Ratings & Reactions: Newcastle v Villa

[rjw63]

1 hour ago, Lochheads twin said:

Disappointing but not sure we deserved maximum points. Oh, how i would have loved to have been waking up above Liverpool this morning!

Jim Bowen sums it up for us 3-2-1. 3 winnable games, 2 points & only 1 goal. says it all. Not quite super, smashing, great!

Sanson needs to be starting in midfield. Hopefully we can begin to control the ball more. For a few weeks now Ollie has looked fatigued but we currently have no viable alternative.

With only one more game this month, we should get a chance to regroup, get Jack & Matty back and get ready for some tough games on the run in. We will then have an opportunity to assess where we are and what we need.

Onwards!

[VillaFaninLondon]

45 minutes ago, Louis said:

Yes we have been totally reliant on Grealish.

Likewise, we need to have a few stars not just rely on one person (Grealish) but I’m not sure we’ve got the money to afford them.

I’ve said before I thought Barkley and Grealish would be a good duo together. That has clearly not worked. I also think Barkley could have an attitude problem.

If we were relegated last season, Jack would’ve gone full stop. There was no way he would’ve played again in the Championship. We were lucky to have kept him when we were in the Championship a few seasons ago.

We were playing quite poorly before he got injured actually, I think I've only seen Villa play really well in an attacking sense once since that COVID outbreak, away at Burnley (and we still lost). But he gives us that something extra even if he's not having his best game.

 

Barkley has been a big disappointment for me too. His first couple of months were good, but this year his output has been appalling and he's lost the ball many times which have nearly cost us goals. It simply ain't good enough for a recognised England international and a player on over £100K at Chelsea. 

 

I don't agree with you that we haven't got the money to afford proven top quality players, I think we have, though where we may have an issue is FFP and convincing the players to come (and having to give them a lucrative contract to entice them here). 

 

Up front is also an issue because Watkins was shocking last night and didn't deserve to stay on for the full 90 but we've only got Davis to come on who should have been moved on last summer. Even though some aren't sure of it, if we have a chance to sign Tammy this summer we should definitely go for it to give Watkins proper competition (hopefully Wesley and young Barry will provide that next season too).

 

Of course Jack would have gone if we'd gone down, but I think he'll stay for next season because we should finish where he was told the aim was (8th-12th). But we will need to push on next season and he must be frustrated watching us play because right now we are a complete bore fest. 

[sheepyvillian]

13 hours ago, HanoiVillan said:

I guess it was 'entertaining' in the way watching two drunk blokes wrestling outside a pub after closing time is 'entertaining'. There was absolutely no quality on the ball, that's for sure.

More annoying than the result is that I seem to have clicked on the wrong button and made Mings man on the match, which to be clear he absolutely wasn't. How did Joelinton have the better of him for strength?

So angry at Barkley's bad, lazy performance, genuinely a lost cause and I hate that we bring him on every game.

In the end, the draw was a fair result as you say.

Joe Linton doesn't exactly look like he lacks strength.  Skill and goalscoring ability, maybe, but not strength. 

[striker]

Last few games have shown the lack of depth in the Villa squad when injuries hit. But you have to remember Villa’s squad is full of the same players that were purchased to get out of the Championship with a few exceptions. It takes time to build a better squad to compete and cement your place in the Premiership.

Last night’s game was played using almost the same players that struggled so badly last season hence the performance.

Villa are safe and can now plan to improve the squad for next season but as I’ve stated elsewhere it’s imperative that Grealish stays to send the right message out to potential quality purchases in the summer.

I also feel once Villa have a refreshed Grealish and Cash back in the side with Traore you will see better performances from the team and more goals.

[AntrimBlack]

We were lucky to get a point from that game, and Newcastle can be rightly disappointed not to have won it.

That is how poor we were. And we have been for too many games now.

We are not a one man team. We have Martinez, Konsa, Cash, Watkins, Targett and Mings. But it is becoming obvious with each succeeding game how important Grealish is, and that will have to be addressed.

Konsa was MOM for me, with the worst game he has played for us. Says it all.

 

[The Fun Factory]

2 hours ago, striker said:

Last few games have shown the lack of depth in the Villa squad when injuries hit. But you have to remember Villa’s squad is full of the same players that were purchased to get out of the Championship with a few exceptions. It takes time to build a better squad to compete and cement your place in the Premiership.

