Ratings & Reactions: Bournemouth v Villa

[ender4]

5 minutes ago, Robbie09 said:

by far the biggest disappointment for me was the bitching, moaning and slagging off the players and manager by a good number of the fans after as little as 15 minutes of the game.

Beats me why they bother going, there’s plenty of others that would happily snap their hands off for tickets and genuinely encourage the team rather than berate them at every opportunity.

Generally I’d agree, but this was so bad from supposedly quality players against an awful Bournemouth team that I can see why fans quickly turned.  Look on VT for example, a lot of the Gerrard fans (me included) are now not pro-Gerrard anymore. 

Even the commentators thought we were terrible, it wasn’t just biased and over-expectant Villa fans.

[sne]

It didn't work last season, let's do it again this season. It's still not working.

[Robbie09]

25 minutes ago, ender4 said:

Generally I’d agree, but this was so bad from supposedly quality players against an awful Bournemouth team that I can see why fans quickly turned.  Look on VT for example, a lot of the Gerrard fans (me included) are now not pro-Gerrard anymore. 

Even the commentators thought we were terrible, it wasn’t just biased and over-expectant Villa fans.

We were crap but there’s some that appear to want us to lose as it justifies their anti Gerrard argument. Today I heard that Coutinho is shite, Diego is shite, Kamara is shite, Buendia is shite, just get it forward etc.

 

[RicRic]

2 hours ago, rjw63 said:

Think you mean Ramsey, matey-mate-mate

I think so too and he’s overreacting ramsey wasn’t at his best but he wasn’t that bad either and he’s forgetting about his overall season last year he was one of the star men

[PaulC]

We lacked creativity today barely created an opportunity all game. Just too predictable. He shouldnt have left Mings out or Luiz. Still dont think he knows his best team and I think he feels obliged to keep playing Coutinho although Buendia would be the better option. The Jury is still out on him. Today was unacceptable against a team in disarray who i belive will get relegated. 

[romavillan]

That was hideous however you want to look at it.

If Gerrard and his coaches are good enough for this level then the squad isn't. Not sure which it is at the moment but to go into the first game of the season and have enormous gaps between players, players on the ball with zero passing options, no discernible pattern of play, is not good enough. When we got the ball into decent areas it just got smashed across the box to no-one, or came straight back off the first man. Tons of misplaced passes, terrible movement off the ball and when inevitably we just gifted them the ball we let them run at Kamara, Konsa and Diego Carlos whilst the rest of the team tried to chase back. They talked about control in the post match, that's bollocks, Bournemouth let us have the ball until we were halfway into their half and then when we had to actually play football through their lines under pressure we just evaporated.

No plan that I could make out. That was easily at the level of Bruce in terms of coaching and organisation, unless of course the squad isn't as great as we've been thinking. Coutinho was awful, just terrible, McGinn and Ramsey were shadows of what we've seen them do in the past. Kamara looks class, but he must have been despairing what he's got around him from that showing. The full backs attacked cluelessly and were constantly caught out up the pitch. Bailey had some great touches but also made some weird decisions, that said he was effectively the only player who threatened to create something. Ings had scraps to feed off as did Watkins. Both showed willing but they aren't going to create for themselves. 

All in all very worrying. Time will tell if it's the players or the coaching, hopefully that's a blip and we'll at least get a performance against Everton. At this point I don't care about the points, I want to see what all the talk was about over the summer of targets, and working with the players, having a full preseason etc. I want to see us play some cohesive football as a unit. Do the basics, defend and earn the right to play and then play with some creativity. 

[VillaCas]

Mings had to start against Bournemouth - crazy that he didnt

McGinn is quite the wrong choice for captain

Buendia needed to start ahead of Ramsey

We need a couple more in sharpish

(I know Coutinho has been getting stick but I’d persevere as I think with Buendia alongside he will get the space he needs to play)

Supportive of Gerrard last season but the clock is ticking now!

