Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Brentford

[beasley14]

3 hours ago, S-Platt said:

Our weaker defencive displays all have come since Kamara got injured that is where we need to sign a player and cover for Cash.

As for yesterday I will take the point as a positive as frustrating as losing 2 is that would have been 3 for most of my life so improvement of sorts!

Rogers filling the Ramsey sized hole is a massive plus just needs to work on his fitness.

Watkins immense again hopefully gets the magic 20 league goals in a season for first time since Peter Withe 1981.

Roll on Lille.

I agree with this, defensively the biggest issue we have now is no Kamara.  We miss him greatly in terms of breaking up play and overall defensive play.

[TRO]

2 hours ago, AVFCforever1991 said:

Brentford are consistently bad away from home, so this should have been a simple 3 points, the fact we threw 2 points away is worrying 

 

We play like that in the champions League (if we get it) we'll get pumped every game 

Many, many things are required to be a successful team............but if we" stand off" and fail to engage in a challenge, like we did, for periods yesterday.......we will go nowhere.

We can have the best everything.....but if we don't compete, we are passive.....and passive teams get torn one.

If we analyse the top 3....a place where we are aiming for in the coming years, amongst all their talent, they have aggression and intensity......you could see on the faces of Trossard and Gabriel, after a determined block by Gabriel....this team is fired up.

Yesterday, during that infamous 9 minutes, I was discombobulated with astonishment.....it was puny.

I ask the question.....are we  really ready for champions league football, are we really, honestly?

 

[TRO]

4 hours ago, PaulC said:

Yes what is glaring is our lack of physicality. Most players are well down on duels won, which I guess is not a totally accurate stat, but when yiu see it happen week in week out its a problem area. We are very good with the ball but not so good without it. 

A major issue for me.

Its like school kids who only want to play when they have the ball.....It's not a team who is designed to go after the ball and hunt the ball down. We simply do not have enough players in the team with a nose for it. We have no one to come close to Rodri or Rice, Kamara is our closest and even he gets caught in threatening positions....sadly even though we miss him, he's out until next year......This role is crucial to get right.

Far too many times this season, we have let a 2 goal lead slip.....and let's be clear here, it's not just against the top sides. So the notion that we haven't got the level of talent like them,  is misleading. Our talent leans heavily towards offensive play, both in numbers and in style

We are 4th, because we have an abundance of offensive players, who often show a very competent standard......defensively, we cannot say the same....and the stats don't lie.

We simply cannot expect to just out score teams, its naive.

Under the circumstances the season as a whole has been great....but we are now in danger of choking, and its not the offensive side, that letting us down.

We have one of the best Goalkeepers around, it's inconsiderate how as a team, we fail to protect him.

I think Unai, has a big job on to address these issues.

 

 

Edited April 7 by TRO

[Brentfordnylons]

1 hour ago, OutByEaster? said:

Dunno about that - we dominated much of the game, I don't think the draw flatters you though in fairness, you alway carried a threat on the break and took advantage of our second half tea break well.

That half time decision was very odd - I mean it's probably technically correct I guess, but nobody does that, it's just not how the game is refereed, I'd have been livid if it had gone the other way. The ref got worse as the game went on and he allowed you an awful lot of leeway at set pieces in terms of grabbing hold of players. 

Well, you kinda did - we spent most of the first half and a good chunk of the second half camped around the edge of your box trying to find a way through ten (really well organised) men - it's credit to you that you defended so well and restricted that territorial and possession dominance to so few efforts on goal. We defended you well on the break in the first half, but not in the second and you always carried a threat, but you definitely did 'park the bus' I think - the plan was to keep ten men in and around your box to frustrate us and hit us with pace on the break in quick transitions knowing that we'd commit men forward and our centre halves aren't particularly quick - a good plan and you did a pretty decent job of it.

Other than Rogers excellent take,, touch and hit and Watkins towering header maybe - a nice little poke out of a foot from behind a sleepy centre half does not a classic make.