Last night’s game was played using almost the same players that struggled so badly last season hence the performance.

Villa are safe and can now plan to improve the squad for next season but as I’ve stated elsewhere it’s imperative that Grealish stays to send the right message out to potential quality purchases in the summer.

I also feel once Villa have a refreshed Grealish and Cash back in the side with Traore you will see better performances from the team and more goals.

That far too sensible comments for Villa Talk. I want mass hysteria.

[villalad21]

17 hours ago, TRO said:

That was Luiz in a mis match with Lascelles at the front post .....He was outmuscled for their other big moment too, when Murphy hit the bar.

I thought he was good in large parts but showed his weakness in key moments of the game.

As you said, outmuscled. Not strong enough or tall enough to be a DM.

I'd be amazed if he plays in this position throughout his career. Even Kante a great ballwinner seem to be moved into cm by different managers. Just isn't big or strong enough.

Edited March 13, 2021 by villalad21

[Mister_a]

Voted Traore MOM as he was on the pitch the least amount of time.

I think we’re at least 2-3 transfer windows from competing properly for Europe in the prem.

We’ve been carried to a certain extent by Grealish, and the better buys, Martinez, Cash etc. Watkins is still a work in progress, and his goal tally will improve once we get rid / replace our abysmal wingers. 

Midfield balance is an issue, the only experiment left is to drop McGinn, and play a mix of Luiz, Nakamba, Samson and Ramsey (I’m not including Barkley as he’s turd and won’t be here next season hopefully). 

We need back ups for both Targett and Cash, and a second striker. (Whether that is Wesley, I’m still not convinced, or a new purchase). Either way, Davies is never going to score goals, so send him on loan / get rid.

So realistically, that’s quite a lot to spend, 2 new good wingers, a striker (who strikes), left and right back understudies, plus maybe some better midfielders (I’d replace Nakamba with a good DM, but they also aren’t cheap).

Once we’ve got all that in place, maybe we can learn how to actually move off the ball, train throw ins , not do garbage corners etc, and look like an actual team.

We revert to hoofing crosses in so much at the moment, and it’s just a sign of lack of ideas, our build up play is really slowed down by our midfield (especially when Barkley slows things down to figure out what to do next, by which time they have two banks of four behind the ball), so there’s a lot of things to be happy about, but a lot of work to do also.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and we were painfully close to relegation last season. It’s nice for us to have a breather to a certain extent, when you consider how stressful the last 5-7 seasons have been for the club. 
 

[Dave-R]

Crap game should of won but if you can't see out a game you most likely don't deserve the 3 points.

I see some going on about Rome wasn't built in a day or it takes time for things to be built and while that its correct you also have to see the bar that our players set earlier in the season. You can't go trashing Liverpool and beating some of the big clubs like we did as well as putting in amazing performances that were not expected, then all of a sudden when the ball is dropped and the beer has gone flat don't expect there to be criticism.

Rome for us was built the moment our players decided to start ass whooping teams we certainly never expected to beat because of how last season went. Most fans thought were going to have a more comfortable season, we didn't expect to see much ass kicking like we did.

Smith should be demanding that they get out there and prove they have some butt whooping left in them, we were fast, frantic, moved instantly and wasn't waiting on anything. We completely did many a team over earlier this season so what has happened now because we've lost that edge.

Smith is being abit to soft on them I think but there's no proof of it, although he tells them he's not happy with there performances and they don't deserve the win but there has to be more of a serious side than that when we put in crap shifts.

Nobody new there place was safe earlier in the season and I think some players believe there position is all to safe (odd exceptions). I think to rest first teams especially when they do not perform we can't be using them every game of the season without rotation. We have to accept that there must be rotation and that depth between the fringe squad and first team isn't a choice, that we are very limited yet bad performances are bad performances and must be dealt with. The only choice I see is to show a player that they are not beyond the cut and if they dont give it there all during a game is that they will get pulled even if Youth has to be selected to replace them. I bet you would see far less performances like we did yesterday and the past load of games since our Covid scare. I am not Smith though so like everyone else I do not know what he says or how he deals with it when it comes to flat Beers but I do feel that he could be being to soft and some times you have to be cruel to be kind.

