Man Citeh 3 ‘Plucky’ Aston Villa 0 Post Match Thread.

[PeterWithesShin]

There were a few around me that spent large parts of the second half riling up the Citeh fans just over the fence and waving their crooked hands in obscene gestures; calling them out from afar.
Sad form every perspective.

That kind of thing always makes me think of this

[amfy]

It’s a shame that they just seem bored with success, and not just a few, but actually MOST of their fans couldn’t be bothered to stay and applaud them off today. Ending games in a nearly empty stadium should be reserved for teams at the bottom end of the table.

It comes with the sense of entitlement of having won a few things and spent shitloads of dosh. To see their stadium punctuated with empty seats was either (i) sad, (ii) a reflection on us, the oppo, (iii) the early start and crap weather, or (iv) a combination of the other options.

Nonetheless - the complete nob by me that decided to have a major rant at Man City fans about their shit support and stir up everyone around us to a near riot should probably grow up a bit sometime soon. I could just about understand that behaviour from a teenager, but in your 50s it’s a bit tragic frankly.

There were a few around me that spent large parts of the second half riling up the Citeh fans just over the fence and waving their crooked hands in obscene gestures; calling them out from afar.
Sad form every perspective.

The ones by me then sung ‘You’ve only come to see The Villa’ - to which I commented ‘Which is more than you have’

[SoccerHQ]

We were competitive for the first hour. In our stage of evolution that's enough for me at this point. Yeah second goal was a scandal but did feel inevitable they'd have just scored another anyway which they did five minutes later.

3 goal defeat is about par for usually what happens up there. Move on and hopefully we can make it close v Liverpool.

[Mister E]

Regarding the game, I was pleased with the first half and disappointed that we capitulated so readily in the second. The opening goal was a killer as well as being poorly conceded.
Seeing Luiz and Marv playing alongside each other was good to see and largely encouraging: I thought both had steady games ad Luiz showed flashes of being very good.
McGinn and Grealish worked their nuts off - mainly without the ball - and we need to find ways to get them back into more offensive roles.
Both fullbacks looked okay, in the main: Guilbert was faced with a high-class international in Sterling and I thought he did okay. Targett did fine.
Engels has dropped off from his early-season coolness and surety: I wonder whether we should be looking to give Konsa some game time.
Trez divides opinion: I thought he was a little wasteful and out of the game in first half; others thought he had a decent game.
So to the big debate: Wesley. Today, he won several balls in the air, did a lot of work off the ball and generally ploughed a lonely furrow. No one worked particualrly well around him to collect what ball he did win. Davis looked bright and active when he came on. Neither looked like matchwinners. What we lack in our squad are options for changing the game: the only value of replacing Wesley with Davis is having fresh legs up front. We actually need an alternative striker who has a different game and presents different challenges for defenders.

Today will not define our season .... but it does provide valuable lessons for the squad to absorb and build from. Citeh were very, very good - their movement, ball retention and crisp passing shows what we need to be aspiring to.

[auntiesledd]

VAR technology is not the problem, it's the idiot refs (in this case John Moss) using it!
PL used the same technology to award the goal to Silva.

According to 5Live, The VAR dolt "didn't have the camera angle available to them to see Silva's touch". Funnily enough Silva also told the Ref that he had scored, but the clueless official ignored him. I certainly don't think this latest VAR stitch-up would have led to a Villa fightback - had it been overturned: but we seemed to go noticeably went further downhill afterwards.

Oh, and don't get me started on bleedin' Wesley... 

[Toronto Villa]

It probably wouldn’t have mattered but getting such a critical decision wrong at 1-0 had a massive impact right at that point of the game. 1-0 and you just don’t know. We’ve been rogered week after week by poor decisions or decisions compounded by VAR failing to do what it was implemented to do.

