Ratings & Reactions: UECL: Villa v Zrinjski Mostar

[villatillidie1980]

Let’s be fair, Morstar came to ‘not concede’ - if they could score on the break, bonus. They very nearly achieved it and fair play to their defence and especially their keeper. 

We’re not good enough yet at being the team expected to win, and go and break teams down - but we will have learned a lot tonight and will get better at it. 
 

UTV
 

[Pinebro]

If we finish 3rd in the group do we get back into the league cup.

Possibly at the expense of Everton?

[KentVillan]

Just now, duke313 said:

Squad depth is only an issue because we have 5 first team players currently out injured.

Actually this is a relatively typical number if you look across the league. e.g. Newcastle are missing Barnes, Willock, Botman, Wilson and Joelinton atm.

The squad depth is always going to come into play in a normal season because you're never going to go the whole season being able to play your starting XI in most games, and our squad players aren't good enough really except in certain positions (left back, centre back).

[HKP90]

Just now, UpTheVilla26 said:

I don't think my man love could handle 2 of him. It's bad enough seeing Carlos waltzing about with his top off. 

My 16 year old gave me a right dodgy look when I said 'put it away Carlos'. 

Haha. Be like Doug. He just never panics under pressure.

Lean into it and give your kid a rainbow coloured biscuit.

[Annoyman]

I don't even know if I could have been mad if they'd held on for 0-0, that was an all-timer of a defensive performance by a team that could afford to settle for a draw

Nice for the nazi salute guy to see us get a late winner against his team I guess

Tielemans seemed slightly improved and was maybe a little unlucky not to create something, he had a few very good balls that were very narrowly cleared or cut out, though that stray pass near the end could have turned ugly. He needs one of those long rangers to fly in. Lenglet was fairly effective in the second half hemming them in a bit and recycling the ball

Cash is a really good impact sub to come on and cram 90 minutes of running into a single half like a madman. Shame we don't have a proper right back to (sometimes) start ahead of him

Edited October 5, 2023 by Annoyman

[troon_villan]

1 minute ago, Pinebro said:

If we finish 3rd in the group do we get back into the league cup.

Possibly at the expense of Everton?

No, the two cups aren't related at all as they have different governing bodies.

[Spoony]

This competition might get easier after the group stages (if we are still in it). Can’t just sit back at that stage. 

[TomC]

9 minutes ago, GingerCollins29 said:

27 shots to their 3

15 corners to their 0

They say that 1 in every 20 corners results in a goal. We were about 5 short.

 

[villa4europe]

Said in the match thread the B team more or less has more European experience (and international experience) than our A team

They're good enough, let's not pretend they're not, especially vs opposition like tonight, they have to play better it's that simple, we need them to play better

Tielemans has 60 international caps and 70 games in europe, dendoncker has 30 caps and 50 games in europe, it's bollocks that they can't be good enough vs mostar, it's a mental block in their head

[HKP90]

Just now, Annoyman said:

I don't even know if I could have been mad if they'd held on for 0-0, that was an all-timer of a defensive performance by a team that could afford to settle for a draw

Nice for the nazi salute guy to see us get a late winner against his team I guess

Tielemans seemed slightly improved and was maybe a little unlucky not to create something, he had a few very good balls that were very narrowly cleared or cut out, though that stray pass near the end could have turned ugly. He needs one of those long rangers to fly in. Lenglet was fairly effective in the second half hemming them in a bit and recycling the ball

Cash is a really good impact sub to come on and cram 90 minutes of running into a single half like a madman. Shame we don't have a proper right back to start ahead of him

Yeah Cashy was good when he came on.

[Kiwivillan]

Thank Mcginn 3rd times a charm wearing my new Villa top after losses vs Legia and Everton. Thought curse was real

[TomC]

9 minutes ago, KentVillan said:

The shirt pull was never a pen IMO. Started outside the box, and wasn't strong enough inside the box to merit Zaniolo going down. Think commentator got a bit too excited about that.

