Ratings & Reactions: Bournemouth v Villa

[Adam2003]

5 hours ago, est1874 said:

Liverpool today unfortunately showed us what Top 4 quality looks like - you wrestle victory from the jaws of defeat at all costs.

Right but what about when Liverpool drew with Luton a couple of weeks ago?

[Paul33]

Tactical gaff from Emery in pushing Konsa wide at the back and pairing Torres and Carlos in central defence. We were starting without Kamara who adds protection at the back so you have to play safe and Konsa is safe ...... he's our best and most composed central defender and yet he is thrown out wide. I think Konsa would have stopped both Bournemouth goals. Very strange move !

[thunderball]

2 hours ago, est1874 said:

The best season in living memory? What are you, 10 years old?

We've finished top 2 in my lifetime. Top 4 more recently. We've won cups. Mounted (albeit abortive and unlikely) title challenges until January time under Gregory and O'Neill.

Unai is undoubtedly a fantastic manager that we're lucky to have, and there is plenty to be positive about. But telling people who are disappointed with today's performance that it's the best season in living memory, on the 3rd of December after 14 matches, the day of a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, is pathetic.

I think the truth of this is somewhere in between, I understand both view points, however suggest expectation informs the response. Bournemouth are a very decent outfit, especially at home, and getting their form and game together at the wrong moment for us, we are surely not so entitled that we expect to steam roller anyone, we all know the PL isn’t like that, it’s why it’s the best league in the world.

Quality goals from us today, and another point away from home having come from behind, that’s my take away.

[Adam2003]

2 hours ago, est1874 said:

The best season in living memory? What are you, 10 years old?

We've finished top 2 in my lifetime. Top 4 more recently. We've won cups. Mounted (albeit abortive and unlikely) title challenges until January time under Gregory and O'Neill.

Unai is undoubtedly a fantastic manager that we're lucky to have, and there is plenty to be positive about. But telling people who are disappointed with today's performance that it's the best season in living memory, on the 3rd of December after 14 matches, the day of a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, is pathetic.

Obviously “living memory” can be taken any way as there are fans who remember before WW2, but to be fair I’d say there are certainly fans comfortably in their 30s who have never seen a team as good as this.

[Spoony]

2 hours ago, CVByrne said:

He's got us a resilient team with belief.

Imagine we scored first in an away game we wouldn't have to play the coming from behind. 

That would be the dream wouldn’t it but I feel we more or less play with a handicap we concede so early so often. 

[est1874]

34 minutes ago, Adam2003 said:

Obviously “living memory” can be taken any way as there are fans who remember before WW2, but to be fair I’d say there are certainly fans comfortably in their 30s who have never seen a team as good as this.

It's not that great of a team though? Unai definitely has the current starting XI over performing. We have a world class goalkeeper, a high quality midfielder and high quality striker. Then we have a bunch of players who have at various different times both played out of their skins and conversely been made to look poor by quality opposition.

There are holes all over the squad. Big gaping ones in defence at the moment, both in the centre and at right back. Neither McGinn or Tielemans is realistically a Top 4 midfielder. Ramsey has huge promise, Diaby arguably even more so, but they're not there yet. The opposite wing is a big problem.

In summary, when people look at this team and break it down to the sum of its parts, I don't see how any 30something year old can look at it and think it's our best team in living memory.

And in any case that's not what OP said. They said this is our best season in living memory. Which is both an absurd thing to say after 14 games, and also demonstrably untrue.

I'm not sure any of these points is really defensible tbh.

Edited December 3, 2023 by est1874

[sharkyvilla]

2 hours ago, Brumstopdogs said:

 

One of the shittest bits of refereeing I can remember.  I'm still pissed off about it.

[briny_ear]

3 hours ago, rjw63 said:

It’s a forum; if we all thought and posted the same it’d be **** boring, and people are going to get wound up losing to a team near the bottom of the league.Its a natural reaction.

Also in the quote above I’d say recent memory. It’s a superb season so far but not the best in (my and some other oldpharts) living memory.

Yes, living memory was OTT obviously  - I meant recent memory. My complaint about the reactions thread is that virtually everyone was saying the same thing, about how “poor” we were.. I was trying to put a different perspective. 

