Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Spurs

[TRO]

I think the distinction in intensity, between the two sides must be a concern for Unai.

[delboy54]

I wonder if Spurs looked at McGinn and maybe targeted him to get him sent off - yes I know it is the realm of conspiracy theory. But....

All teams that play us know that McGinn is a key player for us.

Spurs contrive to get him sent off, Spurs are are rivals at present in the league

McGinn misses the next 3 key premier league games

It was to Spurs advantage to gain by winding McGinn up

 

It has been said for years that many of our players are a bit naive and either do not understand the "dark arts" or are unwilling to step down and use them as well. We are sometimes too nice, kind and obliging 

[RicRic]

18 hours ago, punkiller1981 said:

Forget midweek that nothing competition  is what’s cost us today. 

Yeah same mate not fussed at all about it myself, we need to focus on the league, we are more or less guaranteed a place in europa anyway, and the conference is meaningless other than a gateway to europa, rest watkins and a few of the boys.. lets hope spurs crumble against the bigger sides in the next few weeks and we capitalise on that until its our turn to face some of those big boys

Emery must be more honest and say we did not carry out the game plan as prepared and the first half was not as good as he makes out, he used to demand more now he seems more contented, we cant afford to slip away now it’s imperative, we must hold down that top four spot by any means necessary 

UTV ! 

Edited March 11 by RicRic

[fightoffyour]

9 hours ago, FLVillan said:

Am I the only one that thought the Van Der Ven challenge on Watkins in the first half was a blatant penalty and clear yellow card?  Yes, the side of his boot made very slight contact with the ball, but he absolutely smashed directly into Watkins, injuring him in the process. No VAR intervention and (of course) the commentators used the "he got the ball" excuse which has been dismissed time and again by the officials themselves. ie. just because you get the ball doesn't mean it's not a foul.   If that had happened to Salah or Son, that would have been a very different outcome imho...

I thought it was a clear penalty and if anything a worse tackle than Mcginn's, albeit very different circumstances.

[TRO]

23 minutes ago, delboy54 said:

I wonder if Spurs looked at McGinn and maybe targeted him to get him sent off - yes I know it is the realm of conspiracy theory. But....

All teams that play us know that McGinn is a key player for us.

Spurs contrive to get him sent off, Spurs are are rivals at present in the league

McGinn misses the next 3 key premier league games

It was to Spurs advantage to gain by winding McGinn up

 

It has been said for years that many of our players are a bit naive and either do not understand the "dark arts" or are unwilling to step down and use them as well. We are sometimes too nice, kind and obliging 

You are right, but the concern is, we seem to be burying our heads in the sand, regarding it......Our players ( generalising) are not conducive to playing a high octane game, or engaging in pressing, we are a slow, passive type, predictable style of play...certainly lately.

You only had to study the intensity of the Liverpool v Man City game......sure the superior talent was there to see, but the intensity, and will to win was clear too......Even Liverpool's young players have intensity drilled in to them, they are sharp, and incisive, in contrast ours are slow and lethargic.

I see teams in this league, with a far higher workrate, and an ability to " go after" opponents, with the sole intention of stealing the ball...... we just wait for a misplaced pass, or a lazy interception...a total reluctance to go and mug a ball off a player, and turn the ball over.....How many times have we seen our players mugged on the ball, in front of goal and opponents full of beans pounce on us, and it leads to conceding.......its dispiriting.

This is of course relating to the last 10 or so games....since Sheff Utd, I guess.....We are a shadow of the team, that got us to 4th.

We got to 4th and woke the Premier League towards us.....They now come to play us, and "go after us"......and we haven't got the personnel to deal with that....Mings and Buendia, would have helped, both with a bit of fire in their bellies.

We have fine skills, when we are allowed to play....but teams now, have much success, in stopping us playing, and we do not have the minerals to negate it.

 

Edited March 11 by TRO

[Nabby]

57 minutes ago, TRO said:

I too am not looking to systems to blame.....we are engaging in too many individual errors in games lately...why? I don't know.

I look at the players demeanor at times, and I am not convinced, they are up for it.

I watched Bailey yesterday, show immaturity, drifting around, towards the action,  leaving cash to deal with Johnson and Udogie on his own.

When they are in this mood, like they have been recently at home.....I'm not sure, I like this team.

Sure we can all cling to 4th for comfort....this team in its current mood is not playing anything like 4th place football.

I think Unai has a real challenge on his hands, not to just improve the team.....but to sustain, what he has already created.

Mostly with this , the system didn't cause the goals it was bad errors , especially the 2nd one from Konsa.

McGinn red card then puts it  all to bed.

Unai may say we were not tired but I think thats a press answer and him not looking for excuses. Olly and Luiz both look off the pace. I note West Ham who played Thursday as well almost lost to Burnley so that midweek game does take it's toll especially when you can not rotate.

