Well, that was poor wasn’t it?
All we did there is see a repeat of what’s been long known.
There are too many players that just aren’t good enough and they’re in the same positions we’ve been talking about for months.
Olsen, just no
Konsa, Mings, Digne. I’ve at best half heartedly defended them at times, but I can’t even do that anymore. They have individually been decent at times, but I’m sorry, I just think they’re shocking as a unit. They’re too slow, make poor decisions and don’t even make up for it by being cultured in knocking it round at the back.
Move on to the midfield and McGinn is another I just can’t defend anymore. You can be out of form by all means but it’s been over a year now and I’m running out of patience with him.
Buendia and Luiz were also poor too, but I’m willing to cut them some slack as they’re normally not that bad.
Bailey had a terrible shift and I’m not sure what to think today.
Watkins, well, he’s another who has been poor for too long. He should have had four goals today and he’s another I’ve had it with.
That’s probably an over-reaction and after a while I’ll probably be seeing things a bit differently, but it’s definitely fair to say there are just too many players who just aren’t good enough.
Don’t get me wrong, Liverpool weren’t very good either.
But the difference is they have more quality than we do.
Emery has his work cut out in bringing new players in and I hpe our owners are willing to dig deep.
Because we need a lot of players replacing, in my opinion.
We probably need about 8 players coming in, I reckon.
That’s not going to happen soon though.
I don’t want to slate Emery but one ball was our undoing all afternoon, straight over the top.
Emery, being a supposed tactical genius persisted with a high back line throughout the match and when you are playing against an outfit with players of pace of Salah & Núñez then just maybe that ain’t the best idea?
It’s not a quick fix unfortunately Badger. Too many players who lack consistency. I actually thought McGinn did okay today although Kamara apart, there weren’t too many worth a mention.
On a lighter note, it was typical of Agbonlahor to promote Netflix on Amazon Prime! What a numpty 😔
Badger 123 Warrior here there is nothing more to be said you summed it up to a Tee we were second best in every part of the park we were pathetic I couldn’t get a ticket for the game and looking back on the game I was disappointed but glad I didn’t get a ticket travelling from Wiltshire to watch such a dismal performance would’ve been a long drive home
Fair comment Badger. We missed Emi and Ramsey today. Olsen is a joke for such a tall keeper. More afraid of crosses than Dracula. He was to blame for the 2nd and 3rd goals.
At the other end Maginn, Bailey and Watkins missed at least two chances each – unchallenged and with only the keeper to beat. You cannot be that profligate and hope to climb above mid-table. That isn’t a problem that a tactical change could cure – it is an error of temperament that requires a personnel change.
The defence today was a tactical error. A real assessment of the relative speed of Nunez and Salah against Young, Konsa, Mings Digne and Douglas Luiz was that only Mings could keep pace with them, so there was a permanent ball over the top on our right flank that we could not defend if we played a high line – as it proved. Note to Emery for New Year’s day – they can’t catch Son either.
On reflection could it have been a total lack of confidence in Olsen that was responsible for this suicidal high back line?
The fact playing out from the back was never an option?
Problems:
Inconsistency in performance both from individuals and the team.
Defence not a unit.
Lack of pace in defence.
No structure in midfield.
Stupid mistakes.
Not moving the ball fast enough.
Goal shy.
Lack of killer instinct.
Lack of variation in play.
Positives:
A variety of potentially very good players.
Players know each other.
World class goalkeeper.
Experienced international players.
We’re not an aging squad.
So where do we go from here????? (Is it down to the lake, I fear)?
Liverpool 3 + 1
😁
…and Ash is great but too old for us to rely on his once blistering pace.
Badger
Your comments and my post yesterday are aligned on our current team. It is a time for change. Hopefully a fairly radical change in the next year can match the one Ron Saunders undertook in the late 70’s. There is a degree of deadwood to be shifted, Sanson, Digne and Coutinho. Plus others with a good sell on, such as Mings, McGinn and Ings.
The only question I raise and this is based on press speculation. It appears Emri does not want Martinez. I am surprised, as I rate Martinez. Or is it one where he knows Martinez stock will never be as high again and time to cash in and provide greater squad strengthening. Then again this press story could be baloney.
Martinez has recently signed a new five year contract with the club and is on record as saying he’s happy and wants to repay Villa for providing the stage on which he has built his international career and standing.
That’s all fact; the rest is conjecture.
If Emery decides to move Martinez on he better know what he’s doing and have an unimpeachable reason because it’s not going to stand well with the majority of fans.
There are many different ways to commit professional suicide!
It seems The Sun are reporting that DeannSmith has been ‘sacked’ by Norwich?
Anybody have any news on that?
Crazy but true
From The Athletic
Dean Smith has been sacked by Norwich City following the Boxing Day defeat by Luton Town.
The 51-year-old has been relieved of his duties with immediate effect.
Norwich have lost three of their last four games, leaving the club in fifth position in the Championship.
Former Aston Villa manager Smith joined the Carrow Road club in November 2021 when he replaced Daniel Farke in the hotseat.
Norwich City sack Dean Smith after he banned family from games amid Carrow Road fan fury
The former Brentford and Aston Villa boss has been in charge at Carrow Road for 13 months having replaced Daniel Farke as Canaries boss, just days after getting the boot by boyhood club Villa
All down to Dealia Smith this Hitch .
Smith has been sacked following a dramatic slump in their Championship form, with Norwich winning just one of their last seven home matches and sitting six points behind the automatic promotion places.
The defeat to Luton proved to be the final straw, with Cauley Woodrow’s late winner ensuring the 10-men inflicting their second successive defeat on Norwich.
Football is a harsh business. From flavour of the month with Delia and the fans to the food bank! Well maybe not quite that desperate for Deano. Hopefully he will be able to get back into management soon.
