Ratings & Reactions: Crystal Palace v Villa

[ozvillafan]

5 minutes ago, Paul33 said:

Decent:  Buendia, Cash, Martinez
Okay:  Mings
Poor:  Konsa, Kamara, Watkins, Bailey, Ramsey, Gerrard
Unbelievably bad:  Digne, McGinn

Palace had a team of moderate players all playing at their best. Villa had a team of decent players playing below their best. Go figure !

Swap McGinn for Ramsey and we have an accord.

[Sulberto21]

It’s so bad the MODS haven’t even locked the match thread yet. Lol

[CLARETANDBLUEFOXY]

GERRARD HAS GOT TO GO!!!! 

[KitKat]

Also signing off for a bit. Thoughts as follows:

Tactics might have initially been OK if we weren't so shambolic defensively, but it became immediately obvious that we were also badly struggling in the midfield. Couple that with zero tactical changes during the game to help us cope and then no subs at half time either and the result was looking obvious.

If Konsa starts again next week I'll probably gouge my own eyes out or something, although he did grow in to the game a bit I thought after another very shaky start. Chambers has to come in for me - hasn't put a foot wrong for us and is a lot more assured than Ezri right now.

Midfield 3 cannot house both McGinn and Ramsey, someone has to give way. They seemingly either do not want the ball or they want to play closer to the strikers. If that's what they're being instructed to do it isn't working and if it's not what's they're being asked to do then they aren't listening but either way drop 1 of them and get some more solidity in midfield. Kamara is doing the work of three men at times.

Finally, we waited until 60 odd minutes to make a single (weird) substitution and then made the rest after the game was already gone - a very bad showing from Gerrard. At least he was stood on the touch line for the entire game this time even if he looked like a statue. Contrast to Conte giving out orders and instructions for 90 minutes.

In short - players don't look comfortable in whatever system we are trying to play and haven't done for a very long time.

Peace

[Jonesy7211]

Watched the game. The amount of space we gave palace was ridiculous. The amount of space between the midfield and defence was shocking. The system was at fault today, not the players.

Gerrard did nothing to change it, even though it was obvious after 10 minutes.

He's showing the same faults in every game and not learning. I don't like the thought of sacking mangers too quickly but in my opinion he's out of his depth. This job has come too early for him. I'd be happy to be proved wrong but we're going to be far closer to the bottom of the league than the top half with him in charge.

[catanzaro]

Having managed people for thirty years, I would say that when things are going very wrong you need to relate and communicate with the team and build a solution to the problems together.. if he comes out and blames the players again… well… that would be very bad news for us. In my humble opinion.

[il_serpente]

Did we have a 3rd midfielder?  Oh, that’s right, Ramsey was on the pitch.   I guess at least he couldn’t give the ball away if he was invisible.

We have supposedly good attacking players, yet the most promising attacking outlet is to give it to a right back who can’t and won’t try to beat his man and is not a good crosser.   And that’s only when deciding not to just lump it forward.   I guess I can understand the aimless long balls because that at least means turnover in possession happens in the final 3rd rather than in our half of the pitch.

[1974Centenary]

2 minutes ago, CLARETANDBLUEFOXY said:

GERRARD HAS GOT TO GO!!!! 

Speak up mate they can't hear you at the back

[Made In Aston]

I voted Martinez as motm, but even he was shocking in possession. 

[BleedClaretAndBlue]

Next 3 games will see us deep in the relegation zone. Bednarek will save us though

[CLARETANDBLUEFOXY]

Just now, 1974Centenary said:

Speak up mate they can't hear you at the back

[1974Centenary]

2 minutes ago, catanzaro said:

Having managed people for thirty years, I would say that when things are going very wrong you need to relate and communicate with the team and build a solution to the problems together.. if he comes out and blames the players again… well… that would be very bad news for us. In my humble opinion.

Are you available for a soon to be vacant position?

