Aston Villa vs Sheffield United Post-Match Thread

[brian green]

That was rubbish.  But it was great fun.  A game to talk about in years to come.  Tyrone elevated to legend status in one week.  The last 15 minutes made the journey from hell worth while.

[Holte L2]

I left at 3-0 In the 80th minute. Hate myself a little bit right now.

[GarTomas]

Just watching the second half back.  Sheff Utd work rate and defensive positioning very good but we were desperately slow moving the ball last night. The more you see the second goal the more that us wrong with it. Their player just walks past Jedinak in the centre circle and runs unchallenged for 30 yards.  And if Sharp isn't interfering with play you can't understand football.

Frustrating the number of posters pointing the finger at Smith but also how many of our players are just not good enough (appreciate they may not be the same posters!)

We just have too many bang average footballers.  Hutton you can't fault his work rate or effort but along with Taylor he can't play as a modern full back or in th style Smith wants. And when you're setup to play with 2 wingers you're full backs need to be adventurous and support as they are not going to consistently beat 2/3 players out wide.

As for our midfield agree with many one Whelan. Do I want him playing in front of the back 4. No. Is he our best option right now. Yes. Do I think he should be getting a new contract. No.  Needs must at the moment and I think this summer we will a massive overhaul in the summer.

Of players not on loan the only ones I would like to keep for next year are McGinn and Kalinic (given we've just signed him a bit soon to write him off)

I'd also thrown Hourihane in the list I never want to see in a Villa shirt again. Just a totally anonymous player.

[andyh]

For 80 minutes we seemed to be playing a version of walking football.
For the last 10 (15) we actually started getting the ball forwards quicker, some of it was hoofball, but we at least showed some urgency.

There is a lesson for us there. Get back to what we were doing before we got shit.

[olaftab]

We’ve been here before with good debuts though. Let’s see where he is after a few games.

Exactly. Yes Mings was ok but was part of the defence that had us 3 down after about an hour.

[GarTomas]

Oh and the 3rd goal, the tracking back from Conor and Jedinak was wonderful. Taylor gets lots of stick but not sure how he was mean to cope with 2/3 players running at him.

[JJ-AV]

We've spent £11.5m on goalies this season, signing three new ones, 5 different ones have made first team appearances and the best one is still sitting on the bench.

[mr underhill]

I'd give Steer a go otherwise it was totally pointless recalling him  from Charlton. Kalinic looks as bad as Nyland to me.

[vilan461]

with every game i think surely the officials will improve----sadly thats not the case, we did dam well to come back after all we were playing against 13 men!---a blatant penalty right under the referees nose, another possible penalty,  Sharp was clearly offside and interfering when he stuck his leg out for his second, going in with studs showing and prizing the ball out of Kalininc,s hands when both palms were around the ball!!
 
i am real surprised that they didnt come up with some "offence" to gleefully deny Tammy,s and Green,s goals but none was forthcoming,
 
We were truly awful for 80  minutes passing was atrocious 2nd to the ball, too many standing waiting instead of going to collect---but then clicked into gear---why o why cant we play like that for the whole game.?might this just kick start the season? hopefully its not a false dawn.

[oldhill_avfc]

Frustrating the number of posters pointing the finger at Smith but also how many of our players are just not good enough (appreciate they may not be the same posters!)

We just have too many bang average footballers.  Hutton you can't fault his work rate or effort but along with Taylor he can't play as a modern full back or in th style Smith wants. And when you're setup to play with 2 wingers you're full backs need to be adventurous and support as they are not going to consistently beat 2/3 players out wide.

As for our midfield agree with many one Whelan. Do I want him playing in front of the back 4. No. Is he our best option right now. Yes. Do I think he should be getting a new contract. No.  Needs must at the moment and I think this summer we will a massive overhaul in the summer.

Agree with this.  I said some time ago that Smith needs to find a different set up with the players he has available at the moment.

Against Sheffield's 3-4-3 we were outnumbered in key areas for most of the game.

The full backs needed to get forward and push their wing backs deep.  They don't have enough quality to do it; Hutton tried, but Taylor was woeful until the shit or bust last 10 minutes.

The wide players were too wide, leaving Tammy on his own surrounded by 3 centre backs and 2 defensive central midfielders. 

McGinn was presumably told to try and get close to Tammy and as a result was dragged too far forward for most of the game leaving the hopeless Jedinak stranded in the centre.

This system doesn't even begin to stand a chance without Jack.

[walsall villain]

Late late result changing goals scored by us are a thing of joy. Wild celebrations when that header went in.
I imagined that under Smith we would play with the intensity Sheffield had last night. Clearly going to need a major turnaround in players to make that happen.

[dorsetvillian]

A quite remarkable last ten mins. Can't remember that happening ever? I almost left, so glad I didn't.  So many road closures on way home! Love and hate night games in equal measure.

[wittonwarrior]

M6 closed on way home at Stafford but thanks to John Morris still got in doors by 12 30am

[Abbeyfealeavfc]

The spirit of the team can't be underestimated in the last 10-15 mins. Neither Derby nor Boro could manage it against us when we were 3-0 at their grounds and they're in play off positions. Leeds managed it of course but maybe thats why they're too 2. With Grealish hopefully returning from injury sometime soon allied to our spirit, we may still make the play offs. UTV

[martyn ellis]

OK, so the first half they overran us. But the first 10 to 15 of the second, we were really causing some problems and playing some decent stuff. Then there was what looked like a foul on Kodj on the edge of the area, they go up the other end and score their dubious goal. That knocked the stuffing out of us. Their third deflected off Mings perfectly for Sharp to nod it in; we got no luck with the officials, one very clear penalty claim ignored and another possible. Whelan does what Whelan does and he showed why he often gets picked. he's tidy, doesn't give many balls away, everything that Jedinak was not. Apart from the first 30 minutes I don;t think we were nearly as bad as many on here are claiming. Claret and blue tinted glasses maybe.