Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Sheff Utd

[TRO]

12 hours ago, MaVilla said:

we missed Pau, Kamara and Tielemans.

Dont try and convince me Cash is good enough.

If you cant win, dont lose, but that was an insipid performance, not able to beat the bottom team at home.

There are many reasons why, we struggled to score in that game, and its not for the first time....but I'll mention one.

I think we should be a little more direct against these teams, the normal passing game is great against the top teams who give you space.....but we didn't move Sheff Utd around, they was well organised, because we let them be. We didn't get around the back of them enough and played in front of them too often.....too many players was intent on passing ( which became a little self indulgent) instead of running at players and committing them to fouls.

We have to vary our game against these teams, and show a bit more bravery/ courage in our play......Zaniolo showed exactly that, with his timely run, and brave header.....more players should be doing that, actually going for goal and not turning away to pass in a passive style, thats fine against the big teams

We need a more direct ruthless approach to these low block teams....and not just pass the ball in front of them, to give them time to regroup.

It was a bit toothless from us, I'm afraid.

PS The season is great, but I was specifically talking about the game.

[The_Steve]

VAR spent 8-10 seconds at best declaring this not a handball but wasted minutes on Duran

[Lochheads twin]

Well, not much Christmas cheer on here this morning!.

A disappointing evening but Santa has more than delivered on last years list!. No worse than 3rd at Christmas. Things ain't that bad after all!

Some folks are already developing Sky6 traits and feel an entitlement to 3 point every game. Its only 18 months since we were also a park the bus side.

With the injuries, we were even more dependent on SJM & Dougie and everything seemed to have to go through them. McGinn getting my MoM because he was at the heart of most things constructive. Poor old Matty Cash seems to have become the whipping boy for many VT followers. There was worse than him out there last night.

Let's not dwell on too many negative thoughts when you see the quality of 6 big players missing last night. Mings, Buendia, Tielemans, Kamara, Pau & the box of tricks that is Traore.

We need to get something from Old Trafford on Boxing Day and then the world will seem a better place again.

A Merry Christmas to all my fellow Villans.

 

Edited December 23, 2023 by Lochheads twin

[UpTheVilla26]

I had drunk a fair whack last night, I lost my voice watching that game at home and emotions were high after the game. 

In perspective, we didn't play well. I thought we looked quite slow and ran out of ideas a fair bit of how to get past 10 people defending the 18 yard box. 

Dougie seemed a bit off it, McGinn is a different player when he doesn't have Kamara anchoring and Matty Cash is now a big issue for me. 

We did deserve at least a point, if that Bailey goal isn't chalked off then we win that comfortably but we are going to see a lot of teams now do this at VP and it's on Emery & the players to find another string to our bow to break it down. 

We missed Pau last night, I actually gave Lenglet MOTM as I thought he didn't put a foot wrong but Torres gives us so much with how we now play. 

I had a feeling Zaniolo would score when he came on, pleased for the lad and hoping it'll settle him down. 

Not impressed with Duran, you can't fault the kids desire but he lost the ball a few times and let his emotions get the better of him. He is very raw and I think we need to explore a striking option over the coming weeks. 

The ref and VAR were an utter shambles but we all knew that already even before last night. 

Hopefully we go to Man Utd with a point to prove, a couple of players back and can kick on again. 

 

[Davkaus]

9 minutes ago, The_Steve said:

VAR spent 8-10 seconds at best declaring this not a handball but wasted minutes on Duran

Yeah, that's worse the more I look at it, you can't say that's above the armpit line, I reckon they've literally just looked at it touching him on the shirt

[Taxahunter]

When the opposition in having a really low back-line, we need players on the pitch who isn’t afraid to have a go from distance. That way the opposition needs to push forward in order to prevent that and that will create space behind them. Yesterday we didn’t have players on the pitch who could/would do that 

[Follyfoot]

2 minutes ago, Taxahunter said:

When the opposition in having a really low back-line, we need players on the pitch who isn’t afraid to have a go from distance. That way the opposition needs to push forward in order to prevent that and that will create space behind them. Yesterday we didn’t have players on the pitch who could/would do that 

We have the players , but we tried to walk the ball into the net , especially first half the trigger needed pulling on several occasions in good positions

[MrBlack]

1 hour ago, bobzy said:

It's not a penalty because the ball hits above the "sleeve line".  It was also why the VAR check was so short (which people were moaning about).  As above, they've just **** the handball rule entirely.

A lot of people have been angry about the refereeing decisions but, for me, the only one which I think was wrong was the foul on Watkins first half.  On the disallowed goal, I think it could be argued that Ramsey is pulling down the goalkeepers' arm at the same time as being pulled so the goal should stand, but I think Ramsey was pulling down first (marginally).  The more contentious aspect was the amount of time allowed between that incident and Sheff Utd (not be able to) clearing the ball which is pretty debatable - but I always go for the "would I want <x> if it happened the other way round" and I'd probably think the goal should be disallowed.

The Watkins one though... he's just shoved from behind.  It should be a penalty.  That said, they've got previous for pushes being allowed so who knows what the hell is going on.  But yeah, that's the call I think they got wrong.  The penalty for handball is the correct call and the disallowed goal is probably fair enough.

