Ratings & Reactions: Man City v Villa

[It's Your Round]

For a 4-1 loss, I actually think we played pretty well. It was always going to be hard graft with Watkins, Emi, McGinn and Kamara missing, but the players that stepped in acquitted themselves well. The problem is that even a 10% drop off in quality means the difference between a draw or a hammering when playing these clearings in the woods. 

Edited April 3 by It's Your Round

[djdabush]

Played better than I expected. Thought several players acquitted themselves well. I just hope we can look back at it on Saturday and think it was worth making those changes.

[DJ_Villain]

Just now, Django_Zooms said:

Oh, that is why he looks like Kermit.

Kind of…

Both Kermit and his mum have spent their lives with men being elbow deep in them

[UpTheVilla26]

Fair play to Olsen, I don't think he put a foot wrong. 

2 or 3 of them goals could've been avoided tonight. Poor decision making cost us. 

It is what it is, we've lost to a bunch of cheats in a soulless stadium, back to the real footy Saturday. 

[imavillan]

 

 

@MaVilla hope your'e all right.....is this any good for you? I don't use it myself, it's all yours if you want it.

[Lerner's Driver]

Just now, Django_Zooms said:

Oh, that is why he looks like Kermit.

Be honest, you would be so lucky.

Arrrright ya dirty bastard, get yer prick out me ear!

[Awol]

Away fans were great too, and I am happy Grealish didn’t score 

[Mr_Dogg]

3 minutes ago, CVByrne said:

We really are clinging onto this season. All the xG stats from recent games since Forest has us behind opponents. Even Luton 

We'll get found out soon enough unless we improve our performances 

Get a grip

[Galway Lion]

3 minutes ago, CVByrne said:

We really are clinging onto this season. All the xG stats from recent games since Forest has us behind opponents. Even Luton 

We'll get found out soon enough unless we improve our performances 

You’ve already been found out a long time ago ! Know what I mean?

[nick76]

2 minutes ago, CVByrne said:

We really are clinging onto this season. All the xG stats from recent games since Forest has us behind opponents. Even Luton 

We'll get found out soon enough unless we improve our performances 

[Nigel]

Poor zaniolo having to come off with the injury he got twisting away from that free kick!

 

[WooJung]

We conceded a bad goal (Zaniolo), failed a great chance to equalise (Luiz) and although softness/mistakes led to their third and fourth, both were really good strikes which in most cases aren't goals.

Despite all the injuries this was still a very good side and we were decimated. If at the start of the season you were told we'd start a game with Olsen, Lenglet, Tim, Rogers (let's pretend he was already there), Duran and Zaniolo you'd think it was against league 2 opposition.

We did quite well, all things considered 

[smg]

6 minutes ago, wishywashy said:

For clarity, here is an entire starting XI you could make with the players who didn't start today, ranging from injury to suspension to clearly needing rests:

Watkins
Bailey Buendia
Ramsey Kamara McGinn
Moreno Mings Torres Cash
Martinez

Onto Brentford: with the rested players, Watkins, McGinn, Martinez and hopefully Ramsey all back. UTV.
 

That team could also have lost 4-1. The team tonight did their best no question, hopefully Olsen gets some credit because Martinez would not have offered more tonight.

[switters]

Always going to struggle with our reserves away there

Respectable first half but goal before half time killed it then 2nd half was meaningless

[Talldarkandransome]

Stop reacting to it ya knobs

[DJBOB]

Can't fool me Unai!

Had the feeling of countless cup matches - Unai rotating the squad to keep an obvious eye on Brentford and Lille.

At the end of the day - I more or less agree with his implied assessment here. Despite the adage of aiming up and trying to take it to the title contenders - in no way shape or form is this current Villa side going to come close to replicating our levels vs City at home. That we must play 5 important matches (4 of them a must win) in the next 18 days would weigh heavily on his selection. Some valuable experience for a trio of youngsters (Tim, Morgan, and Jhon) with the latter two combining for an assist and goal away at the Ethiad. Playing Chambers and Tielemans in the midfield is more or less a concession of which matches he actually values.

Olsen did as well as he could. Zaniolo I thought covered Digne well though the highlights will be letting one through the wall. Diego and Lenglet continues to be our worse performing pairing defensively at CB though we had little options to pick otherwise. And Diaby has picked up some confidence though he often had few choices in the box when he carried the ball there.

[Jas10]

On to Saturday…

[LondonLax]

We played pretty well but a few mistakes at key times cost us.

Iroegbunam deserves a mention for putting in a good performance in the middle of the pitch in one of the most difficult matches in football. 

[mottaloo]

1 minute ago, Awol said:

Away fans were great too, and I am happy Grealish didn’t score 

The only positive for me......no, NOT the only positive but at least there was no grealish icing on the cake for "Fletch" to jizz about.

[El Segundo]

Frustrating because despite all the changes we looked ok first half and should have gone in level at half time.  Instead we decided to press the self destruct button again.  Luiz gave a stupid foul away just outside the box, they wasted it so he gave them a second one.  Beyond dumb.  Zaniolo should be ashamed of himself, pretty much jumping out of the way instead of holding the wall together.  A weak challenge from Diaby led to the third, followed by another trip to the self destruct button by Chambers.  You can't give gifts to teams like City.