Ratings & Reactions: Luton v Villa

[DJBOB]

2 hours ago, TRO said:

Newcastle's defence has been pulled apart by injury too, just like ours.

what do you mean " a lot of talk about us being defensively weak because of appearance"?

 

I think similar to what we’ve discussed before, we do not play a blood and thunder defense. There is no high press, gengenpress, crunching tackles, back to the wall defending. 
 
So it has the appearance of being passive and weak where all of the statistics, by direct or underlying measure, are right that we have about the 4th-5th best defense in the league. 
 
It is not a crisis to have a worse defense than the title challengers. 

[AVTuco]

Just watched the game. 

Two comments:

Lenglet was excellent. It was a masterstroke to loan him. 

Ref wasn't that bad, cannot understand the reactions. Typical handful of errors. Nothing major.

Edited March 3 by AVTuco

[VillaChris]

4 hours ago, Pinebro said:

You're right, we don'¨t have that Van Dijk type of player.

But they are not easy to find.

Though Arsenal seem to get by just fine without a typical man mountain in defence

Pau very quickly grew into authority after his shaky 5-6 games. Brilliant leadership at the back and also chipping in with important goals away to Wolves and Spurs when we were losing, that will be a big 4 points gained at the end of the season.

So I think he's doing fine as our version of VDV, we just actually need to get him out on the pitch more than twice a month.Last happened three months ago.

I also don't recall us gifting endless goals away from set pieces and crosses when he was around so he does make a difference in terms of organisation and marking which just isn't there when it's Carlos-Lenglet which is comfortably our worst combination for marking players when crosses come in.

[VillaChris]

4 hours ago, TRO said:

I love seeing goals.....just not in our net.

Maybe, I need to temper my ambitions, and accept that we need to be a few goals up, to expect to win.

I Understand that UE has a sustainable record and I am well aware that his more or less 60% win ratio is phenomenal with us....I also still maintain my love for wins, slightly before performances....but obviously both are ideal.

I think my frustration is borne out of the clumsiness in which we seem to concede and  how avoidable some seem......and I accept great goals against, with the respect they deserve.....so I hope I am not asking too much.

I still think clean sheets, represent a fair barometer of control in a game.....and I will continue to be impressed with them......but maybe I just have to accept, we will allow teams back in, a bit more than I would like.

UTV

Our last trophy winning season we conceded 33 goals in the premier league which was incredible and testament to the fantastic system SBL built with Bosnich, Southgate, Ugo, Staunton, Alan Wright and God helping out when he could.

However we did have a spell that season where defence standards slipped. In the Feb/March period there was a 3-3 at Wimbledon, a 3-2 win over Sheff Weds and a 4-2 win over QPR. Then lost 2-0 at Sheff Weds and 3-0 in the FA cup SF to Liverpool.

I just think it's very very difficult to go through a nine month season expecting endless clean sheets every month especially when injuries hit and you're playing every 3/4 days.

We just need a full month left of the season where Pau and Konsa play every minute together and that will settle us down and it will be more like October-December when we were very hard to score against.

Actually between the middle of September up to Bournemouth away in Boxing day we played 14 prem games and only conceded more than a goal in just two of them so the set piece defending was working fine in that period of the season.

It's an interesting debate @TRO but the game has moved on in the last decade from just having stoppers at the back. As much as I loved them Laursen and Mellberg would both struggle with the modern demands of defending. Laursen because he lacked pace so would be no good in the high line and Ollie was brilliant but was never the greatest passer from the back.

[The Fun Factory]

A win is a wn but we need to tighten up the set pieces, it is becoming an annoying habit and gives me flashbacks of Lambert's first season of endless series of cornalties.

[FLVillan]

22 hours ago, juanpablosaliceband said:

Definitely. I just saw the Villa TV clip of the Digne goal. Our commentator absolutely and utterly lost it. I’ve never heard him like that. That was huge. 

Our current commentator, despite being a million times better than the previous Jack Woodward, had a tendency to be a bit dull.  Sharing the booth with Sir Brian and Tayls the last few weeks has livened him up a bit... It's great to hear tbh.  It's our club channel, so why not give the big'un when we get a late winner... 

