Ratings & Reactions: LC3: Villa v Everton

[BOF]

31 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

That's true - but we played 45 minutes with nine of our ten strongest outfield players. In the second half, we were only missing Martinez and McGinn, and there's every likelihood that might happen again this season with suspensions. 

Yeah and we drew that half 1-1

[OutByEaster?]

3 minutes ago, BOF said:

Yeah and we drew that half 1-1

Indeed - we didn't win that half.

[TRO]

On 28/09/2023 at 12:25, Philosopher said:

So a really poor performance.

Changes had to be made. But Emery got things a bit wrong. Hindsight is 20/20.

So the first major thing Emery got wrong was playing Tielemens as a left midfielder / CAM. This guy clearly lacks the speed of foot, agility, and balance to operate in those tighter spaces. He just gave the ball away over and over and over again in that first half. If you want to play with Tielemens, Dendonker and Luiz you need a central midfield 3, with Dendonker Anchoring. 

Dendonker wasn't great, but to take him off and leave Tielemens on was poor Unai! 

Cash was very poor. He was shooting when should be crossing, crossing badly, and all he could do right was pass backwards. We may as well have played Chambers.

Pau and Konsa did fine. But clearly lacked confidence in Olsen who looked as bad as he could have in that first half. Came for nothing, shiting his pants when in possession.  Just not the right keeper for our style of play. 

McGinn didn't do too badly but had Tielemens in front of him. I'm glad he only played 45 minutes because he has been looking leggy for 3 games now. 45 minutes was probably the plan from the start for him.

Luiz continues to do what he does well, but he needs the players around him to give him options.

Zaniolo was off it, I believe he needed a rest. Unfortunately Bailey going off injured meant he couldn't get that rest.

Diaby was poor, probably needed a rest too. 

Duran tried but had no supply. 

Tielemens is not a wide or advanced midfielder, I don't want to see him in those kind of positions again.

Onana was excellent, bossed that midfield.

We should have started with midfield 3. Unfortunately Ramsey wasn't on the bench so must have a knock, otherwise he'd have started left mid. Then was could have rested Diaby and gone 433.

 

 

I don't think Unai has the diversity of player in his squad, to change things as much as he would like.....The old saying change the "bowler, but you are not changing the bowling" is relevant to us imo......too many are just face changes, who have similar attributes going on, as them coming off....that doesn't make significant change, all the time.

Unai is responsible for the Squad diversity, so I think he is making things hard for himself, by having a shortage of certain ingredients.

We need to find a balance of attributes, to make the team tick. Too many looking to others for inspiration.

 

Edited September 29, 2023 by TRO

[TRO]

Our squad might be strong in one sense....but not in another.

[BleedClaretAndBlue]

Really annoying to keep taking these knocks. We’ve bounced back really well from Newcastle, then Liverpool, then Legia. This latest knock was totally unnecessary though, we worked bloody hard to get that win at Chelsea, had hallmarks of last season’s away wins, and it just feels very negative now again with that result and the empty stadium, the injuries, then seeing the draw for the next round.
 

Brighton, Wolves & West Ham are all games im not looking forward to tbh. We have a great record against BHA, but I think that comes to and end this weekend. Wolves and West Ham are awful fixtures for us since we’ve come back up and I can see both bullying us yet again as we’re under strength. Sorry for the negativity, but thats what yesterday has created after feeling good after Stamford Bridge. 

[The Fun Factory]

So no announcement on the attendance then?

[DaveAV1]

16 minutes ago, The Fun Factory said:

So no announcement on the attendance then?

I was told that we’d sold 25k before the game so that was probably about right, I’ve o idea what the official attendance was though. 

[rbcuk]

27 minutes ago, The Fun Factory said:

So no announcement on the attendance then?

Seen on twitter it was 23,851

[Villatillidie95]

Yep below 24K is what i've seen online in the last hour or so, that includes the 4500 everton away fans. I am one ST who didnt go last night, guessing there is many more, allied to those on the waiting lists and corporate not turning up it seems to be reasonably accurate.....the club should have just released it, as they have deliberately tried to obscure it its picked up a lot of traction which it otherwise wouldnt as we seem to be the only club on various websites that didnt have an attendance figure.

[OutByEaster?]

23,835.

 

[Rugeley Villa]

Ouch 

[mattyvilla]

to be fair seemed way more than 24k , lots of empty seats but not as low as that

[Rugeley Villa]

There was 1500 empty seats in north stand because of segregation and not sure why the top of the north upper was not fully  sold to Everton fans . Doug Ellis stand was less than half full and Trinity about half full. Plenty of seats in holte end too. Corporate and Terrace View would have been very quiet also. Roughly calculating in my head it does seem a touch low.  I’d go for 26k .

[AvfcRigo82]

2 hours ago, TRO said:

Our squad might be strong in one sense....but not in another.

And as surprising to many posters on here, this is the importance of having a healthy squad of decent players that we can rotate. We're not even into October yet and the games are already coming at us thick and fast.

Sadly, our "2nd string" still appear to be lacking quality.

[rbcuk]

Just before kick off this 

[Philosopher]

18 hours ago, TRO said:

I don't think Unai has the diversity of player in his squad, to change things as much as he would like.....The old saying change the "bowler, but you are not the bowling" is relevant to us imo......too many are just face changes, who have similar attributes going on, as them coming off....that doesn't make significant change, all the time.

