Smith is clueless. I like him but I he is now way out of his depth. 

[alreadyexists]

Shame we couldn’t get that rocket polisher Neil Warnock in for 6 games. Eugh, imagine that being a better option than literally anything

[VillaCas]

2 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Said to sack him back in feb and has come back to cost us staying up.

Yes because of course sacking him would be guaranteed to take us out of the relegation zone

[briny_ear]

Smith did sound in that interview like he has given up.

[Straggler]

Ok it's a bad game and a bad time to be a Villa fan but.  Sherwood was an awful manager and our last relegated team offered up a meek surrender the likes of which should be hard to forget but apparently has been already.

[VillanousOne]

we put two strikers on and give them absolutely zero supply....

[flashingqwerty]

2 minutes ago, briny_ear said:

Smith did sound in that interview like he has given up.

I've been thinking that since xmas.

Dead man walking

[Sulberto21]

Moutinho finally came to Villa Park at least. Such a shame I couldn't be there to see him.

[Demitri_C]

3 minutes ago, VillaCas said:

Yes because of course sacking him would be guaranteed to take us out of the relegation zone

So if we appointed poch or allegri we wouldnt be out? Not saying either would come but the odds are better of we had someone else than the hopelessly out of his depth dean smith

[flashingqwerty]

The thing is Wolves were poor.

It just so happens, we were worse.