Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Match Threads & Player Ratings => Topic started by: Ger Regan on August 06, 2022, 05:00:09 PM
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Absolute dog excrement
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Just fucking hell. Utterly utterly shit. Players, coaches and the manager. Utterly shit
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Abysmal.
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I don't expect much, but you'd think they'd be able to get dressed before kick off.
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To be that shit against Bournemouth was actually quite an achievement.
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Bunch of useless cants
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Shocked by that. Don't know where to start.
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I think I have an idea of what a massive problem might be. We aren’t Aston Villa. We aren’t Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa. We are Steven Gerrards Ego’s Aston Villa.
Stripping Mings of the captaincy, dropping Minds and Watkins is all about showing who is boss.
I’ve said it before, Gerrard is another Sherwood.
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And just like that, I realise I weas hopelessly wrong about what to expect this season.
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That went well then.
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This is a sickening, filthy result.
We didn't lay a glove on them.
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Couthino ....dear oh dear. Had one good season in his career and we are stuck with him for 4 years on 150k a week.
Is sanson really worse than the crap that turned up in our midfield today??
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I had a feeling the pre match confidence was a bit overcooked, but by christ that was pathetic. We need at least one more top class midfielder and also another striker, as none of the three can be relied on (for cam its a bit too soon for him I fear)
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Big pile of wank. I don't think I've ever seen us have so much possession and do so little with it. Yes, they parked the bus with a back five and two sitting midfielders, but to not create a single golden opportunity in 90 minutes is borderline criminal.
We just move the ball so slowly. It's like the players don't know what they're going to do with it when it's on the way to them, so it takes that extra half a second to take the ball and move it on. the very few times we moved it one-touch in the middle we at least got into dangerous areas.
I fully expect Gerrard to say things like "not good enough" "changes will be made" "if the players can't improve I'll get players who will". The reality is, we just didn't look good enough today to beat a team that will likely be in a relegation battle all season. Even if you take out the 'opening day' and 'very early goal' stuff, it's not good enough.
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I hate life.
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Said elsewhere but how can we spend so much and remain so shit? How do nothing clubs like Watford, Bournemouth, Burnley and Brentford keep beating us year after year on a fraction of our budget?
Sick of it
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And they put up ticket prices to look at this
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In an ever changing world you can always rely on The Villa mercilessly kicking you square in the bollocks.
An absolute shit show from start to finish.
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Mings back in for me.
A mistake leaving him out.
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Dreadful. Special mentions to McGinn, Carlos and Digne who looked poor and half arsed to me. How is McGinn captain?? Jesus Christ.
I wish we'd never signed Ings to be honest.
I wish we'd never appointed Gerrard.
Just fucking crap.
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There is still a massive problem with the midfield. Neither effective offensively or defensively.
Coutinho looks past it, so if your playmaker is giving the ball away then you have little chance of creating chances.
And then there is Mcginn
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Lack of a midfield of any description.
Short passes played down the channels, going nowhere.
Coutinho far too deep.
Best player starts on the bench.
Defence an absolute shambles - that second goal was laughably poor.
One-paced, predictable and carrying no momentum going forward.
McGinn particularly awful.
Digne unprofessional - off the pitch because he's wearing fucking jewellery for their first goal? Really?
That was genuinely worse than the first game of last season. Did we even make their keeper make a save?
This is fucking Bournemouth, imagine what it'd be like against an even remotely decent side with a bit of talent?
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I think I have an idea of what a massive problem might be. We aren’t Aston Villa. We aren’t Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa. We are Steven Gerrards Ego’s Aston Villa.
Stripping Mings of the captaincy, dropping Minds and Watkins is all about showing who is boss.
I’ve said it before, Gerrard is another Sherwood.
I agree with all of this, apart from the Tim Sherwood analogy. No-one can take that Liverpool match away from me!
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That was a typical Gerrard managerial performance and what I have come to expect from us now.
Slow ponderous sideways passing that allows the opposition to get back into shape easily, no zip or drive about our play at all. Watching yesterdays game, its as if teams are playing a different sport to us.
we dealt with crosses at both ends of the pitch horribly.
Too many times last season I watched us and become bored very quickly during matches and thats exactly how it played out today aswell.
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Mings back in for me.
A mistake leaving him out.
I'd have opted for Chambers.
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Looking for positives after that tactically inept performance, erm.. we can only improve? We look great on paper? It's only the first game of the season?
The writing was on the wall pre-season, we'll struggle to score from open play. Today shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. What was a nasty surprise was the pointless crossing into the box to lil' Danny Ings. Pathetic.
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I had a feeling the pre match confidence was a bit overcooked, but by christ that was pathetic. We need at least one more top class midfielder and also another striker, as none of the three can be relied on (for cam its a bit too soon for him I fear)
Like very season seemingly other than a couple of years ago
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Dreadful. Special mentions to McGinn, Carlos and Digne who looked poor and half arsed to me. How is McGinn captain?? Jesus Christ.
I wish we'd never signed Ings to be honest.
I wish we'd never appointed Gerrard.
Just fucking crap.
Agree with every word buddy.
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The most worrying thing for me - the players looked totally unbothered, no passion, no anger, no reaction to conceding poor goals.
On the first day of the season!
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The worst of it is Bournemouth are shite and will get relegated.
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I know it’s only one game but that was worryingly poor both individually and collectively. Gerrard needs to start backing up his words.
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Shambles from start to finish. Nobody taking any responsibility and a worryingly total lack of any team spirit. Bournemouth will not have an easier game this season.
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Chambers for me as well, making McGinn captain after a very ordinary season makesme doubt gerrard he was terrible again today. No shot on goal to speak of after ninety minutes against a red hot favourite for relegation says it all.
Can't name one player that had a decent game.
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Probably still on a high after beating Rennes
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I agree with you Axi. 100%
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Mings HAS to return - he makes the odd rick but he’s a cajoler, a leader and an organiser, all qualities missing at the back today. He would not have accepted that level of hesitancy in the air. It was a dreadful performance - I thought Kamara was excellent and Cash acceptable, the rest truly awful. Watkins didn’t touch the ball, Buendia looked slow, even possibly overweight (I have to be careful there as obviously I don’t know, but he was certainly very very poor). Disjointed, listless and dreary. Oh well, we’ll just have to win the next 37 …
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Zero positives to take from that other than it’s over. So passive. Woeful.
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Well he’s had his pre season he kept harping on about last year. He’s made his big calls on changing captaincy , dropping the previous captain.
And we’re still shit. He can’t get a tune out of what on paper looks a strong team.
That’s purely on him.
I think he’ll be gone by the World Cup Break.
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I haven’t seen any of it yet, but for how many years now have we been saying the midfield is non-existent?
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I thought start of last season was depressing but at least there were external factors for Watford.
No excuses today based on last month's preparation. Team who'll probably finish 20th completely outplayed us from start to finish.
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That was completely unacceptable on every level. No hunger, no orgaisation, no-one with any semblance of being even vaguely up for it. Personified by our new "captain", that fat waste of space McGinn, who was his usual mix of crap passing, stupid fouls and ballooning the ball 30 yards over the bar.
Sort this shit out quickly Gerrard, or fuck off.
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I think that's the first game I've witnessed where EVERYONE was utter shite. Starting 11, subs and especially the manager.
Fucking BOOOOOOOO!!!
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The most worrying thing for me - the players looked totally unbothered, no passion, no anger, no reaction to conceding poor goals.
On the first day of the season!
Very early for the the manager to 'lose' the dressing room ...
... an utterly gut-wrenching afternoon.
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I haven’t seen any of it yet
Don't do it to yourself.
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If we really, REALLY want to be an elite team, we need an elite management to achieve that and we don't have one.
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Abysmal, Gerrard has not got a clue. The amount of times we pass the ball around at a snails pass and the only discernable tactic is to hump it down the channels and get a cross in from the full backs. The reality was the slow passing meant Bournemouth had time to get their shape and every cross was meat and drink to their defenders. Why the fuck is Gerrard not screaming at them from the sideline to move the ball quicker or play 1 2's in and around the box. This was unacceptable today.
The reality is we are going nowhere with Gerrard in charge, the only good thing was Edens was there to witness it, I think everyone knows a decent manager with a discernible pattern of play would have a top 8 squad.
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Expect a big reaction next week, but have my doubts whether we're gonna get it.
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Positives. I thought Kamara and Buendia looked OK.
Negatives. Apart from the obvious, we managed to make Philip fucking Billing look competent.
2 goals from corners is totally unacceptable.
Just constantly trying to bang crosses in to Ings against their back 5 was the most witless thing imaginable.
Oh and they can fuck off with their shithousing from 2 minutes in.
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I think that's the first game I've witnessed where EVERYONE was utter shite. Starting 11, subs and especially the manager.
Fucking BOOOOOOOO!!!
Not Booba.
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I haven’t seen any of it yet, but for how many years now have we been saying the midfield is non-existent?
That is what drives me nuts.
There's no point throwing forwards on when there is no functioning midfield FFS. This has been a problem for years.
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I think he’ll be gone by the World Cup Break.
The only Villa-y thing I'm now looking forward to.
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I hate to say it, but that was pure Bruceball.
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Well if they're supposedly going back down, I don't know where that could leave us. I know it's one game, but that was worse than the opener last season.
I remain to be convinced that our team and squad is any better than last season's.
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I know it’s only one game but that was worryingly poor both individually and collectively. Gerrard needs to start backing up his words.
I wish it was only one game.
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If we really, REALLY want to be an elite team, we need an elite management to achieve that and we don't have one.
Best post of the day for me. Spot on.
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I know it’s only one game but that was worryingly poor both individually and collectively. Gerrard needs to start backing up his words.
I wish it was only one game.
Won two of the last 12 games.
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I hate to say it, but that was pure Bruceball.
There's more than a touch of Bruce about our manager. He arrived last November talking about a top-half finish. By the end of the season and in the summer his 'remit was to avoid relegation'.
He's a chancer.
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Need a massive upturn in performance and results, otherwise he'll be gone by November ().
Pause on buying new players and pump the money into the most needed part of any club - A top class manager to run the ship.
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Simply unacceptable even though its first game of the season. Instead of a confidence builder quite the opposite.
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I think we have lost 8 out of last 12.
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If we really, REALLY want to be an elite team, we need an elite management to achieve that and we don't have one.
Best post of the day for me. Spot on.
Thanks pal.
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I bet our owners wished they had Bournemouth business plan. They would have saved themselves tens of millions.
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We are a million miles away from being an ‘elite team’. As someone else said earlier in the thread, we seem to be playing a completely different sport from everyone else such is their inability all over the pitch.
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New season, same old Villa.
Ruining weekends since 1874.
I’m off to the pub
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Physically weak in midfield and absolutely clueless tactically. Slow, pedestrian with absolutely no urgency whatsoever. We won’t do anything without getting some muscle in the midfield. It’s not been addressed for 3 years and it’s blatantly obvious what’s needed. Let’s hope there’s something in the pipeline because we will struggle again without it.
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If you drop Tyrone ‘clean sheets’ Mings you’d better have a Plan B.
This is the team Gerard wants playing the system he wants but it’s not working, even with 5 subs available to change things at need.
I hope there’s a tactical genius on the strength, because we didn’t seem to have one available, today.
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I wonder what Mings is thinking.
We were so pedestrian and ineffective.
Nothing worked.
Am I worried, no. But we need to see a massive difference in performance.
