I didn’t expect to be home to watch this one, but here we are. I finished early and it’s happy days.
It just so happens the chap I’m now working for is a Newcastle fan and he was a season ticket holder until last season, where the travel had made following them prohibitive. So there’s going to be some banter at work tomorrow, whatever happens. Let’s hope I’m the one who’s dishing it out.
Hopefully the headline is pretty obvious, but what I mean is if our attacking dominates the game, we should win this.
But if it becomes all about our defence, I really don’t hold out much hope for us.
Which is daft really because we ought to be clear favourites.
I’ve seen comments where some fans really don’t expect us to win this one and I’m perplexed.
Are we suddenly saying Newcastle are a good side on the back of a couple of wins or is it because our defence looks more leaky than a really leaky thing?
If it’s the latter, I have to agree.
I don’t trust our defence at all lately and am now finding it difficult to hide my dislike of Tyrone Mings who was at fault for at least two of the goals against Leeds.
To be fair, Konsa was also poor and maybe it’s the perfect time for Hause to come back into the side. Ideally for me, it would have been Mings who was dropped, but Konsa’s rush of blood to the head has made the decision easy for Stevie G.
Talking of who, apparently if we lose today it would see the manager on a lower win percentage than Dean Smith, who of course has been sacked.
I’m cognisant that we’ve played the top three in that short run of games, but it got me wondering how long it would be before the honeymoon was over. Come to think of it are we still in a honeymoon? I’m not so sure we are because results haven’t been great have they?
Squad news and Coutinho should be fit after he was subbed with cramp against Leeds. Buendia is looking doubtful after taking a knock on the hip. Traore is out with a hamstring problem and is beginning to look like yet another sicknote player. And of course, Konsa is out for two games. I’ve seen suggestions that Calum Chambers might come in for him, but I think that would be incredibly harsh on Hause, who’s done very little wrong whenever he’s played.
If Hause doesn’t get to play today, you have to wonder if he’ll see any future at the Villa, but that’s for another day. Perhaps Gerrard will go the whole hog and start both Chambers and Hause? I’d be okay with that, but perhaps many wouldn’t as strangely to me at least, most still think Mings is a good defender. So probably not then.
A lot of the team still picks itself, doesn’t it?
Martinez in goal, Digne, Mings, Cash, Luiz, McGinn, Ramsey, and Coutinho with the only issues being who replaces Konsa, who replaces Buendia if he isn’t fit (Sanson?) and who plays up front?
Does Ings come in for Watkins? I suspect he might, but it wouldn’t be my choice.
I suggested that I’d like to see Ramsey up top, with Watkins and Ings out. It would leave room for another midfielder, which is frankly the area that we’ve had to rely on for goals anyway. Ramsey is our equal hihest scorer on 5, I think and neither Ings or Watkins are scoring. If you are going to play one of them, it has to be Watkins, purely because of his movement and well, just being involved a lot more than Ings does.
I get that Ings is the better goal taker, but you have to get on the ball a lot more than he has for us, I think.
Newcastle squad news and they’re hoping Kieran Trippier will be fit. I hope he isn’t. Paul Dummett could return after a hamstring problem and Matt Targett is of course, ineligible.
Prediction time then and after watching our defence the other night, I have to admit that I’m not very hopeful.
Eddie Howe seems to have got his team fighting and if they come out all guns blazing, they might well have too much for our defence, who look likely to concede everytime they’re threatened.
But with Coutinho really looking the part and Ramsey making some great runs and scoring well, we could quite easily dominate and win convincingly.
With that, I’m tempted to say it’ll be 1-1, but that’s boring and I’m going for a 2-1.
The trouble is, I’m not sure which way it will go.
Being a Villan, I suppose I have to say we’ll win.
2-1 then.
UTV!
Gerrard looked quietly furious in the closing stages. I’m not defending him as he’ll be earning a fortune, but bloody hell it’s a difficult game. It shouldn’t be, but it is.
Stumped yet again. I’ve no idea where the blame lies so I’m not gonna start pointing fingers.
