Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Match Threads & Player Ratings => Topic started by: Dave on December 26, 2023, 10:03:05 PM
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Very annoying. But please don't be pricks to each other about it.
Thanks.
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Don’t know what’s more embarrassing
Their fans or Emery’s subs
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So 2-0 up, let in three unanswered goals and the winner is scored by a kid in his teens. Normal Villa performance against that lot.
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Got what we deserved
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We know it is a thread. Other than that, totally disappointing.
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Called it at half-time:
“Manure still favourites while it’s only two. Need another goal for the draw.“
How can we be two up and continually hit on the break?
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What was that 2nd half?!
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Poor second half and a complete lack of concentration and composure.
Disappointed in the 11 out there today, Carlos and Doug especially.
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Don’t know what’s more embarrassing
Their fans or Emery’s subs
Stupid post. What's he supposed to do with the players we have out?
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Cuntsss
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Shit night. No need to panic yet as Emery will sort this. Just need to be patient and not get ahead of ourselves as we are still top 4
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Genuine question. How many times have we done this against these fuckers? Asking for a friend.
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Normal service resumed.
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Don’t know what’s more embarrassing
Their fans or Emery’s subs
Give your head a wobble. We had key players missing
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Disappointing. We did not do nearly enough to shut the game down. 2-0 is a classically difficult lead, but surely away at Man U you err towards protecting what you have. We just didn't do it anywhere well enough
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That second half was like an attack of the piles
Painful, dreadful, uncomfortable and I can’t sit properly now
Pathetic.
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Imagine my surprise.
I'm shocked I tell ya. Shocked.
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Really important how we bounce back from this now.
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Ok. So people think throwing 2 attackers on when we couldn’t get near the ball. :)
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Unfortunately they worked us out - how to play the high line and how to press our passing around the back,
I just hope this is not now going to be a pattern for other sides to follow.
Injuries and suspensions didn’t help.
Unai looked v annoyed!
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A blip ,which can occur.Anyone want to bet against us on 10th Feb?
Onwards but on this occasion not upwards.
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Tht second half was the worst performance since Emery arrived, absolutely Bruce-esque. Players were disgracefully shite and Emery got it all wrong.
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Of course, it had to be like this. It had to be like this against them. At Christmas.
Absolutely knew it would happen, too. We've been looking stodgy and out of ideas since the Great And Glorious Week. The absences of Tielemans, Torres and then Kamara have exposed the squad. Tonight, we went right into our shell and couldn't get out of our half after the second goal. Watkins, a passenger. Bailey, got to the byline a lot but blocked every time. McGinn, a man of two halves. Douglas Luiz, man, what happened to him tonight? The defence, all over the place.
Freshen it up, Unai. New plans, new ideas, probably new starting personnel with different roles. Come up with something, because I think this iteration of this team looks as spent as Newcastle's, and we need to arrest the slide now.
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Ok. So people think throwing 2 attackers on when we couldn’t get near the ball. :)
Ok so I think the manager has earned enough good will yeah?
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It's an awful place for us to go, has been for years. The manager is no worse or better than he has ever been.
We are in a slump, inevitable for any team but don't lose sight of where we are.
The cheerleding for Newton Heath was beyond shameful but no-one cares really........
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Poor tonight. Looked leggy and in need of reinforcements in January. Luca Digne going off injured was a blow also.
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Tht second half was the worst performance since Emery arrived, absolutely Bruce-esque. Players were disgracefully shite and Emery got it all wrong.
Careful. Don’t you know we had players out….
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The warning signs were there in the 15 mins before half time & we changed nothing to stop it. We handed that to them & it's fucking sickening.
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Don’t know what’s more embarrassing
Their fans or Emery’s subs
Stupid post. What's he supposed to do with the players we have out?
I thought that the narrative (see Spurs and Newcastle fans) is that we don't bleat and whine about players being missing because that is why we have a squad of players?
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To ship 3 goals second half to a side struggling to even score was very poor. We simply did not come out second half. Nobody reacted to what was unfolding. Poor game management which is on everyone. I thought Konsa was the only player who played well all game. Emery is normally proactive with his changes but today was frozen.
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Absolute shite really. Pure sloppiness on our side, that was 100% self-inflicted.
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2 games on the bounce when massive questions were asked of the team, and we failed to step up.
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Ok. So people think throwing 2 attackers on when we couldn’t get near the ball. :)
So who would you have put on then?
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At 2-0 up we should have got the third and killed them off before half time. We didn't, fanned about and let's face it, we've been here before a few times with our Manc friends.
Fuck around, find out.
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Don’t know what’s more embarrassing
Their fans or Emery’s subs
Stupid post. What's he supposed to do with the players we have out?
I thought that the narrative (see Spurs and Newcastle fans) is that we don't bleat and whine about players being missing because that is why we have a squad of players?
No. Don’t be stupid.
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Breaking the habit of giving these shitbags their hollywood moments is a job unto itself. Trust us to have a bogey team like this.
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Scored our second and totally stopped playing. Very sloppy from Diego Carlos and Luiz pretty much all night and let them back in. Exactly the type of performance/result that derails seasons (see Wolves at home in 20/21).
Looked very leggy after 30 minutes too.
Over to Unai.
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Ok. So people think throwing 2 attackers on when we couldn’t get near the ball. :)
So who would you have put on then?
Maldini and Baresi :)
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They haven't scored in fuck knows how long, that ugly boy couldn't hit a barn door, ETH hasn't beaten a top 9 team or some stat like that.
Oh, hello Villa.
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An unmitigated clusterfuck of immeasurable proportions.
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I always think it's amusing when people chant "we've got our Villa back" when we're doing well. THAT was the Villa we all know so well. Fucking nightmare. Is it too late to say Christmas is cancelled?
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Don’t know what’s more embarrassing
Their fans or Emery’s subs
Give your head a wobble. We had key players missing
Did you expect to lose from being 2-0 up though at half-time?
Don't some questions need to be asked of that second half? Of our capitulation to a team low on goals, confidence and results.
That was a shocker and it should be called out. Too many players went missing.
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And that ladies and gentlemen is what you call a collapse. Three of the shittest goals a team is ever likely to conceded. In complete cruise control until Diego Carlos decided to repeat his Bournemouth fuck up.
I dont know what was more worrying, how often they cut us open or what little answer we had too it.
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This 👇🏼
Of course, it had to be like this. It had to be like this against them. At Christmas.
Absolutely knew it would happen, too. We've been looking stodgy and out of ideas since the Great And Glorious Week. The absences of Tielemans, Torres and then Kamara have exposed the squad. Tonight, we went right into our shell and couldn't get out of our half after the second goal. Watkins, a passenger. Bailey, got to the byline a lot but blocked every time. McGinn, a man of two halves. Douglas Luiz, man, what happened to him tonight? The defence, all over the place.
Freshen it up, Unai. New plans, new ideas, probably new starting personnel with different roles. Come up with something, because I think this iteration of this team looks as spent as Newcastle's, and we need to arrest the slide now.
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Sigh.
I'm thinking of cancelling the zoom call with my best mate this evening now. (He's one of them)
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"A pile of dung, teeming with worms".
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Going to have to hope Brighton win on Thursday now to make this result not seem as bad. Then hammer Burnley at the weekend.
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Well the wheel on the Villa bandwagon that worked lose on Friday night has now sheared off.
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Diego was appalling. Really bad.
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why did JJ come out second half. Big mistake
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When I said at half time that we haven’t got out of first gear.
It wasn’t a positive.
What a cluster fuck.
Gutted.
Hate United so much
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Was out and couldn't watch first half. Them this.....
So many individual errors. Had no idea JJ was on the pitch.
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Really could do with a convincing win on Saturday because for once Everton away doesn't look an easy game at all.
So fucking annoying, why do Villa always ruin Christmas? Blew the chance to go top on Friday, blew a 2-0 lead at the scummiest of scumbag clubs.
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Tht second half was the worst performance since Emery arrived, absolutely Bruce-esque. Players were disgracefully shite and Emery got it all wrong.
This. Abysmal.
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Got to calm down, after that second half display, because I am fuming and the words I would be using is not fit for this thread, right I got to go
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As soon as there were even faint mentions of the title we pissed the bed in classic Villa style.
Talk of right back cover and a forward as back up for Ollie as priorities in the next transfer window. But based on the last few games, I'd say we need better cover at centre half and midfield. The current second string aren't up to it.
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It's only the 3rd time in over a year we've gone 2 games without a win. It's disappointing but it's hardly post-match Fulham.
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Emery won’t bleat about the players we have out and neither will the press who don’t care. He’ll just carry on doing what he does and we have the chance to put it right on Saturday.
I hope we’ve got the cash to invest next month as we need another 2, preferably 3 in to keep up the work we’ve started. We just can’t cope with any of our main players out and Kamara and Torres are certainly that.
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EMI 5 did ok
Konsa 7 our best player
Digne 4 sloppy
Carlos 3 kept giving the ball away
Lenglet 5 not the problem
Luiz 4 poor
Ramsey 4 well off the pace
Bailey 5 ok
Watkins 4 hold up play and first touch pub league level
SJM 6 at least he tried
Donk too too slow
Emery 4 he needed to change it as we were over run in the second half and he did nothing.
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So many players had complete nightmares tonight. Ramsey was appalling, but Carlos should be ashamed of his contribution. That was a "0 out of 10" second half if I've ever seen one.
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No Torres.
No Kamara.
No composure.
That's how it looked to me (but I am in the pub).
We got dragged into their playground back and forth and couldn't stick to our plan.
Maybe sometimes you need to work the channels and forget tidy football too.
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It's disappointing but most of us probably weren't expecting 6 points from the Man City and Arsenal games. We'll probably/hopefully finish the month on the amount of points we would have happily taken at the start of the month.
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Well that was both very disappointing and totally predictable.
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I still think we are the beter team. We where a little unlucky second half - a couple of chances could easily gone in and their goals theyhad margins on their side. Overall they did fight us out of our style second half and we culdnt answer that after a brilliant first half from us. Lets beat Burnley and we are in a good place after all. If being critical cuold Emery done something to make us more defensively sound second half and bringing on Duran just make us worse, if he shall play must be in the box last minutes and not being the one trying to make our attacks with Watkins in the box (the same appear to Zaniolo to al esser degree). I dont care that much about commentators and media being all United, we are the better team anyhow.
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Shit night. No need to panic yet as Emery will sort this. Just need to be patient and not get ahead of ourselves as we are still top 4
I think you may be editing this weekly 🤔
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I am now forgetting this game. In twenty years I might moan about Diego Carlos scoring for them in some nostalgic post but for now it never happened.
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EMI 5 did ok
Konsa 7 our best player
Digne 4 sloppy
Carlos 3 kept giving the ball away
Lenglet 5 not the problem
Luiz 4 poor
Ramsey 4 well off the pace
Bailey 5 ok
Watkins 4 hold up play and first touch pub league level
SJM 6 at least he tried
Donk too too slow
Emery 4 he needed to change it as we were over run in the second half and he did nothing.
You're being far too kind, fella.
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Complete and utter bottle job. Utd didn't win that, we gifted it to them in the 2nd half.
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I always feel being 2-0 up and losing is a real bitter pill to swallow. It should never happen given the standard we are playing at. Seen it so many times and it never gets any easier.
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5 players stood and watched the winner go in and we turned back into benovelent Villa with that spotty forward scoring for the first time in a decade. We were our own worst enemy, misplaced passes, lack of movement, poor defending. Man United are not a good side but when you hand it to them on a plate thanks to terrible passes and crap defending, we only have ourselves to blame. I wonder if the players are running on empty because several were really poor this evening, Watkins, Carlos, Luiz. Duran and Diaby added nothing, in fact, I'm beginning to think Duran should go out on loan now. Truly awful performance and I can't stand the cumfest that is the commentary and by playing like we did, we handed it to them. I hope Emery is giving them a proper roasting. Need to beat Burnley.
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That Kamara red card at Brentford looks worse and worse. I don't think tonight was a personnel problem really, apart from him, who gives us that level of safety on the counter which we totally lacked, they just played cutting pass after cutting pass through the centre of the pitch.
Don't think there's the need to tear everything up and start again - tbh, I think that's the worst (and most tactically out-played) I've seen us play under Emery this season. United's press stopped us playing all night and the most worrying thing was we didn't seem to have an answer.
Burnley won't do what they did tonight, will be a different challenge. Win there and we're still in a great spot. Really annoying to lose it how we did though.
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Got what we deserved, could not match them for passion or desire in the second half, sloppy passing and far too many players did not put in a shift.
I hope we have a list of recruits for Jan
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Maybe some of the players had too much fun over Xmas
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Tht second half was the worst performance since Emery arrived, absolutely Bruce-esque. Players were disgracefully shite and Emery got it all wrong.
Hard to disagree with that
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Normal service resumed.
Yet another troll.
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I know Emery is always trying to exert emotional control over a game. But we will have games like this where we need to have some aggression in the locker and fight for phases of a game.
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Injuries, bookings and squad depth catching up with us?
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The only positive I can think of right now is I had a ticket for the game in the home end sitting with my Manc brother-in-law. Thanks to the Post Office, who sent it to fucking London delaying it by 3 weeks, my passport only arrived on Xmas Eve and I couldn't make the trip.
Oh and Tim looks a player. Unai needs to keep working with him and give him minutes he's quality, something Dougie Luiz was a couple of months back. Too many today waiting for somebody else to take responsibility. Shower of bollox the lot of them against a shite Plastic team.
Unai needs to raise the standards away from home. Apart from Burnley we've been average at best.
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Sigh.
I'm thinking of cancelling the zoom call with my best mate this evening now. (He's one of them)
Best mate? You need to have a long, hard look in the mirror. Mind you, my best man is a Nose.
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As soon as that united supporting commentator said we've never lost from a winning start I backed the filth at 10/1.
We are completely blowing out of our arses and have overextended. What was really impressive about that horror show is we were second best to every 50/50 throughout.
Macheda madness 2.0.
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Not at all. 51 year old Villa fan, been watching since 79. Season ticket since 1980, anything else you know about me?
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Injuries, bookings and squad depth catching up with us?
Or Villa just " doing a Villa".
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What was that 2nd half?!
Started before then, last 15mins of the 1st half we looked shaky.
Emery is still a genius, but I wish the Villa would stop doing Villa things
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Injuries, bookings and squad depth catching up with us?
Away performances catching up with us.
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How many times 2.0 up against them.
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We started well dominated the play scored two then went to sleep. JJ should have been subbed after half time, bit worried his injury has affected his pace. It was reminiscent of Villa of days past, just when you think you have a team can't lose from two up we put in a performance like that. We badly missed Kamara if he plays we win. That's two poor performances in a row. Not a fan of Carlos thought he was a liability today. We need to get a couple of quality players in January.
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The fair criticism for tonight is that Lenglet, Ramsey and Donk all looked fucked by half time because none of them are match fit for games of that intensity. Maybe we needed to be trying to give them more game time earlier in the year but it's hard to do when things are going so well so Emery was always walking a bit of a tightrope over how he used the squad.
Once you consider we had 3 players who were at about 90% it's no shock that the rest of the team started to struggle having to cover more space than normal and not being able to trust their mates as they're used to.
Earlier subs might've helped but it would've been bold to bring Tim on much earlier and for Ramsey the only option was to go much more attacking once Digne got injured.
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Why does he keep shoving Konsa out wide to RB to play a mediocre pairing at the back. Konsa is the best defender and the most comfortable on the ball out of those 3 and they get keep getting the shirts. It's costing us.
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Is it me or was Tim looking very composed and some fine touches when he came on?
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This is worrying. This has happened to us many times before but I thought we were different this season but it seems not.
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Normal service resumed.
Yet another troll.
He's not exactly the first person tonight to suggest that we shit the bed more often than not when we play this mob.
So maybe reconsider your tone.
