Although I predicted a 2-1 loss, I did say I favoured a 1-1 draw. No excuses though, I called it wrong.
And after the frankly abysmal first half performance, I actually think that was a pretty decent outcome for us and I’m reasonably happy with the point.
It’s all a bit moot though, as we really shouldn’t be in a position where we’re happy to take a point against a fellow struggling side who we’ve beaten twice already this season.
That’s where we’re at though and it just seems to confirm that our confidence is low.
Was it a five at the back?
I really don’t know, as it was hard to tell on the telly.
All I know is we looked like we had no shape in defence and seemed to panic all of the time.
Hassle our defenders and we just rush things or hoof it out to no-one in particular. No wonder Dean Smith asked the lads to press high, as we always look dodgy.
Going back to that first half, our passing was horrendous, yet again.
You just can’t expect to keep possession if you’re constantly giving the ball away.
My take on this is that we’re simply not good enough and it’s down to a lack of experience.
That might seem harsh, but it’s the reality of things to my mind.
On a more positive note, I thought we were better in the second half and Smith’s substitutions worked for the good, as much as I didn’t agree with Trezeguet coming off.
Luiz’s cross for the goal was an absolute peach and it was of course finished superbly by Grealish’s left foot.
And the young lad Vassilev also did very well, I thought.
I think it was within the first minute of him coming on, where I noticed he made a run and pulled one defender totally out of position. I didn’t notice and haven’t seen the replays, but I believe he also did exactly the same to give Grealish space to get the goal.
Whatever, he impressed me and it was very noticable.
Why I’ve never noticed that about Wesley, I don’t know, but it gives me food for thought.
It seems we pretty much have the Samatta deal wrapped up, but I have my doubts about him.
When you consider we paid £11 mill plus for Hogan, £13 mill for McCormack and £22 mill for Wesley, you have to wonder if Samatta at a rumoured £8.5-10 mill will be able to cut it at Premiership level.
Still, at least my expectations won’t be too high and if he can at least look like a striker should, he’ll hopefully improve things.
Just step back to that paragraph for a second though.
My god, we’ve wasted some money, haven’t we?
So while I thought we were better in the second half, it still wasn’t great.
It seemed to me that Brighton eased off, which was strange, because I thought they had the beating of us.
I’d like to say we massively stepped up our game, but that wasn’t the case.
We improved, yes, but not much.
As much as it seems Brighton had 10 shots, with only 2 on target, while we had 8 shots with 3 on target, it didn’t feel like that to me and Brighton really should have put us to bed in that first half.
It’s just a good job their overall play isn’t backed up by any incisiveness in the box.
The “will we, won’t we” survive thing rumbles on.
After that poor first half, it’s a decent point.
We have to be better though and I’m struggling to see how we’re going to do it.
50-50 as it stands, imo, with the odds stacked against us.
Looking back on Villa’s buying I think we have been mugs. I often wonder if Villa looked on as the last ditch hotel for has been and last chance football club. The only gems we have is Grealish, McGinn, Minns, will we keep them if the inevitable happens, Watford Tuesday and I watched the game and they ain’t no mugs in football they will be hard to beat. I really think our time is close to going down again ,was it bad luck on us or have we been too soft on getting the right managers and players. I look at what Pearson and Bruce who both was struggling but improved their teams, so where did we go wrong I ask. I do hope we get it right on the next few matches or its curtains for us I fear. Hope not.
Bruce is crap Bill, simple.
We should not forget that his football is simply awful.
I actually thought Person might be a decent shout before we got Smith in.
He’d at least instill some fight into the team, probably involving himself 🙂
But no. we’ve gone down a road and I think we should stick with it, as I think the philosophy is right.
Whatever happens. For now anyway.
You wouldn’t have said that Saturday beating Chelsea, even the comment from the pundit said Bruce has transformed Newcastle. But agree he was crap at Villa, tell me How and why its always us that fall to being the 3rd worst in the league.
Yeah but pundits get persuaded by results. Newcastle we’re dead lucky against Chelsea. They defended well then got a last second goal so we’ll done for hanging in there but they have had a number of lucky results. We have had some bad luck but must admit this seems to have dented our confidence and we are playing poorly at present. We can improve even without signings but need a CF badly and a bit of luck
I’ve not given up on this season.
The reality is we were lucky to get promoted with an ageing squad that needed a total rebuild.
Now you may think that £130m (or thereabouts is a lot of money) – think again. To rebuild a squad in the EPL when the top teams think nothing of spending £50m, £60, or even £70m on a single player….!
17th is our target and we’re actually doing OK – not what we would like but we’re not cut adrift.
We have made mistakes, the worst of which is our failure to sign two strikers in the summer (given that it appears Smith / management hierarchy have no confidence in Kodjia / Hogan). But then aren’t we all on a new learning curve?
Get behind the team.
UTV
Get behind the team, Hitch that smacks as being sheep. There is no one that’s spent the money I have over the years at Villa, plus working for the club , it hurts me every time we loose but there’s a time in life you have to dig your heals in. Owners have to look at why we are in the shite year after year, I was looking at our coaching staff, one of them must be near to 60 or 70. It been only over the last two decades we brought in university people working inside Villa Park to move us forward, that’s now given us promoting outside in far distant place like China ,America, and others but our team gone nowhere. I follow Villa , but fed up having to have my head on the floor week in and out. Someone has to kick arse in the coaching and buying because we are a disgraced and being laugh at football club, hard thinking by me? Yes it hurts .
Confirmed Kodjia has left Villa for Qatar. Whilst I’ve never been a fan of his (even in the season he scored goals for us) because I always thought he was primarily interested in playing for himself not the team, I wish him luck.
