Sheffield Wednesday v Aston Villa Post Match Thread

[Richard E]

If we can gel soon then based on today's game this division should not hold any fears for us. Come the business end of the season we'll be there or thereabouts.

[Mister E]

Just get some new players by next weekend. Please rid us of Cissokho, Westwood and Bacuna.

These three were rubbish.

Relying on Baker to distribute from the back is not going to work.
We pressed well and got better through the second half.
Gardner is unreliable but certainly full of guts and commitment.
Ayew is a cut above the rest.
Gestede is a lamp-post.
We should have been ahead before the SW goal.
Green is a definite prospect - his delivery and footwork are v good.
The crowd - both sets of fans - was amazing.
It was great to be back in a right traditional football ground.
The weather was great.

[PaulWinch again]

14 league defeats on the trot.

Jesus wept that's a frightening stat.

What's the point in even thinking about it, though?

Last year was fucking hideous. It was a comedy relegation, so shit was our points tally, but there is absolutely zero point in wasting time thinking about anything that carries over the shite of last season.

Why bother? Life's too short and watching Villa is testing enough as it is without banging on about things we can't change.

Yep and today whilst still being a defeat was completely different. Yes we obviously need Amavi in, a centre half, centre mid and a creative player, but we dominated the second half today. They are one of the hardest teams to beat at their place, but they were clinging on. To be honest I'd almost rather have lost in the way we did than won having been battered for the whole game. That second half performance, if built upon, will stand us in good stead.

[AV89]

I thought Bacuna had a decent game, as did our central defenders. Cissoko just looks clumsy and gormless, Amavi must start next weekend.

Gestarde annoys me so much, for a tall man he hardly ever wins an arial challenge, the one time he did, Macormack couldn't finish. I would play Mac and Ayew up front with Grealish just behind.

HARSH! that was a top class block from their CB to my eyes.

I'm in total agreement about playing two up top in Ayew and McCormack with someone like Grealish in the 'hole' though. Playing football rather than looking to that useless lump to win a flick on every 90 minutes will be far more effective i'm sure

A lot of criticism (not on here) of McCormack's display, saying he's a waste of money and was invisible.

I thought - considering he's clearly not fully fit or up to speed with how we're going to play - he did quite well.  He gets that chance today in a few weeks time and he scores.

[ChicagoLion]

Same players, same system and same result, just in a lower league.

[Mister E]

McCormack played ok, apart from the 1-on-1.
Bacuna was rubbish first half; better second.
I thought Hutton played well ....

[PaulWinch again]

I thought Bacuna had a decent game, as did our central defenders. Cissoko just looks clumsy and gormless, Amavi must start next weekend.

Gestarde annoys me so much, for a tall man he hardly ever wins an arial challenge, the one time he did, Macormack couldn't finish. I would play Mac and Ayew up front with Grealish just behind.

HARSH! that was a top class block from their CB to my eyes.

I'm in total agreement about playing two up top in Ayew and McCormack with someone like Grealish in the 'hole' though. Playing football rather than looking to that useless lump to win a flick on every 90 minutes will be far more effective i'm sure

A lot of criticism (not on here) of McCormack's display, saying he's a waste of money and was invisible.

I thought - considering he's clearly not fully fit or up to speed with how we're going to play - he did quite well.  He gets that chance today in a few weeks time and he scores.

That sort of criticism is stupid. Once he's match fit he's shown enough to tell that he'll be a good player.

[ldavfc4eva]

I think today proved that certain players, even when I a lower division, just are not good enough to play week in week out. As squad fillers fine but not for the starting 11 each week. For me those players are Hutton, Cissoko, Westwood,Gardner and Bacuna.

At this point of the season I think we need to keep all of them, but upgrades are needed if we are to compete at the top end of the division.

Richards if he sorts his shit out can be a very good right back in this division, Tshbola looked like he has something to offer, and Amavi will be first choice left back when he is fully fit.

So one more decent central midfield player and a winger who can put a decent cross in and we will look a lot better.

Jedinak who has been mentioned here a few times fits the bill for midfield, not sure on the winger/right midfielder, Larsson at Sunderland can put a decent cross in but he's probably over the hill or injury prone.

[Villafirst]

Poor first half, much better second half. Unlucky to lose. Goalkeeping errors like that happen from time to time. Decent noise from the Wednesday fans, quite unlike the sedate Premier League aways I'm used to. Suggests every team this year will be massively up for playing us. We need to strengthen the midfield to be able to compete.

Tshibola at 6'3" would be a good start! RDM needs a leader in there fast!

[class-of-82]

Need two full backs desperately for me bacuna to right back amavi straight in next week green in place of bacuna and tshibola for Gardner.
Let's hope some of these bids get accepted and one day is a centre half

Ah well

[paul_e]

The midfield isn't the problem no matter how many times it gets called

Sorry, but in my opinion you are incorrect

The midfield is definitely the problem and has been for some time. Lack of movement in attack and poor fullbacks doesn't help. But there is very little leadership, guile or nous in that midfield. Less so even than last season with the sale of Gana, and he was no great shakes. We desperately need a central midfielder who can control the game, crucially leading in terms of both tempo and movement. We haven't had that since Stan and before him Barry.

To clarify, our midfield look poor because they get totally overloaded and that happens mainly because teams trust their fullbacks to have the beating of ours at both ends.  In this game we got better in midfield when we pushed Hutton and Cissokho forward and made their fullbacks hold their position but it didn't lead to chance because both of them have to take 5-6 touches and stop 2-3 times before they pass inside or cross and by then the defence are all lined up and ready to deal ith the threat.  If either of them could operate at pace with the ball then we'd have won easily today.

[class-of-82]

One day and s a centre half ??
Bloody ipad

[fredm]

Did people think that the Wednesday players ability on the ball was generally superior to ours?  The way they controlled it, laid it off, and generally moved it about the field.  Some of our players seemed to often never completely have control of it even when it was at their feet.

[Phil from the upper holte]

McCormack played ok, apart from the 1-on-1.
Bacuna was rubbish first half; better second.
I thought Hutton played well ....

Their player got a good block on that shot. He's been injured you gotta give him a chance. McCormack will score goals

[ez]

One of the positives. Lescott and Agbonlahor were nowhere to be seen.