Aston Villa 2-3 Leeds United Post Match Thread

[ktvillan]

Seems to be a lot of scapegoating going on, the usual suspects Nyland,  Whelan, Hourahane etc. getting stick that I think is ill deserved.  I thought they were all ok.  I think criticism of Smith is also a bit OTT he can't help the shite defence he inherited and the fact AT is injured.  Leeds played well today but I thought we did too at times at least.  The loss was largely down to piss poor defending by one player in particular, Elmo.   No manager can legislate for one experienced player having two brain farts like that, but who do we replace him with?  As for those saying we won't make the play-offs, jesus get a grip. We've lost one game in a very difficult 6 game run with a threadbare defence, have a chance to strengthen in January and a much easier run of games coming up.  I think we'll comfortably make the play-offs.

[remy]

Got back just now.

Daughter’s first game today, by massive coincidence my very first game was v Leeds years ago.

Groans around when Whelen was announced on the team sheet.

McGinn was absolutely superb but can’t carry the whole midfield all the time.

Time and again Hutton was bypassed like a dog running past a letterbox, absolutely shite.

They are good but we were 2-0 up and a bit more clinical and it’s 4-0 going into the break.

Before the match I thought this was a must win as the top 4 are pulling clear week after week. Gutted to lose that so at this point in time top 2 looks gone.

Adomah should have come on instead of Hogan.

Some beautiful play for our 2 goals.

Elmo-Chester-bree-Hutton axis is laughable, major surgery.

El Ghazi couldn’t get into the game.

Abrahams was good.

(Sigh)

Feel upset and angry going into Christmas.

[brian green]

Upset and angry sums up my feelings too. 

[thick_mike]

We won't know if the kids are good enough if we never give them a chance.  You'll never convince me that O'Hare would be as monumentally useless as Hogan though.

The kids thing is pissing me off right now. We have a very good academy and kids that deserve a chance. Leeds brought on an 18 year old at HT and his goal changed the entire game. Why we keep persisting with the likes of Whelan and others is baffling. Throw them in and make them the future.

We’ve all seen plastered over the media the last couple of weeks as to why so few of our young talents haven’t made the transition to the first team. Relentless bullying and demeaning treatment of the kids isn’t the best way to build their confidence.

[sickbeggar]

Seems to be a lot of scapegoating going on, the usual suspects Nyland,  Whelan, Hourahane etc. getting stick that I think is ill deserved.  I thought they were all ok.  I think criticism of Smith is also a bit OTT he can't help the shite defence he inherited and the fact AT is injured.  Leeds played well today but I thought we did too at times at least.  The loss was largely down to piss poor defending by one player in particular, Elmo.   No manager can legislate for one experienced player having two brain farts like that, but who do we replace him with?  As for those saying we won't make the play-offs, jesus get a grip. We've lost one game in a very difficult 6 game run with a threadbare defence, have a chance to strengthen in January and a much easier run of games coming up.  I think we'll comfortably make the play-offs.

I'm perfectly satisfied with Smith so far. As you say he's been dealt a shitty hand. Not sure about the play-offs. I think making it is possible atm. Going up via it, i'm not so sure. If he's got the money to do something in January then i see no reason why we won't be in it injuries permitting, but you only have to look at the defence options in the middle atm. You'd want 4 decent centre halves ideally. At the moment we have chester...........

[SoccerHQ]

Play off teams are often under prepared for the following season as they cannot team build until well into June. Perhaps anotIiher season in the Championship where Dean can move on many of our underperformers and bring in players who can flourish in his system will be a better long term bet.
Also the result today was a fair reflection of the game.

I understand what you are saying, but if in May we are at Wembley beating Forest 5-4 in the play off final with 5 minutes to go I may beg to differ.

nah. Albion please. that c*** lepkowski is on twitter calling our fans idiots for the Ron Saunders display

Didn't know there was going to be a tribute for that. I actually did look at my phone to check he hadn't passed away when I saw it tbh.

