Aston Villa v Leeds United Friday 23rd 8pm Match Thread | Page 37 | Vital Football

Aston Villa v Leeds United Friday 23rd 8pm Match Thread

That was a lesson that our best side is still not good enough and all this nonsense about not needing more players is just that nonsense.
We couldn't change anything tonight except Traore, as I said this morning we will lose eventually with or without Trez, who was totally out of his depth in that game.
He wasn't alone on that showing but at least Deano can start him against Southampton unless he wants a more defensive unit then he starts Elmo.

I can't even say we were unlucky we were totally outgunned everywhere.
The luck ran out tonight
 
david-avfc said:
One off the line, nearly scored a worldie out of nothing/his own skill, nearly won a pen, got their midfielder hauled off the pitch from 20 mins. Not a great game by his standards but he definitely had an impact which what we all really ask for
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BUT was he a team player today. It felt like he didn't pass all night (obviously not literally true).
 
It's not just feeling disappointed with the result it was the manner of it that I saw far too many times for my liking last season.

Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed winning the first 4 games I wasn't fooled or got carried away either and I said to my mate before the game tonight I think we could well lose this.

Unfortunately, I fully expect to lose lots more games this season so that's why I was so pleased to have at least got 12 points in the bag towards staying up!

You can't continue to rely on luck so I hope Shaksphere can impose some tactics on Smith to help in games and stop us from being so dam predictable. However, I think he is too stubborn to listen to game-changing tactical advice and it will be more of the same up and down throughout the season.
 
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Villan57 said:
That was a lesson that our best side is still not good enough and all this nonsense about not needing more players is just that nonsense.
We couldn't change anything tonight except Traore, as I said this morning we will lose eventually with or without Trez, who was totally out of his depth in that game.
He wasn't alone on that showing but at least Deano can start him against Southampton unless he wants a more defensive unit then he starts Elmo.

I can't even say we were unlucky we were totally outgunned everywhere.
The luck ran out tonight
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Outplayed tonight for sure and brought back down to earth but don’t think it’s a case of running out of luck if that’s what you’re inferring ‘57...? No luck involved in gaining four wins on the bounce. Deserved the points gained in those and deserved sod all tonight.
 
Gillette said:
Groan, what to say.
First half I thought Cash was our best player. They were marauding but as the half went on we got more into it and as a result their attacks were fewer. We looked Ok and not the team from last year.

Second half they just carried on and we lost the midfield. Where did it go? Every attack we had was on our doorstep 10 secs later. No defence can deal with that - but made worse by the fact that our defenders now also attack - so they are having to run back and organise too quickly.

Total capitulation once the first went in.
I turned it off after 3 ....and hugely surprised it didn't end up more!

Worrying things:
Ollie starting to look lost - I didn't see the "sitter" but I can well believe it. I was worried that although he has a hat-trick he has looked no-where near in the other now 4 games.

Barclay is injured - maybe that is why he went missing.
Or maybe tonight is a more typical performance.

What is our plan to score?
Long shots by Barclay or Jack walking it into the net?
Not one decent provide to Ollie - and his positioning is suffering from doubt now.

I like simple job roles. Who are the providers for Ollie?
It's like he isn't on our team. Sound familiar?

I'm upset now.
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The long and short of it IMO is that this looked like DS going gung ho again and not taking any notice of what was actually happening on the pitch as Bielsa did after just 20 minutes by hauling one of his players off.

DS didn't necessarily have to change players but he could have changed the shape so we were denser in midfield to stop them passing through us all game as they were doing right from the off - he should have pulled Ollie away from their centre halves to compress the midfield more too.

If it looks like you're going to lose the game then sometimes it's better to concentrate on not losing it than keep trying to win it, yes?

It's all very well having belief but you've also gotta see the reality quicker than an hour into the game and it's DS himself who said we needed to be humble after our great start - we looked anything but humble the way we were playing as a team and as individuals.

I'm all for going toe-to-toe with every team out there but if we're obviously bleeding but not yet knocked out then better to take a breather and regroup surely?
 
It was the interplay of the midfield that cut Liverpool apart. With Ollie sometimes coming back but mostly staying up ready - moving across the line.