Also not Spurs started season flying then lost player's and slipped down. Most will point at Madison being out but Van der Ven missing from defence caused their system to crumble. Kamara is the same with us , we have gotten by without him alot of time by skin of our teeth ( Luton ) but we have not hit the highs we had earlier in season with him out.

 

[tonyh29]

On Thursday you saw Doug moaning at full time that  players were not making the right runs 

Yesterday we saw Bailey also making similar gestures 

I think , the players have got a bit lost and maybe frustrated at being asked to play more defensively , partly due to the injury situation first with Torres and now with Kamara and lack of depth in the squad / team shape

There is  also an element of  rest of the league saw what we did to West Ham and Brighton and thought **** that , lets put 11 men behind the ball  , resulting in a more pedestrian style of play from us  which seems to hinder us at times.

the performance of the season came when we went at City ... yesterday , Thursday and 2-0 v Luton , we went all negative and made mistakes and kept inviting pressure   .. 

[Risso]

I don't think Watkins looked tired, and overall he's still scored five goals in four games. It was just a terrible mistake by Emery setting up like that, he only had to cast his mind back to the Spurs away game first half to see what a load of shit it is.

[Jas10]

 

[StefanAVFC]

We are the fastest starters in the league, scoring 24 goals in  the first 30 mins.

I still can't get my head around why we set up like that completely nullifying that threat.

[Jas10]

I’ve got to be honest… I’m disappointed at such a poor or weak showing in such a big/important game… we shouldn’t feel inferior to anyone (even after all the injuries and disruptions)… we were in the driving seat, what a great season we have had overall… I wish we had attacked them and been more aggressive or tenacious…they’re not a better team than us (but do have more depth and options)…

Again, losing McGinn for 3 games is the worst thing to come out of this. Really concerned about our midfield.

First time this season that I’m struggling to be positive and optimistic… this feels like a genuine setback…

I hope my fears are quickly allayed and I’m pleasantly surprised by our performances in some tough games to come…

but, I have to be realistic too…

A real bad day at the office that was…

Come on Unai, come on you Villa boys… fight and show what you’re made of!

[TRO]

25 minutes ago, tonyh29 said:

On Thursday you saw Doug moaning at full time that  players were not making the right runs 

Yesterday we saw Bailey also making similar gestures 

I think , the players have got a bit lost and maybe frustrated at being asked to play more defensively , partly due to the injury situation first with Torres and now with Kamara and lack of depth in the squad / team shape

There is  also an element of  rest of the league saw what we did to West Ham and Brighton and thought **** that , lets put 11 men behind the ball  , resulting in a more pedestrian style of play from us  which seems to hinder us at times.

the performance of the season came when we went at City ... yesterday , Thursday and 2-0 v Luton , we went all negative and made mistakes and kept inviting pressure   .. 

That could easily be so....because the squad has an attacking bias...How many naturally defensive minded players do we have?...and what ones we have got are out with long term injuries.

how many players with an attacking preference are played in defensive roles?

We have plenty of midfielders, but they are of all a similar type, and stature.

It went wrong, from Sheff Utd......What Spurs did second half, and Luton second half, is press us, we are uncomfortable with it, and its clear to see......We simply falter, when we are pressed, only John McGinn is close to press resistant.

We have a few players, who are a pressing opponents dream....lightweight, in staying on the ball....it's so obvious, it's frustrating.

Unai has a challenge on his hands.

Ps your last words are key to it all.......we Keep inviting pressure.

Edited March 11 by TRO

[Tom13]

13 hours ago, ozvillafan said:

Unai got this tactically wrong.

Playing 5 at the back when all season we have played a high line boggles the mind. You now have 1 more opportunity for spurs to beat that offside trap with 1 player in the defensive line not stepping out/keeping the line.

Doing so at home gave spuds exactly what they wanted: Our extra man was in the defensive line so they could press as they always do knowing there was 1 less attacker for the counter/long ball. Ange is not a tactical genius and his sides always play the same way.

That meant we effectively had Digne and Cash sitting deep, and no easy way to play out.

You can argue that it was working in the first half - but I would argue that a scoreless draw was the best result those tactics could produce. Zero attempts on target in the first 45 speaks to that.

You make some great points, but, if Bailey releases Tielemans, that's a goalscoring opportunity, and if Ollie releases Tielemans on the overlap, that's another goalscoring opportunity. So we could easily have had shots on target in the first half, and likely gone in ahead, if not for some poor (inexplicably poor in Bailey's case) decision making.

Edited March 11 by Tom13

[delboy54]

I think to be brutally honest that teams have found a way of how to play against us.

Emery has been said to study in minute detail other teams and tactics....and thats fine, but we are deluding ourselves in thinking that other clubs do not do the same thing and examine how the Villa are playing and work out how to negate us!

Moyes and the West Ham staff will be already looking at what Spurs did to us and Luton etc and prepping in advance of the West Ham game.