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Appalling second half performance, or to be fair after the first 30 mins. No impact from the bench either. Real chance for a statement win against a very average team and bottled it really. Sickening.
Martinez 7 - solid saves
Konsa 6 - dealt with Rashford comfortably but poor on ball
Carlos 5 - at fault with a stupid pass for one of their goals, bit brain-dead at times with unnecessary fouls
Lenglet 7 - very good first half with an assist, maybe could have cleared their second
Digne 6 - solid enough until limping off
Donk 7 - very good first half and nice goal. Limited obviously but kept it simple
Luiz 3 - a passenger tonight, bullied off ball constantly, not sure if speculation/hype has gone to his head
Bailey 6 - brilliant start but didn't protect ball well enough after, did force a great save
McGinn 5 - anonymous at 10 really bar set pieces, awful touch crucial for their winner
Ramsey 4 - continues to offer very little
Watkins 5 - little impact
Moreno 4 - roasted by Garnacho, all subs were hopeless really but we didn't seem to have any shape last 15 mins or so. Bit Lambert v Bradford
Emery 5 - nothing wrong with team but failed to make tactical changes required to take back control
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Pau and Kamara play and i'm convinced we'd be top having won the last 2,
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The last two games have shown how important Kamara and Torres are to the way we play. Kamara drops deep to allow the full backs to push the opposition wide players back and while Langlet hasn't really done anything wrong Torres' passing range gives us a different dimension.
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We are half way through the season and 3 points off 1st place. Top four performance in terms of points gained in calendar year 2023. Calm down everybody.
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Think our squad is looking really stretched ATM. Hopefully have Pau back, Lenglet did ok and Moreno should get a run out next time. Kamara and Tielemanns are a big miss in the middle and Diaby needs to turn up. When Watkins hits a bad patch Duran isn't the answer.
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We were out tonight so I only saw the second half. At 2-0 I was hoping to frustrate them and hit them for a third but all I saw was a team that looked hesitant, nervous and unable to retain meaningful possession.
The warning was there with the disallowed goal and we then decided to go into meltdown - starting with a shite ball by Carlos to Luiz who was outmuscled and boom , we concede and then crumble. None of the players played well in the 55 minutes I saw but the collective falling apart was really worrying. I saw zero leadership and a serious lack of game management. Worryingly not a single substitute arrested the decline.
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Normal service resumed.
Yet another troll.
Not at all. 51 year old Villa fan, been watching since 79. Season ticket since 1980, anything else you know about me?
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£120 win by putting a safety bet on at half time,
Every fucker in the pub thought I was an idiot… I live in London so, yes they are idiots., but they don’t know the history of Villa.
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People saying we didn’t protect the two nil lead
That’s the very reason we lost because we went to protective
On top, total domination, 2.0 up and then sat back and fucked about with no conviction
Didn’t no one tell them the history of this game we’ve seen this film many times before
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What was Digne's injury?
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Don’t know what’s more embarrassing
Their fans or Emery’s subs
Stupid post. What's he supposed to do with the players we have out?
I thought that the narrative (see Spurs and Newcastle fans) is that we don't bleat and whine about players being missing because that is why we have a squad of players?
Our bench meant we had to play Dendonker and Emery brought on big Tim. Who else is there? Yes we have a squad, but no Buendia, Kamara, Tielemans. Let's blame his subs when he has the chance to select from a fully fit squad eh? Not sure what this has to do with Newcastle or Tottenham as I don't follow them.
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Everyone in the country bar 2, maybe 3, clubs would give their left bollock to be where we are.
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Meh. Really poor second half, Unai left his subs far too late and let us get overrun. We also absolutely lost the midfield and every second ball in that second half. Far too passive and we let it get away from us.
Annoying but onto Saturday.
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Why does he keep shoving Konsa out wide to RB to play a mediocre pairing at the back. Konsa is the best defender and the most comfortable on the ball out of those 3 and they get keep getting the shirts. It's costing us.
Only have one right back in the squad and he was suspended.
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Got what we deserved, could not match them for passion or desire in the second half, sloppy passing and far too many players did not put in a shift.
I hope we have a list of recruits for Jan
💯%
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Typical against them lot. Rubbish really from about 40 mins on, no control in midfield.
But we are still in a fantastic position. Onwards and upwards.
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What was Digne's injury?
Hurt himself sliding in to try to stop their second. Had to be carried off, so assuming something nasty.
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This is worrying. This has happened to us many times before but I thought we were different this season but it seems not.
We are, these are the first points we've dropped having taken the lead all season, it was always going to happen (just like the 100% home record going). It feels shit togiht because we;ve been here so many times with these pricks but we've reached the halfway point 3points off the top of the table, every single person on here would've called you a fantasist if you've suggested that in July, we just need to keep our heads (both the team/club and the fans).
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Lenglet, Dendoncker are not good enough. We should have kept pressing in the 2nd half. We need 4 players in January. Striker, attacker to replace Zaniolo permanently, centre mid to back up luiz/kamara and a right back so that Konsa can just play as a CB
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I thought the first 30 minutes were very good indeed, but from about that point we seemed to stop playing, running on empty. At half time I was sure that if we conceded one then we'd likely lose the game. But wow, that commentary.
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Why does he keep shoving Konsa out wide to RB to play a mediocre pairing at the back. Konsa is the best defender and the most comfortable on the ball out of those 3 and they get keep getting the shirts. It's costing us.
Who else plays at rb?
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Pau and Kamara play and i'm convinced we'd be top having won the last 2,
I agree with that.
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Imagine my surprise.
I'm shocked I tell ya. Shocked.
Haha! Fcuk off! It's still too raw to be funny. Bastard made me laugh. You're not helping.
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We look fucking tired. We scored mostly because they were shit. But we look out of energy and all this slowing down bollocks is probably meant to keep us going for longer. Man U pressed the shit out of us and we had nothing at all. I’m worried without reinforcements and players coming back and in form we will slip down the table.
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What was Digne's injury?
Hurt himself sliding in to try to stop their second. Had to be carried off, so assuming something nasty.
I saw him being helped off and thought he might have collided with the post.
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Didn't show up second half, poor goals to concede and we got what we deserved.
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Pau and Kamara play and i'm convinced we'd be top having won the last 2,
I agree with that.
Same. We had no one with the confidence to pass the ball forward today. It was pathetic really.. down by a goal and pissing about the back like we were in front.
Midfield was second-rate for the first time in a long time. We have to go out and get all three next match. Players let Unai down today.
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Pau and Kamara play and i'm convinced we'd be top having won the last 2,
I agree with that.
No, we still would have found an unlikely way to lose at Old Trafford on Boxing Day!
It's the Villa Way!
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I keep reading about our injuries etc. Manure we’re missing more players than us I think. Call it what it was, an absolute shit show second half.
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Gutted, but I blame Doctor Who with their Xmas special 'let's go back to 2004' timeline.
As Christy Moore once said, 'Any day you get home in one piece is a good day". Annoying, but hopefully just a blip on our march onwards and upwards.
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Got what we deserved, could not match them for passion or desire in the second half, sloppy passing and far too many players did not put in a shift.
I hope we have a list of recruits for Jan
💯%
I agree. We stopped competing
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Please, please! I thought we’d stopped with this - my therapist said this type of nightmare was behind us.
I can’t express in words how much I despise Manchester United FC.
Christmas utterly ruined.
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What was Digne's injury?
Hurt himself sliding in to try to stop their second. Had to be carried off, so assuming something nasty.
Hurt himself trying to stop an attack that should have been stopped already as it was offside. Thanks IFAB / PGMOL / whoever said not to flag.
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Why does he keep shoving Konsa out wide to RB to play a mediocre pairing at the back. Konsa is the best defender and the most comfortable on the ball out of those 3 and they get keep getting the shirts. It's costing us.
Who else plays at rb?
I'd put one of the mediocre centre halves there where they can't cause much damage. Or Ramsey. Konsa should be central.
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Playing McGinn that far forward was madness. He was hardly involved at all, and should have been dropped further back to support the midfield when it was clear we were being totally overrun.
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So 14 points from 7 game since the last nternational break. Now 4 (maybe 5 if we get oast Boro) games until the end of January, so time for proper recovery and hopefully get Tielemans and Torres back in the side. Kamara big loss today as well.
Take the same points in the 7 league games to end of February, and today will be forgotten.
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We need to find a way to control away games like we do at home. We never seem to keep the ball, which is weird because it's Emery's whole philosophy and would really stop opponents from building up a head of steam and getting their fans behind them. Instead we go for Hollywood passes and cough up possession far too quickly.
I can only assume Emery is telling them to do it - if he's not, he must be even angrier than we are right now.
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We were out tonight so I only saw the second half. At 2-0 I was hoping to frustrate them and hit them for a third but all I saw was a team that looked hesitant, nervous and unable to retain meaningful possession.
The warning was there with the disallowed goal and we then decided to go into meltdown - starting with a shite ball by Carlos to Luiz who was outmuscled and boom , we concede and then crumble. None of the players played well in the 55 minutes I saw but the collective falling apart was really worrying. I saw zero leadership and a serious lack of game management. Worryingly not a single substitute arrested the decline.
I really think it was a mistake to continue to play the high line. The warning signs were there in the first half and United’s only tactic was to try get their quick forwards away over the top and to be fair they are good at that.
There were games last season away, Brighton being an example, where he made us very compact once we were ahead, extremely difficult to play through. We are a bit of a soft touch away from home, and too open this season.
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Having Torres, Kamara and Tielemans out is too much. We simply have to bolster the squad in January! Still annoyed with Kamara after that daft sending off!
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Very disappointed - mainly at the complete and utter predictably of this. Never thought we would win it - even when we were 2 nil up and was certain after 5 mins of the second half where they just continued to dominate us and we had no answers
We had very limited options on the bench and the better options like Zaniolo and Diaby are out of form. Ramsey looks like a shadow of the player and dendoncker is up to this level.
What really disapointed me is they worked us out and went direct earlier and we had no answer.
Surely we could have at least shut up shop. But seems like ETH worked out Unai and Unai couldn’t answer it.
We had important players out but we shouldn’t be dropping points from two nil up against any side if we’re serious for CL.
Need some players back - or at least some others back on form.
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Sometimes, just sometimes things conspire. It's an awful place for us to go, the number of unexpected and bizarre occurrences is somewhat beyond belief over the years. Players that never score, score, unexpected comebacks and ridiculous scorelines. But we are still OK, still a good side, let's not panic because I'm sure the Manager isn't
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Surprised that there has been little comment about just how poor McGinn was tonight, at both ends of the pitch. Thought he should have been replaced long before he was.
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Still annoyed with Kamara after that daft sending off!
Yes, absolutely fucking infuriating, pointless red card and we are definitely feeling the impact of that.
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Don’t know what’s more embarrassing
Their fans or Emery’s subs
Stupid post. What's he supposed to do with the players we have out?
I thought that the narrative (see Spurs and Newcastle fans) is that we don't bleat and whine about players being missing because that is why we have a squad of players?
Our bench meant we had to play Dendonker and Emery brought on big Tim. Who else is there? Yes we have a squad, but no Buendia, Kamara, Tielemans. Let's blame his subs when he has the chance to select from a fully fit squad eh? Not sure what this has to do with Newcastle or Tottenham as I don't follow them.
But you understand that other football exists? And when we beat Spurs and their fans are all crying about their injured players, and we laughed at them.
And we think it's great when Newcastle get spanked by Bournemouth and their fans are all crying they that they don't even have enough players to fill a bench. And we laughed at them.
And we're down to the bare bones of the £15m Belgian international who everyone loved two hours ago after his impudent back-heeled goal, and now we all have to all cry into our beers about how we can't possibly compete while we have losers like him in our team.
It just makes us sound like all those whiny bell-ends that we were laughing at four weeks ago.
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Playing McGinn that far forward was madness. He was hardly involved at all, and should have been dropped further back to support the midfield when it was clear we were being totally overrun.
Agreed, just required a swap with Bailey.
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Had the whiff of inevitability about it from the 30th minute onwards.
Diego, as much as I love him, is a liability in a world of playing intricate passes out from the back. Way too casual.
We really missed Kamara
Hope the past two games aren’t the start of a descent back to more common altitudes
Amazon, their commentators / pundits, and Jeff Bezos, can get to f—-
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Surprised that there has been little comment about just how poor McGinn was tonight, at both ends of the pitch. Thought he should have been replaced long before he was.
He's not a number 10, I don't care how many goals he scores for Scotland playing against San Marino or whoever. This season he seems to have played on the left and in the middle more than his actual best position on the right.
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That was horrendously shit, if nothing else because they are utterly shit apart from the young winger. The Amazon coverage before during and after is appallingly biased, ManUTV.
But it was coming even in the first half, when we were sloppy at times. I thought Luiz was really poor as was Ramsey and Carlos in particular. I thought for once Unai was very slow making subs which is unusual, not sure what happened there.
But we are 3rd, we have the best team we’ve had in a generation, things are shot tonight but very very good otherwise.
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Sometimes, just sometimes things conspire. It's an awful place for us to go, the number of unexpected and bizarre occurrences is somewhat beyond belief over the years. Players that never score, score, unexpected comebacks and ridiculous scorelines. But we are still OK, still a good side, let's not panic because I'm sure the Manager isn't
I agree with this.
It's been a poor couple of matches, but we're THIRD in the league.
There's a bit of getting of a grip that would help tonight. It's not going to be a linear, uninterrupted march to glory, there will be ups and downs, great results and shit ones (a week and a bit ago we were beating Arsenal and Man City in 4 days).
From next week we have a chance to strengthen the squad, too, so let's see what happens. I am sure we'll be trying to do something, else we wouldn't have bothered hiring Monchi.
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My overriding feeling right now is one of complete and utter sickness. And once again it has been caused by us and against them cnuts.
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This is worrying. This has happened to us many times before but I thought we were different this season but it seems not.
We are, these are the first points we've dropped having taken the lead all season, it was always going to happen (just like the 100% home record going). It feels shit togiht because we;ve been here so many times with these pricks but we've reached the halfway point 3points off the top of the table, every single person on here would've called you a fantasist if you've suggested that in July, we just need to keep our heads (both the team/club and the fans).
Careful Paul you're sounding a bit sensible there
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Over coached at times. Nothing wrong with row Z when the situation calls for it.
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Don’t know what’s more embarrassing
Their fans or Emery’s subs
Stupid post. What's he supposed to do with the players we have out?
I thought that the narrative (see Spurs and Newcastle fans) is that we don't bleat and whine about players being missing because that is why we have a squad of players?
Our bench meant we had to play Dendonker and Emery brought on big Tim. Who else is there? Yes we have a squad, but no Buendia, Kamara, Tielemans. Let's blame his subs when he has the chance to select from a fully fit squad eh? Not sure what this has to do with Newcastle or Tottenham as I don't follow them.
But you understand that other football exists? And when we beat Spurs and their fans are all crying about their injured players, and we laughed at them.
And we think it's great when Newcastle get spanked by Bournemouth and their fans are all crying they that they don't even have enough players to fill a bench. And we laughed at them.
And we're down to the bare bones of the £15m Belgian international who everyone loved two hours ago after his impudent back-heeled goal, and now we all have to all cry into our beers about how we can't possibly compete while we have losers like him in our team.
It just makes us sound like all those whiny bell-ends that we were laughing at four weeks ago.
Certainly puts perspective on it Dave especially for me 👍🏻
Legion, might be time for me to go on another hiatus. First game back in 2 years 🤔
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I can’t get my temperature down, still fucking fuming.
Haven’t lost since Nov 5th, but going down like this today has me furious.
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What was that second half collapse ! Once Utd woke up it was men against boys. Absolutely turgid stuff. Was Luiz even on the pitch ? Carlos another basic error for the first goal . Dear oh dear so poor .
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Sometimes, just sometimes things conspire. It's an awful place for us to go, the number of unexpected and bizarre occurrences is somewhat beyond belief over the years. Players that never score, score, unexpected comebacks and ridiculous scorelines. But we are still OK, still a good side, let's not panic because I'm sure the Manager isn't
I agree with this.