We didn't do that as much against Leicester and not at all tonight. They should learn by watching a good team - themselves v Liverpool.
 
gmvillan said:
Disagree - he was a one-man central midfield tonight. Chasing shadows as McGinn and Barkley just stood and watched.
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I certainly wouldn't pick Luiz out for special criticism but he does get bypassed/caught out of position ahead of the ball an awful lot for a DM.

If you're trying to press but the other players aren't turning up though then stop pressing and go Alamo on the edge of your area instead IMO but these really are calls for the manager to make at HT ...
 
We looked so sluggish, wonder if a few might have Covid? Not making excuses at all but just crossed my mind.
The first goal was all important, we didn't get it but equally we didn't deserve it
 
Langoe66 said:
Outplayed tonight for sure and brought back down to earth but don’t think it’s a case of running out of luck if that’s what you’re inferring ‘57...? No luck involved in gaining four wins on the bounce. Deserved the points gained in those and deserved sod all tonight.
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let's just say if Jack's two misses go in and Bamford finishes like he normally does we win so our luck ran out.
 
Villan57 said:
We couldn't change anything tonight except Traore, as I said this morning we will lose eventually with or without Trez.

I can't even say we were unlucky we were totally outgunned everywhere.
The luck ran out tonight
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I don't disagree with the general premise that we're still a long way from being a good team and we don't have all the tools at our disposal to change a game.

I do however think this game doesnt prove that point as he had the tools to make an effective change IMO. We have a player full of energy and strong in the tackle in Marv who would have made a difference. We could have put Engels in and pushed Konsa out wide and Cash into midfield. Elmo could have came on and been more disciplined.

We don't have to go like for like which is what Dean almost always does.

A game-changer for us didn't have to be an attacking player and the bar was set so low by some tonight anyone on the bench could have made some sort of impact.
 
CDX_EIRE said:
I don't disagree with the general premise that we're still a long way from being a good team and we don't have all the tools at our disposal to change a game.

I do however think this game doesnt prove that point as he had the tools to make an effective change IMO. We have a player full of energy and strong in the tackle in Marv who would have made a difference. We could have put Engels in and pushed Konsa out wide and Cash into midfield. Elmo could have came on and been more disciplined.

We don't have to go like for like which is what Dean almost always does.

A game-changer for us didn't have to be an attacking player and the bar was set so low by some tonight anyone on the bench could have made some sort of impact.
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Well you know I'd change things to suit who we are playing but I'd have got pelters on here if I'd said that before KO . All this utter nonsense about not changing a winning team, This is the PL not a Sunday parks match.
 
Disappointed obviously, but 12 points from 15 is a great return from the first 5 games.
The game was close up to the 55th minute and could have gone either way (if Jack's shot in the first half had more pace/power or if after his fabulous run in the 2nd half he had passed to Ollie). The 2nd goal conceded after a dreadful pass out by Barkley finished the game for us. Our midfield 2nd half, particularly after they scored their first was anonymous (McGinn and Barkley especially) and at times it looked like we only had 8 or 9 players on the pitch. Not to have replaced one (probably the disappointing Barkley) was an oversight on Smith's part.
All that said I'm going to remain optimistic about Villa this season and hope that when players are clearly under-performing Deano will use his subs better.
 
Villan57 said:
Well you know I'd change things to suit who we are playing but I'd have got pelters on here if I'd said that before KO . All this utter nonsense about not changing a winning team, This is the PL not a Sunday parks match.
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If you keep the same team game after game the opposition managers know exactly how you are going to play.

Smith got found out tonight by a clever manager.
 
Leftsideoftheholte said:
Disappointed obviously, but 12 points from 15 is a great return from the first 5 games.
The game was close up to the 55th minute and could have gone either way (if Jack's shot in the first half had more pace/power or if after his fabulous run in the 2nd half he had passed to Ollie). The 2nd goal conceded after a dreadful pass out by Barkley finished the game for us. Our midfield 2nd half, particularly after they scored their first was anonymous (McGinn and Barkley especially) and at times it looked like we only had 8 or 9 players on the pitch. Not to have replaced one (probably the disappointing Barkley) was an oversight on Smith's part.
All that said I'm going to remain optimistic about Villa this season and hope that when players are clearly under-performing Deano will use his subs better.
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Yes but 12 points won't look so good if it becomes 12 out of 30.
 
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