Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Sheff Utd

[NeilS]

5 minutes ago, stewiek2 said:

We'll go top when it matters.

By beating Liverpool at home would be a great time to hit top spot. 

[FLVillan]

53 minutes ago, Sulberto21 said:

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?!?!?  

He was being pushed and manhandled by the defender.  Probably just grabbed whatever was there to keep his balance.  That's the frustrating bit with referees, they have no ability to see/analyse the big picture....

[kidlewis]

2 hours ago, The_Steve said:

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

This is one of the worst decisions against us ever…. I can’t think of any apart from the Mings incident v Man City which was as bad as this 

[TRO]

When McGinn plays deeper, we lose the ability to hustle and bustle the opposition in the last third.....McGinn disrupts things with his combative style.

The problem is, that style, leads folk to think he is good at defending and he's not as effective as he is further forward.

McGinn is wasted, further back, and losing Kamara, forced that thinking.

Against Sheff, Luiz and McGinn was too deep.....Tielemans was also missed with those threaded passes, between the lines.

 

 

[TRO]

13 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Are some fans really questioning attitude after that performance ?

probably searching for answers......because before that game, we was expected to win, given the league positions and current form.

Once again, it goes to prove, talent doesn't always determine the outcome of a game....That is not dismissing it, merely perspectivizing it.

We have plenty of talent, I think we are just a bit short of few minerals  to compete with teams who want to stop us.

I really only saw McGinn, who was willing to get amongst them with conviction.

We made them, too comfortable in what they was doing.

 

[zab6359]

Just watched a YouTube villa podcast thingy and it shows Villa fans walking out after Archer scored! Give your season tickets up kids plenty of real fans waiting in line, fckin pathetic!

[TRO]

15 hours ago, rodders129 said:

Take the point and move on. We’re probably not title contenders but let’s keep pushing. Remember Gerard’s Villa got a point at the Etihad last season

Thats all we can do.....Very few Villa fans, think we can win the title, we are all just happy with the progress, and see where it takes us.

Its all the media darlings who support other clubs, trying to drag us in to think we can.....and then laughing when we slip up.

I Say......don't be suckered in.....It will piss them off, if we say, we only want to finish 6th, because it destroys their little game.

Keep our cards close to our chests.....when we have 3 games left, we can declare our true feelings.

That result last night was a relief to many outside of B6

 

[TRO]

7 minutes ago, zab6359 said:

Just watched a YouTube villa podcast thingy and it shows Villa fans walking out after Archer scored! Give your season tickets up kids plenty of real fans waiting in line, fckin pathetic!

I was disappointed, when a section of the fanbase booed Cameron, after scoring....It was uncalled for.

The lad never deserved that......he has been one of us, for so long and didn't want to leave..... we got good spons for him £20 mill

Cameron did his job, for his employer......some of the reactions was childish and spiteful.

If anyone, was going to score against us for Sheff, I'm glad it was Cam......keep that buy back clause interesting....and shows what a decent academy we have.

We can't keep all our academy players happy and some have to move on, with our blessing.....but surely us fans should have some respect, when they come home, and show what a good job we have done with them.

Shame on those who turned on him.

 

Edited December 23, 2023 by TRO

[PaulC]

31 minutes ago, TRO said:

probably searching for answers......because before that game, we was expected to win, given the league positions and current form.

Once again, it goes to prove, talent doesn't always determine the outcome of a game....That is not dismissing it, merely perspectivizing it.

We have plenty of talent, I think we are just a bit short of few minerals  to compete with teams who want to stop us.

I really only saw McGinn, who was willing to get amongst them with conviction.

We made them, too comfortable in what they was doing.

 

I think we were a bit too predictable.  Moving it slowly. Yes I agree about Mcginn. Its hard for the best sides to break down such an organised low block and we are still learning. 

[TRO]

On 22/12/2023 at 22:06, AVTuco said:

I shouldn't get this angry about these games. This is clearly what we are - we can get results against good teams, but we're not really top level quality, which shows against worse opposition. Unai, as great as he is, cannot change that fact.