[grobs]

I’m torn who to blame today on. I think Gerrard is certainly due half the blame but the players were abysmal. One thing I noticed at the back end of last season and again today is lack of care about losing. Where is the anger and frustration? Starting to think the club as a whole is just cursed, we could sign anyone and have pep as manager and we’d still be crap

[AVFCDAN]

I would love to get on board with the team, the manager, the tactics etc. but I’ve got no idea what I’m getting onboard with at the moment.

Were 2 or 3 more losses away from sacking Gerrard and starting again at the moment and I don’t see how anyone could argue against it, we’re underachieving based on almost any metric.

Edited August 6, 2022 by AVFCDAN

[il_serpente]

Based on that performance, Sanson should be in for one of Ramsey or McGinn next week,  Mings or Chambers should be in for Konsa and Coutinho should be on the bench as minimum changes from today.   What I fully expect to happen is that Gerard will say that he needed a reaction from the players and he's seen that in training during the week, so the same lot will start.

Judging by Gerard's comments, I think the change in captaincy has gone a bit less smoothly than Mings' tweet suggests.  Either Mings has not reacted well and is being punished or Stevie G's decision was about more than just preferring someone else as captain.

Saw a suggestion that Sanson may be loaned out.  If I were him I'd jump at the chance, particularly if he doesn't feature again next week.

I'll be watching to see if Gerard changes things up next week but suspect not much will change.  If we can keep Everton from scoring early we at least won't be facing the low block most of the game, and our squad and formation are better suited to a more open game and counter-attacking from an offensive standpoint.   Just need to hope we can score before the full backs inevitably get caught out and one of the CM's hasn't covered like he's supposed to.

[TheLegendOfLeonBailey31]

6 hours ago, sne said:

Utterly predictable.  But maybe it will work next time...

Anytime Bill Murray is used as a response, I'm all for it...  especially when it's used this well.  Bravo.  

[claretman]

Absolutely toilet.  Suddenly loads of pressure on next week already it seems.  Lose and there will be growing discontent.  

[TheLegendOfLeonBailey31]

I think it's clear that we need a top quality number 8 in the door, pronto, and that we currently lack pace, creativity, and cohesion/unity.  So so many crosses that seemed to be blindly driven that had legitimately no chance of finding anyone.  Yes they sat back, parked the bus etc after the insanely early goal conceded (instant shrinkage for this fella) but shouldn't the players and the coaches be able to figure out a way to break them down and get at least 1 or 2 quality looks?  If you can't figure it out in the remaining 43 minutes of the first half...  surely at the half you can put together a plan and go out and execute it.  I don't know.  Just such a deflating game.

Anyone get the feeling that maybe things aren't all warm and fuzzy in the locker room with the stripping of the captaincy, dropping of Mings, Buendia not being in the starting XI even though he's clearly one of our best players, Sansons cryptic post etc?

Very much hoping they train pissed off this week, and came out against Everton and blow their doors off.  Need that big time.  Otherwise things are going to get toxic quick I fear... and continued shrinkage for me.

[MaVilla]

i like how Villa likes to set new records.

 

 

[TRO]

6 hours ago, VillaChris said:

We're very much  good on paper team rather than grass though.

Coutinho-Ings-Bailey looks incredibly dangerous on paper but they hardly linked up at all and barely created a serious chance.

We know how flawed the midfield generally is when pressed and put under pressure and reality is one injury to Kamara and we're back to same options we've had last three seasons.

I don't think majority of us are asking for anything amazing, probably 9th-10th with a decent cup run but we look miles off even that when yet again we can't get basics right.

we have one new midfielder.....its still much the same as before.....so mcginn, Luiz and Ramsey are the same as last season.....the shortfalls are all much the same, no variety, no balance....all have difficulty executing their talent, due to allowing the opposition to close them down.

 

Edited August 6, 2022 by TRO

[Zhan_Zhuang]

2 minutes ago, MaVilla said:

i like how Villa likes to set new records.

 

 

At one point in time did nobody think at Villa that a match against a newly promoted team was a potential banana skin. 

It's not like this didn't happen already, only last season.

