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A game of two halves


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Posted (edited)

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From Soccerway.com

I know it dosn't mean squat in the end, but it sure does highlight perhaps the biggest reason why we are hanging just above the drop. That feeling that every Villa fan has when we take the lead. Our goal difference in the 1st half so far is 11-12, in the 2nd half its 8-32.

Edited by tarjei
  • Like 1
Posted

We've had this problem for a while, at least back to MON (especially once we hit March in his case). It's like it's drilled into the club's mentality somehow. We know we're going to throw away that comfortable lead the instant the second half whistle blows.

Posted

There are 2 reasons for this

1)Poor set Piece defending

2)Not enough quality in MF , we simply start to lose possession and retreat further back in games and concede late goals

Posted

It seems we have to win with a clean shit or large margin or not at all, I think it's something mental in the club that once they concede the flood gates open.

Posted

Its a mentaliity issue, it has to be as scoring late goals is part of United psyche, conceding them is a Villa tradition.

a 2-0 lead at half-time never works for us :(

Posted

Yeah I'm with Zatman, it's a mentality thing. It's frustrating but encouraging that we do seem to have the basic ability to go ahead of plenty of teams. We just need to harness that for 90 minutes. I'm convinced we're not that far away from being a good side. At some point we need to start converting leads into wins though.

Posted

It's about holding onto something once we have it and we do not have the nous or ability to do that. It comes from having an influence in the centre of the park who can control a game in my opinion. It is one area we are desperate to strengthen this month.

Now I am going to do what Swerbs suggest and have a clean shit.

  • Like 1
Posted

yep, i'll third the all in the head theory. after the baggies scored all of a sudden the ball to any of the three forwards wouldn't stick anymore, simple passes went astray, less pressure on the ball, sinking back torwards our own box leaving us strung out faaar too looooong where we had been compact in the first half...

i don't think it's PL's fault (directly) either, i think it's to do with the young players already having seen good situations slip and then shitting it when things start to go wrong.

Posted

Even when Gerrard made it 1-3 in the 88th minute I was still worried for a while. That just shouldnt be the case but we do it time and time again.

Remember when we were 4-1 up at Tottenham under MON..its just ridiculous

On that note.. Sunderland is another team who's losing points in the 2nd half. Only 6 points compared to us at 11pts, but still.. 4th place.

Chris Waddle made the point on Saturday that as soon as the team is closed down and put under pressure it seems to be just a matter of time.

Posted

nHPmNgM.jpg

From Soccerway.com

I know it dosn't mean squat in the end, but it sure does highlight perhaps the biggest reason why we are hanging just above the drop. That feeling that every Villa fan has when we take the lead. Our goal difference in the 1st half so far is 11-12, in the 2nd half its 8-32.

Excellent post.

Experience counts but we also should consider the role of the manager in the second half: tactics and substitutions.

You could look at this chart to pick out the good managers who can turn the game around after half time (- and the bad ones who lose it).

Is it a coincidence Sunderland have the same problem, managed by MON - Lambert's role model?

Do our tactics change in the second half: do we sit back, when we should go for the win?

Posted

This is why the WBA game gave me no optimism. I should be happy with the point, and the first half performance, but I can't be because the game was totally reflective of the reason why we're in this mess.

That's pretty accurate.

Posted

Zatman hit the nail on the head I think. It's a real psychology thing. In the same way it's no accident that Man Utd score so many late winners/equalisers.. their team have huge belief that they will score, and it pumps extra adrenaline, increasing energy levels and confidence. Ours is the exact opposite, and our team always believe they're going to conceed late. Which means for the last 10 minutes plus stoppage time, they're edgy, nervous, panicky and lose concentration. It's a hard mentality to get out of, because the more it happens the more the belief grows, and the more the belief grows the more likely is it happen again.

Posted

just before the albion game, collymore put on twitter that villa needed to score first, and yes we did, but i knew striaght away what would happen, as it happens everytime, when we go ahead by the first half, we either finish with a draw or a loss, either way we throw the game away

stats aside, what villa need to do is keep it a draw by half time, then come out all guns blazing second half, sounds good in theory i know, but i dont think this bunch is up for it

if we go down in the first half, their heads are dropped, if we go up in the first half, they take their foot off the accelerator

lose lose situation

Posted

Zatman hit the nail on the head I think. It's a real psychology thing. In the same way it's no accident that Man Utd score so many late winners/equalisers.. their team have huge belief that they will score, and it pumps extra adrenaline, increasing energy levels and confidence. Ours is the exact opposite, and our team always believe they're going to conceed late. Which means for the last 10 minutes plus stoppage time, they're edgy, nervous, panicky and lose concentration. It's a hard mentality to get out of, because the more it happens the more the belief grows, and the more the belief grows the more likely is it happen again.

It's not necessarily a 'psychology thing' with our own players at all. You can change the whole personnel to a set who have no experience of conceding later, and it could still happen again and again.

Why?

Supporters don't change. Their memories aren't erased. And as important, as the psychology of our own players, is the opposition belief.

They will have a reserve of confidence that you will be weak toward the end of the game. This weakness at times may be transmitted through the fans, who get less vocal, to the players.

They will be encouraged to push forward in the belief your resistance will crumble.

Posted

Even when Gerrard made it 1-3 in the 88th minute I was still worried for a while. That just shouldnt be the case but we do it time and time again.

Remember when we were 4-1 up at Tottenham under MON..its just ridiculous

Was it as late as that? Bloody hell, I was cacking myself.

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