It was pretty clear what the problem was during the Lerner and Dr X days, even during the days of Deadly we knew the problem was he was a tight arse. But now…????? Answers on a very large postcard…
Bum Bum – Doug, Randy, and Tony all spend serious money, without any doubt. The answer on my big postcard is simple: overpaid players who are in it for the money and don’t mind if they don’t win games or trophies. Gerrard will f*** them all off in the summer and build a team of winners. Don’t worry.
Gregory should have won the league with the players and funds he had, but instead he acted like a big spoiled baby and pandered to the press, leaking stories about his relationship with the chairman. The press then stitched him up, leaving him no option to quit before Doug gave him the bullet. If he’d focused on the job instead of trying to be the funny man and the press gang’s friend, he could’ve done something. Ancient history, I know. But just thought I’d put it out there before bed.
As for MON, more than enough funding to get CL football, but he blew it too. Totally blew it. Can’t always fault the chairmen, Bum Bum. Some managers and their players came up short, and it’s probably for the same reasons that are on my big postcard: overpaid players who are in it for the money and don’t mind if they don’t win games or trophies. Losers.
As others have already said, we were poor today.
Not one player looked remotely better or worse than the others, so no point my repeating the names.
So in more general terms I’m still seething about:
1) Players – particulalrly our players -falling/slipping over (again) ; somebody order some proper boots with studs…
2) Several of our lot have developed a regular habit of falling/slipping losing possession in attack; rather than get up and recover the ball, they stay on the ground appealing for a foul, when the opposition has already carried the ball to the edge of our area. Needless to say, I don’t think we got one foul awarded in that situation all game.
3) VAR – we were robbed of a point when they spent another 3/4 minutes trying desperately to find a reason for ruling-out a Villa goal.
4) I thought Newcastle were very successful in stopping play whenever we looked like getting in control. Lost count of how many times one of their players went to ground with some self-inflicted ‘injury’ – IMO the referee should make it quite clear that if they’re rolling around for several minutes they go off, and won’t be allolwed back onto the pitch for a good while afterwards.
5) And then we had another break in play while something was being ‘sorted’ in the crowd…
We were awful but my word, that game summed up the apathy I feel for modern football to a tee. The 4 minute wait for a marginal VAR decision which you knew, as always, was going to go against us, hence you couldn’t even celebrate, the endless fouls and timewasting going unpunished by a dreadful and weak referee.
And of course, the worst part being, you just know Newcastle will overtake us in the next 12 months (wouldn’t rule them out finishing above us this season either!) and we’ll never catch them up. I really admire our owners and their work getting us out the championship, and re-establishing us in the top flight, But the reality is, the mega rich Saudi’s just like Man City before them are going to steamroll us in the coming years. That alongside the current top 6, West Ham and probably some future Qatari takeover of another club means the best we can hope for is mid table which is hardly exciting. Maybe its my pessimism, but its just not the same game any more. The competition and fairness has been sucked out of the league, I know it wasn’t exactly a level playing field before, but it couldn’t be more uneven right now
From the comments on here it seems we need a whole new team in the summer. The reality is that pretty much no player came out of today’s game in a good light.
I’m not a great fan of Luiz and I’m concerned Martinez has lost his edge – hopefully that’s a temporary form issue – GK’s are no different to any other player in that respect.
Villa have repeatedly struggled to find a rhythm and form following an enforced break; Gerrard has to find a solution.
And I stick by my comments on McPhee – imo he causes problems by over complicating set pieces which confuses players. First rule – concentrate on getting the ball into dangerous areas – we failed dismally on that front today.
And why isn’t Coutinho taking at least some free kicks in and around the box?
You might want to have a read around Hitch.
Apparently McGinn suddenly has to go as he’s totally rubbish and a £2.5 mill player, which is what we paid for him.
Everyone played poorly, but having thought about it, we only lost to a massively deflected (off Buendia’s knee) free kick.
And I stand by my view.
Set pieces are the least of our worries.