We can all live with a defeat if we play ok, this was awful.
File under 1st game jinx and move on.
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If we really, REALLY want to be an elite team, we need an elite management to achieve that and we don't have one.
Best post of the day for me. Spot on.
Thanks pal.
It's the one flaw since our revival. We have to go out and get a top manager next time.
A good team with a lousy manager will fail. A good manager can get a lousy team to perform
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Doesn't matter what level of football you play, you simply can't give away 2 goals like we did today.
Once we went one down, Bournemouth simply packed their half. The pattern of the game is set from there & we had no answer.
We know that Ings up front on his own doesn't work. We know that Couthino needs to play central.
On the evidence of today, we're no further forward than we were a year ago, but we've spent another shitload of money.
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Also thought ings did a remarkably accurate impression of trez today
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Rotten attitude from minute one, expecting Bournemouth to roll over no doubt. Bullied physically in both boxes throughout. After each sub we seemed to get worse if that was even possible. Just a disorganised rabble really, case in point their second goal. Konsa our RCB getting dragged over to LB and Moore scoring from where he should have been. Aside from Martinez, the only players who reputations came out of this debacle enhanced were Mings and Sanson.
Terrible day for Gerrard, big decision to drop Mings blew up in his face with his two centre backs bullied. Making McGinn captain, another shocker. His two big signings, Carlos and Coutinho I thought their attitude stunk. The tactic of the full backs providing width simply isn't working either.
Martinez 8 - some excellent saves and up for the physical challenge, the only one
Cash 5 - no quality on the ball, bottled challenging Moore for the second.
Konsa 4 - beaten in the air for the first goal and countless times afterwards by Moore.
Carlos 4 - casual throughout and what was with his passing??
Digne 3 - soft as shite, one paced and rubbish
Kamara 6 - very tidy on the ball but physically seems a bit off PL standard, countless free kicks given away including one before second
McGinn 4 - shite, on his arse constantly and no quality on ball. Not a RCM, another idiotic tactic
Ramsey 4 - anonymous bar yellow card that sealed his fate. Wake up call required
Coutinho 4 - shocking, very fortunate not to get hooked at half time and didn't seem bothered
Bailey 5 - started very well but quickly ran out of ideas
Ings 5 - see Bailey, his legs look gone to be honest
Subs - Buendia started ok until he started occupying same space as Coutinho, Watkins hardly had a kick, same for Archer
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It’s so Villa to give a newly promoted team an early goal and something to defend. All the optimism of a good pre-season evaporated in a couple of minutes.
That’s two wins in 12 now. Gerrard is going to feel the heat pretty quickly if he doesn’t find a shape and style of play that wins games. I too fear Coutinho may prove to be his downfall.
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We are a million miles away from being an ‘elite team’. As someone else said earlier in the thread, we seem to be playing a completely different sport from everyone else such is their inability all over the pitch.
Problem is thats players with the ability of Coutinho and Buendia amongst others. Suggests to me that the problem might not be the players.
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I wonder what Mings is thinking.
We were so pedestrian and ineffective.
Nothing worked.
Am I worried, no. But we need to see a massive difference in performance.
We can all live with a defeat if we play ok, this was awful.
File under 1st game jinx and move on.
probably thinking not my fault today
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Thought Kamara looked good but the rest were terrible. Our movement is shocking. I miss the enjoyable Saturdays of the last 2 months!!!
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If we really, REALLY want to be an elite team, we need an elite management to achieve that and we don't have one.
I agree. One of the reasons Man City are where they are is because they threw money at managers at the top of their game. We haven’t. I don’t rate Gerrard, I don’t rate his tough talk or his championship in Scotland, and I’m uncomfortable with his obvious connection to Liverpool.
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If we really, REALLY want to be an elite team, we need an elite management to achieve that and we don't have one.
Best post of the day for me. Spot on.
Thanks pal.
It's the one flaw since our revival. We have to go out and get a top manager next time.
A good team with a lousy manager will fail. A good manager can get a lousy team to perform
Calling Pochettino
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Doesn't matter what level of football you play, you simply can't give away 2 goals like we did today.
Once we went one down, Bournemouth simply packed their half. The pattern of the game is set from there & we had no answer.
We know that Ings up front on his own doesn't work. We know that Couthino needs to play central.
On the evidence of today, we're no further forward than we were a year ago, but we've spent another shitload of money.
Net spend is Bout £8 million isn't it? We saved £15 million last summer. Maybe the levels of "investment" are for where we are not for kicking on. Last summer. We just finished close to arsenal, they spent £130 million and we sold our best player and saved £15 million. Newcastle will show the sane way. It isn't rocket science, you get what you pay for and all we're doing and have been for the last two summers is trading.
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Bournemouth were very good value today and deserved their usual 3 points against us.
At least the delusion about the season can finally come to a close. I'm going to check the season expectations thread in a few hours hoping to see plenty of revisions.
This squad is softer than a wet sponge and will struggle to score goals this season. Thank fuck the window is still open!
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Mings back in for me.
A mistake leaving him out.
I'd have opted for Chambers.
I’d have opted for a bottle of Valium.
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I don't expect much, but you'd think they'd be able to get dressed before kick off.
Atrocious - player and manager should be docked a few day wages for that
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I said it two weeks ago that we should expect exactly what we got last season because the squad, bar a couple of signings, hasn’t changed. Neither has the manager or tactics.
When I see McGinn made captain and the likes of Luiz about to sign a new contract I want to scream. The likes of them have been here for the last 3 yrs in the prem turning out mediocre performances week after week. Coutinho save as one of two early performances looked well off the pace last season yet we stilll sign him on a long term contract maybe as a sign of our managers ego? This is the same team who finished poorly at the end of last season so should we really expect anything other than a similar 14th place finish this year. I don’t think so
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That's unfair.
Quite a few cup exits have been mid week games.
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We’re a point behind Liverpool. Everyone relax.
#silverlinings
#clutchingatstraws
#fuckingdeluded
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More worrying for me, apart from the fact that I struggle to name a single player who wasn’t shit, was I couldn’t see a structure or patten. Of course apart from passing sideways and backwards.
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New season, same old Villa.
Ruining weekends since 1874.
I’m off to the pub
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Missed Mings defending set pieces. No risk was taken in the first half. Buendia at least injected a degree of urgency. Full backs were below par. Kamara looked composed. Ings needs to put down that bag of cement he has been carrying on his back since we signed him.
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Following Chukwuemeka's departure for a reported £20m and Trezeguet for £3m was is it? our net spend this window is not much? These owners have shed loads of money; we need far more intent before the window closes.....
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Doesn't matter what level of football you play, you simply can't give away 2 goals like we did today.
Once we went one down, Bournemouth simply packed their half. The pattern of the game is set from there & we had no answer.
We know that Ings up front on his own doesn't work. We know that Couthino needs to play central.
On the evidence of today, we're no further forward than we were a year ago, but we've spent another shitload of money.
Net spend is Bout £8 million isn't it? We saved £15 million last summer. Maybe the levels of "investment" are for where we are not for kicking on. Last summer. We just finished close to arsenal, they spent £130 million and we sold our best player and saved £15 million. Newcastle will show the sane way. It isn't rocket science, you get what you pay for and all we're doing and have been for the last two summers is trading.
There’s no point giving this clown a load more money. Motivation and tactics are awful.
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We’re a point behind Liverpool. Everyone relax.
#silverlinings
#clutchingatstraws
#fuckingdeluded
Still unbeaten at home, too.
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I thought start of last season was depressing but at least there were external factors for Watford.
No excuses today based on last month's preparation. Team who'll probably finish 20th completely outplayed us from start to finish.
Now that’s not true is it. Yes they fought for their lives but our downfall was our inability to break down a 5 man defence. To say they outplayed us is just stupid
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9 points out the last 36 available inc 2 wins from the last 12 games and bar Man City there were some pretty rubbish teams in that run of games
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Disappointing and really deflating performance and result.
The same old issues persist. A new season but we still concede the softest of goals possible.
In 90 minutes Bournemouth didn't exert any pressure on our defence. There was no pressure to cause a creak or loss of concentration. No, we concede from two routine high balls.
The first was a farce with Digne not being on the pitch and nobody thinking of dropping in, so they win a corner. Konsa doesn't win the first header and it's so easy when it comes back in. Shambles of a goal that could have been scored in any of the previous seasons we've been back.
The 2nd we don't get close to stop the cross and an absolutely middling Championship nobody, who couldn't get into Cardiff's side last year, has a simple header. It's unacceptable.
Konsa cannot compete physically. Far too lightweight and easily bullied.
McGinn's passing is poor. Ramsey was a mile off the pace. Coutinho totally anonymous.
Box to box, the better side. We passed it and recovered it much better than them. But so we should, they're a Championship side and look every inch one too.
Yet we had zero answer to their 5 at the back and Solanke dropping off to form one of the midfield in a compressed line 5-10 yards in front of their midfield.
The delivery in the box all day was awful, there wasn't a variation either in the type of ball put in either.
We just don't carry a threat in the 18 yard box. Just none. Watkins was more ineffectual than Ings, who didn't do a fat lot himself.
So poor. We didn't have a single effort on goal second half.
What have we learnt, what are we going to do differently? I might as well be sat in Watford rather than the 17:45 out of Bournemouth.
An 8 and a striker. Urgently.
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We’re a point behind Liverpool. Everyone relax.
#silverlinings
#clutchingatstraws
#fuckingdeluded
Still unbeaten at home, too.
We are going to fuck that up next week aren’t we?
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Mings back in for me.
A mistake leaving him out.
I'd have opted for Chambers.
I think Chambers is the best defender we've got at the club.
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Mings back in for me.
A mistake leaving him out.
I'd have opted for Chambers.
I think Chambers is the best defender we've got at the club.
Give it time.
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I thought Chambers would start today. I think he can count himself very unlucky not to have.
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What a load of fucking WANK! There was nothing at all in that game that gave me any pleasure or hope for the season. Fuck off you useles wankers!
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We’re a point behind Liverpool. Everyone relax.
#silverlinings
#clutchingatstraws
#fuckingdeluded
Still unbeaten at home, too.
We are going to fuck that up next week aren’t we?
There's always the hope it gets postponed. We must be due a cold snap.
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Staying positive, we only need to win the last 37 league games of the season to win the league.
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Our midfield will never function if both the outside midfielders are told to drop back to full-back every time the actual full backs go forward. Doesn’t really matter who they are.
This, and the picking of the woefully shit JM as captain, replacing the one who played really well for the last couple of months of last season, make me worry about the manager, who let’s face it, we couldn’t be sure of anyway with no reliable track record to speak of.
Also, Carlos was wank against Rennes as he was today. I was surprised by the positive view of him after that game - thought I must have had a shit stream.
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Not his usual bullish self in this interview. I think he knows he's royally fucked up.
https://twitter.com/AVFCOfficial/status/1555957702479724551?s=20&t=VJRlAfXwEv2SOywzHaAYpw
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What a load of fucking WANK! There was nothing at all in that game that gave me any pleasure or hope for the season. Fuck off you useles wankers!
Is that the French spelling for useless?
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Chill FFS.
It’s one game. If you were a realist before the game, that just confirmed why we will remain a mid table team. The talk of top 8 was nonsense before we even kicked a ball. Will say again - the squad lacks real quality and we saw that today. Bailey, Coutinho, Ings, McGinn all very poor today.
But
We will improve.
