Ratings & Reactions: West Ham v Villa

[TRO]

1 minute ago, VillaChris said:

Imagine if we'd just lost at home to Coventry in that manner. They'd be some on this forum predicting we'd lose every single game left and working out if we could still be relegated!

They have injuries to key players which makes a push for europe a bit of a stretch so basically to me their season is dead now they've got 40 points. Of course they'd love to scupper us but I actually think Brentford will be the harder of the two home games to win despite their present struggles. 

Early goal v Wolves and we'll be fine.

Thats where character and bounce back ability comes in.

They always seem mentally up for these games with us, just like Blues and Albion....We need to be prepared.

[VillaChris]

19 minutes ago, TRO said:

Thats where character and bounce back ability comes in.

They always seem mentally up for these games with us, just like Blues and Albion....We need to be prepared.

We have that aswell hence we consistently bounce back from disappointing defeats this season.

Don't think we've lost back to back league games all season. Beating Fulham away after the disappointment of the Man. United match is genuinely looking like one of our best results of the season now given how they walked all over Spurs.

Edited March 18 by VillaChris

[StefanAVFC]

Just now, VillaChris said:

We have that aswell hence we consistently bounce back from disappointing defeats this season.

Don't think we've lost back to back league games all season.

Not tall enough across the team to have character mate

[VillaChris]

Just now, StefanAVFC said:

Not tall enough across the team to have character mate

TRO does have his convictions bless him. Lenglet is like a beanpole but height is no help if he can't pass water like in the first half yesterday.

[TRO]

2 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

TRO does have his convictions bless him. Lenglet is like a beanpole but height is no help if he can't pass water like in the first half yesterday.

Lenglet is no threat in the air......bean pole, Nah.

You won't convince me, that height is not an important ingredient in certain positions......why are Goalies all 6'1 +.....most are 6'4

Very few centre backs in the prem are sub 6 ft

[StefanAVFC]

All of our centre backs are over 6 foot, apart from Carlos, who people think is very physical.

[El Segundo]

From the Laws of the game on handball

It's an offence if a player

• touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger. A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player’s body movement for that specific situation. By having their hand/arm in such a position, the player takes a risk of their hand/arm being hit by the ball and being penalised

Can anyone explain why or how this did not apply to the penalty we were denied?  

[PaulC]

2 hours ago, TRO said:

but we are relying on moments for points.....while we dominated possession in the second half, we played in front of them, only when Diaby got behind them, we scored.

It's very lazy possession, lacks assertion, aggression and urgency.

First half I agree but I think we showed urgency and aggression after making the subs. I think I'd be more unhappy being a west ham fan sitting back and defending the 1-0 and subbing Antonio for a defender 

[PaulC]

1 hour ago, TRO said:

Lenglet is no threat in the air......bean pole, Nah.

You won't convince me, that height is not an important ingredient in certain positions......why are Goalies all 6'1 +.....most are 6'4

Very few centre backs in the prem are sub 6 ft

In certain positions I agree. cbs but if you are not tall you use your nouse. We have a problem with crosses no matter who we pick. Martinez even looking unsure now.

[allani]

1 hour ago, El Segundo said:

From the Laws of the game on handball

It's an offence if a player

• touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger. A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player’s body movement for that specific situation. By having their hand/arm in such a position, the player takes a risk of their hand/arm being hit by the ball and being penalised

Can anyone explain why or how this did not apply to the penalty we were denied?  

No.  I think the only mitigation would be that the defender is trying to bring his arms back into his body - rather than them going outwards.  However, I would say that there are considerably more issues with that decision than with the decisions to rule out either of West Ham's goals.  Yet it didn't even get mentioned by the BBC or in the other "independent" match reports I read.  I do think that the media aren't helping on this -I think the BBC headline was something like "West Ham denied winner by VAR".  If you only read the headline then it implies that VAR has made a mistake - when clearly VAR eventually got to the right decision.  I still don't understand why they were checking for handball.  Soucek clearly pulls Konsa back by his shirt - impeding his ability to clear the ball and then wraps his other arm over Konsa's shoulder to wrestle him back further.  Both of those were more than sufficient for a free-kick to be awarded before it even got to whether there was a handball or a potential offside.

[VillaChris]

6 hours ago, StefanAVFC said:

All of our centre backs are over 6 foot, apart from Carlos, who people think is very physical.

I was surprised Lenglet is only listed as 6ft 1 in on Wiki, would've had him taller. Pau is 6ft 3.

Think Fulham have one of the best set piece defending records in the whole league so Tosin might not be a bad option to get in if he's on a free this summer.

As said though it's good to have one stopper at the back who's strong in the air but then you're vulnerable against counter attacks and other situations which is where likes of Everton get exposed regularly and why Tarkowski isn't in the England reckoning anymore.

I don't actually mind him as a defender but you'd think he's McGrath standard the way TRO goes on about him. Everton have conceded plenty from corner kicks this season btw.

[Sulberto21]

Chopping and changing the back line and midfield due to injuries will never be beneficial to the defensive record. 