It's been a poor couple of matches, but we're THIRD in the league.
There's a bit of getting of a grip that would help tonight. It's not going to be a linear, uninterrupted march to glory, there will be ups and downs, great results and shit ones (a week and a bit ago we were beating Arsenal and Man City in 4 days).
From next week we have a chance to strengthen the squad, too, so let's see what happens. I am sure we'll be trying to do something, else we wouldn't have bothered hiring Monchi.
Tonight is extremely hard to take. There was no fight, no intelligence, no decent subs, nothing. Just shit football and a lack of anything approaching a decent effort second half. And it had to be against those twats, didn't it, who were getting played off the park by Bournemouth in their last home game.
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Pau and Kamara play and i'm convinced we'd be top having won the last 2,
I agree with that.
Me too. But I remember a (sound and wise, as always) PWS post pointing out that all clubs have their "if only we'd beaten Forest and Wolves" matches that they can point to.
And all the clubs around us have their "if only we'd had player X for game Y then we'd have been fine" clauses.
We've been great, but it's hardly crazy to say that no injury to Maddison or Van De Valk and Spurs are ahead of us.
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And Hoijland scored , so farkin predictable
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We've been great, but it's hardly crazy to say that no injury to Maddison or Van De Valk and Spurs are ahead of us.
It's quite possible that they will be on Thursday anyway.
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They probably will be tomorrow.
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My overriding feeling right now is one of complete and utter sickness. And once again it has been caused by us and against them cnuts.
Yep, sick to my fucking stomach. Losing a two goal lead against a good side is bad enough but against a really poor side is heartbreaking.
Should be used to it by now I suppose.
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Sometimes, just sometimes things conspire. It's an awful place for us to go, the number of unexpected and bizarre occurrences is somewhat beyond belief over the years. Players that never score, score, unexpected comebacks and ridiculous scorelines. But we are still OK, still a good side, let's not panic because I'm sure the Manager isn't
I agree with this.
It's been a poor couple of matches, but we're THIRD in the league.
There's a bit of getting of a grip that would help tonight. It's not going to be a linear, uninterrupted march to glory, there will be ups and downs, great results and shit ones (a week and a bit ago we were beating Arsenal and Man City in 4 days).
From next week we have a chance to strengthen the squad, too, so let's see what happens. I am sure we'll be trying to do something, else we wouldn't have bothered hiring Monchi.
Tonight is extremely hard to take. There was no fight, no intelligence, no decent subs, nothing. Just shit football and a lack of anything approaching a decent effort second half. And it had to be against those twats, didn't it, who were getting played off the park by Bournemouth in their last home game.
Yeah, I know.
It was a bad night and a bad result, in a fixture with a long history of making us very sad.
We're all sickened by it, no doubt about that, but it doesn't mean anything more than any match we lose this season, and given that's only our second league defeat since the end of September, that adds a bit more context.
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It was the inevitability of the whole scenario was just so gutting. You could see it after our second goal, we stood off them let them into it. I'm finding this one hard to stomach.
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Usual dog shit against them and the inevitable comeback with someone who hasn't scored since biblical times getting the winner. Shit script that keeps on getting churned out against these.
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I keep reading about our injuries etc. Manure we’re missing more players than us I think. Call it what it was, an absolute shit show second half.
It had started well before then and I thought we were fortunate to go in 2-0 up. Unfortunately, we've seen that kind of away performance a few times this season and it has cost us. We just don't look strong enough, can't hold the ball up in the final third, sloppy play all over the pitch and struggle when teams put us under pressure.
As soon as it went to 2-1 and the way it was going, you could sense what was going to unfold.
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God what a shit night. Honestly embarrassed as a villa fan tonight. This united team is awful but losing after being two goals up ia nothing short of embarrassing.
The players have let the fans donw badly tonight. Totally unacceptable. We had a extra days rest too. You don't lose like that if you are a top side and chasing champions league
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Surprised that there has been little comment about just how poor McGinn was tonight, at both ends of the pitch. Thought he should have been replaced long before he was.
Probably due to the fact he was the only midfielder trying to take responsibility. Which brings me to Douglas Luiz, a Rolls Royce of a player 6-8 wekks ago. Now he's more like an Austin Princess. Anybody watching his recent performances and reading Villa rating him at £100m must be pissing themselves laughing. He'd be lucky to get half of that due to to recent holiday. On the beach sums him up.
Ramsey, it looks like we're making the same mistake Slippy Gee made, playing him into fitness. He looks at least a month away. No where near ready to start.
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Tonight was the first time this season I've thought we could really do with supplementing the squad with some more quality.
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We gave them encouragement at 2-0 that they were still in the game. Poor in possession, slow passing, bringing them on to us, the high line against Rashford and Garnacho. We could have turned the crowd against them and we did the opposite.
Evra called the 3-2 at half time.
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Over coached at times. Nothing wrong with row Z when the situation calls for it.
Yes overcoaching might be a downside of our welldrilled system under Emery but then again no system without downsides.
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End of the day we can go on about Man. United being flukey (because this is a terrible Man. United team) or Bruno or Garnacho are t***s or whatever. Or the ref should've given us this and that (even though he gave us 9 minutes of injury time).
We were simply not good enough by a long way at 1-2. I was shocked given the season we've had so far and how we've genuinely controlled games we've been winning extremely well that we were that bad as soon as they scored, pretty much looked like we were waiting to be defeated there and then.
That mentality was not good enough by a long way and that needs to be a big lesson to the players as they're going to be far higher stakes games and pressure situations than this tonight in April/May if we want to finish top 4 and actually win something.
There is no need to panic...yet. But that's a warning just like choking that Stoke game all those years ago was and then our season started to unravel spectacularly.
As for the match...what actually was the point in bringing Pau up there if we weren't going to put him on at any point once we started to lose control?
We needed a calm head and instead they all started charging in making daft challenges, disappointed in them all really.
Was a strange Unai impression of Sherwood at Leicester, piling on more forwards when we really needed an extra body in CM just to sit on one of them for a while and stop the ball being circulated out wide time and again.
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We're all sickened by it, no doubt about that, but it doesn't mean anything more than any match we lose this season, and given that's only our second league defeat since the end of September, that adds a bit more context.
Well it does, because they're one of the big teams we need to finish above, so losing 3-2 after leading 2-0 means we're now 8 points ahead of them, rather than the 14 we would have been had we won. And we're only 3rd now pending games in hand for Spurs and Man City.
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That was dreadful pretty much from the moment we scored the second goal. We ceded control and just never did anything about.
Love Doug, but he was woeful tonight. Den, Moreno, JJ, and DC were dreadful as well. Unai is brilliant, but got it wrong tonight and didn’t react to what was clearly happening.
That’s a real gut punch of a result, particularly after a fairly flat display against Sheffield Utd. Teams go through dips, and this one hurts, but we need show it’s a blip and come back strong.
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And it had to be against those twats, didn't it, who were getting played off the park by Bournemouth in their last home game.
One could even say that Bournemouth's comfortable 3-0 victory at Old Trafford as part of their winning run was impressive and worthy of praise.
(meant in a playful dig-in-the-ribs way, not in a being-a-belligerent-twat way)
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Surprised that there has been little comment about just how poor McGinn was tonight, at both ends of the pitch. Thought he should have been replaced long before he was.
Probably due to the fact he was the only midfielder trying to take responsibility. Which brings me to Douglas Luiz, a Rolls Royce of a player 6-8 wekks ago. Now he's more like an Austin Princess. Anybody watching his recent performances and reading Villa rating him at £100m must be pissing themselves laughing. He'd be lucky to get half of that due to to recent holiday. On the beach sums him up.
Ramsey, it looks like we're making the same mistake Slippy Gee made, playing him into fitness. He looks at least a month away. No where near ready to start.
Same with Moreno, both of them look miles off. However, we don't really have any alternatives, especially now if Digne is out for a while.
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Tonight was the first time this season I've thought we could really do with supplementing the squad with some more quality.
Yep. There is definite quality there but you need a pair of bollocks, belief and work rate to go with it, neither of which we saw tonight.
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Surprised that there has been little comment about just how poor McGinn was tonight, at both ends of the pitch. Thought he should have been replaced long before he was.
He's not a number 10, I don't care how many goals he scores for Scotland playing against San Marino or whoever. This season he seems to have played on the left and in the middle more than his actual best position on the right.
I suspect he'll be replaying the chance he had at 2-2 over and over again.
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And it had to be against those twats, didn't it, who were getting played off the park by Bournemouth in their last home game.
One could even say that Bournemouth's comfortable 3-0 victory at Old Trafford as part of their winning run was impressive and worthy of praise.
(meant in a playful dig-in-the-ribs way, not in a being-a-belligerent-twat way)
I've never even *heard* of Bournemouth! Does that nice Eddie Howe still manage them?!
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Why does he keep shoving Konsa out wide to RB to play a mediocre pairing at the back. Konsa is the best defender and the most comfortable on the ball out of those 3 and they get keep getting the shirts. It's costing us.
Agree - lose defensive stability with him on the right.
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Sometimes, just sometimes things conspire. It's an awful place for us to go, the number of unexpected and bizarre occurrences is somewhat beyond belief over the years. Players that never score, score, unexpected comebacks and ridiculous scorelines. But we are still OK, still a good side, let's not panic because I'm sure the Manager isn't
I agree with this.
It's been a poor couple of matches, but we're THIRD in the league.
There's a bit of getting of a grip that would help tonight. It's not going to be a linear, uninterrupted march to glory, there will be ups and downs, great results and shit ones (a week and a bit ago we were beating Arsenal and Man City in 4 days).
From next week we have a chance to strengthen the squad, too, so let's see what happens. I am sure we'll be trying to do something, else we wouldn't have bothered hiring Monchi.
Agree with all this (plus I've just poured myself a very large Havana Club 7YO and coke). Don't worry, it's going to be a great 2024.
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We're all sickened by it, no doubt about that, but it doesn't mean anything more than any match we lose this season, and given that's only our second league defeat since the end of September, that adds a bit more context.
Well it does, because they're one of the big teams we need to finish above, so losing 3-2 after leading 2-0 means we're now 8 points ahead of them, rather than the 14 we would have been had we won. And we're only 3rd now pending games in hand for Spurs and Man City.
So, we're third.
Yeah, I agree it is one shit half and a piss poor result that particularly sticks in the craw because it was against those wankers.
There's been plenty of excellent stuff this season so far, and there will be plenty more. Hopefully we'll learn from this. Tonight doesn't make everything else is either terrible or only due to other teams being shit.
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Decent first half, awful second half. Very disappointed as I thought we’d win. Carlos was garbage, Ramsey needs to get his act together and the subs were poor. However I think almost all of us would have took where we are now all day long. I still fancy us to keep it going and who knows where we might end up. On another note Ally McCoist can fuck right off with his Man Utd love in.
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Don’t know what’s more embarrassing
Their fans or Emery’s subs
Stupid post. What's he supposed to do with the players we have out?
I thought that the narrative (see Spurs and Newcastle fans) is that we don't bleat and whine about players being missing because that is why we have a squad of players?
We still had a decent spine out back to front. If we were having to stick Olsen and Chambers out there like in the league cup match last season then a collapse would be more expected. Guys like Luiz and Konsa are vastly experienced prem players now and have been very very good for a long while now. Both weren't at it all second half.
Personally I'd have got Tim out there a bit earlier. Perhaps it would've still gone wrong but they had a kid out in that position (and put two more on in injury time) but we need another CM desperately just to stop Fernandes having his annual testimonial match v us.
Hopefully Tielemans is back in January. That's a real annoyance from last few weeks, he finally breaks into the team and shows top level quality and then picks up an injury. Could've done with him Friday and tonight and hopefully he's back for Everton.
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Well that’s not how you win the league.
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As hard as this one is to take against that lot, we are going to lose some games. If each one is off the back of a 10 match unbeaten run, we will be doing more than OK come May.
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It’s all very well moaning about the commentary but we didn’t exactly give them much to talk about did we? We did create some decent chances second half but poor execution and decision making let us down.
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We can't rotate properly with Mings, Buendia, Torres, Tielemans, Kamara & Cash out. That's 6 players and possibly Digne now. The squad definitely needs at least two players adding in January.
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As sick as I feel seeing them celebrate like it’s a major scalp and they’ve won the league gives me hope.
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Going to have to hope Brighton win on Thursday now to make this result not seem as bad. Then hammer Burnley at the weekend.
I think CL will go down to 5th so there's really no reason to panic as crushingly disappointing as that second half was. Of course the live table had us 14 points clear of Man. United and now it's just the 8 (with a far superior GD) but we've just got to settle down and start beating the teams in this league we should be beating. We play all of Burnley, Everton and Sheffield United before Man. United come to VP so I'd expect the lead over them (and Newcastle) to be back to double figures.
If we keep messing up and they come to VP and do a smash and grab and get the lead down to 4-5 points then we really will have ourselves to blame. It will certainly be a worse collapse than 08/09 and I'm expecting better considering who we have as manager and we also have a transfer window in play and won't be signing Emile Heskey this time.
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I just don’t understand why Emery stood and watched whilst we were being taken apart.
It was reminiscent of Dan Smith.
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The big positive from the night was our first goal, having the player on the line but not interfering with play or the keeper in any way screwed with Onana. The ref/var tried really hard to find something to not give it but it was really clever.
For the 2nd we've also managed to trick a lot of teams into leaving space at the far post and not really got the rewards for it.
Pat on the back for McPhee for them both.
Over all I think that despite us playing poorly I think we had the better chances but never got the bit of luck they did for their 2nd and 3rd where a big dflection and a bit of pinball went in their favour, as always seems to happen to us there.
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I always feel being 2-0 up and losing is a real bitter pill to swallow. It should never happen given the standard we are playing at. Seen it so many times and it never gets any easier.
Yep feel a hundred times worse than when Liverpool won 3-0 in September as we were never in that from start to finish. This also feels worse than the opening day even if that was traumatic in itself.
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That was dreadful pretty much from the moment we scored the second goal. We ceded control and just never did anything about.
Love Doug, but he was woeful tonight. Den, Moreno, JJ, and DC were dreadful as well. Unai is brilliant, but got it wrong tonight and didn’t react to what was clearly happening.
That’s a real gut punch of a result, particularly after a fairly flat display against Sheffield Utd. Teams go through dips, and this one hurts, but we need show it’s a blip and come back strong.
Luiz has looked off without Kamara or Tielemans alongside him.
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BBC news sports roundup. Liverpool go top? No a club making up the numbers come back from 2 down. Fcuk off you obsessive cnuts.
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Why does he keep shoving Konsa out wide to RB to play a mediocre pairing at the back. Konsa is the best defender and the most comfortable on the ball out of those 3 and they get keep getting the shirts. It's costing us.
Agree - lose defensive stability with him on the right.
Right back is absolutely where we need to strengthen, if for no better reason that is means Konsa does not have to leave CB. Plus another striker for when Ollie is off form. Duran is either not ready or not good enough to dep
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One of the biggest disappointments on tonight was that we could and should have effectively knocked them out a chance to get champions league next season even at this early stage.
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I just don’t understand why Emery stood and watched whilst we were being taken apart.
It was reminiscent of Dan Smith.
Whilst I agree to an extent you learn a lot about your players when things like this happen and I think we’ve still got a few without the necessary mentality for this shown in our sloppy and frankly passive play in that second half. Where I do agree is he should have dropped McGinn deeper where he could join the battle and swap Ramsey out earlier for someone with a semblance of form and fitness.
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I always feel being 2-0 up and losing is a real bitter pill to swallow. It should never happen given the standard we are playing at. Seen it so many times and it never gets any easier.
Yep feel a hundred times worse than when Liverpool won 3-0 in September as we were never in that from start to finish. This also feels worse than the opening day even if that was traumatic in itself.