[SoccerHQ]

We won't know if the kids are good enough if we never give them a chance.  You'll never convince me that O'Hare would be as monumentally useless as Hogan though.

The kids thing is pissing me off right now. We have a very good academy and kids that deserve a chance. Leeds brought on an 18 year old at HT and his goal changed the entire game. Why we keep persisting with the likes of Whelan and others is baffling. Throw them in and make them the future.

We’ve all seen plastered over the media the last couple of weeks as to why so few of our young talents haven’t made the transition to the first team. Relentless bullying and demeaning treatment of the kids isn’t the best way to build their confidence.

They need loans. Green came in and looked decent initally but then got injured and then looked way off the pace when he played a few games start of the season.

Anyway him playing regularly at top of table Pompey will be far more beneficial than the odd bench cameo here.

O'Hare should be loaned out to league 1 in January like he should've been last season. Remember this did Grealish the world of good when he went to Notts County.

Same for Rushian Hepburn-Murphy if I didn't dream he existed.

[SoccerHQ]

Today was disappointing but nothing will ever top the infamous 15-0 over xmas 2012. That genuinely did ruin xmas for me that year and I normally don't go OTT about these things.

After play off final I was over it in two days.

[Clampy]

Play off teams are often under prepared for the following season as they cannot team build until well into June. Perhaps anotIiher season in the Championship where Dean can move on many of our underperformers and bring in players who can flourish in his system will be a better long term bet.
Also the result today was a fair reflection of the game.

I understand what you are saying, but if in May we are at Wembley beating Forest 5-4 in the play off final with 5 minutes to go I may beg to differ.

nah. Albion please. that c*** lepkowski is on twitter calling our fans idiots for the Ron Saunders display

Didn't know there was going to be a tribute for that. I actually did look at my phone to check he hadn't passed away when I saw it tbh.

And I did, I didn't have a clue about it.

As for the game, as daft as it sounds, maybe we went two goals up too early. We then had 70 mins to see the game out and under Smith and his philosophy, that sometimes is going to be a problem. The defence was a tad depleted yes but we let in 5 at home against Forest as well. Today is one we need to learn from if we're going to go up.

[themossman]

One of the really sick making things about the last 2 seasons is the apparent absence of decent kids who can do a job for us in the championship. Disgraceful really when you think of our size and the history of the academy.

[themossman]

There’s having a philosophy and then there’s being naive. It would be mad to criticise Smith at this stage given the hand he’s playing. But I’d be surprised if he wasn’t thinking 2 goals up against the best team in the league with a makeshift defence we could have tried to lock that down.

[ROBBO]

Who'd be a manager, when I saw the team sheet thought we would struggle but for the first half hour we got the better of their defence but they are a very good championship side and once their midfield got control we struggled. No blame on Nyland today thought he did okay but as others have said both our fullbacks gave their wingers far to much space to operate in. Smith will know where we need to strengthen and hopefully we will get a few in. Although we were knackered in the last fifteen minutes we still attacked and took the game to them isn't that what we wanted from our manager.

[brontebilly]

One of the really sick making things about the last 2 seasons is the apparent absence of decent kids who can do a job for us in the championship. Disgraceful really when you think of our size and the history of the academy.

Dean Smith evidently doesnt rate the current crop too highly given the lack of game time afforded to them,.

[Clampy]

There’s having a philosophy and then there’s being naive. It would be mad to criticise Smith at this stage given the hand he’s playing. But I’d be surprised if he wasn’t thinking 2 goals up against the best team in the league with a makeshift defence we could have tried to lock that down.

I'm not suggesting lock it down as such but as refreshing as it is to see us try to win the game, sometimes it may be worth taking the point. For example, I didn't see the point in bringing Hogan on. Davis may have been a better bet to win us a few free kicks. Maybe I'm being a tad harsh on Smith though because he's been a breath of fresh air overall.

[Richard E]

It was all my fault, I was just commenting how Elmo was playing quite well and Leeds hadn’t got any change out of him when he was skinned alive for the first goal. Sorry everybody.