Ratings & Reactions: Villa v West Ham

[HKP90]

In fairness, they spent quite a long time discussing us on last night's motd. Probably as we were the only new game on it, but still.... They had a little (if slightly awkward) interview with Ollie. The only downside was the presence of Ben Mee, who was disappointingly not covered in flob from supporters in the north stand. (I jest)

[TRO]

17 hours ago, Jas10 said:

 

Wasn't JC good with fishing?.....I thought Dougie had some spiritual connection.

Edited October 23, 2023 by TRO

[TRO]

17 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

We're a very good football team.

Seventeen goals in four home games is outstanding and we've looked good value for all of them.

We did an awful lot well today - we dominated for long periods with the ball, we scored good goals, we pressured them, we fought for everything in midfield, we looked dangerous on the break and we quietly defended the best team in the league at it through a whole series of second half corners.

We're a little short of depth and we have a lot of games, so we might fade come the spring, but right now, at home, we'd give any team on the planet a good game.

It's hard to pick people out today - everyone in the back four played well, I thought Konsa especially so, Martinez was reassuringly solid, even when they were offside there's something reassuring about watching him stop shots anyway, I thought Kamara was really good, I thought he won the ball really well and used it really well, that's the level he's capable of, Luiz was outstanding again and the addition of all these goals can only bring him that little bit more notice back home, McGinn was strong, smart and determined and played a lovely ball for Ollie's goal, Diaby was nifty and cunning, finding little pockets and disturbing the West Ham defence, I thought Zaniolo did a great job of driving us forward from deep positions and matching their midfield physicality and Ollie was occasionally wasteful, but diligently grafting and found another deserved goal. Even the subs did well, Bailey looks really sharp and Tielemans added a bit of calm.

A terrific performance against a very good side that we made look very average.

The gentleman on the sideline is something extraordinary - week after week, he makes the right decisions; tactically, in selection, in his man management, he just quietly gets everything right - he's a class act and we are lucky to have him. He seems happy and settled and if we can keep him around, the sky is the limit.

It's hard not to be excited right now, we're thrilling at home with some outstanding performers that have been with us long enough to be loved and a manager that's a step above almost any I can remember in my lifetime.

Awake.

Very awake.

 

Me too.....

good re'sume'

[TRO]

17 hours ago, mjmooney said:

I was there. Boxing Day 1975. Dennis Mortimer's debut. Two goals for Dixie Deehan, one for Chico and one for Andy Gray. 

me too.

[TRO]

16 hours ago, sheepyvillian said:

I was there with the Old Man(HEITS), John Deehan, that was some front 3 with Gray and Little. I can smell the Hot - Dogs.

Balance to a tee.

[TRO]

16 hours ago, DaveAV1 said:

I discovered fly fishing a couple of years ago, uo here in the highlands all fishing is fly fishing. As it’s now my second obsession after AVFC, so I was delighted to see Dougie’s fishing celebration and hear after the match that he too loves to fish, I’ll invite him up to wet a line. Tight lines Dougie!! I’ll try and match you with a fish for every goal you score. The season is closed now for trout and soon will be for salmon but we’re allowed to fish the lochs that are stocked, ie. No migratory fish, all year round. So I’m afraid he won’t be able to catch a salmon from a river until the Spring. I love fishing and apparently it’s very good for people’s mental health, I can confirm this too. Perhaps the perfect antidote to watching the Villa! 

.........but not very good for the fishs mental health.

is it something to do with the word Doug?......we'll have to name him Deadly Doug Jnr.

Edited October 23, 2023 by TRO

[Pinebro]

No media is praising our high line when we dominate but are very quick to bring it up when we lose goals to it.

It's pathetic. I actually get mad about it.

[TRO]

16 hours ago, KevinRichardsonsMoustache said:

Christ, I just had a look. Forget delusional, this is just horrible (censoring added by me). This is just the tip of the horrible turd iceberg:

”I don't know why some are surprised.
It's a well known fact that when c#ntface comes up against anyone with an attack minded set up with fresh ideas we're f#cked.
But until we're taken over that's how it'll always be.
He's not the only one whose at fault, the owner and his cronies are equally culpable and this kretinsky c#nts turning out to be a no mark sitting back counting his Dosh.
Can't wait for the day when sky announce that we're being bought and shortarse is gone, then we'll see just how quick that bug eyed c#nt sticks around.”

Nothing quite like an articulate debate with football intellectuals.

[TRO]

8 hours ago, Frodo said:

Do you know what ....... we could be sitting here bemoaning our injury list, Mings, Beundia, Moreno, Ramsey, that's the intire left-hand side of our team & sitting midtable or bottom half all saying we will climb the table when our injuries clear up. But we're not we have 4 big player out injured & we're sitting 5th 2pts off the summit, the scary thing is how good we will be when them 4 players are back in the sqaud, only under Emery is this possible he is elite he is world class in my eyes, enjoy it people because he won't be here for ever, I'm hoping a long time but I doubt we will see a better manger at our great club in my lifetime.

True....but spare a thought for those that are being played in their positions.

Digne, Torres and Zaniolo are all playing well, which is a massive filip to what Unai is constructing.

as you say.....Elite Manager.