Kamara and Carlos will settle and I saw enough from them to provide optimism for the strength they will bring.
Critchley is key and his regimen will take time to develop.
Liverpool looked poor against Fulham - it happens. They will still be challenging for the title in 37 games time.
Hugely disappointing but as always, let’s see where we are after 10 games.
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I would not have started Konsa and Ramsey given their less than stellar preseasons and I would have tried to find a way to play Buendia from the start too.
Slow, ponderous ball movement, no ball retention and the crossing was off-the-scale bad. Did we have a single shot on target ?
It appears nothing has changed. Gerrard needs to find a massive improvement for the Everton game at VP.
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Completely unacceptable
Worse than Watford and two wins in 12.
At least last season we had excuses, lost the best player in a generation, are pre season consisted of a BBQ and we had injuries.
This was a text book pre- season. He made a point of dropping Mings - who’s probably been our best defender of the last 10 years - and we ended up getting dicked by a team that will finish 20th
Hes nearly a year in and still doesn’t know his best team, best players or best formation.
He gets outwitted by managers that we would turn our nose up at. Not good enough and must change quickly
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Oh dear. Even slightly shitter start than last season, which I didn’t see coming !
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Sadly it was what I expected, I just knew it would be a shit show, it’s so utterly predictable.
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https://twitter.com/avfcofficial/status/1555957702479724551?s=21&t=-0PLnXPj_SjDrFKCFyW4Tg
SG post match comments
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He keeps saying ‘it’s an area we need to improve’.
But he’s been saying after most games since he came here.
So, when’s he going to improve what needs improving?
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I’m always rubbish at predicting the score but this was my contribution to the pre match thread.
“2-0 to Bournemouth. Risso to start the Gerrard out thread at 5:01.”
Even thought it was a joke I feel responsible somehow.
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Didn’t want to come on here for all the negativity. It’s one match, get a fucking grip everyone.
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He just said they worked all week on defending set plays.
Jesus.
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He just said they worked all week on defending set plays.
Jesus.
Credit to Gerrard for saving is from a 5-0 defeat then.
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Disappointing.
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Didn’t want to come on here for all the negativity. It’s one match, get a fucking grip everyone.
So where do you suggest we look for the positivity from today to counter the negativity?
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Didn’t want to come on here for all the negativity. It’s one match, get a fucking grip everyone.
So where do you suggest we look for the positivity from today to counter the negativity?
It's finished now.
We didn't get anyone injured.
I didn't go.
I think that's about it.
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It’s one match, let’s keep some perspective here. Everton up next, a winnable match if ever there was one.
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I look forward to you lecturing everyone after that game, too.
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Didn’t want to come on here for all the negativity. It’s one match, get a fucking grip everyone.
So where do you suggest we look for the positivity from today to counter the negativity?
It's finished now.
We didn't get anyone injured.
I didn't go.
I think that's about it.
We are only three points off the Champions League places.
We can still win the title with a record 111 points.
We won’t lose to Bournemouth away in the league again this season.
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He just said they worked all week on defending set plays.
Jesus.
If money and ambition are no object to the current owners, why are we stuck with this shithouse? Go and pay good money on a proven manager. Steven fucking Gerrard, of all people. What the fuck.
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Silly question. If we spent time in the week practising defending corners did we do the one where we are down to ten men while a Villa defender is off the field having his jewellery removed?
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Coutinho was a bit flat the back end of last season, but he was utterlly abysmal today. Gave the ball away time and time again, and if he did manage to pass to somebody in a Villa shirt they were usually behind him.
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If we really, REALLY want to be an elite team, we need an elite management to achieve that and we don't have one.
Best post of the day for me. Spot on.
If that comes to pass, the manager MUST not be English. There isn’t a REALLY good English manager and there hasn’t been one for a long time. No idea why, no logical explanation really, but it’s irrefutably and demonstrably the case, sadly.
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Didn’t want to come on here for all the negativity. It’s one match, get a fucking grip everyone.
Well said!
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Nothing seemed to work today. I thought early on (aside from the concession) Ings and Bailey were getting themselves into good areas and looking to get forward. However, Coutinho's side was just too slow. We've got a flyer in Bailey, and a handbrake magician in Coutinho. We need to figure out what we want our tempo to be, and stick with it.. because of the polar opposite flanks, the midfield in general were just incredibly uninspiring and stop/start going forward. Today was the first instance I questioned McGinn getting the armband.
Tyrone Mings' brain must be in knots. The amount of balls that bounced in the box.. the amount of times Emi didn't come out for a catchable ball. The backs looked so unsure the few times we were pinned in and our set pieces on both ends were just terrible. Hopefully there isn't a merry-go-round of center back partnerships this season and we can find some semblance of consistency.
I'm glad Edens was there to witness that mismanaged and toothless crap. Keep your cheque book open.
I cannot go through the stress of 19/20, again. I am going to cling on and have some faith that we will be competitive this year.
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I’d rather he kept the cheque book closed rather than let Steeeevie spend more money.
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Havent seen the game, travelling home from Ireland and following it on the match thread, which i normally try and avoid.
Sounded a shit show of the highest order.
Talk of a new manager is, however, just fooking stupid on the 6th August.
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I said it two weeks ago that we should expect exactly what we got last season because the squad, bar a couple of signings, hasn’t changed. Neither has the manager or tactics.
When I see McGinn made captain and the likes of Luiz about to sign a new contract I want to scream. The likes of them have been here for the last 3 yrs in the prem turning out mediocre performances week after week. Coutinho save as one of two early performances looked well off the pace last season yet we stilll sign him on a long term contract maybe as a sign of our managers ego? This is the same team who finished poorly at the end of last season so should we really expect anything other than a similar 14th place finish this year. I don’t think so
To be fair I don’t think too many of us were complaining when Coutinho put pen to paper.
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I’d rather he kept the cheque book closed rather than let Steeeevie spend more money.
I'd imagine the transfer payments are made using EFTs these days.
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I wasn’t and still aren’t. He’s a terrific player, capable of changing any game. Today the whole team were abysmal, I’m more worried we couldn’t get a reaction no matter who was brought on.
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Was their second goal an unbelievable header or a lucky one? Martinez dived and was still miles away from it despite it having to go back across the goal frame.
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Was their second goal an unbelievable header or a lucky one? Martinez dived and was still miles away from it despite it having to go back across the goal frame.
Kieffer Moore is 6'5" and was surrounded by three Villa players. No one challenged the ball and he put it across Martinez.. too easy. Not the keeper's fault.
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Lowlights: https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/12667101/bournemouth-2-0-aston-villa-premier-leage-highlights
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I’d rather he kept the cheque book closed rather than let Steeeevie spend more money.
It wasn't Gerrard who bought the utterly shite McGinn and Watkins though to be fair. Kamara was our best player by a country mile today.
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Was Konsa fit for all the pre season games? I didn’t think he was, so it was a real surprise to see him start today. The last half hour I watched he looked very poor, he wasn’t the only one, but he gave away stupid needless fouls and looked shaky.
I’ve said it before but for all Mings’ mistakes or lapses in concentration we look far better defensively with him playing.
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So where do you suggest we look for the positivity from today to counter the negativity?
'Micah Richards' Player Pranks' is on Sky Max tonight if you're looking for "hilarious" japes to cheer you up.
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A dismal start to the season as it gets.
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Silly question. If we spent time in the week practising defending corners did we do the one where we are down to ten men while a Villa defender is off the field having his jewellery removed?
This fucking annoys me. How many games do you have to play as a professional footballer before you know what the rules are. FFS. Ok maybe Digne may not have won the header, but it’s the amateur hour fuck ups that are annoying.
Can these players not think for themselves.
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We are 2 players away from being a decent team. If what’s been written in the press is correct we are still looking for a midfielder and a forward. The game is won and lost in the middle of the pitch and we just aren’t good enough there. We don’t have that forward to score something out of nothing either. A big few weeks ahead.
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We need to be better versions of ourselves come next weekend
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Was that worse than at Watford on the opening day last season? Probably and by quite a long way.
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No it wasn't. Box to box we were alright and better than them. Watford was abject in a very noticeable way. Like they'd been on the ale and were turning up to a stag do organised bubble football game. Watford is probably the worst performance since maybe Wigan away.
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We are 2 players away from being a decent team. If what’s been written in the press is correct we are still looking for a midfielder and a forward. The game is won and lost in the middle of the pitch and we just aren’t good enough there. We don’t have that forward to score something out of nothing either. A big few weeks ahead.
Maybe, but a different midfield would not have made any difference to the goals we conceded today. We look a soft touch.
Of course that can change but the unexpected nature of the performance and result today has knocked my confidence so it’s difficult to retain perspective.
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Today is my birthday. You can always rely on Aston Villa to ruin a perfectly good day. Thanks a lot AVFC.
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Enjoy the rest of the day. I'm glad my birthday is out of season.
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Thanks! Normally it is.
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My birthday is usually on the 4th round of the FA cup, so I’m usually safe too.
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We are 2 players away from being a decent team. If what’s been written in the press is correct we are still looking for a midfielder and a forward. The game is won and lost in the middle of the pitch and we just aren’t good enough there. We don’t have that forward to score something out of nothing either. A big few weeks ahead.
And presumably Bournemouth don’t need any new players?
We have enough quality to beat anybody already but Bournemouth showed today the one thing we don’t have that will mean days like this are going to continue
I really hoped Gerrards winning mentality would finally knock our lack of fight out of us, but alas I am not seeing it at the moment\
As BE said, wankers 🤨
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Today is my birthday. You can always rely on Aston Villa to ruin a perfectly good day. Thanks a lot AVFC.
Happy Birthday.
Olof's Beard of this Villa, had a landmark birthday yesterday.
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So aside from dropping on field leader Mings, Konsa having a stinker, McGinn looking like an ineffective Houghton every game, our best 2 attacking options in terms of chnaces and goals are left on the sidelines, an unbalanced midfield and an experienced international not knowing how to dress correctly for the match, a manager who has no new Plan A let alone B and we were playing a distinctly ordinary side v a club about an 1/8th our size we need to remain positivr
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Well another dreadful first game of the season. Must do much better and fast.
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Can we start next season's Premier League at home to Southampton please.
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Can we start next season's Premier League at home to Southampton please.
What so they can get 3 points ?
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Never mind.
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Can we start next season's Premier League at home to Southampton please.
We did do that once and still couldn't win. There was the rare sight of a Villa goal for Carlton Cole though.
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Can we start next season's Premier League at home to Southampton please.
We did do that once and still couldn't win. There was the rare sight of a Villa goal for Carlton Cole though.
we won that game 2-0
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Can we start next season's Premier League at home to Southampton please.
We did do that once and still couldn't win. There was the rare sight of a Villa goal for Carlton Cole though.
we won that game 2-0
We did. I was confusing it with the Bolton 2-2. The O'Leary years blurred into one.
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Where do you start with today..
Couthino has had one good season in the whole of his career and is lauded by no one outside of anyone having a Liverpool connection . He is Gerrards mate,was abysmal AGAIN today. Buendia is far superior
Mings may have mistake in him but is our most consistent defender and doesn't stop talking, organising, all game. Gerrad strips him of the captaincy so he concentrate on his football....then drops him
Mcginn should not be a captain or regular in our team , another woeful performance from him today. He should be concentrating on his football
Ings has scored goals at every club except villa..why is that? He's only 30 and his legs haven't gone
As for Gerrard he is the supposed upgrade on Dean who looks tactically as good as Sherwood.....and Pochettino is without a club
Apologies for rant. I'm just fed up after sitting through that 90 mins
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That was 11 strangers having a pre season friendly.