 

Anyways, I thought overall Brentford looked bright, sharp, organised and difficult to beat - your number eight, Jensen, stood out for me - he looked particularly capable.

See you next season!

 

Some fair comments there and forgot to mention our first was a ridiculous miss hit from our centre back took a swing with his right foot misses and hits his left and trickles into the other corner.

[Brentfordnylons]

Would add how poor Flekkin was especially for Villas 3 rd Oli took it well but the keeper despite the deflection on the cross should punch that away not good enough for this level flapped at a few crosses before and after.

[PaulC]

1 hour ago, TRO said:

A major issue for me.

Its like school kids who only want to play when they have the ball.....It's not a team who is designed to go after the ball and hunt the ball down. We simply do not have enough players in the team with a nose for it. We have no one to come close to Rodri or Rice, Kamara is our closest and even he gets caught in threatening positions....sadly even though we miss him, he's out until next year......This role is crucial to get right.

Far too many times this season, we have let a 2 goal lead slip.....and let's be clear here, it's not just against the top sides. So the notion that we haven't got the level of talent like them,  is misleading. Our talent leans heavily towards offensive play, both in numbers and in style

We are 4th, because we have an abundance of offensive players, who often show a very competent standard......defensively, we cannot say the same....and the stats don't lie.

We simply cannot expect to just out score teams, its naive.

Under the circumstances the season as a whole has been great....but we are now in danger of choking, and its not the offensive side, that letting us down.

We have one of the best Goalkeepers around, it's inconsiderate how as a team, we protect him.

I think Unai, has a big job on to address these issues.

 

 

We have imo the best keeper in the Premier League and pound for pound the best striker in the Premier League. Haaland may one more  goal but his contribution apart from scoring is negligent. 

Edited April 7 by PaulC

[TRO]

I accept, that the injuries and suspensions are hitting our resources hard....and under the circumstances, we have achieved miracles.

So why do some, seem to think we are going to blow teams away, with consideration to those circumstances.

The top teams are going for the title and the lesser teams are preoccupied with the trap door.....so why should they be talking in terms of  dead rubbers like Brentford.

All these teams, fight for their fans.....every game is a fight, and that's what I look for in a fixture.

I would accept us scoring only 6 goals in the rest of the fixtures, 1 every game, as long as we conceded none.

[TRO]

5 minutes ago, PaulC said:

We have imo the best keeper in the Premier League and pound for pound the best striker in the Premier League. Haaland may one more  goal but his contribution apart from scoring is negligent. 

and they have played a major part in this seasons results.

[TRO]

5 hours ago, Lochheads twin said:

What a strange game.

If it was a movie, it would definitely have been The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. (and this just refers to the defence.)

Up until the witching hour, Diego Carlos was probably having his best game in a Villa shirt. None of the 3 centre backs had a game they will look back on fondly. Konsa did have a good chance to redeem himself at the end but his header went badly awry.  

The lads did shake off the lethargy and fight back to equalise and then threaten a winner. It is a another point to the total and they will all help us keep clear of the chasing pack. A lot now riding on England getting 5 places for the Champions Leagues.

Dust our selves down and we go again on Thursday night. UTV

 

which kinda dispels the notion of tiredness.

The last 10-15 minutes showed the intensity of an early season game.....so the infamous 9 minutes, must have been a tea-break.

[gilbertoAVFC]

6 hours ago, Don_Simon said:

Happy to.

They bought their ticket. They have invested money, time and energy in supporting the club. 

I didn't go, but could have. Chose not to. What sort of supporter does that make me? I'm even worse than them in your eyes as I gave substantially less effort, invested no money in our club and spent my time doing other things.

The ticket was theirs. The seat was theirs. They can arrive, leave, sing, be silent whenever they want. 

Explained.

Really would rather people didn't pay for a ticket just to be negative and happy to stand by that. Supporters, unless there is a good reason, have an obligation to support the team and the team, this season, deserves that at the very least.

But yeah, I guess you see fans as customers, I see them as supporters.