[FLVillan]

16 hours ago, Ponky said:

One of the more concerning things for me was a few minutes after the Morris goal we almost conceded again from an almost identical set piece 

He was a good two yards offside on that one... never would have counted

[markavfc40]

2 minutes ago, FLVillan said:

Our current commentator, despite being a million times better than the previous Jack Woodward, had a tendency to be a bit dull.  Sharing the booth with Sir Brian and Tayls the last few weeks has livened him up a bit... It's great to hear tbh.  It's our club channel, so why not give the big'un when we get a late winner... 

It is Mark Regan (ex radio WM). I think he is very good but he is a Sha fan so I don't know if that dampens his enthusiasm at times.

[rjw63]

1 hour ago, markavfc40 said:

It is Mark Regan (ex radio WM). I think he is very good but he is a Sha fan so I don't know if that dampens his enthusiasm at times.

Shome mishtake shurely?

Pretty sure Rego is a Villan.

I mean do you not remember his commentary when the Scottish Cafu  scored that wonder goal against small queef?

Edited March 3 by rjw63

[juanpablosaliceband]

1 hour ago, markavfc40 said:

It is Mark Regan (ex radio WM). I think he is very good but he is a Sha fan so I don't know if that dampens his enthusiasm at times.

Well he did a very good Villa fan impression after that Digne goal last night!

[markavfc40]

27 minutes ago, rjw63 said:

Shome mishtake shurely?

Pretty sure Rego is a Villan.

I mean do you not remember his commentary when the Scottish Cafu  scored that wonder goal against small queef?

No mate he is definitely a blues fan. I spent a couple of hours in his company, along with Garry Thompson and Paul Franks (ex WM) and he never hid the fact. 

A lot of commentators don't like you to know where their allegiances lie and in fairness you can't blame them, especially those who work for other clubs. In fairness to Rego it has never come across in his commentary and he is very professional.

Edited March 3 by markavfc40

[Jas10]

 

[TRO]

On 03/03/2024 at 16:32, Vive_La_Villa said:

TRO I respect you a lot but I think if you want perfection you are supporting the wrong team mate.

There is no team, perfect, and after 60 odd years supporting them, it's a bit late now, to look for it.....but that's a bit hyperbole, to be honest.

I respect you too, and many of your views.....but if you listen to Ollie and Ezri, they confessed to some of the things, I have referred to.....look its opinions, I choose to discuss the warts 'n all, some don't....that's ok too.

I am not looking for perfection, because I won't ever find it....but I am looking for improvement, in certain aspects of our game.......Many podcasters, have referenced the second half too , as poor, and said as much, as I have.

The only reason, I have spoken on it so much, is that I have been defending my view on the second half.....where as some have just about denied it, almost suggesting I have made it up, or exaggerated it.

Look, I respect the fact that Luton came out and had a go.....I just support the view, that we allowed it, as much as they garnered it.

I like being 4th, I would like to stay there all season, but I see threats to it, and say I so.

I have no issue, if fans want to rejoice in the thrills of the first half, I get that.....and bury the second half, to the point of denying the observations by its critics. I am just trying to be fair to both halves of the game.

Personally, I am as enthusiastic about the next home game against Spurs, as I always am.....A poor half, won't deter me...I just choose to air it.

 

[TRO]

On 03/03/2024 at 17:05, DJBOB said:

I think similar to what we’ve discussed before, we do not play a blood and thunder defense. There is no high press, gengenpress, crunching tackles, back to the wall defending. 
 
So it has the appearance of being passive and weak where all of the statistics, by direct or underlying measure, are right that we have about the 4th-5th best defense in the league. 
 
It is not a crisis to have a worse defense than the title challengers. 

• Do you think, its fair to say, that we defend better outside the area than inside it?
• Do you think, opposing managers, have seized upon a vulnerability, even some of fans choose to deny?
• Do you think its fair to say, that some of our conceded goals have been of low quality, and executed by some lower grade players?
• I don't think a defensive crisis was ever alluded to....vulnerabilities, yes.
• Do you think some of the set piece goals we have conceded, lately, resemble a similar pattern?

Can we have a grown up conversation about it?....or is it Taboo.

