Ratings and Reactions: Villa 0-1 Liverpool

[Danwichmann]

Watching Cardif-City game has made me think our performances against Arsenal and Chelsea lead to the wrong approach against Liverpool. We set up for both games in a way that meant anything but a defeat was a bonus. Because we did so well I think fans and players thought they could take the game to Liverpool and win. This new expectancy and approach back fired first half. Second half we had nothing to lose and it was a different game but too little to late.

I think as a club we need to remember we just about escaped relegation last season and approach games against superior opposition in the correct manner.

You see where I'm coming from?

 

This sounds far to "McLeish" to me. Showing the opposition too much respect and playing for a draw didn't work well back then and I love the fact we're now going at 'superior' teamsn believing we can win. I'd rather take that approach and lose than play 11 behind the ball and scrape the occasional point. 

[villa4europe]

 

  I heard it was just stewards about standing

 

by me it was, during the 1st half they just seemed to be picking out random rows and at time random fans and telling them to sit down whilst the people in the 7/8 rows behind them and a section in front of them were allowed to stand

 

they tried picking out some young kid and throwing him out despite saying nothing to the probably 1k other blokes who were all stood up around him, rocket polishers

 

there also seemed to be some ginger scouser outed by me and im sure some pissed up bloke had leered at a young girl that some other bloke had took offence to, think due to the kick off time and the weather they'd been a fair bit of drinking amongst the fans

[StefanAVFC]

Watching Cardif-City game has made me think our performances against Arsenal and Chelsea lead to the wrong approach against Liverpool. We set up for both games in a way that meant anything but a defeat was a bonus. Because we did so well I think fans and players thought they could take the game to Liverpool and win. This new expectancy and approach back fired first half. Second half we had nothing to lose and it was a different game but too little to late.

I think as a club we need to remember we just about escaped relegation last season and approach games against superior opposition in the correct manner.

You see where I'm coming from?

 

I disagree so much.

 

I don't want us respecting anybody. We're the best team in the world and we can beat anybody on our day as proven by Arsenal and the Chelsea performance.

[adw95]

Completely disagree and as the poll suggests, maybe you're being a mite harsh.

 

The poll is irrelevant, but that'd be a completely different issue, agree to disagree.

[StefanAVFC]

 

Completely disagree and as the poll suggests, maybe you're being a mite harsh.

 

The poll is irrelevant, but that'd be a completely different issue, agree to disagree.

 

 

Well, it's not because it provides a sample with no real bias allowed. 31/73 not only thought he wasn't the worst player on the pitch as you suggest, but that he was actually the best.

[Amo69]

Watching Cardif-City game has made me think our performances against Arsenal and Chelsea lead to the wrong approach against Liverpool. We set up for both games in a way that meant anything but a defeat was a bonus. Because we did so well I think fans and players thought they could take the game to Liverpool and win. This new expectancy and approach back fired first half. Second half we had nothing to lose and it was a different game but too little to late.

I think as a club we need to remember we just about escaped relegation last season and approach games against superior opposition in the correct manner.

You see where I'm coming from?

I disagree so much.

I don't want us respecting anybody. We're the best team in the world and we can beat anybody on our day as proven by Arsenal and the Chelsea performance.

Totally missing my point. Yes we can beat anyone if we approach games with a nothing to lose attitude. We approached Liverpool game with we're gonna beat them attitude and got humiliated first half.

[StefanAVFC]

Humiliated? 

 

Come on now.

[Amo69]

Humiliated?

Come on now.

Ok humiliated an over reaction but it was almost like a training ground session for the first 40 minutes.

And the comments above about Bacuna playing ok and Deplh looking poor have just amazed me.

[adw95]

 

 

Completely disagree and as the poll suggests, maybe you're being a mite harsh.

 

The poll is irrelevant, but that'd be a completely different issue, agree to disagree.

 

 

Well, it's not because it provides a sample with no real bias allowed. 31/73 not only thought he wasn't the worst player on the pitch as you suggest, but that he was actually the best.

 

 

I meant because it doesn't take into account why people voted for who they did, who watched the entire match and who has unnecessary bias opinions towards certain players.

 

Edit: I'm not one of those...promise!

Edited August 25, 2013 by adw95

[The_Lions_Roar]

Humiliated?

Come on now.

Ok humiliated an over reaction but it was almost like a training ground session for the first 40 minutes.

And the comments above about Bacuna playing ok and Deplh looking poor have just amazed me.

Yes, just think of all those chances they created and the saves guzan had to make!

The only thing that made it look like q training ground session was Liverpool passing it around to no effect.

Many reports say we were worthy of q point and the stats show that. I'm all for opinions but you'd think we just lost at home to hull city with no shots on target.

[The_Lions_Roar]

Sorry lads, but at this stage of the season, I don't think we can blame 3 games in a week, tiredness, etc for that brutal first half performance. Painful to watch. Made the mistake of being excited all week about this game but it was the same ol same ol villa from last season. Much better second half but to be honest, for all our pressing, we are devoid of creativity. We just run up the pitch and then our midfield don't know what to do with it. I'm never confident we'll create a few clear-cut opportunities, and if we do, more often than not we miss them! Anyway, rant over, bring on the next bunch.

