Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Chelsea

[LondonVillian]

1 minute ago, Awol said:

Quote from Buendia: 

“I’ve just joined a new club, the manager wants me to play a different way so I’ll screw the nut and do as I’m told.”

As I recall Jack Grealish thought he was best as an 8. Turns out the player was wrong. 

Buendia has played his best football for us on the right of the pitch, imo. 

When has he played on the right?

Yet to see him have a good game.

[IrishVilla10]

4 minutes ago, Aston_Villan4 said:

Because of Lukaku. We were never going to have an answer for that. Again, still a massive difference between us and them.

If you at least stop defending so narrow and cancel their wide threat then we may have had the answer. To continue to allow it after he was brought on was naive 

[mjmooney]

Just now, flashingqwerty said:

1 player constitutes a massive difference? Erm... Ok

It does when it's him. 

[flashingqwerty]

Just now, TomC said:

Maybe in the second half, but I thought he was good the whole first half...

He's played so little football I think 45 mins of a decent performance was good.  Bound to fade, and Chelsea's midfield is pretty good.

[striker]

Villa with their present squad are not good enough to challenge for Europe yet!

Luiz, Sanson, Ramsey, Buendia and Target need replaced with better quality. I’d also add that Mings for his physicality simply isn’t dominant enough so eventually he will also need replaced.

For me Ings was a poor signing from the point of view that it’s simply not working with Watkins. You either play one or other but not both as it leaves the team unbalanced.

Gerrard will see all of the above and I’m looking forward to his signings in the next two windows which I’m in no doubt will improve Villa through the middle and also at the back.

 

[hippo]

Just now, TomC said:

Maybe in the second half, but I thought he was good the whole first half...

He caught the eye with those raking passes - but then started to do it everytime he got the ball.

[osmark86]

Just now, flashingqwerty said:

1 player constitutes a massive difference? Erm... Ok

yes. sometimes it's that simple. he made all the difference for them today.

Grealish was the same for us a lot of the times in the past wouldn't you agree?

[foreveryoung]

2 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

This was the story of the game.

Also feel though that we just looked exhausted in the second half, like everyone was tired and making poor decisions and taking the lazier option because it was easier, and I won't judge players or manager if some of them are recovering from covid or haven't trained because they've been isolating or whatever. Meanwhile Chelsea have no covid issues I'm aware of, seemed to be picking from a near-full complement, and brought on a £95m striker, who is one of the best pure number 9s in world football, to win them the game.

Now we've got six days to recuperate, get manager and McGinn back, and get some training into the legs. Let's just hope our first choice back 5 can avoid the brain farts against the likes of Brentford.

They were missing Kante, one of the best midfielders in world football, Ziyech, Werner, Kavez, Havertz, Chalobah, Chillwell, Silva also came off.

Like I said, you won't get a better chance. we were crap second half, no ideas and they were 60% good, only Lukaku 75% fit being the difference.

[Nicho]

Lukaku and tactics changed the game in the second half. 
 

We also looked absolutely **** after about 70.

little bit of momentum with the subs but we didn’t lay a glove despite looking quite dangerous in the first half.

I have no faith that Ings and Watkins can work. 

[nick76]

1 minute ago, IrishVilla10 said:

Maybe things would have been different but we allowed their width all game by defending so narrow. If Hudson Odoi doesn’t play that ball to Lukaku then alonso does with all the time and space we gave  him 

Problem is that we are either tight in the middle or out wide, we arent able to do both.  Gerrard seems to feel it's in the middle and worked so far but it's something I've said previously it leaves our width vulnerable. 

[IrishVilla10]

Lukakus scored 4 in the league in 12, two against us. He may be a 90 million striker and one of the best, but he’s not been setting the league on fire since he arrived. He’s not Salah or Ronaldo 

[Aston_Villan4]

1 minute ago, IrishVilla10 said:

If you at least stop defending so narrow and cancel their wide threat then we may have had the answer. To continue to allow it after he was brought on was naive 

Do you think that was a lack of Gerrard being on the sidelines or do you think we were always going to be playing that way?

[StefanAVFC]

9 minutes ago, pacbuddies said:

Gerrard has his work cut out sorting out the mess Smith left him. Looks like DS is now working his special magic on Norwich!

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

[flashingqwerty]

1 minute ago, nick76 said:

I think we draw it, we never looked like really scoring really throughout the game

Fair, but they didn't either tbh

[LondonVillian]

lot of weak minds that just see chelsea on a bit of paper and just accept that we should lose. 

The game was there to be won today especially in the first half wasted many chances with poor decision making.

Yes lukkaku made a difference but again all their goals were from mistakes.

They didnt open us up at all only - in stoppage time when we all went all out attack.

 

[turvontour]

14 minutes ago, Paul33 said:

What on earth was said at half time ? Never seen such a transition as that ..... we normally kick on in the second half, not switch off !

I think we beat ourselves with some poor individual errors (Mings and Cash) and some inexplicable spells of just becoming inexplicably passive !

Ings and Watkins have surely now proven that they don't work together. Ollie has to play as the lone central striker ..... we get 50% Watkins playing him anywhere else.

JJ never showed, Buendia gave us about 30 minutes before running out of gas, Sanson maybe 40 mins and a pretty lifeless midfield in the second half gave the game away.

We are better than that and need to get it back together at Brentford. 

Really important point about Watkins.

[hippo]

Just now, striker said:

Villa with their present squad are not good enough to challenge for Europe yet!

Luiz, Sanson, Ramsey, Buendia and Target need replaced with better quality. I’d also add that Mings for his physicality simply isn’t dominant enough so eventually he will also need replaced.

For me Ings was a poor signing from the point of view that it’s simply not working with Watkins. You either play one or other but not both as it leaves the team unbalanced.

Gerrard will see all of the above and I’m looking forward to his signings in the next two windows which I’m in no doubt will improve Villa through the middle and also at the back.

 

Correct were miles off Europe. But don't think we are getting the most out of what we have.

[Davkaus]

4 minutes ago, TheAuthority said:

 

It will be Tuanzebe & Hause at CB 

**** me, I might just put my foot through the TV now and save myself the hassle of watching it.

[theboyangel]

Massive difference in quality of replacements - having a £90m striker on the bench must be a nice option to have.

We don’t know how badly affected our players were by Covid and I think the second half shows a fair few had been.

We pushed and pushed after being masters of our own downfall with the penalties. 
 

Yet again, we have a decent account of ourselves against one of the best teams in the league but just fell short. 
 

 

[Aston_Villan4]

1 minute ago, foreveryoung said:

They were missing Kante, one of the best midfielders in world football, Ziyech, Werner, Kavez, Havertz, Chalobah, Chillwell, Silva also came off.

Like I said, you won't get a better chance. we were crap second half, no ideas and they were 60% good, only Lukaku 75% fit being the difference.

Missing Kante? Didn’t he come off at the 63rd minute?