Yes, this was much, much worse than either of those two performances. An absolute sickener. I just hope it's not one of those like Stoke under O'Neill that has a knock on effect for the rest of the season. There's needs to be some stern words from Emery tonight, and two to three players dropping for Burnley. That display from Carlos was not acceptable tonight, he was a disgrace.
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Playing McGinn that far forward was madness. He was hardly involved at all, and should have been dropped further back to support the midfield when it was clear we were being totally overrun.
Agreed, just required a swap with Bailey.
Both of you were saying McGinn should be further forwards after the Sheffield game.
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Why does he keep shoving Konsa out wide to RB to play a mediocre pairing at the back. Konsa is the best defender and the most comfortable on the ball out of those 3 and they get keep getting the shirts. It's costing us.
Yes it cost us 6 points against Citeh and Arse.
But for today, if you want to name who should have been playing RB instead of Konsa I'm all ears. But hopefully we can actually get a RB in instead of wasting the second half of the season.
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I always feel being 2-0 up and losing is a real bitter pill to swallow. It should never happen given the standard we are playing at. Seen it so many times and it never gets any easier.
Yep feel a hundred times worse than when Liverpool won 3-0 in September as we were never in that from start to finish. This also feels worse than the opening day even if that was traumatic in itself.
Yes, this was much, much worse than either of those two performances. An absolute sickener. I just hope it's not one of those like Stoke under O'Neill that has a knock on effect for the rest of the season. There's needs to be some stern words from Emery tonight, and two to three players dropping for Burnley. That display from Carlos was not acceptable tonight, he was a disgrace.
Yes Carlos was dreadful.
He played like he didn’t give a f***.
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Surprised that there has been little comment about just how poor McGinn was tonight, at both ends of the pitch. Thought he should have been replaced long before he was.
Probably due to the fact he was the only midfielder trying to take responsibility. Which brings me to Douglas Luiz, a Rolls Royce of a player 6-8 wekks ago. Now he's more like an Austin Princess. Anybody watching his recent performances and reading Villa rating him at £100m must be pissing themselves laughing. He'd be lucky to get half of that due to to recent holiday. On the beach sums him up.
Ramsey, it looks like we're making the same mistake Slippy Gee made, playing him into fitness. He looks at least a month away. No where near ready to start.
Same with Moreno, both of them look miles off. However, we don't really have any alternatives, especially now if Digne is out for a while.
I'm less concerned about Moreno. Tonight we really missed Watkins. Did he actually touch the ball tonight? There's a limit to a striker who contributes next to nothing. When he's scoring he's so involved, bringing others into play. Recently he's been doing a great job marking the opposition centre halves. Brilliant the way he sits between the two, keeping them quiet. He may as well not be there especially if we don't play to his limited though lethal strengths.
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I always feel being 2-0 up and losing is a real bitter pill to swallow. It should never happen given the standard we are playing at. Seen it so many times and it never gets any easier.
Yep feel a hundred times worse than when Liverpool won 3-0 in September as we were never in that from start to finish. This also feels worse than the opening day even if that was traumatic in itself.
Yes, this was much, much worse than either of those two performances. An absolute sickener. I just hope it's not one of those like Stoke under O'Neill that has a knock on effect for the rest of the season. There's needs to be some stern words from Emery tonight, and two to three players dropping for Burnley. That display from Carlos was not acceptable tonight, he was a disgrace.
Yes Carlos was dreadful.
He played like he didn’t give a f***.
There were worse players out there
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Playing McGinn that far forward was madness. He was hardly involved at all, and should have been dropped further back to support the midfield when it was clear we were being totally overrun.
Agreed, just required a swap with Bailey.
Both of you were saying McGinn should be further forwards after the Sheffield game.
You can be further forward than shielding the defence without playing up front. You know, that big bit in the middle of the park called midfield.
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Playing McGinn that far forward was madness. He was hardly involved at all, and should have been dropped further back to support the midfield when it was clear we were being totally overrun.
Agreed, just required a swap with Bailey.
Both of you were saying McGinn should be further forwards after the Sheffield game.
He went from basically playing as a 6 against Sheff United to a 10 tonight. Swapping with Bailey would have been fine and got that narrow midfield four setup that has served us well.
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Watkins and Diaby partnership seems to have disappeared a big part of why it’s not clicking up front.
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Surprised that there has been little comment about just how poor McGinn was tonight, at both ends of the pitch. Thought he should have been replaced long before he was.
He's not a number 10, I don't care how many goals he scores for Scotland playing against San Marino or whoever. This season he seems to have played on the left and in the middle more than his actual best position on the right.
I suspect he'll be replaying the chance he had at 2-2 over and over again.
There's something I've noticed about SJM. His first touch isn't always great, but more often than not he reacts quicker to a duff first touch than the nearest opposition player and is able to retain control. Tonight he lost out more often than usual.
Having said that he played a big part in both of our goals and his less then best overall tonight was not what our collapse hinged on
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As much as we had a decent shape and were compact on the first half, we were the opposite in the second half, and it was made worse with the two bad passes leading to their goals.
Without regulars like Torres and Kamara, we looked vulnerable and losing Digne definitely upset the balance. I like Moreno , but he was really poor when he came on.
11 points from the 6 league games this month and top place in the Conference group is a good return, but the last 2 games have been concerning and our squad depth looks a bit exposed.
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We don’t have as talented players as most top teams. Emery had just got them performing out of their skins. Watching Liverpool b Arsenal the other night, it was so obvious our players aren’t as good as either of their teams. The fact that we are almost on a par , point wise, with them, is down to Emery.
Just imagine what he could achieve if he is allowed to strengthen in January or the summer.
We are a right back and centre forward away from being title contenders.
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As soon as Carlos put that misplaced pass into the middle I knew that was our defeat there and then. It’s mot the first time he’s done as such. He’s the weak link as good as he is at other aspects of the game. If he doesn’t do that we can frustrate them for most of the 2nd half. We didn’t have the opportunity to do that once they got their tails up.
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We are not title contenders. We have massively overachieved this year.
If we can get CL qualification, that will be an incredible achievement and gives us solid building blocks for the next phase.
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We are a right back and centre forward away from being title contenders.
Heart reacticon
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As soon as Carlos put that misplaced pass into the middle I knew that was our defeat there and then. It’s mot the first time he’s done as such. He’s the weak link as good as he is at other aspects of the game. If he doesn’t do that we can frustrate them for most of the 2nd half. We didn’t have the opportunity to do that once they got their tails up.
Hate to say but I had that exact feeling too. Up until that point, while it hadn't been great, it still felt like we had a semblance of (defensive) control. But once that pass went astray and it resulted in a goal it felt like it was done from thereon out
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There's something I've noticed about SJM. His first touch isn't always great, but more often than not he reacts quicker to a duff first touch than the nearest opposition player and is able to retain control. Tonight he lost out more often than usual.
Having said that he played a big part in both of our goals and his less then best overall tonight was not what our collapse hinged on
I think his first touch is due to him playing every bloody minute. He can still run around and do lots of the stuff he normally does but to be at his peak, fine lines etc, we can't keep relying on him to be 100%. Fixing him a position and sticking with it rather than asking him to be the Jack of all trades doesn't help either. Hopefully we'll deal with this and other problems next month.
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I think it's just as simple as most of that team are on empty & Dendonker was on empty by 60 mins.
We didn't have any real options to address that from the bench. What's also becoming clear is that Luiz is half the player without Kamara next to him.
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We didn't have any real options to address that from the bench. What's also becoming clear is that Luiz is half the player without Kamara next to him.
That is a very, very good point
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At half time I said it had 3-2 to them written all over it. We just got deeper & deeper before half-time.
RB is needed desperately.
Onana's save from Bailey at 1-2 was critical.
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Fucking bollocks. Why do we do this at this against this team time and time again.
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I think it's just as simple as most of that team are on empty & Dendonker was on empty by 60 mins.
We didn't have any real options to address that from the bench. What's also becoming clear is that Luiz is half the player without Kamara next to him.
Watkins and Diaby partnership seems to have disappeared a big part of why it’s not clicking up front.
Both sensible points, after an annoying/emotional defeat.
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As soon as Carlos put that misplaced pass into the middle I knew that was our defeat there and then. It’s mot the first time he’s done as such. He’s the weak link as good as he is at other aspects of the game. If he doesn’t do that we can frustrate them for most of the 2nd half. We didn’t have the opportunity to do that once they got their tails up.
His passing is nowhere near as good as he thinks it is. Thought we were already under serious pressure at that point of the game, couldn't keep the ball past 3 or 4 passes. Nothing direct sticking either with Watkins.
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We don’t have as talented players as most top teams. Emery had just got them performing out of their skins. Watching Liverpool b Arsenal the other night, it was so obvious our players aren’t as good as either of their teams. The fact that we are almost on a par , point wise, with them, is down to Emery.
Just imagine what he could achieve if he is allowed to strengthen in January or the summer.
We are a right back and centre forward away from being title contenders.
I’d agree with most of this. Emery knows we aren’t yet up to challenging and he’s worked miracles with this squad. A few injuries throws the team out of kilt and what comes in isn’t good enough. January, as you say, is vital for the season but I don’t think it makes us title contenders whatever happens.
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We are not title contenders. We have massively overachieved this year.
If we can get CL qualification, that will be an incredible achievement and gives us solid building blocks for the next phase.
This is how I see it
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And Hoijland scored , so farkin predictable
and Ally McCoist wanking off about it after
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Watkins and Diaby partnership seems to have disappeared a big part of why it’s not clicking up front.
I'd hardly call it a partnership. Neither seem to have an impact during most of the game. At least Watkins can call in his goals.
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What happened to Digne?
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Watkins was OK for the first half as the ball was sticking to him when it was played forwards and we made real progress through him but he utterly disappeared in the second half as we fell apart like a cheap suit.
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Hindsight is a wonderful thing but we really should have gone 4-3-3 second half with Bailey and Diaby out wide and tightened up the middle. Emery doesn't seem to like this formation though.
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Yep we beat the press easily first half but they tweaked it we didn’t and kept losing the ball in dangerous areas from then on in.
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Hindsight is a wonderful thing but we really should have gone 4-3-3 second half with Bailey and Diaby out wide and tightened up the middle. Emery doesn't seem to like this formation though.
As is often the case whether it's investing or football, 'Hindsight is risk-free and its rewards are commensurate'.
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Sometimes, just sometimes things conspire. It's an awful place for us to go, the number of unexpected and bizarre occurrences is somewhat beyond belief over the years. Players that never score, score, unexpected comebacks and ridiculous scorelines. But we are still OK, still a good side, let's not panic because I'm sure the Manager isn't
I agree with this.
It's been a poor couple of matches, but we're THIRD in the league.
There's a bit of getting of a grip that would help tonight. It's not going to be a linear, uninterrupted march to glory, there will be ups and downs, great results and shit ones (a week and a bit ago we were beating Arsenal and Man City in 4 days).
From next week we have a chance to strengthen the squad, too, so let's see what happens. I am sure we'll be trying to do something, else we wouldn't have bothered hiring Monchi.
Agree with all this (plus I've just poured myself a very large Havana Club 7YO and coke). Don't worry, it's going to be a great 2024.
I’m on industrial measures of sloe gin Gary. Slainte
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Sometimes, just sometimes things conspire. It's an awful place for us to go, the number of unexpected and bizarre occurrences is somewhat beyond belief over the years. Players that never score, score, unexpected comebacks and ridiculous scorelines. But we are still OK, still a good side, let's not panic because I'm sure the Manager isn't
I agree with this.
It's been a poor couple of matches, but we're THIRD in the league.
There's a bit of getting of a grip that would help tonight. It's not going to be a linear, uninterrupted march to glory, there will be ups and downs, great results and shit ones (a week and a bit ago we were beating Arsenal and Man City in 4 days).
From next week we have a chance to strengthen the squad, too, so let's see what happens. I am sure we'll be trying to do something, else we wouldn't have bothered hiring Monchi.
Agree with all this (plus I've just poured myself a very large Havana Club 7YO and coke). Don't worry, it's going to be a great 2024.
I’m on industrial measures of sloe gin Gary. Slainte
Is it slow gin as acknowledgement to that 2nd half masterclass
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Hindsight is a wonderful thing but we really should have gone 4-3-3 second half with Bailey and Diaby out wide and tightened up the middle. Emery doesn't seem to like this formation though.
I'd like to see it more often when we are chasing game. Bringing on Duran is wasting a sub. Ramsey offering very little since his return from injury too in midfield.
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Called it at half-time:
“Manure still favourites while it’s only two. Need another goal for the draw.“
How can we be two up and continually hit on the break?
Because Emery insists on playing the high line when up by two. Makes no sense.
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We were poor. Extremely poor second half. Players that have been amazing all season were poor. We have no credible plan b for Watkins. Carlos was poor, Dougie was very poor.
But they have all been incredible all season. They’re due a bad game I guess , it’s just a shame it was all at the same time.
But we’re third. At Christmas. I’ll take that all day long.
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Agree with all this (plus I've just poured myself a very large Havana Club 7YO and coke). Don't worry, it's going to be a great 2024.
I’m on industrial measures of sloe gin Gary. Slainte
Fair play! I have to admit, I do enjoy a sloe gin. Got a couple of bottles of gin as pressies (Drumshanbo Sardinian Citrus which is lovely) but dark rum is more my thing. Anyway enjoy, and Saúde!
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At half time I said it had 3-2 to them written all over it. We just got deeper & deeper before half-time.
RB is needed desperately.
Onana's save from Bailey at 1-2 was critical.
McGinn missed a bit of a sitter too, I think just after they equalised. But our efforts chasing an equaliser were pathetic.
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Architects of our own downfall there giving up cheap possession unnecessarily in silly areas. Really bottled it 2nd half as a result. Missed two glorious chances.
Mind the gap you cockney ******.
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Hindsight is a wonderful thing but we really should have gone 4-3-3 second half with Bailey and Diaby out wide and tightened up the middle. Emery doesn't seem to like this formation though.
I'd like to see it more often when we are chasing game. Bringing on Duran is wasting a sub. Ramsey offering very little since his return from injury too in midfield.
Ramsey isn't right , not fully fit probably
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We were poor. Extremely poor second half. Players that have been amazing all season were poor. We have no credible plan b for Watkins. Carlos was poor, Dougie was very poor.
But they have all been incredible all season. They’re due a bad game I guess , it’s just a shame it was all at the same time.
But we’re third. At Christmas. I’ll take that all day long.
It's 3 questionable performances on the spin though and the Arsenal game was backs to the wall. We are running on empty
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Despite being shite for the entirety of the second half, we had as many good opportunities to score as they did.
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Defeats like that, against them, on Boxing Day, just hurt more. There's no point losing our shit over it, in the same way that we weren't destined to win the league because we beat Man City and Arsenal in consecutive games earlier this month.
We need a home win on Saturday to calm some nerves, then we'll be fine again.
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The problem for me was even at 2-0, they looked threatening when they attacked. We really missed the composure of Torres and Kamara.
We do seem to be very good at bouncing back very quickly under Emery though so let's hope we do.
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All those great wins and then we draw and lose to shite teams like Sheffield and Manchester United. Infuriating.
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Feels like the Utd curse is back , what's that 3 straight defeats vs them (counting the league cup game).
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We were poor. Extremely poor second half. Players that have been amazing all season were poor. We have no credible plan b for Watkins. Carlos was poor, Dougie was very poor.
But they have all been incredible all season. They’re due a bad game I guess , it’s just a shame it was all at the same time.
But we’re third. At Christmas. I’ll take that all day long.
It's 3 questionable performances on the spin though and the Arsenal game was backs to the wall. We are running on empty
After Burnley we'll have two games in 4 and a half weeks (and the Boro game will see a few changes) so just have to get through this period and make a couple of signings as we did last January just to give the squad a fresh feel. If one of them can make an impact like Moreno did then that would be brilliant.