Unai is responsible for the Squad diversity, so I think he is making things hard for himself, by having a shortage of certain ingredients.

We need to find a balance of attributes, to make the team tick. Too many looking to others for inspiration.

 

From what I see Unai wants his midfield players to have technical ability, the ability to spot a pass, and retain possession. This is why Dendonker struggles when we have the lions share of possession, he lacks the ability to use the ball effectively consistently. 

We do lack a powerful all action midfield that is a tackle and press machine. However for Unai to bring in such a player they would have to have the passing and technical prowess to match. However such a player is in very high demand. Ugarte a 20 year old playing at Benfica got snapped up by PSG. 

Defensively we have a variety of options. Unfortunately Lenglet and Chambers are so slow they're sitting ducks when the high line is deployed. Mings is a huge loss.

Currently injury, and the match load have stymied our options, which are actually pretty good. The type of player mentioned above is all that the squad really lacks.

[TRO]

19 hours ago, BleedClaretAndBlue said:

Really annoying to keep taking these knocks. We’ve bounced back really well from Newcastle, then Liverpool, then Legia. This latest knock was totally unnecessary though, we worked bloody hard to get that win at Chelsea, had hallmarks of last season’s away wins, and it just feels very negative now again with that result and the empty stadium, the injuries, then seeing the draw for the next round.
 

Brighton, Wolves & West Ham are all games im not looking forward to tbh. We have a great record against BHA, but I think that comes to and end this weekend. Wolves and West Ham are awful fixtures for us since we’ve come back up and I can see both bullying us yet again as we’re under strength. Sorry for the negativity, but thats what yesterday has created after feeling good after Stamford Bridge. 

Its not negative, its realistic.

Where has our form gone that we produced in the game with Newcastle at Home? or even Brighton at home?

The things that have been missing from most of our games since, was in clear evidence, in those games....so we can do it.

The Injuries are a legitimate reason, but why have we left ourselves, so short of the gritty players that are missing.

The consistency of the inconsistency, is a clear concern....and right now, what bit of success we have had i.e 12 points from 18, is still unconvincing allied to the performances.

Its not negative at all.....its having a clear view of the fragilities, we are harbouring and not moving on in an air of denial.

We, for what ever reason and for what ever mitigation are not as resolute as we was last season....most fans must see that, surely.

I will just wait in anticipation for Unai to fix it.

 

[TRO]

1 hour ago, Philosopher said:

From what I see Unai wants his midfield players to have technical ability, the ability to spot a pass, and retain possession. This is why Dendonker struggles when we have the lions share of possession, he lacks the ability to use the ball effectively consistently. 

We do lack a powerful all action midfield that is a tackle and press machine. However for Unai to bring in such a player they would have to have the passing and technical prowess to match. However such a player is in very high demand. Ugarte a 20 year old playing at Benfica got snapped up by PSG. 

Defensively we have a variety of options. Unfortunately Lenglet and Chambers are so slow they're sitting ducks when the high line is deployed. Mings is a huge loss.

Currently injury, and the match load have stymied our options, which are actually pretty good. The type of player mentioned above is all that the squad really lacks.

I agree, but at least one has to offer more than that.....someone who goes after opponents with regularity, not just wait for them.....a rottweiler, call them what you will.

I couldn't agree with you more.....but I don't accept the scarcity of such players, as mitigation. They are around if there is a will to pursue one.....The squad needs one, even if they don't play every game.

other teams find them like Palhina, Bentancur, I accept Rodri is maybe a stretch too far....but we are seeing players like Doucoure and Onana and other seemingly lesser players than ours give us a hard time. Newcastle have a handful of players playing cameo's, we wouldn't sniff at all digging in......Its all well and good having players with huge talent to go forward.....but you have to win the ball first, who's doing that?...I am a fan of Dougie and Boub, but when they are injured, suspended or have a from dip, who is there to pick up the baton, with any confidence .

You talk about retaining possession, but we sometimes struggle to do that in some games, not a good trait for a team aspiring to be a good possession based team....The other night we was simply bullied off the ball, and its not the first time, we have to be better.

I think we are team, very decent in possession, but unconvincing out of possession, and to me, its clear opponents fancy their chances and we want them to fear us, teams simply don't fear us.....we don't suppress an opponents initiative enough, and by doing so, seize it ourselves... we are too passive out of possession...someone is always waiting for someone else to do something.

I understand passing ability is a huge go to attribute in potential recruitment, but we need that allied to players who can stop opponents in their gallop....a few leaders, would be nifty.

I think you are spot on, in your assessment, and Dendoncker and Chambers are simply too slow, in their work.

Edited September 29, 2023 by TRO

[TRO]

19 hours ago, Villatillidie95 said:

Yep below 24K is what i've seen online in the last hour or so, that includes the 4500 everton away fans. I am one ST who didnt go last night, guessing there is many more, allied to those on the waiting lists and corporate not turning up it seems to be reasonably accurate.....the club should have just released it, as they have deliberately tried to obscure it its picked up a lot of traction which it otherwise wouldnt as we seem to be the only club on various websites that didnt have an attendance figure.

Me too.

I thought it might, give some fans waiting on the list a chance, allied to me not favouring, driving in the dark, must be my age.

I guess it was a combination of a few factors, that led to the unusually low attendance.....seems like the new found spirit at Everton, never dampened their enthusiasm and maybe they have better paid jobs up there.....er humour.