Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Crystal Palace

[Jimzk5]

Credit to marcelo Bielsa for showing villa how to attack like that

Watkins is so unlucky, I like it doesn't seem to be bothering him as he still demands the ball. If others weren't chipping in the goals he would be under much more pressure

Martinez is the best goalkeeper weve had since bozzie, rate him better than friedel too

And that goal from Anwar was something else

[One For The Road]

And we are up to 5th!! Arsenal 2 up. We will smash Chelsea.

[tinker]

Great game, Douglas was immense for us, controlled the game for me motm . Watkins is a pleasure to watch his work rate is second to none , the goals will come. Hause , well what can I say, I thought he was crap, I'm wrong , very wrong. Cash , absolute quality , looks like he has played premier league football all his career. Target had a solid game as well. In fact our worst player had to sit the game out after getting involved when he shouldn't have. Could and should cost him his place in the starting 11.

Smith is  building something that's very special , it's largely going unoticed but we're getting better and better, it's not just a good game followed by a bad one, its good performances followed by a better one. I can't imagine what we are going to be like next season or even toward the end of this one , we are back and it's not before time . 

For me to this is our best performance this season , top 6 type form .UTV 

[KenjiOgiwara]

4 minutes ago, Nigel said:

You cant argue yellow cards, they are subjective to the ref. You just have to accept it and alter your game accordingly.  Mings didnt and gave the ref a choice...its his fault!

 

O.o. What? Ofc. you can argue when they are incorrect? He simply did not make the right decision, and worsened it by giving cards to a player that didn't deserve it. It could have directly affected the outcome of the match, so how that qualifies for a good refereeing performance blows my mind. 

[NeilS]

4 minutes ago, Nigel said:

You cant argue yellow cards, they are subjective to the ref. You just have to accept it and alter your game accordingly.  Mings didnt and gave the ref a choice...its his fault!

 

I thought the ref was ok, we don’t want another Mike Dean type who dishes yellow cards out for fun. However, I would say that having sent Mings off, he should have sent off Joel Ward who when on a booking clattered Targett late.

[Nigel]

Just now, KenjiOgiwara said:

O.o. What? Ofc. you can argue when they are incorrect? He simply did not make the right decision, and worsened it by giving cards to a player that didn't deserve it. It could have directly affected the outcome of the match, so how that qualifies for a good refereeing performance blows my mind. 

Im obviously not going to change your opinion on this, different people will see it different ways, not unlike refs!

[AvonVillain]

1 hour ago, Giro said:

this is the best villa team I’ve seen In years, better than the o Neil days

Well said. Yes it is. Also worth noting, MON was a manager on the wane, Dean Smith, conversely, is a manager on the way up. This is the best team I can remember since Big Ron's class of 92-93.

[KenjiOgiwara]

Just now, Nigel said:

Im obviously not going to change your opinion on this, different people will see it different ways, not unlike refs!

That's fair enough, the problem is that there's a rulebook and the referees are supposed to be the experts on it, and enforce that rulebook to run the game. Our opinion is largely irrelevant, but when the referees actively make huge mistakes it's not. So how anyone can give good ratings to a referee making huge mistakes is a mystery to me.

But fair do, lets call it. 

At least we won and the table is looking lovely. 

[darrenm]

Firstly, Martinez is the best keeper I've seen at Villa. And the first keeper I saw was Spink. He commands his area, he's quick, his decision making is great, he gathers everything, his positioning is perfect and he can kick.

Mings' yellows were both correct. The first one was for an obvious stamp that could've been a straight red had it connected.

Credit to the ref for not doing what every other ref would and giving the penalty when he was made to do the walk of shame to the screen.

Nothing more needs to be said about the others apart from I wish Watkins' shot which hit the post had gone in because the reverse pass from Grealish was one of the best I've seen.

Oh, and **** Zaha the utter clearing in the woods.

[robby b]

Wow. What an absolutely fantastic achievement! Against Liverpool was amazing but maybe today was our best performance this season given that we had a player less for over half the match! I can't remember the last time in the PL that we went into half-time with a player less and no more than a one goal lead but managed to win. I feel so, so proud of these guys. : >

Edited December 26, 2020 by robby b

[Demitri_C]

You know it was a superb team performance when we are so split who was MOTM

I really hope the fans are back at villa park soon we need to show this team some love. They have been fantastic 

[AVTuco]

I must say I don't know this team. Who the hell are these players that stay confident and go after the opposition even after we go down to ten men? Brilliant.

[Follyfoot]

10 minutes ago, AvonVillain said:

Well said. Yes it is. Also worth noting, MON was a manager on the wane, Dean Smith, conversely, is a manager on the way up. This is the best team I can remember since Big Ron's class of 92-93.

Little’s side of 95/96 I would say

[Annoyman]

1 hour ago, OutByEaster? said:

It's hard to pick out individuals because every single one was really on top of their game - Martinez, the back four, the midfield, the forwards, everyone worked their socks off and got a chance to show what they're about - if you'd told me even a month ago that Traore, El Ghazi and Hause would score in the same game I'd have thought you insane, but they've all showed that they're more than capable of doing a job.

 

Yeah, it's encouraging to me that players still around from last season who were playing during the long stretches where the team looked doomed to relegation are putting in good shifts, scoring goals and fighting for places now. Suggests there's more of an actual defensive system players can slot into as required, and calms some of the nerves about how poor our strength in depth seemed to be. After some frustrations that weren't entirely their fault against Brighton and West Ham, they've managed very well without Barkley

[BOF]

On 21/12/2020 at 12:44, BOF said:

Famous last words coming up. I actually think Palace are the perfect opponent for us. They won't park the bus, because they will feel they're better than that, and they won't be terrified of us. So they'll give us some space.  And they're not a great footballing team so we should be able to dominate possession.  I think we tear them apart tbqh. It's more a case of which Villa turns up than which Palace does. If we're on it then this could be a handy one. I think the Liverpool hiding will play into our hands too.  Palace will want to rectify that, so they'll come out to do so, and we'll punish them.

GTFI.

[NurembergVillan]

I'm so in love with this team...

[AvonVillain]

Up to fifth now that Chelsea are losing by 2.
+14 goal difference.
Game in hand.

Wow.
 

[Bottle Maker]

Gave MOM to Target but every player could have had it.   What is with VAR why did it take so long really feel that there is  an agenda against Villa.  to make tonight better for me Arsenal are beating Chelsea.   

[Fazilla]

Magnificent team performance. What is really pleasing is that the fringe players such as AEG, Hause and Traore have all made a contribution. There is real competition for places now.

[Annoyman]

I think Palace fans are aggrieved that they didn't get a penalty or at least a corner, but I don't think Cash needs to play the ball for that to not be a pen, or at least not clear-cut enough for VAR to overturn. Van Aanholt also moved sideways into Cash's leg more than he moved towards the ball so he wasn't really denied much of an opportunity from what I saw

Anyway Palace were dogshit and wouldn't have scored if they were still playing now lol

Edited December 26, 2020 by Annoyman