It was a performance full of grit and determination. 

Barcelona under Pep used to average 70% possession and have 10-15 shots per game. Hardly passive and lazy possession. It’s called controlling the game. It’s what Don Unai wants. 

[TRO]

On 18/03/2024 at 14:28, PaulC said:

In certain positions I agree. cbs but if you are not tall you use your nouse. We have a problem with crosses no matter who we pick. Martinez even looking unsure now.

Martinez is too exposed.....Football is all about exploiting weaknesses. That's why the top teams have less than most.

Opponents know we are vulnerable in the air without Mings.....

Whenever, I talk about height, I am always meaning certain positions, not the whole team.

Prior to Haaland, Pep himself admitted City was too small in general. The league is physical, we can't change that, we have to address it....Look how Arsenal have improved with the presence of Rice.

I agree, Nous is important as is defensive organisation, but it's hard to out jump physically adept players with stature, if you are smaller than them.....and opponents know that, and target our vulnerablity.

Some folk blame Austin, but I think we are not equipped.

We used to struggle against Burnley under Dyche, as we did against West Ham ( in the box)....You can't always rely on officials to come to the rescue, when they physically clatter us at set pieces.

I don't want to labour the point, because it sounds like I want every Villa player over 6ft......and that is not the case.

 

 

Edited March 19 by TRO

[DJBOB]

3 hours ago, TRO said:

Martinez is too exposed.....Football is all about exploiting weaknesses. That's why the top team have less than most.

Opponents know we are vulnerable in the air without Mings.....

Whenever, I talk about height, I am always meaning certain positions, not the whole team.

Prior to Haaland, Pep himself admitted City was too small in general. The league is physical, we can't change that, we have to address it....Look how Arsenal have improved with the presence of Rice.

I agree, Nous is important as is defensive organisation, but it's hard to out jump physically adept players with stature, if you are smaller than them.....and opponents know that, and target our vulnerablity.

Some folk blame Austin, but I think we are not equipped.

We used to struggle against Burnley under Dyche, as we did against West Ham ( in the box)....You can't always rely on officials to come to the rescue, when they physically clatter us at set pieces.

I don't want to labour the point, because it sounds like I want every Villa player over 6ft......and that is not the case.

 

 

I agree with Tro's overall point.

It's just that it's difficult to find this profile of player who is both tall and physical while also very good on the ball. Because cloggers will just be relegated to the Everton's and West Ham's of the world.

For City:

• Dias - 71M
• Akanji - 20M (good deal tbf, but one of those wage deals like Haaland)
• Ake - 45M
• Stones - 55M
• Rodri - 70M

For Arsenal:

• Saliba - 19M at age 19 - good deal tbf
• Timber - 40M
• Rice - 100M+
• Ben White - 58M
• Partey - 50M

I think we'd all love a tough, physical, air dominant and ball playing CB or CDM.

But 8/10 of those players break or almost double our transfer record so we have to make do with what we have and try to continue playing our style to maintain high positions and rebuild the stature of the club.

[Marka Ragnos]

On 17/03/2024 at 19:01, Jas10 said:

That’s the 3rd time this has been posted here

See what happens when I try to keep up with the razor-witted denizens of VT?

[Jas10]

1 minute ago, Marka Ragnos said:

See what happens when I try to keep up with the razor-witted denizens of VT?

Dw, it’s a regular occurrence and from many… not everyone is gonna wade through every page of a thread

Just found it funny how popular it was

[Jas10]

5 hours ago, TRO said:

it sounds like I want every Villa player over 6ft......and that is not the case.

You don’t?!

 

 

 

 

[TRO]

5 hours ago, DJBOB said:

I agree with Tro's overall point.

It's just that it's difficult to find this profile of player who is both tall and physical while also very good on the ball. Because cloggers will just be relegated to the Everton's and West Ham's of the world.

For City:

• Dias - 71M
• Akanji - 20M (good deal tbf, but one of those wage deals like Haaland)
• Ake - 45M
• Stones - 55M
• Rodri - 70M

For Arsenal:

• Saliba - 19M at age 19 - good deal tbf
• Timber - 40M
• Rice - 100M+
• Ben White - 58M
• Partey - 50M

I think we'd all love a tough, physical, air dominant and ball playing CB or CDM.

But 8/10 of those players break or almost double our transfer record so we have to make do with what we have and try to continue playing our style to maintain high positions and rebuild the stature of the club.

Well said....and as you highlight a bit of prudent recruiting work too.

judging by comments and responses from some on here.....I am not convinced that is the case.

some folk, do recognise your point, but some don't too.

I think when UE talks about much work to do....this is just one of the elements, of that fix.

 

 

Edited March 19 by TRO

[BleedClaretAndBlue]

 

[Herman22]

10 hours ago, BleedClaretAndBlue said:

 

This makes no sense to me at all. You can have your hand in an unnatural position now as long as you try to pull it back! 

I think on these mic’d up shows you have to remember the reason. It’s essentially the head of the refs coming out saying every decision the refs made is correct unless it’s a complete howler.