Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Spurs

[TRO]

17 hours ago, TomC said:

Another frustrating match where we show glimpses of how good we could be...but we aren't.

Coutinho clear MOTM, runner up Ramsey.

Konsa was garbage.

Son and Lloris their joint MOTM. Son is probably my favorite PL player who doesn't play for Villa. Pure class. I'd rather have him than Kane.

If I had one criticism of SG this game, it's that he waited too long for the subs yet again. When we went 2-0 down, it only took about 5 minutes to see that the players didn't have the legs left to do what they did first half. He should have gotten some fresh legs out there much sooner.

 

do the subs ever make much difference......sure for energy, yes.....but to change anything, no.

[TRO]

17 hours ago, CVByrne said:

I'd say you probably would be better off firing Gerrard and starting fresh this summer. He clearly is making the team worse not better

Merlin is not available.

[El Segundo]

3 hours ago, delboy54 said:

Just watched the game on motd this morning and interesting to hear the pundits and Gerrard's comments.

Gerrard at half time told the players they have done really well keep it up for the second half

Conte we saw villa were pressing and playing a high line so they adapted and adjusted their game (tactics) and effectively went over the top with long ball allowing world class strikers to score

That the difference between the managers....ours seemingly has no ability to change tactics mid game to respond  or react.

There is a bit of love in between the pundits and gerrard though....i think like Bruce they are giving him an easy ride

When things have gone pretty well first half the best managers should/would be asking themselves a couple of things at half time i) "what is my opposite number likely to change  to counter our dominance and improve his chances?"  ii)  What should I do to prepare for that change and be ready to counter it?  I don't think either Smith or Gerrard do this.    Conte is a top manager, so no surprise he changed Spurs tactics at half time, despite them being ahead. 

Gerrard should have had a plan b to deal with that.  He clearly didn't and never does. He just keeps on with plan A regardless, as many managers do.  I think instead of warning players they are playing to stay at the club next season, he should be more concerned about keeping himself here next season.  Any other manager losing 7 out of 10 at any time in the season would be crucified by fans and media alike, and rightly so.  

[flashingqwerty]

17 hours ago, Awol said:

His form is terrible, but then Ings is the same. The bright spot is JJ, we’ve some player on our hands there. 

Until Ings gets to play more than a handful of games, he's not going to find his scoring form.

Look at his career, he scores lots when he's playing every game and doesn't when he is in and out of the team.

[flashingqwerty]

17 hours ago, M_Afro said:

Konsa had a bad day but the rest of the defenders were fine. I thought Digne was really good. Ings had a bad day at the office and JJ and Bailey should both have scored. Conversely, Son had probably the most lethal day of his season. It happens and we just have to accept it.

Most online sources actually have Mings as our worst defender btw.

Not saying they are right, I also think Konsa was our worst defender, but it seems non-villa fans disagree

[flashingqwerty]

17 hours ago, TomC said:

He's better going forward, maybe not any better in back. I'd give him more time because he hasn't even been here half a season.

One of the moments that really irked me was Remero shoulder charging Digne in the back.  Earlier in the game McGinn was penalized for a similar but much less aggressive version of the same challenge.

Had the ref applied even decision making, Romero should have been sent off, as he was already booked and that challenge was overly aggressive and unnecessary as the ball was out.

Resulted in Digne dislocating his shoulder and having to go off

[TRO]

4 minutes ago, duke313 said:

We also can’t blame SG for the chances that should have been put away. We created loads in first half, the most I’ve seen from us in a single half in a long time.

We domintaed the Stats.....but a few crucial failures to cut out simply balls, which is the story of our season.....undone us.

sure when the 3rd an 4th went in the spirit drains.

The biggest issue, is not just conceding the goals, by numbers..........its the ease in which we offer the opposition in their execution.

We can pick out, the class of the players scoring.....but its happening in most games.

[hippo]

1 minute ago, TRO said:

We domintaed the Stats.....but a few crucial failures to cut out simply balls, which is the story of our season.....undone us.

sure when the 3rd an 4th went in the spirit drains.

The biggest issue, is not just conceding the goals, by numbers..........its the ease in which we offer the opposition in their execution.

We can pick out, the class of the players scoring.....but its happening in most games.

Agree.

Sure we run around and gave spurs a few problems for most of the first half.

But on 42 minutes spurs broke and almost effortlessly passed the ball down the pitch -you could see that every spurs player knew what they were doing and their role in such an attack.

Whilst we'd running around at 100mph -spurs kept there shape and just waited for us to run out of energy.

Good bloke that Conte.

[TRO]

On 09/04/2022 at 19:31, Robtaylor200 said:

Just a thought. Was SG brought in to sell every one and buy a new team or was he brought in to also coach the present team to a higher standard. 

bit of both.

He wasn't brought in to buy a new team, but the holes in it, are certainly proving more difficult to manage, than maybe first thought.

If the crucial missing players are brought in and we transform the team to a winning formula.....what do we say then.

right now, we are all clutching at straws. ...yesterday, we saw a woeful attempt at defending aerial balls, that undone us......its hard to coach that.

Personally, Callum Chambers would come back in for me at Centre back or CDM....but in the absence of the right player, he would be back in for me.

Edited April 11, 2022 by TRO

[TRO]

3 minutes ago, hippo said:

Agree.

Sure we run around and gave spurs a few problems for most of the first half.

