Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Burnley

[TheStagMan]

12 hours ago, villalad21 said:

I thought we deserved more

If we had purchased Benrahma instead of Traore this is a win

My West Ham supporting mates (yes I know, sorry) would not agree. They consider him similar to the way we consider Traore. Many of them don't want to buy him at the end of his "loan"

 

I do agree we need decent / better wide players though.

[mjmooney]

You have to ask the question: why was it that time, after time, after time, it was El Ghazi - a winger - who found himself in front of goal with a scoring chance? Surely that's where the striker -  Watkins - should have been, with AEG and Traore providing the supply? There's a tactical issue there. 

Edited December 18, 2020 by mjmooney

[TheStagMan]

11 hours ago, flashingqwerty said:

The players finishing was abysmal today.  Truly shocking.

What Ive learnt from today:

1. Watkins is not good enough for this level

2. El Ghazi is not good enough for this level

3. Traore needs more time to adjust but does not look good enough for this level

4. The game was crying out for an attacking player who can shoot/score yet out best goalscoring player on the bench stayed there

5. Dean Smith still does not know or does not have the balls to change things

Yes, the players missed a lot of chances, and should be ashamed of some that were missed.  But players have off days in front of goal from time to time.

What really gets me is that Burnley never really looked dangerous and we were creating chances.  Dean Smith needs to pick up on this, and introduce fresh players earlier.

If we introduce Hourihane for El Ghazi, Traore or Nakamba at 60 minutes, I'd stake my house on him creating a goal or scoring one.  Ramsey could have come in and created something, hell, he was good enough to start last week so its not like the manager does not rate hit.

Davis was brought on and plauyed right wing... I mean WTAF? Why not put 2 up top? Why not play a narrow 3 in midfield, with jack in the hole behind 2 strikers?  Why not do something different for once?  We are the most one dimensional, single plan team i've ever seen.  Its depressing.

Dean Smith infamously said that the team mirrors the manager.  Clearly he is a toothless, unimaginative, clueless lump imaginable.

Major signings needed in Jan for me.  Not sure we've progressed or just been a bit luckier...

Well, you started badly, then went downhill from there, and the less said about the end, the better.

In summary, what a load of shite.

[thunderball]

Played well, dominated. Showed up exactly what we need to improve: very good finishers. This game should tell the Management exactly what we need to buy in January/Summer.

Surprised by Smith though. Felt we were begging to change at 55 minutes but he waited until the 80th. For me we had so much dominance and Burnley lacked so much ambition that we should have shaken it up with Conor and Ramsey, taking off AEG and Nakamba, and pushing Jack back to left where he has dominated this season.

[TheStagMan]

11 hours ago, flashingqwerty said:

Yes, but unrelated.

I never wanted DS here, i've not enjoyed the majority of his tenure, and i still feel, based 9n what we see week in, week out, that he is not the man to take us back to greatness - i just dont rate him.

Yeah, maybe those who say he has no faith in the players outside the first 11 are right.  However, he signed most of them, so that also on him.

Much of the recruitment since his arrival has been dire.  I can't think of many gems, if any tbh.

Oh wow!

[TRO]

2 hours ago, mjmooney said:

You have to ask the question: why was it that time, after time, after time, it was El Ghazi - a winger - who found himself in front of goal with a scoring chance? Surely that's where the striker -  Watkins - should have been, with AEG and Traore providing the supply? There's a tactical issue issue there. 

I watched him carefully last night, on several occasions he was not in view of the wide player, he was tucked in behind the defenders of Burnley....Gabby used to do this too,when in the box, not moving around like Vardy does to mix things up....Danny Ings moves around too and camouflages any predictability.

He is too static when he's in the box, it seems like he is waiting for the tap in,(which is ok), just not very imaginative.......against Teams like Burnley, they just crowd you out and get blocks in......The front players need to be more enterprising in their thinking and positioning.

I know we keep harping on about the service, but it takes 2 to tango......the front men need to show out for the ball more, so the delivery can be more purposeful.

Ollie for me right now, needs space, like a fire needs oxygen.....He needs to work on his game in the box and become more predatory and sharper.

Edited December 18, 2020 by TRO

[TRO]

1 hour ago, mjmooney said:

You have to ask the question: why was it that time, after time, after time, it was El Ghazi - a winger - who found himself in front of goal with a scoring chance? Surely that's where the striker -  Watkins - should have been, with AEG and Traore providing the supply? There's a tactical issue issue there. 

Jack played him in, so many times....It was frustratingly wasteful.

He offers so much, in some of his play and then ends up like a wet fart.....such a shame. could be a good player, if he could finish and decision making a bit better.