Since the start of 2024 we now seem to lack speed of thought, tenacity, determination, will to win, to grind out results. We go one nil down, its a struggle to see us getting back into the game, go 2 nil down there is virtually no way back and the opposition teams know this. Not sure why this is, is it the players?, tactics?, crowd?

Lose against Ajax as badly as we did against Spurs then we are in danger of losing momentum at a critical time of the season.

[TRO]

1 hour ago, Jas10 said:

I’ve got to be honest… I’m disappointed at such a poor or weak showing in such a big/important game… we shouldn’t feel inferior to anyone (even after all the injuries and disruptions)… we were in the driving seat, what a great season we have had overall… I wish we had attacked them and been more aggressive or tenacious…they’re not a better team than us (but do have more depth and options)…

Again, losing McGinn for 3 games is the worst thing to come out of this. Really concerned about our midfield.

First time this season that I’m struggling to be positive and optimistic… this feels like a genuine setback…

I hope my fears are quickly allayed and I’m pleasantly surprised by our performances in some tough games to come…

but, I have to be realistic too…

A real bad day at the office that was…

Come on Unai, come on you Villa boys… fight and show what you’re made of!

Jas....All teams in the Premier League have talent, sure varying degrees, the top boys have the most.....but they also have the 2 emboldened attributes.

If you saw the Liverpool v Man City game....it was in clear evidence.....you see it with Arsenal too.....and you saw it second half on Sunday with Spurs..... we saw Newcastle out gun us, with intensity, and we saw Chelsea do the same.

You cannot play, slow, lethargic, insipid football and expect to get favourable results.

When you don't go after opponents to win the ball or turn it over, it leaves a vacuum for them to do it....it's called inviting pressure, and that is precisely what we are doing......you do that, and the initiative in the game shifts.....subsequently their attack gets a foothold, and then it's just a matter of time, before we concede.....its been a recurring theme, lately.

We all talk about the quality of Spurs, Newcastle, Chelsea and Man U......but we are getting away with it, with lower teams like Luton, Nottingham Forest and Sheff Utd at home, where we was ultra lucky to get a face saving equaliser.

We have some serious thinking to do, with the nature of our team and the make up of its approach.....We simply cannot be masking over poor performances by quoting the season, every time.

What we did pre Sheffield Utd at Home, to since, is stark contrast.....We all have our opinions as to why, and they may well vary....but I don't see it changing any time soon.

You call for fight.....and you are bloomin' right too, this team right now is lacking in it.

PS when you witness the fight and determination of a 21 year old Udogie and a 22 year old Mickey Van der Ven, it strikes me, its being bred in these young players.

PPS Something to me, is not quite right....Unai cuts a frustrated figure, when we are conceding goals, so clearly he is not expecting some things to happen. They are not worldies and marking is shambolic.

Edited March 11 by TRO

[AV82]

10 hours ago, TRO said:

He is far from a dimwit.....more of a warrior, which the others could emulate, and maybe he wouldn't have to do it all on his own.

He seemed to get the support of the Villa Park crowd too.

The outcome was regrettable, but in a certain way, they deserved it, for their robust and aggressive challenges....unfortunately, due to a possible lack of practice, we are not very good at it, and get carded, more regular than most teams.

I find it laughable, that we have the 3rd worst yellow card record this season.....We wouldn't hurt a fly.

 

I'd love to agree with you but the simple fact is we're now without our captain and one of our few CM options for the next 3 games because of a mindless challenge.

[TRO]

4 minutes ago, AV82 said:

I'd love to agree with you but the simple fact is we're now without our captain and one of our few CM options for the next 3 games because of a mindless challenge.

Had the other players busied themselves to get a few challenges in, as opposed to conveniently standing off and watching him....his frustration and red mist, may not have happened.

I think John McGinn is more the victim, not the assailant....in a roundabout way.

[striker]

12 hours ago, The_Steve said:

Thank god Ollie wasn’t injured despite the attempts of the Tottenham defence today. 

Hard to imagine any Spurs defence trying to injure a player and yesterday they didn’t. They just had Watkins in their pocket all game.

[DJBOB]

31 minutes ago, Tom13 said:

You make some great points, but, if Bailey releases Tielemans, that's a goalscoring opportunity, and if Ollie releases Tielemans on the overlap, that's another goalscoring opportunity. So we could easily have had shots on target in the first half, and likely gone in ahead, if not for some poor (inexplicably poor in Bailey's case) decision making.

Because they were playing in unfamiliar positions, I don’t think they knew where the runs were coming from. 
 
Of course they’re professional footballers, but the whole time, there’s a moment of hesitation for the next pass. 
 
That’s why I loathe making such a drastic change to the system. It’s one thing if we’re seeing out a match and just need to take players 1v1 on the counter but it’s another to BEGIN a match like we did. 
 
It was inklings of Gerrard ball all over again. 

[TRO]

Some of the traits of that game have been in evidence, when we are winning i.e Luton.

We have just been in denial.