Utterly pathetic.
Gerrard is the one who has no excuses; let alone him throwing that line around to the players.
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I sussed Gerrard early on. But even I thought we would be too much for Bournemouth.
Today was the full unveiling of the emperor’s new clothes in all it’s naked glory.
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I would imagine Purslow might be having some uncomfortable conversations with the owners
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In truth, my gut was telling me this exactly how it would pan out today.
We are not going to improve playing this system, it's flawed. It's not just flawed, it's wank.
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And so he should. Huge spend and as of yet, no improvement.
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We’re a point behind Liverpool. Everyone relax.
#silverlinings
#clutchingatstraws
#fuckingdeluded
Still unbeaten at home, too.
And only one away defeat all season, it's impressive stuff.
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I'm really disappointed with that performance I was expecting better than that we really need to improve because that's not acceptable.
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Compare this to what we did to the newly promoted fulham in the covid season…
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I would imagine Purslow might be having some uncomfortable conversations with the owners
Apologising for his vanity project you mean ?
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AlwaysVilla makes a good point. Mings was stripped of the captaincy ostensibly so he could concentrate on his game. Yet he was dropped at the first opportunity, with Konsa levered in ahead of him despite not having had a good game for us in about a year, and despite that choice meaning we had two right-footed centre halves playing.
Suggests to me that Gerrard is full of shit, and removed the armband because he simply doesn't rate Mings.
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In truth, my gut was telling me this exactly how it would pan out today.
We are not going to improve playing this system, it's flawed. It's not just flawed, it's wank.
I don't think all our players are shit Lee but there does seem to be a problem somewhere along the line...is it management..tactics. system....I honestly don't know. What I do know is we are not the sum of our parts.
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AlwaysVilla makes a good point. Mings was stripped of the captaincy ostensibly so he could concentrate on his game. Yet he was dropped at the first opportunity, with Konsa levered in ahead of him despite not having had a good game for us in about a year, and despite that choice meaning we had two right-footed centre halves playing.
Suggests to me that Gerrard is full of shit, and removed the armband because he simply doesn't rate Mings.
Or he’s ‘cock-swinging’ showing how he’s the top banana and can make tough decisions.
(ones that didn’t need making).
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Pissed off with the result, no excuses. Let’s see how he shakes things up for Everton. They’re a truly poor side under Lampard and I’ll start to worry if we don’t beat them. Although the fact that I’m comparing us with Everton is probably worrying enough. But I think we’ll win.
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In truth, my gut was telling me this exactly how it would pan out today.
We are not going to improve playing this system, it's flawed. It's not just flawed, it's wank.
Yep, utterly ridiculous to try and play like that team with the personnel available to us. They don't suit it.
Utter shite by the sounds of it. I guess I need to watch it though.
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AlwaysVilla makes a good point. Mings was stripped of the captaincy ostensibly so he could concentrate on his game. Yet he was dropped at the first opportunity, with Konsa levered in ahead of him despite not having had a good game for us in about a year, and despite that choice meaning we had two right-footed centre halves playing.
Suggests to me that Gerrard is full of shit, and removed the armband because he simply doesn't rate Mings.
He’s ex-Rangers so probably a big old racist!!!
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No. .you really don't
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Pissed off with the result, no excuses. Let’s see how he shakes things up for Everton. They’re a truly poor side under Lampard and I’ll start to worry if we don’t beat them. Although the fact that I’m comparing us with Everton is probably worrying enough. But I think we’ll win.
Having watched both games today we’re probably on par with chances created. They move the ball quicker and with purpose and more importantly they were playing against Chelsea. We’re clueless against Bournemouth. If they watch the video of our game I know how i’d be setting up against us. I’m not at all confident based on our performance/team and tactics today. Home advantage should help but I’m not sure it will.
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I was surprised that Calum Chambers didn't start, especially as Konsa was picked ahead of him. I rate Chambers, he doesn't let the side down.
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AlwaysVilla makes a good point. Mings was stripped of the captaincy ostensibly so he could concentrate on his game. Yet he was dropped at the first opportunity, with Konsa levered in ahead of him despite not having had a good game for us in about a year, and despite that choice meaning we had two right-footed centre halves playing.
Suggests to me that Gerrard is full of shit, and removed the armband because he simply doesn't rate Mings.
Or he’s ‘cock-swinging’ showing how he’s the top banana and can make tough decisions.
(ones that didn’t need making).
On the money I reckon. 👍🏼
But Gerrard’s ‘famed playing career’ will only buy him so much time. At some point, he’s got to start delivering all of this bullshit coming out of his mouth.
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I was surprised that Calum Chambers didn't start, especially as Konsa was picked ahead of him. I rate Chambers, he doesn't let the side down.
Chambers seems to put everything into his performance and is fully committed.
We could have done with that today and Konsa looked like he did last season.
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This malaise in Villa's performances has been around for years. Same problems year in year out no matter who is appointed as Manager and amount of money spent......
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Digne was off the pitch getting some piece of jewellery removed when Bournemouth scored their opener from their FIRST corner.
Just about sums up our shambolic effort today
Digne's been totally unprofessional - fine him a month's wages.
Couldn't/shouldn't somebody have gone down with an "injury" to allow Digne to get back and in position for the corner.
SG was talking pre-season about being ruthless.
Instead of which, we were clueless when the first opportunity presented itself.
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No. .you really don't
Watched the 2 minute highlights. That's plenty thanks very much. Dire and basic errors.
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Crosses: 31
Successful Crosses: 6
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On Digne, the report I read said he was having a bloody nose sorted?
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Digne was off the pitch getting some piece of jewellery removed when Bournemouth scored their opener from their FIRST corner.
Just about sums up our shambolic effort today
Digne's been totally unprofessional - fine him a month's wages.
Couldn't/shouldn't somebody have gone down with an "injury" to allow Digne to get back and in position for the corner.
SG was talking pre-season about being ruthless.
Instead of which, we were clueless when the first opportunity presented itself.
Been told Digne was in the 6 yard box for the first goal.
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Im sure he was on the pitch.
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Crosses: 31
Successful Crosses: 6
Cash was aimlessly pumping wank crosses into the box.
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Im sure he was on the pitch.
He was, he's clearly visible in the 6 yard box defending the corner.
Sports journalists are happy to report something that they could easily see with their own eyes is false if they bothered to check.
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Digne was off the pitch for the corner they won. If he'd been in left back, it's hard to see us panicking and making such a mess of an aimless ball, having to knock it out for a corner.
Conceding an early goal was the last thing we wanted to do. Calmed nerves, bred confidence, allowed the home crowd to tolerate a low defensive block. So naturally we gifted it them.
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We are 2 players away from being a decent team. If what’s been written in the press is correct we are still looking for a midfielder and a forward. The game is won and lost in the middle of the pitch and we just aren’t good enough there. We don’t have that forward to score something out of nothing either. A big few weeks ahead.
McGinn’s shit, but to be fair it won’t matter who plays there if he has to stand around next to the centre-halves whenever Cash goes forward. When the midfielder on the other side does it as well, that’s Kamara as the only midfielder in about a 25 yard radius.
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Digne was off the pitch for the corner they won. If he'd been in left back, it's hard to see us panicking and making such a mess of an aimless ball, having to knock it out for a corner.
Conceding an early goal was the last thing we wanted to do. Calmed nerves, bred confidence, allowed the home crowd to tolerate a low defensive block. So naturally we gifted it them.
He was on the pitch when the corner was taken.
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I know. I said he was off the pitch for them winning the corner and as I said they attacked the left full back position he'd vacated. If he'd been on, we probably don't give a corner away.
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Ah! Got it.
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I'm still as pissed off as I was at 4.55pm this evening. Awful result and, arguably, the worst single result since we got promoted in 2019. Bournemouth are in rag order.
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Just got home so not read the thread so apologies for any duplication of other posts. That performance was absolutely no different to any of the displays towards the end of Smith’s tenure - zero creativity, abysmally poor tempo and devoid of ideas in how to break down a team with men behind the ball. I’m struggling to understand how a team with Coutinho, Buendia and Bailey are unable to create a single chance against a team like Bournemouth. Gerrard has a big week ahead of him that’s for sure, because we have to beat Everton. Two wins in twelve is not good.
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I’d rather he kept the cheque book closed rather than let Steeeevie spend more money.
It wasn't Gerrard who bought the utterly shite McGinn and Watkins though to be fair. Kamara was our best player by a country mile today.
But he played them…..
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Coutinho seems to be guaranteed a starting place regardless. Similar to Schmeichel all those years ago.
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Coutinho seems to be guaranteed a starting place regardless. Similar to Schmeichel all those years ago.
And the obvious sub was Buendia for Coutinho but he subbed Ramsey.
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So. Let's not panic. But fuck me was that bad. Absolutely no zip in midfield, no cohesion, no visible plan about how to attack and no evidence of knowing how to adapt to different circumstances. We got mugged by a promoted team whose own manager described them as worse than last season.
'Must improve' is the understatement of the aeon.
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Coutinho seems to be guaranteed a starting place regardless. Similar to Schmeichel all those years ago.
He started three of our last five league matches before today so that's incorrect. He was arguably our best player and scored a goal in the last one so would have been odd to leave him out.
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Coutinho seems to be guaranteed a starting place regardless. Similar to Schmeichel all those years ago.
Old mates club. I don't think any of the outfield players today could complain if dropped v Everton but Coutinho should really be first. If nothing else to actually show it's performances on the field that matter most, not past reputations. Leaving our best attacking player out to accommodate PC is more nonsense from Gerrard. Start EB at 10 v Everton and I'd expect us to win.
Knowing Gerrard's past form, the most likely change is Young for Ramsey.
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Coutinho seems to be guaranteed a starting place regardless. Similar to Schmeichel all those years ago.
He started three of our last five league matches before today so that's incorrect. He was arguably our best player and scored a goal in the last one so would have been odd to leave him out.
We'll find out next weekend.
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Coutinho seems to be guaranteed a starting place regardless. Similar to Schmeichel all those years ago.
And the obvious sub was Buendia for Coutinho but he subbed Ramsey.
Ramsey was shite AND on a yellow card.
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Coutinho seems to be guaranteed a starting place regardless. Similar to Schmeichel all those years ago.
He started three of our last five league matches before today so that's incorrect. He was arguably our best player and scored a goal in the last one so would have been odd to leave him out.
We'll find out next weekend.
Not really, because even if he is picked, he will only have been chosen in four of the last six games so still not "guaranteed a place". Anyway, Everton at home seems to me the sort of game where he should thrive so I'm hoping he's picked. Along with Buendia and Bailey.
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Hope you're right.
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Coutinho seems to be guaranteed a starting place regardless. Similar to Schmeichel all those years ago.
And the obvious sub was Buendia for Coutinho but he subbed Ramsey.
Ramsey was shite AND on a yellow card.
No worse than Coutinho then.
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The yellow card was clearly what tipped the balance.
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I sussed Gerrard early on. But even I thought we would be too much for Bournemouth.
Today was the full unveiling of the emperor’s new clothes in all it’s naked glory.
Nope, you’ve never liked Gerrard, so you come on here and slate him whenever we lose, then go quiet when we do well. Anyone can do that and is very different to having the nous to ‘suss’ any football manager out.
