Barnsley v Villa predictable post match thread

[AV82EC]

Just got back my first away game for ages.

We actually played some nice stuff in the second half but our final ball is simply atrocious at times and Grealish had easily his worst game of the season so fair.

The keeper is a liability at the moment his punching was suspect all night.  I know Westwood gets the blame for a lot.  But I honestly think when he replaced Tshibola with him we once again lost momentum and invited them onto us.  Jedinak who I thought had an okay game was suddenly seemingly isolated. 

Ultimately we are too pretty up front we try and score perfect goals and we are just a bit dodgy at the back.  But I honestly think with some decent training ground work with more tactical managers than ours we would move up the league quickly.  I honestly don't think Di Matteo is going to cut the mustard here.

That's how I saw it. If Grealish had been subbed with McCormack with about 15 minutes to go, I think we'd have held on, both because Grealish was poor and fading and also because McC would have added some steel.

This. But RDM didn't see it and we threw it away again.

I think RDM is in the last chance saloon as I tried to work out his formation. We seem to have stumbled into a 4-1-2-3 which seems completely unbalanced and defensively suspect. Have we actually controlled a game and dominated for 90 minutes yet? He's another chancer isn't he?

[oswald funkletrumpet]

Garde went through the motions and picked up his salary.
I think RDM is the same.   

100% agree

he has never looked interested

goodbye roberto thanks for fuck all you c***

[Nunkin1965]

Yes Grealish off for McCormack for the last 20. Poor decision making from him in front of goal. What the hell was that Barnsley fan thinking when they scored?? Fed up of making very ordinary opposition feel like they've won the bloody Cup Final every week.

[kippaxvilla2]

This Barnsley side beat Wolves 4-0 two weeks ago. Yet I thought they were a jack average side until we invited them on in the last 15 minutes.  That's the biggest frustration we have no divine right to just turn up and win games but so far this season I have seen no opposition team that genuinely frightens us.  Which makes us languishing in 17th after ten games simply an unacceptable position.

[DBTW]

1-0 up, 3 minutes to go.

Take off a winger and put on a centre forward!!

Why not bring Baker or Hutton on and still move Kodja out wide? The worst tactical substitution i've seen in a long time!

[lukey27]

Got back very late last night.

The first half was a carbon copy of much of what has already gone this season. Nothing of note at either end. We never looked like being under great pressure but didn't do enough in an attacking sense either.

We dominated the second half really. Adomah is a proper right winger and offered a great out ball. 4-3-3 will get the best out of him and Ayew. We should have been out of sight, lost count of the times we got to the byline.

Tshibola was fucked and was misplacing a number of passes so could understand the sub. That substitution would be a red herring for why we drew again. Our two centre halves, Elphick in particular, and keeper were poor again.

I'm afraid if we can't defend high balls and crosses into our box, we won't achieve anything.

Glimpses of a pacy, attacking side second half but it probably won't be RDM at the helm when we see the best of them.

[Witton Warrior]

I now refuse to listen to or keep up with away matches but my lad came whooping down the stairs when we scored - I fixed him with a steely glare that sent him scurrying away until he re-appeared at full-time with the expected news of the equaliser and a "sorry Dad" - we had a man-hug and spoke no more about it...

[exiled on the wirral!]

Another frustrating evening we were so much the better side but our lack of killer instinct in front of goal is proving so costly. The amount of times we we got into the penalty box and failed to finish off promising situations is a concern. I thought Tshibola was excellent until he got injured towards the end and Ayew was always a threat.Grealish is an enigma.  He looks so comfortable on the ball but then at times can't complete a simple pass.We also need to wise up to the championship quickly, we need to get nastier. There was a couple of occasions,we went on dangerous counter attacks only to be hacked down by Barnsley defenders taking one for the team. The biggest concern for me is the Keeper..decent shot stopper but poor at everything else. The only positive from last night there was a lot of draws so we haven't lost too much ground.

[PaulWinch again]

I now refuse to listen to or keep up with away matches but my lad came whooping down the stairs when we scored - I fixed him with a steely glare that sent him scurrying away until he re-appeared at full-time with the expected news of the equaliser and a "sorry Dad" - we had a man-hug and spoke no more about it...

Isn't it sad that your son and you aren't able to enjoy Villa taking the lead, because you just know what will happen. It's utterly unacceptable.

[Jimbo]

I didn't see last night's collapse, so I'm asking those who did, was it the case that we sat back in our own half trying to protect the lead on 80 minutes? If this is still happening, then I seriously question the manager's thinking - or ability to think.

We now know that sitting back to preserve a slender lead is counterproductive — it almost certainly means we will surrender that lead. The evidence is overwhelming. So why not try the alternative? Attack as a unit.

Attack, and you have a chance of scoring. You put the opposition under pressure. You give them something to worry about. If they hit you on the break and you concede, the worst that will happen is what would certainly have happened if you'd sat back. It's about percentages — if the opposition is on the back foot, you have more chance of scoring, they have less chance. Any gambler can work it out.

So just fucking attack. Have a plan for it. When players are tiring towards the end, bring on a McCormack to keep the tempo up. Plan for the final ten minutes. Don't just sit back, cowering and panicky until the inevitable happens, then wonder why it did. It's not luck, it's a part of the game. Legislate for it.   

[CT]

I now refuse to listen to or keep up with away matches but my lad came whooping down the stairs when we scored - I fixed him with a steely glare that sent him scurrying away until he re-appeared at full-time with the expected news of the equaliser and a "sorry Dad" - we had a man-hug and spoke no more about it...

I just don't tell my lad anymore. He probably thinks we're top.

[Witton Warrior]

I now refuse to listen to or keep up with away matches but my lad came whooping down the stairs when we scored - I fixed him with a steely glare that sent him scurrying away until he re-appeared at full-time with the expected news of the equaliser and a "sorry Dad" - we had a man-hug and spoke no more about it...

Isn't it sad that your son and you aren't able to enjoy Villa taking the lead, because you just know what will happen. It's utterly unacceptable.

It is no joke - since the Leicester capitulation last season I have found it such an anxiety-inducing experience I simply cannot do it. Being at home matches at least I can rant and rave! Sick of it mate...

[exiled on the wirral!]

I now refuse to listen to or keep up with away matches but my lad came whooping down the stairs when we scored - I fixed him with a steely glare that sent him scurrying away until he re-appeared at full-time with the expected news of the equaliser and a "sorry Dad" - we had a man-hug and spoke no more about it...

I just don't tell my lad anymore. He probably thinks we're top.

My 9 year old daughter this morning asked "did we draw again Dad" ..she thinks drawing is like winning

[DeKuip]

One thing's for sure I won't park in the Queen St car park next season - it took an hour to get out.
26 different away grounds Villa have visited since we last won away, and still the support on the road is fantastic. It must be a staggering number of pints drunk by Villa fans on their travels since last seeing a win.
Roll on Saturday!

[Oscar Arce]

I think Di Matteo is a busted flush now, turning these late goals into three points would put us in second place in the Championship.
How long does this become luck or tactical incompetance?
Also with our expensive strikers the lack of goals to chances scored ratio is poor, we can't keep on saying it'll turn, I think he has a bit more than the next game to keep his job but not much more.