Basic passing of the ball is by far a higher priority and I’ve said it for ages now.
It seems we gave the ball away 136 times in this game.
Think about that number for a second.
That’s the real problem.
Badger – no argument from me that we not only failed in all basic aspects of the game today but we seemed to lack energy and application.
That’s a theme that reoccurs too often with Villa but when a team’s playing badly then set pieces become a vital opportunity to take something from the game. We failed dismally in this respect.
Newcastle won this game through a set piece and Leeds scored at least one of their goals from a corner and we nearly conceded a couple of others as well. McPhee’s role includes defending set pieces as well as taking them.
Leeds just simply concentrated on getting the ball into dangerous areas – that’s all you have to do. Keep it simple – but confuse players with ‘clever’ (or maybe not so clever routines) and they forget the basics.
It’s not just today – our set pieces (including corners) have been poor for sometime now despite having some talented dead ball kickers.
Sometimes I think professional sport generally now employs too many specialist coaches – and that’s not just in football.
I remain totally unconvinced by McPhee so he’s my counterbalance to your Mings 🙂
Funnily enough I thought the same thing when a camera looked at our bench and the couple of dozen or so faceless staff in Villa colours around them. It’s become a circus.
No debate from me on any of those points Ardent.
Except the last one.
There must have been hundreds of people who have keeled over at games over the years.
They used to be attended too by St John’s ambulance.
Do they not attend games anymore?
Of course, I don’t begrudge people getting treated, but if there’s an adequate alternative available, I don’t understand why we’ve recently started stopping the game?
That’s just it: someone getting ill in the stands used to mean getting stewards, paramedics, etc,, to them.
Why we now stop games whenever one person in a crowd of between 30,000 and 75,000 needs medical attention is completely beyond me.
Bad day at the office. The big worry for me was that both me and my son saw this coming. Every now and then Villa surprise you with a resilient display like against Everton, but too many lacklustre performances like today. We were off the pace in the first half, and lacked a bit of quality in the second despite a better showing. Newcastle were no threat at all. Yet we still managed to lose.
I’m feeling a bit down tbh.
Actually I think Mings did okay today. Not that I’m suddenly saying he should remain first choice. I’m not sure how getting your shirt ripped off your back doesn’t get a card these days. Oh of course…Burn had already been booked! Silly me 😏
If we continue to start as badly as we did today and how we started against Leeds, then we more often lose games. Our best period of play came just before VAR disallowed that ‘clear and obvious’ offside in a ‘speedy amount of time’. After that we seemed to struggle to regain the upper hand and the referee allowed the Barcodes to have players go down ‘injured’ to deliberately upset our rhythm. Streetwise the commentary called it. Poor refereeing would be better suited for falling for it. Is it another tactic that the fans go down injured too when the opposition are on top, so to stop the game or am I being cynical?
Fact is we lost and now the pressure is starting to tell on SG as his slump into his chair showed.
Let’s hope we get a reaction on Saturday because a defeat at home to Watford is well……unthinkable!
“Streetwise”.
This is exactly what I’ve alluded too over the last few weeks.
It’s basically cheating and totally goes against the grain for me and the club, which is why I’ve always been so proud of it.
But it’s what we need to start doing too if we want to compete.
Yes, I’ll grudgingly admit Mings was average today. Which is not saying much in the overall performance.
I think defeat to Watford is nailed on in my head, at this point in time.
Which is bottom three form by a mile over our last three games if I’m right.
That is a really worrying thought and I agree; it’s unthinkable, as some will be wanting Gerrard gone.
Already.
If we lose to Watford we could do a Watford and change managers again 🙂
I think we’re in danger of becoming a little hysterical – yes it was a very poor performance all round but it happens to all teams.
Without wishing to make excuses it’s also true that ‘luck’ and VAR conspired against us again.
Sometimes I think we used up several years luck with the ‘ghost goal’ that wasn’t against Sheffield United without which we’d probably still be in the Championship!
