I don’t really know what to say about this one, but I feel I should emphasise that very few of us thought we’d get anything at all today.
So getting a point is a fantastic bonus in my view.
I have to be honest though and say the defending for the first twenty minutes was shambolic; truly Keystone kops type stuff and as early as the second minute we were lucky we weren’t one down.
It’s not just poor positioning either, it’s also real nursery level stuff, where we just seem unable to kick the ball and actually clear it.
It has to be totally down to a lack of confidence and nerves being shot.
So for that first twenty minutes we were entirely under the cosh, with Southampton consistently attacking and of course creating chances. It’s perfectly fair to say they could easily have scored 4 or 5 goals, but because of poor finishing, by some miracle they didn’t actually score.
I’m not sure if we improved or the Saints eased off, but we rode the storm and got back into it a bit more in the second part of the first half. That’s not to say we were the better side though and the opposition were firmly in control.
We did have a great chance around the half hour mark though.
The ball came in from the right and Gestede was smack in front of the goal, where he should have buried it with his right foot, except he missed it by a mile. Lack of quality, confidence or luck? I don’t know.
And so it continued until around the 43rd minute, where a corner from Veretout ended up at the back post for an unmarked Lescott to poke the ball home, totally against the run of play.
The next couple of minutes were a bit nervy, as I always have the feeling that we’ll concede straight after we score, but we went in at half time one up.
I was just as nervy at the opening of the second half, but we actually started to get into the game a bit more and I certainly felt a little more relaxed, but I always had the nagging doubt that our lead wouldn’t last.
The ball came in from a Southampton corner and Sanchez was the wrong side of Romeu, who scored to make it one each.
Westwood came on at around 75 mins and had a great chance which again should have been buried and that had me cursing.
The nervy bit continued, but in short we managed to hold on and this draw almost felt like a victory.
Indeed, there was a period where I actually thought we might win the game; a feeling I haven’t had for a fair time now and I was actually disappointed as well as relieved when the final whistle blew.
We shouldn’t get carried away though.
That opening 20 minutes was truly shocking and if Southampton weren’t so off form, they’d have destroyed us today.
And some of the passing was just abysmal. You really have to wonder how players who do it for a living can’t kick a ball with the right pace and direction over 10 yards.
Again, it must be purely down to confidence.
But there are some major plus points to take from this game.
Although we definitely rode our luck, we were resilient in getting the point, that’s beyond doubt.
Our heads didn’t drop anywhere near as they have done in some previous games when we conceded.
And Ayew is starting to look a very decent player.
I also thought Sanchez did well, but recognise that some of you think he’s awful.
Yes, I know he gave the ball away terribly a couple of times, but he wasn’t alone, so shouldn’t be singled out for that.
At least it wasn’t a loss and at our level, a point at St Marys is not to be sniffed at.
Cue Oohah’s comments about Sanchez being my love child.
Whatever way you look at it, this is a decent point when you consider how we did against them just a few months back.
if players are dropped for off the field mistakes should that also apply to those who keep making on the field mistakes
Definitely.
If there’s someone better to come in.
until we can make signings everyone including the kids who might actually want to prove their worth should be looked at.
and it seems we keep talking about the same mistakes each week from the same players.
I’m sure they are being looked at.
And they’re deemed to not be as good as those in the first team, which surely is obvious?
I don’t see what you’re getting at, tbh.
It’s no good chucking kids in if they’re going to be worse, is it?
And there’s also a very good argument that says you can ruin kids by throwing them into a poor side.
Been looking at club’s that’s beaten the drop on 10 points at christmas, http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/news/features/great-escapes-from-relegation.html
I’m just willing my team to beat the record of not going down. Yes badger a point will do from a team that was seething after a 6 goal beating in the week.
Remember we lost 6.1 there last season that was with Benteke and Delphi playing
2005/06 and 2007/8 were good years weren’t they?
Although I only say that because I know the scum will give us plenty of stick if we go down.
not enough drive from midfield grealish, gil, or Sinclair far too slow all season, gueye a defensive midfielder vertout trying to do both doesn’t know whether he’s a kite or a balloon Westwood is tidy but don’t expect too much from him, Sanchez needs to adjust to the speed of the premier league its every game now he will tee someone up
Somewhat agreed.