At this stage of the season a team is not ready to play 3 tough games at the tempo you have to against these teams. You're still building up to full match fitness. If we were 5 or 6 games in then I'd agree with you.

[OutByEaster?]

The game is here in full for some reason. Thanks NBC.

[Amo69]

Humiliated?

Come on now.

Ok humiliated an over reaction but it was almost like a training ground session for the first 40 minutes.

And the comments above about Bacuna playing ok and Deplh looking poor have just amazed me.

Yes, just think of all those chances they created and the saves guzan had to make!

The only thing that made it look like q training ground session was Liverpool passing it around to no effect.

Many reports say we were worthy of q point and the stats show that. I'm all for opinions but you'd think we just lost at home to hull city with no shots on target.

I'm not saying there is any disgrace to losing to Liverpool. Last season we would have been happy with the performance. It was the first 2 games that lead us to believe we were going to go and win which is why there is disapointment. We got a little excited and performance was affected. This is my point.

[The_Lions_Roar]

Can't disagree with that.

[Kiwivillan]

 

 

Completely disagree and as the poll suggests, maybe you're being a mite harsh.

 

The poll is irrelevant, but that'd be a completely different issue, agree to disagree.

 

 

Well, it's not because it provides a sample with no real bias allowed. 31/73 not only thought he wasn't the worst player on the pitch as you suggest, but that he was actually the best.

 

 

I've mentioned this before. It's the Delph affect. Some people have decided they love him and only see the good and ignore the bad. Okore was by far the best player for us. Delph was MotM against Chelsea but that's it. KEA was better against Arsenal yet a lot on here will say Delph MotM all three matches. 

[Marka Ragnos]

Perspective: Liverpool scored one goal. Very hard to make sweeping statements about Villa when, any way you slice it, it all comes down to Sturridge's deserved but exceptionally skillful and rather amazing goal. yeah, liverpool "earned" it, but they got nothing else except a lot of very dainty possession.

 

With Villa, there was too much of a generalised strategy on display ("aggressively get the ball forward" or something like that), not enough tactical nous or complexity up front. 

 

Liverpool looked really very impressive, too. They are definitely a cut above a mid-table team. I am envious! Credit to B Rodgers there.

 

We were sitting back dazed a lot early on, too, making wild, kicking stabs at possession and play development but not really getting anywhere or sustaining an idea. Even Benteke wasn't much of a pest at all, and Liverpool's defenders seem to have all the time in the world to set up plays.

 

How this would NOT strike someone as team mental fatigue is beyond me!

 

I would like to see more variety and occasional subtlety in our midfield and front. 

 

Same old Villa? Ridiculous. 

Edited August 25, 2013 by Shifted To Neutral

[Ponky]

How quickly we forget those two consecutive home game disasters against Spurs and Wigan last season.

By the end of this match all we really have to moan about is the fact that we had plenty of opportunity that we failed to convert into proper chances.

That sort of frustration usually comes from being unable to break down the likes of Wolves or Southampton at home. The fact that we are moaning about it in relation to Liverpool is pretty encouraging in a way. It's a match we should have drawn at least even with all the "shit" players we had.

[CrackpotForeigner]

Have just re-watched the game.

 

I voted Luna MotM and that's about right imo. after watching again.

 

Bacuna wasn't really as diabolical as I thought when watching first time round. He was rubbish at times, but there were moments of actual promise from him. He worked hard, too.

 

I wonder what game the commentators were watching. It didn't seem to be the one where we had 17 attempts at goal to Liverpool's five. We could easily have won that, and I do think the difference was fatigue. Minge-ole pulled off a couple of good saves, and we were unlucky not to pick up a handy deflection or two from some of the shots at goal.

[ozvillafan]

With Villa, there was too much of a generalised strategy on display ("aggressively get the ball forward" or something like that), not enough tactical nous or complexity up front. 

 

I've noticed that from most of our play so far this season. We seem to want to get it forward very quickly. It's beautiful when it comes together (Gabby's strike that just swept past the right corner against Chelsea springs to mind) but we don't always make our passes stick.

 

That style does remind me very much of how a certain Bundesliga side that Lambert has a history with tends to play their football.......

[KennyPowers]

 

I've mentioned this before. It's the Delph affect. Some people have decided they love him and only see the good and ignore the bad. Okore was by far the best player for us. Delph was MotM against Chelsea but that's it. KEA was better against Arsenal yet a lot on here will say Delph MotM all three matches. 

 

 

So true. I voted Okore, he really grew into the game. There's no denying Delph has improved and is extremely valuable in breaking up play, making tackles and interceptions. His forward play is terrible though. If he tries to dribble he overruns it, if he tries any kind of incisive forward pass it fails. 

 

I'm pretty sure at this point he's going to get every opportunity from Lambert to keep going forward and hopefully improve even though it seems incredibly obvious that he's well suited to being a defensive midfielder who should concentrate on keeping things simple. 

 

Look at Lucas on Saturday. He didn't really stand out but was very, very effective. There's no reason Delph couldn't play the same exact role. He seems well suited to it. Look at Makelele, Delph could be a similar player, he has most of the qualities already, just needs to work on concentration and positional discipline.