It could happen with Emery too if there’s any truth in him wanting to get rid of Martinez. The fans love the guy and he’s our first World Cup winner. It’s probably just the media assuming that it’s from their Arsenal days and history repeating itself. Emi has come on leaps and bounds since then though and it would look foolish and petty if he allowed the past to dictate the future.
It’s easy to agree with Badger’s main post – but perhaps a bit drastic on the strength of one rather ‘odd’ game (which I actually enjoyed watching, btw, although sometimes with gritted teeth).
Just IMO:
If Martinez had played, we’d have been a lot better-organised at the back.
Still not sure why Cash didn’t play, but Young simply doesn’t have the pace against a quick attack like Liverpool’s.
If Watkins had taken the very early chance (just a few minutes in) I believe the game could have gone in a completely different direction: L’pool were there for the taking.
And that, for me, was the nub of the problem: we played some great football going forward for a lot of the game, and crerated some superb chances – but nobody could finish. I ‘d hoped that Emery might have brought on Ings a lot earlier, since I think he’d have found the net several times on the night.
As for individuals: Olsen – not even a Championship goalie.
McGinn is looking more like he’d be a star in the Scottish Prem, but isn’t going to be one in the English Prem.
Konsa seems to have regressed – he used to look far more assured than he does now.
Watkins just isn’t going to make any waves in the Premier League either.
I thought the rest were basically OK…
Martinez on the way out? Complete and utter rubbish. The lowest of paper talk. A media full of morons.
Yes, it was drastic, Ardent, built on the back of frustration I think.
I thought about bringing Ings on too, but it would only have been as well as Ollie.
I don’t rate Ings apart from his finishing because I don’t think he does enough.
But then Watkins can’t finish his dinner and the reality is both statistically and pragmatically are just not performing.
Hence we need better and a top notch striker and defender would be top of my list.
A box to box mid in the £60-70 mill region would do too, but is probably too much to expect.
When I look at it like that, it just suggests that as much as we think our spine is reasonable, it just lacks quality at the next level.
I was talking to my grandsons last night. They both rate Mings and Ings highly and wouldn’t have a word I said against them.
Determined to win the debate (childish of me, I know lol) I asked them how many of our players they thought would get into a top 6 side.
The answer was maybe Carlos, maybe Luiz and maybe Kamara.
But not at the moment.
That for me sums Aston Villa up in one.
And my headline thought seems spot on when you look at it like that.
Ardent Villain. I saw the same game that you did. In terms of enjoyment and ideas it was miles ahead of what we have been doing. We will beat a lot of teams playing like that.
I’ve said my bit about the team , I won’t blame any manager we have or had I blame the players we have. Them miss chances cost us the game yet we played decent moves to have them, Let’s stop believing Watkins will make it he won’t in my mind. Long ball to the wings and fast tackling got us in trouble we don’t have players with footballing brains that read games, we’ll be lucky to stay in the premier again we do need a top striker with strengths to match full backs plus a decent midfielder that creates moves.
I think my initial view on yesterday’s game was maybe a bit harsh. A lot has been said about our poor finishing which is fair enough but when we concede 3 goals plus a host of clear cut chances that Liverpool squandered, then for me the biggest problem was our defending. I haven’t checked this stat but apparently Olsen has conceded 14 in his previous 4 games. Whilst we can’t blame him totally for all of them, what’s abundantly clear is our defenders are massively underperforming with him between the sticks. Olsen doesn’t look confident and his nervousness reflects on those in front of him. With Martinez back in goal hopefully against Spurs, we might see a more reassured back four.
I don’t think we will be relegated or challenge for Europe so I don’t think it would make sense to over spend in January. It’s unlikely that any players worth having will be available and I think it makes sense for Emery to try and improve on what he has already before deciding on the in’s and out’s next summer.
I enjoyed the game too. It was chaotic and yet at times we strung some decent moves together. Watkins could have scored more but the positive fact is, he is getting in the right place at the right time. I also thought McGinn had an improved game, though his header fluff was embarrassing. Bailey, definitely an off day. Luiz too.
I agree with Holte, the time to buy might not be now and Emery may ultimately be thinking the same thing. When recently asked about transfer possibilities he responded quite negatively about the market. I think he’ll hold off until the summer.
UTV
Watkins scored twice (OK, one was marginally offside but it was a good finish) and worked Allison on several occasions. Bailey flattered to deceive and completely fluffed (like a Park’s footballer) two golden chances. McGinn hadn’t a clue when he was presented with a one on one (OK, it was tricky but his attempt was woeful).
Watkins also created chances and did a lot of good work with the ball; is quick, energetic and works hard for the team
I accept his conversion rate isn’t as high as it perhaps should be but he’s been our top goal scorer for the last two seasons with more than 10 goals in each – where would we have been without them?
To say – ‘he’s only a Championship striker’ – is imho over critical and a little unfair.
I’m not saying we couldn’t improve in the striking department but who realistically are we going to buy? – and, personally, I would replace Ings.
Hitch, I appreciate the hard work Watkins puts-in.
However, if he’s supposed to be our only recognised forward (taking Bailey as a ‘winger’), surely his role is to put away chances, whoever creates them?
My concern with him is that over many games when he’s had decent chances, including one-on-one’s with just a goalie to beat, he hasn’t hit the target.
If his main role is to create chances for others, who have we got who’s going to be responsible for putting them away?
I agree to the extent that I think he should be playing wide left rather than as a CF.
The reality is that we’ve tried to convert him to CF and it has worked – to a limited extent.
As I said I agree that we need to improve up front and I would rather keep Watkins than Ings but who do we buy that will significantly improve on Watkins goal tally in each of the last two years?
The key word being significantly!