Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Leeds

[Pelle]

I think we rode our luck a little in the first half. Great block by Douglas Luiz and a brilliant save from Martinez saved us. But we got our game a bit disrupted by two early changes and giving debut to a player who arrived two days ago, from another league and probably not that good in english. All in all we defended rather well and did a good job to keep the lead into the 2nd half.

In the 2nd half I think we improved quite a lot. We started to attack more, created more and apart from that shot from Gnonto they didn't create much. They huffed and puffed but barely scared us and when we scored again they looked really lost. We should've scored another. Instead we did it the Villa way. We invited them back in the game by conceding a soft goal. But apart from a few moments they didn't really threaten that much in the 15 or so minutes that remained after their goal. They fought well, but they are rather blunt. I think we deserved to win in the end.

MOTM Kamara. What a player. We need to improve to keep him, but can we do that we will go places.

[DJ_Villain]

2 hours ago, rodders0223 said:

Moreno had a bad 15. Horrible team to come in cold against after 10 to make  debut in a new league. Leeds are shit but they're absolute dogs who can just run and run and run.

I thought Moreno was in for a torrid.

It was a brilliant display of , more than  anything, character.

He grew into the game. He was brave. Showed some quality. Showed loads of positivity to drive forward and wasn't hiding or shying away, in trying to win the ball( got caught once or twice)

 

 I'm not saying he's the new Bouma, I'm not doing that annoying thing Villa fans do when a new signing makes a debut and looks for positives that weren't there...but that was about as  positive debut as you can get in the circumstances.

I agree…

He struggled immediately after being brought on so unexpectedly… but grew into the game…

His goal line clearance will have done wonders for his confidence (what a clearance it was) and he almost bagged himself a goal too…

Fingers crossed he gets into his groove with us sooner rather than later!

[Tommo_b]

I felt he looked shaky the first 5 minutes but rest of the game he looked a great addition 

[ROTTERDAM1982]

My thoughts

Martinez........top quality, at the top of his game and shows it. His save probably give s the victory.

Mings and Konsa.....i understand what Emery is trying to do with the defensive pair drawing on the opposition, but these 2 aren't good enough on the ball, both liable to mistakes. Costa will make a difference in passing from the back, but i am incredibly nervous watching these 2.

Young.... 37, ridiculous. Overall very good, but tried to get a cheap freekick for me for their goal. Our best player so far this season

Digne/Moreno.......good opportunity to compare and contrast. I think Moreno is more exciting going forward, and seems to play better with JJ and PC.

Kamara......for all the criticism of SG, i don't think we would have our best midfielder in the last 30 /40 years if it wasn't for him. Rarely gives the ball away, top quality.

Luiz/Emi/JJ/Bailey/Ings/Watkins.........ball retention is awful. JJ i can excuse, because I think he could be very good and has just come back, the rest are too inconsistant and if we want to improve we need to replace. Guendouzi looks as if he might be an improvement.

PC......was better at retaining the ball than all the above named. Linked up well with Moreno.

I think Emery wants 2 holding midfielders, a defensive RB, with Moreno the maurauding LB, and  more goals from the forward 4. JJ and possibly PC might be 2 of them players, Bailey is an enigma, lots of ability, and both goals he was involved in, but he does give the ball away in some dangerous areas. Might be an impact sub. Not convinced by Ings or Watkins tbh

[colhint]

Is this the first time a team has no corners but score off one.

[supermon]

Was a very scrappy game, lot of Sunday league type of moments in that game, with multiple players trying to go for the one ball. That's Leeds for you, dirty scum, hate them like I hate blues 

[The Fun Factory]

11 hours ago, Philosopher said:

Alot of the praise for Moreno is down to us winning, and him coming on in a difficult situation, and making a goal saving action.

 

Yes- and you point being?

[Mr_Dogg]

Who was the commentator on Sky?

[Adam2003]

4 hours ago, ROTTERDAM1982 said:

Mings and Konsa.....i understand what Emery is trying to do with the defensive pair drawing on the opposition, but these 2 aren't good enough on the ball, both liable to mistakes. Costa will make a difference in passing from the back, but i am incredibly nervous watching these 2.

I think we have to accept we will lose goals and games playing Emery’s style this season. But in the long term it is better we learn to play it than play another way for short-term gain. If neither Mings and Konsa are good enough on the ball to play it (and neither has ever been coached by an elite level coach, so maybe they’ll improve) then we need to sign someone else to play alongside DC because Emery will be sticking with the style and we will be better for it. I think Martinez will improve a lot with the ball at his feet as well.

[Adam2003]

6 hours ago, duke313 said:

Martinez kept us in it. On another day we could easily draw or lose that 3-2. We were poor for most of the game, can’t keep riding our luck. 

Only point I’d make here is a Leeds fan said the same to me - “you’re lucky you have an amazing goalkeeper or we would have scored three.” I was like “…that’s not luck, that is why we signed an amazing goalkeeper.” 

 

[Milfner]

2 hours ago, Mr_Dogg said:

Who was the commentator on Sky?

Seb Hutchinson

[AvonVillain]

19 hours ago, Talldarkandransome said:

And a special mention to the 37 year old wonderkid Ashley Young

I wasnt a huge fan of him coming back but he's continued to prove me wrong

I thought it was a dreadful decision to bring the Judas back. Turns out he's something of a saint. 

[TRO]

20 hours ago, rjw63 said:

Should have smashed his teeth in

 

and watched the game in peace.....from a prison cell.