To not do anything and then be saying the same things in February would be stupid beyond belief and I'm sure everyone realises what a huge opportunity this season is for the club.
We haven't come this far just to sign the 2024 version of Heskey, I'm sure of that.
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Luiz looked like he’d been out on the town the day before. Appalling performance. Carlos was terrible. Dangling his leg out to block shots like he does is just begging for a deflection. Lenglet’s passing first half was superb. Diaby is really really out of form and has been for quite a while.
We need a more energetic and pacey physical central midfield option when we need to aggressively press in the middle and disrupt. Another defender so Konsa not at right back. And we need a target man option from the bench. We’ve got the passers at the back to find a striker who can hold the ball up and win flick on’s in the air for a Watkins etc to run on to and beat the opposition press.
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Despite being shite for the entirety of the second half, we had as many good opportunities to score as they did.
I think I saw on MOTD that our XG was 1.84 compared to their 1.04.
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Imagine my surprise.
I'm shocked I tell ya. Shocked.
Haha! Fcuk off! It's still too raw to be funny. Bastard made me laugh. You're not helping.
I was so fucking incensed that I was going to head for the pre-match thread and do some X-Style "is this you?" posts.
After meditation and speaking with my dogs, I have remembered that I am of The Church Mystic rather than The Church Militant. As someone once said: "every game is difficult, the ball is round".
Peace and love to all Villa fans everywhere.
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Whisper it but Burnley are desperate for points. Obviously hope we win but it’s certainly not a foregone conclusion.
The 3 goals we conceded tonight were abysmal. Luiz is asleep for the first one. Bailey is too weak in the challenge, loses out and they score their second. Third one we should have booted it into row Z but, decided it was best to piss about in our own area, leading immediately to the corner that got them their winner.
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I'd like to see a few changes for the Burnley game in the limited way we can make them
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Hindsight is a wonderful thing but we really should have gone 4-3-3 second half with Bailey and Diaby out wide and tightened up the middle. Emery doesn't seem to like this formation though.
I was thinking that we maybe should have gone to a back 3 in the 2nd half as they were getting behind and down the sides of our defence far too easily. I think adding another CB would have closed that space.
Konsa had a torrid evening and I would rather not see him moved from CB (although I accept that we didn't have much choice). We have to get another RB in during the January window.
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It’s all about the reaction now. Really hoping that this is the low point, and the performances start improving, as the last 3 since Arsenal have been sketchy at best. If you include Pau (who presumably wasn’t fit to be involved), we were missing Buendia, Mings, Tielemans, Pau, Kamara and Cash today. With Ramsey, Diaby (and possibly Luiz and Zaniolo) struggling for form, we’re really hanging in there by our fingertips at the moment - which makes the Kamara suspension all the more infuriating.
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Hindsight is a wonderful thing but we really should have gone 4-3-3 second half with Bailey and Diaby out wide and tightened up the middle. Emery doesn't seem to like this formation though.
I was thinking that we maybe should have gone to a back 3 in the 2nd half as they were getting behind and down the sides of our defence far too easily. I think adding another CB would have closed that space.
Konsa had a torrid evening and I would rather not see him moved from CB (although I accept that we didn't have much choice). We have to get another RB in during the January window.
The midfield was non existent so it was wave after wave of attacks on the defence .
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I'd like to see a few changes for the Burnley game in the limited way we can make them
Pau should be straight back in.
Diaby was good in the away game. Different times but I'd be starting him on Saturday and in the cup at Boro to try to get some better form out of him for second half of the season.
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I'd like to see a few changes for the Burnley game in the limited way we can make them
Pau should be straight back in.
Diaby was good in the away game. Different times but I'd be starting him on Saturday and in the cup at Boro to try to get some better form out of him for second half of the season.
I'd take that, possibly also play Irogbunam alongside Luiz , Ramsey needs resting so Zaniolo and McGinn . Moreno obviously plays now and maybe get cash back and Konsa and Torres as CB's
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We don’t have as talented players as most top teams. Emery had just got them performing out of their skins. Watching Liverpool b Arsenal the other night, it was so obvious our players aren’t as good as either of their teams. The fact that we are almost on a par , point wise, with them, is down to Emery.
Just imagine what he could achieve if he is allowed to strengthen in January or the summer.
We are a right back and centre forward away from being title contenders.
I’d agree with most of this. Emery knows we aren’t yet up to challenging and he’s worked miracles with this squad. A few injuries throws the team out of kilt and what comes in isn’t good enough. January, as you say, is vital for the season but I don’t think it makes us title contenders whatever happens.
Of course, heightened expectations make things feel worse when they don't work out. I felt gutted after the draw against Sheff Utd on Friday night, which was probably because we missed going out on going top of the league. I think had we been 5th or 6th, it wouldn't have felt anywhere near as disappointing.
Tonight probably felt a lot worse as we were 2-0 up at half-time. Had we gone there, not been in the game and lost 2 or 3 nil I don't think it would have felt as frustrating as that did.
I keep telling myself that finishing any higher than we did last season is improvement (though Emery's tally of points replicated over an entire season would have seen us finish higher than 7th) and we currently sit 3rd and are in the last 16 of a European competition with the FA Cup to come. We are also only a year into Unai Emery being here and there are still improvements to make, so nights like Friday and tonight will happen.
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We were poor. Extremely poor second half. Players that have been amazing all season were poor. We have no credible plan b for Watkins. Carlos was poor, Dougie was very poor.
But they have all been incredible all season. They’re due a bad game I guess , it’s just a shame it was all at the same time.
But we’re third. At Christmas. I’ll take that all day long.
It's 3 questionable performances on the spin though and the Arsenal game was backs to the wall. We are running on empty
Yep, I don’t disagree. Some of our outstanding players are in no doubt in need or a rest. And that’s where the squad isn’t deep enough quality wise.
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What pisses me off is that Kamara is not missing through injury but by a lack of discipline,
he would have made a difference the last two games.
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Big January to come and as others have alluded to, we must get in a right back and a solid striker at least. We have missed Torres and Kamera massively in the last two games. However, as utterly pissed off as I am at that woeful second half and that we produced it at that shit hole, we have had a great season so far and being honest, 70 points overall would be a huge achievement this year.
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Big January to come and as others have alluded to, we must get in a right back and a solid striker at least. We have missed Torres and Kamera massively in the last two games. However, as utterly pissed off as I am at that woeful second half and that we produced it at that shit hole, we have had a great season so far and being honest, 70 points overall would be a huge achievement this year.
Yes this. If you had said to any of us last Christmas that we would be where we are now you would have been carted off to the asylum. Instead of getting angry about last night we should be thinking wow, and this is on,y the start. There will always be bumps but Monchi hasn’t had his first window yet and Unai still believes there is more to come from the players he already has.
Here’s to a sensational 2024 🍺
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The first time we’ve looked like old villa all season. Very disappointing 2nd half. But I’m still a believer mate.
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They all seemed like they were on their xmas party 2nd half. Cant think of a single second half performance that was good
They were all hopeless and just did not even try. It was a disgrace
You don't mind losing but you don't lose in that manner.
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Slept on it and still feel totally sick. This was a very, very bad defeat. This lot make no mistake are the worst manure side since the last one. We had them by the balls and we fell apart. And worst still it’s all over every Fcukin news outlet how great their comeback was.
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For all the plaudits we have given Unai since he arrived particularly about his in game management for me that 2nd half has to be on him, sometimes you have to pull the high line back, even if it had just been for 15 mins.
Also enphasised again why if we only sign one in Jan it 100% has to be a right back to succeed / alternate with Cash because we need Konsa back in the middle and must get Torres and Konsa back together.
Bigger picture 39 points before new year is amazing & more reason to smile than frown
Deeply annoying to turn 0-2 to 3-2 again v those idiots
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Today (and no doubt tomorrow) is very much a day to avoid all media 😅
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Slept on it and still feel totally sick. This was a very, very bad defeat. This lot make no mistake are the worst manure side since the last one. We had them by the balls and we fell apart. And worst still it’s all over every Fcukin news outlet how great their comeback was.
School boy error to look at ‘other media’. You should be hunkering down in the H&V bunker until the Burnley game has finished / been won.
It really could be a lot worse. The second half was shocking (I didn’t think we played that well first half either really) but it’s one game. We put it right next time. We’ve got through a tricky December and we’re 3rd and the January transfer window is open shortly. I’d have taken less than that at the start of the season.
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Such a disappointing final hour really as after we'd got the second it always looked like we were going to concede.
All about reaction now as all teams have these spells, injuries, suspensions etc.
We've a great manager so I'm keeping the faith in all things Villa.
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Today (and no doubt tomorrow) is very much a day to avoid all media 😅
100%. The Amazon commentary and analysis were repulsive, and the worst part is we rolled over like the good little boys so they didn't have to change the narrative.
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On reflection and it seems odd to say it but we actually created the chances to win the game in the second half despite having a shocker. I can think of three clear cut chances to score spurned and a good save from Baileys volley. It’s a straw and I’m clutching it.
(It doesn’t mean I’m not still absolutely fuming about the passive mentality and sloppy play.)
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I don’t feel as bad as it was always going to be manures day. We are very much strangers in a strange lane to the media so all we need to do is to get our selves dusted off and batter the next team. Was shit and there is an air of complacency about us last night but it’s a blip. This is a team that on its day can batter sides. It’s not all coming to an end just yet. But it is a reality check for reinforcements needed and how teams can get in behind us. Plus how plastic were manure fans last night?
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Striker scores a goal. It's the start of a new era. Man U losing to a team five places and eleven points ahead of them would have been an embarrassment. This is all according to... not Amazon, a commercial venture with its eye on the overseas markets where Man U is a major brand, but the BBC. A supposed paragon of neutral, balanced reporting...
There used to be a broadcaster there...
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I think a problem that last night highlighted is that we lack an agricultural strategy. An ability to defend deep and dirty. Hope we can sort something out in time for the next big away game
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Today (and no doubt tomorrow) is very much a day to avoid all media 😅
100%. The Amazon commentary and analysis were repulsive, and the worst part is we rolled over like the good little boys so they didn't have to change the narrative.
The narrative was never going to be any different. Even when we were in command of the game everything was described in terms of Manchester United. And I have no doubt that Amazon, who know their global markets, instructed the commentators to make it precisely that
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It's no coincidence that Man City have suffered while De Bruyne has been out.
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My frustration with emery is why wont he put a youngster like k young or kellyman on the bench? When you have a squad suffering fatigue why waste a spot with two keepers? I mean look at Newcastle they gave miley and a chance and he has been a revelation
He totally messed it up yesterday. Should have made the subs alot sooner than he dod as we all saw this happening.
Get some young energy in the team to help ffs rather see that than having tired players who cant be asked. Second half they were a disgrace
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My frustration with emery is why wont he put a youngster like k young or kellyman on the bench? When you have a squad suffering fatigue why waste a spot with two keepers? I mean look at Newcastle they gave miley and a chance and he has been a revelation
He totally messed it up yesterday. Should have made the subs alot sooner than he dod as we all saw this happening.
Get some young energy in the team to help ffs rather see that than having tired players who cant be asked. Second half they were a disgrace
They have lost 6 out of 7. Probably not the best example.
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My frustration with emery is why wont he put a youngster like k young or kellyman on the bench? When you have a squad suffering fatigue why waste a spot with two keepers? I mean look at Newcastle they gave miley and a chance and he has been a revelation
He totally messed it up yesterday. Should have made the subs alot sooner than he dod as we all saw this happening.
Get some young energy in the team to help ffs rather see that than having tired players who cant be asked. Second half they were a disgrace
They have lost 6 out of 7. Probably not the best example.
Yeah because that was the point i was making. My point was about miley and how much he has been their best player
They losing because they have more injuries than we do and fatigue.
How many youngsters has emery given starts to?
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We’re currently pretty great, they’re currently pretty shite. We have the best manager I’ve seen and they have another in a long line of flops since Fergie left. We were 2-0 up at half time and still were into the second half, and we still lost. In fact we didn’t just lose, we lost in the most frustrating fucking shit show of a way that these utter wankers seem to have a habit of achieving against us. So often they either get it through ‘fortunate’ ref decisions, or our team just shitting the bed.
I actually thought we were mediocre first half, but they were so shit it was unbelievable until about the last 10 mins when you could see those nice balls through / over the top for their pacey forwards to run onto started causing issues. Second half we were utterly wank and they (they fucking would be wouldn’t they against us) were great. They carried on with their game plan of the balls over the top and we carried on with ours, so it was inevitable. It looked like a good possibility when they got through for the disallowed one but once they actually scored you knew with complete certainty that they would end up with either 3 or 4 with no more from us. And that’s what fucked me off the most, the total inevitability of it all.
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My frustration with emery is why wont he put a youngster like k young or kellyman on the bench? When you have a squad suffering fatigue why waste a spot with two keepers? I mean look at Newcastle they gave miley and a chance and he has been a revelation
He totally messed it up yesterday. Should have made the subs alot sooner than he dod as we all saw this happening.
Get some young energy in the team to help ffs rather see that than having tired players who cant be asked. Second half they were a disgrace
Kellyman and Young are both injured…O’Reilly has been on the bench for a couple of games recently & he is 2 days younger than Duran who has been on the bench most games. Not sure there is a young attacking option other than O’Reilly ready for the bench in PL? Maybe likes of Wilson might get a seat
Vs Boro?
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I thought we gifted it them myself. Missed a few players like Torres, Tielemans and Kamara that would have walked into both sides. That quality would have told.
Like the Forest game, it's disappointing to lose to such a poor side.
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Excruciating to watch. Still hurts.
But as part of our development this was a bridge we had to cross sooner or later. The increased expectation and heightened media coverage took its toll on some of our players.
When we went 2-0 up its almost as if 'we couldn't believe it' and didn't know whether to stick or twist. Due to injuries/suspensions this starting eleven didn't seem confident enough to see the game plan through and we lost shape.
We will learn from this and need to bottle the disappointment for future reference. Experience matters and we have very little at this higher level. All part of the development process and Unai will turn this loss to our advantage at some time in the future.
Onwards and upwards.
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I know we aren’t Spurs or SaudioftheNorth so aren’t allowed to talk about injuries/suspensions but last night we arguably had none of our choice back four playing or playing in their correct positions…
Mings
Buendia
Thielemans
Kamara
Cash
Torres (obv not fit)
Ramsey (getting match fit)
Moreno (getting match fit)
Digne - didn’t look good
Olsen - ok, this one’s a bonus
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I know we aren’t Spurs or SaudioftheNorth so aren’t allowed to talk about injuries/suspensions but last night we arguably had none of our choice back four playing or playing in their correct positions…
Mings
Buendia
Thielemans
Kamara
Cash
Torres (obv not fit)
Ramsey (getting match fit)
Moreno (getting match fit)
Digne - didn’t look good
Olsen - ok, this one’s a bonus
Spurs had three or players out and the sports pages made it sound like their squad had been decimated by the Black Death.
We had almost a whole team injured or suspended yesterday and I didn't hear the commentators mention it once.
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I think last night was just our overall away form laid bare, made worse by some missing players. We haven't put together one consistently good away performance since maybe Burnley. Of course we've won a decent amount of games, but even within those we've had quite long periods of being not very good. Mostly it's been the first half of away games where we've looked out of sorts before improving second half, but it was the other way round last night. Second half was easily the worst we've played under Emery, it was an utter spanking.
We now need Emery to learn from it, and gets the players' heads right this week, because they looked like a subdued bunch last night. We also need to bring in some reinforcements this January. Duran isn't remotely good enough to be back up for Watkins, and Ollie seems to have run himself into the ground. We've all had a good laugh at Newcastle, but Emery's job now is to make sure we don't go the same way, because the last two games have been terrible.
