Ratings & Reactions: Man City v Villa

[Keyblade]

2 hours ago, VillanousOne said:

A City without a first choice defence who looked vulnerable, a draw would have been be a tough result also, but it was 'possible'.

Dias - Akanji - Gvardiol is 75% of their first choice defence and probably cost about £200m between them. 

A draw assumes we could have scored 4 goals on them, which is technically possible I guess but extremely unlikely. I don't think they have shipped 4 at any point under Pep, much less at the Etihad.

[il_serpente]

8 hours ago, striker said:

Think the above post is a very honest summary of Villa’s present form in particular the second paragraph.

I too am alarmed at the drubbings suffered this season which are unbecoming of a fourth placed Premiership team. I’ve read some of the excuses like injuries and fatigue. While I have some sympathy for the first I do not believe you can use the second as most of the players used should have been reasonably fresh. You could also argue that City were under strength too resting two of their best players!

Arsenal demonstrated how to nullify City in the previous game so much so that a much lauded Foden looked ordinary.

Villa’s high line is an invitation to the better teams to hit through and over the top passes to break the offside trap. We’ve seen it time and time again even in pre-season against teams with pace!

Whilst I fully admit Villa were suffering from a spate of injuries last night I was frustrated to see Emery setting up Villa as he has done all season without adapting much to the opposition with no plan to nullify Foden.

Foden must love playing against Villa. For such a talented player to have the freedom of the park it’s no wonder he scored a hat trick last night.

It was naive in the extreme by Emery especially when the team was injury hit. He could have at least tried to smother City through the middle as Arteta did.
 

Arteta has learned the hard way against City in previous games against Pep so maybe Emery will now do the same next season at the Etihad rather than going toe to toe with a better team?

We didn't play the normal high line and, more important, they didn't get any goals or chances from playing an attacker in behind our not so high line, so I have no idea what you're on about here.  We pretty much followed Arsenal's strategy.  Their $200m midfield were able to keep them out.  Our injury-depleted midfield using an 8 as a 6 and and a youngster starting his first PL game weren't.   Our 2 most experienced midfielders who would still have started if we fielded the best available 11 are the ones who conspired to gift them a lead in first half stoppage time.  We scored and drew 2 fantastic saves from their keeper.   Arsenal had 2 shots.  We didn't lose because Emery blew it.  We lost because we had limited players to choose from and a lot of important games coming up in a short span and because City and their 115 FFP violations had much better resources and did what's expected in the stadium where they never lose.

[Zatman]

4 minutes ago, il_serpente said:

We didn't play the normal high line and, more important, they didn't get any goals or chances from playing an attacker in behind our not so high line, so I have no idea what you're on about here.  We pretty much followed Arsenal's strategy.  Their $200m midfield were able to keep them out.  Our injury-depleted midfield using an 8 as a 6 and and a youngster starting his first PL game weren't.   Our 2 most experienced midfielders who would still have started if we fielded the best available 11 are the ones who conspired to gift them a lead in first half stoppage time.  We scored and drew 2 fantastic saves from their keeper.   Arsenal had 2 shots.  We didn't lose because Emery blew it.  We lost because we had limited players to choose from and a lot of important games coming up in a short span and because City and their 115 FFP violations had much better resources and did what's expected in the stadium where they never lose.

If anybody criticizes our line it shows they have little football knowledge and follow the Sky Sports bullshit agenda. When elite players like Walker say we are the best he has ever seen then you take notice

Worst high line I ever saw was a scum 6 team when we destroyed Liverpool 7-2 including the greatest defender in the history of any sport marshalling it

[Sulberto21]

20 hours ago, Leeroy said:

All those who jumped on my posts in the prematch thread, shame on you.

 

It was a shit show from start to finish. The lineup, the subs (Chambers, FFS). Injuries don’t help but to me Emery was experimenting tonight. He threw that game as far as I’m concerned. Even at 2-1 when we were getting battered he could have got Bailey and Tielemans in there, he waited until 3-1 and the game was done.

 

Look, I’ll get criticism for reproaching Emery, of course I will. But he has made some very big mistakes as Villa manager and tonight he got it badly wrong again. Of course he’s done some incredible things but fast forward just four months on from when we beat city in December and we look a much worse team. This calendar year we don’t look as good as we did at the end of 2023, in essence we look like we’ve regressed. Injuries haven’t helped but what on earth was he thinking putting that team out there tonight, I’ve no idea. 
 

