Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Man Utd

[OutByEaster?]

When we play, we're very good.

We didn't turn up for the first twenty five minutes of this game, but from 30 minutes in we were probably the better side and the draw is the least we deserved.

I thought Buendia was exceptional, his energy, his ability on the ball and his determination to hold it up and bring people into play was brilliant - when Coutinho came on he had a few minutes where he looked like he was trying too much as a reaction, but other than that he was faultless. I thought Digne looked very good and all three midfielders played well, Luiz organised and started things off, Sanson was busy and combative and Ramsey was a running threat. 

It seems almost odd to see Martinez make a mistake, but even that held a positive - I think fans have been trying to find a way to let him know how appreciated he is here but not really come up with the right song - singing his name after his error wasn't how anyone would have wanted it to go, but he does now know he's loved.

It's never good to see the Lisbon rat celebrate a goal and when it's from a period of play where we'd given the ball back to them because he was injured, it leaves a peculiar taste, he might have been sent off a few minutes earlier for a strange and dramatic dive in his own box, but I guess that's too much to ask. I don't think there's a more odious character in football than this chap, he's very Portuguese.

Cash was solid and energetic, and I thought Digne looked very lively on the other side, a shame his first half shot didn't go in, but full credit to the fella round by me who immediately said "Targett would have buried that" to a round of light giggling. It was a promising debut and I think we'll see more as he settles - he's going to win us some games.

Chukwuemeka made a nice tidy cameo and Coutinho wrote his own script with the goal and might have put a cherry on top with his late effort from range - he looked neat and tidy in his first outing, confident on the ball and unafraid - it's going to be fun watching him play.

Up front we look a little out of sorts, at times Ings looked a little too slow for the football we want to play and at times Watkins looked a little too clumsy for it - in fairness both worked hard, but we need one of them to click to help us push on. Perhaps the key is just that - one of them.

Fair play to Hause who came on to a difficult situation and I thought did very well.

If we can play for ninety minutes rather than sixty we'll give anyone a game - and we'll beat our fair share even if we only turn up for sixty.

You can see us developing in front of your own eyes, the growing belief and confidence and the increased understanding, the drive of the manager and the noise from the stands - I think we're on the edge of something good - if we can knit this group together and get them playing from the first to the last whistle, who knows where it can take us.

[skell]

1 hour ago, MotoMkali said:

Luiz was fantastic again what are you talking about? 

We need a ball winning defensive mid. It's not Luiz. He needs to.compete with mcginn and ramsey for the 8 shirt

[Louis]

VIVA COUTINHO

[Zhan_Zhuang]

Ramsey MOTM for me, but Buendia close...

Ramsey had a great goal and assist and his energy was really crucial when Manure started to tire.

Referee was shocking, protected them way too much, it's obscene and blatant how much all referees seem to pander to them.

Pity we started the game so slow, I thought Villa would use the performance in the FA Cup and boss them but we were tame, slow, passive and just terrible for the first twenty-five minutes. We cannot afford to give the opposition the ascendency, Villa do it far too much.

[MrBlack]

1 hour ago, sheepyvillian said:

Didn't see that coming if I'm to be honest. We showed great fight and great heart in a dominant second- half display. Best players for me, Ramsay was everything you want from a midfielder after the break,.Bueinda was just guile personified. Sansom played well, shame about the mistake. I thought Mings was immense in that second- half, it was his sheer determination that got us that second goal. 

On the downside, I thought Cash was woeful, and not for the first time.

Shout out to Chuck, too. Showed some neat touches. 

That's an impressive sequence of misspelled names.

[smg]

43 minutes ago, nick76 said:

Just got back from the game.  

We are determined to make things hard for ourselves.  

Disappointing first half, a lot better second half.

Watkins continues to frustrate, no idea what’s wrong him. Ings pressed hard but got no chances, surprised he got took off instead of Watkins

Buendia had some frustrating moments but otherwise I really liked him and gave him MOTM.

Ramsey poor first half, great second half

Liked the look of Digne

Coutinho is going to be magic!

Mings lost the plot several times

Felt so sorry for Martinez

Ref was incredibly poor

Agree with most of that, why was the ref poor ?

[skell]

1 hour ago, GingerCollins29 said:

Lots of positives.

Ings and watkins are a massive problem

Nah. Just drop one of them. Problem solved 

[Paddywhack]

If I could vote for the fans around me in K7, I’d be asking if we could a lower option than very poor. Moody arseholes, I don’t know why some people bother going.

The bloke behind me was on his feet and screaming “you f******* c****” at Mings in the first minute.

[nick76]

7 minutes ago, smg said:

Agree with most of that, why was the ref poor ?

Easy to give them free kicks but not use.  Their first goal started from a free kick they shouldn’t have had.  Ramsey should’ve got a free kick on the edge of the area for another.  The injury to Konsa…that’s just off the top of my head.