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I know we aren’t Spurs or SaudioftheNorth so aren’t allowed to talk about injuries/suspensions but last night we arguably had none of our choice back four playing or playing in their correct positions…
Mings
Buendia
Thielemans
Kamara
Cash
Torres (obv not fit)
Ramsey (getting match fit)
Moreno (getting match fit)
Digne - didn’t look good
Olsen - ok, this one’s a bonus
Spurs had three or players out and the sports pages made it sound like their squad had been decimated by the Black Death.
We had almost a whole team injured or suspended yesterday and I didn't hear the commentators mention it once.
It’s because we don’t throw imaginary darts or take imaginary photos when we score.
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There are times when the manager has got to help the team.Half time last night was one of them
Ramsey was offering nothing, there was a huge hole where our midfield was supposed to be, Watkins was in Evans pocket and they had worked out that kicking the ball into the space behind us was working.
Yet we continued with the same formation, personnel and tactics. Baffling.
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I have just seen a "Form is temporary class is permanent" on a Brummie red background on a Brummie Red mate's Facebook post.
My comment: "Yes, it is nice to see the mid-table teams getting a result against a weakened elite XI like the Villa."
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I know we aren’t Spurs or SaudioftheNorth so aren’t allowed to talk about injuries/suspensions but last night we arguably had none of our choice back four playing or playing in their correct positions…
Mings
Buendia
Thielemans
Kamara
Cash
Torres (obv not fit)
Ramsey (getting match fit)
Moreno (getting match fit)
Digne - didn’t look good
Olsen - ok, this one’s a bonus
I think our first choice back four now is Konsa - Carlos - Torres - Digne, as that's what Emery has been choosing to play of late, so on that basis, that's 3 out of 4 first choice defenders in their correct spots at kick off.
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I have just seen a "Form is temporary class is permanent" on a Brummie red background on a Brummie Red mate's Facebook post.
My comment: "Yes, it is nice to see the mid-table teams getting a result against a weakened elite XI like the Villa."
Tell the ****** to mind the gap.
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I am usually pretty circumspect about defeats but that has depressed me more than it should. If you strip away their name and the decades of PTSD, they are just a struggling side who hadn't scored in four games.
We were two up, the fans were on their back. We just needed to put them in a chokehold but we backed off instead. Even though the offside was working for an hour, the fact that play carries on meant they built up a bit of a head of steam through illegal chances and got the crowd behind them. Hojlund scoring was as predictable to those of us who know Villa as anything ever was.
I really hope we recover from the last two games quickly but fear that a few key players have played themselves out of form. We really need to best Burnley.
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My frustration with emery is why wont he put a youngster like k young or kellyman on the bench? When you have a squad suffering fatigue why waste a spot with two keepers? I mean look at Newcastle they gave miley and a chance and he has been a revelation
He totally messed it up yesterday. Should have made the subs alot sooner than he dod as we all saw this happening.
Get some young energy in the team to help ffs rather see that than having tired players who cant be asked. Second half they were a disgrace
Kellyman and Young are both injured…O’Reilly has been on the bench for a couple of games recently & he is 2 days younger than Duran who has been on the bench most games. Not sure there is a young attacking option other than O’Reilly ready for the bench in PL? Maybe likes of Wilson might get a seat
Vs Boro?
Man that sucks. Didnt know they were both injured. We really do need reinforcements in Jan thats for sure
Id happily give wilson a start but i think unai will go for duran in the cup game. I am hoping timmy gets more game time now too
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Oh and Tim looks a player. Unai needs to keep working with him and give him minutes he's quality, something Dougie Luiz was a couple of months back.
One of the only positives from last night - he wasn't fazed by the atmosphere, tackled & dribbled well, and had an eye for a quick decisive pass (not to the opposition), that the Donk does not seem to be able to do.
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I was surprised changes were not made earlier. Ramsey didn’t look on it from the get go and I thought should of been swapped for Zaniolo at half time. Dougie also really struggled, but who do you bring on for him at the moment? Kamaras suspension in hindsight was awful timing with Tielemans being out injured at the same time. Add to that Emery knowing Diaby is way off form and we’re struggling really.
I’ve thought we’ve looked quite a tired side since the Man City game. Since then we’ve done brilliantly to battle our way through the Arsenal game and also the Brentford game, bearing in mind their really good home record. But Sheffield we huffed and puffed and even in the first half last night we made so many unforced errors, the reality is we went to 2-0 in first gear against a poor side but couldn’t then get out of first year.
Given all of this I think we need a few tweaks for Saturday, its for another thread, but I’d be tempted to bring Cash, Diaby and Torres back in for Lenglet, Carlos and Ramsey. Maybe see how Tim does instead of Donk, but might be a step too far at the moment.
I’m as gutted as anyone today, but some posters using words like ‘disgrace’ are so far off the mark. We’re third at the halfway point in the season, the managers and players have done a remarkable job.
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So Hoijland inevitably gets added to the list of woe -
Andrew Cole
Diego Forlan
Henrik Larsen
Macheda
Hoijland
There's probably a few I've missed due to the PTSD
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Piss poor defending for all their goals. Dendoncker had his back turned before their player even struck the ball for their second goal. What's that about? That's where we miss Mings. Given the same situation Ty would of squared up to him and that goal just wouldn't happen. Also we missed two absolute sitters by McGinn and Bailey. Either one would have put the game to bed. Let's get our full squad back to fitness and take it from there. At least we lost fair and square and not from a dodgy VAR decision or a last gasp dodgy penalty by Ratface.
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I stopped watching after their second, but I find it interesting that, after each of their goals, we reacted immediately, sliced through them and created good chances... Straight afterwards we were pegged back without a clue. I don't know why that was, but it really stood out for me.
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There are times when the manager has got to help the team.Half time last night was one of them
Ramsey was offering nothing, there was a huge hole where our midfield was supposed to be, Watkins was in Evans pocket and they had worked out that kicking the ball into the space behind us was working.
Yet we continued with the same formation, personnel and tactics. Baffling.
Spot on. Lucky they didn't score 5+. At least Fernandes didn't score
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My frustration with emery is why wont he put a youngster like k young or kellyman on the bench? When you have a squad suffering fatigue why waste a spot with two keepers? I mean look at Newcastle they gave miley and a chance and he has been a revelation
He totally messed it up yesterday. Should have made the subs alot sooner than he dod as we all saw this happening.
Get some young energy in the team to help ffs rather see that than having tired players who cant be asked. Second half they were a disgrace
I'm not buying the tired player excuse. Luiz & Digne both had a game off recently. Donk and Lenglet, two of our better players on the day, have hardly played, tired a bit late on fair enough. Carlos has been rotated regularly. Moreno and Ramsey should be very fresh but struggled badly yesterday.
It was an awful performance and defeat yesterday. That second half collapse was embarrassing.
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People on pre-match thread saying why should we be fearful of Manchester United because of our history with them
That’s why
Haven’t scored for four games. Welcome Aston Villa
Rasmus Hoyland hasn’t scored a single goal in the premiership. Welcome Aston Villa.
Two nil up at half-time, welcome Aston Villa
It’s so predictable
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My frustration with emery is why wont he put a youngster like k young or kellyman on the bench? When you have a squad suffering fatigue why waste a spot with two keepers? I mean look at Newcastle they gave miley and a chance and he has been a revelation
He totally messed it up yesterday. Should have made the subs alot sooner than he dod as we all saw this happening.
Get some young energy in the team to help ffs rather see that than having tired players who cant be asked. Second half they were a disgrace
I'm not buying the tired player excuse. Luiz & Digne both had a game off recently. Donk and Lenglet, two of our better players on the day, have hardly played, tired a bit late on fair enough. Carlos has been rotated regularly. Moreno and Ramsey should be very fresh but struggled badly yesterday.
It was an awful performance and defeat yesterday. That second half collapse was embarrassing.
Agree and I'm not buying the tiredness excuse either. That was a full on bottle job collapse and it was hugely embarrassing in probably our most watched game of the season via a global audience. I hope Emery makes them watch it again and again to sort it out.
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It was a stinker very soon after going two goals up. I find it hard to blame Emery though, there was enough quality out there to play them off the park. I think we were a very naive with the ball and allowed them back into the game. We wasn’t quick enough on the loose balls either, they seemed to want it more which was out of character for us.
An away day at Old Trafford on Boxing Day was written in the stars for that scenario and I know we shouldn’t think it, but how many of us did? We’ve been here so many times and our insecurity probably rubs off. Football players and fans alike are a superstitious kind and we can’t help it.
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Even with an extra 9 mins I never thought we’d score. In reality they should have been getting nervous then but it didn’t happen.
Is it me or do we seem to want to pass it into the net. We need to shoot more. Perfect example was the late chance for McGinn who should have shot but slipped when trying to come inside on his weaker foot and the opportunity was lost.
Anyway roll on February for the home game against them. Revenge will be sweet
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An away day at Old Trafford on Boxing Day was written in the stars for that scenario and I know we shouldn’t think it, but how many of us did? We’ve been here so many times and our insecurity probably rubs off. Football players and fans alike are a superstitious kind and we can’t help it.
Not having that sorry Ian. All you could hear first half on the TV were the Villa fans, and the Man U supporters booed their players off at half time, and were actually booing Onana during the first half. We just collapsed like a deck of cards second half. None of our current players have experienced the sorts of defeats we have, so superstition won't come into it. We lost last year because we didn't play very well, and won the year before that.
Last night was down to a failure of tactics, missing Kamara and Torres, poor subs and too many players having an absolute stinker of a game. Superstition was absolutely not a factor.
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My frustration with emery is why wont he put a youngster like k young or kellyman on the bench? When you have a squad suffering fatigue why waste a spot with two keepers? I mean look at Newcastle they gave miley and a chance and he has been a revelation
He totally messed it up yesterday. Should have made the subs alot sooner than he dod as we all saw this happening.
Get some young energy in the team to help ffs rather see that than having tired players who cant be asked. Second half they were a disgrace
I'm not buying the tired player excuse. Luiz & Digne both had a game off recently. Donk and Lenglet, two of our better players on the day, have hardly played, tired a bit late on fair enough. Carlos has been rotated regularly. Moreno and Ramsey should be very fresh but struggled badly yesterday.
It was an awful performance and defeat yesterday. That second half collapse was embarrassing.
Logically you are absolutely correct but what about players like ollie? Konsa? Mcginn? Luiz?
They all looked completely depleted that 2nd half. They were not even trying. It was shockingly poor.
I do think it may have played a role in the above players but players like dendonker amd lenglet i agree. They have absolutely zero excuse.
I do agree with the above poster though emery has to take responsibility yesterday. We all saw the warning signs before it happened and he failed to react. For him to not even use torres yesterday depsite the awful performance from carlos says to me he wasnt fit so why have him on the bench? Why not get a cb from the u21s like feeney for example?
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In some ways its admirable but the coaching of Unai seems absolutely drilled into the players.
If we hadn't messed about with the ball at the back and playing the high line it would have taken a lot of the pressure off and we didn't need to open them up because we were 2-0 up. even at 3-2 down we persisted with the laborious patient build up.
I suppose it shows how seriously the players take him that they don't deviate according to the circumstances.
I can't criticise him because he's been so wonderful for us but i cant see how those tactics helped yesterday.
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The warning signs were there in the 15 mins before half time & we changed nothing to stop it. We handed that to them & it's fucking sickening.
Still an Emery fan but I've got to agree with John here. It was obvious we had to do something but we appeared to do nothing and that gave them heart. This loss won't define our season anymore than the Newcastle game did as long as we learn from it and move on.
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I agree tactics lost us the game. I still reckon we have better players than them. Keeping the high line was suicide. There's nothing wrong with parking the bus deep sometimes like sheffield utd.
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An away day at Old Trafford on Boxing Day was written in the stars for that scenario and I know we shouldn’t think it, but how many of us did? We’ve been here so many times and our insecurity probably rubs off. Football players and fans alike are a superstitious kind and we can’t help it.
Not having that sorry Ian. All you could hear first half on the TV were the Villa fans, and the Man U supporters booed their players off at half time, and were actually booing Onana during the first half. We just collapsed like a deck of cards second half. None of our current players have experienced the sorts of defeats we have, so superstition won't come into it. We lost last year because we didn't play very well, and won the year before that.
Last night was down to a failure of tactics, missing Kamara and Torres, poor subs and too many players having an absolute stinker of a game. Superstition was absolutely not a factor.
I can’t remember an away day on Boxing Day we’ve ever played well and I said two days ago on here why do we have to play that lot of all teams. Last night I was sat with my daughters father another Villa fan and we felt uncomfortable as soon as it was two nil and we let them into the game.
Anyway, all that baloney I wrote about fate, superstition and written in stars, it’s true, it bloody is, I tell thee! ;) But so was the fact as soon as it was two nil we had a complete stinker. Nobody comes out with any praise, Emery included, I’m just not pointing the finger at any one of them.
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Piss poor defending for all their goals. Dendoncker had his back turned before their player even struck the ball for their second goal. What's that about?
Both hands firmly behind his back, almost on his knees, he looked more like a man bowing in front of a firing squad than a man trying to stop a ball about to be kicked by a player on his weaker foot.
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Not felt this pissed off the day after a game for a long time.
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out of interest , for these boxing day away games do the players travel up on Xmas day or do they go up the morning of the game. Be interested to know if our prep or away game routine was any different yesterday
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I stopped watching after their second, but I find it interesting that, after each of their goals, we reacted immediately, sliced through them and created good chances... Straight afterwards we were pegged back without a clue. I don't know why that was, but it really stood out for me.
Yes, I noticed that too.
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The upside of all this is Erik Ten Haag will get longer in the job there, hopefully.
He's already made them a nondescript shot-shy (apart from when they play us, obv) mid table side. Another year there and he might make them relegation contenders.
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Not felt this pissed off the day after a game for a long time.
I feel the same Paul. We bought it on ourselves because of the poor passing, lack of movement. I guess the boss is right though as we have 39 points and sit in a Champions League spot. I hope he is allowed to bring in another couple of players to keep the forward momentum.
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The big positive from the night was our first goal, having the player on the line but not interfering with play or the keeper in any way screwed with Onana. The ref/var tried really hard to find something to not give it but it was really clever.
For the 2nd we've also managed to trick a lot of teams into leaving space at the far post and not really got the rewards for it.
Pat on the back for McPhee for them both.
Over all I think that despite us playing poorly I think we had the better chances but never got the bit of luck they did for their 2nd and 3rd where a big dflection and a bit of pinball went in their favour, as always seems to happen to us there.
Yeah, our set pieces are really, really good these days. Credit to McPhee there, his work must be getting us 10-15 goals a season.
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Not felt this pissed off the day after a game for a long time.
I feel the same Paul. We bought it on ourselves because of the poor passing, lack of movement. I guess the boss is right though as we have 39 points and sit in a Champions League spot. I hope he is allowed to bring in another couple of players to keep the forward momentum.
Emery looked pretty shaken after the game, never seen him stroking his face so much, obviously seething underneath
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Not felt this pissed off the day after a game for a long time.
I'm the same. Much worse than the previous defeats this season because of the specific nature of the opposition, our history with them and the fact that we handed the game to them on a plate.
We seemed to be playing a game of 'chicken' with them regarding the high line, inviting them to have repeated goes at it until they got it right.
I get that Emery has a way that he wants to play and clearly it has largely been incredibly successful but surely a dose of pragmatism isn't such a bad thing sometimes?
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As long as we finish above them i can take last night’s result.
Disappointed obviously and 2-0 up at 60 minutes we should be able to stifle and close out a game. However, with 6 first teamers out once Digne had gone off, players out of position and some tirednes, nights like yesterday can happen.
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My frustration with emery is why wont he put a youngster like k young or kellyman on the bench? When you have a squad suffering fatigue why waste a spot with two keepers? I mean look at Newcastle they gave miley and a chance and he has been a revelation
He totally messed it up yesterday. Should have made the subs alot sooner than he dod as we all saw this happening.