[Pinebro]

13 hours ago, TRO said:

Well, the organisation and will to shut out, seems iffy to me.

We always drop off when going 2 goals up.

How do you change that mentality?

Watching Arsenal yesterday its absolutely night and day 

[TRO]

Just now, Pinebro said:

We always drop off when going 2 goals up.

How do you change that mentality?

Watching Arsenal yesterday its absolutely night and day 

There's your answer....City are the same.....The next 3 down Us, Spurs, and Man U....have similar issues, check the goals against column.

when we go 2 goals up the likelihood is the opposition seize a plan to come back at us.....that's the time the "Off the ball" skill set gets tested.....we don't stop opponents coming at us, very well.

You can make your mind up about that.....but when you  scrutinize what the best teams do.....they go after you, to deny you the ball, to hunt the ball down, and smother any initiative, the opponent has...That's their way of defending in midfield.

as the old managers use to say, the time to get your foot in, is after you have just scored....its called competing.

When you have one the best Goalkeeper around and one of the best strikers, you always achieve something, but we need a bit more, for consistency.

Injuries are killing us, I know that, and the bigger squads this time of year, highlight that....its at the business end of the season, it makes the difference.

 

[imavillan]

18 minutes ago, TRO said:

There's your answer....City are the same.....The next 3 down Us, Spurs, and Man U....have similar issues, check the goals against column.

when we go 2 goals up the likelihood is the opposition seize a plan to come back at us.....that's the time the "Off the ball" skill set gets tested.....we don't stop opponents coming at us, very well.

You can make your mind up about that.....but when you  scrutinize what the best teams do.....they go after you, to deny you the ball, to hunt the ball down, and smother any initiative, the opponent has...That's their way of defending in midfield.

as the old managers use to say, the time to get your foot in, is after you have just scored....its called competing.

When you have one the best Goalkeeper around and one of the best strikers, you always achieve something, but we need a bit more, for consistency.

Injuries are killing us, I know that, and the bigger squads this time of year, highlight that....its at the business end of the season, it makes the difference.

 

i hear what you say in many of your posts, some i agree with and some i don't, but who are you blaming?

The manager or the players?

The manager sets the team up and sets out the tactics and the players go out there and play to those tactics.

We play at a slow pace to draw the opposition. That has to be down to Unai and his tactics. There is a distinct difference to how we are playing now to how we were playing earlier in the season. Why and who is that down to?

 

 

[sheepyvillian]

5 hours ago, Zatman said:

And who plays right back then? Zaniolo, McGinn, Chambers?

KKH! Emery needs to give him a chance from the off. As I said previously, he would certainly give us more in an attacking sense. I also think Kinda is less effective as a right - back, just doesn't have enough offensively, for me.

[TRO]

4 minutes ago, imavillan said:

i hear what you say in many of your posts, some i agree with and some i don't, but who are you blaming?

The manager or the players?

The manager sets the team up and sets out the tactics and the players go out there and play to those tactics.

We play at a slow pace to draw the opposition. That has to be down to Unai and his tactics. There is a distinct difference to how we are playing now to how we were playing earlier in the season. Why and who is that down to?

 

 

Thanks.

I am not blaming anyone, because that would be deemed as criticism, and I emphasize, my intention is observation...not criticism, there is a subtle difference.

I have also been quick to accept, we are WIP, so things that I see, will take time to improve, that's of course, if the manager sees what I see, (who knows) and of course he is what matters.

The manager does set up the team and sets out the tactics, with the only available players he has....so maybe it would be different, if he had a full first team.

We have shown, what we did during those fateful 9 minutes, has been repeated in similar fashion in other games, Like Luton, Man U, Forest( where we still won) it's nothing new......do you think Unai, is expecting that, on each occasion, judging by his reactionary expressions, I don't think he is. I do not think Unai Emery sets up with notion, that these collapses might occur as a result of his planning....for whatever reason ( and that gets tricky, and opinionated) he is not expecting those lapses.

