Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Man Utd

[John]

That home league win has been a long time coming, but what a win that was! A fine all round team performance, with everyone doing their bit and our new boss sure knows how to beat that lot. I even heard a Red say to his mate after the game, "its personal between us and Emery now isn't it?" 

They've grown used to late comebacks over the years, now it is time for them to again become familiar with having league defeats at Villa Park again. It will have been a grim road back home for those Cockney, Brummie and Manc Reds tonight. Funny how it was 3-1 again today, just like in 94 and 95, although they won't be laughing....

[FLVillan]

OK, my take on things.  Buoyant Villa Park gives the team energy and we get off to a flying start.  Superb game management and tactical adjustments allow us to see things out and add a third goal for an emphatic win.  Emi did what he had to do to keep Utd at bay and only an incredible lucky deflection beat him (the shot was going so far wide it would have got a "wayhayyyy" from the Holte).  Bailey and Watkins electric.  Digne justified his selection.  To a man we were better than them.  Mings and Konsa made Ronaldo look like a pub player. 

Deandonker was superb, not just in his performance but his tactical discipline and tweaks and changes - at one point in the second half he was up in the centre-forward position playing as a target-man, the next minute he was covering centre-back as Konsa advanced into the united penalty area. 

United's Martinez should have seen straight red for the clear, after-the-ball elbow on Bailey.  He could have had two additional yellows for bad fouls, yet walked off the pitch without even a lecture from the ref.  Luke Shaw could arguably have seen red for the foul on Ramsey as he was clean-through on goal.  Ronaldo could have seen red for the head-lock and drag-down of Mings.  The referee was beyond abysmal. 

[Hornso]

It's just nice to see everyone so happy on here. It's been a long time coming but the monkey is finally off the back!

[John]

Unai & Villa....

[Tomaszk]

Can't wait for @OutByEaster?'s report 

 

[Jas10]

 

[Mantis]

53 minutes ago, FLVillan said:

OK, my take on things.  Buoyant Villa Park gives the team energy and we get off to a flying start.  Superb game management and tactical adjustments allow us to see things out and add a third goal for an emphatic win.  Emi did what he had to do to keep Utd at bay and only an incredible lucky deflection beat him (the shot was going so far wide it would have got a "wayhayyyy" from the Holte).  Bailey and Watkins electric.  Digne justified his selection.  To a man we were better than them.  Mings and Konsa made Ronaldo look like a pub player. 

Deandonker was superb, not just in his performance but his tactical discipline and tweaks and changes - at one point in the second half he was up in the centre-forward position playing as a target-man, the next minute he was covering centre-back as Konsa advanced into the united penalty area. 

United's Martinez should have seen straight red for the clear, after-the-ball elbow on Bailey.  He could have had two additional yellows for bad fouls, yet walked off the pitch without even a lecture from the ref.  Luke Shaw could arguably have seen red for the foul on Ramsey as he was clean-through on goal.  Ronaldo could have seen red for the head-lock and drag-down of Mings.  The referee was beyond abysmal. 

At the time I thought the Shaw challenge was a red although tbf the yellow was fair and I'd be aggrieved if that had gone against us.

However, only just seen the Martinez elbow on Bailey now and my word that is an instant red. You can absolutely understand why Bailey is complaining about it on Twitter. He has every right to feel aggrieved.

[HKP90]

46 minutes ago, Mantis said:

At the time I thought the Shaw challenge was a red although tbf the yellow was fair and I'd be aggrieved if that had gone against us.

However, only just seen the Martinez elbow on Bailey now and my word that is an instant red. You can absolutely understand why Bailey is complaining about it on Twitter. He has every right to feel aggrieved.

Never even shown on motd.

[villakram]

That was lovely. 

It would be nice if someone could leave something in on Martinez... though being smoked by Bailey was nice! Casemiro is a twunt too.

[TheMightyVillans]

11 hours ago, NurembergVillan said:

Had to look at this pic again. Seriously one of the funniest football screenshots I've ever seen.

[Shomin Geki]

What a day!  Had an absolute blast.  Give a great bunch of lads a sense of purpose and direction and watch them thrive.

TODAY'S PLAYER RATINGS (season average afterwards)

MARTINEZ 8 (6.5) An absolute rock.  Has probably wasted a game's worth of minutes already this season.

MINGS 9 (6.83) Thought he was absolutely outstanding today.  Dominant, urgent, and with a little classy swashbuckling thrown in too.  Won everything and was hungry for more.  Obviously such commitment and swagger would be completely useless at a major international footballing tournament. 

KONSA 8 (5.86) The assured by-the-book Good Cop to Mings's heartthrob maverick, Konsa today was calm, incisive and intelligent.  It's good to have the old Konsa back.  It's great to have the boys properly back together.

CASH 7 (6) Effectively marshalled the right side of defense all game.  There's something of a newfound seniority about Cash of late.  I very much hope he can spike the old sweat-gargling, every-game-a-marathon Cash into this emerging maturity.