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I sussed Gerrard early on. But even I thought we would be too much for Bournemouth.
Today was the full unveiling of the emperor’s new clothes in all it’s naked glory.
Nope, you’ve never liked Gerrard, so you come on here and slate him whenever we lose, then go quiet when we do well. Anyone can do that and is very different to having the nous to ‘suss’ any football manager out.
When have we done well?
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1981. 1982. 1994. 1996.
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I sussed Gerrard early on. But even I thought we would be too much for Bournemouth.
Today was the full unveiling of the emperor’s new clothes in all it’s naked glory.
Nope, you’ve never liked Gerrard, so you come on here and slate him whenever we lose, then go quiet when we do well. Anyone can do that and is very different to having the nous to ‘suss’ any football manager out.
Don’t like or dislike Gerrard. Do you really think he is going to
take us forward. If so based on what?
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1981. 1982. 1994. 1996.
Of course. And we were nowhere that night in Istanbul so I guess we ought to be grateful to have him!
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Just cannot see what he is trying to do on the pitch. Neither do the players.
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He talks a good game and there were definite signs of improvement once upon a time. You just worry that that promise walked off to QPR in the summer.
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Out of his depth?
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More like a Ronnie Corbett solo project.
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Sorry!
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I sussed Gerrard early on. But even I thought we would be too much for Bournemouth.
Today was the full unveiling of the emperor’s new clothes in all it’s naked glory.
Nope, you’ve never liked Gerrard, so you come on here and slate him whenever we lose, then go quiet when we do well. Anyone can do that and is very different to having the nous to ‘suss’ any football manager out.
Don’t like or dislike Gerrard. Do you really think he is going to
take us forward. If so based on what?
Your being disingenuous as you really do dislike him. Thats your prerogative to be honest, and i couldn’t really care less, just have an issue that you ‘sussed’ him out.
As for him taking us forward, last season is last season. He has new signings that need to settle in, we probably need a couple more. Today was a car crash, but id prefer to see where we are in a few weeks before making judgement on the manager.
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Have to say the more games i see under Gerrard the more i begin to doubt he is good enough to take us where we want to go.Today our dismal performance was just the same as many in that dreadful end to last season we we could not win
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Awful performance. Clueless. Nobody seems to know where they should be and what they should be doing.
Have we switched from zonal to man marking?
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Awful performance. Clueless. Nobody seems to know where they should be and what they should be doing.
Have we switched from zonal to man marking?
Looking at the second goal, I think we've turned our back on the concept of marking, full stop.
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I sussed Gerrard early on. But even I thought we would be too much for Bournemouth.
Today was the full unveiling of the emperor’s new clothes in all it’s naked glory.
Nope, you’ve never liked Gerrard, so you come on here and slate him whenever we lose, then go quiet when we do well. Anyone can do that and is very different to having the nous to ‘suss’ any football manager out.
Don’t like or dislike Gerrard. Do you really think he is going to
take us forward. If so based on what?
Your being disingenuous as you really do dislike him. Thats your prerogative to be honest, and i couldn’t really care less, just have an issue that you ‘sussed’ him out.
As for him taking us forward, last season is last season. He has new signings that need to settle in, we probably need a couple more. Today was a car crash, but id prefer to see where we are in a few weeks before making judgement on the manager.
I don’t think it’s just me who has sussed him out. Most of the opposition managers regularly do. ScottP today managed to do it today with a squad that is generally regarded as the favourites to go down this season.
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Just seen us on MOTD…I thought quite a few were saying we were shite today, from what I’ve seen, I think you were being very generous in just saying we were shite. We desperately need a real striker and for SG to pick players on merit. I feel there is more to the change in captains than we’ve been told and, McGinn for sure, is not the right replacement.
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I sussed Gerrard early on. But even I thought we would be too much for Bournemouth.
Today was the full unveiling of the emperor’s new clothes in all it’s naked glory.
Nope, you’ve never liked Gerrard, so you come on here and slate him whenever we lose, then go quiet when we do well. Anyone can do that and is very different to having the nous to ‘suss’ any football manager out.
Don’t like or dislike Gerrard. Do you really think he is going to
take us forward. If so based on what?
Your being disingenuous as you really do dislike him. Thats your prerogative to be honest, and i couldn’t really care less, just have an issue that you ‘sussed’ him out.
As for him taking us forward, last season is last season. He has new signings that need to settle in, we probably need a couple more. Today was a car crash, but id prefer to see where we are in a few weeks before making judgement on the manager.
I don’t think it’s just me who has sussed him out. Most of the opposition managers regularly do. ScottP today managed to do it today with a squad that is generally regarded as the favourites to go down this season.
Ok fair enough, you and Scott Parker have sussed him out, fill yer boots.
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I sussed Gerrard early on. But even I thought we would be too much for Bournemouth.
Today was the full unveiling of the emperor’s new clothes in all it’s naked glory.
Nope, you’ve never liked Gerrard, so you come on here and slate him whenever we lose, then go quiet when we do well. Anyone can do that and is very different to having the nous to ‘suss’ any football manager out.
Don’t like or dislike Gerrard. Do you really think he is going to
take us forward. If so based on what?
Your being disingenuous as you really do dislike him. Thats your prerogative to be honest, and i couldn’t really care less, just have an issue that you ‘sussed’ him out.
As for him taking us forward, last season is last season. He has new signings that need to settle in, we probably need a couple more. Today was a car crash, but id prefer to see where we are in a few weeks before making judgement on the manager.
I don’t think it’s just me who has sussed him out. Most of the opposition managers regularly do. ScottP today managed to do it today with a squad that is generally regarded as the favourites to go down this season.
Ok fair enough, you and Scott Parker have sussed him out, fill yer boots.
*Raises hand* I also sussed him out, and I know fuck all.
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I sussed Gerrard early on. But even I thought we would be too much for Bournemouth.
Today was the full unveiling of the emperor’s new clothes in all it’s naked glory.
Nope, you’ve never liked Gerrard, so you come on here and slate him whenever we lose, then go quiet when we do well. Anyone can do that and is very different to having the nous to ‘suss’ any football manager out.
Don’t like or dislike Gerrard. Do you really think he is going to
take us forward. If so based on what?
Your being disingenuous as you really do dislike him. Thats your prerogative to be honest, and i couldn’t really care less, just have an issue that you ‘sussed’ him out.
As for him taking us forward, last season is last season. He has new signings that need to settle in, we probably need a couple more. Today was a car crash, but id prefer to see where we are in a few weeks before making judgement on the manager.
I don’t think it’s just me who has sussed him out. Most of the opposition managers regularly do. ScottP today managed to do it today with a squad that is generally regarded as the favourites to go down this season.
Ok fair enough, you and Scott Parker have sussed him out, fill yer boots.
You still haven’t pointed to anything that makes you think why Gerrard will succeed based on what we see week in week out - bar the very few and infrequent decent halves.
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Silly question. If we spent time in the week practising defending corners did we do the one where we are down to ten men while a Villa defender is off the field having his jewellery removed?
Brian that comes under preparing professionally to ensure you are compliant with rules and regulations. That was shambolic neglect of responsibility.
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Couthino ....dear oh dear. Had one good season in his career and we are stuck with him for 4 years on 150k a week.
This is a ridiculous overreaction.
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It's not just one game though is it? two wins in twelve is relegation football, or do we want to forget the end of season shambles and pretend it didn't happen. Gerrards decision making is suspect, He gives the captaincy to a player who most believe has had a shocking last twelve months, his team selection for this game was wank, Ings as a lone central forward was never going to work and he needs to be sold. Leaving Mings out of the side, he was to my mind just point scoring and his little mate should have been dragged at half time.
Not sure what the owners are thinking but I hope they are as unhappy as the supporters.
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I sussed Gerrard early on. But even I thought we would be too much for Bournemouth.
Today was the full unveiling of the emperor’s new clothes in all it’s naked glory.
Nope, you’ve never liked Gerrard, so you come on here and slate him whenever we lose, then go quiet when we do well. Anyone can do that and is very different to having the nous to ‘suss’ any football manager out.
Don’t like or dislike Gerrard. Do you really think he is going to
take us forward. If so based on what?
Your being disingenuous as you really do dislike him. Thats your prerogative to be honest, and i couldn’t really care less, just have an issue that you ‘sussed’ him out.
As for him taking us forward, last season is last season. He has new signings that need to settle in, we probably need a couple more. Today was a car crash, but id prefer to see where we are in a few weeks before making judgement on the manager.
I don’t think it’s just me who has sussed him out. Most of the opposition managers regularly do. ScottP today managed to do it today with a squad that is generally regarded as the favourites to go down this season.
Ok fair enough, you and Scott Parker have sussed him out, fill yer boots.
You still haven’t pointed to anything that makes you think why Gerrard will succeed based on what we see week in week out - bar the very few and infrequent decent halves.
Ive already said above id rather see where we are in a few weeks, rather than over reacting after today. Then again I’ve haven’t got your football nous.
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Ok fair enough, you and Scott Parker have sussed him out, fill yer boots.
No not only TonyD and Scott Parker but 9 out of 11 other coaches he has come up against in the last 12 games.
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Ive already said above id rather see where we are in a few weeks, rather than over reacting after today. Then again I’ve haven’t got your football nous agenda.
Well said (albeit with a slight correction).
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Losing the first game of the season is wank, more so when it comes off the back of a summer and pre-season that had quite a lot of optimism within it.
We did NOT play well, but I'm not going to panic yet. It's going to be a few weeks before the league settles and takes any shape. Beat Everton at home and things will start looking much brighter.
But I do not want to be heading to Palace still on zero points...
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Couthino ....dear oh dear. Had one good season in his career and we are stuck with him for 4 years on 150k a week.
This is a ridiculous overreaction.
Well for sure he goes missing in more games than he doesn't. Good job his best mate is the manager
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Couthino ....dear oh dear. Had one good season in his career and we are stuck with him for 4 years on 150k a week.
This is a ridiculous overreaction.
You must be new here.
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I'm pissed off, our lineup looked strong (especially considering the options from the bench). What followed was shite.
However, this is the first game of the season, and even Liverpool were behind against Fulham. Strange things happen on the first fixtures, and getting a newly promoted club is always shit.
We need to show something quickly though, and next week is the perfect opportunity. I hope he turns it around, but hope is all it is.
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Liverpool have lost the title now. Obviously.
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Liverpool have lost the title now. Obviously.
Apparently Liverpool fans were questioning Klopp's position earlier today so at least the Salem-like hysteria isn't restricted to Brum (and the Shires).
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Couple of observations.
We’re still trying to send everything through the full backs when we attack and the midfielders drop in behind. Why not give the ball to the flipping midfielders? There were occasion when our centre halves had space in front of them that they could run into but didn’t because 1 they were looking for a way to work it out to Digne or Cash which meant passing it sideways for too long and 2 because Digne and Cash were pushing up the centre halves would have left a big hole in defence. And, as Bournemouth demonstrated, the focus on fullbacks makes it easy to pin us against the touch line so we have no space and no escape. Our only option then seems to be whacking the ball vaguely from 2/3 of the way up the field into the crowded defence.
God help us, but we looked more incisive when Doug came on. He was picking up the ball, running forward and looking to play forward passes or find a teammate in space on the wing. McGinn is pure incapable of this.
