Isn’t it strange how views can suddenly change during a game?
I was absolutely fuming at half time because of how we cannot stop giving the ball away far too cheaply.
Hourihane seemed the main example, but he was far from alone.
I get that if you’re trying to play a fast-paced, one touch type of game, you’re going to make mistakes.
But it’s not that, that bothers me.
Sometimes it’s just basic simple passing, in balls being totally mis-directed or more often way underhit.
It’s incredibly annoying.
But, looking on the bright side, you can’t knock the fact that we pulled two goals back to equalise, can you?
Of course, we should never have gone two down in the first place and I question Kalinic for at least one of them.
But just when we were looking well and truly beaten, so we managed to turn it around.
The second half was much better and while I still wasn’t convinced by our performance, we did show more energy and drive. So much so that I thought we were the better side.
What I think doesn’t matter though.
What does, is the fact that we’ve drawn at home. Again.
And that is simply not good enough.
We need wins if our rapidly fading hopes of the play-offs are to stay alive and we didn’t get one.
It was interesting that Smith seemed to listen to some of the fan’s criticism.
No Bree, no Hause and we played two attackers, although I’m not sure it was an out-and-out 4-4-2?
Ultimately, Hull will be happy with their point.
And after many of us thought we would probably lose this game, maybe we ought to be happy with ours too.
I just look at things historically and think we really ought to be beating Hull at home.
If I heard correctly, they haven’t beaten us at Villa Park since 1967.
Maybe that explains my massive disappointment?
I forgot.
Green looked bright.
Big call to take Bjarnason off, as I thought he did too.
Hourihane still doesn’t seem right playing deep and Bolasie really is all or nothing.
You are right but for me why does Smith keep playing Taylor. He can’t defend doesn’t get tight to the opponent nor does he when he loses the ball make an effort to track back and depend. He is a weakness that causes us points and in my opinion not a championship player. Thought also Chester a part from scoring gave the ball away cheaply. Not sure if we deserve to get into the playoffs. Smith needs 3 good quality defenders by the end of the month if we are going to have an outside chance of promotion.
Jordo, you don’t need to tell me about Taylor.
I seriously struggle to think of a worse left back at the Villa in my fifty years of watching them.
And that includes that mug we got from Sunderland, who’s name escapes me.
LB is a real weakness for us and it would be top of my list, even before midfieders.
Agreed.
He doesn’t really have a choice until we sign another LB. Hutton cant play there to save his life and Bree didnt exactly impress at RB. Our priority this month should have been to sign someone to play there.
I’m sorry, but the Viking should only make the bench imo. I thought he did better when he went forward but his first half was crap.
Only 2 players were in the game for me today: Abraham & McGinn. I’ll forgive Chester for his goal and brilliant goal line save, but too many times he looked unsteady and he played some untidy passes, as did most of the team tbh.
I thought that Kodja & Green added a great deal to our game and should be in the starting line-up. Bollasie should be a power sub like Bjarnason.
Chester was a great player when he was partnered with Terry. He needs to find a way to be an even better player with lesser players. Maybe holding the captaincy is affecting his play.
You’re right Bill.
Bjarnason was poor for the first half.
As was most of the side.
But he looked better when he was attacking and offered a decent threat in the second half, I thought.
I agree about McGinn and especially Tammy.
He worked his nuts off and maybe nearly earned his dough today 😉
Spot on Badger – I think (before yesterday) we’d won 11 of last 15 in all competitions against Hull and not lost in 12 at home.
Chester had begun to look his old self as his partnership with a continually improving Tuanzebe developed. We miss Tuanzebe – a natural ball player – as much as we miss JG. Losing both to long term injuries has been a cruel blow and serves to highlight the lack of true depth in the squad.
Chester now has to develop a partnership with Elphick but are either of them really able to naturally play the ball out of defence and does that require Smith to adapt his tactics to suit what he has?
On the right post this time, Hitch I think we’re all on the same page now, first half by all accounts was poor so I hear, Second half exceptable to a degree, still need 3 and we all know where, Bjarnason sorry not for us nore Hourihane not positive players passing is terrible. I’m still in Smith’s camp till end of season or he shows us that things are looking up, its not his fault he’s been inherited with but he’s pointed out its not right for the club. Imo.
I know that probably the owners and some fans still hope we get promotion but I will settle for playing a lot better CONSISTENTLY and maybe an adventure in the play-offs BUT without going up. It would be a disaster if we got to the Prem…its too soon. Just hope those other local teams don’t go up before us though..lol
I’m on the page with that.
Sound thinking , villaawayindiv3.
I hope that we don’t end up signing players for way over the odds for the hope we can make playoffs. Personally I wouldn’t be upset if we didn’t sign anyone and managed to offload a few. If we can get to the summer with a lot of players coming to the end of their contracts, then we have a better chance to bring in players to suit Smiths style of play. I think we are currently where we are which is a mid table championship team. We will have a lot of upheaval at the end of the season, and probably will lose Grealish to a premier team but with a big fee we should be able to rebuild, especially with high earners going soon.
It’s seems an eternity that we have been trying to offload high earning deadwood….as you say let’s get rid and build something that might have some legs on it….it’s sounds easy to fill.positions with players that can actually play there but for some reason we always cick it up.
I hope Smith is given time to build his own team. It’s fair to say that Steve Bruce and Dean Smith teams were miles apart in style of play. I would imagine that there are some of the squad that Smith considers as capable of playing his way but most of them probably not. There is a history of us signing championship players for big money such as Hogan, McCormack, Hourihane and Kodja, plus high earning loans and frankly it hasn’t worked. I hope Smith finds a few more McGinns where they might not necessarily be proven but have potential and more importantly the desire and work ethic.
