While of course I’m chuffed that we won, so I also feel quite sorry for Sunderland.
I’m sure that I’m not alone in thinking that if things had carried on the way they were, it could very well have been us that suffered relegation from the Premier league, followed by relegation to league one.
And it seems to me that that’s where Sunderland are heading.
Sunderland offered nothing and it reminded me totally of us when we went down.
Everything they tried didn’t work. They only really offered one option, which was to try the counter. They weren’t very good at that either.
And then they simply weren’t good enough at all.
Add to that, the “we’ve seen this all before” type attitude, which leads to them mentally rolling over and that was us all over.
I’m not sure what to think about today’s performance.
Yes, the result was pretty emphatic, but I didn’t see anything special or particularly good.
Don’t get me wrong. We did enough to justify the result and it’s hard to be critical, but it’s just difficult to judge against such poor opposition.
Man of the match was Snodgrass, as I felt he drove us forward the most.
I like the look of Grabban. He seems an intelligent player.
Adomah tried hard in what was a decent return performance.
And Grealish made an appearance, with a couple of decent runs and one decent shot.
It’s all good.
Which is just as well, seeing as the rest of the top six won too.
We’ve gained on Wolves, albeit maybe temporarily, but the match against them is beginning to look very, very tasty.
Onwards and hopefully upwards, eh?
Happy days!!! 🙂
Spot on summation. Lots are happy that we are winning without playing that well, but I’m just not sure that we can turn on big performances when we really need to. Up to the Blues game we seemed to be getting better and better, but since then our performances have not been as good. There’s a lot resting on Jack’s shoulders!
Massive match against Wolves and also hope our neighbours across the City can do us a favour against Cardiff………and pigs might fly !!!
turned out very easy for villa, but the game yesterday are the tough games. they are games where players and fans take it as a easy 3 points and get caught cold. bolton away is another we have got.
sunderland were poor. i expected more. i also expected the fans to make it a proper game.but no support sunderland lost the home advantage. still the game was poor in standards. sunderland were in the game until we scored.
looking forwards to wolves tonight. if leeds turn them over, which is a real possibility. their fans will turn up and be just like leeds away is a very tough place to play.
i slept better knowing grealish is back. you can bet he was only 50 % match fit but that was enough. to look still the standout player on show. he glides across the pitch his two runs and passes which led to two decent chances. where simple, but who else does this for us. without him we are just a good side. with him we are dangerous on the break. we have imagination in attack. he can open up any defense and he finds spaces that are not there
I had the pleasure to have streamed the game, u ntill Grealish came on we didn’t seem to be able to get going in midfield like we use to. Johnson every time he kicked the ball it went out, or found the opposition. please don’t get me wrong he’s still the best goalkeeper we’ve had for a long time, our midfield didn’t get going in moves we lost that player creating chances for Adomah, and Snodgrass, and Holden and that was Grealish. If we only have Grealish and no one else we will start to struggle because he will be marked in every game and get snuffed out in every game. Good win, Saturday its a must because others are matching our results.
Take your point Bill about Grealish but marking Grealish out of the game (which won’t be that straight forward) tends to pull players out of position which creates more space for the rest of our mid field. We are undoubtedly a much better side with Grealish playing but so are Wolves with Neves in the team. However, we are not a ‘one man side’ which is encouraging.
Badger, I also think Sunderland’s demise is sad – another poor American owner; looking back, we were fortunate Learner found someone to buy the club.
De Bruyne for mam city?
Yes Hitch, I know he pulls players out of position and does it well, my fear is being a target, I don’t know if you watched the game?, he was within minutes took from the rear, Hitch the game turned with him being on, we created more chances Adomah, Snodgrass all started teasin the defence and you could see him fly past defender’s, he took a shot at goal on the run in, the goalkeeper was lucky to save..
Fair point Bill and no, I didn’t see the game last night but you’re right he does get clattered far too often – no respect for skill from a load of ‘Vinny Jones wannabes’ but that’s the Championship.