All will be fine if we win the games we should, like Brentford on Saturday. Win that and everything is ok again, even if we play crap like we seem to most games this calendar year. But things aren’t as good as they were and we look a million miles from the top teams again, as tonight showed.

 

Equally we need players back. Martinez and Watkins at the minimum better be back on Saturday, along with McGinn. We need our players to stand up, be fit, and help us along the line now. Not get injured or ‘ill’ when we need them the most.

Steven Gerrard.

[Sulberto21]

The lack of perspective after each defeat or draw by some is incredible. The fact is we got relegated just as every club got rich. 

Some of the players that are playing in the premier league now are incredible. Any of the premier league clubs can beat off competition from the best in Europe for players. 

Even with our strongest 11 at the peak of their fitness fresh well rested we’d struggle against these lot at their ground. Even when they were shite we used to lose to them. We played well in the first half. Struggled in the second. 

Don Unai has been here 18 months. He has a lot of Slippy G’s BS to undo. We’ve gone from relegation candidates to Top 4 contenders (Briefly title) in a little over 18 months. 

As I’ve said previously if Don Unai is here for a minimum of 5/6 seasons then we will win the League or get very close. 

We’re 9 points off top with 7 games to go. It’s usually 25+ by now if not more.

Amazing. 

Edited April 4 by Sulberto21

[Marka Ragnos]

20 hours ago, Leeroy said:

Look, I’ll get criticism for reproaching Emery, of course I will.

I enjoy reading oppositional perspectives on VT. Not saying I agree, but you and the @Delphinho123 etc of VT keep it interesting. I thought Emery was taking a pretty radical approach to the lineup that did make sense to me. It was an awful situation. I don't think Martinez was malingering, I really don't. I don't think he's like that.

[striker]

7 hours ago, tinker said:

Their competing with man City for the title, we're competing against Spurs and Manure for top 5. 

What difference does that make? Wherever you are at this point in the season points and goal difference are more important than performances!

[tinker]

51 minutes ago, striker said:

What difference does that make? Wherever you are at this point in the season points and goal difference are more important than performances!

OK, you can't grasp why Emery did it with the reasons given by countless posters....... Maybe it was to wreck Arsenal/Liverpools title chances? 

[fightoffyour]

13 hours ago, Marka Ragnos said:

I enjoy reading oppositional perspectives on VT.

I don't.

[TRO]

21 hours ago, sheepyvillian said:

I can't think of anything more frustrating than seeing him do time and time again what occurred last night.

It was the same at West Ham, only there he was saved by VAR.

I feel for him Sheepy, because he is not a No 6.....He is like McGinn, he'll play anywhere for the club....and that can sometimes have a downside.

He clearly struggles without Kamara....and that's not meant to criticise him, just an observation.

He looks a bit tired, to me.

ps we need another quality CDM....Sadly Boub does pick up  a lot of injuries......I wonder if Rodri has any brothers.

[TRO]

15 hours ago, Keyblade said:

Dias - Akanji - Gvardiol is 75% of their first choice defence and probably cost about £200m between them. 

A draw assumes we could have scored 4 goals on them, which is technically possible I guess but extremely unlikely. I don't think they have shipped 4 at any point under Pep, much less at the Etihad.

I think that woeful wall, had a big impact on the final score. Their belief in the game, grew from there.

[StefanAVFC]

19 hours ago, Leeroy said:

The second bit on bold, again I totally agree. This summer it is all about improving the defence, just look at the goals against. We need a holding midfielder as priority, Kamara might not fully recover until the 2nd half of next season. I would also argue we need TWO new starting defenders. A right footed version of Mings, maybe a bit better with the ball at his feet, but someone who is good from set pieces, aggressive (without being dirty) and basically a very good defender. We have Pau (and Konsa to an extent) who can do the fancy stuff back there but no one who can really defend. Then I'd buy a left back because I'm sure we will offload Digne because of his wages and I'm not sure Moreno will get back to the levels he showed last season and he's also getting quite old.

This is mental. We're 4th, and you want to replace 3/4 of our defence 

[sheepyvillian]

2 hours ago, TRO said:

I feel for him Sheepy, because he is not a No 6.....He is like McGinn, he'll play anywhere for the club....and that can sometimes have a downside.

He clearly struggles without Kamara....and that's not meant to criticise him, just an observation.

He looks a bit tired, to me.

ps we need another quality CDM....Sadly Boub does pick up  a lot of injuries......I wonder if Rodri has any brothers.

He may be like McGinn in that he will play anywhere, but, for me, he doesn't have the drive McGinn brings. Bringing opponents down unnecessarily in dangerous areas of the pitch is unacceptable. At that time of the game, it's criminal. 

