Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Spurs

[DaveAV1]

1 hour ago, smg said:

Getting pissed about missing Champions league is ridiculous. We are not ready and everyone will get even more pissed when we do a Newcastle . We are far better getting experience in this year’s competition, moving on to the Europa league next season and building the squad over another year or two. 5 years ago today we beat Blues1-0 our current position is fairly impressive despite todays result. If you believe the comments on here most of our players are utter shit ( they really aren’t) so how realistically are they going to compete in the champions league? We can’t buy a new team for next season this is largely our squad going forward. It’s been good enough to get us this far which is way  beyond what most people realistically expected back in August. Aim high yes but also have some patience.

I generally agree with this, steady progress will ultimately serve us better. It’s only the corrupt way that the PL is run that gives the financial but not sporting benefits of qualifying for the CL. 

[VillaChris]

I was o.k with us first half. Yes it was a containment job but we sat in, barely allowed Spurs anything and had some o.k counters. Problem was Ollie just didn't look right after even five minutes (think if we were playing a bottom end team we'd have taken him off) and had one of those days where he made some illogical decisions in final third.

Bailey had his worst game in 18 months. 

Against direct rivals you simply can't afford your top two attackers to be way below par especially as Diaby and Zaniolo have been off form for months.

I saw someone mention either here or elsewhere that at half time we were actually 1-0 down as we always concede right after the break. That was the issue.

Actually forgot looking at the stats that Spurs lost Van De Ven (easily the best CB on the pitch today) at 0-0 and they were putting on a CB who's played 10 minutes since joining. That should've been the impetus for us to step up and have a real go. Instead we seem to lose all our senses and were 2-0 down in no time with some very poor decision marking.

With McGinn's moment of madness that was it and it's looking like a very costly defeat for 4th with the GD swing so much much worse than just losing that game 1-0 or 2-1.

Just up to the team stepping up. West Ham and Wolves remain as winnable as Fulham and Forest were.

[sharkyvilla]

18 minutes ago, StefanAVFC said:

Why are we setting up to limit them at all? 

that’s the issue I have 

I'm just not sure we have the personnel to play the usual way today so had to rejig it somehow.  I don't think we set out to get a 0-0 or a sneak a 1-0 really.

[TRO]

33 minutes ago, Lerner's Driver said:

Yeah spot on. 

It comes back to the thing that Tro and I have been banging on about all season. Any team that harries us and stresses us out when in possession has a good chance of winning.

Our champagne football comes when the opposition lets us play. Spurs hassled us and we're much better on the ball when they had it and that is because on the whole, they have better players.

Doesn't stop our achievements this season from being amazing, but it does look to be the case that we are running out of steam as Spurs are gathering theirs.

They have better players, in certain aspects of the game.....Nothing Villa did today, surprised me.

It was supposed to be, one of the most important games of the season.....er was it?....it looked like it for them.... with Son & Co running around like players possessed, while ours just strolled.

I agree, with your observations.

The turning point was when Tielemens fell in a heap, under a challenge, in the middle of the park, we conceded, and the initiative in the game was lost.....John McGinn lost his cool, because he was the only one showing spirit and muscle, and the game slipped away.

It's not the first time, and  I don't think it will be the last.

Edited March 10 by TRO

[VillaChris]

19 minutes ago, StefanAVFC said:

Why are we setting up to limit them at all? 

that’s the issue I have 

Well we were 2-0 down to Newcastle and Chelsea at home in recent times in first part of the match so Emery clearly decided it wouldn't be a great tactic to be chasing a game so early with the energy we expanded on Thursday.

The problem was we seem to have a real issue coming out for second halves and refocusing, were wretched at Luton and we also got a bit away with it v Forest. Today Spurs exposed that big time when the game was starting to tilt slightly towards us at that point.

[blunther]

I thought it might be a tactical master stroke. We like to play from the back, we know spris will press. The five gives us an extra player at the back to beat the press and attack. I think it could have worked but passing was just too sloppy today. We got pinned back early on a couple of times and it set the scene for the rest of the match. Konsa especially was poor at playing out today. 

[OutByEaster?]

2 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

Just up to the team stepping up. West Ham and Wolves remain as winnable as Fulham and Forest were.

West Ham and Wolves are a good distance further forward than Forest!

West Ham are in Europe and 7th as things stand - Wolves are chasing a European place and headed to Wembley in the FA Cup - these are two really good sides.

 

[romavillan]

8 minutes ago, sheepyvillian said:

If our starting 11 had shown the fiery spirit that Zani showed when coming on, it may well have been a different outcome. The effort to make something happen is sometimes what gives a team the catalyst it desires. 

Yeah at one point he chased back 80 yards hassling their player the whole way to win it back. He was giving everything and he did ok today, might be worth a start against Ajax but not down the left.

[DakotaVilla]

Games at the highest level hang on the smallest moments.

Konsa destroyed the game plan. McGinn is finished after that.

[DaveAV1]

2 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

I was o.k with us first half. Yes it was a containment job but we sat in, barely allowed Spurs anything and had some o.k counters. Problem was Ollie just didn't look right after even five minutes (think if we were playing a bottom end team we'd have taken him off) and had one of those days where he made some illogical decisions in final third.

Bailey had his worst game in 18 months. 

Against direct rivals you simply can't afford your top two attackers to be way below par especially as Diaby and Zaniolo have been off form for months.

I saw someone mention either here or elsewhere that at half time we were actually 1-0 down as we always concede right after the break. That was the issue.

Actually forgot looking at the stats that Spurs lost Van De Ven (easily the best CB on the pitch today) at 0-0 and they were putting on a CB who's played 10 minutes since joining. That should've been the impetus for us to step up and have a real go. Instead we seem to lose all our senses and were 2-0 down in no time with some very poor decision marking.

