Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Arsenal

[WallisFrizz]

1 hour ago, Keener window-cleaner said:

I'm actually quite baffled about the decison to play 4-3-2-1 and not changing it until it was too late. Everyone knows that Arsenals main threat is their wide forwards/wingers in Saka and ESR with their fullbacks overlapping. To set up with just our full backs covering the wings was clearly not going to work.

To cover the wings we needed McGinn and Ramsey to sit back and help out wide, that meant they couldn't contribute in attack as we would get too exposed on the counter. The other unimpressive decision was to play two no 10's and with one out of form. Both Coutinho and Buendia dropped back and wanted to play short passes in the middle of the pitch, that left Watkins completely isolated up front. No wonder we didn't have a shot on goal during the whole first half.

Wasn't the management team meant to be smart? Beale the super coach? McAllister I have  alot of respect for, but this is not impressive at all. Moreover, at half time, they must have realized, but didn't do anything until the 70th minute or something like that, far too late.

Gerrard implying that the players are not good enough (the talk about the gap) is simply not true. Player for player we match them. But the system and tactics let us down. This would have been the perfect game to play 4-2-3-1, like we ended the game.

Martinez on par or better than Leno

Cash on par or better than Soares

Konsa/Mings not a huge difference to White/Gabriel

Tierny much better than Young

McGinn/Luiz not that much worse than the idiot Xhaka and Partey

Coutinho better than Odegaard

Buendia/Bailey as much of a threat as Saka/ESR

Watkins or Ings better than Lacazette

Being at home and fired up we should at least be able to compete with them. But we didn't, the 4-3-2-1 hampered us, made us static, exposed and gave us no attacking threat.

I agree with your point but you are overestimating a number of our squad there, from midfield to the forwards. Partey and Xhaka are streets ahead of McGinn and Luiz. Even Coutinho, who has more skills in his locker but can disappear out of games and is easily bullied off the ball. 

But yes, frustrating to watch us set up so badly against them and changes not made earlier. With all the hype that came with Beale, I had hoped we’d see us demonstrate some tactical nous more often.
Again it makes me question the decision to send out Targett on loan.

 

[WallisFrizz]

33 minutes ago, MaVilla said:

I think the  problem is we over estimate a lot of our players.

I think we have 4 or 6 players capable of top 8, the rest are bang mid table or lower half PL quality.

Martinez, Cash and Digne possibly. Coutinho obvs but not good to see him so easily edged out of games. Ramsey has great potential but would not be so heavily relied upon as a starter at better sides. I know Mings gets loads of stick from opposition fans but I think he’d get games in the sides at 5-8 and not look out of place. Buendia hard to say. 

The rest, totally mid table or less. 
 

However, there are teams out there that overperform collectively the individual ability of their players because they have a good system where people know their roles inside out, work hard, are coached well, have self belief and determination, grit and a little bit of luck. West Ham and Wolves aren’t filled with an array of outstanding talent. A few exceptional players and the rest is what I outlined above.

Edited March 20, 2022 by WallisFrizz
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[Wurzel]

5 hours ago, Made In Aston said:

What a ridiculous comment! 

I wouldn't be surprised to see several current first team players replaced come August. In my opinion Mings, Luiz, McGinn, Watkins & Ings are playing for their Villa futures. This squad is a mid table squad, it has been together for a number of years, and it looks like it has reached it's ceiling. THe board have not bought in Gerrard to manage a mid table team. 

[Sulberto21]

1 hour ago, Zhan_Zhuang said:

I'd love to see a midfield three of Sanson, Luiz and Ramsey.

Perhaps give Tim Iroegbunam some game time too.

Mcginn needs benched, permanently.

Such blasphemy!!! Here come the pick axes!

 

[Spoony]

3 hours ago, tinker said:

Can't believe a squad as gifted can look so bad.

 Targett would have started today if he had been available. Young was completely overrun first half, miracle we went in at 1-0.

So fuxkimg depressing after last season's performances, never this shit.......was we? 

This for me is the issue. Are they that gifted? Watkins, Mings, McGinn, Luiz, Cash are barely top 12 PL players (Watkins and McGinn far from). Ramsey is a child and is still growing. Digne has looked pretty average. Ings just can’t seem to get going.

We have three players who should be above our current position IMO: Martinez (easily), Coutinho (although today was awful) and Buendia (just). 

Edited March 20, 2022 by Spoony

[Tomaszk]

2 minutes ago, Spoony said:

This for me is the issue. Are they that gifted? Watkins, Mings, McGinn, Luiz, Cash are barely top 12 PL players (Watkins and McGinn far from). Ramsey is a child and is still growing. Digne has looked pretty average. Ings just can’t seem to get going.