Referees need to protect players like Grealish and get the yellow cards out early rather than avoiding the problem.
Best get the reinforced shin pads out for the Cardiff game then!!!
This league is so close! Not winning last night would have looked catastrophic with everyone else keeping the pressure on. It’s like the Grand National!!
Great to win whilst at a canter. Not putting teams to the sword has been a long standing problem. Just got to polish up beating our current set of peers now!
Gotta feel for the Sunderland fans. They’re having it just as bad as us under Lernertwat. I hope his wife got a good settlement!
Roll on the weekend!!!!
See Villa are being identified as one of the clubs asking the EFL to investigate Wolves and specifically Mendes ‘influence’ at the club. I don’t profess to understand the significance of the definition of Mendes involvement but the manager, Neves and Jota are all his clients!
To borrow from cycling, they be complying with the rules but have they crossed an ethical line!?
*may be complying ….’
bill pearson is spot on about grealish getting singled out. but grealish is that good he has quick feet. he avoids the clattering challenges. like hitch says he is invaluable to us. he draws fouls, men this creates loads of spaces. also encourages runs off the ball because the players know he will pick them out.
the wolves situation beginning of season i thought like most fans that something was not right. the under the table dealings at the dingos. but its no sour grapes they deserve the position they are in. its up to the rest of the teams to stop them.
cardiff being 3 points behind them, will add pressure they might not be used too. if leeds turn them over as well. then villa with grealish will be more than a match for them. who knows with ten games left wolves might be top, but with no massive points advantages and with everything to play for
What I like about Grealish he’s quick in going forwards and seems to float past players, I see some other post are having a go at Hogan I don’t know why , I blame his lack of goals on players around him since Jack and Adomah not been in the team his chances have diminished,
exactly hogan suffering because his runs are not easy to pick out for mere mortals. but players with the midas touch like grealish find hogan with perfect balls at his feet.he improves players around somehow, he seems to make them all individually better,
watching wolves just 5 mins watching their system. you can see how they have so much success. the two full backs or better described wing backs are always offering themselves each one always on the line. stop them and you will stop wolves. you have to press them but not one and twos and not all the game. has to be in in certain areas you press high.
saying that about the pressing. leeds are doing this i suggested and when wolves have the ball in full backs areas leeds pressed but wolves got out then and almost score from a leeds high press
same thing happened again. leeds pressed high right back area and wolves beat the press and got almost in again. dangerous tactic to press high. in fact wolves have only got a sight on goal from leeds high pressing
1 nil wolves it was coming
2 nil from two corners
if i was scouting for villa. i would be telling sb to shit yourself lol
wolves are strong down both flanks with ball and without. also they were most dangerous when leeds were trying to be aggressive and press high. wolves went into slick passing mode. one touch stuff.
our defence will get slaughtered if we try to press wolves high like i suggested before. leeds struggled too because wolves are lightening quick turning defense into attack
leeds kick one off the line from another corner. but marking is crap. man on front post allowed a runner to run past him to flick it on
again the wing back is offering and is spare man . they arrive late on scene . this time they hit the bar.
Forget the high press then, imo.
Go longer and put them under pressure?
I don’t know; it’s just a thought.
i would if i was sb / it is falling into their plan. they want you to press high and open up your under belly
3 nil wolves was a much harder game than we had on paper. but they are walking this. also we can dismiss them falling flat they are looking strong.
will be a good bench mark for us saturday. because they are the real deal. our game plan all season will not be good enough to beat them. we will need to come up with something special and new
start with not allowing the wing backs the space they got tonight
i cant see any weakness in them, for us to attack them. they are strong down both flanks. and down the middle. but you can move the ball quick might work. or you need players to run past their players. like grealish does.
i wouldnt press high thou definitely not. wolves created like 12 to 15 good scoring chances all from leeds pressing and leaving their defense exposed. also corners 3 or 4 corners/ two goals one off the line and another one very close
leeds have started to move the ball quicker, they are getting more joy but it might be wiolves now taking the foot off the gas