DIGNE 7 (5.6) A lovely free-kick was the prettiest bow atop a winningly calming, measured, neat performance.  Clearly loved setting Villa Park alight.

LUIZ 8 (6.33) Key to our organisation, with just about the right balance of bite and flow to his game.  Dependable and authoritative.

DENDONCKER 7 (5.33) Some floppy moments where he seemed to lack a bit of awareness, but was everywhere today.  Put in a mighty shift, but hard to see him contributing a huge amount once Kamara gets back up to speed.  Vital to our shape today.

RAMSAY 9 (5.79) Following some hapless performances under the other bloke was great to see our boy once again charging towards his seeming destiny as a proper Complete Player.  Tenacious covering, thrilling sprints with the ball, impeccable late charges into the box, devastating finishing.  Our collective pulse quickens when Ramsey is in full flow.

BUENDIA 7 (5.77) Still not at his tight, metronomic best, with a few too many loose balls today.  Nonetheless, displayed an infectious, endless energy all game, his terrier attitude crucial in not letting the potential sucker punch of a late-half goal deflate us.  His imperious best is surely not too far away.

BAILEY 8 (5.38) Smouldered today.  Fire in his boots.  Today showed what Bailey is capable of: Red hot one minute, cool as nice the next.  Yet another play I can't wait to watch truly explode.

WATKINS 8 (5.38) That's much more like it!  More than a few defense-scaring dashes today, with some really handy hold up play too.  The nervy Watkins of a few weeks back doesn't even see Ramsay for the cut back.  The sheer volume of space Watkins can be effective in is a real asset.  Never gonna be a stone-cold killer, let's hope the smarts of Emery optimises the many positives in his all-round game.

INGS 6 (6)

YOUNG 6 (6.44)

MCGINN 6 (4.43)

KAMARA 7 (6.43) Saw out the game with an already reliable casual expertise.

[FLVillan]

36 minutes ago, Shomin Geki said:

What a day!  Had an absolute blast.  Give a great bunch of lads a sense of purpose and direction and watch them thrive.

TODAY'S PLAYER RATINGS (season average afterwards)

MARTINEZ 8 (6.5) An absolute rock.  Has probably wasted a game's worth of minutes already this season.

MINGS 9 (6.83) Thought he was absolutely outstanding today.  Dominant, urgent, and with a little classy swashbuckling thrown in too.  Won everything and was hungry for more.  Obviously such commitment and swagger would be completely useless at a major international footballing tournament. 

KONSA 8 (5.86) The assured by-the-book Good Cop to Mings's heartthrob maverick, Konsa today was calm, incisive and intelligent.  It's good to have the old Konsa back.  It's great to have the boys properly back together.

CASH 7 (6) Effectively marshalled the right side of defense all game.  There's something of a newfound seniority about Cash of late.  I very much hope he can spike the old sweat-gargling, every-game-a-marathon Cash into this emerging maturity.

DIGNE 7 (5.6) A lovely free-kick was the prettiest bow atop a winningly calming, measured, neat performance.  Clearly loved setting Villa Park alight.

LUIZ 8 (6.33) Key to our organisation, with just about the right balance of bite and flow to his game.  Dependable and authoritative.

DENDONCKER 7 (5.33) Some floppy moments where he seemed to lack a bit of awareness, but was everywhere today.  Put in a mighty shift, but hard to see him contributing a huge amount once Kamara gets back up to speed.  Vital to our shape today.

RAMSAY 9 (5.79) Following some hapless performances under the other bloke was great to see our boy once again charging towards his seeming destiny as a proper Complete Player.  Tenacious covering, thrilling sprints with the ball, impeccable late charges into the box, devastating finishing.  Our collective pulse quickens when Ramsey is in full flow.

BUENDIA 7 (5.77) Still not at his tight, metronomic best, with a few too many loose balls today.  Nonetheless, displayed an infectious, endless energy all game, his terrier attitude crucial in not letting the potential sucker punch of a late-half goal deflate us.  His imperious best is surely not too far away.

BAILEY 8 (5.38) Smouldered today.  Fire in his boots.  Today showed what Bailey is capable of: Red hot one minute, cool as nice the next.  Yet another play I can't wait to watch truly explode.

WATKINS 8 (5.38) That's much more like it!  More than a few defense-scaring dashes today, with some really handy hold up play too.  The nervy Watkins of a few weeks back doesn't even see Ramsay for the cut back.  The sheer volume of space Watkins can be effective in is a real asset.  Never gonna be a stone-cold killer, let's hope the smarts of Emery optimises the many positives in his all-round game.

INGS 6 (6)

YOUNG 6 (6.44)

MCGINN 6 (4.43)

KAMARA 7 (6.43) Saw out the game with an already reliable casual expertise.

Agree with all of that, although I personally thought Dendoncker was superb.  The key to our tactics and tactical adjustments to make the game so comfortable.  One minute he's playing alongside the strikers to be a target and the next he's slotting in at centre-back to cover a run by Konsa.  But, you were there, so your perspective is probably better than mine.  