What do I know but i still reckon our best midfield would involve Doug and Sanson, players who have their faults but at least know which way the opposition goal is. I will despair if Coutinho and McGinn start in the next match.
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I thought start of last season was depressing but at least there were external factors for Watford.
No excuses today based on last month's preparation. Team who'll probably finish 20th completely outplayed us from start to finish.
Now that’s not true is it. Yes they fought for their lives but our downfall was our inability to break down a 5 man defence. To say they outplayed us is just stupid
That is outplaying us though. Their tactics worked, ours didn’t.
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The implied meaning of the phrase outplayed isn't your Stoke City circa Pulis tactics of shithousing on an industrial scale to get a result. It means sexy football. Chambers outside of the boot passes and the like.
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There was no fluidity, pace or pressure. The game plan seemed rigid which meant Ramsey and McGinn didn't venture forward too often leaving huge gaps between our front 3. Bailey, Cash and Digne all kept launching hopeful balls into a hopeless Ings. If that's the way he's going to play then we need to get KD fit.
We missed Mings presence, leadership and strength. Giving the captaincy to McGinn makes no sense to me.
This is now his team. He's had pre-season and the new players he wanted. We need to see a dramatic change in the next 3-4 games. No excuses.
UTV
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The implied meaning of the phrase outplayed isn't your Stoke City circa Pulis tactics of shithousing on an industrial scale to get a result. It means sexy football. Chambers outside of the boot passes and the like.
That would be my interpretation too. I think he probably meant to say out thought
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Couple of observations.
We’re still trying to send everything through the full backs when we attack and the midfielders drop in behind. Why not give the ball to the flipping midfielders?
What do I know but i still reckon our best midfield would involve Doug and Sanson, players who have their faults but at least know which way the opposition goal is. I will despair if Coutinho and McGinn start in the next match.
Your first point is the tactic that is driving me mad.
Your other point I’ve quoted is probably a waste of time given that your first point is correct.
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Out played or out thought, trying to find the difference is nit picking to the extreme. We were well beaten by a newly promoted team despite spending millions and millions strengthening our team that had about £100M spent on it last season. This start and finish last season and one or two other decisions do not show up Steven Gerrard as totally competent. It is a pile of manure at the moment.
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But the push the full backs on as our only means of attack is Gerrards method and we have seen it come unstuck many times. This combined with the wider midfielders having to cover means we never seem to build pressure and it’s pretty easy to defend against and counter attack.
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It’s obvious Mings is upset by losing the captaincy and Gerrard is in turn upset with him for being upset.
McGinn isn’t captain material, and now he’s a certain starter and he hasn’t been that good for us for a long time.
This isn’t going to end well.
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Waited to sleep on it before looking at Villa things on line.
Still fuming.
Gerrard out, bloke doesn't have a fucking clue.
Midfield needs a dynamic 8 that covers ground and actually has a pass on him.
Front line is waaay too static. Change formation to get the best from the squad before it is too late. Gone by end of November I reckon.
I hate football.
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But the push the full backs on as our only means of attack is Gerrards method and we have seen it come unstuck many times. This combined with the wider midfielders having to cover means we never seem to build pressure and it’s pretty easy to defend against and counter attack.
Nail on head.
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I’d rather he kept the cheque book closed rather than let Steeeevie spend more money.
It wasn't Gerrard who bought the utterly shite McGinn and Watkins though to be fair. Kamara was our best player by a country mile today.
No, but he made him fucking captain
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I am struggling to comprehend how the manager of smallest team in the league thought it was a good idea to keep lobbing in crosses against the tallest team in the league, without an ounce of success.
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McGinn and Watkins "utterly sh*te"...what nonsense!
Both are decent players and certainly good enough for 11th position (under Smith) and who knows possibly higher if played to their strengths.
That said McGinn is no captain though!
We have a more than capable playing resource if managed correctly.
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I am struggling to comprehend how the manager of smallest team in the league thought it was a good idea to keep lobbing in crosses against the tallest team in the league, without an ounce of success.
It's because Gerrard has one idea and this is it. If it doesn't work keep doing it until it does.
What's the definition of insanity again?
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Waited to sleep on it before looking at Villa things on line.
Still fuming.
Gerrard out, bloke doesn't have a fucking clue.
Midfield needs a dynamic 8 that covers ground and actually has a pass on him.
Front line is waaay too static. Change formation to get the best from the squad before it is too late. Gone by end of November I reckon.
I hate football.
Really? Gerrard was 1 game away from the sack, having not had a pre-season, so the plan for you and a lot of posters was to give him pre-season, 2 thirds of the summer window and then sack him after a single game? And if we'd won yesterday but lost to Everton we do what, keep him? And if we beat Everton, still sack him anyway? It's genuinely mindblowing the thought process.
Bournemouth was a low in performance for the season, we all hope. The same for opinion on Villa matters too. We're gifs and memes away from being Twitter.
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I am struggling to comprehend how the manager of smallest team in the league thought it was a good idea to keep lobbing in crosses against the tallest team in the league, without an ounce of success.
What's the definition of insanity again?
Playing Coutinho and Buendia in the same team? Playing a left footed player at RCM and a right footed player at LCM? Having 2 x no.10s available yet playing 433?
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The team selection doesn't matter. How the 'RCM' and 'LCM' are footed really doesn't matter. Which of Watkins or Ings play - how many goals in the last few seasons each? - certainly shouldn't matter.
None of these selection points matter if you don't have a coherent set-up for ball retention, for how to 'progress between phases' as they say, how to beat your opponents pressing or standing off, how to do anything other than hopeful chips and vague crosses. I'm sure Gerrard knows all this, and they said the same of Arteta (that he flatters to deceive) and he's turned it around.
Yesterday, however, was genuinely horrendous. I've never seen a midfield so static, doubly frustrating given that when Gerrard arrived the signs off the ball were so promising. Coutinho, Bailey and Buendia didn't play well, but there's no structure for them, no plan how to manipulate the space so that they can receive the ball in situations where they can cause damage. Danny Ings is spending most of his time wide right or in the centre circle, Ramsey almost never had the ball at his feet (getting stuck in scraps for bouncing balls), and McGinn looked like an amateur player at times, needing five touches where should need one, looking around him like he's wondering who the hell these guys are and what they want.
You can have bad days and I certainly hope for better ones, but it was a bad day to the bones. No positive signs whatsoever.
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Had all pre season to work this one out and have come out short. Bailey terrific pre season only showed one or two touches. Nothing whatsoever from our front three and them goals. If that was Sunday league you would have a meltdown, nevermind top class football. Great day though in a beach bar before hand.
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I thought it was critical to get off to a good start to the season, this meant wining at Bournemouth.
The defeat has opened up all the doubts about the manager and some of the players.
The fact that it looked like we were not prepared and got what we deserved, absolutely nothing, is unforgivable.
Our owners are too heavily invested to allow this to continue and if I were them I would be seriously holding Purslow to account here.
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I'd love it if we employed a manager with a good track record in a top league some time soon. It's been years and years since we made the effort to do so.
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I'd love it if we employed a manager with a good track record in a top league some time soon. It's been years and years since we made the effort to do so.
Big Ron was the last time?
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people saying the tactics are wrong and the system is'nt working, i dont see any tactics or system
i cant for the life of me see what we were trying to do yesterday, it just seemed like a load of blokes plonking the ball here and there and hoping for the best, pointless crosses into the box to no avail
iv'e no agenda, i was one who supported Gerrard from the start and was hoping for at least a clear pattern of play, everything off the pitch seems near on perfect right up untill we take the field
it was extremely poor yesterday in all areas, theres no positives to take from the game at all
the one thing above all for me is how little we created, not many if any decent chances, zero goal threat, i mean it defies belief just how useless we were in front of goal, its not as if we were missing a load of chances we wern't creating any,
and this against a side who will probably go 10/15 games now untill there next win, and will almost certainly finish bottom of the league
i like a lot of what Gerrard is doing and saying and i will stick by him for now, but i cant defend him yesterday it was abysmal from start to finish
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The team selection doesn't matter. How the 'RCM' and 'LCM' are footed really doesn't matter. Which of Watkins or Ings play - how many goals in the last few seasons each? - certainly shouldn't matter.
None of these selection points matter if you don't have a coherent set-up for ball retention, for how to 'progress between phases' as they say, how to beat your opponents pressing or standing off, how to do anything other than hopeful chips and vague crosses.
The setup of the midfield does matter from a ball retention perspective. For starters Ramsey and McGinn particularly are not comfortable taking the ball on their weaker foot under pressure. McGinn always turns back into contact on his left foot. To make matters worse, to actually get our wide men/full backs quick ball in areas that might matter, requires quick ball down the line. Good luck if you can find a clip of McGinn releasing Cash down the line with his right foot. We will never be able to build a pattern of play if we persist with such a setup.
I'm not a fan of 433 at all. Kamara as the mythical no.6 to fix all our issues seemed very naive at times defensively. We need to have 2 sitters back there for me. 4231 with Buendia at 10.
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Highlight of the day was the football memorabilia shop next door to the Bell Inn in Pokesdown. He'd hauled out everything Villa, from signed shirts to Villa News and Records going back to the 60s.
Few beers in the sun and life was all good, until 3.01pm.
The most typically Villa opening to a season, since, erm, last season.
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people saying the tactics are wrong and the system is'nt working, i dont see any tactics or system
i cant for the life of me see what we were trying to do yesterday, it just seemed like a load of blokes plonking the ball here and there and hoping for the best, pointless crosses into the box to no avail
iv'e no agenda, i was one who supported Gerrard from the start and was hoping for at least a clear pattern of play, everything off the pitch seems near on perfect right up untill we take the field
it was extremely poor yesterday in all areas, theres no positives to take from the game at all
the one thing above all for me is how little we created, not many if any decent chances, zero goal threat, i mean it defies belief just how useless we were in front of goal, its not as if we were missing a load of chances we wern't creating any,
and this against a side who will probably go 10/15 games now untill there next win, and will almost certainly finish bottom of the league
i like a lot of what Gerrard is doing and saying and i will stick by him for now, but i cant defend him yesterday it was abysmal from start to finish
The tactic is to use the full backs for width. Fine. But the issue yesterday was;
(A) bar a 15 minute spell in the 2nd half, how slow we were in working the ball wide.
(B) How each cross was an effective diagonal, no variation and absolutely terrible
(C) How it was a percentage ball given the volume of bodies Bournemouth had back.
The alternative was to get Mepham facing his own goal, but we invariably couldn't find Watkins when he came on and Ings lacked the pace to stretch then.
McGinn and Ramsey were so poor. Their distribution, movement, willingness to run with the ball. Coutinho was just as wasteful and entirely workshy when he slotted in at 8.
Emi quickened us up when he came on, but he did so from 10/15 yards deeper, with a need for the 8 to get beyond him, as the only out ball was Digne. Slow, predictable and wasteful.
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Luiz and Kamara on paper look like they could be the holding two - that is if Kamara is decent at the break up play. Doug would give them a bit of dynamism moving forward too.
But that still leaves a problem with the striker. One up front needs to be more physical than Watkins, Ings or Archer and needs to be more of a goal threat than Davis.
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I am struggling to comprehend how the manager of smallest team in the league thought it was a good idea to keep lobbing in crosses against the tallest team in the league, without an ounce of success.
What's the definition of insanity again?
Playing a left footed player at RCM and a right footed player at LCM?
