Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Wolves

[AVTuco]

I'm happy I don't need to be worried during games. I can just enjoy good football like today.

[Vive_La_Villa]

1 minute ago, briny_ear said:

I’ve been at this since 1961, i.e 60 years! Apart from 1976-1983, GT Mk 1, and some good seasons in the 1990s under Big Ron and Brian Little, it’s all been fairly miserable stuff. 

But, hey, I’m a Villa fan! I can’t give up just because I’m miserable.

 

 

Im delighted with the season. It’s the constant negativity of some of the fans I can’t get my head around.  That second half was poor but we deserved a points against a good in form team. We are on 40 points and have 2 of our best players to return.  If it still feels like constant doom and gloom to people then I wonder why they bother.

[Delphinho123]

5 minutes ago, M_Afro said:

Neto is such a good player. If we signed him, Bissouma and St Maximin we would be a top 6 team

He really is. He’ll go onto big things, no question. I doubt he’ll be at Wolves next season, not with Mendes having links to some top clubs. 

[thunderball]

Reading this I think there is a bit of an over-reaction again. Yes it’s disappointing. We got our mojo back first half, looked bright, interchanges crisp and instinctive, defensive formation was very, very good, created a few decent chances.

Barkley failed to assert himself in a half where everyone was struggling to move and string passes together, we kept looking for the long outlet for Watkins down the LHS but it was scruffy at best, I can’t blame Barkley as the game was gone for us as a team by then, but he didn’t seize the chance to impose himself on the game.

Martinez is awesome. Watkins is a really very good player, we have a real gem there, his all round game, balance, technical ability and physicality is top drawer, if he adds more goals he is a very coveted forward at this level, amongst the best. Mings and Konsa awesome tonight, loved Mings acceleration and robust clearance to snuff out Neto.

Targett’s early distribution was poor but he picked up and is one of our best players nowadays, for me he is one of the best full backs in the division: always wanting, very good defensively now, and transitions into a midfielder/winger very well. He has clever feet and is quick of thought too,I can see him in an England shirt this year.

McGinn getting back to his busy best; Sanson looks useful, just needs more time with his new team mates. Trez was very busy bless him.

We miss jack, the team is set up to exploit him and we miss his magic and inventiveness, all our movement and threat comes from his unorthodox play at heart of our mixer. Barkley is definitely one who plays well with him as they both have that X-factor, except Jack is a 10X-factor.

Gives me hope for next season, another quality forward and an upgrade on Trez would make a big difference.

[Teale's 'tache]

Thought it was curious set up by Wolves, don't think I've ever seen Neto on the right and Traore on the left before, pitching their best winger against our best fullback and their most out of form winger against our stand in fullback on the other side didn't really do them any favours. Although they switched briefly in the second half it's hard to understand why they persisted with it. Most of the threat they posed came from set pieces or our own mistakes.

It was also odd that they seemed intent on making Martinez knock it over their wingers heads to the full backs from our own goal kicks, odd because Martinez is entirely capable of doing so and coped without issue, and also because it stretched the midfield where we outnumbered them. This meant first half we had plenty of space in the middle and made good use of it.

Second half this happened noticeably less, a combination of that, Wolves closing those gaps in midfield and Sanson going off really swayed the game in their favour. Credit to Nuno for changing it, unfortunate for us that Sanson had to go off as the midfield battle was then completely lost.

Fair point in the end, and not the worst performance considering the bodies we have missing. Worrying injuries though, we'll have to see how they pan out, but losing El Ghazi before the game, Sanson and Bert during, and Mings going down towards the end are certainly cause for concern... 

Edited March 6, 2021 by Teale's 'tache
typo in my typo

[briny_ear]

2 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Im delighted with the season. It’s the constant negativity of some of the fans I can’t get my head around.  That second half was poor but we deserved a points against a good in form team. We are on 40 points and have 2 of our best players to return.  If it still feels like constant doom and gloom to people then I wonder why they bother.

I think Villa fans are a fairly gloomy lot and have been over the many years I’ve been following the club.

That’s slightly different from one or two posters who seem to make negative comments for effect, who I tend to ignore.

However, I think for most Villa fans, if the sun is shining it shows there’s a cloud on the way. I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

[thunderball]

34 minutes ago, fruitvilla said:

What I have noticed is Villa gives the opposition a lot of space. Villa don't seem to pressure the opposition like they do us.

We did first half, we were very busy pressing. Dropped off completely second half.

[The Fun Factory]

It's always good to get some perspective on these boards.....

4 points in a week is fine. It could be better, it could be a lot worse like last season. If we beaten Shef Utd and lost to Leeds the negativity would be a lost less imo.

We have dropped off performance wise since our covid outbreak, and losing Grealish is clearly a big disadvantage.Which team wouldn't miss their talisman?