How about trying to field our best eleven players?

How about the idea or theory that Bournemouth's best opportunities may come from set-pieces and headers so perhaps pick a player who has some height in defence (Mings).

[Keyblade]

1 minute ago, Zhan_Zhuang said:

At one point in time did nobody think at Villa that a match against a newly promoted team was a potential banana skin. 

It's not like this didn't happen already, only last season.

How about trying to field our best eleven players?

How about the idea or theory that Bournemouth's best opportunities may come from set-pieces and headers so perhaps pick a player who has some height in defence (Mings).

I don't think too many people are miffed about the result in isolation. We didn't lose to the promoted team bounce or a banana skin. It was very much our own doing. Not threatening their goal in the slightest was on us, not them. As far as games away against newly promoted teams go, that atmosphere was tame. Felt like a preseason friendly at times.

[TRO]

1 hour ago, romavillan said:

That was hideous however you want to look at it.

If Gerrard and his coaches are good enough for this level then the squad isn't. Not sure which it is at the moment but to go into the first game of the season and have enormous gaps between players, players on the ball with zero passing options, no discernible pattern of play, is not good enough. When we got the ball into decent areas it just got smashed across the box to no-one, or came straight back off the first man. Tons of misplaced passes, terrible movement off the ball and when inevitably we just gifted them the ball we let them run at Kamara, Konsa and Diego Carlos whilst the rest of the team tried to chase back. They talked about control in the post match, that's bollocks, Bournemouth let us have the ball until we were halfway into their half and then when we had to actually play football through their lines under pressure we just evaporated.

No plan that I could make out. That was easily at the level of Bruce in terms of coaching and organisation, unless of course the squad isn't as great as we've been thinking. Coutinho was awful, just terrible, McGinn and Ramsey were shadows of what we've seen them do in the past. Kamara looks class, but he must have been despairing what he's got around him from that showing. The full backs attacked cluelessly and were constantly caught out up the pitch. Bailey had some great touches but also made some weird decisions, that said he was effectively the only player who threatened to create something. Ings had scraps to feed off as did Watkins. Both showed willing but they aren't going to create for themselves. 

All in all very worrying. Time will tell if it's the players or the coaching, hopefully that's a blip and we'll at least get a performance against Everton. At this point I don't care about the points, I want to see what all the talk was about over the summer of targets, and working with the players, having a full preseason etc. I want to see us play some cohesive football as a unit. Do the basics, defend and earn the right to play and then play with some creativity. 

I think it leaves us with more questions, than answers.

[RAN4OSU]

4 hours ago, rjw63 said:

Think you mean Ramsey, matey-mate-mate

I did indeed.  Thanks for the correction

[TRO]

Well, That was a " shocky horror show"......so much for having a good pre-season.....as they all claim is crucial.

I'm not judging him on one game......but equally, I don't agree with some of his post match comments.

I accept, he can't throw them under the bus, but no player, came out of that with credit at all.

I did half expect it, as I intimated in the pre-match comments.....This team can't play against teams like that....our aerial work is woeful/turgid....and we displayed once again our ability to be negated/cancelled out.

Our defending set pieces is sub standard.....and that first goal, threw any game plan out of the window, because we allowed them to stop us playing, they reduced us to withering, clueless, wrecks.

SG cited a lack of quality, in the final third, we threw in c 30 odd crosses, aiming for no one, no one with the ability to capitalise, even if they were quality balls, and they wasn't.....we are scrapping over Ings or Watkins, both are not no 9's....more inside forwards, who are not competent with it in the air.

We are not producing quality in our creation, because teams are being allowed to stop us.....its catch 22.....we are weak in the challenge or holding players off.

I honestly thought with SG coming in, the team would mirror his image, even if they couldn't mirror his ability......This team is lack lustre, its insipid....its is so,so easily derailed.

I have to believe this is a one-off, or we are doomed.....sure teams have highs and lows, but that took the biscuit.

I heard his after match comments and I can only assume, he's in denial.....but its starting to get worrying.