I was going to post straight after the game, but I was raging and embarrassed at the same time, so decided to have a think about it and come back later.
I still can’t quite work out what happened, but we started this game at a canter and I said to a workmate after about 15 minutes that we’d win the game by 4 or 5 goals. We looked that comfortable, having had around 75% possession with Luton looking exactly what they are; a fourth division side.
So what went wrong?
The simple answer is Luton pulled a goal back and any confidence we had just collapsed. Again.
Where I saw our heads not dropping too much against Wednesday as a plus point the other day, so I found it unfathomable that we actually seemed to get worse as the game went on last night.
What on earth is wrong with this squad?
Bear in mind we have now not won a game in six months. SIX MONTHS!
The anger aside, this is obviously a serious problem.
I was thinking we’d slaughter Luton tonight and go on to beat Rotherham on Saturday, which would have set us up nicely.
Now I have major doubts.
If we can’t beat a 4th division side, what right do we have to expect to beat a Championship side?
Dr Xia has tweeted that certain players were being given a last chance to show what they can produce. Given RDM’s pretty passive showing on the touchline, I’m not convinced it was a joint decision by the owner and the manager. I’d even go so far as to say RDM has told Xia that the situation is bad and it was Xia who asked to give the usual suspects another go.
Whatever, Xia then tweeted that certain players didn’t deserve another chance.
Which, even if he didn’t see it before, means that he certainly does now and this is good news, as I now fully expect major changes to the squad. If it doesn’t happen in this window, it certainly will in the next.
It’s a scary situation though, because how many of those players last night do we think are committed to the Villa?
You could probably get rid of 7 or 8 or so of them for me and none would be missed.
Am I really the only one who thinks the Okore own goal might not have been an accident, for example?
Perhaps that’s a ridiculous thought, but if my suspicion is correct, that’s simply horrendous.
I got the distinct impression the players thought it was going to be a stroll, which means they think they’re better than they realise.
Which is fine if they suddenly realise they might have a problem and step up the game.
But it didn’t happen and if anything we played worse as the game went on.
My feelings over the last few seasons have been mostly disappointment after watching so many losses.
Last night the feeling was of pure disgust, as surrender is unforgivable.
I know it won’t happen, but Xia can pay the lot of them off and play the kids. That squad as a whole is frankly a bloody disgrace.
Really intresting reading a few comments above. When I said on here a few years ago we needed a Joey Barton play for us who could mix it up a bit, I was slated saying why would we need that thug / bully playing for us.
I now read that we need a few bullies!!!!
Perhapps if we had a Barton playing for us a few years ago we would never have been where we are now.
Turv32, I even said it , it sticks out a mile,to me for some time. We’ve been playing with kids that have not even grown up yet, some of our,problems stem from coaching staff and we for get that they have a job to do as well, you have to turn kids into men, we don’t.
It would be eye-opening for most fans to hear what the manager of a top professional team says in the dressing room about the opposition. It is bound to include winding-up players with known short fuses. Barton came into that category. It also covers known lightweights, usually very skillful players who can be bullied. Delph was targeted for his known weakness of dropping into the back four and trying to play his way out if surrounded. Also play-acting if fouled by the opponents thug/enforcer.
Tactical anomalies come into it too. Idiots like Richards who stay upfield after a set-piece when they are playing centre half are too easy. But for example playing a left winger who keeps Hutton back in the RB position isn’t as clever as hiding the winger in-field and telling your LB to stay back. Thus drawing Hutton forward unchallenged into the RW slot, then counter attacking in the gap behind him when Hutton loses the ball.
Barton the player is exactly what we want. But he is a nasty individual as a person and would hate to see someone with his background represent our club whether he plays well or not. At least someone like Savage although not perfect has a bit more class about him than that idiot Barton
Yes and we had two coach get saked for bullying players, I wonder who was right ? They probably knew they had to be hard but got stabbed in the back for trying to get them to play.
I’m thinking more bully in the terms of physique and presence, more Vieira than Barton. Although Barton would have improved us and is a decent set piece taker.
Never really replaced the likes of Barry/Milner/Reo-Coker who could all mix it in the middle.