Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Sheff United

[Sulberto21]

Last season we would have had less ball even against 10 men. Before the red card we played well and we were pushing them back. 

[skell]

52 minutes ago, sne said:

3 points is 3 points but this was very much how it looked last season and that is worrying.

Gotta get a few new signings in asap.

To be fair in the midfield and attack only 1 player has changed. So to be expected

[SuperTed]

First time we’ve won 3 home games on the spin since 2007.

I’ll take it. Convincing enough even before the sending off (albeit early on)

Watched in a Greek bar where I was somehow outnumbered by Blues fans so you can imagine my enjoyment even with any doubt. 

Bring on Fulham! 

[AntrimBlack]

Great to get 3 points from our opening game, but the performance was poor. Had echoes of too many games last season. No penetration. Either fannying about on the edge of their box or pumping aimless crosses into their box.

And noticeably after we scored we withdrew and allowed them back into the game. Again something we did a lot last season.

We need someone with the confidence to take on the defenders. Perhaps Traore will give us a bit more bite. 

We badly need reinforcements. Trezeguet, McGinn and Targett should be backup only.

On the positive side, Martinez, Watkins and Cash look like astute signings. Konza and Luiz both played well.

A winning start is great - but we need reinforcements.

[skell]

19 minutes ago, allani said:

Best thing to do with 15 seconds of the game left is to shoot high, wide and handsome.  No chance of the keeper catching it and punting the ball upfield to give them one more chance.

It was so annoying at the end why they didnt run forn the corners with the ball

[TRO]

24 minutes ago, Kjøttbacken said:

Great start to the season. Not pretty, but we won a game we would've lost half a year ago.

 

My biggest worry after today is McGinn, he looks nowhere near the player he was when we started last season. Poor passing accuracy and lazy tracking back today. Trez looked like himself on a poor day, but I'm in the group of people that see a player in there. Watkins looked rusty, but will hopefully get better with improved match fitness. Targett and Hourihane underwhelming, and decent match by Jack who could have gotten a couple goals. Mings was solid, and ruled his aerial duels, his assist included. Solid games by the rest and an impressive debut from Cash. Faultless game by Martinez with a terrific save. Good goal from Konsa. Luiz MOTM for me, except for that last attempt at goal he was great today.

 

Martinez - 7 

Cash - 7

Konsa - 7

Mings - 6

Targett - 5

Luiz - 7

McGinn - 3

Hourihane - 5

Trez - 4

Grealish - 6

Watkins - 4

 

Not sure how you can give watkins a lower rating than targett.

[Kiwivillan]

24 minutes ago, GingerCollins29 said:

Exactly this. Not a great performance, bit rusty but last year we would have crumbled. Lessons will be learned to take to fulham. Plus potential of more new vlood. Utv!!

Is he that Dutch player?

[CarryOnVilla]

People moaning that Villa were shite because we couldn’t get past Sheffield’s parked bus. A team that outperformed us last season due to having a solid defence. 
 

let’s be honest, Even the big teams struggle against parked buses. So a team in our standing did well to get the 3 points 

[Django_Zooms]

Aston Villa have won 3 consecutive Premier League games at Villa Park (Palace, Arsenal, Sheffield U) for the first time since October 2007 under Martin O'Neill. I was at all of those: Fulham, Chelsea, Everton.  Thirteen years of hurt. Stop moaning and get some perspective. Villa are on the rise for the first time since Lerner came over all Trump-like 10 years ago. 

[Rodders]

People rarely seem to factor the opposition in to their reactions..they were disciplined and organised and parked.the bus. 

It's also only.the second game, but first for many of the players of the season. We still have new players to incorporate and buy into this side.

Hopefully Traore gets useful minutes against Bristol City.

Fulham have zero brains in the defence..I expect next week to be more productive for.our forwards.