If only. They actually play full back with only Kamara actually playing in midfield (and Coutinho because it’s the only way he can get on the ball).
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in Fairness Coutinho was dreadful yesterday, for someone who is supposed to be comfortable on the ball with a delicate touch and ball skills he gave the ball away more often than he found his man
That’s not tactics that’s someone being a bit shit and out of form on the day
The tactics bit is to hook him off and put someone better on earlier
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Do we know why Ramsey was hooked at halftime? Pretty damning if the tactics you have spent all summer working on are thrown out because you are 1-0 down at half-time to one of the relegation favourites.
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Do we know why Ramsey was hooked at halftime? Pretty damning if the tactics you have spent all summer working on are thrown out because you are 1-0 down at half-time to one of the relegation favourites.
I’d guess that we needed a change and Ramsey was just as poor as everyone else, but had been booked as well in the first half?
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It has to be coaching. Surely we have better players than Bournemouth. They just don't know what to do. If a move comes off it looks more by accident than design.
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Half-time subs are the stuff of losing 2-0 at home - not 1-0 to the relegation favourites. Just odd that it hasn't been mentioned much.
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I'd love it if we employed a manager with a good track record in a top league some time soon. It's been years and years since we made the effort to do so.
Big Ron was the last time?
I think MON and big Ron were the only 2 that you just knew would improve us and turn us into a good side (in the past 30 odd years). And they did, albeit MON fucked us over in the end. I know one or two others have done well also, but they were the ones that were as close to a guarantee that you're going to get that things were about to improve in a big way.
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I'd love it if we employed a manager with a good track record in a top league some time soon. It's been years and years since we made the effort to do so.
Big Ron was the last time?
Houllier.
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Hadn't Houllier sort of retired before he came to us.
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The tactic of wing backs bombing on and firing in crosses can work well but only if your team is set up to take advantage. Cash has a horrible habit of crossing the ball blindly without looking up or picking anyone out. Bournemouth are a big team and they are set up to cope with crosses so our game plan was just dumb. Wait till they play Man City or Liverpool and watch what happens. Those teams will play round and through them and Bounemouth will be tonked 4 or 5 nil. Gerrard has to learn how to adapt and change tactics on the hoof. Sticking with a game plan that clearly wasn't working is very worrying. And don't get me started on their second goal. The ball was running away from their player and he was allowed to reach it then turn and pick out an unmarked team mate with ease. Fucking awful defending.
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I am struggling to comprehend how the manager of smallest team in the league thought it was a good idea to keep lobbing in crosses against the tallest team in the league, without an ounce of success.
What's the definition of insanity again?
Playing a left footed player at RCM and a right footed player at LCM?
If only. They actually play full back with only Kamara actually playing in midfield (and Coutinho because it’s the only way he can get on the ball).
This is the crux of it, I think. We play to get the ball wide, but when it gets there, it's stuck. We either take a minute or so working space for a cross, by which time the opposition defence is ready and waiting for it, or we shuffle it all the way back to the centre half. Our we lose it entirely.
We aren't able to switch the play at all, let alone at speed, because Ramsey and McGinn are taking up shit positions.
I don't like this system at all.
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Half-time subs are the stuff of losing 2-0 at home - not 1-0 to the relegation favourites. Just odd that it hasn't been mentioned much.
Not sure that’s true. Gerrard regularly gets slated for not making changes early enough. Also I think the 5 subs thing will take some adapting too, and I suspect earlier changes becomes more of a norm when teams are losing - certainly in the short-term.
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Surely we have better players than Bournemouth. They just don't know what to do.
This is the crux of yesterday. I only saw the MOTD highlights so i don't claim to have any major knowledge of what went on but even with that in mind, as you say our players on paper are far better than Bournemouths so when looking for a reason for yesterday you can only look as far as the people coaching and managing them. Unless we have a team full of attitude problems like in 15-16 but i don't think we have for a moment.
It looked terrible enough on MOTD, limp and disorganised without the ball and pedestrian and ineffective with the ball. For anyone who went, was it as bad as that for 90 mins?
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Watching the game back - I’d say we dominated it in the main, but let in two terrible goals and just looked disjointed up top. Need to get much sharper.
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Half-time subs are the stuff of losing 2-0 at home - not 1-0 to the relegation favourites. Just odd that it hasn't been mentioned much.
Not sure that’s true. Gerrard regularly gets slated for not making changes early enough. Also I think the 5 subs thing will take some adapting too, and I suspect earlier changes becomes more of a norm when teams are losing - certainly in the short-term.
The first 45 mins of a new season shouldn't see the manager having to make half-time subs. It looks terrible. The plan would have been worked on and going a goal down happens but you should have confidence in your plan. To have to change so quickly because things are so bad is pretty damning.
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I think that’s probably slightly overreacting to a half-time sub.
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in Fairness Coutinho was dreadful yesterday, for someone who is supposed to be comfortable on the ball with a delicate touch and ball skills he gave the ball away more often than he found his man
That’s not tactics that’s someone being a bit shit and out of form on the day
The tactics bit is to hook him off and put someone better on earlier
That’s not tactics that’s personnel. The tactics bit is the empty midfield every game because the midfielders are covering the full-backs.
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After 50 years plus of perpetual disappointment, I am coming to the conclusion that the best thing about supporting Aston Villa is following this message board. >:(
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After 50 years plus of perpetual disappointment, I am coming to the conclusion that the best thing about supporting Aston Villa is following this message board. >:(
Seconded
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I'm still seething about the the game, I cant remember feeling so disappointed and angry about a result as usually I try and find a balance.
The Bournemouth team and Manager talk about a plan and execution of it, what is ours?
There was no shape and no particular style to our play, no pressing, no urgency, no pace and no direction.
This against a Bournemouth team that was very poor but knew what the game plan was.
It seemed to disappear after a while but I remember at some point under Smith we used to press teams. Bournemouth were trying to play out from the back and we sort of just let them.
To top it all off Gerrard dropped Watkins and Mings and it backfired big time. I'd like to think they are both as angry as me and want to comeback fighting but if someone came in with an offer for them I could understand it if they went.
I would love to be in the next pre-match press conference, I'm sick and tired of every question being the same and massaging Gerrard's ego.
When is someone going to challenge him and make him really think about his answers. I was fully behind Gerrard's appointment and he has managed to attract good players but he doesn't seem to know what to do with them.
This might be an over reaction to one game and I can take loosing, but so many things looked wrong that I fear we cant put them right.
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Bournemouth will beat other teams this season. The surprise and indignation that they dared to beat us despite "having better players". This, along with sack the manager with 37 games to go, makes me think some of you came down with the midweek rain.
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I've just read we lumped 31 (THIRTY ONE) crosses into the box yesterday. I wonder if this is down to Critchley as with Beale we tried and generally failed to play everything through the middle.
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Half-time subs are the stuff of losing 2-0 at home - not 1-0 to the relegation favourites. Just odd that it hasn't been mentioned much.
Not sure that’s true. Gerrard regularly gets slated for not making changes early enough. Also I think the 5 subs thing will take some adapting too, and I suspect earlier changes becomes more of a norm when teams are losing - certainly in the short-term.
The first 45 mins of a new season shouldn't see the manager having to make half-time subs. It looks terrible. The plan would have been worked on and going a goal down happens but you should have confidence in your plan. To have to change so quickly because things are so bad is pretty damning.
Ramsey needed subbing. He is a decent player but should not be starting. Not saying he is rubbish or will not be a good player for us, but on the back of the end of last season and this preseason he has not shown enough to start when we have other options.
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in Fairness Coutinho was dreadful yesterday, for someone who is supposed to be comfortable on the ball with a delicate touch and ball skills he gave the ball away more often than he found his man
That’s not tactics that’s someone being a bit shit and out of form on the day
The tactics bit is to hook him off and put someone better on earlier
That’s not tactics that’s personnel. The tactics bit is the empty midfield every game because the midfielders are covering the full-backs.
That's it in a nutshell.
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Bournemouth will beat other teams this season. The surprise and indignation that they dared to beat us despite "having better players". This, along with sack the manager with 37 games to go, makes me think some of you came down with the midweek rain.
Speaking for myself and I hope a lot of us on here, I don't think any of us are debating anything about Bournemouth, in Fact I don't care who the opposition were yesterday our whole attitude and ineptitude was the issue.
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I cannot remember the last time I was so angry about a Villa performance. The Manager said 'give me a pre-season' quite soon after he arrived and got a free pass last year because we did see some occasional glimmers of hope and blamed the poor results on lack of consistency and not knowing Gerrard's system? Of course forgetting that Eddie Howe under similar circumstances seemed not to have these problems? I expected us to come out firing, however for the second game running we conceded a goal at the first corner, seemingly we lack concentration and height (without Mings), playing Carlos and Konsa together seems a bit of a no no?
Then we have Couthino, who has struggled after the first 6 games back and in pre-season did nothing expect hit a post with a free kick get an automatic spot?
To be honest I don't care about who the captain is as its not like cricket but again McGinn IMO only looks good on paper and by stats. JJ has lost his confidence. Luis is sideways man. Why not try Samson as he looked the best 8 we have during pre-season?
Our strikers are lost, why drop Watkins? it is not like Ings scored a bag full if anyone did Bailey and Archer were our best strikers?
Cash and Digne were awful, Cash has looked rubbish all pre-season and kKH has looked a superstar?
If we had beat Bournemouth 2-0 then nothing would be said but this result after all the words by Gerrard has been hard to take, VT are on page 15 of the next Villa manager (LOL) and Everton although they looked poor yesterday tried their hardest and I am worried for next weekend?
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I’m surprised people can’t see the plan. It’s shit, and has been for ages, but it’s a plan.
How many crosses? 38 was it?
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Most goals are scored from crosses.
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Most goals are scored from crosses.
Not ones lumped in with no intent and at a height that our 5ft 10 inch striker has no chance of reaching.
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Most goals are scored from crosses.
Is that by teams whos’s attacking midfielders aren’t fifty yards away covering the blokes who are crossing it.
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Most goals are scored by centre forwards, from crosses.
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I’m surprised people can’t see the plan. It’s shit, and has been for ages, but it’s a plan.
How many crosses? 38 was it?
And it falls down if you keep giving the ball away and don’t execute the attacks at speed with precision.
If you watch Liverpool which I think is the blueprint he is working to, they press quickly if they lose the ball in attack , don’t give up possession but are vulnerable to the odd counter attack.
I don’t think we have the players and the intensity to make it work.
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We don't play like Liverpool at all and that isn't a comment on quality, but a comment on set up. We don't have 3 centre forwards, two of which hit a consistent diagonal run. We don't play a flat 3 in midfield and we don't have both full backs consistently pushed up so advanced that we play a de facto 2 at the back/prey for VVD recovery speed.
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I think it’s pretty damning on Gerrard that after 10 months we still have no identifiable style or approach that makes you think we are progressing and moving in the right direction. We have a lot of individually talented players but are frequently disjointed and usually in serious trouble if we concede the first goal.
I have no idea what our best 11 looks like, or the formation that best suits us.
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We do have a style. It relies on full backs pushing up high and they seemed reluctant to get more than 5 yards in front of their 8 yesterday. When working it sees crosses coming back and at least 1 of the 8s hitting the box in support of the centre forward and inside forward.
It seems to be straight jacketed at times. Why Digne and Cash didn't just push 10 yards higher or why we didn't gamble and have both 8s picking box runs I don't know. Unfathomable to me when the opposition is so deep and only interested in defending the final third. You can play percentages, but stack the odds at least.
