20/21 Match thread - Aston Villa FC vs Tottenham Hotspur - PL | Page 12 | Vital Football

20/21 Match thread - Aston Villa FC vs Tottenham Hotspur - PL

Result

  • Win

    Votes: 3 30.0%
  • Draw

    Votes: 2 20.0%
  • Lose

    Votes: 5 50.0%

  • Total voters
    10
  • Poll closed .
He also won us countless free kicks. It seemed every time he beat a player they just fouled him. And with impunity because there were no yellow cards issued. And it's happened against other teams recently too.

Having said that I can see why you would say he looks lazy. It goes back to a previous discussion: is he playing a much safer role under instruction or is he simply not trying.

For our second goal it was he who dispossessed the Villa player on the halfway line and quickly fed the pass to Moura that led to Kane's penalty. In about three seconds he turned defence into attack that led to the goal. That's what he gives us. After that he totally dominated until for some unfathomable reason he was hooked for Sissoko.
I like him and he fecking infuriates me in equal measures. If and when he release s the ball early, as he can, and sets up an attack or put in a thru ball, then IMO he is doing what I want from him. Conversely when he beats someone and then seems to want to beat them again and someone else in ever decreasing circles...then he is just slowing our attacking options down.
Oh for a Hoddle that could not only beat someone but could see and make quick accurate attacking passes....and mostly did!
 
I nearly choked on my Guinness last night when Gary Neville was asked for his MotM. He said he had to choose from Kane, Moura and Hojbjerg.

Hojbjerg? I thought it was his worst game of the season for us. In the first half in particular he offered very little protection of the defence. He missed tackles, was easily bypassed by opponents, positionally awry, gave away a couple of unnecessary free kicks and completely slowed down our attacks when he was was in a position to pass forward. It was only when we went 2-0 up that he seemed to impose himself.

Having said that, I haven't seen any real criticism of him on here or in the media, so maybe I'm being overly harsh on him.
 
Re ND debate, no right or wrong in my eyes.

Firstly his deeper position after about 15 minutes imo was instructed as up until then, the new look defence was a little nervous and I saw Jose get up off his seat twice looking agitated. But as they gained confidence, I was surprised he still remained deep.

He ain't no Eriksen and I have commented and been very critical of his productivity. On that note his demeanour is often one of frustration and resignation. He loves playing in tight spaces and is slow in releasing the ball, As soon as he gets on the ball, he doesn't look to see a pass, his 1st instinct is who can I dribble past. Eriksen on the other hand was a little like Modric and looked for short/medium and long pass with confidence and accuracy, thus speeding up our attacks. ND's approach lends him often to losing the ball or not progressing the attacks quick enough. He does in deed have a blinder 1 in 4. IMO, he hasn't toughened up enough for the PL. You look at Moura who gets tackled and hacked down often. The guy just gets up and goes again. When ND gets a knock, he reverts to tippy tappy mode with Hojji.
 
I like him and he fecking infuriates me in equal measures. If and when he release s the ball early, as he can, and sets up an attack or put in a thru ball, then IMO he is doing what I want from him. Conversely when he beats someone and then seems to want to beat them again and someone else in ever decreasing circles...then he is just slowing our attacking options down.
Oh for a Hoddle that could not only beat someone but could see and make quick accurate attacking passes....and mostly did!
you've written exactly what I have said many times before. I described him before as a tornado chaser. Some times it's better to avoid it and get a move on!
 
Re ND debate, no right or wrong in my eyes.

Firstly his deeper position after about 15 minutes imo was instructed as up until then, the new look defence was a little nervous and I saw Jose get up off his seat twice looking agitated. But as they gained confidence, I was surprised he still remained deep.