Get some young energy in the team to help ffs rather see that than having tired players who cant be asked. Second half they were a disgrace
I'm not buying the tired player excuse. Luiz & Digne both had a game off recently. Donk and Lenglet, two of our better players on the day, have hardly played, tired a bit late on fair enough. Carlos has been rotated regularly. Moreno and Ramsey should be very fresh but struggled badly yesterday.
It was an awful performance and defeat yesterday. That second half collapse was embarrassing.
Logically you are absolutely correct but what about players like ollie? Konsa? Mcginn? Luiz?
They all looked completely depleted that 2nd half. They were not even trying. It was shockingly poor.
I do think it may have played a role in the above players but players like dendonker amd lenglet i agree. They have absolutely zero excuse.
I do agree with the above poster though emery has to take responsibility yesterday. We all saw the warning signs before it happened and he failed to react. For him to not even use torres yesterday depsite the awful performance from carlos says to me he wasnt fit so why have him on the bench? Why not get a cb from the u21s like feeney for example?
Konsa and McGinn were playing out of position. McGinn could and should have been switched with Bailey. Konsa little could be done really, United realised this and let him have the ball. Moving our best CB to RB needs to stop anyway, it worked v City and never before or since. If Cash isn't the answer then we simply need a new RB.
Watkins was appalling yesterday, up against likes of Evans who is years past his best and he made no impact. If we are whinging about injuries and fatigue, look at the state of their defence and midfield yesterday. Their keeper produced a hologram act for our first and still we somehow found a way to lose.
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After having slept and reviewed what happened last night, my fury has calmed down to incandescent rage. I hate those fuckers with a passion, not least because they have done this to us so many times. We just don't do boxing days do we. Our record is shocking.
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Still mightily pissed off too. If Bournemouth can wipe the floor with them with the minimum of fuss, why did we shit the bed? Of all the teams, of all the days ... fucking hell.
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Strange how we couldn't adapt second half and set up with the system that Uni employed in some of his earlier away games like Brighton and Spurs when we sat deep and almost had a back six. We looked so compact and in control in those games and teams simply couldn't play through us. The Kamarra sending-off is really coming back to haunt us.
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I agree tactics lost us the game. I still reckon we have better players than them. Keeping the high line was suicide. There's nothing wrong with parking the bus deep sometimes like sheffield utd.
Maybe but if individually players are underperforming then the best tactics in world won’t mean a lot. We gifted them chances and missed decent ones ourselves due to good players not being at the level we know they are capable of. I imagine harsh words will be spoken at Bodymoor this week and Unai will be working twice as hard to make sure there is no repeat.
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I agree tactics lost us the game. I still reckon we have better players than them. Keeping the high line was suicide. There's nothing wrong with parking the bus deep sometimes like sheffield utd.
Maybe but if individually players are underperforming then the best tactics in world won’t mean a lot. We gifted them chances and missed decent ones ourselves due to good players not being at the level we know they are capable of. I imagine harsh words will be spoken at Bodymoor this week and Unai will be working twice as hard to make sure there is no repeat.
That’s it Chris, too many had a stinker. Well below par which really isn’t worth pondering and worrying about for far too long given with what they have given us for the last 12 months. It’s how we turn it around now that will count.
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Got home last night fuming that we’ve succumbed to this lot again.
Just watched it back on Prime… Few thoughts…
- Normally like McCoist in co-coms, but that one-sided commentary was sickening.
- McGinn and Konsa both committed but hampered by being played out of position.
- Diego Carlos, Dougie and Jacob Ramsey REALLY poor last night.
- Lenglet and Donk didn’t let us down, but match fitness got the better of them as game went on, and should have been subbed earlier.
- Wan-Bissaka - Sign him up the second the window opens. I think he’d be the perfect option for our RB woes.
Still 3rd after half a season. Not gonna shit the bed, but need to start getting players back into form.
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Is it just me or are we always shit on boxing day?
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McCoist was sooo fucking pleased for them he even said it , it was embarrassing
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Half way through the season and last night’s game confirm where we’re at.
Our manager and 10 of our first XI can compete with and beat the best.
But with a few injuries and suspensions the squad is very thin and as a result we’re vulnerable to the odd poor performance, especially away from home.
Stay as we are and we finish 4-6th, which is no mean achievement.
To improve, and I think there’s a consensus on this, we need to sort out the striking options - Bailey, Diaby, Zaniola, Buendia and Duran all have their good pints but from what I’ve seen none are consistent enough.
Back up full back and goal keeper are the next priority.
Midfield should be ok if Ramsey gets back to form and fitness, and Tim progresses.
I can’t see us sorting it out in January and I’m sure there’ll be ffp constraints, but no complaints given the progress over the past 12 months.
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The first time we’ve looked like old villa all season. Very disappointing 2nd half. But I’m still a believer mate.
Apart from L'pool away.
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It has been a great year , but the manner of that second half is so frustrating.. They’re fans reacting like they won the league . Wish we had just sat in and gone long for the counter
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Sorry I can't see anything good about Duran.
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Sorry I can't see anything good about Duran.
Bizarre Lange signing. Should not even be anywhere near this squad.
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Is it just me or are we always shit on boxing day?
I can't recall our last win, but I remember defeats to Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs, and a shocker away at Brentford in the Championship.
Yesterday was fucking shit from start to finish. Festive my arse.
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Is it just me or are we always shit on boxing day?
I can't recall our last win, but I remember defeats to Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs, and a shocker away at Brentford in the Championship.
Yesterday was fucking shit from start to finish. Festive my arse.
Not Boxing Day but the 23rd December loss to Leeds in the Championship is another shocker. I remember a few bad Christmas results under MON too. The one that haunts me is Blackburn away in 1998
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McCoist was sooo fucking pleased for them he even said it , it was embarrassing
One of the most nauseating things about last night's commentary was that in the first half the pair of them seemed to have so little interest in the football that they spent most of it engaged in 'bantz' and other inane chatter about anything except what was happening on the pitch. Come the second half, their excitement in the game knew no bounds, though from the one perspective of course. I should have turned the commentary off well before the end, so that even though we needed a goal, the final whistle at least brought the immediate relief of just turning it all off.
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I have just seen a "Form is temporary class is permanent" on a Brummie red background on a Brummie Red mate's Facebook post.
My comment: "Yes, it is nice to see the mid-table teams getting a result against a weakened elite XI like the Villa."
This is why I hate losing to them.
All of my Devon & Brummie Red mates were silent as fuck while we were winning, & I took the high road & didn't take the piss (fear of us collapsing also being a factor), but as soon as they scored that third, the avalanche of arrogant, ignorant, gloating c**ts that texted me was unbelievable.
And bizarrely, a few Arsenal fans popped up & had a pop with the "bottlers" jibe.
Which shows an incredible lack of self awareness to go along with their ignorance, arrogance, snowflakeness & Tarquinesque c**ntness...
It also pisses me off that the new overrated version of Macheda scored twice & it just had to be their penny shop version of "Halaand" scoring his first league goal against us.
Do they score three if Digne didn't go off injured while they fucked about with the offside flag?
Im not so sure, but he did, & so did they, so chips pissed on right royally all the way around...
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We beat Palace in the Covid season.
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Watching a repeat of the game and noticed that Prime are using an image of Aaron Ramsey in our starting lineup. And McCoist is probably the biggest fucking cock ever to hold a mic.
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When we went 2 up thought there was only gonna be only one winner, but amazingly, after then instead of us gaining confidence, the exact opposite happened and we allowed them to dominate us. I thought they did a good job on McGinn, almost every time he got the ball, there was a man tight on him, he lost possession more last night, than I can remember all season. What particularly had me shouting at the screen was right up to the last minute of the match, we were continuing to play it out from the back, when it was the direct approach that was needed.
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McCoist was sooo fucking pleased for them he even said it , it was embarrassing
One of the most nauseating things about last night's commentary was that in the first half the pair of them seemed to have so little interest in the football that they spent most of it engaged in 'bantz' and other inane chatter about anything except what was happening on the pitch. Come the second half, their excitement in the game knew no bounds, though from the perspective of course. I should have turned the commentary off well before the end, so that even though we needed a goal, the final whistle at least brought the immediate relief of just turning it all off.
Apart from the first few minutes when the commentator told the audience about the 'half-time treat' that Mrs McCoist had prepared for them. Who gives a fuck? He's said similar before in one of our games.
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Annoying result , annoying commentary and I'd normally have put my foot through the TV but I wasn't at my house watching so it wasn't really an option.
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Is it just me or are we always shit on boxing day?
I can't recall our last win, but I remember defeats to Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs, and a shocker away at Brentford in the Championship.
Yesterday was fucking shit from start to finish. Festive my arse.
Swansea 2-1 away in 2018, Norwich at home 2019, a really scrappy 1-0, ala relegation dogfight. Palace at home 3-0 in 2020 lockdown. Lost to Chelsea at home in 2021 and Liverpool at home last year.
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Annoying result , annoying commentary and I'd normally have put my foot through the TV but I wasn't at my house watching so it wasn't really an option.
So how many times have you actually put your foot through your TV Tim?
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Weird performance.
We played like it was a testimonial game.
No urgency whatsoever.
Lacklustre.
When we should have ripped them apart.
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Annoying result , annoying commentary and I'd normally have put my foot through the TV but I wasn't at my house watching so it wasn't really an option.
So how many times have you actually put your foot through your TV Tim?
17
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Thoughts after letting the disappointment sink in.
We badly missed Kamara and playing SJM out of position didn't help.
JJ has a way to go to get back to where he was.
Duran is nowhere near being a PL quality striker TBH.
I've been saying for ages; we have to speed up our attacks at times.
Our slow play from the back does no favours at all to Watkins and Diaby particularly and the second half was I crying out for us to go long!
Playing Konsa at RB just loses too much in the centre of defence.
I hope at the end of the season, Utd aren't in a CL spot and less than 3 points ahead of us!
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I couldn't believe Evra at half time saying they'd been all over us despite being two down - and that he could only see them winning 3-2. And the most annoying thing was the fucker was right in the end.
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I couldn't believe Evra at half time saying they'd been all over us despite being two down - and that he could only see them winning 3-2. And the most annoying thing was the fucker was right in the end.
It really was an MUTV takeover on Prime yesterday.
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I couldn't believe Evra at half time saying they'd been all over us despite being two down - and that he could only see them winning 3-2. And the most annoying thing was the fucker was right in the end.
It really was an MUTV takeover on Prime yesterday.
It was disgusting.
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I couldn't believe Evra at half time saying they'd been all over us despite being two down - and that he could only see them winning 3-2. And the most annoying thing was the fucker was right in the end.
Anyone could see it was going to be 3.2 within about 10 mins after we went 2 up.
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Yeah Evra was spot on, and unfortunately it's a few times now where we've been 2 up on these bastards and thrown it away. Thankfully it's not long to the home game to exact revenge.
Incidentally was the pre and post game summarising as bad as the half time one? The whole discussion was about what Man Ure had done wrong and there was nothing said from our perspective. Gabby Logan was useless and I'm glad Amazon are losing their contract with the EPL.
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Still annoyed about this one. Mainly from the sheer predicabllity of the whole shit show.
My reflections are - we have 11 - 14 players up to this level - but whenever we make too many changes (albeit enforced in this case) we become shit. Couple that with the fact that we have Diaby and JJ hideously out of form we struggle to do what we do well in most games - control it.
I was worried about the Kamara red costing us - but thought we might get away with it due to the opposition - but clearly that wasn’t the case.
I think Unai will have been very unhappy with what’s happened over the last 3 games. A lot of it has been self inflicted
Like others have said why didn’t after they scored the offside goal - we just go back to last seasons away structure. They had sussed our high line and Carlos and Langlet are not quick enough.
We desperately need Diaby, JJ and Zinolo to find some form as we’re relying too much on Bailey
Not convinced by konsa at RB mainly because he is our best defender. Not convinced with Carlos - did ok first but was awful in the second half.
I can only assume that Unai didn’t think he could do anymore to solidify us what he had at his disposal
We do need to bounce back from this - our amazing form gave us a cushion to mean these last two poor performances aren’t the end of the world but we can’t afford too many more if we are to finish in the top 5
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It was a bit like playing with 9 men.
Doug and JJ went completely missing.
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Yeah Evra was spot on, and unfortunately it's a few times now where we've been 2 up on these bastards and thrown it away. Thankfully it's not long to the home game to exact revenge.
Incidentally was the pre and post game summarising as bad as the half time one? The whole discussion was about what Man Ure had done wrong and there was nothing said from our perspective. Gabby Logan was useless and I'm glad Amazon are losing their contract with the EPL.
The only thing I like about Amazon’s coverage was the ability to select stadium noise as the audio track.
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that 2nd half was like going back through a sadistic time warp
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that 2nd half was like going back through a sadistic time warp
It was.
And you knew it was coming.
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Is it just me or are we always shit on boxing day?
I can't recall our last win, but I remember defeats to Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs, and a shocker away at Brentford in the Championship.
Yesterday was fucking shit from start to finish. Festive my arse.
Swansea 2-1 away in 2018, Norwich at home 2019, a really scrappy 1-0, ala relegation dogfight. Palace at home 3-0 in 2020 lockdown. Lost to Chelsea at home in 2021 and Liverpool at home last year.
Did we not lose 3-0 at Coventry in one of Big Ron’s seasons?
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For years we've been poor on Boxing Day and good on New Year's.
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i am going to find a desert Island for next Boxing Day , even if we are Premier League Champions 😁
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For years we've been poor on Boxing Day and good on New Year's.
Does Saturday count as new year's? I bloody hope so.
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Is it just me or are we always shit on boxing day?
I can't recall our last win, but I remember defeats to Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs, and a shocker away at Brentford in the Championship.
Yesterday was fucking shit from start to finish. Festive my arse.
Swansea 2-1 away in 2018, Norwich at home 2019, a really scrappy 1-0, ala relegation dogfight. Palace at home 3-0 in 2020 lockdown. Lost to Chelsea at home in 2021 and Liverpool at home last year.
Did we not lose 3-0 at Coventry in one of Big Ron’s seasons?
Wasn't that the game that Mcgrath was hungover in and later said he could see three Jimmy Quinns running past him? Maybe Carlos's performance yesterday was in tribute to the great man.
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Is it just me or are we always shit on boxing day?
I can't recall our last win, but I remember defeats to Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs, and a shocker away at Brentford in the Championship.
Yesterday was fucking shit from start to finish. Festive my arse.
Swansea 2-1 away in 2018, Norwich at home 2019, a really scrappy 1-0, ala relegation dogfight. Palace at home 3-0 in 2020 lockdown. Lost to Chelsea at home in 2021 and Liverpool at home last year.
Did we not lose 3-0 at Coventry in one of Big Ron’s seasons?
Wasn't that the game that Mcgrath was hungover in and later said he could see three Jimmy Quinns running past him? Maybe Carlos's performance yesterday was in tribute to the great man.
In fairness, Micky Quinn looked like 3 players without alcohol involved.
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Im pretty sure under emery there is no chance in hell he will let lighting strike twice against these lot at villa park. The fans will be massively up for this after that fucking shit show.
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Losing from 2-0 up is always going to sting. It took AGES for me to get over the 3-2 loss to Wolves a couple of years ago in similar circumstances. It just FEELS worse to lose from a position where you know you should win. If it had been 1-0 and a close game, we'd be disappointed but move on pretty quickly. It was, after all, an away game against a team with European ambitions.
I just hope the manner of the defeat increases the resolve within the team to prevent it happening again rather than being something that raises doubts amongst the players. I have no doubt Unai will be having plenty of video sessions on that second half to try and prevent it happening again.
Win against Burnley and the feel-good factor will be back again. It would also be lovely to funeral these f**kers in the reverse fixture...
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I was at the Cov game.
Like yesterday we just didn’t turn up.
The 3.0 Boxing Day game at the Sty was grim.
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Nine games in 29 days shouldn't be ignored. Hopefully a few fresh faces arriving and Big Tim given games or at least minutes will help us recover some much needed energy.