[CVByrne]

34 minutes ago, skell said:

Gerard knew we needed a left back attacking mid and a defensive mid. one more togo! If we get the right one we will be in a great position

It's just we've never played for 90 mins. We play well for parts of games. It's infuriating. 

Edited January 15, 2022 by CVByrne

[Johnnyp]

That’s a character building point. Actually a point against any United side is never a bad thing.

[MaVilla]

Genuine question, when was the last time in a full match, we had more of the ball than Manure? (or against any top 6 side).

 

[MWARLEY2]

1 minute ago, MaVilla said:

Genuine question, when was the last time in a full match, we had more of the ball than Manure? (or against any top 6 side).

 

Monday 

[MaVilla]

Just now, MWARLEY2 said:

Monday 

yikes lol, ok, i mean before the Gerrard era then

[pacbuddies]

34 minutes ago, Zhan_Zhuang said:

Ramsey MOTM for me, but Buendia close...

Ramsey had a great goal and assist and his energy was really crucial when Manure started to tire.

Referee was shocking, protected them way too much, it's obscene and blatant how much all referees seem to pander to them.

Pity we started the game so slow, I thought Villa would use the performance in the FA Cup and boss them but we were tame, slow, passive and just terrible for the first twenty-five minutes. We cannot afford to give the opposition the ascendency, Villa do it far too much.

Buendia clearly MOTM. Ramsey was missing for the whole first half and was lucky not to be tugged.

[The Fun Factory]

Not sure where to start really.

Given the circumstances that we were 2 down versus United with 25 to go a draw is a great result. However this is a poor united side and was there for the taking.

Its kind of frusrtaing we have played them twice in less than a week and have been the better side in both games and have won neither. Today was a great opportunity to end our home league run versus them but we yet again gave a soft goal in the first half and ended up chasing the game.

Positives- Buendia best game for us by a mile. He is now settling in nicely. JJ's first goal at Villa. Magic Phil coming off the bench and equalising. The allez allez chant is over used but f**k me when it went 2-2 it was hair raising. Villa Park at its best.

Negatives- letting in soft goals again. Martinez drop in form is a worry. Cash not playing great either. Konsa now injured and we only have 1 central defender as back up.  Ings and Watking is never going to work and I wouldn't say no if we sold Ings this January and spent the money bringing a proper defensive midfielder. A expensive waste of money he does not fit our system. 

 Its  work in progress, with good bits and bad. Some of our link play is excellent, we just need to be more clinical in the final third and stop giving stupid goals away and relying on a half time bollocking by Gerrard to up it in the second half.  That is why we will come mid table this season but next year could be very exciting. UTV.

[AVFCDAN]

Dare I say it but the midfield looked better without McGinn today, progression through the midfield was so much better than usual.

Edited January 15, 2022 by AVFCDAN

[stegzy]

4 minutes ago, pacbuddies said:

Buendia clearly MOTM. Ramsey was missing for the whole first half and was lucky not to be tugged.

Lucky not to be tugged. Not something you hear to often.

[turvontour]

With the signings of Digne and Coutinho, we now have a really strong squad, and I feel that we saw that today. You think the likes of McGinn, Bailey, Traore, Nakamba etc. missing and we still had really strong options.

Also, how often do we bring on players that positively influence the game like Coutinho and Chuk did. For years our substitutions have been to bring on fresh legs but it has pretty much always been an inferior quality of player coming on. Very exciting times.

[turvontour]

3 minutes ago, The Fun Factory said:

Not sure where to start really.

Given the circumstances that we were 2 down versus United with 25 to go a draw is a great result. However this is a poor united side and was there for the taking.

Its kind of frusrtaing we have played them twice in less than a week and have been the better side in both games and have won neither. Today was a great opportunity to end our home league run versus them but we yet again gave a soft goal in the first half and ended up chasing the game.

Positives- Buendia best game for us by a mile. He is now settling in nicely. JJ's first goal at Villa. Magic Phil coming off the bench and equalising. The allez allez chant is over used but f**k me when it went 2-2 it was hair raising. Villa Park at its best.

Negatives- letting in soft goals again. Martinez drop in form is a worry. Cash not playing great either. Konsa now injured and we only have 1 central defender as back up.  Ings and Watking is never going to work and I wouldn't say no if we sold Ings this January and spent the money bringing a proper defensive midfielder. A expensive waste of money he does not fit our system. 

 Its  work in progress, with good bits and bad. Some of our link play is excellent, we just need to be more clinical in the final third and stop giving stupid goals away and relying on a half time bollocking by Gerrard to up it in the second half.  That is why we will come mid table this season but next year could be very exciting. UTV.

Completely different noise that chant after the equaliser. The place would have gone absolutely nuts with a winner. It felt like celebrations similar to goals v Blues.