[SoccerHQ]

Regarding the game, I was pleased with the first half and disappointed that we capitulated so readily in the second. The opening goal was a killer as well as being poorly conceded.
Seeing Luiz and Marv playing alongside each other was good to see and largely encouraging: I thought both had steady games ad Luiz showed flashes of being very good.
McGinn and Grealish worked their nuts off - mainly without the ball - and we need to find ways to get them back into more offensive roles.
Both fullbacks looked okay, in the main: Guilbert was faced with a high-class international in Sterling and I thought he did okay. Targett did fine.
Engels has dropped off from his early-season coolness and surety: I wonder whether we should be looking to give Konsa some game time.
Trez divides opinion: I thought he was a little wasteful and out of the game in first half; others thought he had a decent game.
So to the big debate: Wesley. Today, he won several balls in the air, did a lot of work off the ball and generally ploughed a lonely furrow. No one worked particualrly well around him to collect what ball he did win. Davis looked bright and active when he came on. Neither looked like matchwinners. What we lack in our squad are options for changing the game: the only value of replacing Wesley with Davis is having fresh legs up front. We actually need an alternative striker who has a different game and presents different challenges for defenders.

Today will not define our season .... but it does provide valuable lessons for the squad to absorb and build from. Citeh were very, very good - their movement, ball retention and crisp passing shows what we need to be aspiring to.

Think Konsa will start in the cup, I would keep Engels in even though he was a bit dodgy for the first today as I think we can build better attacks with him as CB.

Would certainly keep the shape v Liverpool, maybe bring Hourihane back in though.

[Marlon From Bearwood]

Watched on tv today and the atmosphere was eerily quiet. You could regularly hear the players shouting to each other. Loads of empty seats too. A totally spoilt fan base.

Considering this is City’s best and most entertaining team of all time, managed by the world’s best coach, it’s genuinely weird.

It proves that success on the pitch comes with a cost off it.

[Richard E]

So, we’re not that bothered that we lost, and they’re not that bothered that they won? Strange game.

[old man villa fan]

What gets me is how they all stick up for each other.  On BT after the match they had Peter Walton giving his 'expert' comments.  Everybody was saying that Silva had touched it and Walton said the deviation on the movement of the ball was caused by the spin when it hit the ground.  What is wrong with saying they made a mistake.  When questioned why couldn't the ref let the studio know that Silva told him he touched the ball, he said players are often try to con refs so the admission shouldn't be passed on - unbelievable.

[Scovilla]

Just listened to Guardiola saying Wesley was good. Is he being nice or taking the piss or am i stupid? I guess a bit of the three options.

[steamer]

May have been empty seats, but 54,000 at the game.
Caution about building a stadium that is not a traditional football ground and loses its soul, cautionary note to our owners re redevelopment.
City always had the Kippax, Arsenal the North Bank, spurs Park Lane end ? not sure where they associate themselves with now.

[LukeJames]

Thought we played decent first half and had a good few break aways.

I love Mings but the first goal was all on him, and what a wank time to conceed.

The decision for the 2nd goal was naff but it wasn't the worst decision of the game, the  booking of Grealish in the first half was an abomanation of a decision. I like Graham Scott as a ref but that was pathetuc on every level.

I expected it to be around 3 or 4 so not overly concerned, I actually think we'll fair better next week.

[Three Spires Villa]

Watched it in a bar in Cyprus (cheap family half term, get a bit of sun before it’s to late holiday) & four Man City tops one & the bloody attitude of them really pissed me off. At half time, it was “do you really think you will draw” I said no, you will win but you are much better, but I remember being happy for you when you got up from the third, cheered when you beat United, did you cheer when we won the European Cup?? To much cheap beer, but hey arrogant b@**^%ds

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Watched on tv today and the atmosphere was eerily quiet. You could regularly hear the players shouting to each other. Loads of empty seats too. A totally spoilt fan base.

Considering this is City’s best and most entertaining team of all time, managed by the world’s best coach, it’s genuinely weird.

It proves that success on the pitch comes with a cost off it.

Fifty one quid for a ticket today. I could buy 20 bottles of more than half decent wine for the same price.