I disagree. He doesn't have to go down for it to be a penalty. The defender tugged his shirt at least 3 times and slowed him down. Unimpeded, he might have gotten past the defender and gotten a cross in.

 

[KentVillan]

Just now, villa4europe said:

Said in the match thread the B team more or less has more European experience (and international experience) than our A team

They're good enough, let's not pretend they're not, especially vs opposition like tonight, they have to play better it's that simple, we need them to play better

Tielemans has 60 international caps and 70 games in europe, dendoncker has 30 caps and 50 games in europe, it's bollocks that they can't be good enough vs mostar, it's a mental block in their head

I get your point, but the combination of them feeling aggrieved about warming the bench in the Premier League and then having to play against obscure teams who park the bus, seems to have had a negative effect.

John McGinn, who's fought his way up from the Championship and is happy to celebrate beating the Faroe Islands with Scotland, seems better suited mentally to this kind of fixture.

I think we'll look better when we start to face teams who want to play football

[tomav84]

1 minute ago, TomC said:

I disagree. He doesn't have to go down for it to be a penalty. The defender tugged his shirt at least 3 times and slowed him down. Unimpeded, he might have gotten past the defender and gotten a cross in.

 

doesn't change the fact that the shirt pull started outside the box which means no penalty

[juanpablosaliceband]

Good experience for this squad getting through games like that against an unknown quantity. Hopefully it’s the type of learning that will serve us well in years to come. I don’t really understand the A team versus B team divide some are pushing. We had at least seven regular premier league starters in our starting line up tonight. We need to utilise the squad. We can’t compete on all fronts by playing the same players for 90 minutes twice a week. Otherwise, we might as well just release about five players if we don’t want them contributing. Positives to see Carlos and Lenglet getting a game under their belts, and Bailey getting through the 90 minutes after injury. 

[tinker]

3 minutes ago, HKP90 said:

Fair point. That doesn't help. JJ would have been great instead of Youri tonight.

Youri wasn't bad, infact his passing was very sharp. The problem was a lack of urgency on the ball, we needed to move it quicker all over the pitch, especially in the final 3rd. Cash made a huge difference, Zaniolo started sharp but faded. Martinez save was great bit the player that shot was a yard offside in the build-up. 

[KentVillan]

1 minute ago, TomC said:

I disagree. He doesn't have to go down for it to be a penalty. The defender tugged his shirt at least 3 times and slowed him down. Unimpeded, he might have gotten past the defender and gotten a cross in.

 

It started outside the box though so it would be a free kick. I think the rule is stupid, but that's how it's always been refereed. Don't think it was a mistake by the ref

[Django_Zooms]

Ollie Watkins post-match interview: It was not a penalty, when I headed the ball into the defender's nose then it hit his hand.

If he was Bruno Fernandes or Jurgen Klopp: Definite penalty, match must be replayed, trophy must be awarded to us, all match officials must be sacked, VAR & PGMOL must be shut down.

Why Brummies rarely win anything.

Edited October 5, 2023 by Django_Zooms

[Demitri_C]

Thank the lord for that.

Undeserving but dont care  massive three points been a while since we scored that.

Was very impressed with the bosnians they can bloody defend. Won everything in the air apart from.mcginns goal. We mugged them

[AvonVillain]

2 minutes ago, villa4europe said:

Said in the match thread the B team more or less has more European experience (and international experience) than our A team

They're good enough, let's not pretend they're not, especially vs opposition like tonight, they have to play better it's that simple, we need them to play better

Tielemans has 60 international caps and 70 games in europe, dendoncker has 30 caps and 50 games in europe, it's bollocks that they can't be good enough vs mostar, it's a mental block in their head

Can't help but feel they are both low on confidence, and in Tielemens case felt that coming to Villa was actually a step down from Leicester, so wasn't expecting to sit on the bench.