Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Brighton

[Peter Griffin]

3 minutes ago, sidcow said:

Something really weird happened at Villa Park today.  We put the ball in the back of their net twice, but they couldn't get the ball into our net. 

Anyone know what this means? 

The goals were a real bonus, it was the solid performance that I was happy with. It wasn't great by any means but it was mostly organised. They are very good on the ball and we need to improve our possession and our press but I think the players did what Gerrard asked of them. I think he will be happy with that and I think the clean sheet and 3 points is a great confidence booster for the team. Really looking forward to seeing more of the same organisation against Palace .

[thunderball]

9 minutes ago, rodders0223 said:

Anthony Taylor is **** woeful.

Cash good 

Konsa quiet and good 

Mings good.

Targett very good

Nakamba okay

McGinn quiet but 20 great mins

Ramsay lot more confident driving forward 

Watkins not a LW. Only man to dribble with the ball behind him.

Buendia arsey occasionally classy

Ings reserve judgement.  Isolated 

 

Quiet an awful game masked by a moment of inspiration. The relief and release on the stands and pitch was palpable.

Work to be done.

Anthony Taylor is **** shit.

I’d go along with most of that except:

Martinez of last season was back

 I thought Nakamba showed he is the weakest link, I don’t think he has the feet or confidence to be the player we need. 

I really like Ramsey and hope he can believe in himself, I think there is an even better version of himself in there waiting to show up.

Thought the Gerrard management team made all the right calls today. Phew!

[Peter Griffin]

2 minutes ago, sheepyvillian said:

I thought Gerrard's post - match interview was everything a Villa fan wants to hear.

So glad for him that we started this new chapter with 3 points. The players can now take a lot of confidence into the Palace game, which won't be easy, it's vital that we become more consistent and maintain the momentum when it's blowing our way.

Get in there, me babbys 

Yeah, I liked him stressing how important the next few coaching sessions are. 

[Bizzzle]

Good result but I was getting a bit frustrated at about the 70th minute mark.

Side note I think that may have been the longest I've ever had to wait for the train back!!! 

[chappy]

80 mins of dross until

 

[WHY]

6 minutes ago, thunderball said:

I’d go along with most of that except:

Martinez of last season was back

 I thought Nakamba showed he is the weakest link, I don’t think he has the feet or confidence to be the player we need. 

I really like Ramsey and hope he can believe in himself, I think there is an even better version of himself in there waiting to show up.

Thought the Gerrard management team made all the right calls today. Phew!

Wouldn’t say Nakamba is the weakest link, I agree he isn’t good enough for where we want to be but he was decent today. He gives his all, never hides and always shows for the ball. Our midfield is  just as bad when he doesn’t play, to call him the weakest link is a bit harsh.

[Peter Griffin]

2 minutes ago, chappy said:

80 mins of dross until

 

0-0 organised dross. Not something we are used to

[Peter Griffin]

1 minute ago, WHY said:

Wouldn’t say Nakamba is the weakest link, I agree he isn’t good enough for where we want to be but he was decent today. He gives his all, never hides and always shows for the ball. Our midfield is  just as bad when he doesn’t play, to call him the weakest link is a bit harsh.

Nakamba wasn't too bad today. I think he often gets a little hard done by in post match comments. Reading the Norwich forum and they are all crying out for a DM. I wonder would Deano come in with a loan to buy offer which could enable Gerrard to get an upgrade

[chappy]

Not much had changed between eras really. We look more solid but that could be down to Brighton being toothless?

Voted Ollie MOTM for that spark. Beautiful goal. Last ten mins we were electric and could’ve scored more but it seemed like they were holding back a little. Anwar came on and we looked a different side. Fair play to SG for realising Young was struggling in the Buendia role and bringing on AEG to push him back a bit. 
 

It really was heading to a dull 0-0 (which I would’ve taken to stop the rot!) and we turned it on out of nowhere. Brighton fans must feel sick as they’d been the better side for the most part. Can’t beat a VP atmosphere when we are on the front foot though, walked out with a big silly grin on my face that the majority of the game probably didn’t merit.

