Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Chelsea

[mattyvilla]

Thought we were excellent first half , 2nd half we looked like a team who have had a few players ill with a virus or something playing the European champions. Not anywhere as bad as some people are making out in my opinion

[Annoyman]

After 10 1/2 years, Gary McAllister's 100% record as Villa manager finally ends

[cheltenham_villa]

Interesting to read tonight's comments as I saw this as one of our worst performances under Gerrard. I thought we challenged in the first half but didn't really create anything. Second half I though Chelsea showed their class, switching to a back 4 nullified Watkins (who had the better of Chalobah) and Lukakus presence seemed to make us play really deep. Once Chelsea got the goal I thought they were comfortable and thought we were unlikely to score. Positives were the midfield and Traore getting back and looking his threatening self. 

[USA_Villa]

Wow. Mings got one vote and Buendia got two. I thought they wee the two worst players on the field. Buendia offers so much, but the final pass is poor and he loses the ball so often. 

[Stratvillan]

2 hours ago, StefanAVFC said:

I know he **** your mrs but he's gone now, let it go.

Spot on. There's more to this dislike than football.

[sheepyvillian]

1 hour ago, nick76 said:

we just didnt have many chances to score...a few half chances or if we had taken a different route then maybe but chances are stretching the definition of the word

I could sense we were not going to score in that second half. Look how economical Chelsea were in comparison. We looked rushed . Where's the leadership?. It's never new mistakes, it's the same ones over and over again. 

[nick76]

Just now, sheepyvillian said:

I could sense we were not going to score in that second half. Look how economical Chelsea were in comparison. We looked rushed . Where's the leadership?. It's never new mistakes, it's the same ones over and over again. 

Agreed

[Made In Aston]

2 hours ago, StefanAVFC said:

Mings tries to nudge a 100m 27 stone striker and loses.

Mings would of been better concentrating on trying to get in front of Lukaku and winning the ball rather than shoulder barging him. 

[Vive_La_Villa]

22 minutes ago, sheepyvillian said:

I could sense we were not going to score in that second half. Look how economical Chelsea were in comparison. We looked rushed . Where's the leadership?. It's never new mistakes, it's the same ones over and over again. 

I swear some of this is on our fans. They scream attack when we get the ball. Play a few backward or sideways passes and the moans and groans appear. It’s ridiculous. 
 

Didn’t suprise me when the guy behind me that shouted put it in the **** box whenever we got the ball left on 80 minutes. **** off! 

Edited December 26, 2021 by Vive_La_Villa

[Made In Aston]

I don't think Gerrard has worked out how to get the balance right against better teams. He's been overly cautious, which just ends up in the inevitable defeat. That was the good thing about Smith, he would always look to be proactive against the big boys and this lead to some decent results. 

[Vive_La_Villa]

3 minutes ago, Made In Aston said:

I don't think Gerrard has worked out how to get the balance right against better teams. He's been overly cautious, which just ends up in the inevitable defeat. That was the good thing about Smith, he would always look to be proactive against the big boys and this lead to some decent results. 

Maybe but sooner lose to the best 3 teams in the league but beat teams in the bottom half than the other way around. Just my opinion. 

If fans think tactics alone are enough to beat the best teams in Europe then pointless debating managers or anything else with them. 

Edited December 26, 2021 by Vive_La_Villa

[skell]

2 hours ago, nick76 said:

Watkins hasnt done it when Ings hasnt been on the pitch all season, his attitude has been the same on the pitch whether he's on his own or not. 

Not sure what's going on with him. 

Yes it maybe an excuse when Ings is on the pitch but what is the excuse when Ollie is on his own up front this season and still does the same. 

Something is wrong with him this season.

Honestly, hes not as good as we.make.him out to be. We.compared him to wesley and his work rate and hold.up play was immense. He has.missed a.lot.of.opportunities as he did last year.and has.little vision in the final third. For me it's the same.ollie just less.rated.byb fans

[Big Salad]

I don't think we were awful nor do I think we were all together that good either. Just a meh performance overall. We are on a good path to have a very solid season, though the cutting out of silly mistakes needs to stop for sure. On to Brentford.