Anyone who wants Gerrard gone at any point between now and May 2023 is a f****** moron and need to get themselves checked.
I wasn’t being serious BFR 🙂
As for VAR – we can now add the barcodes to the list of clubs supported by VAR’s list of lucrative agency payments. After all paying ‘agency’ fees is common practice in the Middle East.
Sorry, Hitch, I was referring to the “some” in Badger’s “some will be wanting Gerrard gone already” comment.
I think the problem is we changed staff in the season and they’re changing the way we play as well.
I think Smith should have been given more time to sort it.
This changing manager and staff after a few setbacks is just not working.
We’re back to the start again now and need new players again to fit in the way Gerard wants.
What happens if it doesn’t work again try another manager more new players it goes on and on.
Hause should have played and chambers in dmf.
We need to be a hard team to beat first then bring on the flair.
Sir Ron built the team from the back first making us solid.
And I don’t like the way we now seem to be a home for ex Liverpool players and staff.
Purslow and Lange need to look at themselves too.
Watkins was offside was he? AAAAAAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Losing the will…
Nothing like a bit of corruption on a Sunday afternoon to spoil your weekend. F****** bastards. F*** them all.
Yup – whenever we score a ‘goal’ they now spend 5 minutes ‘checking’ it…and invariably find some reason to chalk it off.
Does that happen to any other club in this division?
It does make one wonder.
If it was so marginal then the goal should have stood – no question.
I believe VAR is completely discredited and is killing the spontaneous enjoyment of football – the vast majority of fans don’t want it so let’s dump it and get back to the old system, warts and all.
Not going to happen of course because the powers that be love their technology and the additional tax free income it brings.
It surely wasn’t meant to be used this way – finding reasons (hair-line, at best) to disallow goals, or award penalties?
The idea was supposed to be of an ‘assistant’ to the ref if he and/or his linesmen weren’t sure about something, or if he got something blatantly and obviously wrong.
All that’s happened now is that referees on the pitch simply absolve themselves of having to make any important decision, drawing their imaginary “TV square” in the air and going with whatever the VAR comittee tells them.
A big oil stained envelope with a wad of cash fast tracked to Stockley Park to quickly paint in the red and blue lines. Conspiracy maybe or maybe not.
You’re on the money, Holte. Pardon the pun.
There’s a pattern emerging on the power of the Premier League. Chelsea: Russian oil. Citeh: Arab oil. Barcodes: Saudi oil. How long before the stripy ones are up in the top 3 challenging for the title? Just putting it out there. Maybe we should all find a new hobby as it’s seems more a more murky by the week and there’s no chance of success when the officials make sure you don’t take anything from games regularly.
The top teams ARE helped by the officials. That’s why they’re top. I.e. they’re top because they have help, NOT they have help because they’re top. Think about it.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-10508453/Steven-Gerrard-criticises-Aston-Villa-following-sides-disappointing-display-against-Newcastle.html
Interesting comments from Gerrard.
His comments were pretty much identical to what the fans were saying on here, so fair play to him.
Pretty honest and to the point post match interview with Gerrard.
He’s clearly unhappy and promised changes for the next game – ‘the players better be ready for changes and that’s what they should expect after todays performance’
He only picked out Mings, Chambers and Coutinho as having made a contribution.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Luiz and Buendia (who’s contributed little in the last two games) dropped; maybe even McGinn who was nowhere near good enough yesterday.
He certainly needs to shake a few of them up – it’s just getting too comfortable. However, the reality is, we still don’t have that real depth of quality in the squad to challenge most positions.
Will he give some of the kids a go?
TBF to Buendia, he clearly took a painful knock in the Leeds game, and I was surprised he started yesterday.
But I can easily see Luiz being dropped for Watford, and McGinn shouldn’t feel safe either; my guess is that we’ll see Sansom and Chuky starting…
What did I say !! No they said they need to go out on loan, if they are big enough and skilful play them, do you realize 3 games lost we might has well lost them playing our second string.
Just a hint of better news.