Up the Villa, bring on Palace. 

 

[chappy]

3 minutes ago, WHY said:

Wouldn’t say Nakamba is the weakest link, I agree he isn’t good enough for where we want to be but he was decent today. He gives his all, never hides and always shows for the ball. Our midfield is  just as bad when he doesn’t play, to call him the weakest link is a bit harsh.

Thought Nakamba did his job well today. Good player and feel he’s written off far too easily by a lot of our fans. 

On a sour note, it was sickening to see someone embrace the African man on the door at the off licence by Witton station and sing about Nakamba. Others in the queue were lapping it up. If any of you are on here you should all be ashamed of yourselves.

[IrishVilla10]

33 minutes ago, skell said:

It never worked because they were played in a 2 up top. This doesn't work.

Ings was essential for our team. We didnt have a second striker!

A second striker was essential yeah, but if you sign a player like Danny Ings for 30 million he has to play games. Forcing the striker who scored 15 last season out of position just to accommodate, or shoehorn them into a two up top. 

[Eligius]

Huge 3 points today which was more important than the performance, the subs worked well and what a class goal from Ollie, Mings marshalled the defence well and took his goal brilliantly. Onwards and upwards.

[Indigo]

For all the talk of the "entertaining" football they play I actually find Brighton quite tedious and being there today really highlighted it. Can always appreciate a good side even against Villa, and Bissouma was imperious, but Brighton are actually quite a defensive side who maintain possession for possession's sake. This season anyway. Could really see how much their style of play fell apart when Villa scored and they were forced to try to play with some kind of ambition, they looked lost for ideas and terribly sloppy.

Encouraged by things on the Villa end though. Played against a frustrating team who are tough to beat and kept focused on the job to see it out. Thought the substitutions were weird at the time and couldn't believe Watkins stayed on the pitch but fair play to all involved for shutting me up on that one. Couple more players back up to speed in the coming weeks and hopefully things can really start looking up.

[foreveryoung]

1 hour ago, Peter Griffin said:

So on MOTD tonight, will there be more screen time of SG's post match interview than actual game time?

Maybe, if they can fit it in between talking about Man U's loss I expect!

[alreadyexists]

Just got home! What a great ending to the game, loved singing Sweet Caroline again! 

[skell]

25 minutes ago, IrishVilla10 said:

A second striker was essential yeah, but if you sign a player like Danny Ings for 30 million he has to play games. Forcing the striker who scored 15 last season out of position just to accommodate, or shoehorn them into a two up top. 

I hate the 2 up top. But as you say we needed a second striker. Why not sign a good one? 

He would only play wide if better than traore or Bailey for example. It's about picking the best 3 up top. If its ings with watkins and buendia then fine if its Watkins with Bailey and buendia that's fine too

[AntrimBlack]

A very good win against a very workmanlike and slightly boring side.

We looked a little different from the start, a bit more impetus about our game, but still not great.

And then 2 screamers from Watkins and Mings. Watkins needs to play up front on his own and Ings needs to be used as a back up striker.

McGinn was my MOM, but also very good were Ramsey, Cash and Mings.

Very good start by Gerrard, but let's not get carried away. Early days. 

[Follyfoot]

2 hours ago, richp999 said:

Liked how gerrard looks more dynamic on the touchline, looks like he's kicking every ball. I think we'll be getting more active in game management. Looks promising

In all fairness they did not have any real chances in my opinion

[YouUnastanFren]

The team showed what in my opinion is the most important things to see in the first game under the new management: Effort and commitment.

On this evidence the squad seem to have bought in 100% to this regime which will give it the best possible chance of success. Even the players who didn't play particularly well (mainly Buendia) seemed to be trying really **** hard.

Hopefully we can see them get back on that upward trajectory we were on.

[saturdaygig]

54 minutes ago, chappy said:

80 mins of dross until

Agreed. His overlapping run made the first goal possible. I'd like to see him starting and Buendia left back in the dressing room.