Ratings & Reactions: Villa v West Brom

[MNVillan]

I’ve just watched the 15 minute extended highlights available here in USA.

Thought Barkley was okay tbf, but obviously the highlights won’t show if he was slacking about when Villa were off the ball.

How the heck did Baggies get so many good chances? I’m concerned for our midfield - teams should have to earn chances to get around our box, and it seems like this relegation fodder was there too often.

Not a penalty at all by Konsa. I’d say I’m surprised VAR upheld that, but I’m not.

It seems like the team still cares and isn’t on the beach, but aren’t willing to do the nitty gritty stuff that makes a difference in matches. They want it, they just don’t want to work for it.

[villalad21]

13 hours ago, MNVillan said:

I’ve just watched the 15 minute extended highlights available here in USA.

Thought Barkley was okay tbf, but obviously the highlights won’t show if he was slacking about when Villa were off the ball.

How the heck did Baggies get so many good chances? I’m concerned for our midfield - teams should have to earn chances to get around our box, and it seems like this relegation fodder was there too often.

Not a penalty at all by Konsa. I’d say I’m surprised VAR upheld that, but I’m not.

It seems like the team still cares and isn’t on the beach, but aren’t willing to do the nitty gritty stuff that makes a difference in matches. They want it, they just don’t want to work for it.

I didn't thought the Barkley one was a pen either. Even itself out for me. 

Edited April 26, 2021 by villalad21

[dubbs]

Ours was more of a pen than theirs but I can see arguments why both shouldn't have been given.  Good to see the team fighting to the end rather than just giving up with 10 minutes to go. 

[The_Steve]

Baggies could have scored from set pieces - and distance shots. 
 

We could have scored plenty also - Elmo and McGinn had great distance shots too. Johnstone was on form. So I don’t accept that it was simply West Brom with the best efforts. Davis hit the post. 
 

Had we had an extra minute and referee not so keen to blow full-time, we’d have one. The pressure we exerted until the end speaks volumes of the squad. 

[MCU]

Agree with the comments about the changes coming late (again) !. The one for me though was bringing Wesley on in the 90th minute when we're still losing at that point. I get he's been out and needs to be eased back in but surely you give him give him at least 10 or 15 minutes, especially when we're chasing a goal? Strange one that. As it was we actually did equalise and he had a couple of oppurtunities.

[brummybloke]

4 hours ago, MNVillan said:

I’ve just watched the 15 minute extended highlights available here in USA.

Thought Barkley was okay tbf, but obviously the highlights won’t show if he was slacking about when Villa were off the ball.

How the heck did Baggies get so many good chances? I’m concerned for our midfield - teams should have to earn chances to get around our box, and it seems like this relegation fodder was there too often.

Not a penalty at all by Konsa. I’d say I’m surprised VAR upheld that, but I’m not.

It seems like the team still cares and isn’t on the beach, but aren’t willing to do the nitty gritty stuff that makes a difference in matches. They want it, they just don’t want to work for it.

Luckily you won't have seen mggin and Berkley pass the ball directly to wba at least 15 to 20 times under little to no pressure. Or traore do pretty much nothing bar one effort sticking his leg out and the ball going across the goal area. Those 3 were the reason wba had so much. No pressing from the front and constant giving the ball back.

Our highlights were a pen which was very weak and the last 10 minutes when neither Berkley or traore were involved.

[striker]

Thought on chances created by both teams a draw was a fair result.

As stated in this thread by others, if Villa aren’t to struggle next season, Villa need to purchase at least 4-6 quality players in the summer.

Even before his goal yesterday I’ve always rated Davis who needs to be shown a little more faith by the manager in the run in. I’d push Watkins out wide to start Davis. Still think Watkins is more of a winger than a front man. Why not also push Cash out wide as well and play one of the young uns at FB or Elmo?

Personally I feel Villa have two better wingers in Cash and Watkins than who is currently playing in those positions. Cannot understand why Smith doesn’t see that or at least try it when Villa aren’t going to qualify for Europe or be relegated.

 

Edited April 26, 2021 by striker

[Vive_La_Villa]

I didn’t see the game but 70% possession and 11 shots on target seems to suggest we were the better team and should have won? 

Doesn’t sound that way though. 

[Eastie]

Changes should have been made 20 minutes earlier - Davis rattled them and we could have won the game had we made changes earlier , no question several players needed in the summer but of the owners really have top 6 ambitions then maybe they should question whether they need a better man in the hot seat 

[sheepyvillian]

8 hours ago, tezzaleed said:

strange one this.  can see a lot of fans in this thread not really knowing who to blame for that.  even the obvious barkley haters seem absent although I have jumped a few pages.  defence as a unit wasn't up to its high standards for me.  konsa wasn't bad but wasn't at his faultless best and that combined with having elmo in there who just isn't quite good enough any more and we looked a bit rocky.  but difficult to blame anyone of them outright. midfield individually not bad.  mcginns delivery was sloppy but he covered a lot of ground and won/held the ball well.   luiz played well also and think barkley was ok trying to play some decent one twos around the box.  el ghazi had one of his stronger games.  traore did little of note but also didn't lose the ball all the time which he can do when he's off.  Watkins however was poor.  he's dipped badly in the last few games and needs some help up there.  maybe he's knackered maybe just fed up of running his balls off.  but when barkley tried little give and goes with him he wasn't up to it and his decisions in the box were poor on and off the ball.  but it wasn't his fault we didn't win.   even smith eventually made the right adjustments just 20 minutes too late.  so not great but not easy to put a finger on it this weak.

