Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Man United

[KentVillan]

1 hour ago, holteend1982 said:

We were by far the better team and deserved at least a point, poor finishing has cost us tonight 

Correct take.

Unai can walk away with his head held high. Tactics and team selection were fine.

Issue was poor execution from individuals at key moments.

Ref was also very inconsistent, mostly in Utd’s favour. Don’t want to blame him, but it gave them a slight edge.

They know they got lucky today.

Reassuring for me in some ways, in that recent losses have just been terrible performances. This one felt more like one you can take a bit of confidence from, going into the Fulham game.

[OutByEaster?]

I thought we played really well, we looked sharp and we were much the better side throughout, we created a hat load of chances and should have won.

For United, it was the quintessential away performance, defend deep, ride your luck where you need to and take your chances when they come - they did all of that and fair play to them - but we have to consider ourselves unlucky not to have won, let alone to have come away with nothing.

The referee was abysmal, with the same challenge on numerous occasions resulting in a yellow card for a Villa player and a chat for a United player, Fernandez was lucky on more than one occasion (as ever) with the rules for dissent still different if you're captain of Man Utd by the looks of things.

Individually, it was good to see Ramsey back on form, I thought he was excellent running at them in the first half, I thought our midfield dominated theirs with Kamara and Luiz hugely influential, Moreno was excellent too and Watkins did a brilliant job of holding it up and bringing people into play. Bailey's great footwork didn't get the results it deserved and Diaby looked sharp when he came on - we just lacked that little bit of luck, that little bit of timing; a bounce of the ball, a step left instead of right, a scuff that goes in - we did everything right and if we play like this in our next three games we'll be extending that lead again.

This game, if nothing else proves that you can't buy luck; referee's maybe, but luck...

If we can keep this level of performance going against Forest, Fulham and Luton - a lack of luck won't be enough to stop us. I'm disappointed with the result of course, but this was a mile away from Chelsea and if anything I'm a little more convinced than I was before kick-off that this season might yet have a big finish.

 

[Bosnichs Muller corner]

Painful as always against Man U but plenty to give heart today compared to recent defeats.

Encouraged by Ramsey's and Moreno's performances today and I like seeing McGinn involved high up the pitch during the middle part of the game.

Some positives for me to take into the next few matches. Tactically we mixed it up a bit better today with neat interchange and constructive longer balls.

Lacking something at the back, maybe just organisation - frustrating to concede from a corner again. I think Cash actually played quite well in an attacking sense and didn't do a whole lot wrong apart from the challenge for the winning goal.

[osmark86]

1 hour ago, Rugeley Villa said:

The fans were great today too stuck with team. Pick ourselves up from this we’ve got to although I’m now looking at 5th instead of 4th but 4th is still there to play for . 

Fans were absolutely brilliant! I have thought it sounded flat and dead for a long time at Villa Park, but tonight was magical. Big kudos to everyone that was present imo.

Still think we should be looking at 4th. Plenty still to play and I hope this loss galvanizes us, because we deserved a win here.

[nick76]

Just got back home, haven’t read others opinions (which I’ll read afterwards.

Thought we were the better team especially second half

We didn’t take our chances

i thought their first goal was offside but obviously wasnt

thought when we scored we were the only team that looked like winning.

Man Utd voodoo as usual gets us

Ref, just horrendous 

Lost my voice…fans and atmosphere was really good.

hugely disappointed with the result but I thought the performance was great apart from the finishing.  The performance was better than what I’ve seen this calendar year (except Sheff Utd), which gives me hope

Man U are jammy buggers…

Edited February 11 by nick76

[OutByEaster?]

1 hour ago, Lerner's Driver said:

What is pathetic about maths?

I don't recall the 'deserve' button on my calculator.

We lost - that's maths.

We didn't deserve to lose - that's opinion - it's an opinion I would definitely agree with, as would most people who watched that game.

[Jas10]

 

[nick76]

1 hour ago, ozvilla28 said:

Our back 4 been garbage conceded 8 in the last 3 home games and we changed nothing injuries aside no excuse. Conceded a sloppy goal early and the second the same.

