Aston Villa v Liverpool Post Match Thread

[Meanwood Villa]

Good performance by villa though. Credit where credit is due

A good performance is out scoring your opponent or keeping your concentration for the entirety of the match. "Switching off" and conceding two goals in 7 minutes at the most important time of the game, resulting in you ending up with zero points isn't what I'd describe as a "good performance".

It was a good effort and nothing more.

Mr Sunshine here again

[clash city rocker]

Just so fuckin annoyed by today

[Risso]

Gutted. Smith really needs to learn how to make subs that alter tactics rather then just like for like replacements. We never learn.

So who should we have replaced our injured RB with apart from another RB? Who should we have replaced our clearly knackered striker with apart from with a striker?

Did we need to bring another striker on? 86 minutes gone, bring on another defender and stick 5 across the back. It's just not Smith's way and it will cost us points. There's nothing wrong in parking the bus sometimes.

Hause would've been a perfect choice to shore it up. But no, Taylor is the option from the bench! I don't get it - Hause is big and strong and can play left back or CB.

I agree, I can see no reason whatsoever for Taylor's continued inclusion in the squad.  If Konsa covers for Engels and Guilbert, then Hause should do the same for Mings and Targett.

[Villafirst]

Another point: why no full backs on the posts at corners? That Mane header would've been a routine clearance!

[PeterWithe]

If you’d have offered me that before the game I’d happily taken it.

We were great without possession but piss poor with it, gutted to have lost in such a manner but when the dust settled, we were second best all through the game.

Really needed someone to dominate the centre of midfield but it didn’t happen, every time we got it we had to go long.

Lots to be positive about against the European Champions but blimey, we’ll never have a better chance of beating them. A real chance wasted

[Lastfootstamper]

Have the PL thrown the proverbial book at us yet for Bella's antics when Mané got booked?

[Ian.]

Just got home, it's a measure of how far we've come that the result feels like such a sickener.

The ref in the second half had an absolute shocker.  Every 50:50 decision went in their favour, and just never gave us a breather.

Everybody put a massive shift in, even Wesley who never stopped running to be fair.  I just wish Smith would do more when we're under the cosh to stiffen things up a bit.  He could have taken Trezeguet or El Ghazi off and brought Lansbury on to add a body in midfield.  Even allowing for the fact it was Liverpool today, that's way too many points dropped from winning positions.  I reckon Chris Wilder would have seen Sheffield United come out with at least a point in a similar position.

Hey ho, can't be too unhappy after a performance like that.  Play in a similar vein against Wolves and Newcastle and we'll smash them.

Nice report Risso, sounds like we gave everything today and maybe deserved something from the game. Considering who we were playing we have to take a reality check to where we were in February.

Dean is probably making mistakes but he’s learning too and I’ll take his approach any day of the week, he’s doing a fantastic job and in a very short space of time has changed the mentality, styles and our expectations. I’m convinced he will learn and I’m still convinced we have a player in big Wes and the lively Trez.

[Richard E]

Nakamba was immense in the second half when we were coming under pressure. Several times he won the ball when he had no right to do so.

[danno]

Have the PL thrown the proverbial book at us yet for Bella's antics when Mané got booked?

What? and risk the wrath of Bella's BFF Roy Keane?  Not a chance.

[ROBBO]

Dean Smith had the team set up perfectly but for me he made one mistake that cost us the game, he bought Hourihane on when we needed a hard tackling midfielder especially as JM was knackered the last fifteen minutes, a really great performance that deserved a point at least but the luck always seems to go to the top sides, the team will be disappointed they didn't hold on.

[PeterWithe]

Thought both their full backs were incredible and were the difference, so much energy, they pinned us right back but were also sound defensively

Thought Llannana had a very good game as well

[AsTallAsLions]

God, I bloody hate Liverpool.

Amen. This is about all I can manage right now. Absolutely sickened still.

[PeterWithesShin]

Which hard tackling midfielder should he have brought on?

[SoccerHQ]

Another point: why no full backs on the posts at corners? That Mane header would've been a routine clearance!

With it being the final action you'd want as many in the box to try to win the header so I could understand it.

What bemused me was I think Targett outside the box trying to close down the corner taker, did he really think it was going to be taken short. Just get in the box and perhaps extra body would've been in to clear before it got to Mane.

[PeterWithe]

We really had fuck all on the bench to make any difference at all.

Lots to be happy about but thought Luiz could have done more to retain the ball and get bodies up the field