The Mighty Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur Match Thread | Page 34 | Vital Football

The Mighty Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur Match Thread

Fulford said:
If you sit back and allow them to come forward at you it's inevitable that they're going to get through at some point.

Today was probably the easiest game they've had all season.
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Whether or not that’s true as a game plan that’s not the game that was played today. They played 30 yards from goal for 45 mins. They had one shot in the first half. They had 10 touches in our box in the first half.

They did fuck all until we opened up in the second half. We committed too many forward and lost vital second balls.
 
As someone stated earlier, we haven’t suddenly become a poor team but a number of factors coincided to trip us up today. Our formation limited Spurs when they got around our area but it made our midfield look light to me. Individual errors by players, who are usually reliable, cost us. Tiredness probably played a part. There’s a worrying trend developing where we concede to crosses played at pace into our box and then there’s that nervy 10 minute spell after half time when we make mistakes or lose concentration leading to a goal.
A disappointing day but still plenty to play for.
 
wittonite said:
Showed Spurs way to much respect with that formation. Yes it worked first half but nullified Watkins. Should have changed half time. Our normal game is to support Watkins, he can't handle balls banged up to him from forty yards away. Even when he got it under control no player within thirty yards to play too. Good job I'm not the manager because in temper McGinn would be stripped of the captaincy for a month after that stupid tackle. Yes wrong I know, but still seething about that. Cost us any chance we had of getting back into it and lead to two more goals. Idiot.
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I completely agree with you - we played a foreign system and it showed. In our usual formation, we don't make the mistakes. What we do though, is give up wide possession where they are dangerous.

At home though, it should be a case of outscoring them though.
 
Stephen Jay Hawkings said:
I just don't understand how some of the players don't turn up in these games and are so lackadaisical. The goals we gave away were pathetic.
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Yet we did vs. City and Arsenal. I guess when you’re the underdog it’s easier but against these sides where we’re at parity we might have a mentality issue.

It’s all very new to most of the squad. That’s all I can think of.
 
So frustrating. We blew it.
If you get outplayed, if the other team has to work their bollocks off to score you can't complain.
But we simply gave them 2 goals on a plate. They didn't come after loads of pressure or being outplayed for 10 minutes. And then it was game over, red card or no red card. That 2nd goal ended the game.
 
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Just turd all round today, lots of mistakes which appeared really half arsed but perhaps was just tiredness/fatigue? The Newcastle game and this one today they’ve proper rolled over and had their bellies tickled, was quite frustrating to watch. Left before the injury time board went up and heard the next two lots of cheers from the spurs fans so glad I bounced when I did.

4th looks a stretch now, especially given they have a game in hand. Although I was told that is against Chelsea so never know how that’ll go. Would be really disappointed if we don’t get the champions league spot this season, absolutely dying to see that at Villa Park.
 
It must be a mentality issue. Basically the majority of this team are relatively new to this expecting to win week in week out and it doesn't take a lot for that confidence to get knocked. When we're on it and playing with a spring in our step we've proved we're a match for anyone. It's only been what? 18 months since pretty much the same group were a shambles under Slippy. Still early days into Unai's tenure but he's got more right than he's got wrong so hopefully the curve will continue upwards
 
Pangloss said:
I’m very upset at the lack of temperament show by McGinn. At 2-0 they had lost their best defender and one goal would have changed things.

Football is a brutal business and for all our progress we have bottled the occasion and do not look good enough for top 4.
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I wouldn't be too hard on Mcginn. He probably saw his teammates strolling around and thought he'd try to add a bit of intensity and lead by example. Got the tackle all wrong but that can happen, at least he was trying to raise the tempo.
 
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Absolutely dumbass tackle but he was the only who appeared to give a toss and just before that red had worked really hard to get the ball back. The rest of them didn’t seem very aware.
 
DeanoVilla said:
This tactic of playing at 40% to save energy for the next match is wearing a bit thin now.
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Yeah always a high risk strategy. Not many teams can turn it on and off - let alone villa with limited resources we have.

Momentum was our friend.
 
What goes on in the minds of lots of our players who look lacklustre and just cant put in the effort to make sure we win games.

Im not making excuses for McGinns sending off but he was probably pissed off as we are with several of his colleagues because far too many of them think they have only got to turn up to get a result.
 
Still nicely positioned with all to play for in the euro conference cup - Wolves to come in the league and the players owe us some of that built up credit - exciting and nervous times - so much better than the previous few years apart form promotion.
 
Villan62 said:
I didn't want the European games to hinder our push for 4th, and was beginning to wish we werent in it, but with our injury ravaged squad, and a collapse in our home form, it might be the only shining light come the end of the season.
Mcginns a massive loss, no way of replacing him in the 3 games he's out.
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Tbh the loss of Mcginn will hurt us more than the 3 points lost today
 
Well as afternoon’s go that was possibly the most disappointing Unai joined us. Heavy defeat, eight goal swing goal difference in their favour and losing SJM for three vital games. If anything, given our injury issues missing him for those games is the thing that irks me most. Just got to hope that we can still respond to a set back in the same way as we have over the past 18 months but with decreasing energy levels and the squad at full stretch, that’s not going to be easy. Have to keep the faith though. One look at the table and we’re still in a bloody great position despite a pretty awful day at the office.
 
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