Kind of like the way I seen things. Watkins frustrated the hell out of me, his decision making at times is really poor and it was really poor last night, although that header to assist the Davis goal kind of redeemed him. Luiz constantly gives free - kicks away on the edge of the six yard box, thank God for Martinez. I thought we were much more fluent in an attacking sense just that final ball. Targett, for me, was our best player. He has improved so much from last season and hasn't missed a game. Some of the crosses he put in deserved a better end product. 

We played our part in an end to end game full of shots and saves. I really don't understand all the doom and gloom amongst some. 

 

 

 

 

 

[TheMelvillan]

https://twitter.com/mjmarr_star/status/1386607242443698177?s=19

Last night just the 5th game villa have played since the start of the 2010/11 season where they have been mathematically safe from relegation.

No wonder we are a stressed out bunch

Edited April 26, 2021 by TheMelvillan

[flashingqwerty]

10 hours ago, PaulC said:

Yes I agree I thought we did control the middle of the park today. We were let down by sloppy defending with some bad luck in there and poor finishing. In my opinion we should have won that game 4-1 or 4-2

Check the more meaningful stats and not the raw numbers.

Albions xg was 2.57 and villas was 2.65.

So despite have 24 shots, the quality of them was poor, and a draw is what we deserved based on the quality of our possession and chances.

A wise man once said, its not possession that wins you games, its what you do with it - and we didn't do a hell of a lot outside the first and last 10 mins

[onmeedson]

The lack of any sort of leadership and direction in our team points to us being a relegation battling team at the moment and a bunch of players that have never seen a training ground or coach in their lives. We are a one man team and it only makes the future look grim once we are without him, the basics of playing together, the ability to pass the ball to one another seems totally lost on these players and a system someone understands was left in the dressing room along with the video games and beach balls that occupies their waking lives.

[wedge]

Am I the only one that thought it was a much-improved performance and with a bit of luck we'd have won 4/5-2?!

 

[Liam100]

Considering Keenan's performances against Fulham and West Brom I am wondering - How about Keenan as an attacking midfielder?

[PaulC]

12 hours ago, MNVillan said:

I’ve just watched the 15 minute extended highlights available here in USA.

Thought Barkley was okay tbf, but obviously the highlights won’t show if he was slacking about when Villa were off the ball.

How the heck did Baggies get so many good chances? I’m concerned for our midfield - teams should have to earn chances to get around our box, and it seems like this relegation fodder was there too often.

Not a penalty at all by Konsa. I’d say I’m surprised VAR upheld that, but I’m not.

It seems like the team still cares and isn’t on the beach, but aren’t willing to do the nitty gritty stuff that makes a difference in matches. They want it, they just don’t want to work for it.

I forget the time sequence in games but were most of their chances created after they went 2-1 up? I know momentum changed a lot after their very soft penalty and if you take away their freak goal we really should have won the game quite comfortably 

[PaulC]

1 hour ago, wedge said:

Am I the only one that thought it was a much-improved performance and with a bit of luck we'd have won 4/5-2?!

 

No I think exactly the same. Smith said the same in his post match interview and hes normally very honest. If we play bad he says it but he said we controlled the game. 

[MNVillan]

20 minutes ago, PaulC said:

I forget the time sequence in games but were most of their chances created after they went 2-1 up? I know momentum changed a lot after their very soft penalty and if you take away their freak goal we really should have won the game quite comfortably 

My takeaway from the highlights was that from their pen all the way until maybe 75 minutes we were on the back foot. Had some chances ourselves, but seemed like they had more.

Of course the highlights might not reflect the actual flow of the match.

[barry'sboots]

On 25/04/2021 at 21:17, kevpants said:

Our fans are pathetic.

That was the flukiest point Albion will ever get. A calamitous own goal and daft penalty. 

We dominated that game. Obviously missing Jack (yawn). Barleys best game since injury, a Keinan goal and Wes is back. Plus it was actually fun to watch. I’m happy enough. 
 

Many of you are demanding that we be “taken to the next level”. Your entitlement and arrogance is why other clubs hate us. 
 

I've read very few that are making that demand/have that expectation.  Most are just asking what has happened over the last dozen or so games when one of the most exciting teams in the league (certainly on the basis of the first half of the season) has turned into one of the poorest and most offensively disjointed.  I don't think there is a sense of entitlement or arrogance across the vast majority, just a disappointment with recent form and lack of any change that might reverse that trend. Equally, I think we are entitled to expect a bit more after the significant investment that the owners have made.

[osmark86]

On 26/04/2021 at 10:02, Vive_La_Villa said:

I didn’t see the game but 70% possession and 11 shots on target seems to suggest we were the better team and should have won? 

Doesn’t sound that way though. 

we were the better team