[pacbuddies]

4 minutes ago, Django_Zooms said:

Aston Villa have won 3 consecutive Premier League games at Villa Park (Palace, Arsenal, Sheffield U) for the first time since October 2007 under Martin O'Neill. I was at all of those: Fulham, Chelsea, Everton.  Thirteen years of hurt. Stop moaning and get some perspective. Villa are on the rise for the first time since Lerner came over all Trump-like 10 years ago. 

Would mean something if all 3 wins were in the same season!

[jonjon]

34 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

 

We obviously take the 3 points but that was not great at all.

Positives:

 Watkins - Worked his bollox off and gets into the right areas, almost scored a beautiful curler (Shows he has more in his locker than tap ins) but in tandem with negatives below, I worry if we don't start playing decent we will destroy yet another good player. He will end up having to come deeper and deeper to get anything. Bare in mind, the kid is coming from a very good footballing side which play with skill and fluidity.

 

 

Fully agree with you. 

I was very disappointed with the whole game, You are not wrong with your assessment of Watkins, Worked hard but he was only fed a few scraps all night long tonight, so not a lot to work with, he's been used to balls being whipped in from the left and right that he can do something with, I was very surprised that I saw non of that tonight, hopefully DS can work on that and put that right quickly so as to bring the best out of him to score, let's just hope, as you say he doesn't get destroyed through lack of good football.  

[skell]

51 minutes ago, Johnnyp said:

Moving Jack into the middle still doesn't take away from the fact ( and nobody wants to say it ) he doesn't move it quick enough. Fantastic player but it's a side of his game that lets him down .

He doesnt move it quick because he has had wesley trez and elghazi around him for 12.months. I have no doubt that with Traore and Rashika?  Ahead of.him you will see him look for the quick outballs

[Shomin Geki]

Marks out of ten time.  Obviously a difficult game to rate but I enjoy reading these and writing them.

Martinez 9- Radiates authority and composure.  It's been a long time since the Villa penalty area looked quite so safe.  Strong, excellent hands, unflappable.  Plus the kind of penalty save that quite simply hollers 'you shall not pass'!  And they never really looked like they would.

Konsa 8- It's been a pleasure watching the boy Ezra become a man over the past twelve months.  Those panicked glances increasingly seem like acute readings of potential threats.  Seems more muscular in his obvious comfort on the ball.  Him and Mings appear to have a good understanding, and once again his judicious forays upfield were rewarded, this time with a tenaciously claimed and smartly converted header.

Mings 7- Commanding and on the front foot, those long strides purposefully strutting out time and time again from the back.  I liked his support in attack, especially for the goal, and despite the odd threat of a jittery moment, no heroics were ever necessary.

Targett 6- Obviously a player there, although I wonder if he sacrifices something in mobility in order to afford him his clean, incisive strikes of the ball.  When Grealish is a little off the boil he suffers too, but he's definitely a player that will benefit from greater movement around him.  Lacked a little in awareness at times, even if contact on the penalty seemed minimal at best.

Cash 7- A reasonable debut.  Seems to have a good engine, a decent cross on him, and he reads the game well throughout.  A little like Targett I felt he didn't make enough telling contributions, nor was he as physical as I would have liked, but maybe that wasn't really needed for this game.  A player I feel confident could raise his levels when required.

Luiz 8- As we know, a proper player, the boy oozes class whilst barely breaking a sweat.  Could be a touch faster to the ball, but maybe needs a more dynamic midfield than McGinn and Connor to reach the next gear.  There are issues with movement off the ball and link up play that will likely be exploited against less agricultural opposition and Luiz shouldn't be expected to shoulder too much in the centre.  I wonder what Grealish's possible move inside might do to him as a player.

Hourihane 6- Played some nice balls, which he should be able to do in his sleep, but his contributions were a bit muted for what is already a pretty anonymous player.  Like much of the Villa team today he seemed not to exploit the fabled 'corridor of uncertainty' with his crosses.  Probably needs to work harder to find space around the penalty area.

