Aston Villa 2-3 Leeds United Post Match Thread

[Axl Rose]

I thought we were crap in the second half.

The goalie, Hutton, Elmohamady, hourihane, Whelan....it is boring to repeat these names. We won't go up with these players in the team. I'm sick of saying it.

Play the youngsters. Most successful teams do. Leeds do, and did today. They're better thanus. They are all over the park.

I really enjoyed the first half, hated the second. Bed time, and a Christmas holiday is in order.

We'll be back and I fully expect us to win on Boxing Day.

Up the Villa, all.

[curiousorange]

Christmas can fuck off already. Four games, ten days. Really can't be arsed with the stress of it.

[SoccerHQ]

I don't like Dean's griping.  They were better than us throughout, don't blame the official because had they done their job properly, Whelan's blatant handball gets punished too.   

Dean can only coach the players he has and he cannot make those players take the right decision.  Quite what the fuck Elmo was doing with that header at the end was schoolboy poor.  Chester, Bree and Hutton were poor as well.  Our midfielder has huge holes in it and McGinn cannot do it all on his own. 

Kodjia, El Ghazi, Hourihane, Elmo, Whelan and BB are so very inconsistent that we seem to take two steps forward and one step back.  The defence needs fresh blood and we are absolutely desperate for a quality, mobile central defensive midfielder.  We were done by the better side today and that's hard to take as it's to a horrible slag side.  Lots of injuries to cope with but even with them back in, we are NOT at the top table yet in terms of quality. We CAN still make the play off's but we need at least three or four more players to come in.

What decisions did DS query out of interest?

Have to say apart from Allioski being booked 50 minutes after he should've been I'm struggling to think of any other decision that the ref should've given us. I agree at 2-2 he missed clear handball from the corner.

[Walmley_Villa]

To be fair I think we should be giving Leeds more credit. Look a very good team and how many of their players could anyone have named before the start of the season? The key word is TEAM. We have to give Dean and the management time to build the same. He has turned a group of players into a very good attacking team. It isn't his defence and he is addressing the issues - no.1 a keeper with more to follow.

The 3rd goal was always going to be key. We had a couple of decent chances at the start of the second half and looked as if we wanted it more than they did. They got it and the pendulum swung in their favour.

Their winner was ridiculous, a minute earlier they were time-wasting in their own half and happy to take the draw.

[SoccerHQ]

Christmas can fuck off already. Four games, ten days. Really can't be arsed with the stress of it.

Good news is none of the next three are anywhere near as good as Leeds. Only problem is today has taken a fair amount out of us. McGinn must've run miles today with the effort he put in.

Have to DS did disappoint me with his in game management. We had plenty of warning signs from Leeds in the first half, Kilch hitting it straight at Nyland when he should've scored, Hernandez curling a FK a yard wide and Allioski hitting one just wide of the post.

At 2-0 up we needed a far ,more narrow formation and actually have players infront of our FBs. Hogan coming on for last 10 was certainly an odd one.

[SoccerHQ]

I haven’t read the tread yet so don’t know what the general consensus is but my take on it is that we are down to earth with a crash and a massive dose of reality.
Leeds were far better than from the off. Their tempo, their pressing, the movement, everything was better than us.
I have never been so nervous at 2-0 up, and that can’t be right.

If we are being honest, Nyland prevented that from being 6 or 7, he conceded 3 and was still outstanding. Their keeper barely made a save in the second half.

As for individuals, well, there is far too much to comment on.
Individual errors at bad times, bad choices and decision making at others.

Special mention though for Elmo who was particularly shite, as was El Ghazi.
 And then there is the enigma that is Hourihane. A decent left foot on him but one of the most lightweight midfielders around, his inability to tackle, for a midfielder, is pretty fucking spectacular.

We have a huge squad but ar3miles away from Leeds.

I think we just might have to endure another season in this league. It will another 2 transfer windows at least until Deano can get a team that can play and challenge like Leeds did today.

Sad.

Probably the best analysis I've seen so far. At 2-0 I also never thought we'd keep a clean sheet and if it went to 2-1 we'd get nervous and retreat and that's exactly what happened.

This match reminded me of Wolves away from last season and even the first half of the play off final. When we play opposition who can play quick 1-2s in midfield so many of our players get bypassed (I'm looking at you Hourihane) and so our liability defence is under pressure from opposition far quicker than they should be.

[Stinkin_Thinkin]

we should of taken the point at 2-2 instead we were rushing to take goal kicks throw ins etc.
Leeds wanted to play at a higher tempo. we looked like we were too knackered in the 2nd half to do that so should of just taken the point.
The subs didn't make any impact when Kodjia went off we had nothing up front.

I don't think leeds will win the league I predict they will fall away.

[kippaxvilla2]

We are always shit at Christmas so I don’t expect Boxing Day to be a cakewalk that is for sure.  Tuanzebe out for several weeks isn’t going to help.

[KevinGage]

I don't think leeds will win the league I predict they will fall away.

Unfortunately I think that's the sort of result that can galvanise a side. It could be their Leicester moment.

We're good that way.

[SoccerHQ]

we should of taken the point at 2-2 instead we were rushing to take goal kicks throw ins etc.
Leeds wanted to play at a higher tempo. we looked like we were too knackered in the 2nd half to do that so should of just taken the point.
The subs didn't make any impact when Kodjia went off we had nothing up front.

I don't think leeds will win the league I predict they will fall away.

Think we just got caught thinking it was a total must win for top 2. I agree take the point and hope Norwich hit a 1 win in 6 spell in next two months.

Leeds will go up imo. They haven't even got their full team out (no Bamford and Barry Douglas in their 11) yet have now won 6/6 after a dodgy patch which is exactly what you need to do for top 2.

[olaftab]

We are simply conceding far too many goals to finish anywhere other than mid table this season I am afraid. Need a new defence between now and end of August.

[john e]

when Whelan and Horahaine are half of your midfield you are always going to struggle

the defence is what it is we know it’s shit but we only have two midfielders that are any good and one of them was injured today and we will always struggle as long as that is the case especially against top 6 type teams

[tomd2103]

A gut wrenching defeat and has probably just about ended any realistic hope that was left of automatic promotion.  We just look so nervy and fragile at the back and patterns are emerging of the same mistakes being made by the same players.  I don't agree that we were totally outplayed today, as apart from a 20 minute period in the second half, I thought the game was pretty even.  During that 20 minute period though, I thought it was noticeable that Leeds really upped the tempo, totally overran us in midfield and got the ball wide quickly.  Their two wingers were both on their 'wrong' side, yet Hutton and Elmohamady continually allowed them the time and space to cut inside, which they did well.

Like someone else mentioned, the substitutes made very little impact when they came on.  I can't see the point of shunting Abraham out wide and bringing on Hogan, and think Davis would be a better bet coming on in those situations.

[rougegorge]

Leeds played well but we gave them a huge helping hand with the defending. It's now Elmo's turn to be a liability.
We didn't cut out the diagonal balls all day and they were able to receive the ball at leisure and double up with the full backs.
I was really hoping that by now, Smith and Terry would've managed to tighten up the defence even allowing for no new players.
We've conceded 22 at home, by far the worst in the league and having to continually score 3 or 4 to win is just not tenable.
I actually thought we looked the more likely winners in the last 10 minutes but the substitutions were really poor. El Ghazy and Hogan are just no good for ball retention and they both conceded possession ridiculously easily.

[garyshawsknee]

We have got through a tough run of games and this is the first defeat, without our best player, so it's not all doom and gloom. With a couple of reinforcements and some favourable fixtures I think we'll be in the play off mix. At least we are a banker on the both teams to score bet.