Ratings & Reactions: Villa v West Ham

[TRO]

1 hour ago, WakefieldVillan said:

Key was always going to be the midfield battle which we lost hands down but some strange selections by Smith and even more so with the substitutions I thought.

The Mings one was brave but that backfired. Bringing Young on to play in Midfield was the wrong call (thought that was negative as we had started badly, maybe trying to protect Chuck/A. Ramsey). Taking Buendia off also bizarre. Bailey was much worse.  But I would have took Targett off and moved Young to LB. Also last 20 minutes if we're going to be knocking long balls up to Ollie like we did then we may as well of brought Davis on to hold it up (not AEG) and try get some territory / second ball.  Anyway, not sure it would have changed things that much - The hammers didn't even have to play particularly well and still ran out easy winners (in the end) but thought the manager was poor and deserves criticism.

It was a poor performance, again, and there's no getting away from it but boy was that referee and VAR abysmal. In the 90's Hause probably gets away with a yellow, but I agree it is a red. Konsa was a yellow for me and the refs decision shouldn't have been overturned. As much as I wanted the numbers evening up I think Fornals was only a yellow and Bowen. But to blow your whistle when we were in such a promising position was infuriating. The ref made quite a few dubious calls but we only have ourselves to blame.

Think many of us predicted a defeat so it's not the end of the world, but a run of 4 consecutive defeats, playing poorly, conceding goals for fun, injuries, illnesses, squad disharmony? ETC it is very concerning and if it continues the pressure will really be on Dean and the players. We can be a decent side but you have to earn the right to play and at the moment we ain't doing that. We need to see some real fight or it's going to be a challenge staying up. 

 

• Probably, the sadest and most concerning thing of all.
• I think the general consensus was, we were going to lose, but we go to the ground in hope....so I was still disappointed, albeit, expected it.

Edited November 1, 2021 by TRO

[Robtaylor200]

Spurs have just shown that they have the bottle to do something about their losses rather than wait and hope and they certainly aren't struggling the way we are 

Do our bosses have the bottle to act 

[TRO]

13 minutes ago, Robtaylor200 said:

Spurs have just shown that they have the bottle to do something about their losses rather than wait and hope and they certainly aren't struggling the way we are 

Do our bosses have the bottle to act 

Erik Ten Hag....would be my call, If anything happens.

[sne]

1 hour ago, Robtaylor200 said:

Spurs have just shown that they have the bottle to do something about their losses rather than wait and hope and they certainly aren't struggling the way we are 

Do our bosses have the bottle to act 

When they bring in Conte he will be their 5th manager in 24 months. They've gone from CL finalists to a bit of a mess since then. Could claim their bosses are bottling it and just throwing shit at the wall.

They are not the example I would follow but yeah, we might need a change.

[OutByEaster?]

Watching the replay and with 13 minutes left, it's still 2-1, Villa look the more likely team to score and West Ham are about to go down to ten men.

The impact of that card only being a yellow on our team was enormous - it killed the game.

[sidcow]

23 hours ago, pacbuddies said:

Why is it that some Villa fans have to ask other Villa fans who should replace the manager? Is that you believe there are no other managers available in the world? Amazing that other teams don't seem to have a problem getting a replacement manager!

Likes Spurs you mean?

[PaulC]

2 hours ago, sne said:

When they bring in Conte he will be their 5th manager in 24 months. They've gone from CL finalists to a bit of a mess since then. Could claim their bosses are bottling it and just throwing shit at the wall.

They are not the example I would follow but yeah, we might need a change.

Yes it shows that constantly changing managers doesnt work unless you are Chelsea or Watford. We had a period after Lambert of constantly changing amd it got us nowhere.

[OutByEaster?]

12 hours ago, TRO said:

We have averaged 1.16 points over 2 seasons, that is a part of the criteria, he should be judged on.

In the first of those seasons we averaged 0.92 per game, so he's improving.

I don't think it makes a lot of sense to talk about his judging him over the last two seasons by points-per-game - our first year, the objective was to stay up, which we managed, even if only by the smallest of margins and in our second season he averaged 1.45 points per game, our highest since 2010 - that's pretty good, but it doesn't matter either.