 

[Dave-R]

6 hours ago, VillaFaninLondon said:

We were playing quite poorly before he got injured actually, I think I've only seen Villa play really well in an attacking sense once since that COVID outbreak, away at Burnley (and we still lost). But he gives us that something extra even if he's not having his best game.

 

Barkley has been a big disappointment for me too. His first couple of months were good, but this year his output has been appalling and he's lost the ball many times which have nearly cost us goals. It simply ain't good enough for a recognised England international and a player on over £100K at Chelsea. 

 

I don't agree with you that we haven't got the money to afford proven top quality players, I think we have, though where we may have an issue is FFP and convincing the players to come (and having to give them a lucrative contract to entice them here). 

 

Up front is also an issue because Watkins was shocking last night and didn't deserve to stay on for the full 90 but we've only got Davis to come on who should have been moved on last summer. Even though some aren't sure of it, if we have a chance to sign Tammy this summer we should definitely go for it to give Watkins proper competition (hopefully Wesley and young Barry will provide that next season too).

 

Of course Jack would have gone if we'd gone down, but I think he'll stay for next season because we should finish where he was told the aim was (8th-12th). But we will need to push on next season and he must be frustrated watching us play because right now we are a complete bore fest. 

We have Barry, let him play his normal time with the U23s and play abit of game time with the first team when he subs off Watkins. Making that Move has a fair few pros especially how it gives Barry more experience and it saves on Money that could be better put to use buy two new ace world class players. All we have to do then is by two Wingers who can at least service Watkins and Barry.

While we do not know how Wesley is going to go and how he's going to play it would also be wise to hold off on signing a striker, so for me Barry used makes even more sense.

Sell Davis, he's never going to score as a striker and I've said it many a time he would be better utilised in another position but Smith won't do it and some of you fans don't agree with it. He doesn't have the Killer Instinct in front of goal so why put him there at all it makes no sense, especially not no more when we need cutting edge from all our players and players who can at anytime if they turn up score.

[KenjiOgiwara]

5 hours ago, Mister_a said:

Voted Traore MOM as he was on the pitch the least amount of time.

This is when you know it's been a good 90 minutes of football

[VillaFaninLondon]

13 hours ago, Dave-R said:

We have Barry, let him play his normal time with the U23s and play abit of game time with the first team when he subs off Watkins. Making that Move has a fair few pros especially how it gives Barry more experience and it saves on Money that could be better put to use buy two new ace world class players. All we have to do then is by two Wingers who can at least service Watkins and Barry.

While we do not know how Wesley is going to go and how he's going to play it would also be wise to hold off on signing a striker, so for me Barry used makes even more sense.

Sell Davis, he's never going to score as a striker and I've said it many a time he would be better utilised in another position but Smith won't do it and some of you fans don't agree with it. He doesn't have the Killer Instinct in front of goal so why put him there at all it makes no sense, especially not no more when we need cutting edge from all our players and players who can at anytime if they turn up score.

Yeah, I'd have Barry on the bench over Davis, but Barry is only 17. He does look like a young Michael Owen/Jamie Vardy type and looks a real natural finisher, but we can't be pinning our hopes on him for a few years yet. 

 

And while I agree we need to fund moves in other positions, I still think a striker is needed. At the moment the order of strikers at the club is:

1) Watkins (plays 90 mins every game, puts in an awful lot of effort off the ball, but technically for me isn't great and mis-controls the ball often, and misses far too many chances, plus tends to score in spells and can go weeks and weeks without scoring and we need his scoring to be more consistent)

2) Wesley (still 2nd in pecking order when he's fit I'd say, we have no idea how he's going to come back after his injury, he'll be in contention for the matchday squad after a few under 23s games, but jury is completely out with him)

3) Davis (Barry should be 3rd choice really but Smith picks Davis, hold up play is alright but he's not good enough, hasn't scored a goal in the league for 3 and a half years when we were in the Championship, either sell him or loan him out, he's no use to us)

4) Barry (great prospect but still very young, given our dire striker options though there is absolutely no harm in including him in matchday squads from here on in)

 

Now we only play one up front, but Tammy is likely to be sold this summer given he's not even on the bench for Chelsea these days. He loved his time here, the fans love him, he's young and in the England squad, OK he does miss chances too but he's proven himself in this league already (15 goals last season) and will really boost our forward line. It seems like West Ham are another serious option for him, we mustn't let him go to them and potentially improve a rival if we have an opportunity to get him. 