I thought Sinclair did well today
His covering work killed pretty much anything he could do in attack.
Bournemouth 1 up at Chelsea ffs. We really are fucked
Final score too!!!! Jose out! Lol!
Fucking Chelsea I really thought none of the bottom teams would achieve any points so I thought our point was a bonus means FUCKall now,oh well bring on the gunners
Mourinho has to be sacked surely that’s humiliating even we beat Bournemouth lol
Bournemouth got Utd next week surely they won’t win that one
Hey Oohah! Not so much p*** taking of my second favourite team. Bournemouth play with some style, and they have a good team spirit, which I am afraid to say my favourite team are not showing. Villa battled well today for a deserved point but really their confidence is shot and they lack class.
Where the two sides are similar is that their keepers are crap (the Cherries have 2 duds, we have 1) and only one midfield player is really worthwhile – the others are make-weights.
Sunderland Newcastle Norwich and Swansea may be the teams we need to overtake, they are all getting worse.
Didn’t see the game as I was drinking a lot of Mount Gay 10 year old rum in a rum shop and eating ribs and pigs tails – beats watching the Villa! But we git a point and I really don’t care whether we got lucky or not. It seems to me that Garde is slowly getting us organised, something that has been sadly lacking for a long time. Going out on a limb here – I think we will beat the Arse next week. Doesn’t mean I believe we will beat the dip – just that we will get much harder to beat.
Then again two bottles of XO can adele one’s brain 🙂
Or even beat the drop!
Now you have been drinking too much…Interesting to see MOTD later. Still doesn’t change the fact we’re down…
I know Bum Bum – ignore an old fart like me – living in the past just like the Villa
I hear that bookies have closed the betting onVilla being relegated and are already paying out on bets placed. OK I made that up but watch this space!
Reckon we will be historically the worst ever side to play in the PL!
Didn’t watch it, but was listening to the live commentary on WM. IF that was a reasonably accurate account of the game, then there did seem to be some good football at times from Villa – particularly around the hour-mark.
However Andy Blair made the point a couple of times after about 75 minutes that quite a few of the Villa players didn’t look fully match-fit, which seemed to coincide with a number of substitutions and Saints scoring…
We’re in December: these guys have been in ‘training’ since July and playing since August; why can’t they be ‘match fit’? What do they do at BMH all week?
That’s a question many of us ask, with increasing stridency. It may be coincidence but since BMH opened Villa have got worse each season. Faced with such evidence in Saxon times all the staff would have been burnt as witches by, now and the place torched.
We are more enlightened today but I cannot think of any positive contribution BMH has made to the current team.
Good point today, but we are still miles away from where we need to be. At times, we knocked it around nicely, but we still gave the ball away way too easily. Our makeshit defence did okay, but another day it would have been 3-1 at half time.
Lets hope the players get some confidence from this, and the good news is we taking on an Arsenal team with no Cazorla or Sanchez.
We made the mistake of scoring at the end of the wrong half……B’mouth did it the right way.
From what I saw of B’mouth match they gave as good as they got …..thats what you get for playing to a system for a few years.
felt lescot was ten foot tall after he scored and okore grew into the game constantly talking to lescot as to where he wanted him to cover much as he did with clarke towards the end of last season dont think okore could play with richards though
Hutton seemed to be more defensive today as cant remember him getting isolated upfield as he usually does.
an away point is normally good but we needed all 3.
we have to hopefully pick up 7 points out of the next 3 games which is a possible but wouldnt surprise me if we only get 1.
at the moment im not too fussed about playing good football as long as we work hard cut out silly mistakes and get results.
but i dont see it happening and we aint that lucky
Still have silly defending problems, Sanchez (fuzzy) does not have the brains for defending, Cuzan at it again punching balls instead of being more physical in getting to a ball, Hutton, ok he’s wasn’t caught out up field but he spends more time worrying other players pointing at thin air, Great block to save a goal give him that, but not a safe man in defence, we was very lucky to get a point, we need a hard man in that back line to knock heads together and give others a kick up the backsides.
we need a complete new spine in the team.
as much as id like to see that happen it would cost in excess of millions and we would need to dangle the carrott.
either way if lerner dont splash the cash its curtains but if he does then why didnt he do it earlier. it will be the darren bent/martin oniell situation again.