What matters is the recent, the present and the future - it's the 1.00 point per game he has this season and whether he can improve on it on Friday - it's the performances on the pitch, it's how the players feel and who they're talking to, it's in the relationships he's built and the trust that he has engendered. I think if we lose on Friday he'll only have one more game at the very most - as a manager no matter how much good will you have banked, and no matter what you've done before, if you lose five in a row in the Premier League, you're on rocky ground.

 

[pacbuddies]

14 hours ago, sidcow said:

Likes Spurs you mean?

Yea, they have no problem. Conte inbound!

[sidcow]

8 minutes ago, pacbuddies said:

Yea, they have no problem. Conte inbound!

So we just need to replace Smith with someone else who's a complete disaster then get in Mourinho in 4 months.

It's a plan and I like it.

[pacbuddies]

Just now, sidcow said:

So we just need to replace Smith with someone else who's a complete disaster then get in Mourinho in 4 months.

It's a plan and I like it.

Spurs owners realised in double quick time that Nuno wasn't right and acted to rectify it. Our owners are no better than Lerner when it comes to acting at the right time and they will no doubt leave it until it's too late and relegation is inevitable.

[AvfcRigo82]

12 minutes ago, pacbuddies said:

Spurs owners realised in double quick time that Nuno wasn't right and acted to rectify it. Our owners are no better than Lerner when it comes to acting at the right time and they will no doubt leave it until it's too late and relegation is inevitable.

Hopefully it doesn't come to that Pac and they act before things get worse.

[villalad21]

 

[TRO]

On 02/11/2021 at 01:55, OutByEaster? said:

In the first of those seasons we averaged 0.92 per game, so he's improving.

I don't think it makes a lot of sense to talk about his judging him over the last two seasons by points-per-game - our first year, the objective was to stay up, which we managed, even if only by the smallest of margins and in our second season he averaged 1.45 points per game, our highest since 2010 - that's pretty good, but it doesn't matter either.

What matters is the recent, the present and the future - it's the 1.00 point per game he has this season and whether he can improve on it on Friday - it's the performances on the pitch, it's how the players feel and who they're talking to, it's in the relationships he's built and the trust that he has engendered. I think if we lose on Friday he'll only have one more game at the very most - as a manager no matter how much good will you have banked, and no matter what you've done before, if you lose five in a row in the Premier League, you're on rocky ground.

 

I think it makes every bit of sense to judge him over a long period, because it evens out the bumps in the road, too short a period, attracts mitigation.....I don't have to tell you how many teams have come up and showed convincing form in their first season, just as we can both mention, how many went straight back down....so While I was delighted /relieved to stay up, I wasn't THAT convinced by it overall....I waited for the second season to see improvement and to be fair to him, we got it....but still tell tale signs, still lurked beneath the surface, like lack of ball control unless Jack had it.....Lack of bite in midfield......The ability to go from a confidence boosting 4 game winning run, to defensive collapse at HOME to Leeds and Southampton....its these dramatic drop offs that are all too familiar and very disappointing....Its the huge contrast in fortunes, that renders any fan to be scratching their head.....we all know that mid table teams show inconsistency in results, but its the dramatic manner of those performances which are a central issue.

I accept your improvement, last season argument and yes the losses, subsided, but comparing that back to a dark and dismal time over the last 10-15 years is hardly a recommendation....with new vibrant owners, against frauds & and uninterested parties of the past is hardly a comparison thats worth while....In fact the miserly versions of HDE and Bendall probably forced us in to more prudent signings, when you look back....where the balance of the side was paramount, and square pegs stayed in square holes...What we acheived in those days, that is what I call great.

I will be bitterly disappointed, If Dean Has to go, but I will also understand too....The last 4 have been woeful and the perfomances to match....to add insult to injury, many of our crucial individual stats are dismal too.. bottom or second bottom for so many important elements.

I know its inevitable he will be judged on the emotive, 4 possible 5 game losses.....but I prefer to judge him over a much longer period....If I am being brutally honest, I don't see this changing, judging by the body language of the players, I have seen this before.

I sincerely hope Dean does turn it around, but even in such an event, I think we will be here again at a later date.

Edited November 3, 2021 by TRO