Aston Villa v Liverpool Post Match Thread

[Ads]

Agreed. We created as many good opportunities as them.

[Nastylee]

The more I see the winning goal then the more I think JK completely bottled the challenge. what a half-hearted attempt at winning the ball, their player just wanted it more.

[john e]

thought we would lose by 4 before the game yesterday then finding Grealish was out changed that to 5
so my expectation level was not high,
not because I think we are no good but because against the top 6 we don’t believe we are,
 we turn into sponge puddings become panicky and throw games away

I was wrong,
we actually had a go at them and gave them a proper game (ok we did get a bit spongy in the last 5)

we are getting to a position where we have a really decent starting 11 but the bench is weak
this is to be expected we are rebuilding the whole squad and it will take time

but when we made the 3 subs every one made the team weaker than it was, that’s not the players faults they try their best they just arnt good enough to come on in a game like that,
 it’s not Smiths fault that’s all he’s got to use he’s got very little options

the squad will change for the better, our recruitment has been excellent
10 of the starting 11 signed by Smith and his team, only a few games in and the players he inherited are slowly but surely dropping down the pecking order like the ones he had to use yesterday

just compare the starting line up against Spurs to yesterday
we are definitely improving and going in the right direction

other observations -

only time we see half & half’s is against Liverpool/Man Utd says it all as to who’s buying the offensive things

Liverpool’s away fans only came alive in 87 minute never backed their team until then, total glory hunters
right up there with the worst I’ve seen at VP, pains me to say but Man Utd away following are some of the best

There are no words to describe how much I hate Liverpool
(The club and fans, not VCTM as he’s great)

‘What a stadium What a club’

[john e]

sorry didn’t realise the post was so long and rambling

[Villafirst]

The more I see the winning goal then the more I think JK completely bottled the challenge. what a half-hearted attempt at winning the ball, their player just wanted it more.

We'd have been better with another defender at that stage. There was only about 5 minutes left anyway. I keep saying Kortney Hause would've been ideal at that point to come on. But he never seems to be at least on the bench??

[tomd2103]

I don’t know, against Spurs, Arsenal and Liverpool I didn’t think the substitutions were great. Wrong players and in 2 cases at the wrong times. Surely that’s 100% on Smith. Haven’t we given up more points from winning positions in the 2nd half than anyone else?

Problem is that we haven't yet got a strong enough squad to make subs that are going to make an impact in those kind of games.  As Wednesday night showed, we still have too many Championship level players in the squad and that is understandable given it's our first season back in the top flight. 

[Clampy]

The other side of the argument is if you take a forward or midfielder off and bring another defender on, then it's even more of a backs to the wall job. Like a few others have said, I think Lansbury would have been a better sub then Houirhane  but other than that, I thought his subs were fine.

[RamboandBruno]

Waited till today to comment as found most comments utterly depressing and wondering whether those making the most negative comments were actually at the game. I was thoroughly gutted at the end yesterday & still am today, but every single player was completely on it yesterday. Liverpool didn’t have an off day, they played well but we drew them into a scrap and were that close to beating the best team in Europe. I don’t want villa defined as plucky losers, but I don’t see how we can criticise the team or manager at all. Watching game back on MOTD by 9 said ‘what a header’ about Maine’s goal and he’s spot on, credit due. Wesley, Trez, El Ghazi stand outs for me, but they were all superb. The holte end stayed to applaud them off the pitch yesterday, that says it all, bring on wolves and newcastle

[Flamingo Lane]

A game that ended in such a way was bound to give vent to an amount of frustration but I thought we played really really well today against a team that is probably one of the best half dozen in the world.  The atmosphere was also banging, and I for one am so happy to have had my desire to attend games at Villa Park rekindled by what we have seen over the last year or so.  Not since the days of Brian Little as manager have things felt this good, imo.

I sat in the North Stand yesterday for the first time in about 35 years, and what a great view it gives of the stadium and the pitch.  Though it does help to have very short legs.  I saw no Liverpool supporters in the North Stand but I did see plenty of half and half scarves, which truly are an abomination.  On the bus back into town I even saw one being worn by a bloke of about 50, who was also wearing a Villa away shirt, how strange did that look?








 

[Clark W Griswold]

I think it would be sensible if away fans were all held back at full time on dramatic days like today. It wasn’t good walking past the away end. Upset villa fans and gloating away fans, not a good mix.

I live in deepest rural Shropshire, prime Redscouse turf. After following the last few nail-biting minutes in the car, and with melancholy and frustration broiling my guts like month-old half-rotted cabbage, I took Mrs Rodders and Mini Rodders Jnr to our local for tea.

We'd been sitting down for a while; I'm on my second pint of Three Tuns XXX, Mini Rodders Jnr's fish, chips and beans and beans had been served, and a youngish bearded bloke in shooting tweeds came up to our table and asked - in best, broadest Shropshire - if I was "the Villa fan"

When I replied in the affirmative, he grinned and started dancing around the table, flicking the V's and singing, "fuck you motherfuckerrrr, we had you, we fucking had you, you fucking looosseersss"

I've never even had that sort of interaction with my hated Nose Stepdad or his family, never mind a stranger in a pub where my home ground is sixty miles away and his eighty-five. When I invited him to desist he tried to get his mates involved. In front of the Missus and the 3 year old.

Utter, utter wankishness that typifies the club and its plastic support.

The best thing to do in that situation is too calmly ask him how many times he's been to Anfield, when he answers none or 2 or similar tell him (whilst grinning) that he's not really a fan then so what the fuck has it got to do with him. Even if he tells you he's been numerous times etc, tell him that he's full of shit and continue with the rest of the reply. The way that you describe him he sounds like the local village idiot and not really a fan, although i'm certainly not saying that all proper Liverpool fans behave perfectly. I don't think many proper fans of any club would pull that kind of shit though. Apart from Man Utd perhaps.

[john e]

i always ask Liverpool and Man Utd fans who live around me (Bucks so there’s are plenty)

‘ do you actually support them or is it just your favourite television programme ? ‘

[john2710]

Some of the early comments on this thread are astounding, obviously people who just looked at the scoreline & weren't at the game.

Last time this shower were down here they humiliated us. They've improved massively since then & today we went toe to toe with them. It took until the 95th minute to get the better of us. As galling as it is to lose in that way, I'm proud of everyone of those players.

Special mention to the Liverpool fans who were silent until the 85th minute.

[avfc456]

Proud of the lads yesterday, but as a few others have posted I was in P5 Upper doug yesterday and there were Liverpool fans next to me, they were quiet and caused no trouble, but I find it very odd how they got tickets when it was simply to Members only. At £50 a ticket by me and a £35 membership it’s an expensive day out. As others have said fans should be banned for buying and selling them onto Liverpool if that was the case

[Flin5tone]

For all the effort we again throw it away, all very well saying we're going head to head with these fantastic teams but we're throwinbr away wins.

Letting in two late goals is nothing to be proud of. We're sliding back to the bottom 3 with tough games coming up and we only show up for one half

[Clark W Griswold]

i always ask Liverpool and Man Utd fans who live around me (Bucks so there’s are plenty)

‘ do you actually support them or is it just your favourite television programme ? ‘

That suggestion was exactly what i used to use on a work mate about 20 years ago who was sound enough generally until you got onto football, he was a 'Liverpool fan' who knew a lot about them to be fair but he'd never been to Anfield. I'd been about 10 times myself at that point and had a season ticket over 10 years at the Villa and been all around the country following them so it always stopped him in his tracks when he started.