[TRO]

20 hours ago, catanzaro said:

There is something god like about him..

theres omly one mate.....PM

but i do confess, he's on his way, to that status.

[TRO]

19 hours ago, DJ_Villain said:

He was fabulous this evening wasn’t he?

His surging runs, the range of his passing…

Possibly the most “complete” midfield display I’ve seen by a Villa player in quite a while!

The boy Oozes class....his reading and timimg is superb...he is not shy of putting his foot in, either.

I hope the predators stay away.

Need to build a team around him.

[TRO]

10 hours ago, Brumstopdogs said:

Although the overall performance wasn't great we were much improved in the second half and the players were fully committed.

For those claiming we were a bit lucky remember the reverse game at Elland Road earlier in the season (finished 0-0) where we got just 1 point but we deserved 3 (we had 19 shots to Leeds 7 on that occasion).

Swings and roundabouts and all that....

 

 

That was a hard fought game, credit to both teams.

its about winning, that is the fact.....The performance is about opinion.

The really good teams win, when they are not at their best....and we wasn't at our best.

Despite Leeds fiesty approach and willingness to run like Dogs.......Our determination to hang on in there, and bring home the bacon, must not be lost, in this game.

This doggedness, has been missing from our game,in recent seasons, lets not dismiss it, too quickly as moving forward, it will be crucial.

Folk can wax lyrical all they like about Leeds, and to be fair, they have some redeeming features....but they lost.

Winning is not easy in this league, and you have to do many things right, to secure a win......lets just rejoice in that.

We wasn't lucky, if we was, we would have won by a bigger margin.

[fruitvilla]

14 minutes ago, TRO said:

theres omly one mate.....PM

but i do confess, he's on his way, to that status.

Second coming? No Kenneth gifs, please.

And the game
Referee distinctly average
Emi good game ... a couple of brilliant saves ... We got to stop time wasting. The referees will eventually catch on and Villa pay. 
Ashely .... again another really good game. His misread of Gnonto led to the second goal. Nevertheless, what a brilliant signing from the Smith regime
Konsa and Mings, I think they are still learning the Emery Way. But they did OK. Come back to this later.
Digne and Moreno ... Digne - 10 minutes, Moreno starty off stiff and took a while to get used to everything, but otherwise not a bad first outing.
Ramsey ... quiet game, nothing outstanding, but OK
Sanson ... Not long on the pitch ... ran down Gnonto dribble, but could not stop, happy with what I saw.
Beundia I don't get all the stick Beundia gets; works hard, harries the opposition and even scores a goal
Kamara and Luiz ... Kamara silky smooth, my worry is some clogger will take him out for making the clogger look a fool. Luiz
Bailey ... nice patented goal ... but he has to look for the pass more often ... some have suggested Bailey on the left ... I noticed he did occasionally switch.
Watkins and Ings ... I think Villa looked better with Watkins and Ings was a little anonymous in this match. I hope Watkins is  back soon, but Ings may want a run at Southampton.
Coutinho ... His 15 minutes was OK

Emery ...  I thought was average. He may have underestimated the Leeds's high press and its strength. consequently Villa looked very defensive and under pressure in possession. Eventually the ball gets to Kamara and the ball moves forward. When Villa did actually move forward they were not to bad. Boubs MotM

[TRO]

10 minutes ago, fruitvilla said:

Second coming? No Kenneth gifs, please.

And the game
Referee distinctly average
Emi good game ... a couple of brilliant saves ... We got to stop time wasting. The referees will eventually catch on and Villa pay. 
Ashely .... again another really good game. His misread of Gnonto led to the second goal. Nevertheless, what a brilliant signing from the Smith regime
Konsa and Mings, I think they are still learning the Emery Way. But they did OK. Come back to this later.
Digne and Moreno ... Digne - 10 minutes, Moreno starty off stiff and took a while to get used to everything, but otherwise not a bad first outing.
Ramsey ... quiet game, nothing outstanding, but OK
Sanson ... Not long on the pitch ... ran down Gnonto dribble, but could not stop, happy with what I saw.
Beundia I don't get all the stick Beundia gets; works hard, harries the opposition and even scores a goal
Kamara and Luiz ... Kamara silky smooth, my worry is some clogger will take him out for making the clogger look a fool. Luiz
Bailey ... nice patented goal ... but he has to look for the pass more often ... some have suggested Bailey on the left ... I noticed he did occasionally switch.
Watkins and Ings ... I think Villa looked better with Watkins and Ings was a little anonymous in this match. I hope Watkins is  back soon, but Ings may want a run at Southampton.
Coutinho ... His 15 minutes was OK

Emery ...  I thought was average. He may have underestimated the Leeds's high press and its strength. consequently Villa looked very defensive and under pressure in possession. Eventually the ball gets to Kamara and the ball moves forward. When Villa did actually move forward they were not to bad. Boubs MotM

I don't think he does much, under estimating, such is his attention to detail......more like players struggling with it....particulalry, Buendia and Ramsey, but in the end, they coped.

I think he wants to bring players in to deal with situations like this....but is short of them currently.

 

[onmeedson]

Thank god leeds do not have a striker and we had Kamara plus Ashley Young who is fast becoming Son of God. Both were on another level last night and the young pup for leeds got schooled and owned by veteran Ashley. We need more player's of this ilk and hopefully we can bring them in. 

A ding a ling a ling everybody sing

                    That's   Kamara

[chappy]

Great night at VP last night after Stevenage and Wolves. Kamara MOTM, oozes class. Young excellent again.