Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Watford

[TRO]

6 minutes ago, smg said:

That’s the easy bit though isn’t it ? Putting it right is the issue, yes the usual crowd doubted Gerrard before he was appointed, however I would be interested to know who you think is the manager to take us to the level that we all desire, given that for two parts of the season he is stuck with a set group of players, most of which are currently deemed to be shit.

I don't understand your point......I am with Gerrard.

I just think we have too many players similar, so how can he change much?

[chappy]

Back from VP. Tough afternoon. Felt the substitutions lost us the game. Once Young came on for Cash, they were getting in behind him for fun. Then Watkins for Luiz was v cavalier. Sort of understand that as Watford had come for the 0-0 and weren’t really threatening. Bailey should’ve come on for Ings. Thought Ings was lively today but as soon as Watkins wad on the pitch we reverted to their disappointing lack of chemistry.

Worrying that I can’t see where we turn this slump around.

[smg]

17 minutes ago, TRO said:

I don't understand your point......I am with Gerrard.

I just think we have too many players similar, so how can he change much?

My point is we can’t just keep on ripping it up and start again. We have to have patience and give the management team time to build something. That means shitty runs like now but with time things will develop. The problem is that too many fans want instant success so they can give it to their non Villa mates at work , school etc

[Hamburglar]

After some thought and watching highlights on match of the day I can conclude we were fortunate it was only 1-0 this is very concerning. There is always a team that sleepwalks into a relegation battle and if we keep performing like this it might just be us. 

[smg]

Just seen it on motd Gerrard clearly put it on the players, ‘ they need help and support ‘ probably true, but as much as I think he needs time he could have taken some responsibility himself.

[chappy]

3 minutes ago, smg said:

Just seen it on motd Gerrard clearly put it on the players, ‘ they need help and support ‘ probably true, but as much as I think he needs time he could have taken some responsibility himself.

Watched a clip of him pitch side after the match where he said it was all on him

[smg]

5 minutes ago, chappy said:

Watched a clip of him pitch side after the match where he said it was all on him

Good let’s see what he does about it .

[Adman]

1 hour ago, TRO said:

I take your point and its a valid one....but, when we was playing with 2 full backs and a back 4.......The midfield problem was still there.

We have changed systems umpteen times under 2 managers and we still have similar issues.

The problems now have just spread to about every department in the team....so where we go from here, is anyones guess.

pick the team using bingo balls.

I agree with you, and I'm probably coming across too harsh and impatient.  I just have real concerns that we will risk the long term stability of the club pursuing Gerrardball, which I'm not sure will ever work.

I'd rather he focussed on the best formation and system based on the players we have, like Southampton, wolves, Brighton, West ham etc do.  When you're paying the money we are for players and staff,  there can't really be any excuses

[danceoftheshamen]

Have just got back up out of bed as i simply can't sleep after watching that today. Trouble is i can't think of a way to improve it either. It was like SG has now played all of his hand & has realised it wasn't strong enough. Now the rest of the teams know he's got a weak hand and somehow he's got to bluff the rest of the games this season knowing they know his hand is weak else we go down. Almost looks impossible.

Nine points easily evaporates especially when you keep gifting those teams below you 3 points in 6 pointers! With 14 games to go, two obvious losses to Liverpool & Man City (a) on the last day that is effectively 12 games we now need around 13 points from but also we now must not lose to any more of the teams below us. 

Norwich (H)

Burnley (H)

Burnley (a) 

Leeds (a)

Typically we now play Burnley twice just as they are starting to get results. Beating Brighton 3-0 yesterday for example.  Lose those & we are in trouble. Problem is they'll know that,

So that leaves us needing points from Southampton (Now in form), Arsenal, Spurs & Liverpool (All pushing for top 4 etc) at home (struggle to see 1 point in that if any). Leicester, West Ham, Wolves, Man City & Brighton away (All pushing for Europe, title or top 4...Struggle to see more than a couple of points from those if any either. 

We literally need at least 3 wins from the 4 games against teams below us. On current form we'd struggle to win more than maybe 1 or two if any. We just got 1 point from Newcastle, Leeds & Watford two of which at home!!

Very very concerned.

[ozvillafan]

Had a few hours to cool off and put things in perspective.

Brighton lost at home to Burnley 3-0....

... and - like Brighton - we are just a little bit shit.

[Farlz]

The substitution decisions against Watford were genuinely some of the worst I've ever seen. Like it was batshit crazy, no logic whatsoever. 

Taking off our deepest midfielder in Luiz for **** Ollie Watkins to then roll a midfield 3 of Ramsey - McGinn - Buendia or whatever it was. I've seen plenty of bad decisions but that's easily right up there with the worst, Gerrard completely lost his mind in that moment. 

[Villan_of_oz]

Worst performance Ive seen in a long time, I'm usually fairly optimistic but that was dreadful. Not one player bar Martinez gets a pass grade from me. Douglas Luiz was one of my favourite players, but he is taking the piss..... Does absolutely nothing, he can jog on to Arsenal.