He ain't no Eriksen and I have commented and been very critical of his productivity. On that note his demeanour is often one of frustration and resignation. He loves playing in tight spaces and is slow in releasing the ball, As soon as he gets on the ball, he doesn't look to see a pass, his 1st instinct is who can I dribble past. Eriksen on the other hand was a little like Modric and looked for short/medium and long pass with confidence and accuracy, thus speeding up our attacks. ND's approach lends him often to losing the ball or not progressing the attacks quick enough. He does in deed have a blinder 1 in 4. IMO, he hasn't toughened up enough for the PL. You look at Moura who gets tackled and hacked down often. The guy just gets up and goes again. When ND gets a knock, he reverts to tippy tappy mode with Hojji.
That's an interesting comparison with Eriksen. Ndombele is constantly kicked and down injured. With Eriksen, on the other hand, you could count the number of times on one hand you ever saw him down injured on the field. I suspect it's because he released the ball so quickly opponents couldn't get near him.
 
That's an interesting comparison with Eriksen. Ndombele is constantly kicked and down injured. With Eriksen, on the other hand, you could count the number of times on one hand you ever saw him down injured on the field. I suspect it's because he released the ball so quickly opponents couldn't get near him.
Yes, that's exactly how I saw it Gary. Eriksen and Modric were not dribblers. They anticipated better, also on wavelength with others and the vision to make the pass quickly. ND has different strength but our off the ball movement has not been great to capitalise on it.

On a general note the whole season has been about swapping and changing which accounts for the inconsistency. You only got to look at the defence. This is is not down to injuries.
 
In a nutshell, this is why we need to remove Jose from his position. He cannot help himself with his biases and negativity.

Was thinking whilst watching the game what Jose has done to help Dele get back to his best since the "reconciliation" the day after transfer deadline day. Gio comes off the bench in the 70th minute during the week after a long layoff and plays extra time. He then gets thrown into the league team. Can't remember Jose doing that with Dele however well he plays in our shirt. Not that I don't like Gio of course, but it was a little hint of the bias in operation.

Now we only have league games left for a month, it will be interesting to see whether players like Japhet get to keep their shirts. I have a feeling that Jose's job would have been hanging by a thread this morning if Japhet hadn't used his smarts 2 or 3 times in the first half.
Haha muttley 1st para, words n mouth came to my mind, you thief you lol!
 
Villa pulled our boys down in nearly every attack; we got very few fouls awarded in our favour. They dived at nearly every contact and were rewarded with free kicks galore, near our box. Moura was sent tunbling six or more times in dangerous areas, with only one yellow being awarded. Villa never stood off when we had the odd free kick but he booked Hoj on the first occasion he encroached. Dean is our nemesis. I was shocked when he gave the pen.
Timbo in agreement there, their player who got booked in the 2nd, a sweaty sock I think cannot remember his name, for back chatting the ref, should have been booked in the 1st after a number, 3 or 4, of, how would it be put, iffy tackles.
 
Vini really grew into the game last night. His physical presence alone caused Villa a lot of problems. And he created space for Kane once the latter adjusted his game to him.

I'm not sure that we've seen enough quality yet to suggest he would be a first choice forward or replacement for Kane. As a squad player though he'd be a valuable addition. The problem is his release clause. I just can't us paying or even justifying the reported £40m.
Gary I could not agree more regards "Sid" I was impressed with him, an old fashioned "put it about Centre Forward", scared the living daylights out of their 2 CB's, even taking a yellow for the team stopping a breakaway, thumbs up.
 
NDomb's remit for this match was obviously diff than in the recent past, and frankly I think it is much better suited to him.

He was not playing in an attacking "playmaker" position, he was playing more of a #8 pivot support for the #5. Think of Frenkie at Ajax. This is good.

For the first time, PEH had an ally that gelled with him in the midfield transition. I would like to see more of this, but with Dele and Kane in front of them and not Kane & Vinicious.

.
 
Last edited:
I nearly choked on my Guinness last night when Gary Neville was asked for his MotM. He said he had to choose from Kane, Moura and Hojbjerg.

