Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Wolves

[Nigel]

Probably a fair result in the end, big chances missed from both sides.

The difference in the halves was stark.  We outworked them first half, barely gave them a kick. Second half Wolves stepped it up and we lost the midfield battle.

The bigger problem is we just look bereft of ideas going forward if we havnt scored inside the first hour. We just look like ticking boxes from then on, take down ball, pass down wing, lose ball up front. Its a mental problem we need to change, but this could be helped with better timed subs.

All in all another clean sheet so its not all bad, but this gives credence to the the fact we are far too heavily reliant on Jack going forward.

 

Edited March 6, 2021 by Nigel

[RobSpain]

One of the wealthiest clubs in the country and we couldn’t sign another striker in January because “Wes will be back soon” FFS what were they thinking?

 

[Niall]

Fair result. 

Good games from Emi, Konsa , Elmo and thought Sanson looked very promising. 

[Panto_Villan]

2 minutes ago, flashingqwerty said:

A lot more players

I think having Grealish and Cash in that team would make a big difference tbh. We don't need a lot more players, we just need another couple that we can talk about in the same way as Martinez or Cash (or ideally like Grealish!)

[Junxs]

I said in the pre-match thread, since the Covid outbreak we have forgotten how to play football.. that our tactics are just lump it forward whether that's Martinez or Mings.

For a moment in the first 20 minutes it felt like we rediscovered something, but after that it was back to lump it forward again. We really are an eyesore right now, with or without Grealish.

[Kiwivillan]

2 minutes ago, bcarpet said:

I just don't understand what's gone wrong. We've stopped playing football

Grealish and Cash are our two best players. It's not rocket science

[tonyh29]

More dross , I’m glad we got our points on the board early as we playing as bad as we did for  most of last season .Second  half must be the worst football I’ve seen since the McLeish era 

Watkins looked to be the only one really trying up front , I worked up more of a sweat than Traore when I walked to the kitchen to grab a biscuit . 
 

Defensively we look pretty solid and It’s pretty safe that we aren’t going down so lets work on some creative options for next season and see more of Ramsey , Sanson and maybe some of the promising youngsters 

Trez and Barkely shouldn’t be playing for us next season so leave them in the stands 

Edited March 6, 2021 by tonyh29

[Rodders]

40 points by beginning of march. 

A fair point, we were poor in the second half. We need new creative outlets. But we are a solid mid table side, nothing more though. Only way of getting further is Jack jump staritng us again with electric performances. However, a top 10 finish, is still groovy if we get that, in the context of how we started, we'll feel wistful at missing out on doing better but hey ho. 

We got away with Saiss miss so let's take the point, and please can we **** batter newcastle

[BleedClaretAndBlue]

Game of missed sitters. Konsa twice for us, Saiss and Coady for them.

We genuinely have 2 world class players at the club in Jack and Emi, get our recruitment right in the summer and it will be very exciting times ahead. What more can you say about Emi, truly sublime that save. 14 clean sheets now- going to smash the club record in his first season.

I think you add Cash and Jack back into that lineup taking out Elmo and Trez and thats us moving forward. Liked Sanson a lot, gave us control in midfield that we’ve lacked of late.

Poor today - Douglas, Traore, Barkley

Positives - Another clean sheet, Mings was ok to continue. 40 points. Hopefully get injured players back.

Fair result in the end, we should have scored first half, they should have 2nd

goals harder to come by lately, but defence have been good to compensate and keep us picking up points. UTV

[foreveryoung]

If that's what we are to expect from a team which has improved so much this season, I suppose I'm gonna be a little disappointed. If Smith is the manager most thinks he is, an I'm not saying he isn't. I think he has settled for midtable this season and not to bothered to push on.

[Rightdm00]

2 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

Most predictable nil-nil is nil-nil shocker.

I thought we were very good in the first half, full of energy and running - that side plus Grealish and Cash is very good indeed.

Second half we lost all our fluency and let Wolves have far too much of the ball - we nearly paid the price for that but luckily we have the best keeper in the league and Wolves don't put the ball in the net either.

I felt overall we edged it although the second half wasn't pretty - aa shame Konsa hadn't got his shooting boots with him.

Nothing to get too upset about, biggest thing for me is hoping Sanson is okay, because that midfield three works - it could be a problem solved.

 

 

That midfield 3 with Jack out wide is a winner. A fresh Jack and Cash to finish the season will get us to 55 points. I can feel it. 

[Lerner's Driver]

4 minutes ago, tomav84 said:

Could've just as easily won as could've lost. Take the point and go again 

Inspiring stuff. Is that you Paul?

[M_Afro]

This was a prime example of how Dean keeps getting the midfield balance wrong. First half we played well. We controlled the game and should have been 2 or 3 up at half time. 
Second half, as soon as Barkley came on, we lost the centre of the park and almost the game along with it.

My view is, if you want to play Bert and Ross, then you need two absolute beasts sat behind them. We don’t have those players and thus you must sacrifice one of them for an extra traditional centre mid.

Dean is a very slow learner but he has proven that every time the season stops he has a review and gets things right after a period of reflection.

[Kiwivillan]

1 minute ago, RobSpain said:

One of the wealthiest clubs in the country and we couldn’t sign another striker in January because “Wes will be back soon” FFS what were they thinking?

 

We don't play 2 strikers just like +80% of PL clubs

[WooJung]

How on earth do we struggle to string two bloody passes together? Pathetic second half, we played as if we were defending a bloody lead.

Jack missing isn't an excuse. It's OK to rely on him for creating chances. It's not ok to have to rely on your left winger to be able to keep the ball for more than 10 seconds. 

Something is wrong in midfield, they are absolutely clueless as to how to carry the ball forward. It's always either centre-back to full-back to winger, or it's long ball to watkins. We're useless through the middle and that needs sorting. 

Credit to Barkley for creating the best chance in the game. Shame it was for the wrong team. 

[brummybloke]

Shows the difference having sanson in the middle in first half, we look solid created chances and were the dominant team. Gets a knock just before half time and then barkley is brought on. Only thing he did was gift wolves a golden chance.

He needs leaving out completely, like against Leeds, we won.

As soon as he came on we are then left with both traore and barkley on the pitch, something that very clearly rarely if ever works.

Davis was as threatening as always, as in he isn't.

We need to be looking toward the younger players if we can't rely on some of the senior players.

Another 2 points chucked away, good job first half of the season we got as many points as we did because at this rate we are chucking several millions  down the drain through league position let alone the outside chance we had of europe

[bcarpet]

Just now, Kiwivillan said:

Grealish and Cash are our two best players. It's not rocket science

I'd counter that with we haven't been playing the same sort of football we were in the first 10 games before they both got injured, so I disagree with you there that that's the reason why

[Rightdm00]

2 minutes ago, RobSpain said:

One of the wealthiest clubs in the country and we couldn’t sign another striker in January because “Wes will be back soon” FFS what were they thinking?

 

Completely ignoring FFP and the financial realities of COVID but go off have a useless pop. 

[Paul33]

Top six first 45 minutes, bottom six second 45 minutes. Key man ..... McGinn 10/10 first 45 minutes and ...... did he go off at half time ? Luiz a liability ..... get rid now !

[Kiwivillan]

Draw against Wolves is not a bad result.