We are still fighting and being competitive in this league.  We are picking up points even though we are not playing very well,,  last season that certainly did not happen. Our defence is very good but the goals has dried up. It is disappointing that the midfield outside of El Ghazi and Traore scoring any goals.

BBC report makes me laugh european chance another blow, season going to a whimper etc. I think all of us would have been delighted with a top 10 this season and that could still happen. We have effectively finished 25th and 17th in our last 2 seasons. Was 6 or 7th really realistic? Its all about expectations. I admit around christmas time I did dream of Europe but we are not really ready for that yet. Lets get a solid position this year and build again in the summer. UTV.

[fruitvilla]

1 minute ago, thunderball said:

We did first half, we were very busy pressing. Dropped off completely second half.

Don't disagree, but this has seemed true for the last few games, especially wide.

[briny_ear]

3 minutes ago, thunderball said:

We did first half, we were very busy pressing. Dropped off completely second half.

That’s what made this match a bit odd. It was like we put out a different side second half with different personnel, tactics and confidence/mental attitude. And yet, weirdly, they were the same players.

Edited March 6, 2021 by briny_ear

[Tommo_b]

Cannot state how important Matty Cash is to this team, he puts in a hell of a cross and attaching supply. 
 

Not just missing Grealish. 

[Zhan_Zhuang]

"Game of two halves, Saint".

Martinez, where would we be without. Probably another relegation scrap!

A season that started so well looks like fizzling out, it's unfortunate.

We need to spend again as we cannot rely on some of these players.

Did we have a shot on target?

[skell]

1 hour ago, PieFacE said:

Poor. But could have easily won that. Things just not clicking for us going forward.

The question is why. We obviously lack someone who can beat a man for skill or pace

[skell]

1 hour ago, pacbuddies said:

A pathetic performance. No Jack = Smith clueless.

Ridiculous.  We have no other options

[lapal_fan]

Unlucky in front of goal and lucky at the back.  Probably deserved a draw on balance.

That said, why we continue to drop deeper and deeper at the latter stages and cannot put two passes together, apart from hoofing the ball 40 yards down the line, is very frustrating to watch.

6/10 performance, Martinez and Watkins, Sari and Mings making up the majority of that score.

[fruitvilla]

4 minutes ago, Zhan_Zhuang said:

Did we have a shot on target?

I have always shaken my head at this ... a shot comfortably into a goalkeeper's arms is rated higher than a shot that beats the goalkeeper but not the post or crossbar?

[skell]

1 hour ago, PaulC said:

Why does he get a free ride on here. People having a go at Barkley and he was poor when he came on but what exactly did Traore do all game. One cross in the first half. 

Barkley, Luiz and Traore awful tonight

[Zhan_Zhuang]

2 minutes ago, fruitvilla said:

I have always shaken my head at this ... a shot comfortably into a goalkeeper's arms is rated higher than a shot that beats the goalkeeper but not the post or crossbar?

True, it's often perplexed me also.

The effort from Watkins against the bar deserved a goal.

[skell]

40 minutes ago, thunderball said:

Reading this I think there is a bit of an over-reaction again. Yes it’s disappointing. We got our mojo back first half, looked bright, interchanges crisp and instinctive, defensive formation was very, very good, created a few decent chances.

Barkley failed to assert himself in a half where everyone was struggling to move and string passes together, we kept looking for the long outlet for Watkins down the LHS but it was scruffy at best, I can’t blame Barkley as the game was gone for us as a team by then, but he didn’t seize the chance to impose himself on the game.

Martinez is awesome. Watkins is a really very good player, we have a real gem there, his all round game, balance, technical ability and physicality is top drawer, if he adds more goals he is a very coveted forward at this level, amongst the best. Mings and Konsa awesome tonight, loved Mings acceleration and robust clearance to snuff out Neto.

Targett’s early distribution was poor but he picked up and is one of our best players nowadays, for me he is one of the best full backs in the division: always wanting, very good defensively now, and transitions into a midfielder/winger very well. He has clever feet and is quick of thought too,I can see him in an England shirt this year.

McGinn getting back to his busy best; Sanson looks useful, just needs more time with his new team mates. Trez was very busy bless him.

We miss jack, the team is set up to exploit him and we miss his magic and inventiveness, all our movement and threat comes from his unorthodox play at heart of our mixer. Barkley is definitely one who plays well with him as they both have that X-factor, except Jack is a 10X-factor.

Gives me hope for next season, another quality forward and an upgrade on Trez would make a big difference.

This is it. We are not far away. We.need a direct winger and another striker and a ball winning midfielder.   Anyone with pace who can get past a.man. harrison? Daniel James.not the best but attainable?

[Vancvillan]

2 hours ago, pacbuddies said:

Sheepyvillian you're talking out of your arse. Find me a post where I said Bruce was a good appointment!