With McGinn's moment of madness that was it and it's looking like a very costly defeat for 4th with the GD swing so much much worse than just losing that game 1-0 or 2-1.

Just up to the team stepping up. West Ham and Wolves remain as winnable as Fulham and Forest were.

Hard to disagree with this Chris. It’s unfortunate that we had such an important league match immediately after and before big European matches but we can’t change that, slumps after European matches aren’t uncommon for a lot of teams so as previously mentioned perhaps the CL is a bit early for us at the moment? 

[VillaChris]

Just now, OutByEaster? said:

West Ham and Wolves are a good distance further forward than Forest!

West Ham are in Europe and 7th as things stand - Wolves are chasing a European place and headed to Wembley in the FA Cup - these are two really good sides.

 

Wolves will be probably missing all of Hwang, Cunha and Neto. Come on that's all of their foward line and we're crying about the midfield even though Tielemans and Luiz will still probably be out there.

Think Dawson is out aswell currently so that's their big threat from set pieces.

I know Wolves are a massive bogey team for us but we should be winning that game. Turn them round, attack the Holte first half and get a goal up in first 20 minutes and we'll be o.k in that one I reckon.

West Ham away trickier but Burnley nearly beat them today and they'll have to put a big effort in the week to beat Freiburg so their minds will be on that more so we'll be getting likes of Kalvin Phillips starting v us.

Minimum of four points. I think Unai is going to have to stray away from his natural instinct a bit in the last 10 games as just being passive and containing against top half teams isn't going to get us the required wins. Taking risks and being on the front foot will give us a better chance.

[switters]

Game with basically zero positives, dire 2nd half obviously. Think the difference of having week off and full strength team vs European away game and no DM & half-fit CBs showed in the tired and mistake-ridden 2nd half.

I do feel like the red would be given yellow 9/10 times but VAR never going to overturn - equally wouldn't have turned it red if the ref had said yellow. Van De Ven took Watkins leg in v similar way  in the box early on and nothing given because of slightest brush on the ball. 

[Blasterpocket68]

6 minutes ago, DakotaVilla said:

Games at the highest level hang on the smallest moments.

Konsa destroyed the game plan. McGinn is finished after that.

McGinn is finished ? 
lost his head today but FFS he has been brilliant for villa this season 

[maxjackle]

Hopefully we dont see that formation again.

[maqroll]

I had a bad feeling about this game, like a premonition. Really bad vibes. 

When opportunity knocks, Villa can't find a way to answer the door.

 

[AVTuco]

34 minutes ago, PaulC said:

I don't think it's about quality. We have shown thsts the quality is there but Spurs looked a lot fresher thsn us particularly 2nd half. It was the same under MON. Come March we faded away because of the lack of a squad.

I must say I disagree. The few games I've watched them play, they're fast, skillful and powerful with crisp passing. Their players are a notch above ours in general.

[Marka Ragnos]

12 minutes ago, PaulC said:

I don't think it's about quality. We have shown thsts the quality is there but Spurs looked a lot fresher thsn us particularly 2nd half. It was the same under MON. Come March we faded away because of the lack of a squad.

But it's not an either/or thing, more that we're dealing with an accumulation of setbacks and it's getting harder, and like any top squad, our quality is there much of the time more or less, as the case may be. Today the case was less.

[richp999]

14 minutes ago, DakotaVilla said:

Games at the highest level hang on the smallest moments.

Konsa destroyed the game plan. McGinn is finished after that.

Don't be ridiculous.

McGinn has been one of our best players this season - and will be next.  He was obviously getting frustrated at a chance to put us on track for top 4 slipping away.

He'll have a great game against Ajax, have a rest for 3 games then come back to help fire us to top 4.

We are still in top 4, still in Europe. Relax. Spurs need to beat Chelsea yet - which is not a given by any means.

[Corleone]

14 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

Wolves will be probably missing all of Hwang, Cunha and Neto. Come on that's all of their foward line and we're crying about the midfield even though Tielemans and Luiz will still probably be out there.

Think Dawson is out aswell currently so that's their big threat from set pieces.

I know Wolves are a massive bogey team for us but we should be winning that game. Turn them round, attack the Holte first half and get a goal up in first 20 minutes and we'll be o.k in that one I reckon.

West Ham away trickier but Burnley nearly beat them today and they'll have to put a big effort in the week to beat Freiburg so their minds will be on that more so we'll be getting likes of Kalvin Phillips starting v us.

Minimum of four points. I think Unai is going to have to stray away from his natural instinct a bit in the last 10 games as just being passive and containing against top half teams isn't going to get us the required wins. Taking risks and being on the front foot will give us a better chance.

Wolves could be down to their u16 squad but would still somehow end up playing like prime Barcelona against us

[TRO]

2 hours ago, tonyh29 said:

Picked a bad week for our two worse performances of the season but giving Watkins a week off will probably have done him some good 

could see after the first 10 mis there  was only going to be one winner today , they were up for it and better than us in every department … sadly means there will be a 20 min wank fest over Spurs on match of the day tonight and they really aren’t that good 

let’s just hope United don’t put a run together as lower than 5th will be a very bitter pill to swallow 

 

That's right.....but its happened the same, so many times lately.

Unai, needs to examine, why that is....It's simply not a one off, it's in the DNA of this team......The manner of some of the goals conceded is outrageous.

They wasn't as fiesty in the early exchanges, their intensity and aggression, grew, as ours dissipated and floundered....They were so much better, in so many aspects of the game, as was Newcastle and Chelsea and United done us in the boxes.