[Dave-R]

1 hour ago, VillaFaninLondon said:

Yeah, I'd have Barry on the bench over Davis, but Barry is only 17. He does look like a young Michael Owen/Jamie Vardy type and looks a real natural finisher, but we can't be pinning our hopes on him for a few years yet. 

 

And while I agree we need to fund moves in other positions, I still think a striker is needed. At the moment the order of strikers at the club is:

1) Watkins (plays 90 mins every game, puts in an awful lot of effort off the ball, but technically for me isn't great and mis-controls the ball often, and misses far too many chances, plus tends to score in spells and can go weeks and weeks without scoring and we need his scoring to be more consistent)

2) Wesley (still 2nd in pecking order when he's fit I'd say, we have no idea how he's going to come back after his injury, he'll be in contention for the matchday squad after a few under 23s games, but jury is completely out with him)

3) Davis (Barry should be 3rd choice really but Smith picks Davis, hold up play is alright but he's not good enough, hasn't scored a goal in the league for 3 and a half years when we were in the Championship, either sell him or loan him out, he's no use to us)

4) Barry (great prospect but still very young, given our dire striker options though there is absolutely no harm in including him in matchday squads from here on in)

 

Now we only play one up front, but Tammy is likely to be sold this summer given he's not even on the bench for Chelsea these days. He loved his time here, the fans love him, he's young and in the England squad, OK he does miss chances too but he's proven himself in this league already (15 goals last season) and will really boost our forward line. It seems like West Ham are another serious option for him, we mustn't let him go to them and potentially improve a rival if we have an opportunity to get him. 

No 4 is why I would have Barry for the time being as our second, he makes it there because of our circumstances. For all we know he maybe the perfect answer, we won't know unless we try though and till summer we should certainly give Barry the Nod.

Tammy and Watkins at the same club, I would be sold in this and both have an eye for a goal, we would be set for a very long time and have two young strikers maturing under Villa.

Edited March 14, 2021 by Dave-R

[Dave-R]

2 hours ago, VillaFaninLondon said:

Now we only play one up front, but Tammy is likely to be sold this summer given he's not even on the bench for Chelsea these days. He loved his time here, the fans love him, he's young and in the England squad, OK he does miss chances too but he's proven himself in this league already (15 goals last season) and will really boost our forward line. It seems like West Ham are another serious option for him, we mustn't let him go to them and potentially improve a rival if we have an opportunity to get him. 

Tammy going to West ham would be a disaster for many. We know he works for us but if he ended up at a Rival you just know he's going to work out and be a total annoyance. Players who we fail to sign that we were interested in usually do show up against us. We didn't even play the Smith way properly when we had Tammy, we was just starting and he still managed to light that league up. Sure he does abit but he does score and he's very good at also doingwhat Watkins does which is running around and doing defensive duty as much as offensive, he makes a nuisance of himself. Having Watkins and Tammy would be excellent and while some say he wouldn't come here due to him wanting first team football, I think is not the entire picture.

When you can provide a player with the contract he wants and tell them he will play some games first some games second, yet he would see an equal amount of minutes as Watkins, I don't see a problem in signing him. As long as you make the package worth it and lay out the future plans of the club as our chiefs seem to be able to, we should be able to land Tammy if we really want to.

Whoever he goes to next he will be frustrating to play against once gets regular game time, the hammers are getting back on track so if they want Tammy it's because they seem him as someone who can threaten everybody else.

[striker]

I’m not a big fan of Tammy due to the chances he misses and what he would cost. However, if he is on Villa’s radar then you could play both with Watkins out wide. Personally I feel Watkins is more of a winger than forward but that’s only my humble opinion.