[skell]

2 hours ago, nick76 said:

so basically we didnt open them up with those chances you're referring to.  On the xG scale those we likely extremely low

The fact that a basic  bad choice with the final ball doesnt mean we didnt open them up. We were dangerous and they knew it

[robby b]

Let's look on the bright side: only another ten years or so till Lukaku retires.

[villaslash]

Looked pretty good first half. 2nd half came out so meh. You could feel it. 

not too concerned though the wreck less penalties are going to kick us in the …

[sheepyvillian]

1 hour ago, OutByEaster? said:

Not having this one as a plucky performance against a big side, not having that we put in a performance, or gave a good account of ourselves, or any of those nice things - we deserved more out of this game and I'm gutted.

First half we were the better side; they struggled to deal with our shape and running, we had time at the back and played the ball around confidently and we got it out wide well and through the middle well, if Ings had shot first time, or Buendia had taken his chance, we'd have deservedly gone in ahead at the interval. 

Tuchel then won the game at half time, changing the shape and bringing on a forward for a centre half - it meant with four in the middle they were much tighter on our full backs and had another body in and amongst our defenders, it tightened the space for Mings and Luiz and lead to a second goal that they'd deserved through their start to the half.

But that period of twenty-five minutes after half time was the only time they were really on top in the game and it had late equaliser written all over it for the last ten minutes, we were all over them in that period, albeit without creating a really clear chance on goal. I couldn't see any other result coming except 2-2 and we'd have thoroughly deserved it.

I guess that's the advantage that having a £98m substitute gives you.

I thought Luiz was superb, especially in the first half when he recycled the ball better than Kante and passed it better than Jorginho, the sixty yard ball he played on the volley to Watkins on 19 minutes was worth the ticket price on its own. This formation really suits him, we've gone from having one full time holding midfielder to having three midfielders who all play slightly deeper - three half-holders* - they share the defensive stuff but can push forward a bit - he's blossoming in this shape.

Mings was Jekyll and Hyde, he was imperious in the first half, calm, confident and composed, then rattled in the second half by someone who could match him physically. Jittery, in two minds and hasty in possession. He's never at his best when he's against someone that's bigger and stronger than he is - thankfully there aren't many of those about.

I thought Martinez made a couple of really good saves in the second half and that Cash was excellent throughout, Konsa looked composed and Targett battled well with Reece James, Sanson looked decent enough and there's plenty of promise there while Jacob Ramsey continues to impress, Buendia worked his socks off and Watkins did okay, but Id sooner see him chasing through balls than trying to play them, Ings grafted a bit, but didn't look like doing more than that. Traore brought something to the game, Chukwuemeka got in good positions and did things that didn't come off and El Ghazi gives you a gamblers chance at the end of games like this with his keenness to shoot.

Overall, I thought we played really well, more than matched one of the three quality teams in this league and came out unlucky - we deserved more and we looked like a team that know we can play at this level.

We're not far off it and we might have been a bit closer today.

*I didn't say triple pivot.

Cash most certainly wasn't "excellent  throughout ". Some of his final balls left a lot to be desired. And the penalty thing, well, lbh, it beggars belief. Without that stupid mistake, and that's most certainly what it was, we may have taken all three points. 

It's astounding just how many times we commit errors that are so blatantly avoidable. Chelsea weren't even in third gear. 

Too much surface and not enough substance, imo.

[sheepyvillian]

21 minutes ago, skell said:

The fact that a basic  bad choice with the final ball doesnt mean we didnt open them up. We were dangerous and they knew it

The problem is, they were dangerous and we played like we didn't know it.

[Made In Aston]

47 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Maybe but sooner lose to the best 3 teams in the league but beat teams in the bottom half than the other way around. Just my opinion. 

If fans think tactics alone are enough to beat the best teams in Europe then pointless debating managers or anything else with them. 

Every tactic has weaknesses and being able to exploit them successfully is the key. Easier said than done, but if the plan is right and the players execute it correctly then you have a reasonable chance against anybody. 

[Made In Aston]

3 hours ago, tinker said:

You could argue the Chelsea defense was the difference, they made some great interceptions and blocks in the first half when we had half chances. The second we gave them a free header and a free run at goal bringing them down in the box when we should done it outside the area, niave .

I thought a key part of the win was stopping us picking up second balls when we had an attack. Everytime we attacked they were very proactive at getting on the end of clearances, which prevented us putting them under any sustained pressure.