Ezri himself, said "we gave away too many set pieces"....set pieces have been cited in many quarters as a vulnerability of ours, are we so prickly as we can't discuss it?

Ollie, declared we came out too lax in the second half....is it beyond us, to talk about that, without being declared, enemy of the State.

Its not a declaration, of missing the superb skills of our attacking play, to discussing, low quality/ unsophisticated goals conceded, because that is the main issue here.

If we was conceding worldies, like fodens and Rashfords yesterday, you wouldn't here my gripe.....it's the low level nature of our defensive breaches, I think deserve discussing.

but hey....I don't want to keep defending the same point, with multiple posters, and then be accused of labouring it.

 

[TRO]

22 hours ago, The Fun Factory said:

A win is a wn but we need to tighten up the set pieces, it is becoming an annoying habit and gives me flashbacks of Lambert's first season of endless series of cornalties.

Thank you.

[TRO]

6 hours ago, Jas10 said:

 

....and no disrespect....but Clinton, he is no world class striker.

Edited March 4 by TRO

[Vive_La_Villa]

5 hours ago, Jas10 said:

 

Ok it’s an issue. Still think some go on about it too much. 

[Jas10]

Just now, Vive_La_Villa said:

Ok it’s an issue. Still think some go on about it too much. 

I’ve covered it n my thoughts fully in previous comments.

It’s something we can improve on but cannot take away from all of the good work and positives… there is much more that is good and better about us than there isn’t these days but we can always strive to improve and be more formidable.

If we improve or rectify it, it just means we are more able to win games and gain more points. Happy days.

No negativity, just something that is easily identifiable and reasonable to point out. 
 

Can’t be arsed to repeat previous comments, take a look if interested.

Other than wishing for Pau and Konsa to play together or in the same back 4 for the remainder of the season for the most part.

Effing injuries  

[OutByEaster?]

18 minutes ago, TRO said:

• Do you think, its fair to say, that we defend better outside the area than inside it?

That's the best way.

And in fairness, it's what we did really well in the first half - we are a little vulnerable to a good ball into our box, none of our centre backs are particularly strong in the air - we defend best when we're not allowing those situations to develop. I thought we did a really good job of that in the first half against Luton and then a really bad job of it in the second half.

 

[DJBOB]

22 minutes ago, TRO said:

• Do you think, its fair to say, that we defend better outside the area than inside it?
• Do you think, opposing managers, have seized upon a vulnerability, even some of fans choose to deny?
• Do you think its fair to say, that some of our conceded goals have been of low quality, and executed by some lower grade players?
• I don't think a defensive crisis was ever alluded to....vulnerabilities, yes.
• Do you think some of the set piece goals we have conceded, lately, resemble a similar pattern?

Can we have a grown up conversation about it?....or is it Taboo.

Ezri himself, said "we gave away too many set pieces"....set pieces have been cited in many quarters as a vulnerability of ours, are we so prickly as we can't discuss it?

Ollie, declared we came out too lax in the second half....is it beyond us, to talk about that, without being declared, enemy of the State.

Its not a declaration, of missing the superb skills of our attacking play, to discussing, low quality/ unsophisticated goals conceded, because that is the main issue here.

If we was conceding worldies, like fodens and Rashfords yesterday, you wouldn't here my gripe.....it's the low level nature of our defensive breaches, I think deserve discussing.

but hey....I don't want to keep defending the same point, with multiple posters, and then be accused of labouring it.

 

We all know it's an issue. Opponents know it's an issue. 

And my point is that there's not a lot we can do to solve it given our personnel. We can put 100% maximum effort at defending corners and we will still not have the edge a majority of the time over any club that's not Sheffield.

The allusions you make and then reference other clubs as "tough" clubs to play against - Newcastle, Spurs, even West Ham, Brentford, etc. - those clubs have worse defenses than ours! Almost every other club, besides hapless Everton and the title challengers, have worse defenses than Villa.

So, for me, the discussion over our frailties is somewhat overblown because the problem and the solution are straight forward. It's just not one we can execute given our injuries and current personnel. Unai and co. are plainly looking to address it given the winter transfer focus but it will not be fixed this season.