Some might think it was a madcap game full of surprises, yet why am I not at all surprised? That was pure unadulterated Villa.
My biggest gripe in the game, and a lot of games this season is that we seem really cumbersome with pressing or moments where the ball is pinging around and it inevitably ends up with the opponents breaking on us. Too many slow players. Too many players with a poor touch (which is particularly evident with playing out from the back).
Yeah, we saw some good moments today, but the shit outnumbered it some way.
We've got the tough games out the way. We can't just concede that "it's City" or "it's Arsenal." There's no excuses in the next two.
I'm not convinced with this system defensively, and right now, though we look like scoring, we also look like we'll concede 2-3 (at least) every game and we can't play a side as monumentally shit as Leeds or Southampton (both of whom outplayed us if we're being honest) every week.
This is the true test of Emery coming. Gerrard started well and then couldn't arrest a slump and turn it around. We've got to be a bit more pragmatic. I think he needs to acknowledge that we're too easy to manoeuvre around, too open and that we're still exceptionally shit from set pieces (both ends). Maybe this will benefit us next season but the worry is that you hit a system and style all guns blazing and sink under it. Gerrards shitty narrow (and tactically naive) 4-3-3 system buried him. We're making the same errors on repeat, even putting aside the misfortune of their third.