Hojbjerg? I thought it was his worst game of the season for us. In the first half in particular he offered very little protection of the defence. He missed tackles, was easily bypassed by opponents, positionally awry, gave away a couple of unnecessary free kicks and completely slowed down our attacks when he was was in a position to pass forward. It was only when we went 2-0 up that he seemed to impose himself.

Having said that, I haven't seen any real criticism of him on here or in the media, so maybe I'm being overly harsh on him.
Do not belittle yourself Gary, what you said was in evidence at times, but generally he didn't have a bad game, just not as good as normal, but hey! thats football, lol!
 
That's an interesting comparison with Eriksen. Ndombele is constantly kicked and down injured. With Eriksen, on the other hand, you could count the number of times on one hand you ever saw him down injured on the field. I suspect it's because he released the ball so quickly opponents couldn't get near him.
Or as I remember Gary, Eriksen kept out of it and didn't want to get his hands dirty lol!, different types player.
 
NDomb's remit for this match was obviously diff than in the recent past, and frankly I think it is much better suited to him.

He was not playing in an attacking "playmaker" position, he was playing more of a #8 pivot support for the #5. Think of Frenkie at Ajaz. This is good.

For the first time, PEH had an ally that gelled with him in the midfield transition. I would like to see more of this, but with Dele and Kane in front of them and not Kane & Vinicious.

.
xvausch, them two comparisons get you thinking, Sid n Dele two completely different sort of players, one is free moving fleet of foot the other is a goal poacher who puts the fear of christ up opponents CB's who also enjoys bullying them lol! so I think that is a great option to have regards the opposition of the time.
 
Villa pulled our boys down in nearly every attack; we got very few fouls awarded in our favour. They dived at nearly every contact and were rewarded with free kicks galore, near our box. Moura was sent tunbling six or more times in dangerous areas, with only one yellow being awarded. Villa never stood off when we had the odd free kick but he booked Hoj on the first occasion he encroached. Dean is our nemesis. I was shocked when he gave the pen.
Pretty much this. Thing is it was a clear cut penalty. You may not agree but the rules are the rules.
 
No chance. There was nothing different in the challenge made by Sanchez the other week. If we hadn't been awarded the penalty then serious questions would've been raised.


Lacazette made and effort to play the ball and Sanchez went to tackle him. Harry never even tried to play the ball just let it run out and jumped into the block not tackle just tried to block. Harry was never going to shoot he went in the area and his aim was to cheat a penalty .
 
like it or not, that's now the game the World over.
Dermott's take on it (SKY):

INCIDENT: A penalty is awarded after Matty Cash brings down Harry Kane in the box in Tottenham's clash with Aston Villa.


DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct decision, penalty.


DERMOT SAYS: It is a foul, there is no doubt about that. The only question is whether the ball is still in play when the foul is made. You look and the answer is "yes", so therefore it is a penalty.

You are going to say to me that Kane is the wrong side of the ball, but that does not stop Cash from sliding in. He does not have to make that challenge. But once he commits to that challenge, he has to win that ball and he quite clearly does not.

I do not think he [Kane] initiates the contact, what he has done is he has protected the ball, he has put his body between the defender and the ball. And Cash does not have to make that challenge, but once he slides in like that, the only certainty is he has to get the ball and without doubt he does not get the ball.


Then the next question, is the ball in play? Well, when you look, the ball is in play, it was checked by the Video Assistant Referee, it has to be a penalty.


Photographic Evidence available in full article:

https://www.skysports.com/football/...ver-to-win-a-penalty-at-aston-villa-on-sunday
 
Lacazette made and effort to play the ball and Sanchez went to tackle him. Harry never even tried to play the ball just let it run out and jumped into the block not tackle just tried to block. Harry was never going to shoot he went in the area and his aim was to cheat a penalty .
If you make contact with the player & don't touch the ball it's a stonewall penalty. Those are the rules i'm afraid whether we like them or not.