[daft]

3 minutes ago, Jonesy7211 said:

Watched the game. The amount of space we gave palace was ridiculous. The amount of space between the midfield and defence was shocking. The system was at fault today, not the players.

Gerrard did nothing to change it, even though it was obvious after 10 minutes.

He's showing the same faults in every game and not learning. I don't like the thought of sacking mangers too quickly but in my opinion he's out of his depth. This job has come too early for him. I'd be happy to be proved wrong but we're going to be far closer to the bottom of the league than the top half with him in charge.

We looked good up until the goal, but the only change I saw from them was that they increased their pressing, and we just folded over.

[CosmicVillan]

Time to bring in Miles Finch

[Robtaylor200]

Even my lucky Euro shirt is not going to save him

[JoeParker91]

I was hoping with a full pre season and his first Summer Transfer Window, Gerrard would be able to put his stamp/philosophy on the team. However, there clearly is no philosophy, no game plan and our shortcomings are so glaringly obvious yet they do not get addressed. 

We were woeful today, this is the poorest performance since...well, Bournemouth, where we were a disgrace. There is no where on the pitch where we are performing well and we quickly seem to be getting worse. Defensively, we are not a unit, Palace were able to get in so easily today, through the middle, sides. Set piece defending is also shambolic, we got lucky against Everton and we got lucky on multiple occasions today. 

Our Midfield has been well documented but how on Earth the Manager can persist with McGinn and Ramsey, both who were so poor again today. I have so little faith that he repeats the same mistakes again and again, and one that is so obviously glaring. 

There is no cohesion to our attacking play, we rely on some individual brilliance (Ings, Buendia vs Everton) but I can't remember the last time I watched us where we would cause a team numerous consistent problems by the way we attacked. I love Emi but it's pointless when he barely gets on the ball. 

My major worry is at what point do we go again with someone else because to me, at this point, it's inevitable. Things have started to turn sour, the handling of the captaincy was really unprofessional and Gerrard has already started getting defensive in conferences. 

I'm not even someone who is desperate for European football, I'm still so happy to be back in the Premier League, that a season of no relegation concerns and attractive football keeps me happy (for now). What I find most frustrating is that I think, in terms of individual quality, we easily have the best squad since O'Neil era, yet we are throwing it away with someone in charge who looks so out of their depth.   

Edited August 20, 2022 by JoeParker91

[1974Centenary]

Just now, CosmicVillan said:

Time to bring in Miles Finch

Sounds like a detective off the telly,who is he?

[Jonesy7211]

Just now, daft said:

We looked good up until the goal, but the only change I saw from them was that they increased their pressing, and we just folded over.

They exploited the space behind the fullbacks and the space between defence and midfield all game. Shocking management not to change things.

[sheepyvillian]

2 minutes ago, Sulberto21 said:

Yet whichever manager we get no matter what their philosophy can’t change us from a panicky ball watching bunch of strang

Exactly. How does one get their head around that. What is it about Aston Villa and their inability to play cohesive football, regardless of who is at the helm. No - one looks happy. We are immersed in doom and gloom once again. 

[Paul33]

Although we look troubled all over the pitch, I'm pretty sure its the midfield that is the heart of all of our troubles.

They are lightweight and get easily outmuscled. They can't defend to save their lives and repeatedly fail to track midfield runners from the opposition. They never run with the ball to break the game line and put opponents on the back foot ..... always sideways or backwards. They never seem to want the ball thus leaving our centre halves with no option when on the ball besides suicide passes. Sort the midfield out and both the defence and forwards will suddenly look half decent.

Individually, McGinn is now consistently poor and is a disaster as a captain. Not once did I see him encouraging players when we needed it ..... just silence. Need to change that move immediately and give the C back to Mings who does at least talk on the pitch.

Ramsey isn't good enough to start at the moment ..... he looks very flat. Not sure what Kamara is supposed to be doing but I rarely see any impact on the pitch. Bailey is a sub and should never play 90 minutes and Buendia is the best we have by a mile so has to keep starting.