Ratings & Reactions: Brentford v Villa

[DaveAV1]

50 minutes ago, Zhan_Zhuang said:

Very strange game as we seemed to dominate it for large periods, halfway through the second-half we had nearly 65% possession.

Apart from the over-the-top criticism of our midfield players in their individual threads they were paramount to our dominance in midfield and possession for large periods.

Defensively a little weak and some sloppy goals to concede. 

Buendia MOTM, by far.

Targett our weakest link and has been for awhile now; we really need to go all in for Aaron Hickey.

I hope Gerrard has learned a little more about certain characters today and can address this in January. I'd imagine part of the agreement to him joining us was to allow him money to sign players in January.

 

In someways often a disappointing performance can make it easier to make changes. Perhaps doubts can have been confirmed about certain players and positions and in some cases can act as a reminder how far they have to go to be a success. How they respond to it is the key. I’m fairly sure how SG will react. 

[Badgerbee]

2 hours ago, useless said:

The idea of Brentford having most of their team missing is being greatly exaggerated:

Fernández 10 PL appearances

Pinnock 18 PL appearances

Jansson 19 PL appearances

Bech Sørensen 4 PL appearances

Roerslev 9 PL appearances

Onyeka 17 PL appearances

Nørgaard 18 PL appearances

Jensen 13 PL appearances

Canos 18 PL appearances

Wissa 11 PL appearances

Toney 17 PL appearance

So they obviously weren't as depleted as some are making out, most of their team today would have played a big part in the good season they're having so far. Another thing about their squad, and I mean this as a compliment, is that a lot of their players are much of a muchness, meaning if one or two are out injured, in most positions they have someone of a similar quality to bring in.

You could probably say we were just as much affected by Nakamba, Mings, Bailey, and Waktins missing, as they were by the players missing for them.

 

 

The only reason a lot of those players have "high" numbers of appearances, is due to the length of time our first choice players have been injured, and the amount of games they've missed.

HTH

[stegzy]

Can’t believe the amount of people over reacting to this result (although shouldn’t be). We were by far the better team and even though it wasn’t clicking in the final 3rd we still had plenty of chances.

Buendia was superb after a dodgy first 20 minutes and I don’t see how people can get too upset about being much the better team and losing unfortunately to a good Brentford team. Only other disappointments were bringing Trez on (I assume for fitness) instead of El Ghazi and Mcginn getting a yellow to miss Man Utd.

Brentford’s only real chances were goals.

[tezzaleed]

not read the whole 14 pages but thought the shape was wrong today.  I know Gérard likes high wing backs but today cash was ridiculously high particularly in the 2nd half.  so much so that our best midfielder mcginn ended up playing far too deep at right back most the half.  Either Gerard got the tactics wrong today or cash went missing.  apart from that we were generally slow and pedestrian with players walking around showing no urgency (possibly excepting buendia).  deserved to be beat.  not good enough all round, but only the first time I've said that under Gerard so hopefully one of those games.

Edited January 2, 2022 by tezzaleed

[TRO]

2 hours ago, DaveAV1 said:

Leaving tactics and individuals aside, I think this was the first time under SG that we saw a performance that was un Gerrard like. We played some nice looking football at times and overall were the better team but we lacked intensity and aggression and despite some good play we only really looked like scoring once, when we actually did. Defensively we looked vulnerable against a hardly prolific Brentford.  

We have largely looked harder to beat under SG but today that just wasn’t the case and SG has repeated his mantra, after the match, that we have to be hard to beat. We are still in the early stages of the new managerial regime and it takes time to instill a mentality just as much as tactics. There will be bumps in the road and today was one. 

As fans some have got carried away, perhaps some of the players have to. People moaning about not taking the game to Liverpool etc. The fact is we forgot the basics today and we’re punished. The good news is SG hasn’t forgotten the basics and the need earn the right to play a more expansive game before playing it. That applies as an overall approach but equally in every game. We’re a mid table team we have to work hard in every game or we won’t get the result we want. I’ve heard people say we should be beating the likes of Brentford, I doubt you’d hear that from the coaches at BMH. 

We’ve suffered a set back and it’s disappointing but not the end of the world. Some of the reactions in here, whilst no longer surprising are as ridiculous as expecting us to sweep aside everyone but Man City. We’re a work in progress, players will need to improve, mindset will have to get better and some personnel changes will happen over time. We lost a game, reading this thread,  if you didn’t know better,  you’d think we’d just been relegated.

but equally Dave...we was ahead of Brentford in their pursuit of betterment.....We have spent a lot more money, too in building our squad....credit to them for making a fist of things on a modest budget.

Its just an observation, that some clubs like Brentford, do seem to find players who can give them something, without spending fortunes......I expect better from the likes of Traore, in comparison to what Brentford have.