You're wrong on the sleeve point, that isn't the rule.

Its the line parallel with where their arm pit is that's allowed. And it was way below that, and also arguably below his sleeve anyway.

They got it wrong. Factually wrong.

[The_Steve]

13 hours ago, Davkaus said:

Good point at the death - I'm glad the players have more belief than the fans do. Can understand people being frustrated, but some of the reactions are embarrassing.

Imagine telling yourselves 10 months ago that we'd have a home record of 15 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses, and our fans would be calling us bottlers and the "same old Villa" because we were behind.

Disappointing night and a poor performance but it's a **** brilliant season. Lick your wounds, give your heads a wobble, and lets batter the red mancs.

Every word of this. Out of likes but you’re spot on. 

[TRO]

12 hours ago, jim said:

Two points dropped. Slow and ponderous very poor against the worst team in the league.

Their game plan worked, because we let it. We was poor on the night, at disrupting their organisation....They could play like that against a more direct team, who move the ball quicker and get buried.

Chris Wilder was right, it was up to Villa to beat us, it was up to us to not let them.

We have to find ways of varying our game against these teams.

Our passing game and cautious build up frustrates the good teams, because they want to get on the ball......These teams like Sheff Utd love it, they just let us play in zones that don't hurt them, and have time to reinforce their organised structure.

Ollie was marshalled by 3 centre backs, but what did he do to negate it?

JJ was often pirouetting, and turning away from defenders to pass passive balls.....sometimes you have to take them on, and maybe take the foul.

We knew we was better than them......and played like it....They was never going to score, until our frustration, got the better of us.

If they had have afforded the space to Ollie, that we did to Cameron.....It would have been a cricket score.

conclusion Poor on the night, in certain aspects of the game.

 

[peterwithethewinner]

You're wrong on the sleeve point, that isn't the rule.
 

Correct…otherwise all teams would have long sleeved shirts

[TheMelvillan]

Our goal should have been disallowed......then play brought back for a penalty on Ramsey. Defender wasn't even looking at the ball - instead had two hands gripping Ramsey and shoving him backwards

[Leeroy]

We got lucky in June 2020 with the ghost goal against Sheff Utd, of course we did.

 

But last night we were denied two clear penalties - the shirt pull on Watkins early on (clear penalty), and the handball by Baldock in the 2nd half (clear penalty). How the f*ck did VAR decide that neither of them was a penalty I don't know. I also think, and this is more debatable, that the Bailey goal should have stood. Foderingham was barely touched, although goalkeepers are given far too much protection IMO. And to show I am not biased, I cannot for the life of me understand how Diuran wasn't sent off. He's reckless that kid, and needs to stop lashing out because it's not the first time he's done that.

 

Ultimately though we weren't good enough. Too slow at moving the ball, too long to make a decision when we got into the box, players too pedestrian when we had the ball in dangerous positions. We barely tested their keeper despite getting in the box on a lot of occasions. Wilder did a number on us but it still feels massively depressing dropping points to a bottom 3 team in the league at home where we've been so strong. Need to respond as best we can in the next two games, Burnley has to be a win. Hopefully we can get something from Man Utd, we should as they look atrocious but never confident going there. 

Edited December 23, 2023 by Leeroy

[peterwithethewinner]

50 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Burnley won’t park the bus the same way. They try to come out and play more which will be their downfall.

Hope so, just hope they don’t copy SU

[bobzy]

9 minutes ago, MrBlack said:

You're wrong on the sleeve point, that isn't the rule.

Its the line parallel with where their arm pit is that's allowed. And it was way below that, and also arguably below his sleeve anyway.

They got it wrong. Factually wrong.

Line parallel with their arm pit where the top of the ball hits, the bottom of the ball or the centre point of the ball?  It's a terrible rule and that gif above doesn't even clearly show where he's handled it.  I've tried to snip but now can't attach on here anyway  

[The Fun Factory]

A decent result in the end as we were playing against 12 men, a joke of a ref. No idea why Bailey goal was disallowed and we had good shouts for a pen.

Had a bit of a nightmare personally as I lost my wallet to the game and my train back was cancelled. Not the best of nights.

I thought Duran was disappointing when he came on and the goal came from the free kick he conceded and the back four switched off. Overall though Konsa had a good game.

I was always confident we would score, just annoying we conceded one versus of course Archer. 

Shef Utd parked the bus which they are entitled to do. We had loads of possession and did create chances but we could have upped the tempo a bit to put them under real pressure. 

Pleased for Zanolo's scoring. Although it was  a good point it was a bit of a what-if moment had we/should have won.

[HKP90]

Reading most of the comments in the press this morning, there is a lot of relief, and condescension. 

Plucky little Villa did well, but they'll drop off now and finish 5th like good boys. All of our teams are safe guys. Business as usual.

For some reason us doing well TERRIFIES the media.

[Tom13]

[TheMightyVillans]

15 minutes ago, Tom13 said:

They really should have spent longer looking on these angles. Seemed the angle behind the player was what they spent the longest on which you can't properly see whether it hits the arm or not.

[Sulberto21]

Ramsey was having his shirt pulled before he put his hand on the keeper’s arm. But FFS why did he have to put his hand on his arm?!?!?