Ratings & Reactions: Man Utd v Villa

[OutByEaster?]

1 minute ago, Daulmakan said:

I feel a significant part of today's defeat lies at Emery's feet. It was clear after those last 15 minutes in the 1H he needed to switch stuff around: players, positionings, tactics.

We didn't have the pieces on the bench to fill the gaps we had on the field - I like Iroegbunam, but he was the only midfielder on the bench and tonight was his first appearance.

[stewiek2]

I've not even got work tomorrow to take my mind off it. No shame losing at Old Trafford. But that performance literally as soon as our second goal went in was a disgrace. We simply lost all sense of what we were meant to do. No shape, nothing. It was like they all went "oh shit, we gone 2 up at Man United lads!?" And just turned to jelly.

Alot of mental bottlers out there today. Top teams do not bottle it the second they go 2 up, no matter who they play. They at least make the other team work for it. We just bent over and took one the moment they kicked off.

That is worrying.

If we aren't full strength 11 we are vulnerable and not good enough.

[BleedClaretAndBlue]

No one collapses like Villa collapse. Lost count how many times ive seen this movie. Didnt think Unai would allow for anything like that to happen though.

I really thought we’d struggle today without Kamara. Such an important player but finding ourselves 2-0 up and sitting joint top youd like to think they’d show more resolve than they ultimately did. Really poor performance. 
 

Thought Lenglet and Carlos started really well but got quite sloppy like the rest of the side after going 2 up. Utd wanted it more than us and thats the most disappointing aspect of whats just happened. 

[GingerCollins29]

6 minutes ago, stewiek2 said:

Truth is we've lucked it against Spurs, Bournemouth, Brentford, you'd could say Arsenal as well. I thought alot of it was in-game management but okay I hold my hands up and say knackered players who aren't used to the extra games. Today was poor management as well. Sorry Unai, you got it wrong at half time.

Nothing but a convincing win against Burnley or questions will be asked if the physical and mental strength of this group. And manager.

The media will love this. Well done for ruining Christmas Villa. Don't ruin new year and do your jobs against Burnley!?

Reading that is worse than the defeat. Get a grip

[BigJim]

9 minutes ago, jim said:

Dog shit. Been coming.

Did Watkins touch the ball?

I counted once second half, when he gave it straight back to the opposition under minimal pressure

 

[ferguson1]

We looked shattered after 30 minutes and were heavily reliant on using the offside trap to get us out of trouble. Second half was pathetic, no composure on the ball, players not picking up runners, which ultimately cost us.

United were there for the taking tonight and we blew it, allowing them to grow into the game, especially after the break and it should never have happened.

Emery will be seething and rightly so. I just hope it’s a blip but we looked tired, both mentally and physically. Certainly lacked options off the bench though. 

 

Edited December 26, 2023 by ferguson1

[ChesterDad]

3 minutes ago, villa4europe said:

Even at 2-0 we were pish

Maybe his worst game tonight, the only thing that changed is utd lost their sloppiness they battered us all game, we did nothing 

Exactly right - I’m sure most of us were still concerned at 0-2. Never looked comfortable or in charge all game.

I don’t feel it would have made much difference this evening but another striker would be helpful overall please ( Hee Chan ) would be worth a punt imo 

We are looking tired and the break before our next conference game, could not have come at a better time.

[Beastmix]

Sluggish on Boxing Day seems to be the thing in recent times. Was the same the past two years. Not sure what the players were thinking after we went behind because they were knocking it about at the back as if we were 5-0 up.

Need to do away with Christmas leave from now on, methinks 

On a serious note, ref was dreadful so I'm not sure why anybody is giving him a positive score. Also, and I think this might be my first criticism of Unai, the subs were far too late. Some of the guys looked out on their feet.

Hopefully just a blip and we can take it out on Burnley.

[maqroll]

I'm oddly feeling somewhat comforted at the sense of familiarity with what we've just witnessed. 

No more dizzying heights and flights of fancy.

Normalcy appears to be re-emerging.

Maybe we should just be pesky upstarts trying to qualify for a lower level European tournament.

No shame in that.

Save your psyches, lower your expectations. 

[Brumstopdogs]

Deserved to lose today and I think United were the better team after 30 minutes and seem to out run us.

Also a poor and disappointing result given we were leading by 2 goals and we looked far too easy to play through today.

However, it is our first league defeat since early November and these things will happen occasionally.

Emery will need to pick the players up for an important match vs Burnley now.

 

[Delphinho123]

1 minute ago, HanoiVillan said:

I thought McGinn played pretty well today but otherwise I agree completely, and the Leicester game under Sherwood, and the Wolves game under Smith, both stand out as obvious precedents that led to disaster in both cases. Are we strong enough mentally to avoid a similar tailspin?

I think so, but it’s more about the growing list of injuries and players missing that worries me.

Digne could be out for a few games now and Moreno looks to have lost a yard of pace. 

Dunno, I just have a horrible feeling about it all. Villa and Newcastle in a similar space at the moment - both very good with 13 players available but as soon as you lose 4/5 of those players, we look ragged and tired. 

We’re still a good side but we won’t get near City, Liverpool or Arsenal. I feel dirty saying it but Spurs are better than us too. I’d take 6th if you offered it me now (Puts tin hat on) but that’s not to say we can’t still aim for top 4. I just don’t think we have it in us just yet. 

[stewiek2]

Just now, GingerCollins29 said:

Reading that is worse than the defeat. Get a grip

Sod off, you know full well the media will ask if Emery has what it takes to get top four if we don't beat Burnley. They'll bring up Arsenal etc. so you get a grip

[Ghost]

We were getting a nose bleed sitting in 2nd position on the ladder at 2-0 and couldn't handle it.

Edited December 26, 2023 by Ghost
Typo

[Mantis]

2 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

Probably the worst performance of the season.

Just so disappointing.

We're actually lucky United just handed us two goals because it flattered us. 
Get through the Bournemouth game and regroup. We need it

No probably about it - it absolutely was. It's on a whole different level of shame to the Newcastle drubbing.

[foreveryoung]

That crap Eric Ten Hag really killed out tactics in the second half, dare I say, out did our Unai??

Said that high line was not gonna work in the second half, they had 6 offsides in the 1st, they were aways gonna play it different in the 2nd half, they did and outplayed us.

[sne]

Yeah that was dreadful in the 2nd half. Honestly gotta blame Emery a lot for not changing earlier what was clearly not working. It was already too late and they had got the momentum carrying them.

[Stockport_Villain]

Far to passive second half. Starting losing all the second balls, loose passes as they stepped up the press and we didn’t have enough to combat this. Very disappointing. Onwards and upwards.

[meregreen]

Weakness of our squad was exposed tonight.

[djdabush]

 Ramsey, McGinn and Luiz were all poor. When Dendoncker is your best midfielder by a distance then you've got real issues.

 

Not sure what changes we make but Ramsay can't keep starting in this form

[nick76]

3 minutes ago, TomC said:

Wow, that one hurt.

Yep, that just about sums it up.  Villa hasn’t done this to me for ages, which is a good sign of what Emery has achieved but it doesn’t blunt the hurt of that comeback defeat tonight.