Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Watford

[bannedfromHandV]

Just back from the game.

Absolute shite, I said to my brother in the first half we’d lose 1-0 with a goal in the 80th min or something, I was sadly close to being bang on.

If Ings had scored in the first half we’d have won, I have no doubts about that.

Watford were dreadful for most of the game and their time wasting antics was enough for me to leave a few minutes before the end.

Looks like the good form under Gerrard really was just new manager bounce.

Genuinely worried we’ll get relegated this season now.

[MikeMcKenna]

Just got home. It never gets better or easier does it? I fear Gerrard is another false dawn. It is so disheartening. One step forward, then three steps backwards.

Edited February 19, 2022 by MikeMcKenna

[Pongo's Socks]

One of the worst performances I've seen in 40 years of watching the Villa today. Not a clue what the gameplan was. No width, no forward runs, crossing atrocious, I could go on.. 

Really struggling to see why that group of players shouldn't be smashing a team as bad as Watford. 

 

[clayton8321]

This is why I'm not a big believer of giving former big name players their first managerial job with a big club (Zizou an exception although it would've been tough to mess up with that Real Madrid team). Lampard, Gerrard, Ole, etc.. I love more the road John Terry has taken as an apprentice of sorts. Sit and learn from an experienced manager and slowly build up your experience are resume. Can't honestly say there's a big difference between SG and Deano. 

[briny_ear]

3 hours ago, skell said:

Exactly this.  Let's not.overact. on another day we score first

 

[John]

I wasn't expecting that, nor I would guess were Watford expecting to do the double over us this season. Old Woy's well organised, but ugly style of anti-football wins the day, aided and abetted by another referee who could never be accused of being a "homer" (how many seconds did VAR take to agree with him that Ings would not get an early penalty awarded, by the way?)...

 

[TRO]

3 hours ago, alreadyexists said:

Only Brentford Norwich and Watford have lost more games than us… wtf are we even trying to do? How can we have Coutinho and Digne and look worse than before?

its like putting new shock absorbers on a car, when its the springs that have gone.

Coutinho and Digne might be fine technical footballers.....but it wasn't our priority......thats how you do it......we didn't fix, what needs fixing.

[TRO]

4 hours ago, sharkyvilla said:

The system just doesn't work.  It's as simple as that.

does any system work, when your team give the opposition time on the ball , while being denied time, when out of possession....Watford won so many second balls, and stopped us playing.

How many times did we over hit crosses, instead of cute chips in to the box.

systems don't effect that, poor play, for players does though.

How many systems has the 2 managers tried, with this group of players?

Edited February 19, 2022 by TRO

[tommytenjobs]

I'm worried if I'm honest. I really don't understand the system we're playing. It's very odd seeing McGinn and Ramsey level with the centre backs and the full backs both standing static in the other half. Digne looks like a very poor man's Matt target! Beundia spends all his time begging to be passed the ball from a yard away from the centre backs and chambers is a liability from what I've seen so far whenever he gets in a 1:1 situation. He’s much better on the ball and takes the pressure off Mings to be the only distributor….but then again, with the system today Mings had Ramsey stood on his own 10 yards away for most of the match, so he hardly needed help in this today from his centre back partner. I’m not normally one to react to many things in a knee jerk or extreme way. Quite placid really. But……...  We need to show some significant changes soon or I think stevie may be on his way out pretty soon....

[david-avfc]

Terrible performance which I put down to the tactics rather than the individuals. Instead of trying to get our top class attackers on the ball around the box we only wanted to get it to the full backs. The full backs should be providing well timed overlapping bursts forward, rather than basically playing as midfielders whilst our more technical midfielders drop ridiculously deep to cover the defensive gaps. Back to the drawing board for Gerrard, as it should have been after the last match, unfortunately 

[TRO]

3 hours ago, Davkaus said:

We scored 3 in 45 minutes against Leeds. Since then we've had 2 shots on target. What the **** happened?

when teams let you play....we can play.

when teams scrap for everything, it completely disrupts any bit of quality we possess.....this is nothing new, its in the DNA

This team need ripping up and start again.

