First off, let me say what a fantastic advert for the Premier League that was. It’s no wonder it’s the most watched league by far, as nowhere else can you see a game ebbing and flowing the way it did today, especially when you consider it was nearly top of the league against the bottom. Would you get that in La Ligue? Doubtful, at least the vast majority of the time. Consider Forest beat Liverpool on their own patch today too.
It just had everything, in Everton taking an undeserved, but typical Aston Villa type game lead. They even went on to lead 2-0 too, even though we’d spanked them for the first 20 minutes, with some good pressing and some lovely, rapid one touch play. Was anyone surprised when that happened? I wasn’t and not being young, I very much suspect I wasn’t alone.
Which brings me to my big concern. I don’t want to put a dampener on things, but today’s approach was a case of “we’re gonna score one more than you”. And while that can be great to watch, it’s almost always unsuccessful. Maybe Unai thought we could go that way today and fortunately, if so, he called it right.
But I doubt that was the case and he’ll surely have been as disappointed as I was at the way we were breached so easily. Was there one strong Everton attack that we managed to resist? If so I don’t remember it or at least it didn’t impress me much.
We look weak at the back and quite simply, Champions league teams will rip us to pieces; certainly the better ones, if that’s all our defence can muster.
Still, today, I prefer to think that Unai was more interested in attacking Everton and ultimately, it worked.
Ollie looks miles off it to me, but proved me totally wrong in getting two goals. He missed another he should have buried, but given the result, I can live with it. No doubt if we’d lost I’d have been complaining like mad, but that’s what it’s about isn’t it? He said himself he’s not 100%, so again we can’t complain.
So why not play Duran from the off and give Ollie a rest? The youngster thinks he’s better than Ollie and certainly looks the better out and out striker. But his time will come and it isn’t just yet, in my opinion. Keep doing what you’re doing Jhon and you’ll be playing when you look more likely than Ollie.
The world really is his oyster at the moment and he’s so young too.
So who played well and who didn’t?
Rogers looks so threatening and is very much like Ramsey, in exactly the driving type of midfielder I like to see. To have two of these types is great and we saw exactly why today. Rogers played well and Ramsey not so well. We always have that big attacking threat is the point.
Tielemens pulled loads of strings and was a close second for me. He’s really starting to look like the player we thought he was and made things tick.
Watkins also has to be up there, although I’m not so prone to praising strikers for doing there basic requirement, but when you consider how far off it he looks, he did well. I do find it concerning that he doesn’t look happy in his play of late, but I’m inclined to think he might be mentally jaded more than anything.
And of course, Duran “the petulant” also did well. Along with the longest distance goal this season, he also hit it with such a curl, it’ll be remembered by many this season. He also did a nice chest down and high level scissor kick that would probably have surpassed his first if it had gone in. “Dangerous” is definitely the word, where he’s concerned and while I still think Ollie is by some way the better player, he now doesn’t look quite the liability he did a while back and I’d be perfectly happy for him to come on against any team. Including the likes of Bayern, which is some praise coming from me, seeing as I wanted him gone just weeks ago, because I thought his attitude was irretrievable. No doubt Unai’s word in his ear has worked. I’m happy to say that’s great, if so.
I’m not going to say too much about who didn’t play well, especially when they were mostly young lads, but John McGinn will be able to take it. I thought he also looks off it. Being played out wide definitely takes from his game, but no doubt he’s just doing as he’s told and playing for the team.
I still think we need another RB, but it is what is.
So a great win, although I’d have been going nuts if we’d lost.
Does that make me fickle or is it just an indicator of those fine dividing lines that the Prem is all about?
UTV!
Saddened to hear that Gary Shaw has died. My sympathies to his family. I hold him as a true great.
Thank you Gary for those brilliant Villa memories you created.
RIP
Very, very sad news and another Villa player dying after a fall – so tragic.
I watched him regularly at Villa Park, both in the first team and whilst he was making his way in the reserves – no doubt about it, he was absolute class.
All I can say is the Villa HEITS team is one heck of a side.
RIP Gary Shaw a true Villan
Just one more special memory of Gary Shaw.
I was at the League Cup Final with members of my family when we beat ManU 3-1 at Wembley. Gary was sat a couple of rows in front of us and the Villa fans started singing his song. He turned round, smiling broadly and waved to us all to a resounding cheer!