People are wrong that there was no positives. Kamara was one. He has a knack for winning the ball.
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I’m surprised people can’t see the plan. It’s shit, and has been for ages, but it’s a plan.
How many crosses? 38 was it?
I was all in favour of playing Ings up front instead of Watkins because he suits more our style of attacking play which until yesterday was short, one touch passes through the middle. Watkins' ball control is poor and he ends our moves by giving the ball away. What we saw yesterday was our number 10 Coutinho out on the left flank with Digne and Ramsey. Everything first half was going down the left and Bournemouth easily dealt with it. I'm really not sure what we were trying to achieve but it was extremely obvious early on it wasn't working.
On reflection I think the high number of crosses was more in desperation rather than a serious plan in the hope that a Bournemouth defender would stumble on the ball and Ings would punish him. We certainly weren't looking to create our own chances.
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The opposition has learnt than man marking Couthino nullifies him completely and stops us creating anything? Cash needs a rest IMO and KKH needs a run in the team.
Carlos and Konsa were bullied by a Championship striker yesterday, this partnership needs changing? Try Mings and Carlos please?
Everton are a big side and their corners will be harder to defend than Bournemouth's.
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Agree about Cash, he hasn't looked at the races through pre-season and yesterday he never once looked like his old self.
Ramsey the same. We can't afford to allow him to play his way back to fitness and form.
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I've just read we lumped 31 (THIRTY ONE) crosses into the box yesterday. I wonder if this is down to Critchley as with Beale we tried and generally failed to play everything through the middle.
There's a massive difference between crosses and quality crosses eh
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I've just read we lumped 31 (THIRTY ONE) crosses into the box yesterday. I wonder if this is down to Critchley as with Beale we tried and generally failed to play everything through the middle.
There's a massive difference between crosses and quality crosses eh
Indeed. Maybe the number reflect 'attempted' crosses as plenty never beat the first man.
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The way we are getting bullied is worrying why do we persist with this wing back system utterly predictable. On paper we look decent,but there is something not right we just don’t look like a cohesive team
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The way we are getting bullied is worrying why do we persist with this wing back system utterly predictable. On paper we look decent,but there is something not right we just don’t look like a cohesive team
Agreed, the whole does not equal the sum of its parts.
Of course, that can change with a few tweaks and as players get used to each other but there is no escaping the fact that yesterday we were hopeless and it has knocked a bit of belief out of a lot of fans.
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Bit off topic this I know. Didn't know where to put it though. A fine for a booking in the prem or sending off is the same as the Sunday league starting at £10-£15... !!!@
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We don't play like Liverpool at all and that isn't a comment on quality, but a comment on set up. We don't have 3 centre forwards, two of which hit a consistent diagonal run. We don't play a flat 3 in midfield and we don't have both full backs consistently pushed up so advanced that we play a de facto 2 at the back/prey for VVD recovery speed.
You are right we play nothing like Liverpool, we do push the fullbacks on, we do have 3 in midfield but that is where the similarities end. The ne team is successful pushing on the fullbacks.
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Also, I’ll give you one guess as to which team let me down on my 8 match accumulater yesterday!!
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Mmmmmm.
Typical Villa - ruthless? Clueless more like - failing with the defensive basics at set pieces - this comes down to basic coaching.
Anyway, on to Everton.
Carlos won't be dropped, but there must be questions over Konsa. Gerrard seems to have a problem with Mings (for reasons unknown). In which case Callum Chambers has to start - he hasn't let us down so far.
Difficult to know where to begin with the midfield/forward line. They didn't looked particularly effective or cohesive pre-season and unless we can bring back Andy Gray or Peter Withe in their prime, lumping balls into the box is a waste of time. Surely we can find a way of moving the ball around more quickly on the ground and finding space.
That being said, beat Everton on Saturday and the smiles and hope will return.
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Yesterday that Kiefer Moore showed our players what commitment is? Funny how their players went down with cramp a lot more than ours? Is that more running by Bournemouth or better fitness from our lads? Mmmmm!!!!
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I assumed it was just them running down the clock.
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SG wants Mings to “look him in the eye”. From yesterday there are a large number who must be avoiding his gaze.
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Yeah, do we have the stat for how long the ball was in play? The PL want to improve the average this season as it has been dropping presumably due to all the diving and VARse.
There must have been a fair bit of time-wasting yesterday as 6 minutes were added at the end, not that we would have scored in a month of Sundays.
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i heard the average was 55 minutes per game?
I think SG may struggle to look Ty in the eye??
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i heard the average was 55 minutes per game?
I think SG may struggle to look Ty in the eye??
45 for us. Bottom of the league. Man City top with 60.
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I think SG may struggle to look Ty in the eye??
To be fair he is 6 foot 5.
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Also, I’ll give you one guess as to which team let me down on my 8 match accumulater yesterday!!
Would've been a tidy payout putting Bournemouth instead given they were probably 12/5 or something to beat us.
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Re-watching Cashy's goal at Man City. What happened to that sort of purposeful attack? Obviously Man City weren't bus parking, but we transition the ball with our midfield dropped between the centre halves, we drive from 6, drive from 8 and in two passes we're at the byline
Cash and Digne are both level with Watkins when the ball is played into Ramsey. 7 men are committed to the attack. Ramsey, Buendia hit the box with Watkins. Cash comes in as well, the cross is a pull back and not an early ball, squaring them up. It's a brilliant goal. It's a full throated and confident attack.
It's tough to reconcile us at times.
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I really hope this doesn't turn out to be about Beale not being there anymore.
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I really hope this doesn't turn out to be about Beale not being there anymore.
To be fair Critchley is known for attacking coaching isn’t he? I’m sure he’s capable.
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My head is saying this is opening day syndrome. Utd lost, Liverpool drew, Man City despite winning, were shit, Leicester dropped a two goal lead at home to a Brentford many expect will struggle.
We came up against a newly promoted side. The norm and not the exception, is that we're shit against promoted sides on opening day. Of course we all expected to win, and most pundits thought it would be easy and the team strolled out, played in third gear thinking it was probably going to be easy, even after conceding early.
So I'm hoping it's training mode hangover. Like everyone, we need to be getting points on the board right from the off, so we'd better sharpen up.
If we're still not at the races in 3-4 games time, then I'll start worrying and questioning whether Gerrard's great ideas can be implemented by Gerrard.
There's no disguising that it was dreadful yesterday, but with the exception or perhaps Arsenal, Spurs and Newcastle, everyone has looked toss so far. There's certainly not enough to suggest in Bournemouth that they'll stay up.
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My head is saying this is opening day syndrome. Utd lost, Liverpool drew, Man City despite winning, were shit, Leicester dropped a two goal lead at home to a Brentford many expect will struggle.
We came up against a newly promoted side. The norm and not the exception, is that we're shit against promoted sides on opening day. Of course we all expected to win, and most pundits thought it would be easy and the team strolled out, played in third gear thinking it was probably going to be easy, even after conceding early.
So I'm hoping it's training mode hangover. Like everyone, we need to be getting points on the board right from the off, so we'd better sharpen up.
If we're still not at the races in 3-4 games time, then I'll start worrying and questioning whether Gerrard's great ideas can be implemented by Gerrard.
There's no disguising that it was dreadful yesterday, but with the exception or perhaps Arsenal, Spurs and Newcastle, everyone has looked toss so far. There's certainly not enough to suggest in Bournemouth that they'll stay up.
Agree with this
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I knew we were going to lose once Blose won.
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I'm clinging to the fact that we shot ourselves in the foot with the first attack of the game. Gameplan out the window, Bournemouth can sit in, let us have possession and counter us when safe to do so. A tight ground with little space in the final third for our ball players to shine.
Excuses or reasons...maybe both. But as long as we don't concede first away from home too often, we might be ok.
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Allowing a 6ft 6 striker a free header from an uncontested cross for the second and hardly having a shot in the vacinity of thier goal not a little bit concerning though?
Away from home for me we have to have a double pivot in front of the back 4, with 1 central attacking mid. Personally I would be getting Luiz and Kamara together, with JJ in front, Bailey left, Buendia right. Archer up top for a few games, see what he's got.
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I really hope this doesn't turn out to be about Beale not being there anymore.
Quite a few on different threads keep mentioning 2 wins in 12 at the end of last season, on top of Saturdays result, as one of the reasons Gerrard should be gone. Beale was well and truly at the club then.
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I know we had lots of possession, and some would say we dominated; the issue though, is that we did fuck all with the ball when we had it again.
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Can we have the Everton pre-match thread now, please? Lots of people are talking about who we should pick over multiple threads.
Olaftab created it last year and we won three-nil so him again, please. Don't let can't even be arsed to make a poll Smirker near it after Saturday's DISGRACE.
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Issue for me is that Coutinho and Ramsey had quiet pre-seasons and shouldn't be earning a start. The treatment of Mings may well backfire on SG.
If next Saturday doesn't have Mings in for Konsa, Emi in for Phil, Dougie for Ramsey and Watkins for Ings then we may again struggle. We are as always vulnerable from set pieces!
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I was listening to Colin Murray on 5 Live this morning and he had a section on the weekend’s football. A Villa fan called in and basically said that he was unhappy with the moaning of our fans and that there was a massive overreaction to the game. He then said he stopped going to the game due to the whinging of fans, which was led by football fanzines.
That had me laughing and spluttering at the same time.
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I was listening to Colin Murray on 5 Live this morning and he had a section on the weekend’s football. A Villa fan called in and basically said that he was unhappy with the moaning of our fans and that there was a massive overreaction to the game. He then said he stopped going to the game due to the whinging of fans, which was led by football fanzines.
That had me laughing and spluttering at the same time.
That was probably Fred F from this place. Or maybe Greg Gnash.
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Why is it always the worst Villa fans, with views that you never hear any other Villa fans hold, that phone into radio stations?
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Why is it always the worst Villa fans, with views that you never hear any other Villa fans hold, that phone into radio stations?
Talksport are the worst, they always put the morons on as they think it makes good radio.
"Here's Dave from Birkenhead, what's your point Dave?"
"I think Klopp should be sacked, he's a rubbish manager."
"Dave, Dave, Dave, Dave. Dave. Have you been drinking?"
And so on.
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In fairness, I'd like them to sack Klopp.
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Why is it always the worst Villa fans, with views that you never hear any other Villa fans hold, that phone into radio stations?
In my (thankfully rare) experience of phone-ins, when Villa fans call they only want to talk about England or why the current Manchester United manager should/shouldn't be sacked.
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I was listening to Colin Murray on 5 Live this morning and he had a section on the weekend’s football. A Villa fan called in and basically said that he was unhappy with the moaning of our fans and that there was a massive overreaction to the game. He then said he stopped going to the game due to the whinging of fans, which was led by football fanzines.
That had me laughing and spluttering at the same time.
Can't really argue with him.
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I can't listen to radio phone-ins any more, I just can't. If I'm listening to a show and they go to the phones it goes off.
Maybe the answer for me is in there, that it's not just the worst Villa fans phoning in but actually just the worst people full stop that phone into radio stations.
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The latest Holy Trinity episode is good as usual but his dissection of the first goal is thoroughly depressing. Mistake after mistake after mistake. The most annoying one (and I did not think about it at the time) is maybe Ramsay needlessly giving them the corner. What was he thinking.
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This pretty much sums up the game..
We go again.