But on 42 minutes spurs broke and almost effortlessly passed the ball down the pitch -you could see that every spurs player knew what they were doing and their role in such an attack.

Whilst we'd running around at 100mph -spurs kept there shape and just waited for us to run out of energy.

Good bloke that Conte.

Hippo, when we retreat, there are no lines on many occasions, just a gaggle of geeses, ball watching......The defence show little signs of positional discipline, we are so easy to pull around and disrupt....subsequently penetrate.

even players going to  the help another and not helping, but leaving gaps......its disorganisation.

[TRO]

18 hours ago, Nigel said:

How can we go from that positive performance in the first half to that pathetic defensive performance in the 2nd?

Something is definitely wrong with the balance here!

I wouldn't be surprised if spurs only had 4 shots but scored with every one. I'm not sure what to think about that!

We are just so lightweight!

Yep.

and all roads lead from that.

[sharkyvilla]

19 minutes ago, tinker said:

Stronger squad than last year and the results are shocking , if we can't beat Norwich at home then it's a clear sign Gerrard isn't going to cut it , it's that simple.

I think sacking Smith, after season on season improvents, showed the owners intentions and I can't see Purslow or Gerrard surviving another 2 losses in the next 2 games. It's the same brush that swept Smith away that will sweep Purslow and his mate away. 

The fans will turn , they already are with tickets going on general sale. The atmosphere is completely different , even when Smith was losing games there was hope, that's disappeared.

Smith's time was up, Gerrard wasn't ready, Purslow fucxed up. Next. 

I did notice how empty VP was towards the end yesterday.  I don't remember such a mass exodus in recent years.  Obviously lots of fans do leave early but I think it was over half empty with over 5 minutes of normal time left, even the Holte End.  You can see it here at the end.  It's a bit worrying.

 

[AlwaysAVFC]

The first half was an obvious prime example of what we should be doing. First 10mins we gave too much respect and they were all over us. A little bit after the goal we kicked on, pressing hard, more aggressive and Douglas Luiz was in the right position of the pitch to do what a DM is supposed to do, break down play work the ball and work well with the centre backs in defensive shape. Which in turn helps the full backs and the other 2 midfielders in their defensive cover allowing them more impact offensively.

Second half it went to shit. We didn't keep the intensity and because of another early goal the shape all went Douglas Luiz was all over the shop. Its obvious because he wanted to attack more and create something but it did us over.

I rate Luiz but it seems recently he doesn't always sit in the position he should be (in my opinion). I don't know if it is him or his instructions. Which does offer the question what does Gerrard actually want in a DM?

I'm not sure Nakamba is the answer. Many think he is our short term answer because of his form before his injury.  Every single player on the pitch yesterday has put in 3 quality games together individually, yet many write them off and say they have to go and a waste of space. At least playing Marvelous, he does play the role that many fans expect of a DM. He breaks up play and tries to shift it quickly and doesn't stray off that.

[VillaParkAvenue]

4 minutes ago, sharkyvilla said:

I did notice how empty VP was towards the end yesterday.  I don't remember such a mass exodus in recent years.  Obviously lots of fans do leave early but I think it was over half empty with over 5 minutes of normal time left, even the Holte End.  You can see it here at the end.  It's a bit worrying.

 

A combination of disappoinment over losing big in that particular game and having too high expectations in general?

Returning to the Prem and becoming a mid-table side shouldn’t be so bad, but since the new owners came everything has been about us reaching top 6 and Europe. When that doesn’t happen the overall feeling is it’s all pointless.

People will probably get their hopes up again in July. Me too (unless we sign Wijnaldum and Arturo Vidal).
 

[M_Afro]

1 hour ago, flashingqwerty said:

One of the moments that really irked me was Remero shoulder charging Digne in the back.  Earlier in the game McGinn was penalized for a similar but much less aggressive version of the same challenge.

Had the ref applied even decision making, Romero should have been sent off, as he was already booked and that challenge was overly aggressive and unnecessary as the ball was out.

Resulted in Digne dislocating his shoulder and having to go off

I thought that too. Could have been a penalty as well.

[DCJonah]

20 minutes ago, sharkyvilla said:

I did notice how empty VP was towards the end yesterday.  I don't remember such a mass exodus in recent years.  Obviously lots of fans do leave early but I think it was over half empty with over 5 minutes of normal time left, even the Holte End.  You can see it here at the end.  It's a bit worrying.

 

I think our owners are going to be surprised now that we've lost that connection between fans, squad and manager. 

[Paulie]

You can judge results or you can judge process…

 

Felt like the tactics were spot on yesterday and we were undone by individual mistakes.  A top half quality CB has to deal with the ball for the first goal… konsa fumbled it.  

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

4 minutes ago, Paulie said:

You can judge results or you can judge process…

 

Felt like the tactics were spot on yesterday and we were undone by individual mistakes.  A top half quality CB has to deal with the ball for the first goal… konsa fumbled it.  

100

[DCJonah]

6 minutes ago, Paulie said:

You can judge results or you can judge process…

 

Felt like the tactics were spot on yesterday and we were undone by individual mistakes.  A top half quality CB has to deal with the ball for the first goal… konsa fumbled it.  

Does that apply to all games or just yesterday?

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

9 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

I think our owners are going to be surprised now that we've lost that connection between fans, squad and manager.