[TRO]

Positives.....

• We would have lost that last season....but we should have won by a canter.
• Another clean sheet
• Emi is an inspired signing, such an important player for us.
• created so many chances, to win a bunch of games, never mind one.
• Nakamba and Hause, was ok....Hause won a lot of aerial ball, so did Mings too.
• Aerial balls in general were dealt with better than I have seen for some time......would be nice in their box.
• We do seem to be losing the soft underbelly .....we competed well against a clatter happy bunch......just need to work on it in the box, now.

Negatives.....

• Home form is concerning
• We need to up the tempo, we move the ball too slow and undecisive and it allows teams like Burnley to get blocks in....we need to move the ball quicker, so half chances become chances.
• The cohesion between the player releasing the ball and the recipient, needs to be sharper.....quicker decision making and better first touch.
• I would like to hear Dean give reference to the happenings in the game more and then say he see's things he can improve or will work on, even if he doesn't divulge.....it just seems like, ah well, that was that lets move on.

Ps just used bullet points for ease of reading, not grammatical correctness.

Edited December 18, 2020 by TRO

[turvontour]

21 minutes ago, TRO said:

Positives.....

• We would have lost that last season....but we should have won by a canter.
• Another clean sheet
• Emi is an inspired signing, such an important player for us.
• created so many chances, to win a bunch of games, never mind one.
• Nakamba and Hause, was ok....Hause won a lot of aerial ball, so did Mings too.
• Aerial balls in general were dealt with better than I have seen for some time......would be nice in our box.
• We do seem to be losing the soft underbelly .....we competed well against a clatter happy bunch......just need to work on it in the box, now.

Negatives.....

• Home form is concerning
• We need to up the tempo, we move the ball too slow and undecisive and it allows teams like Burnley to get blocks in....we need to move the ball quicker, so half chances become chances.
• The cohesion between the player releasing the ball and the recipient, needs to be sharper.....quicker decision making and better first touch.
• I would like to hear Dean give reference to the happenings in the game more and then say he see's things he can improve or will work on, even if he doesn't divulge.....it just seems like, ah well, that was that lets move on.

Ps just used bullet points for ease of reading, not grammatical correctness.

Personally, I really dont think the home form has any bearing on anything, particularly with no fans in. If the home form was as good as the away form we would be top of the league. We cant just expect to win all the games home and away.

And out the two, Id rather be better away than we are at home actually, as we've always struggled with that.

One thing from last night, have we had more shots cleared off the line than normal this season? Defenders somehow just choosing that one position on the line to clear. I'm sure Jack has had 2 or 3 cleared just himself. Been really unlucky with that.

[AvonVillain]

For me this had parallels with the nil nil game at home to Wigan under Martin O'Neill all those years ago, where at the end, after doing everything but score, the crowd booed at the final whistle and MON staggered on to the pitch in disbelief at the reaction. I honestly think MON fell out of love with the club somewhat that day.

I wonder if the Villa faithful have changed/matured enough over the years to appreciate a good display, clean sheet, point, where it simply wasn't our day at the business end of the pitch? Not judging by the pathetic comments throughout the Match Thread.

[OutByEaster?]

2 hours ago, mjmooney said:

You have to ask the question: why was it that time, after time, after time, it was El Ghazi - a winger - who found himself in front of goal with a scoring chance? Surely that's where the striker -  Watkins - should have been, with AEG and Traore providing the supply? There's a tactical issue issue there. 

I think any sort of tactical set up that results in a player finding himself in front of goal with a scoring chance, time, after time, after time is working pretty well, regardless of the position that player plays at!

 

 

[TRO]

1 minute ago, turvontour said:

Personally, I really dont think the home form has any bearing on anything, particularly with no fans in. If the home form was as good as the away form we would be top of the league. We cant just expect to win all the games home and away.

And out the two, Id rather be better away than we are at home actually, as we've always struggled with that.

One thing from last night, have we had more shots cleared off the line than normal this season? Defenders somehow just choosing that one position on the line to clear. I'm sure Jack has had 2 or 3 cleared just himself. Been really unlucky with that.

In my view it most certainly does.....We get most joy counter attacking, we are not a really top class possession based side, mainly because our first touch and quick thinking is not up to top class....thats an observation, not meant as a criticism.

The onus is not on us to take the game, in an away game, we just counter and have moments in a game, (I am talking generally, not specifically, there are exceptions)...we score goals in those moments.

I am not asking for the home form to be as good as the away form, just better, but traditionally home form is easier to sustain.....It is also worth considerning the fact that if crowds were in the stadium, fans pay for season tickets/cards, they want to see their team win at home.

