Ratings & Reactions: UECL6: Zrinjski v Villa

[lapal_fan]

15 minutes ago, Adam2003 said:

Just looking at prize money - that goal was worth a not insignificant €166,000 to them (and cost us €334,000). But then we also got €650,000 for winning the group (vs €325,000 if we had been runners up). Starts to add up a bit - we’ve banked a few million from the group stage at €500,000 per win and got just under €3,000,000 just for making the group.

What's our annual wage bill? 

I'm assuming if we take out Digne's wages it'll drop from about £1.6 billion to about £100,000 a week? 

[allani]

3 hours ago, tomav84 said:

best keeper in the world vs a keeper who until tonight hadn't played at a level higher than the national league. no comparisson.

he did fine, quick off his line, generally comfortable aside from one or 2 obvious nervy moments.

I hope he doesn't play behind Chambers again.  First Chambers sticks his backside out McGinn style to "charge down" a fairly routine clearance.  Then he gets a half-block on a shot that diverts it above the keeper.

However, Marschall made a great "save" when he plucked the ball of the toes of the striker trying to go round him.  Absolutely brilliant bit of keeping given that he'd just had an unfortunate couple of minutes.  His calmness to just stand with the ball at his feet for probably 50% of time added on was also great - especially as the commentators didn't know what the hell was going on and assumed that the ref hadn't restarted play.

[jim]

1 hour ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Interested to know why you gave Emery poor rating. What do you think he got wrong ?  I didn’t watch the game.

Compared to what we have become unconsumed to it was a poor performance, in isolation against a bunch of minnows. 

[RicRic]

Poor match, good for zaniolo to get a goal but still far from convincing from him not sharp enough for this team, lets go again sunday with more venom, think we could have trusted Traore and chambers in games like that tbf could have rested couple more

[RicRic]

3 hours ago, foreveryoung said:

West Ham won it, speaks volumes.

Exactly why i do not rate this one bit .. however will be routing for us to win it regardless lol

[MrBlack]

1 hour ago, Adam2003 said:

Just looking at prize money - that goal was worth a not insignificant €166,000 to them (and cost us €334,000). But then we also got €650,000 for winning the group (vs €325,000 if we had been runners up). Starts to add up a bit - we’ve banked a few million from the group stage at €500,000 per win and got just under €3,000,000 just for making the group.

Interesting. May explain their unwillingness to do anything when Marschall had the ball at the end. That not insignificant amount probably pays their whole teams salaries for a couple of months, or maybe even more. 

[DakotaVilla]

Meh. Game navigated with no injuries and top of the table. Clearly told to conserve energy at all costs. 

[CVByrne]

6 hours ago, jim said:

Compared to what we have become unconsumed to it was a poor performance, in isolation against a bunch of minnows. 

Their record at home was decent, 1 win, 1-0 loss and they dug out a 1-1 with their only shit on target. The pitch was atrocious and we'd made plenty of changes.

We'd have taken 4 wins a draw and a defeat and top of the group if it was in offer in September.

 

[romavillan]

35 minutes ago, CVByrne said:

Their record at home was decent, 1 win, 1-0 loss and they dug out a 1-1 with their only shit on target. The pitch was atrocious and we'd made plenty of changes.

We'd have taken 4 wins a draw and a defeat and top of the group if it was in offer in September.

 

Yeah not sure what Emery did that could be described as poor, the 11 he put out int he system he put out looked fine to me. They struggles but they need to play together more and by getting through to the last 16 then they probably will get the chance. I think the second string needs minutes, Ramsey, Moreno, Zaniolo, Duran definitely do. Donk I'd put in that bracket although he looked good against Arsenal. If we can get that group up to the first team level then we have oodles of options. Esèpecially if we buy a couple in Jan.

[Pez1974]

12 hours ago, Spoony said:

This must be the most woeful competition we’ve competed in in my memory. Even inter-toto games were more entertaining. Still this is a means to an end (the end being better European football). 

These are the steps we need to go through if we are to become a top club in Europe.
We were (just about) seeded in the draw as we picked up the PL co-efficient points, otherwise we have no European ranking points so are ranked bottom, along with sides from the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Malta and Scotland. 
This is what has also hurt Newcastle in the CL, and put them in "the group of Death" - they just aren't seeded as they have no historical points. It's how UEFA try and protect the 'big boys'.