[TRO]

3 hours ago, AntrimBlack said:

Can you see that distant speck? That is the manager's job for Steven Gerrard at Liverpool disappearing over the horizon. 

Yeah......It kinda dispels the Myth, about SG going to Liverpool...about as certain as Dougie being brought back by City.

blimey, we do have some fantasists don't we?

[smg]

2 minutes ago, TRO said:

when teams let you play....we can play.

when teams scrap for everything, it completely disrupts any bit of quality we possess.....this is nothing new, its in the DNA

This team need ripping up and start again.

Not disagreeing but how many times can we rip it up and start again ? At some point we have to accept that being a big name from the past with rich owners means bugger all. To get to where we all want to be takes time, especially where we are starting from. We as a fan base have to accept this and give whoever is in charge and the players he is working with and developing the time that is needed. Sadly I don’t think that is likely to happen.

[tinker]

19 minutes ago, R.Bear said:

What makes you say he's out of his depth?

Watch the game today and show me the positives, what did Digne's and Coutinho do that showed his system could work? Cash being subbed for Young, why , was he any worse than Digne's? Young arguably cost us the goal, I have never seen Young on the right side of defense and don't want to again. Its was Gerrard panicking. 

Show me the positives then it may lift the gloom but I can't see any , nothing at all. 

[TRO]

3 hours ago, Hanky said:

It was no surprise we were poor after starting with near enough the same side who started again Newcastle.

The subs were utterly baffling. We have no width in the side, no plan B and no midfield. How can we have spent all this money and still be so poor? 

because we keep buying the same kind of players, without variety.

SG was talking about changes, but realistically, who in this squad could you bring in, who would in all fairness, change anything or address our issues.

I think SG realises he is in.....Checkmate.

The whole things needs ripping up, and start again.

[skell]

3 hours ago, VillaParkAvenue said:

That defensive midfielder, would he make us create more qualified chances? That’s where the major problem has been today and against Newcastle.

Yes. He would. We would win the ball back quicker and have more.possession which should.equal more opportunities 

[TRO]

3 hours ago, Adman said:

I actually think most of the players are giving everything theyve got.  The system is not suiting the players and it needs to change before Gerrard loses the players and their input drops too.

so what is this magical system, that will transform our woes?....That football people like SG. mike Beale and Gary McAllister are all missing.

 

[tomav84]

just got back. still utterly perplexed at the watkins for luiz sub. 3 like for like options on the bench and he brings on the guy we know for categorical fact does not work with the striker we had up front. it **** the whole system, it took buendia out of the game and was the reason we lost IMO. we did alright first half. the players had a good shape about them and we showed signs of breaking down one of the most shithousing teams in the league. a chuk for luiz i think we win the game today

gerrard talks a good game, but thats 3 dreadful performances in this calendar year to absolutely god awful sides. brentford, ok, bit of a lethargic performance but you put it down to one of those days. newcastle, disappointing but we cant be that bad the following week can we? then today. losing to shit teams is becoming the norm, not the exception. not good enough. sort it out steven, and quickly.

[VillaParkAvenue]

1 minute ago, skell said:

Yes. He would. We would win the ball back quicker and have more.possession which should.equal more opportunities 

We’ve had quite a lot of possession today and against Newcastle without creating anything. Hardly any shots on goal. So in these games I can’t see it make much difference.

As for earlier games, I agree.

[TRO]

3 hours ago, VillaParkAvenue said:

That defensive midfielder, would he make us create more qualified chances? That’s where the major problem has been today and against Newcastle.

He wouldn't even make us cross the ball better, which today was a joke.

However, when an issue is left to fester, for months on end, and successive windows, produces no such player.....its like the old saying "a stitch in time saves nine"...or in our case, it gets worse.

The problem has hit such fever pitch, the whole team is off form now......its like a hole in a stocking, going unchecked, it gets bigger and bigger.

This form, is going to take some arresting.