We are a fabulous team, when we are afforded space.....when it gets tight, combative and agricultural... we have few players, who can deal with that, McGinn is one who can....he needs some help, in games like this.

Its not always the silky skills that unlock doors......as eloquently displayed by Ollie that block tackle released the ball to cross for Bailey.....winning that ball around their area, is priceless.

shame it was disallowed, but the process did not go missing on me.

Passive football is all well and good, when you are gifted space......when the low block is employed a varying solution is sought, but you have to have one or two players comfortable with mixing it.

Disrupting well organised teams does come from skilled play....but sometimes a bit of courage is needed to ruffle feathers, too......Man U under Fergie was past masters at knowing when to use either method.

We are still WIP....and the few games we have had against Forest, Sheff Utd and Bournemouth and Brentford, have shown we need an edge to be able to deal with those characters.

I have no qualms, about our ability, to play top teams, who give us space.....I do have questions about our ability to mix it, with teams who just want to stop us, and deny us space......we have to make that space, with a different kind of disruption.

Edited December 24, 2023 by TRO

[Vive_La_Villa]

6 minutes ago, TRO said:

We are a fabulous team, when we are afforded space.....when it gets tight, combative and agricultural... we have few players, who can deal with that, McGinn is one who can....he needs some help, in games like this.

Its not always the silky skills that unlock doors......as eloquently displayed by Ollie that block tackle released the ball to cross for Bailey.....winning that ball around their area, is priceless.

shame it was disallowed, but the process did not of it did not go missing on me.

Passive football is all well and good, when you are gifted space......when the low block is employed a varying solution is sought, but you have to have one of two players comfortable with mixing it.

Disrupting well organised teams does come from skilled play....but sometimes a bit of courage is needed to ruffle feathers......Man U under Fergie was past masters at know when to use either method.

We are still WIP....and the few games we have had against Forest, Sheff Utd and Bournemouth and Brentford, have shown we need and edge to be able to deal with those characters.

I have no qualms, about our ability, to play top teams, who give us space.....I do have questions about our ability to mix it, with teams who just want to stop us, and deny us space......we have to make that space, with a different kind of disruption.

I get all this but when you struggle to break a team down you grind it out. We did that and clearly should have had 2 penalties. We were robbed.  I don’t think I’ve seen a clearer penalty than that handball all season. We were robbed.

[TRO]

44 minutes ago, PaulC said:

I think we were a bit too predictable.  Moving it slowly. Yes I agree about Mcginn. Its hard for the best sides to break down such an organised low block and we are still learning. 

It is Paul....But the top sides employ, a bit more aggression, allied to their talent, is called conviction.....I thought we passed a bit too much, which made us a bit too slow, and showed a bit more of a passive approach, against a better team, that may have been ok...which sounds paradoxical.

Maybe, we need to create a bit of chaos at times, by running at teams, and getting the fouls or penalties.....we have to learn to force errors more....Wilder did a job on us, we should have countered that, by doing a job on them.

I am only talking about this game, because the season has been stupendous so far......we could still go on and win it, which would make the comments on this game irrelevant..

Edited December 23, 2023 by TRO

[TRO]

29 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

I get all this but when you struggle to break a team down you grind it out. We did that and clearly should have had 2 penalties. We were robbed.  I don’t think I’ve seen a clearer penalty than that handball all season. We were robbed.

I must confess, I have not seen that penalty claim forensically....I was too far away, and haven't seen it on TV.

I understand your valid point....but I still think for all our possession, we played in front of them too much, it was too easy for them, once they chose to  employ a physical approach, and close down everything we did, it was bound to be difficult.

I think a more direct approach of running at them and upping the tempo, might have disrupted their organisation......for me, on the night, we was too passive and laboured in our approach, and they thrived on it.

I am not asking us to become thugs.....but a determined run in to the heart of them, might have rendered a penalty or a threating free kick position.....it was, as  if we was always on their peripheral....it lacked a bit of courage for me, like making something happen...Zaniolo did exactly that, MADE something happen, that is the assertion and aggression, I was looking for.