McGinn 5- Is it time to worry about McGinn yet?  Undoubtedly a force when we're on the front foot and flourishing, his limitations may become harder to overlook the more we improve in other areas.  Particularly with his apparently less than dedicated approach to his fitness.  McGinn seemed off the pace, was sometimes clumsy, and struggled to impose himself on the game.  You want a McGinn in the thick of the action, a one man mad pack of wolves.  Unpossessed with adrenalised enthusiasm he can seem a wee bit average.  I'm not expecting much thunder from him at this moment in time, but I'm prepared to be patient.  How much patience Smith will afford him is another matter.  I do worry that he may be overindulged, which I felt he was at times last season.  Another midfield option would be wise, if possible.

Trezeguet 5- Endeavoured, as he always does, but never once looked like beating his man or doing anything other than his patented 'right man at the right time' routine.  His workrate is valuable however and there is the concern of a lack of energy in the middle if we get an upgrade.  Any real Cash-Trezeguet link up was also notably inactive.  An obvious place for an upgrade here, Trez just isn't enough of a threat to hurt the opposition.

Grealish 6- Not his best day.  Uncharacteristically sloppy with the ball, his feet a whisker or two away from the expected stardust.  And a whisker or two is a telling measurement when it comes to the ballerina precision that Jack possesses.  But he still pulses with possibility throughout the game and even if he can be a slow starter sometimes we know how devastating he can be in no time at all.  Yeah, he can hang onto the ball too long at times, but you can understand the unwillingness.

Watkins 6- Was impressed by his control and generally intelligent all round play.  He needs a touch more sharpness at this level, which I'm sure will come as he progresses.  I don't know enough about Watkins as a player to foresee whether he'll grow into a figure of devastating efficiency, or if there's more to his game, but the boy has real promise and a nice level of positivity and enthusiasm.

Davis 6- Fine.  I'm not sure the lad's gonna make it though.  It always seems a bit laboured.  There's something of bringing a shield to a knife fight about him.

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

1 minute ago, skell said:

He doesnt move it quick because he has had wesley trez and elghazi around him for 12.months. I have no doubt that with Traore and Rashika?  Ahead of.him you will see him look for the quick outballs

Why is it that whenever Jack makes poor decisions, it has to do with everyone but him?

So now he is retro actively making certain decisions because of Wesley who has been out for longer than he has actually played, and Trez and El Ghazi?

Can't we just say he makes bad decisions sometimes?

 

 

[robby b]

Congratulations everyone !  : D

After two beers of celebration and recovery I'm recovering well from the customary horrible stress level of following a Villa match as a Villa fan. We finally managed to beat ten men, yes! : )  At ******* last! Does this mean we're maybe no longer the worst team in the world at beating ten men?

[skell]

4 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Why is it that whenever Jack makes poor decisions, it has to do with everyone but him?

So now he is retro actively making certain decisions because of Wesley who has been out for longer than he has actually played, and Trez and El Ghazi?

Can't we just say he makes bad decisions sometimes?

 

 

Wait, what! Who said that! It wasnt me. I can say it, look.  Jack  sometimes makes poor decisions.

My point is that if we have 2 decent wingers who can actually do something he will play the ball out quicker.   

[flamingsombrero]

This is exactly the kind of game we always seem to drop points in. To actually get the job done was very heartening despite it being fairly lacklustre overall.

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

1 minute ago, skell said:

Wait, what! Who said that! It wasnt me. I can say it, look.  Jack  sometimes makes poor decisions.

My point is that if we have 2 decent wingers who can actually do something he will play the ball out quicker.   

Yeah but aside from that, there are multiple times I have seen him actually have a better pass around the box, and either lose it or run into a dead end.

WITH players moving around and actually in better positions than him.

Anyway forget it.

[AvonVillain]

Christ, Wilder complaining so much you'd think they hadn't been awarded that penalty. Doesn't seem to understand the double jeopardy rule about red cards and peno's either. Crazy amount of complaining.