Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Arsenal

[Xela]

1 minute ago, rodders0223 said:

It's the performance. To go along with Watford Newcastle and some other truly abject showings.

That's 3 games we've lost. 270 minutes of football without creating a half chance.

Yet in the other 3 games, we won, and looked very good and full of attacking intent. So inconsistent at the minute, its frustrating. 

[tomav84]

18 minutes ago, maqroll said:

Yep, we need to understand where we are and what we can realistically achieve this season and accept the fact that we will lose to better teams. 

We should just relax and try to enjoy the run up, win lose or draw.

we're not norwich. with the money we've spent i'd expect us to show more than we have in these last 2 games

difficult to relax and just enjoy the season when we have a big summer ahead and we need to showcase that this is a team that a top player wants to play for

[Dante_Lockhart]

57 minutes ago, BleedClaretAndBlue said:

Poor showing. Anyone who are organised defensively and set about pressing this team have an easy game. 

This. We’re so slow getting the ball up when we have space, and when a team presses we don’t seem to want to try those killer balls, we’re happy to just pass it in triangles at the back. Whether it’s players not busting a guy to create space or whether it’s just lack of confidence going for it - I’m not sure

[Lochheads twin]

29 minutes ago, tinker said:

Pitch looked perfect, groundsman doing us proud.

Best Villa performance today!

[rodders0223]

38 minutes ago, tinker said:

Pitch looked perfect, groundsman doing us proud.

It did. Shame someone over watered it at half time. Holte end half was absolutely sodden. Causing a few players to slip and miss hit the ball.

[skell]

1 hour ago, The_Steve said:

Starting formation wrong, improved with two wide attackers. A better half but we started far, far too slow and made it easy for Arsenal.

Laughable ref. No penalty was a disgrace.

We are in for a big summer as I don't see a few names being here - notably, Ollie, Luiz, and Traore.

Young went from one of the worst on the pitch to the better ones.

Felt Emi should have saved Saka's shot.

JJ very poor.

I agree, but they only leave when we find better players. That's the tricky part

[bose]

Piss poor and frustrating. Never stood a chance. Players looked lethargic and second best the whole match. 
It seems to be one step forward, two steps backwards.

Edited March 19, 2022 by bose

[bose]

Worst game that Coutinho has played for us. Feel bad for Buendia that he still gets taken off.

[maqroll]

25 minutes ago, Xela said:

Good luck with that

 

We're not going down. Looking like Coutinho will sign a permanent deal. An exciting summer transfer window awaits. Plans for a new North Stand, Las Vegas Villa, inner city academy, really promising youth players...I'm going to relax and try to enjoy it.

[Shirtman]

Poor today. Arsenal have made much more progress over the last season. They were easy meat for us last.

I have doubts about Gerrard. I struggle with all the hype about him. Great footballer but not proven as a coach.

Watkins worked hard but was poor with his final touch. McGinn has little bursts of activity but needs to shed a few pounds. Coutinho has had a few little cameos but is not a world beater at the moment.

The summer is going to be very important, and we'll need to have a good start next season. If not, the cult of Stevie G will fall apart

[mikeyp102]

I thought it was a mistake not to play Ings from the start today. 

[Mark Albrighton]

I’m not going to be too despondent about a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal. Unfortunately they’re some way ahead of us. I thought we could come away with a point, but the defeat doesn’t exactly shock me.

I feel the next match against Wolves is a better indicator of this manager and this squad. They’re about where I think the club is aiming to be, they’ve had a similar trajectory (albeit with higher league finishes), similar transitionary phase. 

I think they’re a better match up to gauge Villa’s current personnel.

[Hank Scorpio]

All this tells me for all the money we have spent we are years away from competing.

Coutinho in all likelihood won't stay. Let's be honest he will have better options. Then you have the usual every summer of teams picking up any decent players. This summer it's Martinez and Ramsey.

[OutByEaster?]

Weird game,  Arsenal are full of quality, they're a very good side and packed with quality players - but I thought we gave them too much respect, particularly in the first half.

We looked timid and I thought at half time they were good value for their one nil lead through Andy Madley-Saka.

We didn't really come to life until we put the subs on when we showed a bit more urgency and a bit more courage, taking more chances at the back to put Arsenal under pressure ended up meaning there was less pressure on us from Arsenal - we never really looked convincing in getting an equaliser though.

I thought all of the starting front three were poor, Coutinho included and Watkins especially - his touch today was appalling and there were times today where he wasn't pressing defenders and looked lost - if we're to improve next season, we might need to think carefully about that.

Midfield were okay, all three did their thing reasonably I thought and the back four were mostly solid with Cash the exception in that he was more than solid, he got forward really well, he was brave on the ball and he provided an awful lot of our impetus through the first seventy minutes.

Referee Madley was appalling - with five stand out moments - giving a foul for the free kick that became the goal, booking Mings for passing the ball, allowing Saka to foul Konsa to run through on goal in the second half, giving handball against Ramsey when he'd slipped and the ball hit his stomach and giving a foul against Cash when he had possession on the floor,  He got all of those things wrong and a few more besides - he also allowed Arsenal to time waste from the very first second of the second half. An absolute shocker from the man in black.

Arsenal took full advantage of him and ran through every chapter of the big book of shithousery, which was largely unnecessary - they look like a really classy team with a lot of ability - watching them choose to win in this way is like watching Keira Knightley pick her arse and smell her finger - I thought they had more class than this and I'm still convinced that they probably do.

I'm sure they won't be disappointed and in fairness to them, their fans were excellent throughout - it's the loudest group I can remember Arsenal sending to Villa Park and they were behind the team from the first to the last. I hope they enjoyed their day out and that the traffic on the way home is absolutely appalling.

This one is what it is, Arsenal are a really good side, possible the third best in the country, certainly top four, and they're flying, they were just a better side than we were - it feels worse because of the referee and the way things unfolded, but it was a narrow defeat to a team from the very top slice of the cake - call it a marker and lets see if we can push them harder next season.

 

 

[nick76]

Very shit first half, shit second half.

We gave up as soon as the game started.  We had no energy, no commitment, no fight, we were sloppy.  It was only going to be an Arsenal win.

Ollie…you were shit.  Coutinho not in the game, Buendia not influencing, I can keep going through the team but can’t be bothered.

Ref was shit.

At least I got home fairly quickly which makes a change.

Throughly peeved off.

[Xela]

8 minutes ago, Pissflaps said:

All this tells me for all the money we have spent we are years away from competing.

Coutinho in all likelihood won't stay. Let's be honest he will have better options. Then you have the usual every summer of teams picking up any decent players. This summer it's Martinez and Ramsey.

We've spent money but peanuts compared to the top teams. 

Coutinho staying, I feel, is dependant on who we sign and the 'project' that is sold to him. You've got to start somewhere and he could be it. Him signing could attract other players and we take it from there

[WHY]

Fuming after that. I put more effort in walking to the ground from my car. I hope to god the players who aren’t on international duty aren’t allowed any time off after that. Arsenal didn’t even need to be good to beat us. Absolutely nothing performance from us. 

[Paul33]

Somebody voted Coutinho as MOM ...... no, really they did  !!!

[WHY]

1 minute ago, Paul33 said:

Somebody voted Coutinho as MOM ...... no, really they did  !!!

17 voted for Luiz, he literally did nothing in the 1st half, was slightly better 2nd half.

[Paul33]

58 minutes ago, VillaFaninLondon said:

Lose against Wolves and the knives will be out for Gerrard once again. 

They really won't you know !