I know why we play at a slow pace, and the benefits expected from it, will be subjective .... Unai will ultimately be judged by results against targets, as to whether, the style is worth it, or paid dividends.

Personally, I am not obsessed, with the style of a team, I just like winning, and I pretty much take what comes, in terms of how we get there.....I know some fans prefer their perceived entertainment, so 3-3 will be a good day out.

I am just a fan, who thinks, if you don't pay much attention to defensive appreciation, you only achieve so much, not the top prizes....as they say goals fill stadiums, defences win titles....that's where I am, and I make no apologies for it...it won us the European cup, being resolute, I won't change from appreciating that team and its doggedness.

I am not sure, why, we are not so tight as we was last season, or earlier this season...but I do think Mings is big miss, for his presence and defensive organisation.

I will finally say, I am not blaming anyone, for these bizarre collapses, its collective....and it will only be remedied collectively.

I hope I have answered you, Honestly.

 

[Zatman]

2 minutes ago, sheepyvillian said:

KKH! Emery needs to give him a chance from the off. As I said previously, he would certainly give us more in an attacking sense. I also think Kinda is less effective as a right - back, just doesn't have enough offensively, for me.

And if he struggles and we get exposed will Unai get off because we gave him a chance?

Kid was not setting the league alight at Plymouth so unfair expect him help our top 4 push

[sheepyvillian]

Emery admitted himself he was at fault in regards to them having so much space on that left side. The defence has a unit has to be questioned in regards to the inexplicable nine minutes. The frightening thing is, you could almost predict that 3rd goal, a mixture of panic, no discipline and ball - watching, which, at that level is criminal. 

Edited April 7 by sheepyvillian

[sheepyvillian]

1 minute ago, Zatman said:

And if he struggles and we get exposed will Unai get off because we gave him a chance?

Kid was not setting the league alight at Plymouth so unfair expect him help our top 4 push

We won't know until he is given that opportunity. At least he would be in the position he's most comfortable at.

[tinker]

21 hours ago, Brentfordnylons said:

Gutted we couldn’t hang on for a win and that wouldn’t have been flattering for us.Dreadful referee we were attacking with players over and Jensen gets wiped out and he blows for half time one of the many poor decisions for both sides all game.Im reading on here we parked the bus we had as many shots on target as Villa and always looked dangerous going forward and Beumo scored the goal of the game.Hope Villa get 4 th spot just pleased with a few players on the way back we are looking like a good side again.

 

 

 

 

Fair comment, Rogers scored a decent one as well and I so wish we could have held onto our 2 goal lead, think the score was a fair reflection of the game tbh.

Why do you think we capitulated?

I think we started to try and score more and opened the game up ( from the first half, bar the first 10 minute's) allowing yourselves to exploit us over committing and paying the price,  some great goals from yourselves,  but nevertheless avoidable if we had remained tighter at the back/ midfield. 

Edited April 7 by tinker

[TRO]

1 hour ago, gilbertoAVFC said:

Really would rather people didn't pay for a ticket just to be negative and happy to stand by that. Supporters, unless there is a good reason, have an obligation to support the team and the team, this season, deserves that at the very least.

But yeah, I guess you see fans as customers, I see them as supporters.

sorry to but in.....I have difficulty with your reasoning.

I class myself as a supporter and a fan.....I renew my season ticket every year, but don't go away games anymore, age is a hamper, and getting tickets too.

Every fan/supporter has a right to respond to supporting Villa, How they please, within the rules/law.

I sing quite loudly, much to my spouses displeasure.....but I am not obliged to, its my choice.

As you can see from my posts, I am well aware of our shortfalls( IMO) and openly express them on here....not in the ground, on matchday....but thats my call.

Supporters giving out, over episodes of poor play, is evident across the whole football, industry.....or even staying away, if you are so severely affected.

Folk can still be Villa Fans and not go to games.....and they have every right to voice their opinion adversely, if they so wish.

Long live "Free Speech"