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Nine games in 29 days shouldn't be ignored. Hopefully a few fresh faces arriving and Big Tim given games or at least minutes will help us recover some much needed energy.
The whole season so far has been non stop and it's catching up with us. We lost yesterday because we did not have the required energy level to compete with a team desperate to get a result. The worst thing was going 2-0 up without trying as that gave a false sense of security whilst playing at half pace. Once you are in that rut it's difficult to get out of it against a charged up opponent.
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Talking to an arsenal fan at work today and he's delighted manu did them a favour.
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Nine games in 29 days shouldn't be ignored. Hopefully a few fresh faces arriving and Big Tim given games or at least minutes will help us recover some much needed energy.
The whole season so far has been non stop and it's catching up with us. We lost yesterday because we did not have the required energy level to compete with a team desperate to get a result. The worst thing was going 2-0 up without trying as that gave a false sense of security whilst playing at half pace. Once you are in that rut it's difficult to get out of it against a charged up opponent.
Completely agree with this
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I've just watched the replay of the game. John McGinn's miss is an absolute howler. We should have gone ahead. It was an easy chance. And I've already mentioned this once on here but their second goal? Dendoncker: what in the name of god was he doing? Hands behind his back and kneeling down like a fucking altar boy before their player even hit the ball. Cowardly and utterly useless defending. He should never play for our club again. Never.
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I've just watched the replay of the game. John McGinn's miss is an absolute howler. We should have gone ahead. It was an easy chance.
scuffs it , totally panicked when it just needed a cool head to just stroke it home
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We normally come away from Old Trafford with a deep sense of injustice
But yesterday was all on us, we got what we deserved second half
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We missed a couple of really good chances that on another day would have gone in.
There's no doubt we were under the cosh and second best in the second half but we could easily have come away with something.
We need to win our next two, regroup, and enjoy the breather in January. Hopefully we'll get a couple of new signings in to help as well and go for it in the second half of the season.
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Is it just me or are we always shit on boxing day?
I can't recall our last win, but I remember defeats to Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs, and a shocker away at Brentford in the Championship.
Yesterday was fucking shit from start to finish. Festive my arse.
Swansea 2-1 away in 2018, Norwich at home 2019, a really scrappy 1-0, ala relegation dogfight. Palace at home 3-0 in 2020 lockdown. Lost to Chelsea at home in 2021 and Liverpool at home last year.
Did we not lose 3-0 at Coventry in one of Big Ron’s seasons?
Yeah the flying pig scored a hatrick, had the mispleasure of being there
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Maybe some midseason tiredness is kicking in but last few games for a variety of reasons, we've just lost our composure and that structured mentality. Obviously the Brentford nonsense. Against Sheff Utd we played the patient game we've generally done quite well but after VAR chalked off the Bailey goal, we really started to lose that composure, rushing final passes, losing that control and discipline at the back and letting Utd into the game.
Against United we go two up, take our foot off the gas and didn't expect the shift of tempo United produced, which in fairness going by this season I didn't think they had. In all honesty, it was mostly via Garnacho taking the game by the scruff with some help from the erratic product of Rashford.
We lost focus, concentration. Players were lacksiadasical on the ball at the back. We rushed every pass in the final third or players just ran into cul-de-sacs.
Unai knows it, he's been bemoaning the same thing so I really hope the players respond. Last thing we want to do is go into the Burnley game trying too hard to win it, or worse, expecting to have an easy game and getting taken by surprise.
Awful way to lose a game but the positive is, this was our first defeat in 10 games in all comps. But there have been warning signs. We've built our position largely on carrying out a game plan with a level head and high levels of concentration. If the latter drops as it did against Utd, we saw that our offside trap was getting beaten too often. Too indecisive defensively too. We can't forget pragmatism. McGinn seems to get caught between what he wants to do on the third goal and it just bounces off his leg. And the corner came from Lenglet pissing about. I'm all for playing out from the back but sometimes you fuck the ball into row z.
Likewise we need to be more wily on transitions. Time and again United cut through and we should have been more aggressive. Take a yellow rather than concede. Some games we're gonna have to use a lower block. Particularly if we're not going to be aggressive enough in the center of the pitch or press their back line quick enough.
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Between us and Spurs for 4th imo
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The day after the night before.
Went to bed raging, had the game in our palm and it slipped through. Don’t think I’d been as angry and disappointed if it had been any other team.
As high as I was in the 1-2 wham bam week, this was the 180 flip.
However:
They’ll lose to Forest and we’ll beat Burnley.
Emery can only do so much with the current players available.
We’ve reached the half way point and THIRD in the league - what a ride we’ve been on!
Monchi has bound to have a few targets we’ll be prepared for a 2nd half season assault. Play the stiffs in the cup game and the first team gets some time off, regroup and recuperate.
Wouldn’t matter if a Teletubby was commentating- the manure wankfest is inevitable because of the scripted narrative. The longer they stay shite the quicker the doughnuts leave them in droves and will join citeh.
Brummie reds - what a turd-fest I’d be fucking embarrassed to talk in public.
All we did is delay their manager’s sacking.
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Between us and Spurs for 4th imo
5th place wouldn't be so bad. Still moving in the right direction, potentially a Champs League place for next season. I'd take it right now if offered.
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Between us and Spurs for 4th imo
That's how it looks after last night. I may be more positive in a month's time.
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We have blown a massive opportunity to confirm our top 4 aspirations and maintain momentum.
An absolute sickener.
I can not find any solace in that performance , snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
How many times have we been humiliated by those detestable wankers?
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We have blown a massive opportunity to confirm our top 4 aspirations and maintain momentum.
An absolute sickener.
I can not find any solace in that performance , snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
How many times have we been humiliated by those detestable wankers?
It's dreadful mate. Ruined my week. A win against Burnley would help, but fancy losing to those useless fucks, the way they've been playing.
Defence was laughable. Carlos was utter shite. The whole team was to be fair.
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We have blown a massive opportunity to confirm our top 4 aspirations and maintain momentum.
An absolute sickener.
I can not find any solace in that performance , snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
How many times have we been humiliated by those detestable wankers?
It's dreadful mate. Ruined my week. A win against Burnley would help, but fancy losing to those useless fucks, the way they've been playing.
Defence was laughable. Carlos was utter shite. The whole team was to be fair.
The worst thing about it ,they were on their knees. A comprehensive defeat would have set the***** back even further. Now it’s glory glory days just around the corner
A bright new era, we even gave the useless twat with a face like a baboons arse a career changing goal to set him on his way.
A few of our lot should be ashamed.
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We have blown a massive opportunity to confirm our top 4 aspirations and maintain momentum.
An absolute sickener.
I can not find any solace in that performance , snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
How many times have we been humiliated by those detestable wankers?
It's dreadful mate. Ruined my week. A win against Burnley would help, but fancy losing to those useless fucks, the way they've been playing.
Defence was laughable. Carlos was utter shite. The whole team was to be fair.
The worst thing about it ,they were on their knees. A comprehensive defeat would have set the***** back even further. Now it’s glory glory days just around the corner
A bright new era, we even gave the useless twat with a face like a baboons arse a career changing goal to set him on his way.
A few of our lot should be ashamed.
Emotions run high understandably, but 3rd in the league, halfway in. I’d say other that Emi and Torres most of them are performing at levels they never knew they had. I don’t any of them have anything to be ashamed off, the opposite in fact.
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We have blown a massive opportunity to confirm our top 4 aspirations and maintain momentum.
An absolute sickener.
I can not find any solace in that performance , snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
How many times have we been humiliated by those detestable wankers?
It's dreadful mate. Ruined my week. A win against Burnley would help, but fancy losing to those useless fucks, the way they've been playing.
Defence was laughable. Carlos was utter shite. The whole team was to be fair.
The worst thing about it ,they were on their knees. A comprehensive defeat would have set the***** back even further. Now it’s glory glory days just around the corner
A bright new era, we even gave the useless twat with a face like a baboons arse a career changing goal to set him on his way.
A few of our lot should be ashamed.
Emotions run high understandably, but 3rd in the league, halfway in. I’d say other that Emi and Torres most of them are performing at levels they never knew they had. I don’t any of them have anything to be ashamed off, the opposite in fact.
Absolutely. The fact that they managed to get us into Europe from such an unlikely position last season and now sitting third, they have nothing to be ashamed of at all
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We've not been humiliated, nobody should feel ashamed.
The players should be proud of 3rd place and 39 points at the halfway point.
This game feels worse because of the circumstance but in reality we could have won the game.
There was a deflectrd goal, a ricochet off McGinn for an assist and a couple of our chances that could just as easily have gone in.
It's a sickener, and nobody is happy about it, but we are still 3rd (for now) and can continue looking up.
We've got Burnley, Middlesbrough and Everton before Newcastle on 30th Jan.
The players have time to recuperate and rest before we get into the business end of the season. We're in 3 competitions still.
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We kind of humiliated ourselves, but when you set such high standards for yourself that can happen. We just have to focus on getting back to winning, and Burnley at home represents a colossal opportunity.
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The more I think about this game the more it looks like a managerial cock up. It's almost as if Emery wasn't expecting us to go two nil ahead and didn't know what to do with it. A rare rabbit in the headlights moment for him.
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We kind of humiliated ourselves, but when you set such high standards for yourself that can happen. We just have to focus on getting back to winning, and Burnley at home represents a colossal opportunity.
I think it is a must win or it will look like the wheels have come off.
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The more I think about this game the more it looks like a managerial cock up. It's almost as if Emery wasn't expecting us to go two nil ahead and didn't know what to do with it. A rare rabbit in the headlights moment for him.
Unai Emery is notoriously meticulous in his planning so rabbit caught in the headlights is not a phrase that can be used to describe him in my view. How many times has he had to reshuffle the defence this season? We badly missed Kamara and Carlos was not the same player without Torres. These are things out of the coaches control.
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We kind of humiliated ourselves, but when you set such high standards for yourself that can happen. We just have to focus on getting back to winning, and Burnley at home represents a colossal opportunity.
I think it is a must win or it will look like the wheels have come off.
Given the fixture, I think that's right.
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The more I think about this game the more it looks like a managerial cock up. It's almost as if Emery wasn't expecting us to go two nil ahead and didn't know what to do with it. A rare rabbit in the headlights moment for him.
Unai Emery is notoriously meticulous in his planning so rabbit caught in the headlights is not a phrase that can be used to describe him in my view. How many times has he had to reshuffle the defence this season? We badly missed Kamara and Carlos was not the same player without Torres. These are things out of the coaches control.
He should have seen that we needed to change at half time and before they scored, it was inevitable the way we were playing.
He was 2 nil up with 5 subs to play, that is not out of the coaches control.
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We have blown a massive opportunity to confirm our top 4 aspirations and maintain momentum.
An absolute sickener.
I can not find any solace in that performance , snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
How many times have we been humiliated by those detestable wankers?
It's dreadful mate. Ruined my week. A win against Burnley would help, but fancy losing to those useless fucks, the way they've been playing.
Defence was laughable. Carlos was utter shite. The whole team was to be fair.
The worst thing about it ,they were on their knees. A comprehensive defeat would have set the***** back even further. Now it’s glory glory days just around the corner
A bright new era, we even gave the useless twat with a face like a baboons arse a career changing goal to set him on his way.
A few of our lot should be ashamed.
I think so too, mate. Fucking crap
Hopefully they'll use that to spur them onto another unbeaten run.
And you know that Emery will be all over it, demanding a response. We've been really good at not falling into ruts since Unai came in. It's the main thing that meant I never fully warmed to Smith and his teams; once they started losing runs, it seemed to take ages to get out of them.
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The more I think about this game the more it looks like a managerial cock up. It's almost as if Emery wasn't expecting us to go two nil ahead and didn't know what to do with it. A rare rabbit in the headlights moment for him.
Unai Emery is notoriously meticulous in his planning so rabbit caught in the headlights is not a phrase that can be used to describe him in my view. How many times has he had to reshuffle the defence this season? We badly missed Kamara and Carlos was not the same player without Torres. These are things out of the coaches control.
He should have seen that we needed to change at half time and before they scored, it was inevitable the way we were playing.
He was 2 nil up with 5 subs to play, that is not out of the coaches control.
Yes. Staying as we were was not a realistic option but it's exactly what he did.
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The more I think about this game the more it looks like a managerial cock up. It's almost as if Emery wasn't expecting us to go two nil ahead and didn't know what to do with it. A rare rabbit in the headlights moment for him.
Unai Emery is notoriously meticulous in his planning so rabbit caught in the headlights is not a phrase that can be used to describe him in my view. How many times has he had to reshuffle the defence this season? We badly missed Kamara and Carlos was not the same player without Torres. These are things out of the coaches control.
He should have seen that we needed to change at half time and before they scored, it was inevitable the way we were playing.
He was 2 nil up with 5 subs to play, that is not out of the coaches control.
Yes. Staying as we were was not a realistic option but it's exactly what he did.
What I don’t get is that we saw last season us getting ahead and shutting the game down.
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The away game vs Brighton last year is a great example of this. We pretty much played 6 across the back from our penalty area and completely choked the game.
I don't know why we didn't do this on Tursday night?
Same as away at Man Utd last year they just kept hitting long balls over the top / through us to cause us problems. If we had denied them so much space in the final third then I think they would have found it very difficult to play through us. Plus we didn't have enough pace on the turn in defence when dealing with the long balls.
We should have shut up shop and played for a third on the break.
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The away game vs Brighton last year is a great example of this. We pretty much played 6 across the back from our penalty area and completely choked the game.
I don't know why we didn't do this on Tursday night?
Same as away at Man Utd last year they just kept hitting long balls over the top / through us to cause us problems. If we had denied them so much space in the final third then I think they would have found it very difficult to play through us. Plus we didn't have enough pace on the turn in defence when dealing with the long balls.
We should have shut up shop and played for a third on the break.
I think that’s a fair point but he’s not going to do it. It was the same at Spurs in the first half when we were getting crucified on the break. What I would say is that he did change against Arsenal after the Man City game. We did play as a more defensive unit and they found it tough.
The high line is something he obviously won’t change very often and it’s not done us too badly. He definitely knows what he’s doing, wants his style implemented and is the most tactically aware coach we’ve had for decades.
An example of this is playing out from the back. He has adjusted this from time to time with the Man City game being the last time. Someone said he was like a rabbit in headlights but that’s very harsh. He hasn’t won what he has by being naive and tactically unaware.
Players making mistakes is all part of their learning and 1 loss won’t convince me he’s not a tactical genius.
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United really struggle against teams who play with a low block and look to hit them on the counter too. So it's a real shame we didn't come out like that in the second half.
Worth remembering that Bailey and McGinn had great chances straight after their first 2 goals. If we had made it 3-1 or 3-0 (we nearly scored early in the second half too), it takes the game away from them again and they're probably a bit deflated.
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It was ridiculous set up after our goals he is supposed to be adaptable and read every situation. He got it wrong.
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Do you think when new managers come in they’re given a history lesson on the do’s and don’ts.
1. Do take the cups seriously especially the onethat starts in January.
2. Don’t lose 2-0 leads and lose 3-2 in humiliating fashion against Manure.
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i think it's time to put this game behind us now.
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Need to beat Burnley to start doing that.
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Need to beat Burnley to start doing that.
True
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I’ve been out tonight with my friends, a yearly tradition. Most are Man Utd fans. They didn’t even watch the game and stopped watching at half time. They didn’t even rub it in. Tides turning as they say down here in Devon.
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Their xG was 0.73 in the second half, which was similar to ours. Which makes it more galling still.
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I know it was a deeply disappointing result but I had to laugh when certain tw*ts on social media took the outcome (and the 1-1 Blades match) as proof positive that Emery is a 'bottler'.
My take on the second half was the complete opposite. Though I didn't agree with SUE's tactics, there were those of a manager who was utterly fearless and thought that we could be bold and outscore the home side. In the end, we were very close to doing just that.