[Jas10]

 

[TRO]

It still puzzles me a times, when we have an emphatic win like that, and some folk, try to find mitigation for our opponents

Did Liverpool and Newcastle fans do that......Oh Villa had an off day, or finding excuses for their goals.

The best Holt end rendition of the day, was ....." you can stick your bubbles up your ( where the sun don't shine)"

Quite Frankly, I don't care if teams have bad performances against us....I just take it as we have imposed them poor performances on them.

was the 11 home wins all finding teams had an off day?

Edited October 23, 2023 by TRO

[PaulC]

15 minutes ago, TRO said:

It still puzzles me a times, when he have an emphatic win like that, and some folk, try to find mitigation for our opponents

Did Liverpool and Newcastle fans do that......Oh Villa had an off day, or finding excuses for their goals.

The best Holt end rendition of the day, was ....." you can stick your bubbles up your ( where the sun don't shine)"

Quite Frankly, I don't care if teams have bad performances against us....I just take it as we have imposed them poor performances on them.

Yes me too. West Ham must have known that it was going to.be a very tough game. I just think that we were just too good for them on the day.

[TRO]

3 minutes ago, PaulC said:

Yes me too. West Ham must have known that it was going to.be a very tough game. I just think that we were just too good for them on the day.

Spot on, Paul

Edited October 23, 2023 by TRO

[Lochheads twin]

18 hours ago, mjmooney said:

I was there. Boxing Day 1975. Dennis Mortimer's debut. Two goals for Dixie Deehan, one for Chico and one for Andy Gray. 

Me Too.
The  home games on Boxing Day were something special. Checking who our opponents would be was one of the first things I used to look for when the fixtures were published.

Happy Days. UTV

[rubberman]

3 hours ago, TRO said:

Its hard to close down moving players......only static ones get negated.

On MOTD they were slagging off Paqueta for his lack of movement. Really obvious in the build-up to the first goal - he just stood and watched while Luiz ran off to pick up the pass and score. Highlighted the intensity that Unai has us playing with now.

[Lochheads twin]

2 hours ago, TRO said:

Look, you make a sound point.

I am seriously hard pressed, not to agree with you.....but I essentially do agree with you......The control I saw on Sunday, was the best ever, this is truly a very well coached and talented side when its in this mood, but consistency, (what we are currently doing), must continue.

West Ham are also a good outfit, that must be remembered despite the contrasting style...so this win had a significant connotation to it....they traditionally find a way against us, but that ended on Sunday, with an emphatic performance from us.

This present team are in some ways emulating the performances of Gray-Deehan - Little of the late 70's, where we was dismantling the top sides, with swashbuckling goals.

There is nuances in our present team, with some of our best teams of the past.

 

I whole-heartedly agree about the control & discipline of Unai's team

Whilst we regularly used to batter teams at Villa Park in those days (70's), we were not great on the road. That did not come until Ron Saunders built his great team.

[rubberman]

1 hour ago, Pinebro said:

No media is praising our high line when we dominate but are very quick to bring it up when we lose goals to it.

It's pathetic. I actually get mad about it.

I'm sure at some point they'll get it. The only reason we lost goals to it to Liverpool and Newcastle was the early injuries in those games and it being so close to the start of the season we hadn't had time to drill the new members of defence as thoroughly. Don't see that happening again in such a major way. It's similar to when Emery first got here and the defence looked like an accident waiting to happen, but a few weeks of work and it became a well-oiled machine. I fully expect to see us having the most number of offsides against us again this season.

[villa89]

34 minutes ago, PaulC said:

Yes me too. West Ham must have known that it was going to.be a very tough game. I just think that we were just too good for them on the day.

That and Moyes hadn't a clue how to setup his team to counter our style. Emery is miles ahead of him in football knowledge. 

[DJBOB]

I think Moyes is showing the limitations of building a primarily counter-attacking team. So for all of the talk about them being tough to beat and dangerous on the counter is true, but that sitting deep and counter-attacking style requires high defensive intensity for a long period of time. Their set up - a low 442 block or a 541 depending on the occasion is not dissimilar to what we faced against Wolves but because of the derby - they really got on us whereas West Ham were relatively passive. Look at the passage of play for Watkins first chance and Diaby is standing without anyone around him between the lines. 

So there is an element of West Ham being "off" it but the truth is that teams can't really sustain this high intensity defensive press every match. That's why Unai is so focused on possession and keeping control of the ball so that we can have high bursts of press intensity instead of being dialed in for more than 60% of the match. This is a common theme of both MON (remember how our teams used to fall apart the second half of the season), Deano (the doldrums of post-January), and for most of his history - Moyes. Sustaining that high defensive intensity is very difficult.

That is great for certain clubs and it can even win you trophies because that counter-attacking style benefits knockout tournaments. If you have the right personnel, you can even have a really stellar season. But in general, there's a ceiling for that style of play in the league.

Edited October 23, 2023 by DJBOB

[Follyfoot]

1 hour ago, PaulC said:

Yes me too. West Ham must have known that it was going to.be a very tough game. I just think that we were just too good for them on the day.

We are too good for most teams on the day at the moment