Win it tomorrow for Gary
RIP
It’s really sad that Gary won’t get to see Villa in the Champions League 42 years after winning. Unai wants the team to go and honour his memory. He is building a team to try and be as good as Sir Ron’s team. Hopefully during his tenure we can look forward to success and silverware again.
Remember him well , meet him outside of football playing snooker in the Saltley Amateur garden club and him playing football with my wife’s brothers lad before he was picked up by Villa . I told him who I was and he asked me to go him a favour, he had someone heckling him at every game and he wanted it stopped, I found that person and ejected him from the ground, Gary was as someone said polite quiet person and a gentleman, last time I seen him he was working for a top brewery. R I P Gary . Will always remember you .
Real shame Gary won’t see the first top level European game since his day. I’m sure he’d have appreciated the comedy aspect of the game. Furthermore, the VAR ref is called… wait for it…Willy Delajod!!!!
Plastic pitch tomorrow too. Hope we avoid injuries on it. I thought they’d all been banned???!!!
Been reading lots of the comments about Gary Shaw from other clubs supporters. So much respect there for a great player and great bloke. Brought a lump to my throat as it brings back memories of fighting as kids ‘I WANT TO BE GARY SHAW, NO! I WANT TO BE GARY SHAW’!!!!!
P.S. Leon Bailey is in the squad for tomorrow too.
Before my time, but the love is definitely coming through on here, very much. Some great anecdotes.
RIP and condolences to all concerned.
HEITS
So Rodri thinks players are close to striking regarding the number of fixtures! Well it’s a tough life kicking a ball and keeping fit for hundreds of thousands of pounds a week!
The bloke needs a serious reality check. Some people work twice as hard as these w******s for a pittance. Then they expect the fans to pay a good chunk of their wages to support their royal lifestyle. I can honestly say that if players strike then I will be done with football.
Gary Shaw. I am shocked and sad to hear of his untimely death. I have only one story about him. Villa were in Sinferopol (Crimea) to play Dynamo Kviv, because Kviv itself was still frozen. A young lady from the British Embassy in Moscow was sent there in case of ‘incidents’. She wanted to meet Gary Shaw of course, and the 3 of us stayed chatting in the enormous hotel lobby, as the rest of the team disbursed around match day lunchtime.
There were 3 obvious KGB men watching and the lady pointed to one who was her personal shadow. Gary asked if we all walked out together and split up would the KGB do the same? We gave it a try and they did. Her job was a doddle – there were no incidents at the stadium because 3 rows of front seating all the way round were occupied by soldiers with Kalashnikovs.
There was an incident a the airport. Terry Weir stupidly took photos and had his cameras confiscated. The lady negotiated the return of the cameras but the film had to bee removed and handed in. Terry got the films back several years later.
I like your tale, OLL. Would love to have visited communist Russia back in the day…
I thought Young Boys were meant to have been a push over! They’ve started well!
The ball bounces horribly on this bloody pitch…
Where are u all? Don’t tell me you’ve forgot the early kick off!!!
It’s sort of like playing Brentford or Brighton. Not an easy game…
This pitch is a huge problem
Not anymore, Tom!!!! 😁
TEILEMANS!!!!!!! First Villa goal since Peter Withe v Juventus!!!
WTF!!! Ha! 2-0!!!!
No way was Ollie’s goal handball. The VAR ref is called Willy. I can see why. Effing pen1s!!!!
We was robbed Bum Bum that was no handball, plus that goalkeeper should have been sent off with the incident on Olli .
I believe VAR said it was ok, but the ref overruled it.
That’s what it sounded like, but I might be wrong.
Either way it was the wrong decision. Swiss bank accounts and all that…
I’d like a 3rd goal.
And a 4th.
That was an APPALLING stamp on Ramsey’s foot there. Dirty Young Boys. Cynical. Red card for me as Ramsey had already played the ball…Should change their name to Rough Trade.
Good to see Carlos on but that was a bad error there that Emi saved us from conceding. And Carlos gets a head injury…So much for the gentile and educated Swiss…
This is a massive learning curve for us, more so than last year. European refs are a different breed.
Dirty bastards, Bum Bum. Brentford probably taking notes.
World class finish from Duran.
They steal that one too. Let’s finish the game and get out of this shit hole. So it’s no hand ball. Play goes on. But because we scored, it’s hand ball. How can you go back that far???????? F****** JOKE!!!!!! F*** YOU CHEATING PRICKS! 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
It’s VAR BFR.
UK or Europe the VAR idiots are out to ruin football.
After reading that article on match fixing/manipulating and how it works, well…