We have three players who should be above our current position IMO: Martinez (easily), Coutinho (although today was awful) and Buendia (just). 

What about the opponent?

Different formations so can't pick perfectly directly, however...

I'd take Gabriel, Tierney, Saka and Partey over Mings, Young, Ramsey and McGinn. The rest, we had the better guy on the pitch. And we were outplayed easily.

[KentVillan]

19 minutes ago, Tomaszk said:

What about the opponent?

Different formations so can't pick perfectly directly, however...

I'd take Gabriel, Tierney, Saka and Partey over Mings, Young, Ramsey and McGinn. The rest, we had the better guy on the pitch. And we were outplayed easily.

As much as we love Konsa, Ben White is the one who makes the England squad ahead of him.

I’d also take Emile Smith Rowe over Buendia and Lacazette over Watkins.

And the player for player comparison slightly ignores the overall balance of the team.

Arsenal have a really nice mix of physicality (Xhaka, Partey), creativity (ESR, Odegaard) and pace (Saka, Tierney, Lacazette).

I think we lack physicality in the middle and we lack pace (ok maybe Bailey off the bench, but jury’s out). We have some really great creative players, but there isn’t enough happening around them to utilise that creativity.

So yes Gerrard has a strong squad, but it has some key imbalances that cause him headaches.

And FWIW, Arteta had similar problems for ages with Arsenal. Managers do need time to get a team firing.

[Zatman]

37 minutes ago, Spoony said:

This for me is the issue. Are they that gifted? Watkins, Mings, McGinn, Luiz, Cash are barely top 12 PL players (Watkins and McGinn far from). Ramsey is a child and is still growing. Digne has looked pretty average. Ings just can’t seem to get going.

We have three players who should be above our current position IMO: Martinez (easily), Coutinho (although today was awful) and Buendia (just). 

We have better players in the squad who the manager doesn't trust. Luiz, Mings and Cash are fine but obvious Gerrard has his favourites. No way McGinn and Coutinho should have played 90 minutes today and Watkins 80 minutes 

[Spoony]

3 hours ago, Zatman said:

We have better players in the squad who the manager doesn't trust. Luiz, Mings and Cash are fine but obvious Gerrard has his favourites. No way McGinn and Coutinho should have played 90 minutes today and Watkins 80 minutes 

Who are the better players?

[Spoony]

3 hours ago, KentVillan said:

As much as we love Konsa, Ben White is the one who makes the England squad ahead of him.

I’d also take Emile Smith Rowe over Buendia and Lacazette over Watkins.

And the player for player comparison slightly ignores the overall balance of the team.

Arsenal have a really nice mix of physicality (Xhaka, Partey), creativity (ESR, Odegaard) and pace (Saka, Tierney, Lacazette).

I think we lack physicality in the middle and we lack pace (ok maybe Bailey off the bench, but jury’s out). We have some really great creative players, but there isn’t enough happening around them to utilise that creativity.

So yes Gerrard has a strong squad, but it has some key imbalances that cause him headaches.

And FWIW, Arteta had similar problems for ages with Arsenal. Managers do need time to get a team firing.

The idea that our squad is anywhere near on par with arsenals’s is honestly laughable. Some people on here just want to rage and call for heads are every loss. We’ve lost by a goal to two teams who are far far in front of us in the league. Some perspective is needed. 

[BleedClaretAndBlue]

 

[CLARETANDBLUEFOXY]

I didn’t watch the game due to lack of BT Sports. How would you guys sum up the performance in a sentence? 

[WallisFrizz]

3 hours ago, KentVillan said:

I think we lack physicality in the middle and we lack pace (ok maybe Bailey off the bench, but jury’s out). We have some really great creative players, but there isn’t enough happening around them to utilise that creativity.

So yes Gerrard has a strong squad, but it has some key imbalances that cause him headaches.

And FWIW, Arteta had similar problems for ages with Arsenal. Managers do need time to get a team firing.

Totally agree with your post particularly with the last part. 
I think it’s a failure of several transfer windows that we haven’t addressed our midfield weakness as it’s been glaringly obvious since we were promoted. Actually surprised that it took Gerrard so long to mention the physicality aspect as we’ve been banging on about that for ages too. 

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

4 hours ago, Zatman said:

We have better players in the squad who the manager doesn't trust. Luiz, Mings and Cash are fine but obvious Gerrard has his favourites. No way McGinn and Coutinho should have played 90 minutes today and Watkins 80 minutes 

Because under Dean Smith, McGinn and Watkins would have never played the full 90 regardless of form, would they?