We was unlucky last night, but not clinical enough either at times.

 

[mjmooney]

7 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

I think any sort of tactical set up that results in a player finding himself in front of goal with a scoring chance, time, after time, after time is working pretty well, regardless of the position that player plays at!

Well, yes, I wouldn't disagree. But if that player is one who consistently misses (relatively) easy chances, I'd rather somebody else took up that position. A winger who pops up as a central striker is fine, it surprises the defenders - but if that winger is useless at scoring, I'd rather he left it to a number nine. 

[TRO]

23 minutes ago, AvonVillain said:

For me this had parallels with the nil nil game at home to Wigan under Martin O'Neill all those years ago, where at the end, after doing everything but score, the crowd booed at the final whistle and MON staggered on to the pitch in disbelief at the reaction. I honestly think MON fell out of love with the club somewhat that day.

I wonder if the Villa faithful have changed/matured enough over the years to appreciate a good display, clean sheet, point, where it simply wasn't our day at the business end of the pitch? Not judging by the pathetic comments throughout the Match Thread.

You do make a good point.....I sometimes wonder, if everyone, would have been happy during the 80/81 season, when we won the league.

I remember walking out of the Victoria ground after we secured a 1-1 draw that season and two Stoke fans were talking in front of me.....(we had 2 games left) one turned to the other and said " if thats the new league champions, I stand topping...I would guess Bayern Munich was not very complimentary either.

We all want to play eye catching football and in Jack we have one of the best around at it......but its about results.....we would have lost that last season.

Edited December 18, 2020 by TRO

[Vive_La_Villa]

20 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

I think any sort of tactical set up that results in a player finding himself in front of goal with a scoring chance, time, after time, after time is working pretty well, regardless of the position that player plays at!

 

 

I think this is very encouraging. Having different players on the end of these chances will come in time.  As I said before we can’t build a whole new squad that competes at the top end of the Premier league in 2 summers. 

[darrenm]

7 minutes ago, mjmooney said:

Well, yes, I wouldn't disagree. But if that player is one who consistently misses (relatively) easy chances, I'd rather somebody else took up that position. A winger who pops up as a central striker is fine, it surprises the defenders - but if that winger is useless at scoring, I'd rather he left it to a number nine. 

I think it actually works pretty much how it's supposed to. The problem is we need El Ghazi or whoever's playing on the wing to be able to shoot properly.

Watkins comes deep a lot of the time and he's really good at it. He's strong, great quick feet and holds it up while others overlap. When defending, he's the furthest forward therefore will always be the link to the counter attack. He holds up while others sprint past and work a shooting opportunity. In those situations the wingers (or wide mid forwards) will always be the ones coming inside to get on the end of something. 

[tezzaleed]

not read the whole thread but have seen quite a bit of criticism for watkins in this game.  I've been critical of him in past weeks particularly when he missed the pen but I have to stand up for him this week.  he made plenty of runs into the right areas and was simply ignored by the greedy inept el ghazi who seemed to be on a mission to prove his self worth and also to a lesser extent grealish.  if either of those had hot their head up at the right time and played ollie in we could have been discussing a nice 3-0 victory.  I understand el ghazi has been trolled by certain idiots on social media so can understand his desire to prove a point,  but his performance summed up his biggest weakness.   he plays for himself and not the team.  he actually did ok in that sense but by his 6th or 7th ridiculous miss from outside the box it went beyond bad luck to selfish and damaging to the team.

Ollie may have missed anything laid on to him, who's to say,  and if he had I'd feel the criticism he's getting for this game justifiable but as it is I think he played reasonably well and showed willingness to keep running and a tolerance of his greedy poor team mates.   if I was him I'd be down the tunnel and telling Grealish to try passing to him once in a while and he may not have to throw a little hissy fit at the end of the game.

[John]

16 hours ago, est1874 said:

Dean Smith on camera laughing with James Tarkowski on the sideline after watching his players stuff up 27 attempts at goal.

Not **** good enough and not what I want to see from him.

Shit result.

Perhaps he was tapping him up? 

[withes_shin]

If Villa were shooting at John Lennon he'd still be alive today

[PaulC]

5 hours ago, mjmooney said:

You have to ask the question: why was it that time, after time, after time, it was El Ghazi - a winger - who found himself in front of goal with a scoring chance? Surely that's where the striker -  Watkins - should have been, with AEG and Traore providing the supply? There's a tactical issue there. 

Yes I agree. I personally don't think its a great performance when you fail to convert chances that national league players would convert. We should beat teams like Burnley!