Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Southampton

[osmark86]

Just now, thunderball said:

The score line flattered us.

just how? 3-4? we had more chances.

we had 10 shots on target (19 total) to their 4 shots on target (9 total). what are you on about?

[ferguson1]

Made it respectable in the final 20 minutes but we were poor for 70 minutes.

A lot wrong today from lack of intensity, poor passing and positioning, and overall decision making.  

Southampton were well deserved winners.

[holteend1982]

First half was terrible, giving ward prowse set pieces like that is just stupid and so easily avoidable. Nobody really turned up at all tbf. 

2nd half much better performance but 4 - 3 makes it sound closer than It was we never came close to getting anything. My main issue is that how quick we give up when we conceede, we did it against Leeds as well and on many occasions last season, we only started playing once the game was gone. Watkins looks isolated and cut off from the midfield in the exact same way Wesley did. 

[Davkaus]

Just now, Genie said:

It’s a loss but hopefully we can take some confidence from the late goals into the next game.

Mcginn poor

Luiz very quiet

Watkins very quiet 

Barkley poor

Mings, poor and lazy.

Not going to win many when half your team aren’t at it.

Agree with all of that. When the central column down the middle of the pitch was completely anonymous, it's a miracle it was as close as it was. I'd drop all of them if we had the depth.

[Danishlad]

We look a decent team when we are organized in our pressing. In the first half we didnt pressure them at all and were way too passive in defence. 

Edited November 1, 2020 by Danishlad

[sheepyvillian]

1 minute ago, Brumstopdogs said:

Well we won the second half.

Every cloud. 

[TheMightyVillans]

Better 2nd half and if we weren't so stupid in the 1st half giving away freekicks it might have been different. A game like that last season probably would have ended 4-0.

I have no idea how mcginn lasted the whole match. He was awful and looked so off the pace. Smith always reluctant to made midfield changes...

Arsenal are pretty crap these days so lets see how we go....

 

[jim]

Pathetic first half and only got back into it when Southampton took their foot off the gas.

Will be another long season if Smith can’t get the best out of the ample tools at his disposal.

[Mantis]

Well that was a bizarre game. We did well to come back and we could've easily scored 2 or 3 more but the way we just collapsed after their first goal is not acceptable at all.

[SuperTed]

I would honestly drop Barkley and McGinn for Arsenal if we had adequate replacements. 

[One For The Road]

1 minute ago, Genie said:

It’s a loss but hopefully we can take some confidence from the late goals into the next game.

Mcginn poor

Luiz very quiet

Watkins very quiet 

Barkley poor

Mings, poor and lazy.

Not going to win many when half your team aren’t at it.

In the interest of balance....Grealish 2 assists and a goal in one half against a good side in great form.

[PieFacE]

Went into the game thinking we would lose and sadly we did.

We were terrible on set pieces defensively and offensively today. 

Awful first half but much better second. 

Barkley was really poor today, doesn't quite look fit / match fit. 

 

Edited November 1, 2020 by PieFacE

[osmark86]

Southampton sunk EVERY SHOT they had on goal. They miss just ONE of those shots and we'd have walked away with a point today.

We need to address the performance in the first half though, that was pathetic. However we showed a lot of fight in the second half, so I'm pretty sure Dean made his opinion heard at half time.

[El Zen]

They scored 4 from 6 chances. We scored 3 from 10. Incredibly frustrating how we gifted them goals from lapses in concentration, but we can also reasonably put part of that result down to rotten luck.

[Troglodyte]

Trez made a big difference but can't see really how anyone can give someone other than Jack MOTM. Maybe it's just because we know pretty much everything goes through him, but as usual he was instrumental (once we actually started to play).

Mings had a shocking first half but was better in the second. As I said in the match thread, he's a good player and leader but becomes far too complacent at times. His relaxed attitude can be a good thing but he needs to be 100% focused all the time. Not jumping against a Ward-Prowse free kick is criminal.

McGinn was poor again. Still pushes and has the ability to turn into space but when he's shut down, it takes him out of the game.

Douglas Luiz was far from his best in the first half but improved second.

There's a player in Cash but he's not there yet. Was left exposed again at times which makes it more difficult for him though.

Strange to say we were unlucky given our second half and the stats, but a woeful first half performance cost us.

[Davkaus]

1 minute ago, SuperTed said:

I would honestly drop Barkley and McGinn for Arsenal if we had adequate replacements. 

I think Barkley has to start, but I would drop McGinn for Hourihane without hesitation. 

[Wainy316]

Encouraging second half but that first half needs an inquest.  Completely unacceptable 

Edited November 1, 2020 by Wainy316

[sne]

At least our goal difference didn't as bad a hit as it looked to. Dismal first half, better once the game was already over.

Starting to look too much like last season for my comfort. Guess we take comfort from the final 30 mins and so on bla, bla bla.

We lack leadership and our midfield and defense was really poor. Not sure how many times Watkins touched the ball but he still scored so maybe he can build on that.

The fact that we again didn't use all our subs shows that Smith doesn't trust the squad we have and I fully get that but still. Some fresh legs or resting a under performing player for 15-20 mins might not been a bad thing

[AV82]

Much improved second half. Could’ve easily folded and given up but we came very close to levelling the tie. Good to see Watkins and Grealish on the scoresheet and a bright performance from Trezeguet.

4 shots on target by Southampton and 4 goals, 3 of which were from set pieces. We were unlucky today against a side that’s fast becoming our bogey team. Positives to take.

[It's Your Round]

Those 3 goals were important in keeping our GD healthy. We’ve still got the 3rd highest with +6, behind spurs and Southampton on +8 and +7, respectively. 
 

We lost the points but the second half rally gives me some hope we can improve. On another day we’d have taken some of those chances and scored more. If they played the second like the first, it could have been 7-0.