I thought Young was worthy of an 7/8 also - a couple of brilliant defensive interceptions/clearances late on.....

And come on, let's give Sanson a 7 for the little pirouette...

[MWARLEY2]

The monkey is off our back and on Utds now. Thats the last 7 points out of 9 in the league we have taken off them. 

[NurembergVillan]

1 hour ago, Shomin Geki said:

What a day!  Had an absolute blast.  Give a great bunch of lads a sense of purpose and direction and watch them thrive.

TODAY'S PLAYER RATINGS (season average afterwards)

MARTINEZ 8 (6.5) An absolute rock.  Has probably wasted a game's worth of minutes already this season.

MINGS 9 (6.83) Thought he was absolutely outstanding today.  Dominant, urgent, and with a little classy swashbuckling thrown in too.  Won everything and was hungry for more.  Obviously such commitment and swagger would be completely useless at a major international footballing tournament. 

KONSA 8 (5.86) The assured by-the-book Good Cop to Mings's heartthrob maverick, Konsa today was calm, incisive and intelligent.  It's good to have the old Konsa back.  It's great to have the boys properly back together.

CASH 7 (6) Effectively marshalled the right side of defense all game.  There's something of a newfound seniority about Cash of late.  I very much hope he can spike the old sweat-gargling, every-game-a-marathon Cash into this emerging maturity.

DIGNE 7 (5.6) A lovely free-kick was the prettiest bow atop a winningly calming, measured, neat performance.  Clearly loved setting Villa Park alight.

LUIZ 8 (6.33) Key to our organisation, with just about the right balance of bite and flow to his game.  Dependable and authoritative.

DENDONCKER 7 (5.33) Some floppy moments where he seemed to lack a bit of awareness, but was everywhere today.  Put in a mighty shift, but hard to see him contributing a huge amount once Kamara gets back up to speed.  Vital to our shape today.

RAMSAY 9 (5.79) Following some hapless performances under the other bloke was great to see our boy once again charging towards his seeming destiny as a proper Complete Player.  Tenacious covering, thrilling sprints with the ball, impeccable late charges into the box, devastating finishing.  Our collective pulse quickens when Ramsey is in full flow.

BUENDIA 7 (5.77) Still not at his tight, metronomic best, with a few too many loose balls today.  Nonetheless, displayed an infectious, endless energy all game, his terrier attitude crucial in not letting the potential sucker punch of a late-half goal deflate us.  His imperious best is surely not too far away.

BAILEY 8 (5.38) Smouldered today.  Fire in his boots.  Today showed what Bailey is capable of: Red hot one minute, cool as nice the next.  Yet another play I can't wait to watch truly explode.

WATKINS 8 (5.38) That's much more like it!  More than a few defense-scaring dashes today, with some really handy hold up play too.  The nervy Watkins of a few weeks back doesn't even see Ramsay for the cut back.  The sheer volume of space Watkins can be effective in is a real asset.  Never gonna be a stone-cold killer, let's hope the smarts of Emery optimises the many positives in his all-round game.

INGS 6 (6)

YOUNG 6 (6.44)

MCGINN 6 (4.43)

KAMARA 7 (6.43) Saw out the game with an already reliable casual expertise.

Wish I could Like this twice.

[Ghost]

2 hours ago, Shomin Geki said:

IGS 6 (6)

YOUNG 6 (6.44)

MCGINN 6 (4.43)

KAMARA 7 (6.43) Saw out the game with an already reliable casual expertise.

I know we think that Sanson is a figment of our imaginations because he's rarely seen, but bit harsh to leave him out of the ratings !

Edited November 7, 2022 by Ghost

[Sulberto21]

Konsa’s run towards the end was epic too. I wished he would have just shot he might have got a goal instead he tried squaring it.

[chappy]

Just seen the elbow on Bailey for the first time (couldn’t see from down the other end)… wtf! How does VAR look at that and think it’s ok?

[HKP90]

1 hour ago, chappy said:

Just seen the elbow on Bailey for the first time (couldn’t see from down the other end)… wtf! How does VAR look at that and think it’s ok?

Because it is being 'suggested' to VAR officials by the FA that to maintain the brand strength of the Premier League, it would be a good idea to ensure that teams popular with overseas audiences, watching on platforms which pay large sums for license to broadcast, should finish near the top of the league. Allegedly.

Hell I'm not sure if I believe that or not. I'm not much for conspiracies, but it sure does scan given what we see every week.

[Talldarkandransome]

1 hour ago, chappy said:

Just seen the elbow on Bailey for the first time (couldn’t see from down the other end)… wtf! How does VAR look at that and think it’s ok?

It was pretty bad in real time, awful in slow mo and the commentators did their best to say it was nothing.

They got away with a few today

But we still beat em with no luck and blind officials

[rjw63]

Come on lads, this glory is way too boring. Time to join the sensible guys in the Gresford thread.