[briny_ear]

3 hours ago, est1874 said:

The best season in living memory? What are you, 10 years old?

We've finished top 2 in my lifetime. Top 4 more recently. We've won cups. Mounted (albeit abortive and unlikely) title challenges until January time under Gregory and O'Neill.

Unai is undoubtedly a fantastic manager that we're lucky to have, and there is plenty to be positive about. But telling people who are disappointed with today's performance that it's the best season in living memory, on the 3rd of December after 14 matches, the day of a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, is pathetic.

Looking at the highlighted comment, I’m wondering if you are 6 years old?

[Ponky]

Martinez far and away our best player but he was doing my head in bombing it long to Bailey in a one on one situation.

Bailey has the strength and resilience of a wet paper bag at the best of times and it was one such long ball from Martinez that led to their second goal.

Overall it was one of those really disjointed, lethargic performances we tend to have in us when the opposition is pressing well and it midfield decides to play statues rather than push hard to find space.

Hopefully the boys will be up for it for two very big home tests over the next 7 days. Four points from these games would be amazing.

While Arsenal, Liverpool and City are next level compared to us, I think we're definitely in a good position to finish 4th.

Edited December 4, 2023 by Ponky

[Villan_of_oz]

I'm just watching the match back, how did Semenyo not a get a second yellow

[JPJCB]

11 hours ago, est1874 said:

The best season in living memory? What are you, 10 years old?

We've finished top 2 in my lifetime. Top 4 more recently. We've won cups. Mounted (albeit abortive and unlikely) title challenges until January time under Gregory and O'Neill.

Unai is undoubtedly a fantastic manager that we're lucky to have, and there is plenty to be positive about. But telling people who are disappointed with today's performance that it's the best season in living memory, on the 3rd of December after 14 matches, the day of a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, is pathetic.

We never mounted “title challenges” under O’Neill so your memory is very much selective.

Im 32 and this is the best season in my living memory so far- sorry if that offends you 

[JPJCB]

7 hours ago, briny_ear said:

Yes, living memory was OTT obviously  - I meant recent memory. My complaint about the reactions thread is that virtually everyone was saying the same thing, about how “poor” we were.. I was trying to put a different perspective. 

Don’t apologise mate- some people think it’s a crime to be positive on these forums 

[Sulberto21]

Title challenge under MON . 

[The_Steve]

Still annoyed that the ref booked Zaniolo for a shirt pull, but refused to book Semenyo for the same offence (which would have seen him sent off). I'm sick of the lack of consistency. 

[CVByrne]

Good that we have shown resilience again and managed to get the point. It's hard to assess our away form when we keep conceding first and conceding so early. 

[Lerner's Driver]

15 hours ago, Rosch said:

It's essentially jury nullification.  The ref has decided that the first foul meets the bar for a yellow.  He knows the second does as well, especially in cases like Semenyo when the second foul was worse.  But for whatever reason, the ref doesn't think the two fouls are egregious enough for a player to be booted from the match.  That's simply against the letter of the rule.  

The only other option is that he knows the first yellow was completely erroneous. 

Not good alternatives for the system.

Again you are right, but "for whatever reason" (no sleight on you btw), is unacceptable reasoning. 

I suspect it was a mix of fear - I can't send off their best player and not wanting to spoil the spectacle so early on, but again, neither are acceptable.

As others have already commented, if it was either of those two things motivating his inaction, he lacked the balls and professionalism to do his job properly and should be punished.

The egregious failure was not just down to the player, the ref was just as guilty (if not more so) because by not applying the rules (his one job), he ran the risk of unduly altering the outcome of the match.

Edited December 4, 2023 by Lerner's Driver

[Talldarkandransome]

9 hours ago, briny_ear said:

Yes, living memory was OTT obviously  - I meant recent memory. My complaint about the reactions thread is that virtually everyone was saying the same thing, about how “poor” we were.. I was trying to put a different perspective. 

You gave in way too early here

[est1874]

9 hours ago, briny_ear said:

Looking at the highlighted comment, I’m wondering if you are 6 years old?

Weak.

[Talldarkandransome]

9 hours ago, briny_ear said:

Looking at the highlighted comment, I’m wondering if you are 6 years old?

Much better