Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Southampton

[Mic09]

35 minutes ago, One For The Road said:

On a side note, of all the players that always score against us, Southampton have had a fair few.

Le Tissier, Long, Ings, Walcott, Shearer....

Beattie?

Sod it, I'm off to play football manager, where results are more consistent. (Which is why I'm bottom of the league)

You know you can save and load the game whenever you lose?

[villalad21]

2 minutes ago, striker said:

I said consistently. Liverpool was one game.

Cazoo has stopped delivering us and Everton the performance enhancing drugs as of late. That's why we are struggling.

[The_Steve]

27 minutes ago, Okonokos said:

First goal wasn't a foul for the free kick. The second and third were silly free kicks to give away with Ward-Prowse on the opposition.

Second half we played some really good stuff and could quite easily have scored 4 or 5. Showed a lot of fight in the second half so I'd say there were lots of positives to take.

On a different day, we would have won 6-4.

[One For The Road]

9 minutes ago, Mic09 said:

You know you can save and load the game whenever you lose?

Thankfully I saved the game after winning 1-0 at Leicester so I've rebooted and I have Leeds next.

[One For The Road]

3 minutes ago, The_Steve said:

On a different day, we would have won 6-4.

And even Heskey scores?

[Vive_La_Villa]

The little things like Mcginn marking their biggest Ariel threat and Mings not jumping was really disappointing today. Cash was lucky not to be sent off. 

[mikeyjavfc]

I didn’t see the game but that xG hurts to look at. Conceding from 3 set pieces is a lesson for us not to give away cheap free kicks and corners...especially when they other side has a threat like JWP. The fight back is heartening but I don’t take much comfort from a good half performance against a team that are 4-0 and cruising in 2nd gear. Hope we play less open against Arsenal. 

[smg]

Very poor first half, and some stunning finishing from Southampton, however we didn’t crumble and even if their intensity did drop we created numerous chances and finished three In the second half . We would not have done this last season and are clearly a work in progress which takes time and patience. Sadly some of our fans are unable to see this and want us to be the finished article overnight. I think there may even be some who are pissed off we scored 3 as it doesn’t fit in with their desire to slag the team and manager off at every possible  opportunity.

[KenjiOgiwara]

43 minutes ago, Mic09 said:

You know you can save and load the game whenever you lose?

Someone tell Deano. 

[Aston_Villan4]

Sooooo.... what’d I miss??

[maqroll]

3 hours ago, thunderball said:

A routine loss for us, things look back to normal.

Smith needs to pick it up or he will be the fall guy.

We are one dimensional, everything through Grealish down the LHS, dont get our forwards involved. Too little too late, arguably when they were comfortable as well.

Squad thread bare.

Much to do. For me we don’t improve unless we get 3 quality additions, and sad to say, a better Manager too.

Already calling for his head?? 

[maqroll]

Those Ward-Prouse goals were world beaters. Nobody was going to stop those. 

Hopefully we've got a list of players we will try to sign in January. We will need them because we don't have many decent options off the bench. 

Maybe Wesley give us a new dimension, but we need better quality and depth throughout.

[OutByEaster?]

Odd game - We're a funny old team - our balance isn't quite right - there are times where we look like teams can just run through us and times where we look like we're not going to score in a month of Sundays - and then there are times where we look like we might score with every attack and times where the defence looks solid. I'm just not sure we're quite right in terms of shape and selection - whether we can continue with both Barkley and McGinn I'm not sure.

Southampton are a very good side, although ultimately they've scored four times from the first four set pieces Ward-Prowse has hit  (one disallowed) and haven't scored from open play -a threat from direct free kicks is something we really lack - we win loads of free kicks and don't look like we've got anyone confident they can get a ball over a wall.

We're conceding to many, we're patchy, we look too open and I'm not sure the shape is quite right.

It's November and if we win our next one we'll go second. Funny old season.

[skell]

3 hours ago, samjp26 said:

I really hope clawing back those goals doesn't mask an unbelievably poor half, and overall poor performance. I would drop Barkley to the bench personally, he needs to understand that he doesn't just get into the starting XI by default - he needs to work.

Trez changed the game with his workrate but it shows just how much the other players took their foot off the gas just like the last match. Need a serious kick up the arse.

Barkley could.be a defensive liability unless Smith changes the system.  McGinn as a defensive midfielder would.work

[skell]

3 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Midfield getting overrun again.  Maybe we need a game away from home we’ll tighten up again. It seems If Mcginn doesn’t play well the team doesn’t. 
 

cracking freekicks though.

The problem is.midfield too many attacking players who dont prioritize tracking back

[Zhan_Zhuang]

Saints with only four attempts on target.

OK we lost but we maybe should have taken something from the game all being fair.

 

[skell]

So Smith last year he played too attacking and was to naive last year. Roll on one year,  he is playing a striker with 3 attacking players who dont defend well.   This and Leeds was on him. He needs to learn from this to stop teams cutting us.open so easily. We miss a genuine ball.winning midfielder, if it was.me McGinn needs to be in a deep lying role with Luiz 

[thunderball]

26 minutes ago, maqroll said:

Already calling for his head?? 

Very likeable chap, but not sure thats what we need. But in answer to your question: no.

Thought his time was up pre-lockdown, but thought he had done enough to prove he was worth persevering with post lockdown on a big improvement. Concerned at our last two performances and failure to expolit our ability. But too early to call and he deserves to work with this squad. Not sure if the board will allow a lack of significant progress though so run to Christmas is important, it would be a shame to waste our great start over the first four games. But I note that the celebrated and lauded Ancelotti is also suffering the same start as Smith, so judgement is clearly premature, he needs to show how he can bounce back, he needs at least half a season with this new squad.

Being honest, ultimately I dont think Smith has enough to deliver the owners ambition and investment, I would love him to do so however.

Edited November 1, 2020 by thunderball

[wilko154]

3 hours ago, M_Afro said:

Just as I think Smith is about to prove me wrong he kind of proves me right! Our midfield balance is awful. You play Luiz and either Barkley or McGinn with a proper box to box, physical midfielder. Why cannot he see the weakness!

So who is the box to box, physical midfielder that you are playing?

[wilko154]

14 minutes ago, thunderball said:

Very likeable chap, but not sure thats what we need. But in answer to your question: no.

Thought his time was up pre-lockdown, but thought he had done enough to prove he was worth persevering with post lockdown on a big improvement. Concerned at our last two performances and failure to expolit our ability. But too early to call and he deserves to work with this squad. Not sure if the board will allow a lack of significant progress though so run to Christmas is important, it would be a shame to waste our great start over the first four games. But I note that the celebrated and lauded Ancelotti is also suffering the same start as Smith, so judgement is clearly premature, he needs to show how he can bounce back, he needs at least half a season with this new squad.

Being honest, ultimately I dont think Smith has enough to deliver the owners ambition and investment, I would love him to do so however.

If i'm honest I'm starting to think the same. Love Smith and hope he comes good, but his lack of a plan b is a real worry at the moment.

We really need to kick on now in the next few weeks and show the drive we showed in the second half today.