but it would prove how poorly our club is being run
I’d put it down to Lerner not knowing how to manage an English football club, all his wealth came from daddy, owning a American team and knowing how they run businesses no wonder he failed , he put his ideas to managers over here and they fell for it, only Mon walked away, I hope to God that someone can see that owning a big football club in the midlands is not a bad idea.maybe one day we will be back at the top.
love to see a sugar daddy down the villa who has a business sense and has basic knowledge of the game.
but maybe for that to happen they would probably want a new stadium
‘we deserved a point’ REMI sorry I beg to differ,very lucky to get a point yes.we’ve got relegation written all over us I was going to say this January window could make or break us so more than likely the latter.gunners next forget it I really can’t see where the points are coming from.
I missed the first 4 mins and from what the commentator was saying I thought Soton missed sitters like they scored in the 6-1 match…..but when I saw MOTD they didnt and they were just “ordinary 2 chances……..our goalie never really had to make a save.
The 2 best and easiest chances were Rudi ans westy…….so it was Soton that were lucky to get the draw.
yes they were only half chances but they kept creating whilst our defence looked shaky.
the way it was going you could see them scoring but fortunately they never.
we scored from bad defending and may of snatched a result but as usual we are clueless on how to see out games.
and to be fair when they did score we hit self destruct. dont let MOTD fool you as i believe they created somethink like 23 attempts to about 9 of ours
Fwiw, I don’t think MOTD was very representative.
If S’hampton were more clinical, we’d have been 2 down in the first couple of mins imo.
No, Guzan never really had to make a save, but did their goalie for Rudi and West’s chances?
Rudi didn’t even hit the ball and West’s was off target.
There’s no way S’ton were lucky, as if our chances should have been buried, so should theirs.
All imo.
Bad results Bournemouth and Newcastle winning. Shows they have a lot more heart than we do. I never thought for one sec Bournemouth would finish above us it’s outrageous
some on here and other sites still blaming mon when you add up his player sales didnt amount up to over 10m a year,ireland bent makoun given and zog is where the big hole in finances come from 50m wasted on fees never mind wages ,lerner needed to spend last summer about 50m on 5/6 players not 7m ,now he is in shite big time we need to win every other game to end of season with our squad no chance drawing yesterday garde puts on fuck sake westwood richardson and gabby when he could have put on traore gil and ilor garde looking like other numptys sherwood lambert already
dont think mon is getting the blame.
i only mentioned him as an example. if you remember he was told no money then 5/6 months later lerner sanctions £18m for bent(one player).
sherwood had money to spend but on quantity not quality whilst our spine was stripped.
the point is that it is de ja vu all over again but what will the damage be this time around
Man city was lucky to we were hammered they just didn’t score.Like yesterday the same sort of thing.Ive spoken to a few supporters about January transfers recently.Who in there right mind would want to join Villa right now?Its still possible for Garde to save us but we are now 6 from safety it looks bleak to me.You can polish a turd can you and that’s what Gardes got to try and do.It won’t be Gardes fault if we drop as I honestly think the team isn’t good enough.Im sick of Lerner sacking managers hiring managers to be his scapegoats absolute joke.I havnt been down yet this season as I’m not wasting my money on that Yank he ain’t having any of my dosh or the club shop either.Ive always loved the villa but at the moment it seems the Villa owner doesn’t love us.I said we were down after the Leicester game I stand by that going down.utv
Man city defensively are woeful without kompany and not much better when he’s playing. At least we have an excuse that we spent sod all
Garde – a drowning man clutching at straws?
That ‘s not meant to be a criticism but a reflection of the fact that he’s having to try and find something positive to say after another performance where, according to all the press, we were thoroughly outplayed again.
If he isn’t planning for next season in the championship then he’s only fooling himself and we will struggle. Will Lerner go for a big throw of the dice in January or start reorganising the club for life ‘downstairs’ by selling our top earners and buying in more ‘moneyball’ type players for the miracle that just ain’t going to happen. What really concerns me is that when we are relegated Lerner will want to sell to anyone with cash to offer; that makes us vulnerable to the worst type of owner around.
I think we will get a good idea of the future for our club after the January window
Agree we will be sold to a dodgy syndicate who will just asset strip us and do a runner