Aston Villa Criticism Post-Liverpool: Over The Top & Factually Inaccurate

[not3bad]

Aston Villa’s dreadful, dreary, disgraceful 6-0 loss to Liverpool this weekend re-opened the wounds of an awful season. Marooned at the bottom of the table, this result simply served as a timely reminder that the club are doomed, whilst simultaneously wiping away any budding optimism regarding survival.

Heading into the game, only three Premier League clubs had picked up more points than Villa in the last five matches. They’d accrued more than their opponents, Liverpool (eight compared to five), and had managed two wins in that period. Things were, definitively, on the up.

But Villa, while admittedly awful, were extremely unfortunate to be the first side this season to face Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Daniel Sturridge on the same pitch at the same time. The first team to do that were near-guaranteed to take a beating, and Villa drew the shortest of straws here.

That fact must be recognised when panning Villa. The team gave up at 3-0 and some of the lifeless performances stand inexcusable, but the hosts were on a hiding to nothing the moment Coutinho, Firmino and Sturridge were all named starters.

Some of the criticism of the club that has followed the result has been, quite frankly, nonsensical; it’s been completely over the top in many areas—not least from Sky Sports, who covered the game, and aired Jamie Carragher’s extreme, over-the-top views on Super Sunday.

“They are an embarrassment and they have been for a few years.”

Labelling a team “an embarrassment” is strong, and it should be noted Villa staved off relegation in three successive seasons despite wage cuts and a complete lack of funds for transfers while reaching an FA Cup in 2015. That’s not the form of an “embarrassing” side.

“If that team is in the Championship it will be closer to the bottom than the top – there’s no doubt about that.”

Any team lacking confidence this severely, as Villa are, would struggle in any league. This squad of players’ morale has been crushed over the course of a torrid six months, and it’s probably unfair to speculate on how they’d do in a different division given all of the factors influencing play would be different. If this team started the season in the Championship, they’d be chasing promotion— there’s no doubt about that.

“I can’t imagine one Premier League manager looking at that team and thinking there’s one player there he’d want to take into his squad. That’s how poor they are.”

This is actual nonsense, sadly. It’s difficult to tell the true talent level of any Villa player due to fragile mentality of this beaten team, but to suggest no Premier League club would touch any of the players? All that statement has done is reinforce the strong belief that, regrettably, you haven’t paid enough attention to Villa this season.

Jordan Ayew has shown desire, determination, genuine ability and the propensity to score a wondergoal; his red card threat is a small price to pay for such a talent. Jordan Veretout is a good player who could flourish in the right environment, Idrissa Gueye is a workhorse many would snap up without question, and Jack Grealish’s stellar form under Tim Sherwood proves there’s a player in there one manager could truly benefit from.

It’s easy to level scathing comments at a side in such a poor league position following such a poor result, but it must be made clear that there any many mistruths to Carragher’s comments. This is not to absolve a poor Villa side of a shocking performance and season—no one in their right mind would attempt it—but the post-match punditry went past “over-the-top” and breached “inaccuracy” territory.

It’s a shame, because Carragher’s comments will (falsely) shape millions of opinions on Villa’s predicament and assets.

http://www.umaxit.com/index.php/columns/aston-villa-criticism-over-the-top-factually-inaccurate?

[VillaAlways]

Even though those players were back I don't think Liverpool played brilliantly,they didn't need to we gifted them all the goals.

And for a club of our size, stature and history we are an embarrassment and I'm glad he said it as it draws the media attention to the hopelessness of our current owner.

[old man villa fan]

What was sadly lacking (and has been for a number of years) is when it went to 2-0 there was not one player pulling the players together and giving them encouragement/rollicking or whatever. The Team Captain and Club Captain are not worthy of the position. You may not like him (and I certainly don't) but just imagine John Terry in a similar position.

[eamonn]

This article is a lot closer to the truth than Caragher's lazy analysis on Sunday. "People say those Derby and Sunderland teams were worse...I can't remember them. This Villa team is the worst"...he's meant to be measured, not sensationalist. Playing to the gallery while Henry giggled like a preening schoolkid. Valencia might not love ya Gary Neville but we appreciate you. 

[Mister E]

Forget the comments of so-called expert summarisers: most are inarticulate and inerudite.
However, the article printed in the OP hides some uncomfortable truths: we gave Liverpool too much space, too much possession and insufficient 'heat'. Our players were lethargic and unstructured, with concentration lapses not acceptable at the top level of a professional sport. Too many players were simply 'there', rather than emotionally, cognitively and physically engaged.

And that's why we're probably going down.

[aj2k77]

I don't agree that the first team to face Firmino, Sturridge and Coutinho were going to get a hiding at all.

[ChicagoLion]

I don't agree that the first team to face Firmino, Sturridge and Coutinho were going to get a hiding at all.

Same here, any team that gives them the luxury of posession without any attempt to win the ball and watches a player who had been out injured walk in to the centre of the penalty area unchallenged is on a hiding to nothing.
The complete and total lack of fight was there for all to see.
I have no idea what preceded the players walking on to the field of play but something was not right.

[Boz]

Forget the comments of so-called expert summarisers: most are inarticulate and inerudite.
However, the article printed in the OP hides some uncomfortable truths: we gave Liverpool too much space, too much possession and insufficient 'heat'. Our players were lethargic and unstructured, with concentration lapses not acceptable at the top level of a professional sport. Too many players were simply 'there', rather than emotionally, cognitively and physically engaged.

And that's why we're probably going down.

Don't think probably comes into it

[Billy Walker]

"But Villa, while admittedly awful, were extremely unfortunate to be the first side this season to face Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Daniel Sturridge on the same pitch at the same time. The first team to do that were near-guaranteed to take a beating..."

Hmm, certainly Sturrridge is a very decent goalscorer on his day but when did these three suddenly become Messi, Suarez and Neymar?

[Chris Jameson]

while Henry giggled like a preening schoolkid.   

I've not seen or heard much of Henry but whenever I have he's behaved as you described.

[themossman]

I half agree. What wound me up on Sunday was all this talk about how we were making a poor Liverpool team look world class. In reality, they are world class in terms of profile, spend, squad, manager. It underlined the gulf in class that our best player from recent years, by miles, was on their bench amid tiresome jokes about cows' arses and banjos. Having said all that, we should have put up a much better fight but let's not lose sight of the fact that on paper they should be stuffing us.

[aj2k77]

They're midtable and had lost 8 and won 9 before playing us, they shouldn't be stuffing us at all. We should at the very least be making them work. This defeatist talk is bollocks. Now we're not even expecting us to be in a game against midtable teams.

[exiled on the wirral!]

I think we have enough to concern ourselves about without worrying what Jamie Carragher thinks about us.

[themossman]

They're midtable and had lost 8 and won 9 before playing us, they shouldn't be stuffing us at all. We should at the very least be making them work. This defeatist talk is bollocks. Now we're not even expecting us to be in a game against midtable teams.

Tell me one player we have who would get in their team, including subs.

[aj2k77]

They're midtable and had lost 8 and won 9 before playing us, they shouldn't be stuffing us at all. We should at the very least be making them work. This defeatist talk is bollocks. Now we're not even expecting us to be in a game against midtable teams.

Tell me one player we have who would get in their team, including subs.

Tell me one player who would get in the Liverpool team from Newcastle?