Fifa have banned four Argentina players – three from the Premier League – after September’s World Cup qualifier against Brazil was abandoned for not following international match protocols.
Aston Villa’s Emiliano Buendia and Emiliano Martinez and Tottenham’s Cristian Romero have been sanctioned and will miss the final two qualifiers.
As a selfish Villa supporter I would rather they were here in the UK as we move into the business end of the season.
I would think both Buendia and Martinez will feel hard done by, particularly Buendia, who has just made his international debut.
Steven House https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/football/argentina-s-premier-league-quartet-banned-after-brazil-chaos/ar-AATQcUd?ocid=msedgntp
Is it relevant that Villa and Leeds both put in really poor performances over the weekend after our 3-3 draw where a number of players struggled with cramp and knocks. I know it shouldn’t be an excuse but I’m grasping at straws for reasons why we were so poor.
Interesting point Holte – I had wondered but these are supposed to be very fit young men at the top of their profession,
To me they seemed more to be mentally, rather than physically, exhausted!
Bunch if ladyboys more like.
Holte, it’s a very good point which I, too, had thought. Leeds’ style of play is notoriously difficult to play against and the stats show they dominated us. So there is no doubt that there would be mental and physical fatigue. I mentioned it immediately after the Leeds game that it could be an issue and I quote myself: “Newcastle will be at least as vibrant as Leeds were, so I suggest the boys don’t overdo it in training, or there maybe nothing left come Sunday.”
Perhaps, an error on Gerrard’s part in not making 2-3 changes. Or maybe the squad isn’t deep enough to do that? Poor performance or not, though, we scored a perfectly good goal and should have taken a point, regardless of if it was deserved or not.
Seemingly Grelish’s shin injury is back – or is that in the same alleged category as Traore’s regular hamstring injury?
Apparently he was steaming drunk in the middle of last week, according to a rumour Hitch.
It would seem things have gone to his head and his liking of the booze and perhaps other stuff is coming to the fore.
He needs to get a grip or he’s going to ruin his career.
Dude did you not see the footage? I’ve stuck it down my neck far too much than is healthy, but Jack was steaming…not good for a top level pro sportsman…
That’s a real shame. 100 million down the shitter by the looks of it. But I take no pleasure in seeing such a talent go to waste. Alcoholism is an illness and should be treated as such. The man’s obviously got a problem and needs help; I hope City are providing it. Villa’s board made the right call and Jack’s actually done his boyhood club (another) service in leaving and earning the club all that dough.
Holte I’ve lost touch on the running of the ground over the years, I never knew to get tickets you had to register and pay £40 a year to get tickets, my grandson and grandaughter have never been to a match, like me now armchair supporters and I pay £s to see games for them on the box. I would dearly love to get them down the ground and to,think years ago I could and even in boxes. Time have changed dramatically in clubs generate money any way they can, my son used to give me seats from his business but that’s gone now. Your right in saying infrastructure is needed let’s hope they understand and sort out problems of going and comings to the ground and not move the club to do it.
BFR , too right about alcoholism, I lost my lad with it pressure in business and lack of help from doctors, told they have to say they are alcoholic if they don’t no help.Jack needs help and I bet he won’t bother. Shame as he has like Best the skills and throwing it down the drain.
Sorry to hear that, Bill 🙁
I guess that like all of us,over the years I’ve seen & known a good few people who were ‘obviously’ alcoholics – although it was ‘obvious’ to everyone around them but not themselves.
You’re quite right though: the first step with alcohol (and other substances) is that they’ve got to admit that they do have a problem – otherwise none of the support can begin.
I see Gerrard eyes are on Ndidi Leicester in the closed season , also a 50 ,000 stadium as we have 20,000 waiting on tickets, having said that we better up our performance otherwise waiting will drop that’s for sure.,
Bill, I can’t see the capacity being increased until the transport infrastructure allows it. I have been reading about fans who will be giving up their season ticket status because traffic congestion around the ground is ruining their match day experience. If poor performances on the pitch continues then there might be even more.
Sorry post jumped Holte.