I thought that was a very disappointing performance from our points of view.......No grit and back to the same old ****

 

[TRO]

5 minutes ago, tezzaleed said:

not read the whole 14 pages but thought the shape was wrong today.  I know Gérard likes high wing backs but today cash was ridiculously high particularly in the 2nd half.  so much so that our best midfielder mcginn ended up playing far too deep at right back most the half.  Either Gerard got the tactics wrong today or cash went missing.  apart from that we were generally slow and pedestrian with players walking around showing no urgency (possibly excepting buendia).  deserved to be beat.  not good enough all round, but only the first time I've said that under Gerard so hopefully one of those games.

While the cats away.......

The 2 full backs were woeful, amongst others.

I think its good he saw this side of us, which reared its ugly head again.

Edited January 3, 2022 by TRO

[ozvillafan]

We are not good enough to win games in second gear against any team in this division.

We were comfortable, but lacked intensity. As the game wore on, we were sloppier, scrappier and we got punished.

Mentally we are just not there. That's 2 leads in 2 games that we have squandered.

[TRO]

4 hours ago, CLARETANDBLUEFOXY said:

Many hours later - I’m still pissed off. I really hope Gerrard has spent this evening drawing up who he wants in so we can kick the sack of shit bringing us down out. 

I think a few will get a real ear bashing on Monday...He was seething.

[TRO]

3 hours ago, Phil Silvers said:

I think they have a much better understanding of the way this business works than our last couple of owners. SG will have told them in his interview what his plans for the team are, he's still assessing and a few are doing themselves no favours at all. I think the money will flow no danger.

I am sure it will.....but we better start getting better value for our money....because judging by that last offering, many will not be worth what we paid for them.

[MaVilla]

4 minutes ago, TRO said:

I think a few will get a real ear bashing on Monday...He was seething.

i would prefer they just get replaced.

Some pathetic performances out there, that showed the true colours of some of them, good for Gerrard to see it tbh, because hopefully he wont put up with it like Smith did.

Some of the weak minded, lack of aggression, passive, stand off-ish play is a hallmark of a few in this Villa squad, i hope Gerrard replaces them.

Edited January 3, 2022 by MaVilla

[TRO]

Watching that game at 1-0 up left me thinking, why were they just standing off us....They didn't do that in the last Game.

I was worried that if they started closing down and pressing, we would wobble and we did.

We dominated the first half, because they let us, not because we won the initiative, which was the worry for me......second half they played more like the Brentford we have come to know under Thomas Frank, hence our struggle to compete.

We need a general to be a manager on the pitch.

 

[Hornso]

I was excited when Ings scored but settled quickly thinking we'd probably blow it. Of course we did.

Only Watford & Norwich have lost more games than us this season.

[Tom13]

Just watched their second goal properly. The amount of luck they had to score from that was ridiculous.

[VillaJ100]

19 minutes ago, Tom13 said:

Just watched their second goal properly. The amount of luck they had to score from that was ridiculous.

I mean the first goal was from literally their first shot on target and more than that their only real attack of note up until that point

[Phil Silvers]

5 hours ago, ozvillafan said:

We are not good enough to win games in second gear against any team in this division.

We were comfortable, but lacked intensity. As the game wore on, we were sloppier, scrappier and we got punished.

Mentally we are just not there. That's 2 leads in 2 games that we have squandered.

This is key, it's what the better teams have over us. It's something that SG has though and the sooner they get this the sooner we will see games out more comfortably.

[danceoftheshamen]

I felt the writing was on the wall against Chelsea tbh. We were very similar in that game. Went 1-0 up (Very fortuitously) and then were so passive it was embarrassing to watch. It was literally like taking candy off a baby for Chelsea we never laid a glove on them all game. I thought then the New manager bounce bubble had burst but was unsure whether it was down to Gerrard being absent..... Clearly not!!!

[WallisFrizz]

3 hours ago, Tom13 said:

PS I'm sick of conceding shots from outside the area that fly into the corner.

Martinez isn’t doing anything wrong particularly but I wish he would pull off a few more worldie saves, earn us points like he did last season. At the moment he’s looking good but unremarkable, apart from that amazing save against Leicester from Barnes I think.

[MentalM]

1 hour ago, WallisFrizz said:

Martinez isn’t doing anything wrong particularly but I wish he would pull off a few more worldie saves, earn us points like he did last season. At the moment he’s looking good but unremarkable, apart from that amazing save against Leicester from Barnes I think.

tbf he did have an amazing save on a shot yesterday.

[hippo]

8 hours ago, TRO said:

I think a few will get a real ear bashing on Monday...He was seething.

That should do the trick.

Have we really paid a rookie coach £150k PW to give out ear bashings ?

How about a style of play and tactics. 

And ffs drop this narrow formation bllx.

[CLARETANDBLUEFOXY]

I think what’s **** me off the most is that teams keep scoring all these far out goals against us. How many teams this season have scored against us from long range positions? Yet our players take a shot from outside the box and they pretty much fly out of the stadium. God I’m still so pissed off