Swansea City vs Aston Villa: Match Thread

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Absolutely dire.

The midfield three are flat to accommodate Hourihane and Whelan's lack of legs.

The only positive is we've only given up the McBurnie miss and a free header, where bizarrely despite not having the balance of play we've had the better chances.

This is desperate at the moment. The atmosphere is dead and it's no surprise as this is sub-Bruce.

Swansea are terrible going forwards though.

We desperately need Jack back or a new midfielder.

[SoccerHQ]

We have more than enough to win this game. We just need to fucking believe again and not make stupid errors at the back.

Clean sheet after last few games is not too bad I'd suggest.

Need much more from the forward players today. El Ghazi's golden form didn't last too long really.

Would get Kodj and Albert on the hour.

[Matt Collins]

Thought we were awful for 20 mins. Then a bit better. Is the pitch water logged? The ball is moving very slowly

Agree we look very leaden footed. Hourihane and whelan seem to both be playing deep today with mcginn as a 10? Think whelan needs to come off

Given the above, would have liked to see ohare on the bench as he could play that ten role

The

[CT Villan]

The Elmo and El Ghazi dream-team are making me very nervous. We are lacking movement and the ability to pass to another Villa shirt. My daughter says Villa are lame and she's not wrong.

[SoccerHQ]

He's not hit the heights of last season personally but last few games have shown Jack is irreplacable in our set up.

Just like last season he's injured at the wrong time for us. Injury in August-October wouldn't have changed much as we were dire then.

[pauliewalnuts]

Whelan and, to a less extent, Hourihane are slowing everything down. Whelan contributes pretty much nothing.

Without Grealish we struggle to create around their area, and seem to be specialising in just given Swansea the ball back.

There's no energy or zip to us at all.

[andyh]

The Elmo and El Ghazi dream-team are making me very nervous. We are lacking movement and the ability to pass to another Villa shirt. My daughter says Villa are lame and she's not wrong.

Dream team?......dare I say Elmo is a bloody nightmare.

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It's the midfield 3. Flat and deep. McGinn showed a bit more movement towards the end of the half.

Whelan...yikes.

[dorsetvillian]

Dreadful. We look scared on the ball and really lacking in confidence. Big team talk for DS. Early positive subs could be key.

[Toronto Villa]

Whelan and, to a less extent, Hourihane are slowing everything down. Whelan contributes pretty much nothing.

Without Grealish we struggle to create around their area, and seem to be specialising in just given Swansea the ball back.

There's no energy or zip to us at all.

I think aside from being generally gash, Whelan slows everything down and pulls Hourihane deeper with him. Even look at how deep McGinn comes to get the ball. I think Hourihane is the right deep player. Him or BB with McGinn and Grealish in front. But you cannot have both him and Whelan.

[SoccerHQ]

It's the midfield 3. Flat and deep. McGinn showed a bit more movement towards the end of the half.

Whelan...yikes.

Well it's clearly instructions. When your defence is gifting goals every game it's hardly a scandal for the manager to instruct midfield to sit deeper and provide some more cover when the opposition break.

Might be very boring for a 7 hour away round trip on Boxing day but I'm hopeful we can pinch this 0-1 like we did many times away from home last season of course.

In present form we probably need to win a couple ugly before going back to smashing teams when Jack eventually returns with a few new signings in January.

[Toronto Villa]

The other thing that happens when we are is all of our attacks are more counter based and isolated. When we play higher up and up on their box we have extra men attacking the box or overlapping. Now it is down to 3 at most and if it breaks down watch the massive gap that appears in behind.

[ChicagoLion]

The Leeds capitulation?
Too many old players?

[andyh]

We have got into some good situations but our final ball has been atrocious today.

[CT Villan]

The Elmo and El Ghazi dream-team are making me very nervous. We are lacking movement and the ability to pass to another Villa shirt. My daughter says Villa are lame and she's not wrong.

Dream team?......dare I say Elmo is a bloody nightmare.

I was being facetious !