We are building our points base; just slowly. It will all help in the end, as you rightly say.

[sidcow]

12 hours ago, Mantis said:

Poor performance but got the point and preserved key players.

They were certainly in a pickle at times. 

[mjmooney]

Watching that made me suddenly realise how spoiled we have become, and how quickly. That was the first time I have been really bored by watching the Villa since Don Unai took over. And it still wasn't a nil-nil. 

Anyway, now back to business. 

Edited December 15, 2023 by mjmooney

[DaveAV1]

Reading some of the comments on here. I’m just relieved that we haven’t become entitled, as many of our neighbours would happily point out at the first opportunity. 

[TRO]

17 hours ago, Delphinho123 said:

Not sure if I’m imagining things but a better keeper saves that shot. No way that goes past Martinez.

Poor performance but fine. Thought Diaby was the standout poor performer. 

Not so sure, about that.....it was a pearler of a shot in to the top corner against a 6'5 goal keeper, his fingers was a fraction away.

I put that down to a failure to close down.....and a stop at source instruction, go amiss.

I see many teams defenders, throw their bodies on the line and get in blocks.....not so sure we done that, with enough conviction.

[TRO]

I thought the goalie did ok.

[TRO]

4 hours ago, mjmooney said:

Watching that made me suddenly realise how spoiled we have become, and how quickly. That was the first time I have been really bored by watching the Villa since Don Unai took over. And it still wasn't a nil-nil. 

Anyway, now back to business. 

It was a difficult game for us, to motivate ourselves,  given the status of the opposition...and its where "Banana Skins" derive from.

I'm not trying to make excuses.....but they had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

We knew we was better than them and they did, and it showed and our priorities of staying injury free shone through...."job done, see you later"...not being arrogant, but thats what it was.

Edited December 15, 2023 by TRO

[PaulC]

2 hours ago, TRO said:

Not so sure, about that.....it was a pearler of a shot in to the top corner against a 6'5 goal keeper, his fingers was a fraction away.

I put that down to a failure to close down.....and a stop at source instruction, go amiss.

I see many teams defenders, throw their bodies on the line and get in blocks.....not so sure we done that, with enough conviction.

Me too cant blame the keeper for that. 

[ChicagoVillan1983]

Job done. Asking Unai to motivate players in a game like this is always a hard task. We got the result we needed and that's all that really matters. I don't really take too much else from it - we rested some legs and avoided injuries and made the last 16. Anyone wanting any more than that isn't understanding how you're supposed to manage a Europe-playing squad through an entire season. In games that barely matter you take as little risk as possible - with risk in this context meaning not taking points at Brentford.

[DaveAV1]

8 hours ago, TRO said:

Not so sure, about that.....it was a pearler of a shot in to the top corner against a 6'5 goal keeper, his fingers was a fraction away.

I put that down to a failure to close down.....and a stop at source instruction, go amiss.

I see many teams defenders, throw their bodies on the line and get in blocks.....not so sure we done that, with enough conviction.

That’s because our defenders are cultured and like to control the game and calmly stroke the ball forward, without any desperate lunging  with or without conviction. They have conviction with what the Sultan has taught them and with the ability of the best goalkeeper in the world to keep our sheet clean! 

[DaveAV1]

1 hour ago, ChicagoVillan1983 said:

Job done. Asking Unai to motivate players in a game like this is always a hard task. We got the result we needed and that's all that really matters. I don't really take too much else from it - we rested some legs and avoided injuries and made the last 16. Anyone wanting any more than that isn't understanding how you're supposed to manage a Europe-playing squad through an entire season. In games that barely matter you take as little risk as possible - with risk in this context meaning not taking points at Brentford.

I agree but it’s easy enough to ask Unai but it’s not so easy to do it. Fortunately Unai is more than capable of doing it and hopefully he has also kept an eye on our next challenge in West London, which I’m sure he has. Not an easy game straight after a European midweek game and on the back of the run of games we’ve just had but it’s generally easier to play when you’re winning games but against high energy teams it’s tricky and we’ll need plenty of energy and control to get what we want on Sunday. We’re in good hands though, another three points and perhaps we can really start to dream big!