Our top 3 CB’s are out injured in Mings, Konsa and while in the bench Pau isn’t ready. Digne is just coming back from injury so Moreno definitely plays and Cash is our only senior RB….so injuries are the reason because we can’t change anybody.

[S-Platt]

On the train back home after the game.  

Best we have played in a while.  We missed our chances but we created plenty.

They might have won but I look at the 2 teams and my money is on our style of play to get more points than theirs.

It's a kick in the nads to lose that one but I am more confident now than I was after the Newcastle and Chelsea games where we were 2nd best.

Still loads of games to go do you want to bet against us?

[OutByEaster?]

1 hour ago, Eligius said:

no idea how we ended up with three yellows either when the like of Fernandez going in two footed on Bailey and no yellow.

For those that watched on TV and have seen replays, how bad was this challenge, it was a good fifty yards from me but my first thought was that Fernandes could go off for it, I then thought probably not as this ref would bottle that and just give him a yellow - I should have realised there was more chance of him giving him a hand job and he settled for a nice chat. Anyways, was it a potential red? It looked two footed, off the ground and out of control.

[Vive_La_Villa]

1 minute ago, nick76 said:

Our top 3 CB’s are out injured in Mings, Konsa and while in the bench Pau isn’t ready. Digne is just coming back from injury so Moreno definitely plays and Cash is our only senior RB….so injuries are the reason because we can’t change anybody.

It winds me when fans think we won’t struggle when 3 centre halves are injured. Arsenal lost Saliba last season and fell apart. Yet we should be fine!

[Vive_La_Villa]

From my view I saw a free kick given for a player that jumped in to our defender and a corner given when didn’t look out of play.  Really felt like everything was against us.

[Vive_La_Villa]

I’m proud of the players and the fans today.  I’m also very drunk. Damn you Villa I’ve got work tomorrow!

Edited February 11 by Vive_La_Villa

[sheepyvillian]

As gutted as I felt after that defeat, there were still plenty of positives to take from that performance. On another we put them chances away. I do whish Emery would stop taking Bailey off when he's still our most dynamic player. 10 assists speaks for itself. Cash was poor, yet again, time to give Kessler - Hayden an opportunity. He really can't do much worse. Gutted abot Bouba, thought he was on it today..

 

[The Fun Factory]

The certainties of life- death, taxes, and United getting late winners at Villa Park.

It is all the more galling as this is not a vintage united side and for the majority of the game we were the better side. 

Matty, what were you thinking ?

And not sure why Bailey was subbed  as him and diaby were destroying united for the 10-15 min spell with Mcginn in the middle. Lost all momentum after that.

Conceding far too many goals at home, 8 in the last 3 games. I can't remember the last time we were leading at home.

On the plus side we actually played better today but i am not exactly feeling optimistic after our 'season-defining week' has hit the skids.

Overall, a feeling of frustration of throwing away a point and being in 4th. That is probably sounding very spoilt considering where we have been recently but since Shef Utd it feels a series of missed opportunties.

[Teale's 'tache]

Disappointing result, but an encouraging performance.

As my dear mother used to say... "If you don't finish your dinner you don't get any pudding"

 

[The Fun Factory]

3 minutes ago, Teale's 'tache said:

Disappointing result, but an encouraging performance.

As my dear mother used to say... "If you don't finish your dinner you don't get any pudding"

 

How can you have any pudding if you don't eat yer meat

[VillaChris]

15 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

For those that watched on TV and have seen replays, how bad was this challenge, it was a good fifty yards from me but my first thought was that Fernandes could go off for it, I then thought probably not as this ref would bottle that and just give him a yellow - I should have realised there was more chance of him giving him a hand job and he settled for a nice chat. Anyways, was it a potential red? It looked two footed, off the ground and out of control.

Probably a yellow. Incredibly the ref wasn't going to give anything and only whistled when the assistant flagged! The comms were amazed he escaped a booking.

[Vive_La_Villa]

Why can’t we all boo when the opposition has the ball. It puts them off! I tried today but nobody joined in.

[Jas10]