[VillaFaninLondon]

33 minutes ago, Dave-R said:

Tammy going to West ham would be a disaster for many. We know he works for us but if he ended up at a Rival you just know he's going to work out and be a total annoyance. Players who we fail to sign that we were interested in usually do show up against us. We didn't even play the Smith way properly when we had Tammy, we was just starting and he still managed to light that league up. Sure he does abit but he does score and he's very good at also doingwhat Watkins does which is running around and doing defensive duty as much as offensive, he makes a nuisance of himself. Having Watkins and Tammy would be excellent and while some say he wouldn't come here due to him wanting first team football, I think is not the entire picture.

When you can provide a player with the contract he wants and tell them he will play some games first some games second, yet he would see an equal amount of minutes as Watkins, I don't see a problem in signing him. As long as you make the package worth it and lay out the future plans of the club as our chiefs seem to be able to, we should be able to land Tammy if we really want to.

Whoever he goes to next he will be frustrating to play against once gets regular game time, the hammers are getting back on track so if they want Tammy it's because they seem him as someone who can threaten everybody else.

I feel with Tammy he's not quite good enough for a side like Chelsea that are going for the league title really let alone top 4, but for a side like us that wants to be knocking on the door of the top 6 and trying to at least make the Europa then he's a very good signing (maybe CL will be the aim longer term but for now just being involved in any European competition is good for the club).

 

I don't think Smith will play 2 up top, and on that I agree with him. We struggle to control the midfield and keep the ball as it is, if we take another midfielder out of our team then we'll struggle even more. I'm fine with 1 up top, but yeah Watkins could play out on the right as for me Traore shouldn't be anything more than a squad player (although I'd be looking to bring in another winger too and move Trez on). Even if Watkins was benched some games, it would be good for me as right now he looks knackered and out of form and having someone to really push him is important.

 

West Ham need a striker and are based in London and having a really good season, Tammy would be tempted there but I just feel if we really pushed it he'd come here as he really enjoyed his time here and was popular. It depends on our budget as he won't be cheap, a creative mid, defensive mid, winger and at least one full back should also be on the list so it will all depend on how much the owners are willing to put in (and whether they save a bit of money by perhaps loaning in 1 or 2 players for the positions that need improving). For me though, we need another big summer of investment to become more consistent in this league.

[Quofan]

On 13/03/2021 at 11:50, rjw63 said:

Some people look so different with hair! 

[tezzaleed]

On 13/03/2021 at 00:59, KevtheRev said:

Sorry that was a reply to Tezzaleed

I saw more from him in that performance than I did in the last 5.  not brilliant but signs that he wanted to get on the ball and when he did he was looking to find a forward ball and made at least 3 passes that showed he can pass better than anyone else in  that team.  I would start him over jake Ramsey but I'm not sure spurs is the right game for an offensive midfield if jack is not back.  however much I'm defending him for his performance at Newcastle I cant defend the past 5 and I don't think he'll provide enough energy to warrant a place when I think we'll be under the kosh.  probably start 3 of luiz, nakamba, sanson or mcginn. however if Jack isn't back I'm hoping smith is starting to realise we can't play 433 but I doubt it.

Edited March 14, 2021 by tezzaleed

[Louis]

On 13/03/2021 at 12:00, VillaFaninLondon said:

We were playing quite poorly before he got injured actually, I think I've only seen Villa play really well in an attacking sense once since that COVID outbreak, away at Burnley (and we still lost). But he gives us that something extra even if he's not having his best game.

 

Barkley has been a big disappointment for me too. His first couple of months were good, but this year his output has been appalling and he's lost the ball many times which have nearly cost us goals. It simply ain't good enough for a recognised England international and a player on over £100K at Chelsea. 

 

I don't agree with you that we haven't got the money to afford proven top quality players, I think we have, though where we may have an issue is FFP and convincing the players to come (and having to give them a lucrative contract to entice them here). 

 

Up front is also an issue because Watkins was shocking last night and didn't deserve to stay on for the full 90 but we've only got Davis to come on who should have been moved on last summer. Even though some aren't sure of it, if we have a chance to sign Tammy this summer we should definitely go for it to give Watkins proper competition (hopefully Wesley and young Barry will provide that next season too).

 

Of course Jack would have gone if we'd gone down, but I think he'll stay for next season because we should finish where he was told the aim was (8th-12th). But we will need to push on next season and he must be frustrated watching us play because right now we are a complete bore fest. 

I reckon Jack will give it one last season with us.