This post got me thinking about how terribly we’ve done in the striking department over the last 20 years. I just did a little research to remind myself of some of the players we’ve had play up front as ST/CF and this is the list I’ve found…
Juan Pablo Angel
Bosko Balaban
Peter Crouch
Dion Dublin
Marcus Allback
Carlton Cole
Milan Baros
Kevin Philips
Gabriel Agbonlahor
Chris Sutton
John Carew
Marlon Harewood
Emile Heskey
Darren Bent
Andreas Weimann
Libor Kozak
Nicklas Helenius
Jordan Bowery
Callum Robinson
Jordan Ayew
Christian Benteke
Adama Traore
Rudy Gestede
Ross McCormack
Jonathan Kodja
Scott Hogan
Lewis Grabban
Keinan Davis
Tammy Abraham
Rushian Hepburn-Murphy
Wesley
What’s interesting to me is how many of those never performed at their best at Villa. Take Angel for instance – sure he had a decent season but flattered to deceive a lot of the time and arguably had his best years before and after Villa. How many of that list could similar be said of? Of that list I’d probably rate the best as Gabby, Carew, Benteke and Abraham – the rest may have had some degree of success but still think so many of them arrived with an expectation to deliver that was never achieved. Why is it that we seem to kill off such good striking talent?
Kalinic to Toulouse on loan to end of season. No information on whether there’s a buy clause included.
just like everyone to take a second out of your busy days and think about poor manure who have striker problems. Rashford is out for at least six weeks, this leaves them with only Martial and Greenwood. i heard this all day, when i mentioned we have no strikers and thats been the issue for weeks. they are using this excuse for reason they lost yesterday and why they will miss out on 4th.
talking off us playing without a striker, el ghazi upfront really does not work. but what other options have we. i said it before i would have promoted the kid vasslev, fans moaning about grealish out wide. well you could play grealish as the front man of the three. if it was between ghazi or grealish i would plump for grealish cause he can make the ball stick something ghazi can not do. also you lose ghazi ability to run from deep.
i hope we have a real go at watford ( is this game on tv ?) because they well and truly cheated us last time. 3 nil flattered them, a combination of bad finishing and naive defending and totally unprofessional discipline fooked up our chances at their ground. but if their is any justice left in the world of football we will turn them over. grealish will get the last laugh on that blue nose scum bag. you will witness mings will have him in his pocket all game. early prediction 2 0 villa
Yes Nath its on TV.
Bill, it’s not on Sky or BT Sport! Need to find a stream ☹️
I’ve got the box, try and find out for you.
It’s normally on Bein or CBS the tanks buy the stream , will know more tomorrow. ..
Or even the Yanks. ..
Cheers Bill!
I would love for us to wipe that smug look off Deeney’s face. I hope Mings clatters him early on because he can be wound up, particularly with the VP crowd giving him stick.
It does look like yet another critical game without a recognised striker. El Ghazi as CF doesn’t work, so why not try Vassilev? I think Grealish needs to play down the middle in midfield because he is wasted anywhere else on the pitch. Play El Ghazi and Trezeguet out wide and go for it. This would mean a back four with Mings and Konsa most likely. Question is would Targett be disciplined enough to do his defensive duties? I think Guilbert is capable and has a good engine.
It looks like Drinkwater has signed a must play contract, so Luiz over Nakamba for me. It wouldn’t surprise me though if Smith sticks with the 3-5-2 and plays Elmo and Taylor!
I don’t hold much hope for a result though and I wouldn’t be surprised if Deeney scores. My prediction 0-2! With Burnley getting a result against Leicester, I’m worried that the number of teams we need to be better than is reducing each week. Norwich, Bournemouth and West Ham are the three looking as poor as us but the latter will improve I’m sure.
i concur with your sentiments on mings giving that bluenose whatfor big time. but i hope we keep our heads this time. just wind him up legally and when we win the game rub his nose in it
cheers bill i will find a stream hopefully
i think our new formation will match up nicely with watford. i just worried about who will lead our front line. el ghazi is not a main striker he doesn’t do anything he should. i would like to see him back out wide with trezguet opposite wing and maybe allow grealish the central role. he can hold the ball like nobody else can and watford would struggle to defend him central and deep in their territory.big central defenders hate nifty players with quick feet dashing around their slower clumsy feet. would be a bold move but i think a correct one and bring the sub vazzilev on later he showed plenty enthusiasm and willingness
Samatta signs 4.5 year deal but can’t play tomorrow – I presume because we are waiting for International clearance (whatever that means) and a work permit.
maybe has a deadline to qualify for tomorrows and its past. mean thing is we have a striker finally. just need to beat watford now and give ourselves a chance to drag more teams back into the mess we find ourselves in
No Hitch.. Rule is to register signing by noon on day before the game. Work permit must have already been sorted to sign him in first place
Thanks DS
Clattering Deeney is a mugs game. He’ll get up and keep coming at you (Terminator!). We just need to be calm and not get drawn into that. We need 3 points however it comes.
Deaney will let their other bruising forward play up against Mings. Deaney would fancy playing on his left against Hause or Konsa, and might pull rank on Delofeu to make him play right side. Delofeu is their danger man and the best tactic would be to shadow tightly him to cut out the passes to him. Unfortunately the current Villa team has nobody who looks capable of doing that.
Yes you are right El Ghazi isn’t a CF and the instinct cannot be taught overnight – if it can be taught at all. Players of his size Salah, Long, Martial can play as CFs but they need the instinct. Vasilliev is well worth a try, he will get battered but might earn a homer’s penalty.
Drinkwater? If he starts I’d advise you to drink something stronger.