Tottingham Hotspurs v Aston Villa PREMIER LEAGUE Saturday 10th August 17.30 k.o. | Page 31 | Vital Football

Tottingham Hotspurs v Aston Villa PREMIER LEAGUE Saturday 10th August 17.30 k.o.

Fulford said:
I'm being realistic.
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I know mate, I used to get the same at work when I used to say something wouldn't work but we had to waste time proving me right!

You think too much mate, you want us to win and looking at things through rose-tinted specs is not your thing, neither is it mine.

I struggled with the team selection today, not sure the new lads would have done any better and that is the worrying thing
 
That Mings/Engels partnership looks very promising. They won't face Harry Kane every week. The lads need to get up to the pace of the P.L. Get the ball and shift it.
We lost to a very good team, most of whom are familiar with each other's game. We had Trezeguet, Engels, Heaton, Jota, Wesley and Luiz making their debuts for us. Plus the likes of Hourihane, El Gahzi and McGinn playing their first game in the Premier League.I'll give them a little time to adjust to the pace.
Not too much time though.
 
Nobbyavfc said:
Don’t think you are mate. I think you have us set up to fail and you seem to revel in it when we do.
I don’t know you from Adam and I ain’t trying to start an argument, but whenever I read your posts, there’s a definite recurring theme.
I’m naturally pessimistic by nature, but you don’t seem to get any pleasure from supporting Villa. Not from your posts anyway.
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You are wrong mate. I hate to see us lose and it totally spoils my weekend.

I'm not in a good place atm and it's difficult for me to see any positives in anything.

However like most transfer windows, you do some good business and some bad business. Some of the players need to seriously get up to speed quickly. At least we have back ups if they don't.

My take on the friendlies is that they didn't prepare us for the speed of the prem, and today it showed. Hopefully after a few more games they will be better.
 
Fulford said:
You are wrong mate. I hate to see us lose and it totally spoils my weekend.

I'm not in a good place atm and it's difficult for me to see any positives in anything.

However like most transfer windows, you do some good business and some bad business. Some of the players need to seriously get up to speed quickly. At least we have back ups if they don't.

My take on the friendlies is that they didn't prepare us for the speed of the prem, and today it showed. Hopefully after a few more games they will be better.
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Fair enough. UTV brother. ??
 
A few players got a real welcome to the Prem today. We must remember Dean Smith is new to this aswell and we may get beat a few times early on before we get it right, but we are certainly not relegation fodder and it will come good. Thought Taylor deserved some praise today, where others we expected to do well, were poor. Onwards and upwards.
 
Immediate thoughts on Spurs away - they made their class tell in the end.

My match ratings, for what they are worth (rhetorical question, settle down):

Heaton 8, Elmohamady 6, Engels 8, Mings 8, Taylor 7.5, Hourihane 6, McGinn 7, Grealish 5, Trezeguet 6, Wesley 5, El Ghazi 6, Subs: Kodjia 5, Jota 5, Luiz 5

https://astonvilla.vitalfootball.co...away-they-made-their-quality-tell-in-the-end/

*Will move into the match thread later
 
Positive performance against CL finalists. Few players need to up their game and should be benched next week (Elmo, Taylor, El Ghazi, Hourihane) and everyone else put in a very positive performance. Trezeguet and Engels particularly impressed for me from the debutants, MOTM performance from McGinn, Grealish could have done better at times.
 
I am not going to judge the team after just one game which was against a team, with one or two exceptions, having been together for a few seasons. They are a top four team who reached the champions league final. I was hoping we would get a draw but really expected us to get beat. There were positives as said by previous posters. I though Engels looked a real find and as the season goes on we will see partnerships develop. We are short up front we can all see that and Dean Smith has got to deal with it. I am still looking forward to the rest of the season and expect us to get better with each game we play.
 
No problem with Deanos game plan today . He showed he is a thinking manager who tries to adapt to suit the game .

We went containing and counter attacking and were in the game until 80 odd mins when they took the lead. A change in approach from last season .

Compared with Norwich who went at it exactly like they did last season and the game was over in half an hour.
 
ldgavfc said:
Positive performance against CL finalists. Few players need to up their game and should be benched next week (Elmo, Taylor, El Ghazi, Hourihane) and everyone else put in a very positive performance. Trezeguet and Engels particularly impressed for me from the debutants, MOTM performance from McGinn, Grealish could have done better at times.
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Dare I say I think the occasion got to Jack a bit, he's still class though. Perfect game to start the season with, if the players weren't sure what was required at this level, they are now!
 
In the words of Paul Merson today when he had been asked by fans about us this season: he had said "you will be alright"

He said fans had been shocked and said "Really! Is that it?" Just hope the majority will be realistic. There will always be a few who arent

I think we will be alright however this is the P.L, a new team etc. We arent going to be setting the prem alight. Being alright and steady away is ok.

Promising today
 
What we would all like as Villa fans is a team that could go head to head with the best. Trouble is, the gulf between the best and the rest, and the rest and the Championship is getting ever wider. It's going to take time, patience and an awful lot of money before we get back to a top 6 finish. Given FFP, that money will be spent gradually.

Survival is the first objective. If we can do that, we will know which players are good enough and continue to build. Introducing our new signings gradually is sensible. It will take time to work out the best combination. Wolves are two seasons ahead of us in terms of recruitment and style of play, having been promoted following a season of dominant performances - can't see us matching them yet.

The interesting results today were Burnley and Brighton (see Maupay scored). It's the likes of them we've got to beat.
 
Wurzel said:
Dare I say I think the occasion got to Jack a bit, he's still class though. Perfect game to start the season with, if the players weren't sure what was required at this level, they are now!
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Wondered the same myself as he was quiet by his own standards - understandable possible, but we know he can be better and sharper and I have no doubts he will be.

The great thing for me is, whilst 3-1 is hardly a great score, it's not an embarrassing hammering and we can take plenty of positives from the game, so the players should be confident of making those small improvements now as we've shown we can compete (even if it wasn't entirely pretty - this season isn't about being pretty).
 
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Once they scored I know we woould lose BUT I did think we did well.
The players need to realise were in the big league now and time on the ball is a luxury they are not going to get.
 
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