Aston Villa vs. West Brom Post-Debacle Thread

[nick harper]

I think Gana and Traore would have made a big difference today. We have some tough luck with injuries.

Think he should have played Veretout in a midfield 3 with Grealish and Gil more advanced. We never got on top in midfield due to their superior numbers. His solution at half time was not to solve the midfield problem but go direct and that just played into their hands.

Playing Gil, Grealish and Sinclair is like playing with 8 men when we don't have the ball. He needs to rethink the shape of the side - we look disorganised.

Confidence clearly taken a hit as well after last week.

Did you see Veretout when he came on?  Absolutely awful, even if it was only a cameo for a few minutes.  Slow beyond belief.

I don't agree, I thought he did ok. He has to get these new players up to speed and they're not going to do it from the bench. He needs to show confidence in them.

It was ridiculous leaving us outnumbered in midfield for 90 minutes. Albion had control of the game for much of the second half because of that.

[CJ]

Just back and haven't read the thread but suffice to say I'm thoroughly pissed off - that was a totally spineless performance for any game let alone a local derby. Launching balls to Gabby or Sinclair when they're up against 4 centre halfs was almost laughable. Play like that on Tuesday and the Noses will be singing 'shit on the Villa' just like the Bitters today. Can't be arsed to give individual players scores but I will single out one - Westwood. Just what does he bring to the team other than square/backward passes and pointing? And why was he still on the pitch after bringing on 2 other midfielders? An average Championship player at best. Would have been a different game if Adama and Gana were fit but we should at least look like we can compete. One point from Palace, Sunderland, Leicester and the Bitters - that is relegation scrap form yet again.

[john e]

todays was the worst performance of all this season,
 in all the other games you can look and take some positives, last week for an hour we played some really good stuff, same against Palace,

 but today there is nothing to cling on to, its back to how we were

this is the sadness, we are not improving, where we all said it will take time for players to settle in we are moving backwards

the problem we have already is that all other teams see us as a weak side, everyone sees us as easy points for the picking, even if we play well or go ahead they all know our soft underbelly. we are a side playing with low confidence, last weeks collapse will do us a lot of harm

[Rudy65]

The first job of any defender is to defend.

Amavi completely shit out of the challenge in the build up to their goal.

It's alright him getting up and down the wing - but his defending is very poor at times.

Baggies deserved it

Spot on re Amavi. He ducked out of the challenge which directly led to their goal

[villadelph]

Just back and haven't read the thread but suffice to say I'm thoroughly pissed off - that was a totally spineless performance for any game let alone a local derby. Launching balls to Gabby or Sinclair when they're up against 4 centre halfs was almost laughable. Play like that on Tuesday and the Noses will be singing 'shit on the Villa' just like the Bitters today. Can't be arsed to give individual players scores but I will single out one - Westwood. Just what does he bring to the team other than square/backward passes and pointing? And why was he still on the pitch after bringing on 2 other midfielders? An average Championship player at best. Would have been a different game if Adama and Gana were fit but we should at least look like we can compete. One point from Palace, Sunderland, Leicester and the Bitters - that is relegation scrap form yet again.

Losing leads against Sunderland and Leicester really worries me. Then registering a single shot, maybe two, today. Our midfield lost the battle against fucking Fletcher, Morrison and that hack Yacob is pathetic. Don't care who is fit, we're better than that shit.

Shit isn't our form any more, it's our MO. Not seeing enough of an improvement on last year to warrant any sort of difference in success rate. Even with as bad as Stoke are at the moment, I'll think they'll win. Cannot see us beating 'The Mighty Reds YNWA', Chelsea or Everton in the coming weeks. Worrying times ahead. Especially when NONE of our striking options can create space or a half chance.

I genuinely feel bad for my girlfriend and family, this club just makes me miserable. I've got enough going on to let this bullshit get to me.

This club, this game, used to bring me joy. Now it just tests my resolve.

[TonyD]

Timmie should make them watch Japan.

[Lastfootstamper]

Just back and haven't read the thread but suffice to say I'm thoroughly pissed off - that was a totally spineless performance for any game let alone a local derby. Launching balls to Gabby or Sinclair when they're up against 4 centre halfs was almost laughable. Play like that on Tuesday and the Noses will be singing 'shit on the Villa' just like the Bitters today. Can't be arsed to give individual players scores but I will single out one - Westwood. Just what does he bring to the team other than square/backward passes and pointing? And why was he still on the pitch after bringing on 2 other midfielders? An average Championship player at best. Would have been a different game if Adama and Gana were fit but we should at least look like we can compete. One point from Palace, Sunderland, Leicester and the Bitters - that is relegation scrap form yet again.

Pre-season, I thought get the first two games out of the way, then we've got a nice little run of four games where the team will be able to gel into a cohesive and coherent unit, and maybe pick up 5,6,7 points as they do it. But ONE? Ffs, that today was witless. Unless something changes dramatically, (and seemingly without a decent option at centre-forward I can't see it happening) it's hard not to envisage yet another season of drain-circling.

[kippaxvilla2]

And another thing why can't our fcukin players stay fit

[oldham_villa]

I wonder if he will make Adebayor a bollock busting offer?

[LukeJames]

Thank fuck I'm off too Ibiza on Wednesday morning, I've got a horrible feeling that this place is going to be poisonous soon.

[john2710]

As soon as I saw the team I knew we were going to struggle. Any team put out by Pulis will be big & strong. They will pack midfield, defend deep & play for a draw. We cannot set up in any game with Sanchez & Westwood in midfield with Grealish, Gil & Sinclair ahead of them. We were far too lightweight & the fault lies firmly with the manager. He needs to wise up soon.

Quite what Sherwood or the scouts saw in Gestede I do not know, he looks completely out of his depth.

[Percy McCarthy]

I wonder if he will make Adebayor a bollock busting offer?

Do we know if he's allowed to play for anyone?

[Legion]

He's a free agent.

[PeterWithesShin]

As far as I know he can't sign until January as he wasn't a free agent before the summer window closed. Plus our 25 man squad is full.

[andyh]

We have been a backwards and sideways passing team for a long, long time.

But, over the last few weeks,  as a team, we seem to be getting slower and slower.
We take an age to get the ball forward, and seem very happy to play sideways and backwards.
So, it's piss easy to defend against as there is no pace or directness to deal with and the defenders rarely get turned.
It was a piece of piss for the Boggies to defend today, an absolute breeze.

It's all to easy to blame Wilkins influence, But I'm not so sure.

Where the fuck has our pace gone.