If Ings and Watkins are ever played together again I'm turning off the match. 

[Robtaylor200]

Lets get this off my chest

I don't get to go as often now days but I was there yesterday. Over years I must have been to VP well over a thousand times, is it just me or is the place getting quieter. The lad got us seats at the top of the Holte, there was no one sat behind us we we were by the guy who bangs on the back metal sheeting. I thought this would be annoying after a while but after a while he stopped banging too. 

I don't profess to know much about football and tactics (I am a one eyed Villa fan) BUT what I saw was a team playing so slowly that every move was telegraphed and easy to deal with. We try to play with so much possession that we have forgotten how to actually take a man on and beat him to get into the box apart from in my opinion Matty Cash tried to. Hate to say it but we needed a Jack Grealish type to bloody run at them. We have the youngsters who are hungry to do this, but we brought on Ashley Young instead. Its time for SG to walk the walk, we know he can talk the talk.

Stop trying to build everything from the back and be patient - we aren't the Arsenal of old. More direct football please stop with the old faithful and bring in the young blood. To me it was a clanger  to bring Ollie on, I thought Danny showed more fight in the first 10 minutes than Ollie had in the last two games.

SG was disappointed in his interview  not as disappointed as me  at 64 years of age sitting there freezing cold, knackered because I was on night shift the day before and hadn't slept since 6 pm Friday, walking back to the car and another 3 hours to get home. Shame on you Villa

[Tomaszk]

32 minutes ago, Farlz said:

The substitution decisions against Watford were genuinely some of the worst I've ever seen. Like it was batshit crazy, no logic whatsoever. 

Taking off our deepest midfielder in Luiz for **** Ollie Watkins to then roll a midfield 3 of Ramsey - McGinn - Buendia or whatever it was. I've seen plenty of bad decisions but that's easily right up there with the worst, Gerrard completely lost his mind in that moment. 

No surprise we lost composure when Doug went off.

Without him, it becomes incredibly frantic.

[VillaParkAvenue]

16 minutes ago, Tomaszk said:

No surprise we lost composure when Doug went off.

Without him, it becomes incredibly frantic.

Maybe Gerrard felt he had to please the crowds a little, many seem to want Luiz punished.. Just saw in the Birmingham Mail he was voted worst on the pitch yesterday.

[Stratvillan]

1 hour ago, Tomaszk said:

No surprise we lost composure when Doug went off.

Without him, it becomes incredibly frantic.

We had to make a change partially because luiz is playing terribly. 

[Tomaszk]

1 minute ago, Stratvillan said:

We had to make a change partially because luiz is playing terribly. 

Might have been an idea to put a midfielder on instead of a striker though.

[Stratvillan]

Just now, Tomaszk said:

Might have been an idea to put a midfielder on instead of a striker though.

I agree totally. I think not putting sanson on at half time ( or indeed before the game) for luiz, was a massive error. 

[tomav84]

13 minutes ago, Tomaszk said:

Might have been an idea to put a midfielder on instead of a striker though.

we had 3 of them on the bench ffs

[CLARETANDBLUEFOXY]

3 hours ago, Robtaylor200 said:

Lets get this off my chest

I don't get to go as often now days but I was there yesterday. Over years I must have been to VP well over a thousand times, is it just me or is the place getting quieter. The lad got us seats at the top of the Holte, there was no one sat behind us we we were by the guy who bangs on the back metal sheeting. I thought this would be annoying after a while but after a while he stopped banging too. 

I don't profess to know much about football and tactics (I am a one eyed Villa fan) BUT what I saw was a team playing so slowly that every move was telegraphed and easy to deal with. We try to play with so much possession that we have forgotten how to actually take a man on and beat him to get into the box apart from in my opinion Matty Cash tried to. Hate to say it but we needed a Jack Grealish type to bloody run at them. We have the youngsters who are hungry to do this, but we brought on Ashley Young instead. Its time for SG to walk the walk, we know he can talk the talk.

Stop trying to build everything from the back and be patient - we aren't the Arsenal of old. More direct football please stop with the old faithful and bring in the young blood. To me it was a clanger  to bring Ollie on, I thought Danny showed more fight in the first 10 minutes than Ollie had in the last two games.

SG was disappointed in his interview  not as disappointed as me  at 64 years of age sitting there freezing cold, knackered because I was on night shift the day before and hadn't slept since 6 pm Friday, walking back to the car and another 3 hours to get home. Shame on you Villa

I agree with everything you say. It’s also very frustrating to hear how quiet VP is because this is the hardest it’s ever been to get tickets in my time being a Villa fan (it wasn’t even this difficult to get decent tickets when we were flying high in the O’Neil era!) so it’s sad to know the people going arnt trying to make VP a fortress. When I go I make some serious noise  from the first whistle. 

Edited February 20, 2022 by CLARETANDBLUEFOXY