This league is hard, but we do need to find solutions to playing against the low block, we know, the run had to come to an end, but against the bottom of the table is disappointing and somewhat surprising.

For me, its fairly clear.....Heckinbottom, would not have got that performance from Sheff Utd, so Wilder, managed to galvanise a tactic and a mental approach to negate us....he won't be able to keep that up, they just wanted to spoil the party, and they did.

We have to ensure, as a part of our progress, that we have the essential ingredients, to be ready for such a plan....We are still WIP, but we must be able to see, what additional ingredients we need to make us a more rounded proposition.

For me.....despite the massive strides forward, beyond my wildest dreams, I still think we are a bit too easy to stop, by average teams.

However, would I have swapped the wins against City and Arsenal, and took a draw to beat Sheff Utd.....no, I wouldn't.....those scalps was precious.

In conclusion....it was a bit frustrating on the night, and yes with fairer officials, we could have won it......but it does, strike me, where we have to go to improve.

 

Edited December 23, 2023 by TRO

[srsmithusa]

My problem with the Ramsey call was not that they saw Ramsey holding the right arm of the keeper. (He did)  It’s that they ignored his jersey being pulled nearly off pulling him down.   I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Ramsey grabbed an arm just trying not to be pulled to r the ground.  
 

IF VAR had decided that the ref missed a clear and obvious foul for a pk and the second foul (Ramsey holding the keeper) was voided along with the goal, nobody would have had a valid reason to complain 

[TRO]

16 hours ago, brummybloke said:

Can't vote as they were rubbish and would vote zaniolo

The bad first 

Cash useless, total waste of space today, 

Lenget was Mr sideways, whole body shape every time he had the ball was turn sideways no forward thinking at all.

Ramsey was pretty useless and should have been off at half time carried on turning inside doing nothing.

Mcginn elected literally every single time to pass the ball to opposition when a shot was on.

Digne, not one cross, all night, not 1.

Emery not making the changes that were glaringly obvious to everyone.

The good

Zaniolos goal

What a piss poor effort against the worst team in the league and by far the worst away team in the league.

 

Thrown away 2 points thrown away our home win run and just played terrible slow plodding crap.

Lenget should have been off for Carlos at half time, he plays on the front foot and can ping a quick pass. 

Ramsey should have been off at half time for zaniolo 

Tonight I would be pissed off with if we were mid table, to have the chance to go top and have so many poor efforts out there was embarrassing.

 

I do think our crossing at times, lacks that bit of cutting edge, having said that, Dougies cross was excellent.....I think we are a bit hit and miss with it, and too many players hit and miss with it.

It must be difficult, for players in the middle to anticipate any quality, coming in.

 

[AvonVillain]

Glad I was out last night and knew nothing of this result until I got back. Prolly been mentioned but the handball is similar to the last minute Arsenal Cash non-penalty. Seen them given, seem them not given. The Bailey goal being ruled out was like some of the VAR decisions we got used to in our promotion season! Just completely unfathomable.

Sort of pointless comment really, but if both the peno's had been given we could have drawn with Arsenal (and lost the record winning run) and beaten Sheffield United. I'll take how it panned out.

[srsmithusa]

Disappointing, but the assertions that were not a top team because we can’t break through a low block are a bit over the top

if a low block was always breakable to a top team, arsenal, man city, liver disease would only ever lose to each other 

it takes a ton of quality and a bit of luck.  Could we use more quality? Sure, of course.  But that alone does not prove we aren’t a top team.  In fact, the reality that so many are playing against us from a low block is pretty good evidence that we are.  
 

 

[TRO]

Take this the right way..but I think Newcastle would have smashed them, with their style....despite the way they set up against us.

[PaulC]

59 minutes ago, TRO said:

Take this the right way..but I think Newcastle would have smashed them, with their style....despite the way they set up against us.

Maybe but I'd like to know what our results are without Kamara In the team.  Luiz gets all the plaudits but for Kamara is key to the way we play. 

[Brumstopdogs]

4 hours ago, bobzy said:

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  

This is a bit clearer where he handled it: