Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Leicester

[bose]

1 minute ago, stewiek2 said:

Without Jack there is no energy or momentum. Barkley clearly isn't match fit. Cash has an intent to his play that Elmo doesn't have. Not Elmo's fault, first start and not up to speed. Emi could have and should have stopped both goals tbh. Ollie feeding off scraps. The 3 week covid break has really Ballsed up momentum. This season every time we get some momentum something happens. Whether this covid break and before new year constant international breaks when we have a big win. Matty Targett best player by a mile today.

How long does that take? I think he’s just unfit and lazy.

[Philosopher]

Well that was disappointing. 2-1 could have worse. As Jack was out, we never were really going to  e able to win it.

Leicester finished the match with 4 defensive midfielders on the pitch, I didn't think they looked desperate at all though.

Lax defending at the start of the game and the midfield being too easy to play saw us  carved open.

Targett put in a number of good deliveries so I'll give him man of the match. 

I 

[foreveryoung]

Gotta stop these late subs, game changed when subs came on, earlier subs an you never know??

[sheepyvillian]

5 minutes ago, Mantis said:

Under the circumstances (missing Grealish and Cash, up against one of the best teams in the league), I'm not too disappointed. Thought we'd carry on sinking when they went 2-0 up but we did ok after that.

I think that's a great point. We would have crumbled in the same position last season. 

There is certainly room for a lot of improvement, though. 

[stewiek2]

4 minutes ago, Keener window-cleaner said:

Ramsey and Sanson, shows we have a couple of players with energy and running, willing to make a mark. They have earned a start.

This. We lacked energy til they came on. At one point a loose ball that the Leicester player was odds on to get Ramsey got there first.

[tomav84]

good reaction 2nd half. need to take those positives to leeds

[Agbonla-score]

1 minute ago, HanoiVillan said:

Definitely don't 'have to' do that!

It’s either that or make the dinner and I’m hoping the wife gets up before I do 

[sheepyvillian]

This substitution lark is starting to become a bit lame.

[OutByEaster?]

I'm not too disappointed with that - I think the shape was better, I think the performance was improved.

Leicester are a very good team, but I thought we were the better side in the second half and in the end maybe slightly unlucky not to get something out of the game.

I though McGinn had a good game, Luiz was fine too, Barkley gave us more energy, he played in a better position, but still gives the ball away far too often. Traore was good and I thought El Ghazi was better than Trez. Sanson was neat and tidy and I thought Ramsey did really well when he came on - he's got to be pushing Barkley for a start, and I think it's time.

The centre backs were fine, maybe Mings could have closed down better for the first goal but he did really well with Vardy in the second half. Targett was excellent I thought, he's good going forward and he's good defending, he's got a lot of energy and a really good attitude.

For me, Elmo was our weak point, Barnes took him to pieces and he didn't look like he had the legs to get back if he went forward, it might just be sharpness as he's not played a lot of football of late, but he looked off the pace - bringing in Kesler would be a big risk and I think we probably have to give Elmo one more game. Kesler has a lot of potential and I wouldn't be against him coming in. 

If Cash plays today we get something out of that game. We missed him more than we missed Grealish.

I don't think we were too bad - Leicester don't get enough credit for how good they are - the midfield still needs work but I thought was improved - it's a defeat, but not one that requires any particular panic.

 

[villalad21]

We are Grealish FC

No point denying it.

Look completely lost of creativity without him

[srsmithusa]

If Barkley was sulking because he was frustrated and embarrassed about his own performance I can live with that.  If he was sulking his way around the pitch because he thought he shouldn't be off, I would cancel the loan and send him home.  Dean got us promoted, then scraped us to stay up, then has us comfortably mid-table.  But his starting line-up today was an error.

We tried to make up for Grealish by having McGinn push farther forward which put Luiz holding alone.  If we have one DM that needs to be Nakamba, disrupting is his strength.   Luiz was just overrun by numbers.  

We looked better in second half because they changed to sitting back and trying to hit vardy on the break.

[Rodders]

Dear Dean.

For the 5th time, drop underperforming favourites. PLEASE.

Sanson and Ramsay to start. Or Nakamba. Or all 3. Barkley and McGinn need a .month on the sidelines to reflect on their shite performances.

[HanoiVillan]

2 minutes ago, Agbonla-score said:

It’s either that or make the dinner and I’m hoping the wife gets up before I do 

Highly relateable content TBH.

[PaulC]

The game was lost in the first half. 

[Nigel]

Wrong team put out at the start!

You can get away with big holes if you have Grealish in your team to throw a teams shape out. As it was we needed the midfield shoring up.

Barkley tried, but we cant carry him as we are.

Traore needs to play higher up the pitch, hes the most creative player we have without our captain, and he can be a liability when relied on to defend.

Missed cash too as Barnes had a field day, but you cant moan too much about injuries, they happen and you have to adapt.

Kudos to Dean what he said at half time as we made a game of it it but the game was already lost by then, the damage had been done 1st half.

 

[Khizzy]

Although we did score quite early on in the second half, the subs should have really been made at half time to really freshen up the team and to breathe life into the team who looked tired and devoid of any ideas by that point.

Whilst we improved a little in the second half, Leicester didn't really look like they were in any danger of losing the match.

Badly missed Jack today and Barkley plays like he doesn't give a crap any more.

[bannedfromHandV]

Concerning that Leicester can play an away game in Europe 3 days ago and still look fresher and more energetic, they started to fade around the 75th minute I thought whereas we lacked energy for most of the game.

 

Barkley is offering very little, Luiz and McGinn seem less effective too so that’s our entire midfield struggling, time to mix it up and start Ramsey and Sanson against Leeds.

[El Zen]

We’re far too quick to call players lazy. It’s almost never actually about laziness. Lack of focus, maybe, but it’s almost never about not caring or not being bothered. 

[Dale]

Also TV here pointed out foul throw n integral to their second goal. Castagne had about 6-7 jump throws today. I'd say around 50% of throws in this league are fouls

[Agbonla-score]

2 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

I'm not too disappointed with that - I think the shape was better, I think the performance was improved.

Leicester are a very good team, but I thought we were the better side in the second half and in the end maybe slightly unlucky not to get something out of the game.

I though McGinn had a good game, Luiz was fine too, Barkley gave us more energy, he played in a better position, but still gives the ball away far too often. Traore was good and I thought El Ghazi was better than Trez. Sanson was neat and tidy and I thought Ramsey did really well when he came on - he's got to be pushing Barkley for a start, and I think it's time.

The centre backs were fine, maybe Mings could have closed down better for the first goal but he did really well with Vardy in the second half. Targett was excellent I thought, he's good going forward and he's good defending, he's got a lot of energy and a really good attitude.

For me, Elmo was our weak point, Barnes took him to pieces and he didn't look like he had the legs to get back if he went forward, it might just be sharpness as he's not played a lot of football of late, but he looked off the pace - bringing in Kesler would be a big risk and I think we probably have to give Elmo one more game. Kesler has a lot of potential and I wouldn't be against him coming in. 

If Cash plays today we get something out of that game. We missed him more than we missed Grealish.

I don't think we were too bad - Leicester don't get enough credit for how good they are - the midfield still needs work but I thought was improved - it's a defeat, but not one that requires any particular panic.

 

All good apart from the comment about McGinn. If we are satisfied with a midfielder’s performance because he puts himself about but doesn’t do anything with the ball, we might as well invite Thor back into a midfield.

Surely we can expect more from our midfielders than that