[sheepyvillian]

2 hours ago, TRO said:

I feel for him Sheepy, because he is not a No 6.....He is like McGinn, he'll play anywhere for the club....and that can sometimes have a downside.

He clearly struggles without Kamara....and that's not meant to criticise him, just an observation.

He looks a bit tired, to me.

ps we need another quality CDM....Sadly Boub does pick up  a lot of injuries......I wonder if Rodri has any brothers.

Also interesting to note that when asked to name the footballer with the best IQ of the game, Andy Robertson said, "McGinn," that's some compliment when you think of the players Robertson has played with.

[TRO]

I too think we would have lost, with a full team....because all their big guns, would have come on.

I accept the defeat.....but I can't accept folk papering over cracks, and failing to see area's we need to improve....we still had a situation where we was second best in duels, that has to improve.

It's clear teams who are good in transition with pacy wingers, unhinge us....Man U, Liverpool, Newcastle.....we struggle containing spirited runners.

If we want to get better, we have to address these issues.....surely we can talk about them without being ungrateful for the progress so far, or the improvements we have made.

I don't understand, how a stone blind error from a wall.....has anything to do with a manager selecting a lesser team. I think Unai made a call to a situation, where we would have lost whatever we did, at this stage of our development.

On the game......I am not sure if it was an error, or an abandonment of duty.....we simply cannot expect to compete against teams like them, doing that.....and it needs to be said.

Edited April 6 by TRO

[TRO]

1 hour ago, sheepyvillian said:

He may be like McGinn in that he will play anywhere, but, for me, he doesn't have the drive McGinn brings. Bringing opponents down unnecessarily in dangerous areas of the pitch is unacceptable. At that time of the game, it's criminal. 

I agree.

[TRO]

23 hours ago, sheepyvillian said:

Not for me, as good as he's been, I honestly think we may have seen the best of him. No way does Konsa not get in that defence, one on one, there's  not many better. 

 

I agree sheepy.....but aerial balls in to our box, create havoc and a bobbling ball, causes a lottery.

Those balls have to be won, initially.

I too have so much respect for Pau and Ezri, but we have to have balance too....and they are not renowned for aerial duels.

If the crosses are cut out, better than they currently are....teams will refrain, from using that form of attack.

Its two fold for me, not only the aerial point.....but stopping the crosses at source, could also be improved......and in itself killing a bird with 2 stones.

Edited April 5 by TRO

[sheepyvillian]

2 minutes ago, TRO said:

I agree sheepy.....but aerial balls in to our box, create havoc and a bobbling ball, causes a lottery.

Those balls have to be won, initially.

I too have so much respect for Pau and Ezri, but we have to have balance too....and they are not renowned for aerial duels.

If the crosses are cut out, better than they currently are....teams will refrain, from using that form of attack.

Its two fold for me, not only the aerial point.....but stopping the crosses at source, could also be improved......and in itself killing a bird with 2 stones.

Tbf, I dont think Mings is that great of a header. He's not the worse, but when I think of players like Nicholl, Mountfield or Laursen he pales in comparison. All the years Mings has been with us and how many goals has he scored with his head? He is certainly the most combative of our centre - halves, but, for me, he doesn't get in ahead of Torres. We were still letting in plenty of goals with Mings in defence. 

[sheepyvillian]

12 minutes ago, TRO said:

I agree sheepy.....but aerial balls in to our box, create havoc and a bobbling ball, causes a lottery.

Those balls have to be won, initially.

I too have so much respect for Pau and Ezri, but we have to have balance too....and they are not renowned for aerial duels.

If the crosses are cut out, better than they currently are....teams will refrain, from using that form of attack.

Its two fold for me, not only the aerial point.....but stopping the crosses at source, could also be improved......and in itself killing a bird with 2 stones.

As for "balance," that's not easy if you play with two left - footed centre - half-s.

[TRO]

15 minutes ago, sheepyvillian said:

Tbf, I dont think Mings is that great of a header. He's not the worse, but when I think of players like Nicholl, Mountfield or Laursen he pales in comparison. All the years Mings has been with us and how many goals has he scored with his head? He is certainly the most combative of our centre - halves, but, for me, he doesn't get in ahead of Torres. We were still letting in plenty of goals with Mings in defence. 

Ah!!.....you make a good point.

I think defensively, he does win a fair few headers......offensively woeful.

but it was defensively, i was particularly referencing.

Front and back....those you mentioned, were better in the air.