[Nigel]

1 hour ago, CLARETANDBLUEFOXY said:

I didn’t watch the game due to lack of BT Sports. How would you guys sum up the performance in a sentence? 

One word would do it!

[RichW]

The last 2 games I feel have given a bit of a reality check in how big the gap is between Villa and the top 6/8 sides. We’ve played West Ham who were missing Bowen and had a tough away game mid-week to Sevilla and then had a couple of players go off injured during the game and we have just played Arsenal who had a mid-week game against Liverpool and were missing Ramsdale and Martinelli. We’ve lost both and deserved to lose both when you could argue that it was a good time to play either of them. 
 

Was glad to see Buendia back in the starting line up but seems now that unfortunately we are starting to see that both he and Coutinho can’t play in the same team so I’d imagine Buendia is going back to the bench as no way Coutinho gets dropped.

Wasn’t confident of getting anything before the name but I didn’t expect a performance to be that bad. Arsenal weren’t great but we just rolled over for them. Feel like I’m repeating myself every week but the midfield is just not good enough and I’m starting to get frustrated that Mcginn seems to be undroppable, I’m trying to think how many times this season have I thought Mcginn had a really good game?! Ramsey I can understand being inconsistent as he is a young player but both him and Mcginn both need some serious competition next season as it looks like they got their guaranteed place in the line up for the rest of the season.

Biggest concern now is how many of these “on the beach” performances will we get 

 

 

 

[skell]

5 minutes ago, RichW said:

The last 2 games I feel have given a bit of a reality check in how big the gap is between Villa and the top 6/8 sides. We’ve played West Ham who were missing Bowen and had a tough away game mid-week to Sevilla and then had a couple of players go off injured during the game and we have just played Arsenal who had a mid-week game against Liverpool and were missing Ramsdale and Martinelli. We’ve lost both and deserved to lose both when you could argue that it was a good time to play either of them. 
 

Was glad to see Buendia back in the starting line up but seems now that unfortunately we are starting to see that both he and Coutinho can’t play in the same team so I’d imagine Buendia is going back to the bench as no way Coutinho gets dropped.

Wasn’t confident of getting anything before the name but I didn’t expect a performance to be that bad. Arsenal weren’t great but we just rolled over for them. Feel like I’m repeating myself every week but the midfield is just not good enough and I’m starting to get frustrated that Mcginn seems to be undroppable, I’m trying to think how many times this season have I thought Mcginn had a really good game?! Ramsey I can understand being inconsistent as he is a young player but both him and Mcginn both need some serious competition next season as it looks like they got their guaranteed place in the line up for the rest of the season.

Biggest concern now is how many of these “on the beach” performances will we get 

 

 

 

If we revert to a 4 2 31 we can get coutinho buendia and Bailey in that starting team

[skell]

13 hours ago, TRO said:

I'll be honest Nick.....its that part the worries me.

I see so many teams in this league, who have it.

I saw Leeds come back the other night against Wolves, to secure their win after a woeful first half......I asked myself, would we do that and I couldn't see it.

I'm not saying we are a bad side, but I do think we are too easy to play against.

To be fair we did against Manchester United. I think we have fight in the team, we lack confidence going forward as players like McGinn and watkins are not technically good enough. As a result we are more.withdrawn knowing the ball will change ha ds quickly 

[MakemineVanilla]

Villa were disappointing but not tragically so.

Villa's defensive weakness on the left was apparent early on as Arsenal overloaded their right and created several chances, before they scored through Saka, who had wondered in from the right untracked.

Villa kept giving the ball away in a crowded midfield and Watkins got increasingly isolated as Villa chose pedestrian caution over attacking intent. Arsenal's press was perfectly positioned to be effective, while keeping their midfield compact enough, but it still managed to disconcert Villa's backline.

By the time Villa had brought on every potential match-winner, Villa started to get forward but the delivery to Ings and the quality of set-pieces continued to lack quality.

When Villa win a free-kick these days, it is not a time to hope, it is time to put the kettle on or nip to the bogs.

Arsenal were efficient and well disciplined and by the end I was expecting the visiting fans to start singing, "One-nil to the Arsenal!", just like the George Graham days.

Villa are decent enough to warrant their mid-table status, which is still pretty good, considering relegation-talk was in the air, not so long ago.

Whether Villa have the right balance of players in the squad, remains a doubt.

 

 

[rodders0223]

3 hours ago, CLARETANDBLUEFOXY said:

I didn’t watch the game due to lack of BT Sports. How would you guys sum up the performance in a sentence? 

Abject souless lacking any intent belief or desire.