It’s nice to see fans being realistic here. We are where we are and we should be thankful that we’re not still stuck with Xia and a financial black hole.
For the rest of the season I think we should just sit back and relax while Smith makes the changes. We’ll hopefully see an improvement and some better football while being less stressed out.
UTV
There are reports suggesting Kodjia may be loaned back to his former French club Angers. I suspect he’s unhappy at not starting regularly and then being played out wide!
Personally, he’s one player I would let go if we can get the right money, although I’m pretty sure we will lose money on the deal. He would be another high earner – hitting 30 years (not goals!) – off the books.
Just echoing the thrust of what has been said. No point going up via the playoffs and doing a Fulham or a Huddersfield – we need to go up and make a decent showing and re-establish ourselves in the PL where we belong.
I totally disagree with some of the points.
We CANNOT be seen to selling the likes of Grealish or Kodjia.
To do so is totally admitting we’re just a middling Championship club, with no ambition whatsoever.
I know it makes sense financially, but come on, do we have pretences at being a big club, or not?
Let’s not forget we have one of the best supports in the Championship and it’s even better than half of the Premier league.
I simply refuse to believe that we need to resort to thinking along the lines of Brentford and we should not set our sights that low.
Yes, we’ve made massive mistakes, in buying stupidly over-priced and over-paid players.
But let’s keep things reasonable.
We have more resources than most clubs and we should use them at the right time.
My hope is that Smith will spend serious money when it’s the right player.
And it won’t be the likes of Hause.
Agree about Grealish Badger – no debate, we should be building a team around him and players like McGinn, Chester, Green, Davies etc.
Kodjia – I think that’s different. Even the biggest teams sell good players – Morata to Athletico for instance – selling Kodjia wouldn’t define us in the way you suggest as long as we are reinvesting sensibly to improve the side.
I would like to see us buying Tuanzebe for instance as a real statement. Also, repeat, repeat, a top left back (not a 39 year old!) and defensive mid fielder with good ball playing skills.
https://theclaretandview.com/2019/01/20/christian-purslow-agm/
Honestly, I hope we don’t go up this year. Imagine the situation come the summer when we will ship out Whelan, Jedi, lose Tammy, bolasie, el ghazi, tuanzebe, Taylor will go, Hause back. We have no team left and would have to transition in the prem and inevitably going straight back down.
You can’t blame Dean Smith, he’s saying the right things and played the right style at Brentford to me to believe he will make it work. Who was the mug that thought the likes of whelan, Jedi, Hutton, Taylor etc would get us back where we belong?? Our team is either on loan(so don’t Care about the club as they will back with parent club soon) or over 30 (and know if they take us to the premier league they will be sold or benched). It’s no surprise that the players that are best performing (grealish and McGinn) are our own players who have something to prove and ambition. Ship the lot out in the summer and get some hungry young players in as build these guys to premier league standard.
Can’t stand another season of wobbly legged crocks running around half heartedly.
Hopefully smith has a war chest to get some youth into the team
This from one of the sports papers claiming he’s already been to us under Bruce last summer. It seems he’s unhappy with his club and wants out.
Aston Villa have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Harold Moukoudi this weekend, as he is frozen out at Le Havre for refusing to sign a new deal, as reported by French outlet L’Equip.
The 21-year-old was close to a deal at Villa this summer, even visiting the training centre and holding talks with Steve Bruce, but he ended up remaining with his own club and looking to further his development at home.
This season his stock has continued to rise and he’s become even more prominent, with the report suggesting Borussia Dortmund and Napoli are both in the hunt for his signature.
He’s refused to sign a long-term deal with Ligue 2 side Le Harve and their hierarchy have now instructed coach Oswald Tanchot to leave him out of the side until a deal is signed, or until he is sold this window.
Bolasie sent back to Everton ,Villa terminates loan.
Winger Yannick Bolasie has returned to Everton early after the player decided to cut short his loan spell at Aston Villa.
The 29-year-old was farmed out to the SkyBet Championship club by new manager Marco Silva after making just 17 appearances in the previous campaign having come back from a year out with a serious knee injury.
Bolasie played 21 times for Villa, currently 13th in the Championship, this season with nine starts and two goals.
However, the DR Congo international, who has made played just 32 times for Everton since his £25million signing from Crystal Palace in August 2016, has decided to extricate himself from the loan deal.
“Yannick Bolasie has returned to Everton Football Club today after he exercised an option in his loan agreement with Aston Villa,” said a Toffees statement.
So, it sounds like *he* decided to leave, and left it until the last minute. After his display on Saturday, I, for one, am delighted. We don’t need loaners if they aren’t committed. Let’s get young Green some game time instead.
I’ve also heard the Kodja isn’t happy. For me that’s a shame because I thought that Smith was having a good impact on him.
Not sad to see Bolasie go. I would expect more from £70K a week. With Green back we don’t need him and we can spend the money elsewhere.
I’m also pleased that Bolasie has returned to Everton. His form was sporadic at best and his wages meant Villa weren’t getting value for their money. Also Green should get more game time and he is one of ours. With luck we might be able to ship a few more wasters before end of the month.
Also feel for Everton who late in the transfer window get an added £75,000 per week added to the wage bill for a player who will at best make the bench. I don’t hold any grudges though and wish him well. 😂